Missile weapons for Fighting Fantasy

Curiously, the original Fighting Fantasy before Advanced Fighting Fantasy had no rules for bows, spears, or thrown weapons. This makes sense in the close-quarters of a dungeon, but even Firetop Mountain features a bow with a silver arrow (the bringer of sleep) for slaying the undead.

This raises another issue: how much damage should an arrow or spear do? If we begin at the standard 2 Stamina points for a hit, an archer would have to pepper their target with shots before the target fell. The 2 points damage makes more sense in combat, if we treat these hits as the scrapes and knocks that wear down the opponent rather than debilitating wounds, but this makes less sense when it comes to the impact of an arrow, which simply strikes a body part or doesn't. 

As a house rules, the Tinkerage suggests that aiming a missile weapon be treated as a test of Skill. Apply penalties for range, size of the target, light and wind conditions, and so on.

Damage should be somewhat higher than normal battle damage, with 3 points for a lighter weapon (hunting bow, thrown object) and 4 points for a heavier weapon (spear, crossbow, longbow).

The higher damage reflects the fact that, if one is hit with a missile weapon there is no way to parry or deflect the hurt, unless by armour, or if one is rather lucky and the impact is a mere graze (test for Luck). Feel free to ignore this if you go ahead and use the simple damage roll option.

There is a precedent for this in Out of the Pit, where the arrows of the various elves do 3 points of damage on a hit (with a 5 in 6 chance of hitting!).

This makes a missile weapon a considerable threat in play, but remember that bows, and especially crossbows, take time to aim and reload, are hard to use in close quarters, and leave the wielder vulnerable to a charge or surprise attack.

BRP for Middle-earth

Over the last few years, I've had great success running a Middle-earth campaign in Basic Roleplaying (BRP) using the compiled rules from the BRP "Big Gold Book" (BGB).

Why BRP? Because it's a very flexible rules-medium system which runs smoothly at the table and makes sense even to beginners, and once the rules are understood in principle there's little need to frequently reference the rule book. The relatively realistic rules fit with the tone of Middle-earth, the details and the sense of hardship, but there are still opportunities for heroism. Combat is swift and decisive. And most of what a player and the GM need to know is located on the character sheet.

But because BRP is such a broad collection of options, here are the particular options I use for adventures in Middle-earth.

I'm also sharing my BRP-ME character record sheets, as character sheets in BRP contain a lot of rules information, as well as my thinking on this adaptation.

Character creation

• For skill point allocation, use the BRP heroic option (325 points), so that character can be highly capable in at least a few areas. However, no skill should begin at higher than 75%, as 80% is the point were success begins to feel almost automatic. 
• Use the personal point pool (INTx10) for custom and cultural skills. 
• The extra skill points from personality type option (Step 6) are not used.
• I also use skill category modifiers to add a connection from ability to skill for characters, but prefer the simpler bonuses (based on INT or DEX, see p. 31). In future, I plan on basing Communication on APP/2, Physical on CON/2, and Combat on STR/2).
• For typical Middle-earth races, such as elves, dwarves, or hobbits, I use the stats in the creatures section of the BGB or the old Runequest 3 Creature Book, making adjustments on the fly as necessary. As a rule, the tall Edain get a bonus for SIZ.

Skills

• Obviously, many of the BGB skills, from Psychotherapy to Science to Demolitions, are not suitable for Middle-earth, so strip these out.
• Not caring for the clunky skill name Fine Manipulation, I use Devise to represent tampering with locks, traps, and other small mechanism (in any case, mechanical locks will be very rare in Middle-earth).
• All characters have a knowledge of their own culture equal to their Own Language skill.
• I use the skill Bearing rather than Etiquette. Bearing represents how well characters carries themselves in social situations, whether the rules of etiquette are known to them or not: think of the first meeting with the Riders of Rohan, or Frodo greeting the elves in the woods, or even Bilbo welcoming unexpected dwarves into his parlour.
• I allow martial characters to train in the Martial Arts skill, representing their combat discipline, be it the Dunadan longsword or elvish blade. This is a very powerful skill, which should advance at no more than 1% a step, to a maximum of DEX+STR. It reflects the fearsomeness we see in characters like Boromir or Aragorn, who can slay many foes with a single strike.

