Nuna Art

An Inuit woman with child talks to a Mystic Tuniit in its cave. What is it telling her?

On KS Postage & Pricing

Hello Nuna people, and thanks as always for your support!

I had intended to post some art and content about A Rosa Branca and the Grave of Leviathans (the what now?) but got sidetracked by real life, as single fathers about to move across country do.

I don't want to talk just about Kickstarter all the time and bore you, but I thought I'd give you my thoughts and experience on postage and pricing as it has been an interesting journey of discovery.

So I did massive amounts of reading from KS articles before the campaign about postage. The advice was all the same - nail down every detail, then overcharge to account for unforeseen costs or changes at the post office between the campaign and delivery of product.

Simple, right?

Except roleplaying games are a different beast. Looking through campaigns, some had no postage, some had limited to certain areas, others had high rates. The clock was ticking, so I made the decision to overcharge and make up with content or refunds at a later date. I put it up on my pre-launch and figured I could get some feedback.

Except I didn't. I got a lot of "Looks great!" before launch, then a wave of "Why did you do that? Wish I had told you earlier!" after launch.

Maybe people didn't want to offend me or were too busy / intrigued by concept and content to look at the nitty gritty details. But even though my decision was not the best one, I was thrilled that so many of you still backed the project.

So when I relaunch in 3-6 months with an actual book in my hands, postage won't be calculated until after the campaign succeeds.

Moving onto pricing, there was a similar phenomenon. The advice was get down all the nuts and bolts, then overprice to not be caught offguard by surprises. Refund excess or offer content to make up for it.

Again, simple on the surface but not the best option for an RPG. So my work now is to get the book written and playtested, then get actual figures for printers instead of vague estimates. This will help me keep the book cost down as much as possible. I don't want to break anyone's bank with NUNA, just be industry competitive and be able to pay off my team for their hardwork.

Thanks again, and look forward to more content & art next!

NUNA & Tedankhamen Aren't Going Anywhere

 

Posted by Tedankhamen Oct 24, 2024 View on Kickstarter

Hello beautiful backers! This is Tedankhamen. It seems that our growth has levelled off. Our goal seems difficult to achieve at this time. And that is OK. Just from running Kickstarter for a week, this is what we have achieved: 200 glorious backers pledging nearly $4000. People from all over the globe giving positive feedback about NUNA. Tons of helpful people giving advice and criticism that will make our next attempt 100x more likely to succeed (first time KS succeed 40% of the time, second time 80%). Turned my notes into a playtest draft. Went from a one man outfit to a creative team of three. Created a ton of art for the project. So whether this Kickstarter succeeds or not, NUNA will live on, and will someday make its way into your hands. Let me tell you why. First, because I believe in this game, its vision of adventure and representation for people of the North. And lots of you have told me you feel the same. Second, because Tedankhamen learns from his mistakes. Why do I have a blackbelt in karate? Why did I get 2nd place in a Japanese provincial tournament? Why did I get the highest level in Japanese? Why did I push through to become prof? Because I jump in feet first, embrace my mistakes, and learn from them. Already, I have learned in weeks what other teams take months or years to acquire. And Kickstarter is a unique beast with scads of moving parts and the added complications of TRPGs and being a first timer.  So I hope you will stick around as we continue developing NUNA, and push it through to reality. And since there's always hope, I will be updating this KS till it runs out, and keeping our social media feeds open and running. Nalligavagit!

Kickstarter Is An Education

KS is a real education. School of hard knocks in a way, especially for indie creators.

It is very hard to make the right decisions.

Case 1 - Shipping

On the one hand, I was told nail down shipping cost details, which is impossible considering I don't know where backers are and what postal rates will be in 6 months. On the other, after posting it was pointed out that most KS don't include shipping, which lowers your overall funding and thus chance of reaching your goal.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Case 2 - The Interface

KS is a bit of an unforgiving interface. Once you launch it is hard to go back and change things. Maybe it is my old brain but it is taking some getting used to. I flubbed my digital copy tier so had to create a new one.

But it is all a valuable education.

Case 3 - Outreach

On the one hand, some people have reached out and given great advice. On the other, I am flooded with spam and bots. I was offered a podcast interview, but told they don't do direct messages.

I'm not sure how this is supposed to go. 

BUT

I am LOVING every minute of it!

I am LEARNING every minute of it!

Very grateful I took this chance.

Meta-ads and other kickstart considerations

 Hi everybody.

I started running ads for Nuna on Facebook. One week left in pre-launch.

The social media campaign is a mixed bag. Doing well on Facebook and blue sky, Twitter and email list are duds. Have to try and fix that in this last week of pre-launch.

What Is it like a kick starter? Some people only do that for six months to a year in advance with their team. Not me. Go look at Coyote and Crow, an example of a brilliantly executed kickstart campaign.

