ORKENZ for ICRPG

The setting

Cribbed most of it from Ezzerharden's world primer (thanks, man)!

 You are the orcs of rune and bone. You craft poetry from the call of the wolves, and you dance hearily by the roaring bonfire after a great battle. You know honor and love, fear and compassion, nobility and justice.

Many moons ago, they emerged from the waters. They came bearing STEEL, your greatest enemy. Their presence upset the cycles of life, and they seek to subjugate you, painting you as uncivilized, bellicose savages.

Recently, the Couatl’s Teeth, the slopes on which you live, have been roiling beneath your feet in anger. The council has decided to meet at the Hedge in three days time, and they call you, champions of champions, to make right to the meddling of the STEEL-bearers.

MAKING AN ORKENZ

Make a character as the Quickstart suggests in all ways save the following:

“Weapon effort” is now replaced with Tool Effort- when using the tech and weapons you’re used to. “Gun effort” is now replaced with Steel Effort- when using the tech of the imperialists.

Instead of a bio-form, choose a TRIBE (which grants STAT improvements and ABILITIES).

Goro Kahr- Grey-skinned hunters. +1 STR, +1 CON, smell emotion.

Jaka Kahr- Black-skinned domesticators. +1 INT, +1 WIS, animals automatically trust you.

Kara Kahr- Tan-skinned gatherers. +1 DEX, +1 WIS, find something convenient of your choice near you once a day.

Uru Kahr- Crimson-skinned prestidigitators. +1 WIS, +1 CHA, invoke your chosen element (example: fire, eagles, fingernails, textiles, acid) once a day.

Ili Kahr- Brown-skinned craftspeople. +1 DEX, +1 INT, rolls using jury-rigged equipment are never HARD.

To determine your starting Milestone, take your highest stat and your highest effort and consult the table below. You can choose what form the object the ability is tied to takes (e.g. a Forger might have a small chunk of an imperialist amulet on a chain). Other pieces of starting equipment as ALFHEIM, reflavored for indigenous levels of technology.

	BASIC	TOOLS	STEEL	MAGIC	ULTIMATE
S T R	BREAKER Deal ULTIMATE against objects.	SLAYER Roll ULTIMATE Effort on any TARGET you injured in the previous round.	FORGER Bend metal with your bare hands like putty.	INCENDIARY You can manifest elemental beams that deal Magic EFFORT	BEASTKIN Unarmed attacks do STEEL Effort.
D E X	ACROBAT TUMBLING comes second nature, they become EASY.	ASSASSIN Roll a 20 on any weapon attack, cause 1d20 damage.	SNIPER +2 with ranged weapons when you don’t move.	WINDSTEPPER You can move FAR on your action.	QUICK During any round, take your turn before anyone at the table.
C O N	SURVIVOR When DYING, you revive on a 18-20.	PUGILIST Instead of damage, STUN your opponent for one round.	GUARDIAN Absorb 1 attack to an ALLY within CLOSE.	AVATAR You can taste the lifeblood of the earth around you, sensing all living creatures FAR from you automatically.	FISHER Always have 1 FISH in your SUPPLIES.
I N T	TRACKER All TRACKING and HUNTING are EASY.	CRAFTSMAN Create WOOD or ANTLER implements with an INT roll.	IRON SCULPTOR Make inventions with a HEART of effort and sufficient metal.	RUNECALLER Deal a HEART of MAGIC EFFORT to scribe a magic rune, functions as a random INT spell	ALCHEMIST You always have poison on you, and rolls to make poultices and drugs are EASY.
W I S	TAMER You have an animal companion with one HEART and +2 to all rolls.	SCRIBE Once a day, draw runes on something to make it invincible. Make a HARD WIS roll if it’s alive	SCRAPPER Start with a random piece of WARP SHELL LOOT.	SPIRITCALLER Deal a HEART of MAGIC EFFORT to invoke an ancestral spirit	PACKER Get +WIS storage slots.
C H A	TOUCHED Aka Crazy, EASY attempts when lying.	MUSICIAN If you can make up a song about it, you know all there is to know on a subject.	SPY Interacting with imperialists is EASY.	HARUSPEX Speak to the dead (dead body required) on a DISADV INT roll.	SPEAKER TO TITANS Talk to anything living fluently.

Things break when you roll a 1.

The "One Book" Principle

     I begin this post with a claim: RPGs are an oral tradition. When you've got a group of total neophytes, you don't want to make them read through your ruleset of choice before the game like homework. You want to get them to the table and rolling dice and having fun as fast and without hassle as possible. Since the game is a conversation, why is the initial experience not structured like one?

