D&D Castles: Operating Costs

A Mighty Citadel by J. Humphries on Deviantart

I say D&D, although I mean specifically BECMI/RC. The mechanics on building castles are pretty straightforward in the Rules Cyclopedia. See pages 135-139. They cover the gold needed and the approximate time to build free-standing structures, as well as dungeons. They go into some detail about finishing touches and staffing. Rules do cover the cost of troops and retainers in line with the absurd price ranges prevailing in fantasy D&D games. After all, there is no hard limit on the number of times PCs can ransack fabulous dragon hoards to afford all this, other than the Dungeon Masters’ agencies. This article is not about reinventing the wheel. It focuses instead on the cost of upkeep.

Starting Point: I read an article about Henry Algernon Percy’s budget for Alnwick Castle in Northumberland (Medieval World magazine, Issue #14). It lists noteworthy expenses, somewhat incompletely. Things to consider include food, beverages (local or imported), fuel (wood, coal, charcoal, and perhaps oil, peat, or cow dung), cooking ingredients, condiments, and spices, tools and goods, linen, clothing, and other cloth items (and how they are cleaned), regular facilities maintenance, staffing, etc. I won't delve into a lengthy list of individual costs. The RC’s minutia on building castles already involves quite a bit of bookkeeping, so I’ll skip all that and focus on what matters: a quantifiable average cost.

Unequal Values: I have conflicting data at hand: real-world values in Pound Sterling and other currencies (which vary with century and location) vs. the inflated D&D price structure. There’s no perfect way to reconcile reliably five centuries of economic reality with a single fantasy world. This is my disclaimer that what follows is not meant to be scientific or historical, but rather a simple set of mechanics that work with established D&D rules.

Location: The RC addresses three different regional aspects: Wilderness, Borderland, and Settled. This will affect operating costs in different ways.

• Wilderness: The problem here lies in what goods and services are available locally. Odds are, common supplies and services other than what the garrison can provide have to be brought in overland, by sea and/or river, or on skyships if available at all, since there are no villages or farms to honor feudal dues. Therefore, most of these services and goods have to be paid for in cash.
• Borderland: Feudal dues collected from villagers and farmers living nearby cover part of the cost of goods and services. This reduces the need for hard cash. Some finer goods and materials will still have to be purchased and transported from large towns and cities, some good distance away in settled regions. For example: glassware, window panes, fine woods, condiments, spices, finer beverages, affluent clothing, tapestries, incense, ink, scrolls, books, healing medications, perfumes, etc. Along the way, storms at sea, piracy, road banditry, graft, and other shenanigans will have to be contended with.
• Settled: Most common goods and services come as feudal dues from abundant local sources. Nearby urban centers, ports, and seasonal fairs permit easier access to sophisticated goods and more readily attract a skilled workforce. In other words, the need for hard cash to operate identical fortifications should be lowest in settled areas vs. total wilderness.

Function: Another factor is the castle’s status. Is it a military outpost (rough and basic, if not downright crude)? A provincial stronghold (the appanage of a knight, a baron, a high-ranking ecclesiastic, or a magic-user)? The fortified dwelling of a wealthy and influential aristocrat, if not a royal castle, frequently sponsoring festivals, holding jousts, hosting costly banquets, and housing notable guests? Evidently, the latter won’t exist in a wilderness.

Social Standing: Based on usage, a simple military stronghold will be inherently cheaper to operate compared to the fortified dwelling of a wealthy aristocrat involving much more sophisticated goods and services. Garrisons are not included here since game rules directly establish the cost of troops, specialists, and higher-ranking retainers. On the other hand, the operating costs listed below do include common staff possibly residing on site, such as pages, cooks, bakers, butchers, a stable master, grooms, clerks, a chaplain and low-ranking members of the clergy, nursemaids, chambermaids, carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, falconers, musicians, jesters, gardeners, cleaners, porters (breathe here and hold your breath), stinky gong farmers (if you know, you know), etc. An outpost would have very few of these people, if any at all, while a wealthy estate could count many. Repairing regular wear and tear is also included here as opposed to damage resulting from battles, monster attacks, and natural disasters.

Figuring Numbers: I think the simplest approach is to base general upkeep on percentages of the original cost of building the structure. Total Maintenance Cost includes the value of feudal dues (local goods and services) provided by local inhabitants and gold payments for what isn’t locally available. The Cost in Gold is the part of the Total Maintenance Cost that the castle’s owner must pay in cash over a calendar year. The latter does not include any interest on loans, royal levies, tithes, or scutage fees the castle’s owner must pay to a liege. The cost of feeding garrisons should be covered in the RC’s rules, and therefore does not figure in the chart below.

Basis for Comparison: I picked 300,000 gp as a basis for a structure comprising a square keep, four towers, connecting walls, a barbican, a gatehouse, a few stone buildings, and perhaps a small dungeon (see RC page 137). This enables a fair comparison of the same structure across the board.

Size Considerations: A provincial stronghold’s estate should be more elaborate than a simpler military outpost, easily costing twice as much to build. A Google search (with unconfirmed results) priced the upkeep of a 15th-century Scottish lord’s castle at £800 per year, a substantial sum in those times. I’m assuming that’s the Total Maintenance Cost, including the relative value of feudal services. To reverse engineer this amount, I’m using the following conversion rate: £1 = 80 real-world silver pennies. As a result of D&D cost inflation, however, I’d rather set the conversion rate at £1 = 240 D&D silver pieces instead of 80 (a 3 to 1 ratio). Thus, £800 x 24 D&D gold pieces adds up to a Total Maintenance Cost of 19,200 gp yearly, of which 800 gp per month are paid in cash. This matches the Total Maintenance Cost for a borderland provincial hold about twice the size of the one suggested in the upkeep table above. Original building costs would have been 300,000 x 19,200 / 9,000 = 610,000 gp. This would include additional towers and walls surrounding the local town, an expanded great hall, family living quarters, a temple, a substantial granary, some paving, arts and decorations, etc.

