Running A Con Game Part 2: Table Prep And Behind The Screen

This summer, I offered some advice on how to plan and write a scenario you'll be running at game conventions. Now that you have your new player-killer in hand and folks are starting to gather at the table, let's talk about some advice on how to run it.

1. Provide pregens, and have more of them than your players. At a convention game, you have 4 hours - tops - to run the entire scenario. If you think you'll have everyone rolling up new characters before getting started, think again. Even if everyone at the table is familiar with the system, it'll likely take them 30 minutes to roll stats, look up skills/magic spells, decide on equipment, etc. And if you have a few players who are first-timers, that will add even more downtime. Steer clear of anything that would take away adventuring time and have pregens ready for folks before they sit down. And as an addendum: the players will still like to have some degree of choice as to who/what they'll be playing, so have twice the number of pregens available. If you have 6 players, have 12 (or more) pregens available so everyone has a chance to pick and choose rather than getting locked into "whatever character's left".

2. Bring extra pencils and dice. But keep rulebooks minimal. Although most players who come to your table are super-prepared, there may be someone who signed up at the last minute and/or showed up with a friend who now wants to play in your cool-looking game. Make sure you have some extra pencils and dice for this late-comer so they're not trying to borrow off of the other players at the table. But conversely, try to keep rulebooks and other tomes away from your table during play. The GM should be the only one who needs to look anything up (and honestly, you shouldn't have to look anything up if you're duly prepared). There may be some table or bit of minutiae to clarify, but you should be prepared to make rulings on the fly rather than get bogged down trying to find Table 3.24 on page 232 just to look up appropriate Exit Wound Size. (And don't let any player bring out a rulebook to debate a ruling you just made. Shut that down ASAP.)

3. Keep track of time. You have 4 hours to run the game, and you don't want to run out of time before finishing, nor do you want to reach the end way ahead of schedule. So keep an eye on the clock while you play. You can use a watch or a timer on your phone. I prefer to use a kitchen timer behind my screen so that I know how much time I have left at a glance. I can use this to gauge my timing of events as we play to ensure we reach the endgame before time runs out. At the 2-hour mark, we should be halfway through the adventure. If not, I start altering future scenes to speed things up (lowering the number of monsters and/or goons or bypassing entire scenes if they don't contribute to the overall scenario). If we're running fast, do the opposite and add a few extra monsters/scenes to slow them down. You also want to try to finish a few minutes early so you can say your goodbyes, thank you players, and clean up the table for the next game. Nothing more frustrating than waiting for folks to clear out from a game that ran long and is now starting to eat into your time. So don't be that person and wrap up on time or earlier.

4. Protect your voice by staying hydrated and have some lozenges. You're gonna be talking a lot. And your voice is gonna be a bit hoarse after that first game. But you have another one to run later that day. And the next day. And the next day. And if you're in a crowded gaming hall, you might be shouting over the din. You'll want to protect your voice as best you can. My suggestion is to have a bottle of water behind the screen and sip from it every so often, even if you're not thirsty. Keep those pipes moist to counterbalance all of the air you're throwing over them. Secondly, I have a pack of sore throat lozenges at hand that I'm constantly munching on. This helps soothe your throat before it gets too sore. I've found that a lozenge every hour or so during gametime keeps you from losing your voice before the convention ends.

5. If you must take a break, have only one, and keep it 5 minutes max. Four hours is a long time at the table, especially if everyone is chugging water, energy drinks, etc. Although folks will often be engaged and will want to keep playing, it's usually a good idea to stop at least once at the halfway point to allow folks to run to the bathroom and/or stretch their legs a bit. However, you don't want to lose too much game time and you certainly don't want to play sheepherder and try to round them all up, so set a firm time limit of 5 minutes on any breaks. After 5 minutes, pick up where you left off regardless of who's back, and have the stragglers join the game in progress. (And do not, under any circumstances, let anyone race to the vendor's room to "pick something up". Nine times out of ten, they'll never return to the game.)

6. Have some swag or takeaway for the players. It's always a nice gesture to have something to give to the folks who decided to take a chance on your game. Some game companies, like Goodman Games, provide swag for those who run their games. Stickers, note pads, quickstart rules, pencils, dice, etc. remind folks of the fun they had and may prompt them to buy the game and run sessions of their own. I admittedly go a bit overboard with my swag and have had custom dice, supplements, and other giveaways printed up for folks. One year I gave away mini-multitools like the ones found within the scenario I ran. (And this year's convention swag is a very special "parting gift" from one of my NPCs!) You don't need to have anything this fancy; heck, a bowl of candy on the table as you play is a nice gesture for gamers to refuel as they head to their next game.

Stay tuned for "Part 3: Tips and Tricks for Surviving Your First Game Convention" in a future missive from The Savage AfterWorld!

My Convention-bound Custom-made Trapper Keeper!

When I attend conventions to run games, I have found that a 3-ring binder is perfect for me to use at the table. A small pocket-purse up front carries my extra pencils, timer, dry-erase markers, etc. The cover pocket holds my pre-gens. And I place my adventure scripts into plastic sleeves so I can write on them during play to make note of current hit points, playtest notes, etc. With the exception of my dice bag, everything fits into this one binder behind the screen.

Several months ago, I made a suggestion that the only way this could be even more retro-gaming at the table was if it were a Trapper Keeper. You know, those hold-everything-and-then-some binders that were all the rage back in the 1980s (when Yours Truly was in school and discovering RPGs). Today while shopping, I passed through the Back To School section and found a WALL OF TRAPPER KEEPERS. I honestly thought they didn't make these anymore! So I scooped one up, brought it home, and converted it to my NEW convention-bound gaming binder!

The wall of Trapper Keepers! You can almost smell the 1980s, can't ya?

My current gaming binder on the left, and my new TK on the right, about to undergo some alterations!

I didn't want the TK front "flap" to cover up my favorite gaming artwork (Vallejo's Death Dealer), so to access the back cover area, I cut a flap on the inside back cover.

Turned the TK over, opened the flap to the edge, and slipped in the artwork from my gaming binder. (I could've printed a new one, but this printout has been with me since Gen Con 2008.)

And a strip of black duct tape hides the slit nicely.

For the front, I added some of my favorite unused stickers.

The TK comes with two of those slip-in "portfolios". I likely will use them for maps and pre-gens.

And my pocket-purse in the front with pencils and what-not.

Here's the final front.

Here's the final back.

Running A Con Game Part 1: Planning And Writing Your Game

Since the 1980s, I've run many (many) RPG sessions at game conventions across the country - from classics like D&D, Ghostbusters, and Chill to newer games like Mutant Future and MCC. One one thing I always try to do at these events is to run adventures that I've written myself. My reasons are manifold:

1. If it's a game I wrote, I know all of the plot points, NPCs, and locations intimately, so I'm more comfortable at the table and can make up something on the fly (rather than looking up some bit of unfamiliar minutiae every 5 minutes).
2. I can custom-tailor the adventure for the time allotted, ensuring that the players get to the endgame before time runs out.
3. It's good for my ego when the players enjoy the game as it's an adventure I myself designed!

