Setting: Bronze Wanderer

[robject]

What is it? A TL-1, low-fantasy setting, leveraging some of Traveller5's mechanics.

Where is it? The action takes place around the Midlands, land surrounding a network of large inland seas. Climates range from arid to semi-arid to semi-tropical. Islands, peninsulas, and stretches of mainland divide the waters into seas connected by rocky straits.

Who's there? The ruins of past empires are buried everywhere. Civilizations are relatively short-lived, surviving at the whim of climate and shifting alliances, and die fast due to corrupt leaders. Pirates and barbarian gangs capture, extort, and murder on an as-needed basis; they typically can't stand up to navies and true soldiers, who have a technological advantage.

How advanced is the technology? Bronze and Iron-age technology can be quite clever. Heliograph allows long-distance communication between high elevations. The abacus is as good as any four-function calculator. Astronomy can predict eclipses and yield precise calendars. Agriculture can boost yields through hybrids. Animals can move heavy loads. Canals can irrigate deserts and transport small boats or rafts. Scrolls and codices are expensive, but "paper", ink, and quills or reeds are available. Law can sometimes be as advanced as in modern times. Medicine is usually barbaric. Bows are usually unreliable, as are "rockets". Ballista and seige engines exist. The lateen sail exists here.

There is no printing press, and no firearms. An attempt to comparatively date the setting might land us somewhere around AD 1000 in some pockets, or stretch back to 3000 BC in others.

What professions are there? Nobility rules the cities. Some cities might pay top prices for scholars and sailors; a few agents represent wealth and power for others; caravans might appreciate a good merchant; entertainers might be able to scratch out a living on the street. However, mercenaries from any armed force are in demand everywhere. Slaves and peasants are commonplace: about half of all slaves are runaways. Pirates and brigands can make room for a skilled individual who can prove himself.

And anyone could be a sorcerer or an alchemist.

Low Fantasy? This means there is some fantasy mixed in, but not to the level of Tolkien for example. Magic here is focused primarily on potion-making, which has elements of Traveller medicine and psionics. Alchemy is the ability to brew potions. Sorcery is the ability to combine potions, dilute them, and add conditions on them. There are airborne and seaborne riding beasts. Mythological races (including dwarves and elves) are available. Some fantastical features are available to animals.

The Rules. The three-page rules (corresponding to Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3) are attached.

 

[kilemall]

Hmmm occurs to me the 'wizards' could be toying with leftover tech from failed civilizations, or maybe a long night scenario, the ancient words are giving instructions to voice-activated gizmos in an old dialect or even a different species' language, etc.

 

[rancke]

I thought Wanderer was bronze/iron age. Isn't that what Conan's world is?


Hans

 

[atpollard]

What is it? A TL-1, low-magic fantasy setting, leveraging Traveller5 mechanics.

... Bronze and Iron-age technology
... no printing press, and no firearms.
... somewhere around AD 1000.

Point of Inquiry?
For those of us without T5, what defines TL 2 and TL 3 in T5 to differentiate from the TL 1 and TL 4 worlds you have presented?

Printing at TL 2 (Renaissance?)
Flintlocks at TL 3 (Age of Enlightenment?)

 

[robject]

I've started a thread for TL musing.

But: yes, you're correct.

TL 0: Sticks and stones.
TL 1: Bronze and iron swords.
TL 2: Printing, the arquebus (I think), cannon (I suspect).
TL 3: Muskets / flintlocks.
TL 4: WWI and thereabouts.

 

[robject]

I thought Wanderer was bronze/iron age. Isn't that what Conan's world is?

Yeah. But there are several Wanderers, so I'm trying out the descriptive to distinguish them.

 

[robject]

Magic in Wanderer

The Zodiac. There are twelve different "colors" of magic; a character is born into one of them. The "color" indicates a character's predisposition to (but not aptitude in) a particular kind of magic. Ruby, Bronze, Gold, Emerald, Aqua, Sky, Sapphire, Indigo, Black, White, Silver, Pale.

