Wanderer, basic rules

[robject]

Adapted from http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/starcadets

SCROLL 1: CHARACTERS AND COMBAT

CREATING CHARACTERS: Think of a name, Age (in years), and history. Roll 2D for STR, DEX, END, INT, EDU, SOC. Choose skills with levels from 0 to 8. Total # of skills, and the total # of levels, is no greater than [Age-10]. Buy 20 obol's worth of equipment (1 obol = Cr 10 = 1/6 drachma = 1/18 stater).

ELVES: STR-2, DEX+2.

DWARVES: STR+2, DEX-2, END+2.

SKILL DIFFICULTIES: Easy=1D, Average=2D, Difficult=3D, etc. +1D for hasty, -1D for cautious.

SKILL ROLLS: Roll difficulty < characteristic + skill level to succeed.

SKILLS: Per T5, with adjustments here: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=285782&postcount=1

SKILL IMPROVEMENT: Players are awarded 1 to 3 skill levels after each adventure, to spend on skill levels. A skill must have been used to be improved. New skills must be at level 1 until used.

COMBAT: Each character gets to do something each turn. Ranged attacks are at difficulty = range (2D short, 3D medium, 4D long, and so on...). Close attacks are 2D difficulty. Moving while shooting adds 1D to difficulty. A moving target adds 1D to difficulty.

DAMAGE: Subtract armor defense, apply remainder to character's STR, DEX, END. When all three go to zero the character is dead.

NPCs: UPP=777777 plus all needed stuff and skills at level 2. Expert NPCs are created like characters.



SCROLL 2: WIZARDRY

MAGIC TEST: Magic Points (MP) = 5D - Age when tested. Regeneration speed = 1D. This is the number of points regained per day after being used.

POTIONS: Portable, pre-mixed spells in a small bottle. Cost varies by ingredients and spell power. A spell is essentially a skill-action: the Caster must already know the skill to attempt it. Exception: JOT may attempt a skill that a fellow character knows, at Level minus one, if they can communicate. Once the ingredients are prepared, the caster attempts the target task, and the effects of the task are stored in the potion, to be released when needed. Failed task attempts result in inert potions, but only the caster can tell which of his own potions are successes and which are failures.

ELVES: MP+2.

DWARVES: MP-2, Potions+4.

DEVILRY: <list of heavy weaponry: explosives, Greek fire, and cannon>



SCROLL 3: CITIES AND ADVENTURE

THE WANDERER CITY PROFILE (WCP): Market Quality, Power (number of cities directly ruled), Soil Quality, Waterfront %, Population, Government, Law Level, Tech Level.

BASES: M (Military fortification), N (Naval Port), S (Inter-City Courier Station).

TECHNOLOGY: 0 Flint tools, tribal; 0.2 Simple trade; 0.4 Agriculture & Copper; 0.6 Writing, Money, Ethnos; 1.0 Wheel, Bronze, States; 1.2 Chariots, Early Seagoing; 1.4 Philosophy & Empires; 1.6 Iron, Math, Moveable Axle; 2 Aqueduct & Mills; 2.2 Steel, Longbow; 2.4 VEarly firearms, Algebra, Small Cannon; 2.6 Crossbows, Multimast Sail; Printing Press; 3 Cement, VEarly surgery; 3.4 Age of Sail; 3.6 Hot air balloons, Telegraph.

 

[robject]

SCROLL 4: WARLORD
BUILDING AN EMPIRE:

REVENUE:

RAISING AN ARMY:

BUILDING A FLEET:
A ship starts with a Basic Sail and Hull Strength 4. Choose up to 9 design points for each ship, from Speed+1, Cargo+1, Troops+1, Square Rig+1, Lateen Rig+1, Hull Strength+1, Deep Draft, Lookout, Ram, Spur, Greek Fire, Cabin Space, Weatherly. Then choose Light (Hull Strength-1, Cost 50%), Heavy (Hull Strength+1, Cost 150%), VHeavy (Hull Strength+2, Cost 200%), or XHeavy (Hull Str+3, Cost 300%).


