Tomb of Beasts 3 from Kobold Press came out. Here’s the 5 monsters that caught my eye for your roleplaying game.

1. Rapscallion. I’m not certain whether it’s the most clever name for one of the onion folk known as Alliumites — or if it was a pun the designers could no longer resist using. This dapper CR 2 swashbuckler swings from vines and has a thorny rapier, swiped from a rose bush, no doubt.The Alliumites is one of a class of creatures Kobold Press does so well in all its monster books that help GMs in building world outside standard Tolkienesque fantasy. In this case, if you wish to run a Watership Down or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH style of adventure, with anthropomorphized characters surviving perils in backyard gardens or in nearby woods. Sprinkled throughout KP monster books are small mammals that can serve as adversaries or character templates.
2. Death Worm. Look past the name for this CR 1 creature that is electrified and focus on this tidbit from its lore: they might or might not be the larval form of the dreaded behir. Now we have utility, tying it to an existing creature, and hopefully, spark in the GM the kind of encounter building that is both clever and horrific. 

   Plus, it’s a monstrous worm. And anyone interested in running an Age of Worms-style campaign should know that’s another world-building genre KP has done a fine job of planting several markers in the earth for.

3. Dokkaebi. For starters, this weird looking fey merits attention simply because of Bryan Syme’s illustration. Or is it because this CR 2 agent of chaos carries a magic rod it calls a Bangmangi? Or maybe it’s their magic hat? No, it’s the club. Either way, if you as a GM feel your game is getting a little stale, just drop this weird little fella into your game and you’ll see what percolates.
4. Thursir Hearth Priestess. Here’s another petal on the flower of world-building KP has planted. The thursir are KP’s take on Norse-inspired giants, metalworkers and pillagers. Over the years, KP has been sprinkling new types of thursir in their products, making sure they are relatively mid-level adversaries so parties don’t have to wait until they are super-powerful, which is the case with other giants in the ruleset. 

   This hearth-priestess is a much-needed addition. At CR 4, she uses her powers or protection and blessing to support the other thursir, and counter any magic the player characters might be employing.

5. Swarm of Gryllus. Here’s a monster after my dearest heart. My own mother worked for years for the children’s magazine Cricket, which carries on the tradition of having its mascot appear in the margins offering commentary. (Gryllus is Latin for cricket.) So, medieval illustrations used to be dotted with drawings in the margins — even monks get bored, I suppose — and these drawings include anthropomorphized crickets, armed rabbit and giant snails, as well as knights and other characters.  In KP’s hands, the marginalia become animated and attack when they feel the book they inhabit is in danger, usually “going for the knees!” The cry the Gryllus make when an opponent is felled is absolutely priceless.

It’s a subject I’ve touched on before. But with new people entering the hobby all the time, I thought it might be nice to share some info for beginners — whether they are players looking for a fig to represent their character or gamemasters building collections for their own games.

In this installment, we’ll provide some tips on buying and painting that first mini.

In an article coming next month, we’ll consider strategies gamemasters might take in assembling a useful stable of adversaries and monsters.

(Reaper’s “Anirion the Elf Wizard” is a robed figure that can stand for any gender, race or class and is a great fig to learn painting technique on).

Buying that first fig

This one is easy: Acquire the fig that most interests you, the one that best represents your player character. 

Metal or plastic? Personally, I prefer painting on primed metal over resin. It’s how I got my start, one $4 fig at a time. But the fact is pewter figs today are far more costly than that. The quality of resin figs has blossomed in the last decade. Rather than make a huge investment in metal, I’d say start with resin.  

But from whom do you buy? When it comes to affordable resin minis in the fantasy sphere, figs from Reaper and WizKids are market leaders in the United States. Reaper produces several lines of pewter and plastic figs, but I think the resin Bones, Bones Black or Bones USA are great places to start with. WizKids produces excellent unpainted figs for Wizards of the Coast (Nolzur’s Marvelous Miniatures), Paizo Publishing (Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts), Critical Role (Wildmount) and its generic in-house line (Deep Cuts).

There are other fine mini makers out there — some with amazing sculpts — so I wouldn’t want to limit anyone’s selection. But I think you’ll find the availability and affordability of Reaper or WizKids good places to start. 

First fig? I’d suggest that a novice painter might lean toward simpler sculpts, such as robed figures. (Reaper’s “Anirion the Elf Wizard” is a robed figure that can stand for any gender, race or class and is a great fig to learn painting technique on).  Intricate details can be cool, but a simple fig that’s well-painted is nice too.

Reaper’s Learn to Paint Kit will allow a novice painter to get started for $40, and includes flow acrylics and a few simply sculpted minifies to get started on.

