Message:HPs suffer not at first but over time. Magic either erases all ills, all enemies (power creep) or the time needed to defeat even an average, interesting group of Mobs follows an exponential path.
I've been pondering the Underworld as a series of Grand Puzzles.
How about this:
Each player selects eight Talents (listed below) for his character. Every time he advances a level, he gains half a D8 more. Sometimes you roll low. Sometimes you roll bestest-best. e.g., four new Talents.
Attack Talents
1-1: Kill with Crushing Knockback on eight (2D8).
1-2: Kill with Cunning Act on eight (2D8).
1-3: Kill with Well-Placed Lunge on eight (2D8).
1-4: Kill with Ranged Attack on eight (2D8).
1-5: Kill with Knife from Behind on eight (2D8).
1-6: Kill with Series of Powerful Slashes on eight (2D8).
1-7: Kill with Foul Blow on eight (2D8).
Note: Those without this Talent must roll twelve (2D8) to perform this action.
Those first seven are the attacks the characters use in the game. The enemy, say a simple and familiar Goblin, is defined by how it can be defeated. In that Gobi’s case, all seven. But an Ogre might not fall to Ranged, Lunge or mere Knife, unless it’s to the spine. The Dungeon Puzzle grows as the players consider what collective Talents the party has and what is in the next room. And you know that from all the assorted delver techniques one would acquire by being a underworld explorer. So listen, spy, augury, consult the dead, ask the gods, etc. Just don’t flummox play with those less important details, unless your entire group likes to discuss the minutia. The Dungeon Puzzle is presented fully-formed, a maze of choices to navigate with the greatest challenge overcoming hubris and greed.
Magic Attacks
2-1: Kill with Telekinetics on eight (2D8).
2-2: Kill with Acid Spray on eight (2D8).
2-3: Kill with Lightning on eight (2D8).
2-4: Kill with Poison Cloud on eight (2D8).
2-5: Kill with Invisibility on eight (2D8).
2-6: Kill with Fireball on eight (2D8).
2-7: Kill with Curses on eight (2D8).
Note: Those without this Talent must roll twelve (2D8) to perform this action.
Notice there are seven of these just like the Attack Talents. Attack Talens look like fighter heft. Yes, so they can be visualized. Magical Attacks seems to correspond one for one. i.e., Is lightning a form of lunge? Yes and No. Many of the monsters slain by Lunge would also perish to the magical lightning. But not all and not vice versa. In Dungeon Puzzle you are not trying to whittle-down HPs of an enemy. The key, the masterstroke, is to guess the attack which works. Must the demon be slain by a Foul Blow or Acid? It’s in the game title. Solve the puzzle and gain a reward. The greatest rewards being the chance to Advance a Level and grab more Talents for your character. Like Pokey, collect them all.
Survive Onslaught
3-1: Avoid oncoming Bone-Breaking damage of monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s shattering blows to the party can be nullified on an eleven.
3-2: Avoid oncoming Elemental damage of monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s magic damage to the party can be nullified on an eleven.
3-3: Avoid oncoming Arcane damage of monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s hexes on the party can be nullified on an eleven.
3-4: Avoid oncoming Gut-Spilling damage of monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s rending to the party can be nullified on an eleven.
3-5: Avoid the oncoming Horrible Pain inflicted by the monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s agony to the party can be nullified on an eleven.
3-6: Avoid oncoming Profane damage of monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s unspeakable miscarriages can be nullified on an eleven.
3-7: Avoid oncoming Decay damage of monsters on eight (2D8). The entirety of monster’s life draining can be nullified on an eleven.
Note: These actions may only occur once in each battle. Kill or be killed.
Monsters damage is distinct from trap and obstacles. The actions here will only prevent injury by monsters. Of course, some monstrous hits cause multiple damage types, and greater monsters arrive with a die-roll penalty against survival. Those without this Talent can roll twelve but only to avoid personal injury. Magic Items exist to aid the user or entire party to prevent most injury.
Restoration
4-1: Bind bleeding injury and restore 10% of HPs lost to Bone-Breaking or Gut-Spilling damage on eight (2D8).
4-2: Counter corrosive injury and restore 10% of HPs lost to Elemental or Arcane damage on eight (2D8).
4-3: Reconcile corrosive injury and restore 25% of HPs lost to Horrible or Profane damage on eight (2D8).
4-4: Dispel spiritual harm and restore all the HPs lost to Decay damage on eight (2D8).
4-5: Mitigate traps and accidents to restore 10% of HPs lost on eight (2D8).
4-6: Remove all the damage from one character but suffer 10% of the total on yourself. This form of empathy may occur only after half the HPs of the victim are lost and only once per adventure.
4-7: Rest & recuperate to restore all lost HPs on eight (2D8). This from of regeneration may occur only after half the character’s HPs are lost and only once per adventure.
Note: Those without the Talent may not make any of these rolls.
Each player may make one and only one Restoration roll for himself and others after any battle or HP loss. Choose one of the seven above. If a character has various types of wounds, you may need to triage and decide what is the worst. Exception, HPs might also be restored by magical items or Dungeon features, including denizens of transient nature, like sentinels or harbingers, as well as certain deal-making demons.
Constitution Checks
5-1: Survive contact poison or cloud toxin on eight (2D8).
