War....War Never Changes

One of the articles I'm working on for the first issue of The Jewel Throne is "War...War Never Changes," being a selection of Wasteland and Fallout inspired equipment, with a focus on firearms; a project I'm working on in preparation for running some Gamma World games.

My goals are twofold: as most of the players in our group are familiar with the Fallout series, this provides a certain "resonance" for the gameplay; secondly to provide a wider selection of firearms than that provided in Mutant Future including more lethal varieties. With Gamma World and Mutant Future PCs having significantly more hit points than beginning PCs, as well as the creatures in both games having, on average, more hit points than D&D monsters, I'm interested in gun having more "oomph" to them. With your average beginning Mutant Future Human PC having 47-48 hit points, it's going to take a fair amount of d12 damage assault fire rounds to take him down.

Anyways, here's some early drafts of some of the fictional firearms I'm working on for this article:

22-3 STRIKER
Effective Range: 400'
Maximum Range: 800'
Damage Inflicted: 3d6
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: .223
Capacity: 5 round integral magazine
Experience Point Value: 850
Based on a modified rifle design, the 22-3 Striker is a bolt-action pistol designed for hunting large game. Due to the weight and recoil a Physical Strength of 12 or higher is required to effectively use this weapon.

AK-57
Effective Range: 450'
Maximum Range: 900'
Damage Inflicted: 2d8
Shots per Round: 2
Ammunition Type: 7.62 mm
Capacity: 30 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 1300
The last descendant of the AK-47, featuring an integral folding stock, the AK-57 was manufactured by China but saw distribution throughout the globe. Thousands were smuggled into North America, many by fifth columnists.

M2049A1
Effective Range: 150'
Maximum Range: 300'
Damage Inflicted: 1d12
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: 10 mm
Capacity: 12 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 250
A durable, heavy frame autoloader resistant to harsh conditions, the M2049 was the standard US military sidearm as well as being used extensively by federal agents. A more reliable revolver variant, the M2050, holds 7 rounds in a side-loading cylinder.

M2039-ACR
Effective Range: 600'
Maximum Range: 1200'
Damage Inflicted: 2d8
Shots per Round: 2
Ammunition Type: 5.56 mm
Capacity: 40 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 1500
A descendant of the M16 featuring a gas-vent system and a integral optical sights, the M2039-ACR was the chief weapon of US marines.

VP41
Effective Range: 150'
Maximum Range: 300'
Damage Inflicted: 1d10
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: 9mm
Capacity: 18 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 150
A reliable West German pistol that was popular with survivalists due to it's high ammunition capacity.

 Also, here's a first draft of the first Jewel Throne cover:

Semi-Variable Weapon Damage Houserule

I've always been a variable weapon damage guy...when I first got my Otus Basic Box and I was perusing the rules, when I came to the part about how variable weapon damage is an optional rule, and that you can use 1d6 for all weapons I scoffed, "What a load of horseshit!'

Nowadays, I'm intrigued by the concept. I'm all for simplicity, encouraging flavourful weapon choices, and experimenting with the different systems throughout D&D's history. And, like many have said, a knife can kill you just as dead as a Dwarven Double Great Axe. It's not like D&D's variable weapon damages are based on any rigourous, true scientific realism or anything. Plus, non-variable weapon damage solves some firearm conundrums.

Now, the following is inspired by both the frequent house rule I see among OD&D types that all weapons inflict 1d6 damage, but for a two-handed weapon you roll twice and take the higher roll, and also the weapon notes in the awesome Terminal Space that suggest using a similar method for energy weapons and the like.

Blair's OD&D & B/X D&D Semi-Variable Weapon Damage Houserule
- Weapons inflict 1d6 damage on a hit.
- However, as many have been already doing, roll two dice for two handed weapons and use the higher roll. This may be applicable for heavy crossbows.
- But, when using a dagger/knife, club, sling stone or improvised weapon (chair, rock, broken bottle), roll two dice and take the lower of the two rolls.

And here's a similar system for use with the Carcosa variable damage dice rolls.
- Use the Carcosa dice type table to determine what kind of dice to use for weapon damage on a hit.
- However, when using a two-handed weapon, roll twice on the aforementioned table, and use the higher of the two results.
- And when using a dagger/knife, club, sling stone, or improvised weapon, roll twice, as above, but use the lower of the two rolls.

I'd probably use the above methods in conjunction with the OD&D Greyhawk Weapon Vs. AC Modifiers, just to be idiosyncratic (I love weapon vs. AC modifiers!).

