Truck Amok (a one-page adventure for QAGS)

You’re Bobby Joe Sludge, apocalypse trucker. You’ve been hired to take this load of toilet paper and beer across the irradiated badlands to the good people of Possum Junction. All you have to help you is your truck, your guts, and your grampa’s old shotgun. Best get a move on, son!

A ways back, in November, I put together a one-page adventure for QAGS. We passed it out for free at the Hex Games booth at Archon with our schedule of events on the back. I meant to share it earler, but well... time makes fools of us all.

Truck Amok is a post-apocalypse adventure designed for one player and one GM, although I imagine it can be expanded pretty easily to accomadate a group of players. You can play it using the free QAGS Qik Start rules, or you can adapt it to your favorite rules-lite RPG system.

You can download the PDF here, or check out the JPG file below.

Anthropic Manifestation of Shattered Time [QAGS and Hobomancer]

The Sneaky Snakes bound VLHRG the Time Wyrm in an attempt to rewrite history so their antediluvian empire never fell and the word remained under the thrall of those Valusian reptiles. 

Thankfully, a plucky band of Hobomancers gathered the Cosmic Tchotchkes and brought them to the Infinite Switchyard, where they were able to banish VLHRG back to the Outer Dark.

One of the final threats the Sneaky Snakes brought against the Hobomancers was the Anthropic Manifestation of Shattered Time.  This creature is appears as an eight-foot-tall, vaguely-simian energy form made of shards of light, like stained glass swirling around a liquid silver core.

Anthropic Manifestation of Shattered Time

Body: 16

Brain: 8

Nerve: 18

HP: 32

YY: 10

Job: Time killer (16)

Gimmick: Time made manifest (14)

Weakness: Weak against structural magic (12)

WWPHITM?: Undefinable.

Tagline: “Become unmade…”

Dumb Fact: He remembers you. You. The player. Everything about you.

Game Notes

•The Manifestation’s melee attacks have a Damage Bonus of +4. Targets of its attacks grow older or younger. If damage suffered by the target is an even number, it grows older. If brought to 0hp by even damage, the victim falls to ash and dust. If the damage suffered is an odd number, it grows younger. If brought to 0hp by odd damage, the target collapses into a pile of nonviable stem cells.

•The Anthropic Manifestation of Shattered Time has no solid form. Attacks from non-magical sources inflict only 1 point of damage on the Manifestation and cannot be increased with Yum Yums.

•As a “boss-monster” GMC, the creature’s “Time made manifest” Gimmick is broadly defined. It allows the Manifestation to manipulate time in weird and unpredictable ways. When used against another character, it can be resisted with Nerve or a magical-type job (Like “Hobomancer”). Example uses of the power include “Time Locking” a character to prevent them from acting until they can break free; forcing a creature to reroll a die or take a different action; or summoning temporal doppelgangers to help it in battle.

•As a magical creature of shattered reality, the Manifestation is weak against magic that builds, creates, or binds. When subjected to such magics, the Manifestation must make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness takes effect, it is not allowed to make any roll to resist the incoming spell.

Gencon and Hobomancers in Time

Happy D20 is also totally stoked for Gencon!

The family and I leave for Gencon tomorrow. I've spent today packing and finishing the last bits of preparation for the trip. I am very much looking forward to seeing my friends and my tribe again.

Along with several other people from Hex Games, I am running games again this year. Specifically, I am running three sessions of Hobomancers in Time. Most of the Hobomancer games I've run center around a small town where an evil man summons some kind of monster. I wanted something different this year, so I decided to go a little cosmic. This time the Hobomancers have to hop around time and space collecting cosmic tchotchkes to defeat VLHRG the Time Wyrm. This game was largely inspired by the improved time-traveling Hobomancer game Leighton Connor and I ran last year. I've built upon it significantly.

I crafted a Fantastical Time Spinner from an old Twister spinner. In each session, the hobomancers will have to travel to three different time eras. I have nine eras prepared, but I won't know which ones they'll travel to until the players spin the spinner. Nine different periods of history, nine different tchotchkes. There are some they might never go to. I'm excited by this random element.

