Tibbius
2020-06-02, 04:06 PM
As the sun rises, King Bryce's corpse sprawls broken on the stones that pave the central square of the temple city Moontower. Yestereve above the square, the Tower of the Moon hovered and glowed pale white as always. This morning it is gone; it vanished during the night in a blue-white explosion of moonlight, shortly after Bryce the Game fell flailing and screaming from the spiral stairs that used to lead to it.
This day in the Three Kingdoms of Thran will lead to many others filled with conflict and opportunity as Bryce's two surviving half-siblings vie with his vassals for control of Fauchard, the kingdom he left bereft.
Where will you stand?
Basic Rules: Tiny Dungeon
This is a setting document for use with the Tiny Dungeons rules. Those rules can be summarized like this:
When you want to do something, or avoid danger, roll some six sided dice (d6).
To do something, usually roll 2d6, but if you are at an advantage roll 3d6 or if you are at a disadvantage roll 1d6. Usually, any 5 or 6 counts as a success. When making an Attack in combat, any 4-6 counts as a success if you have previously Focused.
When things go really wrong, roll 2d6 (this is a Save Test). Any 5 or 6 counts as a success and averts disaster.
Setting: Rich Burlew, Order of the Stick, and Thran
Rich Burlew is a game designer and webcomic creator who is writing this very lengthy thing called Order of the Stick. It's up at giantitp.com. About 1200 pages of comic, starting off with old school rpg humor like used to be seen in Dragon, then tending more toward serious character and plot developments. Much like many old school campaigns ...
Along the way he noodled around with some setting design ideas (https://web.archive.org/web/20200216152147/giantitp.com/Gaming.html) (under "The World" at the linked page). Those are "Thran." They're the basis for what follows here, and should be read by anyone interested in playing a game in Mr. Burlew's sketched out world.
Also good to read: the thread for a previous game (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?594783-Defenestration-of-King-Bryce-(Risus)) in this setting, using different rules. It will give you an idea of some events immediately preceding the open of play in the game I propose.
Heroes of Thran - Cultural Heritages
Thran offers many cultures, including several different human heritages as well as the relatively homogeneous gnomes. Starting from the extreme northwest, and spiraling clockwise inward to the twin cities of Moontower and Sun Citadel, potential heritages include:
Westlings (northwestern islands);
Gnolls (tundra beyond the north mountains);
the Valley Kingdoms (valleys south of the north mountains);
Ayoo Tun'I (snowy scrubland east of the Valley Kingdoms);
the Children of Twelve (plains and forests south of scrubland);
Dharta (subtropical subcontinent beyond the eastern mountains);
Riversend (port city southwest of the jungles);
Redwater / the Kylnni (jungles west of the Twin Cities);
Vertland (fertile plains and hills northeast of the Twin Cities);
Fauchard / the Stahlmen (hills and mountains east of the Twin Cities);
the Twin Cities;
Gnomes.
Westlings (7 hp): the stereotypical big bearded sea-wise raiders. Clothing: rough woolen tunics and trousers and cloaks, leather vests and belts and boots; bright colors. Shelter: wooden longhouses or turf cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, salt fish, mutton; beer and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Crafter; Druid; Entertainer; Farmer; Hunter; Minstrel; Noble; Sailor; Warrior; Wizard. Typical Traits: Athlete; Carouser; Forthright; Gift of Battle; Hard to Kill; Ironhanded; Seaborn; Spell resistant; Vital; Weaponfriend. Typical Flaws: Addicted to X; Apostate; Foreign; Honest to a Fault; Rude; Seabound.
Gnolls (8 hp): wolves who walk on two paws or run on four. They can wield tools with their forepaws. They speak only in wolf noises, which some humans and gnomes have learned to speak. Clothing: none (except for tool harnesses). Shelter: caves or wooden lean-tos. Food and drink: fresh meat, greens, and root vegetables, water, milk. Typical Careers: Hunter; Warrior. Typical Traits: Athlete; Hard to Kill; Ironhanded; Keen sense; Nose for magic; Spell resistant; Vital. Typical Flaws: Apostate; Fear of Gnomes; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Rude.
Valley Kingdoms (6 hp): technologically and culturally a bit behind the Three Kingdoms, these folk live in clans that they call kingdoms, in the steep-sided forest valleys of the northern parts. They subsist by farming and hunting. Clothing: rough woolen tunics and trousers and cloaks, leather vests and belts and boots; earth and forest colors. Shelter: wooden cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, nuts, berries, river fish, rabbit, squirrel, venison; mead and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Dancer; Druid; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Warrior. Typical Traits: Artistry; Athlete; Forestborn; Silvertongued; Vital. Typical Flaws: Deceptive; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Forestbound; Illiterate; Impoverished.
Ayoo Tun'I (6 hp): they live in yurts, herd reindeer, and roam the snowy scrublands in search of food. Clothing: hide and fur gowns and cloaks, sandals, undyed. Shelter: yurts. Food and Drink: reindeer, wild herbs, berries; kvass. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Druid; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Warrior. Typical Traits: Artistry; Athlete; Beastfriend; Escapist; Evasive; Immunity; Keen sense; Nose for magic; Sneaky; Spell resistant; Slingfriend; Spearfriend; Tundraborn. Typical Flaws: Addicted to alcohol; Apostate; Deceptive; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Impoverished; Rude; Tundrabound.
Children of Twelve (5 hp): they live in agrarian towns centered on communal religious structures where Druids reign. Clothing: linen tunics and trousers, leather belts and cloaks and boots; pastels. Shelter: stone cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, chicken, beef, fruits; wine and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Dancer; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Warrior; Wizard. Typical Traits: Alert; Artistry; Athlete; Carouser; Drunken Master; Hard to Kill; Immunity; Ironhanded; Poison resistance; Vital. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Addicted to X; Apostate; Dull sense; Fear of gnomes; Foreign; Honest to a fault; Rude.
