Sunday, November 23, 2014

Playin around twiddlin my brains...

Having come up with the idea of running the TSR AD&D module H4 "Throne of Bloodstone" with the Pathfinder rules seemed simple at the time but now I'm dragging in a whole new concept which I find makes the GM side a bit easier to figure out stuff...  Hitbox.

What Hitbox is a matrix which the player and GM can configure for their own use and quick reference.  The most important factor is speed and clarity of data.  Speed for the quickness of the information being referenced and clarity because we're keeping only simplest of information.

As this is a hack-n-slash campaign with some figuring out where stuff is it I only want to see maximum numbers.  If you have to think more than 3-5 seconds then its not fast enough.  In-between games is the only time you should be figuring stuff out.  Experience gained will be calculated at the end of each game day we play.  A blog about what XP was gained and when may be posted to keep this moving along for the others not in attendance.  

If you miss three sessions without notice then you will be taken out of the game entirely.  This is paramount as not to slow down the others.  If you can only play once a month then this is understood but you are to play when you are scheduled;  miss once and you're done.

Games will be held via Skype and Infrno.net on a bi-weekly basis with a break every two sessions.  Session 1, break a week, session 2, break for 2 weeks, session 3, break a week, session 4, break 2 weeks.   Each odd session one week break, each even session break two weeks after.  

Here's what Hitbox looks like...


Hitbox

"Throne of Bloodstone" with Pathfinder Rules

Throne of Bloodstone with Pathfinder Rules

This is my grandiose attempt to run an epic level campaign.

Originally written for first edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons the H series of modules were meant to take a bunch of adventurers from 1st level up and through very high levels, even those which were beyond the first edition rules.  In another system, Dungeons and Dragons (which had basic, advanced, expert, master, and immortal rule sets) there was a system set to go up through 100th level.  It is here where the last part of the H series loses many players.

Wiki has defined -->  [ Epic Levels ] <-- which includes 1st, 3rd, and 4th edition examples and explanations.

Orcus is considered to be a 33rd level being and should be able to be dealt with as-is.  In the Pathfinder rules (3.75e) a party with average party level 30 (APL:30) Orcus would indeed be an Epic difficulty challenge (APL +3 = epic).

According to the Swords and Sorcery: The Tome of Horrors Complete book Orcus is a CR 35.  Orcus is a 33rd level being with demonic and deity traits ( in my rules each trait gives an effective CR+1, thus CR35, which makes sense).  [ chaotic, demon, evil, huge, outsider ]

What my intentions are is to have a party of CL-20 get a chance to stop