Some people do a little workshop in their house and line everything up by themselves and get it done in advance. Again not me that’s Ben Milton. And he kills it.

I have connected to lots of Indie designers. Some of them work a year in advance for the team and fail. Some of them slap it together by themselves and succeeded. So there’s a lot of luck involved.

I am leaning into my creative side, learning about marketing, and putting my passion out there. By kickstart followers alone, I could conceivably have half of what I need to fund. But that number is considered 25 to 40% off.

So this week I’m going to try and plug my holes and start kickstart off on the right foot with three weeks of half decent PR behind me.

I am still being a single father to a special-needs child.

I am still working some days, but also taking days off

Most importantly, I am still going for walks in the sunshine with sunny, exercising at night, eating right and slowly getting ready for the move to the West Coast

Wish me all the luck I wish you!

Tedankhamen

SUPER SCIENCE IN NUNA

So I’ve gone on long enough about Inuit, who are one of the pillars of Nuna. The other pillar is not just Iceships, but the whole retro-futurist super science that underlies them.

Labrador and all of Canada’s arctic has an element of this. The Pinetree Line was a series of geodesic dome radars strung across the North to detect Soviet air invasion. My father worked at one, and there are lots of strange (and NSFW) stories about them. But I remember as a child seeing the white geodesic domes outside Goose Bay standing out against the rocky hills and stunted spruce trees and being awed by their futuristic shapes.

The arctic has also been the site of superpower conflicts (and attendant accidents) as well. On the 22nd of May, 1968, a cabin fire forced a nuclear bomber crew to eject Over Thule Air Base in Greenland. They left the plane to crash with its nuclear payload onboard, and its B28FI thermonuclear bomb, second stage, was never recovered. In Labrador, a German U-boat has been found sunk in the Churchill River, 100 kilometers from the ocean. German officials confirmed U-boats did operate off the coast of Labrador, and also German intelligence did set up weather stations along the coast, many of which were never found.

All these are grist for the mill in Nuna.

SCIENTISTS

What we call scientists in Nuna are more like mad scientists from comics and old movies. They strut around in shiny suits with glass cowls, fly on (dangerously radioactive) thrones, and can perform miracles when they want. They are also mysterious and secretive, and have hidden agendas that would frighten the other inhabitants of the land if they knew of them. This makes them both envied and feared by the other inhabitants of Nuna. Inuit and Vikings want nothing to do with them, but Whalers guardedly embrace their technological support.

Once, Howard Hughes tried to make a giant claw to retrieve a sunken Soviet nuclear sub in the Pacific, but told the press he was interested in underwater mining. His claw failed and the vessel broke into pieces, spilling its deadly cargo onto the ocean floor.

THIS is the vibe of mad scientists in Nuna.

ICESHIPS

Michael Moorcock introduced the idea of Iceships in The Ice Schooner, but this romantic view of classic sailing ships on ice runners needs an update.

Instead, Nuna’s light Iceships are based on the solar sails of space exploration. Anyone can be trained to use one, but repair is the sole province of Scientists.

The heavy Iceships used by Whalers are based on Soviet nuclear icebreakers, but as they would exist had the USSR had another hundred years or so of technological advancement. Remember, for a short while they beat the West in the Space Race, and their heavy aircraft are still used today. The aesthetic is Super Science Soviet City Ship (try saying that ten times fast), with light Iceships milling about them for the hunt. Kind of like Gundam on ice…

TECHNOLOGY

There are basically three tiers of technology in Nuna. There is Inuit survival technology, which seems almost magical to the other groups. Then there is modern technology, used by Vikings and Whalers, with some upgrades for the post apocalypse. Finally, Scientists use super science, retro futuristic technology that does incredible things. For a price. And there’s always a price to be paid.

Nuna Open For Questions!

NUNA - The RPG of Inuit & Iceships, winner of the 2024 BRP Design Challenge, offers a very different gaming experience. What do you want to know about Nuna? Put your burning questions below, leave a like, follow on Kickstarter. Let's reach our Kickstarter goal together!

COMMUNITY vs HIERARCHY in RPGS

One thing I’ve noticed about fantasy RPGs is that they lean into hierarchy, that is, vertical power relations. This replicates the Great Chain of Being of the feudal era, with kings deriving power straight from god, and the entire social pyramid below them consisting of royals, nobles, craftsman, merchants, soldiers and peasants as you go down.

Inuit society has very little hierarchy, and what it does have comes up from below. A chief is only in power so long as the people trust his actions and decisions. Instead, community is what binds together Inuit, as it does with many indigenous societies.

In roleplaying terms, we try to avoid saying “I know…” or “Does my character know…” Instead, you would say, “I learned from my uncle that…” In Nuna, all knowledge is derived from connections to other people, for Inuit as well as Outsider characters. For Inuit characters, community is what gives them their ability to listen to the land, for Viking it lets them work steel and fight, and for whalers it lets them know the sea and the strange leviathans they hunt.

