tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post1807779570003383422..comments2024-03-19T04:29:47.922-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Grognard's Grimoire: Alien SavageJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69038024624393455012009-08-19T03:19:59.359-04:002009-08-19T03:19:59.359-04:00"Possibly. I'll have to test them out to ..."Possibly. I'll have to test them out to be sure, but I admit to having a poor sense of how much XP ought to be required for most invented classes."<br /><br />I've decided to use the Stranger class as-is in my about-to-start Wilderlands PBEM. It is less powerful than the Alien Savage (with his bonus hit points) and I'm balancing its greater power (compared to Fighter) by giving no starting gold/equipment. It should work well for a PBEM, but I don't think it is balanced against the regular Fighter (or Dwarf) for long-term tabletop play.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-25340050667721650532009-08-18T13:02:27.908-04:002009-08-18T13:02:27.908-04:00Can I put in a request for some NPC/monster templa...<i>Can I put in a request for some NPC/monster templates? "Native princess," "vizier" and "air-machine mechanic" spring to mind.</i><br /><br>I do have a noble class in the works for those wanting to play Dejah Thoris. I've also got some monsters on the way.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-25449765138325727442009-08-18T13:01:25.995-04:002009-08-18T13:01:25.995-04:00Character class description perfectly illustrates ...<i>Character class description perfectly illustrates the difference between the OD&D and the subequent styles of play.</i><br /><br>Very much agreed. I'm a big fan of archetypes and I think class systems depend heavily on their being emphasized.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-20227463282773121072009-08-18T12:57:25.816-04:002009-08-18T12:57:25.816-04:00These classes are nicely flavoured but seem overpo...<i>These classes are nicely flavoured but seem overpowered compared to the LL base classes, at least for the XP requirements. You could use the Elf XP table without underpowering them, I'd say. At any rate I'd think around 3,000 XP as the 'base' (1st-2nd, later advancement pro rata) would be more appropriate.</i><br /><br>Possibly. I'll have to test them out to be sure, but I admit to having a poor sense of how much XP ought to be required for most invented classes.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-17763032586200700742009-08-18T05:01:56.245-04:002009-08-18T05:01:56.245-04:00These classes are great. I really ought to read th...These classes are great. I really ought to read the Barsoom series someday.Chris Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11064988977152302364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-31346765704624124132009-08-17T11:52:36.870-04:002009-08-17T11:52:36.870-04:00Nice, although as you note it's pretty much a ...Nice, although as you note it's pretty much a Tars Tarkas class rather than a broadly applicable archetype, unlike <i>Stranger</i>. I remember having a lot of fun with the "Tough Native" template for WEG's <i>Star Wars RPG</i>, but sadly I don't think it'll translate well. If you did a more generic "tough native" sidekick (other than a "barbarian") I'd be inclined to call it Enkidu. Or maybe Queequeg.<br />My own favorite borrowing from Barsoom is the Yellow Men (which I render Yelemen, as in "this is a Yelemeni shield"), but I think in LL terms they'd probably just approximate to fighting men.<br /><br />Can I put in a request for some NPC/monster templates? "Native princess," "vizier" and "air-machine mechanic" spring to mind.richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517340075234811323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85244170784861955692009-08-17T10:37:41.894-04:002009-08-17T10:37:41.894-04:00Excellent! Any modifiers for tusk bites? ;)Excellent! Any modifiers for tusk bites? ;)Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07997164906328234122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-63374161412613228942009-08-17T06:52:26.651-04:002009-08-17T06:52:26.651-04:00James, this is very elegant. Character class descr...James, this is very elegant. Character class description perfectly illustrates the difference between the OD&D and the subequent styles of play.Brooser Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08487438364129415650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1574012525627687932009-08-16T15:40:56.838-04:002009-08-16T15:40:56.838-04:00the alien savage could apply to Tusken raiders, B...the alien savage could apply to Tusken raiders, BUT if you want to be true to the ERB source material, then<br /><br />the green savages should be skilled with rifles that "are deadly in the extreme and at ranges which would be unthinkable on Earth." <br /><br />"The ideas of humor among the green men of Mars are widely at variance with our conception of incitements of merriment. The death agonies of a fellow being are, to these strange creatures, provocative of the wildest hilarity, while their chief form of commonest amusement is to inflict death on their prisoners of war in various ingenious and horrible ways." <br />Princess of Mars , p.28 (Del Rey Edition)clovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03647936958773934755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-18516959408370443852009-08-16T15:04:14.568-04:002009-08-16T15:04:14.568-04:00@ brasspen
