Thursday 29 November 2012

Urban fantasy table goodness

Ok so ive added pages to my blog and a big thanks to those reading this. Your welcome to say hello or troll me. Having done the big 4 classes im gonna do a few things to push the bar a bit as i have urge to beat last months hits. Ive also had some pleasant offers to recycle some of this stuff and have remade some old acquaintances.

This weekend i have gammaworld at urchin books - hope to do a dnd and a gamma game before i migrate to Adelaide for uncanny xmas. I hope to do a few game steak and beer days there too. My net will be poor there so ill probably lay out books for print editions.

My post with city tables with bribery table and magical hag table is the biggest success yet so im gonna update all the encounter tables tables over next few days. Finish all my mongol stuff.

As for here and now im gonna do:

1d10 Skullport gang table

1 The Blood-Rats
A gang of sewer dwelling punks who have been over taken by were rats who dont often leave their sewer warrens. They often tunnel into homes and kill everyone. Other rat beings like goblin-rats and giant or inteligent swarm rats have been summoned by the rat wizards with spells tattooed on rats for spellbooks. There are several factions who battle for sewer domination. They write in their own script they say is from a demon rat god.


2 The Nostratum
A gang of wizard apprentice drop outs who teach wizardry illegally on the streets to urchins. They were bullies who made other students do their work and plotted evil before expulsion.  The gang is 800 years old now. Many non wizards act as spell enhanced thieves and thugs. The gang write magical symbols on their turf.


3 The Thousand Beggars 
The official beggars guild who also are messengers, gossip spreaders, spies and even political agitators. They pay a tithe and get a meal guaranteed every day. They also solve disputes and put best beggars in best spots. Beggers make chalk marks and secret arrangements of gravel to mark territory and inform fellows of local pickings.

4 Scarlet Queens 
A gang of prostitute vigilantes who kill any who interfere with their members. Members form no permanent relations with men by law. They kill those who prey on women and children and get support from some women nobles. They often write a scarlet death rune in their areas after they have punished someone or might warn a drug dealer or pimp with one in blood.

5 Ravens 
This gloomy black clad gang are a brotherhood of thieves, assassins and spies who serve as mercenaries. They are seldom public and control street crime and work with law in their district - often being related to the watch by blood. They kill enemies silently in public and only write in codes with their own invisible ink formula.

6 Skull Crackers
A gang of tough stupid body builders often including mentally deficient and humanoids even ogres in the gang. Some use demonic decor on tattoos, medallions and their clothes because it looks bad. They love to brawl, arm wrestle and break stuff. They draw crude skulls and write threats in areas they congregate, taverns and toilet pits.


7 Snake Lords
A gang who congregate in the ruins, sewers and forests on the edge of the city but are hidden in other circumstances.  They serve the elder races who built the old city. They spread vice, depravity and teach exotic rituals to contact obscene beings for secret spells. They supply evil cults with criminal connections and wield evil influence over the city. In secret lairs they have monsters. Many members are stooges who think being a snake is cool, rebellious and makes you tough. Some are from affluent families. They draw snake sigils on the street.


8 Vice Guild
Official city guild where nobles can buy their stolen goods back for a fee. Very bureaucratic and surprisingly big on documentation and licenses for all criminal trades. They control gambling, prostitution, banking, markets, taverns, hotels and more. The law even defend them. Their brand is an official guild sign and seal.


 9 The Long Knives
Unofficial vice guild who control illegal entertainment, extortion, protection, fraud, coin clipping and more. They protect the common man and are seen as agitators and rebels by state. They have strong loyal family clans who control different wards and keep order. The mark streets with dagger signs.


10 The Secret Police
These dog masked men are skilled assassins, dungeon keepers, executioners and martial artists. Who the law cannot reach or threaten the Barron disappear or die. They run vice, prostitution and drug deals for the elite. They also clean up evidence that would embarrass the lords of the city. Most fear them and look away. They are cruel and may torture someone in the street. They often mark an x on a door or house under their watch.

d12 Skullport cult table

1 Sons of the Hydra
A cult of reptile worshipers trying to recreate the original vile rituals of the serpent men. Many decadant nobles join for the sex and drugs and become helpless thralls. Some get to mate with serpents to create hybrids and carry the bloodlines. Poison daggers and snake headed staff are used by cult.


2 Blood Brotherhood
Carry a bloodline of ancient evil high priest who occupies his descendants and rules forever. His bred his own servants and monstrosities and blood puddings as servitors. He has also been making flesh zombies for thousands of years. They wear red robes and carry knives. Also use blood magic and stop in battle to slit throats.


3 Servants of The Green Eye
Serve a mysterious being who teachers strange spells and grants strange mutations. Only initiates ever see the being and are bonded to it. They seek strange ingredients and texts for their god who takes them to his plane. Most cultists are mutants and some know spells as a wizard too. Some have strange technological weapons and implants as gifts of the god for chosen.

