Gamma Fury B/X

A play-by-post game using a mash up of 1e Gamma World and B/X D&D, set in apocalyptic Roman Britain.

The apocalypse rages. Mighty cities have fallen and civilization has collapsed. Your job is to save humanity, or die trying!

Setting

Ides of Martius, 986 AUC

It's been a half-year since I took command of what remained of the legion, abandoned Isca Augusta and marched north to Castell Collen. It was a hard winter, filled with savage battles against the...things that came out of the darkness and snow. We lost many good friends.

Spring has come. Something must be done or the light of humanity will flicker out forever.

-Legatus Vector Antonius Maximus

The A-Team

To act preemptively against the apocalypse, Legatus Maximus has quietly assembled a small, tightly knit team for long-range reconnaissance patrols deep into hostile or unknown territory, capable of surviving for extended periods with little or no outside support. Although Legio II Augusta is an elite unit, this A-Team is the best of the best: Each member is a highly respected combat veteran, with at least ten years service in the legions, who was hand-picked for special duty by the Legatus and s/he embodies Roman virtues (valor, toughness, excellence, courage, character, and worth).

• Primary directive: acquisition of reliable, actionable intelligence ("Sneak and peak")

• Secondary directive: acquisition of high value assets ("Snatch and grab")

• Rules of Engagement: Stealth and secrecy are paramount. Only engage in combat where necessary to meet mission directives or if a high value target of opportunity presents itself.

Due to the Cryptic Alliances, the A-Team is a clandestine organization, whose existence is unknown to most of Legio II Augusta. In addition to reconnaissance and force reconnaissance, potential missions also include infiltrating enemy camps or cities, under disguise, to gather information (or to sabotage the enemy).

Player Characters

Hedonus Axebiter

Played by roryb

• Level 3 Fighter
• S 16, I 8, W 13, D 13, Co 16, Ch 10
• HP 20; AC 1

• Equipment: leather armor, shield, hand axes (3), dagger, one potion of healing, one potion of growth, backpack, flask of oil (3), small hammer, iron spikes (12), standard rations (7 days), rope (50'), tinder box, wine skin, torches (6)
• 50 gp

Septimus Furius Marsyas

Played by Vektunaxa

• Level 3 Magic User
• S 10, I 16, W 10, D 13, Co 16, Ch 8
• HP 12; AC 5

• Spellbook: Read Magic, Sleep, Invisibility
• Equipment: leather armor, sword, dagger, short bow, Quiver and arrows, backpack, rations, waterskin, blanket, rope, flint and steel, one potion of ESP, one potion of gaseous form
• 50 gp

Felix Valere

Played by Brill1ance

• Level 3 Thief
• S 13, I 10, W 9, D 16, Co 16, Ch 10
• HP 14; AC 3
• Open Locks 80, Find/Remove Traps 80, Move Silently 80, Hide in Shadows 90, Pick Pockets 30

• Equipment: leather armor, short sword, short bow, Quiver and arrows, backpack, Candles (20), Map Case, Flint/Steel, Wooden amulet of Fortuna on necklace (not really a Holy Symbol), Parchment (10) (for making maps), Ink bottle, Rations (Trail) 7 days, Rope, Silk (50 ft), Spikes (12), Hammer, light, Thieves Tools, Wineskin, Street Clothes, one potion of Healing, one potion of gaseous form
• 50 gp

Marcus Antonius, Cleric of Minerva

Played by Baeraad

• Level 3 Cleric
• S 10, I 10, W 16, D 9, Co 13, Ch 15
• HP 14; AC 3

• Equipment: leather armor, Mace, Shield, backpack, rations, waterskin, blanket, rope, flint and steel, two potions of Healing
• 50 gp

Bellicanus, Cleric of Mithras

Played by MonsterMash

• Level 3 Cleric
• S 10, I 11, W 16, D 9, Co 14, Ch 13
• HP 14; AC 3

• Equipment: Javelin, Spatha, Dagger, Leather Armour, Shield, Sling and 30 bullets, Pack, 2 Waterskins, Potion of Healing, Potion of ESP, flint and steel, 6 torches, 7 days trail rations, 50 ft rope, grappling hook
• 50 gp

Team Property

• Medallion of Communication (wearer can comprehend all spoken languages; wearer can speak with any other Medallions set to the same frequency within 12 miles)

• Helm of Infravision (up to 500' feet)

• Boots of Jumping (wearer can jump up to 60', vertically or horizontally, per day (i.e., one 60' jump, six 10' jumps, etc.))