Dharta (6 hp): a very different, highly urbanized civilization in a semitropical climate, where gnomes are essentially unknown. Ruled by a Wizard caste served by Nobles and Soldiers. Clothing: cotton gowns and cloaks, silk belts and leather sandals; bright colors. Shelter: brick and wooden tenements and mansions. Food and Drink: vegetable, chicken, or mutton vindaloo, masala, cheese; wine and rum. Typical Careers: Artist; Crafter; Criminal; Dancer; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Laborer; Mercenary; Merchant; Minstrel; Noble; Physician/Surgeon/Dentist; Sailor; Scholar; Scoundrel; Soldier; Vagabond; Wizard. Typical Traits: Artistry; Attractive; Alert; Cityborn; Deft; Escapist; Forthright; Insight; Learned; Nose for Magic; Wealthy. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Addicted to X; Apostate; Citybound; Foreign.
Riversend (6 hp): in some ways, the edge of the world; the sketchy and rough-edged port where the Three Kingdoms meet Dharta, the Westlings, and the mysterious Traders. Clothing: multicultural. Shelter: wooden. Food and Drink: fish, fruit, vegetables; wine. Typical Careers: Barbarian; Crafter; Criminal; Dancer; Fisher; Laborer; Mercenary; Merchant; Minstrel; Priest; Sailor; Scoundrel; Vagabond. Typical Traits: Artistry; Alert; Carouser; Contacts; Drunken Master; Escapist; Evasive; Insight; Keen sense; Seaborn; Sneaky; Wealthy. Typical Flaws: Addicted to X; Deceptive; Disqualified; Enemy; Fear of Foreigners; Hunted; Impoverished; Maimed; Proscribed.
Redwater / The Kylnni (6 hp): habitants of jungle villages, they combine farming with hunting and gathering. Known for their skilled hunters and fierce warriors. Clothing: skins and bare feet; undyed. Shelter: mud and reed huts. Food and Drink: monkey, capybara, iguana, alligator, jungle fruits; kava. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Druid; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Vagabond; Warrior. Typical Traits: Artistry; Athlete; Beastfriend; Bowfriend; Forthright; Immunity; Jungleborn; Keen sense; Nose for magic; Poison resistant; Spearfriend. Typical Flaws: Addicted to alcohol; Apostate; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Honest to a Fault; Impoverished; Junglebound; Rude.
Vertland (6 hp): the most peaceable part of Thran. Clothing: linen tunics and trousers, leather belts and cloaks and boots; bright colors. Shelter: stone cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, chicken, beef, fruits; wine and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Constable; Crafter; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Laborer; Merchant; Minstrel; Noble; Priest; Scoundrel; Soldier; Vagabond. Typical Traits: Artistry; Farmborn; Forthright; Insight; Keen sense; Silvertongued; Saddleborn. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Farmbound; Fear of Wizards; Honest to a Fault; Illiterate; Impoverished.
Fauchard / The Stahlmen (7 hp): a region of fine workmanship, strict discipline, hard labor, and totalitarianism. Clothing: woolen tunics and trousers and cloaks, leather belts and vests and boots; undyed. Shelter: stone cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, chicken, mutton, beef; beer and whiskey. Typical Careers: Constable; Crafter; Executioner; Farmer; Hunter; Jailer; Laborer; Mercenary; Merchant; Noble; Priest; Scoundrel; Soldier. Typical Traits: Alert; Athlete; Contacts; Gift of Battle; Hard to Kill; Ironhanded; Keen sense; Mountainsborn; Spell resistant; Vital; Weaponfriend. Typical Flaws: Addicted to X; Enemy; Fear of Wizards; Mountainsbound; Proscribed.
The Twin Cities (6 hp): cosmopolitan center of intrigue, commerce, religion, and learning. Shelter: brick or wooden tenements, stone mansions. Typical Careers, Traits, and Flaws: any.
Gnomes (4 hp): found throughout the Three Kingdoms. Small, mysterious, somewhat reclusive, and always influential. Clothing: linen gowns and silk vests and cloaks; leather boots. Shelter: local. Food and Drink: vegetables, chicken, fruits, cheese; wine. Typical Careers: Artist; Crafter; Merchant; Minstrel; Physician/Surgeon/Dentist; Priest; Scholar; Wizard. Typical Traits: Artistry; Cityborn; Contacts; Deft; Evasive; Forthright; Immunity; Insight; Learned; Nose for magic; Silvertongued; Spell resistant; Wealthy. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Addicted to X; Citybound; Deceptive; Disqualified; Dull sense; Enemy; Fragile; Sensitive.
Heroes of Thran - Family Trades
A hero's family Trade defines the hero's history - how they were raised and what they have done. Different Heritages interpret each trade differently, and not all origins inculcate identical careers. Your family Trade usually grants you an advantage for relevant tasks.
d333 Trades:
Artist: making beautiful objects that aren't very useful; being pompous about Art; preserving a mystique of creativity; acting crazy and dramatic about their life's purpose and their relationships.
Assassin / Spy: sneaking around unobserved; not being remembered; gathering information by talking to people and watching people; killing a target quickly; getting away inconspicuously.
Barbarian: coming from an uncivilized place; knowing how to survive in the wilderness; being susceptible to intoxicants; ignoring proper city manners; eating hungrily; fighting fiercely.
Crafter (e.g., Baker, Brewer, Carpenter, Chandler, Mason, Smith, or Vintner): making and repairing a particular type of utilitarian object, structure, or provender; bargaining with customers and suppliers; running a business; maintaining tools of the trade.
Constable: steady and authoritative; patrolling to prevent crime; helping to find lost animals, children, and objects; investigating crimes; arresting people; enforcing the judgments of priests and nobles; using weapons.
Criminal: having no scruples; taking what you want from anyone; obviating barriers to access; evading capture or consequences; taking a beating; keeping your mouth shut; finding out what others want to hide.
Dancer or Tumbler: supple and athletic, performing to please others; taking pride in one's skills; rehearsing obsessively; promoting oneself and one's comrades; inspiring emotion in an audience.
Druid: worshipping the Moon or Sun or both; invoking Arcane Power to benefit others; opposing or ignoring the established gnomish Church.
Executioner / Torturer: grim and cruel; finding dark delight inflicting pain; carrying out the sentence.
