Glaive RPG Rules

 On a whim, I backed the Glaive kickstarter and got my reward a few weeks ago. It is a booklet sized physical produce coming in at 30 pages. Given that it is based on the Knave RPG it is actually a fair bit more detailed (my version of Knave is only 7 pages).

Glaive takes the Knave rules and mixes them with some old school D&D rules. The first change you notice is character creation is that the six attributes are just modifiers (+1 to +3 to start) with no Defence numbers like you have in Knave. The characters choose from 2 talents to start and can have as many as five in play. Talents are arranged by old school classes but they do not have to be chosen that way. You could choose the warrior’s Hack and Slash talent (roll of 18-20 you perform a stunt), and the magic-users’ spell-casting ability. You can gain more talents as you level but you can only have 5 at a time. You can actually drop talents to change it for a new one.

Hitpoints advance with level. You reroll your entire hit points at every level increase (they cannot go down). Hit points are d8 for everyone. Combat feels a lot like D&D. You have d6 initiative and roll a d20 + your ability modifier (Strength for melee) and hit if the roll is greater than or equal to the opponents AC. You can regain 1d6 hit points if you pause for a turn and eat rations. Almost like a computer game. I am not certain about this rule. Given the rules on encumbrance, you are limited in how many rations you can carry.

Character creation also has similar traits (personality, background, etc) to Knave. There are also a lot of random charts included for gear. Inventory is done like Knave with it based on Constitution and you have a set number of slots (10+ CON bonus).

In an interesting choice, magic spells are provided but they are not grouped by level. They are all level less but some scale depending on your level. They are also no healing or offensive spells. The rules note this is to prevent magic-users from being healing bots or artillery. But the rules also provide magic-users the ability to turn any spell into a burst of offensive magic that does damage based on level. Ohh, and the kicker is that each spell is in a single book and each takes up one inventory slot. So Mages need high CON. I can understand the reasoning here but I think I would prefer if it was intelligence-based. Maybe all the spellbook takes up 3 slots and the number of spells is based on intelligence.

The rules do not include monsters but OSR monsters can almost be used as written and the rules do provide an explanation of how to convert monsters or create your own.

I found the rules interesting, I do not like all of the choices but I am willing to give it a try. Since my online Swords & Wizardry game takes up most of my time I am not going to try running Glaive online at least not right now. That leaves playing Solo. I decided to use Mythic as the Solo engine since I have the Mythic cards and want to get them into more use.

The (Brief) Adventures of Brem Lonetree

Scene 1 Cold Start: Close Thread, Disrupt, Friendship.

Brem Lonetree is working as a mail carrier for the messenger guild. He works for a named Wilmar Finkel. Today he arrives in Greenvale but he is delivering the messages two days late because he got held up by snow. But he has often been late. This time Wilmar uses the contract to dock his pay. Rather than 20 crowns, he is paid only 12. In a rage, Brem curses Wilmar and vows to never work of him again.

Brem goes out and gets a room at the Wandering Minstrel Inn now that he has to leave the Messenger Guild Hall. It costs him 3 crowns for the room and a hot meal.

Is Brem disturbed during the evening? Unlikely. No.

Event: NPC Action, Malice, Dispute.

The next day Brem is minding his own business eating breakfast (down to 8 crowns now) when local tough Padon Bitsk enters the tavern and walks over to where Brem is eating. He leans over and spits in Brems porridge. Brem looks up startled. Podon chuckles and says that he was sent by Wilmar to collect him.

Brem thinks for a moment and then leaps to his feet and takes a swing at Podon. It is a swing and a miss. Podon (+1 to hit, AC 10, 6 HP) swings a punch at Brem striking him for 2 points of stunning damage. Brem takes another swing and misses again. Podon laughs and punches Brem in the stomach for 1 point of damage. Finally, with his anger boiling to the top, Brem strikes Podon right in the jaw as the other man is laughing. Podon goes out like a candle and crashes to the floor. The angry innkeeper Berstern Dobbs comes out of the kitchen and yells at Brem to stop fighting. Brem smiles and says the fight is all over. He gathers his gear and trudges out the door.

