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  1. #1
    damned's Avatar
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    Maelstrom RPG / Maelstrom Domesday available now!

    The Maelstrom RPG was one of my earliest RPGs back in 1984. I have put together my first ruleset with help from IanMWard, Trenloe and Arion Games. You can read about it here: https://www.fg-con.com/maelstrom-rpg...trom-domesday/ I hope you get the opportunity to play this great game.

    v0.99 is now available and has been updated for CoreRPG 3.3.x
    Attached Files Attached Files

  2. #2
    Trenloe's Avatar
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    And if you're really quick you can get the rulebook PDF at 33% off: https://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?pr...unt=930a970c8d This is a very short time period offer (only a few hours left) so get in quick!
    Private Messages: My inbox is forever filling up with PMs. Please don't send me PMs unless they are actually private/personal messages. General FG questions should be asked in the forums - don't be afraid, the FG community don't bite and you're giving everyone the chance to respond and learn!

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    I still have my original paperback........just saying

  4. #4
    Trenloe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hawkwind View Post
    I still have my original paperback........just saying
    So do I... Bought from WHSmith in Newcastle.
    Private Messages: My inbox is forever filling up with PMs. Please don't send me PMs unless they are actually private/personal messages. General FG questions should be asked in the forums - don't be afraid, the FG community don't bite and you're giving everyone the chance to respond and learn!

  5. #5
    damned's Avatar
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    i unfortunately lost mine over the years but I did pick one up again on ebay a few years ago.
    there are a few changes between the original game and the new one - Imbalance being the main one - there is almost a Cthulhu like element in Domesday - but most of the other changes are pretty simple - you heal much faster in Domesday but you still track and heal each wound individually.

    I half joked while doing this ruleset that it will prolly only get run by 2 GMs - myself and Arion Games.... hopefully a few others might give it a whirl


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    GunnarGreybeard's Avatar
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    Hmm, first time I have heard of this Maelstrom RPG. It's definitely peaked my interest. Historically based, low magic system . . . I'm off to download the quickstart rules and then the ruleset.

    EDIT: The hit table looks very similar to HarnMaster, just not as extensive.
    Last edited by GunnarGreybeard; March 28th, 2015 at 07:27.
    FG:Unity Ultimate License Holder: Meaning anyone can join my games, even those with just the Demo . . .
    Timezone: UTC-6/CST (My 'Current' Local Time)
    Currently Running: An Old-School Essentials campaign, set in Hârn . . . Here is the discord channel -> Hârnic OSE.
    Current Design Project: Developing a stand-alone "Hârnic 5e" setting for OSE and Fifth Edition . . .

  7. #7
    damned's Avatar
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    Hey Gunnar - the original version doesnt have a Quick Start but the newer version does - the rules are quite interchangeable.

    Magick (with a K) is quite interesting - and challenging.

    This magick is not the same as is seen in other roleplaying games, where wizards throw balls of fire, fly through the air and create glowing walls of pure energy. Magick in the world of the Maelstrom is far more subtle and primarily affects the normal chances of events. Thus to make a bottle on a table fall over on board a boat in a storm is an easy task, whilst making a man fly through the air is almost impossible. The scale of the event or the size of the target are also of secondary importance. Making a worm-eaten and leaky warship sink in rough weather is a fairly easy task, but making a small coin levitate without visible means of support is extremely difficult indeed.

    To cast a spell you must first pass one Knowledge Check for each level of difficulty - otherwise you just cannot remember the spells requirements. If you wanted to cast a Grade II spell you would have to roll UNDER your Knowledge twice in a row. If you do that you can remember the spell. To cast it you must roll under your WILL twice in a row. For each level of spell you must pass that many of each check.