Cutting Costs: A very basic wilderness outpost with a simple stone keep and a few adjoining buildings could cost about 100,000 gp to build rather than 300,000 gp. Its upkeep (without the cost of troops) would be 4,000 gp yearly, of which 250 gp must be paid in cash each month. The same keep in settled lands would require about 40 gp cash per month since more people live nearby who can honor feudal dues—essentially free goods and services to their lord. It makes a great deal of sense for a lord to clear the surrounding land and attract inhabitants to improve its status from wilderness to borderland, and eventually to a settled area. Nearby hamlets and villages are a boon. According to a Google search, the upkeep for a 15th-century knight’s household forces could run about £30-£60 per year. This would amount to 60-120 D&D gold pieces per month for food, equipment, lodging, and armed services. Rank-and-file soldiery in the real world was paid quite a lot less than typical D&D retainers.

The Rich and Fabulous: Naturally, a fortified estate housing a wealthy and influential aristocrat, or a fantasy world’s royal fortress, may include sprawling facilities costing a great deal more than 300,000 gp to build, probably more like ten times as much. The upkeep for such extravagant property in a settled region could reach 3,750 gp paid in cash per month, aside from feudal goods and services. If I use the conversion rate listed earlier, this would amount to about 156 real-world pounds sterling per month. For reference, a medieval monarch’s personal income in 12th-century England historically ran £10,000-£20,000 per year, or somewhere around £800-£1,600 per month (uncorroborated Google search).

The Real World vs. Fantasy: Another quote I found was for constructing Conwy Castle in the 13th Century. Records (unconfirmed) show a cost of £15,000 or 360,000 fictitious D&D gold pieces. D&D-wise, this seems a bit cheap given Conwy’s footprint (see image). This includes very roughly a main keep, several extra buildings, 2 barbicans, 8 towers instead if 4, etc. Here’s the whole list: 1. Site of Drawbridge, 2. West Barbican, 3. South-West Tower, 4. Prison Tower, 5. Bakehouse Tower, 6. King's Tower, 7. Chapel Tower, 8. Stockhouse Tower, 9. Kitchen Tower, 10. North-West Tower 11. East Barbican, 12. Lesser Hall, 13. Great Hall, 14. Chapel, 15. Site of Kitchen & Stables, 16. Site of Granary. Using the RC’s construction guidelines, this would probably cost more than 400,000 gp, not including the 14th-century outer walls protecting the town of Conwy.

I’m not sure if 13th-century Wales should be considered a borderland or a settled area. After all, there was a Cistercian monastery on site, which was rebuilt upriver. As far as I know, the village of Conwy was built soon after the castle’s construction to attract English settlers. That’s definitely in line with the game’s suggested strategy. Although it is officially deemed a royal castle, it is primarily a military fortress rather than a permanent dwelling for a king and his retinue, like the way Windsor Castle looks today, for example. This may qualify more as a large provincial stronghold, as defined in this article. There is some leeway as far as status goes.

Here is the full layout of Conwy Castle with its 14th-century outer walls and defensive ditch protecting the town. Click here to read the castle’s complete history.

I hope you enjoyed my voodoo math. With luck, I might have bamboozled a few readers. If you want to find out more about D&D BECMI, click here to visit our chat group. Cheers!

D&D Class: The Cryptreaver

BBC, Tales of the Old Bailey (unknown artist)

This derivative of the D&D BECMI thief class describes a specialized tomb robber and somewhat of a scavenger who can “eat” the magic of dead things, such as for example deceased spellcasters, fallen dragons, and other magical creatures. The nature of the class can be malevolent or benevolent, depending on whether the cryptreaver focuses on growing its own power or helping the living cope with loss and the evil that the undead may bring.
            I’m using updated saving throws and XP progression tables I introduced in earlier articles. Following the general trend of my later blog posts, I focused on lower levels offering plenty of features to have fun with. 

Regarding D&D BECMI: Unlike more recent game versions, races are treated as classes—thus a BECMI “elf” is a class onto itself, and so are the dwarf and the halfling. If you are a fan of 5e exclusively, that’s great but this article isn’t meant for you. Comparisons, personal judgments, and controversies about the nature of games from the early 80s are irrelevant here and unwelcome. How you treat folks around your table is what matters.

Editorial Note: I refer to single persons with the pronoun “it” as a substitute for the singular “he” or “she” when gender isn’t explicit, instead of the plural “they.”

Class Basics

Ancestry: Human

Prime Requites: Dex & Int

Experience Bonus: I give a +5% bonus if dex and int average out between 11 and 12, and +10% if they average less than 11. At 13+, stats provide no xp bonus.

Hit Dice: 1d4 per level up to level 9, +1 hp per level thereafter and con adjustments no longer apply.

Maximum Level: 36.

Combat Abilities: Fights and saves as a thief.

Armor & Weapons: As a thief.

Special Abilities

Essential Skills: They include the ones listed under Essential Skills in the experience table. They are performed as a thief or a dwarf would. Success odds have been updated, as shown in the table.

Beginners' Luck: It is listed as Reroll under Special Skills in the experience table. A first level thief rolling a 91 or worse while using an Essential Skill gets to reroll. Whatever is rolled next must apply. Beginners' Luck decreases at level 2, only concerning scores 96 or worse. At level 3, it solely concerns the odd "00" scores. At level 4 and higher, Beginners' Luck runs out.

Read Languages: The cryptreaver may be able to decipher foreign languages. Some may be more complex than others. For example: a cryptreaver used to a common alphabet should have a tougher time with languages using a mix of symbols representing phonetic vowels, whole words, and concepts, such as ancient Egyptian. Suggested penalties could go from −20% for an ancient language to −40% for a complex or coded script. Magical languages require the ability to Read Magic. The cryptreaver must earn a new experience level for another try after failing an earlier attempt.

