[Advice] Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Weird Fantasy Roleplaying

[Terracotta]

I'll be heading back to my game group at the end of the month and decided to pick up a copy of Lamentations of the Flame Princess (LotFP) Grindhouse Edition to try out with them to see if it would stick.

It uses the standard set of dice, and the rules are similar to earlier versions of D&D, but there are few things I'm not quite used to.

One of the more important pieces of information is that there is no monster manual, and while enemies are easier to make than in D&D, I'm having a little trouble balancing them properly and figuring out what is and is not survivable at what level. This is rather important, considering that characters are mortally wounded at -3hp and die instantly at -4.

Any tips?

[I should probably mention that this will be the first campaign I've run in a while. Forgive me if some of my questions seem foolish]

[Lapak]

I'll be heading back to my game group at the end of the month and decided to pick up a copy of Lamentations of the Flame Princess (LotFP) Grindhouse Edition to try out with them to see if it would stick.

It uses the standard set of dice, and the rules are similar to earlier versions of D&D, but there are few things I'm not quite used to.

One of the more important pieces of information is that there is no monster manual, and while enemies are easier to make than in D&D, I'm having a little trouble balancing them properly and figuring out what is and is not survivable at what level. This is rather important, considering that characters are mortally wounded at -3hp and die instantly at -4.

Any tips?

[I should probably mention that this will be the first campaign I've run in a while. Forgive me if some of my questions seem foolish]Well, for one thing, the game is rather deliberately more lethal. So don't worry TOO much if you have a few characters die; when more than half of the games of the game's iconic characters (including the title character!) have their deaths depicted, it's letting you know that no character is supposed to have their survival guaranteed. :smallamused:

Solution One: the range of possible ACs and hit bonuses are much smaller, particularly at level 1, so you should be able to work out the average damage you can expect a given monster to deal per round to the party and what they'll do to it.

As a rule of thumb, if you want the part to survive a direct encounter at level 1:
- Do not build a monster which can kill the PC with the highest hit points if it deals max damage from one hit.
- Do not include a monster with a to-hit bonus that is more than 75% likely to hit the best-armored PC, unless it's so weak defensively that they're likely to burn it down within one or two rounds.

Solution Two: LotFP is designed to encourage the PCs to avoid combat and/or engage with a decisive advantage whenever they can. So make sure that you place any monster that presents a credible combat threat in such a way that a clever party can either bypass it or confront it on ground of their choosing. If you want to include an ogre-type monster against level 1s that breaks both of the rules I just suggested, you might include a secret passage that avoids it completely (rewarding a party that explores the area thoroughly) or you might place it in a big open room accessible from multiple levels, so that a party set on fighting it can start out by softening it up with missile fire from above before it can get at them. Or both. If the party charges in heedlessly, they get squished.

[Terracotta]

Thanks very much for the advice, Lapak. That will all come in handy in other games as well as this one.

Yes, the high-lethality discussion is going to be an interesting one for these players, most of whom are used to 4th-8th level D&D 3.5 games and everything that that entails.

I'm looking forward to introducing the group to the first undead creature, and have decided to take the author's advice that the living dead should not be used as weak, stock enemies.

[Lapak]

Thanks very much for the advice, Lapak. That will all come in handy in other games as well as this one.

Yes, the high-lethality discussion is going to be an interesting one for these players, most of whom are used to 4th-8th level D&D 3.5 games and everything that that entails.

I'm looking forward to introducing the group to the first undead creature, and have decided to take the author's advice that the living dead should not be used as weak, stock enemies.One more thing, just as general advice: one thing that you can do to get them in the right mode if you're working with players in a combat=XP=desirable mindset is to create a situation early in the game where they have an opportunity to completely avoid a pointless combat. Like an ooze that really obviously has no treasure in a dead-end side passage, or a pit that has nothing but scattered bones and some mean-looking rats in it. They'll either charge in and get nothing for their trouble but some injuries and paltry XP, or they'll twig to the fact that there's no gain in that fight for them and move on to find the loot.

[Terracotta]

Once again, an excellent piece of advice. In D&D, people can get away with fighting for the sake of fighting, mostly because it's a lot harder to die in 3.5 without extra effort.

In LotFP, the people are closer to actual people. The PCs are completely and totally insane out of the ordinary simply for going into the wilderness, let alone actually wanting to throw down with a Necrosis Elemental.

Very few people in real life want to get into life or death situations simply for the sake of fighting and killing things. You could get a lot of character mileage out of nearly identical fighters by having one of them be a psychopath and the other being of a risk vs. reward mindset.

I'll be able to set the tone much more easily with "unnecessary combat" as an object lesson. Also, when the do run across something huge and terrifying, they'll be less likely to think that the plot rails require them to fight it.

[TheHarshax]

Having looked at LotFP, it reminds me most of S&W or LL.

Here's my solution (assuming 1st Level characters):

1. Grab a copy of Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry.
2. Look up Goblin or Orc or Wolf or Giant Spider
3. When encountered by PCs, describe creature from step 2 as weird unique LotFP monster.

[Lapak]

Having looked at LotFP, it reminds me most of S&W or LL.

Here's my solution (assuming 1st Level characters):

1. Grab a copy of Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry.
2. Look up Goblin or Orc or Wolf or Giant Spider
3. When encountered by PCs, describe creature from step 2 as weird unique LotFP monster.That's very good advice indeed. Or even just use it as-is. Raggi's published adventures do both at times - the Grinding Gear has stirges but calls them 'mosquito-bats' and has a troll that's just called a troll, if I recall correctly.

[Terracotta]

Ah, palette swapping! Yes, that's an excellent idea. That will definitely save me some time. Thanks a bundle.