Well a while ago I tried to upgrade my PHP 5.0 and Apache 2.0 to PHP 5.2 and Apache 2.2. They did not work together at all or only as CGI (slow, security holes and still crashing from time to time). Well now there is a working solution: Apache 2.2.11 supports PHP 5.3 as module again.
I used official Apache for Windows builds (VS 8 based) and official PHP 5.3 for Windows build (VS9 Built as zip file on Jun 29 2009 21:52:31). Now that Apache upgraded to VS8 they are using Dot Net as well and you can rely on some performance boosts compared to the old VS6 builds.
Well these version numbers might be outdated again, but maybe someone demands a working combination and is in dire need of this info as I was pretty frustrated when I could not do "such a simple task" ...
See also:
Mittwoch, 12. August 2009
Montag, 29. Juni 2009
About "Advanced Epic 8"
Well I opened up a wiki for that idea a while ago. It's based on the idea of the E6 rules that were presented over at EnWorld. I'm currently on the fence if I want to continue on that project or not. The most striking question in that context is related to several musings and discussions.
The problem I have in actual play with D&D 3.x won't go away with E6 style fixes. To make a game out of 3.x you have to rewrite a lot - especially balancing things that need to be balanced (classes, feats, spells). Also I've grown fond of "styled out of the box" spellcasters - so for example a "Shadow Mage" or "Summoner" and so forth. So a lot narrower in concept then what the broad Base Classes of 3.x provide.
In addition there is the issue of the amount of magic in a gameworld. I don't mind weirdness, but I definitively don't want to have Magic-Mart in every small town.
However I don't want to give up classes as this makes my current players happy as it saves them from too detailed decissions and something like Feats and Skills will have to remain as well.
But then ... it drives me towards a different system I tested a long while ago (long before blogging anything at all) - well it did not have classes, but a lot of ideas would favor many of that games assumptions.
The problem I have in actual play with D&D 3.x won't go away with E6 style fixes. To make a game out of 3.x you have to rewrite a lot - especially balancing things that need to be balanced (classes, feats, spells). Also I've grown fond of "styled out of the box" spellcasters - so for example a "Shadow Mage" or "Summoner" and so forth. So a lot narrower in concept then what the broad Base Classes of 3.x provide.
In addition there is the issue of the amount of magic in a gameworld. I don't mind weirdness, but I definitively don't want to have Magic-Mart in every small town.
However I don't want to give up classes as this makes my current players happy as it saves them from too detailed decissions and something like Feats and Skills will have to remain as well.
But then ... it drives me towards a different system I tested a long while ago (long before blogging anything at all) - well it did not have classes, but a lot of ideas would favor many of that games assumptions.
Samstag, 20. Juni 2009
The Saving Throw issues
Well although there are many discussions on "oh my god some classes are penalized in every way" barely anyone tries to address the mayor reason why that's the case.
At high levels the gap between good safes and bad safes is pretty wide before feats or magic items. And if you compare some classes against each other (like fighter vs. cleric) you see some additional issues. A fighter has to raise his Strength to dish out more damage and cannot spend attribute raises on his poor safes to make them any better. On the contrary a cleric will raise his Wisdom and that will stack very fortunately with his good will safe.
Ok, both will then have a bad Reflex safe, but most spells with reflex to safe against are "take half damage", not "safe or loose/die for sure".
So now, is this really an issue? Yes it is. Simply look at the numbers of DCs for Special abilities and compare it to the safes. I left out MIs as that can be individual, but you can clearly see that a bad safe simply needs a +5 to safe boosting as item - and a +5 Item even to a safe - is expensive.
Also for special abilities I left out anything you might get from Classes or Feats as goodies.
DCs of special abilities (lvl 1 /20 /difference)
As the last case of safes shows if you go - and only if you go - the +5 MI route you have a chance to keep a bad safe in line with the DC of a level-appropriate Special Ability. In addition it shows what a deep impact a good stat has and what a raised or not raised stat has. It is pretty drastic.
So in my oppinion several things have to be done:
Attribute Modifiers on Safes
Well I toyed with the idea of lessening the impact of attribute modifiers to safes "just like in the old days". I think that would worsen the situation as it would invalidate a bit too much of the system.
The direct fix will address it well enough.
