RMA: Lycanthropes (part 4, Weretigers)

I've talked about tigers before on this blog. It's pretty obvious that they are intimidating creatures all on their own. Weretigers add a layer of fun with the lycanthropic powers.

Weretiger (from Moldvay):

AC: 3 (9 as human)
HD: 5*
Move: 150' (50')
Att: 3 (2 claws/bite)
Dmg: 1d6/1d6/2d6
No. App: 1d4 (1d4)
Save: F5
Morale: 9
AL: N

So we can see that the weres are getting progressively tougher in terms of raw combat power; better AC more hit points, 3 attacks now, doing up to 24 points of damage per round. All very impressive. The thing that the weretiger brings to the table is stealth. They surprise on a 1-4 (like normal tigers) and are described as "quiet trackers." This fits with normal tigers behavior in the real world. They are ambushers, moving with alarming speed and savagery when they want to.

Warning. There is some blood in this video.

Couple this with the weretiger summoning 1-2 more great cats to its aid (not necessarily tigers), and a party can be in for a rough time. Weretigers are also the first lycanthrope with enough hit dice to be immune to a Sleep spell, so the easy 1st level spell drop is no longer an option.

Weretigers, like wereboars, are Neutral. They are described as "very curious but becoming dangerous when threatened." This implies they aren't necessarily out to cause trouble. Which is an interesting difference from the classic "killer werewolf" trope in fiction. It may just be me, but this gives an impression of lycanthropes sometimes just going about their lives and being a regular part of a BX world as opposed to the tormented, evil, or cursed individuals wreaking havoc.

and sexier!

Weretigers also move things out of the western/european model into the "exotic east." Despite the fact that weretigers do not appear on the jungle encounter tables, one would expect to see them (or their mundane counterparts) in a tropical or eastern style locale as opposed to a "medieval fantasy" type village.

Spookiness, Horror RPGs, and campaign ideas

So, back again.

I don't know if anyone is still reading this blog, but here I are.

I've talked about horror gaming in the past. It's not my usual thing, but I'm way too fond of HPL stories and Warhammer (Fantasy & 40K) to not think about it as a playable genre. With Halloween approaching, it's also not so strange that horror is on my mind.

Lately, I've been re-reading my old copy of d20 Call of Cthulhu. It's really an excellent conversion IMO. The GM section on the Mythos and running a horror game is a must-read regardless of version or system you're using.

In any case, I'm not going to argue the plusses or minuses of the d20 version vs. the BRP rules. My point simply is that I've been thinking about running a CoC campaign. This is a bit of a departure for me, as I normally prefer horror in one-shot doses and I'm more often a player than a GM for things like Cthulhu. Short adventures make is easier to build and maintain suspense. Also not everyone is up for a longer term investment in spookiness. 

All that said, I am going to pursue trying to piece together a framework for a campaign. It might not be sustainable indefinitely, but I'm after something that doesn't just come to a close after the first adventure.

CoC as a system wasn't a given for me. I took a good look at Goblinoid's Cryptworld. It's a nice, compact set of rules, but I'm just not up to speed on the Pacesetter action tables system. Perhaps if Mr. Snider will be so kind as to run a game or two at Garycon next spring, I'll get a chance to see it at work! 

Anyhow, for me that left Cthulhu. I haven't actually decided about BRP (Chaosium's classic rules) vs. d20. I'd like to give the d20 version a spin, but I may get more player buy-in with BRP. We shall see.

Next up on the to-do list was location and time period. Cthulhu defaults to 1920's but that's not set in stone. I'm leaning toward that era to avoid some of the issues with technology short-circuiting (a-heh) certain challenges. Of course it also meshes nicely with the source material.

Next up on my to-do list is a general outline of events. I have cocktail napkin level ideas, but they need organizing.

Not... Dead...Yet!

Hallo!

Not a lot of activity from me in the blogosphere lately, I know. I'll hopefully amend that somewhat over the summer. Along those lines, feel free to take a gander a new video I posted about getting minis painted for tabletop play.

Get it on the Table - ep.1: Prepping the Mini

Croakin'

New vlog about death and fixing it:

Final 40K video

Part 6 is a short "slideshow" video with some general advice to my potential DH players. 

40K vids: Part5

Heretics and Heresy in 40K

Yet another 40K RPG vid

This time about aliens!

More 40K vids

I've posted two more videos as part of my ongoing project to educate my players about the 40k 'verse. One about living in the 41st millenium, the other about Chaos. More to come as well.

Part 2

Part 3

New video (40K)

I haven't posted in a bit, sorry about that. I thought I'd share a crude attempt at a "informative" video for potential Dark Heresy players. The idea would be to make a few of these, each covering a different relevant aspect of the 40K universe for DH/40K newbies. I'm hoping to make the videos a bit more dynamic in the future, but this is what I've got so far.

I've still got it in my head to run a DH game at some point. So we shall see.

I made another FMG commercial!

For our new in-print version of the Turntracker

Song of Blades and Heroes

Here's a little video I just made showcasing part of a skirmish I played out using Ganesha Game's excellent Song of Blades and Heroes rules. It's not the whole battle, but it gives a sense of the rules and game play. Enjoy!

RMA: Octopus, Giant

While octopuses (no, it's not "octopi") and squids feature heavily in fantasy and science fiction, the fact that they are aquatic means they aren't typical encounters. Also, once the party is on or under the waves, there are so many other more interesting creatures to toss at them: things like Sea Hydras, Dragon Turtles, Sharks, etc. Most of the octopus's appeal for a fantasy setting is its alienness. Face it, this tentacled, boneless creature swimming around is kinda creepy. But creepy is only going to get you so far. Can the octopus hold its own in a fight?

umm, yes. Yes, it can.

Let's see that stat block, shall we?: (from Cook Expert)

No. Appearing: 0 (1-2)
Move (swim): 90' (30')
AL: N
HD: 8
AC: 7
Attacks: 9 (8 tentacles/1bite)
Damage: 1-3 (x8)/1-6
Save As: F4
Morale: 7

OK. First off, if you're like me what jumps out at you is the attacks entry. NINE ATTACKS PER FREAKIN' ROUND! Now, that's pretty scary. But wait! There's more!

Once it hits with a tentacle, then it does automatic constriction for the above 1d3 every round per tentacle.  Also, for each one of those you have wrapped around you, there's a cumulative -1 to hit penalty.  So, to do the math: An 8HD creature has a decent THAC0, so if it hits a character with even half its tentacles, then its dealing 4-12 points per round (without having to roll to hit). It can also keep biting for an additional 1d6, and wrapping any of the 4 other tentacles that aren't busy (yet). Meanwhile, you are at -4 to fight back.

Things the characters might have going for them: the G.O. has lousy AC and is skittish (low morale), so it's possible it might flee before finishing off a victim. Octopuses are smart,  though. It will probably take each case as it comes.

While not stated in the book, octopuses can blend like a chameleon, which would make it much easier to surprise a foe. Also, depending on exactly how a character has come to be underwater with this thing, they might be at a severe disadvantage because of the environment (lack of air, etc.). I typically only allow a PC to hold their breath for CON x rounds, they receive no DEX bonus to AC,  movement is slowed, and encumbrance or metal armor can drag a person down. All these factor make the prospect of this thing's embrace very scary indeed.