AGE Authors Wanted!

Open Design wants to expand its coverage of the AGE System, to include a second adventure in Kobold Quarterly.  

Query koboldquarterly@gmail.com (with [KQ AGE Query] in the email header) if you have a 2800-4000-word AGE adventure idea suitable for the magazine. Midgard adventures are welcome! Additionally, Open Design needs designers skilled in converting Pathfinder RPG material to AGE. We have 3 adventures needing such attention. Query the email above and include [AGE Conversion] in your email header.

If you’ve been wanting to contribute to Kobold Quarterly, this is a perfect opportunity! All the best.

Art by Mike Vilardi

Progress is coming along quite nicely in my fan conversion of Star Wars for Dragon Age, “Age of Rebellion”, so I thought I would share the backgrounds I’ve put in the game.

They are really species, but they serve the same mechanical function as backgrounds do in the Dragon Age RPG.  Included in the game will be two different types of humans, Sullustan, Twi’lek, Rodian, and Wookie.

I am almost done writing set one, but I am playtesting my latest space combat design a bit more in depth before I release the conversion because I want to get it right.

So here they are, my backgrounds/species from Set 1 of Star Wars:  Age of Rebellion!

Download it here

You see, Newbie has been putting together a Star Wars hack of the AGE system and refuses to add Ewoks to the fold. Well, here is my attempt at bringing those adorable little cannibals to your table top.

Next: an Ewok Dark Jedi!

Hailing from the forest moon of Endor, these meter high bear-like primitives are known for the assistance they provided the Rebellion during the Battle of Endor against the Empire.

Playing An Ewok

If you choose to play an Ewok, modify your character as follows:

• Add 1 to your Perception ability. Ewoks are keenly aware of their surroundings at all times.
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Dexterity (Primitive Weapons) or Perception (Smelling)
• You can speak Ewokese and understand Basic.
• Choose a class. You can play as either a Soldier or a Scoundrel.
• Decide if you choose to be Force Sensitive or not. This choice cannot be changed later.
• Your speed = 8 + Dexterity – Armor Penalty (if applicable)

Roll twice on the accompanying table for additional benefits. Rolls 2d6 and add the results together. If you get the same result twice, reroll until you get something else.

Special: Ewoks are primitive and take a -2 penalty to the following tests:

• Cunning
  • Astrogation
  • Computers
  • Droids
  • Explosives
  • Galactic History Lore
  • Starship Engineering
  • Starship Shields
• Dexterity
  • Bowcaster
  • Piloting
  • Pistols
  • Rifles
  • Starship Gunnery

This was originally posted on my own blog: http://thatrobedguy.blogspot.com/

The barbarian in Diablo is a master of melee combat with the ability to leap attack, spin in a whirlwind of sharpened steel, and unleash powerful war cries to alter the course of battle. For the AGE system, it seems to be a good match for a strength-focused warrior that eventually takes either the berserker or champion specialization. Those who take the berserker specialization focus more on personal might while the champion’s abilities could easily be described as a barbarian’s war cries.

Diablo’s druid is a class capable of casting elemental spells, summoning animal and plant allies, and changing form into either a werewolf or bear. The spellcasting ability means that a druid should be a mage, but there isn’t really support for summoning or shapeshifting in set 1 or set 2 for Dragon Age. Luckily, it looks like both of those will be covered to some degree in the upcoming set 3 based on the playtest.

Barbarian of the North

Long ago, the barbarians of northern Sanctuary were tasked with the defense of Mount Arreat. The barbarians, who refer to themselves as Children of Bul-Kathos, have largely remained isolated in the Northern Steppes since being tasked with the protection of the holy mountain. Because of their isolation and disdain for sorcery and scholarship, the barbarians have a reputation as crude savages, but in truth they have a deep sense of duty and honor.

Playing a Barbarian of the North

If you choose to play a Barbarian of the North, modify your character as follows:

• Add 1 to your Strength ability. The barbarians are known for their might throughout all of Sanctuary.
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Constitution (Stamina) or Strength (Might)
• You can speak the Barbarian Tongue
• Take the warrior class.

Roll twice on the accompanying table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the result together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

Scosglen Druid

The druids of Scosglen were once part of the same tribes as the barbarians of the Northern Steppes, but chose a different path than the followers of Bul-Kathos. Rather than focus on physical might, the druidic people pursued a spiritual connection to nature and developed a form of magic unlike anything else in the world. Like the barbarians, the druids believe that they are a last line of defense against the powers of the Burning Hells.

Playing a Scosglen Druid

If you choose to play a Scosglen Druid, modify your character as follows:

• Add 1 to your Constitution ability. The people of Scosglen are hardy folk well suited to the northern forests.
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Communication (Animal Handling) or Cunning(Natural Lore)
• You can speak and read Druidic as well as either the Barbarian Tongue or the Western Tongue.
• Take the mage class. You may learn and cast spells from the elemental and nature schools.

