To all four of my readers: obviously this site has been pretty inactive for a while. Work has eaten up most of my life, and video games have gobbled up the rest. I've had zero time to do anything related to tabletop gaming, which is what I intended for this blog to focus upon.
Recently I've come to a decision. Me and tabletop gaming just aren't working out. Now this isn't going to be an ENWorld-ish diatribe about how I'm "quitting the game" for one out of proportion reason or another. Fact is, I just can't get a game together, and am tried of trying. Also, when it comes to working in the RPG industry, I've lost it. I used to have a ton of drive and a motherload of ideas. I've found myself short of both. I'll do my best to complete the projects I've committed to, but once completed, I'll be done with the industry for the time being.
There's no resentment or regret in this. The time has come to move on. I have things in the works that I'll reveal in a sort of postscript post, but consider this the end of postMODERNIZED. Been a short, uneventful, but fun ride. I'll hopefully see you at the next one.
3/11/08
2/10/08
Biting the Hand That Feeds
You're keeping in step, in the line, got your chin held high and you feel just fine 'cause you do what you're told... But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold. Just how deep do you believe? Will you bite the hand that feeds? Will you chew until it bleeds? Can you get up off your knees? Are you brave enough to see? Do you want to change it?
Rock Band got me hooked on this song by Nine Inch Nails, and it's ironic how well it fits with my current situation at work.
My boss was new, yes, but she had a lot of management experience behind her and she proved to me beyond doubt that she knows how to manage people. She identified early on what I've already told you in previous blog posts - my fellow supervisors and I are being overworked. Each week there are a new batch of reports for us to complete over and above our already heavy workload, on top of assisting our agents in real time and having to deal with escalated calls (customers asking to speak to a supervisor, basically... which happens far more often than you might imagine). She saw what was plain to see, and the rumour goes that she communicated as much to her peers (my other bosses) and her superiors.
She's no longer with the company.
Combined with the fact that they have hired more supervisors than they need, implying they may intend to get rid of some of us, the loss of one of the best bosses I've ever had has destroyed my sense of job security and my motivation for even showing up for work.
If you know of any well-paying jobs in the Brampton area, let me know: I'm looking.
Rock Band got me hooked on this song by Nine Inch Nails, and it's ironic how well it fits with my current situation at work.
My boss was new, yes, but she had a lot of management experience behind her and she proved to me beyond doubt that she knows how to manage people. She identified early on what I've already told you in previous blog posts - my fellow supervisors and I are being overworked. Each week there are a new batch of reports for us to complete over and above our already heavy workload, on top of assisting our agents in real time and having to deal with escalated calls (customers asking to speak to a supervisor, basically... which happens far more often than you might imagine). She saw what was plain to see, and the rumour goes that she communicated as much to her peers (my other bosses) and her superiors.
She's no longer with the company.
Combined with the fact that they have hired more supervisors than they need, implying they may intend to get rid of some of us, the loss of one of the best bosses I've ever had has destroyed my sense of job security and my motivation for even showing up for work.
If you know of any well-paying jobs in the Brampton area, let me know: I'm looking.
1/25/08
What a week.
- Terminated one agent who never bothered to show up to work when she joined my team.
- Found out another one of my agents was terminated for mouthing off (again) to other supervisors and managers.
- Received a verbal warning from one of my managers because some of my agents have been missing a lot of work and I haven't done anything about it.
- Had to catch up nearly a month's worth of attendance records in one day, over and above my usual workload.
- Pulled a 12-hour day, didn't take a lunch break, in addition to my regular schedule.
- Had words with an agent who very loudly proclaimed "some supervisors should be fired!" because another supervisor was trying to go home for the day and asked her to seek help elsewhere.
- Interrupted every ten minutes by agents asking questions, half of them falling into the "I'm too lazy to look up the answer so I'll ask David" category and the other half being "the issue is too complex to understand through words and requires David to investigate/resolve it."
- Didn't get done things that have been on my to-do list for months (like tell my agents how well/poorly they are doing).
- Restrain myself from confronting an agent who was harassing a member of my team because "HR has to be the one to deal with it" and HR adheres to the convenient hours of 9am to 4pm, perfect for dealing with issues that crop up at 6pm and later.
- Become the forwarding point for every other person in the center who decides now is the best time to register complaint about this harassing agent, even after being told to send their complaint to HR.
- Sift through roughly 300 emails, about 40 of which directly pertain to me, the rest being messages sent through the convenience of "Reply All" from senders who don't seem to care who "All" are or that "All" just found out about how their password was reset to Bigman01, not like that was really confidential information.
- Hound roommates who haven't been able to properly pay rent for three months to finally pay before the landlord gets the law involved, and have them still miss that deadline.
I don't have nearly enough beer to end this week with.
- Found out another one of my agents was terminated for mouthing off (again) to other supervisors and managers.
- Received a verbal warning from one of my managers because some of my agents have been missing a lot of work and I haven't done anything about it.
- Had to catch up nearly a month's worth of attendance records in one day, over and above my usual workload.
- Pulled a 12-hour day, didn't take a lunch break, in addition to my regular schedule.
- Had words with an agent who very loudly proclaimed "some supervisors should be fired!" because another supervisor was trying to go home for the day and asked her to seek help elsewhere.
- Interrupted every ten minutes by agents asking questions, half of them falling into the "I'm too lazy to look up the answer so I'll ask David" category and the other half being "the issue is too complex to understand through words and requires David to investigate/resolve it."
- Didn't get done things that have been on my to-do list for months (like tell my agents how well/poorly they are doing).
- Restrain myself from confronting an agent who was harassing a member of my team because "HR has to be the one to deal with it" and HR adheres to the convenient hours of 9am to 4pm, perfect for dealing with issues that crop up at 6pm and later.
- Become the forwarding point for every other person in the center who decides now is the best time to register complaint about this harassing agent, even after being told to send their complaint to HR.
- Sift through roughly 300 emails, about 40 of which directly pertain to me, the rest being messages sent through the convenience of "Reply All" from senders who don't seem to care who "All" are or that "All" just found out about how their password was reset to Bigman01, not like that was really confidential information.
- Hound roommates who haven't been able to properly pay rent for three months to finally pay before the landlord gets the law involved, and have them still miss that deadline.
I don't have nearly enough beer to end this week with.
1/23/08
iPod: my anti-Mormon
So I'm waiting at the bus stop yesterday when two females approach. They look innoculous, like college students, until I see the "Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" nametags pinned to their winter jackets. I immediately steel myself for an uncomfortable conversation about personal faith with a complete stranger.
However, the pair splits. One girl approaches the lady in front of me and strikes up some generic smalltalk, their typical lead-in. The other girl walks right past me and begins speaking to the person on my right. They decided simply to skip me. Why?
I can only assume it had something to do with the earphones I was wearing, connected to the iPod in my pocket, that was playing the latest episode of Fear The Boot.
