Escalating the Other Side of the Table
In Stealing the Escalation Die for Numenera, about stealing the escalation die mechanic from 13th Age for use in Numenera games, we talked about using the escalation die as a way to speed up long combats. You may have noticed the line "Monsters and NPCs do not add the escalation die bonus to their attacks."
Which is the 13th Age general rule. However, in 13th Age, some monsters do use the escalation die. Which monsters? Why the ones the players least want to see using the escalation die! Dragons. Demons. Other big fat boss monsters.
Many of these monsters have special attacks that only go off based on the escalation die. For example the Balor (AKA the Balrog) often gets to do a large amount of extra damage, multiplied by the number on the escalation die. 13th Age PCs really want to take down a Balor fast. Or run away.
What does that mean for Numenera? As we talked about in Numenera GM Intrusions: Creatures, most creatures have a nasty GM Intrusion.
So here's one suggestion: When the escalation die is 3, and then again at 6, use a GM Intrusion when the PCs are facing a fearsome opponent.
Now I like to start fights with a GM Intrusion, and three GMIs in one fight feels a little excessive, so if I start off with one, I give the PCs a second GM Intrusion when the escalation die hits 4. Again, for fearsome opponents only, gazers need not apply.
Maybe an extra GM Intrusion is not enough to strike fear into the party. I like to add the escalation die to the damage a fearsome creature does. The higher the escalation die value, the more important it is to dodge the next blow.
So what's a fearsome opponent? You could set it relative to the party, say any creature 3 or more levels higher than the maximum tier in the group. Or you could pick a level. Or decide on a creature by creature basis.
I like scaling with the party. When characters advance in tiers, the creatures that gave them such problems at early levels are now outmatched by the PCs awesome skills. At the same time, I think any 8th level creature is pretty awesome, so when my PCs hit 6th tier, I'll still let the 8th level creatures use the escalation die. Dark Fathoms define fearsome.
So here it is, how I like to use the escalation die for the good guys. I mean those terrible opponents battling my sainted player characters:
Creatures who are 3 or more levels higher than the highest tier in the party are fearsome. 8+ level creatures are fearsome. Fearsome creatures add the escalation die to their damage and do a GM Intrusion when the escalation die is 0 and 4. 3 and 6 if I forget to start the battle with one.
After trying this a bit, I've found it feels a little heavy-weight for the Cypher System. Inspired by the Escalation Die, here is what I do to End with a Bang.
Stealing the Escalation Die for Numenera
One of the great things about Numenera is that combats are short and fun. No hour and a half battles that drag on and on. But sometimes, even a Numenera combat can outlast it's welcome. This can happen when the players consistently roll badly. Or the creature level is too high. This can happen when you have a mix of tiers in the party. What challenges a tier 3 character can frustrate a tier 1. And if the tier 3s keep rolling badly...
In cases like this, I steal the escalation die from 13th Age. 13th Age is a wonderful game, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you should.
How does the escalation die speed combat? Let me quote from the 13th Age SRD:
Escalation Die
The escalation die represents a bonus to attacks as the fight goes on.
At the start of the second round, the GM sets the escalation die at 1. Each PC gains a bonus to attack rolls equal to the current value on the escalation die. Each round, the escalation die advances by +1, to a maximum of +6.
Monsters and NPCs do not add the escalation die bonus to their attacks.
Put your biggest d6 out on the table and let everyone add its value to their attack. At 3 and 6 it effectively lowers the difficulty by 1 and 2, but don't count this as an asset.
Story-wise, as the battle continues, the clever PCs are learning how to fight these creatures. Or the shock of entering combat has faded and their successes in past combats gives them growing confidence. Or they are getting more desperate. Whatever fits the battle at hand.
So when do you do this? You could do it every combat, like 13th Age does. But you don' t have to. When you notice a combat is taking longer than you want, just put the d6 down, and set it to the correct number. For example, if you're about to start round 4, set the die to 3 and tell all the players they get to add 3 on all attack rolls, which drops the difficulty of the attack by 1.
If you do use this for all combats, balance the player bonuses by adding an extra point of armor to your creatures. This will result in fewer one round combats as well as fewer four round combats.
Next, see Escalating the Other Side of the Table and GMing Action Scenes: End with a Bang.
The Sun Below: City on the Edge, What to Expect?
There is an Underground World with its own Sun
Under the surface of the Ninth World is a massive globe-spanning tube, so vast it has it's own sun and moon. Biomechanical airships ply the airways and races unknown have lived and died there for untold ages.
