tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70720653932040146782024-03-13T02:17:31.394+01:00Headless Horse ArcherReckless creation of new material for old D&D.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-89932708193844844532011-11-08T18:49:00.003+01:002011-11-08T18:53:22.131+01:00The Iron CourtSo, to celebrate the TPK-related end of the first (shortish) Zu campaign, here's the map AND the key to the Iron Courts, the place where the party has met its demise. Appropriately to the name, this complex of rooms and corridors is made entirely of metal - in most places the walls, floor and ceiling are a single slab of smooth, grey metal with rust-coloured stains and streaks; in others, it's metal plating (or more solid metal) of a different type.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEac7UpXiBxjyu3tu5pCQsyVQHOR2WfqavCKo19RUFpR4BRV2sp42ij56W8GqDW_cEFitEqmXMpk61nH_AP7-MrOb2kp5Rb80FyzP7PcejO4B_6bnujfoJAxaN5nz5YlO4lLg-aiinRc/s1600/IronCourtMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEac7UpXiBxjyu3tu5pCQsyVQHOR2WfqavCKo19RUFpR4BRV2sp42ij56W8GqDW_cEFitEqmXMpk61nH_AP7-MrOb2kp5Rb80FyzP7PcejO4B_6bnujfoJAxaN5nz5YlO4lLg-aiinRc/s320/IronCourtMap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>(Click to enlarge.)<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-ftrhHhccbOYTNiODU4N2UtNmY1OS00Mzg2LWFjMDctMThhZThmMjM1Njhl">And the key as a Google document (right-click and select Open in New Window - doesn't seem to work otherwise for some reason.)</a><br />
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The reader might notice an extreme lack of treasure here - that's by design. This sublevel is sort of a "punishment level" where certain wizards have the ability to banish their enemies; as such, the greatest accomplishment one can reasonably expect here is to escape through the large cave at #50.<br />
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And just for posterity:<br />
- Hokiman (shaman): despair drove him into passive-agressive behaviour and started deliberately grabbing at the urns in room 42.<br />
- Vestiron (sorcerer): Got too greedy and irresponsible for his own good. Ran out of Hit and Ability Points before figuring out how to remove the urns in room 42 safely.<br />
- Cassandra (Lowlander ranger), Crowley (sorcerer), Sizzy (female beastman): Slowly worn down and killed by two Rust Guardians on top of the battlements at 52. The fight lasted over a dozen rounds, but it didn't occur to them to run. To their credit, they took one of the two enemies down.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-84037171805663357342011-11-08T17:30:00.000+01:002011-11-08T17:30:14.283+01:00T P KA long time with no posts, but for a reason. The last fully completed Zu adventures (well, "completed" to a certain value of the word) was reused this past weekend at a local convention, so I didn't want to put up any spoilers about it, but a writeup will be coming along soon. Then, this Sunday... well, I refer you to the title. The party has perished horrendously in the Iron Courts, a sublevel of the Labyrinth they were teleported into by an enemy spellcaster.<br />
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For the time being, this also means an end to the Zu campaign - though probably not for good. The party is keen to try out something else as well, so I'll be running them through a one-off Mutant Future adventure then we move on to a brand new setting (and probably brand new set of houserules) of my own: the <i>Buck-Rogers-meets-Dune</i> space fantasy shenanigans of <i>Starlords</i>. And that means a whole new slew of material to post here.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-26555265514754031402011-10-15T21:08:00.000+02:002011-10-15T21:08:55.275+02:00Random encounters in LloegyrLong time, no post, and rest assured, I feel really, really horrible about it. The thing is, the last two sessions revolved around an adventure I'll be reusing at a convention in a fortnight or so, so I won't post anything about it until after that.<br />
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Here's something else, though: the "generic" random encounter tables for my <i>faux Dark Ages Britain</i> Lloegyr setting. Generic in the sense that specific areas would have their own tables.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRY5lgduJldFG8DLh1PVyhq-Ok2snB9WHdoYuDGZXZnuUTj8nhsrTN8DK73cguWnhpuQTAAI9OGkN5uFO42PmGnPsczCqjMEWTk9nK_ExbQCM_JKfGBFHCDTl4oz99jhNkRwFRW7BwXU/s1600/random.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRY5lgduJldFG8DLh1PVyhq-Ok2snB9WHdoYuDGZXZnuUTj8nhsrTN8DK73cguWnhpuQTAAI9OGkN5uFO42PmGnPsczCqjMEWTk9nK_ExbQCM_JKfGBFHCDTl4oz99jhNkRwFRW7BwXU/s1600/random.jpg" /></a></div><br />
As you see, it's not particularly <i>fantastic</i> insofar that a significant part of it is humans and animals. But that's a conscious choice I took: Lloegyr is a settled, largely mundane land where the truly supernatural is typically limited to certain areas (and the ones that aren't are appropriate to the setting, like Norse giants). Also, I wanted to give "normal" animals a chance to shine: a magical white stag or a blood-red raven feel very mythological and can certainly be the core for an interesting encounter, but only if they get a chance to show up on the random list and aren't muscled out by the plain far-out bizarre.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-31219630128904988602011-09-29T00:01:00.000+02:002011-09-29T00:01:56.157+02:00Magic items from another world...<span style="font-size: small;">This is a totally non-Zu post. Last year, I've been running my Lloegyr campaign, presently on hiatus, for several months. It's essentially a <i>Faux Dark Ages Britain</i> settting with no particular emphasis on historical accuracy - so that the cool Roman-equivalents can still be there while the cool Norse-equivalents have already arrived. I thought it might be fun to go through my notes and make a list of some of the various magic items I've introduced into the game (though not all of them were acquired by the party). As always, feel free to steal any of them for your own games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">- <b>The broken spear of Carnaic Anroc.</b> Carnaic Anroc was a Cymirog warchief of old who has led his people against the invading Saax foreigners. His weapons and armour were placed to rest with him in his tomb. The wooden haft of his spear has rotted away and broke, but the if the bronze spearhead were fitted to a new one, it would count as a +1 weapon against all non-native people of Lloegyr.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">-<b> Carnaic Anroc's bow & arrows</b>. They're broken and rotted, but the arrowheads could be fitted to new shafts and gain a +1 bonus against good people. Carnaic Anroc, while certainly a patriot, was not exactly a nice person and some of his soul has rubbed off onto his weapons.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: small;">The (magical) treasure of the those who formerly disturbed Carnaic Anrog's tomb:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- <b>Pearl-inlaid shortsword</b>. Allows uninhibited movement in water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- An ebony box with a single <b>white lotus</b> flower inside. Consuming the lotus completely heals, cures and reinvigorates the eater.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> - Black spear</b>. Does triple damage on its next critical hit, but then loses all magic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The party has found all these items, but failed to acquire their previous owners', now ghosts trapped in the tomb, permission to take them. As a result, they - and all the nonmagical loot from the same place - turned to rust and rot as soon as they stepped out into the daylight. Shortly before that, the black spear was used to impale the undead form of Carnaic's former wife - buried with him and now a vengeful undead witch -, and she fell into a cistern seething with evil black... stuff. I've been rather stingy with magical gear up to this point, so the following ensued:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>DM: And, shrieking in pain, the witch topples the black mass.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>* Cheers go up around the table.*</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> Player: Wait... Fuck, the spear was still in her! I jump after it.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>DM: You jump into the seething black mass of evil magical slime?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Player: Hell, yeah,<b> it was a magic item</b>!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Rolls were made, and he actually managed to retrieve the spear and climb back out without taking too much damage from the acidic material. Only to lose the spear to sunlight in about five minutes. I almost felt sorry for my players.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Windwail Crystal</b>. When moved - or something is moving near it -, this fist-sized uncut crystal makes a windlike-sound with a volume proportionate to the intensity of movement. Some cavemen have put it into the mouth of a primitive statue depicting a two-headed dog to act as a warning system when passersby approach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Metal Mask</b>. A brownish-red metal plate with a rectangular face carved into it and the eyeholes cut out. When held in front of one's face, one would see supernatural creatures for what they are, but it doesn't work in daylight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Red Paint of the Cave Woman Witch</b>. This paint, when applied to a specific, extremely heavy object determined by the paint's creator (in this case, a large boulder blocking a passage) will make that object light enough to easily move until the paint dries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Magical stalagtites</b>. These formed in a cave chamber of varied speleothems affected by magic. A few of the stalagtites have foot-long, perfectly spiral ends, which, when broken off, function as magical daggers. They offer no bonuses and shatter on the first hit, but deliver a slow poison that reduce the victim's maximum HP and one random ability by 1d4 points each day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>"Lead" spears</b>. A set of five spears made of some extremely heavy, lead-like material (including the shaft). They count as magical weapons for the purpose of overcoming magical resistance, but suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls because of their weight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pile of green coins</b>. Very beautifully minted, but of unidentifiable origins. When a single coin is separated from the pile and dropped, it will act randomly:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Roll away in a random direction, even upslope.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Roll towards the most powerful creature in the general area.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Fall up to the ceiling and roll along it as if gravity was reversed. In the open, fly up into the sky and disappear forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Roll along in a tight circular path, then roll to whatever location its owner specifies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>????</b> - This immaterial black <i>thing</i> lies in a chest in a small shrine built by strange ophidian creatures in elder ages, now connected to a caveman complex via a subterranean waterfall. It fits into one's palm and is constantly changing its shape. It's utterly black, reflecting no light and having no visible texture. The party never found it, because after clearing out about half the dungeon they just decided it was "too tough" and "not rewarding enough" and left. At that point I became deaf to complaints of "not enough magic loot". They had an un-statted but completely genuine and no-tricks-to-bite-you-in-the-ass, very poorly guarded <i>small piece of Death itself.</i> But they didn't feel like going deep enough into the dungeon to get it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Petrified antlers</b>. When touched to the stone statue of a stag, it causes the statue to crumble into dust while gaining the ability to summon a stag on one occasion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Silver fish statuette</b>. When warmed up by human touch and placed into water, it starts swimming around until it cools down and sinks to the bottom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Quartz Throne</b>. A might throne carved of a single humongous quartz crystal, of inestimable value. When exposed to sudden light, it fills the area with a Prismatic Spray affecting all except its occupant. If someone sits on it while under the moonlight, he can summon a servile Shade. By speaking the appropriate words and exposing the throne to bright light, Prismatic Guardians can also be summoned, 3 HD humanoid creatures whose hit with their immaterial weapons decreases the victim's Intelligence or Wisdom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This one has a story. The party has found it in a dungeon, took it with them (they had some people with them helping to carry it) and eventually made their way back to the ship that was to take them home. On the penultimate day of the journey through this <i>thickly forested, mysterious land</i> based on <i>mythological Ireland</i>, they've met a seemingly young <i>yet strangely ageless</i> man travelling alone in the deep woods <i>where no men tread,</i> explaining upon inquiry that he's <i>moving from his summer abode to his winter one</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Now, Player J. is not one to take the game very seriously and just doesn't really have that little mental switch that tells you when an idea is really stupid. Also, a while ago he recovered the non-magical crown of afore-mentioned Carnaic Anroc, and decided to create a new unified Cymric nation... by going around and telling random strangers that he's fated to be the new Cymric king and they should follow him. And guess what, that's exactly what he tells the strange traveller <i>who in no way could possibly be a prince of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatha_D%C3%A9_Danann">Tuatha dé Danann</a>, </i>who certainly <i>doesn't have a mischievous trait, </i>and who's <i>unlikely to be mildly offended by some dull mortal pestering him with such a ridiculous fabrication of a story.</i> The stranger gets an amused gleam in his eye, and plays along with J's <i>highly credible</i> story without a question. A bit of interlude in the form of a tower and undead warriors during which the man is left alone with the throne for a while. Fast forward to everyone boarding the ship and sailing home - the stranger decided to stay in his homeland and was adamant about it. As soon as the coast of quasi-Irish Tuaisceart fades out of sight, the throne becomes a large, mossy boulder with a note on top of it:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dear Friends,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I thank you the hours of amusement we've had together - I was most entertained. I hope you won't mind if I keep the throne as a keepsake of our hilarious hijinx and especially Volard </i>(J.'s character). <i>In exchange for it, I send you with honest feeling seven storms, and may each be more interesting than the last.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yours truly.</i></span><br />