4 Flesh Fiends
Serve a glowing pit which appears when summoned. Initiates step in and become modified by the being inside. Their skin is removed leaving invisible skin instead and their muscles and bones visible.
They may wear their skin and pretend to normal but if the still living skin is lost they are condemed to dwell in the temple. Cultists are cannibals and hide their skins on cult missions. Some chosen are sorcerers and commune with the secret master often.

5 Hellfire Cult
A group of depraved nobles and their stooges who worship evil otherworldly devils, evil elemental and others beings. They scour the city for forbidden lore and and seek contact with strange beings for forbidden spells. Any unspeakable deed is ok if it attracts the attention of evil. They have been increasingly ruled by the devil spreading psychotic violence and bloodletting as the one true way. They have some influence over the city and the Barron has been known to attend. Cambions serve them, sons of summoned succubus or incubus lords have been overs with.


6 Black Lotus
A cult of degenerate abhuman drug dealers who serve a masked immortal sorcerer who in turn serves secret foreign masters. Cruel and degenerate many nobles are members but they are really being fleeced and brainwashed. Their drugs and rituals allow one to enter a dreamland where they are tormented by a shadowy dream lord - the real form of the sorcerer. They treasure exotic cruel traps and tortures.


7 Wolf Brotherhood
Werewolf cult who menace the countryside and carouse in the city. They feign being mercenaries, and often join the unicorn hunters. New members join often and in winter the frozen streets are unsafe and the waterways and harbour are frozen over. This lets the wolves roam the street and all sensible persons fear them. They have been aided by elven silver to keep humans away from the Elderwood and restrain human civilization.

8 Scions of the Dark Undersea 
These sea folk meet in lodge houses and are a popular fraternal order, but in fact they serve the fish men and other horrors from the elder age. They often are sailors, fishermen and dock workers. A few are sorcerers and mate with fish people to create hybrids. A colony dwell in the city cisterns and sewerage works. They often sacrifice, eat or breed captives.

9 Feeders of the Pit
Robed ritualistic who throw victims into a tooth filled pit. The god needs food and gives his feeders unnatural strength and feelings of power. Cultists are descended from the same which dwelled in the oldest recorded versions of the cities history. By feeding the god they stop him awakening and taking food for himself from the city streets.


10 Black-Horned-Man
This savage cult brought in with slaves has a system of spirits who act as minor deities and are parents of sorcerers. The cult practice evil eyes, curses and charms but specialize in making Zombi slaves. Have many rituals with drugs, dancing and drums. This common folk faith is ignored by civilized persons but the the cult do wear hideous masks and capture sacrifices to make zombies. 

11 The Black Temple
This brotherhood of evil clerics meet to plot the spread of chaos and evil. The pretend to be good priests if possible but really are the opposite spreading anarchy and cruelty. They give the empire church a bad name to new subjects and do their best to start wars, breed monsters and incite terror. Helping the elder races is an interest too.


12 Ghoul Cult
This sect rob graves of treasure and abuse sacred ground and spread ghouls. Many hope to become ghouls or even ghoul lords. Many necromancers join when they realize they will never make it too a lich. They are quite mad and help ghouls hide in the community with tunnels, hidden corrupted crypts, disguises etc.


d10 Skullport fame table
-4 if from slum
-2 if from poor
+2 if from wealthy
+4 if from nobles
+1 per lv
+/- DM factors

1d10 and mods
-6 Ratters and sewer workers praise your name
-5 Cult of maniacs want to convert or kill you

-4 Invited to meet Barron in secret
-3 Secret Police decide its time to talk
-2 Agitators among mob mention you often

-1 mutants living in ghetto sing of your glory
0 Mob of angry street people cite your name1 Common folk sing how you help the common man 
2 Pirates from many lands have heard of your wealth
3 Gang of criminal take an interest in your affairs
4 City officials notice your not on census
5 Beggars guild round the clock vigil on you
6 Priests remind you their gods like to be named in wills
7 Bards sing of your glory, women love you men want to fight you
8 Merchants want to make a deal
9 Noble wants you to do a deed
10 Wizards want exotic materials and texts
11 Demi humans believe you are the great hope
12 Elder races observe and infiltrate your followers
13 Royalty want you to hang with them

14 Monsters want to ruin your life
15 Alignment Champions call on you to make a difference
16 beings of nature ask you to come with them to secret lands 
17 spirits wish to give you curse or gift you with goodies
18 dragons have met, sure your plotting to get them
19 underworld or overworld beings offer you a message from their lords
20 gods smile and offer a gift - next time they may take you with them

Skullport noble table
roll twice apply to same person for exra unusual possibly mad noble
or roll for disguise then real personality
1 battle loving knight
2 courtly fop

3 brave paladin
4 sophisticated dandy
5 superstitious fool
6 robber barron
7 devout cultist
8 good steward

9 merchant lord
10 power hungry
11 amorous pervert
11 carousing bachelor
12 gambling fool
13 love crazy
14 retired adventurer 
15 culture fan
16 torturing sadist

17 wizard lord
18 monk lord
19 assassin lord
20 chaos champion

Wednesday 28 November 2012

EMO DnD Classes pt 4: Rogue



This completes my primary classes - next will be racial classics of elf, dwarf and halfling - the fourth my Tako race was done earlier but i might go back and revise.

