GM musings, UA GreyHawk initiative

The Unearthed arcana article on the grayhawk style initiative system has been out a while. I've had time to let it roll around in my head. I think it's an interesting idea, I'm not totally against using it....but I'm not totally sold on it.

I think what really bothers me about it is lowest going first. It feels so counter intuitive. All of 5E is roll high. Maybe if I used it regularly I would I would get us to it.

My only analogy for how rolling low for initiative feels to me is if I was driving, and at every intersection there was a roundabout, and in roundabouts you drove in the opposite side of the road. You drive on the same side before the roundabout, same side after, but while in it, you drive in the opposite direction in the opposite lane.

After a lot of mulling it over I came up with what for me feels much more organic to 5E. Everyone rolls a D10 (D20 if you like but I feel d10 makes the bonuses more meaningful) highest roll goes first.

Ranged weapons, including bows, wands, cantrips and any other ranged fast attacks get a +6. Melee attack, fisticuffs, Molly whopping of any kind gets a +3. Spell casting is just a standard roll.

As a totally optional rule, for  this totally optional rule: If player chooses to move after their action, no matter if the choose to shoot, Molly whop, or cast add +2. Moving before the action doesn't give a bonus or penalty.

What I like about this is it can be recorded on the character sheet. Add bonus for type + Dex adj.(if you choose to keep Dex bonus)= Initiative bonus. Long sword with a +2 Dex adj.? Then +5 to initiative.

D&D 5E in its 4th year.

It's hard for me to believe D&D 5E is in it's 4th year. My players and myself really got excited with it's launch. We did the Next play test. When basic dropped we played it. When the core books came out we grabbed them up. We like the system alright. We like the way characters advance and how paths give a nice level of customization.

The core three books is where my excitement ends. I've come to the realization that I'm not the target audience for 5E. I don't run campaign books whole cloth but rather mine them for ideas. Full color hardbound art books sold as campaign books are not for me.

I've picked up a couple, namely Curse and yawning. Curse because Ravenloft was my thing back in the day. And yawning anthology format seemed like it could be useful. Also some of those classic Adventures are worth a look. Xanathar's might be worth a look.

As of right now there is no setting books. Sword coast is as close as we have and it's just a players guide to a setting that really doesn't exist yet in 5E.

Rather than have an actual forgotten realms we are just told with every product how to shoehorn it into the realms. Or we are told to use the product in any number of other settings not out for 5E but only fleshed out in older edition products. Not sure how this format is in any way new player friendly. Which is I guess where the campaign books come in. It just feels so empty and soulless. It's just generic fantasy tropes.

At this point Adventures in middle earth by cubicle 7 has been out for less than a years. Yet has more books made or in the works for 5E that I want. More than wizards has that interests me. The Adventures are part of a larger world, the locations are interconnected places. The feel and tone are the same, not a bunch of disconnected campaign books that "can be dropped in any campaign world you like" even though their tone and settings have nothing in common like all the wizards campaign books.

In the end all I can say is that 5E clearly isn't for me. It's not marketed or intended for me. The longer it's out the clearer it gets. I'm pretty sure from here on out I'll be more interested in 3rd party publishers and their products.

All that said the rules are solid and is a staple in my group. I'll continue to run it as long as my players want to play it.

Adventures in Middle Earth player's guide review

I finally made my way through the players guide. It's been a crazy month with very little time to do a single read through. A few sections got a twice over. While other chapters got a quick scan.

While I'm no Tolkien scholar, I am a big fan. I'm now also a very big fan of this book. After reading through I really want to run this.

First off the book clearly has a setting. It's set firmly between the Hobbit and LotR. There is information on the people who follow Beorn known as the Beornings. As well as Bard leading his people north to rebuild Dale. It's really laid out well and good at explaining the time between the major events in the books.

The Cultures, which replace races are really done well. I find enough in them to encourage players and support different story possibilities. The cultures of man are the Bardings, Beornings, Dundain, men of Bree, men of the lake, men of Minas Tirith, Riders of Rohan, and the Woodman of wildland. The non-human cultures are Dwarves of the lonely mountain, Elves of Mirkwood, and the Hobbits of the Shire.

The Classes, of the six classes provided none are magic users. The scholar has some healing abilities and some trick abilities but nothing like the spells of 5E D&D. I like the variety of classes available. They really do cover the spectrum without too much overlap. The classes include Scholar, Slayer, Treasure hunter, Wanderer, Warden, and warrior.

The next section of the book is Virtues. Virtues are in essence feats. While a few (5) virtues are open and allowed by anyone the rest of them are Cultural specific. I find 5E feats truly superior to the version in eirlier editions. I find the ones in this game even superior to those in the 5E players book. Flavorful and specific to the people of each culture.

Backgrounds in AiME is less what job you once did, and more who your character is at its core. Part personal story and part archetype.

The equipment section is pretty basic yet  inclusive. Included in the equipment is a section or cultural heirlooms, which can be gained through story or Virtues.