As we move into convention season, I thought I'd take a moment and toss out some tips I've learned over the years to fledgling Judges, DMs, GMs, Referees, and what-not. This blog entry will cover planning your game and getting it written and designed -- advice for everything leading up to the game itself. A future blog post will discuss running your convention game and tips at the table.

1. Write a game that can be completed in 4 hours. Most conventions schedule games to run in 4-hour blocks. With this in mind, you should write your game to fit into this time period. This may sound daunting if you have a lot of encounters and combat in mind. Well, stop that. The typical table has 4 to 6 players, and each encounter will likely take 30 minutes for the team to get through. So, easy math: 4 hours divided by 30-minutes-per-encounter equals roughly 8 encounters. However, you'll lose 30 minutes at the beginning of your slot to game prep (passing out sheets, making sure everyone has dice and pencils, explaining the system to new folks, etc.) and you'll likely want to plan to wrap up 10-20 minutes early so you don't stomp on the next game slot. So - realistically - your adventure should be 6 solid, in-depth encounters. Doesn't sound like much, but it is plenty, believe me.

2. Have a beginning, middle, and - most importantly - an ending. I've heard from players over the years that there is nothing more frustrating than to play for several hours and, just as they reach the door to The Ultimate Bad Guy Lair... 

time'supsorryabouthatwe'llpickitupnextyear. 

The players want that resolution and it's not fair to just end the game mid-plot. So when you write your game, have the endgame solidly in mind and make sure your adventure is short enough that they'll reach that EPIC CONFRONTATION at the end.

3. No sandboxes, but no railroads either. This is a tricky tightrope to walk. If your game is too wide open, the players may not discover your oh-so-obvious clues and will struggle to progress forward. You need to herd them a bit as time is short. By the same token, a simple A to B to C to D railroad game takes away player agency as now they're just along for the ride. Each encounter in your game should have multiple ways the players can overcome it: they can bluff their way through, fight their way through, sneak their way through. But each encounter leads down the path to the next encounter, but depending on their prior actions the encounter has changed. Did they fight to get here? Guards are now on alert and well armed. Did they bluff? Now they need to maintain the masquerade. Did they sneak? They now enter at a completely different location. Give them agency, but keep everything moving toward the climax.

4. Give everyone something to do. When you're providing the character sheets, you know what your players are going to be able to do ahead of time! If you're giving them a thief, you better have some locks to pick or some wall to climb. Have a wizard? There should be some runes for them to translate or even a magical rival itching for a spellduel! (And, of course, have some combat to keep the fighter - hell, EVERYONE - happy!) Make sure the adventure you're writing has enough character-specific elements so that each player gets a chance to contribute to the party's success.

5. Make everyone a star at some point. We're hedging into "At the Table During the Game" advice, but this is a corollary from the previous rule. Some folks may shy away from the spotlight, deferring to the more boisterous players at the table. Don't let that happen. Everyone should feel they contributed to the party's success at the end. The dice may be the final decider of fate, but as the judge, YOU have the ability to reshape the world as you see fit on the fly. For example, if the Quiet One is playing a cleric - "Oh no! Now there are ghosts that can't be hit by physical weapons and must be turned!" Offer them the chance to step up and be the hero. That's why we play these games right?

6. Give your players their money's worth. Typically, convention game players have paid good cash money to play in your game. No pressure! All kidding aside, players want one primary thing from your game -- a story they can tell their friends about later. Don't toss together a series of cliches, but rather give them something they've never seen before! New locations found only in their most fevered dreams and creatures that live in their nightmares! I typically begin writing by asking myself one question: "What has NO ONE ever seen at the game table before?" It could be a place or a beast or an NPC or a quest - but that is always the spark that ensures the players will get their money's worth. (Oh, and a bit of take-home swag from the game is always a bonus!)

7. Here's some of the best advice on writing a convention game I've ever found. Years ago, I discovered a series of blog posts titled "How to Run Con Scenarios the Gar Hanrahan Way."  Writer and game designer Gareth Hanrahan posted a series of incredibly useful tips and tricks on how to write and run a game specifically for a convention setting. His old gaming blog is long gone, as well as these posts. But before that happened, I grabbed his advice, put it together in a PDF, and printed it out and binded it for my own personal use. I later posted it to Google Drive so others can benefit from these great tips. (And Gareth seems to be cool with it!) 

---> Download it here <---

Stay tuned for "Part 2: Running Your Convention Game" in a future missive from The Savage AfterWorld!

A Note To Players: The GM Doesn't Need Your "Help"

Hey gang,

Today’s blog post is a bit of a rant session, so if you would rather read a game review or get a new monster for your RPG, this isn’t the post for you. If, however, you’d like to read the tirade of a frustrated GM, feel free to read on.

(One note: I’m paraphrasing and writing in generalities so that I don’t specifically ID or call out anyone. I may have been pissed when I wrote this, but I’m not 100% a dick.)

I had prepped a couple of online games for one of the conventions that was shifting to a virtual presence this year. I made contact with all players, sent out character sheets, and games were scheduled to begin later in the week. A few days later, one of the players contacted me as follows:

“Hi there. I finally got a chance to look over the character you sent me, and I must say, I’m underwhelmed. Do you run a particularly hardcore game with high stakes? If not, he’s not likely to survive. Looking at his hit points, he only has 6. Per the rulebook [snipped math calculations -TS] means this is the absolute minimum he can have. Also, he only has two mutations (one of them Infrasight, which is pretty useless) and, again, according to the rules [more snippage -TS] is the average number of mutations he could have. If you’re trying to have a fun con game, I find it odd you’d provide me with a character who is weak in every possible way. However, I can make it work, but just wanted to point this out to you.”

Huh. OK, so I wrote back and explained that the character was a straight random generation with no GM finagling. I also explained that the character in question had been played in three other games without fatality. In fact, the PC’s other mutation had been instrumental in those games. But if the player wanted another character, I’d send them one.

They wrote back:

“Thanks for the reply. I would suggest in the future that the characters you provide be more substantial for your players so they have more options to work with at the table. For example, when I run a game, I make sure to [snipped suggestions on how to “improve” PCs -TS]. However, I can make this character work, and it will probably be fun to play someone with these many detriments!”

Realizing they were not gonna let this go, I rolled up a new character that had more hit points, better ability scores, and four or five mutations. I sent it to the player as a replacement.

They wrote back:

“Hey, I said I was happy to play the character you sent me. If you’re being passive-aggressive about this, I don’t appreciate it. If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”

I snapped, and sent the following reply:

“I was willing to give you a new character because you’ve written to me twice now just to complain about what a crappy character you got. But if you want plain speak, here it is: I found your first email both insulting and condescending. The only passive-aggressiveness is coming from your direction. ‘My character sucks, but I’ll begrudgingly play it if I have to.’ Would you have launched into this diatribe if we had initially met at the table at a convention? Probably not. Your next email was telling me how I could do things better, as if I needed advice on how to improve the adventure I’ve written and run several times before. But the phrase that was over the line was, ‘If you’re trying to have a fun con game…’. I’m not ‘trying’ to have a fun game. I *do* have one. After 35 years of GMing at conventions, I think I have a pretty good notion on how to do it. And I’m stressed out enough trying to juggle 11 other players remotely without unsolicited advice on how I can ‘improve’ things.”

