Topic: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Started by: abzu
Started on: 1/13/2005
Board: Burning Wheel
On 1/13/2005 at 5:50am, abzu wrote:
Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Sorry this forum has been so dead, but I've been busy trying to get you guys some game to play!
I've posted a pdf of the revised Orc chapter from the new character burner. You can download it here.
Let me know what you think.
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 7:02am, bcook1971 wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Wow. It looks like you've been busy. Hatred comes out more fully. Will you do the same with dwarven Greed?
(I'm ramping up my group's campaign. They want the fantasy races, so I've had to read those chapters. Yee gods, they're fascinated by elves!)
It looks like you're maintaining your standard of great art and crisp layout. The lifepath notes fit much better as a footer. If the rest of the book looks this good, I may just have to buy this "revised" edition:)
On 1/13/2005 at 8:25am, rafial wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
*snif* It's so beautiful *snif*
On 1/13/2005 at 4:16pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Hi Bill,
So, I'll tell you a secret... the reason why I chose to release Orcs first, as the teaser, is because they are the least of it!
Dwarven Greed and their Oaths and Grudges are better.
Elven Grief has been streamlined, and their songs reinforced and amplified. The Song of Farsight (now the Strain of Farsight) lets you see moments into the future....
And the Lifepaths of Man are just voluminous. Wait until you see the new Outcast section! Even better, Men have their own self-contained chapter like the other character stocks. So they have their own "special rules," skills and traits just like the Orcs, Elves and Dwarves.
I'm going to try to release a preview of the Duel of Wits next week, so you can see what the new Burning Wheel will be like.
This "revision" is more like a "this is what i REALLY meant". It's more Burning Wheel than Burning Wheel.
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 4:26pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Luke, you are trying to write an RPG bible size aren't you? I'm going to be able to actually harm people with the revised edition? Instead of using them like throwing stars (like my current copies) I will have to use it like a club?
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 4:38pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: Luke, you are trying to write an RPG bible size aren't you? I'm going to be able to actually harm people with the revised edition? Instead of using them like throwing stars (like my current copies) I will have to use it like a club?
Keith
I don't know what you're talking about! After the Orcs there's only 89 pages of trait and skill descriptions and an index or two...
What?!
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 5:34pm, rafial wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
BW - Power 2, Add 2, VA 0, Fast
BW Revised - Power 3, Add 2, VA 1, Slow (must use both hands)
On 1/13/2005 at 5:36pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Monbu Pow 2, Add 2, VA 1, Slow. Special Rule: Spirit Weapon, changes the way a player sees his game -- now everything's got scales.
On 1/13/2005 at 6:39pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Am I going to have to get a new weapon skill to use it or does it fall under Hammer like the mace does...
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 6:45pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: Am I going to have to get a new weapon skill to use it or does it fall under Hammer like the mace does...
Keith
Ohhh, that's low. Dirty fightin', eh?
Well, you'll be happy to know that I combined all hand to hand weapon skills into one skill: Melee Weapons. All bows and stuff fall into Missile Weapons.
And I added these really cool mechanics for building settings and campaigns surrounding shadowy medieval organizations trying to take over the world.
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 7:42pm, Thor Olavsrud wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
So is the MonBu Short or Shortest?
P.S. Check out the Revised Weapons Appendix!
On 1/13/2005 at 7:47pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Dirty pool old man! Dirty Pool! I like it!
I do dig it though. I can't wait to see the fix to the whole Mace/Hammer fiasco. That is just embaresssing.
You know what you should add to the revisions, is a group cell creation process too. That would totally make the game rock...
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 8:10pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: You know what you should add to the revisions, is a group cell creation process too. That would totally make the game rock...
Oh, you mean the Cirlces rules which allow you to develop friends, associates and contacts on the fly via an ability test in game. No problem, they're in there.
Or the completely fleshed out Affiliations and Reputations rules describe actual die mechanics for using a Cabal's influence in the game? In there.
Any other requests?
Eight ball, corner pocket? No problem.
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 8:19pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
If you are taking request a Grilled Cheese on Rye, just a little burnt and a pickle (polacks like pickles).
Oh and how about rules to deal with evil sanity draining demons. I know you have the demons, but where is the awe?
And I would also like more options beyond those already there for hesitation.
So could you get on that already? Huh?
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 8:25pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: If you are taking request a Grilled Cheese on Rye, just a little burnt and a pickle (polacks like pickles).
Oh and how about rules to deal with evil sanity draining demons. I know you have the demons, but where is the awe?
And I would also like more options beyond those already there for hesitation.
So could you get on that already? Huh?
Keith
I think the Steel rules embedded in the core mechanics cover said awe. I'm not a fan of sanity drain, though. So no coleslaw with your sammich.
Well, let's see. We've got tons of traits that give you special hesitation options. And we updated/added to the existing descriptions allowing a little more flexibility.
Demons have Aura of Fear already. But you could upgrade it to Horrific Aura, if you wanted. But that's in the Monster Burner.
::serves Keith sandwich neatly cut in two with sour dill on the side::
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 8:29pm, Thor Olavsrud wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: Oh and how about rules to deal with evil sanity draining demons. I know you have the demons, but where is the awe?
They have the Lawbreaker Trait (so do seraphs, actually!): When a Daemon is near, all manner of weird phenomena transpire -- birds sing backward, clocks cease to tick, windows crack in strange patterns, water fails to boil, strange smells rise from nowhere, noises and knocks are hear in the dark, and so on. The effects extend 10X Presence for Gray shade Will (50 paces for a Daemon!) Oh, they also get Aura of Fear.
