(TFT) Gaming at a small convention in Laurel, MD: Success with conversion: TFT:Descent Journey into Darkness

[Joel BoardgameRpger <joel.siragher@gmail.com>]

Im a big descent fan. These days Id rather play descent than any current rpg
system. Note I said current. Id play tft any time :)

I usually bring my TFT books to cons, hoping to spread the word. Last year I
ran into Jim and Rachel.
I remember Jim's face lighting up when he saw the ITL cover.  He use to play
lots

We sat down and played a couple of combats then, I plunked down a small 8x11
dungeon I made up.
He and his wife played. It was quite fun. I got their email but never
emailed them.  He helped me relearn some rules.

This year I brought my stuff again and ran into Jim. We started playing but
told him I dont have a dungeon made up, just some critter cards.

With some fast thinking I suggested TFT descent style and he was game.

The basic parameters were get to the goal of the dungeon with out loosing
all your conquest tokens, and you win.

Heres the skinny:

Conquest Tokens work the same way. Start with 5. For every Glyph you hit,
gain 3 more. Each time you die Loose 3 tokens.
When you die, as in descent you heal up, loose half your money, and top off
fatigue. Glyphs are used for quick trips back to the store.

Players started with 300 gold, to by armor etc. One of the characters I had
in the deck was prefabed with half plate and a broad sword. I let him start
with that.  Potions cost 50 gold as in Descent, and similarly potions heal 3
pts, and fatigue potions top off fatigue.

You can spend fatigue points in TFT:Descent the same way you do in the
regular game.
Use 1 point to get an extra MA, even after combat. You can use it to power
spell points, or use to power ghost armor.

Starting out in the game you cannot get ghost armor, or weapon glyphs or
magic glyphs from the descent shop. You have to wait till you get your first
silver treasure.

I stocked the rooms very similar to the way the 1st descent dungeon is set
up: one to 2 potions per encounter area, glyphs, treasure chests, and gold
piles.

Copper treasures can be sold back to the store for 125.  You can save up 500
gp for a temporary Training stat. Those who have played will understand what
that means.

Copper treasures I used fine weapons.  I gave the players a choice of
weapons to use or armor, and take 1 fine alteration. that beaing +1 dex, or
+1 damage.

For Silver treasures I introduced the concept of power dice: each player got
a pool of 3 dice.  On a 5 or 6, they used the dice like descent surges and
translated the surges into +1 damage or range, or +1 to hit.   The ghost
armor had a pool of up to 4 dice, that the player could power through
fatigue.

I ran the first half of the first descent dungeon from memory, which is a
pretty good trick for my old brain.
They ran into spiders, beastmen & master Beast men, hellhounds, skeletons
and master Skeletons.  They also took on an ogre pretty easily.
The result of these modifications is that players managed to run thru lots
of combat, taking lots of damage and using minimal fatigue.
I needed to come home tonight to check the monsters out to do quick converts
for tomorrows run. I really enjoyed it.

I will stat out the monsters for you later. Tired, time to wake up and 5
hours and run prepare my next game.

If you dont know descent, or havent played it, its very good, addictive
even.

Thanks for your ear time. Ill let you know what happens tomorrow.
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