Managing NPC Parties

I really like rival adventuring parties. One of my favorite parts of Ryoko Kui’s Delicious In Dungeon is the social aspect of having a lot of different groups of adventurers all exploring the same space. Some groups are more experienced or motivated than others, some have bad reputations, etc. Characters can start in one party and then split up and either join another or leave town entirely, whether due to some dungeon disaster or for interpersonal reasons.

I’ve thrown together some procedures for my solo Haunted Halls of Eveningstar game to create something like that effect:

1) The NPC Pool

Adventuring is a seasonal affair in Eveningstar, and the town isn’t very large. Every two weeks I roll to see if anyone new has come to town, or if there have been any departures.

• Summer: 1d4-1

• Spring & Fall: 1d4-2

• Winter: 1d4-3

Note that I already had an established NPC party from a wandering monster roll. If you’re starting fresh then I would seed the pool with some number of NPCs - somewhere between 4 and 8, depending on how many PCs you have.

Generate new adventurers using your preferred method. I roll a d6 to determine levels:

• 1-3: 1st level

• 4-5: 2nd level

• 6: 3rd level

I also assign each character a Morale score, determined as if they were their own retainer under the OSE rules for Charisma.

It can be convenient to use notecards for each adventurer’s character sheet, so that they can be shuffled, grouped, and rearranged as needed.

PCs looking to hire on extra hands may also draw from this pool. These characters are equal partners rather than followers or employees, and receive a full share of treasure (determined by whatever way the players divide their loot).

2) Forming A Party

Each week (and/or each time the PCs return to town) pick a character from the pool to try and form a party. This character makes a Morale check: if they succeed then they’ve managed to assemble a party for an expedition, with themselves as Party Leader and the other members drawn from the available NPCs in the pool. I use the OSE rules for retainers to determine a maximum party size.

Any previously established NPC parties will also adventure at this stage.

3) Simulating a Dungeon Crawl

I use the rules from Ava Islam’s Errant, with one small modification. You can read the rules HERE, but Errant’s procedure works like this: assign the NPC party a “challenge rating” by totaling up their levels, +1 for each significant magic item. Then assign a challenge rating for each room or section of the dungeon and roll on a chart:

2d6 + the difference in challenge ratings

• 10+ party overcomes the challenge easily and takes everything of value.

• 7–9 reduce the party's challenge rating by 1, and they take everything that isn’t hidden.

• 5–6 reduce the party’s challenge rating by 2, and they take 50% of the treasure.

• 2–4 a party member dies, and they take 25% of the treasure.

The only thing I do differently here is determine the amount of treasure gained by what makes sense in the fiction as I’m doing these little speed-plays - a party that retreats after a 5-6 may not have time to take any treasure in that room, for example, while one that loses a party member might still be able to thoroughly loot an area if that was a conclusive victory (I'm unclear on whether the original Errant rules here are meant to be rolled per room or per dungeon. I'm rolling per room).

After each adventure I roll for Loyalty checks to see if the group continues adventuring together, again using the rules for retainers. Anyone who leaves returns to the NPC Pool, where they can later be recruited or may form their own parties.

Battle Borgs

Dorin the Doorkeeper Knight: a playtest character who dumped all of his points into Toughness. 

In 2001 one of my friends at the YMCA afterschool daycare invented a pen & paper game called Battle Borgs. At the time we were spending a lot of time playing various RPG and monster collecting games on our GameBoy colors, as well as making lots of drawings and labeling them. Battle Borgs essentially combined those to pastimes into a single game. You drew your character, wrote down their stats and three attacks, and then battled your friends with them. 