Farmer: tilling the earth; planting the seed; tending the crop; harvesting produce; knowing the proper seasons; caring for livestock; slaughtering livestock; bargaining in markets; maintaining tools of the trade.
Fisher: finding the right place and time to set a line or drag a net; knowing how to wait; drinking; preparing and cooking fish; bargaining in markets; boating; making and mending nets, poles, baskets, and fish-spears.
Hunter: living in harsh conditions; tracking in tough terrain; pursuing prey without rest; taming and commanding animals; making, mending, and using spears and bows.
Jailer: being brutal and repressive; disdaining convicts; being self-important; knowing where the keys are; taking bribes for favors and leniency.
Laborer: doing the dirty jobs reliably; surviving dirt poor; doing what you're told; finding the laziest way to get it done; keeping good humor in tough times.
Mercenary: selling one's sword; changing allegiance according to fortune; killing effectively; looting and pillaging; carousing; expediently running away.
Merchant: transporting, buying, and selling the goods of craftsman and farmers; navigating by starlight; conveying payment from customers to suppliers; tending to draft animals; packing and supervising repairs to carts and boats; maintaining a market or shop; lending and borrowing money; haggling.
Minstrel: knowing and loving an instrument; having a beautiful voice; memorizing and recalling all sorts of verses and melodies; performing to please an audience; inspiring emotions in an audience; promoting oneself and one's comrades.
Noble: being important and wealthy; giving orders to servants; managing funds and property; spending lavishly; knowing one's manners for different occasions; having influential friends and enemies; conspiring and gossiping.
Physician / Surgeon / Dentist: being clever and wise; identifying and treating illnesses and injuries.
Priest: serving and exploiting the hierarchy of the gnomish Church; worshipping the Moon or Sun; invoking Arcane Power to benefit the Church.
Sailor: following and giving orders; maintaining, operating, and repairing ships and boats; navigating by sun, moon, and stars; reading wind and tide and water for safe passage; getting winesick, not seasick; bargaining for pay and passage; knowing the safer places in the dock dives.
Scholar: knowing the answers; knowing where to find the answers you don't already know; being reclusive; philosophizing; traveling great distances in search of answers; explaining things as if your audience is stupid; explaining things as if your audience knows way more than they really do.
Scoundrel / Temptress: seducing people; being generally manipulative; getting loans that turn into gifts; getting what you want by any means; leaving a swath of disappointment and turmoil.
Soldier: following and giving orders; marching long distances; standing watch; packing and camping efficiently; carousing; killing people.
Vagabond: hitting the road again; living rough; foraging for food and shelter in any condition; begging effectively; frightening people; scraping by somehow.
Warrior: menacing people; injuring others with body or weapons; exhibiting valor; feasting; obsessively practicing attacks and defenses.
Wizard: serving or evading the Church; commanding spirits of the Moon or the Sun; being mysterious and scary; researching secret names of spirits.
Heroes of Thran - Traits and Flaws
Most Traits grant an advantage for a specific type of task in a specific situation (test 3d6 instead of 2d6). Most Flaws give the DM license to impose a condition on your character if you fail a Save in a relevant situation. Your hero starts with four Traits, one of which must be typical for their Heritage, as well as one Flaw which should be typical for their Heritage.
d66 Traits:
1
Alert - gain advantage to initiative rolls.
Armored - gain advantage to Attack when wearing more armor than your opponent.
Artistry - gain advantage to rolls for a specific artform, whether that be painting, sculpture, gemcraft, music, or dance.
Athletic - gain 1 hit point, and advantage to all forms of (non-combat) physical exertion.
Attractive - gain advantage to rolls when looks matter.
Beastfriend - gain advantage when interacting with animals.
2 Blindsight - suffer no penalties to actions taken in darkness (including combat).
Brawler - when fighting Unarmed, you Evade with 2d6 instead of 1d6.
Carouser - gain advantage to social tasks when drink is flowing.
Clever - gain advantage to figure things out. In combat, you can test 1d6 to make Focus a free action; on a failure, it counts as one of your actions.
Contacts (Trade) - beyond just knowing the relevant skills and business practices and who's important or influential in the chosen career, your hero is on good terms with some of those people and can call in favors. Gain advantage when interacting with NPCs who have that Trade.
Courtesy - gain advantage to social tasks in polite environments.
3
Deft - gain advantage for sleight of hand, pick pocketing, lock picking, juggling, fine craftwork, etc.
Drunken Master - gain advantage to a specific type of task rolls when intoxicated.
Escapist - nothing holds you for long; gain advantage to get out of difficult situations.
Evasive - you always test 1d6 to avert injury from successful attacks.
Forthright - you speak your mind plainly, and people trust you for it; gain advantage on any effort to convince someone of your point of view.
Hard to Kill - you make death Saves with advantage.
4 Immunity - you are immune to all diseases, even magical maladies.
Insight - gain advantage to detect falsehood.
Ironhanded - you have mastered unarmed combat.
Keen sense - gain advantage when using that sense (even passively); alternatively, an NPC trying to deceive that sense is at a disadvantage.
Learned - gain advantage to remember oddly relevant facts or decipher writings.
Moontouched - while the Moon is in the sky you may cast lunar magics by testing 2d6 until you fail a test; then you must wait until the next Moonrise before you can cast again.
5 Nose for magic - you are aware when magic happens, or has happened, nearby.
Poison resistance - gain advantage to resist intoxication or other poisoning.
Saddleborn - gain advantage to tasks involving riding beasts (other than fighting).
Shield-trained - while bearing a shield, always test 2d6 for Evade.
Silvertongued - gain advantage when trying to deceive.
Sneaky - gain advantage for stealthy actions.
6 Spell resistant – gain advantage to Save against a spell effect.
Suntouched - while the Sun is in the sky you may cast solar magics by testing 2d6 until you fail a test; then you must wait until the next Sunrise before you can cast again.
(Terrain)born - gain advantage to rolls for survival, foraging, tracking, or social tasks in the given terrain; "city" is an acceptable terrain type.
Vital – gain 1 hit point. Injuries of less than 1/2 your maximum hit points are "just a scratch."
(Weapon)friend - you are proficient in this category of weapon, and have mastered one type of the category. For example, a swordfriend has mastered the greatsword.