So the next time you find yourself about to be accosted by random religiositeers, reach for your iPod (or other non-Apple-branded audio device). If you don't have one, fake it! No one has to know the headphones you are wearing aren't actually connected to something in your pocket.
However, the pair splits. One girl approaches the lady in front of me and strikes up some generic smalltalk, their typical lead-in. The other girl walks right past me and begins speaking to the person on my right. They decided simply to skip me. Why?
I can only assume it had something to do with the earphones I was wearing, connected to the iPod in my pocket, that was playing the latest episode of Fear The Boot.
So the next time you find yourself about to be accosted by random religiositeers, reach for your iPod (or other non-Apple-branded audio device). If you don't have one, fake it! No one has to know the headphones you are wearing aren't actually connected to something in your pocket.
1/22/08
True20: a modern Adept
To celebrate the recent change from Green Ronin to open up the True20 system for 3rd party publishers, I felt it was time to post something I've had brewing for a while. Sorry I couldn't wait until May, Mr. Pramas.
One of my favourite parts in the True20 Companion is the discussion of how Adepts can work in a realistic or gritty modern setting. One of the options I discuss is running an Adept character as a type of modern savant, whose powers represent extraordinary abilities rather than supernatural ones. Of course, such a character would have a limited range of powers; basically, he could use only those that could conceivably be portrayed as merely extraordinary.
One of my favourite parts in the True20 Companion is the discussion of how Adepts can work in a realistic or gritty modern setting. One of the options I discuss is running an Adept character as a type of modern savant, whose powers represent extraordinary abilities rather than supernatural ones. Of course, such a character would have a limited range of powers; basically, he could use only those that could conceivably be portrayed as merely extraordinary.
To demonstrate this concept, I have designed a modern Adept character. For the sake of simplicity, I am not assigning him a Background; all I'll provide is a quick 'n dirty stat block and a character backstory. The stats for this character are open game content under the terms of the OGL.
Samuel Sprinter, Adept 1
STR +1 DEX +1 CON -1
INT +3 WIS +4 CHA -2Attack: +1
Dodge: +1
Parry: +1
Fort Save: -1
Ref Save: +1
Will Save: +6
Toughness: -1
Reputation: +1
Conviction: 3
Power Rank: +4
Skills: Acrobatics +5, Concentration +8, Notice +8, Search +7, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +5, Swim +5.
Feats: Empower
Powers: Body Control, Enhance Ability, Truth-Reading
The Character
Sam Sprinter is a young adult who just doesn't get along with others. Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 1998, Sam has always had an excuse for his anti-social behaviour, but that hasn't others from ostracizing him anyways. Sam is a geek: he has a calculus joke tattooed on his left shoulder, he collects plastic figures from his favourite animes, and spends the majority of his free time posting in internet discussions. How he became an agent of Department 7 is a mystery to everyone except the department Director. It's not uncommon for teams to request reassignment when they discover Sam on the mission roster. He just doesn't get along well with others, a character flaw that he doesn't seem to mind.
While Sam's peers may not respect him as a person, they cannot deny his benefit as an asset to Department 7 Operations. His uncanny ability to push his body beyond its limits in critical situations earns him a grudging admiration among his fellow agents. He also has a knack for detecting lies, a knack which often forces him into investigation work, where his lack of interpersonal skills and empathy sometimes run the risk of compromising important missions.
My Thoughts
Sam is an excellent demonstration of the True20 power system representing nonmagical strength. All of Sam's abilities are conceivably within the mortal ken - they're simply extraordinary. Using his The Talent core ability, Sam could call upon Extraordinary Speed by spending a Conviction point. This would probably be the next power he would select when he levels up, followed by Combat Focus. Depending on the campaign, Sam's player might want to multiclass him into Warrior when he's exhausted his available powers and Adept feats.
So there you have it. Thoughts?
1/21/08
Being The Man, volume one
Looks like the Bad News I reported back in October proved to be quite accurate. My job as a Call Center Supervisor has pretty much consumed my life - anything left that hasn't been eaten by work has been devoured by Rock Band, the Orange Box, and planning my impending wedding.
One thing I never expected is how frustratingly difficult it would be to manage people. I went into this job under the assumption that most people were like me - at work to work, conscious of what their job is, and understanding that doing said job is the reason I am being paid. It boggles my mind how many employees I manage who cannot grasp that basic concept: YOU WORK, THEREFORE YOU GET PAID. Avoiding work is one of the most common reasons I've had to take disciplinary action against employees. Why is this even a problem? You'd think people like this would have been weeded out in the application process.
I'm paid on salary now, which means the ridiculous amount of overtime I've been pulling is all unpaid. And when I say overtime... well, I average about 2.5 extra hours a day, with some spectacular days where I work as many as 15 consecutive hours (no breaks). I'm never forced into this, but I typically won't accomplish any assigned tasks without remaining this extra time. My problem, which I say at the risk of sounding incredibly egotistical, is that I am too damn good.
I work for an inbound call center that provides customer service & support for a client. I've worked for this client before through another call center, so I entered my current job with six months' experience in the systems and policies used at this job. Also, I'm an information sponge - in any job, I absorb information like nuts. Because of this, everyone comes to me for answers, even other Supervisors (because almost all of them have zero experience with this client, and the center has only been open since September). I've become a resource. This would be great if being a resource was my job. Sadly, it's not. My job is to manage my team; keep track of their metrics, attendance, and behaviours, provide coaching and feedback, and make sure they are on goal to satisfy our client's needs and the needs of the client's customers. This is a job that I am currently failing because I'm the site's go-to guy for just about anything. Every day I set out for myself a list of tasks to accomplish, and every day I accomplish less than a quarter of them. Thankfully my manager recognizes the situation and has been understanding towards the fact that I haven't been hitting my goals. Still, deadlines can only be stretched so far, and I am failing my own team as a leader.
The pay might have been nil, but things were so much simpler as a writer. Sure, I didn't meet deadlines then, either. But it was still something I did at my own pace. And everyone didn't lean on me like they do now to figure out their problems.
In gooder news, Firearm Arcana should be seeing life again sometime in February through Expeditious Retreat Press. Gods bless them. There's also a strong chance that I may be returning to the Accidental Survivors for Episode 22, their game session broadcast. Also, more regular updates to this blog! The idea is, the more I write, the more likely it will become that I write something gaming-related.
I'm back for now, readers. Stay tuned.
One thing I never expected is how frustratingly difficult it would be to manage people. I went into this job under the assumption that most people were like me - at work to work, conscious of what their job is, and understanding that doing said job is the reason I am being paid. It boggles my mind how many employees I manage who cannot grasp that basic concept: YOU WORK, THEREFORE YOU GET PAID. Avoiding work is one of the most common reasons I've had to take disciplinary action against employees. Why is this even a problem? You'd think people like this would have been weeded out in the application process.