Roll twice on the accompanying table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the result together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

While this preview only shows the Wookie background, you can deduce a few things about Enrique’s approach to some of the Star Wars staples and how he intends to deal with those in his conversion (Force sensitivity, I’m looking at you). The background is versatile enough that it can yield good old Chewbacca (Wookie soldier) as well as a variety of Wookie archetypes.

We’ll see what other surprises Enrique comes up with now that he’s on a roll turning notes into rules entries. As he sends us stuff, we’ll keep previewing them here to get everyone excited. For now, check out the Wookie.

Download:

• Star Wars: AGE of Rebellion – The Wookie (PDF; 45 KB)

Enrique will be wrapping up his Dragon Age RPG home game based around the plot of Dragon Age: Origins soon, and his group decided they would play Star Wars next. While they have yet to decide which version of Star Wars to use, Enrique went back to his notes and continued doodling away at his conversion. I woke up to find a string of tweets from him on the subject, including what he is finally naming his project: Star Wars: AGE of Rebellion.

While he’s still working on the bigger document (and considering his work schedule, who knows when that may be done), he did put a public link to the first 5 levels of the Scoundrel class for his conversion. So take a look, and if that gets you excited, let him know in the comments. Maybe we’ll get him to finish his hack sooner.

Download:

• Star Wars: AGE of Rebellion – The Scoundrel (Levels 1-5) (PDF; 12 KB)

Abilities (Focuses)
Communication 0
Constitution 0
Cunning 0
Dexterity 4 (Claws, Stealth)
Magic 6 (Reaping)
Perception 4 (Seeking)
Willpower 0

Combat Ratings
Speed: Fly 18
HP: 50
Defence: 14
AR: 0

Attacks
Claws +6 (1D6 + 6 penetrating damage)

Powers
Favoured Stunts: Seize The Initiative, Lightning Attack.

Spectral: Reapers are spectral beings, largely immune to physical harm. Magic and magical weapons affect them normally. An attacker can also perform a special spectral attack stunt for 3 SP when attacking a Reaper, which allows a normal attack to inflict its typical damage, with Magic being the ability used in the damage calculation.

Soul Seeker: The Reaper uses Perception (Seeking) in place of Perception (Tracking) for the purpose of tracking a target.

Reaping: The claws of a Reaper pierce both the flesh and the spirit. After a successful Claws attack a Reaper can immediately attempt one of 3 Reapings: Reap the Body, Reap the Mind, or Reap the Soul.

• Reap the Body: The Reaper makes a Magic (Reaping) vs. Constitution (Stamina) test against the subject of the reaping. If the Reaper succeeds it gains 1D3 advancement points in Constitution as well as any Constitution focuses that the subject possesses.
• Reap the Mind: The Reaper makes a Magic (Reaping) vs. Cunning (Arcane Lore) test against the subject of the reaping. If the Reaper succeeds it gains 1D3 advancement points in Cunning as well as any Cunning focuses that the subject possesses.
• Reap the Soul: The Reaper makes a Magic (Reaping) vs. Willpower (Self-Discipline) test against the subject of the reaping. If the Reaper succeeds it gains 1D3 advancement points in Willpower as well as any Willpower focuses that the subject possesses.

Reave: If a Reaper successful performs Reap the Body, Reap the Mind, and Reap the Soul attack on a single target then they can reave the spirit of that target as a major action. The target suffers 3D6+10 penetrating damage and suffers -1 to all social interactions and Willpower tests until the Reaper has been killed or their spirit has been recovered. After a successful Reave attack the Reaper will do one of two things:

• Doppleganger: The Reaper can take a major action and, for all intents and purposes, become the target that was the subject of the Reave attack. The Reaper takes on the appearance of the target and has all their knowledge and memories, as well as duplicates of their possessions and gear. The Reapers abilities and combat scores also match those of the subject (even if this decreases them), but the Reaper’s attacks are penetrating. The Reaper can return to its original form as a major action.
• Flee: If the Reaper is under the control of another and has been sent to reap the specific spirit of the subject of the Reave attack, then it immediately attempts to flee and return to its master.

March Monster Madness 2012 is over. This year I had 10 different monsters to choose from and the contestants did not disappoint. In the end, however, only one could be crowned winner.

Though a few critters really got me cackling with glee, three monsters tugged at my evil GM heartstrings the most: the Reaper, the One-Of-Many-Eyes, and the Flesh Legion.

The One-Of-Many-Eyes filled me with evil nostalgia, for who doesn’t love those floating orbs of multi-ocular death?

The Reaper was deceptive in its lethality until I caught on to its deadly versatility.

The Flesh Legion was just creepy to the core and I know I will have nightmares that will feature it.

So who was the winner?

The winner was The Reaper, created by Emmet “Saisei” Byrne, who wins a $10.00 gift certificate to RPGnow/DriveThruRPG!

The Flesh Legion was great in concept but I felt it needed a bit more polish in execution. That’s one monster I wanna see rewritten and posted here in the future.

The One-Of-Many-Eyes’ only fault was its familiarity, really. When it came down to the top two, I went for novelty over nostalgia.

The Reaper is elegant in its simplicity, almost underwhelming, until it gets a chance to use its multifaceted powers to steal from its victims body, mind and spirit, partly or whole. It was that aspect that won me over, really.