I wrapped up by saying all they needed to do was point out the PC seemed weak and if they could play something else or up the hit points a bit. Not a problem; I would’ve been happy to swap them out. But I didn’t need or want their unsolicited criticism.

The player must’ve been chastised or just didn’t see how they were coming across as they did send an apology as well as an offer to drop out of the game. It became a moot point as I needed to cancel my events due to a personal issue that surfaced.

Now that I have that off my chest, let me remind everyone that – even though we’ve moved to the slightly less personal “online world” – we still need to treat folks the way we’d treat them in person across the game table. GMs, your players have sought you out for the sole reason of having a good time. Treat them with respect because they’ve put their trust in you. Players, your GM has created a world for you to explore. Treat them with respect because they’ve put their trust in you.

"Quill Noir: Forgotten Case Files" Supplement for Quill Noir RPG Now Available

I knocked on the chief inspector’s office door and walked in before the invite. He glanced up from a stack of paperwork, an annoyed grimace on his face.

“Just returning the Henderson case file,” I said, holding up the tattered Manila folder. The chief wordlessly hooked his thumb toward the row of file cabinets lining one wall and went back to his Sisyphean task. I crossed to the cabinets, opened drawer “G-H-I”, and wedged it back into position. While doing so, my eyes fell upon several red folders stuffed in the back. I wrestled to pull them out and, once freed, I laid them across the tops of the cabinets. There were 10 folders in all, labeled “Case 1” through “Case 10”.

“Hey chief? What are these?” I asked over my shoulder.

“Huh? Oh, those,” came the chief’s bored reply. “Those are cold case files. Unsolved.”

I scowled at the thought. I don’t like the idea of someone getting away with committing a crime. It makes my overly developed sense of justice itchy. “Mind if I take these and give ’em a gander?” I asked. “Maybe I can open up some new leads.”

Once again, the chief glanced up, shrugged, and hooked his thumb toward the door, inviting me to exit. I bundled up the red folders and took my leave…

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Quill Noir: Forgotten Case Files is a scenario supplement for use with Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player and Quill Noir. To use this supplement, both the Quill rulebook and Quill Noir are necessary. Quill Noir: Forgotten Case Files takes place in the world of Quill Noir, a time reflecting 1930s pulp crime fiction novels and 1940s detective films. Quill Noir: Forgotten Case Files presents 10 new cases for would-be gumshoes and flatfoots to solve. You may find yourself investigating art fraud; rescuing someone from a burning building; testifying on the witness stand; or escaping from thugs who want to put you in a Chicago overcoat. 

Quill Noir: Forgotten Case Files is now available at Drive Through RPG. (A copy of Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player and Quill Noir is required to play.)  Quill, Quill Noir, and Quill Noir: Forgotten Case Files are available as Pay What You Want releases, so try before you buy, if you prefer. Also, all have been released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

[Review] The Spirit Coin - The Pocket Diviner, Decision Maker, And GM Tool

Quick: Come up with the name of a wood elf your PCs just encountered. OK, now come up with his motivation as to why he's in this desolate area. Can he be trusted? And how far away is the nearest inn from here?

At the table, the GM is tasked with coming up with a lot of answers on the fly. Sure, you could refer to tables you have on hand or rely on your own imagination (although "Steve the Drow" might raise eyebrows). Or you could summon The Spirits to answer these queries through the use of The Spirit Coin.

Created by Alex Kool and launched on Kickstarter, The Spirit Coin is like a portable Ouija Board. The two sides of the coin have four circles: the two outer circles contain the alphabet (consonants and vowels, respectively); the next contains the numbers 0-9 (odd/even); and the inner-most is YES/NO. The user takes the coin in hand and concentrates on the question. Turn the coin in your hand and randomly seek out the answers you need. For example, taking the questions from above (and I swear these are legit from The Coin):

Elf name? ETWIN - That sounds good, so "Etwin" it is.
Motivation? HRNWND - I see "Horn Wind", so I'll say he's on a quest to find The Horn of Winds. He's a sailor and he can use this item to propel his vessel.
Trustworthy? NO - I see our new friend is up to some mischief. Perhaps he mistakenly thinks the PCs possess the item, and he wishes to fight them for it?
Nearest inn? 2 miles from here. And Etwin will accompany his new friends (in hopes of prying The Horn from their hands!).

The Spirit Coin is solidly made of heavy metal and comes in two finishes, bronze and silver. I've taken mine and placed it in my dice bag for those moments when I need quick answers from The Spirits. (Usually at the game table, but you also never know when some otherworldly guidance may come in handy!) The Spirit Coin is now available on Etsy for $15 (with free shipping). I've found this to be very useful during writer's block or as a random prompt for all types of situations, so for GMs who could use a bit of spiritual guidance at the table, go grab one!

Quill Noir Available in French, And Watch It Played On Twitch (In French)

One of my favorite creations that I've written is Quill Noir, a supplement for Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player that takes place in the world of 1930s pulp crime fiction novels and 1940s hardboiled detective films. It's become fairly popular, sells well, and I get a few compliments on it throughout the year. Imagine my delight when I was approached by writer and illustrator Angela Deschand earlier this year who asked for permission to translate it into French! I, of course, was happy to oblige. (She has also translated Quill: Shadow and Ink for the Quill system as well.) If you're interested in grabbing a copy of Quill Noir in French, it is available for free download at this link. (Or click on the cover to the left.)

Even more mind-blowing is that the French edition of Quill Noir was recently played live on Twitch by Samuel Ziterman! Sadly, I don't speak French, but as the author of the original supplement, I kinda could follow what scenarios he played as well as how he did. (Second game, pretty well. First game, not so much!) If you'd like to see a replay of his solo adventures into the world of gangsters and gun molls, check out this link here or click the screen capture below.

Both Quill and Quill Noir (and my other supplement Quill Quest: The Warlord's Downfall) are available as Pay What You Want releases, so try before you buy, if you prefer. Also, everything for Quill has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, so feel free to create your own Quill supplement!

"Unskilled" Skill Attempts In Cryptworld/Timemaster/Rotworld

So you're playing Cryptworld (or Timemaster or Majus or Rotworld -- any of the Pacesetter-brand RPGs) and you want to perform an action you're unskilled at. For example, someone needs immediate surgery, but your character doesn't have the Medicine skill. Or the pilot is killed and you're the only one who can land the plane, but you don't have the Pilot skill. Well, the section on "Exclusive Skills" (CW rules, pg. 16) makes the consequences clear:

EXCLUSIVE SKILLS
Characters can use most weapons without having skills for those weapons; they just use their Dexterity or Unskilled Melee score as the base chance for success. Not all skills work this way; many cannot be used unless characters actually have the skill. Such skills are called exclusive. Characters without exclusive skills may never, under any circumstances, attempt to perform actions that require these skills.

Sounds pretty dire, doesn't it? So, in the examples above, the patient dies and the plane crashes. Even the original Pacesetter games have similar limits under the section "Unskilled Attempts to Perform Skills.". But that's kind of a hardline approach, and it's a rule I've had to work around in play.

"So none of us took the Pilot skill!?"