Wealthy - when not adventuring, you have access to essentially limitless equipment and resources. This can be lost to NPC intrigues.
d36 Flaws:
1
Absent-minded - when you urgently need an important fact or item, make a Save to find out whether you forgot it.
Addicted to X - every day you do not use a supply of X, make a Save to resist your cravings; if you succumb, at a disadvantage on all rolls until you partake of X.
Apostate - formally despised by the Church of Moon and Sun, must make a Save to avoid confrontation when encountering a Priest.
Clumsy - always at a disadvantage on tasks requiring physical agility. In combat, you cannot Evade.
Deceptive - people just can't trust you; when a straight answer is needed, you're evasive and confusing; at a disadvantage on efforts to persuade.
Disqualified (Trade) - you have angered your colleagues by notoriously poor performance on a prestigious task; at a disadvantage on all social tasks related to that Trade.
2
Enemy (Trade) - you have angered a competitor who works to oppose your interests in a particular Trade.
Fear of X - in the presence of X, make a Save to avoid taking a disadvantage on all rolls until not in the presence of X.
Foolish - you are at a disadvantage for tasks requiring cleverness. In combat, you cannot Focus.
Foreign - unaccustomed to the mores of the Kingdoms, you must make a Save in order to avoid offending NPCs at the first encounter.
Fragile – lose 1 hit point and take disadvantage for (non-combat) tasks requiring physical exertion.
Honest to a Fault - you can't even utter white lies; at a disadvantage on any effort to mislead or even be tactful.
3
Hunted - you angered someone who has the resources to recruit minions who are on the lookout for you; each time you enter a new populated area, the DM secretly rolls one die and on a roll of 1, an agent of your nemesis has found you.
Illiterate - you cannot read, write, or practice a Trade that requires reading or writing.
Impoverished - you have difficulty purchasing things.
Proscribed - your name has been written in the Terminal Ledger of a Kingdom and you are subject to capture and execution; whenever you encounter an agent of the relevant Kingdom, make a Save to avoid attempts to enforce this fate.
Rude – you are at a disadvantage on social tasks.
(Terrain)bound - outside a particular terrain, you are at a disadvantage on survival, foraging, tracking, or social tasks. "City" is an acceptable terrain type.
Heroes of Thran - Weaponry
Not all heroes are proficient with weapons. Those who are friendly with the tools of death have mastered one particular type of friendly weapon. For example, a Swordfriend is proficient with all swords and may have mastered one of, e.g., shortswords, rapiers, or greatswords.
Categories of potential friends:
swords
axes (also incl. halberds)
clubs and maces
spears (also incl. staffs and other polearms)
daggers and darts
bows
slings
Most weapons are light, cause 1 point of damage per successful attack, are effective only at Close range, and take only one hand to wield (leaving the other hand free for a shield or torch). Some weapons are heavy, cause 2 points of damage, can be used Near (but not Close), and require two hands. All ranged weapons are light, can be used at Near or Far range, but are considered to require two hands. Unarmed attacks cause 1 point of damage at Close range only if the combatant is Ironhanded.
When using a heavy weapon in tight spaces, choose whether to cause only 1 point of damage or to roll at a disadvantage to make the big swing.
Once per round, a shield bearer may test 1d6 to avert a successful attack, even if they didn't Evade (see Combat rules, below). Once per round when they do Evade (or if they have the Evasive Trait), a shield bearer may test 2d6 (instead of just 1d6) to avert a successful attack. Note how this interacts with the multiple success / multiple damage rule below.
Generally, someone with more armor has an advantage over someone with less armor and an equal weapon.
Combat
Two actions per round: Move, Evade, Focus, Attack, or Magic. Roll initiative each round when declaring your actions. Act once in descending order of initiative, then act again in descending order of initiative.
For an Attack, you deal damage for each success in the roll, i.e. 3x(5 or 6) means that you deal triple damage for your weapon. Applies to opponents as well, though usually they aren't masters of their weapons.
For Magic, after Focusing you test 2d6. If you succeed the spell takes effect (subject to any Save by the target) and you can use Magic again today. If you fail, the spell doesnÂ’t happen and you cannot use Magic again until the next rising of the relevant celestial body.
Damage less than 1/3 your hit points is "just a scratch" and goes away before next combat. Any worse injury heals after a full rest.
Magic: Powers of the Moon and Sun
Thran has a unique magic system that is neither strictly "arcane" nor "divine" in D&D terms. Instead, all the magic of the Three Kingdoms descends from the counterbalancing powers of the Moon and Sun.
The Moon is a mostly good-natured trickster who transforms himself each night and leaves the world in darkness once a month. His power transmutes, conceals, restores, amuses. He is the patron of researchers, physicians, entertainers, artists, hunters, fishers, sailors, and lawyers. His domains include, for example, love and sex, illness and recovery, pharmacy, deception, seduction and persuasion, natural death, creativity and madness, knowledge, bodies of earth and water, animals, and the undead.
The Sun is straightforward, reliable, always the same, always on the verge of anger. Her power illumines, reveals, coaxes growth and gives life, but sometimes wreaks havoc. She is the patron of craftworkers, soldiers and nobility, farmers, laborers, and merchants. Her domains include, for example, plants, birth, hard truths, surgery and healing, dentistry, warfare and executions, growth, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, commerce, bodies of air and fire, and all skilled trades.
Priests, Druids, or Wizards go by different names and have different societal roles and strictures, but all access the power of the Moon, the Sun, or both (depending how they are Touched) in the same ways. In game terms, define a spell consistent with the power of the Moon or Sun, Focus, then test 2d6 to see whether the intended spell takes effect. A target of a spell may Save to avoid its effects. Once you fail the test for a spell, you cannot cast any more spells until the next rising of the relevant celestial body. If you fail on doubles, the GM imposes an unfortunate condition related to the spell you attempted.
Priests are accepted as members of the religious and political structures that dominate the Three Kingdoms. Priests always are gnomes. They must have the Learned trait.
Druids are outlaw Priests, always human. They must have the Apostate flaw.
Wizards may be gnomes or humans. If they are Suntouched they must be Honest to a Fault or Forthright. If they are Moontouched, they must be Deceptive or Silvertongued.