I've been lax with the music lately...here's a great, classic track by a band that you all should be listening to instead of The Sword... ;)

Magic Item - Dagger Of The Akhtholanduvian Karcists

Chalk fondled the sinister dark, curved dagger.

"I wish you'd get rid of that thing already!" Koram harshly whispered as the party crouched behind a fragment of the massive brassteel girders that supported the lilac dome above them.

"Quiet!" whispered Valance, "there's a pack of rubbery things with metal limbs coming out of that hole in the ground."

Koram quickly raised the strange silvery weapon that fired lines of violet energy.

"My mistake, it's just spider venom hallucinations again."

"This whole fucking world is like your fucking spider venom hallucinations!" muttered Chalk as he continued caressing the malicious looking knife.

The signature weapon of the aforementioned Karcists, a shadowy destruction cult of Assassin-Sorcerers from the Flying Mountains of Ylesh who terrorized the regions below tens of thousands of years ago during the Aeon of the Ivory Autarch.

The weapons are single-edged crescent-bladed daggers of dull, dark hepatazon, tarnished a almost black by the millenea. They are +2 to hit and damage, and if the wielder strikes with a natural 20 on the attack roll the target loses one life level to energy drain and the wielder takes 1-4+2 points of damage.

Some Conventional Military Forces and Technologies of Algol Men

Arquebus - A shoulder-fired laser weapon with a heavy wooden stock. The lasing mechanisms are repurposed by specially trained Technocrats from Ancient technology. The ammunition for Arquebuses, known as Sabots, consist of canisters containing compartments of various highly reactive chemicals. These weapons are chemical lasers, using the energy from chemical reactions for lasing, and get one shot out of a single sabot. Arquebuses and similar energy weapons are uncommon, expensive weapons, usually the property of aristocrats. When common troops are equipped with such weapons, they are usually issued by a quartermaster immediately before battle and than locked up afterwards.

Armiger - An fighting man of the aristocratic castes, armigers are defined by their possession of a suit of advanced battle armor, usually of Ancient origin. This armor is usually a hereditary heirloom, although they are sometimes granted along with title by nobility. Such armor that is taken from defeated armigers is often ransomed back it's armiger's house for substantial sums. This armor is usually very elaborate, full-body articulated plate, often decorated in a baroque fashion. Armigers are usually armed with firelances and Ancient or phasic swords, and usually fight mounted on heavily armored destriers such as heavy war lizards. As well as serving as officers, units of armigers are often used as shock troops to break enemy formations and artillery as well as heavy foot in the vanguard when breaching fortification. Mercenary, non-aristocratic armiger-equivalents are called Free-lances.

Babooneers - The handler of a small packs of large, trained, semi-intelligent baboons armed with clubs or light maces.

Dart Pistol - A spring-loaded pistol that holds three flechette-like darts in a revolving cylinder. A long lever mechanism mounted on the top of the barrel is used to open the dart chambers and reset the springs.

Firelance - A combination weapon consisting of a long shaft with a spear like head as well as a plasma emitter barrel, the trigger for which is usually part of a pistol-grip like assembly. Firelances are usually made by Technocrats from repurposed Ancient technology, although there are surviving Ancient firelances as well. Ancient firelances are powered by radiation crystals whereas contemporary versions use chemical sabots similar to those used by arquebeses.

Fusil - A lighter, 'carbine' equivalent of the arquebus.

Jezail - A laser weapon similar to an arquebus, but with an unusually long barrel and a highly curved stock. It is usually fired with the aid of a forked rod used to steady the barrel, but cavalry sometimes fire them while mounted with the stock tucked under the arm and held against the body. Jezails are especially prized by some nomad peoples.

Zorselars - Light skirmishers that ride Zorses (without saddle, stirrups or bridle) but dismount to melee. They are usually clad in quilted or mail coats and fight with scimitars and spears.

"The Immaculate Weeping Amputation" and Artifact Swords

There's always someone talking about making magic items "unique(er)," which is a commendable goal. I'm rereading Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" series and I've been really jazzed on all the hubbub concerning the perfectly-crafted executioner's sword Terminus Est and it's maker. This provides one template you can use to make magic swords "unique(er)":

• Perhaps "magic swords" aren't magic, but just the product of ultra-master swordsmiths of the distant past who used art lost to modern men to forge their blades.
• Perhaps there was only handful of legendary swordsmiths and almost all "magic" swords are the handiwork of one member of this small pool. Those knowledgeable in such matters can recognize the individual craftsmanship of different sword makers.
• "Magic" swords could have some high faulutin' name. Maybe not so much "Heavy Metal Names," but Haiku or Formal/Euphemistic style names.
• "Magic" sword doesn't really work in this context if the swords aren't actually magic but the product of super-forging. I'd call them Artifact Swords myself but I can appreciate how one would want to avoid Artifact confusion. You could even give them all sorts of "magic" sword properties such as injuring ghost/insubstantial beings; bonuses versus certain types of foes; radiating light; etc. by attributing such properties to the special materials used in the manufacture of the blade.