I am working on the mechanical and roleplaying underpinnings for this now. Going to be a different kind of BRP, with lots of flavour and ways to connect to the gameworld.

SANITY IN NUNA

In vanilla BRP (Call of Cthulhu), the Sanity mechanic is invoked with typical gothic horror elements. When you see a body, a ghost, or a monster, you throw dice. It is also extended to cosmic horror, which has a greater chance of driving you crazy.

Nuna will be different because Labrador is different.

In Labrador, as in Inuit communities all over the north, kids are brought into the hunt and its experience of death for life from a young age. I remember sitting with my nan when she peeled a rabbit my uncle had snared right in front of my eyes. I was holding a toy rabbit, and I cried and ran away at first.

A day of two later we would chat as she scaled fish, skinned hares, or chopped up caribou meat and bones. Within weeks I was doing it myself. It was all part of life, and I was brought into seeing how food (life) was produced out of hunting (death) with no holds barred.

(I consider this part of the reason I acclimated so well to Japan, which has a similar ethic)

The further you go up north, the closer people are to this aspect of life, and when eating things like frozen Arctic char or raw whale, expect kids as well as adults to get blood on their hands and faces.

So in this context seeing something dead loses its shock value.

Instead, Sanity in NUNA is tied to a great existential dread of the North - the fear of being left alone. As a youth, I heard so many story of locals as well as people from outsider going strange when they were lost. The wandering members of the American Hubbard expedition saw ghostly members of their family in their delirium, and many times I heard the story of local people stranded who saw will o the wisps or such other phenomenon when cut off.

But although getting lost may prey on the minds of Outsiders, it is less of a fear for Inuit. For them, I would consider the loss of Community to be a greater tragedy. In Labrador, fully 1/3 of the Inuit died due to the Spanish Flu pandemic, and the villages of Okak and Hebron were destroyed by the Spanish Flu, Hebron losing 86 or 100 residents and Okak losing 204 of 263 souls.

Can we imagine what a horror this must have been to live through? Only sole survivors of great tragedies like Titanic or a plane crash in wilderness could know the horror and trauma. Coincidentally, north Europeans a millenia ago knew this pain, and the Old English poem fragment The Wanderer retells this trauma in relatable terms.

“Often, every daybreak, alone I must
bewail my cares. There’s now no one living
to whom I dare mumble my mind’s understanding.
I know as truth that it’s seen suitable
for anyone to bind fast their spirit’s closet,
hold onto the hoards, think whatever — (8–14)

“Can a weary mind weather the shitstorm?
I think not.
Can a roiling heart set itself free?
I don’t think so.

Although we are playing a game, it is also a panoply of different worldviews. Call of Cthulhu is American gothic with a slice of Victorian prudishness, so death and ghosts are the drivers of fear. In Nuna as in Labrador, what could be scarier than being lost and alone in the endless woods, or losing one’s entire social support network in a single blow of fate?

Reference

Heritage NF. The 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic.

https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/1918-spanish-flu.php

Old English Poetry. The Wanderer.

https://oldenglishpoetry.camden.rutgers.edu/the-wanderer/

3 QUESTIONS ABOUT NUNA THEMES, RULES, & HISTORY

Q: What is the theme of NUNA?

A: The theme of most other adventure RPGs is conquest. Fight the baddies, take their stuff. 

I ain’t knocking that! It has worked for countless other games and arguably brought us this great hobby.

But NUNA is different.

The watchwords of NUNA are COOPERATION and COMMUNITY.

There are still baddies to fight. Fenris wolves, borged bears, Qallupilluks, land leviathans, etc etc. Still useful gear to pick up. But you can only survive these encounters by cooperating with your diverse group and with support from your community. If you read the histories of Labrador, it is all stories of people helping people, mixing and mingling and strengthening one another.

Then there are the communities, that come together in time of need, or else need saving .

Q: How will the rules compare to vanilla BRP?

A: It is past time to say a word about my plans for NUNA’s rules. I have three guiding principles.

CLASSIC - Take some of that old magic, atmospheric Chaosium stuff and update it. See my blog (Tomb of Tedankhamen) to see what I’ve done with Stormbringer.

MODERN - Take the best modern mechanics of the latest BRP iteration. CoC 7E I’m looking at you and some others.

UNIQUE - Add innovative rules that evoke setting and a style of play. The Community and Social mechanics and Cultural abilities fit in here.

It will also be MODULAR as not al players will have the time and interest to game regularly and build a community. For them, casual play options are a must.

All this must be playtested thoroughly. Very looking forward to this rigorous process!

HISTORY OF NUNA

Q: How long have you been working on NUNA?