     My second postulate, then, is that a book's purpose is to convey the rules in the absence of a teacher. The RPG book exists so that play can be had in a similar manner with a totally different group of people. Again, I think this is a fair claim. It gets dicey in terms of splatbooks full of character abilities, but I'll address those later.

     The third postulate is that RPGs should contain minimum unwanted hassle. Some hassle is wanted. For example, rolling a d20 and adding modifiers is a hassle. Rolling damage on a successful attack is a hassle. Having a list of equipment or spells is a hassle. All of these things are integral components of many games, necessary to make the gameplay engaging. But wherever corners can be cut and not diminish overall fun/desired aesthetic, I argue they should be.

     My fifth postulate, in summation, is thus: A good game system should only need one player at the table to have possessed and read one book and still have a good experience throughout. 5e fails miserably, ICRPG almost passes save character creation, Dungeon World is pretty damn good. When you design your RPG, think about someone trying to verbally walk an RPG neophyte through every process and procedure, including character creation, because that's usually how you'll be doing it.

Stealthposting because these are probably obvious to a lot of people, and not terribly interesting, but I wanted to put it out there so I can reference it later. Thanks for reading, and happy gaming.

GM Orthodoxies

 I'm on a blog-question-answering spree. Let's do this.

1. What's in the abandoned pantry? Mouldering bread, some fuzzy pickles in a revoltingly-colored jar, and a very large centipede.

2. Magister in the morning? He's still in bed with his husband. If the players were to wake him, he would draw the bedsheet around him and furiously point out that he has business hours in the coutrthouse, and the importance of following the gods-be-damned PROCEDURE for once instead of interrupting his home life.

3. Blue hair? I'd ask them why they want it, and work out a solution from there. Is it a motivation to emulate a pop culture character? A cry for individuality? Are they an artist who would find that fun to draw? Whatever the source of desire is, we can address it directly.

4. Description? When I describe things at the table, I tend to go for more "novel-esque" sensory detail in my description, leaving out some details to be discovered in play.. As the mid-afternoon sunlight filters through the verdant leaves, you see a vine-choked marble structure gleaming in front of you. The angular blocks imply dwarvish architecture, but the flowing dome and compact size show the structure to be a shrine. In the center, a small basin is filled with crystal clear water. Standing in front of the basin, wielding a massive golden spear, is a serpentine figure, flames curling off of its crimson scales. The salamander doesn't seem to have noticed you, what do you do?

5. "It's too tough"? If they need something in it, I remind them of their objective. "How badly do you want the Orb of Aggimoto?" Or some information they're forgetting. "Remember, you can get up to the balcony if you have a way to avoid the Ropecutter Hawks, and make your way around the basilisk den." If they're in the dungeon without a clear idea of purpose, I'd let them leave and explore other things. Usually my players don't back down- when you use the Timer Threat Treat method, you usually introduce enough variables into every combat for players to make sense of it all and triumph in the end.

6. Speak with Insects? In the moment, I defer to the player who wants to speak to the spider, because that sounds reasonable to me, and I'd rather reward them using their creative/roleplay abilities than hamper them with rules. I'd set the protester to look up the rule for next time to see what the book says, but I'd be willing to override it for the good of the table and that player's fun. Rules serve the game, not the other way around.

Try your hand at the Orthodoxies, and see what patterns emerge. Thanks for reading, and happy gaming.

Vayra Asks...

What class knows the most martial arts? Are they real martial arts like kung fu, or made up ones like krav maga? There are no classes, but the most common form of marital arts is the made-up bullshit of windstepping. On the upside, it involves surgically increasing lung capacity in order to literally blow oneself up into the air or knock enemies over with a sigh, so it's not boring as shit.

Can I start out having already made a deal with the devil or do I have to do that in game? Depends, but usually that happens in game, in your hour of greatest need. Do you want me to write an 8-page backstory? Can I write an 8-page backstory, if I want to? If I write something down in it like I'm the timelost princess of the brass city and the daughter of the sun and I commanded legions in the Hell War but was betrayed by my father's vizier but I don't know that, or that I'm elf conan and cooler than everyone else, will that be true? No, yes, and if you do all that I will comb through it and talk with you about every aspect so we can comb out what you think is coolest while making sure you don't force yourself into the spotlight and also fit into the world (but resent you for making me do that). All you need is a character with some sort of goal. If I eat someone's heart, will I gain their powers? What about their brain? Heart, not unless you're under the influence of a specific drug, brain succeeds more often than you would initially think, especially for those used to living underground. Apparently an unlit brain is one with easily-transferable knowledge. These classes are boring, can I be one from somewhere else? What about from a different system entirely? Once again, no classes, but we can certainly talk. If I make a sword, which one of us gets to name it? If it happened randomly, you. If it happened because I put it there, me. Am I allowed to kill the other player characters? What would I have to do to be allowed to? Do I win if I kill them all? Actually, how do I win in general? You can't kill another PC unless everyone at the table agrees that not only you can, but you should. You win by forcing me to end the session early because whatever you've just done requires more than a bathroom break to process and bounce back from, like using a nuke on an archangel or ripping a hole in reality. What language stands in for 'Common'? Or what are we all talking to each other in? Like the party, mostly, but also everyone else? You're just speaking English, because otherwise wordplay couldn't be diegetic. Plus, English is basically the Common of our world, and that statement (as well as the fact that this fantastical post-apocalypse worls speaks our language) has spicy implications.