Scroll Casting: Cryptreavers may be able to cast spells directly from a scroll, as a thief would. The experience table shows the odds a spell should backfire. Effects are up to the Dungeon Master.

Detection: Listed under Special Abilities in the experience table, it enables the cryptreaver to detect secret doors as an elf would, as well as certain stone features as a dwarf would such as shifting walls or floors, sloping passages, and new constructions. This latest ability can serve as a skill to safely excavate shafts and tunnels with proper construction tools, and determine whether existing stonework is sound (in a dungeon environment or a tomb in particular). The experience table shows the odds of success as percentages.
            The cryptreaver, as an expert tomb robber, may be able to sense an open space behind a stone surface, typically an adjacent chamber or a corridor. The space must be at least 36 cubic feet large and within 15 feet of the cryptreaver. A smaller space requires an extra Hear Noise to detect. This ability is similar to secret door detection, although if an attempt fails, the cryptreaver may not try again until the next day.

Tools of the Trade: Cryptreavers have free basic skills in Archeology (Int) and Tomb Lore (Int).

Spell Reaving
            It is the most sinister aspect of this character class. This ability enables the cryptreaver to sense residual magic dwelling within the remains of the deceased and, subsequently, to usurp it.

Sensing Residual Magic: The cryptreaver may determine whether residual magic still imbues a dead spellcaster’s body (human, demi-human, or monstrous). Detection takes a full, uninterrupted round. If it fails, another attempt can be made the next day. The cryptreaver becomes fully aware that nothing is to be found when succeeding a detection on a corpse bereft of residual magic. The cryptreaver should also sense whether a rival had already scavenged the detected remains, as well as that rival’s ethos and style (see Affiliations, later on). Success odds are:

Base 50% plus the cryptreaver’s own XP level

Multiply the above by the deceased’s XP level or HD

Divide the above by the number of years since passing away.

A roll of 95% or higher always fails. If the deceased had reached or exceeded level 18 or 18 HD, success odds can never be less than 5%.

Eldritch Scavenging: The cryptreaver may usurp residual magic after having detected it. The scavenging ritual requires powdered sulfur, linseed oil, frankincense, and a small brazier or a stone mortar in which to burn these components along with some of the deceased’s bones, flesh, hair, or ashes. Linseed oil and sulfur fumes are both toxic and will inflict 1d4 points of damage to the cryptreaver by the ritual’s end (no save; don’t try this at home).
            The three components together needed for one ritual have an encumbrance of 10 gp and cost as much. The brazier or mortar has an encumbrance of no less than 100 gp and costs 15 gp. As an option, the top half of a large creature’s skull plated with brass or copper makes an adequate brazier. Magical braziers or mortars, blessed or subjected to necromantic enchantments may provide a +5 to +20 bonus to Base chances.
            The ritual lasts 1 round for every 5 levels or HD of the deceased (or a fraction thereof). The cryptreaver inhales the fumes and the magic therein as it emits an eerie blue glow. It is a dangerous process as the usurped dweomer can harm or kill the cryptreaver at the end of the ritual if the latter fails. Success odds are:

Cryptreaver’s HD + Intelligence score

Multiply the above by 2

Subtract the deceased’s HD

A roll of 95% or higher always fails. Success odds can never be less than 5%. A successful ritual bears a chance of attracting random undead in the area before the end of the process; these encounter odds are equal to the deceased’s HD minus 2d6 (DM’s secret roll).

Failing a Ritual: With a score of 95 or higher, subtract 1 from the cryptreaver’s Charisma (no save). This loss is permanent. Failing a ritual by more than 20 pts results in the cryptreaver suffering damage equal to the deceased’s level or HD (no save). Failing by 40 pts or more results in permanent madness in addition to sustaining damage. Failing by 60 pts or more without a successful con check results in the cryptreaver’s death; if still alive, the cryptreaver remains subject to physical damage and madness.

Usurped Magic: Clerical spells cannot be usurped, only secular magic. When usurping spells, halve the deceased’s levels or HD at the time of death, rounded up. This is the number of combined spell levels usurped when the ritual ends. For example: a cryptreaver succeeding its ritual on a level-20 magic-user’s remains would scavenge up to 10 spell levels. The cryptreaver can cast these spells like a magic-user of the same experience level. Ignore higher-level spells that the usurper cannot handle.
             Procedure: Roll for a spell level. Example: for a level-10 usurper, roll a number from 1 to 5 and pick a random spell of that level from the rules’ standard spell list if the deceased’s learned spells aren’t known. Keep rolling for spell levels until a score exceeds the maximum allowed for the cryptreaver—ignore this last result and stop rolling.
            Usurped spells stay in the cryptreaver’s memory until cast. They cannot be cast again unless scavenged from some other dead remains. Unlike a true magic-user, the usurper can accumulate up to one spell per point of Intelligence over time, regardless of spell level. Usurped spells cannot be transferred to a scroll. Rituals cannot succeed more than once on the same cadaver. Eldritch scavenging permanently dispels all remaining magic, curses, and enchantments imbuing a corpse (some exceptions apply—see Affiliations, later on).
            If the scavenged remains are those of a monster with innate magical abilities, the cryptreaver may acquire one such ability instead of spell levels. Once usurped, an innate ability only manifests itself when the cryptreaver consciously triggers it. A triggered ability lasts 1 hour per level of the cryptreaver, after which it fades permanently. Over time, the usurper can accumulate up to one monstrous ability for every 3 points of Intelligence, rounded down. Only one can be triggered at a time, although the cryptreaver can dismiss one at will before using another. Spell levels and monstrous abilities are earned separately.
            A cryptreaver can conceivably usurp a unicorn’s dimension door, a rust monster’s corrosion, a dragon’s breath (based on the cryptreaver’s own HD), one random ability of a djinni, a doppelganger’s shapechanging magic (but not its ability to acquire a victim’s memories), etc. Undead creatures and constructs are immune to eldritch scavenging. Non-magical abilities cannot be usurped, such as venoms and non-magical diseases. Keep it simple. Don’t allow anything too complicated, unclear whether it’s really magical, imbalanced at the current level of play, or questionable in some way. (Is a dead lycanthrope still cursed? Maybe, maybe not.).