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The seven storms haven't happened yet, since after this session it was someone else's turn to DM for qutie a few months, then we started Zu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Black Gong</b>. Striking it causes utter silence to fall ni a 15' radius. Beating it repeatedly with an ivory stick summons incorporeal undead, and other sticks of specific attributes might have further effects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Paper Figurines</b>. A collection of hundreds of intricately folded figurines of animals, many of them never seen or heard of before by the party members. The first one taken has the ability to turn into the depicted animal when thrown away; once one was picked up, any attempt by the same party to take, touch or otherwise disturb another one causes that one to explode (and the resulting blast would knock over the rest, causing <i>those</i> to explode as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rusty Sword</b>. This sword was lying in a burial mound and, thanks to the siting of the entrance tunnel, was exposed to the sun for a few minutes. Once removed from there, it was a useless, ruined weapon for most of the day, except for the morning hours when it turned into its old appearance and functioned as a +1 weapon. It also attracted the shade of its old owner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Steel Chain</b>. 12 feet long, thin, but extremely strong. Paralyses any undead creature it is wrapped around - even if only wrapped around a single limb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ash Canisters</b>. Cilindrical black wooden canisters with brass caps, containing ashes. By opening one and saying the proper prayer, its content will spill out and create a humanoid form of swirling ash which follows orders, is only vulnerable to magic, wind, water, fire and the deliberate touch of living flesh, and can choke, blind and normally damage enemies. Sometimes the ash zombie appears as soon as the canister is opened, and is hostile to all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Obsidian Shortsword</b>. Despite being made of obsidian, it has a strange, curved, flamelike shape. The party acquired it by bashing in an ancient sarcophagus and looting the largely disintegrated remains of the strange, not-quite-human warrior inside. The sword turned out to be cursed, hitting its own wielder. Later, in reasonably safe surroundings, the owner and another PC engaged in some mock combat to determine "how many plusses it has", even after me explicitly saying that you can't determine plusses like that. (It was player J..) At any rate, it turned out that under such circumstances it's also very much capable of hitting the target as well. For quite a while, J. kept some hope that <i>the other 19 identical swords, looted from identical desecrated sarcophagi</i> are perhaps not cursed. So far, he's failed to find one that works properly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Obsidian Dagger</b>. Primitive, and from a different source than the item above. A +2 dagger, but has a 1 in 6 chance of breaking every time it hits somone wearing metal armour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>"Onion Stick"</b>. A dry stick with onion-like bulbs growing from it. Does 1d4 HP of damage when used as a cudgel, but the bulbs release a strong nerve irritant on impact: the target must stand perfectly still despite the itch for a round; if he doesn't, he takes another 1d6 HP of damage from the intense agony, and must make a save or fall on the ground writhing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Hissing Sword</b>. This evil black longsword adds +1 to damage and makes a hissing sound while wielded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Golden Shortsword</b>. Not truly gold, but surrounded by a golden aura when drawn from the scabbard. It is a cursed weapon that causes nearby animals to turn hostile, and causes the floor of sacred places to erupt in flames wherever its carrier treads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Staff with Shriveled Human Head on Top</b>. Exactly what it says. By learning the correct magic words, the head (formerly of a Magic User) can be awoken and forced to give advice or cast its own spells. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Smokestone</b>. A grey stone half a fist's size. When held above a fire, it creates a large volume of thick smoke.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Druid's Torc</b>. When worn, this torc improves a druid's AC by 4 and protects him from ranged weapons. When worn by anyone else, it HARMS AC by 4, attracts missiles, and tightens so it can't be taken off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Druid's Headdress</b>. This headpiece incorporates a pair of antlers (and is certainly not standard equipment even for druids). When worn by a druid, it improves his HP by 1 point for each level. When worn by anyone else, it sticks and reduces maximum HP by 1 point per level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>"Chopper"</b>. A strange 2-handed axe speckled with blood and full of ungainly jags and spikes, it formerly belonged to the large, vaguely simian Orc-demons. It suffers a -1 penaltry to hit because of its weight, but does 1d12 damage and severs the target's arm (always the arm, not any other limb) on a natural roll of 19 or 20.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gold Key</b>. Formerly possessed by the allegedly evil Horned Warlock. It opened a specific door at the bottom of a dungeon, and the party was charged by a mysterous red-haired woman <i>who was washing bloody clothes</i> in a lake to retrieve it so she can open the door and get home. Readers will probably guess (correctly) that she was called The Morrigan, and I can get away with brazen sh*t like that because I <i>know</i> my players are just too lazy to spend half an hour on Wikipedia reading up on Celtic mythology, even if they know fully well that the campaign is inspired by it. Of course, they're also too lazy to do the same for Germanic mythology, and that's why I also got away with using a <i>doubly lame blacksmith</i> called Wayland. Who is now their enemy, by the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Silver Dagger</b>. This dagger has the engraving of a bee and a bird on its hilt. By throwing it in the air and saying the magic word, it can turn into a giant (fist-sized) bee or a red dove and carry out its owner's orders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">All right, that's it for now. Originally, I meant to make a point about magic item design, but this has taken longer then expected, so maybe some other time.</span>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-5973436378975329492011-09-27T21:57:00.000+02:002011-09-27T21:57:32.698+02:00Towards a bestiary of ZuAs a note, HD notation sometimes follows Melan's <i>Sword and Magic</i> system. Therefore, HD: 5+2 does NOT mean that you add 2 to the HP total, but that all of the creature's abilities are assumed to have a +2 bonus: +2 to STR, +2 to CON (and therefore to every single Hit Die), etc.. When used, this bonus is already factored into attack rolls, damage and the like.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Animal, phantom</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">A phantom animal is a pale glowing creature in the shape of one of many normal animals such as crows, deer, dinosaurs, horses or wolves. They may be encountered alone or in groups. The touch of most phantom animals does direct damage to a specific physical ability score, but some may have a ranged attack such as a howl or simply its glow (1 in 6), and / or might affect Intelligence or Wisdom if the victim fails a saving throw (1 in 6). The damage done is a fixed value between 1, 1d2, 1d3 or 1d4 points, depending on the strength of the phantom’s luminousity.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Batrakheios Megas</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">These humongous, vaguely toadlike behemoths may slumber for millenia under the earth’s crust or in the depths of dungeons. At a -5 penalty they may try to grab a victim and swallow him whole, their digestive juices automatically causing 1d6 points of damage per round. Once per day they can let out a tremendous roar that causes 4d6 points of damage and cracks rock. Touching their poisonous skin causes the loss of 2d6 points of CON unless a save is made with a -4 penalty.</div><div class="MsoNormal">HD: 8+2, AC: 12, DR: -4, attacks: 2* +10 paws 1d6+3 HP plus poison, 1* +10 bite 2d6+6 HP</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Behemoth</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">For a detailed description, see previous post. Note that various regional varieties exist that have adapted to their environments: desert Behemoths have sandy/grey skin and scale, swamp Behemoths are green and can hide underwater, volcanic Behemoths are sooty black, impervious to heat, have metallic fur and can sling gobs of lava, etc..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Bicephalous snake</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">50-50% chance of the heads being on the opposing end, or branching off on the same side.</div><div class="MsoNormal">HD: 2+1, AC: 14, attacks: 2* +3 bite 1d6-1 HP plus poison, 1d6 CON</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> Bull, divine</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ordinary cattle is virtually (or perhaps completely) unknown on Zu, but Divine Bulls can be occasionally encountered. These creatures often display human intelligence, can be of various majestic colours, and often have various magical powers. The immortal deity kings of the lands strictly prohibit the slaying of bulls, even though they are sometimes aggressive and greatly harmful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b>Cuckoo</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">For these nasty little birds, see the previous game session writeups.</div><div class="MsoNormal">They’re all 1 HD except for a few exceptional individuals. Half-fledged ones have AC 10 and get no attack bonus, fully fledged adults are AC 12 and get +1 to attack.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Flame Turtle</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">When attacked, this oversized turtle spends an entire round drawing its head and limbs inside its shell, then releases a blast of fire and high pressure air through its gaps. The turtle itself is unharmed by this. The shell is completely impervious to any form of non-magical destruction known to man. Rare variants might release a blast of freezing air, berserker gas, acid spray or other compounds.</div><div class="MsoNormal">HD: 1, AC: 10 when exposed, 18 when withdrawn, attacks: fiery blast 1/3 rounds, 4d6</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Glory Snail</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">These giant snails roam the gently rolling hills and grassy plains. Named after their beautiful appearance, their skin glitters with sparkling slime, and their hard transparent shells let through rainbow-coloured swirls of light from within. Glory Snails emit strong pheromones. From a 100 feet away, this will cause people and animals to feel a sense of euphoria and a desire to sit down and rest, unless they make a saving throw sv. poison at +4. At 20 feet, they must make another save with no bonus or will lose control of themselves and attempt to climb the snail and crawl into its shell.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the snail has trapped enough creatures this way, its colourful lights will fade away while it digests for several days, the decomposing remains of the victims visible through the shell.</div><div class="MsoNormal">When attacked, it will defend itself by shooting its oversized love darts (no, really, look up the reproduction of garden snails) which cause 1d6 points of damage and on solid hits (0 HP, damage to ability score) can cause humans to slowly and excruciatingly turn into new Glory Snails over several weeks unless they save.</div><div class="MsoNormal">HD: 5 (1 for purposes of attacking), AC: 10 exposed, 18 when withdrawn, DR -2</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-29574134696487969052011-09-24T00:16:00.000+02:002011-09-24T00:16:43.999+02:00Some spells<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">These only have provisional levels as they haven't been tested yet.</span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Calling the Defender of the Brave</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Level 2 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Summons a spirit of battle to aid a single target. The target will receive +2 to attack, damage, AC and saves when fighting two enemies, and a further +1 per each additional opponent over two, and will be able to make one extra attack per round (but attacks must be made against separate foes). Any action other then a courageous and immediate attack will cancel the spell - this includes flanking maneuvers, tactical withdrawals, or the use of ranged weapons. As a side effect, the target will feel an irresistible urge to laugh in the face of danger and loudly sing warsongs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Cradle of Giants</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Level 3 </span><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">This spell can only cast in the presence of great amounts of snow or ice - on Zu, this typically limits its use to the high mountains.</span><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"></span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Upon the completion of the spell, a randomly determined creature will burst out from the snow or ice. If the spell is performed as described in most sources, the creature has a 50% chance of being friendly to the caster; with the addition of certain long-forgotten elements to the ritual, this chance can be increased up to 90%.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">1-5<span> </span>Meh-Teh<span></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">6-10<span> </span>Wind Wolf<span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">11-14<span> </span>Ice Bear<span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">15-17<span> </span>Woolly Rhinoceros<span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">18-19<span> </span>Mammoth<span><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">20<span> </span>Behemoth<span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Meh-Teh</b> (less commonly also known as Yeti) are large, shaggy humanoids. They have the intelligence and cunning of a particularly bright ape and are skilled at tracking and setting up ambushes in frozen areas. </span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span> </span>2 HD, AC 12, att. 1d6+1 (bite and strike) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Wind Wolves</b> are great white or light-grey wolves. Thrice a day they can turn into chilling blasts of wing, crossing great distances at fantastic speeds. They will use this ability to harry prey or escape from danger. </span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span></span>3 HD, AC 14, att. 1d6+1</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Ice Bears</b> are mighty and savage white bears. When charging into combat, their snow-white hair becomes a blinding swirl of bright, crystalline sparkles. Those in the immediate vicinity who fail their saves become disoriented for 1d4 rounds, barely able to defend themselves. </span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span></span>3 HD. AC 14, DR 3, att. 1d6+2</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Woolly Rhinoceros</b>:<span> </span>4 HD, AC 14, DR 3, att. 2d6<span> </span>horn (double on charge) or 3d6 trample</span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Mammoth</b>: 5HD, AC 14, DR 4, att. 2d6+2 tusks (double if charge) or 4d6 trample</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Behemoths</b> are stooped, two-legged mammals creatures that can reach <i>down</i> to a fully grown Tyrannosaurus with their heavy hands and three-foot claws, breaking the reptile's neck with a twist.Their thick, heavy layer of fur and the underlying fat offer better protection against most attacks then the heaviest metal armour. If they manage to grab a human-sized target, they can throw them far in the next round, causing 2d6 points of damage to the victim as well as to whoever was hit by him (requires attack roll). </span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span></span>7 HD, AC 16, DR 5, att. 2* 2d6 grab or 2d6 throw</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Three Red Seconds</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Level 4</span><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"></span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">By sacrificing three humans in the evening, the caster summons a horde of lesser demons who build him a sinister red tower on the spot in three seconds. The tower can house up to 50 people in cramped conditions and is an effective defense structure. The sunlight of next morning will cause it to collapse and evaporate within 1 hour after dawn, and astral energy including the casting of any astral spells in the vicinity will cause damage to it (albeit starlight in itself will not be enough to cause significant harm). Increasing the number of sacrifices will increase the area of the tower, incorporating a wall and small outbuildings. A rare version of the spell, shared by the Blood Demons with only a select few, allows the creation of a tower with much greater longevity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">The Ringing of Kurasark’s Bells</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Level 5</span><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"></span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">The spell causes Kurasark’s bells to ring out over a band of heroes (up to 5 people for each level of the caster). The affected become immune to fatigue, fear and any mental effects, and will receive a +1 to attack rolls, saves, AC and current HP. Every time an affected man is slain, the survivors receive a further +1 bonus to the above, up to a maximum of +10. The sound of the bells will inspire all allies and demoralise enemies, and lasts until the next dawn or sunset.