I made a table of 100 descriptive words and 100 nouns to generate sword names and it came up with some pretty choice examples, such as:

Inscrutable Scarlet Wing
Disemboweling Virtuous Lady
Impeccable Weeping Amputation
Bloody Bright Fist
Flowing Discerning Thorn
Cleaving Flowering Scythe
Utmost Exterminating Scourge
Dancing Impervious River
Avenging Courageous Blossom

Not everyone's cup of tea but I'm digging the results, especially "The Impeccable Weeping Amputation!" I imagine the sword's name would be graven in ancient glyphs along one side of the blade and the maker's name or sigil would be on the tang or on the blade in smaller script.

Next I came up with the names of some legendary sword-makers of the lost ancient past: Ezvenarian, Zhaiyeen, Srikalvia and Abdieo. I'm thinking that different craftsmen specialized in different styles of blades. Ezvenarian was known for his square-tipped straight-bladed broad, bastard and two-handed sword and Sriklavia for flowing, wavy, almost flame or leaf shaped short sword, falchions, scimitars and broad swords.

Now I need to come up with a sword properties table...

Weapon Ability Score Requirements

In an earlier post, I discussed my usage of ability score requirements for weapons in my Planet Algol AD&D game, here is a link to a document with the required scores for many common weapons:

WEAPON ABILITY SCORE REQUIREMENTS

Technological Artifacts - Ceramic Knife, Neural Disruptor and Radiation Crystal

CERAMIC KNIFE

A long knife with a slightly curved blade composed of super-hard ceramic with an edge one molecule thick; usually white, gray or black in colour. It has the same statistics as a dagger, but has +2 on to-hit rolls against armored opponents and +1 to damage armored and unarmed foes.
Encumbrance: 10

NEURAL DISRUPTOR

A bulky raygun with several bronze coloured prongs instead of a barrel, this artifact's area of effect is a cone 3" long and 1.5" wide at it's terminus. Those within the cone of effect must roll above their intelligence on a d20 or suffer a violent seizure, rendering them prone and helpless for 1-3 rounds and inflicting 1-4 points of damage. At the end of the seizure's duration, roll percentile dice; if the result is equal to the victim's intelligence or less, their brain explodes. Note that this artifact does not effect undead or targets without an organic brain.
Neural disruptors are powered by radium crystals, getting one use per crystal. It takes one round to reload a neural disruptor.
Encumbrance: 30

RADIATION CRYSTAL

The unique geological conditions of Algol produce many anomalies unknown on Earth. In some high radiation areas of the underworld, miles below the surface, elegant tree-like structures of golden crystals grow out of veins of radioactive ore. These crystals contain potent stores of radiation energy, safely locked within the super-dense crystalline structure. The scientists of the Ancients discovered a method of synthesizing this substance, and used it to power many of their devices. Although radium crystals give off a faint yellow glow it is insufficient to see by.
Encumbrance: 5

Weapons

In my personal Algol campaign (houseruled 1st ed. AD&D), I've removed the weapon restrictions for the various classes, while using the weapon proficiency rules, the weapon vs.armor type modifiers and weapon speed factors.

As well, I've implemented strength and dexterity requirements for various weapons, cribbed from runequest. If you're not strong or dexterous enough for a weapon, the character is unable to gain proficiency with it, and are subject to the class specific nonproficiency penalty.

The reason for these choices are to make the choice of weapons for a character important, adding verisimilitude and for the "adventuring everyman" theme I'm exploring in this campaign.

Not every mercenary is muscular enough to fight well with a great sword or a longbow, and daggers become the weapon of the everyman.

Weapon vs. armor modifers are very interesting, many weapons are absolute monsters against unarmored or lightly armored foes while others are efficient at punching through plate.

It adds a level of tactical complexity to combat, you may have trouble hitting an agile, unarmored target with a heavy, high damage dealing weapon or you may be up the creek without a paddle when your fighting a heavily armored opponent without a weapon that can penetrate their protection. Crossbows are more accurate than bows, and better at punching through armor but bows users can fire two arrows per round.

The combination of limited weapon proficiencies, ability score requirements and armor modifiers (as well as the damage by target size) really differentiates the battle axe from the broad sword, the spear from the short sword,, etc. Your weapon choice matters!