GM Hobs Game Musings are articles written to explore different aspects of the core B/X and OSR, as it relates to a B/X rooted game. No article here is especially unique or tied to any specific project. These are written largely as a thought exercise so that I firmly understand what I mean when I discuss a concept like Hit Points or Armor Class, but they are also meant as introductions to my own players. The player intro aspect probably has some universal application, but it is worth keeping in mind that other GMs may well have a different view of these concepts.
Below you will find a list of all the Game Musing articles. I will update it with new ones when I can and all of them will be linked back to this index.
Thanks for checking them out.
Hob.
GM Hobs game musings 1: Equipment and Encumbrance
GM Hobs game musings 2: The Combat Numbers
GM Hob's Game Musings 3: Saving Throws
GM Hob's game musings 4: Are OSR games right for you?
GM Hob's game musings 5: Classes
Sunday, July 21, 2019
GM Hob's game musings 5: Classes
By the time B/X was published, D&D was up to four primary classes and three race-classes (which were all warriors from their cultures) . Race-classes are worth their own post, so now I am going to focus on the the four primary classes.
In the oldest versions of the venerable game, there were actually only two classes. This is in the pre-published era. There was the fighting man and the magic user. The cleric was added when Mr. Gygax found he had written a monster that really needed a some divine power to overcome the challenge it offered (It was a vampire if you are wondering and it is why turning undead is a big deal). The thief was added later as an archetype to overcome dungeon challenges. Before that point any person used those skills, but there weren't really rules for them.
I bring up this brief history lesson for two reasons. First it shows that D&D didn't spring into existence in its finished state. It was, and remains to this day, a work in progress. Secondly, but related, it shows a history of adding what is needful for the campaign at hand. And both of those things are brought up to remind you that, though I am going to present an argument for Fighters, Thieves, Magic Users, and Clerics, there are other directions you can go if your game needs it. Filling the needs of the game (the story, the Players, and the DM) are why the rules are there; it is not the other way around.
For whatever reasons many older gamers are very entrenched in saying "THIS IS HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED", and the plant their flag in the soil of the edition they like. I get that to some extent, because many official changes feel very redundant when there was already a rule to cover the need if you were to tweak it just a little. (Also every time something official is added to a core book the players, with every good reason, feel they should have access to it. "Red-penning" the Players Handbook is a good way to alienate a lot of players, who feel very restricted by removals and rewrites.) Well, I am not inclined to shout but I have planted a flag myself in the B/X edition.
There are many reasons to run a D&D game. My primary reason is to entertain. After that my impulse is to enjoy some flexing of my creative muscle. I find if I put the second reason before the first I am really just novelizing. While I run OSR sandbox games, I am still here to entertain first. If the players feel hemmed in I am am not doing that right. So it is best to start with a rules set that covers what they will want. Yet every time you add something to the game it raises the complexity. So how can we give all the reasonable options without getting rule bloat?
This brings us back around to the title, because the four core are good for the primary function of D&D, a game about "dungeon" exploration and "dragon" fighting. No they don't cover every single adventurer archetype, but with some tweaking and variation, they cover most of them. Let's take them one at a time, and discuss their role in the game and some reasonable variations.
The Fighter is a stand up warrior who uses martial skills (as demonstrated by high HP and a good attack bonus), heavy armor, and a wide variety of weapons to handle combat oriented tasks. When you wander into a dungeon and invade a monsters house they may get grumpy about it, so a character that can tackle that head on is a must. The Ranger, Paladin, and Barbarian are classic variations of Fighter, that give it a different flavor and slightly different roles while remaining a fighting forward class.
The Thief is a clever and sneaky fellow who has an expertise at stealth and mechanical devices, primarily traps and locks. They also have good listening skills and an ability to try to read anything. This is a troubleshooting character who helps overcome obstacles. While it is somewhat capable in combat it has lower HP than a fighter and weaker armor. Clever fighting is suggested, but as we already have a head on combat character that is reasonable. The Bard, Assassin, Scout, and Mountebank, and arguably Monk are good variations on Thief. Each stays focused on troubleshooting, but there is a change on the emphasis to handle different types of challenges.
The Magic User is another sort of trouble shooter. Its talents allow for non linear problem solving (invisibility), mass battle condition rearrangement (sleep spell or web), or just some great tenderizing of the biggest threats (FIREBALL!). Most DMs also allowed for some level or erudite expertise on the part of the MU, but it isn't really built into the rules. Magic-User can be spun to produce Sorcerers, Psionicist, Illusionist, Diviners, and Necromancers. All of these are still people who master a type of "magic" but they focus on different archetypes in doing so.
That leads us to the Cleric. The cleric is the back up warrior that fills the gaps, the back up spell caster who helps troubleshoot more specialized problems (locate object and turn undead both come to mind), and the primary healer. This class probably catches the most critique in D&D. It fills two rolls blandly and its primarily roll is arbitrarily restricted from other spell casters. Still thematically it fills a specific niche. It is the representative of the gods, while the arcane spell caster is a focused on knowledge for its own sake. That niche is import and and is very satisfying to many players. What is more having a backup of two out of three of the other roles isn't a bad idea. It helps when there is a man down, and it helps when a game group is a play shy of a full set. Variations on cleric are perhaps the easiest to envision, as every different godhead can give you a different view on the Cleric. Druids are a variation, but so are Runecaster's, some spins on the Witch, Lorekeepers, and Templars.
As you can see many other popular character rolls can be derived from the basic four classes.
It is worth pointing out, in closing, that the original four classes, and most of their variations, work best in the two main themes of Dungeons and Dragons: exploration and combat. D&D is an adventure game. It isn't a simulation, and it isn't a narrative game. Not that there isn't room for both in an adventure, but neither is the focus of the game. And that is ok.
If you changed that focus these classes would fall a bit short, but if you need a group of noble heroes to track a vampire to its lair, break in, kill his ghoul guards, rescue the mayor's daughter, kill the fiend, loot his house, and probably burn it on the way out, then I can suggest a group of Adventurers for you.
GM Hobs Game Musings Index
In the oldest versions of the venerable game, there were actually only two classes. This is in the pre-published era. There was the fighting man and the magic user. The cleric was added when Mr. Gygax found he had written a monster that really needed a some divine power to overcome the challenge it offered (It was a vampire if you are wondering and it is why turning undead is a big deal). The thief was added later as an archetype to overcome dungeon challenges. Before that point any person used those skills, but there weren't really rules for them.
I bring up this brief history lesson for two reasons. First it shows that D&D didn't spring into existence in its finished state. It was, and remains to this day, a work in progress. Secondly, but related, it shows a history of adding what is needful for the campaign at hand. And both of those things are brought up to remind you that, though I am going to present an argument for Fighters, Thieves, Magic Users, and Clerics, there are other directions you can go if your game needs it. Filling the needs of the game (the story, the Players, and the DM) are why the rules are there; it is not the other way around.
For whatever reasons many older gamers are very entrenched in saying "THIS IS HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED", and the plant their flag in the soil of the edition they like. I get that to some extent, because many official changes feel very redundant when there was already a rule to cover the need if you were to tweak it just a little. (Also every time something official is added to a core book the players, with every good reason, feel they should have access to it. "Red-penning" the Players Handbook is a good way to alienate a lot of players, who feel very restricted by removals and rewrites.) Well, I am not inclined to shout but I have planted a flag myself in the B/X edition.
There are many reasons to run a D&D game. My primary reason is to entertain. After that my impulse is to enjoy some flexing of my creative muscle. I find if I put the second reason before the first I am really just novelizing. While I run OSR sandbox games, I am still here to entertain first. If the players feel hemmed in I am am not doing that right. So it is best to start with a rules set that covers what they will want. Yet every time you add something to the game it raises the complexity. So how can we give all the reasonable options without getting rule bloat?