I'm paid on salary now, which means the ridiculous amount of overtime I've been pulling is all unpaid. And when I say overtime... well, I average about 2.5 extra hours a day, with some spectacular days where I work as many as 15 consecutive hours (no breaks). I'm never forced into this, but I typically won't accomplish any assigned tasks without remaining this extra time. My problem, which I say at the risk of sounding incredibly egotistical, is that I am too damn good.
I work for an inbound call center that provides customer service & support for a client. I've worked for this client before through another call center, so I entered my current job with six months' experience in the systems and policies used at this job. Also, I'm an information sponge - in any job, I absorb information like nuts. Because of this, everyone comes to me for answers, even other Supervisors (because almost all of them have zero experience with this client, and the center has only been open since September). I've become a resource. This would be great if being a resource was my job. Sadly, it's not. My job is to manage my team; keep track of their metrics, attendance, and behaviours, provide coaching and feedback, and make sure they are on goal to satisfy our client's needs and the needs of the client's customers. This is a job that I am currently failing because I'm the site's go-to guy for just about anything. Every day I set out for myself a list of tasks to accomplish, and every day I accomplish less than a quarter of them. Thankfully my manager recognizes the situation and has been understanding towards the fact that I haven't been hitting my goals. Still, deadlines can only be stretched so far, and I am failing my own team as a leader.
The pay might have been nil, but things were so much simpler as a writer. Sure, I didn't meet deadlines then, either. But it was still something I did at my own pace. And everyone didn't lean on me like they do now to figure out their problems.
In gooder news, Firearm Arcana should be seeing life again sometime in February through Expeditious Retreat Press. Gods bless them. There's also a strong chance that I may be returning to the Accidental Survivors for Episode 22, their game session broadcast. Also, more regular updates to this blog! The idea is, the more I write, the more likely it will become that I write something gaming-related.
I'm back for now, readers. Stay tuned.
11/6/07
Religious experience
I am not a particularly religious man. I have, however, recently had a brush with the divine. I present to you the Vesta Burger.
As you can see, it took me a few bites to realize the divine nature of this burger. It's topped with too many condiments to list, but the key ingredients are a good half-pound of ground beef, sautéed mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese.
The ultimate satisfaction I felt while eating this burger was nothing short of a deep and meaningful brush with God. Of burgers. I swear.
I felt almost ashamed to eat it. How could I be worthy of such goodness?
But as I ate it, I took solace. For though I consumed the ultimate burger, it's spirit would ascend and become the ideal for which all other burgers would aspire to eat. And while no burger I eat will ever approach the purity of the Vesta Burger, I will appreciate the valiant effort of lesser burgers as they strive to meet the divine example.
That's The Vesta, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, on the corner of Steeles and Dixie. Great all-day breakfast, and a burger of biblical proportions.
As you can see, it took me a few bites to realize the divine nature of this burger. It's topped with too many condiments to list, but the key ingredients are a good half-pound of ground beef, sautéed mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese.
The ultimate satisfaction I felt while eating this burger was nothing short of a deep and meaningful brush with God. Of burgers. I swear.
I felt almost ashamed to eat it. How could I be worthy of such goodness?
But as I ate it, I took solace. For though I consumed the ultimate burger, it's spirit would ascend and become the ideal for which all other burgers would aspire to eat. And while no burger I eat will ever approach the purity of the Vesta Burger, I will appreciate the valiant effort of lesser burgers as they strive to meet the divine example.That's The Vesta, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, on the corner of Steeles and Dixie. Great all-day breakfast, and a burger of biblical proportions.
10/20/07
Chuck Rice is Turning Japanese
One of my favourite RPG writers, Chuck Rice (author of the recent Modern20), is planning on writing a Japanese-style RPG. Not a Japanese setting, but one using Japanese conventions and styles. I really can't describe it as well as he can, so check out his blog. It sounds really cool.
He's releasing it under the ransom model - basically, he's taking donations at a site called Fundable in $10 increments. When he's raised $600, he'll complete the book and release the PDF for free. I'd encourage all my readers (all four of you) to donate at least ten bucks to this. I have the feeling it'll be worth it.
He's releasing it under the ransom model - basically, he's taking donations at a site called Fundable in $10 increments. When he's raised $600, he'll complete the book and release the PDF for free. I'd encourage all my readers (all four of you) to donate at least ten bucks to this. I have the feeling it'll be worth it.
Good and Bad News
In Good News today, David S. Gallant received a promotion at work.
In Bad News, this promotion requires more commitment from him, meaning the already meager amount of writing he's able to accomplish these days will diminish further.
In Bad News, this promotion requires more commitment from him, meaning the already meager amount of writing he's able to accomplish these days will diminish further.
10/17/07
BIZZAM!
So, Action Maneuvers has been released. Last week it climbed up the charts so I assume it sold pretty good. An audio ad for the book (recorded by myself and my fiancée) is featured in the latest Accidental Survivors special episode, and is due to play again during their one-year retrospective show.
What's next? My name's been attached to a couple of projects in support of Modern20. Finding time to work on any of that has been tough with my new job schedule. What I need is something to make me productive during my commute to work - pen and notepad just isn't cutting it.
Also, as something of an inside joke in response to an ENWorlder's assertion about Canada in games, I'm trying to produce a monster book / adventure entitled Evil Canada. It seems that, in most games, Canada is sugar-coated as just a left-leaning democratic nation with nothing sinister to hide. I plan to blow the truth wide open like a moose hitting an SUV.
9/24/07
Wake up! You're on Accidental Survivors.
Back in the day (yes, several months ago was "the day"), I appeared in a few episodes of the Accidental Survivors podcast. For those of you who haven't heard of this, Accidental Survivors is a podcast dedicated to modern gaming. Being a sucker for modern gaming, I love it. It's hosted by Fraser Ronald of Sword's Edge Publishing and features some of the best commentary and funniest bloopers of all the podcasts on my listening list. I haven't been on the show in quite a while, and I stopped listening for a while due to a lack of time. But now, with an hour-long commute to work and an MP3-playing phone in my pocket, I've been catching up on podcasts like no tomorrow.So today I finally managed to catch up to Episode 16 of Accidental Survivors, all about game design (and featuring Charles Rice as a guest, who spoke about Modern 2.0 [now Modern20] and game design in general). During their News & Views portion of the show, I was very surprised to hear Fraser talk about this very blog! Both he and Charles seemed excited to know I am still alive and kicking. It was a great treat on a Monday morning to that kind of attention shone in my direction.
Oh, and Fraser, Charles is right. You did get my name wrong. And I won't hurt you. Yet... ;)
9/19/07
Yarr.
Ahoy! Today I be celebratin' my scurrilous heritage on this, the annual International Talk Like a Pirate day. 'Tis a fine day t'be a scurvy-ridden sea dog.