Scene 2 Expected Scene: Wilmar expecting to be offered a job by Wilmar. Interrupt. PC Negative, negligence/adversities.

Brem goes to the small hall that is the quarters for the Messenger Guild. It is empty except for Wilmar behind a table. Brem tells Wilmar that he got his message but he is not interested. Wilmar, raises his eyebrows, "Ohh, you have other plans then?" Brem shrugs. "Well forget it. You owe me money and I expect to collect". Brem is confused and argues. But Wilmar says that the Messenger guild was not paid by two clients because Brem was late. Wilmar informs him that he has been penalized for the 40 crowns. He asks Brem for the silver. Brem laughs but Wilmar shows him the penalty note on the contract. Since Brem cannot read he shrugs. He figures he can just walk away and there is not much Wilmar can do about it.

Wilmar further tells Brem there is a way for him to pay back the 40 crowns and get paid an additional 40 crowns. Brem leans in with interest. “What needs to be delivered?”

Wilmar tells Brem that they have a large delivery that needs to be made outside the town. It turns out the location is Zoquill's Tower. The wizard Zorquill’s tower is in the Thin Thorns forest, which can be dangerous. Brem knows that Wilmar is likely really desperate. He expresses concern at the danger and demands 60 crowns. They settle on 50 crowns.

Wilmar goes back to the locked stockroom and with much struggling drags a wooden crate into the room. Brem goes over and tries to lift the crate. It is heavier than a keg of beer. He goes to the stock room and grabs a sled to place it on.

Scene 3 Expected Scene: Brem delivers the crate to the wizard 5 miles away. As Expected.

Brem sets out immediately. It will be impossible to get to the wizard's tower and back while the sun is still up. At this time of year, there are only 10 hours of sunlight. So he sets out just as the sun is rising.

Does Brem encounter any difficulty passing through the Thin Thorns? Likely. Yes.

As he reaches the Thin Thorns he can just make out the tower of the wizard in the distance. Keeping the location in mind he trudges through the pines careful to avoid snowfalls. He hears some odd animal calls and realizes he is being followed. He maneuvers the sled into a protected position near some trees and ducks behind it and waits. After a few moments, a pair of Goblins carrying spears advance slowly out of the trees toward the sled. Just as they reach the sled, Brem leaps to his feet and attacks one with his spear. But the goblins are not surprised and attack as well. One spear cuts into Brem's arm. It throws off Brem's aim and he misses. As he steps back one Goblin stabs him in the side. Brem feels warm blood pouring down his side. He struggles to get away but the goblin's chop him down. Brem falls dead in the snow. The wizard will never get his crate of goods.

So that was a little disappointing. A drew up a little map (below) and everything for this solo adventure and poor Brem was killed in his first encounter. The combat was no more deadly than any other OSR game. But I rolled poorly for Brem and very well for the goblins. The encounter should have been of mild difficulty but it turns out Brem is a lousy fighter.

I will have to try something else using Glaive in the same setting.

That did not turn out like I planned

One of the odd and fun things about solo play using a GM Emulator like Mythic is the completely unexpected stories that develop. Mythic sometimes sends you off where you did not expect to go. In my case, I had 2 sessions complete with Jorgin Taw journeyman wizard in Shadow River on Uresia and had begun to lose interest.

I conceived of this solo campaign as a city campaign in Uresia. The city of Shadow River is one of the few detailed parts of the Campaign setting and I thought an urban campaign would suit a wizard character. But after two sessions it was becoming Jorgin Taw runs errands for his master. So I decided let's just kill him off. I will send him out in the wilderness on his own and let the fates (Mythic GM Emulator Deck) decide what happens. If he gets killed as expected then I move on to something more interesting. So with those dark gritty thoughts, I delt the Mythic cards and came up with a fun trip from Shadow River to Cedar Vale where the hero met some trolls running an inn/boarding house and a talking bear.

It is still the player who is creating the story from the suggestions of the emulator. For some reason, these story ideas were what popped into my head. Someone else would come up with something different.

