# Exclusive 13TH AGE BESTIARY Preview: The Redcap!



## JeffB

Wow..I think this monster entry just totally turned my interest in this game, off. 

Why?

Way too much fluff , bad gamer humor (stompy boots,.stabby knives,.etc), and a general poor attempt @ whimsy throughout the entry. Not that I take my gaming that seriously, but I do not want to read a book for inspiration and have to suffer through someone's attempt at humor (that rubs me the wrong way).

Too bad.


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## Waller

Opposite for me.  I like how the abilities do what they say on the tin.  I know what a big stompy boot is, unlike a lot of 4E where the names didn't match the mechanics well and random effects just seemed to happen for no reason.

Don't like damage on a miss though. Never have.


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## Piratecat

The monsters in the core book are nothing but stats, pretty much. In the monster book, they're built out with a lot of back-story, relationships and variants. I find them to be laden with plot hooks and a joy to read. Mind you, I'm totally prejudiced because I wrote this sample entry (Rob did the combat mechanics). I'll argue that understanding how monsters fit in with the icons add a hugely useful dimension to using them in a game.

There's a scene I half-remember in the old comic book _Mage_ (the comic about a modern King Arthur wielding a baseball bat as Excalibur) when redcaps clatter into a cave, iron boots ringing out on the stone and cleavers waving. It made an impression on me, no question about it.

Jeff, this is  not intended to be funny per se -- I was going for entertaining, casual, and descriptive. The core book has a very casual tone that I love.


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## JeffB

No worries Kevin. I do not expect everyone to cater to *my* whims. I just prefer a more straightforward  game manual approach as opposed to having a conversation with my buddies approach...that  ruins immersion for me.


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## Piratecat

Right. I'm the other way; one of the reasons that I stopped being an ENnies judge is that holy cow, most rule books are torturous for me to read. Looking back at my older RPG games, I'm reminded by how many were just plain fun to read even when you weren't looking up a rule. For me, 13th Age really fills a sweet spot.


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## JeffB

I am with you on reading college text book games :cough: 3.5 and PF : cough. Those make me cry,.and turn me off too.   But I feel ( a general) you can have  a less casual approach that is also an entertaining/good read... CoC... chasoiums  RQ2,  Moldvay/Cook/Marsh, etc.  All lean games though compared to today's offerings. 

Thanks for giving me your perspective. I do get it, even if it is not my preference.


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## Radiating Gnome

Well, everyone's taste is different.  I'd been mildly curious about 13th age before, and that's been turned up loud.  

-rg


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## Radiating Gnome

Is the "Bad Word" a mechanic just for Redcaps, or is it a standard 13th age mechanic for other sorts of scenes?


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## Pelgrane

Radiating Gnome said:


> Is the "Bad Word" a mechanic just for Redcaps, or is it a standard 13th age mechanic for other sorts of scenes?




This mechanic is just for redcaps. I'd probably use it for certain kinds of demons.


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## waderockett

JeffB said:


> bad gamer humor (stompy boots,.stabby knives,.etc), and a general poor attempt @ whimsy throughout the entry.




Those things are specifically written for the redcaps to give you a feel for how to run them in your game -- as demented, giggling, horrible little fairy tale creatures. By contrast, lizardmen don't have "stabby spears" and "smashy clubs" because that's not the flavor of the monster.

Also, the Bestiary is WAYYYY heavier on flavor text than the core rulebook is. You may want to check that out once it's on shelves and see if it's more to your taste.


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## Dragonblade

Love it! Good stuff, Piratecat! I've never used a redcap in a game before. They've always struck me as sort of "meh" fairy tale monster whose flavor and threat level has never been backed up by their mechanics. Until now, that is. Can't wait to throw one of these nasty buggers against my 13th Age players! 

The flavor is evocative and fun, and I love how the mechanics really capture the capricious and unpredictable nature of their fey magic. Brilliant! Man, I love 13th Age! Its pretty much my dream D&D, reading awesome stuff like this only confirms it. Well done!


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## JeffB

waderockett said:


> Those things are specifically written for the redcaps to give you a feel for how to run them in your game -- as demented, giggling, horrible little fairy tale creatures. By contrast, lizardmen don't have "stabby spears" and "smashy clubs" because that's not the flavor of the monster.
> 
> Also, the Bestiary is WAYYYY heavier on flavor text than the core rulebook is. You may want to check that out once it's on shelves and see if it's more to your taste.