By putting the setting under the player character's feet, it allows the GM to jump to this world from wherever their campaign is set. By making it a tube, it can exist side by side with other underground settings, in case Monte gets a shovel.
Urbamorr lurks on the Side of this World
This is the city, and it really is on the edge, and in more than one way. A city mostly in ruins, with a ruling class that spends its time in dreams, while their city crumbles and mind-controlled slaves toil to keep it going for one more day. Year. Eon.
Motivations to Explore this world: Discovery and Rescue
A whole new world provides endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. And to make it personal, the player characters are also presented with a kidnapping they can solve. Twin grandchildren of a prominent Aeon Priest have been spirited away to Urbamorr. What's the best way to rescue them, diplomacy or confrontation?
Choices Abound
Once in Urbamorr, the player characters have to make choices. Who can they trust? Is the enemy of my enemy really my friend? Is the enslavement of mind-controlled races really so different from the shackles of slavery on the surface?
Some groups will approach this as a leadership and diplomacy challenge. Others will leap into action. Still others will mix the two, and the adventure gives the GM the tools to make the adventure fun and exciting regardless.
GenCon 2014: Post Con Reflections
Guest blog by Reece Ambrose, lead artist for The Sun Below: City on the Edge.
My luck seemed to run high over the seemingly short time the convention ran, as I came across personal heroes of mine while roaming the vast exhibitor's floor. As an artist, getting to meet Larry Elmore, and Jeff Easley, was brilliant! It is through their work that I was gripped by the love of role-playing so many years ago, I hold that it is a major reason why I decided to become an artist myself.
I also met Margaret Weis, famed co-author of the Dragonlance novels, another great influence in my role-playing life, and the thing that struck me about all of the people I managed to meet was their utter lack of self-importance. All of these industry giants impressed me as humble individuals who make the RPG industry a place where imaginations can be kindled, and joy filled memories of epic adventures can be had if only we let ourselves be immersed in the fanciful realms that they've codified with elegantly designed game systems, beautifully depicted through vivid imagery, or written out in stunning prose.
The Sun Below: City on the Edge -- available late September
When I started this project I had a vision of a much smaller adventure. Instead I have over 35k words and a lot of wrangling to do to make it a product I can be proud of. I want it to be an adventure you'll be proud to own. It just kind of grew. So, to let that happen, we're moving the ship date to late September.
As a consolation prize here's a picture from GenCon, featuring The Sun Below: City on the Edge lead artist Reece Ambrose (in the red circle).
If you own a copy of The Strange (and you should), you'll see Reece is one of the artists. GenCon is where Numenera won Product of the Year.
And speaking of art, check out the new Art Gallery.
See Reece's experiences at GenCon here.
And, of course, The Sun Below: City on the Edge, is available now.
Numenera: Product of the Year!
Congratulations to everyone at Monte Cook Games! And to all the other outstanding winners and nominees.
The 2014 Ennie Awards last night at GenCon were dominated by Numenera in a field of strong roleplaying games. FATE and Pathfinder also did very well, and if you add up all the Cthulhu titles from different publishers, Great Cthulhu did fine as well.
This is great news for licensed Numenera products like The Sun Below: City on the Edge, as it should expose even more players to Numenera. The more people who try Numenera, the more who will like it, and the bigger the market for licensed add-ons.
| Gold | Sliver | Total | |
| Numenera | 5 | 4 * | 9 |
| Fate | 3 | 3 **** | 6 |
| Pathfinder | 6 | *** | 6 |
| Trail of Cthulhu | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Achtung! Cthulhu | 2 | 2 | |
| Pathfinder Battles ** | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Razor Coast *** | 1 | 1 | |
| Mutants and Masterminds | 1 | 1 | |
| Savage Worlds | 1 | 1 | |
| Hobbit Tales | 1 | 1 | |
| Call of Cthulhu | 1 | 1 | |
| Pathfinder Card Game ** | 1 | 1 | |
| Spirit of the Century **** | 1 | 1 | |
| 13th Age | 1 | 1 | |
| Deadlands | 1 | 1 |
* You could argue this should be 5, as the silver for Podcast went to Numenera, The Signal. But since it not a game, I left it off.
** I split the Pathfinder branded non-roleplaying games out because they are different games.
*** Razor Coast is a licensed Pathfinder adventure.
**** Spirit of the Century is based on FATE.
The Race is On! Like Donkey Kong!
I just got back from the National Poetry Slam in Oakland, where I had a blast. My mom and I got to see my son compete. He made it to the finals in group pieces! (Poems with more than one poet performing them.) Those slam poets can do so much in so few words. They get 3 minutes to recite their poem and it's over.
