Heroes & Heretics; my dungeon crawler rules free download!

[TheKatanaDan]

Hi fellow dungeoneers!

I've been working on a set of quick-play dungeon crawling rules lately with a view to self-publishing the rules in paperback through Lulu. As I've mentioned in the Forum Info thread "Linking to Pendraken website in my self published Rules" (hello if you've followed the link to here and thanks for the help and support so far!) the rules were designed around and for Pendraken's fantasy figures.

I'm posting them here first in their beta phase to let like-minded converts to 10mm like yourselves have first play and also to provide valuable feedback!

The game is very accessible and I'd even say pretty entry-level so hardcore RPGers might find it too simplistic but it's great for families, new/younger players, or guys who just want a quick n' easy ruleset.

Anyhoo, enough jabber, here are the links, you'll need all three files to play.

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Rulebook Pocket.pdf - the Core Rulebook

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Dungeon Gameboard 01.pdf - a GameBoard (not essential if you have your own resin dungeons but these will be released in coil-bound books so you always have loads of dungeons. This one is just a single A4 sheet but the proper thing will be two adjacent A4 pages, so it'll be A3 technically. Maybe print it twice and lay two together?)

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/FileBin/Blank Hero Sheets.pdf - Blank Hero Sheets. 4 Hero sheets for keeping track of your Character's LP (Life Points) and Upgradable Attributes.

You'll also need a few six-sided dice, some tokens to represent character health and action points, and obviously some Pendraken figures.




Let me know what you guys think, and thanks to Pendraken for hosting the files for me!

[Fenton]

Any update on the correct files please

[Leon]

Yep, all sorted, so they should work OK now.

[mach1na]

Had a read through this last night.

Really promising start. I love the way you have implemented action points so the heros can spend them in whatever order they like.

Some recommendations though. Ranged combat looks like it might be a little overpowered especially when taking the "aimed shot" option. Maybe roll to hit and wound separately would remedy that? Also more spells. I always have the image in my head of wizards with their massive tomes full of arcane musings.

Those couple of niggles aside I intend to give this a go with my group soon. Looks like fun. Keep it up! 

C

[sixsideddice]

Just downloaded a copy... thanks for that

I`ll run this game past my club later this summer for a few playtests and see how it takes... looks really interesting (though takes some reading to get some of the concepts to stick in my head). I`ll look forward to getting back to you on this one 


Six

[TheKatanaDan]

Thanks guys!

Mach1na, you're totally right, in playtesting archers were untouchable! They were taking on some of the toughest monsters and taking them down without a scratch!
I've added a "to hit" roll, any figure 6 spaces away or more needs a 6 to hit, with any figure nearer needing the relevent die roll to hit. Your Aim score is how many "to hit" dice you roll and how many "to wound" dice you roll should you succeed.

Magic users were too under-used too, made some heavy changes to the rules including a spell list with magic users choosing a lore of magic to learn with a list of 4 (at the moment) spells each of increasing difficulty and effect.

Entirely re-written the bestiary as well.
Rewriting the rulebook heavily since I think it's a bit muddled and unclear in places and cherry-picking the parts I like that went down best with in playtesting and changing/removing parts that didn't work. (there were many!)

I feel a bit embarrassed there are people playing that first edition now, I'll post the new rulebook as soon as it's done!

I have a blog about my work on it if any of you are interested?
http://thekatanadan.blogspot.co.uk/

Genuinely grateful for the feedback guys, I enjoyed your Dungeon World Rules sixsideddice so it means a lot!

TDK

[mach1na]

Good news!

I'll let you know how our experience goes.

Have you thought about players being able to spend some of their own level points in player creation rather than giving them a gold allowance at the beginning?

[TheKatanaDan]

Spending level points one moment and spending gold another would just complicate the rules I think. Going for concision as much as possible.

In the new version, players can only pick ONE out of the Aim, Purity and Malice Attributes, to give characters stronger themes and roles within the party too.