Rogue is actually the most changed class. He is tougher than d4 or d6 hd versions - he is a capable martial artist. Also they are the best at NWP skills having the most slots of any class and a list of skills that are as good as spells or magic items. Every lv they can grab a whole new awesome NWP, not just get a few % in same old skills.

Rogue
Masters of skill, subterfuge and surprise

HD: 1d8 Prime Stat: Dex
WP: 3 (+1/2nd Lv)
NWP: 8 (+1/Lv)
No-WP mod: -3
Languages: 1d4+1 (+1/3rd lv) S=spoken and W=written

Spells: None
NWP: Rogue
Shield: Buckler
Armour: Light only
Weapon: Any Sword, Dagger, Club, Sling, Short Bow, any Crossbow, any Gun, Garrote, Shuriken, Dart, Whip, Net, Hatchet, Hand Axe, Lasso, Bolo, Dirk, Blowpipe, Chain, Rock, Staff 

Fight as: Priest
Save as: Priest

Concerned with expertise, commerce and financial gain. Skill specialists using deception, charm and dirty tricks to win. Personal survival, surprise attacks and fleeing preferred modes of combat. Spies, assassins, con men, entertainers, peddlers, beggars, thieves and worse.  Rogues whatever their type mix with underworld company. Some ship crews are all rogues. Many have local gang slang dialects, local city language, as well a the occasional codes or ancient scripts to read treasure maps. Older rogues learn the odd dead language to help fake and steal relics or read ancient maps. Rogues are self-interested and avoid the direct approach of others. Rogues frequent with similar types in professional guilds and in unsavory carousing districts.

-Back stab attack +4 to hit x2 damage then x3 at 6th then x4 at 12th then x5 at 18th if surprise victim first hit by melee attack in the back
-Sneak attack +2 hit and +4 damage surprise attack can use with missiles or even face to face - study target and aim full round before attack
-At 4th level get a trained pet or apprentice for a follower
-At 5th Level you’re gang rank is raised to master, taking orders from the real guild master and operating your own chapter
-At 6th level Attract 1d4 thief followers and get one more each lv
-At 10th a Rogue establishes a HQ for their organization and is a guild master and gets 2d6 gang members.

Specialist Rogue Schools
Most rogues have Common S, Empire S, Guild tongue S (specific to your type).

Name
Description
WP
NWP

Thief
Typical city thieves guild member
Short bow, dagger, shorts sword
Sneak, Hide, Climb, Lock Lore, Trap Lore, Listen, Night Sight and Pick Pockets

Spy
Agent for some faction for information and sabotage
Short bow, dagger, shorts sword
Acting, Assimilate, Disguise, Escape, Espionage, Lip Reading, Scout, Shadow

Jailer
Professional at imprisoning and torturing
Club, Whip, Dagger
Rope Use, Lock Lore, Torture, Interrogate, Blacksmith, Espionage, Alertness, Streetwise

Assassin
Professional killer for hire
Dagger, Crossbow, Long sword
Poison Lore, Resist Poison, Disguise, Hide, Sneak, Acting, Shadowing, Assimilate

Charlatan
Confidence artist and flimflam man
Dagger, Staff, Club
Begging, Bluff, Forgery, Fortune Telling, Gambling, Quack Healer, Sleight of Hand, Bribe

Rake
Decadent partying bachelor
Dagger, Brawling, Sabre
Seduce, Gambling, Streetwise, Taunt, Bribe, Carousing, Gossip, Sleight of hand

Jester
Occupational clown and entertainer
Club, Dagger, Rock
Jester, Taste Poison, Taunt, Tumbling, Mimic Voice, Juggling, Story Teller, Ventriloquism

Acrobat
Entertainer who performs physical feats
Staff, Dagger, Brawling
Acrobatics, Balance, Jumping, Leaping, Pole Vaulting, Tumbling, Wall Runner, Run Away

Peddler
Common trader and tinkerer
Staff, Dagger, Crossbow
Appraising, Treasure Lore, Merchant, Jeweler, Lock Lore, Trap Lore, Repair, Haggle

Entertainer
A common street busker, actor or wannabe bard
Staff, Brawling, Dagger
Acting, Disguise,  Juggling, Ventriloquism, Mimic Voice,  Play Instrument, Sing, Dance

