I an going to attempt to run thru "Skeleton Cavern" from the queer game designer Noah Patterson's Micro Chapbook 0.0 line - full sole games on one sheet of paper.
I had my kids walk these dark wet caves a bit some time back, but had not gone myself, till last night.
I feel like it's a right of passage I have yet to undergo, running this rules-as-written, with the necessary interpretations of minimalist designs.
I won't go to much in to the rules her, as that would practically give the game away, but just give a feel of the experience. Buy the thing, it's just 1$.
This is just the first foray in to the caves, and I will make a follow up post with the thing finished, when such is the case.
"An evil necromancer hides out in the darkness of Skeleton Cavern. Can you find him and stop his evil deeds?"
This was my starting point. To win a combat round you need to roll your strength or below with a d6. If you are a fighter you roll 2d6 and pick the best. To just auto win any of the 0.0 Chapbooks you build a strength 5 fighter. That's no fun, though, so I made a reasonable strong fighter (STRENGHT 3) with a good head on his shoulders (WITS 3) so I can hold myself in battle, and also deal with traps. I rolled 7 gold, so got an awesome weapon, and fine armor, yet nothing else.
In the first room after the entrance, I entered a stone tunnel, and from behind a bend 4 rats with wings flew my way. I got shaken up a bit (CHARISMA deal with bravery) but only lightly wounded. After this weird experience I find a healing potion in a backpack next to a recently diseased... something - rats had a meal, it would seem. Then I cut my hand, as the handle of the door at the end of the tunnel turns out to be made of wax, with a blade under! Well, beyond that damned door is a small chamber of gray stone, with one new door, but before I can exit, 4 skulls fly from the floor, trying to rip my flesh from my bones with surprisingly clean teeth. I think they floss, but though there's never a bad time for dental hygiene, this might not be the best time either, so I bash them in, receiving a few bites in the process and under a lot more pressure too. I find a bread crust laying around, and not one to waste food, I pack it up before leaving thru the eastern door, entering a crypt. 4 skeletons crawl from their resting place, with rusted spears and rotted shields, stop-motion'ing my way. I manage to defeat them, but I'm mentally beat, and pretty messed up physically as well. I do find 4 gold though! Having lost all my WILL I now take a +1 penalty to my dice, so my STRENGHT is practically become only 2. So time to, umm, tactically retreat a bit.
In the deluxe 1.0 rules backtracking give a 1/6 chance at encountering new monsters in the previous rooms, but no mention of such exist in the 0.0 chapbooks. I didn't roll for monsters this time, but think I will do normal monster rolls from now on. I don't know the intention of Noah. Did I mention he's queer? He mention it often, and I just want to help where I can. I'm like super nice, you know.
What I do know is that you auto-heal "in town". Noah was asked, so we know. And knowing is half... Oh, wait a minute! I will not settle for half! Want, take have. Life of a slayer is easy!
Well, bread and board is free. The 1.0 rules charge 1 gold - though I guess there's something to be done about that, if playing the "Evil Edition" *grin* Not that I would mess with the rainbow elf behind the bar in Lemon Woods. Had enough scratch marks for now, and he know how to draft that beer, even better then the previous dwarf.
Next time I will re-use the dungeon layout, but roll for monsters every time, even backtracking.
Oh and, if I had been playing 1.0 deluxe, I would have been better off with the monsters, as there can't appear more then the squares in the rooms! But hen the standard setup is 2d6 for rooms. Still. 1d6 is mentioned as an option! ^_^
UNTILL WE... die?
