#sands rpg

[arnor-creations]

Charlie Hunnam pour Liam Cooper sur SANDS.

[rpgsinnersandsaints]

LES CREWS

De nouveaux gangs font leur apparition dans les rues de Los Angeles !

Focus sur les courses automobiles clandestines !

Les courses de rue à Los Angeles consistent généralement en des compétitions non autorisées sur les voies publiques, souvent organisées tard dans la nuit ou dans des zones peu fréquentées.

Au début des années 2000, les courses de rues ont gagné en popularité. Les pilotes font la course avec des véhicules modifiés, montrant leur vitesse et leur habileté, tandis que les spectateurs se rassemblent pour regarder.

Nous vous invitons à venir découvrir les DEADENDERS et les DEMON RACERS sur le forum dès à présent !

[snibii]

Fake game screenshot i made :D first time trying something like this!!

[vintagerpg]

FR3: Empire of the Sands (1988) continue in the mode of FR2, with a Gazeteers style look at three big countries: Amn, Tethyr and Calimshan. I’m mostly familiar with Amn from the Baldur’s Gate II expansion Shadows of Amn and Calimshan from Throne of Bhaal. In that videogame, Calimshan felt like Ottoman Turkey, but here it is very much more inspired by Arabian Nights, making it sort of an anticipation of Al-Qadim (and maybe why it changes a bit by the time Throne of Bhaal came out). Amn is merchant kingdom that has Morocco vibes to me, though, again, I am not sure if that might be my videogame experience being projected backwards through time.

Tethyr is by far the most interesting of the three regions — a country where the royal leadership was recently deposed that has descended into a sort of controlled chaos with no central government. Instead, the country has been carved up by petty interests. Most of them don’t really want to be in charge, so there is a sense that most factions are waiting for someone to re-unify the country. There is a lot of adventurous opportunities here, especially since the lack of central government has increased the monster population. Best of all, it doesn’t feel like something from the real world, its just a neat little fantasy kingdom doing its own thing. Forgotten Realms generally needs more of that.

Jeff Easley on the cover and the interiors. The interiors are a little low energy, and they focus mostly on natural views rather than action scenes, which is kind of nice. I have a hard time with this cover because I feel like it is recycled somewhere else, but can’t figure out where. Al-Qadim seems likely, but when I looked, I didn’t see it. It bugs me.

[videogamepolls]

Requested by @nihiltism

[czepeku]

And even through the thick stone cavern, the sun manages to find a way through. 🌇

[eliseliedl]

More RPG Maker games I’ve played (part 1 - part 2)

[daily-ynfg-worlds]

Dusk World

[thryth-gaming]

Escalating Curses in Monster of the Week

So, a little bit ago I wrote a thing where I created five different takes on a pop-culture vampire. In the course of this, I ended up thinking about how to address some of the curses you can get for the Monstrous playbook. Some of the traditional curses can sometimes get in the way of fun, this is a to-taste matter so it will vary from one person to another.

Mainly I'm thinking about things like the traditional vampire weakness to daylight which runs into a problem if only one character is limited by that curse. On the other hand, there's curses like vulnerability which can sometimes be a bit on the bland side as on the surface they're only about taking extra damage. Then it occurred to me that the escalation the book says happens as Luck is spent is key to using these.

First things first

I'm going to go over several theoreticals here that cover the entire range of how much Luck the character has left. However, it's probably best not to preplan this out too hard. Have a talk with the player ahead of time about general direction of how they want things to go, but don't determine details until they spend that Luck. Best to keep the discovery fresh and you might have neat idea that occurs to you later on when the Luck is spent.

In general talk over all the options with the hunter as well as the team in general. Curses like Pure Drive bring up the touchy subjects of lust and rage, which may touch on personal traumas. And Feed is about needing to eat people which is disturbing to most people. Even in a fictional instance..

Pervasive Curse

A pervasive curse in this context is one that is present most of the time in most places. The best example I have of this is the traditional vampire weakness to daylight as the world spends half of its time in daytime. If one of your characters can't walk out into the daylight without bursting into fire, then it's going to severely limit how the team cooperates.

