G.R.O.G's BOYL 2017 plan

Harry

Baron
OK so here is the plan ....

Some of you may have seen the dungeon tiles that were part of the set up for our game 2016.



I have plans to expand on these, my first efforts, and do more tiles and furniture for dungeon games over the coming months.
I liked the idea of running a fast passed, competative 'Dungeon bash' that folks could have a go at next year.
My favorite Fighting Fantasy book of all time was Deathtrap Dungeon with the "Trial of champions" storyline.
2017 will be 35 years since the Warlock of Firetop Mountain.....so I got this idea in my head that I would do a Fighting Fantasy flavoured Dungeon bash....using the really simple mechanics of Fighting Fantasy would make it a great game to just turn up and play.

If there is enough interest ... My plan would be to run the same game Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon ... maybe even Sunday morning so folks have a number of possible times they can 'sign up' for the 'Oldhammer Trial of Champions' over the weekend to fit it in around other planned games.

Here is the background 'fluff':

Down in the dark twisting labyrinth of Fang, unknown horrors await you!
Countless adventurers before you have taken up the challenge of the Trial of Champions, but not one has survived. Devised by the devilish mind of Baron Sukumvit, the labyrinth is riddled with fiendish traps and hideous creatures of darkness to trick and test you almost beyond the limits of endurance!