Handicaps

Persona: Someone unaware of the cryptreaver’s profession could find this character creepy. Roleplay the character accordingly (odd speech patterns, weird habits, dark or hooded clothing, perhaps a pallid and emaciated figure, a slight body smell of dirt, decay, or some alchemical product, bone-carved personal items, etc.) Sell the part whether or not the character is malevolent. As a result, the cryptreaver starts its career with a −1 reaction penalty with people unaware of its business, or −2 if they become aware of it. Cryptreavers never benefit from Charisma bonuses.

Lack of Stealth Skills: Cryptreavers cannot hide in shadows, move silently, perform backstab attacks, or pick pockets as these abilities do not relate to their profession.

Affiliations
       Cryptreavers with less than altruistic motivations, presumably NPCs, normally operate as part of a thieves’ guild (from Darokin in Mystara), a malignant order of warriors (Heldannic knights) or a malevolent cult (in Thothia). If in good standing they benefit from their overseers’ resources, such as training, information, healing, protection, transportation, reliable fencing of despoiled goods, etc. Profit or power is their goal.
            Those without affiliation may be isolated bounty hunters or hired hands acting on behalf of a powerful underwriter like a wealthy collector (Glantri), a city’s university (Sundsvall in Alphatia), an imperial library (Thyatis), a Fellowship of Ungentlemanly Adventurers (Ierendi), etc. These folks aren’t necessarily malevolent. They primarily seek career advancement, notoriety, and the thrill of outwitting terrible foes.
            A Lawful ethos may require cryptreavers to work for a League of Vaults (Rockhome) or a benevolent cult (Karameikos, Ylaruam). They promote peace and seek to relieve the restless. Lingering auras of wickedness attract the undead along with hardships they inflict upon nearby settlements. The leaguers’ goal is to destroy evil magic dwelling in tombs. They may benefit from their mentors’ resources, as described earlier, along with the occasional involvement of a dedicated undead hunter: a cleric or a paladin if such may be needed.

Styles: Each organization among those just mentioned has its own ritual. A cryptreaver discovering a previously scavenged corpse may identify its usurper's style and approximate experience level. Sensing its ethos is innate. Its specific style, however, requires a successful int check. Bounty hunters and hired hands have their own personal rituals unless they belong to a companionship that initially trained them. Once a rival’s style has been identified, the cryptreaver will always recognize it later on without rolling an ability check.

Cults: They object to outsiders scavenging the remains of their faithful. Some may resort to special blessings or curses alerting their immortal patrons of any attempt to usurp what they see as belonging to their spiritual liege. They are typically triggered when a ritual starts. Chances of an immortal’s direct involvement in the affairs of mortals are negligible, but the cult may feel obligated to look for the rival whose style they recognized, particularly repeat offenders. Some curses brand rivals so cultists can visually spot them.

The Undead: Sentient undead revile cryptreavers regardless of the latter’s ethea. They see them as trespassers interfering with forces that beckon the undead to gather. They crave the feel emanating from the remains of powerful magic-users or enchanted beings. If enough undead can rally to a notorious tomb, especially if a malevolent being’s corpse lies within, they may cause it to arise and dwell among them as an equal or a master. Sentient undead can always sense cryptreavers on sight and will focus their attacks upon them. An Amulet of Protection from Crystal Balls and ESP effectively prevents the undead for recognizing a cryptreaver. A hidden undead, however, may spy on an intruding party and find out if one of them is a hated interloper. The more intelligent undead, if aware of a cryptreaver’s presence, will mount an attack while a ritual is in progress.

CLICK HERE for previous character classes and related materials.

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Bumps in the Road

My old D&D BECMI group has finally gone private. This was due to a technical issue with Facebook's settings intended to screen new membership requests. For this group alone and for no clear reason, the screening didn't work, allowing people to join without approval. Despite my requests for help, Facebook never responded. Going private fixed this issue, although the group's exposure is now more limited. This was a pain to deal with and an open door to bots and other porn peddlers. Onward. 

D&D BECMI Group 

The Great Carriage

This is the second of three Mammoth Masher vehicles. For continuity, see the previous two War Machine articles: the Command Chariot and the Vanguard Wagon. Hitched to the Vanguard Wagon, the Great Carriage is the tribal chief’s mobile dwelling, a step up from a palanquin. Overheads lie about 6’ above decks. A canvas canopy covers most of the upper deck.

Vehicle: 60-80 Hull Points (HP), AC 7, towed.

                1. Ground-level entrance to the lower deck stands on the forward starboard side, with a stepladder (A) that can be pulled up and secured in the upright position during travel. A lantern (D) provides some light in this otherwise dark area. The entryway connects with the chief’s meeting room through a door (B), and up a ladder (E) with the forward portside turret (M) on the upper deck.

                2. The meeting room features six barred embrasures (H) fitted with shutters swinging down from the overhead. Shutters can be secured in either position. A see-through wooden grate covers much of the meeting room’s ceiling. Locked from the inside, a trapdoor on the deck (G) enables a discreet exit beneath the wagon. Lockers (F) and a chest (J) provide stowage space.