Something new and interesting added to the rules is Journeys. This is a phase where the players plan out a route. And the number of perils will be found along the way. Players assign roles to characters and roll to see how well the party does on the travel. The journey will also include encounters both fellowship and combat along the way.

Some rules added by AiME is a new Ability called Shadow and some added skills. Shadow is taint of the dark forces. It's both the mark of dark influence and a measure or sanity, as the darkness clouds the mind of the effected.

After finishing the read through I was listening to someone review another game describing it was "not just another Tolkien based fantasy". And it hit me how un-tolkien like most fantasy is. Middle earth is actually a very dark and dangerous place. Middle earth is a very low magic when placed next to any version of D&D. It's full of personal horror and corruption, well intending people who do evil trying to do greater good. And stories of the lowliest of people rising to the occasion, overcoming the greatest evils. This to me IS what I want in a setting.

I've seen a few people talk about using things from AiME to run other low magic settings. One idea I would like to add to that is everything written in The Hobbit and LotR is set in roughly 1/6 of the total land of one of two continents of Tolkien's world. It would be just as easy to introduce other material to the AiME world.

Ideas for stealing from D&D to add to your AiME game. Goliaths could be men of the north, living north of the grey mountains for 1000s of years. Genasi are elves who originate from the northern undieing lands, from the region that are elemental touched. Eladrin are elves who have lived in the southern undieing lands who are closer to elf magic. Drow are elves touched by the shadow who moved to the land east of Rhûn. There is a lot of room on Tolkien's map not fleshed out.

5E D&D Optional rules

This is a small list of optional rules I'm using in my current 5E D&D game. If we add more I'll update.

1. If players can take extra time and are not in eminent danger players can choose to "take 10". Taking 10 as their d20 skill roll rather than rolling.

2. Players can choose to apply either proficiency bonus or proficiency dice roll. Their choice.

3. On a critical hit in combat apply maximum damage for the weapon (8 on a d8) then roll the damage die and add it before adding bonuses.

4. When players would normally roll hit points (on a new level or healing) and/or weapon damage die they may instead choose to take the average roll instead of rolling.

5. Players may choose for their characters to fail at something rather than rolling to add a complication to the story. If they do so they gain inspection.

6. Optional rules that seem assumed but I'm not using. No multi-classing. And characters are limited to two feats, three for variant humans.

"Paint the target" New sniper ability for Ultramodern5

Inspired by the Tau from Warhammer 40k I thought this might be a good ability for a sniper to have. If you had two, one could be a spotter allowing the second to take full advantage of this ability as well as the rest of the team. This is intended for sci-fi settings mainly.

Paint the target
Marksman cost: 4
Instead of doing damage the sniper instead paints (marks) the target. This mark is compatible with smart weapons and advanced targeting systems. Once marked the target stays marked until the end of the snipers next turn.

Marked targets get no AC benefit from light cover or cover from obstructed view. And shooters get no penalties for low light. If the marked target is in plain sight attacks gain advantage. This applies to all attacks that can take advantage of the snipers mark.

Lich servants (Grave servitors)

These servants of the Lich Lords are not fully dead, yet not fully alive either. Held between worlds, these once mortal beings are Lich bound for eternity.

Medium Humanoid/undead, any evil alignment (usually that of their master)

AC: 15 (Natural)
HP: 50
SPD: 30ft.
CR: 4 (1,200 exp)

Str: 13 +1
Dex: 14 +2
Con: 16 + 3
Int: 11 +0
Wis: 14 +2
Cha: 13 +1

Damage resistance: cold, lightning, necrotic, and poison. Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non magical weapons.
Condition immunity: Charmed, exhausted, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned.
Saving throws: Con+8, Dex+6, Wis+3
Passive perception: 16, truesight 60'

The servitor of a Lich lord always carry a wraith blade, usually a long sword but can be anything from a dagger to a great sword. Any attack with a wraith blade that hits on a natural 16+ does an additional (10) 3d6 cold damage. And must make a DC 10 Con save or be paralyzed for one minute. The target can attempt a saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end this effect.

Grammaton training (Savage worlds)

The character is trained in quickly calculating shooting angles and committing rigorous gun kata to muscle memory. The character is an expert in snap shooting multiple targets. Only the most Agile and strong willed can master it's techniques.

Training is very focused on two core weapons. Medium pistols and combat blades, specifically the katana.

Grammaton training
Requirements: Novice, Agility d8, Spirit d8.
When using a medium pistol or small to medium blade you can ignore the first attack when calculating multi-action penalties. The character can make up to 2 attacks with the same weapon.

Advanced Grammaton training

Requirements: Veteran, Agility d8, Spirit d10.
When using a medium pistol or small to medium blade you can ignore the first two attacks when calculating multi-action penalties. The character can make up to 3 attacks with the same weapon.

Expert Grammaton training
Requirements: Heroic, Agility d10, Spirit d10.
When using a medium pistol or small to medium blade you can ignore the first two attacks when calculating multi-action penalties. The character can make any number of attacks with the same weapon.