Despite its name, Fang was an ordinary small town in the Northern Province of Chiang Mai. Situated on the banks of the River Kok it made a convenient stop over for river traders and passengers throughout most of the year. A few barges, rafts and sometimes even a large sail boat could usually be found moored at Fang. But all that was long ago, before the creation of the Trial of Champions. Now once a year the river is crammed with boats as people arrive from hundreds of miles around, hoping to witness the breaking of an ancient tradition in Fang and see a victor in the Trial of Champions.
On the first of May each year, warriors and heroes come to Fang to face the test of their lives. Survival is unlikely, yet many take the risk, for the prize is great - a purse of 10,000 Gold Pieces and the freedom of Chiang Mai forever. However, to become Champion is no easy task. Some years ago, a powerful baron of Fang called Sukumvit decided to bring attention to his town by creating the ultimate contest. With the help of the townspeople, he constructed a labyrinth deep in the hillside behind Fang, from which there was only one exit. The labyrinth was filled with all kinds of deadly tricks and traps and loathsome monsters. Sukumvit had designed it in meticulous detail so that anybody hoping to face it’s challenge would have to use their wits as well as weapon skill. When he was finally satisfied that all was complete, he put his labyrinth to the test. He picked ten of his finest guards and, fully armed, they marched into the labyrinth. They were never seen again. The tale of the ill-fated guards soon spread throughout the land, and it was then that Sukumvit announced the first Trial of Champions. Messengers and news-sheets carried his challenge – 10,000 Gold Pieces and the freedom of Chiang Mai forever to any person surviving the perils of the labyrinth of Fang. The first year, seventeen brave warriors attempted 'The Walk', as it later came to be known. Not one reappeared As the years passed and the Trial of Champions continued, it attracted more and more challengers and spectators. Fang prospered and would prepare itself months in advance for the spectacle it hosted each May. The town would be decorated, tents erected, dining-halls built, musicians, dancers, fire-eaters, illusionists and every sort of entertainer hired, and entries registered from hopeful individuals intent on making 'The Walk'. The last week of April found the people of Fang and its visitors in wild celebration. Everybody sang, drank, danced and laughed until day broke on the first of May, when the town thronged to the gates of the labyrinth to watch the first challenger of the year step forward to face the Trial of Champions.
Having seen one of Sukumvit's challenges nailed to a tree, you decide that this year you will attempt 'The walk' For the last five years you have been attracted to it, not for the rewards, but for the simple fact that nobody has ever yet emerged victorious from the labyrinth. You intend to make this the year in which a Champion is crowned! Gathering up a few belongings, you set off immediately. Two days' walk takes you west to the coast, where you enter the cursed Port Blacksand. Wasting no time in that city of thieves, you buy your passage on a small boat sailing north to where the River Kok meets the sea, and from there you take a raft up-river for four days, until finally you arrive in Fang.
The Trial begins in three days time and the town is in an almost hysterical mood of excitement. You register your entry with the officials and are given a violet scarf to tie around your arm, informing everyone of your status. For three days you enjoy Fang's greatest hospitality and are treated like a demigod. During the long merriment, you almost forget your purpose in Fang but the evening before the Trial, the magnitude of the task ahead begins to dominate your thoughts. Later, you are taken to a special guest-house and shown to your room. There is a splendid four-poster bed with satin sheets to help you rest. But there is little time left for sleep.
Just before dawn a trumpet call awakens you from vivid dreams of flaming pits and giant black spiders. Minutes later, there is a knock on your door, and a man's voice rings out saying, 'Your challenge begins soon. Please be ready to leave in ten minutes. You climb out of bed, walk over to the window and open the shutters. Already people are thronging the streets, moving quietly through the morning mists spectators on their way to the labyrinth no doubt, hoping to find good vantage points from which to watch the competitors. You turn away and walk over to a wooden table on which your trusty sword lies you pick it up and cut the air with a mighty sweep, wondering what beasts its sharp edge may soon have to meet. Then you open the door into the corridor. A small man with slanted eyes greets you with a low bow as you emerge from your bedroom. 'Please follow me,' he says. He turns to his left and walks quickly towards the stairs at the end of the corridor.
Leaving your guest-house, he darts down narrow alleyways between houses, and you have to walk quickly to keep up with him. Soon you come into a wide dirt road lined with cheering crowds. When they see your violet scarf they cheer even louder and start showering you with flowers. The long shadows cast by the people in front of you shrink as the bright yellow sun rises higher in the morning sky. Standing there in front of the noisy and vibrant crowd, you feel strangely alone, aware of your coming ordeal. Suddenly you feel a tug on your shirt and see your small guide eagerly beckoning you to follow him. Ahead you see the looming hillside and the dark mouth of a tunnel disappearing into its inner depths. As you get closer, you notice two great stone pillars on either side of the tunnel entrance. The pillars are covered with ornate carvings: writhing serpents, demons, deities, each seeming to scream a silent warning to those who would pass beyond them.
You see Baron Sukumvit himself standing by the entrance, waiting to greet the contenders in the Trial of Champions. You turn to face the exultant crowd for the last time. Suddenly a hush falls over the crowd as Baron Sukumvit steps forward holding six bamboo sticks. You draw one from his outstretched hand and read the words on it. Then the Trial begins
It is your turn to salute the crowd Holding your violet scarf aloft, you take one final deep breath of cool fresh air before turning to pass between the stone-pillared gateway into Sukumvit's corridors of power, to face unknown perils on 'The Walk' through the mighty baron's Deathtrap Dungeon.
 
Here are the RULES I am working on:

Starting Statistics.
All adventurers start with SKILL : 8 STAMINA : 18 and LUCK : 8

Starting Equipment
In addition to clothing, boots your adventurer starts with the following:

Your weapon of choice (See Below)
A backpack (which can hold up to ten items)
Provisions (One meal … restores 4 points of STAMINA))
And you are each gifted a Potion by Baron Sukumvit (You may choose: a Potion of Skill which Restores SKILL, Potion of Strength which Restores 6+1D6 STAMINA or a Potion of Fortune which restores LUCK).

Weapons
Battle axe
Bow
Dagger (+1 SKILL Only 1 Damage)
Spear
Sword
2H Sword (Causes 3 Damage instead of 2 BUT counts as two items)

You can then choose only five other items from the armour and equipment lists below … but choose wisely!

