Tunnels and Trolls RPG

What's not to love about Tunnels and Trolls?

The game does not ignore this thing called balance.  Instead, it cheerfully pushes balance to the floor then kicks it in the nuts while it is down.  There is the DARO and TARO rules - if you roll a double with 2d6 or a triple with 3d6, you roll again and add them to the original roll.  Unless you roll a double or triple again, in which case you roll again and add both values to them and so on, leading to obscene values for stats.  On top of that non-human races can double certain stats.  And what's more, it's all dandy with Trollgod (Ken St Andre, the creator of Tunnels and Trolls).

Yes, it's the game that spits in the face of logic in the name of enjoyment.  Who cares why there are dungeons full of gold and monsters scattered all over the place and that some people are mighty warrior, powerful wizard or all rounders who are quite good at both, or, if your stats are high enough, get to be the paragon class where you enjoy about 3/4 the benefits of warriors and 3/4 the benefits of wizards?  It's fun!

And what adds to the fun is that the rules are not overly complex.  D6s only are needed (although you might need a few of them!), monsters generally do not need a ton of stats, but a single value called a monster rating which determines how much damage they deal and their hit points.  Stalls in combat are broken by a rule called spite damage.

In combat, you roll a certain number of d6s depending on your weapon, and add a number to that value.  The monster does the same.  The one who rolls the highest deals the difference in damage - any armour that the defender is wearing.  However, for every 6 anyone rolls, they also deal 1 point of damage 'in spite of' (hence the name spite damage) armour or who won, and this can really add up when you are rolling 10d6 for a weapon (which you might - I told you about lots of d6s).

Magic is pretty useful, using a points system to cast spells (in 7.5, you use WIZ points to cast spells) and the
spells are useful, despite having 'comedy' names.

And then there are the solos.  Tunnels and Trolls has tons of solos as it's been doing them pretty much since it started.  I've written a few myself , so has Scott Malthouse and you can try some quick ones out here.  A lot of the older ones are quite deadly (Ed Jolley has put a lot of TnT posts in his blog and you can find them in the index here. Only one is highlighted yellow, meaning he beat it), but they are quite fun to read.    

And finally, another thing I love about Tunnels and Trolls is the aesthetic.  It hasn't lost its old school charm.  I don't know what it is, but I find the whole old school feel comforting.

Want to delve deeper into Tunnels and Trolls?

You can visit Trollhalla.

You can read the Zine for free.

There will be a new edition of Tunnels and Trolls out soon (it is probably out when you rad this).  Take a look!

Inspiration for gamebooks - Iron Heroes

Iron Heroes  is a D20 RPG created by Monte Cooke.  It has some similarities to Dungeons and Dragons,

but its setting is distinctly low magic.  However, it is not simply Dungeons and Dragons with the magic removed; rather, new classes and rules have been created in order to make play more awesome than ever.  Out of the 10 classes available, only two are not combat specialists and only one of the two is a magic user and that one is totally optional.  These combat specialists have abilities that make them far better than any Dungeons and Dragons barbarian.  The archer can pull of great feats of ranged attack.  The armiger can do powerful things with defensive abilities and the Man-At-Arms is so versatile, he can actually change feats if he wants.

This RPG was a good inspiration for me in many ways.  First of all, it showed me that removing magic from a system did not necessarily mean making it less interesting.  It showed me good ways to make non magical characters a lot more interesting.  One of the ways that these characters are more interesting is that they are capable of stunts in combat.  A stunt is an action, not covered by the combat rules, that your character can attempt to make.  Examples from the book include throwing sand in your opponent's face, run along a narrow wall to maneuver around a foe or cracking open a keg of beer to send a stream of liquid into an opponent's face.  I can imagine that players having a great time thinking up creative stunts and then being able to boast about their victories over their foes.

This idea helped me greatly when I was writing my Tunnels and Trolls solos.  In Tunnels and Trolls, you could be a character that is not very good at combat, such as a rogue or a wizard, or even a citizen.  I did not want to exclude them from my solos with too many combats, but at the same time, I did not want to de-power the enemies so that the warriors could easily defeat them.  Which is why I created the option of doing stunts in a combat round.  Basically, each combat had the option of four skill tests, that may not have been based on combat based abilities.  In fact, I made sure that every ability had a chance to use a stunt.  My rules cover this idea in more detail.  This meant that even a wizard could use their skills to overcome a stronger foe.

The other great idea from Iron Heroes was the idea of grouping skills.  The RPG uses the same skills as .  However, Iron Heroes also has skill groups.  A skill group is a collection of related skills.  For example, the agility skill group covers balance, escape artist, and tumble, whilst the mysticism skill group covers concentration, decipher script, spellcraft and use magic device.  You can spend a skill point on a skill group rather than one skill and get bonuses in all the skills in that group. This mechanic helped me when working with Shane Garvey on the Adventurer system.  Gamebook systems have to be a lot simpler than most RPG systems so that the writer has less to think about when thinking about how a hero can get out of a situation and the reader can create a character in minutes.  We wanted the skills to be similar to RPGs, but not be so numerous, so I, inspired by the Iron Heroes RPG, I suggested that we have skills cover a multitude of things.
SRD Dungeons and Dragons, which means that it has about 40 skills.  Iron Heroes has those same skills, but it breaks them into groups.  If you choose to invest skill points in the group, you get bonuses for all the skills in the group, which made me realise that I could do something similar.

