Topics I am currently working on

Thanks to the internet and being able to find incredible historical references, I plan to go into in-depth discussion concerning several topics that prove very useful in simulationist style play.

1. Overland Travel. this topic may be a bit broad, but it discusses the logistics, the limitations and the realities faced by marching or riding adventurers. It dispells MANY myths about travel and brings to light many unique challenges faced by Adventurers going from A to B. In your game. present a variety of challenges in both logistics, resources, environments, and hazards. Players make strategic decisions and balance energy and budget, while trying to accomplish even the most simplest of plot goals.
   
2. Horses. Another item of study that has been greatly misunderstood and shadowed by many misconceptions. Possibly one of the most important animal in human evolution which fantasy has severely overlooks. In your game, this is part of overland travel as well as in mounted combat. Players must skillfully balance the logistics and the trade offs of horses.
   
3. Medieval Economics in Your Game. Economic motivation can be a simple as basic needs or as complicated as political intrigue. In your game, in its smallest scale it compliment a character's background with realistic detail, or as the simplest game plots: a balancing act with resources, environment and political ties or at its most complex the backdrop of intrigue.
   
4. Bandons! This is basically a fairly small mass combat rule-set meant for very large parties or skirmishes with more than 50 individual units. In your game, this brings a macro level of detail allowing GMs and Players to run fairly fast resolving mass combats with the use of many small figures or figure proxies.
   

New armor format

This is basically my take on how armor should be formatted. In the end tables can't convey that much information and it shouldn't be a shopping list. Really, no one can shop for armors in those times, they are mostly made on demand and surplus comes in the form of battle field salvage.

One of the thing that has profoundly change my view on armor is the Strategikon. It states that armors should not extend to the feet like leggings, instead it talks about marching and how soldiers should sacrifice armor to conserve energy.

Thats when Hauberks began to make so much sense to me. Hauberks are armors that extend to half skirts, associated with Vikings. Vikings were footmen and this was the heaviest armor they fought with. Dopplesolders and other 15th century elite footmen did not wear leg armor. There was so much evidence from the varieties of armor that basically said: Footman wore the least armor and depended more on their shield. Footmen's armor were at most Hauberks and at the least (in terms of metal armors) Vests of metal armor (scale, mail, or plates) worn to protect the belly and the rib cage. Everything else was secondary, NOT because the soldiers could not afford it but the weight of everything bore down to much when you consider that marching was the most frequent exhausting thing soldiers did.

It was then I began to be aware of the difference of Frontal Protection, Leg Protection and Ranged Weapons. Infantry Hauberks were slit on the sides for flexibility, Cavalry Hauberks were slit in the front to allow the wearer to ride. The slit in the front made the cavalry man more vulnerable to targeted attacks when fighting on foot. Also, the Cavalry Armored Skirts (to include the variety of very long hauberks) had tassels to tie it the ankles and knees of the cavalry man. This was an Avar (Turkish) practice the byzantines followed and no doubt many other nomads used. It isn't hard to imagine that Cavalry skirts would have some tassels to make it modular for riding and fighting on foot.

I want to run a game.

That urge has come again to run a game. Of course I can't act on it. The games I could run, just for catharsis would be Medieval- I guess Byzantium 150cp. characters would be the Empire's elite professional warriors. Some are being groomed to be generals, others have their own machinations. A byzantine game at 6C would be great given that the opposition would have worst equipment and the more difficult enemies are those of your own side.

Although right now I feel like using my new acquired 3ds max skills in rendering Landscapes, weapons, armor, Fortresses, scenes, etc... to heighten player inspiration.

Hiatus

Right now I'm very busy and I don't think I will be free to update until august.

4E is out

A good homebrew rule for GURPS combat. This homebrew rule makes PC have a more realistic Combat Behavior.

4E is out. And its kinda exploded in seedy distribution. A week before its official release. I wonder how this leaked out?

2nd Week of May

Loot of Previous Week: +1,442.5gp

• Elfbane Dagger +1
• Cloak +2?
  
• Bracers +2 (converted to XP)
• 6 Potions Purple
• 3 Potions Red
• a pair rings of circle of sound
  
• Loot from Vergar Esate?
  

Loot for the Week: +2,012gp
Current Party Funds: 6,457.5gp + (vergar estate). 1,458xp

unidentified loot:

• Bracers (M)?
• Pouch of Dust (M)?
• Cloak (M)?
• Ring (M)?

my Don Quixote

Don Quixote

Turcoman-Styled Knight

150 +4 points

Attributes [100]: ST 12 [20] DX 12 [40] IQ 11 [20] HT 12 [20].

Secondary Attributes [0]: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2 [0]; BL 29 [0]; HP 12 [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Spd 6 (+1 from CR; +1 from tactics) [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].

Advantages [50]: Ally-Shield Bearer (As Ally Freq-15; 50%CP; 6cp,) (As Dependent Freq-9; -2cp; As employer) [4]; Combat Reflex [15]; Fit [5]; Perk-Strongbow [1]; Perk- Weapon Bond [1]; Signature Gear (Bow and a Quiver of Arrows) [2]; Status (Knight) [5]; Wealth (Wealthy) [20]

Disadvantages [-50]: Code of Honor (Knight) [-10]; Duty (Liege Lord) [-10]; Honesty (12) [-10]; Curious (12) [-5]; Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]; Sense of Duty (Team) [-5].