Armour
It is assumed that all adventurers are wearing some scraps of armour for protection … however, you may invest in a more complete ‘suit of armour’ to help you survive.
Leather armour (Add 2 to STAMINA … saves a little damage -2 climbing/jumping)
Chain armour (Add 4 to STAMINA … saves some damage -4 climbing/jumping moving silently)
Plate Armour (Add 6 to STAMINA … saves quite a bit of damage – 6 climbing/jumping/moving silently)
Shield (Add 1 to your STAMINA and 1 to SKILL … You can use a shield to stop some damage and to attack)

NOTE: Chain mail counts as two items and Plate mail counts as three items

Equipment List
Arrows (6)
Bamboo Flute (Can be used with the JIG spell)
Four Candles (Bees Wax) (Can be used with the RAZ spell)
Grappling hook
Grog (Ale or Wine)
Holy symbol
Lantern
Lock picks
Lucky charm (add 2 to LUCK)
Provisions (One meal restores 4 points of STAMINA)
Rope 10ft
Torch (One)
Tinderbox
Wizards staff (oak) (Can be used to cast the FIX spell)

Movement and actions
In your turn you can move … up to the number of squares your current light source allows. You can fight something or carry out another action and you can cast a spell if you want to. (even if you are in combat!) You can do any of these things in any order that you like.

Light sources and Movement
Underground it is dark! You need a source of light. The speed you move is determined by how well lit the dungeon you are exploring is. (The better the light ... the faster you move).
Some light sources last longer than others. You are going to be underground a while. But you may find sources of light in the dungeon.

Darkness 2 spaces
Candles 1 hour 4 spaces
Lanterns 2 hours 6 spaces
Torches 30 minutes 8 spaces

Moving silently
You can try to move silently (E.g. Tiptoeing past a sleeping guard) by rolling against your SKILL … The GM may add modifiers to this roll (for wearing armour or if the guard is snoring loudly, etc). If you are successful you move silently. Whilst trying to move silently you move half the number of spaces shown above.

Equipment
You can only carry 10 items. Once you have 10 items if you find something you want to pick up you must drop something you are already carrying. This does not include Gold, gems or some spell components you find which are small enough to fit in a pouch or in your pockets

Provisions.
You can stop and eat provisions any time it feels safe. Eating a meal restores 4 points of STAMINA. You may find provisions in the dungeon in addition to those you bring with you.

Doors
Doors can be unlocked, locked or magically locked.
Unlocked doors can be opened by anyone who can turn the handle.
Locked doors can be opened by anyone with the key.
You can attempt to pick a lock if you have a set of lock picks with a D6 roll of 5 or 6
Or you can use a DOP spell to open any locked door but there is a cost in stamina points.
You can smash in the door using brute strength with a successful roll against your current SKILL. If you are unsuccessful you lose 1 STAMINA point each failed attempt.
Magically locked doors can only be opened with the correct magical spell. You will have to find the right spell written down somewhere to open magically locked doors.

Chests
Chest can be unlocked locked or magically locked and work the same way as doors except you can’t throw yourself against a chest in the same way you can a door so you must use your weapon to break into a chest. Roll against your current SKILL If you are unsuccessful you lose 1 SKILL as with each failed attempt you blunt your weapon.

Searching
You can search anything you want by saying to the GM “I want to search those shelves”
The GM will roll against your SKILL to see if you find anything of interest.
However you can look at anything you can see in plain sight (without a skill roll) that has been modelled in the dungeon by simply saying “I want to look at that … helmet, potion bottle, etc” and the GM will tell you about it.

Bribery
Killing the creatures you encounter in the dungeon is not the only option.
Most intelligent creatures ‘only work here’ and wish to stay alive and can be bribed with gold or gems. (working in the dungeon can be a nice little earner during the Trial of champions as they get to keep any ‘tips’) … They may also offer help in return for some service. Creatures will only give clues or bits of information. They will not tell you exactly how to complete the trial successfully. (It’s in the contract!). But it is a foolish adventurer who trusts the inhabitants of this dungeon. They are just as likely to take your gold and then give you some misleading information or worse literally ‘stab you in the back’. You might also be able to persuade creatures to part with items they have for the right price … but offer a good price … you are not the only adventurer in need of some of the items in the dungeon.
The GM will make a SKILL check to see how the Creature reacts to your attempts at a bribe.
Whilst it is not possible to bribe some of the less intelligent creatures who have been placed in the dungeon … it may be possible to distract them … with a juicy steak for example, just long enough to get past them or steal their stuff. But this will be a LUCK test rather than skill.