So there we are.  I have read many RPGs and played several games that have helped me with gamebook systems and I will be talking about others in future posts.

Happy gamebooking!

My rules for Tunnels and Trolls solos

I enjoyed writing my first Tunnels and Trolls solo very much and I would like to write another one.  However, I also want to incorporate as many of the game rules as possible into my solo.  for example, it is very hard to accommodate both wizards and warriors in a solo.  These rules below are my attempt to incorporate more options into TnT solo adventures.  Please comment on them.

Stuart Lloyd’s house rules when playing a TnT solo

Talents

Below is a list of talents that may be used in TnT solo adventures written by me.  You may add the bonus of any talent you have when making a saving throw if you see the name of the talent in parentheses after the saving throw instruction.  For example, ‘Make a L1SR on STR (Labouring, Smithing) means that you must make an SR on strength and add your bonus for labouring if you have it and smithing if you have it (so you may get the bonuses from more than one talent as they may involve overlapping skills).

The talents that will be used in my TnT solos are:

STR: Labouring, Climb, Swim, Smithing, Break bonds, Wrestling, Powerful punch, Charge!, Smash weapon.

CON: Survival, Iron stomach, Healing, Forced march, Poison resistance, Disease resistance, Ascetic, Resist cold, Resist heat, Thick skin.

DEX: Acrobatics, Pick lock, Sneak, Riding, Balance, Use rope, Escape artist, Disarm opponent, Thievery, crackshot, archery, throwing.

SPD: Dodging, Sprint, Quick draw, Unconscious defence, Arrow catch, Deflect missile, ambush.

INT:  Appraise, Strategy, Plant lore, Artifice, Alchemy, Decipher script, First Aid, Symbol lore, Religion lore, Architectural lore, Spot weakness.

WIZ: Sense magic, Intuit danger, Sense wizard, Synchronicity, Blindsense, Hypnotism, Sense changeling, Fae law, Divination, Gut feeling, combat prediction.

LK: Gambling, Just what I need, Narrow escape, Wild guesswork, Unlikely encounter, Coincidence, Just as I wanted, Impossible shot, Last minute rescue, Impossible hit.

CHA: Persuasion, Disguise, Calm animal, Con, Haggle, Intimidate, Etiquette, Amazing performance, Rousing speech, Taunt.

Combat

Before combat, you may either cast one spell that can be used before combat (see below) or use a ranged weapon.  To hit your opponent, you must perform a L2SR on DEX (crackshot, archery (if using bows), throwing (if using a thrown weapon)).

Stunts in combat

Combat isn’t just all about wearing down your opponent’s MR while trying to stop them hitting you.  In a TnT RPG, you can suggest your own stunts to the GM who can work with you to find out the result.  However, you can’t do that in a solo, so instead you will have stunts suggested to you.  If you fight a combat, you may be given the option of performing certain stunts.  These stunts are saving throws against a particular attribute (and possibly talent) which may produce an extra effect in your favour.  You may choose to perform a stunt instead of attacking your opponent.  You still roll dice for yourself and if you lose the round then you still take damage as normal.  If you win, however, you may decide to perform a stunt rather than inflict damage in the normal way.  You then make the saving roll.  If you succeed, you get the effect listed.  If you fail, nothing happens.  You may try the same stunt again on the same opponent, but each time, the saving roll level increases by 1 as they become wise to your tricks (If you fight multiple opponents, it still increases as they can all see what you are up to).

You come up with the story of what you do to pull off such an effect – a saving roll on INT that allows you to automatically inflict 1 point of spite damage per round may come from you spotting a chink in your opponent’s armour.  A saving roll on STR that makes your opponent miss two rounds of combat may be because you slammed your staff into their belly and winded them.  You come up with the action.

Also, sometimes, monsters may try stunts on you!  Watch out for that!

Spells

Below is the list of spells form the TnT 7.5 Core Rulebook and when you may use them.  There are some spells that may be used before combat, some that may only be used when named in the text, some that may be used at any time and some that may only be used on a willing target (as you are playing a solo, however, these will almost never be used).  Some spells may be used in other circumstances.  For example the call flame spell may be used in place of a tinderbox.

