Ol' Gadda's Y2K-ish City Game (An update)

 

livin in the city - youtube

Howdy, Farmhands. 

    It's been a While, and I don't really have any excuse for that. No wait, yes I do- I got distracted. Did you know it's surprisingly easy to mod your 3ds? I didn't, but wow am I glad I did. Not only that, but Sonic Unleashed has a PC Port? Cancel all my plans! I have to mod Sonic's model into Spider-man and replace the BGM with the Pizza Time Music. Did you say I can play the Werehog levels as Donkey Kong? Next you'll say Chip can be swapped out for Hatsune Miku!

Finally, the game is Playable

    But neither of these excuses are proper apologies for silence on my end. I could very well have simply live-blogged my experiences with both of these and considered those Content. The truth is that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and opening up blogger and getting back into the swing of writing just felt insurmountable a task and something I could always do "Later." Surely this time, procrastinating will have a positive impact on my creative work!

Wait hang on what's that over there oh SHIT

    The large bulk of my creative energy has ACTUALLY been going into a new campaign! In-person, this time, with 4 players, two of whom I haven't run anything for before! And unlike my usual, online table of nerds who I've run multiple systems for over the years, these four didn't have any of the previous experience with my bullshit that usually acts as the foundation for expectations going into a new game I run. This meant I needed to not only prep a physical GM binder with the resources needed for a physical table, something I've always wanted to do but never invested the time in, I also needed materials that would adequately introduce them to my home setting and system of choice. It's a Cairn hack, by the way. If you've read almost any post by me, this shouldn't be a surprise.

    This, then, is a bit of a follow-up to Another Post I Made, specifically my Pirate Game Rules that I shoved out onto the internet in the event someone else decides to scour the blogosphere for breadcrumbs and my meager efforts are useful in at least pointing them in the right direction. This is an updated version of that, written for 4 people who have no background in what nonsense I'm going to drag them on. You, dear reader, probably won't find anything unique and novel here, but this is my blog and if I want to document my life as it progresses until it doesn't, then that's what I'll do lmao. I'll make a third post showing off the work done on that GM binder in the nearish future. And I'll finish my 20 drafts and start posting them regularly again. And I'll load the dishwasher. Probably.

Until Next Time,

    Farmer Gadda

DA RULES
(The following was sent as an undecorated PDF, the formatting of which looked prettier there.)
(Sorry if it doesn't translate to Blogger as well, I tried to clean it up.)

The Basic Shit

• This is a hack of Cairn, lol.

• If you do something Risky, roll 1d20 and aim to roll Below your relevant stat.

• There’s no Initiative and no To-Hit rolls, you go in turns and just roll damage.

• If you have any questions about anything at all, I'm to give you the information, no rolls required.

• You guys are supposed to try to be smart and solve problems without getting yourselves killed.

• I'm supposed to be neutral and not try to kill you guys.

• We all get to have fun in a big sandbox of adventures and npcs and shit.

 

 

SAVES: There is no “I Roll To-”. Unless the action is ridiculous or puts you At Risk, you can just Do It.
RISK: Whoever is most in danger rolls. Your job is to try and make plans so it’s the other guys rolling.
INVENTORY: You have 10 Slots on your person. Unless noted, most items take up 1 Slot. Fatigue ALSO takes up a slot. If your slots are full and you gain Fatigue, you must choose an item to drop.

FATIGUE: A card added to your Inventory when you overextend yourself. Takes up an Item Slot and requires rest to clear. You generally don’t want these.

 

Pick up items, come up with plans to use them in clever ways, and explore as you desire. That’s the game.

More Advanced Shit

Timekeeping

We’ll be keeping track of days and weeks passing, so managing time is genuinely a part of play. Different procedures use different spans of time (Wilderness travel uses Days, City exploration uses Watches, etc)

Procedures

Sub-rules that kinda act like independent Mini-games. The specific rules will be discussed before they become important, but Hex-crawling, Dungeon-Crawling, and Combat have specific patterns for you to follow.