• Ring of Teleportation (once a day anywhere within 500' feet, requires line of sight)

• Ring of Protection +1

• Sword +1 Holy Avenger (if used by a Cleric, +2 against dark side creatures, doing MAX damage against such)

• Hammer of Divine Wrath +1 (if used by a Cleric, +2 against dark side creatures; if used by a Cleric, when thrown automatically returns 1 round later)

• Wand of Paralyzation (5 charges)

• Wand of Fireballs (5 charges)

Known Threats

• Hoops: These 8' tall homicidal mutant bunnies are the implacable foe of humanity!

• GMOs: Short for "Genetically Modified (Plants)", these flora hunger for human flesh and blood!

• Screamers: So called for their piercing shrieks that can stun the strongest warrior, these hellspawn look like hideously deformed humans covered with pus and diseased wounds and they periodically wander out of the eldritch mists!

House Rules

I will be using a number of House Rules to better fit B/X D&D to 1e Gamma World's concepts, survival horror themes and my lazy DM philosophy:

• Character Generation

• • Character Classes: Only humans allowed but to give players more options, I'll roundabout bring back the Elf and Halfing as two new classes, the Spellsword (Fighter/Magic User) and Scout (Fighter/Thief).

• • Characters get a Standard Array for ability scores 16, 14, 12, 10, 10, 8 (arrange to suit). Then, PCs modify ability scores with bonus points depending on class. NB- it costs 3 bonus points to increase a 17 to an 18, it costs 2 bonus points to increase a 16 to an 17, and all other increases cost 1 bonus point

• • • Fighter, 6 bonus points
    • Thief, 4 bonus points
    • Cleric, 3 bonus points
    • Magic User, 3 bonus points
    • Scout, 2 bonus points
    • Spellsword, 1 bonus point

• • Characters get static hit points depending on class, modified by Constitution scores. (i.e., hit points DO NOT INCREASE WITH LEVEL)

• • • Fighter, 16 hit points + (Constitution adjustment x 2)
    • Cleric, 12 hit points + (Constitution adjustment x 2)
    • Scout, 12 hit points + (Constitution adjustment x 2)
    • Spellsword, 12 hit points + (Constitution adjustment x 2)
    • Thief, 10 hit points + (Constitution adjustment x 2)
    • Magic User, 8 hit points + (Constitution adjustment x 2)

• • Cleric, call forth magic light from a holy weapon at will
    • Unlike Magic Users, a Cleric does NOT need to select his/her spells beforehand (i.e., s/he decides at the time of casting)
    • Every day, a Cleric can produce one vial of holy water

• • Thief, divide 360 points among 1) open locks, 2) find and remove small traps, 3) pick pockets, 4) hide in shadows, 5) hear any noise and 6) move silently
    • After Character Generation, add 30 points for every new level

• • Scout, divide 180 points among 1) open locks, 2) find and remove small traps, 3) pick pockets, 4) hide in shadows, 5) hear any noise and 6) move silently
    • After Character Generation, add 15 points for every new level
    • Unlike Thieves, a Scout CANNOT backstab

• • Spellsword, cast spells as per a Magic User of half level round down (i.e., 3rd level Spellsword cast spells as per a 1st Magic User, 4th level Spellsword cast spells as per a 2nd Magic User)

• Characters Generally

• • All classes can use all weapons, armor and magic items (e.g., MUs can use swords and fighters can use wands).

• • All classes use the Fighter XP and Saving Throw tables

• • All PCs start at 3rd level

• • All PCs begin with whatever mundane gear they would like, 50 gp, and two potions of either ESP, Gaseous Form, Growth and/or Healing (PC's choice)

• • For Fighters, Scouts and Spellswords, THAC0 improves by 1 each level. For others, THAC0 improves by 1 every other level.

• • For Fighters, Scouts and Thieves, natural AC improves by 1 each level. For others, natural AC improves by 1 every other level.

• • XP is awarded for completing mission objectives, NOT FOR KILLING CREATURES AND/OR TAKING THEIR STUFF

• Equipment

• • shields deduct 3 from Armor Class, rather than 1

• Gameplay

• • Spot Checks use Intelligence

• • Fear Checks use Wisdom

• • Stealth Checks use (Intelligence + Dexterity) / 2