Sir Poley's Blog, page 5

Into the Living Library - Sir Poley | DriveThruRPG.com

Into the Living Library - Sir Poley | DriveThruRPG.com:

Hello everyone! I’m back, and I’ve made something new–a first-level adventure for the fifth edition of a certain RPG that I’m legally not allowed to claim compatibility with but I think will be unsurprising given the nature of my fic. In it, the players take the role of probationary students in a magical university who, in order to remain, must compete in a cut-throat race against rival NPC students to collect three specific books from a transdimensional semi-organic magical super-library, all the while balancing clubs, classes, and social events that provide an opportunity to gain secrets and items from older students and professors that will help them survive their adventure. This adventure can be used as a stand-alone one-shot, as the start of a campaign, or to be slotted into an ongoing low-level campaign already in progress. It’s designed for the most recent edition of a certain very well-known RPG but with a tiny amount of tweaking can be used for earlier editions as well.

Enjoy! I think you guys will really like this!

Death or Glory Update 0.34

I’ve released Death or Glory 0.34, adding:
-More numerous and detailed Relic weapons to be discovered (though there’s still more work that can be done there);
-Canibrians now have a champion in the form of the Canibrian Sorcerer-Knight, who blends magic and mundane fighting with lots of fire;
-Gave the Canibrian Armed Forces more unique equipment in the form of a plethora of Incendiary weapons and explosives;
-Added Incendiary Grenades to the equipment list;
-Added Zombie Swarm to the Necromantic Hordes as their new Large unit type;
-Moved Ghouls from Necromantic Hordes to Wandering Monsters

The next big push will probably be the addition of more mission objectives. Things like Hostage Rescues, Assassination missions, that kind of thing. Each Mission has 6 possible scenarios and umpteen dilemmas, encounters, climaxes, and intermissions, so each is a huge task.

Death or Glory Alpha Release

Slay the Dragon! Save the Day! Die Trying!

I’ve decided to release Death or Glory today. You can find a download link in the “Downloads” page on the right, or get it directly right here (or as a zip).

If you give it a read and want to talk about the rules with me and others, go to the forums here.

What is Death or Glory?

In a typical tabletop role-playing game, you take on the role of a larger-than-life hero who battles impossible odds and manages, through luck and skill, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Well, in most RPGs, anyway. Death or Glory is… a bit different. Rather than a brave hero, you take on the role of a largely expendable soldier serving under a callous, aristocratic high command—though the odds are just as impossible. You might not survive. In fact, you probably won't—but you’ll go down heroically, and that’s really what counts.
This game is highly streamlined and largely combat-centric (thus the “Action” in “Action-RPG”), blending elements from both traditional RPGs and tabletop wargames. It is designed to be playable with a minimum of preparation and accessible both to players who have never touched an RPG before and to long-time veterans. If you find black humour and glorious (but ultimately avoidable) last stands at all appealing, this is the game for you. If you prefer a more contemplative, slower RPG, well, maybe give Death or Glory a shot regardless—a full Mission can be played in just a few hours, so it’s not a huge time investment. Who knows? You might like it.

Why should you play Death or Glory?

-Ever want to simulate the fun of dying horribly and meaninglessly? This is the game for you! Survival is neither guaranteed nor recommended.
-Want to play a tabletop RPG but have too many friends? This is the game for you! Death or Glory has been tested with up to 8 players and a GM, and still moves at a brisk pace!
-Want to play an RPG, but hate all the homework that comes with it? This is the game for you! Death or Glory comes with a fully functional narrative Mission generator, with built-in plot arcs, rising and falling tension, and climaxes!
-Do you enjoy the scale of tabletop skirmish wargaming? This is the game for you! Death or Glory will routinely involve combats with 30 or more members with vehicle support without slowing to a crawl!
-Ever want to slay a dragon with a tank? This is the game for you! Death or Glory features a unique mix of modern and fantastical elements to create truly entertaining scenarios, like fixing bayonets against charging demons, mowing down zombies with submachine guns, slinging spells out of the top hatch of an APC, and challenging enemy generals to single combat.

Enjoy!

Dear Sir Poley, As someone who's been checking this blog every couple of days since March (don't worry, I have a life), I'm definitely happy to see that you're still in the land of the living. What will you next put on the Interweb? Incidentally, I particu

Thanks! I was pretty proud of that plan. Something about me finds it as terrifying or more than Voldemort’s more overt tactics.

Right now, I’m finishing off Death or Glory. When I last touched it, it was in a 99% ready-to-play state, so I’m literally just making sure the page numbers work properly in the pdf at this point.

Dear Sir Poley, As someone who's been checking this blog every couple of days since March (don't worry, I have a life), I'm definitely happy to see that you're still in the land of the living. What will you next put on the Interweb? Incidentally, I particu

Thanks! I was pretty proud of that plan. Something about me finds it as terrifying or more than Voldemort’s more overt tactics.

Right now, I’m finishing off Death or Glory. When I last touched it, it was in a 99% ready-to-play state, so I’m literally just making sure the page numbers work properly in the pdf at this point.

Hey mate! I imagine you get a ton of these, but I am just sending another to let you know that I am a massive Harry Potter and the Natural 20 Fan, and I would love to see it continue. Have you thought of doing a Patreon or something btw? I know I would cer

I wish I could! It’s a very murky legal gray area, though, making money from fanfiction, in that I don’t think I’m allowed to. I got ten bucks from a Nielson survey the other day, though, so I’m pretty set financially relative to most writers.

Hey mate! I imagine you get a ton of these, but I am just sending another to let you know that I am a massive Harry Potter and the Natural 20 Fan, and I would love to see it continue. Have you thought of doing a Patreon or something btw? I know I would cer

I wish I could! It’s a very murky legal gray area, though, making money from fanfiction, in that I don’t think I’m allowed to. I got ten bucks from a Nielson survey the other day, though, so I’m pretty set financially relative to most writers.

Hey mate! I imagine you get a ton of these, but I am just sending another to let you know that I am a massive Harry Potter and the Natural 20 Fan, and I would love to see it continue. Have you thought of doing a Patreon or something btw? I know I would cer

I wish I could! It’s a very murky legal gray area, though, making money from fanfiction, in that I don’t think I’m allowed to. I got ten bucks from a Nielson survey the other day, though, so I’m pretty set financially relative to most writers.

As a person who is very cynical and prone to biting criticism (especially of fanfiction), I just wanted you to know that your work is without a doubt the best fanfiction I've ever read, bar none. It's easily as good as works from Jim Butcher or Jasper Ffor

Flattery will get you everywhere! Even if you’re clearly wrong – nothing is better than the works of Jim Butcher and Jasper Fforde, especially the Nursery Crime series. One day I might write something a tenth as good as a wizard riding a zombie t-rex through a ghost hurricane in Chicago with his trusty polka-playing mortician, and if I do, I’ll probably retire on that day while I’m ahead.

As a person who is very cynical and prone to biting criticism (especially of fanfiction), I just wanted you to know that your work is without a doubt the best fanfiction I've ever read, bar none. It's easily as good as works from Jim Butcher or Jasper Ffor

Flattery will get you everywhere! Even if you’re clearly wrong – nothing is better than the works of Jim Butcher and Jasper Fforde, especially the Nursery Crime series. One day I might write something a tenth as good as a wizard riding a zombie t-rex through a ghost hurricane in Chicago with his trusty polka-playing mortician, and if I do, I’ll probably retire on that day while I’m ahead.