Magic

Cairn Magic is based on keeping physical spell books in your inventory, and I’m not super about that. It’s not Anime Enough. Instead, you’ll “Learn” “Spells” as Named Techniques. You can use Techniques whenever you like, but might need a Save if it’s Risky. “In Combat” is always “Risky”

Worldbuilding

The “Setting” is not super fleshed out, and there’s no History book to study. Truths you guys wish to add or blank spaces you fill are valid, and if there’s something you really don’t like or wish to avoid, it can be changed or avoided as needed. This is a COLLABORATIVE game.

EXAMPLE: COMBAT PROCEDURE

1. Once Combat begins, time is tracked using Turns and Rounds.

2. The Party goes first unless noted by the GM.

3. On the Party's Turn, every member can Move and Perform an Action in either order.
   
   

Move: Up to "30 Feet" or between "Close" and "Near" ranges. Moving "Far" requires two turns of Movement.

Action: Using a Technique, Attacking with a Weapon, or any other Activity that requires focus to do.

4. On the Enemy's Turn, if a Party Member is attacked, they can choose to do 1 of these things-
   
   
   

Fight Back: Choose one attacker and roll to deal damage against it after you've taken the incoming damage.

Parry: Choose one attacker and roll to deal damage; if you roll higher damage than they, their damage is invalidated, and your roll is applied directly to their STR score. If you roll lower than they, your roll is invalidated and damage is applied directly to YOUR STR score

Dodge: Avoid being hit at all by bodily moving out of the way. Roll a Dex Save. On a Failure, this action costs 1 Fatigue to complete. You may choose to simply accept the hit.

Block: Tank the hit, but it's damage becomes Impaired (reduced to d4), you must have a Weapon or Shield for this. If you are willing, you may completely sacrifice the shield to negate all damage; the item will become irreparable.

5. After both the Party and Enemy have had Turns, the Round ends- The GM re-describes the scenario and the next Round begins.

Things to Know About Combat:

Dual Wielding and Teaming Up on a Guy: If more than one weapon is used on an Opponent in the same attack (unless marked as a multi-attack weapon like a boomerang I guess) all weapon dice are rolled and the Highest number used.

Morale Checks: Enemies that take half or more of their HP in damage make a WIS Save. Failing this check means they no longer wish to fight and will look for an out. You can purposefully try to convince or de-moralize your enemies to remove them from Combat faster. Groups of enemies take a group Morale Check after losing half their number OR their Leader.

Down: A Player Character at 0 HP is Down, and must choose between Moving and Performing an Action each turn, but not both.
Any further damage is taken from their STR score, requiring a Save against the new STR number to stay standing. If they fail, they are Out

Out: Unconscious and otherwise unable to participate in the battle.

Carry: Players may Carry a Downed member of their party. All attacks made during this time are Impaired(reduced to a d4), but for every round the Downed Member is Carried, they regain 1 hp.

EXAMPLE: DRINK POTIONS

Use

In Combat, 1 Drink may be Chugged each turn, before and separate from that PC’s Action. In order to Chug a Drink, the PC must have at least 1 hand free to hold the container, and 1 forehead free to crush the container against once emptied.

Burp

Failing a WIL save after Chugging a Drink results in a BURP, replacing your intended Movement and Action for the Round with a loud belch.

Crash

A floating value equal to the number of ENERGY tier Drinks consumed. At any point after accrusing any value of Crash, should the PC BURP, Fatigue equal to the Crash Value is instantly applied

Tiers

• JUICE:
  1d4, stacks up to 12, Served in Boxes. “Arguably Healthy, considering the amount of sugar.”

• SODA:
  1d6, stacks up to 6, Served in Cans
  Save against WIL or BURP
  “Carbonated, which makes the Magic Better or something.”