With respect to Nathan E, it didn't work very well. We never figured out a way to solve first-turn advantage and were very conservative about deviating any character's stats from the basic template, so the way to win every match was to go first, hit your opponent a couple of times with your basic attack, and then finish them off with your ultimate. Still, I can still remember all of our Borgs: Mattsum, who switched his flags with pictures of axes on them into axes with little flags on them. Sandsum, who blasted people with sand. Gryndlewing, a butterfly with sharp wings. Saber, who was fast but weak. The anime fire knight Ayen and brother the dark knight Raymen. Skug the snail, with his fearsome Head Bump attack. Smett Mess, whose hands were so big he could slap people's heads off. Smett Tippy, an upside-down Christmas tree who spun very fast to fling ornaments at people.

In 2017 I wrote a second edition of the game. Here it is!

Night-Haunted Hogwarts: Skills Part 2

Continued from here

For an overview of the project, see here

Fighting

Default → Courage

Used for brawling, grappling, and attacks with muggle weapons. 

 

Herbology

Default → Wisdom

Used to gather food or magical herbs, identify and handle dangerous plants, and prepare simple herbal cures (more difficult cures, such as the draft that reverses petrification, are Potions, although skill in Herbology helps with gathering the rare ingredients).

Foraging

As one of your actions during the Town Phase you can gather [1d6 + Herbology] rations.

Gathering Herbs

As one of your actions during the Town phase you can roll 1d6 on one of the tables below. 

Then roll 1d6 + Herbology. On a 1-4, you’ve encountered some trouble. Roll 1d6 on the appropriate table to see what kind.

 

Eaves of the Forbidden Forest

D6	Herbs Gathered	Trouble
1	Baneberry: one berry causes illness, two unconsciousness, three death. You are able to gather [1d6 + Herbology] berries.	Fairy Ring: while searching for herbs you uncover a mushroom ring and hear a sound like miniature bells. If you choose to search the fairy ring, test your Luck. On a success you discover a cache of valuable fairy eggs. If you fail you are accosted by black-winged doxies and lose what you gathered.
2	Elf Cap: a rare and delicious mushroom thought to grow where wood-elves hold their revels.	Elfshot: a tiny stone arrow flashes out at you from the undergrowth. Test your Cunning. On a ailure you have -1 Strength on your next expedition.
3	Pook Morels: a rare ingredient often used in potions meant to change the drinker’s size or shape.	Horrible Hogs: a sounder of stinking swine, of hideous size and distressing numbers! Test Creatures or Fighting. On a success you are able to recover truffles worth 1d6 silver. On a failure you have -1 Strength on your next expedition.
4	Kingsfoil: planted by ancient kings, it produces a wholesome smell when crushed.	Spider Spawning: you stumble into a nest of young acromantulas. Test Curses or Fighting. On a success you are able to recover some spider silk before making your escape. On a failure you have -1 Strength on your next expedition.
5	Addercorn: curious nuts thought to produce madness or delirium.	Weirding Wood: rustling, grumbling growls and distant crashing sounds follow you throughout time in the wood. Occasionally you catch a glimpse of what look like two huge staring eyes, bright as searchlights. If you succeed, you have +1 Luck on your next expedition. If you fail, you lose what you gathered as you flee.
6	Slumberknot: flowers from these restless trees are used in the strongest sleeping potions.	Rare Sighting: you come upon a unicorn grazing in the wood. The creature turns to regard you for a moment before dashing off into the trees. Test your Shadow. If you fail, gain a Beautiful Heartache. The next time you would become Miserable, lose your Heartache instead.

 