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-17275340937186901302011-09-21T01:24:00.001+02:002011-09-21T01:25:23.173+02:00On Zu's secrets<div style="font-family: inherit;">For starters, a spell from Zu:</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lesser Empyrean Theft</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The caster reaches through a burning pyre to retrieve an amount of unstable Empyrean Flame. Instead of letting it rage freely, the flame can also be wielded as a weapon for one round per level of the spell, causing 2d6 HP damage; or hurled as a single projectile or several smaller ones, for a total 1d6 HP damage per level of the spell. Alternatively, the gate into the Empyrean Realm itself can be shaped and used as a burning barrier by, for example, causing it to stretch across a corridor or cover the floor. A special vessel prepared with materials worth 200 Kon can act as a receptacle for the Empyrean Flame, holding it indefinitely. With a gem-encrusted stylus worth 100 Kon, the flame can be carved into a surface to create Exploding Runes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Level 1 everburning flame (torch-sized)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Level 2 ball or blade of fire</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Level 3 pillar of fire</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Level 4 great pyre</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Level 5 firestorm</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">+2 levels use without pyre</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Critical success: a friendly (but not enslaved) fire elemental of [spell level] HD is summoned.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Critical failure: the caster is set on fire.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Double critical failure: a hostile fire elemental of 2nd-7th level appears.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Next, some underlying cosmology for Zu which I have to write up eventually anyway, so why not know?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>My present and prospective players really, really should not read this.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Names have power. The world of Zu exists and continues to exist because its name gives it the power to do so. In legendary times, a group of heroes arose, carried out acts of legend which will go undiscussed for now, then taken upon themselves to act as stewarts and guardians of the known lands. To this end, they've adopted names which also carry the power of Existence, and rule to this day as the immortal deity-kings already named in an earlier post. Thanks to the power of Existence in their names, their domains continue to harbour human civilisation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Lowlands, however, are different. They are an ephemeral land where the landscape twists, disappears and recreates itself constantly, because the power of Existence is not present. Given a king with the right name, it too would settle down like its surrounding areas. Such a king, however, is unlikely to appear, as the Lowlands already have two secret contenders for rulership, and they're unlikely to tolerate a newcomer. Unfortunately, either contender gaining supremacy over the other would certainly make the land even less inhabitable as it is today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">One of the would-be rulers has a well-known name, even if very few people are actually aware of the entity behind it. That name winds through the land as slow and cold water, supporting and taking away life in equal measure. But underneath its namesake river lies the <a href="http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5622/olm12.jpg">Olm</a>, a titanic creature of blindness and hunger. It has no intelligence in a human sense, but sheer ancestral age has elevated it to a near-divinity that even the greatest sorcerers alive have no hope to match. Should it gain monopoly over the Lowlands, those would turn into a lightless freezing hell of silent, ever-hunting amphibian death.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Opposite the Olm lies another intelligence, as methodical and calculating as the other is instinctive, and just as inhuman. Adventurers know of the Dungeon, the great system of subterranean ruins and caves that allegedly runs beneath the whole stretch of the Lowlands. A few - mainly sorcerers - know that the mysterious entity Baratrón (commemorated in the Baratrón Pact and several other spells) lives at the deepest bottom of the Dungeon. Even fewer believe that Baratrón rules the Dungeon. And a handful might suspect that Baratrón </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">is</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the Dungeon.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A long time ago, in a distant city state there was a pit into which criminals were thrown. Many died </span>from the fall, but others lived on for hours or even days, broken of body and blinded by pain. They would curse the pit, the city, the people, the gods and all of existence, their souls finally departing them in a black and bitter cloud that would coalesce at the bottom of the pit and coat it with pain, spite and despair. One day, a small crack opened at the bottom of the pit, and started growing and growing over the years. It became a crevice, then a tiny chamber, a cave, a cavern - and eons later, there was the Dungeon, born of the execution pit of a forgotten city. It hates, it schemes, it lures in wizards with pacts and heroes with treasure, and it dreams of a time when the whole world will be a labyrinth of monsters, deadly traps and unloving corridors.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">And while the Olm hungers and Baratrón schemes, wild heroes roam the surface. They strive against nature, beasts and each other. They love, hate and dream their heroic dreams that are dwarved by the two secret contenders' power, but which at the same time also tower above those. They are Men, and - for now, at least - the world is theirs.</span></div>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-7895955072582141722011-09-16T01:02:00.001+02:002012-04-22T00:52:04.260+02:00IceAll work and no play makes me a lousy poster.<br />
<br />
Anyway, at one point I've said that Headless Horse Archer is not a single-campaign blog. Now, I'm not running multiple campaigns presently, but that's no reason not to post a few slightly rambling paraghraps for a whole different setting I want to run one day:<br />
<br />
<br />
You're a member of the People, and live in one of several small communities along the Coast. You fish, whale and hunt elk and seal - sometimes other animals, too. Maybe you're a student of the Angakok, the wise old man who tells the laws and old stories.<br />
If you were to walk along the Coast in one direction, you'd eventually get to the land of the Stone Folk. It's a magical land where the ground is warm enough to melt the snow in many spots, and jets of scalding water jump into the air. They say if you can steal a hot rock from the Stone Folk, it will never go cold; but they guard their land jealously. If you walk the other direction, you'll get to the land of the Forest Folk. It's an endless forest and the People could certainly use all that wood, but the Forest Folk are elusive and play evil tricks on those who enter their land. And if you were to head inland, you'd cross the areas where the elk migrate and make your way to the Icy Plains. No one goes there, but the Angakok knows stories of dangerous monsters and great villages made of stone and ice where the people feel no cold.<br />
<br />
One day, the Midnight Sun disappeared, and there were no more mornings. Along the Coast, there was still enough light to get by - there's a stronger, hotter sun somewhere across the sea, and the light that falls from it into the water is carried here by the currents. Nevertheless, the Angakok says that the Midnight Sun's disappearance is an evil omen, and the hunters say strange creatures are appearing where the elk are.<br />
<br />
Then two people came out of the inland riding on great beasts, wearing no clothes against the cold: the Mammoth Mages Jabmal and Kathmal, bearing ill news.<br />
<br />
The Midnight Sun, they said, was betrayed by a cabal of evils. The winged solar disk now lies chained to the bottom of a black lake in the Uttermost South, and its capturers walk the Icy Plains unopposed. They are the beast Noctis, the bodiless spirit Ice Fear, and the leader of the cabal, Father Illwinter. The men fled from the darkened Icy Plains, most of the dying but a few making their way to secret places of refuge under volcanoes and in ancient underground fortresses. As the inland men fell, the Cold Folk rose again after millenia of hiding, walking with Father Illwinter and occupying the now empty human citadels. Once he learns that there is still light along the Coast, it will be only a matter of time before Father Illwinter comes for the People.<br />
<br />
The Mammoth Mages gave your people their two greatest magics, fire and metal, then went back into the darkness. Now many young hunters and fishermen are putting down the harpoon, the net and the paddle, and take up the Firebrand and the Hammer. The Angakok says that the humongous shrimp-goddess who lives in the sea has not yet taken a side in the coming conflict, and that a new people are bound to appear on the Coast, coming from the distant cities of walls and towers across the sea. What he doesn't know is that the paladin-conquistadores of the Pax Dei and cleric-sorcerers of the Vox Dei are only coming to extinguish the danger they fear might cross over into their own lands, and to claim the land for the One True Church; the notion saving the People is a distant third in their minds.<br />
<br />
<br />
So there it is. It should provide plentiful opportunities for dungeon crawling (abandoned ice cities, underground shelters, ice caves), wilderness, and possibly even powermongering and diplomacy with the One True Church. I imagine that PC classes would be:<br />
- Hunter, basically a ranger-type.<br />
- Angakok, a shaman with healing, blessings and curses, and maybe some sort of herbology/alchemy skill.<br />
- Fire Mage, the disciples of Jabmal, a mixture of blasty wizard and offensive cleric (since fire and heat would have a similar effect on creatures of the Uttermost South as holiness on undead).<br />
- Blacksmith, the dedicated fighter.<br />
Possibly:<br />
- Renegade Cold Folk who's turned against Father Illwinter, a decent warrior with cold-related magic powers (and maybe really a double agent)<br />
- Vox Dei cleric, whom I imagine to have a mixture of traditionally wizardy and clerical spells, but with a stylistic emphasis of voice: commanding voice, wall-breaking shout, etc..<br />
- Maybe Pax Dei paladin. Likely no magical powers. Basically a fighter who starts with fine steel equipment far beyond the Blacksmiths' ability to make, but is totally unacclimatised to the climate. He starts out as a strong combatant, but if his equipment is worn down or lost, he's just fighter with worse cold and magic saves than the locals.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-58015290510917313412011-09-12T02:05:00.000+02:002011-09-12T02:05:18.615+02:00I am a DM-ing machine and the blood of PCs is my diesel oilGot home from latest session. 3 out of 4 PCs dead or worse. One player, a relatively new guy to D&D (we've introduced him into the hobby some 2 years ago or so) has this conviction that all DMs are, deep in their hearts, really after the life of the PCs. Of course none of us DMs would ever admit he's right, but a near-wipeout on the 3rd session of a new campaign is... invigorating.<br />
<br />
Brief session description: two of the PCs talked with the mad hermit, now locked up in a makeshift prison room, but failed to get anything out of him beyond his usual rambling about birdies and hatching and saving people - excepting a willing confession to the murder of that local two nights ago. The party made a short foray into the Bitter Brambles to harvest some plants that could be sold, but they got more pain they bargained for in the form of sharp crystals protruding from the ground and injuring their feet while crystalline butterflies attacked with tiny papercuts.<br />
<br />
They returned and rested for the night, only to be woken up by the sound of breaking wood. They were quickly set upon by the mad hermit and over half a dozen weird warriors in glowing blue armour. Caught unprepared, they surrendered the black stone they took from the hermit, and the latter disappeared into the village with his cohorts as shouts and news of the prison break rose through the night.<br />
<br />
They decided it wasn't their problem and ordered Qabar's Pnakognomatic Artisan to start digging and escape tunnel under the fiery moat around the village, while the villagers started combing through the area for the fugitive. While the work was underway, they were approached by the fat, gloomy Rayyashid who has accused them of the murder earlier. Still unfriendly, but he offered a decent sum if the party joins the search and brings the hermit back alive. Following his lead, they made their way to a quite little enclosure near the edge of the village, to an abandoned storehouse whose door was unbarred with the hermit and his mysterious warriors hiding inside.<br />
<br />
Half the party charged, while the others tried to offer ranged support through a hole in the wall dug by the Pnakognomatic Artisan - and the fight didn't go well. The beastwoman Echidna fell on the ground unconscious, while the bushi Tui Chi suffered some serious wounds before defeating the mystic swordsmen. The hermit made a run for it with Qabar in pursuit. Up the tall spire in the main square went the pursuit, then, thanks to some grappling on the extremely rickety logs serving as steps, down on the ground, the fall knocking the wind out of both while a crowd of villagers arrived and surrounded them.<br />
<br />
A strange gleam appeared in the hermit's eye, and his voice suddenly became less insane: "Get ready to pick me up, then run. One, two... <i>three!</i>" - he brandished the green-glowing black rock from under his cloak. Qabar, however, refused to listen to him and just grabbed the stone from the man's hand, stepping forward and extending it towards the villagers. Those stopped, shook their heads and broken into an unnatural quivering. Hard, long, pointy things emerged from their obscenely stretched mouths, great beaks which were followed by black, beady-eyed avian heads as the green light forced the Cuckoos to hatch in their human hosts. Qabar quickly went down under the assault of the zombiesque horde.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Cassandra and Tui Chi were dragging Echidna's unconscious body out of the storehouse and towards the main square... running into the hatching mob. Tui Chi made a noble and pointless charge into the monsters, then Cassandra abandoned Echidna to her fate and made a run for her life. Luckily for her, the Artisan's escape tunnel under the fire moat was finished, and she made it out, panting, bleeding, nearly dead - but alive. In the dead of night she dragged herself through the outskirts of the Bitter Brambles and hid in the hermit's cave - where the hermit was already waiting, dejected. Seemingly having regained some of his sanity, he explained that he wanted to visit the village at nights, ferreting out the Cuckoos with the power of the stone and hunting them down one by one while they slept - but the party has ruined everything. Now the few people who might have been still uninfected were left prey to the mass of simultaneously hatched Cuckoos. Stepstone Ford was no more.<br />
<br />
<i>And here's how the hermit suddenly had the blue-glowing alien warriors at his service:</i><br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Opening the Ether Gate unto the Eternal War</span></b><span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span> Variable level</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The Ether Gate is brought into physical existence and opened, causing a number of Etherial Warriors to step through it. They have their own will and are not subservient to the caster, but will approach him on friendly terms. At the same time, another, hostile group twice the strength will also arrive to another place in the summoner's world. Repeated use will manifest the hostile groups closer and closer.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Ethereal Warriors are hard to hit* and wield Moon Blades that are powerful against magical creatures.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Total HD of summoned warriors:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span><b><span><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Level 1<span> </span>1d6-1 HD total </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Level 2<span> </span>2d6-2 HD</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Level 3<span> </span>3d6-3 HD</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Level 4<span> </span>4d6-4 HD</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Level 5<span> </span>5d6-5 HD</span></span></div><br />
<br />
<i>*</i>And these ones happened to be gimped, because I forgot they were meant to be hard to hit.<i><br />