An "exclusive skill" simply means that the PC was never properly trained in that field. They didn't go to school, they have no training, and they've never practiced. But can they try it? Sure, but the odds will be incredibly stacked against them. Here are a few ways to approach it though:

METHOD 1: DOING A LOT OF MATH
In Chill 1e (page 14), they suggest calculating the skill base for the unskilled character, adding adjustments for skill levels, then dividing by 10 (rounding down) to give a percentage for the PC to fumble their way through it. So, for example, the History skill is calculated by PCN plus WPR divided by 2. So someone with a Specialist-level Skill with PCN of 60 and WPR of 70 would have a History skill of 80 (60+70/2=65, then +15 for Specialist level.) But for someone who is unskilled in History, the chance for that PC would be only 6. (60+70/2 = 65, then 65/10 = 6.5 or 6). So they'd have a 6% chance to recall something they may have heard on TV or in a classroom about the historical information at hand. Pretty rotten odds, but it beats "never, under any circumstances".

METHOD 2: USE ABILITY AND LUCK SCORES FOR MINOR ROLLS
I've used this system for non-life-threatening skills, such as Forgery, Investigation, Tracking -- something where there is no chance of injury in case of failure. For these I'll allow the PC to roll a check versus an appropriate Ability, so Forgery might use DEX, Investigation and Tracking might use PCN, etc. However, behind the screen, I would make a hidden roll versus that player's LUCK score. That roll would determine how well they fake their way through the unskilled task. So if they succeed their roll, but the LUCK roll is a failure, they may not realize that they still failed until it's too late. (The forgery is discovered to be fake; their investigation gives them incorrect info; they follow the tracks in the wrong direction.) If the LUCK roll is a success, I treat it as a specific check to determine just how well they succeed. The lower the roll, they better they did.

METHOD 3: USE A SKILL YOU HAVE IN PLACE OF A SKILL YOU DON'T HAVE
This is the system I use at home and at conventions. I stress to my players if they can JUSTIFY how one of their skills is appropriate to a situation, I’ll allow it. So instead of a Demolitions skill roll to cobble together some makeshift explosives, I’ve had a player use their Chemistry skill. Need to get past that keypad-locked door, but you don't have the Security Devices skill? No problem, as I've allowed players with the Computers skill or the Electronics skill use their abilities for that same situation. Heck, I’ve given accountants a chance to discover clues using Accounting, as they explained, "My highly analytic mind can find patterns where others may not see them." If the player can describe how their skill can be used in any situation -- as long as it makes sense in some way --I’ll allow the roll.

For your next game, don't be so hung up on the exclusivity of skills. Allow the players some leeway, and use one of the systems I've described to give them a chance to succeed. Otherwise, this may be the end result if someone doesn't take the Stunt Driving skill...

DIY DEAD Stamps for MCC/DCC RPGs

One of my favorite facets of the Dungeon Crawl Classics/Mutant Crawl Classics series of RPGs is the ever-popular Zero-level funnel. Each player starts with a handful of non-leveled, unskilled, common folk who are then presented with a situation far beyond their means to cope. When the adventure has ended, those citizens left standing progress to Level 1. This progress leaves a lot of bodies in its wake.

Lots...and LOTS of bodies.

Because of the meatgrinder-like atmosphere of this inaugural sojourn, many DCC/MCC judges are equipped with a self-inking DEAD stamp. It's almost ceremonial to commemorate the death of these disposable peons with a satisfying KA-CHUNK. I've wondered where these stamps were available and, with a bit of research, managed to get my hands on two -- one for DCC and one for MCC. Folks have asked me where I got 'em, so I'm passing that info along to you now!

I got mine from Vistaprint. They carry a wide variety of stamps -- especially self-inking ones. The one I ordered was the rectangular 1.5 x 3 inch version, which seems to be the "standard" amongst judges. My favorite color to use is red (BLOOOOOOD), although there are several others available if you like. Next up, the site asks you to upload the image you want. I was able to locate the stamp designs most preferred by judges (and thanks to the nameless designer who came up with them). I have placed them here on my blog for you to download.

Just grab the image, and upload it to the site. That's it! The stamp runs a bit over $25 (smaller ones cost less), but Vistaprint runs constant sales and promos, so you can get them for quite a bit off if you look. (I didn't pay more than $20 for either of mine.) That's it!

Now, next zero-level funnel you run, watch the players quake in fear as they see you bring out your Dead Stamp. They'll realize just how high the odds are and that you mean business!

Stampy-stampy-stampy-stamp-stamp-stamp...

"Quill Noir" '30s Pulp Detective Setting for Quill RPG Now Available

Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player is one of my favorite stand-alone solo games, as this review I wrote will attest. Last year, I wrote a scenario supplement for Quill called Quill Quest, in keeping with the pseudo-medieval theme of the original game. However, the open-ended mechanics of Quill seemed to be easily adaptable to other genres, other themes. So I stripped away the fantasy world trappings of original Quill and placed the game smack-dab in the middle of the 1930s pulp detective era. Hang tough, gumshoes, as you're about the enter the rough-and-tumble world of Quill Noir!

The case had me bewildered. I lit up a Lucky Strike and leaned back in my chair, propping my feet up on my desk. Lacing my fingers behind my head and closing my eyes, I mulled over what Sgt. Ward had said. Despite the fact mob boss Felix Bunte would be free to swoop in and take over the waterfront district, I didn’t think he had anything to do with Martino’s murder. It was too sloppy to be one of his goons. The blood at the crime scene had come from someone else; there were animal hairs clutched in Martino’s hand; and there was a cigarette butt found near the body. My eyes popped open and I lept from my chair as if I had been seated on Ol’ Sparky. I lunged for the phone and hurriedly dialed the station as I fumbled with my hat and overcoat.

“Sgt. Ward? Yeah, it’s me. Grab a couple of your boys and meet me at Luanne McKenzie’s place. Yeah, Martino’s girlfriend. I want to ask her again how she hurt her hand. Stop by Judge Smalls’ place on your way and get a search warrant too. I want to check out any fur stoles in her closet as well as what brand she smokes.”

Quill Noir takes place in the world of 1930s pulp crime fiction novels and 1940s hardboiled detective films. In Quill Noir, clever gumshoes try to solve baffling cases while gangsters and gun molls thwart their efforts to bring the guilty to justice. Using a new Quill letter format, “The First-Person Narrative,” you'll compose your solution in a first-person perspective, as if you were mulling over the facts of the case to yourself while sitting in your seedy downtown office, interrogating a suspect in a back alley, or staring down a mob enforcer. Quill Noir contains six new Character archetypes (the Private Eye, the Plainclothesman, the Dilettante, the G-Man, the Newshound, and the Enforcer) and four exciting cases for you to solve.

Quill Noir is now available in PDF at Drive Through RPG. (A copy of Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player is required to play.) Both Quill and Quill Noir (and Quill Quest too) are available as Pay What You Want releases, so try before you buy, if you prefer. Also, Quill and Quill Noir have been released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

Sketchbook Of Grotesqueries Updated -- Now With 21 THINGS For Cryptworld

(Today's my birthday, but YOU get a present!)

I have updated The Sketchbook of Grotesqueries yet again, and it now contains 21 unique monsters for your Cryptworld campaigns!