Drop by tomorrow to see the winning monster.

Congratulations to the winner, and many thanks to all participants. Until next year.

Creatures of Thedas: The Wyvern is a 5-page product detailing a new creature for the Dragon Age RPG.

Infamous for ferocity, the wyverns of Thedas are legendary to commoner and king alike. Bring these fearsome creatures from the “Mark of the Assassin” video-game DLC to your Dragon Age tabletop RPG campaign with this PDF containing complete statistics, game-world lore, and information on the notorious and rare hallucinogenic liquor concocted from wyvern venom.

The DLC includes information on appearance and behavior, folklore and cultural lore (especially for Orlesians), wyvern poison, tips on incorporating it into play and scaling suggestions. At first glance it looks like a solid and complete package on this one creature, and well worth the price.

I love the format and I can’t wait to see what more we’ll get from the team at Green Ronin down the line.

Go buy it today!

Explorer by Chris Ocampo.

You can never be too young, too rich or have too many specializations. Here are four specializations I’ve been developing as part of my Eberron mod for the AGE system, which in turn is based on Josh Jarman’s ‘Dragon Hack.’ Some of the inspiration for these came from Pathfinder prestige class powers, 4th edition paragon paths and random creative thoughts. Hope you like them!

Explorer

Mage, Rogue and Warrior Specialization

Explorers yearn to discover new lands and peoples, sometimes for fame and glory but often just for the sheer joy of finding something new. They are adaptable, and are never satisfied with staying in one place for long.

Explorer Talent

Class: Mage, Rogue or Warrior.

Requirement: You must have Cunning and Perception 3 or higher.

Novice: You have a knack for finding your way. You gain a +1 bonus to all Cunning (Cartography), Cunning (Navigation) and Perception (Searching) tests when trying to find or follow a path or directions, or read a map.

Journeyman: Your travels have made you resourceful. You can perform the Resources at Hand stunt for 3 SP rather than the usual 4.

Master: Travelling far has made you quick to learn. You can learn a new language in half the time it usually takes, and can ‘get by’ in only week or so. You love to seek out the new, gaining a +1 bonus to all Cunning (Cultural Lore) and Cunning (Navigation) tests when in a region or country you have never been to before. This bonus applies for a month or so, or until the GM rules you have started to settle there.

Protector

Warrior Specialization

A protector keeps his allies safe on the battlefield, putting himself in harm’s way to keep his friends or charges alive. Protectors are commonly found in the personal bodyguards of kings and nobles.

Protector Talent

Class: Warrior.

Requirement: You must have Strength and Perception 3 or higher, and Weapon and Shield Style (Novice).

Novice: You strive to protect your allies. As a Minor action you can extend your shield arm: one adjacent ally can benefit from your shield’s defense bonus instead of you until the start of your next turn.

Journeyman: You know how to use shields effectively in combat. The defensive bonus gained from all shields is increased by +1.

Master: You can put yourself between a friend and an enemy. When using the Defensive Stance stunt you can designate one adjacent ally who gains the Defense bonus—instead of you—until the start of your next turn.

Soldier

Warrior Specialization

The soldier is a defensive fighter, relying on the discipline and training of his unit to form an unbreakable wall against which his enemies break themselves. The soldier fights best as part of team, taking strength from his comrades.

Soldier Talent

Class: Warrior.

Requirement: You must have Strength and Cunning 3 or higher.

Novice: You are trained to fight better in a phalanx. When adjacent to another warrior you gain +1 to attack rolls, and +1 to all Communication (Leadership) tests.

Journeyman: You have drilled exhaustively. You can use a shield together with a two-handed spear or polearm, but the shield provides 1 point less Defense bonus.

Master: You can form a shield wall. When using a shield, and adjacent to another warrior using a shield you gain a +1 bonus to Defense. This can be applied to a warrior on each side of you, for a possible +2 Defense bonus.

Spy

Rogue Specialization

Spies are masters of information gathering, employing a variety of techniques to achieve their furtive goals. Although many spies are loyal servants of their country, some are mercenary in outlook, selling information to the highest bidder.

Spy Talent

Class: Rogue.

Requirement: You must have Communication and Perception 3 or higher.

Novice: You are skilled in the arts of deception and intrigue. Choose one ability focus from the following list: Communication (Deception), Communication (Disguise), Communication (Investigation), Cunning (Cryptography). If you fail a test using this focus you may re-roll it, but you must use the results of the second roll.

Journeyman: Your mind is capable of picking out unusual patterns and connections between things. You can perform The Object of your Attention stunt for 2 SP rather than the usual 3.

Master: You are not who you seem to be. You can adopt an assumed identity (or alias) and gain +1 to all Communication (Deception) and Communication (Disguise) tests when in that guise. It takes a minimum of 15 minutes to assume the identity. You can have a number of aliases equal to your Communication but it may take several days or even weeks to establish each one. The GM should reward the creative use of these aliases: if they are used frequently and in the right way the bonus may increase and the alias may become more resistant to exposure.