</i>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-25365915167078555062011-09-10T01:28:00.000+02:002011-09-10T01:28:11.500+02:00Of the Piscine Dimension<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Haven't posted for most of the week, naughty me. Hope this makes up for it:</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sustaining Infinity of the Piscine Dimension</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Level: 2 (1 with access to plenty of water)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The spell conjures up a head-sized ball of water that can float in one place or rest on a surface at the caster’s wish, and which can be carried in hand if held gingerly. There are 7 fish inside the ball which can be removed one by one and which provide a random effect when swallowed whole:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1-10</i> Sustenance for an entire day, eater regains 1d6 HP. Can't eat another one until next day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>11-13</i> Heals 1d6 points of attribute damage or 2d6 HP.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 35.25pt; text-indent: -35.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>14</i> Save or magical sleep for 2d6 hours, cannot be awakened. Dreams and visions give (possibly cryptic) answer to one question. If save successful, drowsiness for 1 hour, -1 to all rolls.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>15</i> Ability to speak to aquatic creatures for a day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>16 </i>Hair- and featherless beings become friendly to character, beings with hair or feathers become hostile.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>17 </i>Save or go blind. If successful, see in darkness for a day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 35.25pt; text-indent: -35.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>18 </i>Racked by pain, cannot attack, defend, walk, or perform any action for a day. Save or lose 1 point from random Attribute.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>19 </i>Immune to all (harm- or helpful) effects caused by the waters of the Piscine Dimension.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>20 </i>Poison, save at -4 or die. Even with a successful save the victim falls in a coma which can only be cured by water from the Piscine Dimension.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once all fish are gone, the ball disperses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Critical failure but confirmation roll succeeds: all fish have negative effects:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 </i>insatiable hunger</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>2 </i>stomach cramps: -1d6 HP</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>3 </i>muteness (1 day)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>4 </i>blindness (1 day)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>5 </i>scaly skin (-2 CHA, armour chafes, 1 day)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>6 </i>can only breath water (1 day)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>7 </i>crippling pain (1 day)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>8 </i>poison</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lightless Infinity of the Piscine Dimension</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Level: 3</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The spell turns a pool or well into a gateway to the Piscine Dimension. Anyone jumping into the waters will be picked up by a random current, affected by its magic unless he saves, and delivered to a distant location attuned to that current. Those secured together by a rope or holding hands and succeeding at a STR save will be delivered to the same place. If the receptacle for the spell is prepared in advance with materials at least 1 Bizants' worth, the magical effects of the waters will be negated.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td><br />
</td><td><i><span style="font-size: small;">Name of current</span></i></td><td><i><span style="font-size: small;">Location</span></i></td><td><i><span style="font-size: small;">Effect</span></i></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">1</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Water of the True Olm River</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Lair of Olm Astral</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">+1 WIS, -1 INT permanently; the character might be accepted by the Olmsfolk as a prophet</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">2</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Draft of the Unlit Channel</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">The Unlit Channel, in the Dungeon, near the Mask Hall of Barathrón Asterghys</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">Save or flee in fear from all enemies for a day; 5% chance of automatically detecting moving stonework and hidden passages for a year (needs to concentrate to activate ability)</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">3</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Zyzlex Bile</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">The Fungusphere</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">Poison: -(1d6-1) from random ability, -1d6 HP; 5% chance of poison immunity for a year</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">4</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Arkanoxon</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Pool of Blinding Radiance, on the Shining Plain</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">+1 INT, +1 CHA, 4 in 6 chance of blindness, 5% chance of +2 to spellcasting rolls and magic saves for a year</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">5</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Derelict Waters</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Palace of the Pale Prince</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">Abject sorrow for a day: -2 to all rolls except damage</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">6</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Nihix</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Somewhere in the Frozen Hell</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">-2d6 HP from the cold; 5% chance of fire immunity for a year</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">7</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Trail of Stars</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Heavenly Waters</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">+1 WIS, +1 CHA; 25% chance of receiving the Mark of Horrors</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">8</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Fasthold Current</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Darkness of Bars and Chains</span></td><td><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">9</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Yagrachan</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Lake of Dust, in the heart of the Grey Khanate</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">unquenchable thirst for 3 days</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">10</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">The Undercurrent</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Hunter's Abyss</span></td><td><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">11</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Seeper Through the Bright Crack</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Other Side of the Mirror (roll again to see where exactly on the Other Side</span></td><td><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;">12</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Current of Blue Water</span></td><td><span style="font-size: small;">Heart of the Piscine Dimension</span></td><td><span style="font-size: x-small;">Roll a WIS save: Fail - turn into an aquatic creature</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Succeed by 5 or less – turn into an elemental creature of water while retain your identity</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Suceed by 6+ - gain +1 WIS, permanently able to breathe, speak and fully operate in water, speak with intelligent aquatic creatures </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Grand Malediction</b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Level: 5</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sorcerer utters a curse upon a single victim, prescribing either an ongoing state (such as blindness, wasting disease or poverty), or a singular event (death of all sons, loss of family heirloom etc.). The sorcerer does NOT get to dictate when this state should set in or this event occur, only what is to happen.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In its own time, the curse becomes true. No resistance, no saving throws, nothing. It becomes true.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The uttering of a Grand Malediction is immediately noticed by the Astral Horrors, the Blood Demons and the local god of the land.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-5418082478308086432011-09-05T01:53:00.000+02:002011-09-05T01:53:14.060+02:00Tonight's game...very quickly. The party continued exploring the Bitter Brambles. They've found a cave they correctly intuited to be the mad hermit's, and placed a Wyvern Watch trap at its entrance. Before doing that, they've check out the inside and found a cave painting with a man holding some ball above his head and birds flying all about. They've moved on, did not investigate a large mound covered in beautiful pastel-coloured roses and swarms of flying, crystalline butterflies. Two of them went in search of a lake they've seen from a distance and found a thick tail hanging out from a thick patch of undergrowth. On a lark they've decided to cut it off, angering a sleeping Ankylosaurus! They've run, avoiding a potentially lethal fight and something interesting.<br />
They've eventually come upon a set of old ruins, similar in style to the village of Stepstone Ford. Combing the ruins, they've found a passageway to an underground complex they've decided to briefly investigate before resting in what seemed like a storeroom. The next day they'ev explored further, finding a pillar with a handprint that activated some lights and caused a hum, strange crystalline eyes peeking out of an unnaturally smooth wall, had the Pnakognomatic Artisan damage some strange, magical metallic roots behind the wall, walked down a corridor several miles long, found an underground hall with a broken crystal dome ceiling to the sky where two <a href="http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/">Zak Smith</a> Hook Horrors dropped on the Khantúnian. (Can't be arsed to find the specific link on his blog, it's the Monster Manual II redrawing stuff earlier on.) Oh, there was also a nighttime meeting with aforementioned Ankylosaur, too, and some random encounters.<br />
Eventually they went back to the hermit's cave and found the emaciated, wild-haired guy still knocked out by the spirit wyvern after he tried to go home... sometime earlier. They've tied him up, found a rusty knife and a big black rock on him, and marched him back to the village where they were met with great amazement. More later.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Quite a while ago there was an old-school RPG blogger who suggested that no old-school RPG blog entry should go without some new material. </b>For a while, several blogs were, indeed doing that, but I think they've all stopped and forgot that by now. The Headless Horse Archer is here to pick up the slack:<br />
<br />
<b>Borgnjor's Revivification</b><br />
2nd level<br />
This powerful healing spell rapidly heals all wounds, purges poisons and diseases from the body, kills parasites and even regrows lost limbs, eyes or other body parts. However, such a profound effect needs a lot of power to fuel it, and that certainly doesn't come from the magical reserves associated with mere 2nd level magic. Where it comes from is the patient himself, a small part of whose lifeforce is permanently burned up to feed the rejuvenating transformation, causing him to permanently lose 1 point from a random ability.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yes, it's stolen from Linley's Dungeon Crawl. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-80126860526767507972011-09-04T17:51:00.006+02:002011-09-22T15:35:57.766+02:00Equipment for ZuLast week I totally forgot to print out the equipment list before game. That makes it a suitable topic for my next post, amended with few small bits of explanation:<br />
<br />
Coinage:<br />
Local coinage exists in great variety and will be adjudicated on a "spirit of the moment"-base. Khantún has lacquered coins of rare wood with a hole carved through the middle, the barbarians of the Hāāā Plains might occasionally use the pretties and most colourful dinosaur feathers, etc.. The "universal" coinage, or "The Basic Alchemical Catalysts" as known by a few well-informed sorcerers, are the following:<br />
<br />
- The <b>Ist</b>. The Ist is a reddish coin of varying hue, roughly round and the size of a large thumbnail, though there's quite a bit of variation. Good for ordinary low-cost items like rope, torch, etc..<br />
<br />
- The<b> Kon</b>. A largish coin of shiny dark green metal with complex non-figurative engravings in it. Comes in a variety of shapes from square through round to elliptic, but always the same weight. Worth 10 Ist, and typical adventuring gear (weapons, armour and the like) are measured in the Kon.<br />
<br />
<br />
- The <b>Bizant</b>. Even larger, shiny and dark blue, more of a medallion than a coin. Very rare, worth a 100 Kon.<br />
<br />
These coins are the remnants of a long-forgotten age and nobody knows how to mint more. Occasionally, one might come across what wizards call an "activated" coin. An activated coin always has some magical quality. This can be obvious (glows, feels unnaturally cold or warm, floats on water (though weighting normal), or delivers a small shock on touch); or more elusive (keeps on spinning and spinning once spun, makes a small humming noise when held to the ear, or reacts specially to specific substances). Such coins are usually worth 100 or more times their nominal value to the right buyer - if they're recognised for what they are.<br />
<br />
<b>Weapons</b><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>Dagger, whip, club</td><td>d6-1</td><td>max. 1K</td></tr>
<tr><td>One-handed weapons</td><td>d6</td><td>6K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Two-handed weapons</td><td>d6+1</td><td>12K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Spear</td><td>d6 (+1 two-handed)</td><td>4K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Thrown weapons (javelin, throwing axe)</td><td>d6-1 (+STR bonus)</td><td>2K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sling</td><td>d6-1 (d6 w/ lead shot)</td><td>1K / 2K per dozen lead shot)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Bow & arrows</td><td>d6</td><td>10K / 1K per dozen</td></tr>
<tr><td>Crossbow & bolts</td><td>d6, +2 to hit, ROF 1/2</td><td>20K / 1K per dozen</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Armour & shields*</b><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>Light (leather, studded leather, exitic hides, linothorax, etc.)</td><td>-1HP damage per hit</td><td>5K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Medium (partial metal, mail shirt)</td><td>-3HP damage per hit</td><td>15K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Heavy (full mail, qood laminar, etc.)</td><td>-5HP damage per hit</td><td>50K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Buckler</td><td>+1 AC</td><td>3K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Medium</td><td>+2 AC</td><td>6K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Large</td><td>+3 AC, heavy encumbrance</td><td>12K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Helmet</td><td>+1 AC</td><td>5K</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Equipment & supplies</b><br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>Acid, 1 vial</td><td>7K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Ale, 1 flagon (4 draughts)**</td><td>1K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Brandy, 1 bottle (12 draughts)</td><td>3K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Candle</td><td>1I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Chain, 10'</td><td>8K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Incense, 1 stick or perfume, 1 vial</td><td>1K or more</td></tr>
<tr><td>Lantern***</td><td>2K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Medical supplies (bandage, herbs, etc.), 1 dose****</td><td>1K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mirror, small, silver</td><td>10K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Oil, fiery*****</td><td>1K5I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Oil, lantern</td><td>5I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Pole, 10', wood</td><td>1I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Rations, travelling, 1 day</td><td>1I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Rope, 50', hemp</td><td>5I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Rope, 50', silk</td><td>15K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Shovel, pickaxe, crowbar, grappling hook, etc.</td><td>2K (per item)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Steel & flint</td><td>1I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Torch</td><td>1I</td></tr>
<tr><td>Wine, Mead, Berrywine etc. (1 bottle, 8 draughts)</td><td>2K</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Beasts******</b><br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>Riding Lizard</td><td>(1HD, AC10)</td><td>10K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sandcrawler Lizard</td><td>(2HD, AC12)</td><td>20K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Horse</td><td>(2HD, AC12)</td><td>50K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Hunting Raptor</td><td>(1HD, AC14, d6-2 bite)</td><td>10K</td></tr>