Assemble a painting kit

For myself, I got started in this hobby by going to the craft store and snagging some crafting paint brushes (sizes 1 and 3/0 are recommended, though I prefer having a 5/0 or 10/0 in the collection, too) and about a dozen acrylic craft paints across the color spectrum. Some big box retailers and general stores also carry craft paint now.

This is the most inexpensive route — just be sure to apply thinner medium or water to craft acrylic craft paints. Craft paints have a thicker consistency than required for 28 mm figs.  

A lot of resin miniatures today don’t require priming. But, if you start with pewter miniatures, you will need primer for that initial layer.

I’m a big fan of Reaper’s Learn to Paint kits and its Starter Paint Set. Each usually sells for about $40. 

Firstly, they include enough quality “flow” acrylic paints you’ll need to get rolling. Flow acrylics are a finer quality and better suited to miniature application than ordinary crafting paint. The Learn to Paint kits usually include a pair of  brushes, a few minis, and “how to paint” instructions. Your local game store can help with ordering those if they don’t have them in stock. For the price of a rpg game book, you can get your feet wet in the hobby.

Painting advice

There are lots of good crafting videos for painters right now.  Here are just a few:

I think Lyla Mev – The Mini Witch, is a fun site, and worth checking out. She offers tips across a range of skill levels.  https://www.youtube.com/c/LylaMev

Black Craft Magic is mostly devoted to crafting terrain, which is interesting in its own right, but his advice on mini selection and painting is solid. tinyurl.com/y4enu9ap

Reaper, maker of both unpainted minis and a series of paints, has a huge selection of tutorials. https://www.youtube.com/user/ReaperMiniOfficial

I truly believe color selection for painting figs is a personal choice — and there are no “wrong” colors. (Goblins don’t have to be green.) But when painting any given fig, I’d suggest trying a limited palette, of five or fewer colors, to start with.

That said, here are two tips: 

1. Looking for  flesh tones? Match your acrylics to Crayola’s Colors of the World. https://tinyurl.com/2p8ahnvy
2. Color-coordinated outfits? I used to rely upon retail fashion catalogs when I needed color guides for painting clothing on figs. Well, print catalogs have gone away, but  Elle, Vogue and Cosmopolitan are still around online. Check there for inspiration.

Techniques

There is a whole glossary of painting terms to go with a variety of techniques: Layering, washes, base coats, glazing, lining, dry brushing, mixing and shadowing. The above online instruction can help in this regard.

The important thing, as far as I’m concerned, is to take the leap into painting. Dip that brush in a dab of paint and cover your fig. Skill will come with time and practice. 

Right now, just have fun putting some color to your little plastic person. 

As gamemasters you might find after a few tries that this clicks so well you’re able to use a monster boss as a recurring villain over the course of two or three sessions or even for an entire arc.

Inspiration

Most GMing guides — the ones for Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder being notable — have sections for giving NPCs notable personalities.

The NPC quirks table from the Fourth Edition Dungeon Masters’ Guide and the NPC Personality Characteristics table from the first edition Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide are both particularly good references if you’re stuck for an idea.

There are others, of course. Online, start your web search with “Villain Protagonist” at tvtropes.org and follow the links until the rabbit hole leads you to an inspirational point.

I’ve said on many occasions how good a resource the Kingdoms of Kalamar Villain Design Handbook by Kenzer and Co. is. Its Chapter 2 is devoted to categorizing Villain Archetypes into subtypes, and pairing them with suggested personality types. Randomizing them, there’s something like 968 combinations — enough to provide reliable boss villains personalities a goodly while.

Why monsters?

First off, depending on the edition and rules of your fantasy game, most monster game stats are provided (while you have to conjure up human adversaries stats in many cases). 

But even if you don’t have that burden, most monsters have motivations woven into well-written descriptions. 

Pair those motivations with a personality type, and you’ve got an adversary with two good cues for building an adventure around. 

Let’s look at a few, using Tome of Beasts II  by Kobold Press as source material and some rolls on the aforementioned charts.

Examples

Rum lord gremlin. Who rules the underworld when the human authorities establish prohibition or otherwise crackdown on similar vices? Mirandala the Queen of Foam does. She’s a polarist at heart — too much “goodness” needs a counterbalance. Her vision: “Drinks for all!” can be a rallying cry for those with low self-esteem. Of course, controlling the liquor trade is what matters, not the right of followers to imbibe. Her methods are methodical, however. Start small and build slowly. A confrontation with authorities is inevitable, even desired. One great drunken brawl to end it all.