Resulting Bonus System
All Safes grow at a rate of 1/2 Level. Classes that have safe declared as good safe grant a +2 Class-Save-Bonus (CSB) to that safe and an that bonus increases by +1 for every 5 class levels up to a bonus of +5. Should multiple CSB affect a single Safe only the best of them applies.
If you multiclass into more then 3 classes and at least 2 classes grant a CSB of +3 to a single safe your CSB increases by +1 unless it already reached +5.
At high levels the gap between good safes and bad safes is pretty wide before feats or magic items. And if you compare some classes against each other (like fighter vs. cleric) you see some additional issues. A fighter has to raise his Strength to dish out more damage and cannot spend attribute raises on his poor safes to make them any better. On the contrary a cleric will raise his Wisdom and that will stack very fortunately with his good will safe.
Ok, both will then have a bad Reflex safe, but most spells with reflex to safe against are "take half damage", not "safe or loose/die for sure".
So now, is this really an issue? Yes it is. Simply look at the numbers of DCs for Special abilities and compare it to the safes. I left out MIs as that can be individual, but you can clearly see that a bad safe simply needs a +5 to safe boosting as item - and a +5 Item even to a safe - is expensive.
Also for special abilities I left out anything you might get from Classes or Feats as goodies.
DCs of special abilities (lvl 1 /20 /difference)
- (DC 14 / DC 16 / 2) - 0th lvl spell of a cleric (starts with WIS 18, max. raises)
- (DC 15 / DC 25 / 10) - 9th lvl spell of a cleric (starts with WIS 18, max. raises)
- (DC 12 / DC 23 / 11) - Stunning Fist of a monk (starts with WIS 14, 3 raises)
- +4/ +6 - safe on primary attribute (starts with 18 in attribute, max raises)
- +2 / +4 - safe on secondary attribute (starts with 14, 3 raises)
- +0 / +2 - safe on other attribute (starts with 10, no raises)
- +17 / +23 - safe on primary attribute (starts with 18 in attribute, max raises)
- +14 / +20 - safe on secondary attribute (starts with 14, 3 raises)
- +11 / +17 - safe on other attribute (starts with 10, no raises)
As the last case of safes shows if you go - and only if you go - the +5 MI route you have a chance to keep a bad safe in line with the DC of a level-appropriate Special Ability. In addition it shows what a deep impact a good stat has and what a raised or not raised stat has. It is pretty drastic.
So in my oppinion several things have to be done:
- Increase the gain of safe bonuses in general
- make the gap due to progression more reasonable
- strongly reduce the impact of attributes on safes to bring classes that cannot afford attribute raises on safe attributes more in line with classes that favor certain safe both by progression and by attribute raise
Attribute Modifiers on Safes
Well I toyed with the idea of lessening the impact of attribute modifiers to safes "just like in the old days". I think that would worsen the situation as it would invalidate a bit too much of the system.
The direct fix will address it well enough.
Resulting Bonus System
All Safes grow at a rate of 1/2 Level. Classes that have safe declared as good safe grant a +2 Class-Save-Bonus (CSB) to that safe and an that bonus increases by +1 for every 5 class levels up to a bonus of +5. Should multiple CSB affect a single Safe only the best of them applies.
If you multiclass into more then 3 classes and at least 2 classes grant a CSB of +3 to a single safe your CSB increases by +1 unless it already reached +5.
Dienstag, 16. Juni 2009
Fahrgrahm - a mad dark God
About Fhahrgrahm
Fahrgrahm, the Angry is the god of Thunder, Revenge and Destruction. He is called the scourge of the free, the troublemaker, and the warmonger. He is considered to have a very moody and malevolent personality. Fahrgrahm seeks enjoyment by driving the Lawful into wars and corrupting the Good ones.
Fahrgrahm is not a god that demands worship, he demands fear.
Priests of Fahrgrahm
Fahrgrahm only accepts those in dispair whose fate was twisted, and whose hopes have been crushed, but are still able to stand on their own feet as his priests and priestress. This makes his priesthood a bunch of crazy fanatics in suits armor.
It seems that he personally selects his priests as there is no central organisation or even a book of his teachings, but whoever managed to meet two of his clergy will speak with surprise how similar they answer questions of faith.