<tr><td>War Raptor</td><td>(2HD, AC14, damage reduction -1, d6 bite or +2 leap</td><td>30K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Winged Snake, hunting</td><td>(1HD, AC16)</td><td>15K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Winged Snake, messenger</td><td>(1HD, AC16)</td><td>20K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Winged Snake, poisonous, trained</td><td>(1HD, AC16, d6-1 + poison</td><td>50K</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Special</b><br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>Alchemy lab equipment, basic set</td><td>3B</td></tr>
<tr><td>Hourglass</td><td>6K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Lockpicking tools</td><td>15K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Musical instrument, simple</td><td>4K</td></tr>
<tr><td>Spyglass</td><td>1B </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* So, yeah, armour doesn't improve your AC, but instead decreases the amount of damage you take from attacks. Feel free to rage if you're a true grognard. It works, because:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- Shields and helmets still improve AC, and DEX bonuses are easier to get, so characters will still have a decent AC, only it won't go into the 20-s (or negatives for descending AC).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- Humans can naturally improve only to the fifth level of experience, and monsters are also scaled accordingly (though they can exceed that limit), so the enemy will never have such huge attack bonuses. Or much HP.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- Since melee attacks are roughly in the d6 ball park, medium armour offers a rather decent protection, but still doesn't turn you into an armoured Superman. Heavy armour might, but that's very rare Rosenwalder stuff and good luck getting some. That +1 for two-handed weapons or the STR bonus makes a real difference against medium, though.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- The theme here is that armour was made to be protective against other humans, but if you get attacked by some eldritch monster whose damage code is [multiple] d [whatever], then you're quickly in real trouble. As you should be, since they're <i>eldritch monsters</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- Criticals take off points not from you HP, but from your ability scores (with a *2 modifier to damage code). Which is cool because it's like Traveller, and because it actually adheres to the age-old silly explanation that "HP is not wounds, it's stamina/luck/rolling with blows". It makes perfect sense that if HP is not wounds, then something else must be wounds. Let's take that official explanation which <i>always has been silly</i>, think it through <i>all the way</i>, and we might actually get something that works and even makes sense. More to the point, criticals ignore armour, anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">** 1 draught of booze (regardless of type) and a bit of rest after a fight heals you 1d6 HP once per day. I'm pretty sure it worked for Conan, so it works for my players, too. Plus, see above: HP is not wounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*** Has <i>anyone ever</i> bought any other type of lantern then "bullseye"? I've never seen it happen. And if everyone always buys just one type, why have several on the list? Anyway, this lantern here is neither. It doesn't do fancy stuff like narrow beams or quick hiding option. And, unlike all D&D lanterns I've ever seen, if you try to turn it 90° so it shines directly up or down a shaft, all the oil pours out and down your neck.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**** These heal 1d6 points of lost ability.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">***** One of my favourite dead horses. <b>Lamp oil isn't a damn Molotov cocktail!!!!</b> So here's a separate item, a sort of Alchemist's Fire.</span><br />
<br />
****** Guess these need some explanation, which also educates you about the world of Zu<br />
<b>Riding Lizard </b>- Bipedal, about as tall as an Icelandic pony, carries one rider. The most common riding animal of Zu. <a href="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080621214957/thief/images/4/48/T1-sketch-burrick.jpg">Looks a bit like this</a>, minus the hair and with less developed forelimbs. Upsides: it can keep going without rest for a long while, and it's inherently docile and obedient. Downsides: none too bright, obedience means it listens to everyone, not just its owner, not good at running, gets scared and uncontrollable in a fight.<br />
<br />
<b>Sandcrawler Lizard</b> - These are like sand-coloured, oversized Komodo dragons which have been stretched a bit. They're very good at moving speedily over sandy terrain, and are primarily used by the Ankur Empire. Each lizard can have two men ride on it in a squatting position (too low to hang your legs down), but their undulating movement might cause seasickness in unaccustomed people - or it might just cause them to fall off. They're very calm, and Ankur janissaries can fire some of their smaller spirit house weapons from the back of a Sandcrawler on the move.<br />
<br />
<b>Horse</b> - As mentioned, most civilized people of Zu consider these to be sinister, unnatural, possibly demonic creatures and would want to have nothing with them. Objectively, they're smarter then the usual Riding Lizard, their galloping speed makes them great for pursuit or getaway, and when properly trained, they make formidable platforms to fight from. At the same time, they can't cover the same distances as most reptiles without rest, and training them is a hard art to master.<br />
<br />
<b>Hunting Raptor</b> - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vraptor-scale.png">Size.</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Velociraptor_dinoguy2.jpg">Appearance.</a> Questions?<br />
Obviously, they're meant to hunt small prey, but can cope with deer-sized creatures when in a pack. They're rather smart and easily trainable, and the noblemen of Ankur and Khantún often breed them as pets - these varieties have incomparable prettier (or more garish) plumage, and would be proportionately more expensive (if at all for sale).<br />
<br />
<b>War Raptor</b> - These are your Jurassic Park Raptors (only with feathers, obviously). They can't be ridden, but you can set them loose on the enemy right before a battle for a bit of bloodshed. Of course, the enemy might have some prepared wizards or just some female War Raptors in heat, and then there's no telling <i>which side </i>the bloodshed will be on.<br />
<br />
<b>Winged Snakes </b>- These were inspired by Scott Wylie Roberts' excellent <a href="http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/travellers-of-the-wasteland">Travellers of the Wasteland</a>, which you should check out.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-80240558998275721232011-08-31T17:32:00.000+02:002011-08-31T17:32:43.182+02:00The reason nobody uses dinosaurs in D&DIt's because they're boring. I mean, sure, <i>dinosaurs, cool</i>, but at the end of the day they're just large bags of Hit Points with a bite attack. If they're really extravagant, they might have trample or a tail swipe. In a game with dragons, demons, wizards and weird monsters that just doesn't cut it.<br />
<br />
So for those who want to use dinosaurs without their players yawning, here's a <b>Random Dinosaur Mutation Table</b>! It doesn't have as many entries as I'd like to see, so add your own one in the comments!<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>1 </b>aura of silence – 75% for a few rounds at a<span> </span>time,<span> </span>20% for hours, 5% constantly</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>2</b> breathes fire</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>3</b> breathes frosty air blast</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>4</b> breathes mutagenic gas</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>5</b> burning blood – harms whoever inflicts close combat damage</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>6</b> commands other reptiles</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>7</b> feathered (or featherless, if otherwise typical theropod)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>8</b> friendly – 50% to whoever is kind to it, 50% picks a friend and sticks with him to the point of being burdensome</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>9</b> giant</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>10</b> glittering feathers/scales – when moving in bright light, observers must save or be stunned </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>11</b> glows – 1 in 3 chance glow is radioactive or has magical effect</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>12</b> inorganic diet – 50% preferred diet is ferrous (armour, weapons), 50% prefers coins and/or treasure</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>13</b> invisible – 75% for a few rounds at a time, 20% for hours, 5% constantly</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>14</b> knows how to operate doorknobs, winches, levers, etc.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>15</b> laser (or death energy) eyebeam</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>16</b> lulling song – 50% magical sleep effect</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>17</b> mind control – 50% short duration, direct „puppetmaster”, 50% long duration insinuator</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>18</b> miniature</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>19</b> multiple heads – 75% 2 heads, 25% 1d6+2 heads</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>20 </b>non-reptilian animal head</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>21</b> religious – greatly respects: 20% the given land’s immortal ruler / 20% some god from the <span> </span>God Coast / 20% a dinosaur deity / 15% the Olm / 15% Baratrón / 10% other</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>22</b> sound mimicry (like the Predator, it can mimic but doesn’t understand it)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>23</b> primitive (tribal level) intelligence (50% it affects the entire herd/pack)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>24 </b>shapeshifter – 40% into similar-sized animals, 40% into inanimate objects or plants, 20% into humans (but doesn’t gain human intelligence)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>25 </b>spawn – miniature copies burst out from carcass</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>26 </b>speaks</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>27 </b>spellcaster</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>28 </b>spits acid</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>29 </b>spits hallucinogenic substance</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>30 </b>spits poison</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>31 </b>telekinesis – 50% weak, 40% strong enough to hurl people around, 10% collapses buildings</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>32 </b>walks through walls</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>33 </b>winged, can fly (though pretty clumsily if it’s a Tyrannosaurus or somesuch)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>34 </b>wreathed in flames</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>35 </b>wreathed in frost</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>36 </b>X-ray vision</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>37-50</b> several mutations, roll again twice and do NOT ignore this result in the future</div>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-73670501475628171192011-08-29T19:47:00.001+02:002011-08-29T23:44:47.010+02:00If you only care about the new spells and such, read just the second halfFirst, some details on last night's game, since someone asked for it:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The party started in medias res, having just acquired a possibly magical silver orb engraved with hundreds of infinitely thin lines (after its owner, who was looking to sell it, has been killed in a freak tavern brawl) and on the way to Turin's Tradehouse, a colony in the Lowlands where someone might be able to tell them what powers it might have. However, they took a wrong turn somewhere (or the land has shifted again), and ended up in Stepstone Ford, a small hamlet of beehive-like stone structures on the edge of the Bitter Brambles. During their first night, a murder has taken place in the hamlet, casting some understandable suspicion on the travellers. In order to prove their innocence, they decided to head out into the Brambles in search of a mad hermit who lives nearby and was responsible for the theft of strange magical artifact whose function nobody knows four years ago - and who they suspect might be the murderer. In the endless sea of thorny vegetation they've first stumbled into a clearing full of dry sinkholes and strangling roots, then investigated what looked like some sort of plantation - where the Thornhorse mentioned earlier animated and attacked them. Killing it is where we'll pick it up next Sunday.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Now for something meatier: how to kill a Thornhorse (or anything, really) with a rhyme.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Cutting Word</b><br />
1st level<br />
<br />
This spell has the power to give words a sharp magical edge to actually cut things with. It has two known uses:<br />
1, By concentrating on a victim within sight, a sorcerer can prevent him from pronouncing a single pre-determined word: should the victim attempt to speak the word, he would start stuttering and coughing. He might say the word with considerable effort, but doing so will cause him 1d6-1 points of damage as the word cuts his mouth on its way out.<br />
<br />
2, By delivering two (or more) lines of <i>rhyming</i>, <i>metered </i>and previously<i> unused</i> verse, the sorcerer can cast his own cutting words at a single enemy from a range. Damage done is determined by DM's discretion, but 1d6-1 would do for a rhyming couplet. (In last night's game, Qabar rhymed "burn" with something, so I gave it 1d6 damage because it was especially appropriate against a plant monster.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As a note, this idea comes from historical pre-Islamic Arabic magic which I've studied for a semester. Just before battle, wizards would stand in front of the enemy army and shout rhyming curses - and the enemy would drop on the ground to avoid being hit by the rhymes flying through the air!</span>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-29296974554866049502011-08-29T01:42:00.000+02:002011-08-29T01:42:37.749+02:00Quick note, just for the history booksFirst Zu session done. Spent quite a while explaining houserules and character creation options, so not all that much gaming got done, but we'll continue next week. Forgot to print the recentmost versions of some files and the complete equipment list, but that's good because it made me think on my feet.<br />
<br />
<br />
The historic First Zu Party includes Qabar the Shaper, wizard extraordinaire and his Pnakognomatic Artisan servant; Cassandra the Lowlander ranger, Tui Chi the bushi from Khantún, and Echidna, the bear-statured humanoid beastwoman with a reasonably prehensile tail, scales, great sense of smell and self-healing slime covering her body. I didn't <i>get</i> some Mutant Future in my D&D, I've <i>put</i> some Mutant Future in there. Their first kill was a Thornhorse, a sort of demonic animated topiary creature. Half of its hit points were destroyed by a well-placed r<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyme">hyme</a>. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yes, really.</span>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-50622144212967409322011-08-28T19:19:00.000+02:002011-08-28T19:19:36.295+02:00A quick post before I'm offOkay, earlier today the Hungarian group had a weird adventure on Titan (of Fighting Fantasy fame) that revolved around the opening party of a new goblin club - using Melan's Sword & Magic system. More relevant to this blog, I'm about to leave to inflict the first World of Zu adventure on my English language group. <br />
<br />
In a few minutes I'll be off and spoiling my players by giving them an artifact of inestimable worth from the get-go and no known way of actually utilising it, then hitting them over the head with a mad hermit and a bunch of monsters based on <a href="http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/">Zak's</a> drawings. While I'm doing that, you all should psych yourself with a very good musical representation of Haaa plains barbarians:<br />
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SePUft6t_Yo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-22667269694167222012011-08-25T02:08:00.000+02:002011-08-25T02:08:25.143+02:00DMing for girls. Smallish ones.So, it came to pass that I <i>might</i> run something for a group of 10-11 year old girls (all but one with no RPG experience). Not this week, not the next, but sometime, possibly.<br />
<br />
I've started thinking about what I should run. The system isn't much of an issue - it's probably going to be some sort of simplified D&D, or maybe WEG D6 -, but coming up with themes, styles and a setting is a tougher nut.<br />