Either you're going to do a lot of split time situations moving back and forth between the vampire and the team mates, or you're going to spend most of your time at night. In one circumstance the players spend significant time not sharing scenes with each other. Granted, it is standard practice to split the party in MotW, but it feels a bit meh to always be doing so for the same reason and could produce irritation when it's always the same player provoking the need. In the other case, if you're always doing stuff at night, the curse doesn't apply very often, which means it starts to fade into the background and stop impacting the game, making things less fun.

But the escalation with Luck is the key here. Don't start right away at daylight burns instead consider this advancement of things. Using how much Luck the Monstrous has left.

7: Supernatural impact. Daylight only causes a -1 ongoing if the vampire tries to use their monstrous supernatural powers*. Daylight only causes damage when focused through weapons**.

6: So bright. The daylight -1 ongoing now affects perception and searches (not just vision because you're distracted). You cannot remove Unstable.

5: Feel weak. You now suffer -1 ongoing to even mortal magic and any strenuous physical activity. Powers that destabilize the body*** cost 1 harm to use as sunlight passes through the skin.

4: It hurts. You now suffer -1 ongoing to keep your emotions in check. You mark Unstable as long as you stay in daylight.

3: It burns. You now suffer -1 ongoing to everything in daylight. For this and each further step, the Keeper is encouraged to use less and less leeway for when to trigger the Unstable the vampire gets in daylight as of Luck 4.

The footnotes:

* This includes Unholy Strength and Unnatural Appeal if they choose to use Weird for KSA or Manipulate. If they use magic available to mortals they might get around this.

** Talismans channeling the spiritual essence of daylight, UV lights, or both depending on your particular mythology.

*** The two big ones here are Incorporeal and Shapeshifter. Basically changing to a bat momentarily strips the protections you have from skin or clothes.

You can instead use Luck to determine how easy it is limit exposure such as the following:

7: Parasol

6: Light cloud cover.

5: Clothes covering most of the body.

4: Thick Overcast.

3: Covering all skin and wearing goggles.

2: Indoors

1: Blacked out windows.

0: Windowless room.

You can even mix these options together. For example say a vampire a Luck 5 can use a parasol to prevent being marked Unstable immediately and the -1 to strenuous activity, but still suffers the reduction of her perceptions and innate abilities.

One Note Curses

This is the silver bullet. Where the curse really only seems to have a very simple narrative impact. Honestly, this might be what the player wants instead of having more unpredictable curses. That's fine. In this case, start thinking of the Luck determining how likely the vulnerability is going to make an appearance.

However, you might still use expanded application. Perhaps the werewolf meets someone wearing a silver necklace and they very clearly fingering it while making smug expressions at the hunter. This could be a case of this person trying to intimidate the hunter by letting them know that they're aware of what the hunter is and that they're ready for them. This could be a reason to give a -1 ongoing or at least push for an Act Under Pressure roll.

I'll also point to the scene from Dracula Untold where the last fight happens in a tent filled up with silver coins making it hard for Dracula to even see straight. Another option might be that silver can be used as the basis for an enchantment that actively inhibits werewolves (or vampires as seen above).

Morality Impacting Curses

Curses like Feed and Pure Drive can all have implications about the Monstrous being pushed into performing tasks that they (and possibly the player) would not normally do. This is a case where you do want to ongoing discussion with the hunter about their lines and veils.

Generally, players that take this curse are going to take it knowing the risks. But they might still not want to see their character kill children, innocents, or allies. However if the player knows that you agreed not to kill past their lines, the character doesn't know that person they vaguely remember murdering was a mugger or domestic abuser. If someone that meets a line angers someone with Pure Drive (Rage) then they'll have enough presence of mind to leave until they find someone or something that the player is fine with being destroyed.

They'll still have to deal with the aftermath of such things. Like other monster hunters or police, for instance.

Even once you've set your lines, some escalation is going to occur. Don't go straight to murder, vigilante or otherwise, but build up to it. Let's start with a version of Feed that is definitely something lethal: hearts. Again, following how much Luck is left.

7: You can buy hearts from the butchers and cook them.

6: You can't cook the hearts anymore.

5: It needs to be a human heart or you must kill the animal yourself.

4: It takes more animals to equal one human heart.