9/18/07
I love TheLe
TheLe Games is the unsung P.T. Barnum of our time. I love the way he promotes his products, usually using imagery that has little to do with the actual subject matter of the products in question. I find this refreshing - a lot of RPG products use imagery that is either too clichéd or too reliant on knowledge of the material to make any sense. This image is perfect. The lovely but frustrated stock photo women, the glowing title, the casual violence implied by the tagline, the d20 STL watermark in the pillow... I love it.I can't wait for folks to see this book.
9/17/07
Life Goal Achieved
It's old news, but I just got a print copy of the True20 Companion, so this is my first time seeing it for myself.
My name is in print. Not self-published, but featured in a work by one of the major publishers.
Next life goal: do it again.
I love LOLcats. And I love geek references. This image was inspired by GEEKcats on M. Jason Parent's site, Dread Gazebo. A more direct link is forthcoming.
9/11/07
Ammo & Mecha Weapons
My mind wandered back to mecha some weeks ago; specifically, it went back to a mecha system that I've been dragging my heels on (at least with 4e and Modern 2.0, I know have an excuse to procrastinate). A few months prior, I had hammered out the beginnings of a point-based weapon designer meant to be part of a mech construction system. I hit a wall when I came upon the question of ammunition.
The problem I encountered is that everything is relative. A single shot of a 1d4 weapon does not have the same objective "value" as a 20d6 weapon. I could not take a simple route with ammunition - it wouldn't be fair to allow readers to buy a static number of shots for a static price regardless of actual damage values. I had begun writing a table outlying how many shots of ammunition could be purchased for a single point, based on the type of damage dice and number of dice. It made my head hurt, and it was several steps down the slippery slope of abstraction. So, when this idea hit me recently, I was so damn relieved to be free of having to pull values and numbers out of my ass. I managed to come to a fast, adaptable mechanic for ammunition in mecha weapons that reduces bookkeeping and speeds up play.
While solving my point-buy problem was my big concern, making mechs play faster in a d20-ish environment was my other goal. In my limited experience, the big thing that bogs down combat (and play in general) is the bookkeeping - keeping track of stats as they change, gear that gets used and consumed, and just watching the numbers in general. In my first D&D campaign, there were a lot of bottomless quivers... both I and my players would forget to keep track of expended ammunition, leading to frantic recollections and retcons as we realized the party would have been completely out of arrows three encounters ago. When dealing with mechs, machines that can range in size from a person to a skyscraper, you are dealing with weapons whose ammunition counts can range into the hundred thousands. It isn't enjoyable to keep track of amounts that large, at least for me and many people I know. The following mechanic provided a great solution.
The idea for this mechanic came from a throwaway suggestion in the original Star Wars d20 Roleplaying Game, 1st Edition. It's not an OGC source, but it'll be cited anyways in this blog's OGL.
When making an attack role with a mecha weapon that consumes ammunition, a natural role of 1 indicates the weapon has run out of ammo. The weapon is considered "Out" and cannot fire again until it is Reloaded.
This rule is entirely at the Gamemaster's discretion. If the GM feels that a role of 1 occurs at an inappropriate time (such as the first time that weapon is fired after reloading), he may rule the 1 represents merely a weapon jam (requiring a move action or full round to clear) or a missed shot instead.
Reloading is something that typically happens between encounters, at locations equipped to reload the mech. The GM decides what locations and times are appropriate for Reloads. Reloads can also be purchased while designing the mech weapon; these reloads represent internal reserves of ammunition.
The following Features (think Gadgets in d20 Modern) can be added to weapons. They interact with the Out mechanic.
Reload
A Reload is an internal store of ammunition which allows it to fire again after running Out. A weapon with a Reload may expend it to overcome the Out condition and be able to fire again. Reloads come in three varieties, each ones restocking the weapon at faster speeds. Standard Reloads take a full-round action, Quick Reloads take a move action, and Instant Reloads take a mere free action. Any number of Reloads may be added to a weapon.
Cost Mod: Standard, +1/5 of base cost. Quick, +1/4 of base cost. Instant, +1/2 of base cost.
Low Ammo Capacity
All weapons have a default Out range of 1 (meaning that a weapon using ammunition will be Out on a natural roll of one). This feature represents weapons with a lower than average store of ammo. Each time this feature is applied, the Out range of the weapon increases by one. For example, a weapon with this feature applied once will be out on a roll of 1 or 2. This feature can only increase a weapon's Out range to 1-5.
Cost Mod: -1/5 of base cost (each time feature is applied)
One Shot
Weapons with this feature are expended after one shot. Once fired, the weapon is considered Out regardless of the result of the attack roll.
Cost Mod: -3/4 of base cost
So you see... take a weapon with thousands of rounds of ammunition, and only worry about how much left in its reserves until you make a bad roll. It isn't very realistic, but it is more cinematic, and it's a lot less bookkeeping (at least during play). It's not your standard d20, but it could definitely could be made to work within it. Maybe I'll finish the rest of this system one day... or at least post what I have to date.
The Out, Reload, Low Ammo Capacity, and One Shot mechanics are open game content under the terms of the OGL.
The problem I encountered is that everything is relative. A single shot of a 1d4 weapon does not have the same objective "value" as a 20d6 weapon. I could not take a simple route with ammunition - it wouldn't be fair to allow readers to buy a static number of shots for a static price regardless of actual damage values. I had begun writing a table outlying how many shots of ammunition could be purchased for a single point, based on the type of damage dice and number of dice. It made my head hurt, and it was several steps down the slippery slope of abstraction. So, when this idea hit me recently, I was so damn relieved to be free of having to pull values and numbers out of my ass. I managed to come to a fast, adaptable mechanic for ammunition in mecha weapons that reduces bookkeeping and speeds up play.
While solving my point-buy problem was my big concern, making mechs play faster in a d20-ish environment was my other goal. In my limited experience, the big thing that bogs down combat (and play in general) is the bookkeeping - keeping track of stats as they change, gear that gets used and consumed, and just watching the numbers in general. In my first D&D campaign, there were a lot of bottomless quivers... both I and my players would forget to keep track of expended ammunition, leading to frantic recollections and retcons as we realized the party would have been completely out of arrows three encounters ago. When dealing with mechs, machines that can range in size from a person to a skyscraper, you are dealing with weapons whose ammunition counts can range into the hundred thousands. It isn't enjoyable to keep track of amounts that large, at least for me and many people I know. The following mechanic provided a great solution.
The idea for this mechanic came from a throwaway suggestion in the original Star Wars d20 Roleplaying Game, 1st Edition. It's not an OGC source, but it'll be cited anyways in this blog's OGL.
OUT
When making an attack role with a mecha weapon that consumes ammunition, a natural role of 1 indicates the weapon has run out of ammo. The weapon is considered "Out" and cannot fire again until it is Reloaded.