The Law of Names. Knowing the True Name of a thing gives you power over it. If a character discovers the True Name of his sword, he becomes better able to use it.

A character's True Name is built up over time, adding glyph syllables to his name, which makes him less vulnerable to hostile magic, but less open to beneficial magic as well.

Of course suffixes can also be added on or changed over time ("Conan ... the Barbarian").

There are circumstances (black magic, for example) where one's actions might cause one to LOSE part of one's name. It may even be for a noble cause. But it's not done lightly.

The Law of Contact. The sorcerer relies on a talisman of wood, stone, or metal, which serves as a focus for a sorcerer's magic. When a talisman is used as a focus long enough, it gains a prefix to its True Name, based on the efficient magic employed.

The simplest talismans are potions: mixtures of elements which correspond to a particular magical color, whose potential is relatively weak and are used/released after a short period of time.

 

[robject]

Tech Levels in Wanderer. Fractional TLs are used in order to model small but potentially important advances in construction and materials, and also to provide a mapping from our history to Wanderer analogues.

These values were interopolated from ships used at various times, and used with ThingMaker to describe the ships in Traveller terms.

TL 1.0: 3500 BC - Bronze Age
TL 1.1: 2700 BC - Indus Valley Civilization
TL 1.17: 2200 BC
TL 1.2: 2000 BC
TL 1.23: 1800 BC - Hammurabi
TL 1.26: 1600 BC - Thera eruption
TL 1.27: 1500 BC
TL 1.29: 1400 BC

TL 1.3: 1300 BC - Iron Age
TL 1.31: 1200 BC - Fall of Troy
TL 1.34: 1000 BC - House of David
TL 1.37: 800 BC - Homer
TL 1.4: 600 BC - Buddha
TL 1.47: 200 BC
TL 1.5: AD 1
TL 1.53: AD 200
TL 1.57: AD 400

TL 1.6: AD 600 - Medieval
TL 1.67: AD 800 - Charlemagne
TL 1.7: AD 900 - Denmark unites
TL 1.73: AD 1000 - Gunpowder recipe published
TL 1.8: AD 1200 - Aquinas
TL 1.85: AD 1300 - Black Plague
TL 1.9: AD 1400 - Linear Perspective invented

TL 2.0: AD 1500 - Age of Sail, printing press, Luther

 

[robject]

Shipbuilding with ThingMaker. These values are typically used:

Density is wood (0.6).
Construction is "Light" Frame = TL x TL / 200.
Volume, in kiloliters, is L x W x H.
Mass is Liters x Density x Construction.
Protections are 1 point per kg mass.
Cost is 1 shekel per kg mass.
Load is in tons. Each ton holds 10 Lanthoi, a made-up large earthenware jar used for transport, similar to but larger than the real-life Pithioi.
Rowers require 1/4 ton volume each; sailors 1/2 ton. Rowers must camp on land each night, and can move the ship for eight hours.
W x H is the ship's Profile.
Speed is TL + L/(WxH), as a first guess.

 

[robject]

Shipbuilding with ACS

(1) Select the ship type:

Vessel   TL Range   Profile Description
-------- ---------- ------- -----------------------------
Barge    1.0 only     30    Poled or rowed river platform
Longship 1.0-1.75      7    Rowed personnel carrier
Galley   1.0-2.0      16    General purpose rowed ship
Dhow     1.25-1.75    10    General purpose sailing ship
Baghlah  1.75-2.0     14    Deep-sea sailing ship
Cog      1.75-2.0     20    Sailing trader
Caravel  2.0+         12    Sailing explorer

(2) Select a hull length in meters. Multiply by 100 to get the hull "size" in ACS. For example, a 24 meter long ship is Size Z (2400) in ACS. Ships may have to double the size codes: for example, a 40 meter Galley would be a "V2" hull in ACS.

(3) Multiply Length by the Body Profile to get the actual hull "volume". Volume is measured in fictitious units called "Lanthoi", which are something like pithoi, only larger.

Examples:
* a 14 meter Longship has (14 x 7) 98 Lanthoi.
* a 30 meter Dhow has (30 x 10) 300 Lanthoi.