A: Looking at my blog, where most of my ideas get worked out, my first reference to it is 2013. At the time, I envisaged an OSR retroclone style game. I started making notes in a Google doc, but as I grew disenchanted with retroclones and drifted back towards BRP, my ideas shifted towards using Chaosium’s engine.

Now I just have to whip all those ideas and scribblings into an appealing shape.

Blog Backgrounding Under Media Blitz

So I have switched gears over to Kickstarter and social media for the duration.

Pre-launch is ON until the 22nd. Then you have 3 weeks to pull the trigger and get in on this.

KICKSTARTER LINK IS HERE!

(If this game succeeds, next game is The Weird in Japan)

Choose Your Poison!!

(Facebook) NUNA The roleplaying game of Inuit & Iceships on Facebook

For longform fiction, releases and discussion

(Twitter) @nuna_rpg

For short snippets & news flashes

(Email for Notifications) nunathelandrpg@gmail.com

I am very stoked to have the chance to make this game a reality. Very excited to get my (and your) grubby mitts on this corebook, but ready for the 9 months maximum I figure it'll take to bring to fruition from my reams of notes and ideas.

OK, here is an oldie of great grandfather Gilbert Blake, rescuer of the remnants of the doomed Hubbard Expedition of 1903!

So I won that game design competition....

Hi everyone.

You may have heard, but I am one of the four finalists in the Chaosium game design competition.

Link is HERE.

Thank you x3 for everyone who voted! (✿◠‿◠)

Thanks to Chaosium so giving back to the community so generously and inspiring the next generation of designers! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

So what is next?

Kickstarter within 24 (now 22) hours!

Contacting Inuit artists!

Feeling out playtesters!

Page samples with a week!

Playtest within a month!

Printing by spring!

(But right now, coffee and pizza with sonny)

Wish me all the luck I wish you!

Tedankhamen

Nuna Visual Inspirations

This blog is looking poised to become my game dev log for NUNA.

I've no problems with that, I'm raring to go.

First off, what images inspired me in writing the game?

OK, the character choices for Nuna are a bit of a wide palette.

First, this was my inspiration for Inuit:

This is a photo of a then 16 year old Inuit girl Helen Konek walking into her igloo in Nunavut in 1949.

OK, next Neo-Vikings:

This is the Draken ship that sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean from Norway to Canada and down to the US.

Next, whalers:

This smiling chap is a Maori whaler of last century. Picture him covered in whale grease and a fur vest to stay warm. Queequeg meets Mad Max on the ice.

OK, how about a Settler. In Labrador, Settler traditionally meant a European who intermarried with the Labrador Inuit and settled into trapping and hunting ways. The term has fallen out of usage a bit due to political correctness.

This is my great grandfather, Gilbert Blake. He was only 18 when he signed onto the 2nd Hubbard Expedition in 1905 to cross Labrador east to west, and his knowledge of the land helped them make the journey without major incident as recorded in A Woman's Way Through Unknown Labrador. The disastrous 1st Hubbard Expedition of the year before had no native guide, and is recorded in Lure of the Labrador Wild.

(Both books are available on Gutenberg, I believe, although Woman's Way has a beautiful complete edition out a few years back)

Finally, scientists. In Nuna's lore, these are the guys responsible for the world being the way it is. OK, imagine this guy in a heated suit and you get the picture:

And there you have it, an eclectic group of playable characters that are sure to cross swords with one another when times are good and band together when they are not.

Why I Love Chaosium

Off the bat, I am admittedly positively biased towards Chaosium thanks to shortlisting in their design contest. But in addition to that, the first game I ever bought as a young man was Stormbringer, and ever since I have voted with my wallet in Chaosium's favour.

So what do I like about their games? Four things:

1 Quality

Chaosium has always made good games. In terms of mechanics, tying everything to the D100 has been a major boon in terms of cohesion as well as simplicity. But even with things like art, Chaosium has consistently chosen evocative works. Even the early art, such as the handdrawn shieldmaiden of the original Runequest, was miles ahead of its competitiors, and has been creatively remade in the Mythus cover.

Even at their lowpoint in the late 90's to 00's, when Stormbringer was outsourced to Moongoose, there was a minimum of quality under which their games did not drop.

Speaking of Stormbringer...

2 Using IP

From the start, Chaosium made the smart choice of using an Intellectual Property (IP) as the game setting. Elfquest, Stormbringer, Ringworld, and Call of Cthulhu all had the groundwork already done by their creators. This allowed players to be immersed immediately in a fleshed out setting made by an established author instead of making (and forcing players to learn) their house setting.

In this way, Free League seems to be a spiritual successor to Chaosium, with their long list of evocative IPs (Alien and Bladerunner for movies, Things From the Flood based on art).