Tree skimmer. Dryads driven mad by the loss of their trees enter into a Faustian bargain with hags, who turn their ire toward destroying fey creatures (or anyone in league with them). Shadbush the scourge of the Old Forest isn’t a mindless terror, however. Let’s give her a dose of ambition — she aspires to be greater and more powerful than her hag creator, for instance — and a predilection to make snap judgments. Shadbush might turn her control of trees on villagers, elves and other dryads; soon she’ll run riot with a path of destruction that takes her to the doorstop of the hags themselves. 

Vexxeh. Bestial horned creatures who are usually excessively polite servants to evil spellcasters. But what of Trothadon, whose master is no more? With no contract to govern his behavior, he is a free agent. Unlike most of his kind, he is given to deception and schemes, though he often betrays his inner thoughts whenever he snickers at the misfortune of others.  Can he restrain his love of personally shedding blood long enough to see his ploy to start a war in the halls of power come to fruition? Given to wearing fine clothes and following the rules of etiquette such that he’s welcome in the environs of nobility, Trothadon is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

One final touch

Give the villain a touch of humanity that evokes sympathy or a sense of “normal.”  Perhaps Mirandala dotes on some barkeeps or servers, insisting they are never to be harmed and favoring them with gifts. Shadbush has an affection for daisies or roses, so that someone who shares her love of those flowers should be spared her ire.  Trothadon has a love of fine clothes and is overly protective of his tailor or jeweler, holding them up as masters of their craft to be admired and praised.

Or maybe, any of them has a sweet tooth. A cinnamon stick or bit of hard candy can soothe their otherwise evil nature — at least momentarily.

The Wheel of Time Turns

And Ages Come and Go,

Leaving Memories

That Become Legend.

What Was,

What Will Be,

And What Is,

May Yet Fall

Under the Shadow.

The adventure guide and rulebook for The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game, c. 2001. Both covers were illustrated by Darrell K. Sweet, who furnished the book covers for 14 books in the Wheel of Time series of novels until his death.

It’s been twenty years since Wizards of the Coast published The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game — a licensing showpiece for its d20 System. 

I had to look at the copyright date of my copy of the game book just to be sure that it had been that long. 

But yes, it had. The adage that has since become the series catchphrase — “The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills” — rings true enough, then. 

What brings all this to mind, of course, is the fact the 15-book series of epic fantasy is getting the TV series treatment with the debut of “The Wheel of Time” on Nov. 19 on Amazon’s Prime Video. 

Test of the d20 System

The Wheel of Time RPG was one of a handful of licensed products at the time demonstrating that the rules governing Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons could be applied to other properties, milieus, and genres — a test run before unveiling its universal magnum opus d20 Modern.

WOTC message boards — anyone remember those? — were running hot with player reaction to the game. Some, like me, felt the game was faithful to the series and emulated most aspects very well. The city maps, in fact, and many illustrations were exceptionally well-done. 

Considering that many in the community had for a few years been homebrewing AD&D rules to fit Wheel, it was refreshing to see something that wasn’t a square-peg/round-hole conversion. Now we had a rulebook that used the terminology of the setting. Angreal and Ter’angreal were items of power, not magic items. We had weaves, not spells — even the dreaded Balefire. We had Ogier, Wolfbrothers, Raken and To’raken as well as characters with the Foretelling, and those who were Dreamwalkers!

Most of the criticism settled in on the read that the character build for the Algai’d’siswai was out of sight for a martial character, and more importantly, the One Power magic system was overpowered for gameplay. 

The criticisms were valid, if you played the game as if it were a dungeon-delving treasure-looting enterprise — like it seemed so many people on the message boards were trying to do. 

The oft-overlooked aspect of playing a channeler in The Wheel of Time RPG: This section on the three oaths that guide an Aes Sedai’s use of the One Power.

The One Power

Fans of the series understood that channelling weaves wasn’t like casting magic missile and that encounters in Randland were less about smash’n’grab operations and more like a chess game of moving pieces until Children of the Light, the Aiel, the Red Sisters, the Band of the Red Hand, The Forsaken, darkfriends, trollocs and/or Myrddraal clashed with the player characters.

Playing channelers WAS different than playing wizards. At the time, however, players were chafing at the restrictions rather than embracing them. In that way, the game was way ahead of of its time. 

For one, men drew upon saidin (which could drive you mad) and women saidar (which could burn you out) to touch and gather weaves. It was the loss of sanity (until much later, when the taint was cleansed) that should have made the characters compelling to play. 

Meanwhile female Aes Sedai restrained their use of the power by taking a vow to adhere to the Three Oaths. 

This wasn’t just a pinky promise made with fingers crossed behind your back — as many players seemed to think. 

