Subject: The RQ Digest, Volume 2, Number 5
This issue:
Re: everybody trying to pick the lock (Andrew Bell)
Spell Crit/Fumble rolls (Steven A. Schrader)
Source for Cults of Terror (Andrew Bell)
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Ed's note: my new address *will be* bell@cs.unc.edu . I should have this
(acb@cs.duke.edu) account for a while, so mail here should get to me with
no problems. At the moment, the bell@unc account does not seem to exist,
so send mail here for the time being.
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Subject: Re: everybody trying to pick the lock
From: acb@romeo.cs.duke.edu (Andrew Bell)
One quick way to limit the random person from successfully picking a lock
is to require several successes to pick a lock, and failure sets you back a
step. Thus the 50% lock-picker will take a little longer to pick a lock than
a 90% lp person, and a 5% lp person has basically no hope. For example, with
a multi step lock:
Steps ->| 2 | 3 |
--------+----+----+
S 90 | 81 | 73 |
k 75 | 56 | 42 |
i 50 | 25 | 13 |
l 20 | 4 | 1 |
l 5 | 1/4| ~0 |
With multiple attempts, a character's chances improve, but a fumble should
either jam the lock or mean the character can't pick that lock.
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From: Steven A. Schrader 237 - 8196 SAS102 at PSUVM
Subject: Spell Crit/Fumble rolls
While in one of my early GMIng sessions one of my players rolled a 00
for his spell success roll(He knew Sorcery). He groaned aloud and asked
"Ok, what happens to me know?" After looking at the rules and trying to
find some fumbles for spells and not finding any, I told him, "Well, I
can not find anything, so I guess you just failed." Upon thinking about
the incident, I deceided that I really wanted to have fumbles for
spells. I also figured that if you can screw up so badly that you loose
control then why can you not get more from a spell than what you
expected(in a way screwing up in a positive manner). So I sat down and
thought about it. In order to construct the tables I thought out how
magic works. I did not tell my players how it works--that is for them
to figure out. I then classified the spells into catagories.
A little explanation should go into *MY* concept of magic. I created
something called life force that wound about everything and was in
everything. It is my idea of GUTs. It is similiar to Star Wars' Force
or the Zen concept of Yin-Yang. What magic does is use this life force
in some way. The way that the life force is used is how the spell is put
into a classification. The classifications are as follows:
Soldifying/Weakening Life Force
Using Life Force to cause the changing of identity
Using Life Force as a recepticle
Using Life Force to Stop/Start Reactions
Using Life Force to Affect another's mind
Channeling Life Force from one place to another
Transfer of Information from One Source to Another
Yes, some of these are quite close, but I noted differences. Spells
that used the same type of mechanism(such as light and slow) were
grouped together(Both of these things Stop/Start reactions. Light would
excite molecules, and Slow would act as an opposing force to walking).
Then I wrote the critical Hit/Fumble tables for each of the
classifications. The tables are below:
Soldifying/Weakening Life Force
Armoring Enchantment
Bladesharp
Bludgeon
Countermagic
Damage Boosting
Damage Resistance
Disruption
Dullblade
Ironhand
Protection
Protective Circle
Repair
Speedart
Spell Resistance
Spirit Screen
Fumbles
01 - 20 Force can not leave body. Force(FOR) is equal to POW.
Caster must expend one point of POW for every point
of FOR in his body. Any FOR that is left in the body
at the end of that melee round will cause 1 point of
Damage per point of FOR to a random hit location.