    And some examples of spells/difficulty –

    Grade I
    These effects are things that were likely to happen even if a spell had not been cast. Some examples would be a dog not barking when encountering someone new, a bored guard looking the other way as someone tries to sneak past, a man dropping an apple from an very full basket or a diner knocking over a tall candlestick on a crowded table. Spells of this grade are rarely remarked upon by onlookers due to the high probability of the event happening anyway.
    Grade II
    Effects of Grade II are those that could happen anyway, but are unlikely. Examples would include a man slipping over on a dry road, a horse rearing for no apparent reason, a book falling off a shelf with no-one near and a bored guard falling asleep on duty.
    Grade III
    At this grade, the effects are those that could happen anyway but are highly unlikely. An example of this would be an aggressive guard dog completely ignoring an intruder, a burning ember leaping out of a fire to ignite a person’s clothing, an alert guard completely failing to notice someone walking past him or a person knocked down by a charging cart being completely unharmed.
    Grade IV
    These spells cause effects that could in theory happen, but are very improbable. An example would be a pair of alert guards failing to see the horseman go through the gateway they are guarding, internal bleeding stopping of its own accord, a person surviving a fall from a high cliff with just bruises or a cache of hidden weapons and armour being found in woodland just as the mage needs it. Spells of this grade will often cause comment by observers due to the unlikeliness of the events.
    Grade V
    This highest grade of magickal spell is rarely cast due to the difficulty and risk. However, the effects that can be created by this grade of spell are the truly impossible. Making a man fly through the air, bringing a recently deceased corpse back to life, causing a sword to explode into fragments or even killing a man on the spot are all grade V effects. If a spell of this kind is cast, there will be amazement and confusion amongst any observers, and if the mage is in clear view the obvious concentration and focus will also draw comment.


    Practitioners of magick are also generally branded as Witches and burned at the stake...

  8. #8
    damned's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GunnarGreybeard View Post
    Hmm, first time I have heard of this Maelstrom RPG. It's definitely peaked my interest. Historically based, low magic system . . . I'm off to download the quickstart rules and then the ruleset.

    EDIT: The hit table looks very similar to HarnMaster, just not as extensive.
    https://www.rpgnow.com/product/13478...Path=1684_4422

    The whole game including a short solo adventure fit inside a paperback novel of the same size as a Fighting Fantasy book - so yes - the rules are not too complex or detailed.
    There is also a significant number of pages dedicated to Herb Lore. The game actually kindled a significant interest in Herb Lore in RPGs all over the place.

  9. #9
    GunnarGreybeard's Avatar
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    The ruleset will be for the new version correct?
    Last edited by GunnarGreybeard; March 28th, 2015 at 08:28.
    FG:Unity Ultimate License Holder: Meaning anyone can join my games, even those with just the Demo . . .
    Timezone: UTC-6/CST (My 'Current' Local Time)
    Currently Running: An Old-School Essentials campaign, set in Hârn . . . Here is the discord channel -> Hârnic OSE.
    Current Design Project: Developing a stand-alone "Hârnic 5e" setting for OSE and Fifth Edition . . .

  10. #10
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    So the ruleset supports the following rolls/automation:

    Full Ability (Attribute) Checks - same mechanics for both versions
    Attack Checks - same mechanics for both versions
    Defense Checks - same mechanics for both versions
    Damage Rolls - same mechanics for both versions
    Armour Penalties to Physical Ability Checks - same mechanics for both versions
    Initiative Rolls - same mechanics for both versions

    After discussion with Arion Games it was decided that it was best NOT to Automate Attack and Defense rolls against each other - so the Attacker Rolls and if a Hit or Critical Hit is achieved (result is calculated into the Chat Window) the defender then rolls his Defense Check and the GM adjudicates (result is calculated into the Chat Window). Damage is then rolled if a hit is declared. The mechanics are the same for both versions.

    You track wounds (for Characters) individually - same mechanics for both versions
    Each wound heals at the same rate - same mechanics for both versions - except in the original healing was ta the rate of 1/wound/week and in Domesday its 1/wound/day. You apply the healing by clicking the Heal Button and it will reduce each wound by 1 and update the total and report it to the Chat Window.

    So other than healing rate, what else is different?
    In Domesday:

    you have a Patron - text field only.
    you may have some Imbalance - text field only
    you may have more than one living/profession
    starting ability scores are higher (for both PCs and NPCs)

    They are the primary differences. This Ruleset was written for Domesday so it can be used fully for the older version by ignoring the small number of extra fields.

    The major non mechanical differences between the two are the time period (which does also affect equipment to some degree) and the Domesday element...




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