This is great inspiration for me, as I'm in editing mode for The Sun Below: City on the Edge right now.
The final art is coming in. Here's the Throne Room:
Here's the first sketch Justin sent me: The Throne Room.
But what about the race? I am attempting to ship in August, and the project is still in editorial, and hasn't even started layout. But August 31st counts, right? Fingers and toes crossed!
Of course, quality first. If it's not ready, it's not ready. I'll have a better handle on the time required to ship this epic adventure soon.
Getting Social with Numenera GM Intrusions
Last time in Numenera GM Intrusions: Creatures, I talked about creature specific action GM Intrusions. But Numenera is about so much more than confronting weird creatures. And so are GM Intrusions. When putting together an adventure like The Sun Below: City on the Edge, I like to give a lot of choices for the players and the GM. Besides action scenes, I like to include a lot of social scenes.
To have dramatic tension, a social scene revolves around somebody wanting something from somebody else. Help, love, shins, numenera, something. One side, the petitioner, wants, the other side has to decide if they grant or deny the petitioner.
The players may want help, captives released, a singing statue, whatever. Or they may being asked for something, usually help of some kind. (Robin Laws made a whole roleplaying game centered on these kinds of social interactions: Hillfolk, it's worth checking out.)
A GM Intrusion is there to make things more interesting. How do you make a social interaction more interesting? You mess it up and let the players figure a way to get it back on track.
Here are some of my ideas, I'm sure you'll have plenty of your own.
- I don't like you: When the players want something , an NPC takes offence to one of them. The King points at you. "Feed this one to the snake people and we can continue to talk."
- I like you too much: When the players are being asked to agree to something they don't think is a good idea, have one of them suddenly come under the sway of the petitioner. The rebel leader's charisma has you mooning over her. No matter how foolish her ideas, you find yourself agreeing with them, and arguing on her side.
- Hero worship: Once the players have proven themselves, but before the danger is over, an important NPC falls in love with a PC. And love is blind. "I'll go with you and keep you safe." You notice a tremble in his voice, how his eyes never leave you. His wife, who has the key you wanted, is not amused.
- Oops: While trying to impress some NPCs, a player makes a mistake. They say inappropriate things, slip on the floor, have to run for an emergency bio break, and so on. Trying to fit in, you crunch down on the tasty hors d'evours, and see your hosts looking at you with horror. You seem to have eaten Mylk, a treasured pet.
- Ouch: While negotiating in a dangerous environment, something goes wrong. Negotiations are interrupted by an action scene. Just as the Krim seem ready to grant you access to their sacred scrolls, one of the wall mounted machines jerks into motion and slams into you, knocking you face first into the pit.
- Mistaken Identity: A PC looks just like somebody else the NPCs know. They have strong feelings about this other person, and negotiations break down while this plays out. The Aeon Priest spins at you. "Thief! I saw you steal the serum!"
- History: The NPC actually recognizes the PC, as they have history that complicates things. You recognize this person. She used to run with your gang in Mulen. When the guards took the gang down, she always blamed you as the snitch who sent her friends to prison.
Numenera GM Intrusions: Creatures
One of the great things about Numenera, is how easy it is to make a new creature on the fly. Here goes:
"A human-sized blob with hanging tendrils (5)."
Done. The GM knows it's a difficulty 5 to dodge the blob, hit the blob, or if the blob is intelligent, sway the blob to the PC's point of view. If the blob gets mad and hits someone, they take 5 points of damage. The blob has 5 * 3 = 15 hit points. All from the number 5.
But take a look at the creatures in the core book or the Ninth World Bestiary. It's OK to add all sorts of individual quirks to a creature. Best of all, you can add a creature specific GM Intrusion, just like in the books.
When I'm designing new creatures for an adventure like The Sun Below: City on the Edge, I always add a GM Intrusion. But why? Why would you use one in game?
Ever forget to give every player a GM Intrusion? Forget no more. If you have a combat, open with one. That gets the players' attention and signals the situation is going to be intense. Have 4 players, and you think you'll be running 2 combats this session? Throw 2 GM Intrusions into each combat. Ta-da! You've met your quota.
And every time your players roll a 1, you know what to do.
Of course there are many non-combat GM intrusions that are just as fun, but I'll talk about those another time.
Here are my rules of thumb when designing a creature GM Intrusion. These are just mine. You will have your own, but you know, sharing is caring.
- In other games, creatures often get special powers that they use only sometimes. A dragon's breath, extra damage if they roll certain numbers, when they reach half health, and so on. A GM Intrusion is the Numeneraish way to give those powers.