3: It needs to be a sapient heart or a supernatural one.

2: You need to feed more often or larger numbers. Or from more powerful monsters.

1: You need to frequently gorge on large numbers. Or hunt even more powerful creatures.

0: The hunger never goes away.

As a note, starvation might be an option with Feed. Talk to your hunter and decide what the consequences for not feeding are. Does the hunter starve to death? Or do they just go feral and seek food without thought? I'll point to the horror anime Shiki where one of the vampires is very willing to let herself starve to death rather than hurt any humans.

Something like a Big Magic ritual might also be used to create something that will feed a monster. Also the Good Monsters playbook provides an asset that allows a Monstrous a facility that manages their curse for them. In one of my theoreticals, a lamia had a horrific alchemical tree that grew human hearts. In this case, they will become dependent upon that one source of their necessary object of consumption. It might be destroyed, poisoned, or they might have to spend an extended amount of time away from it.

Now on to Pure Drive. Note I would always allow an Act Under Pressure to opt for a lesser consequence... or accept a good work around from a player.

7: You have enough control that when you slip it's relatively minor but still disruptive. You'll likely even find a way to fit it into your hunting or other current goal.

6-5: It gets more disruptive. Either you'll have to do something more intense and harder to shoehorn into they're current goals, go out of their way to satisfy the urge, or you'll do something minor to someone you don't mean.

4: The urge starts putting you into danger.

3-1: Fulfilling the urge makes you increasingly reckless and disregard more morality.

0: The Keeper can bring the Curse up without any other provocation.

Corollary

Dark Master, Obligation, and Duty will run into similar issues as Pure Drive and Feed as the hunter has an outside force occasionally influence. For example, consider the link above under Feed one of the other characters in that theoretical group was a mothlady who had a duty as an oracle which she manages by running a psychic hotline. However, as her luck goes down, she may start getting visions about random people she meets on the street. Then she might be struck by an urge to tell what she sees to these people. Finally, she might receive a vision of something major and drawn to the place it would happen and spend effort trying to warn everyone there.

With Dark Master, you might not be directly influenced or even commanded by the master, but they might see you as their minion anyway. They might present as a frequent nemesis interferring in your plans, demanding service, or even trying to kill you for disobedience.

With Obligation, you're going to be faced with increasingly more dangerous past deals you've made. Starting with an agreement not to interfere with what happens in a certain place all way up to having given at one point in your past a carte blanche favor that has now come due.

Discuss whether the hunter is under any mental or metaphysical influence with these curses. The mothlady was, one of the vampires in the vampire post linked at the start wasn't. If they're not forced to obey, then the aftermath of the deal, command, or duty is where things will come out.

Adding more Curses

You might also look to the hunter's Breed as the curse rather than just the individual symptoms. In this case start adding on other effects that fit. For example, perhaps the werewolf also starts developing an aversion to wolfsbane or vampire starts picking up OCD behaviors. This is probably the most touchy since there's probably every reason the hunter didn't choose other weaknesses in place of the one they chose. If they are good with this, tie it in to the original such as how wolfsbane is still a vulnerability. But you can expand it to things like a physical changes that betray their true nature. Pointed ears, lack of reflection, extra hairy... a sense of something sparkling in the air like fairy dust. Etc.

One final thing: note that getting rid of their curse does not necessarily mean they get rid of their powers.

[hero-17]

Yesterday could have been his 69th birthday 😔😭😭 💔

U can reply, like, share, boost, or reblog

RIP Akira Toriyama (1955-2024)

[dimalink]

Interesting place – mysterious pyramids

Pixel art for today based on videogame Equinox for game console Super Nintendo. Yes, Super Nintendo can do a surprise! It is, also, a such isometrical videogame. With something unusual graphics.

Style a little visual – it is unusual here. Adventure - so adventure! Screenshots for a game - that’s for sure, they are bright and unusual. Bright colorful and little strange with a good and kind something. I need for myself to try emulators again! And to play some different games and adventures for 16 bits!

And this is my drawing based on the same theme. So, here it is a forest and a field. And there is a sand. Whole deserted regions. And there are a mysterious pyramids. And a cursed creatures are living there. Ghosts. You, just, have some rest near the river, at the sand. And you decide to explore one of pyramids. They are all different sizes. There are big and small.

