Swords of Cydoria got its first official review!

Swords of Cydoria got its first official review at the Chaosium website!

This is on top of the unnofficial review from the BRP forum (who may or may not be the same person, I don't know).

If you haven't purchased it yet, head over to the Chaosium website to pick up Basic Roleplaying and the Swords of Cydoria books or PDFs. Then download the Blade of Takshaka adventure absolutely free!

A preview of Swords of Cydoria is also available.

Smuggling in Cydoria

A question was recently asked on the Cydoria Mailing List about handling smuggling and hidden compartments, so I adapted the forgery rules to cover customs inspections.

Customs Inspections

Inevitably, a smuggler will be put to the test by the authorities. Game­masters should use the following procedure to adjudicate customs inspections:

 

Step 1 - Papers please. What is your cargo?

Most inspections are cursory. Thorough inspections are only performed if the inspector has reason to suspect smuggling. Any inspector must make an opposed Insight skill check against the smuggler’s Etiquette, Fast Talk, or Persuasion skill.

• FUMBLE: The inspector doesn’t even look at the aero-ship.
• FAILURE: The inspector makes and cursory inspection and clears the aero-ship.
• SUCCESS: The inspector has detected something about the character’s demeanor that warrants closer examina­tion.
• SPECIAL: The inspector distrusts the character on sight. Any attempt made by the character to avoid clos­er examination by using Fast Talk suffers a penalty of -15%.

The cursory inspection should be modified by conditions. Is there a long line? Has it been a long day? Is the location un­der increased security?

1: Heavy Security: +20% to the inspector’s Insight

2: Increased Security: +05% to the inspector’s Insight

3-7: Standard Security: +0% to the inspector’s Insight

9: Light Security: -10% to the inspector’s Insight*

10: Lax Security: -30% to the inspector’s Insight*

*The inspector may be open to receive a bribe.

 

Step 2 - Do you expect me to believe that story?

A character may attempt to avoid a full inspection with a successful Fast Talk or Persuasion skill check.

• FUMBLE: The character has messed up and said some­thing wrong. The inspector has increased cause for ex­amination and receives +15% to the Spot check in step 3.
• FAILURE: The story has no effect, the inspector pro­ceeds with the examination.
• SUCCESS: The inspector accepts the character’s story but performs the thorough inspection anyway, receiving a -15% penalty the Spot check in step 3..
• SPECIAL: The inspector believes the character’s story, cancels the thorough inspection, apologizes for the inconvenience, and clears the aero-ship.

 

Step 3 - This ship is detained pending a full inspection. I want this ship torn apart!

The inspector orders a full inspection of the aero-ship, examining every nook and cranny, pulling panels off to look for voids or hidden compartments, etc. The full inspection takes 2D4 hours. The inspec­tor makes an opposed Spot skill check, modified by the current security level above.

• FUMBLE: The inspector finds no hidden items and apologizes to the character for the inconvenience.
• FALURE: The inspector finds no hidden items but still considers the character suspicious. He adds the aero-ship to a customs watch list and disseminates it throughout the Empire.
• SUCCESS: The inspector has found evidence of hidden items (d100% of total hidden items are found, the rest remains hidden), if any. If the items are illegal, the inspector will order the arrest the captain and crew. Pun­ishment will be carried out within 1-4 days.
• SPECIAL: The inspector has found 100% of any hidden items. If the items are illegal, the inspector will order the arrest of the captain and crew. Pun­ishment will be carried out within 1-4 days.

Heavy Security: +20% to the inspector’s Spot

Increased Security: +05% to the inspector’s Spot

Standard Security: +0% to the inspector’s Spot

Light Security: -10% to the inspector’s Spot

Lax Security: -30% to the inspector’s Spot*

*The inspector may still be open to receive a bribe, even after finding hidden items.

If the gamemaster really wants to get detailed, you can make the Spot check an opposed roll between the inspector and the "skill" of the hidden compartment. The "skill" of the compartment is based on the price of the compartment.

• Cheap 5%
• Inexpensive 25%
• Average 50%
• Expensive 75%
• Priceless 90%
• Restricted 100%

The Blade of Takshaka is Essentially Finished

I have completed working on my urban scenario The Blade of Takshaka for Swords of Cydoria. It's laid out, it's edited, it's illustrated. It's done!