Bloody Bones

Bloody Mary

Carnivorous Swarm

Cut-Up
 Diabolic Structure

Flotsam

Gravedigger
Gutpile

Humansquito

Krampus
Mirror Dweller
Murdermatronic

Puppeteer

Screaming Skull

Slender Man

Smiley Face

Snallygaster

Strix

The Tooth Fairy

Werestag

White Noise

Feel free to download and share this free Cryptworld monsters supplement! I hope you enjoy it!

"Quill Quest: The Warlord's Downfall" Now Available -- New Quill RPG Scenario Supplement

A year ago, I wrote a review for Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player. In my positive review for this enjoyable game, I mentioned that I had some ideas for some new mechanics for this fun creative writing RPG. I also said that I thought a Quill scenario placed within a fantasy setting would make for a fascinating game. In fact, my exact words were "I can see myself cobbling together a few scenarios of my own to share with the Quill-playing public in the future!" And so, after a year of noodling with the rules and designing the setting and scenarios, I have released my very own Quill supplement!

Your homelands are in turmoil.

Ten long years ago, Gorkill the Ruthless and his armies invaded The Empire of Edhen. The kingdom was unprepared for such swift brutality, and the crown was overthrown within days. Princess Elyn, the remaining heir to the throne, barely escaped the carnage thanks to the quick thinking of Sir Erik the Bold, the palace’s last-surviving champion.

For 5 years, Sir Erik has been formulating a plan to take back the kingdom, and it’s finally time for action. For his gambit to work, he requires the services of four persons with very specialized talents: a warrior stout of heart, a rogue deft in slight-of-hand, an expert underworld explorer, and a sorcerer of immense arcane powers. You are Sir Erik’s scribe, gifted with a flair for language; Sir Erik has passed the responsibly for recruiting his team onto you.

Your research has revealed four individuals who would be perfect for Sir Erik’s quest. You now need to convince each of them to join your master’s crusade to reclaim the lands of Edhen from the grips of Gorkill. And so you now sit down to write four very important dispatches to four very powerful adventurers…

In Quill Quest: The Warlord's Downfall, you’re responsible for writing four letters in an attempt to recruit four adventurers to Sir Erik’s cause: Britha the Warrior, Kamron the Rogue, Roinan the Dwarf, and Bartholomew the Wizard. After receiving your letters, will they join your quest? Have your words motivated them to offer additional benefits to the team? Or have your words insulted and enraged them so much that they are driven to sabotage any future letters you’ve written? 

Quill Quest: The Warlord's Downfall is now available in PDF at Drive Through RPG. (A copy of Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player is required to play.) Both Quill and Quill Quest are available as Pay What You Want releases, so try before you buy, if you prefer. Also, Quill and Quill Quest have both been released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

Untold: Adventures Await -- The Rory's Story Cube Adventure Game Now Kickstarting!

Hey gang, long time no see!

I've mentioned my love of Rory's Story Cubes in a previous blog post. These nifty little iconic dice are a fantastic imagination jogger, giving you a million ideas and inspirations all from a toss of these picturesque cubes. I've often thought that these would make a great basis for a simple RPG-like game system. Well, the folks at The Creativity Hub have been working on such a project for a while now and Untold: Adventures Await is the result. The game is now Kickstarting, in fact.

The customizable storytelling game is structured into "acts" or "scenes", with each act revealing more of the story as the game progresses. Each tale starts with a Danger that is established (the reason your character is involved in the story), followed by Intrigue (the plot twist), Confrontation (the PC swing into action), Revelation (the true motivations of the NPCs come to light), and Showdown (the final epic ending). The system may seem a bit structured, but that's to emulate the same structures found in television episodes and/or radio plays. Although the players get to choose the genre or "type" of story they wish to participate in, the adventure grows organically through the random tossing of the story cubes as well as the flowchart-like story board of Untold as the game is played.

I'm being a bit vague as to how the game works as I don't want to give away all of the secrets in this blog post. (Plus I have another story cube-related post coming after this one!) The Kickstarter page has a How To Play video posted that shows you how the game works, and a live playthrough was just held this evening. (A video should be posted in the next day or so.) Still not sure? How about if you download Untold's Print and Play set and give it a try? (Story Cubes not included so you gotta use your own.)

You can use any set of nine Story Cubes you want, and you can even mix them up from various sets to create even more variations of tales. I plan to use the Fright Set along with the Clues Set to play some investigative horror games later! It's just a shame that there isn't a set of Lovecraft/Cthulhu Story Cubes!

(Or is there? Stay tuned for my follow-up blog post!)

200 Word RPG Challenge Now Underway!

Admit it -- you have a great idea for an RPG, but you don't have the time or drive to hammer out thousands upon thousands of words to see it reach fruition. Well, if you have time to type up 200 words -- less than one page of text -- you have time to put together your fantasy heartbreaker and enter the 200 Word RPG Challenge.

I love RPG design contests, as it really brings out the creativity in our corner of the OSRiverse. I also love minimization -- trying to do as much as you can with as little as you're given. Put these two concepts together, and you have The 200 Word RPG Challenge -- a contest that dares you to flesh out a full RPG game system or supplement in just 200 words. Spearheaded by game designer David Schirduan, the challenge began last year with a simple writing prompt:

"Design a Tabletop RPG, Setting, Hack, Expansion, or whatever in 200 words or less."

There were more than 150 submissions in last year's contest covering every genre imaginable with systems both complex and spartan. (Click here and take a look at last years' entries and winners!) After the contest ends and prizes are awarded, all entries will be compiled into a PWYW book with proceeds going to charity. (All entries are submitted under the CC-BY 4.0 license.)

The contest runs through April 16, so you don't have much time to get your entry in. (But it's only 200 words, so it's not like you NEED a lot of time!) So, what can YOU do with 200 words?

Gameable Concept: "The Underwar"

Hi gang! Miss me?

Yesterday, I came up with an interesting gameable “concept,” but nothing really applicable for any games I’m currently running or anything I’m planning on writing up in the future. So I’ll toss this out there for anyone who may want it for their own use: “The Underwar”

The ground shudders and shakes, as if a moderate earthquake were striking the area. Far-away muffled screams and shouts can be occasionally heard on the winds, but no one reacts. The people who live here go about their business, as if these sounds and tremors were commonplace. In this land, the military has a very strong presence: recruitment takes place on every corner, factories on the edge of town produce massive amounts of weapons and armament, and most individuals are wearing uniforms and other regalia marking them as soldiers. Occasionally, a massive battalion of heavily-armed troops will march out of town to much fanfare, walking off into the distance. But there is no heavy combat in the area or, in fact, anywhere in the lands. The skies are clear and all seems quiet, although there are those occasional earth-shaking tremors and faint shrieks of rage…

If asked, any one of the townspersons confirms that they are indeed at war “with Those Below.” For years, the lands have been under attack by underground dwellers. Monsters? Humanoids? Invaders from Below? None of the civilians are certain. Those Below never come to the surface, preferring instead to attack from underneath – digging and burrowing causing the buildings (and people) aboveground to fall into the cavernous depths below. The only way to stop them was to take the battle to them.

