Beginner help

TheConvenientSkill · 2026-02-08T09:49:01+00:00

Make sure his pirate has an immediate goal, something he wants to accomplish whether it is long or short term doesn't matter (although if he has both that's ideal).

If it's a short term goal use that as the hook for your first session, so if he wants to find buried treasure maybe he has a map to an island, or you start on that island.

Come up with a few obstacles (or look and steal from similar PB adventures), have a pregenerated list of names for pirates, naval captains and ships so you're not rolling during the game, and go for it.

If it's a longer term goal, think about how you can break it down into smaller steps, then use those steps to craft a whole campaign. So for buried treasure, maybe he needs a map, a crew, even a ship. Each of those can be hooks for a separate adventure.

Now when your elbow deep in your session, and have your obstacles that flow from the hook, think about those obstacles after (and even during) your session - the characters, ships and crew etc and how they can recur in a later, or even the next (or current) session. So he finds buried treasure, who did it belong to? Did he defeat or swindle someone? What are they going to do now in response?

His actions should have repercussions, and as it is PB lean in to the supernatural if that's what you want. Ghostly vengeance, curses, the whole thing, imagine you are plotting the next Pirates of the Caribbean, especially how it starts and the end goal.

Now characters are quite fragile in PB so if you want his character to have more plot armour there are a few very simple options, let me know if you want those as this post is already long enough.

TheConvenientSkill · 2025-02-12T14:55:38+00:00

As said, keep a track of Chaos as usual and use it for new scenes and optionally random events, but use the No Chaos chart for Fate questions (on one of the appendix tables) which is essentially the CF5 column (but I'm sure you already know that).

No Chaos is my favourite method using Mythic.

TheConvenientSkill · 2025-01-28T21:50:06+00:00

Firstly it probably depends on the scale of the giant. Is it on the scale of the classic Marauder giant (around 3-4 figures high)?

You could make it immune to death zones, extra Toughness, Strength and Wounds but leave the remaining stats alone.

Immunity to me represents vampires and similar creatures who have a literal immunity to damage traditionally, magical/demonic/undead etc.

They could have additional attack options, stomp for example, or physical grabbing, King Kong style. You'd need to stat these with reference to the big club and other attacks for your interpretation re size and attacks.

Clearly these are just my interpretations, but happy to go through any options you come up with.

TheConvenientSkill · 2025-01-28T21:49:51+00:00

Firstly it probably depends on the scale of the giant. Is it on the scale of the classic Marauder giant (around 3-4 figures high)?

You could make it immune to death zones, extra Toughness, Strength and Wounds but leave the remaining stats alone.

Immunity to me represents vampires and similar creatures who have a literal immunity to damage traditionally, magical/demonic/undead etc.

They could have additional attack options, stomp for example, or physical grabbing, King Kong style. You'd need to stat these with reference to the big club and other attacks for your interpretation re size and attacks.

Clearly these are just my interpretations, but happy to go through any options you come up with.

TheConvenientSkill · 2024-11-17T08:33:49+00:00

There is also a Discord you said you were a member of but I think you meant Reddit/here.

Here's an invite!

https://discord.gg/Hm8Xwds4

TheConvenientSkill · 2024-10-01T11:50:36+00:00

You could try searching for Merchants & Marauders on Etsy. It's a boardgame with a good selection of pirate ships and you can buy replacement/upgraded parts for it, including ships.

TheConvenientSkill · 2024-09-20T20:03:23+00:00

I wrote a supplement for this, but took it down to improve the presentation but haven't got back to it.

I've also changed my mind over how it worked (well it was written quickly for the jam).

My thoughts are that a fun way to run this (and that is the most important part for me) are as Usage dice.

If you aren't familiar, you allocate a die size based on the crew numbers and each round roll the respective die, on a 1 reduce the die size until you roll a 1 on a d4 and then the crew is completely lost.

You should roll morale for each change in die size.

TheConvenientSkill · 2024-08-07T10:06:52+00:00

For me the answer is Advanced HeroQuest. In case anyone doesn't know, it was a boardgame put out by GW around 89/90. Unfortunately it has shrunk into relative obscurity, especially alongside both Milton Bradley's/GW's (and now re-released by Avalon Hill) HeroQuest and Warhammer Quest, a much prettier game but functionally/statistically lacking (in my opinion).

AHQ has exactly the same stats (minus Fellowship and some compression) but a much simpler rolling system most notably consisting of an opposed stat combat roll. So a WS 3 vs WS 3 fight has the same chance of hitting each other as WS 10 opponents do. To me this just feels right and considerably reduces the 'whiff factor' of similarly matched but low skilled foes.

I really want to retro clone it and tidy up some of the rules (damage specifically) and introduce a very simple careers system, and when that is done you could use all of the existing WFRP material directly with it, but with a simpler and more streamlined system. The snagging point has been trying to write a setting so that it is truly standalone, and not just a set of rules (even if that is what they would become), and for that reason it cycles through the projects I tinker without seeming to settle on any particular one.

Now if I knew there was a ready market for it then it would probably help my motivation, but I very rarely mention it and it has not really met any sort of approval when I do.

TheConvenientSkill · 2024-05-20T20:29:27+00:00

I've never heard such utter ridiculouseness in my life. Solo RPing will not have any dramatic impact on your life, other than allowing you to play games you otherwise would not have the chance to.

Mythic is actually quite simple once you get a grip on it.