• ENERGY:
  1d8, stacks up to 3, Served in Tall Cans
  Save against WIL or BURP
  Drinking accrues CRASH
  “Contains the maximum recommended daily dose of various questionable chemicals”

   

1	HP	Recover (Fruit)	Juice
2
3
4	STR	Boost (Boost)	Soda
5	DEX
6	WIL		Energy

Recover
Flavors	JUICE	SODA	ENERGY
HP
STR
DEX
WIL

Boost
Flavors	JUICE	SODA	ENERGY
HP
STR
DEX
WIL

EXAMPLE: Auras

Aura Shards

Crystalized chunks of pure energy that can form in areas of heightened emotional chaos and intense geological pressure. They take on the color of the elemental energy they contain, with a symbol flickering inside. While these objects are uncommon, they can still be bought from Merchants for about the cost of mid-tier Armor. A method to artificially create these shards has been developed, but the technology is currently prohibitively resource intense. 

Any individual who shatters a shard gains the benefits of the energy held inside, after which the pieces of crystal become inert. Only 1 Aura may be active at any time for a user; gaining the energy of another shard dispels the energy of the previous. Aura Shards of the same type stack up to 3 per slot.

Aura Types

A field of energy that emanates from a single individual. Auras are attuned to the specific user, moving wherever they do and encompassing their body entirely. Specific elemental affinities create Auras with unique properties, which can be used to interact with the Users' surroundings in creative ways.

Common Auras' interactions are classified into 4 types-

• Passive- An ability that requires no intent of the User. Conversely, these interactions happen despite the Users' intentions, potentially having adverse effects.

• Active - Requires a conscious action by the User. As long as the Aura is active, this action may be repeated.

• Spend - Requires a conscious action by the User. The Aura is immediately Dispelled as a cost of making this action.

• Dispel - An interaction that will deactivate the Aura. Some Auras have multiple interactions that would dispel them, though most can be deactivated at will by the User.

1-5	6-10	11-13	14-16	17-19	20
Force	Rush	Static	Bubble	Flame	Spectral

Force Aura
“A transparent orb of energy surrounds the user, giving a blue tint to everything seen through it. Objects cannot permeate the orb from either direction, but a good wallop will make it break”
Passive: Negates all Damage once, is then Dispelled	Active: N/A	Spend: N/A
Dispel: The User may Dispel this Aura at will

Rush Aura
“A haze of shimmering light surrounds the User, vibrating at a high speed. Vision through the barrier is unfocused. ”
Passive: Standard Movement is Doubled	Active: N/A	Spend: N/A
Dispel: The effect ends if the User takes any Damage.

 

Static Aura
“Lightning arcs across an invisible field in a perfect orb around the user. When objects make contact, ripples of light emanate from the point of contact before fading. ”
Passive: Attracts Magnetic objects, which latch on to hover within the Aura's orbit and cannot easily be removed.	Active: Double Jump - As an Action, the user may ascend vertically up to twice their standard movement speed.	Spend: Rubble Burst - As an Action, the user may force objects latched onto the Aura as a ranged attack, dealing 1dX (X=# of Objects) Blast damage to any targets in Close Range.
Dispel: Contact with water disperses the energy to any targets also in contact, including the user, dealing 1d4 damage.

Bubble Aura
“A pocket of air within a viscous membrane forms around the User. It bends against objects that strike it, pushing back with equal force. ”
Passive: Deflects any ranged attacks back at it's point of origin. Provides clean air for the User to breathe.	Active: Dive - As an Action, the user may make a quick descent through air or water, bouncing safely once they hit the bottom.	Spend: Bubble Burst - Separate from their Action, the user may pop their bubble, dealing 1d6 Blast damage to any targets in Close range
Dispel: The bubble can be popped by sharp or spiked weapons or terrain.

