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(TFT) Fan e-mail, had to share
For the past year I've been getting the occassional e-mail about TFT in
general, my web site, or one of my programs.
One guy was an editorial columnist for a retirement newsletter asking
about the origin of the word "dwarf." I've done some etymology on the
earliest appearance of each fantasy race in TFT and he found my work on a
search engine.
Another was a lawyer, who while not actually a representative for HT, or
myself actually gave me advice that I should be carefull about my programs
or "you could find yourself in front of a judge." After a couple of replys
to him I found out that he was just a TFT fan who had had a few too many to
drink that night.
But mostly they are TFT players asking for more features in the programs.
But this night I got the strangest one yet. He asked for a lot of info.
After I wrote out my reply I decided I just had to share this one with the
group. Here it is
------------------------------------
From: "humus7" <humus7@email.msn.com>
To: <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>
Subject: tft site
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 02:33:21 -0400
hello dave...
i just wanted to send a big thank you out for the wonderful site...and
the tft downloads...i have owned a couple copies of melee for years(too
many)but recently a few friends that i used to games with back in the early
80's decided to start playing some games again...unfortunatley the one whom
did all the DMing and GMing died in 86 of leukimia.so that job is now
mine;).a couple of questions that maybe you could help me out with
Gordon,
Thanks a lot. Sorry about your friend. I have a motto I use for GMing
"Making our dreams come true."
1.what are stats that you use for dragons for TFT?and how do you operate
them...
I use the standard TFT dragon stats with the following modifications.
Claw damage is determined from the Bare Hand damage table in Advanced Melee
(page 21) and add 3 points of damage as though they have cestus. The
dragon's breath weapon spreads out from the target hex. Say a dragon hits a
target for 4d damage. Each adjacent hex takes 3d, each next adjacent takes
2d, and 3 hexes away takes 1d. Here is a modified dragon table...
ST to
SIZE MA ST DX IQ ARMOR CLAW BREATH BREATH
1-hex 6/10 12 12 10 1 1+1 1-1 1
2-hex 6/12 16 12 12 2 1+3 1 1
4-hex 6/16 30 13 16 3 1+6 2 3
7-hex 8/20 60 14 20 5 4+4 3 4
14-hex 8/24 100 14 24 6 8+4 4 5
2.we are going to play some AD&D,we are going to play 1st edition AD&D as
its the only one we know how to play and those are the books that ive kept
locked in a forbiddon trunk for years...now to the point as i wasnt the dm
(though i DO own a manual...)how do YOU handle combat...do you use figures
and maps ...or the more eclectic style of paper and such...be as specific
as possible(as time allows)and feel free to send me multiple emails to
complete your style,also your method of keeping time(in combat and just
normal outside time)
Huge question. Hmmm. I'm a paper and sissors nut. I don't allow any
miniatures that haven't been melted down. I find the fixed postures limit
the players ability to imagine the current fight. So I cut out counters,
write character names on them, and put a little triangle or arrow at the top
to designate facing.
But that's me. For instance the battle map I use is actually a huge
collage of twelve copeis of the Megahexes in the middle of Advanced Wizard.
Taped together on the back and laid out on the table. I can mark, right on
it and make another next week or I can cut out some card stock copies (very
very dark) of the section in Advanced Melee and use them for walls. With
the latter method I can lay out huge rooms, and run a party through
extensive labrynths easily.
Keeping time in combat is almost a religion. But to get to that, let me
first detour to the set up at my end of the table. I always set a coffee
table, or end table, to my right hand side. That way I still sit at the
main table with the players but I have a lower table that they can't see the
top of. I use it to roll dice on, lay out maps, stack sheets of monsters,
and keep track of time on a peice of scratch paper.
As to the time keeping itself I mark down a number for each turn when it
starts. First turn I mark a "1". As the turn progresses any summonings,
illusions, or crated fires are noted and a line is drawn beneath it. Say
Joe cast's fire on turn 3, and Ray casts illusion of a dog on turn 4. Both
may last for 12 turns. My note will look like this. <leading underline
represent lined paper>
____1
____2
____3 joe fire
____ | Ray ill dog
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ | |
____ |
____
____
This way I always know when ask the player if their character renews the
spell or not.
Is to normal time I haven't shown anyone my system before. It's a bit
customized to my type of political/violent campaign set in a very small but
over crowdes city, so I won't lay out the whole thing here, but here is the
short version.
Each turn is five minutes
I encourage players to split up in town (easier to kill)
TURNS
1 Physicker a characters' wounds
1 walk 60 MH
1 row 30 MH
1 track 30 MH
1 buy something in a shop
1 search 10 hexes
1 search 10 bodies
1 remove 5 traps
1 cast a spell from a book
3 get back 1 fatigue from rest
its been nearly 20 years since i played ...but i played often back
then...i have all my old AD&D hardbounds ...they have the old covers from
the late 70's ....i think i purchased them all between 78-80' just to give
you an idea of what rules i have at my disposal as i saw some in a local
hobby store of late that obviously had nothing to do with the mine:(
thanks again
gordon
Welcome back. The method my old GM used to convert us from D&D to TFT
was pure melee combat. We make characters, fight each other, and keep our
sheets secret. Afterwards the players swap sheets and look for flaws. If
the victor made a mistake on their sheet the fight doesn't count.
David Michael Grouchy II
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