This day in the Three Kingdoms of Thran will lead to many others filled with conflict and opportunity as Bryce's two surviving half-siblings vie with his vassals for control of Fauchard, the kingdom he left bereft.
Where will you stand?
Basic Rules: Tiny Dungeon
This is a setting document for use with the Tiny Dungeons rules. Those rules can be summarized like this:
When you want to do something, or avoid danger, roll some six sided dice (d6).
To do something, usually roll 2d6, but if you are at an advantage roll 3d6 or if you are at a disadvantage roll 1d6. Usually, any 5 or 6 counts as a success. When making an Attack in combat, any 4-6 counts as a success if you have previously Focused.
When things go really wrong, roll 2d6 (this is a Save Test). Any 5 or 6 counts as a success and averts disaster.
Setting: Rich Burlew, Order of the Stick, and Thran
Rich Burlew is a game designer and webcomic creator who is writing this very lengthy thing called Order of the Stick. It's up at giantitp.com. About 1200 pages of comic, starting off with old school rpg humor like used to be seen in Dragon, then tending more toward serious character and plot developments. Much like many old school campaigns ...
Along the way he noodled around with some setting design ideas (https://web.archive.org/web/20200216152147/giantitp.com/Gaming.html) (under "The World" at the linked page). Those are "Thran." They're the basis for what follows here, and should be read by anyone interested in playing a game in Mr. Burlew's sketched out world.
Also good to read: the thread for a previous game (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?594783-Defenestration-of-King-Bryce-(Risus)) in this setting, using different rules. It will give you an idea of some events immediately preceding the open of play in the game I propose.
Heroes of Thran - Cultural Heritages
Thran offers many cultures, including several different human heritages as well as the relatively homogeneous gnomes. Starting from the extreme northwest, and spiraling clockwise inward to the twin cities of Moontower and Sun Citadel, potential heritages include:
Westlings (northwestern islands);
Gnolls (tundra beyond the north mountains);
the Valley Kingdoms (valleys south of the north mountains);
Ayoo Tun'I (snowy scrubland east of the Valley Kingdoms);
the Children of Twelve (plains and forests south of scrubland);
Dharta (subtropical subcontinent beyond the eastern mountains);
Riversend (port city southwest of the jungles);
Redwater / the Kylnni (jungles west of the Twin Cities);
Vertland (fertile plains and hills northeast of the Twin Cities);
Fauchard / the Stahlmen (hills and mountains east of the Twin Cities);
the Twin Cities;
Gnomes.
Westlings (7 hp): the stereotypical big bearded sea-wise raiders. Clothing: rough woolen tunics and trousers and cloaks, leather vests and belts and boots; bright colors. Shelter: wooden longhouses or turf cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, salt fish, mutton; beer and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Crafter; Druid; Entertainer; Farmer; Hunter; Minstrel; Noble; Sailor; Warrior; Wizard. Typical Traits: Athlete; Carouser; Forthright; Gift of Battle; Hard to Kill; Ironhanded; Seaborn; Spell resistant; Vital; Weaponfriend. Typical Flaws: Addicted to X; Apostate; Foreign; Honest to a Fault; Rude; Seabound.
Gnolls (8 hp): wolves who walk on two paws or run on four. They can wield tools with their forepaws. They speak only in wolf noises, which some humans and gnomes have learned to speak. Clothing: none (except for tool harnesses). Shelter: caves or wooden lean-tos. Food and drink: fresh meat, greens, and root vegetables, water, milk. Typical Careers: Hunter; Warrior. Typical Traits: Athlete; Hard to Kill; Ironhanded; Keen sense; Nose for magic; Spell resistant; Vital. Typical Flaws: Apostate; Fear of Gnomes; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Rude.
Valley Kingdoms (6 hp): technologically and culturally a bit behind the Three Kingdoms, these folk live in clans that they call kingdoms, in the steep-sided forest valleys of the northern parts. They subsist by farming and hunting. Clothing: rough woolen tunics and trousers and cloaks, leather vests and belts and boots; earth and forest colors. Shelter: wooden cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, nuts, berries, river fish, rabbit, squirrel, venison; mead and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Dancer; Druid; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Warrior. Typical Traits: Artistry; Athlete; Forestborn; Silvertongued; Vital. Typical Flaws: Deceptive; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Forestbound; Illiterate; Impoverished.
Ayoo Tun'I (6 hp): they live in yurts, herd reindeer, and roam the snowy scrublands in search of food. Clothing: hide and fur gowns and cloaks, sandals, undyed. Shelter: yurts. Food and Drink: reindeer, wild herbs, berries; kvass. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Druid; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Warrior. Typical Traits: Artistry; Athlete; Beastfriend; Escapist; Evasive; Immunity; Keen sense; Nose for magic; Sneaky; Spell resistant; Slingfriend; Spearfriend; Tundraborn. Typical Flaws: Addicted to alcohol; Apostate; Deceptive; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Impoverished; Rude; Tundrabound.
Children of Twelve (5 hp): they live in agrarian towns centered on communal religious structures where Druids reign. Clothing: linen tunics and trousers, leather belts and cloaks and boots; pastels. Shelter: stone cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, chicken, beef, fruits; wine and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Dancer; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Warrior; Wizard. Typical Traits: Alert; Artistry; Athlete; Carouser; Drunken Master; Hard to Kill; Immunity; Ironhanded; Poison resistance; Vital. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Addicted to X; Apostate; Dull sense; Fear of gnomes; Foreign; Honest to a fault; Rude.
Dharta (6 hp): a very different, highly urbanized civilization in a semitropical climate, where gnomes are essentially unknown. Ruled by a Wizard caste served by Nobles and Soldiers. Clothing: cotton gowns and cloaks, silk belts and leather sandals; bright colors. Shelter: brick and wooden tenements and mansions. Food and Drink: vegetable, chicken, or mutton vindaloo, masala, cheese; wine and rum. Typical Careers: Artist; Crafter; Criminal; Dancer; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Laborer; Mercenary; Merchant; Minstrel; Noble; Physician/Surgeon/Dentist; Sailor; Scholar; Scoundrel; Soldier; Vagabond; Wizard. Typical Traits: Artistry; Attractive; Alert; Cityborn; Deft; Escapist; Forthright; Insight; Learned; Nose for Magic; Wealthy. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Addicted to X; Apostate; Citybound; Foreign.