 

 

Flame Aura
“Smokeless flames lick the air around the User. Objects may pass through, though any external sources of heat or fire are simply absorbed into the aura. ”
Passive: The User is immune to damage related to Fire, Heat, or Lava. Flammable/Frozen objects that make contact with the Aura may ignite/melt	Active: Dash - As an Action, the user may launch themselves forwards in a straight line, up to their standard movement speed. Targets within Close range of this path take 1d4 damage.	Spend: Flame Shot - As an Action, the user may cast this aura as a ranged attack at a single target for 1d8 damage.
Dispel: The flames dissipate in contact with Water.

Spectral Aura
“A cacophony of shimmering star-like motes of light swarm the User. Regardless of the properties of an offending source of damage, the User remains unaffected. ”
Passive: Negates all Damage	Active: N/A	Spend: Star Flash - As an Action, the user produces a bright light that floods the room, blinding any target looking at them.
Dispel: This Aura can be Dispelled at will; once Dispelled, the User accrues Fatigue equal to number of Turns taken with the Aura Active.

Character Creation

1. Attributes and Hit Protection

• Roll 3d6 each for STR, DEX, and WIL, in order. You may swap two of the results once.

• Roll 1d6 for Hit Protection. The Number may feel incredibly low- this is on purpose. Reminder that hitting 0 HP doesn't mean you're dead- just that the next Hit you take COULD knock you out.

2. Starting Inventory

• Pick 1 of the Gear Packages found at cairnrpg.com. The title of the Package is not your Race or Character Class, just the theme of the kit.

• Convert Medieval Stuff into Modern Stuff at will. (i.e. Leather Armor = Leather Jacket) You can leave this for game night if you’re unsure.

• You also start with 3 days’s ration (One slot), A flashlight (One slot), 3d6 Gold

3. Techniques

• If your Gear Package includes a Spell, find the description at cairnrpg.com. Give it a proper Anime-type name and write it down in your notes.

4. Kin

• There are 3 Primary Categories of Peoples in this world, Human, Furkind, and Rubberwho. Your Ancestry does not effect your Attributes, but may inform the culture you've experienced thus far.

Human	Just regular Humans. Their cities on the mainland are feats of engineering at scales unheard of before. Less populous among the Islands, but maintain privilege and positions of power. Infamously, the N.A.V. largely prefers Human applicants. Play one if you want to be the "Normal" one among a party of Furries.
Furkind	Shorter Humanoids with visible animal heritage. Primarily found among the Island cultures but many live among others in Mainland cities. Choose a Natural Phobia/Instinct your Animal Ancestor would have. You irrationally suffer that fear. Furkind benefit from an Innate connection to the Bangarang of the world, which expresses itself as an affinity with an Element or heightened Sense. Choose an Element or Physical Ability (Speed, Strength, Flight), describe your baseline ability to control that Element, name it, and list it as a Technique.
Rubberwho	Cartoonish and Diminutive creatures found sparsely scattered across the world. Their elastic bodies allow them to stretch and bounce as if they were made of Rubber. You are naturally buoyant and unable to swim. You are at risk of damage from the Cold Rubberwho culture favors self expression and laughter above all. Many develop their own signature joke, prank, or martial technique to pass down to the jokesters that come after them. Detail a Cartoon Antic involving your elastic abilities, give it a Name, and list it as a Technique

Final Notes

What if the options listed don't intrigue me?

We're friends here! If you have a character concept or idea you want to play with, we can talk it over and I'll come up with an option for you. The world of Bangarang is vast and full of all kinds of people! With that said! Techniques can be learned, Secrets answered, and Artifacts recovered! Choosing one of the above archetypes to start and developing them into something else could be a lot of fun!

The point of this game is to have fun with friends, and isn’t meant to be taken terribly seriously. If there’s anything you’d like to see included that would make it more fun, please feel empowered to bring it up to me, privately or at the table. I’m not going to be the perfect gm and my game design brain might get carried away, but I genuinely want everyone to have a good time.

- Gadda