Humpday Blog-O-Rama 3.11.20

Blogs are an integral, vital part of the RPG hobby. They serve as incubators for new games, sounding boards for fresh ideas, and platforms for up-and-coming talent. They keep "forgotten" games alive, foster discussions, and build communities.

Every Wednesday on the Thought Eater podcast and blog, I take a look at what is going on in the vibrant RPG blog scene. Check out previous Humpday Blog-O-Rama posts HERE.

CLICK HERE for listening options or use the player below!






INTRO

https://anchor.fm/noahms456

https://thac0rpg.blogspot.com/2020/03/happy-birthday-to-blog.html

http://rpgbuyer.com/

https://strangevistas.org/2020/03/05/saying-goodbye-to-some-old-friends-2/



THERE AND BACK AGAIN

http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2020/03/frodo-lives.html

https://frialigan.se/en/news/#/pressreleases/free-league-signs-deal-to-publish-rpgs-in-tolkiens-middle-earth-2979811

https://rollingboxcars.com/2020/03/04/a-look-at-the-heros-journey-2nd-edition/



MAPS

http://bearded-devil.com/2020/03/03/map-of-the-quill-coast/

https://graemedavis.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/monday-maps-8-a-noble-mansion/

https://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=46042&page=2&p=414338#post414338

REVIEWS AND RETROSPECTIVES

https://www.tribality.com/2020/03/04/dms-guild-review-kakobear/

https://waynesbooks.games/2020/03/04/cyborg-commando-gary-gygaxs-first-game-after-tsr-1987/

https://dumpstatadventures.com/blog/deep-dive-the-beholder

https://rlyehreviews.blogspot.com/2020/03/far-future-dungeon-delving.html

https://flintlocksandwitchery.blogspot.com/2020/03/review-supercrew.html

https://tabletopbellhop.com/gaming-advice/quick-and-easy-two-player-board-games/

https://oldschoolfrp.tumblr.com/post/611696561348640768/a-carbuncle-resembles-an-armadillo-with-telepathic

https://osrgrimoire.blogspot.com/2020/03/blackmoor-men-magic.html



RANDOM TABLES AND GENERATORS

https://throneofsalt.blogspot.com/2020/03/d20-magical-precipitations.html

http://rememberdismove.blogspot.com/2020/03/d20-more-magical-precipitations.html

FREE STUFF

https://polyhedralnonsense.wordpress.com/2020/03/05/hostile-traveller-cepheus-engine-character-sheet/

https://polyhedralnonsense.wordpress.com/2020/03/08/hot-zone-player-gm-handouts-traveller-cepheus/

https://thedicequeen.wordpress.com/osrd/

https://blog.d4caltrops.com/2020/03/ose-encounter-activities-hydra.html
https://blog.d4caltrops.com/2020/03/ose-encounter-activities-gnoll.html
https://blog.d4caltrops.com/2020/03/ose-encounter-activities-treant.html
https://blog.d4caltrops.com/2020/03/ose-encounter-activities-vampire.html
https://blog.d4caltrops.com/2020/03/ose-encounter-activities-gargoyle.html
https://blog.d4caltrops.com/2020/03/ose-encounter-activities-crab-giant.html

http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2020/03/sailing-ships-for-savage-worlds.html

https://www.lythia.com/game_aides/diseases/

MISCELLANY

https://cannibalhalflinggaming.com/2020/03/03/a-pax-east-2020-roundup/

https://garycon.com/gary-con-and-grand-mitigate-risk/

https://www.geeknative.com/71569/at-least-15-creators-working-on-modiphius-dune-rpg

https://dmmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/03/in-this-day-of-march-we-remember-giant.html

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2020/03/04/today-is-the-dm-day-twelve-years-ago-gary-gygax-left-the-prime-material-plane/

http://therenaissancetroll.blogspot.com/2020/03/its-not-easy-being-green.html

ALL WE ARE SAYING IS GIVE 4E A CHANCE

https://gnomestew.com/system-splicing-dd-4th-ed/

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Thought Eater Podcast: Five Minute Friday: What is the Ideal D&D Adventuring Party Size?

Hello everyone. Happy Friday to you! Today on the podcast I offer you some brief musings about the ideal party size in the various iterations of D&D. Give it a listen and let me know your opinion!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!!!

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Let's Read Polyhedron: Issue 6

You can check out previous posts in this series HERE.

Ok, let's see if Polyhedron can bounce back from a weak issue 5.

So I dig the Boot Hill sort of cover.

In the letters section someone writes in about a religious group trying to ban D&D from their school. Ah, memories of the satanic panic. What is interesting is TSR replies here that if you need help with "these sorts of problems" to write to them with "Attention: Duke" on the envelope. Maybe I don't know my TSR lore as well as others, so if you know anything about "Duke" and if their job was just dealing with crazy moms 24/7, let me know.

Where I'm Coming From references TSR's acquisition of SPI. Notes from HQ mentions how to become a Top Secret game admin for the RPGA, and again plugs the RPGA belt buckles (I want one).