How do I learn how to talk to rocks? No not once a day just, like, normally? Study under an earth elemental or mountain, huff a lot of chalk dust, and/or some people just know how to do it. Which kinds of wizards get to serve kings and live in towers and shit and which ones are run out of town or stoned to death in the streets? Can I be both? At the same time? The wizards who serve royalty are the equivalents of the people who graduate just to immediately start teaching, they have no practical experience and most of their advice is just made-up bullshit. If a wizard is covered in runes, shivering in an alley, injecting vibrant purple fluid into their feet, fear them, for they have plumbed the cosmos for all it has to offer.

d10 types of True Names

1 Polysiliballic fantasy nonsense chock full of apostrophes 

2 The one word that best describes your soul 

3 An intricate rune

4 The name of the person playing the character/NPC

5 A song

5.5 A limerick

6 A normal, modern name

7 Plug the race/class/name/species into Google translate, then put it through Russian, Japanese, Spanish, German, Swedish, and then finally back into a language of your choice

8 Choose a random word/name in the nearest book 

9 A number, the rank of your cosmic importance 

10 The letters you read when you close your eyes so tight the little white spots appear

HIRE ME TO MAKE YOU ART PLEASE

     So I'm doing art commissions! I've set up an instagram here with some examples of my art. I'm always happy try a new style or draw something a little bit out there, so please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you want something really gnarly.

PRICING GUIDE

As of now, I charge $10 an hour for my work. (I will keep this section up to date, and make a new blog post when/if my rates change) Here's what that looks like for you:

• A full-body stationary character costs 10, with each additional feature in the scene costing 5 more. Introducing action into the mix will up the price a little bit.
• A logo, a bust, or a small piece will typically cost around 5.
• A dungeon map is about a dollar per room, more if you want me to include tiny details within those rooms, bulk discounts apply.
• Landscapes and cities vary case-by case, but will cost you usually between 10 and 25, at the extremes.
• Something large and detailed enough to occupy half of a page inside of a standard book would cost you around 20, while something elaborate and cover-quality will cost around 30.
• I'll happily draw anything else you might need! If you can describe it, I will do my darndest to make it a reality for you.

    I'm happy to negotiate prices, especially if I'm personally passionate about the piece, you're on a budget, you're hiring me for a lot of work at once, or if I have a use your art for a project of mine. I'll always try and keep prices as low as they can possibly be for you! In addition, I'd be happy to barter. If you do layout work, want to make me art in your style, have a zine, have a way to advertise my services, or have some other good or service, that can be integrated into it. It's not about the money for me, I just like doing this, and whatever way I can facilitate you getting art in your hands I will.

 THE PROCESS

    I work on paper, with a pencil and pen. If you want me to work with color or with a different medium, I'm happy to take a stab at it, but it'll be a little bit more expensive because it's well out of my wheelhouse! But what that means for you is that when I get your request, I'll get back to you with any questions that I have, then get to my notebook. I'll take a picture when I have my pencil work done, and that's the prime time for you to get your feedback in. If I have questions throughout the penciling or inking process, I will be sure to reach out.

    When I've got a product I feel is ready for you, I'll charge you through Venmo, Paypal, or whatever works before I send it but while the piece is fully finished, just to have security. If you're unsatisfied with the product I present to you, I will happily work to make it to your satisfaction. Again, I'll keep it reasonable as I can, and persistently communicate with you.

REACHING OUT

    DM me @autumnkingdomsart, email me at zephaniahxian@gmail.com, reach me on Discord at SunderedWorldDM#2647, and/or comment on this post!

    When you tell me about what you want, I want to know the following:

- What I can call you

- What exactly you want from me, in as specific terms as possible (anything from "give me a page border of runes" to "I need you to capture the feeling of this game for the cover" to "My party is composed of a one-eyed orcish bard named Nathaniel Oxbow. He's got a shimmering sword and...")