It's 52 pages with five chapters and four appendices. It has a drawing room role-playing mystery; a thrilling chase; a dungeon crawl with a jelly-blob, a giant octopus, and albino alligators; more role-playing with a group of intelligent rats; infiltrating an evil snake cult; and an optional raid/infiltration against a well-guarded penthouse mansion!

The only thing I haven't done is playtest it. Playtesting it might result in a future revision of some monster stats to make them tougher or weaker, or a slight revision to the story to cover any plot holes or logical fallacies I may have missed.

I also want to change some text on one of the maps from black to grey, and maybe add one or two more illustrations.

If anyone would like a copy of this module to playtest and provide feedback, please let me know. I will provide it free of charge and will incorporate your feedback and add your name to the credits.

I also haven't figured out how I want to monetize this. I'm thinking of just releasing it into the wild and asking for donations to encourage me to create future works.

I don't think I want to go the monograph route again.

Random Mutation Table

Here's an excerpt from the new rules I'm working on. It's a table for random mutations.

Mutations are a type of special ability. You get one special ability at every "tier". There are eight tiers. So you can take mutation up to eight times. For each mutation you take, you roll once on the mutation table and once on the side effect table below.

Mutant

The character has been permanently mutated by exposure to sarcomagic compounds left over from the War of Zorin. The character may roll randomly (or select with the gamemaster’s permission) one mutation and one side effect from the list below. The mutant gains one mutation and one side effect each time mutation is selected as a special ability.

Mutations (roll 1D10)

1.       Enhanced Epidermis (roll 1D10)

1.1.    Leathery

1.2.    Scales

1.3.    Plates

1.4.    Carapace

1.5.    Quills

1.6.    Spikes

1.7.    Chameleon

1.8.    Fire Resistant

1.9.    Acid Resistant

1.10.Electrically Resistant

2.       Natural Melee Weapon (roll 1D10)

2.1.    Claws

2.2.    Talons

2.3.    Elbow Spikes

2.4.    Knee Spikes

2.5.    Horns

2.6.    Fangs

2.7.    Shark Teeth

2.8.    Stinger

2.9.    Electric Shock

2.10.Mandibles

3.       Enhanced Ability (roll 1D6)

3.1.    Agility

3.2.    Dexterity

3.3.    Endurance

3.4.    Intelligence

3.5.    Strength

3.6.    Wits

4.       Enhanced Senses (roll 1D8)

4.1.    Hearing

4.2.    Smell

4.3.    Vision

4.4.    +1D3x2 Eyes (360-degree vision)

4.5.    Night Vision

4.6.    Danger Sense

4.7.    Echolocation

4.8.    Touch

5.       Enhanced Limbs (roll 1D6)

5.1.    +1D2x2 Arms

5.2.    +1D2x2 Extra Legs

5.3.    Prehensile Feet

5.4.    Prehensile Tail

5.5.    +1D8x2 Prehensile Tentacles

5.6.    Hooks

6.       Ranged Attack (roll 1D6)

6.1.    Sonic Scream

6.2.    Fire Breath

6.3.    Venomous Spit

6.4.    Acid Spit

6.5.    Frog Tongue

6.6.    Electric Bolt

7.       Locomotion (roll 1D6)

7.1.    Leaping

7.2.    Climbing

7.3.    Burrowing

7.4.    Amazing Balance

7.5.    Wings

7.6.    Swimming

8.       Unusual Physiology (roll 1D10)

8.1.    Poison Immunity

8.2.    Disease Immunity

8.3.    Regeneration

8.4.    Venomous

8.5.    Water Retention Bladder

8.6.    Tough (Extra Hit Points)

8.7.    Versatile Digestion

8.8.    Hibernation Trance

8.9.    Acidic Blood

8.10.Nutrient Retention Pouch

9.       Unusual Size (roll 1D2)

9.1.    Giant

9.2.    Miniature

10.   Adaptation (roll 1D6)

10.1.Extreme Heat

10.2.Extreme Cold

10.3.Amphibious

10.4.Anaerobic Environment

10.5.Extreme Pressure

10.6.Vacuum

Side Effects (roll 1D10)

1.       Unusual Eyes (roll 1D6)

1.1.    Glowing

1.2.    Compound

1.3.    +1D3x2 Vestigial Eyes

1.4.    Eye Stalks

1.5.    Unnatural Color (roll 1D8)

1.5.1. Yellow

1.5.2. Orange

1.5.3. Pink

1.5.4. Red

1.5.5. White

1.5.6. Black

1.5.7. Transparent

1.5.8. Slowly Changing

1.6.    Unusual Pupil (roll 1D6)

1.6.1. Cat

1.6.2. Goat

1.6.3. Snake

1.6.4. Octopus

1.6.5. Pinhole

1.6.6.  

