A forgotten 0D&D Rule for Fighters

Conan the Destroyer by Frank Frazetta

One of my favourite rules from TSR era D&D is that fighters get 1 attack per level of experience versus 0-level Humans and monsters of less than 1 HD. Consider the following:

Heroes attack 4 times per round, Trolls & Ogres attack 6 times per round, Superheroes attack 8 times per round, and Giants attack 12 times per round versus Normal Men. Normal Men are defined as typical soldiers.
— Paraphrased from Chainmail by Gary Gygax & Jeff Peren

“Attack/Defense capabilities versus normal men are simply a matter of allowing one roll as a man-type for every hit die, with any bonuses being given to only one of the attacks, i.e. a Troll would attack six times, once with a +3 added to the die roll.”
— D&D Book II Monsters & Treasure by Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson, page 5 (premium edition)

“Note: This excludes melee combat with monsters (q.v.) of less than one hit die (d8) and non-exceptional (0 level) humans and semi-humans, i.e. all creatures with less than one eight-sided hit die. All of these creatures entitle a fighter to attack once for each of his or her experience levels (See COMBAT).”
— AD&D Players Handbook by Gary Gygax, page 25 (premium edition)

There are two reason why I like this rule. The first is that it evokes Conan wading through an army of Picts, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake! The second is that during my years of fighting in the Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA) I would watch the very best fighters mow down the novices like a scythe through wheat. When I was one of the novices, I can tell you that the attacks came so fast and furious, I was defeated before I could react. Come to think of it, the same thing happend to me during my martial arts period as well.

But why stop with 1st level soldiers? It has always struck me as odd that a 1st level fighter is such a threat to a 20th level fighter (e.g. Conan) that the 20th level guy redirects so much of his effort into defence as to reduce the number of attacks from 20 to 1 (depending on edition). It is most certainly true that masters of the martial arts fight more cautiously against another master so I support the idea of less number of attacks. But why not a continuum instead of a binary solution. Consider the following:

“A super hero, for example, would attack eight times only if he were fighting normal men (or creatures basically that strength, i.e., kobolds, goblins, gnomes, dwarves, and so on).

Note that he is allowed one attack for each of his combat levels as the ratio of one Orc vs. the Hero is 1:4, so this is treated as normal (non-fantastic) melee, as is any combat where the score of one side is a base 1 hit die or less.” [emphasis mine]

— Questions Most Frequently Asked About Dungeons & Dragons Rules, (presumably written by E. Gary Gygax) The Strategic Review, Summer 1975, Vol. 1, No. 2

Note that what Gygax is saying is that if the Orcs were instead Gnolls (2 HD humanoids) and the fighter a Superhero (8 HD), the ratio is 2:8, simplified to 1:4 so the combat is treated as “non-fantastic” meaning that the superhero gets… 8 attacks or 4? I think his intention is that the superhero gets 4 attacks per round versus Gnolls and 8 attacks per round versus Orcs.

Getting back to my question of Conan the 20th level legendary fighter versus the 1st level veteran, according to Gygax’s FAQ, a 20th level lord gets 20 attacks per round versus the 1st level veteran because the ratio is 20:1. Likewise, Conan would get 10 attacks per round versus a 2nd level warrior, 6 attacks versus a 3rd level swordsman, 5 attacks v. a 4th level hero, 4 attacks per round v. a 5th level swashbuckler, 3 attacks vs. a 6th level myrmidon, 2 attacks per round versus 7th–10th level fighters, and 1 attack per round versus fighters of 11th level or higher.

Gygax’s system of attacks per round based on the ratio of Hit Dice between humanoid combatants explains why Conan can wade through lower level fighters but fights more cautiously against his peers. Which is always what I observed and experienced first-hand in the SCA and in martial arts.

Given that this FAQ appeared before the publication of Grayhawk, why was it not included in that supplement or the AD&D rules? Obviously we can only speculate at this point, but I suspect that it has to do with fighters, paladins, and rangers getting multiple attacks per round at higher levels which first appeared in the AD&D Players Handbook in 1978. Although, Gygax did retain the attack/level when facing creatures of less than 1 Hit Die and 0-level Humans.

I like this rule so much, I shall refer to it as the “Conan” rule. The next question then, is ‘how broadly or narrowly should this rule be applied?’

Ever since the Giants in the Earth series of articles appeared in Dragon Magazine in 1979, I realised that fighters are effectively a core component of all other classes. That is, since all classes increase in combat ability, they are effectively lower level fighters as well. For example in the AD&D Deities & Demigods, Merlin is a 14 level Druid, 15th level Magic-User, and 10th level illusionist. He has no levels in fighter per se. 14th level Druids have a THAC0 of 12 exactly like a 9th level fighter. Therefore I ruled that Merlin can fight as a 9th level fighter and gets 3 mêlée attacks every 2 rounds. So from that point forward, I gave all classes multiple attacks per round based on their equivalent fighter level. The fact that I was not the only DM to do this is proven by 3rd edition doing the exact same thing. In 3e, the number of attacks per round is determined by a character’s Base Attack Bonus (BAB) rather than an arbitrary table.