3 Personalities

Chaosium was run by passionate gamers like Greg Stafford, Sandy Peterson, and Lynn Willis.  They were also very open - Lynn Willis sent me a kind rejection letter in the 90's, and Sandy let me interview him earlier this year. With gents like these at the wheel, make no wonder that Chaosium is known for epic adventures - Masks of Nyarlothep or Terror on the Orient Express for CoC, Rogue Mistress for Stormbringer. Once again, Free League seems to be following in their footsteps with some of the great material out there for Alien.

3 Letting others play in their sandbox

Whether it be subscribing to an open gaming license, or letting independent creators make manuscripts of award-winning scenarios for CoC, Chaosium has really invested in and benefited from community content. The BRP design contest is just another extension of this policy, which makes good business sense while avoiding the corporate misstep of shutting fans out for fear of losing revenue.

So I am glad to be a loyal Chaosium nerd. Now just to find playtesters for Nuna...

BRP Design Shortlist? How did this happen?

 At first I thought a friend was trolling me, but upon rereading I realized the email I got today confirms I I am shortlisted for the BRP design contest.

Politely rejected by Lynn Willis, 20 years ago, shortlisted today. Who would’ve thought? (Actually, Lynn’s handwritten message to me was so polite and caring. I treasured the memory of reading it.)

My proposal was for Nuna, which means land in the Inuit language. I was born and raised in goose Bay Labrador, a child lost between the white settler and Inuit worlds of my ancestors. When I encountered Michael Moorcock’s writings, the Ice schooner & the frozen expense scene of the eternal champion release stood out to me. These were adventures in the land I was from, of beautiful hot summers among the trees, contrasted by unending, frozen, and windy nights mid the snow drifts.

In Nuna, players take the role of Inuit, Vikings, whalers, and sorcerer scientists, exploring a post apocalyptic world that has fallen into frozen entropy. The setting itself is just as much a character as any PC or NPC, and preparing oneself for the environment is just as important as for any adventure or interaction

So thank you to the fine folks at the chaosium For selecting me. Honestly, the whole shortlist looks awesome.

Good luck everybody!

PS I wrote the proposal in the depths of depression as I was getting over a workplace stress, meltdown and being abandoned by my lover after months of counseling, I feel 10 times stronger than before, and this is fine vindication.

Taking a break

 Taking a break here boss!

Not going to waste these gorgeous waning days of summer.

Get out there and enjoy!

Stormbringer Monster Strengths

I find how BRP does monster stats interesting because it is just a bunch of pioneering game designers guestimating or eyeballing what they think the numbers should be. This creates some wonky stats in early edition games, but has mostly been codified in later games.

BRP's massive statblocks have always been a big draw. Whereas OD&D stats started with the minimum of data needed for combat (AR, HD & HP, Attacks, MOV, XP and special abilities), BRP gives you the whole kit and kaboodle. On the plus side, it means you can roll up a pet or PC morphed into a beast or monster right away. On the down side, you have to roll up or calculate average stats before using any encounter, and stat blocks are always massive.

So today I'd like to compare monster stat strengths to see if they make sense.

Let us begin!

ANIMAL STATS COMPARISON

First, let's lay out ALL the animal & monster stats in the 1E book:
(NB This was mind numbing work, so if you see any mistakes tell me)

STR

1D10 Vipers

2D4+ Hawks (+1)

2D6+ Eagles (+1), Vultures (+1), Dogs (+3), Wolves (+6), Small Crocs (+18)

2D8+4 Dogs of the Dharzi

3D6 HUMANS

3D6+ Tiger (+12), Panther (+6), Constrictors (+12), Horse (+18), Large Crocs (+30)

3D8 Clakar

4D6+ Forest Bears (+6), Baboons (+6), Great Black Apes (+12), Cave Bears (+18), Mastodon (+36)

4D8+8 Creatures of Matik, Olab

5D8 Oonai

6D6 Sharks

8D8 Mist Giants

12D8 Dragon

CON

1D6+ Large Crocs (+12)

2D6 Hawks, Vipers

2D6+ Small Crocs (+6), Sharks (+6), Horse (+6) 

3D6 HUMANS, Baboons, Eagles, Vultures, Dogs

3D6+ Panther (+3), Wolves (+3), Mule (+3), Great Black Apes (+6), Forest Bears (+6),  Cave Bears (+6), Tiger (+6), Mastodon (+6), Constrictors  (+6)

3D8 Clakar, Dogs of the Dharzi

5D8 Oonai

6D8 Dragon, Olab

6D8+8 Creatures of Matik

8D8 Mist Giants

SIZ

1D10 Vipers

1D6+ Hawks (+3), Eagles (+6)

1D8+4 Dogs of the Dharzi

2D6 Vultures

2D6+ Great Black Apes (+12), Panther (+6), Dogs (+1)

2D8+4 Olab

3D6 HUMANS, Baboons, Wolves

3D6+ Forest Bears (+6), Tiger (+6), Small Crocs (+6), Large Crocs (+12), Cave Bears (+18)