(3a) Body Profile is used during combat as Bulk: larger profiles are less agile.

(3b) Seaworthiness. Longships, Cogs, Baghlah, and Caravels are considered Seaworthy.

(4) Select the proper drive for the ship's required speed (1-9).

Rowed Ships. To determine the number of rowers needed, use the Maneuver Drive, where "tonnage" here is really the number of rowers. Each rower requires 3 Lanthoi of space.

For example, a 24m Longboat ("Z" hull) is built to move at Speed 2, so (cross-referencing the Z hull for potential 2 = Z drive, and indexing the Z Maneuver Drive) requires 47 rowers. The Longboat's Profile is 7, so the ship's volume is 24 x 7 = 168 Lanthoi. 47 rowers take up 141 Lanthoi, leaving 27 Lanthoi for supplies.

Sailed Ships. To determine the number of sailors needed, use the Jump Drive, and divide the "tonnage" by 10. Each sailor requires 5 Lanthoi of space.

For example, a Cog K (10m) is built to move at Speed 1: Hull K with Potential 1 is an "E" drive, and an "E" jump drive displaces 30 tons. Dividing that by 10 results in 3, so the Cog K requires 3 sailors. The Cog's Profile is 20, so its volume is 10 x 20 = 200 Lanthoi. 3 sailors take up 15 Lanthoi total, leaving 185 Lanthoi for cargo space.

Speed. Ship speed is not in knots; it probably follows a formula like: Benchmark = [ Speed / 3 ]. So it is possible but unlikely to have a ship that moves at Benchmark = 3. This may need tuning.

Stage Effects. The number of rowers and sailors required is modified by the Stage of the craft:

  TL    Stage     Effect
----  -------   ------
1.0   Early     x1.1
1.25  Std       n/c
1.37  Std+      x0.95
1.5   Improved  x0.9
1.62  Improved+ x0.85
1.75  Advanced  x0.8
2.0   Ultimate  x0.7

(5) Fittings

(needs work)

Lookout, Platform, Castle, Decking, Cabins, Bunks, Barracks, Lift (for animals in cargo), Rostrum/Spur, Ram, Greek Fire, Ballista, Catapult, Cannon

Hired Rowers and Sailors.

 

[nobby-w]

Hmmm occurs to me the 'wizards' could be toying with leftover tech from failed civilizations, or maybe a long night scenario, the ancient words are giving instructions to voice-activated gizmos in an old dialect or even a different species' language, etc.

If you go down that path (which might or might not be relevant to OP's campaign setting), Wolfe's The Book Of The New Sun might be a good source for ideas.

 

[robject]

I've updated the OP with a slightly different angle for magic, plus a micro-rules page for creating characters, tasks and combat, magic, animals, and a shopping list.

 

[robject]

I've updated the OP with my current set of "one page rules". What this means is I have three one-page rules: Page 1 corresponds to Book 1 (Characters and Combat), Page 2 corresponds to Book2 (Ships), and Page 3 corresponds to Book 3 (Cities and Adventures, although it still has stuff that need to be done).

The rules are compatible with Mercator 2, so for example the shipbuilding system in Page 2 generates ships approximately usable in Mercator, and the ship combat rules in Mercator therefore work with Page 2. Prices are also aligned close enough so that equipment and costs are inter-useful.

In some cases these rules supplement Mercator: ship design, a rating system for port markets, the quick creation system for animals including steeds, but also the addition of Low Fantasy elements: Alchemy, Sorcery, air and water steeds, fantastic beasts, and a simplistic rule for having magic weapons and armor. On purpose these rules are simple.

In other cases the rules present very truncated systems that can be happily ignored in favor of Mercator (or Book 1 for that matter).

 

[robject]

State of the Rules

At this point, I can create a character (of a mythical race if desired) with a background and a previous career, equip him with items mundane and magical, get him aboard a ship, and battle people and beasts. He can visit various city marketplaces; he could go to an Agora and buy a flying steed. Using Mercator 2, he can also do some trading.