Picking pockets/Lifting items
You can try and steal items from rooms or pick the pocket of any creature (with pockets) or indeed other adventurers. A roll is made against your SKILL. The GM may give a modifier for this roll (if you are in a crowded bar it will be easier than if it is just you and another adventurer who is on their guard).
If you are successful you get the item you tried to take OR a random item from their pockets or backpack. If you are unsuccessful the victim catches you and attacks you. When picking the pockets of other adventurers you will need the GM to do this secretly so you are long gone by the time they discover the theft.

Climbing and Falling.
You may want to climb, (up a statue, out of a pit, etc.) To do this you roll against your SKILL. The GM may give a modifier to this roll depending on the difficulty of the climb. Equipment like rope and grappling hooks make a big difference. So does trying to climb wearing armour (See modifiers) or carrying lots of stuff!
If you fall or try and drop more than a few feet you are going to hurt yourself. The GM will tell you how much STAMINA you lose in the fall. You can Test your LUCK to reduce this.

Losing your weapon
If you lose your weapon you fight with -4 to your SKILL in combat until you find a replacement weapon.

Wandering monsters
We want to keep the game moving at a good pace.
Any time you are not ready to take your turn or take too long deciding what you want to do next …. You can expect the GM to be rolling on his wandering monster tables!!!

Fighting

Combat sequence
1. The GM rolls two dice for your opponent and adds its SKILL score to find it’s Attack Strength.
2. Roll two dice for yourself, and add your current SKILL score to find your Attack Strength.
3. If your Attack Strength is higher than your opponents, you have wounded it. The GM will subtract 2 points from it’s STAMINA. You may use LUCK to do additional damage (see below).
4. If your opponent’s Attack Strength is higher than yours, it has wounded you. Subtract 2 points from your STAMINA. You may use LUCK to reduce the loss of STAMINA (see below).
5. If both Attack Strengths totals are the same, you have both avoided each other’s blows … neither side takes damage … start a new Attack Round.
6. Once adjustments have been made to the STAMINA scores as required the attack round is over … start the next Attack Round.
7. This sequence continues until the STAMINA score of either you or your opponent reaches zero, which means death. If your opponent dies, you are free to continue on your adventure. If you die the Trial of champions claims another victim … your adventure ends.

Using LUCK in battles
You can use LUCK during a battle either to inflict a more serious wound on an opponent you have wounded or to minimize the effects of a wound that has just been received.
If you have just wounded an opponent, you may Test your LUCK. If a roll is less than or equal to the adventurer’s current LUCK value, then the previously successful blow is more severe and an extra 2 points are deducted from the opponent. If a roll is more than the adventurer’s current LUCK value, then the adventurer is Unlucky, and the previously successful wound was a mere graze, and you deduct only 1 point from the opponent’s STAMINA (instead of scoring the normal 2 points of damage, you now score only 1).
If you have been wounded then you may also Test for LUCK. In this case, if the adventurer is Lucky, 1 STAMINA point is restored (so the result is a deduction of 1 STAMINA point instead of the normal 2). If the adventurer is Unlucky, then the blow is more serious and an extra STAMINA point must be deducted.
Remember than in all of these cases, the adventure has Tested for Luck and 1 LUCK point must be deducted from his or her LUCK score.

Missile weapons and Thrown weapons
A dagger or spear may be thrown before a combat begins. If you wish to do this, throw 2D6 and test your SKILL. If successful one opponent loses 2 STAMINA. You can use LUCK in the normal way. You automatically recover thrown weapons after the combat.
A bow may be fired before combat begins in the same way as a thrown weapon. It may also be used at range when the opponent is too far away for hand to hand combat or in a situation where normal combat is not possible. Again if you successfully wound an opponent you may use LUCK to do more damage. Recover arrows/bolts on a 5 or 6 after combat.