About 3 miles away, there is monstrous cave opening nearly 1 mile wide that leads into the cave complex deep within the earth. Just within the cavern, the military has set up a massive command center complete with barracks, armory, hospital, etc. From this staging area, they defend the opening keeping Those Below from ever encroaching the surface. Also from here, they enter the tunnels and caverns, fighting Those Below in their own domain. The cave network varies from narrow nooks and crannies barely wide enough for one unarmed person, to cave rooms big enough for an entire kingdom to fit within. Full skirmishes and battles have taken place in these thunderous halls, with massive explosions and the sounds of battle echoing throughout the cave chambers, being heard and felt aboveground.

The kingdom is fully engulfed in a war no one ever sees.

"100 Oddities for a Graveyard" Now Released!

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has released their newest Oddities sourcebook: 100 Oddities for a Graveyard. The tome of creepy delights is intended to aid GM creativity, turning possibly bland areas or gaming episodes into something more. Here's just one example from the booklet:

A hollow, many-chambered headstone. In the breeze, it hums and whistles softly, like a set of deep, distant pipes. That, however, does not explain the soft voice that can occasionally be heard singing in an unknown tongue.

From the press release:

As roleplaying locales go, graveyards are classic, and can play a part in just about any type of game. As long as adventurers venture and people die, there will be graveyards. Fantasy, historical, urban, modern, horror, and even sci-fi or post-apocalyptic games can all benefit from the occasional introduction of a graveyard — and we have the Oddities to help you “flesh” them out.

Oddities are intended to aid GM creativity, turning possibly bland areas or gaming episodes into something more, and the goal of this publication is to make things more fun and to take your imagination in directions it might not otherwise have gone. They fill in the corners of a bookshelf, a room, a level, a scenario, with all the sorts of things that add interest but take loads of time to come up with.

"100 Oddities..." is 10 pages of creepy uniqueness and is only 99 cents. Sniderman says, "Check it out!" (Click this line for the link.)

[Review] The Gamemaster's Apprentice Base Deck

I'm a sucker for any product that claims to make a GM's life easier at the gaming table. Adventure creators, GM emulators, story prompts -- I really enjoy having something at-hand to help me through those unexpected "curves" your players toss at you.

"Oh, so you want to enter that room I never wrote up to follow that NPC I never fleshed out? Ohhhhh-kay...."

So I'm very pleased to have discovered The Gamemaster's Apprentice by Nathan Rockwood. This incredibly useful deck of 60 double-backed cards (120 card faces) gives the GM a TON of useful prompts, randomizers, seeds, and details for nearly any gaming occasion I can think of. It can also be used as a GM emulator for solo gaming. The deck is also system and genre-neutral, so you can use it with pretty much any game I can imagine.

Each card offers the GM 14 different "tools" at the table, with each card providing a randomly created element or prompt. If the GM is stuck, he pulls a card and runs with the result on the card. Just LOOK at the sheer number of tools found in the GM's Apprentice:

1. Difficulty Generator: Here, the numbers 1 through 10 randomly appear. Distributed through a bell curve with 5-7 appearing most often as an "average", you can randomly determine how easy (1-4), average (5-7), or difficult (8-10) a given task is.
2. Likely Odds:  Need a yes/no answer to a situation? First determine the likelihood of a positive outcome, then pull a card to see if they succeeded or not.
3. Dice: Each polyhedral dice is here, with an even distribution of outcomes across the 120 faces. (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d%). Don't have your dice on hand? Grab a card and find the result instead.
4. Norse Runes: The runes correspond to a handy chart provided in the deck's instructions (provided as a free download). These symbolic prompts are meant to fuel your imagination as needed.
5. Elemental Symbols: The symbols for air, earth, fire, and water can be literal prompts or suggestive for the situation.
6. Random Event Generator: Each line here has a verb-adjective-noun layout. Pull three cards (one for each word) or just read the prompts as written for a random situation prompt!
7. Sensory Prompts: Need to give the players something they can see, hear, smell, or feel in a scene? A random card draw give you some sensory clues for the players to act upon.
8. Tag Symbol: The tags are used for another set of randomizers that correspond to a previously designed list of possible events or encounters, or just for symbolic interpretation.
9. Scatter Die: Need to quickly determine a random direction? Check out the scatter die icon to see which way the path goes, the wind is blowing, or where that grenade landed!
10. Possessions: What's in the NPC's pockets? The handy list gives the GM a way to determine a list of random objects.
11. Names: What is the name of this random NPC? Pull a card an give him/her a quick moniker on the spot.
12. Catalysts: These story prompts push the situation in unexpected directions when needed.
13. Location: Where are they? Where do they need to go? Where is the Macguffin to be found? Each card has a unique location to explore.
14. Virtue and Vice: What's so good/bad about a certain person? What habits do they have. Pull a card and give them some quick quirks.

As you can see, the many uses of these cards is staggering. You can create an NPC on the spot. You can use the deck as a game engine. You can flesh out a random scene or event. Story ideas and seeds can be created with just a few draws of the deck. I'm just beginning to discover the uses this deck has, and it has gone into my travelling game kit. The Gamemaster's Apprentice Deck is available at Drive Through RPG for $10 for a print-your-own version, or $20.00 for a deck of cards. I got the cards, and they're very good, high-quality. Sniderman says check it out.

Rule 1-2-3: A Super-Simple RPG Mechanic

While preparing my Stuper Powers adventure for the upcoming convention season, I remembered that this particular RPG is kind of lacking in the mechanics department. There are no PC stats, no combat or action rolls, no resolution rules of any kind. The game is solidly tongue-in-cheek, and most actions are resolved in a narrative manner. (AKA “Tell me what you do and I’ll tell you what happens.”) When a random result is needed, Stuper Powers suggests either 1. flipping a coin, so all actions have a 50/50 chance of success/failure, or 2. Beating the GM in a game of rock-paper-scissors, so all actions have a 33% chance of success/failure/tying.

Needless to say, I’m not a fan of either system.

I suggested a system using 1d4 in my earlier post about the game, but the mechanics never really "gelled" for me. So I’ve been noodling around with a super-simple random gaming mechanic that I can shoehorn into games I want to run simply – or games that don’t have a “true” mechanic, such as this one. So here is my concept for my “Rule 1-2-3” RPG mechanic system:

Before I begin explaining, keep this all-encompassing rule in mind:

1s, 2s, and 3s are ALWAYS successes.

Each player and the GM will need to have one 4-sided die, one 6-sided die, and one 12-sided die.

For any action that has a chance of failure, the GM should determine the difficulty of the task, whether it's Easy, Average, of Difficult.

Easy tasks would be remembering a phone number you were told 5 minutes ago, punching someone while they're asleep, or parking a car at the mall.

Average tasks would be remembering a phone number you were told last month, punching someone you're fighting with, or parallel parking a car during downtown rush hour.

Difficult tasks would be remembering a phone number you were told 5 years ago, punching someone who's currently shooting at you, or parking a car while blindfolded.

For an Easy Task, the player should roll the d4. On a 1-2-3, he succeeds. (A 75% chance of success.)
For an Average Task, the player rolls the d6. On a 1-2-3, he succeeds. (A 50% chance of success.)
For a Difficult task, the player rolls the d12. On a 1-2-3, he succeeds. (A 25% chance of success.)

The system is somewhat reminiscent of "target number" mechanics, but with Rule 1-2-3, the target numbers never change -- you always need to roll a 1, 2, or 3. However, it's the die used that represents the challenge level.

