The wager

I've had an idea about a process to allow characters to do heroic feats during the game.

For most things, I intend to use the following scheme:

• If something is not particularly hard, a character can just do it.
• If something could be done by an average guy about half the time, roll d20 and get equal or less than the appropriate ability score. Example: push open stuck door, d20 roll STR.
• If an average probably couldn't do it, but might get lucky and pull it off, roll d100 and get equal to or less than appropriate ability score.  Lift portcullis,  roll d100 vs. STR.

So far so good.   But, what if the player wants to try something odd.   Here's where "The Wager" comes in.  The character  proposes a wager.   He offers up some negative consequences in exchange for a chance to do something outside the rules.   The DM has to accept the terms, and then a roll is made.  On these wagers, PC cannot spend Fate Chips for re-rolls, ever.

Example:  player wants to throw a dagger to cut a rope.  This is virtually impossible.   Proposes a wager:   "I'm using my +1 dagger, If I fail the throw, my dagger flies out of sight and I lose it forever.  Since the player is risking a magic item, DM rules that he can make a d20 DEX check to succeed.  

Suppose he doesn't have a magic dagger to risk.  He could wager a "Fate Chip" instead.   Since these are much more common, DM might rule that this is  a D100 DEX check needs to be made.  If this seems too unlikely, the PC might try to up the wager to 2 Fate Chips and the character will fall down and loose a turn if the check is changed to a d20 DEX.

Initiate of a god

I'm tentatively adding a "Initiate of a god" feature to the Blueholme game.   If you character agrees to become initiated in one of the temples it gives him 2 benefits:

1. Stat Bonus:  each god has 1 of the six ability scores associated with him/her.  If you are initiated, the stat associated with the god is increased by 1 for the character.
2. Own temple:  if you want to buy a healing potion, and you buy it from the temple of the god to whom you are initiated, you get the potion for the lower, "own temple" rate (which is just over the cost accrued to the temple for making it).

Being an initiate has a down side.   If a priest of your god gives you a command during a session and your spurn it, you suffer an exp. penalty.  If you do that 3 times, you are kicked out of the club.

I don't have a "price list" for casting spells at the temple, but when I do, initiates will pay a lower rate and have a better chance of getting a spell cast than non-initiates too.

Pikemen, Blurry, Off-centered pikemen

I had a minute or two this morning and went downstairs to take some pictures of the painting and building we did on Sunday.   It turns out that my phone's camera lens now has a huge crack in it.   I tried to take a picture of the squad of pikemen I painted, using the selfie-camera, but failed miserably:

Thranconia Hack Wiki Live

Andrew has set up a wiki for this winter's Thranconia Hack Campaign.

I've begun to populate it with House Rules information and will soon start to add the setting information as well.

It can be reached at this link:

Thranconia Hack

Bill, Bill, Bill

A pack of 8 Billmen I had gotten way back in March

Bugbears and Displacer Beast

A pair of Bugbears and a displacer beast I had gotten from 6 Feet Under Games back in July

Musketeers

The 5 musketeers I had gotten over the summer.