Firearm Mechanics And Statistics

Let's build some mechanics around the previous post.

Firearms

Yes, this EMP campaign will include firearms; it's the 17th century after all. They will be available for PCs and NPCs alike, with no vague prohibitions. Anyone who can afford one, can be trained in its use, and take care of a firearm can employ them as they see fit. I don't see any problem with having this piece of technology (or any time appropriate technology) enter into a fantasy game.

What follows is descriptions of firearms as they were known in 1618, consolidated so as to be usable for gaming without the minutiae. We'll get into mechanics in a follow up post.

Elven Game Lore

I've established Elves in the EMP campaign as a mostly nomadic people. If we take a lesson from Farm, Forge, and Steam to heart, we learn that "population dense agriculture trump[s] population diffuse nomadism (hunter-gatherer/herding). Always." So we create a little contradiction here, how have Elves remained a nomadic people through antiquity to the early modern period while sharing the continent with humans?

Farm, Forge, and Steam

I've been doing many posts on rules building lately, but that can get rather dry especially from the spectator's point of view. So let's go back to world building.

Statistic Tables

As the rules begin to slowly coalesce, I can create the stat tables to better communicate some of these changes.

Further Roll To Advance Considerations

Even if this system is off the table for now, I will finish specifying it in case it gets reworked.

Roll to Fail

In the comment section of a previous Roll to Advance post, I left a little sentence hanging at the end that spurred some further thought on this system.

"I hope it reaps rewards regardless of decoupling individual successes and rewards"

I guess I didn't think through this particular implication. This system effectively removes the link between risk and reward since experience rewards are static. I can't believe I missed this before. Why take on any risks if the experience rewards are the same for smacking some goblins or taking on a frost giant? Penniless squatters would be worth as much experience as the richest bandits.

Just completely wrong.

So for now, roll to advance experience is out. If I can reconcile this issue, maybe it can make a comeback. Until then, it's back to regular experience awards for hit dice and gold pieces.