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View Full Version : New 4e DM seeking adivice for Horror one-shot



RowdyOrc
2009-10-15, 01:29 AM
I started DMing a few weeks ago at the behest of my housemates who were very interested in playing for the first time. At this point I'd only been a player for a year with only one DM as my example. I took up the challenge and crafted a standard campaign plot with a few twists for my players to enjoy. This has gone on successfully so far.

Today one of my players ,who also happens to be a good friend, brought up the idea of making a one-shot session as part of a Halloween party. I thought this would be fine, as I assumed it'd be within the limits i was currently comfortable with. Then she started pitching her idea on how it would be in a modern setting with simplified rules so people outside our group would be able to jump in and play.

For example one of her simplifications was to have each class, based on slasher film stereotypes, have two at will powers. One would be a basic attack with no frills and the other would be some sort of special ability, like a football player giving a 'rally' bonus to attacks or defenses.

These two ideas terrified me, as I've never gone so far as to tweak the rules before. For one thing the only rule set I know of for modern settings is d20 modern, and secondly I don't know where to begin 'simplifying' the rules without making the game dull. Is there any way I can change up 4e in such a way as to make this thing possible?

AgentPaper
2009-10-15, 01:37 AM
Just starting the game at level 1 should be enough to keep things mostly simple. Just pre-build a bunch of different characters, print out character sheets and power cards, and bundle that with a short description on top of the package. Have a one-sentence description under their name in large enough font to be read at a glance, then just set them all out on a table or some such to let people look through them and pick one they like.

Let them modify the character's background and personality as much as they want, having any background you make yourself be more of one way they could go about it. Really, as long as they don't have to make the character themselves it should be relatively simple. The players shouldn't really have to even look in the book to look stuff up, everything that's something special they can do from their class should be on a card. Though make sure to reinforce that just because it's not on the card, doesn't mean they can't do it. The cards just help them keep track of special things that only they can do.

tcrudisi
2009-10-15, 02:12 AM
The race is easy: humans for everyone. The classes? They don't matter as much. Give them all a basic attack and one at-will. Draw up one for the basic classes (PHB and PHB2), which won't be much work. As an example of what I'd do: give the Fighter it's normal basic attack and Tackle. Tackle is an at-will that lets you make a Str vs. Fort attack. If successful, you knock the target prone and deal them Str damage. If this sounds familiar, it's because it is actually "Knockdown Assault", an at-will I took from the character builder. This Fighter is now a college football star, albeit for a crappy football school with no academic credentials: Duke University. He's probably also suicidal because he could not get into a real school and has no friends. But he can drink like nobody else!

Then I would give everyone basic skills. For starters, give everyone Athletics and Acrobatics. Everyone. This way if they want to get creative with their attacks, they can. Reference page 42 of the DMG religiously (with the errata). If they want to pile-drive the bad guy, let them.

Furthermore, whatever villains you plan on using, I would reflavor their powers as well, much as I did with Tackle/Knockdown Assault. If they want to bring in guns, just use the bows and crossbow rules. Yeah, it's not perfect, but so what? "No way, at this range my pistol should kill him!" "Only if you were better trained. As it is, your shaking hands barely managed to knick him -- although you did knick him in the neck and it's bleeding badly! He's definitely going to need to go see a doctor after that shot."

Asbestos
2009-10-15, 09:23 AM
Well, there is a 4e modern-type setting. They treat gun attacks as an extra basic attack I believe. The characters have a mess of at-wills but can choose two of them as basic ranged attacks.
Cover art is here (http://www.enworld.org/forum/publishers-press-releases/222912-amethyst-rpg-cover-art-posted-even-more-images.html)

On Free RPG day they released a preview adventure and the pre-made characters can be checked out here (http://www.goodman-games.com/downloads/HeartsofChaos-Download.pdf), I believe that there is some errata on Goodman's website explaining how to pick at-wills and such. Anyway, worth checking out as a way to do guns in 4e.

Tyrmatt
2009-10-15, 11:48 AM
Mmm, 4E modern setting. Let me know how this turns out. GURPS is fun and all but it's damn intimidating to get new players to join up when they see the rulebook.

wormwood
2009-10-15, 11:56 AM
Why on earth would you do this in 4e D&D? There are much simpler systems around if you want a bunch of newbies to jump into a modern horror game for a one-shot.

I recommend you try this in Savage Worlds or one of the many systems that the good folk of the playground will no doubt counter my Savage Worlds suggestion with. :D

Asbestos
2009-10-15, 12:06 PM
Why on earth would you do this in 4e D&D? There are much simpler systems around if you want a bunch of newbies to jump into a modern horror game for a one-shot.

I recommend you try this in Savage Worlds or one of the many systems that the good folk of the playground will no doubt counter my Savage Worlds suggestion with. :D
I counter with the Unisystem. All Flesh Must be Eaten style.

RowdyOrc
2009-10-15, 01:09 PM
Why on earth would you do this in 4e D&D? There are much simpler systems around if you want a bunch of newbies to jump into a modern horror game for a one-shot.

I recommend you try this in Savage Worlds or one of the many systems that the good folk of the playground will no doubt counter my Savage Worlds suggestion with. :D

A new system would be nice, but at this moment I am extremely strapped for cash. Even a $10.00 book gives me pause for concern.

Asbestos
2009-10-15, 05:02 PM
A new system would be nice, but at this moment I am extremely strapped for cash. Even a $10.00 book gives me pause for concern.

Alas, the AFMBE core rulebook is $10.50 as a PDF. I'm sure someone will chime in with a free system of some sort.


Back to simplifying 4e in a modern setting...

My suggestion, toss out encounter powers.
Give each character a basic attack or two (they'll need a ranged one!), a 'special' at-will (pulled from the standard class lists and modified as per tcrudisi's suggestion) and a daily ability of some sort. Daily's can be represented as acts of incredible luck and skill, something that the people in movies only do once. If the characters get guns I'd suggesting representing them via powers rather than as ranged weapons or going the Amethyst route and giving them gun specific basic attacks. For both of these options don't let guns provoke OAs, except when the character is reloading, sort of like SW Saga Edition.