A Priest of Fahrgrahm shows a cruel, selfish personality with desires to toy with others like a cat plays with its prey.
Magic of Fahrgrahm
The magic associated with Clerics of Fahrgrahm is that of Chaos, Death, Destruction and War. In addition Magic related to thunderstorms, cruelty, torture and pain are common tools as well.
Fahrgrahm, the Angry is the god of Thunder, Revenge and Destruction. He is called the scourge of the free, the troublemaker, and the warmonger. He is considered to have a very moody and malevolent personality. Fahrgrahm seeks enjoyment by driving the Lawful into wars and corrupting the Good ones.
Fahrgrahm is not a god that demands worship, he demands fear.
Priests of Fahrgrahm
Fahrgrahm only accepts those in dispair whose fate was twisted, and whose hopes have been crushed, but are still able to stand on their own feet as his priests and priestress. This makes his priesthood a bunch of crazy fanatics in suits armor.
It seems that he personally selects his priests as there is no central organisation or even a book of his teachings, but whoever managed to meet two of his clergy will speak with surprise how similar they answer questions of faith.
A Priest of Fahrgrahm shows a cruel, selfish personality with desires to toy with others like a cat plays with its prey.
Magic of Fahrgrahm
The magic associated with Clerics of Fahrgrahm is that of Chaos, Death, Destruction and War. In addition Magic related to thunderstorms, cruelty, torture and pain are common tools as well.
Samstag, 13. Juni 2009
Museum of Dragon Arts
Well when you don't think about gaming at all, you sometimes have good ideas or meaningful names for sites. I think the Museum of Dragon Arts is something I never stumbled upon before.
I'm not sure what I wan't in it. But it can only be the most precious stuff. And probably it should (not) be stuff stolen from Dragons. Same goes for stuff from slain Dragons. They all would imply that the building would not last very long.
Well, unless there is Magic that protects it, but then you usually put a museum inside a city and then you would have to protect the city again ...
But then - Would it be art if it did not cause a clash ?
So, Welcome to the place every Thief and Dragon want to rob, plunder and/or feast upon.
I'm not sure what I wan't in it. But it can only be the most precious stuff. And probably it should (not) be stuff stolen from Dragons. Same goes for stuff from slain Dragons. They all would imply that the building would not last very long.
Well, unless there is Magic that protects it, but then you usually put a museum inside a city and then you would have to protect the city again ...
But then - Would it be art if it did not cause a clash ?
So, Welcome to the place every Thief and Dragon want to rob, plunder and/or feast upon.
Dienstag, 9. Juni 2009
Adapting SR4 Skills to a Fantasy setting
If we go fantasy utilizing the Shadowrun 4 system, most of what we have to do is cut of what we don't like, but from time to time there are a few details that must be adjusted. Especially Skill Groups are an interesting tweak as they are flavor related. Additionally we have to consider the difference in the typical set of weaponary - Shadowrun books are full of guns, but here we only have old-fashioned stuff. So some skills become skillgroups as their importance goes up.
Price Tags
A Skill Group costs 10 Build Points, an Active Skill costs 4 Build Points, an Knowledge Skill costs 2 Build Points. There are also Skill Specialisations (2 BP for an active skill, 1 BP for a knowledge skill). A Skill Group consists of 3 or 4 active skills.
Skill Groups
Dropped: Bioteck, Cracking, Electronics, Firearms, Mechanics, Tasking
New
Archery (DEX) - Bows (DEX), Crossbows (DEX), Slings (DEX), Thrown Weapons (DEX)*
Melee (DEX) - Blades (DEX), Clubs (DEX), Polearms (DEX)
Martial Arts (DEX) - Monk Weapons (DEX), Unarmed (DEX), Thrown Weapons (DEX)*
Research (INT) - Investigation (INT), Rumours (INT), Streetwise (INT)
Travel (REA) - Boats (REA), Carts (REA), Ride (REA)
Unchanged
Athletics (STR/DEX) - Acrobatics (DEX), Climb (STR), Running (STR), Swimming (STR)
Influence (CHA) - Convincing (CHA), Customs (CHA), Leadership (CHA), Negotiation (CHA)
Nature (INT/WILL) - Navigation (INT), Survival (WILL), Tracking(INT)
Secrecy (INT/DEX) - Disguise (INT), Sleight of Hands (DEX), Infiltration (DEX), Observation (INT)
Sorcery (MAG) - Anit-Magic (MAG), Ritual-Magic (MAG), Spell-Magic (MAG)
Summoning (MAG) - Bannishing (MAG), Binding (MAG), Summoning (MAG)
Skills
The changes to skills themselfs are few. Remember that there are skills that do not have a corresponding skill group. This is sometimes unfortunate, but making groups with 2 skills only does not make sense unless you change the price tags for skill groups depending on the number of skills they have.