In general, characters make the most use of their weapons skills, as well as Spot and Stealth and Track. First Aid is often in use. Insight is a popular skill with my players, for getting a read on NPCs.

Combat options

• To speed combat, use Hit Points with Major Wounds (not location hit points).
• My players, however, are particularly fond of aimed shots with missile weapons. I assign these a difficult rating, but adjudicate a Major Wound like effect if the shot hits a particular target (such as the knee joint of a troll).

Fatigue

The RuneQuest 3 fatigue points option being too cumbersome to track, I use a simple fatigue check, to represent the weariness that often afflicts characters in Middle-earth. Fatigue is based on a Stamina roll. The first failure inflicts a -10% weariness penalty. The second failure makes all rolls difficult due to fatigue. The final failed roll brings exhaustion. This Stamina roll is adjusted by whatever amount current encumbrance exceeds STR (if Enc is not more than STR, there is no penalty).

Magic

Magic can accomplish grand and marvellous things in Middle-earth, but it is also rare and often subtle. And it is not clear that the mortal races, such as common men and hobbits, can inherently use magic of any sort. Hence, the magic options in the BGB are not well-suited to Middle-earth. The simplest option is to restrict magic to figures other than adventuring PCs. However, if you think it necessary to introduce limited magic:

• Elves use spells similar to RuneQuest spirit magic, with effects that could be taken for extraordinary skill or grace (such as bladesharp or sure-shot or silence). A simple Luck roll is used to activate a spell. The spells add bonuses (5% /+1 per magic point) to actions.
• Wizardry, if used at all, should be skill-based and centred on certain skills or areas of study, such as Smoke and Fire, Silence and Disguise, Beasts and Birds, and so on.
• All spells that dominate the will of others are sorceries, and inherently corrupting.

Finally, the BRP Central site downloads page has a wealth of options and rules for BRP styled Middle-earth, based loosely on the Decipher Lord of the Rings RPG and many other sources.

The One Ring RPG - a review

The One Ring Roleplaying Game, from Cubicle 7, the latest game that aims to create a roleplaying experience specifically for Tolkien's Middle-earth, is a fine game: well-designed, beautifully produced, closely and thoughtfully integrated with the background material. It is also one of the most restricted and procedural games in the Tinkerage collection.

Character creation, for instance, shows a lot of thought. Characters are deeply rooted in their cultural background, and character traits are evocative and interesting. But creating a character is largely a question of choosing options from a list, and although the cultures of Wilderland (Woodsmen, Beornings, Bardings, forest elves and dwarves) are represented, there's no option to play, say, a roaming Gondorian knight or a Rohirrim tinker – although in honour of The Hobbit, halflings are perfectly plausible player-characters. Now, other cultures are slowly being added as new sourcebooks are produced, but this restriction of the scope of character creation in the core rules to the types of the area represents the game's aims: narrow focus with exceptional depths, leading to guided play.

The core mechanic is elegant and nicely evocative, combining a single linear roll for effort on a d12 (with a "Sauron" face for automatic failure and a "Gandalf" face for automatic success) with a pool of d6s for skill and extra levels of success. These dice are rolled against a simple target number (with a nice fatigue mechanism to boot, meaning only the upper digits of skill dice are counted if the character is weary). But with this simple mechanic, there are procedures for almost every aspect of play. There are procedures for encounters with potential patrons and allies, based on a "tolerance" rating and multiple rolls. There are detailed procedures for travelling – one of the strengths of the game is this journeying system. And the abstract combat system requires a multistage approach from surprise to initiative to combat advantage and positioning. All this means that new loremasters will, unless very familiar with the rulebook, find themselves skipping or forgetting many of the stages of play. Speaking of which, there are even procedures for abstracting adventuring play (the adventure phase) from experience and character development (the fellowship phase).