Behold, the Fantastical Time Spinner!

Of course, with time travel there;s always the danger of Chrono-Distortion. In the case of distortion, the Hobomancer crew will have to roll on the table that I am going to share with you now:

1d12	Chrono-Distortion	Game Effect
1	The crushing ennui of the nonlinear traveler	All dice rolls made with 1d30.
2	The sublime competence of mediocrity	All dice rolls made with 1d16.
3	Behold! The Bell-Curve!	All dice rolls made with 3d6.
4	Mirror universe incursion	All players give their character sheet to the player on their left.
5	Now I am become the Song!	All Yum-Yums spends are twice as effective.
6	Windfall of Synchronicity	All players get 4 Yum-Yums!
7	This is the darkest timeline	+3 to all PCs’ Weakness scores.
8	Fluctuating visions of the future	PCs use a predetermined number array instead of rolling dice.
9	Reflection of choices unmade	PCs switch Job and Gimmick scores.
10	Memetic reconditioning	PCs rearrange Skill scores.
11	I sing the song of the Songlines	+2 to PCs’ Hobomancer Jobs.
12	The Song is silenced	-2 to PCs’ Hobomancer Jobs.

Fun right?

We're supposed to pull into Indianapolis on Wednesday, and we'll be there until Sunday. If you're going to Gencon too, feel free to hit me up on G+ or Twitter.

All set? You bet!

Hobomancer Dogs

Yes, I know that's a wolf...

What kind of hobo doesn’t have a loyal and scrappy dog by their side? Only the saddest kind of hobo, that’s what I say. And of course magical hobos need equally magical dogs. Now, you too can play a Dog in Hobomancer!

You were once a normal pooch, but the Good Dog blessed you with the supernatural intelligence and tenacity necessary to aid and protect your Hobomancer charges.  To play a dog, create your character like any other Hobomancer. For you Hobomancer Power, write “Dog.” For your Past Life, determine what kind of dog you were before you were blessed by The Good Dog (cattle dog, family pet, police hound, etc.)

As a dog, you have paws and are limited in your ability to manipulate things, but savvy players can easily overcome this limitation. You cannot talk, but you understand English and can read hobo signs. As a mystic familiar, you can assist with hobomantic ritual magic. Hobos and hobomancers instinctively know your name (“I dunno, he just looks like a Charley.”) Also, most people like dogs, often times more than they like other humans.

Samples Uses of “Dog” Power

• Use “Hobomancer” to attack with a +2 Damage Bonus due to your teeth and jaws.
• Use “Hobomancer” to detect the presence of supernatural creatures and phenomenon or determine the moral disposition of a human. ("Ol' Jake here can tell a bad man when he sees one.")
• Soothe mental and physical trauma by placing your head in the afflicted’s lap and being a good dog. Spend a Yum Yum and roll your Hobomancer Job. If successful, your target heals 1 Health Point per minute up to the result of your roll.

Vows: Any, but most focus on protection and loyalty.

QAGS and Cavemen

Between renovating and moving into the new house, along with getting ready for Gencon, I have let the blog slip a bit. Things should be back to normal in August. For now, though... courage!

QAGS and Cavemen

My current project for Hex Games involves a prehistoric "Cavemen and Dinosaurs" QAGS setting (working title: Dinosaur Act). It' s mostly inspired by old Ray Harryhausen and Bert I. Gordon movies like One Million Years B.C. I'm not attempting scientific accuracy.My general conceit is to depict cavemen and dinosaurs the way I imagined them at age 12.

Plus I get to use plastic dinos and cro-mags as miniatures, so that's fun.

I'm running a test adventure for the setting at Gencon this year, and I'm letting my players make their own PCs. To help them out, I put together a big list of Cavemen QAGS Words, and now I'm going to share it with you.