On 1/13/2005 at 8:36pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Thor Olavsrud wrote: They have the Lawbreaker Trait (so do seraphs, actually!): When a Daemon is near, all manner of weird phenomena transpire -- birds sing backward, clocks cease to tick, windows crack in strange patterns, water fails to boil, strange smells rise from nowhere, noises and knocks are hear in the dark, and so on. The effects extend 10X Presence for Gray shade Will (50 paces for a Daemon!) Oh, they also get Aura of Fear.
No helping Thor. I was fencing Luke and now you step in and hamstring my ass.
abzu wrote: I think the Steel rules embedded in the core mechanics cover said awe. I'm not a fan of sanity drain, though. So no coleslaw with your sammich.
Well, let's see. We've got tons of traits that give you special hesitation options. And we updated/added to the existing descriptions allowing a little more flexibility.
Demons have Aura of Fear already. But you could upgrade it to Horrific Aura, if you wanted. But that's in the Monster Burner.
::serves Keith sandwich neatly cut in two with sour dill on the side::
-L
But seriously, we ran into this last game session. We encountered a demon and felt some sort of awe/hesitation rule needs to be added when everyone starts talking backwards and it snows up from the ground.
Thank you for the sandwich.
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 8:42pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote:
But seriously, we ran into this last game session. We encountered a demon and felt some sort of awe/hesitation rule needs to be added when everyone starts talking backwards and it snows up from the ground.
Thank you for the sandwich.
Keith
Did you all pass your Steel tests? With its Aura of Fear, there shoulda been some dice rollin...
Damn it, where's my actual play for this?!
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 8:46pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Well this stuff started happening before we actually saw the bastard (the snowing backwards) and we as players paused and did the "What the fuck is this nonsense?" but there seems to be no mechanic (that I am aware of at least) to prompt a Steel test when shit gets weird. Correct me if I am wrong please.
The Actual Play will go up on the Burning Midnight thread over at BWHQ once I get off my lazy ass and write up my part...
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 8:49pm, Thor Olavsrud wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
er...I was demonstrating the use of Helping Dice. Yeah...that's the ticket.
But yeah, that's Aura of Fear. Anything that comes within 10 paces of that thing has to make a Steel test.
If you fail and want your character to go crazy as a result, start playing up the insanity. When the time for the trait vote comes, I'm sure your fellow players will be happy to vote in Batshit, or Crazy as a Loon, or Distaste for Fruit, or whatever.
On 1/13/2005 at 8:49pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: Well this stuff started happening before we actually saw the bastard (the snowing backwards) and we as players paused and did the "What the fuck is this nonsense?" but there seems to be no mechanic (that I am aware of at least) to prompt a Steel test when shit gets weird. Correct me if I am wrong please.
nope, you're correct. Lawbreaker is just color, and it seems it had its intended effect.
You don't take the Steel test until you are within 10 paces of the sucker.
-L
On 1/13/2005 at 9:01pm, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Helping dice my ass Thor. Don't worry, you'll get yours. You'll rue the day you answered my question and pointed out I was wrong. Oh yes! Rue! Rue!
Not to be a pain in the... well actually to be a pain in the ass I have to point out that ten paces is dumb. If I see the fucking snow going back into the sky and everything coming out of my mouth comes out backwards, I should just shrug my shoulders and not freak out until I am 10 paces from that asshole. I think Lawbreaker, which fucks everything up, should have an in game effect. I mean we roleplayed some hesitation, but there is a big difference between that and standing and drooling as the bastards undead horde comes running out the building...
Just trying very hard to be right...
Keith
On 1/13/2005 at 9:36pm, Thor Olavsrud wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: Not to be a pain in the... well actually to be a pain in the ass I have to point out that ten paces is dumb. If I see the fucking snow going back into the sky and everything coming out of my mouth comes out backwards, I should just shrug my shoulders and not freak out until I am 10 paces from that asshole. I think Lawbreaker, which fucks everything up, should have an in game effect. I mean we roleplayed some hesitation, but there is a big difference between that and standing and drooling as the bastards undead horde comes running out the building...
Fair enough. Give them a special Daemonic Aura of Fear instead (you can burn it up with your MonBu!) which extendes 10X Presence to 50 paces, same as Lawbreaker!
On 1/13/2005 at 10:42pm, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
Bob Goat wrote: Not to be a pain in the... well actually to be a pain in the ass I have to point out that ten paces is dumb. If I see the fucking snow going back into the sky and everything coming out of my mouth comes out backwards, I should just shrug my shoulders and not freak out until I am 10 paces from that asshole.
Well, I'm not going to argue with you about what a demon does or doesn't do. But as I said above, it seems the trait combo worked.
Initially, the color causes the players to hesitate, then at the moment of truth, the trait causes the characters to hesitate.
sounds good to me, but your mileage may vary. Perhaps next time you'd prefer to face a Greater Dæmon? No problem, I'll tell Wuxing. Don't get up.
;)
-L
On 1/14/2005 at 2:15am, Bob Goat wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
abzu wrote: sounds good to me, but your mileage may vary. Perhaps next time you'd prefer to face a Greater Dæmon? No problem, I'll tell Wuxing. Don't get up.
;)
-L
Yeah, cause that's a good idea. I mean we so handed him his ass... ;)
Keith
On 1/14/2005 at 4:25am, abzu wrote:
RE: Busy as a One-Legged Orc in an Elf-Kicking Contest
I was just reading through the Monster Burner and I happened to notice the Great Spider lifepath trait, Mad. Instead of the usual Steel reactions, you rave and rant for your hesitation.
If you wanted to buy that for your characters, it'd be a 2 pt trait. (it just futzes with the existing mechanic, but doesn't change too much).
anyway...
-L
On 1/15/2005 at 2:14am, slowdin wrote:
bob goat
ha!! bob goat is funny.