If this weren't enough, there are points for everything. Attributes aren't just standing values, you need to spend a point of Hope to add an attribute score to a roll, unless it's going to a favoured skill, in which case you add the attribute's favoured value. Along with Hope, you spend Endurance; just keep it above Fatigue, or you become Weary (and keep Hope above your Shadow, or you end up Miserable). For encounters, you get Valour and Wisdom, and there are also your Fellowship points, and your Standing, which you keep up by spending Treasure points, and so on. To be fair, all RPGs have their lists of tallies and expendable hit points and fatigue points and so on, but play in The One Ring feels like a great big character points economy with a lot of interdependent values always in flux.

All of this helps to encourage deep, considered play with a detectable Tolkien theme, as characters are pitted not just against external dangers and weariness but the influence of the Shadow and personal corruption as well, but there is a fine line between rules that encourage a particular style of engagement and rules that force a  structure onto player choice, and the shadow of TOR's game design is this sort of prescriptive approach to play itself. Overall, TOR does a fine job of evoking and instilling a sense of Middle-earth and Tolkien themed roleplaying, but one can't help but think that a lighter hand on rules and sub-systems and more evocative and entertaining setting detail could have made this game into a true classic.

[This review is based on a reading of the core rulebook in PDF format, and is not a report on actual play.]

Roll and Read: a method for solo RPG play

Solo RPGs can be an interesting diversion, entertaining when the regular game group isn't around. And like playing chess with oneself, they can also be a way to test skills and scenarios. But managing complex rules and a full cast of characters can be too demanding when you're running it all by yourself, which is why many solo rpgs tend to abbreviated or minimal rules.

This isn't a post about seeding scenarios or figuring out a way to generate and resolve decision points. This is just a simple method for running a scenario and managing characters with minimal book-keeping and maximum speed.

Characters

Since the solo player generates and runs all characters, some are run as protagonists (as traditional player-characters), and the rest are encounters (as helpers, hinderers, enemies, and otherwise).
Protagonists should get a description. This can be detailed, a character sheet from another game, or just a brief tag (wily wizard, hardened ranger, calculating vac-trooper). Most other characters get a tag only, unless details are required.
If the description is brief, there's more room to explore who and what the character is. If the description is detailed, there may be more options, but the character is more defined before play.
All character have one rating, an abstract measure of their Resources [Res x]. Resources are an abstract representation of their Stamina or Hit Points or Hit Dice or Wounds or Luck, or whatever in-game credit is expended until the character is exhausted.
Protagonists might start with at least 2 or 3 Res, more if they have higher 'levels'.
Encounters can have individual Res, or group Res to represent a mass challenge. The Res in any scenario should roughly balance.

For example, the solo gamer might plan a scenario with:
A tough ranger [Res 3]
A clever hedge wizard [Res 3]
A nimble halfling [Res 3]
against a
Wolf Pack [Res 6]
Dire Wolf [Res 2]

Running the scene

This method is based on running notes.
Head up a note with the scene title: "Menacing Wolves," "Crossing the Swamp," and so on.
There is no initiative as such; just begin with the move that makes sense and move on to the next in order.
Each active character gets a 'line' each round, until everyone has taken a turn. The line is a brief tag or note of an action. Against any line, you can also note the counter-action, outcome or response.

For example:
The scene is "Menace of Wolves"
The first line is "Light the fire – wood's too wet!" (our halfling's first attempt to light a fire is a roll of 2, incomplete)
Then, "Spear throw – glancing hit" (the ranger's attack is a roll of 3, marginal)
And so on...

These lines are used to track turns and order actions, and estimate position if the player chooses not to use a battle board and miniatures.