                3. The chief’s bedchamber lies in the adjacent chamber. Its embrasures are identical to those in the previous room. The portside door (C) is locked. The forward bulkhead features a concealed peephole to spy on the meeting room. A concealed panel enables access to a crawlspace above the ceiling; to reach it, one can step on the chest (J) and place a foot on the aft embrasure (H).

                4. The last chamber holds the chief’s war hoard. A lantern provides some lighting in this otherwise dark space. The barred embrasure’s shutter (I) is nailed to the portside bulkhead in its down position. A secret panel in the aft bulkhead below the lantern provides a one-way exit. Though detectable from the outside, it can only be opened from the inside. The treasure’s value varies between 1,000 gp to 5,000 gp mostly in small change and some plundered jewelry.

                Upper Deck: Four turrets (M) stand on the upper deck, one at each corner. A trapdoor (L) leads down a ladder (E) to the lower deck’s entryway (1). A see-through wooden grate (N) in the upper deck’s planking lies above the lower deck’s meeting room (2). Although heavy, the grate can be hoisted open. A canvas canopy shades most of the upper deck. The white dotted line (O) shows its edges. Its sides can be rolled up and strapped in the upright position. The tribe’s standard (P) stands on the forward deck. Water, spare arrows, and other combat supplies are stored in containers (W, J). Four to eight sentinels usually guard the upper deck.

 

Movement: 120’ (40’); half speed on rough terrain; half speed if a mammoth is badly wounded or slain (see Vanguard Wagon). The wagon is 20’ wide at its wheelbase. The steel blades extend another 8’ on each side. Clearance underneath the wagon measures 2.5’. 

Combat: Anyone run over sustains damage from the moving wagon if caught under its wheels or from the blades extending from its axles (1d10+4 crushing damage per wheel and/or 1d8+2 slashing damage per blade). No hit rolls are required for the wagon itself, although PCs are permitted a saving throw for half damage.

 

Crew: 4-8 2HD archers, one 6-8HD tribal chief, and a possible 3-4 HD spellcasting consort; 8-12 young pups stay at the tribal camp.

 

Battle Rating: Add a +20 bonus to a unit’s BR if the Mammoth Masher’s crew and beasts of burden account for 10% or more of the unit’s HD. Add another 10 if there are two or more in the battle unit.

 

More in the next installment: The War Caboose. 

Mammoth Masher

The next installment for my War Machines series and the next step up from the Command Chariot is the Mammoth Masher, a multi-section vehicle pulled by two to four mammoths. Click here for the Command Chariot. The game stats are for D&D BECMI.

The Masher Mk I includes three large wagons hitched together aside from the beasts of burden. The Vanguard Wagon stands directly behind the mammoths. Its function is to protect the drivers and carry a squad of artillerists and combat troops. Attached to the Vanguard comes the Great Carriage housing supplies, an invading horde’s war chest, quarters for the chieftain, and the latter’s bodyguards. Towed in the last position, the Rearguard carries additional guards, the chieftain’s stable, and siege machines. Mashers Mk II and Mk III include extra wagons, larger siege weapons, and additional mammoth teams to pull them. These vehicles are built of wood, with four to six wheels each, arrow slits, and the tribe’s standard. Doors are reinforced and studded.

Vanguard Wagon Mk I 

Vehicle: 60-80 Hull Points (HP), AC 7. Drivers on the upper deck use chains connected to a capstan to guide the mammoths. The capstan’s axle connects with the front wheel beneath the wagon’s lower deck to help with steering. Retractable ramps enable access to the lower deck on its sides. These are heavily reinforced wooden panels fitted with sharp metal studs on the outside. Winches on the upper deck pull up the ramps to shut these entrances, drawbridge-style. Anyone in the 10’x10’ area underneath the ramps when they are dropped open suffers 1d6+2 damage. A trapdoor in the floor (usually locked from the inside) enables exiting beneath the wagon. Clearance underneath the wagon measures 2.5’. Overheads are about 6’ above the decks. A canvas canopy covers the upper deck.

Movement: 120’ (40’); half speed on rough terrain; half speed if a mammoth is badly wounded or slain. The wagon is 20’ wide at its wheelbase. The steel blades extend another 8’ on each side.

Combat: The mammoths require hit rolls to attack anyone in their way (75% tusk or 25% trample attack). Anyone run over also sustains damage from the moving wagon if caught under its wheels or from the blades extending from its axles (1d10+4 crushing damage per wheel and/or 1d8+2 slashing damage per blade). No hit rolls are required for the wagon itself, although PCs are permitted a saving throw for half damage.

Armored Mammoths: AC2, HD 15 (L, about 15' tall), MV 120’ (40’), AT 2 tusks or 1 trample, D 2d6/2d5 tusks or 4d8 trample, Save F8, ML 8, Int 2, AL N, XP 1,650. The mammoths bear metal protections on their lower legs, heads, and foreheads. Studded leather covers their necks, flanks, and rumps. Wicked barbs adorn their tusks. Mk II and III contraptions include howdahs on the mammoths’ backs, each housing 2-3 warriors with projectile weapons.

Crew: Eighteen 2HD warriors (all with artillery skills) and two drivers (one 4HD Vanguard Master and a 3HD Subchief). If both drivers are disabled, the Mammoth Masher comes to a halt unless the mammoths panic.

Siege Weapons: Two ballistae facing sideways are located on the upper deck, behind the drivers’ casemate, and one light catapult facing forward sits on the wagon’s forecastle, above the casemate. The catapult shoots over the mammoths harnessed in the front of the wagon.
Ballista: AC 4, HP 9, Crew 4 (among the 18 warriors), Range 100/200/300 (min. n/a), D d10+6, RoF 1 per 2 rounds.
Catapult, Lt.: AC 4, HP 18, Crew 6 (among the 18 warriors), Range 200/250/300 (min. 150), D d8+8, RoF 1 per 5 rounds.