Bandit
A woodland thug who robs travelers
Crossbow, Club, Dagger
Looting, Night Vision, Alertness, Sneak, Hide, Scout, Pack Rat, Taunt

Wanderer
A homeless traveler who wanders secret roads
Staff, Club, Brawling
Begging, Streetwise, Navigation Lore, Folk Lore, Kingdom Lore, Gossip, Sneak, Hide

Beggar
A member of a city beggars guild
Club, Dagger, Garrote
Begging, Streetwise, Pick Pockets, Sneak, Hide, Shadowing, bluff, Taunt

Adventuress
A female profiteer and gold digger
Dagger, Brawling, Light Crossbow
Streetwise, Pick Pockets, Carousing, Appraising, Forgery, Escape, Seduce, Bluff

Gang Member
A professional gangster from a big city
Club, Dagger, Brawling
Streetwise, Sneak, Hide, Climb, Bluff, Shadow, Appraise, Looting

Sailor
A commercial sailor of the high seas
Sabre, Dagger, Brawling
Sailing, Boating, Swim, Rope Use, Climb, Carousing, Navigation, Spot

Tomb Robber
A professional treasure hunter
Long Sword, Crossbow, Dagger
Incendiaries, Treasure lore, Trap lore, Resist Poison , Lock lore, Climb, Rope-use, Listen

Bounty Hunter
A hunter of persons for money
Sabre, Whip, Crossbow
Trap lore, Sneak, Hide, Shadow, Rope-use, Spot, Observation, Scout

Demagogue
A popularity rousing political schemer
Dagger, Sabre, Crossbow
Bluff, Jester, Taunt, Interrogate, Run away, Bribe, Gossip, Forgery

Killer Cultist
Member of a masked killer sect
Dagger, Sabre, Chain
Sneak, Hide, Poison Lore, Acrobatics, Tumbling, Jumping, Leaping, Climb

Carnival Roustabout
Traveling entertainer, grifter, gambler and labourer
Dagger, Club, Brawling
Gambling, sleight of hands, rope use, pick pockets, tumble, streeetwise, Climb, Jester

THIEF XP
+1 per 1gp spent on carousing, luxury, gambling, intrigue, bribes, contacts, merchant ventures, spy rings, gang lairs, scams, demagoguery,  political funds, entertainers, lovers and other shenanigans
+100 per proficiency success that helps victory
+100 for big time scores of loot
Double for killing foe with backstab, trap, trick or ambush

Tuesday 27 November 2012

EMO DnD Classes pt 3: Wizard

From look and Learn magazine http://www.lookandlearn.com/

I use a few Oriental Adventures 1st ed spells and filled in a few others. Lots of magical NWP and lore skills to help out too.

Wizard
Mysterious scholars of forbidden magical arts 


HD: 1d4+1 
Prime Stat: Int
WP:
1  lv(+1/4th Lv)
NWP: 6 (+1/Lv)
No-WP mod: -4
Languages: 2d4 (+1/2nd lv) S=spoken and W=written

Spells: Wizard
NWP: Wizard and Common Caster
Shield: None
Armour: None
Weapon:
Club, Staff, Dart, Dagger, any Crossbow, Sling, Hatchet, Club, Sickle, Scythe, any Gun  
Fight as: Wizard
Save as: Wizard

Scholar magicians who learn spells from books and enchanted objects and spend all their time at study of obscure languages and lore. They are the worst  of all fighters. Wizards learn esoteric lore to help them plunder knowledge and trades crafts to make magic items. They study dead languages and seek lost spell books and magic items. Learn spells from studying teachers and books.
May search for old books, ancient carvings in dead languages and even cave pictograms. Professional schools act like sects and brotherhoods, aiding members with labs, aid, skills and spells.
 

-Must nominate which spells memorized for day during 8 hr study period from book
-Spells materials require 1gp/lv squared in gold 1st = 1x1=1gp, 2nd = 2x2=4, etc
-Get 4 x 0 and 1st lv spells from student book +1d3 per new lv, can learn from other wizards books and scrolls
. Beginners book AC6 20HP. 1 page = 1 spell lv or 4 0 lv cantrips = 30gp materials to make
-learning new found spells takes int check or you never comprehend the spell +4 if school spell
- At 6th lv the wizard can have one 1st lv apprentice or 1d4 students with 1 x 0 lv spell each
10th he may establish a tower and attract 1d4 more followers plus one more per lv after

Specialist Wizard Schools

Common schools of magic provide access to training for wizards and offer research materials, spell components, labs, brotherhood aid and other benefits. They also offer unique spells to attract and keep members. Your school supplies you with school themed spells to learn.
 