That's really all I've sussed out so far. I want to keep this super-simple, so I've steered clear of bonus/penalties or contested rolls. I'd like opinions on whether you think this would work well as a basic resolution mechanic. Thoughts?

Pacesetter/Mayfair Chill (And Cryptworld) Conversion Notes

"Does anyone have a table or conversion tool to convert Pacesetter Chill stats over to Mayfair Chill, and vice-versa?"

It's a request that seems to pop up every so often. The first edition of Chill (and Cryptworld, of course!) and the second edition of Chill are somewhat close in system compatibility, but there are some differences that make mechanical crossovers bothersome. So some basic conversion notes and guidelines would be of use.

A web search some time ago unearthed an old Chill fansite from 1999 via the Internet Wayback Machine. Known as "The Home of Doctor TOC," the site compiled a bunch of Chill-related materials at his webpage. One of those pages is a compiled list of the differences between the Pacesetter edition and the Mayfair edition of the classic horror RPG along with some helpful conversion notes. And, with a bit of reverse engineering, you can use Mayfair Chill supplements with Pacesetter Chill. (And Cryptworld, of course!)

I'm a bit surprised this site is still available, but I fear the information could disappear at any time. So I thought I'd grab the data presented there and post it here for future envoys. I've made some slight formatting updates, but am presenting the info here in the manner in which it was presented at the original site. And my thanks to "Doctor TOC" for posting it in the first place!

CHILL: FROM OLD TO NEW

Rules variations between 1st and 2nd Edition Chill

This doesn't cover all changes, but the most important follow. Most changes and additions from Things and Creature Feature are also included in the CHILL hardcover book: those changes and additions are not noted herein.
In the descriptions that follow, “Then” refers to how that rule was in old Pacesetter Chill, and “Now” refers to how the same rule works in the Mayfair CHILL hardcover book.

The Following Chart Summarizes Results of Specific Checks (T# = Target Number):

L = T# through (T# - tens digit) + 1
M = T# - tens digit through (T# + 2) +1
H = T# + 2 through tens digit +1
C = 1 through tens digit
Example: T# = 66: TD = 6
L = T# thru (T# - TD) +1
L = 66 thru (66 - 6) +1 = 66 thru 61
M = T# - TD thru (T# +2) +1
M = 66- 6 thru (66 + 2) + 1 = 60 thru 34
H = T# + 2 thru TD +1
H = 66 + 2 thru 6 + 1 = 33 thru 7
C = 1 thru TD
C = 1 thru 6

THE ACTION TABLE
The old Pacesetter Action Table is gone. The major thing replacing it is a sliding scale which works in the following way:
When rolling, the number you are trying to roll less than or equal to is called the Target Number, or #. Any roll higher than the T# is a failure.
There are four types of successful results: L, a low result; M, a medium result; H, a high result; and C, a colossal result. There is no longer an S result.
* If the number rolled lies within 10 of the T# or equals the T#, the result is an L.
* If the number rolled is between 1 and 10% of the T#, the result is a C.
* If the number rolled is not already a C or an L result, it is either an M result or an H result. To determine which, first divide the T# in half, rounding any fractions down. If the number rolled is greater than half the T#, the result is an M. If the number rolled is less than or equal to half the T#, the result is an H. (See the following screened example.)
You may have noticed that the M and H results on the Result Table on p. 248-9 of the CHILL book do not match the above summary and number line. This is because the Result Table neglects the "+1's" above, thereby making things as simple as possible. It is up to the CM to decide if he wants this "margin of error" or not. (See p. 88 of the CHILL hardcover book for a more thorough explanation of the new Chill system.)

The Action Table was used in many ways. The following list briefly describes the most important of these uses, and tells how each is now resolved:

CALLED SHOTS
Then: A called shot required a "C" result.
Now: Divide the T# in half (after modifiers are applied). Reduce it even more for a more difficult Called Shot: apply regular L, M, H, and C results if the roll is successful.

FEAR CHECKS
Then: Made a WPR check, with the column determined by how scary the thing was and how many of them there were compared to the size of your party. (Success or failure was unaffected by the thing; it was determined solely by your WPR.)
Now: Make a Specific WPR Check, modifying the T# by how scary the thing is. Also:
-10 More than the number of PCs (but not twice the number);
-20 At least twice the number of PCs;
-30 At least four times the number of PCs;
etc. etc.

MELEE ATTACK DAMAGE
Then: Weapon determined column used; defender could only affect whether or not a hit was scored by hiding or by spending Luck.
Now: Make a Specific Check, applying appropriate modifiers to T#; defender can modify the T#. The Strike Rank of the attacker's weapon helps determine the actual damage.

POISONS AND ILLNESSES
Then: Made a STA check; failure meant you were dying (quickly), regardless of the strength of the poison or illness; or the strength of the poison or illness determined which column to use, thus helping determine how bad off you were.
Now: Make a Specific Opposed Check (see below); your character's Current STA opposed by the poison or illness's strength.

SPECIFIC ABILITY CHECK
Then: Made a specific check on Column 2.
Now: Make a Specific Check.

SPECIFIC SKILL CHECK
Then: Made a specific check on Column 3.
Now: Make a Specific Check

UNSKILLED USE OF NON-COMBAT SKILLS
Then: Divided the base score for the skill by 10 to find the number to be rolled against; any success was an L result.
Now: Make a Specific Check against the character's Unskilled Melee Score in that skill. (This is identical to the new Unskilled Use of a Combat Skill.)

USING EVIL WAY DISCIPLINES
Then: These were divided into Distortion (DIS) and Subjection (SUB) disciplines. For the former, you made a specific check, either on Column 1 or 3; only a "C" was a success (i.e., you made a general check, subtracting 10 or 30 from the roll.) For the latter you made a specific check against a 99 (i.e., only a 100 failed); the column was determined by the victim's WPR.
Now: There is no longer a distinction between DIS and SUB disciplines. With most former DIS disciplines, make a Specific Check with at least an M or H result required for success; a 100 (00) is always a failure. Most former SUB disciplines are resolved as Opposed Checks: the creature's skill opposed by its victim's current WPR.

VEHICLE WRECK RESULT
Then: Rolled a percent, and subtracted it from 100. Choose a column based on the speed of the wreck: applied the result as though the wreck were an attack that automatically hit.
Now: The CM determines at what speed the accident occurred: this is the Accident Number (A#). The Strike Rank of the collision is typically the A# ÷ 10. At A#s of 100 or less, characters may escape a collision unscathed. (This approach also applies to such things as failing damage or damage from being "flung" by a creature.

ANIMALS
Very small and very large animals have a modifier for their Stamina, indicating how much Stamina Loss a blow actually causes. There is a Strike Rank and a number for Wound Boxes listed with each animal and creature. The animal's or creature's Fear Modifier is applied to a character's Fear Check, rather than indicating a column on the Action Table.