This brings us back around to the title, because the four core are good for the primary function of D&D, a game about "dungeon" exploration and "dragon" fighting. No they don't cover every single adventurer archetype, but with some tweaking and variation, they cover most of them. Let's take them one at a time, and discuss their role in the game and some reasonable variations.
The Fighter is a stand up warrior who uses martial skills (as demonstrated by high HP and a good attack bonus), heavy armor, and a wide variety of weapons to handle combat oriented tasks. When you wander into a dungeon and invade a monsters house they may get grumpy about it, so a character that can tackle that head on is a must. The Ranger, Paladin, and Barbarian are classic variations of Fighter, that give it a different flavor and slightly different roles while remaining a fighting forward class.
The Thief is a clever and sneaky fellow who has an expertise at stealth and mechanical devices, primarily traps and locks. They also have good listening skills and an ability to try to read anything. This is a troubleshooting character who helps overcome obstacles. While it is somewhat capable in combat it has lower HP than a fighter and weaker armor. Clever fighting is suggested, but as we already have a head on combat character that is reasonable. The Bard, Assassin, Scout, and Mountebank, and arguably Monk are good variations on Thief. Each stays focused on troubleshooting, but there is a change on the emphasis to handle different types of challenges.
The Magic User is another sort of trouble shooter. Its talents allow for non linear problem solving (invisibility), mass battle condition rearrangement (sleep spell or web), or just some great tenderizing of the biggest threats (FIREBALL!). Most DMs also allowed for some level or erudite expertise on the part of the MU, but it isn't really built into the rules. Magic-User can be spun to produce Sorcerers, Psionicist, Illusionist, Diviners, and Necromancers. All of these are still people who master a type of "magic" but they focus on different archetypes in doing so.
That leads us to the Cleric. The cleric is the back up warrior that fills the gaps, the back up spell caster who helps troubleshoot more specialized problems (locate object and turn undead both come to mind), and the primary healer. This class probably catches the most critique in D&D. It fills two rolls blandly and its primarily roll is arbitrarily restricted from other spell casters. Still thematically it fills a specific niche. It is the representative of the gods, while the arcane spell caster is a focused on knowledge for its own sake. That niche is import and and is very satisfying to many players. What is more having a backup of two out of three of the other roles isn't a bad idea. It helps when there is a man down, and it helps when a game group is a play shy of a full set. Variations on cleric are perhaps the easiest to envision, as every different godhead can give you a different view on the Cleric. Druids are a variation, but so are Runecaster's, some spins on the Witch, Lorekeepers, and Templars.
As you can see many other popular character rolls can be derived from the basic four classes.
It is worth pointing out, in closing, that the original four classes, and most of their variations, work best in the two main themes of Dungeons and Dragons: exploration and combat. D&D is an adventure game. It isn't a simulation, and it isn't a narrative game. Not that there isn't room for both in an adventure, but neither is the focus of the game. And that is ok.
If you changed that focus these classes would fall a bit short, but if you need a group of noble heroes to track a vampire to its lair, break in, kill his ghoul guards, rescue the mayor's daughter, kill the fiend, loot his house, and probably burn it on the way out, then I can suggest a group of Adventurers for you.
GM Hobs Game Musings Index
Monday, June 24, 2019
Voyage of the Yggdrasil: Life on the Ygg 1
The following several posts are the player facing documents that further flesh out the setting. Some are in response to questions by players, and as such there are some sudden turns in conversation flow I have tried to iron those out where I can.
If you have just stumbled over this project you will find its beginnings and a table of contents
here Section 1: Introduction
_______________________________________________________________________
Previous section, Section 3: Beliefs
More Tech
If you have just stumbled over this project you will find its beginnings and a table of contents
here Section 1: Introduction
_______________________________________________________________________
Previous section, Section 3: Beliefs
More Tech
How critical is it to have a dataslab vs just a compad?
Data slab will give you wider access, but it isn't at all necessary. A compad would do a lot of the data slab functions but just at the intro level. It would still be the best cellphone ever, but outside of a communication rich area it gets crufty. Keep in mind large portions of the ship are "wild" and many are without power or communication. Mind you that would hit a data slab too, but at least it would still have most of its on board resources.
Another way of thinking of it is a data slabs is like a tablet meets cyberdeck. A Compad would be the most impressive smartphone you ever met, but still just that.
Most Compad programs are largely stored in the cloud and if you are out of shipnet the data in the cloud is out of range. If you need access to a xeno medical document but have no link to the larger data base you are scrogged, but if you want to have 100 hours of surgical video backed up, and are willing to off load your cat videos to do it, you could have that information on hand. This is best handled logically. If you say "Yes I would have that saved on the data storage of the device" that is good enough. If you decide it is too far fetched then it probably is. We don’t need yet another encumbrance system.
A major drawback of of compads is that they can’t run even basic software agents or VR/AR feeds to your trode net. (But there is your friendly Shipnet assistant... as long as you don't have a Scottish accent.)
If you have a data slab (commonly just called Slabs) you can look "through" them and see ARO (Augment Realty Objects). You will will need a Trode Net to "see" them with your eyes (or hear or smell them). Trode nets are a pretty inexpensive resource (200 Credits), but it is a necessary one to use the DNI.
Person's of Interest
The Bridge
Person's of Interest
Gatekeepers and Bankers.
As I mentioned before the Bridge doesn't get very involved with people's lives often. When it does, it works most often through Agents. Two types of Agents are Gatekeepers and Bankers.
Gatekeepers can give permissions to use to the lifts in the Axis Mundi to travel from one Level to another. Any Gatekeeper can grant this privilege at any time. They usually exercise this power either for the community leaders of a Level or for the Bridge, but some use it to further their own agendas. Some can be bribed, but most Agents are pretty wealthy so credits or physical goods that can me Maker produced will be of little use. Not all Gatekeepers can grant movement to all levels, and any some Gatekeepers can override others. The politics of Agents is pretty arcane and beyond the scope of the understanding of most Passengers.
Bankers give Credits from the Bridge. Credit flow between Passengers is their own business, but new credits are granted from the Bridge Crew only. Credits aren't the only unit of exchange. There is also barte, service, and even in some small Feral pockets hard currency is used, but Credits are universal in Civvi areas as a unit of exchange. It is theorized that Bankers can also drain credits, but this is just a rumor. Bankers also collect Credits on behalf of the bridge, in exchange for favors. These Credits leave the flow of circulation. In this way inflation is kept in check.
Lift Passes and Credit Balance are information stored in the Shipnet and coded into the hardware of a characters DNI, which was installed as a Crew member. This means Ferals usually don't have these resources, and if they get them it is usually through a more shadowy means. If a persons Hardware (DNI) and the Software (Shipnet) don't match then the action is denied. .
More on travel between Levels: Pathfinders
While the Axis Mundi lifts are the most common way between levels, not to mention the fastest, there is another method that is very rarely used by Civvies but is the most common means for Ferals.
The Axis Mundi has tunnels, stairs, and service ladders that do reach between levels. The AM is massive and not efficiently patrolled. Guides, known as Pathfinders, will lead parties, for a steep fee, into the secret ways to the next level up or down. This is dangerous on many for many reasons. Security will shoot to kill if they encounter such trespass and frequently will close a passage after such an altercation, so the passages are a shifting maze between the levels. Also old technology, rarely upkept, will go rogue. This includes corrupted expert system controlled robotics, such as maintenance machines, and weird life that has been flourishing in the dark places (Can we all say Mutants!). Most people, given a choice, use the lifts.
_______
Humanity?
Though most spacefarers of this era can agree firmly that aliens, AI, plant beings, uplifted animals, VI, and non biological creatures are not humans, the question of what that came from human genetic stock that is still human is up for debate.