Escaping
If the fight is not going well you may try to escape a combat. The GM will decide if you are cornered and unable to escape. If you can escape the creature will automatically inflict a final would as you flee. (-2 STAMINA) . Such is the price of cowardice. A player may however use LUCK in the normal way (see Using Luck in battles’ below). Even if you escape creatures may pursue you and engage you in combat again if they catch you. Intelligent creatures may also try to escape to fight another day.

Fighting more than one opponent
In certain situations you may face more than one opponent. Sometimes you will treat them as a single opponent; sometimes you will have to fight them each in turn; and at other times you will have to fight them all at the same time! (The GM will tell you how you must fight them). If they are treated as a single opponent, the combat is resolved normally. When you are instructed to fight your opponents one at a time, the combat is again resolved normally – except that once you defeat an enemy, the next one-steps forward to fight you!
When you find yourself under attack from more than one opponent at the same time, each will make a separate attack on you in the course of each Attack Round, but you can choose which one to fight. Attack your chosen target as in a normal battle. Against any additional opponents if your Attack Strength is greater than your opponent’s, in this instance you will not suffer any damage; you can regard it as if you have parried the incoming blow. If your Attack Strength is lower than your opponent’s, however, you will be wounded in the normal way. You will have to settle the outcome against each additional opponent.

More than one adventurer fighting a single monster.
It is possible for adventurers to decide to help each other to survive the dangers of the Trial of champions. If adventurers fight together to defeat a single opponent … All the adventurers and the opponent roll for the attack strength as normal. The GM will decide which adventurer the creature attacks. That combat is resolved as normal. All other adventurers compare their attack strength. If their attack strength is less than the creature they do no damage … the creature managed to successfully dodge or parry their blows. If their attack strength is more than the creatures they cause damage as normal … and may also use LUCK as normal.
 
Oh ... nearly forgot about Magic.....
Magic will be based on my other favorite spin off from Fighting Fantasy ... Steve Jackson's Sorcery.
I loved the way the magic system works in Sorcery.... all spells have a three letter word as the spells name. For example HOT is a fireball and Zap is a lightening bolt ... BUT you have to remember the right word to cast the spell.
There are 48 spells in the sorcery spell book. All heroes can use Sorcery.
Some spells need spell components. These spells cost less stamina points.
You may start with a few spell components but you will be able to find more in the dungeon and thus cast more spells .... if you can remember the spells. :shock:
 
What you've come up with is different and obviously would work but the original RPG rules are also nice and work well, also allows wizards very simply. Could be worth looking at to see if you like. I have a spare copy of the original Dungeoneer knocking about that covers all that and other stuff. Mind you the book isn't exactly rare just the expansions though there is a 2nd ed out at the moment.
 
Erny":2z3k1e8q said:
What you've come up with is different and obviously would work but the original RPG rules are also nice and work well, also allows wizards very simply. Could be worth looking at to see if you like. I have a spare copy of the original Dungeoneer knocking about that covers all that and other stuff. Mind you the book isn't exactly rare just the expansions though there is a 2nd ed out at the moment.
Click to expand...

This has been given some consideration- there is NO Fantasy gaming publication that Harry doesn't own!!!! :razz: But I think he's been going down the simplicity route for a quick, multi-player game with minimal GMing... of course, we haven't tested yet. :)
 
Still hoping to make it. :grin:

@Erny These rules are largely based on Steve jacksons Fighting Fantasy ... which was in effect Basic FF compared to Dungeoneer.
As Fmm said I have a small selection of Fantasy rules :grin: and had a good look at the various editions of the more advanced rules and have included some bits and bobs but .... I find as i get older my love of compictaed rules systems wains and I find that well Gm'ed games with simpler rules provide all of the fun with more time moving toys about and less time reading rules. :grin:
 
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