Roll and read

In place of the usual rules and balancing of modifiers and multiple dice rolls, the player rolls once for each action and interprets the result.

Gauge what the character will most likely achieve, given their abilities and tactics.

For example, an armed ranger will most likely drive-off or even kill a ragged wolf, whereas a scrawny hedge wizard is likely to only keep the creature at bay, and at best wound it (but with magic, on the other hand…).

Then roll and read. The traditional pips on the dice hint at the result.

⚀ 1  Blocked, a failure or mishap
⚁ 2 Incomplete, a problem, breakage, or partially accomplished
⚂ 3 On the line, marginal, doubtful, or achieved at some cost
⚃ 4 Square, as expected, unremarkable
⚄ 5 Solid, a strong achievement, with some advantage which may be exploited
⚅ 6 Exceptional, full resolution, with a significant advantage

Resolve each action according to the roll and the likeliest result.

There are two other options:

• If the character seems massively advantaged by skill or circumstances, then roll two dice and read the highest.
• If the roll seems like sheer bad luck or the result would run against all reasonable expectations for the character, then spend a point of Res to reroll (representing the character's effort and resolve). If this roll is a 6, then the Res point is not lost.

Combat

In combat and other conflict, where the roll is low enough that the acting character is read as being hurt or wounded, deduct a point of Res. When the last point of Res is lost, the character is out of play for the rest of the scene. The player can then decide whether the character continues on play or is discarded.

A micro-review

A system for Tony Dowler's perfectly compressed micro-dungeon maps?

Try the ultra-concise Deeds & Doers.

Only players roll – 'to do' – when there is a significant risk.

The DM applies injuries and conditions with judgement, not hit points.

A game you can hold in your head.

Fantasy dungeons, sword and sorcery, all by suggestion. Pick your source; then where, who, why.

Here's a D20 adventure game

Basics and characters

Write down your character name and then a description. Make it concise or detailed. Include some skills or a calling/profession.
Roll 2d6 and add six. These are you Health Points, or HP. Write them in near the top. Hits wear them down. When you have no more HP, you cannot take a hit without serious consequences.

Rolls

Further down, you have three rolls: Fighting, Skill, and Magic. These have a base value of 6+.

For a random character, roll three d6 and assign each die to a roll.

For a bespoke character, distribute 11 points between the rolls, giving at least one point to each roll.

Now sort out what gear you have with your GM.

What would you use those rolls for?

Use that fighting roll in combat, to see if you hit something, or if you can avoid being hit. This also applies to physical challenges.

Use that skill roll to sneak, tamper, fiddle, search, and do anything associated with your craft.

Use that magic roll to cast magic, if that's in your power, resist magic if it comes to that, and otherwise recall fine points of lore.

Running adventures

In most cases, when characters are tested or challenged, choose an appropriate roll. If the character makes the roll, equalling or exceeding their number on a d20, they are successful.
Apply modifiers that fit the situation. Add points to the roll number to increase the difficulty, or deduct points to lower difficulty. A range from +5 to -5 should represent most conditions.

Experience

The system is intended for quick pick-up-and-play gaming, simply adapting any module or adventure or idea the GM has at hand. Hence, characters can begin with any adventure and level of expertise the GM requires.

However, if the game runs into campaign play, you can begin with an experience level of 0: adventurer. This can go up to 5: hero. The difference between a character's level and the challenge of a monster or task can be used as a modifier.

Running combat

Assume that a character's fighting roll represents the sum effect of their skill, weaponry, and armour matched against a middling foe.
Order of attacks and defence in each round of action depends on the tactical situation, so that's for the GM to decide, though generally the characters with better fighting rolls get to go first.
In each round, characters get a chance to attack and hit using their fighting roll.
The GM will decide if the foes they face have a "chance to hit" (a roll based on fighting) or simply hit automatically, as some powerful creatures will.
If a character is hit, then they can use their fighting roll as a save to try and block, parry, or dodge the impact, if their fighting style and the situation allows.