In a universe full of cyborgs and genetic manipulation, not to mention a million forms of cosmetic alterations, people, on the whole, don't get to fussed by appearances. Walking along the corridors of the Ygg you may see many people who look cosmetically different than any humans on Earth (maybe lightly furred, or naturally camouflaged to a jungle environment, or chromed out), but they would still be instinctively understood to be human in most cases. This isn't to say they would be liked or accepted (we do tend to be a tribal species), but the essential humanity would be recognized.
With that said, humans that move beyond the "basic mold" (say choosing a digital life or with an unpleasant mutation, or who have to live in a environment suit) cause revulsion instinctively in many humans. The PCs react as is their nature and background controlled by the players, but humans who aren't "human enough" tend to upset NPCs more than aliens would.
___________The Bridge
Different groups would argue which division of the Bridge is most influential. Security and Communication are brought up most frequently, but those in the know say, perhaps it is Facilities.
Facilities maintains the power grid, the physical structures that support Shipnet, environmental controls, water, and maker feed. Anyone who causes harm or interference with these ship infrastructures will soon get a visit from Security. Then Facilities comes and makes it right.
Facilities also maintain makers, med pods, and data terminals. These last three resources though they only keep in working order. The control of these vital resources is governed by whom ever can hold them. This is what gives a lot of power to the various level Passenger governments. Travelers on the Ygg are suggested to learn who controls these resources and how to gain access to them. (It has been known in the past for "terrorist" to seize a maker or med pod, use it, and then flee. Usually this ends very badly for the terrorist)
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Voyage of the Yggdrasil: Beliefs
Section 2: Technology
Religions on board the Yggdrasil
One cannot count the myriad cults with but a few followers from one lonely world or followers of odd spacefaring prophets, that are aboard the Ygg. There are far too many, and they grown in number at every port of call. There are though several Meta-faiths, all of which had popularity in Pre-Silence Mandate space that are very active on Yggdrasil.
The Church of Pan Creator: This is one of the two great space faiths that had its roots in old Terra. Drawing together philosophies of a Creator God and rituals of veneration form many cultures, the CoPC was the most organized pan-galactic faith. Though, it was not truly centralized, and planetary autonomy was the norm, traveling Bishops or other dignitaries could expect to be treated with respect on nearly any planet, and due to the popularity of the faith, many of these men rivaled planetary governors in power (some even were such governors on more theocratic planets). Even 600 years after the Scream this church can be found on most Post Mandate worlds that didn’t descend into complete barbarism, and oddly on many that did.
Like its planetside cousins the Patriarchs of various Levels on they Ygg keep in close contact and show each other respects when the travel to different levels, and there is both comradery and rivalry between the different churches of this faith all over the ship.
The Adherents of the Galactic Mother: The followers of the church of the Pan creator believe in a creator deity that is worth of respect and obedience. They feel, to various degrees, that this being cares about how they live their lives, and the tend to a certain conservatism. The Adherents of the Galactic Mother are different in almost every respect.
These faithful believe that the universe itself is divine and it guides each being, some say each object, gently towards a purpose, but it does so with a removed indifference. If one seed fails to sprout there will be others that do so, is the statement of one guru on the subject. It is only by resisting that purpose is life without meaning. Though this faith does have clergy and rituals it tends to be more laid back and varied than CoPC.This faith creates offshoots and guru at an amazing rate, yet its, generally, peaceful purpose keeps most of these people heading in the same direction. It is worth noting that when a branch of this faith turns to darker forms of worship it does so with a frighteningly complete abandon.
AGM is naturally non hierarchical, but it does have many charismatic members. This faith is more given to mysticism that the CoPC (not that the Pan-Creator's followers doesn’t have quite a few mystical adherents), but it is less given to politics, save in resistance.
People of the Shrine (Ancestor/Hero worship/Genus Loci/Animism): This last group is sort of a catch all, but they have enough similarities to be be grouped together. This is a collection of local cults that have a strong similarity in worship practice. One or many “spirits/ancestors” are generally thought to exist in a close, but undetectable, “dimension next door” and they will influence people's lives, for better or worse, depending on the level and type of veneration. Common practices are prayer, offerings, altars, and shrines. Though the CoPC conservatives either loaths or disdains these faithful, and the AGM enlightened looks on them with a maternal amusement, the PotS are the largest body of faithful known in T1 through T3 societies and many T4 have sizable adhearants. Even amid the other large faiths you find many people who still venerate some sort of genus loci or animistic idea. Amid the scholars of religion it is largely thought that this localism builds stronger communities and gives a feeling of personal knowledge of the divine that the other faiths lack. Galactic Adventures point out what scholars don’t. When things go bump in the night frequently it is the PotS who know how to bump back. (Torches and plasma rifles maybe involved).
Section 4: Life on the Ygg 1
Religions on board the Yggdrasil
One cannot count the myriad cults with but a few followers from one lonely world or followers of odd spacefaring prophets, that are aboard the Ygg. There are far too many, and they grown in number at every port of call. There are though several Meta-faiths, all of which had popularity in Pre-Silence Mandate space that are very active on Yggdrasil.
The Church of Pan Creator: This is one of the two great space faiths that had its roots in old Terra. Drawing together philosophies of a Creator God and rituals of veneration form many cultures, the CoPC was the most organized pan-galactic faith. Though, it was not truly centralized, and planetary autonomy was the norm, traveling Bishops or other dignitaries could expect to be treated with respect on nearly any planet, and due to the popularity of the faith, many of these men rivaled planetary governors in power (some even were such governors on more theocratic planets). Even 600 years after the Scream this church can be found on most Post Mandate worlds that didn’t descend into complete barbarism, and oddly on many that did.
Like its planetside cousins the Patriarchs of various Levels on they Ygg keep in close contact and show each other respects when the travel to different levels, and there is both comradery and rivalry between the different churches of this faith all over the ship.
The Adherents of the Galactic Mother: The followers of the church of the Pan creator believe in a creator deity that is worth of respect and obedience. They feel, to various degrees, that this being cares about how they live their lives, and the tend to a certain conservatism. The Adherents of the Galactic Mother are different in almost every respect.
These faithful believe that the universe itself is divine and it guides each being, some say each object, gently towards a purpose, but it does so with a removed indifference. If one seed fails to sprout there will be others that do so, is the statement of one guru on the subject. It is only by resisting that purpose is life without meaning. Though this faith does have clergy and rituals it tends to be more laid back and varied than CoPC.This faith creates offshoots and guru at an amazing rate, yet its, generally, peaceful purpose keeps most of these people heading in the same direction. It is worth noting that when a branch of this faith turns to darker forms of worship it does so with a frighteningly complete abandon.
AGM is naturally non hierarchical, but it does have many charismatic members. This faith is more given to mysticism that the CoPC (not that the Pan-Creator's followers doesn’t have quite a few mystical adherents), but it is less given to politics, save in resistance.
People of the Shrine (Ancestor/Hero worship/Genus Loci/Animism): This last group is sort of a catch all, but they have enough similarities to be be grouped together. This is a collection of local cults that have a strong similarity in worship practice. One or many “spirits/ancestors” are generally thought to exist in a close, but undetectable, “dimension next door” and they will influence people's lives, for better or worse, depending on the level and type of veneration. Common practices are prayer, offerings, altars, and shrines. Though the CoPC conservatives either loaths or disdains these faithful, and the AGM enlightened looks on them with a maternal amusement, the PotS are the largest body of faithful known in T1 through T3 societies and many T4 have sizable adhearants. Even amid the other large faiths you find many people who still venerate some sort of genus loci or animistic idea. Amid the scholars of religion it is largely thought that this localism builds stronger communities and gives a feeling of personal knowledge of the divine that the other faiths lack. Galactic Adventures point out what scholars don’t. When things go bump in the night frequently it is the PotS who know how to bump back. (Torches and plasma rifles maybe involved).