Shores of the Black Lake

D6	Herbs Gathered	Trouble
1	Plimpies: delicious and pleasantly spicy when made into soup. Sadly of no magical value whatsoever.	Grabbed by Gryndilows! Test your Cunning. On a failure you have -1 Luck on the next expedition.
2	Muttle Shells: the muttle is an unassuming magical shellfish that apparates short distances when disturbed. Powdered muttle shell is a valuable reagent for spells of lightness and transportation.	Treasure? You think you see something glittering in the shallows. If you decide to go after it, test your Luck. If you succeed, roll on the Mudlark’s Treasure table to discover what you found. On a failure you overturn your boat and lose what you gathered.
3	Hag’s Cress: this stringy, clinging waterweed is associated with illusion and concealment magic of the darker sort.	Trouble with Trolls: horrible shapes lurk in the weeds and slimy arms grab at your boat. You may either flee, losing what you gathered, or fight, beginning your next expedition with 1d6 gold and a severe Injury.
4	Mermaid Scale: useful in aquatic magic. Only scales from a willing merfolk retain their magical properties, so shed scales that wash up on beaches are highly prized.	Merrowsong: eerie voices rise from the depths, calling, calling. If you stop your ears and turn for home, you have -1 Luck on your next expedition. If you listen you lose what you gathered but gain a Beautiful Heartache. The next time you would become Miserable, lose your Heartache instead.
5	Dutchman’s Lantern: glows with an eerie light that ghosts, hinkypunks, and other wisps are thought to find pleasing.	Visions in the Mist: murmuring voices, a silver stag walking across the surface of the lake, the face of a man with long white hair and beard just beneath the surface… Test your Wisdom. If you succeed, you have +1 Luck on your next expedition. If you fail, you have -1 Luck instead.
6	Gillyweed: the eater grows gills and fins for an hour (also becomes unable to breathe air).	Eye of the Deep: you catch a glimpse of something huge down there. Test your Courage. If you succeed, you have +1 Luck on your next expedition. If you fail, you have -1 Luck instead.

 

Foothills of the Mountains of Shadow

D6	Herbs Gathered	Trouble
1	Cold & Hunger: you find nothing but cold and wind up there. You have -1 Strength on your next expedition.	Lost! You spend hours roaming the cold hills and return cold, tired, and miserable. You have -1 to both Strength and Luck on your next expedition.
2	Carcass: roll 1d6. 1-3 you find only ravens and wolves feasting on a dead sheep. 4-5 you find evidence of a hunting hippogriff and gather several feathers. 6 you find an entire burnt and blackened flock and are able to gather some valuable dragon dung.	Wolves: Test Fighting or Creatures. If you fail, -1 Strength on your next expedition.
3	Cloudberry: the bittersweet blue-grey juice is valued for its use in making cordials and potions of the more melancholic sort.	Ravens: ill-omened birds dog your steps, kawk-ing and quark-ing. Test Wisdom to decipher their words. If you succeed, you have +1 Luck on your next expedition. If you fail, you have -1 Luck instead.
4	Trollhair: a lichen that grows only on the bodies of petrified trolls. When carefully preserved it has many virtues for strength, antidote, and disguise, though it tends to cause potions made with it to turn thick and heavy.	Trouble with Trolls: rocks tumble down at you from above and long grey arms reach for you from under boulders. You may either flee, losing what you gathered, or fight, beginning your next expedition with 1d6 gold and a severe Injury.
5	Queen’s Lace: found only on high peaks and bluffs, this delicate flower has great influence over the heart and memory when properly prepared.	Giants! Test your Courage. If you succeed, you have +1 Luck on your next expedition. If you fail, you lose what you gathered as you flee.
6	Fireflower: thought to grow where the tears (some say the blood) of a phoenix fall, fireflower is strong in its powers to heal.	Dragon’s Den: You stumble upon an old lair, stinking of burnt bones and dragon. Test Courage. If you succeed you are able to grab 1d6 gold before scurrying out.

 