JOBS

Hunter, Warrior, Scout, Shaman, Healer, Midwife, Prophet, Beast Keeper, Dino Rider, Gatherer, Crafter, Storyteller

GIMMICKS

Ancestral Weapon, Hard to Kill, Feat of Strength, Animal Friend, Sharp Senses, Loyal Hunting Dog, Fleet fo Foot, Guided by Spirits, Lucky, Inspiring Story, Great Endurance, Natural Leader, Per Dinosaur, Fertile, Burly, Handsome

WEAKNESSES

Sickly, Born Under a Bad Sign, Small, Clumsy, Monster Bait, Dull Senses, Bully, Overconfident, Prideful, Lone Wolf, Haunted, Smells Like Prey, Foolish, Bestial, Lazy, Doomed, Battle Scars, Jinxed, Past Your Prime, Ugly

SKILLS

Archery, Wrestling, Running, Leadership, Intimidation, Hallucinogens, Cave Painting, Smoke Signals, Child Birthing, Bird Calls, Boasting, Trepanning, Spear, Sling, Skulking, Snares, Wound Binding, Weaving, Skinning, Pottery, Flint Knapping, Fire Making, Weather Sense, Dog Training, Tracking, Storytelling, Listening, Tool Making, Foraging, Club, Leaping

WWPHITM?

Ron Perlman, Jason Mamoa, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Raquel Welch, Richard Kiel, Richard Moll, Johnny Depp, Paul “The Big Show” White, Nick Nolte, Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, Lucy Lawless, Danny Trejo, Jack Black, Tony Todd, Ving Raimes, Steve “Dollar Sign” John$on, Madds Mikkelsen, Benicio del Toro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronda Rousey, John Goodman, Carl Weathers, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Rosario Dawson, James Purefoy, Charlize Theron, Megan Gale, Grace Jones, Sandahl Bergman, Samuel L Jackson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Karl Urban, Chris Pratt, Rosie Grier, Lou Ferrigno, Gina Torres, Mako

Gencon Games 2015 (QAGS!)

Games registration for Gencon starts today in just a couple of hours. The Hex Games crew will be running several events this year, and I will be running four QAGS games myself.  Our games havea good history of selling out, so jump on them while you can!

You can see a list of all of the Hex Games events HERE. (You will need to log into the Gencon site.)

Meanwhile, here's a run-down of the games I am running...

UPDATE: Sweet cimmeny Crom! Within three hours of registration opening, two of my games had sold out, and the other two each had one seat left open. As of right now (seven hours after registration), only Death on a Dangerous Planet has an open seat left. This is supremely flattering.

Overall, 12 out of 20 QAGS games have already sold out. Our remaining eight games have only 21 seats left between them. Man, sign up while you can! Exciting!



Hobomancer: The Blight from Beyond (Thursday 7pm)

It’s the height of the Great Depression, and those all-American shamans known as Hobomancers ride the rails defending the soul of this great nation from all manner of supernatural evil. Something uncanny is mutilating cattle out in Big Sky Country, and now it hungers for human prey. It’s up to you to stop this unknown terror before the land is torn asunder!


Cavemen & Cro-Mags (Friday 10am)

It’s a million years in the past. Mighty reptiles prowl the volcanic jungles of a primitive Earth while fur-clad humans lurk in caves and commune with tribal spirits. A rival tribe has stolen your people’s totem, bringing doom upon your kin. You and your hunting partners must travel to the Valley of Ash and retrieve the sacred object. It’s anachronistic stone age adventure in a time that never was!


Death on a Dangerous Planet (Friday 3pm)

t’s the height of the Cold War, and a strange new planet has been discovered orbiting an exotic star. Planetary Expedition Alpha has disappeared, and it’s your mission to find them. But beware, the Soviets have sent their own teams to this dangerous, psychotropic world. You must overcome enemies both familiar and alien and secure this new world for America.


