Mastermind take 2, and an update on the Metal Earth book

Friend of the Metal Earth, Stormbringer, has kindly offered to do the layout on the book. He has already taken it upon himself to reformat the Mastermind layout. Get it here or in the side bar. I think it looks awesome and I am very appreciative.
Thanks SB!

The Mastermind class, version 1

So anyway, I'm thinking that I am going to go with Plan C as mentioned in the comments of this post. There will be three classes, the Sorcerer, the Adventurer, and the Mastermind (Click to download- also available in the side bar at the left).

In creating this I was very influenced by the Beyond the Black Gate S&W Thief Class and I used Erin D. Smale's Building the Perfect Character Class to get a baseline for xp requirements and such. I found both of these at the OSR Links to Wisdom page.

My sincere thanks to everyone involved with everything above (including S&W).

I'll likely change this up a bit in the future, but probably only a bit.
I can invent monsters and technogear and spells all day, but making classes has been the major stumbling block for me, and I feel that I am on the right track at last. I could be just a few weeks away from play test document.
Or something.

OPD Entry

I have decided to enter The Forgotten Depths (also available in the side bar on the left) into the OPD contest. It's like a year old, so nothing to get excited about.

Character Classes: Plan A and Plan B

I’m still working this out, and I have two alternating plans.

Plan A: the players may chose from the classes listed below, each of these classes will have a number of options with witch a player may further customize the character in question. For example a sorcerer may be a healer or necromancer, or a bit of both depending upon his choices. A slayer may be a soldier, an assassin or a brawler. Another level of customization may be available through mulit-classing. Each character would only be allowed to advance in one class at any given time, but may chose to take a level in a different class upon leveling up in their current class. For example, upon gaining second level in the Slayer class, Sarken the Scourge decides to take a level in the Hunter class. This would be subject to GM approval.

These are the classes under plan A

Mastermind: The scientists, intellectuals and engineers of the Metal Earth. Examples from literature: Turjan of Miir, S’nerg (Hiero’s Journey), Tomb the Dwarf (Viriconium), Guyal of Sfere (The Dying Earth), The Red Queen (Den Saga)

Outlander: A warrior from another time or place. Examples from literature: Den, John Carter, Kamandi, Sumner Kragen (Radix) and many, many more.

Hunter : Scouts, savages and beast-friends these seasoned individuals have the know how necessary to thrive in the wild. Examples from literature: Naüsica, Hiero, the gelfling chick from Dark Crystal.

Sorcerer: Wielders of the realty warping power of magic. Examples: Turjan of Mur and Mazirian the Magician (The Dying Earth).

Slayer: Soldiers, assassins, swordsmen, brigands, members of this class are skilled in dealing death to their opponents. Examples form Literature: Severian (The book of the New Sun), Tuftan (Kamandi), Ulan Dhor (The Dying Earth)

Plan B:

There are two classes Sorcerer and Adventurer, any and all special abilities have to be worked out with the referee. I may provide a list of suggestions, like “Speak with lizards” and “crack shot” and shit. I don’t know. Maybe there will be a random table of special abilities.

Regardless of which way I go (as of this writing, I’m leaning heavily towards Plan B) there will be two ‘race’ as class options (Robot and Halfdead); mutations (mostly psionic in nature) and Sorcerers will be able to use any sort of weapon- except guns (the mechanisms of firearms and energy weapons mess sorcery up).

Actually, I may have made a decision while writing this post, but I have to think on it.

Explain the OGL to me

Here The AD&D Grognard expresses concern over the lack of proper use of the OGL and where it will lead.

I'm not sure when it is appropriate to use and when you can give it a miss.

For example:
Should I have a OGL page for monsters that use a Swords and Wizardry style stat block, but are largely my own creations such as in these posts?

How about spells, like in this post?

What about my own house rules that use common gaming concepts like hit points?

Does the fact that I'm not looking for cash here make any difference?

1d12 table of random NPC asssholery

I wrote this whilst thinking about some of the people I knew in Jr high, and (especially) grad school. Some of these people will make an exceedingly good first impression, others will be blatant assholes right from the start. I actually know someone with 11 of the 12 traits (she is hygienic) so feel free to roll multiple times- perhaps you could even roll 1d12:

1. Persecution complex: thinks everyone is out to get him/her.
2. Bad hygiene: never washes, smells like a goat.
3. Pathological liar: lies all the time, even when the truth would suit his purpose.
4. Negative: interprets everything in the worst light.
5. Sexist: openly hates the opposite sex.
6. Invalidator: sneers at the aspirations and efforts of others.
7. Manipulative control freak: everything they do is designed to influence and maneuver others.
8. Whiner: bitches and complains all the time.
9. Cowardly.
   
10. Angry: Mad about something all the time. If one situation gets resolved, they find something else.
11. Traitor: Completely without loyalty.
12. Arrogant, self involved big talker : Begins virtually every sentence with the word “I” and is the hero of every story they tell, furthermore this individual will often pretend to have special status or access to secret knowledge.

Note: Most of the people i know from grad school are fine human beings, but it is hard to deny that the asshole index is a little higher in academia than in the general population.

Crassly Sexualized Science Fantasy Sorcerer Spells: NSFW?