Battle Rating: Add a +20 bonus to a unit’s BR if the Mammoth Masher’s crew and beasts of burden account for 10% or more of the unit’s HD. Add another 10 if there are two or more in the battle unit.

I hope you'll pardon me for the doodles. Gotta kill downtime in some way, right?

More in the next installment: The Great Carriage.

War Machines!

I’m aiming at a tongue-in-cheek topic. It describes war machines that barbarian or humanoid cultures would line up in battles, from single-pilot bloodrunners to colossal battlebeasts carrying siege weapons and shock troops. The article is written for D&D BECMI. Game stats and guidelines to incorporate these devices into BECMI’s War Machine mechanics are included.

Art on Left: Goblin Wolf Chariot by Sam Flegal, ©2013 Games Workshop Ltd.

Command Chariot: Before the bloodrunners were bred and raised from pits of chaos, tribes of the wild relied on war chariots with archers, slingers, or light combat devices like scorpions or ballistae. More elaborate contraptions consisted of a two-wheel cart with large shields protecting its flanks, steel blades extending from its wheels’ hubs, and a scorpion to catapult iron darts. A small crew crowded the chariot’s platform, with a rider handling dire wolves or battle boars pulling the vehicle. Add a standard affixed to the chariot with gory pennons, horsehair, ornamental horns, a skull or two, and bits of leather or plate armor to protect the beasties in front. A tribal chieftain commands the chariot. One of the crew carries a hunting horn or some other sinister instrument to sound the chieftain’s orders to all within earshot.

Crew: one 5HD chieftain, one 2HD herald (50% chance it is a spellcasting shaman), two 2HD scorpion artillerists, one 3HD armored beast-rider in front (AC5 or better). Beasts of burden: two to three creatures with 3-4HD each. The lead artillerist receives a +2 hit bonus if a specialist.

Scorpion: D d6+4; half damage at medium or long range. Ranges: 100/250/400 yards; line-of-sight trajectory at short range, otherwise parabolic; no minimum range. Rates of Fire: 1 every 2 rounds if stationary, 1 every 3 if moving (using Basic D&D’s 10-second rounds, otherwise 3-4 bolts per minute). Ammunition complement: 12 iron darts.

Chariot: 30-40 Hull Points (HP), AC 7 (5 when moving). Speed: 90’ (30’) with boars or 120’ (40’) with dire wolves; half speed on rough terrain; half speed if part of the team is slain. No hit roll is required for chariot damage, although PCs can save vs. paralysis for half damage. The chariot is 6’ wide at its wheelbase. The steel blades extend another 2’ on each side.

Figures caught within the chariot’s width suffer trampling damage (2d6 blunt damage). Those caught by the steel blades incur 1d6+2 slashing damage (doubled when charging). Roll percentiles when playing a tabletop grid with 10’ spaces. With scores of 01-60, figures in the chariot’s path suffer trample damage. With scores of 61-00, the remainder incurs instead damage from the blades. With a 5’ grid, the chariot affects three spaces. Figures in the middle space incur trample damage. In the other two spaces, percentiles’ scores should be 01-10 trample, 11-60 miss, and 61-00 blades. In all cases, scores of 01-02 result in a broken axle*; scores of 98-00 break off one of the wheel blades* (*) After damage is inflicted on foes.

Battle Rating: Add a +10 bonus to a unit’s BR if the command chariot’s crew and beasts of burden account for 10% or more of the unit's HD. The command chariot’s total HD runs from 20 to 26. Add another +10 bonus to the unit’s BR so long as its commander remains alive and within sight.

More in the next article.

Skyship Battle

I was exceedingly elated when I discovered a blog article Xaoseed wrote in 2021 about the game mechanics I posted back around that time. I didn't spot it until yesterday. He (she, they) playtested them and found that they worked as I'd intended. So, thanks awfully for that! I wanted mechanics enabling fairly detailed movement rules involving the speed and direction of winds while merging ship battles with traditional OSR player-character and monster combat. So: mission accomplished. With Xaoseed's permission, I'm reposting his article here, for the record!

21 August 2021

Actual Test: Calidar (Fantasy Space Combat Rules)

tl;dr: fantasy flying ship combat where the wind direction matters - surprisingly easy to pick up, lots of fun and some great old school damage tables detail that makes ship combat more than just slugging away at hull points.

After testing two magazine-published sets of rules for fighting magical flying ships - the 3e adaptation Shadow of the Spider Moon and the 5e Aces High aerial combat rules from Arcadia #3 published by MCDM as well as the original AD&D Spelljammer we come to the thing that kicked all this off - Calidar.

The Calidar supplements come from Bruce Heard, creator of the magnificent Voyages of the Princess Ark, one of the original D&D Flying Ships (*the* original?), as a vehicle for him to continue with flying fantasy ships as Princess Ark is no longer continuing. I grabbed the Calidar books because I love me my flying ships and also pulled down the skyship combat rules from his blog. Initially, the ruleset looks scary as hell but I cobbled together a word doc and sat in the pub and red-penned it until I figured out how it worked then took it to the table.

Mimicking the 'big vs fast' set up of previous fights I set up the feature ship of the setting - the Star Phoenix - against a fast ship, the Lucky Deuce. We put down a hex grid and ran the same altitude and edge-of-board escape conditions for the 'heavy' as before. The first really interesting thing about the Calidar system is that ship speed is wind-driven - the sails matter - and first thing to do is dice up the wind. We got a strong wind, just short of a damaging gale, blowing straight down the board. One of the hardest pieces of the system for me to grok initially was the points of sail until I finally got that the wind directions were split more finely than hexes have sides and suddenly it all made sense.

