My first Wizards' World game

[bat]

We had four players with a fifth coming in next week. There was a dwarf Scout, a human Spy, a human Wizard and an elf Bard (the latter my creation that I am polishing a bit). Looks like a Druid will be joining us next weekend.

I offered several options to the players in a small rustic town called Snarb, they chose to help a dwarf alchemist, some dwarf merchants and some gnome craftsmen by going into a nearby forest to find some gigantic glowworms for the gnomes to craft into special lanterns. The dwarfs and gnomes never let on that these glowworms were really, really big (like 12 feet long and they spit a sticky web-like substance), although they did loan the party a sturdy wooden cart pulled by large goats. Just out of town some strange creatures riding giant bumblebees harassed them and drove them into the woods. A craka scouting party met the adventurers and once convinced that they were actually after the glowworms and no metamorphic dwarfs were involved, they let the party move along (the Bard's music helped in this). As in other fantasy forests, things shuffle and make strange noises just out of sight. Every so often cracking timbers allude to something titanic in the distance. The forest got a bit muddier. The company tried to make camp but were harassed by orcs three times until they defeated the creatures and finally settled. The Paralysis 1 spell came in handy, as did Electricity.

The next day the group encountered a trio of bandits (Scouts) lead by a Black Knight and ended up defeating two bandits and legging it. A clearing in the forest revealed a strange rocky island that was covered in tree-sized mushrooms. A flock of strange swans were looming in the water not too far away and the party wisely stayed away as these were carnivorous swans that like nothing less than fresh flesh. Looking at their weird map they realized that this was their goal and the glowworms would come out at night. And when night fell there was a lot of fancy footwork as they group saw just how big the glowworms were and how many came out. The group managed to down a half a dozen glowworms and make a break for it, retreating back into the deep and dark forest.

Journeying back to the town of Snarb a pack of centaurs broke onto the path and taunted the party, but didn't attack, running playfully back into the trees. The weird figures on giant bumblebees attacked again on a fallen tree bridge and the group defeated one of the titanic insects which fell, with its odd rider, into the forested ravine below. Returning to Snarb the dwarfs and gnomes paid the group a fair sum (125 silver pieces each) and the dwarf alchemist handed out a few Dwarf Runic Talismans, a few Filberts of the Wild,a Taunting Dagger of Xikka and a Dabbler's Wand (these last four things converted from my blog).

One thing that stands out to me is that the game is fluid enough that GMs can easily make adventures without a particular set of professions. I had a pack of shady characters to work with and we had a lot of fun.

[austrodavicus]

Sounds like it was an incredibly fun session.

[bat]

I like throwing in a lot of things and seeing what players will bite. Or what will bite back.

[Skathros]

Well, game #2 is on for sunday (tomorow). Usually, we'll play some game other than B/X as a diversion, but it's usually a one-shot affair with everyone having a good time, but then it's back to B/X for the next session. A game really has to impress my crew in order for them to want (and in WW's case, clamor) for a second game. I think what hooked them (and me) is the fact that, although WW's lineage is evident, it's different enough to feel fresh. As one of my players put it: "it's sorta like AD&D...but it isn't!". We've always played games other than B/X not because they did anything better then B/X, but because they did things differently than B/X.

We played through the Haunted Keep on sunday (nice, short, and great to introduce folks to how the game works). This sunday, i'm going with Palace of the Silver Princess.

[Steve Mitchell]

I'm reading through Wizards' World book right now, and one thing that is eluding me so far is how monsters attack. My first-level Dwarf Warrior starts off with a 25 percent chance to hit with his scimitar, but what are the percentile rolls for the monsters when they make their attacks? Yeah, I'm probably missing something really obvious.

That aside, I really am enjoying the book and its options for races and classes, plus the RuneQuest style combat system.

[Goblinoid Games]

I'm reading through Wizards' World book right now, and one thing that is eluding me so far is how monsters attack. My first-level Dwarf Warrior starts off with a 25 percent chance to hit with his scimitar, but what are the percentile rolls for the monsters when they make their attacks? Yeah, I'm probably missing something really obvious.

That aside, I really am enjoying the book and its options for races and classes, plus the RuneQuest style combat system.

Hi Steve, monsters attack according to their equivalent class and level, taking into account how many increments for fighter types would have accumulated for the percentage. Personally, I would assume the monster is right at the XP total for the level to make it simpler. It occurs to me that it would be handy to have a list of the base attack ability by level of classes that can fight just for this purpose, so that you don't have to calculate it each time you want to use a monster.

[bat]

Mr Proctor beat me to it. I have a few Wizards' World projects I am doing and one of them is a simple template to use for NPCs and monsters that is basically a few combat abilities or spells that will fit in with the appropriate challenge level one is after. Making monsters and NPCs is a little daunting at first, but still quicker than in 3.0+.

[Steve Mitchell]

Dan and Bat, thanks for the responses. Going back and checking the monster stats, I see how this works now. Thanks again!