Perky Shae Sorceress, Altia, moments from a confrontation with a mutated tree and a horny beanbag… er… it was supposed to look like a rock. Honest. Fuck it. This shit is free, stop bitching… Look a tattooed elephant! and nipples! Click to engorge enlarge.

Ahem, anyway...

As I have stated elsewhere, clerics are rarer than humans on the Metal Earth (i.e. pretty fucking rare) . However, Sorcerers not only have all the MU spells, but access to some spells which are traditionally reserved for clerics as well. I have made small changes to most of the spells below and there are a couple of new spells too. The list below contains only first level spells; the rest will come soon.

Before I get to the spells, two items for those of you who visit regularly:

1. I’m a bit scattered lately, but a lot of the incomplete multi-part posts (like this one) will be worked out in the near future; I have no idea in what order, though.

2. I don’t really have another item, I just wanted to throw a list up because I thought it might make me look organized in front of the folks that showed up for the tattooed, earring sporting elephant (Which I think I stole the idea for from a dirty Pathfinder book I flipped through).

3. Wait, I do have something! Everything is under control. I got a scanner, the art I post will look a little bit better. Over the next week or so, I'm going to switch out some of what is already up for newly scanned versions.

First Level Sorcerer Spells

Most of these are based on the OGL spells from S&W WB. A few are my own. I have altered all but the final three, but I left them up as a convenience for those who wish to make use of the list . They can copy it all from here. I declare all of my own spells open game content.

Arcane Bolt

Spell Level: S1

Range: 20ft

Duration: instantaneous

Caster throws a bolt of howling chaos energy. This bolt will cause a minor wound to any medium or smaller creature. A second bolt (cast during the next round only) will rob the target of 50% of their remaining hit points, and expand the Minor Wound into a Major Wound.

Detect Corruption

Spell Level: S1

Range: 60 ft.

Duration: 1 hour

The caster detects creatures that have been altered or corrupted by radiation or magic within the spell’s range.

Detect Magic

Spell Level: S1

Range: 60 ft.

Duration: 20 min.

The caster can perceive in places, people, or things the presence of a magical spell or enchantment. Magical items or secretly placed charms may be discovered with this spell.

Detect Radiation

Spell level: S1

Range: 200 ft.

Duration: 1 hr

The caster can perceive dangerous levels of radiation within the spell’s range.

Infatuate

Spell Level: S1

Range: 120 ft.

Duration: Until dispelled

This spell affects living bipeds of human size or smaller, such as apes or sharkmen. If the spell succeeds (saving throw allowed), the unfortunate creature falls under the caster’s influence. In order to cast the spell the caster must possess a personal item belonging to the target, or use an obvious visible focus, such as a shiny coin.

Illuminate/Shroud

Spell Level: S1

Range: 120 ft.

Duration: 1 hour + 10 min./level

1. As an illuminate spell the caster brings into being a floating globe of light about the size of a human skull and about as bright as a torch. The globe moves with the caster or remains stationary, at thei sorcerer’s discretion.

2. As a Shroud spell, the caster instead causes night-time darkness to fall upon the area with a radius of 20 feet, regardless of extant light sources. This field of darkenss can move with the caster or remain in one place, at the sorcerer’s discretion.

Mend

Spell Level: S1

Range: Touch

Duration: Instantaneous

The caster can cure one Minor Wound or reduce one Major wound to a Minor Wound. If cast twice, the spell can cure one Major Wound or reduce a Grievous Wound to a Major wound. No wound will respond to the speel more than twice. The spell caster cannot cast the spell on herself and incurs 1 pt of Hit Point damage each time the spell is cast. This point of damage takes 24 hours to heal.

Power up
Spell Level: S1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 min (1 charge)/ level:

The caster has the ability to power up any technological device such as an autonm, computer, raygun, or a electronic door

Protection from Radiation/Chaos

Spell Level: S1

Range: Caster only

Duration: 1 hour

Will protect caster from effects of harmful radiation, Arcane Bolts or curse squalls.

Purify/ Putrefy Food and Drink

Spell Level: S1

Range: Close/Touch

Duration: Instantaneous

1. As a Purify Food and Drink spell. the caster causes enough food and water for up to a dozen people to be made pure, removing spoilage and poisons.

2. As a Putrefy Food and Drink spell. the caster causes enough food and water for up to a dozen people to be made putrid, creating spoilage and poisons.

Read Languages

Spell Level: S1

Range: Reading distance

Duration: 1 or 2 readings

This spell allows the caster to read directions, instructions, and similar notations that are written in unfamiliar or even unknown languages. It is especially useful for treasure maps.

Read Magic

Spell Level: S1

Range: Caster only

Duration: 2 scrolls or other writings

This spell allows the caster to read magical writings on items and scrolls. Magical writing cannot be read without the use of this spell.

Sleep

Spell Level: S1

Range: 240 ft.

Duration: Referee’s discretion

This spell puts enemies into an enchanted slumber (no saving throw is permitted). It can affect a number of creatures based on their hit dice.

Note: I wrote this piece of shit in Word before moving it over to blogger and the format is well and truly fucked; I can't seem to fix it, so please excuse the goofy spacing in some places.