New Adventures for TFT.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by JLV

TL was fantastic on many levels, but honestly, I always wanted a bit more -- like a "level" set in the city where the final pursuit of Tollenkar himself could have played out...

Having said that, I agree pretty thoroughly with both Kirk and Skarg, and have to admit that I learned a LOT about GM-ing from working my way through TL as the GM. One word on that; "flowcharts!" Flowcharts really helped with managing the bad guys movements and information flows! ;-)

Along the way, it not only taught you how to RUN a complex adventure, but it also taught you how to CREATE one. In short, it was brilliant! Like the Village of Hommlet was, back in the day, but with a better (and better written) adventure!

Hi JLV,
I agree. TL was a pretty slim book. I would be delighted if the page count was doubled, more information was giving of the surrounding area and a discussion of how things could continue if Tollenkar escapes. (And with that Gate, he has an excellent chance to do so.)

I would love to see those flow charts. Maybe you could pass them on to Steve Jackson?

Warm regards, Rick.

[Rick_Smith]

Hi everyone,
The Cidri background was supposed to have high tech and mechanical artifacts, but this idea was not well developed. There was Advanced Wizard which gave us a tonne of spells, potions and magic times. But there was no supplement that gave us a similar collection of artifacts and rules for mechanicers.

I think that a supplement that gave a couple dozen mechanical wonders, some guidelines on how the GM should game a mechanicer figuring these things out and some discussion on finding them would be very useful for those interested in the Cidri game background. What is the economics of rare artifacts? If the supplement also gave more things for Mechanicers to do, it would be cool.

What are people's thoughts?

Warm regards, Rick.

[luguvalium]

Originally Posted by JLV

TL was fantastic on many levels, but honestly, I always wanted a bit more -- like a "level" set in the city

I also agree with JLV and Rick. More information about the city, not all the city, but enough the characters can interact there, buy items, or use it as a base if they return the TL multiple times.

Hints about how the GM the adventure would be a good addition as well.

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

Hi everyone,
The Cidri background was supposed to have high tech and mechanical artifacts, but this idea was not well developed. There was Advanced Wizard which gave us a tonne of spells, potions and magic times. But their was no supplement that gave us a similar collection of artifacts and rules for mechanicers.

What are people's thoughts?

Warm regards, Rick.

Here, have an aluminum pressure cooker.

[JLV]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

Hi everyone,
The Cidri background was supposed to have high tech and mechanical artifacts, but this idea was not well developed. There was Advanced Wizard which gave us a tonne of spells, potions and magic times. But their was no supplement that gave us a similar collection of artifacts and rules for mechanicers.

I think that a supplement that gave a couple dozen mechanical wonders, some guidelines on how the GM should game a mechanicer figuring these things out and some discussion on finding them would be very useful for those interested in the Cidri game background. What is the economics of rare artifacts? If the supplement also gave more things for Mechanicers to do, it would be cool.

What are people's thoughts?

Warm regards, Rick.

Somebody did something similar for some other RPG, didn't they? (I shudder to think that it might even have been EGG for either OD&D or AD&D -- a la that Barrier Mountains module from the long ago).

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by JLV

Somebody did something similar for some other RPG, didn't they? (I shudder to think that it might even have been EGG for either OD&D or AD&D -- a la that Barrier Mountains module from the long ago).

1E and 2E Gamma World had some lists of random 'artifacts' that you could find while exploring. I find it funny that most of it was litterally 70's tech with no thought to what people 200 years in the future (in game terms) would be using.

I made some larger lists for my owen use, they are hand written and in my 'old stuff' cabinet.

[luguvalium]

Originally Posted by luguvalium

More information about the city

Nevermind, I see it now. I had forgotten that Bendwyn and the Duchy of Dran's details were in the back on ITL

[zot]

Originally Posted by KevinJ

1E and 2E Gamma World had some lists of random 'artifacts' that you could find while exploring. I find it funny that most of it was litterally 70's tech with no thought to what people 200 years in the future (in game terms) would be using.

