Beginning the adventure
Right now, all the characters just pick any equipment they want as long as they don't start encumbered AND its common use items (any weapons, any food, armor, utensils, etc. No smoke bombs or potions obv). I don't want to make a new character go through a shopping session in their first day. Not only that: they all start without money, they are assumed to have spent every single coin in their current gear.
However, I'm on the process to make a random equipment table (will edit when I do). The reasons?
- Its even faster than choosing equipment.
- I don't want the players to take decisions before the game starts. Much more if its their first session and they dont know the world yet.
- You can still pick an specific item via your profession's item (see previous entry on that)
- I want sub-par results. I want warriors without armor or weapons; I want kobolds without food. This gives level 1 characters an immediate pursuit (find their missing item) before the dungeon is even presented. Finding appropiate gear is emergent gameplay that is very suited to level 1 peoples.
If the players are seasoned, its OK to start in a base town; if they are noobs, I'd rather spare that and put them on the entrance of a dungeon, and conveniently remember them that there is a nearby base town only once they have crossed the entrance: then spend the first session showing them the basics of exploration, combat, game workings, etc.
Whenever they march through a door or corridor, ask who goes first. Then ask who carries the torch or torches, as many times you feel like. This simple questions set the mood very quickly
There will come a time in season 3 or 4 where they have some money and make big spend (supplies, retainers, etc) but they will make it with better wisdom once they know the water they thread.
MOVEMENT (in dungeon/combat):
When speed is a factor, characters roll their Movement die; which is:
1d6 for normal characters
1d6 take worst for encumbered characters, or monsters with speed of 30' per round or lower
1d6 take best for characters that are somehow faster, or monsters significativelly faster than 40' per round.
On a pursuit, both sides involved make a contested roll (separatelly or as a team, depending on whatever I feel). On a tie, the relative distance is kept. After one round of fruitless pursuit, a flying prey is in the air, a fast animal such as a horse has galloped away, and a fleeing man can reach an alleyway or climb a nearby horse.
If you want to do a physical thing that might take one turn or many (such as climbing a tree), roll movement: on a 5+ you achieve it in this very turn.
MOVEMENT (overland)
Normally, 1 hex is 1 day of travel. I imagine hexes being around 12 mile long, but is a guidance. The distance is actually solipsistic. Some hexes like crossing a swamp or a mountain might take 2 days to cross, but haven't done that yet. The fact that is easier to get lost on them might actually emulate that without need of doubling the time.
There is an 1d6 roll every travel day:
On a 6, if there is some obscure thing at the hex, they casually find it.
On a 1, there is a random encounter.
On a 2, there is a random encounter if there is a nearby (adjacent hex) dungeon, city or lair; and the encounter is representative of it.
On a 3, I make a secret roll for weather change, applicable on the next travel turn.
Scouting an hex to find something on it takes a roll, normally:
3+ on grasslands
4+ on a forest
5+ on a mountain
Getting a roll of 1 or scouting twice automatically ends the day.
When you are travelling without a path or river to follow, you must make an scouting roll or you get lost: This means you end up in a different hex than the one intended, even maybe gettng stuck in the current one for this turn (roll 1d6 to find out). I always tell the players where they are now in the map after that.
During the night, there is a second encounter roll. Not all encounters, of course, are automatically violent. After PCs have rested for the night, they recover all mana die, and 1d6 HD
Light: I suck at tracking torches. Or turns, for that matter. I just never do it. About infravision, none of the PC races have it for now.
Doors: On a case of stuck doors, roll (1+your STR mod) d6; each 6 opens the door this turn.
Secret Doors, or anything strange is automatically found if the right things are examined, same for traps and listening at doors. I intend to avoid search rolls inside dungeons, want to keep it an overland thing where scenario is more ample and abstract to be thoroughly described. I challenge myself to describe dungeon rooms enough so they can be searched analogically.
Traps: There is an specific saving throw VS traps, spells and breath weapons. Traps can have many effects, as usual.
Retainers: NPCs can join the party, but that interactions are roleplayed. Normally, hirelings require money or a promise of money. NPCs that participate in the adventure activelly receive a share of XP. Proper retainers, as in faithful servants, are dependant on charisma: for each +1 you have a slot that can be used for a blessing or retainer. A "retainer" can be anything that you can befriend during the game (below, you can see my current party with a white ape following its owner, a kobold called Pomelo). Dogs and other domestic animals will follow their masters regardless of charisma, but animal retainers will always understand simple orders, as if you could talk with them.
A retainer that is asked to do something dangerous will check morale, modified by their leader's charisma.
Retainers can be static NPCs that don't travel with the party, such as a princess or a hermit. This kind of alliance doesn't provide direct help and may not be very significative, but depending on the nature of the bond, it can give you a magical blessing (will write some at some point and edit here, a bonus to saving throws is always a good choice), plus knowing that said NPC will never betray you offscreen.
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