Spes Magna Games

Over the next several days, we’re previewing features of our next PDF, Fencing & Firearms, which takes aim at 3.5E combat’s clunkier aspects. First up, a brief look at two of the most significant changes. After you read this post, leave us a comment or two.

The Big Change #1: No Attacks of Opportunity
Probably no feature of v 3.5 combat causes more confusion, delays, and metagaming than attacks of opportunity. Players and DMs alike forget what provokes and doesn’t provoke them. Attempting to avoid them leads to additional dice rolls from tumblers and spellcasters. The latter characters effectively get one fewer skill points per level since high ranks in Concentration are widely seen as necessary for survival. Battle-scarred fighters count squares to avoid reach rather than charging once more into the breach, and everyone’s movement on the battlemat looks too much like checkers trying not to get jumped.

F&F gets rid of attacks of opportunity. Nothing provokes them because they just don’t exist.

The Big Change #2: The Players Roll Their Own Fate
In many combats, players often have little control over the outcome of events when it isn’t their turn. This can lead to boredom if a player’s attention drifts between his turns, threatening to distance him from the outcome of events. Big Change #2 takes a lot of the work out of the DM’s hands by having the players make the monsters’ attack rolls, saving throws, or caster level checks to overcome spell resistance. That frees up the DM’s attention for more important things, such as NPC tactics, special spell effects, terrain, and the like.

Conversely, it requires the players to become much more active and aware of what’s going on. No longer can players snooze through all the turns but their own: They’ll be rolling more dice than ever before – which (among other benefits) gives them the feeling of having greater control over their successes and failures.

One of the key features of Rewarding Roleplaying is the meta, which is a goal important to a PC that is not identical with the main adventure’s goal. A player works with the DM to define his character’s current meta, and the DM works that meta into the game so that it can be resolved one way or another. A PC earns an Action Point for attempting to achieve his meta.

I’m currently working on The Mad Monk’s Revenge, a one-session adventure designed to introduce players to the world of Spes Magna Games. TMMR comes complete with six pre-generated PCs, and each PC has a meta. Whether the PC meets his meta is up in the air, but win or lose, the PC still gets an Action Point. TMMR is still a work in progress, but here’s what I’ve outlined for each PC’s meta:

* The rogue has been falsely accused of a crime and wants to clear his name.
* The wizard has a fear of heights and wants to prove that he’s better than his phobia.
* The fighter wants to win the hand of one of the princess’s ladies-in-waiting.
* The cleric knows there is a traitor in his church and wants to discover his identity.
* The bard suffered a humiliating defeat in a pun contest and wants to best the wit who beat him.
* The ranger wants to dance with the princess at her birthday banquet.

Sound like something you want to learn more about how to implement in your game? If so, subscribe to Quid Novi? today. Every subscriber gets the Rewarding Roleplaying PDF for the low cost of an e-mail address.

Speaking of Quid Novi?, Issue I went out without a hitch. (Or, if there were any hitches, we’ve yet to hear about them.) Issue II lands in subscriber in-boxes Sunday, December 27, 2009. About a week or so after that, the playtest version Fencing & Firearms, our retooling of 3.5E combat for faster and more cinematic fights, will be made available for download by Quid Novi? subscribers.

Issue I of Quid Novi? hits subscriber in-boxes shortly after midnight EST! If you’re not subscribed, there’s still time. Just enter your name and e-mail address in the subscriber form in the sidebar. Here’s a taste of what you’ll be missing if you’re not subscribed:

Recommended Reading: Gaming Tables at http://chaoticshinyproductions.com/

No, this site doesn’t sell game-related furniture. Rather, “Chaotic Shiny is a generator site aimed at people who write, game, or live in fantasy worlds of their own creation.” Well, I fit at least two of those three categories. I figured odds are good you do too. Chaotic Shiny has lots of generators. Here’s a brief sample of what I came up with just a few clicks:

Five Constellations:

1. These twelve bright stars form the shape of an old man. The constellation represents a tale of betrayal. It is most significant during winter, when it appears setting towards the Southern horizon. It is opposed by the constellations representing a hemlet, a bat and a torch. Those born under it are known for their courage.

2. These eleven stars form the shape of a sword. The constellation represents a tale of betrayal. It is most significant on the summmer solstice, when it appears rising from the Northeastern horizon. It is close in the sky to the constellations representing a howling wolf and a soldier. Those born under it are said to be secretive.