Section 4: Life on the Ygg 1
Voyage of the Yggdrasil: Technology
Section 1: Introduction
Technology
The Yggdrasil is hyper technological. Though there are rumored surviving T5 worlds that still have access to full Mandate level Pretech, the Postech of The Ygg comes very close.
Technology
The Yggdrasil is hyper technological. Though there are rumored surviving T5 worlds that still have access to full Mandate level Pretech, the Postech of The Ygg comes very close.
There is no doubt that the craft itself is a wonder of Mandate Pretech, and the fact that it runs so well after the passage of so much time is one of its mysteries. Less mysterious, but still wonderous to most new Crew members, are the number of T4 achievements at the height of capability in one place. New Passengers (after their stint as Crew) will talk about how they came from robotics heavy planets, but they didn’t have such strong bio science. Others will say that they kept the micro fabrication, but lost the ability to make high end VI. And no one has seen such a variety of Maker/Fabricator tech in one place. There are never break downs on the planet side shuttles and someone is keeping the variety of environment suits in perfect condition. Naturally everyone knows this is done by the Crew. Many times the Crew has been seen doing this maintenance. Questions remain though. Where does the crew get the knowledge to do such things? Why don’t they recall it afterwards?
Some of the common technologies that you could find any Civie using on The Ygg include the following.
Data Slabs: Data slabs are known on most worlds (and are described in the core game book). Those on the Ygg stand out because of their amazing light weight design, durability, and advanced compatibility with all systems derived from old Mandate era code. Upon hitting planetside most people can access all public records, the planet net, and translation softwares immediately.
The slab is a thin black rectangle, about 15 x 45 centimeters high and wide with a depth of 1 cm. It can fold three times on invisible hinges into a smaller (though thicker) device which makes for easier storage and a smaller screen. The device is diamond hard, can be dropped safely from seemingly any height, withstand small arms fire, bladed impact, and brief laser strikes. Electronic shocks and plasma weapons can destroy them quickly, and heavier caliber weapons and heavy melee weapons destroy the internal circuitry easily even if the barely scratch the surface.
Data slab’s are covered more in the section about the shipnet below.
Agents Software: Agent software is a non sentient VI with a personality matrix. It lives with a user at all times and learns from the user. It learns likes, dislikes, media interest, factual interest, sports interest, religious and political views. It is ready at a moments notice to answer questions, find things on the Ship-net, or give practical advice, based on its intellectual capabilities. Better agent software can even run programs off of your data slab for you from verbal or mental commands (see DNI below). Most people stick with one agent, but upgrade its quality as often as they can. The cheapest agents are provided by the Office of Communications, and most people are pretty confident they are bugged. A much steeper price gets you a “clean” agent. These agents sanitise information before accessing the Ship-net or even use Pirate-nets for searches and data transfer. No one really knows how clean these agent programs are, but you have to pay to play.
Makers: Fabricators are the technical term for this technology, but everyone calls them makers. It is said in the old Mandate elite cultures near Terra Prime that they developed makers that could construct molecules from basic atoms, or maybe atoms from hydrogen. These are not that advanced. They can take raw materials and make nearly anything from them. Object formularies are usually purchased with credits from a library, but they can be programmed with exact specifications. The types of makers include, but probably aren’t restricted to: Food, clothing, electronics, furniture, small tools, chem, bio, and heavy machine.
The last three are mostly restricted to governmental controls, but not by the Bridge Crew. If you can get to a heavy machine maker and run a program for a combat truck, the Bridge doesn’t care that you make it, but you can be sure the Office of Facilities will inform the Office of Security, and maybe you will be watched a little closer.
Some of the common technologies that you could find any Civie using on The Ygg include the following.
Data Slabs: Data slabs are known on most worlds (and are described in the core game book). Those on the Ygg stand out because of their amazing light weight design, durability, and advanced compatibility with all systems derived from old Mandate era code. Upon hitting planetside most people can access all public records, the planet net, and translation softwares immediately.
The slab is a thin black rectangle, about 15 x 45 centimeters high and wide with a depth of 1 cm. It can fold three times on invisible hinges into a smaller (though thicker) device which makes for easier storage and a smaller screen. The device is diamond hard, can be dropped safely from seemingly any height, withstand small arms fire, bladed impact, and brief laser strikes. Electronic shocks and plasma weapons can destroy them quickly, and heavier caliber weapons and heavy melee weapons destroy the internal circuitry easily even if the barely scratch the surface.
Data slab’s are covered more in the section about the shipnet below.
Agents Software: Agent software is a non sentient VI with a personality matrix. It lives with a user at all times and learns from the user. It learns likes, dislikes, media interest, factual interest, sports interest, religious and political views. It is ready at a moments notice to answer questions, find things on the Ship-net, or give practical advice, based on its intellectual capabilities. Better agent software can even run programs off of your data slab for you from verbal or mental commands (see DNI below). Most people stick with one agent, but upgrade its quality as often as they can. The cheapest agents are provided by the Office of Communications, and most people are pretty confident they are bugged. A much steeper price gets you a “clean” agent. These agents sanitise information before accessing the Ship-net or even use Pirate-nets for searches and data transfer. No one really knows how clean these agent programs are, but you have to pay to play.
Makers: Fabricators are the technical term for this technology, but everyone calls them makers. It is said in the old Mandate elite cultures near Terra Prime that they developed makers that could construct molecules from basic atoms, or maybe atoms from hydrogen. These are not that advanced. They can take raw materials and make nearly anything from them. Object formularies are usually purchased with credits from a library, but they can be programmed with exact specifications. The types of makers include, but probably aren’t restricted to: Food, clothing, electronics, furniture, small tools, chem, bio, and heavy machine.
The last three are mostly restricted to governmental controls, but not by the Bridge Crew. If you can get to a heavy machine maker and run a program for a combat truck, the Bridge doesn’t care that you make it, but you can be sure the Office of Facilities will inform the Office of Security, and maybe you will be watched a little closer.
Makers do need raw materials and if those aren’t available for your formulary, and no substitutes are listed, then the formulary can not be fabricated.
Med Pods: Much of the output of chem and bio makers goes to Med Pods. Med pods are advance medical rooms that are largely automated. The have the most advanced VI and the most advanced robotics working together, sometimes under the supervision of a Doctor or medic. In these rooms nearly miraculous medical procedures can be done. Simulated cellular regeneration, cyber implantation, and nano surgery are mainstays. 1 hour a week spent in a med pod will almost insure a maximum human lifespan. It is suspected that med pods are upkept by the Office of Facilities or the Office of Public Health. (Really besides Security no one is sure what Office that Crew members are serving.) Damaging a med pod would be a capital offense if you could survive long enough for Security to reach you. There is a good chance, on most levels, that you would be torn apart by Civies.
Cybernetics: In a world of perfect health cyborgs aren’t all that common, but there are those who suffer accidents or wounds that need extra assistance. Also, there is always a percentage of people who want and edge or to experiment with a new body, so cybernetics have some popularity.
There are many stock parts, but a cyber specialist is needed to calibrate the needs of the person to the formulary before going to the maker. Then a similar specialist is necessary in the pod for attachment. Though very good VI can do both of these functions, most people prefer a living doctor that is better able to adapt to the sudden emergencies.