Riversend (6 hp): in some ways, the edge of the world; the sketchy and rough-edged port where the Three Kingdoms meet Dharta, the Westlings, and the mysterious Traders. Clothing: multicultural. Shelter: wooden. Food and Drink: fish, fruit, vegetables; wine. Typical Careers: Barbarian; Crafter; Criminal; Dancer; Fisher; Laborer; Mercenary; Merchant; Minstrel; Priest; Sailor; Scoundrel; Vagabond. Typical Traits: Artistry; Alert; Carouser; Contacts; Drunken Master; Escapist; Evasive; Insight; Keen sense; Seaborn; Sneaky; Wealthy. Typical Flaws: Addicted to X; Deceptive; Disqualified; Enemy; Fear of Foreigners; Hunted; Impoverished; Maimed; Proscribed.
Redwater / The Kylnni (6 hp): habitants of jungle villages, they combine farming with hunting and gathering. Known for their skilled hunters and fierce warriors. Clothing: skins and bare feet; undyed. Shelter: mud and reed huts. Food and Drink: monkey, capybara, iguana, alligator, jungle fruits; kava. Typical Careers: Artist; Barbarian; Crafter; Druid; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Minstrel; Vagabond; Warrior. Typical Traits: Artistry; Athlete; Beastfriend; Bowfriend; Forthright; Immunity; Jungleborn; Keen sense; Nose for magic; Poison resistant; Spearfriend. Typical Flaws: Addicted to alcohol; Apostate; Fear of Wizards; Foreign; Honest to a Fault; Impoverished; Junglebound; Rude.
Vertland (6 hp): the most peaceable part of Thran. Clothing: linen tunics and trousers, leather belts and cloaks and boots; bright colors. Shelter: stone cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, chicken, beef, fruits; wine and milk. Typical Careers: Artist; Constable; Crafter; Farmer; Fisher; Hunter; Laborer; Merchant; Minstrel; Noble; Priest; Scoundrel; Soldier; Vagabond. Typical Traits: Artistry; Farmborn; Forthright; Insight; Keen sense; Silvertongued; Saddleborn. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Farmbound; Fear of Wizards; Honest to a Fault; Illiterate; Impoverished.
Fauchard / The Stahlmen (7 hp): a region of fine workmanship, strict discipline, hard labor, and totalitarianism. Clothing: woolen tunics and trousers and cloaks, leather belts and vests and boots; undyed. Shelter: stone cottages. Food and Drink: bread, root vegetables, chicken, mutton, beef; beer and whiskey. Typical Careers: Constable; Crafter; Executioner; Farmer; Hunter; Jailer; Laborer; Mercenary; Merchant; Noble; Priest; Scoundrel; Soldier. Typical Traits: Alert; Athlete; Contacts; Gift of Battle; Hard to Kill; Ironhanded; Keen sense; Mountainsborn; Spell resistant; Vital; Weaponfriend. Typical Flaws: Addicted to X; Enemy; Fear of Wizards; Mountainsbound; Proscribed.
The Twin Cities (6 hp): cosmopolitan center of intrigue, commerce, religion, and learning. Shelter: brick or wooden tenements, stone mansions. Typical Careers, Traits, and Flaws: any.
Gnomes (4 hp): found throughout the Three Kingdoms. Small, mysterious, somewhat reclusive, and always influential. Clothing: linen gowns and silk vests and cloaks; leather boots. Shelter: local. Food and Drink: vegetables, chicken, fruits, cheese; wine. Typical Careers: Artist; Crafter; Merchant; Minstrel; Physician/Surgeon/Dentist; Priest; Scholar; Wizard. Typical Traits: Artistry; Cityborn; Contacts; Deft; Evasive; Forthright; Immunity; Insight; Learned; Nose for magic; Silvertongued; Spell resistant; Wealthy. Typical Flaws: Absent-minded; Addicted to X; Citybound; Deceptive; Disqualified; Dull sense; Enemy; Fragile; Sensitive.
Heroes of Thran - Family Trades
A hero's family Trade defines the hero's history - how they were raised and what they have done. Different Heritages interpret each trade differently, and not all origins inculcate identical careers. Your family Trade usually grants you an advantage for relevant tasks.
d333 Trades:
Artist: making beautiful objects that aren't very useful; being pompous about Art; preserving a mystique of creativity; acting crazy and dramatic about their life's purpose and their relationships.
Assassin / Spy: sneaking around unobserved; not being remembered; gathering information by talking to people and watching people; killing a target quickly; getting away inconspicuously.
Barbarian: coming from an uncivilized place; knowing how to survive in the wilderness; being susceptible to intoxicants; ignoring proper city manners; eating hungrily; fighting fiercely.
Crafter (e.g., Baker, Brewer, Carpenter, Chandler, Mason, Smith, or Vintner): making and repairing a particular type of utilitarian object, structure, or provender; bargaining with customers and suppliers; running a business; maintaining tools of the trade.
Constable: steady and authoritative; patrolling to prevent crime; helping to find lost animals, children, and objects; investigating crimes; arresting people; enforcing the judgments of priests and nobles; using weapons.
Criminal: having no scruples; taking what you want from anyone; obviating barriers to access; evading capture or consequences; taking a beating; keeping your mouth shut; finding out what others want to hide.
Dancer or Tumbler: supple and athletic, performing to please others; taking pride in one's skills; rehearsing obsessively; promoting oneself and one's comrades; inspiring emotion in an audience.
Druid: worshipping the Moon or Sun or both; invoking Arcane Power to benefit others; opposing or ignoring the established gnomish Church.
Executioner / Torturer: grim and cruel; finding dark delight inflicting pain; carrying out the sentence.
Farmer: tilling the earth; planting the seed; tending the crop; harvesting produce; knowing the proper seasons; caring for livestock; slaughtering livestock; bargaining in markets; maintaining tools of the trade.
