Traditional D and D Style Game

[Mike_Everley]

Hi, Working on an Ace game in the D and D Style. Have completed character selection and the first three quests. Half way through the fourth quest. Will post a draft version when this is completed. But, only scratched the surface so far. Action in 2 Cantrefs of the 5 in Temperateland Realm and the game has 4 Realms! So game will not be completed for a long time. The following is an outline of what will eventually be the accompanying guide. Comments welcomed.. Both good and bad!

TRADITIONAL STYLE DUNGEON AND DRAGONS GAME (More detailed version in attached PDF file)

Background:

The action takes place in the Four Realms, a group of four large islands under common governance. The islands are: Desertland Realm, Greenland Realm, Iceland Realm and Temperateland Realm. Temperateland Realm is divided into the following five Cantrefs: Ambrosia Cantref, Caerwen Cantref, Castleton Cantref, Dragonfell Cantref and Sigorveld Cantref. Your character starts the game in Rose Cottage, located in the mountains of Caerwen Cantref.
        
Before You Start:

Keys:

The following keys will be helpful: 

Arrow Keys - Movement
Shift + Arrow Key - Dash
Esc - Toggle Main Menu
A - Help Files (Also from Main Menu)
S - Bestiary (Also from Main Menu)
Enter - Action Key
Alt + Enter - Toggle Full Screen

Help Files:

The Help Files contain valuable information:

Basic Information (See Below)
Learn Skill (Explains principle)
EXP Curve (Explains principle)
Equipment (Outlines what each Character Class can use)
Race Statistics (Basic details)
Class Statistics (Basic Details)
Accessories (Explains principle)
Alignment (Explains principle and reveals current position)
Items (Explains principle)
Companions (Allows you to show, hide and gather)

Basic Information:

Shows the following:

Quests: Undertaken, Completed, Turned Down 
and Abandoned. Also number of Companions
and Money owed to each (in Gold)

Tools: Whether Lantern, Pickaxe, Shovel, Rope,
Map and Spellbook in Inventory

Training Courses: Cooking, Smithy and
Alchemy and Training Level achieved

Battles: Fought, Won, Escaped From and
Number of Enemy Killed

Alignment: Lawfulness, Morality,
and Alignment

Personality: Recklessness and Greed.

Starting The Game:

Riddle:

To start the game you need to answer a random riddle. Ensure the first letter of your answer is a Capital and the rest are low case. Use a space where more than one word is required. The correct answer will fit exactly the allocated spaces for your answer. If stuck try another riddle, if really stuck, Goggle the riddle.

Selecting Character:

Firstly, you need to select a Race for your character from the following:

Dwarf
Elf
Halfling
Human

At this stage there are details on each Race you can view before
reaching your decision.

Secondly, you need to select a Class for your character from the following:

Cleric
Fighter
Rogue
Wizard

At this stage there are details on each Class you can view before
reaching your decision.

This means that you can effectively select from the sixteen characters.

Note: you can reselect at any stage if you change your mind.

Naming Your Character:

Once you have confirmed your choice you can name your character and give them a nickname if you wish. 

Note: you cannot now reselect or change your character.

Setting Alignment:

Finally, you need to set your character's Morality (1-9) and their Law Abidingness (1-9) this will give them an Alignment Score between (1-81). Be careful, too high and they will not be able to steal etc, too low and they will be banned entry to churches etc. Their Morality and Law Abidingness scores will also allow or prevent certain actions, decide certain outcomes and allow or prevent certain Quests being undertaken.

Their actions in the game will also increase or decrease these scores, and also increase or decrease scores for Recklessness and Greed. Keep a careful eye on these in the Basic Information from the Help Files.

At the Start, the following is a rough guide to setting the scores:

Morality:
1-3 Evil
4-6 Neutral
7-9 Good

Law Abiding:
1-3 Chaotic
4-6 Neutral
7-9 Law Abiding

Playing The Game:

The game starts with your character in Rose Cottage. All the early Quests start in Rose Cottage and end there. Later, if you join the Explorers' Guild, Quests may also be picked up from the Notice Board in the Explorers' Guild Headquarters. 

Note: A rough map of Caerwen Cantref can be found in Rose Cottage, this will help you find your way around initially. But, an early visit to the Library is essential. Along with better maps you will find over 40 books of lore, religion, mythology etc to read. If you ask the Librarian, she will show you a catalogue listing where every book is located.

For some Quests you may require Companions, these can be found in the Long Room upstairs in the Green Parrot Tavern. But you will have to select them and negotiate payment with them. They return to the Green Parrot, if alive, at the end of each
Quest.

You can select up to three Companions for each Quest.

Note: any number up to and including three. The lower the number the less you have to pay them, but the greater the number the better the chance of staying alive.