Carrying this one step further, non-fighters are treated as their equivalent fighter level for determination of how many attacks per round they receive versus lower level creatures but also for high level fighters versus them! After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander…. So if Merlin did not want to waste any spells, he could smack 9 squires per round with his quarterstaff but Syr Launcelot (Pal 20) could reprimand Merlin at 2 attacks per round (ratio of 9:20).

So this is all very good for humanoid versus humanoid combat, but what happens when it is combat versus bears or owlbears? Alligators or dragons? What Gygax calls “fantastic combat”? I think that this is where the attacks/round of high level fighters should come into play. D&D is an abstraction and it is very difficult to adjudicate how much of an owlbear’s combat ability comes from skill versus natural talent. Theoretically, an RPG could work out that difference but no edition of D&D has done that (aside from 3e allowing humanoids to take some class levels) and I  have no desire to do that as well.

So if fantasic combat relies on the multiple attacks/round rule rather than the opponent ratio, then why does Conan get only 1 attack per round versus his doppleganger instead of 2 attacks per round (AD&D fighters levels 13+)? I rule then that the minimum number of attacks per round is always what the fantastic combat rules allow for. So Conan always has a minimum of 2 attacks/round regardless of how high level his opponent is or whether it is humanoid or not.

Below is my expansion of Gygax’s rule that can be applied to all versions of D&D:

Conan Rule: “Fighters” get multiple attacks vs. lower level opponents

Abstract: Fighters get 1 attack per level per round divided by their opponent’s fighter level with a minium equal to their standard number of attacks/round. For eample, a 4th level gets 4 attacks per round versus a 1st level fighter (4:1), 2 attacks per round versus a 2nd level fighter (4:2 = 2:1), and 1 attack per round versus 3rd level fighters and higher (4:3).

This house rule is an expansion of one that appeared in the D&D FAQ  published in The Strategic Review number 2, obstensibly written by E. Gary Gygax in 1975 prior to the release of the Grayhawk expansion.

In this rule, “fighters” include the fighter class as well as the equivalent fighter level of other character classes and humanoids (creatures of roughly human size, shape, & movement). Equivalent fighter level is determined by examining the base attack capabilities of the character class (To Hit, THAC0, or BAB). For monsters, use their Hit Dice or BAB if using 3rd edition rules. For example, in AD&D clerics of 1st & 2nd level have the same THAC0 as 1st level fighters, as do magic-users of 1st–4th level and thieves of 1st & 2nd level. Therefore they are all treated as 1st level fighters for determination of attacks/round.

The number of attacks a fighter gets against lower level opponents is determened by dividing the level of the attacker by the level of the defender, drop all fractions and give a minimum attack per round of 1 or higher if the rules allow for a higher number of normal attacks per round, e.g. AD&D fighters get 2 attacks/round at 13th level, 3e fighters get 2 attacks/round at 6th level.

For example a 9th level lord versus a 1st level veteran gets 9 attacks (9 ÷ 1 = 9) while the 1st level veteran gets but a single attack (1 ÷ 9 = 0.1111). Versus a 2nd level fighter, the lord gets 4 attacks (9 ÷ 2 = 4.5), versus a 3 level fighter he get 3 attacks (9 ÷3 = 3), versus a 4th level fighters he gets 2 (9 ÷ 7 = 2.25), versus a 5th level fighter and higher he gets only a single attack per round (9 ÷5 = 1.8). Note that in AD&D the 9th level lord has a minimum attack of 3/2.

What about Great Cleave? In third edition, fighters with the great cleave feat (at 4th level or higher), upon killing an opponent may attack another opponent within range. In this way, a fighter could theoretically kill all creatures within range so long as he hit and killed each one of them in a single swing (see the pictures at the bottom of this post). However, as soon as an attack misses or does not kill an opponent, the great cleave ends. In contrast, under the Conan Rules, a 4th level fighter gets four attacks against 1st level opponents regardless of whether he hits and/or kills the opponent. Thus, these two rules can work together if you so desire.

How this will change your game: Monsters will get scarier; and the earlier the edition, the scarier they will get. But remember that in Chainmail and 0D&D, giants have always attacked 12 times per round versus “normal” men-at-arms. Now they attack 6 times per round versus 2nd level fighting-men, 4 times per round vs. 3rd level fighters, 3 times per round versus 4th level, and 2 times per round versus 6th level fighters.

High level fighters will also becomes closer to magic-users in power. A 9th level lord now gets 9 attacks per round versus that press gang of 1st level sailors instead of only 1.

IN CLOSING

For those of you who think that this rule is too cinematic or literary, consider the follow except from the book “This is Kendo” which depicts a fight scene from the film “Sanjuro.” Yes, I am aware that I am referring to a scene from a film, but this was done without any wires or CGI and was choreographed by a expert in kenjutsu (whose name I forgot).