Fisher: finding the right place and time to set a line or drag a net; knowing how to wait; drinking; preparing and cooking fish; bargaining in markets; boating; making and mending nets, poles, baskets, and fish-spears.
Hunter: living in harsh conditions; tracking in tough terrain; pursuing prey without rest; taming and commanding animals; making, mending, and using spears and bows.
Jailer: being brutal and repressive; disdaining convicts; being self-important; knowing where the keys are; taking bribes for favors and leniency.
Laborer: doing the dirty jobs reliably; surviving dirt poor; doing what you're told; finding the laziest way to get it done; keeping good humor in tough times.
Mercenary: selling one's sword; changing allegiance according to fortune; killing effectively; looting and pillaging; carousing; expediently running away.
Merchant: transporting, buying, and selling the goods of craftsman and farmers; navigating by starlight; conveying payment from customers to suppliers; tending to draft animals; packing and supervising repairs to carts and boats; maintaining a market or shop; lending and borrowing money; haggling.
Minstrel: knowing and loving an instrument; having a beautiful voice; memorizing and recalling all sorts of verses and melodies; performing to please an audience; inspiring emotions in an audience; promoting oneself and one's comrades.
Noble: being important and wealthy; giving orders to servants; managing funds and property; spending lavishly; knowing one's manners for different occasions; having influential friends and enemies; conspiring and gossiping.
Physician / Surgeon / Dentist: being clever and wise; identifying and treating illnesses and injuries.
Priest: serving and exploiting the hierarchy of the gnomish Church; worshipping the Moon or Sun; invoking Arcane Power to benefit the Church.
Sailor: following and giving orders; maintaining, operating, and repairing ships and boats; navigating by sun, moon, and stars; reading wind and tide and water for safe passage; getting winesick, not seasick; bargaining for pay and passage; knowing the safer places in the dock dives.
Scholar: knowing the answers; knowing where to find the answers you don't already know; being reclusive; philosophizing; traveling great distances in search of answers; explaining things as if your audience is stupid; explaining things as if your audience knows way more than they really do.
Scoundrel / Temptress: seducing people; being generally manipulative; getting loans that turn into gifts; getting what you want by any means; leaving a swath of disappointment and turmoil.
Soldier: following and giving orders; marching long distances; standing watch; packing and camping efficiently; carousing; killing people.
Vagabond: hitting the road again; living rough; foraging for food and shelter in any condition; begging effectively; frightening people; scraping by somehow.
Warrior: menacing people; injuring others with body or weapons; exhibiting valor; feasting; obsessively practicing attacks and defenses.
Wizard: serving or evading the Church; commanding spirits of the Moon or the Sun; being mysterious and scary; researching secret names of spirits.
Heroes of Thran - Traits and Flaws
Most Traits grant an advantage for a specific type of task in a specific situation (test 3d6 instead of 2d6). Most Flaws give the DM license to impose a condition on your character if you fail a Save in a relevant situation. Your hero starts with four Traits, one of which must be typical for their Heritage, as well as one Flaw which should be typical for their Heritage.
d66 Traits:
1
Alert - gain advantage to initiative rolls.
Armored - gain advantage to Attack when wearing more armor than your opponent.
Artistry - gain advantage to rolls for a specific artform, whether that be painting, sculpture, gemcraft, music, or dance.
Athletic - gain 1 hit point, and advantage to all forms of (non-combat) physical exertion.
Attractive - gain advantage to rolls when looks matter.
Beastfriend - gain advantage when interacting with animals.
2 Blindsight - suffer no penalties to actions taken in darkness (including combat).
Brawler - when fighting Unarmed, you Evade with 2d6 instead of 1d6.
Carouser - gain advantage to social tasks when drink is flowing.
Clever - gain advantage to figure things out. In combat, you can test 1d6 to make Focus a free action; on a failure, it counts as one of your actions.
Contacts (Trade) - beyond just knowing the relevant skills and business practices and who's important or influential in the chosen career, your hero is on good terms with some of those people and can call in favors. Gain advantage when interacting with NPCs who have that Trade.
Courtesy - gain advantage to social tasks in polite environments.
3
Deft - gain advantage for sleight of hand, pick pocketing, lock picking, juggling, fine craftwork, etc.
Drunken Master - gain advantage to a specific type of task rolls when intoxicated.
Escapist - nothing holds you for long; gain advantage to get out of difficult situations.
Evasive - you always test 1d6 to avert injury from successful attacks.
Forthright - you speak your mind plainly, and people trust you for it; gain advantage on any effort to convince someone of your point of view.
Hard to Kill - you make death Saves with advantage.
4 Immunity - you are immune to all diseases, even magical maladies.
Insight - gain advantage to detect falsehood.
Ironhanded - you have mastered unarmed combat.
Keen sense - gain advantage when using that sense (even passively); alternatively, an NPC trying to deceive that sense is at a disadvantage.
Learned - gain advantage to remember oddly relevant facts or decipher writings.
Moontouched - while the Moon is in the sky you may cast lunar magics by testing 2d6 until you fail a test; then you must wait until the next Moonrise before you can cast again.
5 Nose for magic - you are aware when magic happens, or has happened, nearby.
Poison resistance - gain advantage to resist intoxication or other poisoning.
Saddleborn - gain advantage to tasks involving riding beasts (other than fighting).
Shield-trained - while bearing a shield, always test 2d6 for Evade.
Silvertongued - gain advantage when trying to deceive.
Sneaky - gain advantage for stealthy actions.
6 Spell resistant – gain advantage to Save against a spell effect.
Suntouched - while the Sun is in the sky you may cast solar magics by testing 2d6 until you fail a test; then you must wait until the next Sunrise before you can cast again.
(Terrain)born - gain advantage to rolls for survival, foraging, tracking, or social tasks in the given terrain; "city" is an acceptable terrain type.
Vital – gain 1 hit point. Injuries of less than 1/2 your maximum hit points are "just a scratch."
(Weapon)friend - you are proficient in this category of weapon, and have mastered one type of the category. For example, a swordfriend has mastered the greatsword.
