CCG – Sample Cards

Included in this post is my first run at sample cards. I haven’t really made any major effort to balance these as of yet–I’ve got names for a bunch more cards, but I still need a run at powers and abilities. I’ve tried to include a wide sample in this document.

There are a few things that’ll need to be noted and included in future versions of the rules. The various tags (Unique, Obvious, etc.) will need definitions as to what they do and how they act. Black borders = “Common”, Blue borders = “Uncommon”, Red borders = “Rare”.

Interested in your comments and thoughts…and possibly any card ideas you may have. I am saying this is “Free Design”, after all.

Sample Cards Draft 1

CCG Rules version 0.1a

Herein, I present the first draft of the rules for the still untitled OGL CCG. Since my first thoughts on the CCG, I’ve switched my thinking around a little. Each player does bring two decks to the game–one resource deck and one dungeon deck. I believe the rules will explain the rest on that. I’ve come up with a victory condition that may or may not work–I’m still thinking about that one.
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Free Design OGL CCG – First Thoughts

So, first things first. I know myself entirely too well, so who knows how far off the ground this project will get. On the other hand, it’s been bouncing around in my head off and on for a few years, so who knows.

I’ve got it in my mind to design a CCG. Of course, normally that stands for Collectible Card Game, but there’s no way I’d ever be able to afford to get such a thing printed. So, first design focus is this: the game is a Constructable Card Game. (more…)

New Feat: Split Concentration

Split Concentration [General]

Prerequisite: Skill Focus: Concentration.

Benefit: You may maintain an effect which requires continual concentration as a move-equivalent action and may cast a spell while concentrating to maintain an existing effect.

Normal: Maintaining an effect which requires continual concentration is a standard action. You can’t cast a spell while concentrating on another one. (more…)

Friday Foe: The Lost

Once, long ago, a wayward summoner entered the Living Dungeon with his eidolon at his side. Along with their party, they sought treasure, but one by one they fell prey to the dungeon itself. At last, it was down to the summoner and the eidolon. Desperate, they tried to find a way out, but as the Living Dungeon does, it held on to them, never allowing them to find an exit. In a last ditch effort, they separated at a fork hoping to find an exit down one path or the other.

They never saw each other again. Now, that eidolon wanders the Living Dungeon, knowing that it cannot be far from the one who summoned it, but never finding him. Occasionally, it will develop a bond with one of the other denizens of the Dungeon, but it never sticks in one place for long. Searching always for its master, the Lost is nearly despair incarnate–but still quite a foe if it is ever threatened.

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New Spell: Sensor

Sensor
Divination (Scrying)
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0 feet
Effect: One sensor.
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You stand very still holding a tiny ball against your forehead. Then suddenly, the ball vanishes.
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Beta Foes Revisited 2: Oren the Choker Sorceror

One of my favorite of the beta versions, Oren needed a touch more work than some of the others. He lost a feat, changed some skill points around, lost a spell, and some other minor issues. In general, however, he still works the same way.

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Beta Foes Revisited 1 : Mikimik the Imp Rogue

I’ve decided that some of the old stat blocks I had lying around from the Pathfinder Beta days needed an update. Mikimik is the first to get the treatment. Not much has changed since the original version, but the stat block is a little cleaner, and the skills updated a touch. For Mikimik, I’ve used a different stat treatment, but I think he works just as well.
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Friday Foe: Barak and Crimson

In the Living Dungeon, not all those trapped are evil. Though the dungeon seems to have some sort of alignment detection and pits foes of opposing alignments against each other in various ways, it does see fit to allow potential allies to show up on occasion as well.

Barak happens to be one of those “foes”. Long ago, he and his wolf companion entered the dungeon in an out-of-the-way entrance in order to rest for the night, and became trapped. Having never found their way back to the entrance, they wander in search of an entrance….any entrance.