Green bug said, that in one of those pyramids he was, one day. And there are lots of dangerous creatures. They are run at him. And he only has time to runaway. So, moth try to fly there with a lamp at night. So, it was good for him to do it in the night. And it is something refreshing wind is there. Good. But, once again. He hears a noise of moves. And he saw some creatures. They also start to run at him. And he has only a time to fly away.

“Take a lamp”, – Said a moth.

“Take a little of fruits”, - Said bug.

“Looks like, now, it is you, who is interesting what is there”, – Said a green bug.

“So, there are lots of such pyramids, it is main”, – Said a squirrel.

“Take a little of nuts”, - Continue to speak a squirrel.

Mysterious place. And you are something like have prepared for this. Your friends gives you something useful items.

Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

WEBSITE: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html ITCHIO: https://dimalink.itch.io/ GAMEJOLT: https://gamejolt.com/@DimaLink/games

TUMBLR: https://dimalink.tumblr.com/ BLOGGER: https://dimalinkeng.blogspot.com/ MASTODON: https://mastodon.social/@DimaLink

[arnor-creations]

Ayca Aysin Turan pour Sevda Özkan sur SANDS.

[2minutetabletop]

The Four Masters – Ulka, Master of Earth

The final of the four masters has revealed herself. A stony sentinel awaiting the challenger/s who can someday best her unstoppable fist! Tokens and map overlay included.

→Read this custom boss encounter here

[gmanmedias]

STAYING UP LATE WITH YOU PLAYING RPGS!

🎵 🎵 🎵

💙 💙 💙

⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️

@frog-lover-yb

[haveyouplayedthisttrpg]

Have you played PROMISED SANDS ?

By Benjamin Rogers

Set in the far future of a post-apocalyptic Earth - one that has had enough time for humans to undergo divergent evolutions in the new environment and have century long empires rise and fall - which has been reduced to a harsh desert full of dangerous creatures, players are anyone from anywhere (multiple species, cultures, professions, and cities) setting out for glory, to find lost technology from before the sky burned, or just to survive. You could be a simple blacksmith or cook or you could be a burgeoning mage or religious worker. Pockets of humanity who have ridden out the centuries in underwater biomes have also started returning to the surface. Some intent on reclaiming the land, others hoping to integrate and escape the harsh dictatorship beneath the waters. The world itself is very heavily fleshed out as far as history, cultures, and cities go and takes heavy inspiration from sources like Dune, Star Wars, and dark fantasy.

[gorillastraylight]

I promise I play other games than Blades in the Dark and Cyberpunk RED, but I keep thinking about the similarities between the two of them. Something I've found myself enjoying about them as a GM is how much potential there is for emergent narratives. Both games have mechanics set up that really firmly involve the characters in the world - in Blades, this is stuff like entanglements, faction reputation, and faction clocks. The world will change around the PCs over time, in the process of doing Scores they will make allies and enemies (which the GM can track super easily), whole new storylines open up explicitly as a result of mechanics! There's so much for the GM to work with, to expand on, to tweak. Doskvol feels *alive* in Blades RAW. Cyberpunk is less expansive than that, but even the simple fact that PCs need to pay rent and living expenses every in-game month is huge. It immediately creates both motivation (I would like to eat and keep living), but also goals - make a big enough score, and you could jump up from living in a shipping container to an actual apartment. But then, of course, you also have to consider buying new ammo, keeping your gear maintained, getting better gear - the Edgerunner hubris death spiral is built right into the game: if you want your character to advance, you need to take riskier work that pays more eddies, and to do that riskier work, you need better stuff, and that better stuff costs eddies. The way characters don't really level up in the traditional sense, with a lot of their big power jumps tied to cyberware and whatnot, ties into this too. The Black Chrome supplement takes this even further with stuff like expanded rules for Night Markets, gear crafting - it's so, so good, it cries out for a west-marches style game. Applying a kind of faction tracker mechanic, like in Blades, to cyberpunk would really be the final puzzle piece to make that game nearly perfect for me, IMO. There's something very special about games where the mechanics work with the players and GM in writing the story.