Dropped
Kybernetics, Electronic Warfare, Hacking, Matrix Combat, Computer, Data Search, Hardware, Software, Longarms, Pistols, SMG, Vehicle Mechanics, Industrial mechanics, Naval Mechanics, Decompiling, Compiling, Registering
New
Alchemy (LOG) - Well they are part of the fantasy worlds, so we need this here.
Body-Mechanics (LOG) - Replaces Kybernetics (Log)
Siege Weapons (LOG) - Well Catapults may become part of any fantasy game.
Unchanged
Combat: Evasion (REA)
Magical: Asensing (INT)
Medical: First Aid (LOG), Medicine (LOG)
Practical: Ride Exotic Mount (DEX)
Social: Teaching [CHA]
Sports: Diving [CON]
Technic Related: Alchemy (LOG), Craft (INT), Engineering (LOG), Lockpicking (DEX)
Knowledge
These times are practical times, so most practical knowlege goes to Intuition. Only the more scientific knowledge is LOG based such as Astrology, Astronomy, Engineering, Magic:
Languages[INT], Knowledge[INT], Studied Knowledge [LOG]
---
*Thrown Weapons - appears in two separate skill groups. You technically can learn both groups at once and the higher value counts for Thrown Weapons. It is assumed though that a usual character has only one of these two skill groups and therefor this works to support different archetypes.
Price Tags
A Skill Group costs 10 Build Points, an Active Skill costs 4 Build Points, an Knowledge Skill costs 2 Build Points. There are also Skill Specialisations (2 BP for an active skill, 1 BP for a knowledge skill). A Skill Group consists of 3 or 4 active skills.
Skill Groups
Dropped: Bioteck, Cracking, Electronics, Firearms, Mechanics, Tasking
New
Archery (DEX) - Bows (DEX), Crossbows (DEX), Slings (DEX), Thrown Weapons (DEX)*
Melee (DEX) - Blades (DEX), Clubs (DEX), Polearms (DEX)
Martial Arts (DEX) - Monk Weapons (DEX), Unarmed (DEX), Thrown Weapons (DEX)*
Research (INT) - Investigation (INT), Rumours (INT), Streetwise (INT)
Travel (REA) - Boats (REA), Carts (REA), Ride (REA)
Unchanged
Athletics (STR/DEX) - Acrobatics (DEX), Climb (STR), Running (STR), Swimming (STR)
Influence (CHA) - Convincing (CHA), Customs (CHA), Leadership (CHA), Negotiation (CHA)
Nature (INT/WILL) - Navigation (INT), Survival (WILL), Tracking(INT)
Secrecy (INT/DEX) - Disguise (INT), Sleight of Hands (DEX), Infiltration (DEX), Observation (INT)
Sorcery (MAG) - Anit-Magic (MAG), Ritual-Magic (MAG), Spell-Magic (MAG)
Summoning (MAG) - Bannishing (MAG), Binding (MAG), Summoning (MAG)
Skills
The changes to skills themselfs are few. Remember that there are skills that do not have a corresponding skill group. This is sometimes unfortunate, but making groups with 2 skills only does not make sense unless you change the price tags for skill groups depending on the number of skills they have.
Dropped
Kybernetics, Electronic Warfare, Hacking, Matrix Combat, Computer, Data Search, Hardware, Software, Longarms, Pistols, SMG, Vehicle Mechanics, Industrial mechanics, Naval Mechanics, Decompiling, Compiling, Registering
New
Alchemy (LOG) - Well they are part of the fantasy worlds, so we need this here.
Body-Mechanics (LOG) - Replaces Kybernetics (Log)
Siege Weapons (LOG) - Well Catapults may become part of any fantasy game.