Details of each Companion can be viewed before selection and this includes initial details and updated details if they have been on a previous Quest. The Companions are all initially at Level 2, they are:

1- Gerard Half Dwarf – Half Human Fighter.Trained at Eastbury Military Academy. Suffered abuse due to being mixed race.  
2- Carric Green Elf Cleric. Born in a small, traditional elven forest village. Trained at Trepa Seminary. Distrusts dwarves.  
3- Ethan Half Elf-Half Human Wizard. Ex Tutor at Necromancer Tower's Wizard Training Academy. Left to see the world.  
4- Bree Half Human-Half Halfling Rogue. Brought up on the streets of Oak Town by an old rogue named Felton, Abandoned by parents.  
5- Anna Human Banished Cleric. Expelled from Trepa Seminary for illegal use of magic in a vain attempt to save a friend.  
6- Milo Halfling.Rogue – Thief..Learned tp be quick with his wits and his tongue to avoid beatings from his drunken father.  
7- Kusunoki.Human.Samurai..Trained at the famous Kenjutsu Samurai School. Fell out with their Philosophy of non involvement and left.  
8- Caelynn White Elf Monk. Comes from a spiritual family. Her father was a cleric and her mother a monk. Both were killed by goblins.  

Note: Careful selection will create a balanced party. Also Classes Level Up at different speeds. For example: Wizards slowly but gaining great skills and powers when they do. Fighters much more quickly but gaining lesser skills and powers when they do. In addition all characters have the opportunity for exchanging EXP for learned skills early in the game.

Places To Visit:

These include:

Castles
Beaches
Items Shops
Herbalist Shops
Grocers
Weapon Shops
Armour Shops
Blacksmiths
Millers
Fairs (Only open every Greengrass Season)
Outdoor and Indoor Markets
Caves
Mountains 

Others You May Encounter:

Too many to mention, but including:

Tom Bombadil - Human Fighter
Farmer Giles - Chicken Farmer
Goblins
Dragons
Robbers
Dark Elves
Elven Sindar Order (Who believe that elves descended from the "Sky Walking" Sindar) 
Wayland the Smith
Sandyman the Miller

Best Wishes
Mike

[DerVVulfman]

First... Did you say Tom Bombadil? Am I gonna find Glorfindel or Celebrían? Be a shame if not. Glorfindel didn't make it to the movies......

Second... is there a working title? Or would it give too much away?

And third... the mechanics. Are you using the newer D20 or older THAC0 system, or using your own?

[Mike_Everley]

First...  Did you say Tom Bombadil?  Am I gonna find Glorfindel or Celebrían?  Be a shame if not.  Glorfindel didn't make it to the movies......

Second... is there a working title? Or would it give too much away?

And third... the mechanics.  Are you using the newer D20 or older THAC0 system, or using your own?

Hi,

Thanks for the interest. No real title as yet. I'll see where it goes first. Glad you liked Tom. A nod to JRR. I have a Tulkien in the game as an elven historian. He believed the elves descended from the sky walking Sindar. A nod to Arthur C Clarke and 2001. Just need to smuggle Asimov's Foundation in and we are away!

Made the Character Select system myself using events. Not sure exactly how the D20 or THACO systems work or how to apply. A problem being that, unlike in the game, only the player is really involved rather than a party and they could select any race, class and alignment level. So the game needs to offer choices that are limited by their previous choices. I would rather character development to come from previous choices made as in an existentialist sense, although luck also has a part to play with randomisation in place of dice throws. That is why it is a d and d style game rather than a replica. If that makes sense. However, randomisation will be introduced in the form of chances of avoiding poisoning etc. Higher if a cleric than a rogue for example. And chances of getting caught when stealing, if your alignment allows you to steal, higher for a cleric than a rogue.

I suppose one ending could be achieving a higher alignment than you started with. But that suggests a moral compass which isn't always present in d and d or fiction for that matter. Tolkien has it in the Lord of the Rings which basically is about temptation and the ability to resist it, while Grim in Game of Thrones doesn't and his, I suppose, in more in keeping with d and d. As an old fashioned socialist I suppose I prefer Tolkien's vision.

With regard to game mechanics,  basically it is a mainly evented game, with some borrowed scripts from Yanfly and Gav etc for enhanced message systems and regional restrictions etc. Would be glad to hear about ideas of how either D20 or THACO dice throws could be introduced. Would need different variables for different dice presumably. 1 out of 6, 1 out of 8 etc. Although perfect randomisation never works in any system either analogue or digital as there are always built in system biases.

Although the player selects companions for certain quests, they are not like players in table top versions who have their own agendas and roles. Also people can react to situations as they find them, while these companions are limited by their programming and it would be difficult to predict at the game development stage every situation that the player may place them in. Particularly as the game gets bigger and the choices for action wider.
On the plus side I have completed the 40 lore books using EST's Notebook system and the EXP curves using Dekita's system. Although I think I need to tweak the latter as otherwise the fighter's get to level 40 while the wizards are still on level 4. The lore books draw on d and d material, but I have invented a history, mythology and religion, but it a little brief.

I have added quite a few homemade maps using Profantasy's Campaign Cartographer 3 Plus.

Anyway, hope that answers you questions. Great to hear from you.

Mike