Exactly like Doctor Who -- check out some of the "futuristic" episodes with Tom Baker and you'll see lots of cords connecting equipment to walls and other equipment.

[zot]

Originally Posted by KevinJ

I made some larger lists for my owen use, they are hand written and in my 'old stuff' cabinet.

Scan please.

[KevinJ]

Warning, quite Long winded.

When I was looking at 'Artifacts' for my current game I combed through 4 or 5 other RPGs for suitable magic items that could fit the role of artifact.

The following are possible artifacts that could be found on Goranth. Anachronistic tools, weapons, toys, household goods, and even vehicles could be found. They will all be from more technologically advanced eras and may or may not be movable or useful for reverse engineering.
For example: A toy steam engine from 1970 COULD lead to the invention of steam power because the toy works exactly the same way a full sized steam engine works and a group of artificers and smiths would upscale all the parts to create a fully functional steam engine. Mind you, they might not know how to harness the power, but they could make it!
Of course anything that runs on electricity would be pretty much useless, since you need electricity to make it function, but a solar powered calculator would function normally so long as there is sufficient light. Given time a scholar or Mathematician could decipher its use.


"Magic is a science for which we do not understand the Laws." - Me
Without knowledge of the laws that govern the science of magic we cannot understand how it works, but we know it works. This is exactly the same concept for stone age peoples meeting Conquistadors or Pilgrims. The magic staves of the Conquistadors were thought of as magic by the Aztecs and their various subject people because those peoples didn’t understand the scientific principles on which gunpowder worked. Those same people soon learned that the Conquistadors were still mortal and that their magic was slow to work and could be fickle.
Magic items from other worlds might work on principles not know to the people of Goranth, but they still work. And once you understand how to make a magic artifact function, you can use it until it breaks or its magic runs out.
Enter magic items from other worlds and crossovers from other game systems. A wand that shoots 5d6 fireballs with no ST cost sounds awesome, but what if you can only use it 22 times and you don't know that you can only use it 22 time? Or a ring of invisibility that stops working if you take certain actions? Of armor that makes you harder to hit instead of stopping extra damage? Any of these would be artifacts because they do not follow the know laws of magic and science of Goranth.

Melee weapons might not be recognized as artifacts since there are melee weapons around right now. And an artifact melee weapon might be superior to or greatly inferior to the weapons currently available. A bronze Khopesh with a nice enchantment or two might be seen as an inferior weapon even though it is enchanted.

Armor is an odd duck for a fantasy world. Most modern armor isn’t made to protect you from the hazards of ‘medieval’ combat, with a few exceptions.
Armor DX- MA- Prot ST Wgt
Riot Shield 0 0 2 8 2
Lexan riot shield 0 0 3 8 2
BCP armor -1 -1 6 8 10

Riot Shield: A carbon fiber shield the size of a tower shield, but a fraction of the weight. There is even a little window you can look through so you don’t have to expose your head to see your enemy. While they are fireproof, and great for absorbing blunt force, cutting attacks, and even bullets, they only provide 1 Protection against arrows or crossbow bolts.
Lexan Riot Shield: Like the Riot Shield, but the entire shied is see through.
BiPhase Carbide Plate: This space age armor is thin, light, and very rugged. It comes in black, white, and grey. This armor has padding built in and provides outstanding protection from all forms of damage. The helmet includes a filter to keep out dust and particulates as well as tinted and polarized lenses.

Tools
Any good quality modern hand tool would be considered an artifact, not because they are different but because of the metallurgy and modern materials.
Power tools would be useless without power or fuel, but they would be worth something to a collector of strange things.
There are a lot of things that ‘modern man’ doesn’t even recognize as tools, like an engineer’s Transit, that might revolutionize how things are done on Goranth; the same for telescopes or binoculars and hoses. Useful devices: wind-up alarm clock, metal detector, hand crank or shake flashlight, hand calculator, cigarette lighter, musical instruments, first-aid device, self-cleaning cook pot, or hydraulic jack.

