Topic: Products I want in the next year!

[wargamer66]

Hi all, im new here and making demands already 

Having converted over from AD&D and 3.5, I've noticed that there are very few adventures written for HARP, but I have a ton of stuff written for 3.5....so, to make my life easier in making conversions, I could use a monster book with all the SRD monsters for d20!
http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/monsters.htm
This would really cut down in my prep time.

Also, in the 3.5 DMG there are sample characters for each class at different levels, eg ranger at 1, 3, 5, 10, etc.  Martial Law has some examples of that in the back, but a full-on Rogues Gallery would be very nice.  Looks like the character book would be great for that for 1st lvl guys.

I'm basically looking for monsters and generic guys to substitute into adventures I already have.

[WoeRie]

Can't help you with the monsters book, but the Rogues Gallery already exists.

It is called Friends and Rivals from the Guild Companion (you can get it from RPGNow). It contains ALL classes (except those from the Codex) from 1st to 10th level as humans and two additional characters for each other base race (as far as I remember).
They are very detailed including either Openoffice or Excel Character sheets for each character and each level, a short story and items.

You should have a look at it.

[Marc R]

There's a bunch of conversion material on this board:

http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?board=52.0

If anyone can do a comprehensive d20/HARP set of conversion rules, or monster conversion rules, let me know and I'll tag the post sticky so it doesn't get lost or archived.

Frankly, I bet if you opened the idea up to input, you could likely get a bunch of people to help you. (I just purchased the HARP books a month ago, and have yet to have the time to even open them, so I'm not your man.)

[ICEBruce]

We have quite a bit more adventure stuff on the way for HARP and RM in the coming year.  Some of it will be for Cyradon but much of it will be generic and even the Cyradon stuff can probably be used elsewhere pretty easily.

[wargamer66]

Thanks for the replies, and for the tip about friends and rivals, I will be getting that I'm sure.   Good news about the adventure material.  I bought Cyradon and think it's pretty good. 

[Right Wing Wacko]

Oh I can't wait for the Cyradon adventures!

[jasonbrisbane]

HI,

The problem with D20 SRD conversions is that the D20 creatures have Feats that dont translate welll to HARP - the game statistics are just d20 related. The Trait Tree is also a problem as it forces the user to have one before another, and levels are usually the restraining factor.

One could write a conversion document, but it is so much easier to get M:AFG and simply convert the traits yourself.

Since the Traits are usually so D20 specific it makes it very hard to use in any other system.
EG: Ankheg's Improved Grab (make additional attack in round without provoking attack of opportunity. - Not possible in HARP as the round is 2 seconds long, not the D20 6/10 seconds. You could allow the creature to simply make the extra attack in the following round instead.
Acid Spit - Tiny External Poison Crit (Acid if using MA (I think?)) with max range of 30'. - Not too hard to convert.

Problem is converting the hundreds/thousands of traits that D20 have published (or even in the SRD is a lot). Yes, this alone would produce a Large Book!

A Better option would be to convert individual monsters as required and keep a database/spreadsheet/doc/web site of these to be used on demand.

[Thom @ ICE]

One cautionary note...

The two gaming systems are far different in their approach to gaming - especially in terms of combat.  What could be a fairly easy battle in d20 can end up killing multiple PCs in HARP if the players try to fight it out toe to toe with some creatures.  While you can use the d20 adventures in HARP, you may want to review the adventuefore and make it fit better to a HARP style of play first before running it.

Run some basic test modules first and you'll probably see what I mean.

[Marc R]

I may be confusing or crossing two stories from Brent and another board member, but I beleive someone did the sinister saltmarsh for HARP, and the low level party was ambushed by a single giant toad hiding in the moat of the ruin.

What is a low threat fight in AD&D 2nd ed, I beleive resulted in a Total Party Kill in HARP requiring the GM to re-start and adjust the encounters considerably.

[Thom @ ICE]

I don't remember that story, but it does prove my point exactly.  It's a different game, and while the plot lines can be moved from one system to another, a direct copy of an adventure is likely to lead to instant death in HARP or extended boredom in d20....

[Uriel]

(Slightly Off-Topic, as this is about an old RM campaign of mine, but still...)

I once converted the Pharoah/Oasis of the White Palm/Lost Tomb of Martek D&D adventures for my MERP RM game, and ran into some interesting snags.
While hordes of Skeletons and Zombies are dispatched with Cleric turns, Fireballs, etc...in D&D, they were really brutal in RM, since all Undead regenerate (Ala C&T), and I was using some very realistic group/mob attack rules for the zombies ( Fighters in plate mail DO NOT want to get 'stuck-in' with a horde of flesh hungry Zombies...Peel/rip off straps, and dinner is served. 'But, but...I'm 12th level..!' Killed by Zombies!?!)

Anyways, as others have stated above, direct conversions will be sticky. On an interesting note: The 'You travel 30 miles across the Glass Sea in the 'Sand Skimmer Boat' became an awesome Boating/Sailing MM contest, complete with PCs/Harradrim leaping from ship to ship in a running swashbuckling extravaganza! Man, D&D's "Take 3D6 damage if you fall off of the boat became a +30 Fall/Crush Crit...Ouch.


-Uriel

[pming]

Hiya

 Converting should go by what I call the "Common Language Conversion Method". Basically, pretend that you read the special ability / spell / skill / whatever in your game system of choice (HARP in our case)...but it didn't have any specifics. What would you do, as GM, in that situation? Easy. You'd take the 'gist' of what it was probably intending, and figure out how to get that point accross in the rules.

