Munchkin EX Plus Alpha!

p>One idea I keep threatening my fellow players with is a Munchkin d20 game. Mind, the idea was inspired by the lil' hardcover Munchkin RPG by Steve Jackson James, but it doesn't stop there. The idea is to run a firmly tongue-in-cheek game of D&D where players can make any sort of character they want - if they can find the rules for it.

The intention is that you can make your character with any rules you like - as long as you can find them in a commerical d20 product. Class from d20 Modern? No problem. Feat from Spycraft? Sure! Race from Legend of the Five Rings? Why not? Mind, I'd be using a fantasy setting, so even if you do get that nifty M1 Abrams, you might have a hard time restocking on fuel and ammo...

The idea I had while at work today was to up the ante and add Cheats as a character option. I wanted to provide the kind of bizarre class / race combinations you see in the Munchkin card game, the kind of dumbness you can expect out of a good powergamer.

Cheats basically provide an option for players to bend or break the conventional d20 rules for purposes of character creation. Cheats, unlike skills, have no ranks. Every character gets a free cheat to start with, though actual monetary compensation may provide additional cheats. Cheats have no prerequisites or types. Just pick one, only one.

Cheats include:

Broken Race: Reduce the adjustment level of any race you take by 1, down to a minimum of 0.

Bastard!: You may take two races you could normally take, and gain all the racial traits of both. Your size is averaged, rounding up. However, you round down if one of your races is dwarf or a dwarven subtype. Similarly, your movement rate is averaged. All bonuses and penalties stack.

Cherry Picker: Aka the "Jerk of All Trades" cheat. You never suffer multi-classing penalties for uneven levels. Furthermore, you can leave a class and return to it no matter what, as long as you qualify for its basic prerequisites (like lawful alignment for a monk).

Featus Interruptus Choose any feat. You now may take that feat, ignoring all prerequisites required for that feat. Furthermore, you may also ignore any prerequisite for a feat leading up to that feat in the "feat chain". For example, if you choose Great Cleave, you could also ignore the prerequisites for Cleave or Power Attack. If you chose Spring Attack, you could ignore the prerequisites for Mobility and Dodge as well. And so on.

Mad Skillz: All skills are considered class skills for your character, including Speak Language. You may also take tricks for skills you have ranks in regardless of their prerequisites.

More Power!!!: Choose a spell list for a single school of sorcerer/wizard spells, or any non-wizard spell list. You may now add those spells to any other class spell list that you use. This does not increase your list of spells known (for spontaneous casters like bards) but only spells available.

Mutt: You may qualify for any racial prerequisite, from feats to PrCs. You are also considered to have proficiency in all racial weapons as long as you have martial weapon proficiency.

Noblesse Oblige: Pick any one prestige class. You automatically qualify for that class no matter what, ignoring all prerequisites. You may even take the PrC at level 1, but if it has a class feature that improves or continues an existing class feature (like added spellcaster levels), you do not get the benefits of that PrC class feature until you have the base class feature to actually improve.

Superior Race: Any numeric bonus or penalty you gain for your race is doubled. This does not alter size, size modifiers, or base speed.

And so on. Use at your own risk!

Victoly! (WW eQuarterly Contest)

I already probably mentioned it to most of you who read this, but it's official - I'll have a short article in the WW eQuarterly for the upcoming Spring. Look for the "Dragon's Claws" article under Exalted for a couple of new Terrestrial spells. Fun for the whole family!... if your family consists of mad sorcerers.

I've also been preparing for an Exalted 2e game, and a possible continuation of the Legend of the Five Rings campaign currently being chronicled in these posts. More as things are finalized, of course.

Legend of the Five Rings: Scrolls of the Phoenix 4

Because scribes need work, it's more Scrolls of the Phoenix.

My Lord Shiba Yoma,

I apologize for my absence in the court as I have been away from it close to 2 days so far. I will redouble my efforts upon my return to catch up so that no news will escape your ears. But I feel that Lord Isawa Notodai is in true need of whatever service I can perform, and maybe this effort will help to ease relations between the Phoenix and Dragon.

We arrived in the town to find them in relatively high spirits, though I thought I noticed a slight pall over their winter relaxation. The investigation into the death of the Dragon began in earnest as we arrived. Early inquiries provided little information except that the blacksmith knew a little about the duel. My shugenja comrades went to investigate the bridge and despite some early fear of the Taint we discovered that some blood had escaped the eta on the rocks below. We made sure to purify the area before we left.

Isawa Kenjiro and Moto Bataar went to investigate the body of the Dragon and discovered that all was in order, except for his traveling papers. Rather then bore you with the details of the investigation I will simply explain what we have discovered. Should you request the details they are, of course, ever at your disposal.

It appears that the Dragon was here during their occupation of the town, and, like several of his fellows, made themselves known to the women of the town. It seems that a relationship of some kind (seemingly loving, it seems that the Dragon were honorable in this sense at least) developed between our unfortunate Dragon and one of the townsfolk. Sometime before the Dragon were routed she became pregnant. After the Dragon were driven out he returned to her some months later. The townsfolk saw fit to hide her from their magistrate, as the desire for vengeance against the Dragon burns strong with him and they felt she would be in danger. It was during this time that the duel occurred (unfortunately we still do not know the reason), leading to our investigation. We know that the Dragon did not know the ronin, but he ronin certainty knew him and chose to instigate the duel though personal insult. She has since set off in the direction of Pale Oak. I do not know if we will find her there, perhaps among the shogun’s men. All answers lie with her. We set out soon to Pale oak to track her, return to court and bring this poor girl before Lord Isawa Nodotai so he may decide what is to be done. Though if reputation serves him well I expect she will meet no discomfort at the very least.

Before we leave here we have begun our own investigation into reports of a snow goblin living in the woods and killing Lord Isawa Nodotai’s deer, Preliminary investigations have revealed what sounds to all accounts like some form of perhaps twisted Nezumi. It apparently travels the trees in it’s sleep and shall return near here soon. We plan to investigate further before our departure.

Isawa Momoru has had apparently what he claims to be a vision. I will leave it to his letters to describe it as I do not think that I am the most appropriate interpreter of visions.

- Ever your humble servant,

- Asako Senosuke

There’s no crime in love Only in station, duty Desire the sole crime

Some observations in retrospect:

• There was some confusion amongst the shugenja of the group when they interrogated the local kami. There was a feeling of impurity which was caused by spilt blood, but they began to worry about taint... and it took a bit for them to get a clear answer.
• The town did have a name; but it's lost amongst my notes.
• The Dragon and Phoenix clans are recently recovering from a feud between the two clans (part of the "Gold Edition" metaplot), hence the recent occupation of a Phoenix town, relinquished back to Phoenix control when hostilities ceased.
• The "snow goblin" did indeed turn out to be a nezumi - the tribe of them in Phoenix lands bears white fur.
• Momoru's vision largely concerned the tree being struck by a figure in a blue cloak, and the tree bleeding.

More campaign contributions to come.