Name:
Description
Example weapon proficiencies
Example Non weapon proficiencies
Example first spell book

Example Languages

Necromancer
Specialists in dealing with powers of death
Sickle or Scythe
Necromantic Lore, Mortician, Anatomy, Undead Lore, First Aid, Summoning Mastery
Corpse Link, Feign death, Ghost Light, Unseen Servant
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Deathlord W
 

Illusionist
Specialists in illusion and disguise
Dagger or Staff
Illusionist Lore, Sleight of Hands, Illumination, Carousing, Etiquette, Hypnotism
Mask, Ghost Light, Ventriloquism, Sleep
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient SW
 

Summoner
Specialists in conjuring servants to serve them
Whip or Staff
Summoning Lore, Summoning Mastery, Monster Lore, Animal Lore, Animal Handling, Animal Husbandry
Floating Disc, Friends, Mount, Summon Monster 1
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient SW

Arcane Smith
Specialists in making magic items
Staff or Dagger
Use Focus, Artisan, Repair, Treasure Lore, Trap Lore, Jeweler and one preferred craft
Bless Weapon, Identify, Hold Portal, Magic Missile
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient SW

Enchanter
Specialist in charming others wills
Club or Staff
Charm Lore, Iron Will, Carousing, Story Teller, Etiquette, Play Instrument or dance or sing or poetry
Charm person, Friends, Taunt, Sleep
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient SW

Fire Elementalist
Specialists in fire magic and elementals
Dagger or Dart
Fire Lore, Extra Damage 1, Alchemy Lore, Cooking, Incediaries, Black powder
Burning Hands, Fiery Eyes, Light, Elemental Burst
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Fire  Elemental W

Air Elementalist
Specialists in Air magic and elementals
Dart or Dagger
Air Lore, Extra Range, Song Lore, Story Teller, Carousing, Play Instrument or dance or sing or poetry
Fog Cloud, Cloud Ladder, Shocking Grasp, Elemental Burst
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Air  Elemental

Earth Elementalist
Specialists in Earth magic and elementals
Staff or Sling
Earth Lore, Herbalist, Brewing, First Aid Lore, Extra Duration 1, Mining or Kingdom Lore or Mineral Lore
Shield, Floating Disc, Elemental Burst, Spider climb
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Earth  Elemental W

Water Elementalist
Specialists in Water magic and elementals
Water Lore, Swim, Boating, Fishing, Extra Area 1, Navigation Lore
Dagger or Sling
Elemental Burst, Swim, Charm Person, Fog Cloud
 
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Water Elemental W 

Alchemist
Specialists in potions and chemical weapons
Staff or Dagger
Alchemical Lore, Poison Lore, Herbalist, Scribe, Glass Blowing, Jeweler
Bless Weapon, Wizard Mark, Chromatic Orb, Fog Cloud
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Alchemical Code W

Sage
Specialists in academic study of lore
Staff or Dagger
Divination Lore, Observation, Astrology Lore, Meditation, Ancient Lore, Research
Know History, Sleep, Comprehend Languages, Magic Missile
Empire Common SW, Common SW, Ancient W, Astrological Code W

Witch
Order of folk magicians retaining elder lore in backward places
Dagger or staff
Elder Lore, Plane Lore, Astrology Lore, Familiar, Herbalist, First Aid
Charm Person, Mask, Know History, Sleep
Empire Common S, Common SW, Ancient W, Astrological Code, Elder W

Warlock
M
ilitant warrior wizards who dominate the battlefield
Dagger or Staff
Elder Lore, Kingdom Lore, Trap Lore, Focus, Incendiaries, Blackpowder
Burning Hands, Sleep, Magic Missile, Mage Armour
Empire Common S, Common SW, Ancient W, Astrological Code, Elder W


Sewer Wizard
Mad drain dwellers who teach wizardry to the poor
and scribe spells on rat skins

Club or Staff
Animal Lore, Animal Trainer, City Lore, Trap Lore, Familiar, Tatoo
Hold Portal, Sleep, Fog Cloud, Reduce
Empire Common S, Common SW, Ancient W, Rat S, Elder W

 
WIZARD XP
+1 per 1gp spent on books, teachers, libraries, laboratories, building a sanctum, exotic magical materials, magical implements, artifacts, incense pleasing to outsiders,  donations to libraries and universities.
+100/lv casting spells to win victory
+100 xp for reading books, studying libraries and deciphering documents
Double XP for dueling another spell caster

EMO DnD Classes pt 2: Priest




From look and Learn magazine http://www.lookandlearn.com/

Note my Alignment system is a bit different - ill do a piece on it later. My gods may have sects of different alignment who fight. Mortals may be Lawful Good but be really bad at it. An honorable LE might be better than a CN madman or mistaken lawful good. Supernatural outsiders judge these things far more seriously than most mortals. Priests are supposed to nudge people the right direction. Gods in my world dont usually intervene on individuals unless they are very pretty or high level or at least kings. They punish people clumsily and en mass. Monsters, demons, heroes and priests deal with individual enemies of gods.