This rule is entirely at the Gamemaster's discretion. If the GM feels that a role of 1 occurs at an inappropriate time (such as the first time that weapon is fired after reloading), he may rule the 1 represents merely a weapon jam (requiring a move action or full round to clear) or a missed shot instead.
Reloading is something that typically happens between encounters, at locations equipped to reload the mech. The GM decides what locations and times are appropriate for Reloads. Reloads can also be purchased while designing the mech weapon; these reloads represent internal reserves of ammunition.
The following Features (think Gadgets in d20 Modern) can be added to weapons. They interact with the Out mechanic.
Reload
A Reload is an internal store of ammunition which allows it to fire again after running Out. A weapon with a Reload may expend it to overcome the Out condition and be able to fire again. Reloads come in three varieties, each ones restocking the weapon at faster speeds. Standard Reloads take a full-round action, Quick Reloads take a move action, and Instant Reloads take a mere free action. Any number of Reloads may be added to a weapon.
Cost Mod: Standard, +1/5 of base cost. Quick, +1/4 of base cost. Instant, +1/2 of base cost.
Low Ammo Capacity
All weapons have a default Out range of 1 (meaning that a weapon using ammunition will be Out on a natural roll of one). This feature represents weapons with a lower than average store of ammo. Each time this feature is applied, the Out range of the weapon increases by one. For example, a weapon with this feature applied once will be out on a roll of 1 or 2. This feature can only increase a weapon's Out range to 1-5.
Cost Mod: -1/5 of base cost (each time feature is applied)
One Shot
Weapons with this feature are expended after one shot. Once fired, the weapon is considered Out regardless of the result of the attack roll.
Cost Mod: -3/4 of base cost
So you see... take a weapon with thousands of rounds of ammunition, and only worry about how much left in its reserves until you make a bad roll. It isn't very realistic, but it is more cinematic, and it's a lot less bookkeeping (at least during play). It's not your standard d20, but it could definitely could be made to work within it. Maybe I'll finish the rest of this system one day... or at least post what I have to date.
The Out, Reload, Low Ammo Capacity, and One Shot mechanics are open game content under the terms of the OGL.
8/19/07
Fixing Canada's Wireless Problem
Wireless Communications in Canada (by which I mean hoser cell phones) is in a pathetic state. There are three names for this problem, which are Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Most Canadians know these three as the big players in our wireless industry. And they suck.
Before I explain, let me first state what the Big Three have done right. Number one, they exist; wireless technology is becoming more essential to humanity's technological development, and without a company providing wireless communication services to the masses, Canada would lag behind in general in this field. Second, they have decent coverage in most of Canada's heavily-populated areas. Providing cell phone coverage is always a cost/profit thing for wireless companies: if they erect a tower to cover an area, will they be able to get enough subscribers to cover their construction and maintenance costs? So, if you live in a poorly-populated area (like many parts of Northern Ontario) and feel like shooting me a snide comment about cell phone coverage in "most of Canada," shut up and realize that you probably don't represent enough of a profit margin to the Big Three to be worth bringing you coverage. Honestly.
What follows is my list of what the Big Three can do to improve the state of wireless communications in Canada. These come from my experience as both a Canadian wireless customer and as a customer service provider for American cell phone companies.
1. Give Us Minutes
The average American cell phone user gets 500-1000 anytime minutes a month. That's their overall pool of minutes, not counting any free calling periods like nights and weekends. In Canada, 500 monthly minutes is considered a "premium" amount meant for high-end users. Minutes into the thousands amount are typically reserved for business plans. The hell? Why would Canadians need to talk less than their American counterparts? That's hardly the implication. Fact is, two of the big three in Canada also provide landline services, and routinely encourage customers to "bundle their services" together. They'd rather encourage their customers to purchase both services - smart from a business standpoint, but bad for the growing number of Canadians for whom a landline is impractical.
Giving Canadians less minutes for their dollar helps no one. It may mean that customers get hit with overage charges more often, but that's temporary profit - customers who see their bills soar due to overages either change their talking habits, switch services, or stop using their cell phones altogether.
2. Quit Billing Us For What We Cannot Control
From what I hear of our British neighbours across the ocean, their cell providers have come to a realization: billing customers for their incoming calls doesn't make sense. A person may have a reasonable expectation of how many calls they receive, but most people have no clue. Incoming calls are something almost completely outside of a person's control. What sense is it to bill customers for minutes used when they cannot reasonably control the amount of people calling them (aside from turning off their phone)?
Consider this: you're flipping through the channels on your TV when you come across a movie - one you know is available to rent from your local video store. You watch about ten minutes of the movie before switching to something else. Does the video store now have the right to bill you for a movie rental? After all, you viewed the movie, at least in part; it is analogous to using a cell provider's network when you receive an incoming call. Since the video store would bill you for a rental if you actually went into the store and rented the movie yourself, does it then stand to reason that you should pay for the rental if you happen to accidentally view the movie at another time? This analogy isn't perfect, I know, but I hope it serves to illustrate my point.
3. Standardize Your Damn Plans
Right now in Canada (and in the US), most providers offer plan like this:
"The Stuporpendous Single Plan offers X anytime minutes, Y Night & Weekend Minutes, free calling on National Holidays, and z bonus text messages."
"The Crapalicious Single Plan offers X+10 anytime minutes, free Nights & Weekends, five free calling buddies, and Y kb of data usage"
"The OMGWTFBBQ plan offers X+20 anytime minutes, early Nights & Weekends for free, unlimited data usage and Z text messages."
Everything's a package deal. Want free nights & weekends? You've gotta go with Crapalicious or OMGWTFBBQ, even if they have way too many minutes. Want unlimited data access? OMGWTFBBQ is your only option. In some cases, some of these features will be available as add-ons. Of course, you will need to have a plan that's compatible with the add-on; and I mean this both for the customer level of things and for the back-end of whatever account system the providers use. During my time as a CSR for an American wireless provider, I encountered quite a few problems adding some of the newer, more popular add-ons to accounts whose plan conflicted with the add-on. Usually it was because the plan was a package that included a partial version of what the add-on was going to give. The customer couldn't "upgrade" from this partial service just by purchasing the add-on. They had to change their whole plan to make it work (and lock into a new contract in the process).
Cell phone plans should be designed by game designers. You should be able to make a cell phone plan the same way you create a character. Pick each element individually: number of minutes, free calling times, text messages, data access, whatever. Think of it as choosing skills and feats for a character, rather than being handed a stack of shitty pregenerated characters and having to choose.
4. Voice Mail Is Not A Luxury Item
In the United States, almost all plans come with voice mail as a standard feature. Voice mail is essential for two reasons: one, despite their portability, people do not have their phones on them at all times, nor are they able to answer calls at all times (such as when the phone is dead, out of service, or when answering the phone would be inappropriate). Two, more people are choosing to use cell phones as their only means of telephone contact, and thus can't rely on a landline and a good ol' fashioned answering machine to collect their messages for them. In the States, they recognize this. In Canada, it seems to be a hard concept for the Big Three to grasp.