Primary Skills [50]

Archery [31]: Bow (A) DX+5 [20]-17; Horsearchery (H) Bow [5]-17; Shoot Backwards (A) Bow [5]-17; Fast-Draw: Arrow (E) DX+1 [1]-13.

Horsemanship [18]: Animal Handling (Horse) (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Riding (Horse) (A) DX+1 [4]-13; No Hands Riding (H) Riding+0 [4]-13; Combat Riding (A) Riding+4 [5]-17.

Secondary Skills [32]

Melee Weapons [16]: Broadsword (A) DX [2]-12; Axe/Mace (A) DX+1 [2]-12; Cavalry Training (H) Axe/Mace+0 [3]-12; Spear (A) DX [2]-12; Cavalry Training (H) Spear+0 [3]-12; Fast Draw: Broadsword (E) DX [1]-13; Fastdraw: Knife (E) DX [1]-13; Shield (E) DX [1]-12; Knife (E) DX [1]-12.

Profession [9]: Heraldry (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Current Events (People) (E) IQ [1]-11; Soldier (Knight) (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Savoir Faire (High Society) (E) IQ [1]-11; Strategy (Land) IQ-1 [2]-10; Tactics (Land) IQ-1 [2]-10.

Education [7]: Administration (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Writing (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Public Speaking (Story telling) (A) IQ [2]-12; History (Family) (H) IQ-1 [2]-10.

Background Skills [18] Area Knowledge (Homeland) (E) IQ [0]-11.

Foraging Skills [7]: Navigation (Land) (A) IQ [1]-10; Scrounging (E) Per [1]-11; Survival (Plains) (A) Per- [1]-10; Tracking (A) Per+1 [4]-12.

Athletics [11]: Climbing (A) DX-1 [1]-11; Hiking (A) HT [2]-12; Running (A) HT [2]-12; Swimming (E) HT [2]-12; Judo (H) DX [4]-12.

Starting Assets (Wealthy) [Status 2]:

Combat Load: total cost $1,455, weight 217lbs,

• 58lbs (light); move 4/5

• Clothes, Tabbard, and Military Belt $755, 4llbs

• Haubergeon of Rivited Mail $400; 10lbs (Pyramid)

• Gambeson $30; 4lb

• Barbute Helm $150, 6lbs

• Light Shield $25; 2lbs; DR5/ HP20/ OP9

• Flanged Mace $50; 5lbs (skill-12; 1d+5 cr)

• (SG) Quiver of Broadhead Arrows $75, 3lbs ( 1d+5 imp )

• (SG) Composite Bow ST17, $900, 4lbs 340/425 yards

• Large Knife $40, 0.5lbs

• Personal Basics $5, 1lb

Heavy warhorse: Total cost $4,109

• strong war trained saddle horse $3,600,

• Load (106 + 216 =329 / 375)

• Move 3/7 (medium encumberance)

• Horse Slam 2d-1 crushing

• Bit and Briddle, Horseshoes, and War Saddle 42lbs, $335

• 2 Quiver of Bodkin Arrows $110 6lbs ( 1d+5 (2) pi )

• Long Spear $60; 5lbs (skill-12; 1d+1 imp, plus 2d-1 imp when charging)

• Rations x2, $4, 1lb

• Ceramic Bottle of Water (1 liter) $3, 3lbs

Traveling Gear: $3,420

• 2 Cheap Ponies (move 5) $750

• 2 Saddle Horses $2,400

• Tent 4-man $150; 30lbs

• Water Skins x4 (16 liters) 36lbs

• Saddle Bags x4

• Rations x60, $120, 30lbs

Tactical Notes

• DR (Cutting/ Crushing/ Impaling or Piercing)

  • Skull 8/6/7; face 4

  • Body 4*/2*/3*

• Archery (No Aiming and AoA: Determined)

  • Skill-14 at 15 yards

  • Skill-12 at 30 yards

  • Skill-10 at 70 yards

• Archery (1-sec Aiming and AoA: Determined)

  • Skill-14 at 50 yards

  • Skill-12 at 100 yards

  • Skill-10 at 200 yards

• Archery (Terminal Aiming AoA: Determined)

  • Skill-14 at 100 yards

  • Skill-12 at 200 yards

  • Skill-10 at 425 yards (1/2 damage)

• Horse Slam

  • at 7-6, 2d-1 cr

  • at 5, 1d+3 cr

  • at 4-3, 1d+1 cr

  • at 2, 1d cr

  • at 1, 1d-1 cr

Break down:

Starting wealth bonus $5,000

Character Wealth: $5,000

Spent $8,984

But According to Building Low Tech Landscapes

• I tax 58 struggling peasant families (about a pop of 300)

• Each family 10 acres of modetately fertile land, 580 acres falls within a category of a small village.

• 290 acres of woodland

• 25% cash crops, 50% hardy crops, 15% animals, 10% luxury goods.

Using My own Tables

• $210,000 worth of land in (basically the village) 870 acres.

• A small Manorial home worth $168,000

• $6,000 in transportation

• $6,000 in gear

• Household

  • 8 poor servants and their families (semi skilled house hold helpers: cooks, maids, grooms, gaurds etc.)

  • 2 struggling servants and their families (typically skilled servants like the bailiff, chief artisan or a chief guard)

  • 1 average servant and his family (typically the vellet or a novice).