Postscript

I want to thank Delta of Delta’s D&D Hotspot for reminding me of the D&D FAQ in Strategic Review that mentioned number of attacks based on the hit dice ratio. I do not know if I unconciously internalised this article after I read it back in 1978 and forgot the source or if I developed this idea in parallel. Regardless, it is gratifying to see that at least at one point in time, Gygax and I shared this idea.

Remembering Gary Gygax

On the fourth of March in the year of Our Lord, two thousand and eight, Ernest Gary Gygax left this plane of existence. Towards the end of his life, he was active on the ENworld boards. One of his responses could well have an epitaph:

“What do you consider the soul/spirit/heart of D&D as you wrote it?”

Wrote Quasqueton, whereupon Gygax responded:

“In as few words as possible:

• Absolute authority of the DM, rules lawyers given the boot
• Rule books seldom used by a competent DM
• Action and adventure in play
• Swords & sorcery, not comic book superhero genre material
• Group co-operation paramount for success
• Freedom to extemporize and innovate for all participants
• Reliance on archetypical models for characters
• Fellowship of those participating

Cheers,
Gary”

I am proud to say that I have been doing all of the above from my very first time as a GM in 1978. However, “Rule books seldom used by a competent DM” is a very challenging on. Now it should be obvious, but I must state that the more complex and/or counter-intuitive a game’s rules are, the more difficult it is to master the game. And yet, it is encumbent on the referee, judge, moderator, Dungeon Master, or Game Master to master the rules. After all, how can the GM be the final arbiter of the rules if they have not mastered the rules themselves?

Likewise, it breaks the flow of the game to stop and look up a rule. There is no need to deny it or sugar-coat it, it is a fact. Any player who is in the spotlight — including the GM — that stops to look up a rule slow the game down. This stopping the game is even more egregious during a fast paced part of the adventure whether it be combat or a chase. The dramatic tension is broken and it is very difficult to bring it back.

Does this mean that we should chuck our favourite version of D&D out the window and go back to playing the original 1974 rules? After all, in Gygax’s later years that is exactly what he did. He chucked Lejendary Adventures, Dangerous Journeys, and AD&D out the window in spite of being their author.

The answer is “No, you don’t have to give up your favourite version of D&D” provided that you have mastered the rules sufficiently to seldom refer to the books.

But what if you have a hard time mastering the rule of any edition of D&D? Back in 1977 and ’78, I found the whitebox rules to be difficult to understand and there was no way I was going to master them which is why AD&D was a godsend to me. And frankly, that was the case for almost all of back then, which is why John Eric Holmes offered to edit the rules, resulting in Basic D&D (Holmes Blue Book).

When Wizards of the Coast released 3rd edition, it was physically painful for me to switch to the rules. I actually got headaches rewiring my wetware to replace almost 33 years of playing very similar versions of D&D. I succeeded but I swore never to do that again. Which is one of the reasons I refuse to bother with either of those editions. Have I mastered 3rd edition? No, not quite. At least not to the level I had with previous versions.

What version then, do I play when I do run a game? Last summer I ran hybrid game which I am refining for this summer’s campaign. Why a hybrid? Because in order to “seldom use the rulebooks,” the rules have to be intuitive for me.

A Game’s rules must be intutive

This is perhaps, one of the most important lessons I have learned over the past 43+ years. If the rules are not intuitive, then it becomes more difficult to remember during the heat of play.

In closing, do not let the rules get in the way of your game.

P.S. Yeah, I will probably make my intuitive RPG publically available.

Night of the Walking Dead in Averoigne Part 11

Continuing my adaptation of the AD&D 2nd Edition Ravenloft module RQ1 Night of the Walking Dead to Clark Ashton Smith’s Averoigne, Robert E. Howard’s Cormac Fitzgeoffrey stories, and the mid-14th Century Petite Camargue region of France. Part One can be found here. Note that this post is system and version agnostic. I am fleshing out NPCs useful for all version of all RPGs.

In this post I shall examine in greater detail the NPCs Mordu & Brucian and look for opportunities to flesh them out more. There is a “riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” in this adventure for the PCs to figure out. If they succeed, they will have a much easier time defeating the “monster.” In order to “peel back the layers of the onion,” they must cleverly interrogate the NPCs, oftentimes repeatedly going back to the key NPCs once the PCs have new information. The riddle, mystery, and enigma are of course Marcel, Jean, and La Mère de Crapauds. The key NPCs are Brucian, Gremin, and Mordu (and possibly others). Another way to look at the NPCs are the primary group consists of Marcel, Jean, and the Mother; the secondary group consists of Brucian, Gremin, and Mordu while all of the other named NPCs are in the tertiary group. When I conduct a deeper examination of the tertiary NPCs, some may get promoted to secondary depending on how the story emerges.

“MORDU” [SHMU’EL or HARELEY?]

