Combat in Pits & Perils Part II (Lethality)

Some reviewers have (rightly) noted that Pits & Perils produces generally more durable characters than its OSR counterparts, which can fundamentally alter the experience of a genre noted for its total party kills.  For instance, a first level magician (the weakest class physically) starts the game with a good 5 HP, whereas the average melee attack scores 1 point of damage.

Compare this to D&D, where a single orc can easily kill a first level fighter with one strike should they roll maximum damage with their sword, and this fact, combined with save-or-die poison and mechanical traps, generates a degree of lethality that many players have come to expect of the game. 

Now this is exhilarating, but P&P takes a different approach and does so for the reasons listed below:

(1) It affords the players more "dwell time" in the adventure, meaning they get to participate for at least a while, even if they eventually die (which can and does happen)... 

(2) Furthermore, it makes hit points an actual resource to be managed.  Think about it.  In D&D, random damage can easily bypass any supposed buffer afforded by having "more" hits, making it an unreliable measure.  Hit points in P&P are a more stable indicator of current survivability and, in general, reflect the party's previous choices and/or strategy, etc.       

Even so, death CAN happen, although we suggest reading Part I of this series before going on to learn how... 

But, for starters, understand that certain encounters should be nuisance affairs at best.  No total party kills, but the battle will drain hits and limited spells, making the group weaker for their next fight, often with little to show for it!

The threat of death is an
exhilarating and ever-present threat...

There are many ways to exploit P&P's unique rules to create an atmosphere of menace and lethality, some no further than the basic rulebook and some imagination:    

Animals and similar (natural) beasts having multiple attacks per round (typically, a bite and two claws) are dangerous because they have several chances to hit.  Often, these enjoy attack and/or damage bonuses per level/size for added danger.  For instance, a bear hits nearly half the time, dealing at least 2 points of damage; easily up to 6 per round with the right luck!

Wolves aren't quite as strong, but attack in groups, making them incredibly dangerous.  So be warned...

Some (less-natural) enemies, like gargoyles and ghouls, also get multiple attacks per round and have other special abilities, like a resistance to (normal) missiles or tunneling, etc.

Crocodiles, flytraps, and jellies can drown, digest, or otherwise swallow up their victims whole in a most terrible way...

And let's not forget the poisonous and/or venomous things, like spiders and snakes, who deal one or more dice of damage instantly if the victim fails to save.  Giant spiders, who seldom go alone, can paralyze their unlucky victims and trim the party's ranks when every sword and spell is needed to survive.

Now obviously, spell using enemies or those with special attacks that emulate magic are very dangerous.  Evil magicians don't need to worry about saving spells and will happily discharge several Bolts into the party before fleeing through the secret door only they know about, leaving the rest to face a hostile mob of goblin henchmen minus their fighter and/or magician (or elf)!

Such enemies abound, and the referee should use them...

There's safety in numbers, and
enemies will take full advantage of this... 

Humanoids, like goblins and orcs, are relatively weak* and will employ strategy to make up for this, often seeking safety in numbers when out on patrol.  These get the outnumbering bonus (+1) while their superior numbers hold and might be armed with bows or similar weaponry.  Poisoned (1d6) darts?  You bet!

Ambushes along walls (or narrow valley passes) are common and, whenever possible, archers will seek out cover to make any 
counterattack more difficult (-2).  Strategy is essential here, and miniatures are always useful in tactical situations.

Finally, stronger orcs might wear armor and employ two-handed weaponry for added (+1) damage.  This is common amongst chieftains, accompanied always by an elite bodyguard and possibly a guardian wolf in case enemies get too close.  All such encounters should be balanced and fair, but challenging nonetheless...

Of course, traps can also deal multiple dice of damage, and the referee should cleverly place these with an eye towards who set them and why.  Again, these can be undone by clever strategy.

None of this is meant to denigrate D&D, which we love for the exciting and lethal experience it offers.  But as play, inevitably, began to focus on role-playing and character identification, even its designers began to introduce rules to enhance character survival beyond a single bloody session.  Provisions like re-rolling any result of 1-2 for hit points (per the Moldvay game) attest to the basic need for survivability in an otherwise dangerous world!