HIRING MERCENARIES:

LAND WARFARE:

SEA WARFARE:

BESEIGING A CITY:



SCROLL 5: NIGHT WATCH
PALADIN:

RANGER:

AGENT:

GUARDIAN:

 

[Timerover51]

DEVILRY: <list of heavy weaponry: explosives, Greek fire, and cannon>

Do you really want explosives and cannon in the same game system with spell casters, especially with spell casting being done "telekinetically"? Your explosives and ammunition caissons are going to have this tendency to vanish in a very loud BOOM when targeted.

In some magic systems, iron cast be used to block magic attacks, but if you also include "magnetic magic", then that can be a problem if you are using iron containers to block attacks on your explosives or ammunition. The magician attacker simply magnetizes the container and keeps you from opening it.

Also, more Extee Three to chew on. The standard way of carrying powder charges for a musket during the 16th and part of the 17th Centuries was in wooden cylinders holding a pre-measured charge in a bandolier across the musketeer's chest. Once a magician starts blowing up those containers, your musketeers are going to be a bit unhappy.

I have yet to figure out a magic system without severe restrictions that allows gunpowder and magic to co-exist. And yes, I know and have a copy of the Warhammer rules.

 

[daltoncalford]

I did a variation of this, with slight rule mods

1.) Starting age for humans 14, halfling 28, elf 58, orc 8, etc.
2.) Cultures

Primitive TL0
Nomadic TL1
Barbarian TL2
Civilized TL3​

2.) Careers

Merchant
Hunter
Farmer
Tradesman
Labourer
Warrior
Noble
Theist
Wizard
Druid​

3.) UPP 7777-7777-777

The Physical Attributes

Size
Strength
Endurance
Dexterity​

The Mental Attributes

Intelligence
Will
Charm
Psi
​

The Social Attributes

Technology Level
Social Class
Education​

Will is roughly equal to a mix of Bravery, Determination and Sanity. Charm has nothing to do with physical appearance. The rest is pretty much self explanitory.

4) Terms are 1d6-1 years in length, 0 Length Terms are 2d6-2 months in length

I have background tables etc for this, mostly based upon the MGT format.

Starting equipment/funds are based upon character generation.

 

[daltoncalford]

Magic in my variation is psi, potions are psi boosters and sometimes triggers for specific psi effects.

Theists are members of groups similar to psi institutes that only teach limited versions of some psi abilities. They are organized, dogmatic and generally more interested in power/wealth than spiritual enlightenment. Theists use naturally occurring materials as psi batteries, but require huge amounts of psi in order to charge them - thus the need for regular rituals and the creation of specific to task magic items.

Wizards are individuals with multiple psi abilities, combining them at times to create new abilities. Wizards are generally hunted by theists but protected by the nobility.

 

[daltoncalford]

I have yet to figure out a magic system without severe restrictions that allows gunpowder and magic to co-exist. And yes, I know and have a copy of the Warhammer rules.

In a non-traveller related fantasy setting, I had the world based upon the collective will of those within it. For example, when casting a spell, it was a battle of wills between those who believed in magic vs those who did not. Enough unbelievers and the spells did not work. Same goes with science - enough superstitious characters and the powder fizzles instead of explodes. When using either science or magic was a contested task based upon everyone around and a random (lets call it flux for lack of a better term) roll to represent the flows of magic or reality in the local area.

This mechanic, allowed for the mixing of magic and science with neither being more powerful than the other due to the uncertainty of either working.

I don't know how you would use that as a traveller mechanic, but, hey, it worked for our games.

 

[atpollard]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that gunpowder in a paper cartridge will burn rather than go boom ... isn't the pressure chamber needed to accelerate the ignition process enough to make them dangerous?

More on topic (I hope), early gunpowder (like serpentine/matchlock era) really is very poor quality ... meaning that a given quantity of powder will produce widely variable muzzle velocity from one shot to the next ... making it almost impossible to aim a shot since you can't accurately depict the drop if you can't predict the velocity. [By the flintlock era, powder had greatly improved.]

Magic can work any way you want it to. However, the historical views on magic were not the 'Wizard can do anything, whenever he wants' type of spellcasting that I enjoyed in D&D. There were serious rules that limited its use and time-consuming preparations needed. I have no real desire to discuss 'black magic' (or any other color ) in detail, but the restrictions on 'too powerful' magic are available if you want/need them.