3D8 Clakar

4D6+ Mule (+6), Horse (+12), War Horse (+25), Mastodon (+36)

4D8+4 Oonai

5D6 Constrictors

5D6+ Sharks (+6)

20D8 Dragon

18 Creatures of Matik, Mist Giants (Is this a typo?)

INT

1D4 Hawks, Vultures, Small Crocs, Large Crocs, Sharks, Vipers

1D6 Forest Bears, Cave Bears, Tiger, Panther, Eagles, Wolves, Dogs, Mastodon, Horse, Mule

1D6+ Great Black Apes (+1), Baboons (+1), War Horse (+3)

1D8 Dogs of the Dharzi

2D6 Constrictors

2D8 Clakar, Oonai

2D8+2 Olab

3D6 HUMANS

4D8 Dragon

7 Mist Giants (why not 2D6?)

POW

1D6 Small Crocs, Vipers, Horse

1D6+ Hawks (+3), Vultures (+3), Eagles (+6)

1D8 Creatures of Matik

2D6 Great Black Apes, Baboons, Forest Bears, Cave Bears, Panther, Wolves, Dogs, Sharks, Constrictors

2D8+4 Oonai

3D6 HUMANS, Tiger, Large Crocs, Mastodon

3D8 Clakar, Dogs of the Dharzi, Olab

4D8 Dragon

4D8+4 Creatures of Matik

5D8 Mist Giants

DEX

2D6 Baboons, Vultures, Mastodon

2D10 Vipers

2D6+ Dogs (+1), Small Crocs (+3), Large Crocs (+3), Wolves (+6), Constrictors  (+6), Eagles (+9), Panther (+12), Hawks (+12)

3D6 HUMANS, Sharks, Horse

3D6+ Forest Bears (+3), Great Black Apes (+6), Cave Bears (+6), Tiger (+6)

3D8 Dragon, Oonai, Creatures of Matik, Olab

4D8 Clakar, Mist Giants

Same as CON (3D8) Dogs of the Dharzi

CHA

1D8+2 Olab

3D6 HUMANS

ARMOR

1 Baboons, Panther, Eagles, Vultures, Horse

2 Great Black Apes, Tiger

3 Sharks (CON/3)

4 Cave Bears

5 Small Crocs

6 Mastodon

10 Large Crocs, Dragon, Creatures of Matik

Variable - Oonai

Immune to normal weapons (POW vs POW for enchanted) Mist Giants

PATTERN ANALYSIS

There is a lot of weirdness going on here. Some creatures have just a number for a characteristic, and there seems lots of duplication errors (Creatures of Matik and Mist Giant SIZ).

I might be guilty of apophenia, but let's try to suss out a system where it is easier to determine stats for creatures.

Before we begin with the details, let's start with a few definitions of things that pop out. 

Dice Ranges - We must remember that the whole array is humancentric, with the bell curve made by 3D6 as the norm of humans. Thus 3-8 is low for humans, 9-12 average, and 13-18 superior. Comparing all creature stats by this metric gives us an idea of relative strength.

1D6 Far below human ability
2D6 Less than human ability
3D6 Human norm
4D6+ More than human ability, the more dice the more superior.

Demon Dice - Using D8 instead of D6 really works well for me, as it reflects how they are supposed to have the edge as antagonists from another plane. In story terms, that extra bit of potential is what they get for aligning with Chaos I suppose. Alternately, using D4 instead of D6 reflects below human, animalistic arrays.

Oddball Dice - 1D10 Lower than human so inconsequential, but with a wide array.

Bonuses - Any bonus to the roll indicates there is a baseline from which their array of numbers starts.

+3 At least equal to minimum human (infants & invalids)
+6 At least equal to weakest humans (children)
+9 At least equal to average human
+12 At least equal to above average human
+18 At least equal to superior human
+36 At least equal to double human

As for Armor, the numbers seem not excessive, except I would probably bump up dragons by 5 points. I suppose one could whip up a system relating static animal armor ratings to variable human armors, but I prefer to leave a little chaos in and not worry about the bugbear of game balance.

UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBERS

In the Big Gold Book there is a breakdown of what SIZ means, but nothing really descriptive for the other attributes. I am a career educator, so I'm always trying to find a description that is simple yet easily graspable. Here is how I would describe each attribute in a way that would help anyone trying to figure out relative powers of attributes.