  As an example, the Ankheg D20's "Improved Grapple" as mentioned above. Well, the intent is that this creature be really good at grapleing. So, I'd simply give it a bigger bonus to Grapple attack, and maybe have it count as one size 'larger' for Critical maxiums purpose. That should do it. No need to try and equate 1:1 conversion of abilities, skills, numbers (especially numbers), etc.

  Anyway...I'm looking forward to some adventures for HARP. Preferably ones with a story, but not a lot of "railroadingly important plots, sub-plots, and sub-sub-plots"...let the GM interject his campaigns plots and whatnot into the story. In other words, adventures that are a LOT closer to 1e AD&D or Basic D&D than 3.x D20.

[jasonbrisbane]

Hiya

 Converting should go by what I call the "Common Language Conversion Method". Basically, pretend that you read the special ability / spell / skill / whatever in your game system of choice (HARP in our case)...but it didn't have any specifics. What would you do, as GM, in that situation? Easy. You'd take the 'gist' of what it was probably intending, and figure out how to get that point accross in the rules.

  As an example, the Ankheg D20's "Improved Grapple" as mentioned above. Well, the intent is that this creature be really good at grapleing. So, I'd simply give it a bigger bonus to Grapple attack, and maybe have it count as one size 'larger' for Critical maxiums purpose. That should do it. No need to try and equate 1:1 conversion of abilities, skills, numbers (especially numbers), etc.
<snip>

Exactly what I was aiming at..
The problem lies in keeping consistency between the monsters.
You could simply give additional bonuses to this or that stat or skill or spell, or grant a Blood magic spell as part of the race, etc, but  keeping the consistency in encounters is the hard part.

The fact that a group of 6 skeletons can TPK a 4th level group of experienced players is an example of this. DND'ers would balk at such an 'easy' fight but in HARP it is deadly to the extreme.
HARP players (and indeed ICE players) dont need a constantly evolving group of monsters with ever increasing stats to keep them occupied. Simply add 1 to a group and then get the PC to deal with splitting their parry and its a REAL challenge. (unlike the DnD method of combat).

Thats one reason I like ICE games so much - the Combat is a lot more realistic(as realistic as being thumped by an animated skeleton can get, anyway  ).

Adding an armour bonus (especially if using HnS rules) or a +10 to OB, or extra range on a weapon (and thus increased point blank range) makes a HUGE difference in a combat. The differences in the game system is what makes it such a great game.
Add the Critical charts and it just becomes fun to the extreme - both defeating bad Guys (BG) and being defeated by such.
Add a spell (blood magic) ability to a creature and it really makes a huge difference. In DnD terms it would increase the CR by at least 2 - most likely 3. And that is just for the one ability.

The problem I see with CLCM is trying to understand what is a game mechanic description and what is simply flavour text. I've seen huge arguments with discussions over a creature in DnD and the Harp conversion. Eventually I managed ot get i with "this is My creature designed explicitly for my game world - the DnD monster you know simply looks like this and may be called the same name for ease of use."

Trying to separate DnD'ers from DnD is a lot harder if you start converting DnD monsters. Use new ones (M:AFG is good) and suprise them!

[black flag]

a product I want: a book about golems...and gods (not stats like D&D, but cults, new spells, specific rituals, stats for angels, what about life after death?...).

[Uriel]

Hiya

 Converting should go by what I call the "Common Language Conversion Method". Basically, pretend that you read the special ability / spell / skill / whatever in your game system of choice (HARP in our case)...but it didn't have any specifics. What would you do, as GM, in that situation? Easy. You'd take the 'gist' of what it was probably intending, and figure out how to get that point accross in the rules.

  As an example, the Ankheg D20's "Improved Grapple" as mentioned above. Well, the intent is that this creature be really good at grapleing. So, I'd simply give it a bigger bonus to Grapple attack, and maybe have it count as one size 'larger' for Critical maxiums purpose. That should do it. No need to try and equate 1:1 conversion of abilities, skills, numbers (especially numbers), etc.
<snip>

The fact that a group of 6 skeletons can TPK a 4th level group of experienced players is an example of this. DND'ers would balk at such an 'easy' fight but in HARP it is deadly to the extreme.

Folks balking at that have never seen Jason & the Argonauts...



Argonaut to Jason: 'Um, Jason...I know we are all Level 15+ and all, but..er,I think this is the part where we jump off of this cliff..."

[Thom @ ICE]

...and gods (not stats like D&D, but cults, new spells, specific rituals, stats for angels, what about life after death?...).

The issue here is that this is a Setting specific product.

As a Cyradon product it would be nice, especially with the different than usual presentation of many of the deities and forms of worship.

Beyond that you would need to specify a setting to make it valuable - or offer up versions of many different styles, but then it won't be functional as is since most of the pantheon aspects will be undefined.

[travelnjones]

stuff i would like to see would be help for design of clerical orders. I guess this could be guild spells. 

Maybe something akin to D&D feats.  Just to give a warrior types a little more fun in combat.  Actually to really get into it i wouldnt mind seeing some sort of minis rules that simulated the outlandish combat moves you see in video games.  God of War, Ninja Gaiden etc.

And while im writing all my wishes down how about some help with a blood sacrifice based magic system. hehe sorry just wishing

[Thom @ ICE]

This product would be much more possible and has been posed and discussed previously.

I have a TGC article about 3/4 written that converts the Thieves World pantheon from d20 to HARP and provides special abilities and spell lists for each of the deities.  If I ever finish it I'll try to remember to point it out for you...