Priests
Zealous Templars of the gods

HD: 1d8
Prime Stat: Wis
WP: 3 (+1/3rd Lv)
NWP: 4 (+1/2nd Lv)
No-WP mod: -3
Languages: 1d6+1 (+1/2nd lv) S=spoken and W=written
 
Spells: Priest
NWP: Priest, Common Spell Caster
Shield: Any
Armour: Any
Weapon: Maul, Mace, Flail, Staff, any Crossbow, Dagger, Sling, Rock, Club, Hammer, any Gun
Fight as: Priest
Save as: Priest

Holy fighters for their gods and faith. Use holy prayers and gods miracles for spells. Competent soldiers and organized military fighters. They often study fields of interest to their god as well as esoteric lore, rituals and divination. Cult languages’ and dead languages help study holy texts. Missionaries and war priests learn language on their travels to help conversion and may use secret codes too. Priests often practice trades and even banking to support campaigns or maintain monasteries. Fit priests seek to be on the frontier of their faith or battling its enemies with constant warfare. Some stay home to guard sacred ground or seek hidden enemies from within like evil heretics. Priests may evoke various gods and spirits and saints and prophets or may specialize in one sect. Standard priests have power over the undead and unholy. Their order carry blunt weapons and against blades, spears and bows but more modern crossbows and guns are not mentioned in ancient holy books.

Priests are the authority on alignment matters and acknowledge the whole pantheon of good and evil gods and various abstract philosophical ideals, spirits, ancestors, saints and other forces. The typical player cleric or templar follows the sects with alignments of good and or law. Evil priests are mirror opposites causing harm with opposite spells, commanding undead and darkness. Druids are a specialist priest with a separate class who deal with the middle way and serving the balance or are just neutral. Priests follow and teach morality of alignment philosophy which may determine where souls goes when you die.

-Holy Power: Turn Undead effect 1d6 HD/lv, one use per lv per day, If undead has more HD than priest lv then they may save to resist. If HD rolled doubles the actual HD present and they have less HD than the priest they are destroyed. Specialist priests have a different holy power. Evil priests instead coerce undead to move where they direct and instead of destroying them gain voice control through the underworld powers.
-Spell casting from cult approved priest spells, must prey for 8 hrs to recover, learn prayers from cult prayer texts or other learning aids like strings of beads, scrolls or temple carvings
-Many priest spells reversible* but you must learn separately if available to you, tend to be more for evil like harming, maiming, disease, curses etc and invent an evil name for them.
-At 5th a 1st lv priest is sent to serve you and one more every lv after
-Build a shrine at 6th gain +1d6 followers, a temple at 10th gain +2d6 followers, a great temple at 15th gain +3d6 followers and a wondrous monument at 20th gain +4d6 followers

Specialist Priest Sects
-A starting priest is either a standard pantheon following one as above or a specialist following one being with its own weapon restrictions, extra spells, holy power, etc 
-A common Priests can join a particular specialist sect at any point he goes up a lv, worshiping one god instead or the generic pantheon and changing his holy power, weapons and abilities to accord with the new sect. A sect must accept your change of order but a gift of 1000gp/lv or some mighty service  helps. Changing from a specialist sect to another makes the old god angry and will earn you trouble into the next life. So wait till 10th.
-At 10th Lv you may get benefits of joining an additional specialty sect and another at 20th pick a third cult. Many gods have families or are married so this is fine to worship a triad of great gods, a married couple, siblings or even a balance of the single god with the forces of the whole pantheon like a standard priest. You must obey restrictions of all your priest types who grant you power.

specialist priest examples for Babylonian gods here:
ill have to amend the powers more to be inline with one here for HD and effect
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/babylonian-gods-for-elfmaids-and-octopi.html

PRIEST XP
+1 per 1gp spent on church tithes, missions, pilgrimages, charity, adding to church lands, conversions, scriptures, cult enhancing symbols, monuments, relics, artworks, holy crusades, destroying cult enemies, copying holy books
+100 using Holy power to win over cult enemies
+100/lv casting spells to win over cult enemies
+100 XP for visiting Places holy to the faith or recovering relics or lands.
Double XP for destroying undead or principle foes of the cult if dedicated to a god

Monday 26 November 2012

EMO DnD Classes pt 1: Warrior



From look and Learn magazine http://www.lookandlearn.com/

EMO (Elfmaids & Octopi) DnD classes
So im going to start going through my versions of character classes. Ill do my warrior first then the other big 3. Ill do my language and proficiencies after the big four. The point of my WP and NWP system is that exotic, culturally specific and other classes are irreverent. As are feats which many appear as NWP. Im thinking of a basic list for beginners so as to not distract them with too many choices (but wizards dont complain if you offer them too many spells). Core classes have a specific NWP list but Int derived skills can be from any weapon or NWP. In play classes can learn non class NWP after first but need a teacher.