STR - To understand strength, a good metric is how many humans are required to handle or hold down the creature.
1D6 Can be handled one handed
2D6 Can be handled two handed
3D6 Same as handling a human
4D6-6D6 Too tough for one human to handle
7D6+ Too tough for any number of humans to handle

CON - Similarly, we can define CON by how much damage it takes to beat the creature.
1D6 Can be beaten bare handed
2D6 Can be beaten with small 1H weapon
3D6 Best beaten with a two handed weapon.
4D6-6D6 Too tough for one human to handle
7D6+ Too tough for any number of humans to handle

SIZ - Simple comparison with human size, but without numbers for easier comprehension.
1D6 One third human size
2D6 One half human size
3D6 Same as human
4D6-6D6 Larger than human.
7D6+ Larger than twice a human.

INT - This is a tough one, and most BRP stats never go above 3 or 4D6.
1D6 Dumb animal
2D6 Crafty animal
3D6 Same as a human
4D6-6D6 Smarter than human
7D6+ Godlike intelligence. Since the GM is only human, this is modelled by something else, namely GM fiat or psychic powers and the like.

POW - This is another tough one, 
1D6 Unclouded by emotion or spirit.
2D6 Simple emotions or spirit
3D6 Same emotional or spiritual range as a human
4D6-6D6 Much deeper or complex emotions or spirit than humans
7D6+ Too complex for any human to relate to

DEX - If STR shows us how hard it is to hold down a creature, DEX shows us how hard it is to catch them.
1D6 Easily caught
2D6 Caught with effort
3D6 Same as a human
4D6-6D6 Too quick or agile to catch without traps or assistance
7D6+ Too tough for any number of humans to handle

CONCLUSION

You have to hand it to the old BRP designers, like fine craftsman they put together relative statistics without any overarching or explicit guidelines (so far as I know). And like the Bio-engineering system of Hawkmoon, with a little effort to one can organize the statistics into a workable guide, useful for designers or house rules.

Next, I want to see if I an organize and simplify monsters skills in a similar way. Finally, I will try and pare down monster stats to see how small an entry we can make for an instant GM reference, which should be useful no matter what edition you're running.

The Weirdness of Old Stormbringer Hit Points

Hit Points are weird in old Stormbringer, and some of this weirdness continued on even to Elric! where HP don't equal the total they should have according to the rules.

Humans are calculated as equal to a base of CON, with plus 1 per SIZ higher than CON and minus one per SIZ lower. This is fiddly, but not too bad.

But monster HP are just... weird. A lot of them are CON + SIZ - 12. Why minus 12? For Baboons (CON and SIZ 3D6), this could easily give them negative HP.

I would prefer a simple solution, so either the Stormbringer method (CON base + or - 1 per SIZ greater or smaller) or the Elric! method (CON + SIZ/2). If we look at the first monster in the bestiary, Great Black Apes, we get the following.

Great Black Apes

CON 3D6+6 (average 17)
SIZ 2D6+12 (average 19)

Method 1 - So, if we use the Stormbringer method we get 17+2 or 19. This is fine with close numbers, but some monster CON and SIZ are hilariously far apart.

Method 2 - If instead we use Elric!, we get 17+19/2 or 18. Ho hum. Once again, easy for smallish numbers, but can get out of hand for Kyreen and such.

Method 3 - There is a third, lazy ass solution. And I'm all for being a lazy GM and reducing math or work so I can concentrate on story and having fun.

What if we just choose the highest of either CON or SIZ? Then the Ape's HP are 19, same as Method 1 without the math.

Now do the same for PCs and NPCs.

BOOM DONE

Stormbringer redux #23 - Cracking the Class & Genre Connection

EUREKA!

I've messed around several times with conceptions of how to use social class to tie together pre-existing mechanics in a way that emulates the writings of Michael Moorcock.

I think I've done it.

Take a look at this table.

This table organizes the different facets of a character (Class, Game Style, Wealth, Magic, and Bonds) in a useful framework explained below.

Social Class

Characters are created firmly enmeshed in the hierarchy of the Young Kingdom, with several game effects.

Vertical Relations - Characters of higher class will look down on and order about those below them, while lower class characters will fear and fawn before higher class ones. There is little to no repercussions for accosting people of lower class, while lower class people will be punished for bothering those above their station, with the penalty being more severe the farther apart the classes are. For example, a YK noble might have to apologize for insulting a Melnibonean, while a Merchant (urbanite) might be handed over to a torturer, and a farmer executed on the spot.


Changing Class - Characters of higher class can become lower class by choice (ie slumming temporarily) or by misfortune, ie stripped of the rank due to failing their sovereign or native land. Lower class characters may move up one rank by doing two things.

First, they need to choose a profession of the rank desired and learn the skills of that profession.

Second, they need to pay a guild 1000 coins of the currency of the rank to which they aspire. 

For example, a beggar wanting to become a warrior has to obtain the skills (First weapon x 5%, second x 4%, third at x3%, Ride at x 4%), and may have to pay for training if necessary, gather the requisite gear (weapons and armor), and pay a warrior’s guild 1000 LB. 