I put the NPC name Mordu in quotation marks because I am changing the name. At the moment I am torn between Samuel (Shmu’el) des Garennes and Harley de Warenne. As I noted in Part VI of this series, I want to replace Mordu with either Harley Warren from Lovecraft’s short story The Statement of Randolph Carter or with Lovecraft’s friend Samuel Loveman whom Warren is based on. Mordu and Warren are both occultists. Loveman was not an occultist per se, but he did posesses a library of rare first edition antique books. For our purposes, the real question is whether the replacement for Mordu should be an Anglo-Norman (Harley de Warenne) or a Sephardic Jew from Toledo (Samuel des Garennes). Although it should be noted that “Garennes” is also Northern French name so Garennes does not exactly work for Shmu’el. The advantage of going with Samuel is that it gives me a chance to toss in a reference to both the alleged black magick taught in Toledo as well as the pogroms against the Jews. Whereas using Harley is a direct reference to Lovecraft’s character who also appeared in The Silver Key and Through the Gates of the Silver Key. At this point I am leaning more towards a Norman French (Normandean?) alchemist who found refuge in Crapuad Village and is seen as an eccentric conspiracy theorist rather than Sephardic Jew who studied the Kaballah. The memory of Kalkstein from the Witcher is still quite strong, and while he is an Ashkenazi rather than Sephardic Jew, I would rather keep the reference to a Lovecraft character than suggest elements of the Witcher.

One challenge I have with the character is, ‘how to present him as a viable suspect in the disappearances and murders?’ While Louise will admit that Harley is one of her best customers, it becomes readily apparent that Harley is harmless.

I think that in order to make him a proper “red herring,” I should play up a Dr. Henry Jekyll (pronounced Jee-kul) angle. In other words, a character who oozes Law and Good. A gentle and kind soul who performs all manner of alchemical experiments in his search for “scientific” cures but also provides much needed medical care for the villagers.

So despite being a Northener, Harley was trained in medicine at the Montpelhièr School of Médecine. He is literate in Greek and Latin and is a devotee of Hippocrates, Galen, and Averroes — although he is quick to point out that the late Etienne Tempier, Bishop of Paris condemned 219 theses of Averroes’s philosphy but not his medical knowledge.

The village should think very well of Dr. Harley and view him as above reproach rather than as the town eccentric. — Again, because his primary role in this story is to be a viable suspect. Otherwise, the presence of blood liquorice will directly point to Jean as the killer–at–large.

While Dr. Harley appears as above reproach, there must be at least three clues that hint if not outright suggest a motive for murder. What could they be?

First off, his bachelorhood can be suspect. Perhaps Dr. Harley is romantically and/or sexually frustrated. Would he not be the most elgible bachelor in the village?

Is his big secret that he is actually homosexual? But that he is in denial of his homosexuality? But if that were so, I should think he would be more likely to murder young men who arouse such forbidden feelings in him rather than young women. — Or at least that is what the PCs may come to believe since it is actually Jean doing the murdering.

But coming back to the idea of the local “crank,” eccentric, or “conspiracy-theorist;” I think he can still be a well-respected medicus and alchemist that has views and beliefs that the Players will dismiss out–of–hand, exempli gratia Humorism, the idea that the body is controlled by four humors, being black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood which in turn lead to four different temperments. And also the “benefits” of bloodletting.

But there remains two design issues to overcome — the first is to determine what other clues besides the blood liquorice suggest that Dr. Harley is the killer? And the second is whether or not he is part of the Toad Mother cult and if not, what is his knowledge of it, position on it, and how others view his knowledge (or lack thereof) of it?

With regards to the Toad Mother cult, it is tempting to depict Dr. Harley as a devoted Christian who is slowly coming to the horrified realisation of an ancient pagan practice similar to Sgt. Neil Howie in the film The Wicker Man. But I have a difficult time believing that a given village would tolerate a non-comformist for very long. Either he would have to join the cult or be killed out of fear of reporting the villagers to the Inquisition. After all, the Albigensian Crusade (Crosada dels albigeses) happened right here in the province of Lengadòc (or Provença) less then a century ago.

Lengadòc or Provença? On a parenthetical note, the area around Le Petit Ròze historically has fluctuated between the Viscounty of Nimes (later Lengadòc) and the Comté de Provença. It appears that by 1348, the Viscounty of Nimes has become Lengadòc and enfeoffed to the French Crown but the entirety of the Camarga region is part of the Comté de Provença. The current soverign of Provença is Joanna I Queen of Naples. However — and this is very important — my admittedly limited research is quite contradictory with regards to who actually controls our area of interest in 1348. I imagine that the locals gave up a long time ago trying to keep track of who’s who at that level. They know that Crapaud Manoir is enfeoffed to Aigas Mòrtas and that is that. It is most likely irrelevant to even Sieur Jean that Aigas Mòrtas belongs to the French Crown but that Crapaud Manoir iteself is surrounded by land claimed by the Queen of Naples.