Shipnet: Yggdrasil has one of the most advanced cyber communication platforms in existence outside of a T5 environment. It manifests in many ways. Communication on any level with any person with a data slab or compad is instantaneous unless somehow blocked. There are vast data stores from a century of information accumulation on every level. As people in the 21st century you know all of what can be done with the internet. That is the base line. The shipnet is also an unlimited cloud server, and has an impossibly large library of all sorts of media from all over human space. All of this is accessible through a data slab in crystal clarity, and with noise levels that could deafen a giant. The data slab is the access portal for the net, but they are largely interchangeable for basic universal functions. Each Crew member and Civie has had their bio and psi prints attached to their data. This data is locked away in private stores (except maybe to the Office of Communications and really good hackers). Some people do keep some information on their personal slabs. These are things that must be immediately accessible, even when shipnet is not. Agent software and current credit information are the most common things, but some people also keep hacking software or other specialized materials. Also higher grade data slabs offer better access to the alternate digital worlds of AR and VR. (On that note a standard compad can access much of the technical facilities of the Ygg at the most entry level.)
Med Pods: Much of the output of chem and bio makers goes to Med Pods. Med pods are advance medical rooms that are largely automated. The have the most advanced VI and the most advanced robotics working together, sometimes under the supervision of a Doctor or medic. In these rooms nearly miraculous medical procedures can be done. Simulated cellular regeneration, cyber implantation, and nano surgery are mainstays. 1 hour a week spent in a med pod will almost insure a maximum human lifespan. It is suspected that med pods are upkept by the Office of Facilities or the Office of Public Health. (Really besides Security no one is sure what Office that Crew members are serving.) Damaging a med pod would be a capital offense if you could survive long enough for Security to reach you. There is a good chance, on most levels, that you would be torn apart by Civies.
Cybernetics: In a world of perfect health cyborgs aren’t all that common, but there are those who suffer accidents or wounds that need extra assistance. Also, there is always a percentage of people who want and edge or to experiment with a new body, so cybernetics have some popularity.
There are many stock parts, but a cyber specialist is needed to calibrate the needs of the person to the formulary before going to the maker. Then a similar specialist is necessary in the pod for attachment. Though very good VI can do both of these functions, most people prefer a living doctor that is better able to adapt to the sudden emergencies.
Shipnet: Yggdrasil has one of the most advanced cyber communication platforms in existence outside of a T5 environment. It manifests in many ways. Communication on any level with any person with a data slab or compad is instantaneous unless somehow blocked. There are vast data stores from a century of information accumulation on every level. As people in the 21st century you know all of what can be done with the internet. That is the base line. The shipnet is also an unlimited cloud server, and has an impossibly large library of all sorts of media from all over human space. All of this is accessible through a data slab in crystal clarity, and with noise levels that could deafen a giant. The data slab is the access portal for the net, but they are largely interchangeable for basic universal functions. Each Crew member and Civie has had their bio and psi prints attached to their data. This data is locked away in private stores (except maybe to the Office of Communications and really good hackers). Some people do keep some information on their personal slabs. These are things that must be immediately accessible, even when shipnet is not. Agent software and current credit information are the most common things, but some people also keep hacking software or other specialized materials. Also higher grade data slabs offer better access to the alternate digital worlds of AR and VR. (On that note a standard compad can access much of the technical facilities of the Ygg at the most entry level.)
Moving from one level of shipnet to another is blocked by the Office of Communications, though there are ways of circumventing this.
DNI: DNI stands for direct neural interface. This technology opens up whole new worlds. It is in two parts. First a person needs a complex, but fairly safe, nano surgery. It takes 24 hours in the highest quality of med pods to complete the surgery. Special transmitters and receptors are attached to nerve bundles in the brain (ocular nerves, balance centers, brain stem, auditory nerves, and in several other locations). This is done for all Crew member, so it will be no expense for the characters. These changes when combined with a NTRA (neuro trod receptor array) or trode net (because they come in the form of hair nets or headbands most frequently) allow the projection and reception of many kinds of data. The quality of your data slab dictates the number of neuro feeds that can be handled at once. (Trode Net: 200 credits). Some people opt not to bother with the expense and just use goggles and ear buds to experience VR and AR, but this limits interaction. For instance movements and commands must be vocally or manually programmed through a slab, and there is no tactile sensation.
AR/VR: Through the DNI (or without it through a slab) many people, most people at some point in a day if they are Civies, interact with the digital worlds.
DNI: DNI stands for direct neural interface. This technology opens up whole new worlds. It is in two parts. First a person needs a complex, but fairly safe, nano surgery. It takes 24 hours in the highest quality of med pods to complete the surgery. Special transmitters and receptors are attached to nerve bundles in the brain (ocular nerves, balance centers, brain stem, auditory nerves, and in several other locations). This is done for all Crew member, so it will be no expense for the characters. These changes when combined with a NTRA (neuro trod receptor array) or trode net (because they come in the form of hair nets or headbands most frequently) allow the projection and reception of many kinds of data. The quality of your data slab dictates the number of neuro feeds that can be handled at once. (Trode Net: 200 credits). Some people opt not to bother with the expense and just use goggles and ear buds to experience VR and AR, but this limits interaction. For instance movements and commands must be vocally or manually programmed through a slab, and there is no tactile sensation.
AR/VR: Through the DNI (or without it through a slab) many people, most people at some point in a day if they are Civies, interact with the digital worlds.
AR stands for augmented reality. These are digital objects in real space. This could be a sound, a smell, or a sensation, but it is mostly images. These are augmented reality objects (ARO, or arrows) are “hung” in place and recorded by the Shipnet. Most are publicly viewable but some are messages that can only be seen by specific users.
VR stands for virtual reality. These are purely imaginary places that are accessed mostly through DNI. There are two “depths” of VR. There is a VR overlay of most Civie places. A person can “ghost” to those places and interact with VI, ARO, or other Ghosts who are present. To people in real space Ghosts are ARO. The other depth is to move into a place that only exist in a machine. This is done mainly for entertainment (such as gaming or VR tourism), but some people work in such environments, and there is a large amount of religious activity and higher education performed in deep VR as well.
Data Terminals: Scattered through out the Yggdrasil are a number of plastcrete pillars that have keyboards, speaker jacks, view screens, and shipnet signal projectors. These can be used in a number of ways. In the simplest for you can access shipnet archives and get up to date news about things going on on your level, the galactic position of the ship, directions through the maze of roads, and just about any other public information available at your current clearance. Your clearance is set by which floors your bio specs, stored in some Bridge database presumably, say you have access to through the AM. You can even use the data terminal to "ghost" to different locations you have clearance to visit, when most passengers can only ghost (travel as a VR/AR avatar to other locations) on the level hey are currently inhabiting. More creative and less ethical persons have been known to spoof stolen IDs and travel illicitly to other levels, but Security comes down hard on that. Data terminals do break down, but are extremely hard to damage. When discovered in an undeveloped part of the ship, they can still be useful to a hacker who can play through the recordings of what has been happening within a 360 degree view of the terminal going as far back as several weeks. It is generally assumed that as you are using a data terminal, communications is watching you use it as well, but it is very rare they will deal with local authorities. Skilled hackers maybe able to get an unrestored data terminal back up and running, and with a strong enough hacking roll have access to most of the ship through it, but that will certainly ping the Office of Communications, so it would be best to do a quick in and out before a security team in a hover car comes along to ask your business.
Section 3: Beliefs
Section 3: Beliefs
Voyage of the Yggdrasil, an Introduction
For the last few months I have been running a play by post Stars Without Numbers campaign on the pbp site Mythweaver.
Because I feel this game is under represented, considering its vast quality, and because pbp style rarely gets much attention I am going to put the campaign details here.
This isn't a play log. This is the setting material and system hack that I am using. If one other GM finds one piece of information useful I will feel accomplished. If I end up simply using this as a format to noodle around with the ideas I will feel accomplished as well.
With that said steal anything you like from this campaign. If you have ideas you want to bounce back feel free to do it in the comments.
The following links jump you to the rest of this project
Section 2: Technologies
Section 3: Beliefs
Section 4: Life on the Ygg 1
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The Voyage of the Yggdrasil is a large multi part campaign. Ideally, it will take the PC from humble origin where survival has challenge, to unravelling some of the great lost secrets of the Mandate, and learning what impact that could have on the future. It is BIG.