[Wulf]

Mach1na, you're totally right, in playtesting archers were untouchable! They were taking on some of the toughest monsters and taking them down without a scratch!
I've added a "to hit" roll, any figure 6 spaces away or more needs a 6 to hit, with any figure nearer needing the relevent die roll to hit. Your Aim score is how many "to hit" dice you roll and how many "to wound" dice you roll should you succeed.

A 16% chance to hit? I can do better than that up to 90 yards...

It should be limited by LoS obstructions and target movement more than range.

[TheKatanaDan]

@wulf LoS plays a part in my rules, but target movement? I'm going for ultra-stripped down gameplay, aiming at lightweight players, families, collectors wanting a simple fun game to justify collecting Pendrakens figures and school/college kids who have probably never played heavier RPGs or don't want to. (IE people like me basically)
It might make the game feel slightly more "boardgamey" than true RPGers are accustomed to, but I'm not trying to create the next D&D, I'm trying to create the board game I would have loved to have had as a 12 year old when my family insisted on another round of Game of bloody Life or when I was at uni playing Risk and Descent with my mates.

As for the low success rate for archers, the success rate is only 16% against an enemy six spaces or greater away. A figure only 4 spaces away only requires a 4 to hit.
Plus that's only a level one archer, every level you rise means you roll an extra die in your "to hit" and "to kill/injure" rolls. Level 2 rolls two dice, level three rolls three, with the max level being 4. Only one of those dice needs to roll a hit, so while a level one archer is gonna struggle to hit anything at the other side of the room, a level three archer is going to kill anything it sees on sight pretty much.

[TheKatanaDan]

Oh and sixsideddice, give me a heads up before you use the rules with your group if it's gonna be a little while, if it's ready I'll email you the PDFs for the second edition or a draft at least!

The changes aren't drastic but what slight ones they are improve and clarify the game tenfold, such as random enemy generation (meaning you only have to plan the narratively-significant room contents) and spawning dungeon dwelling monsters to make sure players always have to keep moving/fighting. In the current edition, when a room is cleared it stays cleared, which in my playtesting meant there was a dip in excitement for the hero players between rooms.
Really worked on the design too, I've attached one of my new Hero Sheets somewhere...

You might notice I've used little icons instead of abbreviations, speeds up gameplay no end when people don't have to memorise an abbreviation and can see at a glance how good they are at attacking, running, not being hurt etc.

[sixsideddice]

Will do TheKatanaDan, and cheers again.... will not be for a month or so as we are currently play testing a new game for FFG :-)

[TheKatanaDan]

Good good, a month gives a me a good chance to get the rules in order!
By FFG do you mean Fantasy Flight Games? How do you get a gig like playtesting their games, that's awesome!

Big fan of their Doom and Descent games, blew most of my university fees on those and their many expansions!
It's fair to say my game wouldn't be what it is without evenings playing those, taking mental notes of all the bits I love and bits I'd prefer were left out.

[sixsideddice]

Good good, a month gives a me a good chance to get the rules in order!
By FFG do you mean Fantasy Flight Games? How do you get a gig like playtesting their games, that's awesome!

Hi KatanaDan, um, its what I do    ... I write rules and supplements for various companies; playtest their games, and write a lot of filler material, especially for magazines.

Big fan of their Doom and Descent games, blew most of my university fees on those and their many expansions!
It's fair to say my game wouldn't be what it is without evenings playing those, taking mental notes of all the bits I love and bits I'd prefer were left out

Yes I saw that... your rules use the "Overlord" for instance, which is a Descent term for the Dungeon Master, and so on. I saw straight away that your inspiration for many of your rules came from Descent and Doom; both of which I worked on considerably.

Keep up the good work Dan.

Six 

[TheKatanaDan]

sixsideddice You're PAID to do that? With money? To play and assist in the development of games and writing for magazines? How did you get into doing that? Sounds like the kind of job Tom Hanks would have in an 80s movie!

RE the Overlord, yes! That was a subconscious influence, I had totally forgotten about that! I just knew I wanted to avoid the usual DM title. Hmm, should I pick a new name? Just seems like lazy almost plagiarism now?