Getting back to Dr. Harley… if he is part of the cult, then he would not speak of it to the PCs. In fact, if pressed he would probably do his best to misdirect the PCs. It is very important to remember that the PCs are strangers, foreigners, outlanders, and outsiders. While the villagers will soon come to trust the PCs in terms of dealing with the mysterious deaths, they will worry that the PCs will inform the Inquistion and The Church. It is only after (or if) the PCs strike a deal with the Toad Mother, can anyone in the village truly trust them.

Harley de Warenne need not be an active supporter of the cult. Like most of the villagers, he sees it as a practical relationship. The Toad Mother is a very real and present force in the village. Her force can be for good or for evil. Her power is greater than theirs and if angered could wipe them all out before any succor from ecclesiastical or civil authorities (who would most likely burn them at the stake even if they did “help”). Privately he could still be a Christian who fears for his immortal soul at supporting her. But if that were true, why does he stay?

Why does anyone stay? On another parenthetical note, why do any of the non-natives (Brucian, Gremin, Harley, & al.) who are obstensibly Christian or Jewish, remain in the village subject to the authority of the Toad Mother cult? Surely the reason must be the threat of death! Anyone who discovers the truth of the Cult must either join or die. That is of course as harsh as it can possibly get, but such harshness is justified (in the cultist’s minds) because their very survival depends on staying “off the radar” of both the Inquisition and The Church. And since the Toad Mother is a very real and active force, it is not going to just be the cultists that threaten violence, it will also be the Mother herself. I can easily imagine someone trying to sneak out in the dead of night, only to become entangled by the vegetation and then surrounded by a multitude of carnivorous frogs croaking in anticipation of a feast.

Now that we know why Dr. Harley de Warenne stays, perhaps he may drop some hints of his imprisonment. In fact, this gives us the opportunity for all of the non-natives to drop some hints of their imprisonment or conversion.

But getting back to De Warenne as a murder suspect, what else besides the sanguine liquorice would point to him? Perhaps somebody in the village suspects him of being disloyal to the Cult and wants to deflect attention from Jean? Could Harley get framed for the murders? I think that later on in this series, it is worth combing through the adventure to find opportunities to plant such seeds.

Does Dr. Harley have a familiar? If he did, it would no doubt be a frog keeping a watchful eye on him. I can imagine a creepy scene where Harley glances nervously at the frog whenever the conversation steers into dangerous territory.

I already covered his game statistics in Part VI, so let us have a look at how he views the other inhabitants of Crapaud Manoir (and perhaps how they view him as well):

Harley’s Views on other NPCs

I think it is very important to cross-reference all the major NPC interactions. This helps the both the designer and the Game Master to “bring the characters to life.

Frère Brucian: Harley is aghast at what he perceives as a gross hypocrisy of Brucian. A Scottish Blackfriar preacher who has come to this village and rather than rescuing it from pagan bondage, only strengthens it. Aside from that, he respects Brucian’s intellect and education but does his best to minimise his interractions with the preacher.

Deruno le Nain: Harley has a good relationship with the dwarf (not dwarven) merchant Deruno as he depends on him for many of his provisions, especially glassware. Harley and Deruno share a fear of retaliation if they dare speak a word against the cult or about the cult to anyone. Deruno is especially careful since he travels to nearby markets to purchase his wares and is undoubtedly watched. Perhaps Deruno is always accompanied by a frog…!

Fiora: Harley has very little to say about the widow Fiora due to their lack of interraction.

Serjeaunt Gremin: Harley gets nervous and anxious when Gremin’s name is mentioned. Gremin is the village’s enforcer and will undoubtedly come for him when the Cult no longer needs him.

Jean, Sieur de Crapaud Manoir: Harley believes that Jean has wed the Toad Mother in actuality and not just ceremonially. De Warenne also believes that Jean is the eldest son of the Toad Mother. He also believes that the bond between Jean and his twin brother Marcel is supernatural and extends beyond death. Which is precisely why Jean has sank into a black malaise.

Jordi le Forgeron & Nadine: Harley believes that Jordi’s mother was very controlling in an unhealthy way when Jordi was a child. Furthermore that Jordi experienced a traumatic event which has left him very quiet but De Warenne is not sure what that trauma was. Once the PCs tell Harley of Jordi’s reaction to Luc, Harley will get quite excited and press for details.

Katha the Barmaid: Harley finds Katha to be quite tiresome. Undoubtedly the PCs will figure out that De Warenne would rather do all the talking and none of the listening much like Katha but more in a stereotypically lonely old man way.

Louise la Boulangère: Louise is an extraordinary confectionary! Harley is an admitted sanguine liquorice addict. He contends that Louise has a good heart and a gentle soul. That she puts her affections for the villagers into each of her creations.

Luc: Dr. Harley regards Luc as a sensitive soul who became posessed by a demon when he witnessed Luc’s grisly death. After all, whenever anyone suffers a terrible shock, their psychic defences are worn down and thus become open to posession. Despite Brucian’s unwillingness to exorcise the demon from Luc, Dr. Harley believes that he can use medicine and alchemy to cure Luc of the posession if but given a chance. It will of course, take considerable time and money, but it will no doubt be successful.