- Make it flow from the creature's normal abilities. Got a creature with psychic powers? They can use Mind Control as a GM Intrusion. Are they giant size? They can stomp on a PC's head.
- Make it powerful, but tied to the creatures's level. A level 3 creature probably should probably not pop a death ray that drops a character 2 steps down the damage track. I often go with either an extra attack at 2+ levels over the creatures level for a ton of damage, or an automatic hit for half a ton.
- You don't have to "hit" to have an effect. If the player spends a lot of effort to avoid the effect, they are down points, and deserve the benefit.
- As your players go up tiers, they get free effort from edge, so don't be shy about bumping the difficulty to avoid the effect.
- If it's a high level creature to begin with, it's great to have a GM Intrusion that drops a character down a step on the damage track. Other fun effects are dazed, stunned, and knocked off a cliff. Into a sea of lava. With spikes.
- I stick to single target effects. Why? If I want to pass out GM Intrusion XP, single target keeps it simple. Yes, if the player rolls a 1 it might be fun to pop a big area of effect hurt on the players, but creature powers don't lend themselves well to group GM Intrusions for XP.
- I like to add a line I can use to describe how it feels.
You teleport into the flames and feel the searing hot bladed hands of the automaton dig deep into your body. Your flesh sizzles like meat on a spit.
Numeneraish and Numeneraocity
Like many of you, I've played a ton of different role playing games. I find it easy to make new stuff up. What I'm learning now is how to make stuff up Numenera Style.
It's all about the KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid. Numenera has simple clean rules. A Numenera adventure should follow suit. Over and over in the editing phase of The Sun Below: City on the Edge, I find myself simplifying. I don't have to create a simulation. I just have to make it fun to play. And fun to GM.
For example, I have a race of blood sucking plant people, the slithik. I have different kinds of slithiks. Do I need so many? No, cut. They all have two attacks a round, one melee, one ranged. Does that make sense? No, cut. The top leader can have two ranged a round, that works.
Sometimes its a matter of making new rules feel Numeneraish. Is that a word? Of course it's a word. Or will be in 1 billion years. :)
I created an artifact where I wanted it to have special effects, but not every time. I could say if you hit with a natural even number, then "tada!" the effect goes off. But that doesn't feel very Numeneraish. What does feel Numeneraish? Ah, if you hit with a natural 17+, then it goes off. Numenera players are already used to cool stuff happening when they roll natural 17s or better.
And so on. Got to get my Numeneraocity on.
The Sun Below: City on the Edge -- Cover Art
Here it is, the adventure cover by Reece Ambrose. We see Princess Duophrene gritting her teeth above a plant-like slithik and a purple dh'lann, all behind a floating stone head of a Praithian. In the background is Urbamorr, the City on the Edge. It's unlikely that the city, or your player characters, will survive the adventure unchanged. Will they survive at all?
Dh'lann of the lands under The Sun Below
Editing while you wait: The name of the purple hermaphrodite humans is Dh'lann, not Flann. This is an example of how the hive mind of the internet catches my naming mistakes. No, they really are not made out of custard.
Dh'lann -- Humans of The Sun Below.
Asking a dh'lann if they are a man or a woman will give you at best a temporary answer. They spend most of their time as neither, or as potentially one or the other. Then, once a moon (and yes, there is a Moon Below), they change and transition into a gender. They don't know which gender ahead of time, and a parent might be a father of one child and mother of another.
While this makes their family structures interesting, dh'lann are as human as you or I. More so, perhaps. I have heard rumors of a mental power they share, but they will not speak of this openly.
In any case they are often receptive to the Truth, and our order has had an even greater impact on them then on the alien slithik. If only we had a secure way for the dh'lann to travel to the surface of the Ninth World, I believe we would have dh'lann training as Aeon Priests in no time.
– Charis Kos, Aeon Priest
More information on dh'lann will be found in the upcoming adventure: The Sun Below: City on the Edge.
Reece Ambrose is the Lead Artist for The Sun Below: City on the Edge, and his work can be found in many other games, including The Strange™, from Monte Cook Games.
I changed the name from flann after I got feedback from the gaming community that they sounded like custard.
The Throne Room
In a scene from The Sun Below: City on the Edge, we have a preliminary sketch by artist Justin Wyatt. We see our first glimpse of King Umbral and his knights.
Things are heating up in the lands under The Sun Below.
A Terrible Journey Part II
See Part I here.
Are you paying attention apprentices?