War Apes of Gorgamoth! (Saturday 12pm)

A savage time in an untamed land calls for heroes of blood and steel! Your band of bold adventurers has been captured by the dreaded War Apes of Gorgamoth. You are doomed to a short life of brutal toil in the Bloodmines unless you find the courage and strength to overthrow your inhuman oppressors. Pulp sword & sorcery action awaits!

Thorne of Vancia (For Three Systems!)

Hey, buddy, let  me tell you about my character...

A few years back, the Hex Games crew started an on-going pulp sword & sorcery campaign. We rotate GMs and play whenever all of us have a chance to get together, so y'know, once a year if we're lucky. The adventures have been a lot of fun, and our characters all follow a couple basic premises about S&S heroes:
1) Pulp sword & sorcery heroes are extraordinarily competent.
2) Pulp sword & sorcery heroes are kind of terrible people.

How YOU doin'?

Our episodic adventures have been mostly deconstructive pastiches of old S&S tropes. Our characters are all deeply broken men who willingly put themselves in danger for nebulous rewards. The once-pleasant little fishing village where we chose to set up shop has become a den of vice, corruption, and degradation thanks to our presence.  It's been a lot of fun.

My character is Thorne of Vancia, a knock-off of the Grey Mouser.  Thorn ap Dion was the middle child of a rich merchant family from the decadent city of Vancia (a city I've recycled and fleshed-out for Pangloss). He had to leave his home after he "accidentally" murdered his fencing instructor. He has since wandered the world as a mariner, a gladiator, a mercenary, and a rogue. While serving as henchman for the sorcerer Varnum the Mad, he picked up a few minor magical tricks. When he left the sorcerer's service, he also stole a trunk full of unknown charms and talismans. Thorne hates the savage wilderness and longs for the decadent comforts of civilization. He is a quick-witted rogue of low character with a preference for opium, fortified wine, and unsavory women.

In adventures ran by Steve Johnson, Ian Engle, and Leighton Connor he helped loot the lost temple of Pikus the Fish God, liberated a tribe of bird-people, and stole the sword Nurandrel from an angel of Death. He has since pried the jewels from the sword's hilt and sold them for drugs. He has also had a year of his life magically drained away due to poor life choices.

Thorne was originally made for QAGS. I thought it would be neat to see what he looks like under two of my other favorite games, Fate Accelerated and Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition). I have two different listing for D&D--one with Thorne as a lowly 1st level beginner and one with him as a more-competent 5th level veteran.

I think it's interesting to contrast and compare the same character across three very different systems to see how the mechanics of each system switches focus on different aspects of the character. It's also neat to see how easily QAGS maps to FAE and vice-versa. Job and Weakness easily become High Concept and Trouble, while Gimmick and even Tagline provide additional aspects. Skills help inform Stunts, as well. For D&D it's nice to see that the Arcane Initiate feat works well enough for "the guy that messed around with magic a bit in the past" without having to go full-blown Arcane Trickster or multiclass Wizard.

QAGS

Thorne of Vancia

Body: 12

Brain: 11

Nerve: 14

HP: 12

YY: 3

Job: Vagabond Ne’er-do-well (15)

Gimmick: Magical Dabbler (11)

Weakness: Hedonist (11)

Skills

Trading +1

Fast Talk +2

Scimitar +2

Swordplay +3

WWPHITM?: Robert Downey Jr.

Tagline: “Style beats skill nine times out of ten.”

Dumb Fact: Has never been a pirate

Gear

Scimitar  (+3 Damage Modifier; medium, sharp)

Short Sword (+2 Damage Modifier; small, sharp)

Pockets full of minor charms and doo-dads

FATE Accelerated

Thorne of Vancia

High Concept: Vagabond Ne’er-do-well

Trouble: The pleasures of the flesh

Other Aspects: Magical dabbler, “Style beats skill nine times out of ten,” Wayward middle son of House Thorne

Approaches

Flashy +3

Quick +2

Sneaky +2

Careful +1

Clever +1

Forceful +0

Stunts

Because I use a blade in each hand, I get +2 when I Flashily Attack multiple combatants in melee.