If a character wants to skip several levels, ie a Beggar wants to become a King, they have to pay 1000 x the number of levels jumped, plus gain the requisite skills, AND engineer the in-game narrative events leading to that change. A Beggar wanting to be a King would have to get the skills, pay 5000 LG (yikes), AND engineer some skullduggery to get that position. And still they would have to face treachery or opposition from outraged NPCs who hate the 'uppity' character.

Game Style

The Game Style suggests what type of adventures the character is suited for. This is not meant to be prescriptive, but as a guide for GMs and players, and the style of game is of course up to players & GM to decide.


Epic, or Elric Mode - In this style, the main focus is power and the cosmic struggle, with the following tenets.

• The powers that be are morally ambiguous, and will do anything to win.

• There is usually lots of discussion and investigation, and characters do not attack while parlaying. Combat is sparse and avoiding it to focus on the goal is the norm. NPC mooks or henchmen should be used as damage sponges where possible.

• Adventures are usually sagas stretching over multiple sessions, involving massing armies, travelling to exotic locales to gather objects of power, parlaying with treacherous nobles or sorcerers, and using magic to travel between realms and challenge the gods themselves!

• Any territory or objects of power obtained change the gameworld permanently, and may be met with repercussions.

Pulp, or Moonglum Mode - This style focuses on small scale capers and adventures against clearcut foes, with the following expectations.

• One shot, episodic adventures in which characters band together to search for treasure or fight evil.

• Enemies are black and white, with an occasional reversal or twist adding to the excitement.

• Magic is considered dangerous and evil, and is used with caution.

• Any wealth obtained is half squandered by the time the next adventure begins.

• Should include copious amounts of combat, stealth, treasure and carousing afterwards.

Note that Epic characters can play in Pulp games and vis versa, but are bound by restrictions on Wealth and Magic below.

Wealth

Abstract wealth (High classes) - Higher class characters in Epic adventures do not need to track money, and so long as the character is in their place (ie civilized part of their nation), they usually can obtain whatever reasonable gear they need.

• However, if an Epic character is cut off from their support, either by calamity during an Epic adventure or participation in a Pulp adventure, they roll starting money in their currency and can buy equipment or hire henchmen with that. For instance, a YK Noble who goes adventuring will roll starting money in Large Gold instead of Large Bronze.

• While adventuring, higher class characters are vulnerable to robbery and other loss of equipment.

• High class characters using abstract wealth WILL NOT give money willy nilly to poorer characters. They may hire them for INT x their currency a day. For instance, a Noble hiring a warrior and a beggar will pay the warrior INT x Large Bronze a day, while the beggar will receive INT x Small Bronze a day.

Concrete Wealth (Lower classes) - Lower class characters always need to track money, and must always pay or otherwise obtain any gear they need.

• While adventuring, lower class characters are vulnerable to robbery and other loss of equipment.

• Lower class characters CANNOT simply borrow wealth from high class characters who use abstract wealth. They may be hired for INT x their currency a day, as above. This inequality should spur lower class characters to accumulate enough wealth to change their class and improve their income.

Magic

This means that characters can use magic appropriate to their background.

• Nobles can try to become Agents of their deity.

• Elemental Priest Sorcerers can summon the elemental of their deity, or call on their deity for aid as per the Elan rules.

• Chaotic sorcerers can try to summon demons, or risk calling on their deity for aid as per the Elan rules.

• Lawful Priests or Agents can make or use Virtues, and may summon Elementals or call on their deity. They generally avoid using Demons unless in great need or explicitly permitted to do so. 

• Lower class characters wanting to use magic can either have it gifted (but will still need to bind it with a POW x POW roll), or may alternately increase their social standing and learn the requisite skills to become a Sorcerer, or Noble if they want to apply to be an Agent.

Note that some may cry foul that Agents are limited to Nobles, but all I can say is

Emperor Elric

Duke Dorian Hawkmoon

Prince Corum Jhealen Irsei

Bonds

Most characters are born bonded to their people and place, which comes with attendant benefits and drawbacks.

• They can expect support and civility from NPCs of the same class, nationality, or church, but will be exiled and hounded should they betray their bond.

• The table entries give groups they are especially loyal to, and can be rewarded for protecting or punished for betraying or neglecting.

• They are expected to follow the commands of their liege and protect their nation. Failure to do so can lead to exile, imprisonment, or a death sentence depending on the severity of the betrayal.

• The Dispossessed may not have obligations, but cannot expect any civility or support either.

Do You Need These Rules?

One of the big draws of Stormbringer for me is the real authentic sense of place and people it conveys by the great descriptions, effects of nationality, and of course inspirations from the fiction. If you want the same thing, consider implementing this as a GM guide rather than canon that must be followed slavishly. 

What of Hawkmoon's World?

You could definitely adapt this for Tragic Europe, but it is a sunny Sunday in the waning days of summer and I intend to spend it with sonny.

Take care!