BARAK CR 3
Male Dwarf Cavalier 4
CG Medium Humanoid (Dwarf)
Init +0; Senses Darkvision (60 feet); Perception +10


DEFENSE


AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
hp 44 (4d10+12)
Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +4
Defensive Abilities Defensive Training


OFFENSE


Spd 20 ft.
Melee Goblinbiter (MW Greataxe) +7 (1d12+3/20/x3)
Special Attacks Cavalier’s Charge, Dragon’s Challenge +4/+2 (2/day)


STATISTICS


Str 14, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 16
Feats Outflank, Power Attack -2/+4, Steel Soul
Skills Acrobatics -3, Climb -1, Escape Artist -3, Fly -3, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +5, Perception +10, Ride +4, Stealth -3, Survival +10, Swim -1
Languages Common, Dwarven, Orc
SQ Aid Allies +3 (Ex), Animal Companion Link (Ex), Expert Trainer +2 (Ex), Greed, Hardy, Hatred, Slow and Steady, Stability, Stonecunning +4, Tactician (Outflank) 5r (1/day) (Ex)
Combat Gear Goblinbiter, Half Plate; Other Gear Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds


SPECIAL ABILITIES


Aid Allies +3 (Ex) Aid Another grants +3
Cavalier’s Charge (Ex) Mounted charge grants +4 to hit and -0 AC rather than +2/-2.
Defensive Training +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the Giant type.
Dragon’s Challenge +4/+2 (2/day) (Ex) +4 to damage target, -2 AC vs. others when used, allies gain +2 to hit the target of your challenge.
Dragon’s Skills +2 (Ex) +2 to Survival checks for allies.
Expert Trainer +2 (Ex) +2 to train mounts, reduced training time option.
Tactician (Outflank) 5r (1/day) (Ex) Grant the use of your Tactical feats to your allies within 30′.

CRIMSON
Male Wolf
TN Medium Animal
Init +3; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +10


DEFENSE


AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 dodge)
hp 32 (+12)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2


OFFENSE


Spd 50 ft.
Melee Bite (Wolf) +5 (1d6+3/20/x2)
Special Attacks Trip


STATISTICS


Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 19 (23 vs. Trip)
Feats Alertness, Dodge
Tricks Attack Any Target, Combat Riding, Come, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel, Track
Skills Perception +10, Sense Motive +3 Modifiers +4 to Survival when tracking by Scent
SQ Evasion (Ex)


SPECIAL ABILITIES


Trip (Ex) You can make a trip attempt on a successful attack.

System Flaw: Identifying Creatures by CR

So, I blame the lack of a Friday Foe last week on a combination of birthday celebration(s) and World of Warcraft. The latter really has been accounting for the complete lack of content here lately.

Still, I’ve been working on my Quirks. And while working on one specific paragraph today, I remembered one of the flaws of Pathfinder that I’ve never been able to resolve. That flaw is the fact that identifying a creature is based (almost) entirely on the creature’s CR. Rarity of the creature is included, but only as a base (10, 15, or 20).

However, that doesn’t really resolve everything it should. Some creatures are so common that any commoner on the street should be able to identify them–which a DC 11 (the base for a 1-HD creature) wouldn’t allow. On the other hand, creatures meant to be unique (the Tarrasque and other Spawn) should probably have an entire quest just to find out information about it.

The unfortunate part of this is that I have no easy solution to the problem. Even if there was a easy way to decide which creatures were rare and which weren’t, that would depend entirely on the campaign and the gamemaster. If one game (say, Rise of the Runelords) had goblins be the ubiquitous threat, and another (say, Legacy of Fire) had gnolls, there would be a dramatic difference in the knowledge check DCs.

So we fall back on DM fiat; I’d be tempted to drop the CR from the game entirely. I understand why it’s there; the more powerful creatures should be less common. On the other hand, some creatures are so legendary that even commoners should be able to know something about them, regardless of CRs (dragons, for instance).

Those are my thoughts. I welcome yours.