<br />
See, there's already something out there that would be <i>perfect</i>, were it not for one issue: Pendragon. Not the system, the setting. I mean, it has:<br />
<br />
- A background that even young non-roleplaying girls can relate to: King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table, Excalibur, etc.. They haven't read Mallory, but they'd know enough about it from pop culture.<br />
- Several reasonably simple themes that might give them something to think about (and getting them thinking about things is good, this should be an educational experience): good versus evil, chivalry versus villainy, etc.<br />
- Things that are a bit more complicated but probably still crackable: loyalty versus freedom, mercy versus nipping evil in the bud, idealism versus pragmatism. Depending on the game's angle, racial (Britons vs. Saxons) and religious (christians vs. pagans) tension.<br />
- A <i>soft</i> sort of setting. I mean, these are young girls. You don't want S&S-style shades of grey and amorality, or low fantasy cynical nihilism. It's about noble knights and fairies and dragons.<br />
<br />
But there's one glitch: <i>it's about the <b>Knights</b> of the Round Table.</i> Not the Ladies who stay at home knitting and swooning. And let's face it, even at our adult age, most of us roleplayers hardly (if) ever roleplay the opposite gender. 11 year old girls <i>won't be doing it</i>. And I'm NOT going to go the "your lady characters are so smart King Arthur makes an exception and says you can be knights" way; it'd just break the setting too far for me, plus it would teach the wrong idea of how the players' individual desires get to override the DM's setting assumption.<br />
Sure, if I was a dad myself with my daughter in the group, I probably wouldn't bat an eyelid over allowing armour-clad Lady Knights of Camelot, or a cuddly Conan who respects women and doesn't kill people, or a Darth Vader who can be persuaded to shut down the Death Star if the heroine looks at him cutely enough with puppy eyes. But I'm not a dad, and I'm not going to twist established source material to fit the players any more than I would twist the players into a game style they just can't do.<br />
<br />
So, there it is: what would be a good setting - possibly built from the ground up - that's <i>like</i> King Arthur in themes and sensitivities, but readily allows for female PCs? Chirp up in the comments!Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-74411393850101259372011-08-24T00:37:00.000+02:002011-08-24T00:37:59.028+02:00Since I hate doing tables so much, here's another one for you. It's a random rooftop generator.Well, this one needs a bit of explanation: it was written up for a possible future city crawl set rather explicitly in the world of the Thief computer games. Don't diss it, it's a very intriguing setting and I'm convinced it's highly suitable for pen-and-paper roleplaying, and not just with fans - and one day I'll prove it. For those not in the know, it's a sort of <i>medieval society meets Victorian London by way of steampunk</i> setting. So no, it's probably not suitable for Ye Olde Standarde Mediaevale Englande setting.<br />
<br />
How to use: a series of rolls down the table gives you one building (or rather, it's rooftop and basic function). You need an "anchor point" for some of the rolls which give you some attributes relative to something - it could be the previous building you've rolled up, that should work.<br />
<br />
PS: I'm experimenting with the pdf conversion trickaustrodavicus described in the previous post's comments. Had to downsize the images a bit, but I'm not sure how legible it is. If it isn't, holler in the comments and I'll fix it somehow.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-nVIsJMSMKHMix0klG-1vAKdt_BCN_9SpRQGyLdwdP9ZiceKnW7Aw6SwU5TWfMUT4OMNhe65Kxj90IiVcmTCURplyJbApREOGhZfljRpdFVbpK9gYvNyYKxnerNia0MeXr0nvOn0jh0/s1600/Taffer%2527s_random_rooftops2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TBw0ZmQY4UNnidnTGF6JAjZn9WToXFSi4AjhHzlpbCAZL-kxITKOmYI8WzQXPBiImFeL1HYu2XZqVjcqdkkbFP9JwOrOU-fsX5BE8qj6SKo6Rybwx99bBrJuKFSLlJwvaTtgmQXwuV4/s1600/Taffer%2527s_random_rooftops1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TBw0ZmQY4UNnidnTGF6JAjZn9WToXFSi4AjhHzlpbCAZL-kxITKOmYI8WzQXPBiImFeL1HYu2XZqVjcqdkkbFP9JwOrOU-fsX5BE8qj6SKo6Rybwx99bBrJuKFSLlJwvaTtgmQXwuV4/s640/Taffer%2527s_random_rooftops1.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-nVIsJMSMKHMix0klG-1vAKdt_BCN_9SpRQGyLdwdP9ZiceKnW7Aw6SwU5TWfMUT4OMNhe65Kxj90IiVcmTCURplyJbApREOGhZfljRpdFVbpK9gYvNyYKxnerNia0MeXr0nvOn0jh0/s1600/Taffer%2527s_random_rooftops2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-nVIsJMSMKHMix0klG-1vAKdt_BCN_9SpRQGyLdwdP9ZiceKnW7Aw6SwU5TWfMUT4OMNhe65Kxj90IiVcmTCURplyJbApREOGhZfljRpdFVbpK9gYvNyYKxnerNia0MeXr0nvOn0jh0/s640/Taffer%2527s_random_rooftops2.jpg" width="558" /></a>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-32918487256041862652011-08-19T18:56:00.000+02:002011-08-19T18:56:58.964+02:00You want a randomly generated divine idol for you game? The Headless Horse Archer delivers!Note: even though all posts so far revolved around the World of Zu setting, this blog is in no way meant to be a single-world blog or a single campaign documentation. Here, for instance, is something I wrote for a completely different game I intend to run sometime in the future, one that revolves around stone age tribes, divine idols and Polynesian/Mesoamerican aesthetics. And flying sharks. What we have here below is a set of tables for randomly generating a divine totem. It's not quite complete - it would be nice to also have a random table for exactly what magical effects they can bestow on petitioners -, but this is as far as it's been written up as of now.<br />
<br />
Note: The only way of doing tables in Blogger I know of is to code them manually in HTML and hope the formatting comes out as usable. Sorry for the mess. The intention is that a single column can refer to several previous lines. For instance, if you roll "2" for appearance, then you next roll 1d6 to see if it's a humanoid, animal/monster or plant shape. Then you roll another d6 to see if it's rough or finely worked, which goes for <i>whichever</i> shape you rolled.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Appearance</b><br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>1</td><td>monolithic/geometric</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>figurative</td><td>1-2 humanoid</td><td>1-4 crude</td><td>1-4 full (partial for humanoid)</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 animal/monster</td><td>5-6 lifelike</td><td>5-6 partial (full for humanoid)</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 plant</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>unworked stone</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>fungal/tentacled</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>spiked/bladed/tangled</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>negative space (pit, cleft, etc.)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>group of small, separate pieces</td><td>(roll again for type of pieces)</td><td>1-4 organised layout</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 random layout</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>compound, 2-5 elements</td><td>1-3 uniform style</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>4-6 mixed style</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Effect</b><br />
<br />
1-3: 1 effect<br />
4-6: 2-7 effects<br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>1</td><td>fire</td><td>1-3 fully covered</td><td>1-2 normal fire</td><td>normal burn</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>4-6 partially covered</td><td>3-4 colourful flame</td><td>4-6 magical effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 special (sparks, sticky flames, etc.)</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>water/ice</td><td>1-2 normal</td><td></td><td>1-3 normal effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 colourful</td><td></td><td>4-6 magical effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 other (flows upwards, shifting ice, evaporation, etc.)</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>air (whirlwind, cloud pillar, mist shapes etc.) </td><td></td><td></td><td>1-3 normal effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 magical effect</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>light (halo, glimmer, inverted shadow, etc.)</td><td></td><td></td><td>1-3 normal effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 magical effect</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>sound</td><td>1-3 positive/neutral</td><td></td><td>1-3 no special effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 sinister</td><td></td><td>4-6 magical effect</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>movement</td><td>1-2 hover/float</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 rotate</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 pulsate/throb</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>heat</td><td>1-3 warm/hot</td><td>1-3 only to touch</td><td>1-3 no magical effect</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>4-6 cold</td><td>4-6 radiating</td><td>4-6 magical effect on touch</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>emotion</td><td>1-3 positive</td><td>(calmness, safety, happiness etc.)</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>4-6 negative</td><td>(fear, anger, confusion etc.)</td><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<b>Communication</b><br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr><td>1-2</td><td>speech</td><td>1-2 whisper</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 normal speech</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 thundering roar</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>telepathy</td><td>1-2 weak, simple</td><td>1-3 "heard" by one person</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 medium strength</td><td>4-6 "heard" by everyone nearby</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 overwhelming, complex</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>through a speaker</td><td>1-3 human</td><td>1-2 marked individual</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>4-6 animal/monster</td><td>3-4 anyone</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 sacrifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>visions</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>dreams</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>light/shadowplay</td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>thought implanted into subject</td><td>1-2 weak temptation</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>3-4 moderate inducement</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td>5-6 overriding obsession</td><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-86843238076350143552011-08-19T01:43:00.002+02:002011-08-19T01:44:52.792+02:00Character creation rules for ZuAnd now we get to some crunch. When creating a PC for Zu, first you decide your class: Fighting Man, Adventurer, Wizard or one of several Non-human options.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Fighting Man</b></div><br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td>Level</td> <td>Attack bonus</td> <td>Saving throw</td> <td>AC (unarmoured)</td> <td>HD </td> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>16</td> <td>11</td> <td>1d6+2+CON bonus per level</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>14</td> <td>12</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>10</td> <td>14</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>8</td> <td>15</td> <td></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Fighting Men can use all weapons (with a few rare exceptions) and armour. A Fighting Man character can choose to belong to a particular subtype and receive its bonuses (and penalties). Those who choose not to do so get to roll their new Hit Points twice and take the better result when gaining a level.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Lowlander Monster Slayer</i></div>Receives a +1 to his attack rolls when attacking a monster. At third or higher level, the bonus extends to damage rolls as well; at fifth level, both bonuses increase to +2.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Ankuran Janissary</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Starts the game knowing the prayers and rituals necessary to operate the blessed weapons of the Empire. Starts with a small and simple Spirit House (small hand cannon) and enough ritual components for 6 uses OR with 2 single-use, <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Denmark_globus_cruciger2.jpg/466px-Denmark_globus_cruciger2.jpg">pre-blessed Spirit Houses</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Rayyashid Mamluk</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Receives +2 to his saving throw for horseriding-related rolls, and a +1 to attack rolls when fighting from horseback. This increase to +4 and +2 respectively at third level.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Khantúnian Bushi</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Can concentrate his Chi once per day (twice at third, thrice at fifth level). Receives a +4 to attack rolls and saving throws, and +2 to AC and close combat damage for one round.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Hāāā</i><i> Plains Barbarian</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Receives +1 Hit Point per level. Gains the ability to attack twice per round at third, and three times per round at fifth level. Receives +2 to AC. On the downside, he cannot wear any armour (helmets and shields are allowed); his extreme superstition causes him to suffer a -4 penalty to saving throws against any form of magic; and he must make a save (as against magic) when consciouly trying to tell a lie - if he fails, his inherent primitive honesty forces him to speak the truth.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Rotwalder Volkschmitt</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Besides being a competent warrior, he is also a trained smith. Given the necessary tools (which such characters typically start the game with), he can quickly repair splintered shields & helmets by making a saving throw. Other repairs and similar blacksmithing activities typically require more time and better equipment than what can be assumed during an adventure.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Adventurer</b></div><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td>Level</td> <td>Attack bonus</td> <td>Saving throw</td> <td>AC (unarmoured)</td> <td>HD </td> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>14</td> <td>10</td> <td>1d6+1+CON bonus per level</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>12</td> <td>11</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>2</td> <td>8</td> <td>12</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>3</td> <td>6</td> <td>13</td> <td></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Adventurers live by their skills and wit rather than their combat prowess. As such, they can wield any one-handed weapon and wear light or medium armour. When attempting actions appropriate to their class orientation (such would include climbing, sneaking, acts of legerdemain or appraising the value of treasure), they receive a +1 to their saving throw. If an Adventurer character picks no subtype, he receives a +1 to either his attack bonus or AC.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Lowlander Ranger</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Receives a +2 bonus to his saving throw when using it for navigation, pathfinding, tracking or sneaking/hiding in the wilderness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Urban Thief</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Receives and extra +1 to saving throw when attempting any sort of urban skulduggery (such as picking pocket, losing a tail in a crowd, running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop or bribing a guard). He can only wear light armour.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Rayyashid Nobleman</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He receives a +1 to saving throws when trying to influence people, and starts with the skill of horseriding (but unlike a mamluk, doesn't receive any bonuses to it). Has a very limited illusionist ability, usable once per week if he makes a saving throw modified by his WIS bonus. This is restricted to replicating the effects of mirage: a green line of vegetation on the horizon, light glinting off of nonexistent metal helmets in the distance, a party of travellers falsely appearing to be in the distance, etc. Can only be used in wide open environments such as the desert or the ocean.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Hāāā</i><i> Plains Reptile Hunter</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Receives a +2 to saving throws when handling, riding, training, calming down or otherwise interacting with reptiles. As a downside, loses all special saving throw bonuses that assume a certain level of cultural sophistication (e.g. value appraisal).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Rotwalder Gildesschmitt</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Can repair splintered shields and helmets like a Volkschmitt. Starts with the knowledge of random 2 runes and gains another 2 every level. Can wear any type of armour, but receives no bonuses to adventurer's skills.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Wizard</b></div><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td>Level</td> <td>Attack bonus</td> <td>Saving throw</td> <td>AC (unarmoured)</td> <td>HD </td> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>16</td> <td>10</td> <td>1d6+CON bonus per level</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>0</td> <td>14</td> <td>10</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>0</td> <td>12</td> <td>10</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>0</td> <td>10</td> <td>10</td> <td></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>0</td> <td>8</td> <td>10</td> <td></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><table><tbody></tbody></table><table><tbody></tbody></table><table><tbody></tbody></table><table><tbody>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table><table><tbody>
