BrenCon 2008: Xcrawl Game Thread

[Vardaen]

I'm starting up a new thread about the Xcrawl game that we are planning on for the 2008 Party. Many of you might not know what Xcrawl is. It is a d20 game based on the idea of American Galdiators meets MXC meets Dunegon and Dragons. Televised Dunegon Crawl in a modern setting where magic and machines mingle.

"In Xcrawl, the players are superstar athletes taking their chances in a live-on-pay-per-view death sport. It's a modern-day world with a fantasy twist, and the game is simple: the Dungeon Judge, or DJ, creates an artificial dungeon under controlled ' but lethal ' conditions. He designs the maze, and stocks it with monsters, secret doors, magical traps, treasure and prizes. The players must go through the dungeon and fulfill whatever conditions the DJ puts forth in order to win. Xcrawl is a sport and the challenges are created, but the danger is no less real. If you die, you die. There are no second chances. Citizens of the North American Empire tune in every week to watch their favorite celebrities get eaten, paralyzed, turned to stone, and ripped apart. The nation's hunger for blood and mayhem grows with every contest. How will you fare?"


It follows all the basic d20 D&D rules, but has its own book for theme and extra crunchy bits. Currently there are a few xCrawl websites out there.

Goodman Games: http://www.goodman-games.com/preview-XC.php

The inital plan is to run and underground crawl, one that is unsactioned by the Xcrawl League where two xCrawl groups will venture into the same dungeon, a sprial like affair and battle through the traps and dangers to get to the middle where they will come face to face with the other party in a gladiator like combat to the death. The last team standing wins.

jigglypuff69 and I will run the two concurant groups through the dugeon, and you folks will be the various players. This will be a higher level adventure since its a one shot sort of deal. Someplace right at 12th level. We will work up teams, characters, and even painted minis for the crawl all online and before hand, there will even be prizes for the winners, and consolation for the dead! This is really a very fun way to run a one shot deal and have a good time and not take things too terribly serious. A chance to play classes and prestige classes you never used, and to get some odd ball magic items too... +2 Flaming Chainsaw of Wounded anyone?

I'll let jigglypuff give some more info and we'll get things on the road.

[MadVlat]

AWESOME!!!!!!

[jigglypuff69]

Hey all! Vardaen and I have been putting alot of thought into this and hope it catches on. I mean, picture your character delving into man made dungeons, taking on hoardes of the undead, decapitating hillbilly ogres all for the masses entertainment! Fabulous cash and prizes to be had in the games as well. The idea behind it all is a DJ (Dungeon Judge) creates a "dungeon" and seeks corporate sponsors to help fund it. We're talking armor, weapons, washers/dryers, magic, the whole nine yards. Throw Bob Barker into the deal and you have it!

The characters you play are either proffessional Crawlers of people that do it as a side job for the Fame and money. In the NAE (North American Empire), their are rules and restrictions on spells, equipment, and weapons that can be used. They wany it to be like the days of old! But this will be a no holds barred, unsanctioned event. Guns, chainsaws, and power drills for all!

I have been compiling a huge amount of prestige classes and alternate classes to have people look at. The combo's here are limitless: Human Palidins with chainsaws, Elven Sharpshooter/snipers, Half Orc Dragon Monks, Halfling Chaos Witches, Dwarven Psycho Clowns with rainbow fros, you name it! Both Vardaen and myself wil field all questions that come. We also have alternate magic/spell books, feats. rawbacks, etc... This is the chance to make a character that you have never had the chance to play, so go wild!!!

Most teams that play will consist of a character that is the Team Captain (Just like sports) and his Teammates. Usually team consist 5-6 palyers and of an even mix of the following: Fighter type, Mage/sorcerer type, Clerical type, Specialist/Rogue type, And one or two wild cards. This allows the team to have flexibility to meet whatever traps and creautes ou may encounter. That's not to say there aren't exceptions. There have been teams completely made of Rogues or of Fighters and Paladins, etc... We'll let you all decide what you want to do. Just keep the above in mind.

As interest hopefully grows, we'll talk more about teams, who'll be captains, characters, etc... Also, I'll be picking up the ebook versions of the Xcrawl corebooks for everyone to gander/download. That should help some as well. For now, think about the craziness and as whatever questions you'd like. We'll try to answer as we can. Thanks!

[JohnnyWeird]

I am horror mixed with intrigue. Count me in!

[Vardaen]

As a teaser, in ouor RL Xcrawl game our group is the following

Benign Brutality (B9!)

Team Captain (Vardaen): Balwain Ironripper - Dwarf Cleric (Storms and Cold)/Storm Lord

Gruesome (MadVlat): Half Orc Fighter/Athlete

Lance Manion (Kiernen_Knuckleleave): Sexy Human Sorcerer

Aerik Smoothstride: Canadian Human Rogue/Scout/Thief Acrobat

and last but not least

Dora (Connie_TFE) Female Human Cresent Flyer Witch


These guys are only 7th level and have a ton of panace and fun playing. Balwain has a sequened sombrero he took off a dead cow they battled in the most recent crawl, while Gruesome enjoys putting out his cigars on the enemy. Dora is always airborn throwing spells or pick axes, while Lance can turn any hostile crowd into puddy in his hand and Aerik dances all over the place striking and killing anything he wants, eh.

[jigglypuff69]

I have huge amount of fun running for the group! It's great to be able to ham it up for the live audience, worry which door you are about to open is made of plastic explosives, wonder if your Witch on a broomstick is covering your charge into the masses of goblin crossdressers and after all of that have a bagel with fondue in the breakroom while the Paramedics patch you up.

They have friendly competition in their league as well, The Hong Kong Cavaliers (Half-elf Sorceress, Dwarven Pugilist, Human Specialist/Rogue, Elven Fencing Master, Half-Orc Kight of the Broken Tusk, Human True Monk) and South Precinct 13 (All ex-Riot Police with different specialties).

Keep in mind there are new classes as well. The Athlete- A fighter type that hones his skills in the areas of sports and uses sports based weapons. The TechnoMage- Through the use of technology and arcane magic can effect machiunes and rip apart the very fabric of magi and use it in new ways. The Paramedic- A pacifistic class that uses pills/salves/bandages and such to duplicate divine spells, can fight to defend histeammates or himself. As well as these, there are new prestige classes for Xcrawl, new armors, new weapons and weapon abilities etc... It's insane!!!

[EvilMonkey]

yeah, I'm a fire troll killin son-of-a-gun, eh

"l hail Emperor Ronald I!"

[EvilMonkey]

What lvl are we talking here

[MadVlat]

Will Vrusk be there, D J Jiggly?

[jigglypuff69]

As far as I know, Vrusk will not be there and I definately don't expect you to be playing Groosum, MV! No grudge matches yet, you'll have to wait for the normal gasme for that...

As for character levels, me and V were talking about 12th! Not only would that give us "sturdier" characters, but more options for customization and such.

KEEP THE QUESTIONS COMING!!!