Books:
Books are an interesting artifact. They are obviously books, but if you can’t read them how valuable are they? Well to scholars, any book in any language would be valuable. A book with illustrations, like a math or science textbook, would be very valuable since it has the meanings of the words displayed in the pictures and any Mathematician would instantly recognize a math book for what is was and that would aid in the translation of the language.
Indecipherable books are always valuable to collectors if only for the rarity. For these, the value is based on the number of pages and overall condition of the book.

Fehicles:
When most people think of vehicles they will think of cars, trains, and planes, but vehicles are more than that. A vehicle could be a skateboard, skates, bicycle, tricycle, or little red wagon. Even a modern version of coach or wagon is an artifact, since they use more advanced materials, designs, and processes.
Something as simple as a stamped metal shoe skate could lead to technological advancement because the concept of stamping metal parts hasn’t been invented yet.
Sure, you could have an old Ford truck in a cave, but other than a curiosity you will only be teasing the players. And if that is your goal, put a fully armed F-16 in a cave...
Vehicles from older eras are good too, the Velocipede was the fore runner of the bicycle. A 19th century wagon with a mechanism for calculating distance would also be very useful.

Housewares:
Some household items are obvious no matter what they are made of. A pot with a lid is a pot with a lid; it doesn’t matter if it is made from cast iron or alloy steel. The same for most dishes, furnishings, utensils found in and around the home. An unusual hammock might be valuable to a hammock maker looking for the next new thing, but otherwise it’s just a hammock.
Electric household gadgets would be indecipherable with an instruction manual, but so many things are just the same thing, only made from different, possibly much better or much worse, materials. And go ahead and explain in detail what a gas cook top toaster looks like. It’s not like any of your players will know what it is. Do you know what one even looks like?

Toys:
Wood, sheet metal, or plastic toys off all kinds make interesting artifacts, since it is either very hard or very easy to determine if it is a toy or an actual tool, machine, or weapon.
As mentioned above, a ‘toy’ steam engine from the 1970s looks and functions exactly like a full sized steam engine. If you didn’t know it was only a toy you might be hard pressed to understand why anyone would need such a small engine. Were the people that made it only 1el tall?
Posable dolls/action figures: these could be the size of 80’s Star Wars figures (5in), 60s GI Joes (12in), 70s Gundam Warriors (upwards of 15in), or even larger (6’ mannequin size?). The amount and style of articulation in the joints determines how fun they are to play with.
Interlocking blocks: Like Legos, or not. Small blocks are obviously toys, but if they were made for the children of 20ft tall people they might be confused with actual construction materials. Such blocks might be created using cement for interlocking bricks.
Wooden toys: these can be simple animal shapes or complex wooden mechanisms based on real world or otherworldly vehicles, tools, or even fantastic beasts.
Plastic toys like the wooden toys. This includes green plastic soldiers and accessories.
Pressed metal toys like the wooden toys.
Die cast metal toys like the wooden toys. This includes cast metal figures. Cast metal toys that break are difficult to mend and once broken most can’t even be used for the metal they are made from.
Resin cast figures, vehicles, and buildings. Details are easily broken off, but the general shapes remain unchanged.

Magic Items:
The key to magic from different dimensions is that they should be decipherable. It’s obvious that a sword that bursts into flames when you draw it is magic and that you can do extra damage and light things on fire, but the very subtle magic of a ring that gets every girl you sleep with pregnant is less fun, at least for the character... All magic items from Dimension A might glow, giving them away as magic. Magic objects from Dimension B might weigh nothing, which would make them desirable just for that. Magic items from Dimension C might all make you hand tingle when you touch them, giving them away as well but not necessarily as magical.
The one factor that all Artifact magic items have is that they cannot be reproduced on Goranth.
I took a selectiuon of items of my own design and scavenged some form 4 or 5 other games for the folloing list. I renamed some of them and reworks some of them to fit the TFT mechanics.

Now this is for my TFT game set in my unique game world of Goranth. I intend to fill out lists of interesting aftifacts, but even a modern ball point pen would be an artifact, since it cannot be replicated.