They swear to speak no word that is not true, make no weapon with which one many may kill another; and never use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last defense of an Aes Sedai’s life or that of her Warder. 

They take this oath while holding onto the Oath Rod, which binds the vow down to the bone. (And is the reason why the Seanchan can’t make captive Aes Sedai use the power even when leashed by an a’dam.)

An RP challenge

Let’s be honest: It takes a special kind of roleplayer to hold their character to that standard night in and night out. That’s especially true if your Aes Sedai is one that never lies, as author Robert Jordan once explained, but the truth she speaks may not be the truth you think you hear. 

The only way to raise the RP bar higher is to have a character secretly portray a member of the Black Ajah, meaning they are capable of lying and killing, but mustn’t, because that’s the surest way to be revealed as a darkfriend.

And I haven’t even gotten into the fact that the Aes Sedai belong to separate orders depending on their beliefs, values and measure of service. Suffice to say, members of the Green Ajah like to bash things and marry their warders while the Red Ajah bring male channelers to heel — some out of a sense of duty and some because they like it.

Okay, okay — we’ve dived down pretty deep into the weeds pretty quickly. A few paragraphs in and I’m making your head spin with jargon from the series. And I risk losing you quicker than Tuatha’an in a stedding.

Definitely not my intent. But one’s passion gets the better of us sometimes.

I say all this because despite some of the d20 System’s requisite numbers crunching, the Wheel of Time RPG is a good game. Wilders and initiates cast weaves; armsmen, woodsmen and Algai’d’siswai make war; while nobles and wanderers navigate society’s many tiers, from dicing corners to the corridors of power where daes dae’mar is played for keeps. 

And everyone fears the emergence of the true Dragon Reborn — because that will signal the coming of the end of the age and the Last Battle between the forces of light and those of the Dark One.

A promotional poster showing Rosamund Pike in the role of Moiraine Damodred, the Aes Sedai on a 20-year quest to find the Dragon Reborn before the Black Ajah does.

Restraint and liberty

I’ve mentioned it already, but one of the constant themes of the series is the tension that exists between restrictions and liberty. Characters deal with restraints, some imposed physically, some societal and some circumstantial. Meanwhile, the Dark One’s operatives are also constrained, but in different ways. The world itself is held in the grip of a never-ending summer that threatens to make the Dark One’s victory all but assured. 

How the main characters throw off these various restraints, be they ter’angreal leash or hard-wired tradition — are some of the most poignant moments of the narrative. And there is always some other force occupying the characters’ attention. For example, it’s not enough to find the Bowl of the Winds — an adventure of its own — its use must be negotiated with Sea Folk who have a claim and the ritual must be defended against an assault made by darkfriends and reinforced by Forsaken.

I’m getting ahead of myself again. Really, we should direct our attention to the beginning of the story, or, at least, a beginning — there being no true beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. 

At this point our journey begins. Moiraine Damodred, scion of a powerful family in Cairhien, finds herself by happenstance two decades into her life’s pursuit: a secret mission to locate the Dragon Reborn after she witnessed a Foretelling that put her in a race with the Black Ajah to find him first. Accompanied by her bonded Warder Lan, they enter the Two Rivers, where the Old Blood still sings. She finds five young people who bend the pattern to their will — and are being pursued relentlessly by the Dark One’s minions.

Much is being made of having Moiraine — portrayed by “Gone Girl” actress Rosamund Pike — be the central character of the series, rather than the Dragon-to-be Rand al’Thor.

I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, Moiraine is a key protagonist of the early books, part of many important moments, including her showdown with the Forsaken Lanfear in front of the red stone archway ter’angreal.

The page from the Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game shows an illustration by Terese Nielsen of Moraine Damodred.

Moiraine Damodred

One little thing seems apparent, at least to me, is the costuming and visual “look” of Moiraine. Of course, the depictions of Moiraine by the late cover artist Darrell K. Sweet was an influence. 

But if you really want to know what Moiraine Sedai looks like, if you want to know what cues the costume designers on the TV show almost surely took — then I say turn to page 256 of the WOT rpg and look at the illustration by renowned Magic The Gathering artist Terese Nielsen. The diminutive member of the Blue Ajah is shown decked out in cloak and divided riding skirt, in the same shades as her White Tower affiliation. She wears her kesiera, a jeweled pendant on a chain that serves as her focus for eavesdropping — a talent she cultivated to survive in the Great Game.

If the rpg did nothing more that serve as a visual influence on the TV show — then it occupies a significant place in Wheel lore. 

But the game really earned its place as a faithful interpretation of the first five novels of the series, translating some of its most fantastic elements into playable elements — letting us interact with the setting in ways that only rpgs can.