Just adding voice mail onto a cell line in Canada costs, on average, $7 a month extra. On top of that, voice mail is administrated by a third party company, so you're billed airtime for checking your voice mail over your cell phone. It is possible to incur overage charges just for checking your messages too often.
5. Fuck the System Access Fee
In Canada, the Big Three each include an additional charge in their billing called a "system access fee." It's explained exactly as it sounds... it is meant to cover the cost of having your phone connect to the network and use airtime. However, what the hell is the other amount they keep charging a month, the one associated with your cell phone plan? Just to give an example, my fiancée and I are on a family plan shared between two phones. $35 a month gets us our meager airtime, unlimited local talk between each other, and free weekend calling. Each line gets billed an additional $7 to access the system (so an extra $14 total on our bills every month). Apparently that $35 monthly fee gives us our airtime, but doesn't cover the cost of connecting to the network to use that airtime. What the fuck?
In my frank opinion, the system access fee is either an artificial padding of charges, or is a technique used by the Big Three to avoid folding the cost into the price of the plan itself and, thus, make it appear cheaper in advertisement.
Before I explain, let me first state what the Big Three have done right. Number one, they exist; wireless technology is becoming more essential to humanity's technological development, and without a company providing wireless communication services to the masses, Canada would lag behind in general in this field. Second, they have decent coverage in most of Canada's heavily-populated areas. Providing cell phone coverage is always a cost/profit thing for wireless companies: if they erect a tower to cover an area, will they be able to get enough subscribers to cover their construction and maintenance costs? So, if you live in a poorly-populated area (like many parts of Northern Ontario) and feel like shooting me a snide comment about cell phone coverage in "most of Canada," shut up and realize that you probably don't represent enough of a profit margin to the Big Three to be worth bringing you coverage. Honestly.
What follows is my list of what the Big Three can do to improve the state of wireless communications in Canada. These come from my experience as both a Canadian wireless customer and as a customer service provider for American cell phone companies.
1. Give Us Minutes
The average American cell phone user gets 500-1000 anytime minutes a month. That's their overall pool of minutes, not counting any free calling periods like nights and weekends. In Canada, 500 monthly minutes is considered a "premium" amount meant for high-end users. Minutes into the thousands amount are typically reserved for business plans. The hell? Why would Canadians need to talk less than their American counterparts? That's hardly the implication. Fact is, two of the big three in Canada also provide landline services, and routinely encourage customers to "bundle their services" together. They'd rather encourage their customers to purchase both services - smart from a business standpoint, but bad for the growing number of Canadians for whom a landline is impractical.
Giving Canadians less minutes for their dollar helps no one. It may mean that customers get hit with overage charges more often, but that's temporary profit - customers who see their bills soar due to overages either change their talking habits, switch services, or stop using their cell phones altogether.
2. Quit Billing Us For What We Cannot Control
From what I hear of our British neighbours across the ocean, their cell providers have come to a realization: billing customers for their incoming calls doesn't make sense. A person may have a reasonable expectation of how many calls they receive, but most people have no clue. Incoming calls are something almost completely outside of a person's control. What sense is it to bill customers for minutes used when they cannot reasonably control the amount of people calling them (aside from turning off their phone)?
Consider this: you're flipping through the channels on your TV when you come across a movie - one you know is available to rent from your local video store. You watch about ten minutes of the movie before switching to something else. Does the video store now have the right to bill you for a movie rental? After all, you viewed the movie, at least in part; it is analogous to using a cell provider's network when you receive an incoming call. Since the video store would bill you for a rental if you actually went into the store and rented the movie yourself, does it then stand to reason that you should pay for the rental if you happen to accidentally view the movie at another time? This analogy isn't perfect, I know, but I hope it serves to illustrate my point.
3. Standardize Your Damn Plans
Right now in Canada (and in the US), most providers offer plan like this:
"The Stuporpendous Single Plan offers X anytime minutes, Y Night & Weekend Minutes, free calling on National Holidays, and z bonus text messages."
"The Crapalicious Single Plan offers X+10 anytime minutes, free Nights & Weekends, five free calling buddies, and Y kb of data usage"
"The OMGWTFBBQ plan offers X+20 anytime minutes, early Nights & Weekends for free, unlimited data usage and Z text messages."
Everything's a package deal. Want free nights & weekends? You've gotta go with Crapalicious or OMGWTFBBQ, even if they have way too many minutes. Want unlimited data access? OMGWTFBBQ is your only option. In some cases, some of these features will be available as add-ons. Of course, you will need to have a plan that's compatible with the add-on; and I mean this both for the customer level of things and for the back-end of whatever account system the providers use. During my time as a CSR for an American wireless provider, I encountered quite a few problems adding some of the newer, more popular add-ons to accounts whose plan conflicted with the add-on. Usually it was because the plan was a package that included a partial version of what the add-on was going to give. The customer couldn't "upgrade" from this partial service just by purchasing the add-on. They had to change their whole plan to make it work (and lock into a new contract in the process).
Cell phone plans should be designed by game designers. You should be able to make a cell phone plan the same way you create a character. Pick each element individually: number of minutes, free calling times, text messages, data access, whatever. Think of it as choosing skills and feats for a character, rather than being handed a stack of shitty pregenerated characters and having to choose.
4. Voice Mail Is Not A Luxury Item
In the United States, almost all plans come with voice mail as a standard feature. Voice mail is essential for two reasons: one, despite their portability, people do not have their phones on them at all times, nor are they able to answer calls at all times (such as when the phone is dead, out of service, or when answering the phone would be inappropriate). Two, more people are choosing to use cell phones as their only means of telephone contact, and thus can't rely on a landline and a good ol' fashioned answering machine to collect their messages for them. In the States, they recognize this. In Canada, it seems to be a hard concept for the Big Three to grasp.
Just adding voice mail onto a cell line in Canada costs, on average, $7 a month extra. On top of that, voice mail is administrated by a third party company, so you're billed airtime for checking your voice mail over your cell phone. It is possible to incur overage charges just for checking your messages too often.
5. Fuck the System Access Fee
In Canada, the Big Three each include an additional charge in their billing called a "system access fee." It's explained exactly as it sounds... it is meant to cover the cost of having your phone connect to the network and use airtime. However, what the hell is the other amount they keep charging a month, the one associated with your cell phone plan? Just to give an example, my fiancée and I are on a family plan shared between two phones. $35 a month gets us our meager airtime, unlimited local talk between each other, and free weekend calling. Each line gets billed an additional $7 to access the system (so an extra $14 total on our bills every month). Apparently that $35 monthly fee gives us our airtime, but doesn't cover the cost of connecting to the network to use that airtime. What the fuck?
In my frank opinion, the system access fee is either an artificial padding of charges, or is a technique used by the Big Three to avoid folding the cost into the price of the plan itself and, thus, make it appear cheaper in advertisement.