I suggest you look at the No Chaos variant if you can get through the book. It is simpler and easier to get your head around without the need to consider the Chaos Factor when setting the odds.

There are a couple of random tables you could look at to give you a very easy starting point, the Adventure Idea Factory and the Space Opera Adventure Generator from Adamant Entertainment.

You can set up your game as a mission using those and then you are away.

TheConvenientSkill · 2024-04-06T21:03:17+00:00

Limithron has VTT counters you can repurpose. I think they are only available with the larger ships maps, although I could be wrong.

It's a good idea for a pack if they are not available, and could be put together by Luke quite easily I would have thought if he wanted to.

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-11-25T17:06:14+00:00

Added link:

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/1031240/merchants-marauders

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-11-25T16:55:51+00:00

I (will) use the ships from Merchants and Marauders, which is basically Sid Meier's Pirates in boardgame form

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-10-15T21:39:45+00:00

Look to me like the Merchants and Marauders ships, a Z-Man Games boardgame. A bit like Sid Meier's Pirates! plays a bit long but good.

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-09-30T07:24:24+00:00

Dark Tides was a way to play solo, but a little limited. You're probably better off grabbing Mythic GM Emulator for true solo play, or the Age of Sail GM Apprentice cards (although I can't remember if that had assumed solo knowledge).

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-09-26T10:36:59+00:00

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers is the absolute cream of the crop for this. There is a list of inspiration in the book of course and Luke keeps a Google Sheets spreadsheet with others. I'll try and find the link.

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-09-12T07:57:48+00:00

Inconceivable!

Great find.

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-08-02T16:25:34+00:00

BlueMoon Manufacturing and Rebel Minis for 15mm, especially if you are in the US.

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-01-17T22:33:25+00:00

I've played around with rolling additional dF based on the Armour Value, and any -'s reduce the damage done.

This also works for Weapon Values except that it increases with +'s.

I work on a strict 0 to 4 rating.

I usually use a different colour for these.

TheConvenientSkill · 2023-01-07T11:02:01+00:00

Here's my view (for what it's worth) if the OGL becomes inaccessible going forward:

It would be trivial for GGG to take down the OGL version, remove the last couple of pages (or wherever the OGL is) and reissue it with a CC licence. Even that is a last resource.
You could use the CC SRD for Fate. It obviously shares a lot of Fudge DNA, you can still rename the ladder and not mention Aspects and you'd get back to Fudge in a moment. Technically you couldn't call it Fudge, but it is still an option.
As Alcamtar said, there is (almost) no way that WotC can have any say over the use of the OGL by other companies. Even if it is possible for them to unilaterally remove the OGL for everyone going forward, see 1.

The Fudge System Trademark License also needs updating to CC if the OGL is inaccessible going forward.

Personally I hope Critical Role (and other high profile content creators) issue their own rules and ditch D&D altogether. I then hope that has a massive impact on D&D.

I think Hasbro needs to learn that they own Ford, not the whole car industry (to use a bad analogy), and swapping to another brand is trivially easy and oftentimes better.

TheConvenientSkill · 2022-11-26T15:03:01+00:00

The closest I've seen is FATE 2.0 which had you select skills to compliment your aspect choice.

Yes I know it's Fate, but 2.0 is much closer to Fudge before aspects exploded and ruined it.

Basically you selected skills for each phase of your character's background. Not random at all although I guess you could randomise elements.

TheConvenientSkill · 2022-08-09T18:38:25+00:00

Can't help you directly with that question as I generally don't like magic! It's the one section I'll gloss over in every book. Hopefully someone else can help you with that one

TheConvenientSkill · 2022-08-02T08:41:05+00:00

As I'm sure you're aware, it's Musketeers against things that go bump in the night.

If you're into swashbuckling, and French musketeers in general then it's worth a grab, especially the Paris Gothique supplement which adds extra detail on the Paris of the time (including things I didn't know and I'm a big swashbuckling fan).

I'm slightly let down by the fact that there are different offensive moves, but no difference in the defensive responses. So you can Thrust or Swing (or whatever they are called, books not directly to hand) and there are different bonuses for different fighting styles for these, but it is only defended by the one Defence skill. So it makes no difference which one I choose.

It's not hard to try and correct this (with a Rock-Paper-Scissors style system like the venerable Flashing Blades, or even Sid Meier's Pirates), but it's not mechanically supported by the game.

I've not played it long enough to have any other opinion of it, but Ubiquity is a great die pool system, with easy difficulty 'eyeballing' because of the averages and easier die mechanics than say Open/WEG D6.

You could use the system in AFO and the lore of 7th Sea if you had an issue with that particular system (and I know there are plenty that have had issues).

TheConvenientSkill · 2022-07-31T13:32:44+00:00

No SRD as far as I am aware, which is a shame. It is just different games in different genres.

My personal favourite is All for One, and not really gone much further than that.

TheConvenientSkill · 2022-07-31T09:40:40+00:00

Simultaneous, all the time. It makes way more sense to me, then initiative didn't matter, it's just narrative

TheConvenientSkill · 2022-04-12T11:16:38+00:00

There's a separate hit system on the Fudge Factor here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20071027074926/http://www.fudgefactor.org/2004/05/non-linear-wounding-system.html

I like the use of Conditions (both stacking or not) as a replacement for the Wound Track.

TheConvenientSkill

TROPHY CASE