The second interesting thing is that initiative is diced per round for combat actions but movement is done in order of speed - and big ships can put on more sail and go faster. We were surprised to find that the Star Phoenix was faster than the Lucky Deuce (though harder to turn). We set off, everyone out of range to start then after movement where both gained altitude, the first long distance fire was exchanged. The Deuce landed shots to the hull and the Phoenix fired back and swept away almost a quarter of the Deuce's crew. Here another interesting system point came up where each hit led to a roll on a table to see what was hit - masts, crew, weapons or the hull. This was a very interesting aspect of the system, making it harder to knock out an enemy ship but inflicting lots of other pain on them.

Round 2 - we diced to see if the wind changed - as there was no DM we adapted the system by rolling 2d8 to get under the count of turns since the last shift in wind. The wind stayed stable for now. The Deuce fired, scored another hull hit and both ships soared onwards, with the Deuce using its superior maneuverability to stay out of the Phoenix's broadside fire arcs.

Round 3 - we diced and there was a chance for wind to change but testing for change in strength and change in direction led individually to nothing - a flutter but no actual change. The Deuce took advantage of their positioning to fire again, landing a ballista bolt and managing to knock out the starboard forward ballista on the Phoenix. Then both ships moved: the Phoenix diving and the Deuce keeping pace and lurking ahead of it.

Round 4 - a pattern was setting in with the Deuce peppering the Phoenix bows with mid range fire. The port forward ballista was knocked out this round, then after both had moved two shots threatened the Phoenix masts but failed to cause telling damage.

Round 5 - another round of fire and the Deuce knocks the Phoenix below 70% of hull points, worsening their maneuverability a grade and causing it to sink an altitude level per round - now they have to advance 2 hexes before they can turn one face, leaving the Deuce weaving circles within the Phoenix turning arc as it tried to bring its broadside weapons to bear. The chance to climb out of the gravity well and escape into the Great Vault was also closed, only one path to escape remaining - the board edge.

Round 6 - the Deuce fires and knocks out a starboard aft mast on the Phoenix.

Round 7 & 8 - the wind changes, slowing, and the dance continues at lower speed. The Deuce throws ballista and scorpion bolts at the Phoenix, shaving off hull points down to 50% of its original total.

Round 9 - the Phoenix captain finally figures out their tactics and races away across the grid before turning slightly at the end and leaving their broadside arc facing down the line the Deuce needs to approach (or if the Deuce turns wholly away it would allow the Phoenix to flee). Alas the damage to the Phoenix ballistae is telling and only the aft set remains to fire as the Deuce stays out of range of the Phoenix broadside catapults. Too close, and the Deuce weaves out of arc, too far and the catapults are out of range - the captain of the Phoenix is growing increasingly nervous about surviving.

Round 10 - the Deuce sails up and misses most of their scorpion shots while the Phoenix fires back with their lone ballista and flees for the board edge. The Deuce follows, allowing their own ballista to get to optimal range before firing and landing decisive hull hits. The Phoenix is looking shaky but is only one turn from the board edge.

Round 11 - knowing this is their last chance to stop the Phoenix, the Deuce fires everything, no matter the range and misses entirely. Heartened by this last spot of luck, the Phoenix flees off the board edge, with a shattered mast and two destroyed ballista.

A Hammership and Wasp paper mini standing in for the Star Phoenix and Lucky Deuce respectively

Overall the system was a lot easier to use than it appeared from the heft of the assembled rules. The points of wind took a little getting used to but once that was done, the challenge of turn limitations due to maneuverability class, fire arcs of the ships and the potential to shed or gain movement points as ships adjusted heading was a great fun part of it that really made the Calidar rules feel distinctly different to the 'powered flight' of the other systems tested.

The ships feel complex but not too complicated - initially I thought the 'roll on the damage table' for every hit to be preposterously fiddly but it quickly became easy to handle. The consequences of exceeding damage thresholds in certain categories was potentially very interesting - a lucky first shot by the Phoenix killed 8 out of 39 crew. Another similar strike to the crew would have been guaranteed at minimum to knock it below 3/4 of the crew, making all shots 10% harder to hit and that would have made life much easier for the Phoenix. On the other hand the Phoenix has nine masts and happily risked strikes to those as it would have taken at least 3 lost to impact maneuverability and each of those strikes was damage diverted away from the hull.

Another very interesting aspect of the system that I liked a lot was the 40 second round - if heroes had been present, acting individually, they could have gotten in 4 actions per ship combat round. This is also reflected in the relatively high rate of fire of the weapon systems - twice a round in most cases. Chucking fistfuls of dice about - however justified by the system - is a lot more fun than examples such as original Spelljammer with 1 in 3 rounds or 1 in 4 rounds firing rates.

The crews did not get to play a great part in this fight but could have. The boarding mechanics are very interesting with a compare ratios then roll table. I used it to stage out a guards raid on a safe-house in my home game and it is a nice neat system for that. We checked what might have happened had the Phoenix gotten to grips with the Deuce - the boarding party from the Phoenix would have been repulsed at a high cost to the Deuce, which would have left the Phoenix free to either sail off happy that they would be unlikely to hit them as they left or board again with even more chance at success.

Some really nice pieces of this system are:
1. How wind and facing matters along with relative speed and altitude change.
2. The 4-to-1 hero-to-ship action tempo is a nice way to keep the pace of ship activity high while also allowing heroes to make a real difference.
3. This was ship-on-ship but there is a large roster of monsters and clearly a lot of thought gone into integrating monsters as ship opponents. Taking a big dragon up against a ship could be a lot of fun.

If you read through all the posts as presented on the blog it is not easy to make sense of the system but assembled together and read through together (as in its intended published form) it makes a lot more sense. There is guidance on how to calibrate it to the system of your choice with multiple proposed approaches suggested from percentile to adapting d20.

My only complaint is that as the system is currently posted in parts, it is missing the editors run through of elaborating on terms the first time we run into them - it took me a while to find SR meant Structure rating, what windward meant and so on. There are some good worked examples in among the text to help it all make sense. I think the combat round sequence should be right up the front to help frame why all the individual pieces of the rules are important and where they come into play.