Because I dabble in minor magics, I get +2 to Cleverly Create Advantage when using petty sorcery.

Because you never know what I’ve stashed in my pockets, once per session I can automatically add an aspect to a scene thanks to some handy item I happen to have on my person.

Refresh: 3

Stress: OOO

D&D 5th Edition (level 1)

Thorne ap Dion

Race: Human

Class/Level: Rogue 1

Background: Noble
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

AC: 14 (leather armor)

HP: 10 

Hit Die: 1d8

Prof Bonus: +2

STR: 10 (-)

Save +0

*Athletics +2

DEX: 16 (+3)

*Save +5

**Acrobatics +7

Sleight of Hand +3

*Stealth +5

CON: 14 (+2)

Save: +2

INT: 12 (+1)

*Save +3

Arcana +1

*History +3

Investigation +1

Nature +1

Religion +1

WIS: 8 (-1)

Save -1

Animal Handling -1

Insight -1

Medicine -1

Perception -1

Survival -1

CHA: 15 (+2)

Save +2

**Deception +6

Intimidation +2

Performance +2

*Persuasion +4

ORIGIN

Noble

Feature: Position of privilege

ATTACKS

Dual Shortswords: +5/+5 (1d6+3/1d6)

Dagger: +5 (1d4+3)

PROFICIENCIES

Armor: Light Armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbow, longswords, rapiers, shortswords

Tools: Thieves’ tools, playing card set

LANGUAGES

Common, Thieves’ Cant, Draconic

ROGUE ABILITIES

Expertise

Sneak Attack 1d6

FEATS

Magic Initiate (sorcerer)

TRAITS

Speed: 30’

SPELLCASTING

Cantrips Known:  Light, Prestidigitation

1st Level Spells: Sleep

Spell Save: DC 12

GEAR

Shortsword x2

Explorer’s pack

Leather armor

Dagger x2

Thieves’ tools

Set of fine clothes

Signet ring

Scroll of pedigree

TREASURE
GP: 25

INSPIRADO

PERSONALITY TRAIT: If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

IDEALS: I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family.

BONDS: Nothing is more important than the stout companions that I travel with.

FLAWS: I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.

D&D 5th Edition Version (Level 5)

Thorne ap Dion

Race: Human

Class/Level: Rogue 4, Fighter 1

Background: Noble
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

AC: 16 (studded leather armor + Dual Wielder feat)

HP: 39 

Hit Die: 4d8, 1d10

Prof Bonus: +3

STR: 10 (-)

Save +0

*Athletics +3

DEX: 16 (+3)

*Save +6

**Acrobatics +9

Sleight of Hand +3

*Stealth +6

CON: 14 (+2)

Save: +2

INT: 12 (+1)

*Save +4

Arcana +1

*History +4

Investigation +1

Nature +1

Religion +1

WIS: 8 (-1)

Save -1

Animal Handling -1

Insight -1

Medicine -1

Perception -1

Survival -1

CHA: 15 (+2)

Save +2

**Deception +8

Intimidation +2

Performance +2

*Persuasion +5

ORIGIN

Noble

Feature: Position of privilege

ATTACKS

Dual Rapiers: +6/+6 (1d8+3/1d8+3)

Dagger: +6 (1d4+3)

PROFICIENCIES

Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, Martial Weapons

Tools: Thieves’ tools, playing card set, disguise kit, poisoner’s kit

LANGUAGES

Common, Thieves’ Cant, Draconic

ROGUE ABILITIES

Expertise

Sneak Attack 2d6

Cunning Action

ROGUISH ARCHETYPE (ASSASSIN)

Assassinate

FIGHTER ABILITIES

Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting

Second Wind

FEATS

Magic Initiate (sorcerer)

Dual Wielder

TRAITS

Speed: 30’

SPELLCASTING

Cantrips Known:  Light, Prestidigitation

1st Level Spells: Sleep

Spell Save: DC 12