EpicSavingThrow.com: A Grognard's Notebook

RPG Weight Benchmarks

April 22, 2010 mstanton Lists & Benchmarks

Sometimes it matters how much things weigh: carrying allies to safety, lifting things with magic, and so forth. The following “close enough for gaming” benchmarks can be used.

Area Threat Levels

October 22, 2009 mstanton Rules

Suggested degrees of “local danger” found in various types of locations.

Prices In A Fantasy Setting

April 22, 2009 mstanton Lists & Benchmarks, Rules

A collection of benchmark standards for use as a house rule for most traditional fantasy marketplaces.

Planescape Campaign Notes

October 10, 2008 mstanton Settings

Conversions of the AD&D2e setting for use with D&D4e.

Planescape Factions

October 10, 2008 mstanton Settings

Notes for revising the planar factions of 1994’s Planescape.

NYC Dark Timeline

October 3, 2008 mstanton Settings

A chronology of about 240 real and often horrible events that happened in New York City, used as a backdrop to a supernatural campaign.

OD&D Fast Characters

January 10, 2008 mstanton Characters

Some grab-and-go PDF player character sheets for use with the 1974 edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

The Kindred Of NYC

December 1, 2007 mstanton Settings

A big list of NPC notes made for a vampire campaign set in New York City, circa 2007.

nWoD Vampire Powers

December 1, 2007 mstanton Rules

Lists of supernatural powers for “new World of Darkness” Kindred characters per Vampire: The Requiem.

World Of Darkness Rules

December 1, 2007 mstanton Rules

Notes, summaries and a few house rules from The World Of Darkness Storytelling System Rulebook (2004 edition, aka “nWoD”).

Travel: What Can Go Wrong?

June 7, 2007 mstanton Settings

Customs, disease, toxins, animals, language misunderstandings, climate and gravity differences, civil taxes… Originally posted on Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #71.

Magick Vs. Paradox Guidelines

October 8, 2006 mstanton Rules

Instead of “vulgar” and “coincidental” labels, instead look at the effect and and consider what a mundane would say if he directly witnessed the event.

Foreshadowing Mage Magick

October 8, 2006 mstanton Rules, Settings

The big limitation on magical powers in Mage comes from paradox driven by the counter-belief of non-mage observers. A little creative description can get around that issue…

Magick Effects

October 8, 2006 mstanton Rules

Guidelines for creating specific effects via the magick spheres using the Mage: The Ascension game.

Adventure 1: The Kinunir

October 7, 2006 mstanton Adventures

Four adventures based around the 1,200-ton Kinunir-class battle cruiser, set in the Spinward Marches 001-1105.

Free Trader Plans

October 6, 2006 mstanton Settings

Traveller notes for the 200-ton free trader starship, specifically a variant on the Beowulf class.

Mercenary Cruiser Plans

October 6, 2006 mstanton Settings

Traveller notes for the 800-ton mercenary cruiser starship, specifically the Broadsword class.

Adventure 2: Research Station Gamma

October 1, 2006 mstanton Adventures

Set in the Vanejen/Rhylanor/Spinward Marches: 300-1006.

Adventure 3: Twilight’s Peak

October 1, 2006 mstanton Adventures

Set in the Spinward main in Rhylanor, sometime after 300-1106 but before the start of the Fifth Frontier War.

Fast Traveller Rules 0.6

October 1, 2006 mstanton Homebrews, Rules

Another edit of “quick and dirty” home rules for running introductory Traveller games.

The Traveller Universe

October 1, 2006 mstanton Settings

An outline of the “standard” campaign setting found in the original version of Traveller by Marc Miller in 1978.

Traveller Psionics

September 29, 2006 mstanton Rules

Notes on using psionic abilities in the Third Imperium of Traveller, per the 1977 Basic Set.

We’re Not Who We Seem

August 27, 2006 mstanton Characters, Settings

What if the players’ character sheets and concept of their roles in the game was a lie?

Seed: Dead Letter Office

August 10, 2006 mstanton Adventures

What ends up in the postmaster’s dead letter office? And what happens when the player characters get their hands on “it,” whatever “it” is?

Traveller Character Variables

April 5, 2006 mstanton Characters, Settings

Variables creating non-player characters, patrons, and bystanders in original Traveller setting of the Spinward Marches sector.

GURPS Horror: John Brookings

November 23, 2005 mstanton Characters

GURPS 3.0 stats for use with Stan Miller’s horror campaign (2004-2005).

You All Meet In A Tavern…

August 27, 2003 mstanton Adventures

Six tropes to get a fantasy adventure started with new (or not-so-new) players.

Character Alignment

August 22, 2003 mstanton Rules

Summary of how the original nine basic alignments are meant to be used and role-played in D&D.

Fast High Guard

March 4, 2003 mstanton Rules

Some notes on running space combats with the CT 1979 rules, plus 1980 revisions and house rules.

Cop Gear, Spy Tools, Modern Equipment Lists

January 5, 2003 mstanton Lists & Benchmarks, Rules

GURPS 3.0 stats for equipment typically found in the trunk of a police cruiser / squad car.

AD&D2e: Vietman Era Soldier

September 15, 2000 mstanton Characters

This character template was created for a Gen Con 2000 event, an AD&D 2nd edition update to the Caves of Chaos found in B1: Keep On The Borderlands.