Some rules revisions & housekeeping

Here's a link (which I'll also share on the Quick Start page) to some revised rules that came about as a result of my alpha-test run of Great & Small.  I have a feeling that most of these will be in the final draft of the game.

The big changes are:

1) Hit Dice are now tied directly to Size rating.  Species determines 0-level starting hit points; adding a niche at character creation takes you to 1st level and gives an additional HD roll to add to this total.  Each time you level up afterwards, you gain a new HD of the appropriate type and re-roll all your hp using the new pool of HD, and only change hp total if the new result is greater than the old.

2) Initiative now uses a Move (MV) score determined by your species. I'll be going through the Featured Creatures to revise them, but in the meantime, MV scores can be converted from the old system by dividing the combat movement rate (the number in parentheses) by 5.  This number is added to a 1d10 roll during combat to derive your initiative. Runner characters add their niche die result as a further bonus to this roll.  This will eliminate the system using Speed ratings for declared actions.

3) I've diversified the saving throws so that each core niche now has its own unique save bonus.  The new categories are Blast (Runner), Charm (Storyteller), Deception (Seer), Device (Scout), Fear (Warrior), Paralysis (Trickster), Poison (Herbalist), and Trauma (Healer).  Discerning readers should be able to tell which old-school save category each of these was derived from.

Next week, I will be diving headlong into arranging, re-writing, and compiling the final draft of the full product, including systems for Scent Battles over territory (based on turning undead mechanics!) and hazards of the wilderness, a re-working of OSR treasure rules to accommodate Resources and spandrels, and hopefully expanding the Herbalism list.  Also, creating more tables, including randomized scenario generation ideas.

Meantime, on the blog, I'll continue statting up Featured Creatures -- which will also all be in the final product -- adding 5e-compatible material, more sample PCs of various levels, more setting details for the three campaign schemes, and reviews of some of the inspirational reading.

Thanks to all my readers for the support and encouragement.  This project really feels like it is starting to take on a life of its own.

Streamlined Initiative & Updated Runner Niche

One of my goals for the final version of Great & Small is simplified rules using a unified dice resolution mechanic.  Which is the reason I settled on the current engine, 2d10 +/- modifiers = 20+ meaning a success.

My current version of initiative has always felt too clunky to me, though.  I adapted it more or less as-is from B/X and the Rules Cyclopedia, but I've never felt it works simply enough for my design goals.

So, here's a streamlined version, that will likely replace the version in the Quick Start Core Rules.  The change alters the niche ability of Runners, as well.

Initiative
Your initiative equals your Total Level (or Hit Dice) + the Speed of the action you are declaring. Higher total scores go first, then next lowest scores in descending order.  In the event of a tie between player and BM, both sides should roll the core dice and add their Total Level (or Hit Dice).  The higher result wins.

Changes to the Runner niche
Under these revised initiative rules, Runners now add their niche die roll result to their total initiative score, instead of having all actions default to a Speed of Quick.  Thus, Runner characters' initiative equals Total Level (or Hit Dice) + Speed of declared action + niche die result.