To address one specific case mentioned above, the mage wants to blow up the powder magazine in the fort ... OK, he needs something physically from the powder magazine to connect his spell to its target (that could mean a thief needs to get a part of one of the kegs, even just a splinter). Then the wizard needs to create a model of the powder magazine and a wax image of the keg (with the splinter molded inside). Now the Wizard can perform his incantation and touch a match to the wax keg ... and only then: BOOM. [so magic is powerful without being all-powerful.]

If this is completely contrary to the direction you want to go with this project ... then ignore everything that I said.

 

[Timerover51]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that gunpowder in a paper cartridge will burn rather than go boom ... isn't the pressure chamber needed to accelerate the ignition process enough to make them dangerous?

More on topic (I hope), early gunpowder (like serpentine/matchlock era) really is very poor quality ... meaning that a given quantity of powder will produce widely variable muzzle velocity from one shot to the next ... making it almost impossible to aim a shot since you can't accurately depict the drop if you can't predict the velocity. [By the flintlock era, powder had greatly improved.]

Magic can work any way you want it to. However, the historical views on magic were not the 'Wizard can do anything, whenever he wants' type of spellcasting that I enjoyed in D&D. There were serious rules that limited its use and time-consuming preparations needed. I have no real desire to discuss 'black magic' (or any other color ) in detail, but the restrictions on 'too powerful' magic are available if you want/need them.

To address one specific case mentioned above, the mage wants to blow up the powder magazine in the fort ... OK, he needs something physically from the powder magazine to connect his spell to its target (that could mean a thief needs to get a part of one of the kegs, even just a splinter). Then the wizard needs to create a model of the powder magazine and a wax image of the keg (with the splinter molded inside). Now the Wizard can perform his incantation and touch a match to the wax keg ... and only then: BOOM. [so magic is powerful without being all-powerful.]

If this is completely contrary to the direction you want to go with this project ... then ignore everything that I said.

You are talking about gunpowder in the 1400s, before corned gunpowder was developed. As for gunpowder in a paper cartridge burning rather than exploding, have you ever heard of firecrackers? As for variable velocity, again, that would hold true to an extent in the early 1400s, but not that greatly. Consider the battering of the walls of Constantinople in 1453, along with the field cannon by the French in the last few years of the Hundred Years War.

At that time, gunpowder was delivered to a battery in barrels, with each powder charge scooped out of the barrel, using a pre-measured scoop, and then loaded into the gun, followed by a wad of some form to ram the powder to the bottom of the gun barrel. There are numerous reports of gunpowder barrels accidently exploding during the course of a siege.

Of course, if someone wants to mix gunpowder and magic, they can. It is their universe, to do with what they wish.

 

[robject]

If this is completely contrary to the direction you want to go with this project ... then ignore everything that I said.

That is my general direction.

 

[robject]

[FONT=arial,helvetica]SCROLL 4: WARLORD
and
SCROLL 5: NIGHT WATCH

...are both listed as hypothetical core books in the apocryphal Wanderer. As core books, they should have foundational material for the game. This stands in contrast with many possible purposes for these two books.

For example, a core book about how to build an empire might not make sense, when the game is plainly about a group of player characters role-playing adventures. A similarity to Trillion Credit Squadron is a valid suggestion, but perhaps there's something more applicable to player groups?

Following the Traveller LBBs, Book 4 would be "Mercenary". Mercenary could apply to a Wanderer setting, but using the title "Warlord" would both widen the scope (warlords may be mercenaries, but also may command loyalist forces), and remove ruleset confusion ("which Mercenary book are you using?" "Wanderer, not Traveller." "Oh, okay."). So, "Warlord" is roughly equivalent to LBB4 Mercenary, and covers personal weapons, armor, mounts, mass combat, and managing your horde.

Book 5, "Night Guard", riffs on the title of High Guard. Yet there is still some similarity between the two themes: a Night Guard is a patrol which keeps watch over the city or countryside at night. They are likely to be armed, perhaps armored, and perhaps mounted. Differentiating it from "Warlord", then, it might be more about defense than offense. Although, I am having trouble with that idea.


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