SESSION 3: TROLLS FOR LUNCH AND A TALKING BEAR

Expected Scene: Jorgin reports to his Master and is initiated as a Journeyman. Does the scene occur as expected? Interrupt. NPC Action, attains their dreams.
Expecting some sort of grand ceremony, Jorgin is disappointed when Olbrich just thrusts a scroll at him. Opening the scroll Jorgin sees it is a duly signed certificate noting him as reaching journeyman status with a modest increase in wages. Olbrich tells him to tidy up the component storage closet and then he can go early for the day. Jorgin goes to the Gilded Lily Inn, a popular inn for mage school students to see if he can impress anyone with his new status. He is unable to enter as there is a private party going on for his rival Egbert Schonfinkel who has also just reached Journeyman level and has been appointed to a position at the Mage School.

Can Jorgin sneak into the party? (Unlikely). Exceptional No.
Jorgin tries to sneak into the party at the Inn through the kitchen entrance. A troll bouncer grabs him by the collar and tosses him on the street into a puddle of offal. On the balcony above, several party guests including Egbert see his predicament and break out in laughter. Jorgin shuffles off to his
tenement in anger.

End Scene.

Expected Scene, Jorgin tells Olbrich that he is off to the countryside to seek his fortune! Occurs as expected.
Jorgin packs up his meager belongings. He spends 40 silver coins at the market on foodstuffs for the road. Then he goes to Master Olbrich to inform him of his decision to head out on the road. Olbrich, in his study, glances up at Jorgin and states’ “All set for the road? Well, good luck to you and don’t come back until you have learned something.” A little deflated, Jorgin heads out the west gate into the countryside looking for adventure. Not really sure where to go. Jorgin heads south following the trail along the Shadow River. A signpost tells him that someplace called Cedar Vale is 24 miles to the south.

Does Jorgin have an encounter along the road? Likely. No. Does he come to an Inn or Village to stay at for the night? Likely. No.
Jorgin walks all day, a few merchants and fellow travelers wave to him as they pass him headed for Shadow River. But the road is quiet. Several riverboats do pass him. As it starts to get dark he realizes he is going to have to make a camp by the side of the road. This was not part of his plans. He has no shelter and no fuel for a fire. Jorgin wanders off the road to what he thinks is a likely spot under a pine tree. He tosses down his blankets and goes to sleep.

Is Jorgin disturbed during his sleep? Likely. Yes. Is it by the weather? 50/50. Yes.
During the night a storm rolls in and it starts to rain heavily waking Jorgin. He sets his back to the tree and puts a blanket over his head trying to stay dry. But he is soon soaked. As the sun comes up, Jorgin is wet and miserable and has not had much sleep. His boots are full of water. But he is determined to continue on.

Does Jorgin find a village on the second day of travel? Likely. Yes. Describe the village. Kindly, abnormal.
It is still raining the next day but only lightly. Jorgin again sets out to the south. A few hours after noon he sees that the road passes through a small village of five buildings. A signpost reads, Leeside. As Jorgin enters the town a large troll emerges from a building. She is dressed in a bright pink and yellow dress and wearing an apron and a bonnet. She waves at Jorgin and ushers him out of the rain. The woman asks Jorgin’s name, where he is from, and where he is going and she yells for someone called Tusk to prepare a room and a hot bath. Jorgin barely has time to mention his name before she has whisked him into a room with a steaming tub of hot water. Another troll, this one an enormous male is pouring hot water into the tub. He waits patiently for Jorgin to speak. Unsure what to do Jorgin just stares.
“Take off your clothes, man. I will get them tried while you soak!”
Baffled Jorgin complies. He is soon resting in the heavenly hot, clean water. He looks about and is suddenly aware that he is naked in a tub of water in a strange building run by trolls.
“Hello? Ahh, I think I need to be on my way!”, Jorgin says.
The door opens after a moment and the female troll enters with a bowl of soup and some crackers. “Here you go, small human. Enjoy. Tusk will have your things dried out in a few hours. You can wear the robe until then”, she gestures at a brown robe hanging on a nearby hook. Jorgin stammers his thanks and is reluctant to ask what all of this is costing him.