3. These fifteen bright stars form the shape of a scepter. The constellation represents a tale of betrayal. It is most significant during spring, when it appears setting towards the Southwestern horizon. It is related to the constellations representing a hound, a ship and a dog. Those born under it are often impulsive.

4. These seven stars form the shape of a sorceror. The constellation represents a villain foretold in prophecy. It is most significant on the winter solstice, when it appears halfway towards the Southern horizon. It is usually interpreted together with the constellations representing a mountain and a face. Those born under it are considered ill-omened.

5. These seven stars form the shape of a longbow. The constellation represents the power of a certain god. It is most significant during autumn, when it appears halfway towards the Northern horizon. Its story involves the constellations representing a crossroads and a raven. Those born under it have an affinity for the element of fire.

One Medieval Army: This army is famed for its highly precise formations and the use of falchions. They often rely on elementals and local heroes. They are famous for their long history of great victories and for their pride. Each regiment contains 30 sections of 30 soldiers. They have a very loose chain of command, with ranks based on election by subordinates. At present, they are on the verge of a mutiny.

And One Treasure Trove: Fifty black veils, one large swatch of buffalo fur, one ruby gem, nine very large gilt tridents, one steel dire flail, one bottle of sky blue liquid, one grey-blue scale, one yew mink figurine, one tiny hammer, thirteen blue-green flowers, fourteen huge lead-tipped rowan halberds, one gilt warhammer and thirteen fiery red belts.

Most of the generators have a “copy” feature for easier cutting-and-pasting.

But Wait! There’s More!

Chaotic Shiny offers a newsletter subscription that comes with four free PDF products. Three of them are collections of themed tables for taverns, traders, and terrors, respectively. You also get a preview of Martial Flavor. The tables PDFs are collections of tables (most using d6s) with themed descriptive elements. Roll enough times and you can piece together an interesting description for a tavern, for example. If you’re stuck for description, just toss a d6 or two. Let’s try. I rolled a 2 and 5 on the first two patron tables. The result: “The man is heavily cloaked but you see evidence of recent wounds.” Now there’s a conversation starter!

According to the site, Martial Flavor includes five “unique martially-themed subcultures for your 4e D&D game, with over 50 pages of background and the feats, class features and utility powers to back them up.” I’m not a 4e gamer, but I’m always looking for good ideas, no matter what the system. The Sijarra Preview you get with your newsletter subscription looks pretty complete to me at 11 pages. It includes narrative fluff text, a detailed description of Sijarra culture, some reasonably good art (mostly black-and-white line art), lots of suggestions about how to integrate the Sijarra into your game, and several utility powers and feats. I can’t make any claims about the balance of the powers and feats since I don’t know 4e well enough to comment, but I could easily adapt most of this document to just about any fantasy RPG.

To sum up: Lots of on-line generators and a newsletter with useful, free stuff. What’s not to like?

December 13: Issue I of Quid Novi? hits subscriber in-boxes. New issues follow every two weeks.

January: Fencing & Firearms release for Quid Novi? subscribers only. F&F retools elements of 3.5 OGL combat to speed up gameplay while at the same time giving players more options. It also includes matchlocks and flintlocks.

February: Magic, Mind & Muscle release for Quid Novi? subscribers only. MM&M retools spellcasters and psionic characters to make them easier to play and to multiclass without taking a major power hit. Character classes get tweaked with an eye toward better balance and more options.

March: Every DM has had that game session where just not enough players can make it. Every player has had that game session get cancelled because the DM can’t make it. What’s needed in these situations is a short, convention-style adventure. In March, we release our first product that has a price tag: The Mad Monk’s Revenge. This one-session adventure includes almost everything needed for play*, including pre-generated characters, player handouts, and props.

*We don’t provide the players or the DM, for example.

I’ve been assured that the subscription form glitch is fixed. Huzzah! It should now be possible to subscribe to Quid Novi? by filling in the name and e-mail boxes in the form to your left and then clicking “Enter”. Once you’ve done that, you’ll get a confirmation e-mail. Confirm your subscription, and then you’ll be officially signed up (and will also receive your copy of the Rewarding Roleplaying PDF). The first issue of Quid Novi? is on track to be published Sunday, 13 December 2009.

If any of the above doesn’t work for you, do not hesitate to send us an e-mail about the problem. We’ll get you fixed up as quickly as we can.