BIG but starting small. That is where I want to start focusing here, but keeping the larger story (and its theme of “Space is stranger than we ever thought"), in the background as we go.
BIG but starting small. That is where I want to start focusing here, but keeping the larger story (and its theme of “Space is stranger than we ever thought"), in the background as we go.
In this first adventure your characters are transitioning from Crew of the Yggdrasil to Passengers.
Though, you are released from service with your equipment and some credits and given a living assignment, due to your very fogged memories of the past several years of service, you know very little of what you are getting into. In your exit interview, which is really when your mind starts to come fully online again, you are thanked for your service and ushered onto a transport. There you are zipped to the AM and from that to your new beginning.
Your characters will know each other, but also not. You were squad mates. You will know a few traits and skills, and quirks of your fellows, but really you will be meeting them again. Likewise, the ship you are exploring, the massive ancient Super Frigate Yggdrasil, is almost unknown to you, save for flashes of memories, that are backed up by double checking your data slabs (I will go into this important piece of technology more later).
Because your time as Crew, and the Yggdrasil itself, are so important, let's go over the details that are more publicly known. Most of this your character would remember, all of it would come through if the characters just compared notes, so we are going to move on with the assumption that this will happen in the background (no need to RP it if it doesn’t naturally come up).
Yggdrasil
The Yggdrasil itself is an incredibly large spacecraft. It has been called the Mountain of Space (though that maybe just propaganda). It has 10 known levels, the smallest of which holds a 10 story building and is the size of a large city. The diameter of all the levels is the same but the height can vary, as can the distance of machine layer between levels. These 10 levels are accessible through the “Axis Mundi” large column with both tunnels and elevators that acts as a shaft in the ship. The Axis Mundi (AM) is also home of the Crew. It is assumed that somewhere in it is the Bridge Crew and the Captain, but this is mere speculation.
The Yggdrasil is also seemingly ancient. Many buildings bare the image of the Mandate (a stylized bird of prey, probably an eagle, with outstretched wings and talons) above a wide spread stylized tree, both of equal size. The the two together are symbol of the Crew and are on all armor and uniforms of Crew members. (Passengers may never use this symbol on pain of death or indenture). The Mandate eagle isn’t the only reminder of that ancient power. The ship has amazing technological functions, like makers (fabrication devices) that can produce food, clothing, electronics, furniture, etc; advance medical bays which can assist with the recovery of nearly any injury or illness as well as installing cybernetic enhancement; and computer/ communication/ entertainment systems that include VI (virtual intelligence), robotics, Augmented Reality, and whole Virtual Reality realms. It is at the height of T4 technology, but the mandate era miracles of T5 are out of reach. Full body regeneration, Artificial intelligence, and transhuman miracles are not found on the Yggdrasil.
A last detail about the ship needs to be mentioned before moving on. The different levels are very different. Different cultures, different styles, and different governments. Movement between levels is strictly controlled.
The Yggdrasil itself is an incredibly large spacecraft. It has been called the Mountain of Space (though that maybe just propaganda). It has 10 known levels, the smallest of which holds a 10 story building and is the size of a large city. The diameter of all the levels is the same but the height can vary, as can the distance of machine layer between levels. These 10 levels are accessible through the “Axis Mundi” large column with both tunnels and elevators that acts as a shaft in the ship. The Axis Mundi (AM) is also home of the Crew. It is assumed that somewhere in it is the Bridge Crew and the Captain, but this is mere speculation.
The Yggdrasil is also seemingly ancient. Many buildings bare the image of the Mandate (a stylized bird of prey, probably an eagle, with outstretched wings and talons) above a wide spread stylized tree, both of equal size. The the two together are symbol of the Crew and are on all armor and uniforms of Crew members. (Passengers may never use this symbol on pain of death or indenture). The Mandate eagle isn’t the only reminder of that ancient power. The ship has amazing technological functions, like makers (fabrication devices) that can produce food, clothing, electronics, furniture, etc; advance medical bays which can assist with the recovery of nearly any injury or illness as well as installing cybernetic enhancement; and computer/ communication/ entertainment systems that include VI (virtual intelligence), robotics, Augmented Reality, and whole Virtual Reality realms. It is at the height of T4 technology, but the mandate era miracles of T5 are out of reach. Full body regeneration, Artificial intelligence, and transhuman miracles are not found on the Yggdrasil.
A last detail about the ship needs to be mentioned before moving on. The different levels are very different. Different cultures, different styles, and different governments. Movement between levels is strictly controlled.
The Crew
As one goes and comes in the Yggdrasil you will see blue, brown, and grey uniform clad persons who wander about. Most of them carry a big side arms and all of them wear a ship badge. These are the Crew. The Crew rarely interact with Passengers. Passengers ignore the Crew as much as they can.
The Crew are a people apart, but that doesn’t seem to bother them. They will joke and laugh with each other, but when Passengers come near they take on a blank stony expression. The Crew carry out the wishes of the Bridge. The Bridge is a semi mythical set of high ranking Crew members. The Bridge is only known by reference. A Crew Member may arrest someone under the authority of the Security Officer. Or a pirate vid stream maybe shut down under the auspices of the Communications Officer. They are theorized to be less than 10 Officers of the Bridge, but people differ on the actual number. The Bridge Crew are faceless and unknown, maybe unchanging. No one really knows. Beyond the Bridge Crew there is assumed to be a Captain. Everyone talks about him/her/they/it, but no details are known. It is just known that when two members of the Bridge Crew seem to be in conflict Someone sorts it out. This must be the Captain.
There is a lesser kind of Crew as well, but they are few and far between. Children of Passengers, born on the ship, must serve as Crew for a period of at least 2 standard years. Most of these “crew members” never have their memories tampered with, and just serve as “do bodies” for Agents (see below) or local governments. These persons almost never leave their levels and are ignored by the silent Crew as much as anyone else is. 1 in 10 born Crew are taken to work “abroad”. They are the same as planetside hires in every way. [This isn’t available to starting characters]
Beyond the Mythic Captain, the Invisible Bridge Crew, and the Silent Crew, there are Agents. An Agent is a special Passenger who has been contractually hired by the Bridge to do a job. It maybe longterm, like a liason, or short term like an assassin (if rumor is to be believed). Agents have no official authority but can frequently call on the assistance of assets of ship. Agents frequent wear the badge of the Tree sans Eagle. This is unregulated and even impostors can wear it. Mind that may irk your local Liaison who then sends a some security Crew to take it away.
There is a lesser kind of Crew as well, but they are few and far between. Children of Passengers, born on the ship, must serve as Crew for a period of at least 2 standard years. Most of these “crew members” never have their memories tampered with, and just serve as “do bodies” for Agents (see below) or local governments. These persons almost never leave their levels and are ignored by the silent Crew as much as anyone else is. 1 in 10 born Crew are taken to work “abroad”. They are the same as planetside hires in every way. [This isn’t available to starting characters]
Beyond the Mythic Captain, the Invisible Bridge Crew, and the Silent Crew, there are Agents. An Agent is a special Passenger who has been contractually hired by the Bridge to do a job. It maybe longterm, like a liason, or short term like an assassin (if rumor is to be believed). Agents have no official authority but can frequently call on the assistance of assets of ship. Agents frequent wear the badge of the Tree sans Eagle. This is unregulated and even impostors can wear it. Mind that may irk your local Liaison who then sends a some security Crew to take it away.
Passengers
Most of the persons on Yggdrasil are Passengers. Passengers are born on the ship or they are Crew members who have discharged their duties. Everyone who comes onto the ship serves as a crew member. Everyone born born on the ship is supposed to serve as a crew member.