Give them something in common…

A motley group of adventurers meet each other for the first time at a tavern. It’s only natural that adventure finds them before the first round of drinks is consumed, right?

That’s about as likely as a group of strangers quickly agreeing on a pizza order.

As gamemaster, here are simple suggestions to promote group cohesion and provide a more direct path to the adventure you seek. Consider offering some of these as options to your players as they create their characters.

None of these suggestions requires the players to create a monolithic party, i.e., only fighters or only wizards. Diversity in class, racial or geographic origin and background is still a priority (and makes the game more interesting, besides).

It’s just that they all held similar jobs, shared the same employer or mentor, or worked in the same general location.

The Lord’s Protectors.

All the characters were guards or worked in the vicinity of the guardhouse in a support position (such as at the stables, armory or mess). Now, however, instead of standing a post outside a closed door, the assembly is charged with handling “small matters” required of their lord, “Three Musketeers” style. Yes, a blue dragon rampaging across the countryside might be considered a “small matter.”

Monastic Retreat.

All the characters took up residence at a monastery for a time, forming a group from that association. Each was there for their own reasons: spiritual enlightenment, recovery from injuries, held by a vow, providing expertise in a vocation, researching archives. It isn’t necessary for them to be adherents to the principal faith of the monastery, but simply respect the devotion of the monks and nuns in residence. Now, the abbot relies upon them – even those who are a little rough around the edges  – to serve the common good.

Arcane Order.

The study of magic concerns itself with otherworldly mysteries. But supporting that effort requires folks capable of mundane activities: artisans, protectors, archivists, experts in field and forest, and builders of circular towers, just to name a few. The order’s high council would never suggest sending a lone wizard on a quest. A group of adventurers has a much better survival rate.

Spymaster’s Little Birds.

Statecraft requires a group of specialists that can solve all sorts of problems, from gathering intelligence, quietly resolving disputes and trouble spots, serving as security in foreign places, and even engaging in a bit of sabotage. Every once in a while you might even get to stop an evil mastermind – though your government will certainly disavow your activities.

Relic Hunters.

The supernatural and fantastic have always interested you – so it’s not that strange that you and your fellows came into the employ of a safekeeper of artifacts and relics. Not all the missions are fetch quests. Sometimes it’s about dispatching rivals, fighting planar monsters associated with the relics, or fending off otherworldly powers that have a vested interest in these rare and powerful items. Then again, sometimes it is about the big score.

Dead Poet’s Society.

Romantics at heart. You and your free-spirited friends share a love of a particular genre of poetry, art, song, lore, or dance. Who knew that this expression dovetailed with the esoteric, symbolic, and the occult? There are mysteries and ancient secrets to be unearthed. Who better than those who explore the meanings of words, phrases and images to unlock them? Beware: All secrets have their protectors, too.

Trailblazers Company.

Everyone from merchant traders to the queen’s advisors wants to explore and establish contacts on the frontier. Those skilled in woodscraft, not to mention hardy mountaineers and capable cartographers and surveyors are needed on such quests. Sometimes a religious order sends missionaries on these endeavors. The natural world has its own form of folk magic and natural powers that needs to be studied and understood.

Whirlwinds.

Not satisfied with exploring the backyard? Some have tapped the magical gateways that will transport them to the farthest reaches of their world. What lies at the end of each gateway? Your patron wants to know. Other gateways are even more far-reaching, either taking travelers to other moments in time or to other worlds, planes and dimensions. It takes quick-witted voyagers to embark on such quests – adventurers who can cope with the unexpected, strange and the wonderfully dangerous.

Time for the joust!

Want to add intrigue to your roleplaying session? Perhaps, even to devote two or three sessions to a plot thread? 

Then consider using a jousting tournament as the centerpiece to your session devoted to courtly intrigues and all manner of opportunities for your adventuring party members to demonstrate their talents and skills. 

History, legend, literature and film all can provide great inspirational material for your tilts. Don’t think of it solely as a competition of martial horsemanship. It’s a parade and a spectacle; an instrument of statecraft; a playground for poets, protesters and political operatives; a demonstration of religion and the arts; and fertile ground from which chivalrous romance and fanciful heraldry can blossom.

A visual feast

Looking for inspiration? Consider the accession day festivals organized by England’s Queen Elizabeth, which were entertainment platforms to amuse the populace, assert the loyalty of the nobles while diverting their attention from succession issues, and generally propagandize her rule. One account from 1584 says 12,000 people crowded into the tiltyard at Whitehall to see the parade and afternoon’s contests.