Okey doke. This is good to hear. I should clarify I do not MIND lots of flavor text, if it is done in a style that grabs me, and suits my needs for the setting (e.g. the old SAGA Dragonlance Bestiary, or any number of Chaosium RQ supplements like Cults of Prax). But a whole book of monsters with stuff like ridey horsey, smashy facey, ugly wuggly would drive me nuckin futsy! 


The only thing I have seen for 13th Age is the 2 hour demo stats, and the pre gens. I did not do any play-testing and I avoid PDF copies of game books if at all possible. I am waiting to look at a hardcopy. Thus when something like the Redcap  is presented as being a monster entry in the new Bestiary, I assume that is what all the entries are going to be like.


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## waderockett

Piratecat said:


> There's a scene I half-remember in the old comic book _Mage_ (the comic about a modern King Arthur wielding a baseball bat as Excalibur) when redcaps clatter into a cave, iron boots ringing out on the stone and cleavers waving. It made an impression on me, no question about it.




I loved the redcaps in _Mage_, and wondered if they inspired this! That's awesome.


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## mach1.9pants

I still am not a huge fan of the word usage, but I see what you are aiming for. The image doesn't seem match the stocky description (and the cleavers are too large to wield but that is the new norm)

However if the books is full of such awesome info and inspiration the Hacklopedia of Beasts has a new rival... Awesome


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## Hangfire

I really liked the presentation Piratecat. It felt very 'right' for this particular monster's write up. I can't wait to get my hands on the book.


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## MoutonRustique

This makes me very sad that I missed the kickstarter... But so glad that it's coming out soon !!! *squeal in glee*

Yes, I am a grown man and I did just squeal in glee.


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## waderockett

Movanic said:


> This makes me very sad that I missed the kickstarter... But so glad that it's coming out soon !!! *squeal in glee*
> 
> Yes, I am a grown man and I did just squeal in glee.




You're in luck! There was no Kickstarter for this book. Pelgrane is putting out the Bestiary the old-fashioned way, so you're actually in at the beginning here.


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## howandwhy99

"The Bad Word" is good game mechanics. Ripe for fun every time one encounters these little beasts. It defines them nicely and plays a metagame with the players as they try _not_ to become too elaborate in their speech when fighting them. I'm unsure how it is supposed to play out for NPC vs. NPC battles, but I would definitely keep the rule and think of a way to account for it.


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## TwoSix

I hope high-level redcaps have bad words like "the" or "roll".


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## Ridley's Cohort

I applaud the humor and odd mechanics as a brave attempt to capture the alien edginess of fey.  Too often does fairy influence devolve into just a different shaded coat of paint in a hohum fantasy world.  To me, fey should bring an uneasiness that they are playing by a different set of rules, rules that the sane human mind can never fully fathom.  A dash of meta gamey mechanics is an interesting angle for achieving that.


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## Bagpuss

Surely if the location is hidden then it can't be seen, is that why it is called impossible teleport because it can never be used. Seems a huge waste of text space, just to try to be funny.


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## Argyle King

Bagpuss said:


> Surely if the location is hidden then it can't be seen, is that why it is called impossible teleport because it can never be used. Seems a huge waste of text space, just to try to be funny.




Sure it can...

Imagine a fight taking place inside of your home.  There are plenty of places you cannot see, but are aware are there.  Inside of cabinets for an example.  

If a DM wanted to be particularly nasty, a Redcap could teleport inside of a treasure chest or a PC's backpack (assuming it was big enough.)
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Personally, I like it.  I like the layout, and I like the general theme of the creature.  I'm undecided on how I feel about the artwork... it's not in any way bad; just different than what I'm accustomed to.  Overall, I like it.  The more I hear about 13th Age, the more interested I am becoming.


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## Siroh

I have to agree with all the Yay sayers here. I cannot stand the 4th Edition Monster's Manual because there is not even enough fluff to know how to explain what a ranger knows about a creature's habits in game. If you don't have a 2nd or 3rd Edition MM, you have to pretend you always knew that a griffin will go for a hero's horse first if the hero doesn't specifically get in the way or otherwise prove to be a threat. It just isn't on the page. I don't see how anybody who has never run D&D can run monsters not based on real-world animals with no fluff. This right here cements my decision to support this game more than anything else I've read or heard. I really don't like 3E/3.5E/4E that much and have always tolerated bad design because of good DMs and good story. If I can run a D20 game that isn't swimming in mechanics I don't like, and get fluff that is interesting to read, I'm sold.


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## Old Gumphrey

Yep. This is the first time I've ever seen someone complain about having too much fluff, it's like not wanting to go to a restaurant because they give you too much food (hint: take it home).


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