In my game players mostly are spell casters. Using proficiencies is what make characters stand out and gives every lv gained a thrill. Have made some very impressive horsemen, archers and barbarians in play. But an old fashioned damage sponge with shield specialties up front is nice too.

Warrior
Penultimate champion of martial struggle


HD: 1d10
Prime Stat: Str
WP: 4 (+1/Lv)
NWP: 3 (+1/3rd Lv)
No-WP mod: -2
Languages: 1d4+1 (+1/3rdlv) S=spoken and W=written

Spells: None
NWP: Warrior
Shield: Any
Armour: Any
Weapon: Any
Fight as: Warrior
Save as: Warrior

Versatile professional soldiers who depends on combat skills to dominate the battle field.  Specialist in fighting and martial arts proficiencies. Warriors are trained in many styles from many teachers and experiences. They have a natural mastery and dedication to the arts of war. The adaptable warrior can change his style during his career cross training to become a holy fighter, a wizard killer or sneaky bandit. Warriors are experienced campaigners and are more often skilled in outdoor travel and survival. They become leaders of armies and embroiled in the great struggles of power between lords.

-Can inflict critical hits as per weapon , can buy extra weapon proficiency slots to raise this chance (other must pay for this skill)
-Can take weapon specializations higher than other classes (up to 3 slots in specialization instead of +1 max)
-If battling 1HD or less creatures get one Att per Lv
-Xtra +1 attack at 5th lv then +2 at 10th etc
-lv 3 use next larger damage dice vs larger than human creatures on one dice
- lv 5 attract either a 1st 1v follower, a loyal warhorse or other pet like a war dog or wolf
-Warriors attract followers as above or +1d6 men at arms per every lv after 5th - can save these for specialty followers - chariot team = 2d6 or longboat = 3d6
-lv8 Warriors can use next dice up with any weapon vs any target eg d8 sword becomes d10, only effects one dice so 2d4 becomes 1d4+1d6
-May create a stronghold at 10th (or establish a horde or ship or dungeon or other base of operations)
-After 10th can select exotic creatures or mounts instead of 1d6 followers - ogre, winged horse, take d6 as HD instead numbers - could be a young specimen and be allocated more HD when you next lv up - eg griffon or giant

Specialist Warrior Schools

Name:
Description
Example weapon proficiencies
Example exotic weapon proficiencies
Example Non weapon proficiencies
Example Languages

Example weapon proficiencies may be considered a group for a weapon group proficiencies (2 slots - 4 basic weapons) – leaves most starting warriors with 2 more slots for exotic martial skills like brawl or weapon expert. Other weapons and NWP can be chosen - these are just typical.

Empire  Knight:
Noble cavalry from the heartland of the empire
Long sword, Lance, Dagger, Short bow
Long Sword Expert +1, Ride by Attack
Ride Horse, Etiquette, Heraldry
Empire S, Common S, Trade S, Ancient W, Battle Signals

Forest Hunter
Scouts, explorers and protectors of game
Long Sword, Dagger, Long bow, Hand Axe
2 weapon attack, Shoot into Melee
Track, Scout, Hunting
Wild Man S, Common S, Ranger Signs W, Old S, Goblin S

Old Ways Barbarian
Tribal beserkers from the Wilderness beyond the Empire
Battle Axe, Short Spear, Sabre, Dagger
Toughness, Berserk Frenzy
Survival, Fire Making, Improvise Weapons
Old S Common S, Wild Man S, Elfish S, Horde Tongue S, 

Fearsome Viking
Fearsome warriors and traders from the frozen north sea
Battle Axe, Short Spear, Long Sword, Hand Axe
Sea Legs, Berserk Frenzy
Sailing or Boating, Swim, Trade
Northern S, Common S, Ancient Runes W, Dwarf S, Elf S

Empire Guardsman
Alert city watchmen of the Empires cities
Short Spear, Long sword, Crossbow, Dagger
All round Defense, Reflexes
Spot, Guard, Alertness
Empire SW, Common SW, Old S

Fearless Amazon
Savage all women tribe who defy the Emperor
Short Spear, Short bow, Dagger, Javelin
Fast Draw Spear, Short Spear Expert +1
Ride Horse, Boyer-Fletcher
Sea tongues S, Common S, Ancient W,  Horde tongue S, Easterner S

Seafaring Mariner
Seafaring marines and pirates
Crossbow, Dagger, Sabre, Short Spear
(the ancient version would have trident, net, short sword, dagger)
Sea legs, 2 weapon attack
Swim, Boating, Rope Use
Sea Tongue S, Common SW, Easterner S, Northern S

Horde Horse Archer
Plainsmen archers of the great plains who menace the Empire
Composite Short Bow, Sabre, Lance, Spear
Ride by Attack, Shoot to move
Ride Horse, Ride Quickmount, Animal handling
Horde tongue S, Common S, Easterner S, Orc S, Old S