Nearly the first part of the novel “Ivanhoe” is a depiction of the events and intrigues leading up to a jousting tournament. There is a great deal to be gleaned about medieval politics and how they relate to the joust, melee, and archery contests.

Even films, be they light fare such as the Heath Ledger star vehicle “A Knight’s Tale” or nearly every depiction of the Robin Hood legend, can be source material for a gamemaster.  

Working themes

Here are some themes the GM can play with in working up encounters during a tournament.

1) Masks. Ivanhoe hides his identity as the Disinherited. As does Ledger as “Sir Ulrich Von Liechtenstein”. And “disguises” were much used by the entrants into Elizabeth’s tilts – though it was less about hiding the identity of nobles (everyone knew who the players were), but the costumes were seen as ways for particular nobles to make statements about themselves, their status within the realm, or aspects of their devotion to the crown and Elizabeth in particular. It was a way to publicly make a statement, or if you judged incorrectly, upstage the monarch.

And the Robin Hood legend usually includes Robin entering the archery list hiding his identity as an outlaw so that he can win by splitting an arrow.

2) Black Knights. It’s hard to top the sneering of Rufus Sewell’s Adhemar. But it is interesting that Black Knights are not necessarily “bad.” It’s more like the mask thing. Some are out of favor, or hiding their identity for a variety of reasons.  In “A Knight’s Tale,” “Colville” is actually James Purefoy as Prince Edward, riding in disguise. Of course, the coolest Black Knight is from “Ivanhoe” – actually Richard the Lionheart, competing in the melee, using the disguise to infiltrate the tournament run by his brother Prince John, who is supposed to be caretaker of the throne, and suss out his true intentions. Sometimes, events in the tilt spill over into kidnappings and sieges as rivals take their contests to their strongholds in the countryside.

3) Chivalry. Yes, the knights ride in the name of a lady, a muse for their exploits. But this idea of courtly love can be expanded to any competitor, even to the spectators themselves, whether they be noble blood or not and regardless of gender. The tournament fosters the idea of romantic gestures, of gallant action, of the theater (and even pretense) of love. A hand to win. A token of affection. An actual marriage contract must be fulfilled. All are in-roads into the intrigues of court. 

One example of breaking away from traditional gender roles comes from the Wheel of Time novels, when Elayne, daughter-heir of the Lion Throne, publicly makes the heroic archer Bridgette the captain of her guard and privately her personal knight-protector. Bridgette forms an all-female protective brigade for Elayne. To dupe foes, the brigade adopts a foppish attitude (similar to the Three Musketeers) and projects the image of a group more concerned with fashionable appearance and frivolity. But they secretly train and drill to become an elite group. These intrigues and deceptions are all about maintaining the upper hand, especially during public appearances.

4) Power grabs. Everyone enters the tournament season looking to improve or retain their social standing, especially in regard to the sovereign. There are displays of loyalty (or either defiance or independence; sometimes a counter approach works, too).  Anyone who competes is vulnerable to being injured (and removed from the line of succession).  It’s not just knights and champions. Contests exist for every profession, mages and merchants alike. Rogues facilitate the players, or make power plays themselves. Petitioners come from every corner, as do pilgrims.

5) Invasion. The prospects of war adds spice to the proceedings. So does nail-biting diplomacy between rival states or factions. One of the most interesting uses of this device comes from the Carolingian Romances, when Angelica and Argalia interrupt Charlemagne’s Pentecostal tournament and issue a challenge: Any of the Peers who lose in single combat must accompany them and fight for their father, the King of Cathay. Of course, it is a cheat, for Argalia’s lance is enchanted and Angelica will use her charms to entice the paladins to enter the contest rashly. 

Did we forget about the joust itself? There is a tournament to win, after all! Just remember, there’s more to this than lances and charging mounts. It’s statecraft on a micro level, so salt the tournament field accordingly and see what the players pick as avenues of adventure for their characters.

Survive this and anything is yours.

Combat in many rpgs follows the D&D model: use dice rolls to add random chance, apply modifiers and compare to adversarial target numbers. Damage is assessed. The first one to lose their hit points falls over.

It’s pretty straightforward – and a lot of fun in itself. It is the “game” aspect of roleplaying games, and it’s stood the test of time as a workable, if abstract way, to represent combat encounters.

Now, the math in most games favors the players. There is some uncertainty in the outcome, but mostly, it’s Players 1, Monsters 0, at the end of the session.

Yet, some players desire some sort of narrative consequences for their characters’ actions in combat beyond the winning and losing. 

That begs the question: Is there a way to graft a simple subsystem onto standard D&D-style combats that satisfies this other desire for character growth stemming from combat? 