8/18/07
I tell you, this is a bad time to be releasing a new OGL book into the market. What with D&D 4th edition announced and setting the internet ablaze with all manner of weigh-ins. Don't look for an opinion here, I'm in "wait and see" mode. Thank goodness I dropped so many ranks into Hype Resistance and Asshat Noise Cancellation.
By the way, if you have no idea what 4th edition is, you're probably reading the wrong blog. Google it, wiki it, or just head on to more interesting pastures.
Folks who have been following my work (all five of you) will definitely recognize the name of this product. These rules first saw the light of day two years ago, during the life of the ill-fated EN Game Store. Action Maneuvers were a series of eight Pick 'n Mix products (two-page self-contained PDFs with a snatdardized, print-friendly layout that sold for $0.49 each). Each one detailed a new maneuver that helped you move, avoid attacks, or deal damage using your physical skills. The idea was to increase a character's repetoire of options without requiring the player to select new feats, acquire new equipment, or change their character at all. Inspiration was pulled from martial arts movies and the recent Prince of Persia video games. The end result was eight new maneuvers (five written by myself, three by writer/editor savant Charles Baize) that embodied, for me, action.
When the EN Game Store died in the wake of the OneBookShelf merger, Action Maneuvers died with it. After all, they were tied up in the Pick 'n Mix license, so I would have to redo their layout and compile them into a single document before I could think of selling them again. Around the same time, my interest and writing ability were waining in the wake of both MODERNIZED's end and the death of my first publishing venue. When I officially withdrew my membership from OneBookShelf as a publisher shortly after, I thought Action Maneuvers would never come back.
Apparently I was wrong.
Using some slick necromancy and even slicker layout design, I've brought AM back "for a new generation". It'll be a tough sell in the wake of 4th edition's unveiling, but I have a few ideas up my sleeve for some creative marketing.
7/13/07
Where I Am Now - a look at the current state of my design
Venturing further into the bizarre, I have here a more recent bit of design. It's the Sales check mechanic, originally from an issue of MODERNIZED. It is definitely not game-practical (as in, I cannot forsee any right-minded group implementing the mechanic) but it served as a fun exercise in putting mundane real-world tasks into d20 terms.
THE SALES CHECK
Salespeople of all kind exist to convince you to buy the products and services they have to offer. In d20 terms, this is accomplished by using the Sales check. Salespeople can be either honest or shifty; thus a Sales check is either a Diplomacy or a Bluff check. The DC for a Sales check is determined by adding the Purchase DC of the product or service to the target customer’s Will save modifier. This DC is further modified by the factors listed below. Success on a Sales check raises the target customer’s attitude towards the product or service by one step (most customers are assumed to begin at Indifferent towards any given product or service). For every 5 points above the DC, the customer’s attitude improves by an additional step, up to “Helpful,” which means the customer is enthusiastic and quite willing to buy the product. Failing the check fails to adjust the customer’s attitude towards the product. Rolling a critical failure (1) results in actually lowering the customer’s opinion of the product or service by one step. Note that a Sales check is different than making a Diplomacy check to raise a character’s attitude towards another character.
Using the Bluff skill to make a Sales check has its risks. Like any Bluff attempt, the customer is allowed to make an Sense Motive check (against the Sales check) to detect the dishonesty. The consequences of a successful Sense Motive check are up to the GM, but typically, the customer will gain a negative opinion of the Salesperson that renders any Sales checks useless.
One’s attitude towards a product or service is not a guarantee that one will purchase it. Thus, even the best Sales check doesn’t always result in a sale. Despite the seeming futility of salesmanship, some still strive to excel at it.
Factors That Affect Sales Checks DCs
Customer's attitude towards product
for each attitude level better than Indifferent: -2
for each attitude level worse than Indifferent: +2
Customer's attitude towards salesperson
for each attitude level better than Indifferent: -2
for each attitude level worse than Indifferent: +2
Customer's Wealth bonus is...
higher than the Purchase DC of the product: -2
1-10 points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +2
11-15 points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +4
16+ points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +6
Customer could not afford product even by taking 20 on the Wealth check: +8
Customer is in dire need of the product: -2 to -8 (GM's discretion)
FEATS FOR THE ENTERPRISING SALESPERSON
Product Knowledge
Benefit: Choose a Knowledge skill that the salesperson has at least 5 ranks in and is applicable to a product or service the salesperson sells. He or she receives a +2 synergy bonus on all Sales checks when selling products or services applicable to that Knowledge skill. This bonus only applies to Sales checks made using Diplomacy.
Special: This talent may be taken multiple times. Each time it applies to a new Knowledge skill.
Tailor the Sale
Benefit: By engaging in a brief bit of conversation, the salesperson can find out a bit of information about the target customer. Engaging in at least 1 minute of conversation and succeeding at a Gather Information check (DC 15) yields some very basic information about the customer: their interests, their lifestyle, and a general idea of their Wealth. Such information earns the salesperson a +1 insight bonus to Sales checks against that customer. The salesperson can opt to continue this information-gathering conversation; for each additional minute spent talking, the insight bonus for the successful Gather Information check increases by 1. This bonus can increase no higher than 5.
Aggrandizement
Benefit: The salesperson may attempt to make a product or service seem better than it actually is. Engaging in at least 1 minute of conversation with a customer and making a successful Bluff check grants the salesperson a +1 circumstance bonus on Sales checks against that customer for a particular product or service. The salesperson may use this ability several times in succession, each time increasing the circumstance bonus by 1, but never higher than 5.
Price Flubbing
Benefit: The salesperson is experienced with making prices seem lower than they actually are. When the salesperson uses Bluff to make a Sales check, he or she may "lower" the Purchase DC of the product by any amount(this in turn lowers the Sales DC). On a successful Sales check, the customer is thus mislead about the price of the product or service. The customer may gain a bonus on his or her Sense Motive check at the GM's discretion; this bonus is an amount equal to the difference between the actual Purchase DC of the product and the flubbed Purchase DC. Using this ability has its risks; while it may make Sales checks easier, the customer might be very surprised when confronted with the actual price.
The above game mechanics are open game content under the terms of the OGL.
THE SALES CHECK
Salespeople of all kind exist to convince you to buy the products and services they have to offer. In d20 terms, this is accomplished by using the Sales check. Salespeople can be either honest or shifty; thus a Sales check is either a Diplomacy or a Bluff check. The DC for a Sales check is determined by adding the Purchase DC of the product or service to the target customer’s Will save modifier. This DC is further modified by the factors listed below. Success on a Sales check raises the target customer’s attitude towards the product or service by one step (most customers are assumed to begin at Indifferent towards any given product or service). For every 5 points above the DC, the customer’s attitude improves by an additional step, up to “Helpful,” which means the customer is enthusiastic and quite willing to buy the product. Failing the check fails to adjust the customer’s attitude towards the product. Rolling a critical failure (1) results in actually lowering the customer’s opinion of the product or service by one step. Note that a Sales check is different than making a Diplomacy check to raise a character’s attitude towards another character.