- What you want the art for ("my game I'm publishing!" "for the back of a GM screen!" "just a cool moment in my campaign!")

- What you expect to pay for this piece, or what you can pay (we can easily negotiate!)

- If you have a timetable for me, any requirements of me, any questions, anything like that, I want all of that information up front!

WHAT AM I USING THE MONEY FOR?

    This is not my primary source of income, so all the revenue I make will go straight to finance RPG publications. I've got a Zine in the works that will hopefully be ready by ZineQuest 3, and I've been itching to make MARROW into a realized book for a while now. All of what I make here will go into a special bank account just for making projects like this come true, as well as supporting other small RPG creators and delivering more content on the blog! By hiring me to do your art, you're making these other projects possible too.

    THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST! I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO CREATE SOME BADASS ART.

In Praise of Single-Step Resolution

     First of all, I want to thank everyone reading. Last year, I got nearly 10,000 views on this blog and 100 posts out, which is staggering to me. I would have never anticipated this sort of productivity or this response, and it means so much to me that you're here hearing me ramble.

    Second, I wanted to talk today about what I inadvertently discovered about my GLoGhack MARROW (it's getting more and more complete and fleshed out every day, and soon I'm gonna transition into writing GM advice for new people to run this system well, so I think it's worth checking out) recently. As I was thinking about how typical MARROW play works, and why it runs so well, I came to a conclusion about the resolution mechanism that MARROW uses, and why it makes the game so darn speedy.

--If specific examples of the principles I'm going to discuss bore you to tears, skip this.--

    MARROW is roll-under. That means that all the necessary info is facing the player. They calculate the difficulty of their actions, make the roll, and tell me if it works or not. Now that might not be to everyone's tastes, but when I started to integrate this system into my game, I found it intuitive and fast because the step where the player asked me if their number was high enough was cut out. Keep a hold on that concept, I want to move on to another example.

    Another development in MARROW is how WOUNDS and STRESS occupy standard inventory slots. As the number of slots is so limited, the numbers are kept usually below 5, so that means that I could make weapons take up a number of slots equal to the WOUNDS they deal. Another benefit of this was cutting damage dice out of the equation. While they are fun to pile up and roll, I found that this step added calculation, and wasted time. MARROW removed the step where players roll for damage. Hopefully you're starting to sense a pattern here.

    And my third and final example: the tri-act system. MARROW lets players take three "actions", each one separated by the word 'and'. This makes things a lot faster. There is still a constraint on action, but there is a freedom from constraint that makes systems with maneuvers or bonus actions seem clunky in comparison. Instead of creating these artificial constraints and choices, MARROW's action economy puts that player agency center with an aggressive focus on cutting out the multi-step decision process.

--Here's the good stuff.--

    What's my point here? What's my thesis? Well, here's what I think. One of the core ideas that MARROW has captured for me is the idea of single-step resolution. Instead of having to jump through hoops and take overwrought processes to determine the impact an action has on the story (processes like, say, using an action to take an attack, then asking the DM if it beats the AC, then rolling damage, then rolling INT to cast a spell with a bonus action, then rolling extra damage from the spell), MARROW puts all the information into a single dice roll or action point (roll to hit under STR with the magic sword that deals 3 WOUNDS, with a -2 due to armor). That way, the narrative action is condensed into a single step. The benefits, I argue are threefold:

    1) Haste. It speeds up the game. One roll instead of two will take about half the time, and in the example above where I contrast an average 5e action vs. an average MARROW action, the difference could not be so stark. Once you get used to putting all the information needed to "set up" rolls early, you can get the blood pumping a lot quicker, which helps with the emotional tension of a game session.

    2) Narrative Clarity. Imagine you're swinging an axe in ICRPG. You bring the blade down on the demon. 19! You roll your effort and get... a 2. What a bummer! You already rolled well the first time, why doesn't that reflect as strongly on the narrative as the second roll does? With this one-stop-shop system, you don't have to worry about describing and making sense of that tension, you can

    3) Universality. The more you cut away, the more you'll discover your core mechanics. If you can set up umbrella mechanics that apply in a lot of situations in reliable ways, you'll get a lot closer to single-step resolution, and your game will be clearer and more cohesive.

    I understand that many people have emotional attachments to the multi-step systems, and sometimes they do have a lot of weight (like the ICRPG EFFORT system, which I would argue is worth the extra resolution granularity). But when you're designing your game, think about how you can cut out the maximum number of steps and get as much information into the player's hands about the rolls they're making as possible. Your game will be smoother and translate easier to the narrative space for it.