Three avenues of growth

Let’s start with the premise there are three ways in which characters grow: 

1. Internal well-being, be it spiritual self-awareness, morality, mental health, personality or confidence.
2. Inner circle acceptance, be it love, respect or standing-status within the group dynamic.
3. Broader standing, be it acclaim, reputation or peer recognition.

Risk-reward chit

Before the start of a session, each player devotes a single chit to one of the three aspects of character growth. This is their investment in that aspect of their character in the coming session.

Post-session review

If the character suffered (such as taking damage, losing an ability, becoming sick) in the course of taking an heroic action, then mark the Internal Well-Being category. (Damage taken from surprise, rashness, or foolishness shouldn’t count).

If the character helped or assisted another member of the group in a meaningful way during combat, then mark the Inner Circle category.

If the character dealt damage to an adversary or demonstrated through magic or talents some other combat acumen, then mark the Broader category.

If the chit and tally correspond, then add a +1 to the category’s score.

Downtime and in-game roleplay

What the +1 gain means to the character is left to the individual player. Between sessions, let them contemplate how a +1 boon from that category might be applied during the next game play. Once the player and the GM agree, broadly, on the circumstances, the +1 can be applied once to a d20 roll in applicable circumstances in the subsequent session. 

As the campaign progresses, the bonus could increase. Or a player might choose another category in which to excel. 

Freeform and open-ended

Yes, this subsystem is meant to be a little loose and freeform.  It places trust in the characters to use the boons on situations and circumstances that demonstrate character growth. And it relies on players – who like this sort of thing – to be creative and thoughtful in how the system could be applied to their character – and to roleplay those moments accordingly. 

It could be an interesting quest…

Yes, the local ruler could set the player characters on their next fantasy adventure. 

But if, as gamemaster, you want a different starting point, consider giving these a try.

Apprentice to an arcanist

1. Seeking help in obtaining a rare spellcasting component that is part of/protected by a dangerous creature. 

2. Locate a long overdue mentor who had embarked on a journey to a wizarding conclave.

3. Requires protection for a journey to a repository of lore, academy or library.

4. Needs to convey an astrological and planar reading to a far-off ruler.

Animal handler

1. Seeks help in safely capturing a pair of rare creatures to add to a menagerie.

2. Extends an invitation to a “Lost Valley” preserve featuring many creatures thought extinct.

3. Hopes to save a herd of unicorns (or other rare creature) from poachers or trophy hunters.

4. Some of the swiftest mounts live wild on the steppes; adding them to the crown’s stable would be a boon.

Ecclesiastic

1. A powerful relic once thought lost is believed to be in a ruin; adventurers are dispatched with a phylactery to contain it.

2, A fereter has been stolen by a rival sect; retrieve it and the relics within and return them to the rightful congregation.

3. A brother or sister in the faith engaged in doing important work translating a rare and ancient religious text needs protection for the journey from their monastery to the mother cathedral, especially from zealots whose ire has been raised by revelations in the text.

4. Security is needed during an ecumenical conclave where contentious issues are discussed and debated.

Ship’s captain

1. Explorers experienced in peaceful first contacts are needed, should expedition encounter inhabitants during voyage.

2. Capable marines sought for merchant run through seas claimed by an adversarial power.

3. There is a famed pirate’s treasure map. X marks the spot, but the captain suspects retrieving the prize won’t be so straightforward.

4. A rescue mission is being assembled to locate a missing ship and its crew from a region ruled by a dragon or other monster.

Dark and mysterious…

Ordinary folk – be they commoner or king – know that to meddle with the supernatural is to invite disaster into their lives.  

It’s a mindset – a social norm, if you will – that gamemasters should consider emphasizing in their fantasy world-building and adventure presentation.

It is perhaps the simplest approach to generate agency from the players for their characters. It’s not about elaborate hooks or deeply woven intrigues. 

It’s more about presenting a world in which heroic action is the answer to superstition and fear.

Adventurers are among the few who are bold enough to seek out wickedness and woe – and confront the evils of the age. 

Yes, its partly to snag shares of loot. 

But it’s also because anyone with a lick of sense and self-preservation would not subject themselves to the same. 

Beyond the border

When you convey information in-game as a GM, find occasions to emphasize some or all of the following: 

– A twisted fate awaits those who step outside prescribed routines. 

– Going beyond the boundaries of one’s locale must be done with trepidation – and is seldom warranted. Their own backyards are dangerous enough.  How much more risky is the wilderness beyond? 

– Even people who are rational or enlightened, or those such as merchants, masons, diplomats and troubadours whose livelihood requires travel, weigh such risks. 

