Thursday, May 26, 2016

They Gotta Want It


After reading Maze of the Blue Medusa, I got too excited and roped my girlfriend Jess into a one-on-one trial session. It was a good way to re-learn a lesson I thought I'd already absorbed: "I've got this sick new book that I want to force on you" rarely works, unless maybe everyone at the table is equally excited about said sick book. It takes away player agency right from the start, which is a recipe for frustration. See this review of Death Frost Doom for proof.

Jess had fun, but I could tell that she regarded most of the stuff she found with growing annoyance and impatience. I gave her very little information upfront because I love the sense of meta-plot discovery this dungeon provides, and I didn't want to ruin anything for her. But instead of fostering curiosity, I think I just made her feel like she had no objective and no reason to put her character through all the opaque strangeness and danger.

So lesson learned. Even if I think the book is the best thing I've read this year (and I do), I should always give the players a choice and some kind of hook to draw them in. These are all the reasons I can think of off the top of my head players might want to enter the maze (SPOILERS, DUH):
  • Discover the truth behind the Nyctocaust.
  • Discover the fate of the Triarchy.
  • Get the Gulper, Norah Twain, to inhale something.
  • Get some Tears of Time.
  • Use the Heart's Orrery.
  • Use the Grimspindle.
  • Awaken Tiktaalik.
  • Complete the dead wedding.
  • Use, recover, or destroy the Golden Engine.
  • Use the Orrery of Spells.
  • Use the Mappa Mundi.
  • Find, free, or kill any of the prisoners.
  • Kill or negotiate with the medusa.
  • Aid or prevent the growth of the Neonate Empire.
  • Prepare the way for the coming of the goat messiah.
  • Stop Ashen Chanterelle, Cadamosto, and Dogon.
  • Steal any of the works in the Gallery.
  • Something with Torcul Wort. He's gotta be useful or dangerous to somebody.
In the future I would just seed the campaign world with these hooks, connect them somehow to the painting, and give the players some idea of what they're getting themselves into. Besides, there's plenty in the maze that only really works with a sizable party with some history.

Oh and here, have a spreadsheet of all the NPCs in the maze listed by faction and color-coded by where you can find them.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Junkland Blues Gear

Players start with 3d6x10 barter points. These are used to buy starting possessions, not counting a set of traveling clothes. PREACHERS start with a holy book or symbol. Prices are in Town price/Junkland price format. Assume Town prices for starting possessions.


There is no more hard currency. To get new things, you must exchange goods worth equal barter points. These are guidelines, and some people may set their own prices.


You have 25 slots of inventory, not counting worn items. Bulky items take up 2 slots and small items take up slots in units of 25. Movement is reduced after 10 slots are full, and again after 15 and 20 slots. After 25, you can't move.


Slots
Turn
Round
Run
Day
0-10
120 ft
40 ft
120 ft
24 mi
11-15
90 ft
30 ft
90 ft
18 mi
16-20
60 ft
20 ft
60 ft
12 mi
21-25
30 ft
10 ft
30 ft
6 mi


Armor
Price
AC
Leather jacket
25/50
+2
Junk armor
100/200
+4
Ballistic armor
800/1,000
+6


Mechanical
Price
Notes
Blowtorch
200/400
Used to make structural mods or major repairs
Car battery
20/80
Lasts up to 3 years
Gasoline, 5 gal can
10/40
-
Gas generator
100/200
Burns 1 gal/hr
Toolkit
50/100
Used to make minor or medium repairs
Motor oil, 1 qt
5/20
-
Radio
50/100
Receives signals and transmits up to 5 mi
Scrap, 1 unit
1/1
Used for repairs and mods


Adventure
Price
Notes
Batteries
5/10
-
Binoculars
50/90
Objects appear 10 times closer
Canteen
2/4
Holds 4 DRINKS
First aid kit
7/14
Used to dress wounds at ≤0 HP
Grenade
8/10
Thrown, 3d6 damage, 10 ft radius
Landmine
6/9
Explodes on contact, 3d6 damage
Matches
1/2
50 matches
Molotov cocktail
3/4
Thrown, 2d6 damage, 10 ft radius, burns 10 rounds
Net
5/10
Entangles on failed BODY save, range 10 ft
Pots and pans
1/3
Used to cook meals from raw ingredients
Rope, 50 ft
3/6
-
Shovel
3/6
-
Sleeping bag
1/2
-
Tent
5/10
-
Watch
10/10
-


Light
Price
Range
Lasts
Notes
Flashlight
5/10
60 ft narrow arc
24 hrs
Requires batteries
Floodlight
30/50
90 ft wide arc
-
Requires ext power
Lantern
3/5
30 ft circle
24 hrs
Requires oil
Oil flasks, 2
1/1
-
-
24 hrs/flask
Torches, 5
1/1
30 ft circle
1 hr
-


Food
Price
Rations
Notes
Beer, 6 pack
6/12
6 DRINKS
BODY save or drunk for each after 2nd
Cricket chips
1/1
1
-
Fried lizard
3/3
3
-
Liquor
5/2
0
BODY save or drunk for each swig after 3rd
Raw meat
1/1
1
Must be cooked
Real vegetables
5/8
2
-
Spam
1/1
1
-
Skewered rat
2/2
2
-
Twinkies
1/1
1
-
Water, 1 gal
16/32
16 DRINKS
-


Melee Weapon
Price
Unarmored
Leather
Junk
Ballistic
Brass knuckles
10/10
+2
+1
-1
-2
Garrote*
5/5
-
-
-
-
Mancatcher**
20/20
-
-
-
-
Spear†
5/3
-2
-1
+1
+2
Staff†
5/3
+1
+1
0
-1
Weapon, great†
50/80
-2
-1
+1
+3
Weapon, medium
20/30
+2
+1
-1
-1
Weapon, minor
5/5
+3
0
-1
-2
Weapon, small
10/15
+2
0
0
-2
Whip
10/15
+2
0
0
-2
*Requires a successful grapple to do damage.
**Hit opponent must succeed in an INSTINCT save or be caught.
Two-handed.


Ranged Weapon
Price
Range
Accuracy
Capacity
Jam
Boomerang*
10/10
150 ft
-1
-
-
Bow
30/30
600 ft
0
-
-
Crossbow**
30/30
150 ft
0
-
-
Longshot†
300/500
2700 ft
0
1
1-2
Revolver
60/80
90 ft
-1
6
1
Rifle
100/200
900 ft
0
5
1-2
Shotgun
80/120
120 ft
+1
6
1-2
Shotgun, sawed off
80/120
30 ft
+2
6
1-2
Uzi††
300/500
600 ft
0
50
1-3
Arrows/bolts/ammo - 0.5/1 each, not interchangeable.
*Returns to thrower after a missed ATTACK.
**Ignores 2 points of ARMOR.
-4 to hit at less than 150 ft.
†† Automatic: 3 ATTACKS/round, uses d4 ammo per ATTACK.