Let the gatekeeper do her work. She will insert an egg shaped object that will graft onto your spine. Do not fight this, the egg is necessary.
At this point she will open the black door. Enter the door without a word. Walk a hundred paces and keep your hands in front of your face. Yes, they will be cut, but better them than your face. You will feel a fetid breeze from your left. Turn right and find the latch. Pull the latch and fall into the chute.
Lie on your back as you slide in total darkness. Fold your arms across your chest and ignore the voices. Especially your own.
The end of this trial is almost over. You will drop down into a terrible pit and the egg will spout dragonfly wings from your back. Up, you must fly toward the violet cavern.
After this, there are more trials. Could it be any more difficult to find your way to the world below? To bask in the light of the white sun?
I myself have searched for easier ways down. We combed the Westwood of Navarene, the Plains of Kataru, and outside the city of Uxphon, in the Black Riage. No luck.
For now, class dismissed. I fear even speaking about Hidden Naresh stresses my old mind.
– Charis Kos, Aeon Priest
A Terrible Journey -- Part I
Order of Truth apprentices, pay attention. Today I will share a secret. How does one travel to the lands of the Sun Below? It’s not pretty, not safe, and not sane.
For over a century, the Order has used a most difficult path, through the fell city of Hidden Naresh. Our scholars have found dozens of references to other entrances, but when we look for them, we find nothing. Take heed and you will know why the Order keeps seeking for other portals to the lands below our feet.
In Hidden Naresh the world is torn and reality drips away. There is nothing for a mind to hold onto. An Aeon Priest will forget their own name, their purpose, and all that came before entering the city. One must hold on. A talisman is a necessity. Hold tight and stay focused.
Then, under the Temple of a Thousand Terrors, enter the lowest basement and find the red door. Not the blood door, but the door made out of red flesh. Enter this door and step into the pit.
Your fall will be gentled by a thousand clinging tendrils. Each will make an offer that you must not acknowledge. Do not give in. Keep falling, down, down, down, until you meet the gatekeeper.
Do not stare at her eyeless face. She will know if you do. Face away, but direct your speech to her. Ask for passage. She will open your back. Be glad you cannot see.
-- Charis Kos, Aeon Priest
Meet the Slithik
Here we have a work in progress by artist Reece Ambrose. This slithik just wants to be your friend. Or does she?
The slithik is one of the races unfortunate enough to have been enslaved by the Praithians. In many of the lands under The Sun Below, the slithik run their own affairs. But in Urbamorr, the Praithians still hold power, and the slithik, despite their many advantages, are all mind controlled slaves.
Well, maybe not all of them...
For a look at more art by Reece, check out his portfolio.
More slithik goodness will be found in the adventure The Sun Below: City on the Edge.
Finding Illustrators
One of the best part of working on roleplaying games is getting to work with artists. I admire great illustrations, and when they come in through my email transom, I just can't love it enough.
I have some great art already, but need more to finish up that side of The Sun Below: City on the Edge.
Here's a peak on what I'm asking illustrators:
I’m looking for more art to finish up a Numenera adventure. I have the cover art and some other illustrations already underway.
The Sun Below: City on the Edge is a licensed Numenera adventure set in The World Below, a giant tube buried deep under the surface of the Ninth World. A slow moving white sun floats along the tube near the ceiling.
Under the light of the Sun Below, the characters encounter the Praithians, psychic mummies encased in levitating stone heads. The Praithians have two slave races ripe for revolt: the Flann, androgynous purple humans and the Slithik, a nightmare cross between the Lovecraft’s Shuggoth and the Great Race of Yith. All are featured on the cover, so illustrations that include them should use the cover art as a starting point.
Numenera has a post-apocalyptic look with an important twist – the ruins and artifacts of previous ages are mind bogglingly advanced ultra-tech. This is set a Billion years in the future. If you think Star Trek, the leftover tech isn’t Federation, it’s the Q Continuum. For the people living in the rubble, it’s magic.
Writing the Other
How do you write about people you are not? Women/Men? Gay/Straight/Other? Ninth Worlders are inherently other. I've spent this week in Chattanooga learning to do just this, at the Writing the Other workshop.
More game information when I get back!
The Sun Below: City on the Edge
City on the Edge
The first game from Dread Unicorn Games will be The Sun Below: City on the Edge, a licensed adventure for Numenera™. The adventure scales from Tier One to Tier Six and drops your players below the surface of the Ninth World. Deep below the surface world is an underground world of living airships, strange races, and a city on the brink. Action, intrigue, and discovery await in an underground world lit by it's own sun.