Also see Converting Old Stats into New Stats, following:

THE ART
Then: To use any Discipline of the Art, you needed a PCN of at least 60 and a WPR of at least 50.
Now: Your character must have a WPR of at least 50 to learn any Discipline of the Art. The divisions of these disciplines are now called schools, each of which has one other, minimal prerequisite:
COMMUNICATIVE (PER: 60),
INCORPOREAL (STA: 60),
PROTECTIVE (LCK: 60), and
RESTORATIVE (STR: 60).
The base chance to use a discipline is now just 2/3 of the average of your PCN Score and the other prerequisite attribute; however, you can now learn disciplines as Student, Teacher, and Master Levels, which can add up to 50 to your base chance of success.

BASIC ABILITIES
Then: Basic Ability scores ranged from 26 to 80; Luck as used to adjust the result of certain rolls.
No: Ability Scores range from 10 to 90; unspent CIPs may adjust the result of certain rolls. Also, (STR + STA) ÷ 4 determines the total number of wounds your character can no take, and STR determines how far your character can throw objects.

CONVERTING OLD STATS INTO NEW STATS

CHARACTERS
There's not much difference between old and new Chill characters. If you aren't going to worry about the current point value of existing characters (we recommend that you don't), simply do the following:
* Subtract 5 from any Master Level of ability. (Master level adds only 20 now, rather than 25.)
* For each discipline known, refigure its base score using the guidelines on p. 37-42 of the CHILL book. (With the new prerequisites, some existing characters already know disciplines they wouldn't currently be allowed to learn. Don't worry about this discrepancy unless both the player and the CM agree to switch the offending discipline for a skill or for another "legal" discipline; the CM might require that up to 1/2 of all new CIPs be spent to raise the appropriate basic ability or abilities until the discipline is legal.)
* Then roll 1 die:
On a 1-6, the discipline is at Student Level; add 15 to the base score.
On a 7-9, the discipline is at Teacher Level; add 30 to the base score.
On a 10, the discipline is at Master Level; add 50 to the base score.
* For each skill and discipline, make sure that the added 15, 30, or 50 (for Student, Teacher, or Master Level) is not more than the base score. If it is, reduce the added percentage so that the final score is no more than double the base score. For example, if the base score is 43, the final score, even at Master Level, can be no more than 86 (43 x 2).
* Calculate the figures for Movement ((AGL + 3) + 20). Sprinting (AGL + 50), Unskilled Melee ((AGL + STR) ÷ 4), and wounds ((STA + STR) ÷ 4).
* Divide any current store of CIPs by 500 (rounding to nearest whole number).

ANIMALS & CREATURES
* For each basic stat (AGL, DEX, PCN, PER, STA, STR, WPR, and EWS), take the old average value (the number in parentheses), and subtract 15 from it. This becomes the base value to which is added 2D10. The average value is retained. Thus, the Bat Lord's AGL, for example:
Old Chill 7 (105)
New Chill (90+2D100/105
* A few old statistics had an average value below 15. Those are changed to something like one of these:
(5+1D10)/15
(2D10)/15
(1D10/5
* So that players don't always know exactly what attack percentage a creature has against them, Attacks now have a random factor. The old attack percentage is rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 (for the Bat Lord, 98 rounds to 100), and 15 is subtracted:
Old Chill 98
New Chill (85+1D10)/100
In general, the number of attacks a creature had remains the same.
* Wound Boxes (WBs) and Strike Ranks (SRs) are determined by how difficult one is to bring down (e.g., for humans, 25 WBs is average, 5 is extremely low, and 50 is extremely high). Of course, if a creature can't be physically hurt, it has no WBs. Those creatures that don't have a physical attack have no SR, and those that use weapons have the SR of the weapon used.
* Fear is now a modifier to a Willpower roll. In general, the old Fear number is multiplied by -5 (e.g., the Bat Lord's 8 becomes -40).

CREATURES
Then: A creature's classes were Corporeal, Incorporeal, and Special, with Special meaning it could take more than one form.
Now: A creature's class(es) can be Corporeal (C), Incorporeal (I), and/or Gaseous (G). For example, if a creature can be both Corporeal and Incorporeal, its class is given as "C,I," and statistics are given for each possible form. Also see Converting Old Stats into New Stats, preceding.

THE EVIL WAY
As with SAVE's Disciplines of the Art, the Evil Way Disciplines have been divided into schools--Communicative (PER), Distortive (STA), Elemental (STR), Mental (WPR), Psychokinetic (AGL), and Sensory (PCN). Each school has a different base score--2/3 of the average of the creature's Evil Way Score and the other governing attribute. To that base score is added a level of ability (+15, +30, or +50), but, as with all skills and disciplines, the bonus can no more than double the base score.
The Chill Discipline is part of no school and is based solely on the creature's Evil Way Score.

GAME MECHANICS
Initiative (AGL ÷ 10) + 1D10) is now determined character by character, rather than for each side. Initiative stays the same throughout a single series of combat, but must be rerolled at the beginning of each round. Characters with higher initiative can act first, or postpone their turn until later in the round.
Since characters each take their turn in a round individually, the long-round sequence (including Missile Fire, Defensive Missile Fire, etc.) has been eliminated.
Fear Check results have been slightly modified.
You can now pull a punch, hitting someone with less than full force.
Damage is now determined both by how well you roll and by your weapon's Strike Rank. Each weapon has a Strike Rank (SR) assigned to it (the higher the better) that specifies how much Stamina Loss and how many wounds it can cause. An L result on your attack means that it does the specified damage. A better result (an M, H, or C result) means that it does the damage of a higher Strike Rank (e.g., an M does 1 SR higher, an H does 2 SRs higher, and a C does 4 SRs higher).
Collisions, falling, etc. are treated as "attacks" against a character, with very high T#s and SRs.

INSIGHT POINTS (IPs)
These are now called Character Insight Points (CIPs). Rather than earning several hundred CIPs in a game session, you now usually earn less than 10 CIPs. However, the things you can buy with them don't cost nearly as much as they used to.
CIPs don't have to be spent on developing your character. They can be saved for future scenarios, and spent to adjust the result of a crucial roll (that you are making, or that the CM is making for you) by a level or two (1 level per CIP spent) any time the rules or the CM allows.

SKILLS AND SPECIFIC CHECKS
Then: Use of a knowledge/research skill required that a specific number of available items be learned: 1 fact/place for an "L" result, 2 facts/places for an "M" result, etc.
Now: The CM classifies each item of information by how difficult it is to learn/locate (as L, M, H, or C result), thus being a Specific Skill Check.
Many Specific Checks are now Opposed Checks. If, originally, the Action Table column was determined by an opposing character (usually by the opposing character's Current Willpower or Perception), that check is probably an Opposed Check now. Skills which can now be opposed also list the results of opposed rolls.
Several skills have been modified. Some of these modifications follow:
* You don't have to have a blackjack to knock someone unconscious, but Blackjack is still the appropriate skill to use.
* Bow skills have all been combined into one skill, as have Thrown Missiles (no Thrown Weapons). The Entangler Skill has been added, and covers the Bola, Lasso, and Whip.
* There is no longer a distinction between Professional and Common skills; they are all Non-Combat Skills.
* Acting/Drama is now just Acting; Modeling is now Savoir-Faire; Outdoor Survival is now Survival, etc.
* Police Forensic Pathology is now just Forensics, and demands a prerequisite of Medicine or Investigation at Master Skill Level.
* Medicine is no longer a prerequisite for Psychiatry.

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