Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Dungeon Fantasy Box Set Challenges.

My Dungeon Fantasy Box Set Arrived.
I bought D&D starter set and essentials for my son and myself.
I have more Material as a GURPS GM to Run Mines of Phandelver (D&D5E Starter Set) and Dragon of Ice Spire Peak (D&D5E Essentials Set) as Dungeon Fantasy Game. I bought this out of Curiosity than the Intent to Play. The problem is that I don't know what to expect till I have it in my hands and able to directly observe the contents and the challenges.

It's Not Really immediately ready to Play. I'm sure a GM with more practice and ready materials has enough already prepared material to quickly get people to play.
I would say that assuming I'm talking to D&D Players, it would take about 5+ hours for me to prepare. This would include the following:

  1. Studying the Sample Adventure. 1 hour. This include notes, where I typically try to predict my players and imagine how I'm going to introduce or execute the scene. 
  2. Writing the Action list for Character Gen. 1 hour. I need to do for creating Preparation for the Players and Imagining or having a "flashback" of all the problems typical of Character Creation. Including the Decisions Paralysis, a lot of Options would generate. 
  3. Reviewing all the Options wholistically, budgeting for a 4-hour game. 1 hour. Mentally rehearsing all the things that will happen in the game, and then writing my assumptions so the "me" in the next day will see how stupid and short-sighted that was. 
  4. (Next Day). Executing the Action List and the Adventure Notes.  4 hours (2-3 nights of free time). Prioritizing the 20/80 Pareto and Know what to prioritize. 
  5. Pregame Prep and Rehearsal. 90 mins. 


Expected Material to Make (Item numbers 1 and 2).
  1. A5 prints out portable rules. *
    1. Character Gen. 
      1.  Dungeon Fantasy on the Cheap by Eric B. Smith in A5/Statement would be very useful when cleaned up. Estimate about 1.5 hours. Modificaitons are.
        1. Keep to "essential" Professions. Wizard, Rogue, Cleric, and Warrior. 
    2. Options, Actions, and Rolls.  Using my old GURPS lite notes, about 1.5 hours. 
      1. The checklist would be Physical, Mental, Technical and Social Rolls. 
    3. Basic Combat. (good thing I have a lot of Material). (Note the number of Processes in GURPS is staggering, but its internal logic and pattern to realism makes its learnable. Its just such a high upfront cost. ). 2-3 hours or 2 nights. 
  2. Pregenerated Characters based on Mines of Phandelver Pregen. 
  3. List of Skills. 30 mins. (easier now that I have a Google Sheet I can pivot and Filter). 
  4. List of Equipment. (Using my Old Notes and Material) 30 mins. (GURPS Stuff in GSHEETS to pivotable and filterable would be so 

*No "GURPS Medium" when I check E23. I'm surprised they didnt make the Print-on-Demand of the Lighter Exploits and Adventurers. 

In house Game Notes.

Currently, my Strategy would be Fantasy Trip and when the Players want more immersion to creep towards GURPS Dungeon Fantasy. 

Realistically, Scheduling such a Game would happen in about  Late Feb. Because of taking a leave to study on Dec means I have a lot of Catch-up Work on Jan.

Everything is measured in "Nights of Free time". 

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