On many parts of the ship there are persons born of Passengers, who on reaching the age of majority who for whatever reason chose not to serve. They flee from the centrally controlled areas into the uncharted ship. These are known as Feral Passengers or just Ferals (as opposed to Civilized Passengers or Civvies). Ferals are not especially degenerated, and there are many reasons they make that choice. At this point many Ferals have had children as well, so there are separatist colonies on the ship. Some born Ferals come back at the age of majority (or after) and volunteer to serve, rejoin the Passenger Lists, and become Civvies. Most do not.
Being a Civilized Passenger has its perks, depending on what level you are on. There is access to advanced medicine, hunger is little known (though while away from planets variety can be limited). The high entertainment and communication technologies give many diversion as well. There are also schools, philosophies, religions, cults, and politics to occupy time and energy. On most levels people still have jobs.
For whatever reason Passengers, whether Civilized or Feral, have only ¼ of the birthrate of similarly advanced societies on the surface. Naturally the Bridge is suspected.
Being a Feral, life is less certain. The Bridge only maintains Civilized areas. Many Feral areas are without power, functioning makers, access to communications, etc. Barter, rading, and theft are not unknown. Ferals survive largely by developing black market resources that Civies want but can’t or won’t make themselves. What this would be differs level to level depending on what illicit resources the Civvies need.
On many parts of the ship there are persons born of Passengers, who on reaching the age of majority who for whatever reason chose not to serve. They flee from the centrally controlled areas into the uncharted ship. These are known as Feral Passengers or just Ferals (as opposed to Civilized Passengers or Civvies). Ferals are not especially degenerated, and there are many reasons they make that choice. At this point many Ferals have had children as well, so there are separatist colonies on the ship. Some born Ferals come back at the age of majority (or after) and volunteer to serve, rejoin the Passenger Lists, and become Civvies. Most do not.
Being a Civilized Passenger has its perks, depending on what level you are on. There is access to advanced medicine, hunger is little known (though while away from planets variety can be limited). The high entertainment and communication technologies give many diversion as well. There are also schools, philosophies, religions, cults, and politics to occupy time and energy. On most levels people still have jobs.
For whatever reason Passengers, whether Civilized or Feral, have only ¼ of the birthrate of similarly advanced societies on the surface. Naturally the Bridge is suspected.
Being a Feral, life is less certain. The Bridge only maintains Civilized areas. Many Feral areas are without power, functioning makers, access to communications, etc. Barter, rading, and theft are not unknown. Ferals survive largely by developing black market resources that Civies want but can’t or won’t make themselves. What this would be differs level to level depending on what illicit resources the Civvies need.
(To come back to the topic of the age of the ship: Civvies live as long as a body can unless they are killed by injury or violence. The oldest Civvies on any level are in the area of 125 y/o, which seems to be a terminal age. These oldsters report that when they joined the crew there were only a few hundred people on the whole ship and those mostly crew, though a few of the passengers at that time were already extremely advanced in age and the basic tenets of life on the Yggdrasil were already in place. No one knows what it was like before then. Every locally recorded history stop at the age of the oldest person on the ship. The rest have vanished, despite the advanced computer technologies or maybe because of them.)
Planetside
Planetside
Yggdrasil is a spaceship. It travels planet to planet and sector to sector. Many believe the Captain seems to be searching for something. This is speculated, but there is very little other reason people can figure for its peregrinations. It rarely visits the same planet or even sector twice.
Yet, it does stop at planets with some frequency. When it does hover in orbit near a planet, many vessels descend to planetside. There, always after getting permission from local governments, it has a long “market” under the auspices of the local governments. Ship merchants buy produce, fresh meat, and unique local goods. This is done by Passengers and Agents. They are guarded by security Crew and soldiers of local law enforcement. Passengers mostly commit the commercy (though some go down just to sight see), but they are strictly held to selling things approved by both the head Agent of the mission and the local government. These tend to be very well made products that are at the top of the local technological scale, but never beyond. Agents will also interview potential crew members. Many are turned away but usually 20 to 50 cadets sign on at any stop agreeing to serve 4-6 years stints as crew and then to live as passengers on “the most advanced space transport in the galaxy, with all their needs seen to for life”. (Some bitter ex Crew have things to say about that recruitment speech). Any person over the age of majority for the planet and without familial attachments (they must swear to both facts) may apply. Even elderly persons do so, hoping the medical miracles of the Yggdrasil will buy them a happier old age.
It is not easy for a Passenger to get planetside. Landing ships are controlled by powerful persons or organizations (though a proven Agent rarely has trouble “leasing” a ship). Everyone else must lobby with whatever local Ygg organization controls the away ships to get a seat. Some Passengers go down to planet and never come back, but not very many. Most would rather roam the stars, even in the odd atmosphere of Yggdrasil, than be stuck on one backwards planet.
Government.
The Captain, Bridge, and Crew are not the government of the Levels. They are the authority on the Yggdrasil, but they really are very hands off to the life of the Passengers. Each level has its own local government (usually several) ranging from merchant oligarchies, to hereditary baronies, to religious theocracies. The Bridge doesn’t care how passengers arrange themselves, but two things are forbidden. There must not be anarchy and under no circumstances is the ship to be damaged. Oppression is fine. Revolution is fine. Rioting and destruction are not. In those cases the Security Officer sends Crew members in battle armor to sort it out. This is less true in Feral zones, but if a Feral coup tried to damage an essential ship function, like life support or a major power conduit, they would be fried with plasma as quickly as any Civvie upstart. Security is never far away and the Communication Officer sees all.
Yet, it does stop at planets with some frequency. When it does hover in orbit near a planet, many vessels descend to planetside. There, always after getting permission from local governments, it has a long “market” under the auspices of the local governments. Ship merchants buy produce, fresh meat, and unique local goods. This is done by Passengers and Agents. They are guarded by security Crew and soldiers of local law enforcement. Passengers mostly commit the commercy (though some go down just to sight see), but they are strictly held to selling things approved by both the head Agent of the mission and the local government. These tend to be very well made products that are at the top of the local technological scale, but never beyond. Agents will also interview potential crew members. Many are turned away but usually 20 to 50 cadets sign on at any stop agreeing to serve 4-6 years stints as crew and then to live as passengers on “the most advanced space transport in the galaxy, with all their needs seen to for life”. (Some bitter ex Crew have things to say about that recruitment speech). Any person over the age of majority for the planet and without familial attachments (they must swear to both facts) may apply. Even elderly persons do so, hoping the medical miracles of the Yggdrasil will buy them a happier old age.
It is not easy for a Passenger to get planetside. Landing ships are controlled by powerful persons or organizations (though a proven Agent rarely has trouble “leasing” a ship). Everyone else must lobby with whatever local Ygg organization controls the away ships to get a seat. Some Passengers go down to planet and never come back, but not very many. Most would rather roam the stars, even in the odd atmosphere of Yggdrasil, than be stuck on one backwards planet.
Government.
The Captain, Bridge, and Crew are not the government of the Levels. They are the authority on the Yggdrasil, but they really are very hands off to the life of the Passengers. Each level has its own local government (usually several) ranging from merchant oligarchies, to hereditary baronies, to religious theocracies. The Bridge doesn’t care how passengers arrange themselves, but two things are forbidden. There must not be anarchy and under no circumstances is the ship to be damaged. Oppression is fine. Revolution is fine. Rioting and destruction are not. In those cases the Security Officer sends Crew members in battle armor to sort it out. This is less true in Feral zones, but if a Feral coup tried to damage an essential ship function, like life support or a major power conduit, they would be fried with plasma as quickly as any Civvie upstart. Security is never far away and the Communication Officer sees all.
Section 2: Technologies
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
GM Hob's game musings 4: Are OSR games right for you?