Marcel: Marcel was a wastrel and a rake. He had always been cruel and petty with a unhealthy fixation on black magick. It was only a matter of time before he got in over his head and got himself killed.

Marcus le Charpentier: Marcus is a staunch and upstanding freeman of the village, a pillar of the community and serves as an acolyte to Frère Brucian as needed.

Pierrot le Sacrestain: Pierrot epitomises the maxim “ignorance is bliss.” He lives in his own world and denies everything that threatens it.

Tomas Levi le Tailleur: Tomas is very accomodating and does not wish to “rock the boat.” In spite of speaking lovingly of the Marselha fashions, he has never gone there (or anywhere for that matter), at least since Harley arrived. Like most men, Tomas is good in his heart but cowardly in his actions.

FRÈRE BRUCIAN

Portrait of a Dominican Friar by Peter Paul Rubens

As I mentioned in Part IX, Brucian is a Dominican preaching Blackfriar originally from Scotland. He compromised his faith in order to protect the village from the wrath of the Mother. Brucian is wracked by guilt but does his best to hide it as well as hide the cult of the heleionoma from the PCs. He is good friends with Serjeant Gremin as they are both foreigners as well as social equals. I can easily imagine them playing chess with each other in their spare time, especially the during rainy days of winter. His standoffish attitude towards the PCs is due to the fact this parish is Christian in name only. The memory of the Crosada dels Albigeses is still strong here even if it is a century old. Brucian is however, a man of very good intentions hence his alignment/intent is Neutral/Good. He is able to traverse the wetlands to tend to Luc precisely because he has the blessings of La Mère des Crapauds.

In game terms, he is most certainly not a cleric! Remember that clerics have been repurposed as unarmoured & disarmed saints and that saints are a rare occurence. For purposes of NWN, I shall make him a Commoner but if I were using Green Ronin’s Medieval Player’s Manual by David Chart (of Ars Magica fame), I would make him a Canonist. However, for our purposes the difference between a 3e Commoner and a MPM Canonist are largely irrelevant as the latter deals primarily with political influence.

As for level, what level does Brucian need to be? For our purposes, he could be first level! In this adventure, Brucian is a source of information and motivation. He is not a combatant and there is no option of him joining the PCs in combat.

Rant: I really like the idea of 0-level NPCs as explained by Gygax in the AD&D DMG. The overwhelming vast majority of the NPCs in the world are not adventurers and do not need levels. The D&D 3rd Edition equivalent are 1st level Commoners. However, there have been many adventures written where the temple priests are always mid- to high-level adventuring clerics! And these are AD&D modules (T1 Hommlet) and Dragon Magazine adventures! My philosphy for a very, very long time has been to design areas and adventures to first be as mundane and historical as possible and only then to introduce the phantastic — in that way, the weird and magical has a greater impact due to the contrast. In a similar fashion, PCs should be able to wade through crowds of 0-level soldiers by the time they reach 4th level. So I try hard to limit the levels and/or hit dice of NPCs and monsters where I can. As an example, take the Wolf Man. A werewolf who was killed by a single silver bullet shot by a 0-level human. Does the Wolf Man need more than a single hit die?!? The fact that he could only be harmed by silver makes him almost unkillable! Oh sure, we could say that the 0-level human got lucky and scored a critical hit as well a rolling a 6 on the d6 for damage which makes a total of 12 points of damage. So the Wolf Man is a 3 hit dice werewolf? Or can we have him be just 1 hit die? What is wrong with letting the PCs take out a werewolf with a single silver-tipped arrow? After all, that is exactly what happened in the film.

Brucian’s Views on other NPCs

Mother of Toads: Brucian is quite conflicted about her. On the one hand, he is appreciative of her protecting the village (prior to Marcel’s death) and ensuring its fertility but on the other, she is a marsh nymph — a child of a fallen angel. To worhip her is to commit idolatry and heresy! But to scorn her is to invite death! And so Brucian does his best to preach the Gospel of Our Lord while acknowledging the Mother of Toads as the soverign mother of the village and its enirons. It is a very difficult line for him to walk and puts him under constant duress.

With regards to the PCs, he will not speak of her in any way until after they have met with her. Just like everyone else in the village, Brucian is afraid that the PCs will eventually alert the Inquisition even if unintentionally yet sees them as possibly helping with the latest menace.

Jean Crapaud: Prior to Marcel’s death, Brucian fond Jean to be a rather ordinary gentleman. Other than his uncanny empathy shared with his twin Marcel, Jean had not been particularly noteworthy in his virtues nor his sins. However, now Brucian is very concerned. After Marcel’s death, Jean no longer attends mass nor confesses his sins. Brucian is also concerned that Jean is neglecting his wife and mother, Our Lady of Toads although on this he is less certain. The nymph is a very lonely creature with a seemingly insatiable lust and always moans whenever Brucian visits her. The fact of the matter is, Jean avoids all contact with Brucian whatsoever. Brucian has tried writing to Jean, but nothing seems to get Jean to reply.