Certainly I would be happy to grab this when it eventually gets released. It has some real old-school flavour in the look up tables but I was surprised how universal a rule set it turned out to be. You just need to select the correct damage scale and then decide whether you want to use percentile or d20 to hit and off you go.

Legacies of Ill-Gotten Loot

"Treasure House" by Jaynorn Lin on Art Station.

As far as I can tell, collecting dungeon loot without paying any attention whatsoever to whom it actually belonged has been the bread and butter of your basic adventurers ever since OSR games existed. Some might argue that a tacit D&D salvaging rule waives consequences for acquiring unidentified loot. Previous owners, however, may beg to differ if they knew. Just for laughs, I concocted a few situations to spring upon unsuspecting adventurers to illustrate my point.

Points of Origin

How “loot” is acquired affects the odds of possible disputes in the future.

1. Bequests & Rewards: This concerns equipment received from one’s family as gifts or inheritances. Rewards obtained from grateful benefactors also belong in this category. This form of loot is the less troublesome unless your DM is particularly chaotic or harbors ulterior motives.

2. Lawful Purchases: The next best category includes items bought from reputable sellers. A legitimate business usually has reasonable knowledge about the origins of merchandise it proffers (also subject to a DM’s perfidy).

3. Questionable Purchases: Purveyors sans scruples, those shifty businesses tucked away in shadowy city quarters and others selling presumably good equipment at cut prices, present a greater risk since they aren’t picky about the origins of their merchandise.

4. Plunder: The worst category holds anything obtained by guile or force of arms. Dungeoneering, raiding the camps of foes, emptying graves, robbing bootie from folks who themselves must have pillaged, burglarized, or ransacked others with reckless abandon pose the greatest risk to unsuspecting and (more-or-less-) law-abiding heroes. Checking the pockets of fallen companions or their victims probably falls into this category as well.

If the question of ownership isn’t obvious, roll 1d4 to find what category an item belongs to.

Consequences

Subsequent troubles can take 1d4 weeks after the previous adventure to manifest themselves, usually as the result of rumors going around, witnesses passing information, magical divination tracking down missing treasure, or perhaps merchants attempting to resell goods purchased from PCs attracting the attention of previous owners. Select either the most valuable item a party “liberated” (at least 400gp-worth). If coins or gems are involved, assume they have been marked physically or magically to identify them.

Looting Consequences (roll d00)
Modifiers	Source of the Loot		Nature of the Loot
	Bequests & Rewards	–15	Coins and gems worth 700-1,000gp	–5
	Lawful Purchase	n/a	Single item worth 400-700gp	+10
	Questionable Purchases	+15	Single item worth 701-1,000gp	+15
	Plunder	+20	Single or combined loot above 1,000gp	+20
Up to 30	No consequences other than personal notoriety and tavern rumors.
31-45	A local taxman has gotten wind of the party’s windfall and now seeks to collect a share of the profits from the loot. The assessor will first try to find out what else the party collected recently, and impose taxes accordingly. At the very least, the demanded monies are based on the part of the loot that triggered the check. His armed escort resort to force if the PCs refuse to comply.
46-60	If the loot or part of it is ever pawned off, a previous owner running across a reseller identifies the goods. He has them seized and accuses the party of stealing the goods from him. If the PCs are captured, they need to address their case in court and reimburse the resellers to whom they had sold the loot.
61-75	If the loot, or part of it, is ever pawned off, a miscreant running across a reseller identifies the goods (he’d failed to steal them from their legitimate owner whom he later murdered). He has them unlawfully seized and falsely accuses the party of stealing from him. If captured, the PCs need to fight their case in court and, if they lose, reimburse resellers to whom they had sold the loot.
76-90	The original owner of the loot (from whom it was robbed) now stalks the party to steal it back and, if possible, kill the present holder(s). The creature’s nature depends on the party’s average experience level: 1-3. Fourth-Level Thief, 4-6. Doppelganger, 7-10. Mujina, 11-15. Level 12-14 Avenger/Anti-paladin, 16+ Dragon in disguise.
91-105	If other than coins or gems, the item posses a hidden recess holding a small piece of parchment. It lists an unusual spell whose owner has been seeking ever since the item was stolen. The owner, a magic-user of a reasonable level offers to purchase the item for its fair market value (without mentioning its hidden contents), or will attempt to take it by force.
116-120	The object had originally been stolen from a powerful noble. His son or daughter was also abducted during the theft. The aristocrat offers the party to find the captive in exchange for them keeping the wayward loot. If they refuse, he accuses them of committing the crime and turns loose the city militia against the party.
121-125	The item, although not an evil one, possesses a strong link to the astral plane. It beckons the undead, some of which strive to possess it for themselves. The undead depend on the party’s experience level: 1-3. A Pack of ghouls, 4-6. Mummy, 7-10. Spectre, 11-15. Vampire or nosferatu, 16+ Lich and its minions.
126-130	The loot is identified as having come from another world. It lies near a hidden portal to its native world, or it must have been left there by someone who’d crossed over. The portal must be shut or dispelled to prevent demonic incursions.
131-135	The loot is part of an artifact. Although this item does not radiate an enchantment, the full dweomer will manifest itself when all the parts as assembled. Divination magic should indicate it is meant to be part of something else. Attempting to resell the loot should attract the attention of someone (or something) seeking to rebuild the artifact.
136+	The loot was a temple’s gift to an immortal patron or to a deity. A high priest/priestess sends his/her minions to retrieve it. If they fail, he/she intervenes personally. If he/she fails, a handful divine servants follow until the goods are retrieved. If they already sold off the goods, the PCs are tasked with recovering them and handing them over.

 

You get the idea.