Do Trolls mean Jorgin harm? Very Unlikely. Yes.
Jorgin gets out of the tub refreshed. His skin smells of garlic? He wonders if the water was seasoning him for a meal. Jorgin puts on the robe and casts Mage Armor just to be safe. Then he casts Disguise self to appear to look like the medusa sage he saw earlier. He steps out of the backroom into the main room of the home. The female troll is there and she drops a platter of food on the floor in shock.
“Where did you come from!” she shouts. Then turns and runs out a side door. There is a lot of shouting and Jorgin hears the exterior door slam shut. He goes looking for his clothes and finds them in a heap in another room. Along with the clothes of other travelers. The pouch with his gold is missing.

Does Jorgin find his gold? Investigate at DC 15. Yes!
Jorgin finds a pouch hidden behind a counter that has 100 gold coins in it. Picking it up he hurriedly rushes out the front door stuffing his clothes in his pack. He walks with as much confidence as he can muster out of Leeside. Once he is well past the village and the disguise spell ends he stops and gets dressed and arranges his pack. He puts 20 gold in his pouch and hides the rest in various places on his person.

Does Jorgin make it to Cedar Vale today? (50/50). Exceptional No.
After a few hours, the track that was following the river swings off to the west to go around an area of sharp cliffs that the river has cut through. Then Jorgin is confronted by a fork in the road. An old signpost lies on the ground. One direction says, Cedar Vale, and the other says Dry Wood. But it is not clear which trail it means. So he picks the one that looks more level.

As it starts to get dark Jorgin realizes he has made a mistake. He is entering a darkened wood. The forest closes in and it becomes really quiet. The canopy overhead is thick and he is finally out of the rain. When he spots a simple wood structure and firepit at the side of the road, Jorgin stops to make camp. The structure is just two walls and a partial roof but it is dry. There is a pile of dry firewood so Jorgin sets up a fire and casts prestidigitation to spark the fire and get it burning. He cooks some meat and potatoes over the fire and enjoys the meal. Despite the eerie silence in the woods, Jorgin feels like he is finally getting the hang of traveling.

Does Jorgin encounter anything during the evening? 50/50. Exceptional No.
Jorgin sleeps soundly. In the morning the campfire is cold and his body feels a little achy but he passes the night successfully.  Jorgin decides to use up Prestidigitation again so he can get a fire started and cook a hot porridge breakfast.

Is anything drawn to the camp by the smell of food? Likely. Yes. What? Slowly amusing.
Jorgin is just about to eat his meal when there is a disturbance in the bushes. He shouts, “Who goes there?”
A brown bear emerges from the bushes. It is comically wearing a patterned vest and a red hunter’s cap. The bear approaches and sets down a longbow.
“You wouldn't happen to have any honey, would you?” the bear speaks in a deep, growly voice in perfect common. Jorgin closes his gaping mouth and looks in his pack.

Does Jorgin have any honey in his provisions? 50/50. Yes.
Taking out a clay jar of honey he shakingly hands it to the bear. The bear nods his thanks. Then opens the jar and proceeds to lick the honey out the jar with a long tongue. Once the bear has emptied the jar he lets out a contented sigh.
Then the bear looks at Jorgin again. “So where are you headed?”
Jorgin explains that he is on his way to Cedar Vale. “Well, then you have headed the long way around, lucky for you I know a shortcut. Come on!”

The bear gets up and picks up its bow. It waits and looks expectantly at Jorgin.
“Right, just a moment!”, Jorgin says.

Jorgin quickly clears up his campsite and puts out the fire with some sand. The bear nods appreciatively. Then with the bear leading the way. Jorgin heads out through the forest off of the path. Jorgin becomes aware that they are moving at a high rate of speed. Some magic is being employed. After an hour they come to the edge of the forest. The bear points to a village down below on the shores of the river. “There is Cedar Vale. Good luck human.” The bear turns to leave. “Wait, I never got your name!” Jorgin says but the bear has disappeared into the woods.

Jorgin heads out at a leisurely pace for the nearby settlement.

Pardon me. Do you have any honey?