*In general, the more enemies are present, the lower individual hit points should be (1 HP orcs in numbers are dangerous)...

Magic in Historical Settings...

In the winter of 168/169, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was engaged in large-scale warfare along the Empire's northern frontier, fighting several tribes in Czechia, including the Marcomanni and Quadi, and things were not going well at all...   

During this campaign, the XII Fulminata (Thundering Legion) was surrounded by the Quadi and very nearly forced to surrender because it had no water.  Fortunately, when disaster seemed inevitable, a heavy shower relieved the Romans.  Inevitably, given the period and politics involved, this "miracle" was seen as divine intervention, with several traditions surrounding it:

Initially, the event was attributed to an Egyptian sorcerer who successfully invoked the gods.  Alternately, the Christians asserted that devout legionaries had called down this badly needed rain via prayers to their own god in the manner of their faith.

Personally, we suspect coincidence and propaganda (the event was chronicled in a triumphal column), however, the whole affair underscores something important about historic fantasy and how magic and/or miracles might be presented in games... 

First, we have the world as it ACTUALLY WAS.  No working magic and many alleged miracles largely indistinguishable from coincidence; although hotly debated to this day.  This reinforces the historicity of a setting and emphasizes decision-making and role-playing over reliance on special powers and/or magical abilities.

The "rain miracle" was recorded on the
column of Marcus Aurelius, underscoring how magic and
miracles were understood and interwoven into
an otherwise mundane and "historical" world setting...

Alternately, we have the world as antiquity THOUGHT IT TO BE, complete with working magic and miracles.  Both must be reconciled in true historical fantasy.  This can be challenging because the extremes are generally at odds with each other and finding the right balance requires care, discretion, and research.

When developing historical games, regardless of system used, the following is good to keep in mind:

(1) Magic and/or miracles that are mostly indistinguishable from coincidence, but easily attributed to supernatural causes under the right circumstances, are desirable for obvious reasons.

(2) Where more obvious magic is present, it should be rare and otherwise correspond to what people actually thought about how magic worked and manifest itself.  This is where the research comes in, noting that big deviations can ruin things.

(3) It never hurts to emphasize the historical side of things, noting that while dramatic magical manifestations make for excellent fantasy, they deviate strongly from real events.

Remember, history can exist without functioning magic because it already did!  Proper historical fantasy, as opposed to mythological fantasy, draws much of its essence from the mundane tinged with enough of the supernatural (just enough) to give it atmosphere and not the other way around because, ultimately, it's the human element that really matters, and this absolutely transcends ALL genres!

Incarnations of Eddie...

Ok, we love Iron Maiden.  There, we said it.  And not just the classic albums from the 1980s, but their recent stuff as well, and in honor of their latest release (The Book of Souls), we present their iconic mascot, Eddie, imagined as a powerful cosmic entity for Pits & Perils, but easily tailored. 

ED T'HED (or in the vernacular, Edward The Head) is a powerful universal entity who appears much like a dry and desiccated corpse, although otherwise alive and kicking.  It is said that he somehow transcended death to become a cosmic being and now travels time and space in a variety of guises (beyond mentioning), taking numerous different forms as his need so requires...

Ed T'Hed can assume a staggering
number of incarnations as befits his purpose...

He normally appears as a 20th century English metalhead wearing jeans and a nondescript t-shirt.  Whether he originally lived 
in this time or simply has an affinity for it is unknown, although routinely travelling (by unknown means) through Earth's history, pursuing errands known only to him...

While basically neutral in outlook, Ed has a moral streak and is known to challenge demons and work to help those in need: 

ATTACKS 1(*) LEVEL: 10 (30 HP)  MOVE: 50'  SIDE: N 

NOTE: Ed (or Eddie) is treated as an enemy (monster) for hits and attack bonuses (+3 for level).  He typically eschews armor, preferring speed over added protection.  Having overcome death, he cannot truly be slain, rising again in 1d6+1 days, either in his standard form or something else that suits his purposes as per the referee and the adventure at hand...

Eddie is not a spell-caster, but may exhibit other powers suiting his current form, noting that he cannot normally switch between these during the same encounter, as this is tied to his current goal and fixed until it is done.  This may include artifacts that can only be used by him (being summoned from deep space) and cannot be taken from him through any ordinary means.    