Unchanged
Combat: Evasion (REA)
Magical: Asensing (INT)
Medical: First Aid (LOG), Medicine (LOG)
Practical: Ride Exotic Mount (DEX)
Social: Teaching [CHA]
Sports: Diving [CON]
Technic Related: Alchemy (LOG), Craft (INT), Engineering (LOG), Lockpicking (DEX)
Knowledge
These times are practical times, so most practical knowlege goes to Intuition. Only the more scientific knowledge is LOG based such as Astrology, Astronomy, Engineering, Magic:
Languages[INT], Knowledge[INT], Studied Knowledge [LOG]
---
*Thrown Weapons - appears in two separate skill groups. You technically can learn both groups at once and the higher value counts for Thrown Weapons. It is assumed though that a usual character has only one of these two skill groups and therefor this works to support different archetypes.
Sonntag, 7. Juni 2009
Bits of Rules: Bennies & Personality Traits
Bennies
Since a while I'm watching LordStrange / John Wick's Youtube Channel. Especially his comments on instant reward in one of his videos gave me a kick of "I want that in my games". So this is what I'm gonna try for Shadowrun.
I like it if a characters personality has an mechanical impact. Not in a way that it completely controls your character, but in a way that it at least influences the way you're doing stuff.
What I'm not so fond of is if people mistake a collection of neurotic patterns for a character personality just to play a manic psychopath.
The first time I stumbled upon stuff like that was when playing Vampires:The Masquerade, but I must say that the system used there has a lot of drawbacks including "Have strong virtues so that you can go against your humanity rating without taking penalties".
Virtues have to stand for them selfs. You may have strong ones or weak ones. Later I saw a charactersheet for Vampires: The Requiem - they had one Virtue and one Vice for a character and it was centered around the seven sins and corresponding virtues.
It makes sense and suits a game that is intended to play in a pseudo-european world. So it's a good start.
So here are my bits of rules:
Since a while I'm watching LordStrange / John Wick's Youtube Channel. Especially his comments on instant reward in one of his videos gave me a kick of "I want that in my games". So this is what I'm gonna try for Shadowrun.
Whenever you do something that helps/advances/enhances the game you play in above a minimum amount, your Game Master will award you with a Bennie. Bennies can be spend to improve die-rolls a little bit.Shadowun has Karma-Pools/Edge-Pools to do stuff better, it's strong but it's also very expensive, so you only resort to it in dire situations. Bennies are like small brothers - they are weaker, but more common and even return more often then you like/need (well at least if you're a good player).
A Bennie can be spend to increase the value of a single rolled die by one (well if it shows a number below 6). You may spend as many Bennies on a single roll as you like and you can freely distribute them your rolled dice.Personality Traits
If you used a point of edge to get bonus dice to reroll on a 6, you can increase a value to the point that it shows a 6, but you cannot spend points to ensure successes on bonus dice that you bought with bennies.
I like it if a characters personality has an mechanical impact. Not in a way that it completely controls your character, but in a way that it at least influences the way you're doing stuff.
What I'm not so fond of is if people mistake a collection of neurotic patterns for a character personality just to play a manic psychopath.
The first time I stumbled upon stuff like that was when playing Vampires:The Masquerade, but I must say that the system used there has a lot of drawbacks including "Have strong virtues so that you can go against your humanity rating without taking penalties".
Virtues have to stand for them selfs. You may have strong ones or weak ones. Later I saw a charactersheet for Vampires: The Requiem - they had one Virtue and one Vice for a character and it was centered around the seven sins and corresponding virtues.
It makes sense and suits a game that is intended to play in a pseudo-european world. So it's a good start.
So here are my bits of rules:
Every Character picks two freeform traits that define his personality. They shall be drawn from a set of virtues or vice, but not be neurotic or describing a mad person (that's what flaws are for).
In situations where one of these personality traits comes into play you gain an extra die to your dicepool if you act in favor of that trait, but if you want to act against it, you loose a die from your dicepool. If both personality traits affect a single action you may have +2, 0 or -2 dice to your pool size depending on the situation at hands.
Additional personality traits cannot be purchased by any means because these personality traits are not about hunting for bonuses.
Abonnieren
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