<tr> </tr>
</tbody></table><table><tbody>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
A Wizard character can wear no armour, and is restricted to the use of daggers, staves, whips & scourges, and one freely chosen one-handed weapon type. They start the game with 3 random spells. At the DM's discretion, he can choose how many of these should be 1st, 2nd or variable level spells. A Wizard who chooses no subtype is called a <i>Sorcerer</i> and gains a +1 bonus to his spellcasting rolls.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Shaman</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Shamans only start with one spell and always cast their spells as a first level character. However, they can interact with the normally unseen spirits of the world if they make a successful spellcasting roll with their WIS bonus as a modifier. Such actions count as magic use, and thus have their HP cost.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Typical uses & appropriate difficulty levels:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table><tbody>
<tr><td>See (or hear) nearby spirits</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Identify a spirit</td><td>half of the spirit's level (rounded down)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Talk to a spirit</td><td>1 (or 3 if the spirit is hostile)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Attract nearby spirits from the area</td><td>2 (or 3 for particularly reclusive ones</td></tr>
<tr><td>Repulse all spirits from immediate vicinity</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Give a command to a spirit</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>Bind a spirit to an object or chase it away</td><td>5</td></tr>
</tbody> </table></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Rotwalder Hohesschmitt</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"> A Hohesschmitt starts the game with kowledge of 4 random runes and gains another 3 at every new level. Additionally, he is a fully capable weaponsmith and can wear all types of armour.</div><br />
<br />
<i>Still in the works:</i><br />
Demonologist (though it might be just a Sorcerer with a specific spell loadout).<br />
<br />
Nonhumans will be done later. Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-34354357752855270072011-08-18T23:30:00.001+02:002011-08-19T00:33:55.658+02:00More on Zu<span style="font-size: x-small;">Once we get this brief setting information done, we can move on to discussing some more spells, monsters or Zu character creation houserules. That's what we're all here for, so let's get on with it:</span><br />
<br />
To the west of the Ankur Empire (and roughly to the north of the Lowlands) lies the <b>Asrakan Desert</b>, a wasteland of rock and sand. It's dunes and labyrinthine mesas are a haven for bandits preying on the few trade and supply routes as well as horrid monsters - preying both the routes and the bandits. Travellers are advised to keep to the rocky southern stretches, as the endless sand seas are often plagued by the grey dust storms of the north and the attending raiders of the little-known but terrifying <b>Grey Khanate</b>, a distant and inimical place where, as they say, grey-skinned people live without water or food, ruled by the terrible <b>Zubotai Khan</b>.<br />
<br />
In the centre of the Asrakan desert lies the salty, inland <b>Spice Sea</b>, named for the many exotic crops that can be grown on its salty shore. It is a point of violent contention between the Ankur Empire and the <b>Rayyashid Califate</b>, an alliance of semi-nomadic tribes that occupy the oases and waterways of the western half of the desert watched over and ruled by the allegedly immortal Protector of the Way, <b>Calif Zurún al-Rayya ibn Khaldún ibn Sabbah</b>. Rayyashid tribesmen are described by travellers as polite and hospitable, but this does little to improve their reputation: besides the demonic riders of the Grey Khanate, the Caliphate is the only land where the use of the fell and unnatural beasts called "horses" is accepted and even encouraged.<br />
<br />
Somewhere to the west of the desert and the Lowlands, hidden behind great mountain ranges, lies the hidden empire of <b>Khantún</b>. Their fine luxury products occasionally make it into the possession of refined collectors, and rogue Bushi Knights of the land sometime travel into the known lands, but little else is known of these strange-hued, slanted-eyed people and their mighty fungal farms in the jungle. Their ruler is the <b>Incomparable Sage of the Amber Heavens, the Emperor of the Lacquered Throne, Zu Long</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">To the southwest of the Lowlands lie the barbaric <b>Hāāā Plains</b>. The longhaired, loincloth-clad barbarians of the plains have three main occupations: quarreling between tribess; raiding settlements beyond their borders for metal tools and weapons to better quarrel between tribess with; and hunting, trapping and taming the myriad species of dragon-lizards that seasonally migrate here from the south then selling them to the highest bidder as riding mounts, beasts of burden or warbeasts. These people are far too disorganised to have any sort of formal rulership, but a certain barbarian hero called <b>Zungarr the Mightiest</b> commands the grudging respect of all - and in fact has been doing so for centuries, if these barbarians are to be believed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To the east of the Hāāā Plains lie the forbidding mountain peeks and deep dark valleys of the <b>Rotwald Forest</b>. A traveller must tread carefully and never deviate from the trails that connect the hamlets and villages of the valleys, lest they be lost forever or snatched up by the things lurking beneath the dense canopy. While most travellers only encounter the villages, the real power over the Rotwald Forest is held by the mountain fortresses of the reclusive Smithing Lords. The Smithing Lords are the preeminent weapon- and armoursmithes of all the known realms, creating - and jealously guarding - designs not even imagined anywhere else, and imbuing their best creations with the magic of mysterious runes. For a warrior, the armoury of a single <i>Rotwalder hohesschmitt</i> would be worth more than the Ankuran Imperial treasury - and, fittingly, an attempt at it would be similarly more preposterous. Little is known of the internal organisation of the <i>Gilde</i>, but the high-ranking master smithes are believed to be engaged in constant and covert struggle for each others' most powerful runes and weapons. Nevertheless, an entity called <b>Zugfried Dwimmerschmitt</b> is always spoken of with great deference, regardless the speaker's affiliations.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The last known land, sandwiched between the Rotwald and the Eastern Ocean, is the <b>God Coast</b>. Little is known of this narrow but long strip of land, as most who go there come back thoroughly changed - or not at all. What's known is that the land is peppered by hundreds, if not thousands, of shrines, temples and cathedrals, each consecrated to a different god. Some of these occasionally send missionaries to other lands, but the tenets spread by these people are just <i>too</i> strange to win many people over. Having said that, some of these missionaries <i>do</i> seem to have extraordinary abilities and magics at their command, so maybe not all these religions are the product of fevered delusion, after all.</div><br />
Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-70648598489741737742011-08-14T21:32:00.001+02:002011-08-14T21:32:45.759+02:00A stream-of-consciousness deconstruction of monster creationJust yesterday I found myself asking: how would<i> I</i> rework the Marilith? For the edification of my readers, here's a complete recording of the thought process:<br />
<br />
Well, what is a Marilith? It's a large snake tail with some chassis at the front that holds a hole bunch of arms to fight with - let's go with this basic idea. Snake tail, okay, but let's top it with something scarier then a naked woman with tits (and some extra limbs). What's scary and has a lot of arms? Spiders. So it's a large (I guess maybe small horse-sized) spider with a long, heavy, ponderous snake tail where its abdomen would be.<br />
<br />
It won't be waving around scimitars with its hairy spider legs, so let's give it a different method of attack. It bites and poisons, sure, but something else as well. It's half snake, and there's such a thing as a spitting snake, so I'll make it spit... but what? Poison is passe. It should spit something related to snakes or spider... flies! It spits living flies - or more accurately, tiny, vaguely humanoid fly-men. It creates them from the juice sucked out of its victims. The flies don't attack directly. They, ermm... they're flied, they're dirty, they spit on food. They land on food and infect it with the spirit of distrust, intolerance and hatred. They also so small theylook like normal flies at a glance, which works just fine: I want demons to be about more than just hitting hard and being tough to kill. So the spidersnake demon hides in caves, ruins and the like near populated areas and sends forth its tiny minions to spread hatred and chaos via the infected food.<br />
<br />
So far, so good, but it needs something more, like some creepy extra body parts. Have you ever seen up-close photos of spiders? Those extra eyes sure look creepy, so I'll work with that. When it feels threatened (say, by adventurers), <i>smaller snakes grow out of its eyes</i> and try to bite its enemies. But here's a great opportunity to add something even more: those smaller snakes (well, normal-sized snakes) also have the forebodies of spiders! They're smaller copies of the entire demon. And since they're copies, they also have a whole bunch of eyes, so you have <i>even smaller</i> growing out of those, and of course they too have a spider body. <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And eyes.</span> With snakes growing out of them.</span><br />
<br />
As it were, this here is a fractal monsters which has smaller copies of itself growing out of its eyes, and out of the eyes of <i>those</i>, and so on <i>ad infinitum</i>. A single spidersnake is in fact an infinite number of ever-regressing spidersnakes <strike>and they all get a separate attack roll</strike> <b>f*ck NO.</b> We don't need that, only the first four get that. But we do keep the infinite regression thing, because it's nicely Cthulhoid and as such highly appropriate for a demon. So here's our lovely:<br />
<br />
<b>The Deepest Planter of Ebony Seeds</b>*<br />
<br />
4 Hit Dice. AC 14. Reduces all physical damage by 3 HP. Bite attack 1d6 HP + save vs. poison or temporarily lose 1d6 points of DEX. 4 additional eye-snake attacks when not surprised, each as a 2HD monster that does 1d6-1 HP. Does the fly-man food infection thing and also sees and hears through them.<br />
<br />
*All stats for World of Zu, the numbers would be completely different for standard D&D.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Next time I might make a monster that combines a bear with a stone wall.</span>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-20072140834579828732011-08-13T22:33:00.000+02:002011-08-13T22:33:51.893+02:00The world of ZuThe first of several writeups (the publication of which will probably be interrupted when I get distracted by some other idea) on the <b>World of Zu</b>, a <i>Strange Fantasy</i> setting. "Strange Fantasy" is a phrase I've just invented for a style which is a bit like Weird Fantasy but isn't quite so extreme. Instead of, say, being full of astronauts, cactus men <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(shout-out to Planet Algol!)<span style="font-size: small;"> and Radium Pistols, it's more Sword & Sorcery with <i>some</i> astronauts and cactus men. (Well, not those specifically, but you get the idea.)</span></span> I'm not very happy with the phrase; "Queer Fantasy" would have expressed the notion of "weird but not quite so much" a while ago, but of course these days it would mean something altogether different. Dear Reader, if you come up with a better term for the sort of thing I have in mind, post it in the comments and you'll win a prize! Anyway, Zu:<br />
<br />
<br />
The <b>Lowlands of the Lost</b> lies in the centre of the known lands of the World of Zu. Also known as the Land of River, Road and Rampart, named for its three major landmarks which allow the ragtag population to maintain a semblance of coherence: the Olm River, the Sword Trail and the ruins of the Cephean Rampart.<br />
It's called the Lowlands of the Lost for good reason: almost all known methods of navigation fail here. No one knows what ancient magical or other forces make it so, but the fact remains: trees grow moss on all sides in the forest, magnet stones spin around, the stars and constellations dance around the sky unpredictably, and even the sun always rises at a different point of the horizon. In fact, the very layout of the land itself twists and rearranges itself from time to time: you may follow a path from one point to another and make extensive notes and maps; but if you try to follow the same instructions half a year later, you'll probably end up in the middle of the wilderness, thoroughly confused about how even the mountains and lakes seem to be completely elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, people do manage to get from one tiny community to the other, and even some occasional trade exists: some people - always born in the land - seem to have a good if not infallible instinct that keeps them on the true path to wherever they're going. And even if you don't have the services to such a guide, features located close enough to the Olm River, the Sword Trail and the Cephean Rampart seem to be much more 'stable' then other spots, so the routes along these three tend to remain largely unchanged for years on end. Anything beyond, however, whether they be dark and humid forests, trackless swamps or labyrinthine hills and canyons, belongs to the daring, the desperate and the foolhardy who bet their lives against the prospects of finding a new, profitable trading route, an undiscovered mine of precious gems, or a lost city of foreboding and maybe even treasure-laden tombs....<br />
<br />
However, not all lands of Zu are as inimical to civilisation as the Lowlands. If one travels to the Sour Coast (named after the peculiar taste of the ocean water here) in the east and then heads north and through one of the many gaps in the mountains girdling the Lowlands, he comes to the southern edge of the flourishing <b>Ankur Empire</b>.<br />
<br />
The mightiest force in the East, the Empire is a land of great cities protected by thick walls, tall towers and the divine guidance of the god of the land, the immortal <b>Sultan Zuliman</b>. It was Zuliman who armed his janissary soldiers with the divine weapons of the Empire: <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Lgehumble_1400.jpg">these closely guarded artifacts</a> act as houses for elemental spirits of air and fire. By performing the proper incantations and gestures and placing the necessary sacrifices into these receptacles, the spirits will strike the unrighteous with lethal fury.*<br />
<br />