5-2: Survive magical explosion on eight (2D8).
5-3: Survive and dig free of tunnel collapse on eight (2D8).
5-4: Survive depravity or deprivation on eight (2D8).
5-5: Crawl through a tunnel or siphon, enter twisty caves on eight (2D8).
5-6: Survive passage through a portal magically connected elsewhere on eight (2D8).
5-7: Survive an area of extremes or ancient evil on eight (2D8).
Note: Those without the specific Talent must roll twelve. These rolls are made to avoid trap or obstacle harm; damage for failure varies.
Acumen vs Wards
6-1: Survive charm or hallucinations on eight (2D8).
6-2: Bridge a fissure or fetid creek. Penetrate a wall of terrain on eight (2D8).
6-3: Decode a riddle or pass a twisted test on eight (2D8).
6-4: Return from being lost on eight (2D8).
6-5: Recover from memory loss or magical confusion on eight (2D8).
6-6: Overcome nagging fear. Face magical illumination or ghastly features on eight (2D8).
6-7: Discern deceit and trickery from pleasant impish folks on eight (2D8).
Note: Typically, just one of the party may attempt and must make his Acumen roll for the entire group to avoid damage and safely cross the warded site.
Prevail Cleverly
7-1: Assemble an arcane object on eight (2D8).
7-2: Sense vulnerability or weakness to exploit or taunt. Else, see as feature disguised in the surroundings both on eight (2D8).
7-3: Restore or rejuvenate something ancient on eight (2D8).
7-4: Locate a secret door or magically altered wall on eight (2D8).
7-5: Find a secret compartment on eight (2D8).
7-6: Repair a mechanical mechanism of conveyance on eight (2D8).
7-7: Navigate a maze on eight (2D8).
Note: Everyone in the party may try. By sheer force of numbers and luck, you often get past the obstacle. Only failure of the whole means the path forward is denied. Another route must be selected. That path of retread might cross dangerous sections, even ones previously cleared.
Agility Talents
8-1: Escape from a cage, pitfall, tar bog or binding envelopment on eight (2D8).
8-2: Jump an inconceivable span or river rapids on eight (2D8).
8-3: Avoid mechanical trap as it activates on eight (2D8).
8-4: Climb a wall or ledge on eight (2D8).
8-5: Disarm a mechanical trap before it activates on eight (2D8).
8-6: Contort into an impossible place or through bars or past a palisade on eight (2D8).
8-7: Unlock a door or gate, often over a bridge or leading to a tunnel on eight (2D8).
Note: Typically, just one of the party must make his Agility roll for the entire group to pass an obstacle. Failing an attempt here will bring various damage and lingering penalties.
Kismet or Done Deal
9-1: Ingratiate or mollify something magnificent on eight (2D8)
9-2: Talk with a mysterious sentinel or harbinger on eight (2D8)
9-3: Dialog with patron or pathfinder on eight (2D8)
9-4: Avoid primeval curse on eight (2D8)
9-5: Barricade a passage, flood an area, create a rock collapse on eight (2D8)
9-6: Hide from patrol or something terrible on eight (2D8).
9-7: Flee all the way back to the surface on eight (2D8).
This set is do or die. To fail here would be to leave without further to do. GM decides exceptions. Everyone should take a chance, which may result in loss of magic item or other permanent Talent sacrifice for failure. Is it worth trying to enter and cross?
Knowing is Knowing Well
Apply a dice roll bonus for each additional Talent your character knows of a set. For instance, if you attempt Telekinetics (2-1) as a twelve, but you have four other Magic Attacks, the roll becomes an eight. Should you know all seven, then any act of that set would be automatic, dice for a Two (eight minus six). You could fail but only if the dungeon has a global difficulty modifier, or the party previously was damaged and acquired a negative penalty. Otherwise, specializing makes things easier until you need to do something out of your wheelhouse, some task you cannot perform with expertise.
The Dungeon is a series of Monsters, Obstacles and Traps. There are nine sets listed of seven actions. A fully formed character would need sixty-three Talents to master all.
Fourteen Attacks Plus Location
Many monsters will die but how? Each is part of the puzzle. Once one is found to have a vulnerability, others of the same species will be easier to slay. Sometiems the GM will state the vulnerability. Other times it is a hunt. The balance: how much damage can the party absorb before they find the monster’s weakness.
Plus there’s more. In the darkest recesses are monsters that have overcome the weaknesses. You will still need to use the correct attack, could be even just one vulnerability, very rare completely invulnerable; that’s a Sentinel or Harbinger for a deal. Yet the monsters might have fresh protection of Fur, Hide, Scales, Putrification, Gaseous Form if the party takes to long.
Worse, some Boss will require one more set of seven possible locations of blow:
Legs (limbs), Eyes, Mouth/Jaw, Spine, Torso/Belly, Throat or Ears/Skull. Not only must the player say he performs the Crushing Blow (1-1) but he must state he does so to the monster’s spine. Bing death. Wrong and avoid the retaliatory injuries. Do you have as a party the stamina to suffer the wounds and reach the rewards. The biggest being roll eight (2D8) and advance a level. Everyone? Seldom. Party must decide to rotate, high-die gains chance or leader decides.
Yours,
IronRed
01-Dec-2023