With regards to the PCs, initially all Brucian will say is that Jean is very busy. As the PCs prove their worth, he will share more of his concerns but cautiously and slowly.

Marcel Crapaud: Brucian never liked Marcel and judged him a wicked man. Marcel refused to attend mass or confess his sins of which there were undoubtedly many. That Marcel died as a direct result of his disobedience to Our Lord is no surprise. That his death has brought and continues to bring terror to the village is downright frightening. Surely Marcel did something to anger Our Lord so that now the village is paying the price… or that the Adversary is using Marcel to wreck havok upon the village.

But deep down, Frère Brucian fears that Our Lord has abandoned us because of our idolatry and heresy. That Marcel as a slave to the Adversary is free to wreck his vengeance and that the Mother is unable to do anything. And he blames himself for this. He who has been afraid to stand up to the Mere, afraid of martyrdom. He has been judged and found wanting. That he was sent here to rescue the idolaters from damnation and failed. Now it is time to reap what the village has sowed. Crapaud Village is now doomed like Sodom & Gomorrah.

Luc Crapaud: Prior to the incident, Luc has been a mild-mannered sheep, a gentle soul, a naïf who followed his brother around like a puppy dog. Jean was usually too busy for Luc but Marcel took advantage of him. Luc has always posessed a weak personality and always granted the last person who spoke to him too much influence. The only times Luc attended mass and made his confessions was when Brucian reminded him. Far too often, Marcel would take Luc away while on his way to church.

It would seem that Luc was the favourite of the Mother’s three living sons. He never left her hut of his own accord. It was always one of the brothers or Brucian himself who had to pull him away. In hindsight, Brucian thinks that they should have left Luc with her. He would never have been scared witless and the Mother would not be lonely.

Brucian freely gives his opinion on Luc except for the references to the Mother until after they have her support. Brucian genuinely fears for Luc’s soul and sees him as a lost sheep.

Interestingly, Brucian does not believe that Luc is posessed by a demon like Dr. Harley does. Why is that? Brucian must have some experience with lost souls. He might believe that Luc is being chased by demons or something similar to account for Luc’s attention being directed inward rather than outward like everyone else. In other words, that Luc’s spirit is in a fight which demands most of his attention or that his soul is untethered from the body or at least the tether has become extraordinarily long. In any event, Brucian prays for Luc during each mass.

The Bascolm Family: Jerald and Henrietta are faithful members of the congregation as are their children, Jerald junior and Lillin. It is a shame that despite their best efforts, we get so few travelers anymore. The guest rooms of the hospitale remain empty most of the time. In days past, pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land would stop here for the night and marvel at the dishes of sanguine rice.

Katha: Be careful with Katha for she is the village gossip. While it is easy to get her to speak, it is hard to get her to stop. And what she says is not always the truth. Katha is more concerned with a good story and shall not let the facts get in the way.

The Fairies [Vistani]:  The are the children of fallen angels, condemned to walk the earth until the Day of Judgment. As such, many but not all of what they say are lies. Take everything they say with a grain of salt.

Louise la Boulangère: “Louise is a devout and pious soul who takes great pleasure in the joy her baked goods give us. Although sometimes I wish she were not so generous” jokes the good friar as he examines his girth.

Marcus le Charpentier: Marcus is committed and devout. Brucian depends heavily upon him in assisting the services. He also does fine woodwork. Our Lady has rewarded Marcus and his wife with a bounty of healthy children.

Pierrot le Sacrestain: Pierrot (“Pete”) is a quiet, modest, and humble man who does Our Lord’s work. He is one of the meek who shall inherit the earth.

Sgt. Gremin: Brucian has a great deal of respect for Serjeaunt Gremin. A foreigner like himself (Brucian is from Scotland and Gremin from “Russia”) who has fully integrated into the village. Gremin married a local lass named Sara and steadfastly supports Sieur Jean, the Mother, and the local customs and laws. Gremin has found a home here and protects it like a sow does her piglets.

The death of Gremin’s son Marc was tragic and horrifying. His body dessicated as if eaten by a titanic spider.

Dr. Harley de Warenne: Brucian has an uneasy relationship with Harley. Outwardly, the good doctor does his duty, attends mass, and worships the Mother as necessary. But Brucian cannot shake his feeling that it is all for show. De Warenne must posess some terrible secret and/or have ulterior motives.

Brucian willingly lets the PCs believe that Dr. Harley has some terrible secrets and/or plans and will even hint at it. That is because Brucian wants the truth to come out without himself having to be the one to confront De Warenne. Is Dr. Harley capable of murder? Everyone is, be assured. Harley may well be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Deruno le Nain: Deruno also puts on a show of obeisance like Harley, but Brucian believes that Deruno’s motives are far more banal. Deruno is strictly concerned with his business providing for his family and has no further ambitions whatsoever. Brucian does not believe Deruno is particularly pious — namely that he is when it is necessary. Unfortunately this is true of most people, they only remember Our Lord when they are desperate.