– Roads are usually no more than cart paths. Highway bandits abound. So too are the desperate and the disease-ridden. Take every precaution against running afoul of local tyrants and their lackeys.  

– Monsters, haunts and mystical glamours can devour, entrap and confound even the most wary of travelers. Against these there is no defense – for even a legendary talisman might offer protection against one, but not all, predators.

– Many of the ruins and abandoned strongholds of the world are not secret places. Locals are well aware there is a crumbling fortress a league away. They can tell you that such-and-such a place is a meeting grounds for a mystery cult (and which of their neighbors are adherents).  

Who’s out there?

The villains, crime lords and kingpins are part of this backdrop. In common parlance, bad men hold the levers of power and must be brought to heel.

As grizzled Chicago cop Malone tells Treasury officer Eliot Ness in the film “The Untouchables”: “Mr. Ness, everybody knows where the booze is. The problem isn’t finding it, the problem is who wants to cross Capone.”

That’s why the world needs glory-seeking adventurers. They, alone, dare to deal with such evil-doers.  But like the adventure locales, the black-hearted wizards and warriors in the vicinity can be pointed out. 

Everyone knows where Castle Grayskull is – it’s a matter of daring to go there.

Being direct

What’s the biggest gain from this approach? It gives the adventurers a compass point in their quests. Table time is saved. There is no need to “find” an adventure. That means that game time can be devoted to the encounters and situations that challenge the players and provide the fun. 

Getting lost in the wilderness…

When experienced hands post thoughtful recollections on “Old School Gaming,” as tabletop RPG designer Steve Winter did for issue 25 of Warlock, it’s worth paying attention.

Winter’s essay – “Killer Dungeons: An Old-School Retrospective” – was the lead article. Now, I’m not going to steal Winter’s thunder by expounding on the main theme he explored or attempt to refute and/or reiterate his final assertion. 

But I do recommend reading it yourself, if only for hobbyists to see the road that mainstay gaming has taken from the 1970s to today. 

Still, I did want to pull on one of the threads that Winter left dangling from the introduction, because it struck me as a truism that often gets overlooked.

Winter wrote: that “wilderness adventures were more common than dungeon crawls among me and my friends.”

Clearly, Winter’s gaming experiences overlapped with mine, because the same thought occurred to me, as well. Even when I consider how we played official Dungeons & Dragons products later on in the 1980s, knocking about the wilderness was nearly always a prominent element. 

Keep on the Borderlands was more about the borderlands than even the caverns or the keep itself. Solve the murder mystery of “The Assasin’s Knot” on Leonore Isle, if you wish, but moving through the surrounding area and interacting with folk was the really fun part. If you didn’t set out from Threshold at least once in the Expert rules, then you were missing something.

Not that wilderness exploration ever entirely vanished from the scene. But that experience informed the design of another acquaintance, fellow Werecabbage Tim Hitchcock, who authored “Stolen Land” in the Kingmaker Adventure Path for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game that sparked a resurgence in hex crawls.

Even as a practical matter. If you wanted to fight the “dragons” portion of D&D, then it likely wasn’t going to happen in some forgotten underground halls. Go to the mountains, seek out the forgotten places in the world, brave the natural (and unnatural) dangers of the wider world and satisfy the desire of facing the fire-breathing scaled terrors that jealously guard their treasures.

There was a broad acceptance that getting from place to place was something that had to be done. Either we had been prepared to accept this because Barsoom novels were travelogues of the fantastic or because Tolkien had also enraptured his fans by having the Fellowship explore so much of MIddle Earth.

If your adventuring party didn’t meet something deadly along the road, that’s OK. No matter how fortified your party made your fireside encampment for a night under the stars, all the players at the table understood how futile that would be. 

Of course we would be attacked during the middle of the night. That’s the whole point of setting up camp, anyway. The fun part was being surprised by WHAT the game master rolled on his nighttime encounter table, and by WHO the (un)lucky soul on watch duty at that time just happened to be!

(It was all for the good anyway. Monsters meant XP! And intelligent ones carried coin!)

Has play experience and expectations changed? Perhaps. I think the big difference between now and then is the expectation of today’s players for a narrative resonance. As a general expectation of today’s players (and I emphasize that this is only a general observation), the encounter must portend or have relevance to the larger campaign. It must lead somewhere or mean something. 

Much of this has to do with the economy of storytelling – which is largely a good thing and reflects the maturity of the hobby. If you’re going to take time to have a combat encounter, then it SHOULD tie in with the adventure’s goals. GMs understand that every encounter is an opportunity to drive home the point of the story. 

Whereas, for gamers from our era, sometimes a raid by bugbears is just a raid by bugbears – and that was just fine. 

Especially if they have loot.