More later.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*True. Contrarily to whatever metagaming assumptions players might have, they really only work with the exact prescribed prayers and gestures. If someone tries to cut out the ceremonial stuff and tries to "just load the gun", it will not work. In fact, the spirits might well get offended and "misfire".</span> Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-81956411030996193402011-08-12T01:17:00.002+02:002011-08-14T20:09:52.969+02:00Pay for one spell, get 10 new monsters for free<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Baratrón Pact</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Level: 7, -1 for each HD of sacrifice at casting</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">This spell forms a pact between the caster and the mysterious subterranean entity Baratrón, who provides the former with a randomly determined obedient servant. The creature will follow the caster’s commands to the best of its abilities and serves for an indeterminate period of time. Once the creature is slain, banished from this world or magically removed from under the caster’s control, the caster must offer a second sacrifice of intelligent creatures, this one commensurate with the power of his former servant: a total of 1 HD for each of the creature’s plus the wizard’s HD (so a 4th level wizard who's just lost his Animated Statue must offer a sacrifice worth 7 Hit Dice - since normal humans do not advance to such levels, this means a number of victims). Should he fail to perform this within three days, he will permanently lose 2 points for each HD from random attributes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Subterranean Man</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Pit Victim</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Earth Elemental</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Living Statue</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Pnakognomatic Artisan</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Baratrian Smoke Demon</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Clockwork Horror</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Troglodyte</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Eye of Stone</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">– Ancient One Who Sleeps</span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Subterranean Man</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">A man with white or no hair, pale skin and milky eyes. He is like a normal fighting man (1st to 3rd level), but with the following exceptions:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">- He is blind, and therefore immune to blinding effects such as sharp or stroboscopic lights as well as to purely visual illusions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">- His sharp hearing and preternatural senses are functionally equivalent to 90’ of vision in any light conditions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">- Due to Baratrón's blessing, he always understands his master’s commands, but can only speak his own unintelligible language.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">- Accustomed to living in caverns: +2 to climbing and swimming rolls, +4 to moving silently in enclosed spaces characterised by hard surfaces. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Subterranean men are normally equipped with a metal club (1d6 damage), a small dagger and two dozen doses of blade poison (1d6-2 HP, -1d8/-1d8 DEX). They will not wear armour.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Pit Victim</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">A criminal thrown into the punishment pits of ancient and distant cities, reanimated by Baratrón's will. An undead creature with blackened and hardened skin, covered in long dark rags. Understands speech but cannot communicate. It automatically detects hostile intent towards its master and autonomously takes steps to cruelly dispose of the threat unless explicitly ordered otherwise. Either carries an ancient, badly rusted weapon or uses its long, disease-ridden claws.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">1-3HD, AC10, dam. 1d6-1 or 1d6-2 + disease: 1d4 STR / 1d4 CON</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Earth Elemental</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">A hulking, shape of rock and earth that can pull itself into a vaguely humaoid appearance. It can tear down walls and dig through rock easily. All worked stone in its vicinity - bricks, walls, flagstone, statues, etc. - will slowly revent into natural stone formations over a matter of months, weeks or days, depending on the elemental's level. When not in contact with stone or earth, or when at least partially submerged in water, it slowly disintegrates, losing 1 HP per round.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">3-8 HD, AC18, dam. 1d6 (3-4 HD), 2d6 (5-6 HD) or 3d6 (7-8 HD). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Animated Statue</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">An exquisitely carved statue of stone, typically depicting a human or animal. Intelligent enough to follow complicated commands, but always remains very literal in their interpretation. When faced with a situations undefined by its instructions, it will try to follow the nearest match in its orders. Unless its master puts some thorough thinking into his instructions, this nearest match might well boil down to "protect me", which in turn might become "kill anything that come close." Animated statues can speak in a resonant voice, but usually only do that when isntructed to do so or when told to report some past event.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">3 HD, AC17, dam. 1d6+2. Takes minimum damage from non-blunt weapons.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Pnakognomatic Artisan</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">In this dimension the creature appears as a hunched, lean, black-skinned, hairless dwarf. While it only has one Hit Die, it counts as a 5HD creature for the purposes of sacrifice as described in the Baratron Pact spell. It cannot wield weapons or wear armour, but has the ability to part and pefectly reseal earth, rock and minerals (the latter only in their natural state) with its comically oversized bare hands. Furthermore, when given the necessary materials, even in their raw state (such as a vein of iron ore instead an ingot), it can manufacture any non-magical metal or stone item in one hour without tools. It can communicate with its master, and anyone else the master declares is privy to such conversation, in a multitonal whisper that everyone perceives as his or her native language.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">If the Pnakognomatic Artisan is killed, its full and proper form will momentarily intrude upon our dimension in its death throes. At the end of the round of its death, it will transform into a giant tentacled non-Eucledian monster and randomly lash out at nearby targets, attacking as a 10 HD creature. In this single destructive act it will lash out with 5 tentacles (1d6 damage); bite with its gaping mouth full of pointy teeth at the closest possible target (2d6+2 damage); and shoot a black eyebeam of death energy (save or die). Once the monster is still, it is sucked back into its native dimension, leaving no body behind.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Pnakognomatic Artisan: 1HD, AC11, dam. 1d6-1</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Baratrian Smoke Demon</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">This intelligent, malevolent creature comprises tendrils of poisonous dark smoke and counts as a 4 HD monster for purposes of the Baratron Pact. It can fly and fit through the tiniest crack and is completely immune to non-magical weapons and most spell effects, some notable exceptions being wind, banishment or domination by arcane means. It attacks by engulfing its target: the victim can hold his breath by making a CON save with a cumulative -2 penalty for every round after the first, or try to outrun the smoke by an opposed DEX check (the demon is considered to have DEX 12, horndwarves take a -4, lizardmen a -2 penalty). A failure indicates that the demon’s poisons have penetrated the victim’s lungs, causing 1d6 points of damage to a randomly chosen attribute. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">When located outside the Underworld, the Demon needs an unholy container, typically a clay or stone jar, to regularly retreat into and regain composure. If this jar is destroyed, the Smoke Demon will permanently disperse in a few days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">While the Baratrian Smoke Demon is capable of operating above grounds, it will only do so by the explicit command of its master, since it has problems navigating even a light breeze, and a stronger wind is pretty much lethal to it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">1HD, AC: 12 (only against magic weapons)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Clockwork Horror</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span><span style="font-size: small;">ll cogs, joints, axles, pincers and swirling blades, </span><span style="font-size: small;">Clockwork Horrors are mechanical monsters that come in a great variety of sizes and (sometimes vaguely human- or animal-like) shapes. They only take minimum damage from piercing and slashing weapons (except heavy, two-handed swords and axes), and are immune to fire, poison and all other effects that would not affect a steel machine. Electricity causes them to stop amidst convulsions for 1d4 rounds, but after that they’ll be quickened, having twice the movement rate and twice the usual number of attacks for the same duration. The smallest ones with 1 Hit Dice can climb over all but the smoothest surfaces, even upside down, and 2 HD ones also retain some of this ability to a lesser extent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td>Roll </td> <td>HD</td> <td>AC</td> <td>Attacks</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>1</td> <td>15</td> <td>1d6-1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>2</td> <td>15</td> <td>1d6/1d6-1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>7-9</td> <td>3</td> <td>15</td> <td><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1d6/1d6/1d6-1</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>10-11</td> <td>4</td> <td>15</td> <td><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1d6+1/1d6/1d6/1d6-1</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>12</td> <td>5 </td> <td>15</td> <td><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1d6+1/1d6+1/1d6/1d6/1d6-1</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><table><tbody>(Note that this is just a guideline, many other variations exist with different AC and special attacks, usually at the cost of normal attacks.)</tbody></table><table><tbody> </tbody></table><table><tbody> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Troglodyte</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i> </i></b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yeah, I know it already exists; this is a different one. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">These mottled red 12 foot tall monsters are vaguely humanoid but headless, having their eyes and gaping mouth in the middle of their chest. Their arms each terminate in a single great claw. They’re naturally aggressive, but under the Baratron Pact will be tame (unless ordered by its master to violence). Troglodytes are excellent underground trackers and can even detect their prey from the other side of a wall.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">3-4 HD, AC14, dam. 1d6/1d6 or trample: needs space to charge, 3d6-2 if hit</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b><i> </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Eye of Stone</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">This creature looks like a head-sized, pear-shaped piece of grey rock with an eyeball-like marble set at the narrow end amidst small pincers. When exposed, it cannot move on its own, but once placed against a rock wall or floor it passes through it without leaving a trace. It has perfect vision in any environmental conditions, and can even see rough shapes through a foot a solid rock without its eye protruding. It understands spoken commands and can communicate with its master by replaying what it saw as a miniature image on the surface of its eye. It can use its pincers to replace its marble eye with the fleshy ocular orb of a living creature, establishing a symbiotic relationship: the Eye of Stone comes under the direct mental control of the host, relaying back information immediately.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 HD, AC12 when exposed, AC17 when peeking from a surface.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b><i> </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Ancient One Who Sleeps</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is the undead mummy of a 9 foot tall cyclopean creature, wielding an ornate scepter and ancient magics. They take half damage from weapons and are immune to cold and any effect that typically fail to harm corporeal undead. They do take double damage from fire. Their single eye emits a faint pale light and gives them perfect vision even in magical darkness. Every day they can cast 2 spells plus 1 spell per HD following list: Forfeiture of Light, Tremor, Graveyard Fog, Light of the Dead, Traverse Rock, Gale of Abyssal Doom, Singing Stone, Power of the High Ones</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">4-7 HD, AC 15, dam. 1d6+2</div> </tbody></table><table><tbody> </tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div>Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072065393204014678.post-15193119824220844772011-08-12T00:15:00.002+02:002011-08-12T00:25:50.028+02:00I thought I'll get in at least three or four "content" posts before getting into the ephemerals of rules mechanics, but I guess I was wrongAll right, probably a few words are in order on how these spells work in the Zu campaign.<br />
<br />
First, the spellcaster must roll a d20 to see if he can cast the spell properly. This is not Dying Earth were spells are clearly annotated, well-memorized pieces of verbal technology that work 100% the time. Some of the formulas are incomplete and every wizard has to finish them on his own. Some involve speaking in languages assuming a different vocal apparatus, so you just have to try and make it sound as close as you can. Sometimes the proper words change depending on the astrological constellations, so you have to keep that in mind, too<br />
<br />
Anyway, you have to roll. D20 plus your INT modifier vs a target number - sometimes the circumstances might call for additional bonuses or penalties. If you and your spell are equal level, that number is 12 (so 50% chance of success, assuming high intelligence). If you're higher level than the spell, the target number goes down by 2 for each grade of difference. If you're <i>lower</i> level (a 2nd level wizard trying to cast a 3rd level spell), it goes up by the same. If you hit or exceed it, the spell goes off fine. If you miss, you've failed but you can try again. If you rolled an unmodified 1, you mangled it badly. Roll again: if this time is a success, the spell still failed but at least nothing bad happened to you. If it's a failure, you get the Critical Failure effects. If this second roll is <i>also</i> a 1, then it's a double failure and chances are it's been nice knowing your character. If you roll a natural 20 on your first roll, something good happens, depending on the spell. With the spells in the previous post, their effects gain a "bonus" level.<br />
<br />
But that's not all; some spells are really powerful for their level, while the rest of the (human) world kind of fragile. Therefore, whenever you attempt to cast a level (successfully or otherwise), you lose 1 HP for every level of the spell. <i>Since, as we know, HP doesn't only represent actual wounds but also luck, divine favour, "rolling with the blow" etc. etc. you've read your Gygax,</i> it can just as well represent the extreme fatigue of spellcasting. Note that in order to compensate for this extra cost, spellcasters roll d6 for their HP, CON bonuses come into play at lower values then in, say, AD&D, and non-magical HP healing is a bit easier to acquire.<br />
<br />
So roll to succeed AND HP cost. There's got to be some upside to all this, and indeed there is: no Vancian pre-memorisation. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cue grognards twitching in the mouth. </span>Once you know a spell, you know that spell. Feel free to cast it as many times a day as you can afford, but then don't cry when a monster hits you <i>after</i> you've burned through your Hit Point reserves. (Plus, the more spells you cast from those general reserves of yours, the more die will come up as a 1.)<br />
<br />
<br />
And of course, a significant part of this is as yet completely untested (under real gaming circumstances, solo simulations are a different matter). Actually running this is the next thing down on the list, though, so it should happen in a few weeks. I did promise you "mad science" vibes, after all. If you don't know what sort of testing and peer reviewing procedures that means, you have to read <a href="http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/">Girl Genius</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
One reason for instituting this system was a desire to try and solve one of the most commonly cited grievances with 1st level wizards: you cast your Sleep / Magic Missile and you're out of the game until tomorrow morning. This way, low-level wizards can cast a significantly larger number of low-level spells (with some associated risks), while high-level ones won't be able to just douse the battlefield in magic: even with d6 Hit Dice, they (like all other classes) will cap out at 5th level, so they <i>will</i> have to be conservative with those high level spells that cost 4 or 5 HP a pop. And if they decide to go full hog on those nevertheless, then they won't have an untapped standby reserve of a dozen low-level spells. So I'm hoping these rules will flatten out the wizard's <i>"Suck at low level, rule supreme at high"</i> power curve.Headless Horse Archer (Premier)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07295139979427782123noreply@blogger.com0