Eddie's known manifestations include:    

BEAST-SLAYER EDDIE reputedly descended into the underworld and defeated a major demon lord.  In this incarnation, he wields a enchanted HAND AXE +1, +2 vs. demons and/or devils, although otherwise appearing in his customary form.  It should be noted that in this guise, he is impervious to normal fire.

Eddie, in beast-slayer form,
fears not even the mightiest of demons...

NOTE: Any roll of a natural (unmodified) 12 with this weapon requires the affected demon to roll saving dice or be decapitated instantly, referee so permitting!

POWERSLAVE EDDIE traveled into Earth's distant past and became revered as a god-pharaoh (a story unto itself), suffering death and subsequent burial and resurrection.  Here he appears as a living mummy or, alternately, a sphinx-like creature having a bite and two claws and treated as being large for damage.

With the right purpose, Eddie can
even survive his own death for a limited time...

NOTE: In this form, Eddie is essentially impervious to death, returning in 1d6 rounds (and at full hits), although only once per combat for balance.  This is his LIVE AFTER DEATH manifestation, something Eddie's been known to assume when slain before his present business has yet to be completed... 

TROOPER EDDIE wears a British Trooper uniform and often wields an enchanted UNION JACK that adds +1 to initiative, affecting both himself and any friends within sight of it.  He otherwise carries a powerful CALVARY SABRE +2.  In this form he can die per the above rules, although he will always make a last desperate charge, dealing an automatic 3d6 hits to the enemy if within range.

Eddie has an affinity for Earth and
its history, often fighting in important battles...

NOTE: Eddie can use both the Union Jack and his Sabre, holding one in each hand, conditions permitting.

Ed T'Hed has taken many other forms; including a space alien and, most recently, an Aztec Priest, or so reports claim.  Who knows what other visages await?  We encourage other like-minded gamers to present Eddie in their own systems, as this powerful being passes through countless universes on his many errands.  We love old-school gaming and old-school metal, so roll those dice and UP THE IRONS!

Barons of Braunstein Is Reborn!

Barons of Braunstein is back, as promised, reborn as a fully licensed product of David Wesley!  Anyone interested in getting it have two quick and easy ways to go here...    

(1) If you've previously purchased the Braunstein! game, all you need to do is download the update in your Drive-Thru RPG game library, and some of you might have already gotten the message sent out to accompany the release.  Easy!

(2) Visit Drive-Thru RPG here and get your copy...easy!

Not only is the game greatly expanded (up to 30 pages), it now includes original material from David Wesely, an Essay aptly entitled "Braunstein in the Middle Ages" to help set the stage and support games in his eponymous little setting...

It's back, this time with more
content and material by David Wesely himself!

And for the uninitiated, here's the lowdown: 

First, a little history lesson.  Back in 1967, Napoleonic gamer David Wesely tried something different.  Instead of having his players command an army, he placed his game between battles in the little town of Brausntein and had each assume the role of an important towns-person, like the mayor, each with their own goals and personal agenda.  Modern role-playing was born!

For awhile, these games came to be known as a "Braunstein", an evolutionary step between war-game and RPG.  The eponymously named Braunstein! aims to capture the experience of these games, but employing entirely different rules:

First, these games emphasized personal interactions, where individual decisions had consequence and were often the deciding factor in critical situations.

Next, the rules were minimal and simpler, because they were being invented on the spot, and for reasons already stated.

Finally, they were historical because, well, they evolved from historical war-games, although the fantasy stuff came soon enough and changed everything.  Yeah, forever.

This game tries to capture the above ethos, being suited for adventures between the 4-15th centuries, although expandable to the following two centuries as well...

The new Table of Contents
pretty much says it all content-wise...

And although a historical title, there's very simple rules (as a footnote to Appendix I), allowing for working magic and witchcraft, which we're dealt with here, if you're interested. 

Barons of Braunstein is expanded from its original format, with advanced rules for armor, shield walls, and participating in historical battles and even medieval sieges!  There's also an added section on religious appeals, including sacrifices to win divine favor, whether Hellenistic/northern pagan or Christian, noting that we still encourage you to hit up your local library too...