Level 1 (INT + DEX 10)

Spells you may use before combat:  Call flame, Call water, Dem Bones Gonna Rise, Hold that Pose (target loses 1^st combat round), Oh Go Away (counts as winning against a single foe.  Otherwise, one foe does not take part in combat for 2 rounds – one to flee, one to get back), TTYF, Vorpal Blade,

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful):  Cremme de la Kremm, Teacher, Suppress Kremm,

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:  Hocus Focus,

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Detect Magic, Know your foe, Lock Tight, Oh There it is, That’s a Natty Beard, Who’s There?, Will o Wisp,

Other notes:

Call flame:  Can be used in place of a tinderbox or when lighting a fire.

Call water:  Can be used in place of a waterskin or when putting out a fire.

Knock Knock:  Can be used when there is a L1SR to pick a lock.

Level 2 (INT + DEX 12)

Spells you may use before combat: Glue You, Hidey Hole, Little Feets, Spirit Mastery (can then use the enslaved monster to fight another monster.  If the hero’s characteristics go below the MR of the monster, they must fight the monster then), Unerring Blade, Unlucky Bees, Whammy.

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful):

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll: Dura Spell Battery,

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Cateyes, Ding a Ling, Find Object, Mirage, Omnipotent Eye,

Other notes:

Hidey Hole:  Doubles an attribute for the purposes of hiding or sneaking SRs.

Little Feets:  Doubles an attribute for the purposes of running SRs.

Poor Baby:  Can be cast on any paragraph the hero is not fighting or performing another SR.

Level 3 (INT + DEX 15)

Spells you may use before combat:  Befuddle (If multiple opponents, target fights another one for 3 turns, otherwise no action for 3 turns), Blasting Power, Fire at Will, Firestorm of Protest (only used on multiple opponents – you may flee while they argue), Freeze Please, Rock a bye (puts 1 target out of action, may flee), Shield Me,

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands: Devoted Rain Cloud, Dis-Spell, Find Person, Firestorm of Protest, Fly me, Hard Stuff, Slash-Yuck.

Other notes:

For What it’s worth:  Caster can use this whenever there is an SR that the appraise skill could be used for.  They will automatically pass it.

Healing Feeling:  Can be used on any paragraph that does not involve combat or another SR.

Level 4 (INT + DEX 19)

Spells you may use before combat: Double Double, Protective Pentegram (may cast two more spells on self or flee unharmed), Smog,

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Dum Dum, Upsidaisy

Other notes:

Double Double:  Can be used for any SR.  The halving only lasts on the next paragraph.

Too Bad Toxin:  Can be used on any paragraph that does not involve combat or another SR.

Level 5 (INT + DEX 24)

Spells you may use before combat:  Breaker Breaker, Mind Pox, Trollgod’s Blessing, Zingum (escape combat),

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll: Resist Magic (lasts the whole gamebook or until you get a spell cast upon you, may not restore WIZ while in operation), 

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Dear Lord, ESP, Second Sight, Zingum,

Other notes:

Level 6 (INT + DEX 30)

Spells you may use before combat:  Blue Shirt of Life, Reversal of Fortune,

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Mystic Visions, Porta Vision,

Other notes:

Level 7 (INT + DEX 37)

Spells you may use before combat:  Zappathingum

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Invisible Wall

Other notes:

Level 8 (INT + DEX 45)

Spells you may use before combat:  Zapparmour

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:  Patterns of Cosmic Fate

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Imafrawg

Other notes:

Imafrawg – can be used to automatically succeed at any disguise SR.

Zombie Zonk – can be used on the body of an opponent after combat.

Level 9 (INT + DEX 54)

Spells you may use before combat:  Death Spell #9, Medusa, Yerafrawg (auto win against 1 opponent)

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll: Mortal Source

Spells you may only use when the text demands: Pygmalion

Other notes:

Level 10 (INT + DEX 64)

Spells you may use before combat:  Hellbomb Burst, Smaller is Smarter,

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Blow Me To..., Wizard Speech

Other notes:

Level 11 (INT + DEX 75)

Spells you may use before combat:  Bigger is Better, Blow You To (auto win, no treasure)

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Cut the Cord, Ghostly Going

Other notes:

Level 12 (INT + DEX 87)

Spells you may use before combat:  Banishing (only against demons), Invisible Fiend, Summon,

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:

Spells you may only use when the text demands:  Nefarious Necromancy, Omniflex,

Other notes:

Level 13 (INT + DEX 97)

Spells you may use before combat: 

Spells you may use on another, willing target (not too useful)

Spells you may use on any paragraph you are not fighting or performing a saving roll:  Born again

Spells you may only use when the text demands: 

Other notes:

Recovering WIZ

You may recover 1 point of WIZ on any paragraph that does not involve a combat or a saving roll.  If there is an * by the paragraph number, you may restore your WIZ to its initial level (this will be due to a long period of time passing over that paragraph).

Adventure points in a solo

The number of adventure points you are awarded in a solo depends on the following factors.

Monsters defeated = MR

Saving rolls = Dice roll x SR level

Casting magic = WIZ points expended.

Completion of adventure = number allocated.

Does anyone have any comments?