Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!daemon From: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: Re: Other compaigns Message-ID: <3551@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Tue, 11-Oct-83 12:14:41 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.3551 Posted: Tue Oct 11 12:14:41 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 13-Oct-83 00:19:45 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Western Research Lab, Los Altos, CA Lines: 59 From: Ed Featherston HL01-1/P06 225-5241 Begin Forwarded Message: ------------------------------------------- Newsgroup : net.games.frp >From : ORION::SCHUETZ Organization : Digital Equipment Corp. Subject: Re: Other compaigns One dungeon that I play in has had about 140 sessions over 4 years. The characters are 7th and 8th levels, with only 1 or 2 items of any consequence each. There is one artifact among the group and most characters have one slightly magical weapon. But noone has magic armor or shields. The DM is very creative and has introduced several magic systems that are orthogonal to each other and result in a rich environment with complex interlocked plots all over the known world. I agree with others that sparse worlds lead to more role-playing and development of players abilities, not just advancement of characters. In the group that I DM, magical items are a little more common, everyone having one magical weapon at least and several potions, scrolls, and rings scattered among the group. But although magical items are more common, their usefulness is questionable. (For instance, they just used a ring of Feather Fall for the first time in a year.) I think that offering the characters the use of several low-level magical items expands the alternatives to just smashing and killing every opponent. These characters are now just 6th level after 82 sessions over 2 years. Most of the groups that play AD&D here in the local area runs spells completely different than the book. Any mage can learn any spell he wishes, provided he can find an instructor. Also casting a spell costs the mage a certain amount of Spell Points, re-generated overnight. Most DM's use 3 spell points per level of spell cast i.e. a 4th level spell costs 12 SPs. Characters have spell points equal to their CON times half their level. E.G. a 7th level mage with a 15 con has 60 spell points. Personally, I decided that spells are not just linearly more difficult to cast and I made the cost in spell points steeper. Although a 3rd level spell costs 9 SP, a 4th costs 14 and a 5th 20 sp. You also have no restriction on the number of each kind of spell that you can cast, but a 5th level mage is only going to know 3 different Firsts, 2 Seconds, and 1 Third. There are no such thing as Spell Books in any of the dungeons I know of. How do other groups manage the mechanics of spell casting? One dungeon recently converted everyone to the SWORDBEARER system, which uses nodes of mana aligned to 7 basic elements. It seems to work ok, but whether it is better or not has not been demonstated yet. Anyone have any experiences with more than one system? /Chris Schuetz DECWRL::ORION::SCHUETZ Mail address : ...decvax!decwrl!rhea!orion!schuetz ------------------------------------------- End Forwarded Message