Using the Bluff skill to make a Sales check has its risks. Like any Bluff attempt, the customer is allowed to make an Sense Motive check (against the Sales check) to detect the dishonesty. The consequences of a successful Sense Motive check are up to the GM, but typically, the customer will gain a negative opinion of the Salesperson that renders any Sales checks useless.
One’s attitude towards a product or service is not a guarantee that one will purchase it. Thus, even the best Sales check doesn’t always result in a sale. Despite the seeming futility of salesmanship, some still strive to excel at it.
Factors That Affect Sales Checks DCs
Customer's attitude towards product
for each attitude level better than Indifferent: -2
for each attitude level worse than Indifferent: +2
Customer's attitude towards salesperson
for each attitude level better than Indifferent: -2
for each attitude level worse than Indifferent: +2
Customer's Wealth bonus is...
higher than the Purchase DC of the product: -2
1-10 points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +2
11-15 points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +4
16+ points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +6
Customer could not afford product even by taking 20 on the Wealth check: +8
Customer is in dire need of the product: -2 to -8 (GM's discretion)
FEATS FOR THE ENTERPRISING SALESPERSON
Product Knowledge
Benefit: Choose a Knowledge skill that the salesperson has at least 5 ranks in and is applicable to a product or service the salesperson sells. He or she receives a +2 synergy bonus on all Sales checks when selling products or services applicable to that Knowledge skill. This bonus only applies to Sales checks made using Diplomacy.
Special: This talent may be taken multiple times. Each time it applies to a new Knowledge skill.
Tailor the Sale
Benefit: By engaging in a brief bit of conversation, the salesperson can find out a bit of information about the target customer. Engaging in at least 1 minute of conversation and succeeding at a Gather Information check (DC 15) yields some very basic information about the customer: their interests, their lifestyle, and a general idea of their Wealth. Such information earns the salesperson a +1 insight bonus to Sales checks against that customer. The salesperson can opt to continue this information-gathering conversation; for each additional minute spent talking, the insight bonus for the successful Gather Information check increases by 1. This bonus can increase no higher than 5.
Aggrandizement
Benefit: The salesperson may attempt to make a product or service seem better than it actually is. Engaging in at least 1 minute of conversation with a customer and making a successful Bluff check grants the salesperson a +1 circumstance bonus on Sales checks against that customer for a particular product or service. The salesperson may use this ability several times in succession, each time increasing the circumstance bonus by 1, but never higher than 5.
Price Flubbing
Benefit: The salesperson is experienced with making prices seem lower than they actually are. When the salesperson uses Bluff to make a Sales check, he or she may "lower" the Purchase DC of the product by any amount(this in turn lowers the Sales DC). On a successful Sales check, the customer is thus mislead about the price of the product or service. The customer may gain a bonus on his or her Sense Motive check at the GM's discretion; this bonus is an amount equal to the difference between the actual Purchase DC of the product and the flubbed Purchase DC. Using this ability has its risks; while it may make Sales checks easier, the customer might be very surprised when confronted with the actual price.
The above game mechanics are open game content under the terms of the OGL.
Where I've Come From - a look at my early design work.
My first work in the industry was for a development group called The Brood. They're the crew responsible for E.N. Publishing's Crimson Contracts and Arcane Strife, as well as UKG Publishing's amazing Year of the Zombie. They were a hardcore group to start with, led by the force of nature known as Tim Willard. I wouldn't be here talking to you about game design if it weren't for his inspiration.
A lot of the material I provided The Brood has yet to be, and may never be, published. This may be a good thing, I think as I look back on that material. Want an example? Of course you don't. But this is my blog and I'm going to subject you to whatever I choose (it is at this point that I remind you of your ever-present free will and provide you with an easy escape to more interesting fare).
The following is a prestige class I cooked up during my kobold infatuation. Since I lack the know-how for effective table presentation in this venue, I will present the info as best I can.
SPEAR SKIRMISHER
In battle, the greatest weakness of the kobolds is their lack of hand-to-hand proficiency. Most other races, including gnomes, generally outmatch kobolds in a one on one melee. While kobolds employ clever traps and sorcery to compensate for this weakness, they know that their enemies will seek to take advantage of it. Ximnorgd, informal leader of the Kobold military forces, has constructed a system of training designed to make the common Kobold warrior a more effective fighter.
Hit die: d8
Requirements
To qualify to become a Spear Skirmisher, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Kobold
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Feats: Weapon Focus (shortspear)
Special: Sneak Attack +1d6
Class Skills
The Spear Skirmisher’s class skills (and the key abilities for each) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points per level: 3 + Int modifier
Base Attack Bonus: as Fighter
Fort Save: Good
Ref Save: Good
Will Save: Poor
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the Spear Skirmisher prestige class.
Spear Defense (melee) (Ex): The kobold is taught to use the spear as a defensive weapon. While wielding a shortspear she may, as a standard action, gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC against melee attacks for the round. Doing so grants a +2 bonus to any attacker’s Sunder attack roll, since the kobold is practically holding her weapon out to be smashed. The deflection bonus increases by +1 at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level. This ability may only be used while wearing light or no armor.
Sneak Attack: This is identical to the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every three levels (2nd, 5th, and 8th). If a Spear Skirmisher receives Sneak Attack bonus damage from another class, those bonuses stack.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd and 7th level, the Spear Skirmisher may choose a bonus feat from the Bonus Fighter Feats list.
Spear Defense (ranged) (Ex): The Spear Skirmisher eventually becomes so adept at using her spear as a defensive weapon that she is able to swat incoming projectiles out of the sky. When using the Spear Defense ability, the Spear Skirmisher also gains a +1 deflection bonus against ranged attacks for the round. This deflection bonus increases to +2 at 8th level.
Reach Out and Hurt (Ex): Many opponents believe themselves safe when at distance from a Kobold. Spear Skirmishers become adept at exploiting this assumption. Once per round, as a standard action, the Spear Skirmisher may attack 10ft away as though her shortspear were a reach weapon.
Returning Spear (Su): Now bonded with her weapon, the Spear Skirmisher’s shortspear acts as though it had the returning property. This ability only functions for the wielder of the shortspear, though it applies to any shortspear the Spear Skirmisher wields.
As you can see, it was a focused enough idea for a prestige class - oriented to one race and one type of weapon. In retrospect, gaining a fighter BAB alongside all these abilities is probably too much. The Spear Defense abilities are kind of lame and don't really make up for AC disadvantage of using light or no armor. I really like the flavour of the class but I can't help but think I could have represented it better through the mechanics.
The game mechanics presented here are open content under the OGL. Ximnorgd and other proper nouns are Product Identity of David S. Gallant.
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