The rules lack some crucial bits: finding reagents for potions; interactions and patron encounters; places to visit in a city. Those items will help round out Page 3.

Reagents

For example, reagents might be classified by their potential, and some will be available in different Markets, but some will only be found in a particular wilderness. I can leave some of that to the referee, but gathering reagents should be a motivation for adventure. (Similarly, finding fantastic beasts should be a motivation for adventure).

Spitballing here... assume some example "verbal" reagents [lift, lower, defer, restore, shine] and sympathetic reagents [Str, Dex, End, Int, Body], then combinations could yield 5x5 = 25 potions of varying usefulness. I could replace the current potions list with this compact system, provide a couple of very common example potions, and let the ref and players devise their own list.


Ship Design Thoughts

My "ship design" rules attempt to show very high-level differences between things like sails and rigging, draft, keel... things that affect how vulnerable a ship is to various types of sailing conditions (conditions which I also must put into the rules in an efficient way). For example, I think that ships face one daily Event based on Environment, which may become a Mishap if the ship lacks a particular sail plan or rigging (In Irons), or a small draft (Swamping), or a shallow keel (Leeward Drift), or a deep keel (Sand Bar or, worse, a Reef), and so on. (I should make sure Leeboards are accounted for). Features can avoid some mishaps and invite others. Your ship's design minimizes mishaps based on the ship's intended environment.

Also differences in the ship's range before needing to put to shore (or port), cargo, troop, and passenger capacity, and combat features. I am still working over those differences and deciding how to use them.

I treat it as a set of trade-off choices. You balance a limited number of choices against a wider set of available features. So the features are just assumed to be balanced against each other, instead of adding volume calculations. The intent is to allow some variation with less complexity. SIZE is then dealt with by scaling the design up or down -- again, a simplistic but useful abstraction.

There are still problems in the system, but I'm working on it.

 

[robject]

Fun With Potions

So supposing I listed ten known reagents and their effects.

Active Reagents

Groat Tonsils. Effect = Lifts Characteristics, levitates Object.
Kian Beak. Effect = Lowers Characteristics, pushes Object.
Chimera Scale. Effect = Defers change; Induces hibernation.
Lanthanum Dust. Effect = Restorative.
Zuchai Crystal. Effect = Energy bolt; Illuminates Object.

Sympathetic Reagents

Were-Vargr Fur. Strength; as Energy, an attack.
Cave Pouncer Silk. Dexterity; as Energy, a dodge.
Tree Kraken Ink. Endurance; as Energy, a defense.
Symmonds Tree Extract. Intelligence; as Energy, a stun attack.
Arcani Spore. A whole Object or Body.


[FONT=arial,helvetica]To create a Potion, mix one Active reagent with one Sympathetic reagent, get something that affects something.

Groat Tonsils + Were-Vargr Fur = +1D to Strength.
Kian Beak + Were-Vargr Fur = -1D to Strength.
Chimera Scale + Kian Beak + Were-Vargr Fur = -1D to Strength 1 day hence.
Lanthanum Dust + Were-Vargr Fur = Restores Strength.
Zuchai Crystal + Were-Vargr Fur = Attack (ignores armor).


[/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica][/FONT]

 

[kilemall]

If it's Traveller, isn't mixing potions risking synergy?

 

[Condottiere]

Generally, mixing magic potions tends to be risky, possibly fatal, if imbibed simultaneously.

 

[Ulsyus]

I thought Wanderer was bronze/iron age. Isn't that what Conan's world is? Hans

I'd have to check for a definitive citation but Conan setting would be Iron Age rather than Bronze at least with regards to metallurgy. There was also, if memory serves, a fair tradition of scholarship, at least with regards to magic & gods, though that doesn't necessarily push it up the tech ladder.

Generally, mixing magic potions tends to be risky, possibly fatal, if imbibed simultaneously.

Yeah. I've seen that done in the modern world (not quite potions but with people attempting enhancements nonetheless) to sad effect.

I'd always imagined that just using psionics, flavored with chanting & rituals, as an easy way of covering magic using the TWhichever mechanics