Category: Lampblack & Brimstone: Freebooters on the Frontier

We retrofitted everyones characters yesterday to 2e and it took a little while but it all worked out for the most part. (adding my changes to make load , damage and hit die ability based using “measure” , see my last post. slowed us down a bit.)

We decided our Cleric would keep her moves being Charisma based since that is how they had developed. It seems like either could work fine and you could imagine a god who was more charisma influenced and another more sensitive type who would attract those who had greater perception.

Wisdom has been a question for me. An ability that encapsulates perception, willpower, and intuition. It sometimes seems strange that a Cleric by default would be perceptive. It seems more of a Theify trait, and i do like the idea that perception could be a trait that is not the primary stat for anyone. but you could say the same about Charisma. I kind of like the idea of Clerics being Charisma based – good at influencing people, but again it doesn’t seem neccesary for all Clerics to be that way.

In the Ranger class I frankensteined together I made Rangers have “focus” (like Mettle and cunning) based on Wisdom.

I’m sure you’ve thought a lot about this already. Jason Lutes

Jason Lutes Here is a Generic version of Jason’s Character sheet. I added a bunch of little parts that incorporate ways to calculate Capacity, Hit Die, and Damage based on ability scores rather than class. I use something I’m calling “Measure.”There is a chart at the bottom right and you could squeeze the stat in next to the modifier for that ability.

3-4 = 1

5-7 = 2

8-10 = 3

11-13 = 4

14-16 = 5

17-18= 6

Capacity is Strength Measure x2. Hit Die I chose Constitution Measure +2 rounded up to the nearest die, so a pretty even spread between 1d4, 1d6 and 1d8. Weapon damage is a combination of your Strength Measure plus a number assigned by what weapon you are wielding rounded down to the nearest die, 1d4 minimum mostly. Something like this…

0- Most improvised weapons

1- Knife, dagger, staff

2- Short sword, hatchet, club

3- 1 handed Spear, Axe, Hammer, mace

4- Sword, 2 handed Spear, Flail

5- 2 handed Sword, Great Axe/Hammer, Halberd

6- Oversized, custom, probably heavy, perhaps legendary weapon, a BIG rock

So a strength 8 halfling with a dagger might do 1d4 but a burly dwarf Strength 14 would do 1d6 with the same dagger.

4 strength measure + 3 spear = 1d6

6 strength measure + 2 shortsword = 1d8

4 strength measure + 0 chair =1d4

if you wield a weapon larger than your measure then you can take a minus 1 to damage and to hit for each point lacking.

I like that it gives value to all the 0 modifier stats. It would be GREAT then to have an 11 Strength or Constitution, rather than it not have much of a direct effect on the game.

I’m not sure if there is any good reason to have a measure of your charisma or Dexterity so it might be a not very handy addition. It gives a quantity to stats that are either 0 or negative so it seems like it could be handy in some other circumstances. any ideas?

I like that it ties the characters abilities to what they can do. You don’t just get to have a d10 hit die and 10 load for showing up to fighter training if you are a weakling. It does add a layer of complexity and as Jason said in a discussion about this earlier, it may veer too far away from classic D&D for some players.

I am going to try retrofit these rules into the game I have been playing with friends for the past couple of years, ( we have already been using most of them) and also try to switch to the Freebooters 2 character sheets. Wish me luck.

Here is a paper cut out reenactment of our Freebooters story in Durham NC