Misty Moors

D6	Herbs Gathered	Trouble
1	Bloodwort: a common sight on old battlefields, this crimson root is used to staunch bleeding or purify the blood of toxins.	Waylaid by Pixies! Test your Cunning. On a failure you have -1 Luck on your next expedition.
2	Woolberry: named for its fluffy seedpods and the fact that sheep seem drawn to it. Produces warmth and drowsiness when consumed.	Followed the Lights: test your Wisdom. On a success you follow the lantern to a cache of 1d6 gold. On a failure you have -1 Luck on your next expedition.
3	Sneezeweed: a prickly flowering herb named for the effect it has on those who smell it.	Ambushed by Redcaps! Test Curses or Fighting. On a success you are able to recover 1d6 silver before making your escape. On a failure you have -1 Strength on your next expedition.
4	Duck’s Dittygrass: useful as a natural anesthetic, dittygrass induces giggling and a tendency to jig if brewed too strongly.	Bells in the Mist: ching-ring! ching-ring! Test your Courage. On a failure you start your next expedition without the benefit of Inspiration.
5	Greengilly Clover: believed to grow in places where leprechauns have camped, it adds a dash of luck and euphoria when added to a brew. The vivid green color tends to leave stains.	Gnomes: these little shits. You finish your errand irritated but unharmed.
6	Mag’s Adder: a poisonous root that writhes and twists when plucked.	Gnomes Again: in greater numbers this time! Test your Cunning. On a success you capture a gnome, if you want one. On a failure one of the gnomes makes off with your herbs while you’re busy scattering the rest of them.

 

 

Potions

Default → Cunning

Used to identify and brew potions. Brewing a potion takes 1d6 turns and requires a cauldron, a fire, and ingredients.

 

When you brew a potion, describe its intended effects. The Referee will then set a difficulty, which you make an opposed roll against.

 

You can improve your chances by taking one or more of the following precautions:

• consulting an appropriate textbook while you work: +1

• taking more than a day: +1

• taking more than a week: +2

• taking more than a month: +3

• for each rare ingredient*: +1

• for every proper magical precaution*: +1

 

*Rare ingredients and magical precautions must be symbolically appropriate to the potion. For example, a warming potion might contain salamander blood, expensive cocoa, and the cauldron could be heated on rare magical wood.

 

Example potion difficulties:

Antidote to common poison: 7, polyjuice potion: 9, Felix Felixis: 12

 

The antidote for any given potion has the same difficulty as the original potion.

 

Brewing a potion in a portable cauldron yields one dose.

 

Brewing a potion in a standard cauldron yields six doses.

 

Potion Toxicity: drinking multiple potions in a row is dangerous. When you drink a second potion before taking a rest, take 1 Poison damage.

 

Mixing Potions: it’s a bad idea, but sometimes you want to know what happens when you mix two potions together. 

 

Roll 2d6:

 

2: Explosion. 3d6 damage to anyone nearby.

3: Meltdown. Your potion melts through your cauldron and you take 2d6 damage

4-5: Burp. Releases a gaseous version of one of the potions. The liquid form becomes inert.

6-8: Sludge. The potions congeal into an evil-smelling, poisonous sludge. 

9-11: Miscible. The potions combine successfully.

12: Discovery. The potions combine to form some entirely new object related to the effects of both potions: a nugget of silvery material that turns a pool of liquid glass, a balm that ignites when mixed with blood, dust which causes cold damage, etc. 

 

Record this combination and result. It’s now a known recipe.

 

Stealth

Default → Cunning

Used for sneaking, hiding, and so on. Stealth is tested at the moment of potential discovery, not when a character begins moving stealthily.

 

Transfiguration

Default → Courage

Used to turn something into something else by magic. Transforming, vanishing, and switching are all transfigurations. Requires a disciplined and confident mind.

 

Wand-Lore

Default → Wisdom

An obscure branch of knowledge, Wand-Lore naturally concerns itself with the magical properties of wands. Practically speaking, a witch or wizard skilled in Wand-Lore can use it in the following ways:

 

• Identify a wand’s properties by handling it. Describe the wand’s properties and why these qualities make the wand suitable for a particular kind of magic. This cannot be anything so broad as “Charms” or “Transfiguration,” but “water magic” or “vengeance” would be appropriate. The wand grants +1 to spellwork involving its thematic property.

• If you have deciphered a wand, you may use it without penalty to cast spells related to its property.

• If you have deciphered a wand, you may add your Wand-Lore skill as an additional bonus in combat against its wielder if you can justify how your spellwork counter-acts its thematic property.