I could see a John Carter influence on...@ brasspen<br /><br />I could see a John Carter influence on early Flash Gordon, since it was definitely more sword & planet than space opera, which I think is more what Buck Rodgers is about. <br /><br />"A Princess of Mars" came out in 1917, while Alex Raymond first drew Flash Gordon in 1934. Buck Rodgers came out in 1929, so I'd say Flash Gordon was as much a response to Buck Rodgers as he was to John Carter. Wikipedia claims Flash was created to compete with Buck, which I buy, knowing what I know about newspaper comic strips of the era.<br /><br />@James Maliszewski.<br /><br />These classes are extremely cool! I think I shall find some use for these as I get drawn further and further into Labyrinth Lord's orbit. <br /><br />Here's a thought. Riffing on Flash Gordon/Buck Rodgers. What would your thoughts be about a scientist type class, for those Hans Zarkov/Doctor Huer or Phor Tak/Ras Thavas types? Just use Magic User and re-style the paraphenalia?BigFellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03052419088140204154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59276330067196014532009-08-16T12:02:26.526-04:002009-08-16T12:02:26.526-04:00I've got a question about John Carter. Was he ...I've got a question about John Carter. Was he the precursor to Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers? Are those two sort of rip off of the Princess Of Mars stuff? TSR had a relationship with Buck Rogers, and I used to watch the show with Gil Gerrard in the late 70s. At the moment I'm watching a mediocre made-in-Vancouver Flash Gordon TV show from 2007 on DVD. Is the original source for this stuff E.R.Burroughs?brasspenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00740202895575678193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-54307414214199175192009-08-16T10:16:20.776-04:002009-08-16T10:16:20.776-04:00These classes are nicely flavoured but seem overpo...These classes are nicely flavoured but seem overpowered compared to the LL base classes, at least for the XP requirements. You could use the Elf XP table without underpowering them, I'd say. At any rate I'd think around 3,000 XP as the 'base' (1st-2nd, later advancement pro rata) would be more appropriate.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12843113954438465052009-08-16T10:03:08.019-04:002009-08-16T10:03:08.019-04:00In a game where HP are randomly rolled starting th...In a game where HP are randomly rolled starting the Alien Savage at maximum HP might be a solution to the low AC problem (if that is even seen as a problem).<br /><br />Two other possible solutions:<br /><br />Double the CON modifier for HP at 1st level, or;<br /><br />You could add the CON bonus the Alien Savage receives to their DEX bonus when adjusting AC. <br /><br />Personally I like this solution as it seems to be keeping the original source for this class in mind; sword-and-planet aliens/savages often seemed harder to damage (a higher AC) but could still be brought down as easy as a man when hit (equivalent HP).<br /><br />Of course, I don't know if the lower AC problem for this class is actually a problem. I like it though, a lot.<br /><br />Thanks for posting these.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16111622584335665012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64642200479610391872009-08-16T09:50:25.158-04:002009-08-16T09:50:25.158-04:00As to the "less AC so more HD" thought, ...As to the "less AC so more HD" thought, I don't know that you'd need to go that route because in many Planetary Romance books ervyone is running around without armor. Instead, feel free to start the Alien Savage out at higher level if needed...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-22084325590759455552009-08-16T09:11:41.921-04:002009-08-16T09:11:41.921-04:00It's been so long since I played Basic D&D...It's been so long since I played Basic D&D (which is what it seems like these classes are based on- S&W maybe?) that I'm not sure if that's kosher anyway. <br /><br />I have really been sucked right back into OSRIC of late though.Vigilancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12302020918798504358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-18970860707198212922009-08-16T08:45:19.077-04:002009-08-16T08:45:19.077-04:00I'm reluctant to go above D8 for Hit Dice for ...I'm reluctant to go above D8 for Hit Dice for a number of reasons, but a second HD at level 1 might work.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-49797787772984858032009-08-16T07:31:33.574-04:002009-08-16T07:31:33.574-04:00Hmmm.
This isn't really a suggestion to make...Hmmm. <br /><br />This isn't really a suggestion to make it more generic, but if he's ignoring all armor but leather, I'd give him a bigger HD.<br /><br />Maybe even a d12? <br /><br />Or perhaps a second HD at level 1.Vigilancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12302020918798504358noreply@blogger.com