Jordi le Forgeron & Nadine: The disappearance of the son Colin, is worrisome. He served at the big house. For that matter, no-one has seen or heard of any of the servants for some time now.

Fiora: Brucian checks in on her almost daily. Fiora is a widow and her daughter was working at the big house before her disappearance. Now there is no-one to look after Fiora.

Tomas Levi le Tailleur: Tomas and his family are lost sheep that shall one day return to the flock. They are good people even if they are misguided in their beliefs. By their insistent denial of Our Savior, they are condemned to Limbo at best and it breaks Brucian’s heart. He has not given upon on them.

NEXT UP

In the next post, I shall examine Gremin and other NPCs in greater detail with an eye to further developing the emerging story as well as uncovering clues for the players.

Happy Birthday Frank Frazetta!

Frank Frazetta was born on the 9th of February in the year 1928, in Brooklyn New York. Much has been written about him and his impact on popular culture, but today I am going to write about his impact on me.

I first encountered Frazetta’s work as the cover to Back to the Stone Age by Edgar Rice Burroughs (the 5th book in the Pellucidar series) and was completely blown away by his photorealistic yet fantastic style of painting. Click on the image above to see the cover in creater detail. This jpeg does not do the painting proper justice but still note the smoothness and reflectiveness of the tusks and the fur of the mammoth! The rippling corded muscles of the arms of the hero! Those are not the muscles of a steroid-addicted weight lifter, but rather hard-earned from a lifetime of conflict! All framed by the lushly dense vegetation wherein if you but look closely it soon becomes unclear what is a serpent and what is a vine!

Needless to say, I bought the book. No doubt the publisher Ace was pleased that Frazetta’s painting did the job. But not only have I no regrets at buying the book, but am grateful for being intoduced to the Pellucidar series as well as the superb craftsmanship of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Did you know that John Eric Holmes, the editor of Basic D&D was such a fan of Pellucidar that he wrote the pastiche Mahars of Pellucidar the previous year?

Or that E. Gary Gygax himself was such a fan of Burrough’s John Carter of Mars series that he referenced it several times in the original edition of D&D (1974)?

So in closing, one of the ways I am indebted to and appreciative of Frank Frazetta is his above painting introducing me to one of my favourite phantasy cycles, Pellucidar as well as one of my favourite authors, Edgar Rice Burroughs.

New Averoigne Book and Neighbouring Poictesme

I interrupt my almost excruciatingly detailed analysis, adaptation, and “re-mix” of the Night of the Walking Dead in order to bring news about The Averoigne Chronicles as well as my learning of the realm of Poictesme which was contemporary to Averoigne.

THE AVEROIGNE CHRONICLES

I do not normally promote any products or services, but in this case I am making an exception because I am genuinely excited about this book I have ordered. First off, a huge thank you to OldJoe (Jeff Hall) for alerting everyone over at the Eldritch Dark Forum. The Averoigne Chronicles was originally published by Centipede Press as a signed 200 copy limited edition hardcover which listed for $225 and is now sold out. Hippocampus Press has now released a trade paperback edition for only $20! While the book contains all of the published stories and poems it does not contain all of the fragments and earlier versions of stories which can be found over at the Eldritch Dark in the short stories section. So while I would vastly prefer a true complete collection with all of the drafts and fragments, given that there are no other Averoigne Cycle books in print, I went ahead an ordered a copy of my own.

POICTESME

Poictesme is the imaginary province or region in Southern France created by James Branch Cabell for his series of books, essays, and poems in the collection called Biography of the Life of Manuel. Apparently they were quite popular when they were written between 1901 and 1929. Clark Ashton Smith was certainly familiar with them when he joked about the two provinces being neighbours according to Kipling (John Hitz) at the Eldritch Dark Forum on a discussion of Averoigne vs. Zothique. You can read Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances for free at the Gutenberg Project. According to Wikipedia:

Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances (1921) is a fantasy novel or ironic romance by James Branch Cabell, set in the imaginary French province of Poictesme during the first half of the 13th century. The book follows the earthly career of Dom Manuel the Redeemer from his origins as a swineherd, through his elevation to the rank of Count of Poictesme, to his death. It forms the second volume of Cabell's gigantic Biography of the Life of Manuel.

I have not read Figures of the Earth just yet, having learnt about it a scant hour ago. Another book, Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship is set in the second half of the 13th century so that makes it closer to our period (1st half of the 14th C.). Below is what Wikipedia has to say:

Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship (1913) is a fantasy novel by James Branch Cabell, set in the imaginary French province of Poictesme during the second half of the 13th century.

It forms the fifth volume of Cabell's gigantic Biography of the Life of Manuel, and tells the story of Dom Manuel's daughter Melicent, and of the disastrous struggle between her successive husbands Demetrios of Anatolia and Perion de la Forêt. Carl Van Doren characterised the book as “Mr. Cabell's highest flight in the representation of the extravagant woman-worship developed out of the chivalric code,” and as being “unified and dramatic beyond any other of the Cabell novels.”

The Gutenberg Project has the story here.