Ragnarok: a fan-supplement

[Shreyas Sampat]

So, someone on RPG.net mentioned how cool a Norse-styled adaptation to Agon would be, and I was like, yeah it would!

So I'm going to use this thread for mainly mechanical questions.

To start, Weapons:

I think that in Ragnarok, the weapons available are (unnamed, represents attacking unarmed, range 0), broad axe (range 1), great sword (range 1-2?), throwing spear (javelin range), and longbow (archery range), plus shield. I'm not really very confident about those choices; 'throwing spear' might become 'throwing axe'.

So, I'm curious about other peoples' experiences with implementing new weaponry in Agon; has anyone done it? I have some ideas about how to stat up the broad axe and great sword so that they differ from the Greek sword and spear, but I'm not sure that they are good ideas. Plus, I'm concerned about a range 0 weapon.

(Probably going to crosspost this at rpgnet.)

[Hugin]

So, someone on RPG.net mentioned how cool a Norse-styled adaptation to Agon would be, and I was like, yeah it would!

So I'm going to use this thread for mainly mechanical questions.

To start, Weapons:

I think that in Ragnarok, the weapons available are (unnamed, represents attacking unarmed, range 0), broad axe (range 1), great sword (range 1-2?), throwing spear (javelin range), and longbow (archery range), plus shield. I'm not really very confident about those choices; 'throwing spear' might become 'throwing axe'.

So, I'm curious about other peoples' experiences with implementing new weaponry in Agon; has anyone done it? I have some ideas about how to stat up the broad axe and great sword so that they differ from the Greek sword and spear, but I'm not sure that they are good ideas. Plus, I'm concerned about a range 0 weapon.

(Probably going to crosspost this at rpgnet.)

Interesting idea.Off the top of my head I'd say...

omit Greatsword (not in my view a very viking weapon),
have Sword stay the same,
add Broad Axe as an attack only weapon but maybe with a bonus vs shields,
add Great Axe as 2-handed, similar to Spears but again maybe having a bonus versus shields,
keep Javelins as is,
add Throwing Axes,
add Daggers at range 0,
add Unarmed at range 0 and with no weapon dice to roll - just name+skill
add Leather hauberk (instead of breastplate) for -1 to melee attack rolls,
add Chain byrnie for -1 to melee attack rolls and -1 to position rolls (lose Greaves),
add Boasting as a Craft Ability with the options for gaining extra Glory with contest successes,
err... that's it for now.

I'm seeing 13th Warrior done with Agon. Great idea.

Cheers

Dave

[Shreyas Sampat]

Dude, let's not get carried away... The reason I'm replacing weapons is that I want to retain the slick cleanliness of Agon's fight mechanics. Adding a chaotic jumble of new weapons with very complex mechanics isn't really in my plans; I'm rejiggering dice shapes and range bands, but that's it basically. Skills will come later.

The relationships I see are...

The javelin is shorter-range, but broader-range, than a bow; it has dual wield and shield. It has a smaller die.
The spear gets a die size upgrade and longer range, gives up dual-wield, compared to sword.
The shield is a mystery; it cannot occupy the attacking hand.

So, I guess no one's done anything like this yet? I guess I'll have to reverse-engineer myself...

Does it work to assume that any 'feature' is identical to any other? Let's try... Take a range band off the javelin, push its dice size up, push its range out one band, take off dual wield, that gives us a one-handed bow. Maybe we have to push each range band out individually, that works.

Hm, that exchange doesn't work for the spear and sword*, but if you don't have to shift range bands individually, and dual wield is worth two other features, both transformations work. What about sword and javelin? Hm, remove two range bands, add a d4, pull range in 1 step, upgrade the d4 to a d6, and give it the two-fisted dice feature that sword and spear share, for half a die size (the +1), and we have sword.

*:What does work is, from the spear, drop a dice size and pull back a range band, add dual-wield to get sword.

Sweet. (I still don't know how the shield fits into this relationship, but it doesn't have to.)

So, I'm thinking....

The broad axe is identical to sword, but it has d8/d4.
The great sword is as a sword, but covers bands 1-2 and can't be dual-wielded. (Hm, there is some odd behavior with the range bands here...)
Javelin and longbow can match their Greek relatives.
Brawling??? is like a sword, but range 0, and doesn't have shield access, and d8/d8.

[John Harper]

Shreyas, as always, I think your reasoning is sound.

d8/d8 for Brawling seemed high at first, but for rough-and-tumble Vikings maybe it's just right. After all, you want Beowulf pulling arms off.

[1000buffalo]

So, someone on RPG.net mentioned how cool a Norse-styled adaptation to Agon would be, and I was like, yeah it would!

That was no someone. That was me. ;)

I was actually about to ask if anyone had done something to the effect.

[Nev the Deranged]

Hm.

I'd probably keep the weapons the same. After all, the Norse used all the same stuff, swords, spears, javelins, bows, and shields.

I'd also probably let players use their Wrestle die at range 0 in both Norse and Greek versions.

And I'd let them throw their spears once at Jav range, but then be unable to use them until they spent an action to recover them (in both versions). As it is, the choices of weapon in Agon are almost meaningless, since every hero can carry all of them all the time if they want anyway.

Reidzilla added daggers as a d4/d4, range 0 OR 2 weapons in our one shot.

And I'd like to see some kind of heavy weapons, axe, hammer, maul, whatever, in both versions, too. I like the idea of one huge die, only for attack, with a bonus vs. shields or armor.

Now, I've only played once, and am planning to run it soon, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. But a Norse variant sounds supa-badass. Keep working on it!

D.