Are OSR games right for you? In many ways this should have been my "game musings" article 0 rather than 4, but oddly I never stopped to think of the question when I started writing this series. You may think that because I am a lover of such games I would say "yes" to the title question with no hesitation, but really it isn't that simple.
OSR (Old School Retroclone/Revival/Renaissance/R-etc) games, specifically those based on old styles of D&D, provide one flavor of game experience. I find it to be a very enjoyable flavor, but it certainly isn't the only way to play RPGs or even the right way; it just has the distinction of being tied back, by rules and themes, to the oldest style of play. I don't plan to delve into the history of D&D, RPGs, or the OSR movement here. There are plenty of resources out there to pursue that. Instead, I want to look at the factors that make an OSR D&D style game and then discuss what such a game is and isn't, and why you may want to play in this style or instead try something else.
Before going further, a solid definition of the games I am focusing on is probably in order. OSR D&D games tend to look back at the B/X (Basic and Expert) rules set published in 1983 by TSR for Dungeons and Dragons and then re released in different forms through OSR publishers. These rules were a refinement and a stripping down of the original D&D and the AD&D 1E games. OSR games also borrowing from other forms of D&D that would come later to expand options (such as splitting classes from races). Some of these OSR games are extremely close to the original B/X (Labyrinth Lords and B/X Essentials come to mind for this) and others rework them for a specific style (here we can site Dungeon Crawl Classics and Lamentations of the Flame Princess). Still others use the basic mechanics in a very stripped down version (such as Knave and the Black Hack). One advantage all of these systems share is a great interchangeability of parts such as classes, magic items, monsters, and house rules. If something is missing from one published game then just nick it from another. Also because of the light rules framework that makes up the game's core, it is very easy to tack on a house rule without having to change many aspects of the game to make that hack work.
It is good to have a definition, but none of that background covers what the games tend to focus on. OSR games were originally based on pulp fantasy sword and sorcery genre hero stories and tabletop wargames. So the tend to be combat and action focused adventure stories with the rewards being winning over adversity, typically physically but also through guile, and gaining treasure. They have a high focus on overcoming difficulties that seem overwhelming, and in many way survival is part of the reward. So, a neat answer would be that OSR are games of exploration, combat, problem solving, and survival before the backdrop of fantastic settings. The characters are actors in a greater world that goes on around them, but in any adventure they take the center stage.
OSR focus more on the "game" aspect of RPGs than many games that come after will. When coupled with the high lethality at low character level play there is less of a focus on character background. A few sketchy facts going in are generally enough to start the character. The characters greatness lies in its present and future, not its pre-game past. With that said, because of the rules light nature, and the fact that the rules really just focus on the central aspects of play (exploration and combat) roleplaying is essential to flesh out the rest of the character. In the B/X system there are a couple simple one roll mechanic, geared to pass fail resolutions, that come into play when a character needs to exercise an ability that isn't outlined elsewhere, but there are no systems for advancing those abilities. They are either very general and the same for all characters (listen successes at 1 in 6) or static for a character (roll under ability score on a d20). Both of these work admirably for the simplest core version of the game where the combat and exploration is going to be 90% if the game focus, but fall short when a game expands past the "adventure" or includes adventure aspects that aren't immediate action. Also many players want their character to advance in non adventure abilities as they level.
Various writers (some of which go back to the official TSR days of D&D) have worked on other systems of non combat action resolution with various levels of acceptance and success, and some OSR have embraced skill systems that are found in newer versions of the D&D game (or even adopted ones from non D&D products), but these are lacking in the core OSR model. Again though, due to its modular nature such systems are fairly easy to add.
OSR games are very good for playing action forward proactive characters that live in the moment. Dungeon delvers, explorers, skirmishers, and fantasy military units all fit into the categories this game style excels at.
Games that focus heavily on crisis of morality/personal character growth, extended social or political power play, or highly detailed combat scenarios are very poor matches for OSR systems. Even with various hacks there are other games that fit these needs better. And that is good. It is actually very good. It is better a GM is matched with a game that suits their writing style and a player is matched with a game that will truly be fun for them.
GM Hobs Game Musings Index
OSR (Old School Retroclone/Revival/Renaissance/R-etc) games, specifically those based on old styles of D&D, provide one flavor of game experience. I find it to be a very enjoyable flavor, but it certainly isn't the only way to play RPGs or even the right way; it just has the distinction of being tied back, by rules and themes, to the oldest style of play. I don't plan to delve into the history of D&D, RPGs, or the OSR movement here. There are plenty of resources out there to pursue that. Instead, I want to look at the factors that make an OSR D&D style game and then discuss what such a game is and isn't, and why you may want to play in this style or instead try something else.
Before going further, a solid definition of the games I am focusing on is probably in order. OSR D&D games tend to look back at the B/X (Basic and Expert) rules set published in 1983 by TSR for Dungeons and Dragons and then re released in different forms through OSR publishers. These rules were a refinement and a stripping down of the original D&D and the AD&D 1E games. OSR games also borrowing from other forms of D&D that would come later to expand options (such as splitting classes from races). Some of these OSR games are extremely close to the original B/X (Labyrinth Lords and B/X Essentials come to mind for this) and others rework them for a specific style (here we can site Dungeon Crawl Classics and Lamentations of the Flame Princess). Still others use the basic mechanics in a very stripped down version (such as Knave and the Black Hack). One advantage all of these systems share is a great interchangeability of parts such as classes, magic items, monsters, and house rules. If something is missing from one published game then just nick it from another. Also because of the light rules framework that makes up the game's core, it is very easy to tack on a house rule without having to change many aspects of the game to make that hack work.
It is good to have a definition, but none of that background covers what the games tend to focus on. OSR games were originally based on pulp fantasy sword and sorcery genre hero stories and tabletop wargames. So the tend to be combat and action focused adventure stories with the rewards being winning over adversity, typically physically but also through guile, and gaining treasure. They have a high focus on overcoming difficulties that seem overwhelming, and in many way survival is part of the reward. So, a neat answer would be that OSR are games of exploration, combat, problem solving, and survival before the backdrop of fantastic settings. The characters are actors in a greater world that goes on around them, but in any adventure they take the center stage.
OSR focus more on the "game" aspect of RPGs than many games that come after will. When coupled with the high lethality at low character level play there is less of a focus on character background. A few sketchy facts going in are generally enough to start the character. The characters greatness lies in its present and future, not its pre-game past. With that said, because of the rules light nature, and the fact that the rules really just focus on the central aspects of play (exploration and combat) roleplaying is essential to flesh out the rest of the character. In the B/X system there are a couple simple one roll mechanic, geared to pass fail resolutions, that come into play when a character needs to exercise an ability that isn't outlined elsewhere, but there are no systems for advancing those abilities. They are either very general and the same for all characters (listen successes at 1 in 6) or static for a character (roll under ability score on a d20). Both of these work admirably for the simplest core version of the game where the combat and exploration is going to be 90% if the game focus, but fall short when a game expands past the "adventure" or includes adventure aspects that aren't immediate action. Also many players want their character to advance in non adventure abilities as they level.
Various writers (some of which go back to the official TSR days of D&D) have worked on other systems of non combat action resolution with various levels of acceptance and success, and some OSR have embraced skill systems that are found in newer versions of the D&D game (or even adopted ones from non D&D products), but these are lacking in the core OSR model. Again though, due to its modular nature such systems are fairly easy to add.
OSR games are very good for playing action forward proactive characters that live in the moment. Dungeon delvers, explorers, skirmishers, and fantasy military units all fit into the categories this game style excels at.
Games that focus heavily on crisis of morality/personal character growth, extended social or political power play, or highly detailed combat scenarios are very poor matches for OSR systems. Even with various hacks there are other games that fit these needs better. And that is good. It is actually very good. It is better a GM is matched with a game that suits their writing style and a player is matched with a game that will truly be fun for them.
GM Hobs Game Musings Index
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