2.       Unusual Skin  (roll 1D3)

2.1.    Color (roll 1D10)

2.1.1. Red

2.1.2. Blue

2.1.3. Green

2.1.4. Purple

2.1.5. Orange

2.1.6. Yellow

2.1.7. Snow White

2.1.8. Grey

2.1.9. Transparent

2.1.10.    Slowly Changing

2.2.    Texture (roll 1D10)

2.2.1. Sand-paper

2.2.2. Scales

2.2.3. Leathery

2.2.4. Slimy

2.2.5. Rubbery

2.2.6. Stony

2.2.7. Feathers

2.2.8. Fur

2.2.9. Carapace

2.2.10.    Folded or Wrinkled

2.3.    Pattern (roll 1D3)

2.3.1. Stripes

2.3.2. Spots

2.3.3. Slowly Changing

3.       Unusual Hair  (roll 1D3)

3.1.    Color (roll 1D8)

3.1.1. Red

3.1.2. Blue

3.1.3. Green

3.1.4. Purple

3.1.5. Orange

3.1.6. Yellow

3.1.7. Transparent

3.1.8. Slowly Changing

3.2.    Texture (roll 1D6)

3.2.1. Silky

3.2.2. Rough

3.2.3. Stiff

3.2.4. Spiny

3.2.5. Greasy

3.2.6. Metallic

3.3.    Pattern (roll 1D3)

3.3.1. Stripes

3.3.2. Spots

3.3.3. Slowly Changing

3.4.    No Hair

3.5.    Grows 1d6 inches every night

3.6.    Slowly Waving or Moving

4.       Unusual Ears (roll 1D6)

4.1.    Missing

4.2.    Pointed

4.3.    Animal

4.4.    Unusually Large

4.5.    +1D2x2 Vestigial Ears

4.6.    Tympanic Membrane

5.       Unusual Mouth (roll 1D8)

5.1.    No Teeth

5.2.    Mandibles/Mouth Parts

5.3.    Forked Tongue

5.4.    Sharpened Teeth

5.5.    Tusks

5.6.    Slurred Speech

5.7.    Unusual Voice

5.8.    Long Tongue

6.       Unusual Arms (roll 1D10)

6.1.    Vestigial Claws

6.2.    +1D2x2 Vestigial Arms

6.3.    -1D3 Fingers on each Hand

6.4.    +1D2 Fingers on each Hand

6.5.    Long Arms

6.6.    +1D4x2 Vestigial Tentacles

6.7.    Webbed Fingers

6.8.    +1D2 Elbow Joints

6.9.    Large Hands

6.10.Small Hands

7.       Unusual Legs (roll 1D10)

7.1.    Long Legs

7.2.    Digitigrade

7.3.    +1D2x2 Vestigial Legs

7.4.    -1D3 toes on each foot

7.5.    +1D2 Toes on each Foot

7.6.    Vestigial Claws

7.7.    +1D2 Knee Joints

7.8.    Large Feet

7.9.    Small Feet

7.10.Avian Legs and Feet

8.       Unusual Nose (roll 1D4)

8.1.    Missing Nose

8.2.    Unusual Nose

8.3.    Beak

8.4.    Small Horn

9.       Unusual Head (roll 1D8)

9.1.    Vestigial Horns

9.2.    Long Neck

9.3.    Vestigial Antennae

9.4.    Oblong Head

9.5.    Small Head

9.6.    Large Head

9.7.    Egg-Shaped Head

9.8.    Malleable Skull

10.   Unusual Body  (roll 1D8)

10.1.Morbidly Obese

10.2.Skeletal Thin

10.3.Twisted Spine

10.4.Offensive Odor

10.5.Unusual Secretions

10.6.+1D2x2 Vestigial Wings

10.7.+1 Vestigial Tail

10.8.Uncontrollable Sounds