At the end of the round, deal damage to anyone who has been hit:

Light weapons: d4 (knives, staffs)
Skirmishing weapons: d6 (axes, daggers, darts)
War weapons: d8 (swords, arrows, spears)
Heavy weapons: d10 (great sword, pike)
Magical or terrible weapons: d12 (dragon claws, wraith-sword)

If a character has armour that is proof against a particular attack, then the GM can account for this by temporarily dropping the damage category (so a sword (d8) striking mail might do lighter (d6) damage).

Magic

Magic is tricky, so take your time over it. Magic effects each world differently. As a GM, you can't allow magic that would shortcut play, but magicians should be able to use their magic as effectively as other characters. 

Perhaps there's a price for gaining access to magic, such as a permanent reduction in HP or other rolls.

When you have worked out how magic works, assume that characters can effectively cast a handful of basic spells they know using a magic roll. Spells of greater power, or outside of the magician's ken, are progressively more difficult to cast.

Magic should be risky. If a roll fails disastrously, then inflict an interesting twist, side-effect, or even damage on the hapless caster.

Perilous creatures

Arihmere, as has been mentioned, is known for its haphazard and unlikely collection of perilous beasts. Here are a few, presented for use with Sword/Play.

Grimelocks

Could be mistaken for men in the distance, for they go on two legs. But their backs are broad and shaggy and their arms are longer, and they have only four digits on each hand. Their faces are like those of goats or sheep, though they have no horns. Grimelocks are silent; no one knows if they speak, or make their thoughts known only by grunts and howls. They are not needlessly cruel or given to mischief, but rather heedless and touchy, and they will slay any being they find within their territories. They weep during battles.
They have no true smith-craft, but arm themselves with spears and axes beaten out of stolen blades.

SKILLS: Tireless, Silent, Hunter
STAMINA: 10

Naggs

Naggs fly out of darkness, from caves or deep clefts in the ground. They have leathery wings, stretching as far as the arm-span of a man, but their beaks are long and blade-sharp. They attack by diving and are very swift, but cannot fly if wounded. They hunt for blood and sport, like wolves, and are most dangerous in packs where they will harass and slash before stooping to the kill.

SKILLS: Fly, Slash
STAMINA: 5

Trillits

Diminutive vermin, little taller than a man's knee. They scamper about in wastelands, preferring fens and marshes, where they hunt and scavenge. Oftentimes, they will attach the glowing seed pods of a knafer tree to a branch, creating a tiny, greenish light that they parade to lure the curious and unwary into sinkholes and other crude traps. They are cowardly, quick, dangerous only to those they trap when they mob their prey in large numbers, armed with sticks and sharpened stones. A trillit hole can often contain unregarded treasures as well as the leavings of their victims.

SKILLS: Sneak, Hide, Quick
STAMINA: 3

Taemsprits

Ancient, vile predatory spirits, that lurk in old tombs and bury-grounds. Having no bodies of their own, they dress themselves in grave-shirts, dust and bone, creating a vague mockery of the forms of the dead with cold blue eyes. Blades cannot wound them, unless spell-bound or forged of deep-steel. Their touch burns like ice. They cannot travel in daylight, and the wind and sun will destroy them.

SKILLS: Lurk, Terrify, Freeze
STAMINA: 20

Ourgarths

Ungainly, at least half again as tall as any man, with bulbous heads and features, and bones that are often uneven or ill-shaped. Ungainly and awkward in movement, they are easy to strike, but their thick hides and dense bones make them difficult to wound, and their great strength and terrible two-handed swords are to be feared. Surly and solitary by nature, they are unusually deft metal-smiths. They forge treasures and weapons of great worth, which they guard ferociously.

SKILLS: Smith, Greatsword, Massive strength
STAMINA: 18