Part 3 of the Jake Jaquet interview is terminally boring. They talk about calling the mag Dragon instead of The Dragon. Jake likes basic D&D over AD&D. There is a little talk about how computers could eventually influence the hobby but nothing is particularly prescient or worth mentioning.

Notes for the Dungeon Master basically talks about complaints about "realism" in D&D, something that has always seemed kind of silly to me. It is game about, like, elves and dwarves and stuff. This issue is a bummer so far.

Mercifully, Jim Ward manages to give us something worth reading with some Gamma World items. The Weapons of the Ancients include things like a Crystal of Seeing (glorified telescope) and a Holarator (used to project holograms). The flavor here is good and at least it is gameable material.

Spelling Bee spends a lot of time talking about adjudicating illusion spells. Dispel Confusion covers thief armor (no studded leather allowed), monks wearing bracers of defense (they can, but wouldn't want to according to the author...yeah right), and then a question/answer that really struck me as odd.

Someone asks about to-hit rolls for monsters with just hp listed. With AD&D, I always just used the max level on the HD chart as the base (16+ for AD&D), but here they say to divide the total hp by 4.5 for the HD and extrapolate from there. This would make many monsters/gods even more powerful...to the point where there would never be a point in rolling anything. Did anyone play that way? Like a Tarrasque would be a 66+ HD creature. I'm no mathematician, but using this system with the AD&D charts, the THACO would be 0 around 23 HD....so yeah, 66 HD would be what, THACO -21? I know its a tough monster, but sheesh. Weird answer imo. I looked at BECMI, knowing it deals with very high levels, and a 35+ HD monster has a THACO of 1, which is much more sensible. In fact, from 25-35 HD, all monsters stay at THACO 2. Maybe they didn't think this one through before answering, but they probably killed a LOT of PCs in the wake of this answer. Hey wait, now it is growing on me.

There is a solitaire scenario for Fight in the Skies. A list of some RPGA charter members. Tips on how to run your own D&D tournaments. The issue ends with another "Nor" comic.

Another not-so-good issue. Maybe #7 will be better.

Froth's 5e Healing Houserules

I thought I would share my houserules for healing in 5e. Healing in the core game is just way too much for my tastes. While the DMG does provide some other options, they aren't exactly what I am looking for. I don't want an ultra-gritty game, nor do I want 4e's absurd amounts of healing. Anyhoo, here are my ideas:

-Eliminate healer feat
-Overnight healing only heals 1 hp (I'm a sucker for tradition, sue me)
-You can spend HD during short or long rest. You regain half of your current HD rounded down (minimum 1) overnight. So if you are a 6th level fighter but take a long rest with only 3 HD left, you only regain 1 HD the following day. If you take a long rest with no remaining HD, you start the next day with 1.
-Healer's kits work as written, they're just no longer able to be buffed by the healer feat
-Healing potions are not typically found for sale

This gives me the balance I am looking for. You still have ability to recuperate at a reasonable rate, but resource management comes more into play and the traditional healing roles are reinforced.

Do you houserule 5e healing? What is your system?

The Hybrid Stat Block: Hit Points

We continue our look at the 4e Forever monster stat block today with some changes I am making to hit points. We are not going back to hit dice, so don't panic. The basic concept of hit points isn't changing, and they are still listed just like they are on the 4e stat block. However, the formula for calculating monster hit points has changed.

Recently, I posted about how I am experimenting with different ways to derive certain statistics. It is a push towards simplicity. I have also mentioned a few times that many of the encounters in my upcoming project are with variable numbers of the same monster, much like the wandering monster tables of yesteryear. Partly because of this, I have dropped some of the roles from monsters. I retain Minion, Solo, Standard, Elite, and Savage, but drop the rest. It isn't that roles are bad, they just really didn't fit my project mechanically or aesthetically. In the process, I had finally realized the obvious: the way 4e does hit points is really annoying.

4e has different formulas for different types of monsters. This makes perfect sense for Solos, Minions, Standards, and Elites, because these categories are based on the overall ratios of hit points. However, Brutes, Skirmishers, and the rest have hit points based more on flavor. Weak little Artillery guy in the periphery of the fight? Fewer hit points. Big tough Soldier? More hit points. Makes sense. It also makes it a nightmare to calculate hit points. Heck, I'm not even giving Constitution scores to monsters in the first place!

It was with all of these things in mind that I came up with the formula for hit points. Overall, it gives monsters a tad fewer hit points. Of the 4e monster roles, only Lurkers and Artillery would average fewer. Everything ends up about "Controller" level. It isn't a huge difference, but I do think that this will still help a titch with combat speed at high levels (something I have gone to great lengths in this project to address). The early playtesting has shown that the monster difficulty will not suffer as a result. But the most important thing is that it's easy. That's the real point of it. With this formula, you do not even need to look in the DMG (or whatever source you use).

The 4e Forever formula for a Standard monster's hit points is (Level x 8) + 20. Elites and Savages have twice that. Solos vary and can have 4 to 5 times the hit points of a Standard. Minions of course have 1 hit point.

Check it out the next time you are making monsters. The slightly lower hit points should help a touch with slow combat, and they are a lot easier to calculate. Leave a post and let me know what you think!