21 - 50 Spell is reversed at half strength
51 - 75 Spell is reversed at full strength
76 - 90 Spell is reversed at double strength
91 - 00 Spell is reversed at Treble strength
Critical Successes
01 - 50 Spell effects are the same
51 - 75 Spell effects are doubled
76 - 90 Spell effects are trebled
91 - 100 Spell causes a backlash of force affecting the attacker
with one point of POW for every point of POW the spell
had. Spirit combat ensues, however, the caster can
not raise his POW by this means
Using Life Force to cause the changing of identity
Create Basilisk
Create Vampire
Form/Set
Phantom Senses
Shapechange Species to Species
Fumble
01 - 20 Same as on the S/W Fumble table
21 - 40 The thing that was trying to be changed is damaged as above
41 - 60 Thing was changed into something else
61 - 80 Effects halved(Thing is only half changed)
81 - 90 Effects quartered(Thing is only 1/4 changed)
91 - 00 Roll a die 8 and multiply by 10. Do that twice and use the
results for the fumble.(Roll twice for two effects)
Critical Success
01 - 30 New form of the creature also has the half of the New MInd
41 - 60 New form of the creature has the new mind, but not the Old
61 - 80 Intensity is doubled
81 - 00 Intensity is trebled
Moving/Slowing something with Life Force
Animate Substance
Binding Enchantment
Fly
Glue
Hinder
Holdfast
Slow
Summon Species
Teleport
Fumble
01 - 25 Move the wrong object
26 - 50 Lose control of the object until another succesful spell
is made(Dir 8 sided die)
51 - 75 Object held for duration
76 - 00 The wrong object moved, but out of control
Critical Success
01 - 70 Effects are doubled
71 - 00 Effects are trebled
Using Life Force as a recepticle
Homing Circle
Magic Point Matrix Enchancement
Spell Matrix Enchancement
Fumble
01 - 20 Recepticle is made, Access is denied
21 - 80 Object has 1 point of damage for every point of POW used
81 - 00 Object "Eats" POW. Acts like spell combat. Objects POW vs
defender's POW. Is resistance fails, then 1 POW is
"Eaten" by the object and added to its total. This
Will continue until the place is sealed with another
succesful spell of this type.
Critical Success
None
Using Life Force to Stop/Start Reactions
Cast Back
Darkwall
Extinguish
Firearrow
Fireblade
Glow
Ignite
Immortality*
Light
Lightwall
Silence
Smother
Fumble
01 - 20 Opposite effects are done
21 - 40 Half oppossite effects
41 - 60 Double Opposite effects
61 - 80 Treble opposite effects
81 - 00 Wrong Vocal Point
Critical Success
01 - 70 Double Strength
71 - 00 Treble Strength
Using Life Force to Affect another's mind
Befuddle
Control Species
Demoralize
Dominate Species
Fanaticism
Shimmer
Stupefacation
Fumble
01 - 20 Wrong Target
21 - 40 Half opposite effects
41 - 60 Double oppostie effects
61 - 80 Treble oppostie effects
81 - 90 Affect yourself
Critical Success
01 - 50 Affects double targets
51 - 80 double effects
81 - 00 Treble effects
Channeling Life Force from one place to another
Coordination
Create Familiar
Diminish Characteristic
Dispel Magic
Drain
Endurance
Enhance
Glamour
Heal
Immortality*
Regenerate
Skin of Life
Strength
Tap
Treat Wounds
Venom
Vigor
Fumble
01 - 20 As S/W roll
21 - 40 As S/W Roll, but in target
41 - 60 Alternate type-Roll on the above table to find spell results
61 - 80 hits wrong target
81 - 90 2 of the 3 types.(S/W rolls are either one or the other)
Critical Success
01 - 75 Double effects
76 - 00 Treble effects
Transfer of Information from One Source to Another
Apprentice Bonding
Detect Magic
Detect Substances
Detect Magic
Farsee
Mindlink
Mystic Vision
Second Sight
Sense Projection
Sense Substance
Telepathy
Visibility
Fumble
01 - 20 Wrong Information given
21 - 40 Wrong Sense used
41 - 60 Nothing returned
61 - 80 Garbage returned
81 - 00 as S/W roll 01-20
Critical Success
01 - 70 more Detailed information given than is usual
71 - 90 Double effects
91 - 00 Treble effects
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Subject: Source for Cults of Terror
From: acb@cs.duke.edu (me again)
Recently I found out about a company that had RQ II products listed in their
1987, so I ordered some stuff from them and was about to put mention of
them in this newsletter. Then I was told that the company was no longer doing
sales. Well, apparently the rumors of their death have been greatly
exaggerated, although their stock is somewhat limited.
Of the stuff I tried to order:
RQ Companion OS (out of stock, I guess)
Cults of Terror 8.45
Pavis NA
Big Rubble NA
Questworld 12.70
TrollPak NA
(These prices are from the catalog, not from the receipt; they may not be
perfectly accurate.)
They also list Scorpion Hall (8.45) and Snow King's Bride (5.05) in their
catalog. So for you Glorantha fans, Cults of Terror was still be available.
To contact them, try:
Mountain Mage
7871 South Monaco Court
Englewood, CO 80112
(303)-770-9525
The rest of their prices are generally 15% off retail. They do charge shipping
($2.50 up to $20, $3.50 up to $40).
I have no relationship to the company except as a satisfied customer.
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