Wealthy - when not adventuring, you have access to essentially limitless equipment and resources. This can be lost to NPC intrigues.
d36 Flaws:
1
Absent-minded - when you urgently need an important fact or item, make a Save to find out whether you forgot it.
Addicted to X - every day you do not use a supply of X, make a Save to resist your cravings; if you succumb, at a disadvantage on all rolls until you partake of X.
Apostate - formally despised by the Church of Moon and Sun, must make a Save to avoid confrontation when encountering a Priest.
Clumsy - always at a disadvantage on tasks requiring physical agility. In combat, you cannot Evade.
Deceptive - people just can't trust you; when a straight answer is needed, you're evasive and confusing; at a disadvantage on efforts to persuade.
Disqualified (Trade) - you have angered your colleagues by notoriously poor performance on a prestigious task; at a disadvantage on all social tasks related to that Trade.
2
Enemy (Trade) - you have angered a competitor who works to oppose your interests in a particular Trade.
Fear of X - in the presence of X, make a Save to avoid taking a disadvantage on all rolls until not in the presence of X.
Foolish - you are at a disadvantage for tasks requiring cleverness. In combat, you cannot Focus.
Foreign - unaccustomed to the mores of the Kingdoms, you must make a Save in order to avoid offending NPCs at the first encounter.
Fragile – lose 1 hit point and take disadvantage for (non-combat) tasks requiring physical exertion.
Honest to a Fault - you can't even utter white lies; at a disadvantage on any effort to mislead or even be tactful.
3
Hunted - you angered someone who has the resources to recruit minions who are on the lookout for you; each time you enter a new populated area, the DM secretly rolls one die and on a roll of 1, an agent of your nemesis has found you.
Illiterate - you cannot read, write, or practice a Trade that requires reading or writing.
Impoverished - you have difficulty purchasing things.
Proscribed - your name has been written in the Terminal Ledger of a Kingdom and you are subject to capture and execution; whenever you encounter an agent of the relevant Kingdom, make a Save to avoid attempts to enforce this fate.
Rude – you are at a disadvantage on social tasks.
(Terrain)bound - outside a particular terrain, you are at a disadvantage on survival, foraging, tracking, or social tasks. "City" is an acceptable terrain type.
Heroes of Thran - Weaponry
Not all heroes are proficient with weapons. Those who are friendly with the tools of death have mastered one particular type of friendly weapon. For example, a Swordfriend is proficient with all swords and may have mastered one of, e.g., shortswords, rapiers, or greatswords.
Categories of potential friends:
swords
axes (also incl. halberds)
clubs and maces
spears (also incl. staffs and other polearms)
daggers and darts
bows
slings
Most weapons are light, cause 1 point of damage per successful attack, are effective only at Close range, and take only one hand to wield (leaving the other hand free for a shield or torch). Some weapons are heavy, cause 2 points of damage, can be used Near (but not Close), and require two hands. All ranged weapons are light, can be used at Near or Far range, but are considered to require two hands. Unarmed attacks cause 1 point of damage at Close range only if the combatant is Ironhanded.
When using a heavy weapon in tight spaces, choose whether to cause only 1 point of damage or to roll at a disadvantage to make the big swing.
Once per round, a shield bearer may test 1d6 to avert a successful attack, even if they didn't Evade (see Combat rules, below). Once per round when they do Evade (or if they have the Evasive Trait), a shield bearer may test 2d6 (instead of just 1d6) to avert a successful attack. Note how this interacts with the multiple success / multiple damage rule below.
Generally, someone with more armor has an advantage over someone with less armor and an equal weapon.
Combat
Two actions per round: Move, Evade, Focus, Attack, or Magic. Roll initiative each round when declaring your actions. Act once in descending order of initiative, then act again in descending order of initiative.
For an Attack, you deal damage for each success in the roll, i.e. 3x(5 or 6) means that you deal triple damage for your weapon. Applies to opponents as well, though usually they aren't masters of their weapons.
For Magic, after Focusing you test 2d6. If you succeed the spell takes effect (subject to any Save by the target) and you can use Magic again today. If you fail, the spell doesnÂ’t happen and you cannot use Magic again until the next rising of the relevant celestial body.
Damage less than 1/3 your hit points is "just a scratch" and goes away before next combat. Any worse injury heals after a full rest.
Magic: Powers of the Moon and Sun
Thran has a unique magic system that is neither strictly "arcane" nor "divine" in D&D terms. Instead, all the magic of the Three Kingdoms descends from the counterbalancing powers of the Moon and Sun.
The Moon is a mostly good-natured trickster who transforms himself each night and leaves the world in darkness once a month. His power transmutes, conceals, restores, amuses. He is the patron of researchers, physicians, entertainers, artists, hunters, fishers, sailors, and lawyers. His domains include, for example, love and sex, illness and recovery, pharmacy, deception, seduction and persuasion, natural death, creativity and madness, knowledge, bodies of earth and water, animals, and the undead.
The Sun is straightforward, reliable, always the same, always on the verge of anger. Her power illumines, reveals, coaxes growth and gives life, but sometimes wreaks havoc. She is the patron of craftworkers, soldiers and nobility, farmers, laborers, and merchants. Her domains include, for example, plants, birth, hard truths, surgery and healing, dentistry, warfare and executions, growth, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, commerce, bodies of air and fire, and all skilled trades.
Priests, Druids, or Wizards go by different names and have different societal roles and strictures, but all access the power of the Moon, the Sun, or both (depending how they are Touched) in the same ways. In game terms, define a spell consistent with the power of the Moon or Sun, Focus, then test 2d6 to see whether the intended spell takes effect. A target of a spell may Save to avoid its effects. Once you fail the test for a spell, you cannot cast any more spells until the next rising of the relevant celestial body. If you fail on doubles, the GM imposes an unfortunate condition related to the spell you attempted.
Priests are accepted as members of the religious and political structures that dominate the Three Kingdoms. Priests always are gnomes. They must have the Learned trait.
Druids are outlaw Priests, always human. They must have the Apostate flaw.
Wizards may be gnomes or humans. If they are Suntouched they must be Honest to a Fault or Forthright. If they are Moontouched, they must be Deceptive or Silvertongued.