Stout Yeoman
A landed class of  farmer independent of lords on land granted by king
Staff,  2h Sword,  Longbow,  Dagger or short bow and short sword if weaker
Longbow Expert+1, Shoot Extra Range
Bowyer-Fletcher,  Farm Lore, Animal Handling
Empire SW, Common SW,  Old S

Doomed Gladiator
A sport fighter for slaughter in the Empires arenas
Trident, Net, Short Sword, Dagger
2weapon attack, Brawling
Improvised weapons, Carousing, Drive Chariot
Empire S, Common S, Old S, Wildman S, Orc S

Cocky Musketeer
A gun and powder wielder from most modern battlefronts
Any Musket, Any Pistol, Dagger, Sabre
2weapon attack, fast draw ammo
Run Away, Black powder, Gunnery

Empire SW, Common SW, Old S

Career Duelist
A career duelist for money
Sabre, Rapier, Dagger, Dirk
Fast Draw, Choice blade Sword Expert +1
Etiquette, Grooming, Ride

FIGHTER XP
+1 per 1gp spent on territory, battle manuals, weapons, armour, fortifications, soldiers, status symbols, mounts, gifts,hospitality, feasts, combat schools, gladiator spectacles, war
+10/HD defeated in battle
+100 for declaring victory or defeating any famous name foe or commanding a conquering force
Double XP for single combat, including jousts, gladiatorial matches or duels or even other contests

Sunday 25 November 2012

Leveling Up - basics for all classes


This is the second part of my section 3 EMO rules - basics of what every class get per level. Its a mashup of Bx DnD, 2nd and 3.5 ed adnd.

Leveling Up - basics for all classes


Level    XP         Healing Rate - Title and reputation
-1 Lv     -            1/week    Typical peasant -1 Lv 1d4 hp            -
0 Lv      -500      1/week Typical Man-at-arms at arms 0 Lv 1d6 hp
1st         0           1/day Beginning adventurer
Locals smile at you slightly amused
2             2000    1/day Green adventurer
Villagers look impressed
3             4000    1d3/day    Promising adventurer
Townsfolk heard of the new punk
4             8000    1d4/day    Bloodied adventurer
Dangerous to mess with
5             1600    1d6/day    Veteran adventurer
A respected and successful hero
6             3200    1d6/day    Master adventurer
A fearsome reputation in the city
7             6400    1d6/day    Elite adventurer
A regionally renown champion to be reckoned with
8           12500    1d8/day    Might Adventurer
A mighty leader and famous hero of the nation
9             25000   1d8/day    Lord adventurer
Your presence commands respect from the mighty
10         50000    1d10/day Legendary adventurer
Your songs will be sung forever!

-5% if prime 15
-10% if prime is 18
-5% if study under a private tutors at least 4lv higher, can pick any proficiency or language they have
-10% if study at the university, can pick any proficiency or language available

At 5th Lv gain+1 attribute point then again at 10th Lv  then again at at 15th and 20th
Healing doesn’t improve much after 10th, d12 at 12th and 1d20 at 20th.
no more HD after 10th lv but get 1 + con bonus per lv
NWP success bonus Add +1 Lv 4-6, +2 7-10 then every 3 Lv get +1
At 20th level you are a mighty hero-saint of the age - may join the gods

Self Training
No cost, learn class standard proficiencies only, 24 hrs contemplation after being well rested and fed per Lv. Wizards need some means to gain new spells – books or another wizard still or perhaps scraps of many burned spell books. It is assumed the character is always studying and training for their next new skill.

Cross Training
Learn non class skill or exotic language off another hero or hired tutor part time.

Tutor Trained

A paid teacher of 4 lv higher than you can also reduce xps required to advance by -5% but you need to pay and take time. One week per lv x500gp/week cost. Separate tutors for separate skills and languages may be need to be found but all ends up same cost – a fantastic role playing opportunity seeking teachers to find weird Proficiencies. A DM might choose to make a teacher rare and or unreasonable.

Book Study
Certain books can act as tutors for 1d3 proficiencies. You need to have right read skill or a servant to read for you for twice the time requirement. They are valued items starting from 1000x number of proficiencies with more expensive versions in rare languages, or some are great art works or contain rare or forbidden lore. Some are illegal.

Skullport U
Not recognized in the empire, Skullport U was funded by pirates who wanted to educate their children and advance science of navigation and magic to aid their piracy. Learn from professional teachers and get any class proficiencies including armour and shields and weapons normally forbidden to you and -10% off XP cost to go up also. Takes Lv x 1000gp per week, one week per lv. Wizard towers of every order, every temple and shrine, martial artist schools, circus troupes, student brawls, carousing, artisans, assassins, libraries all play their role in a good education at skullport. Go roll on carousing table on graduation unless you make a Wis check or are a priest of Law.

XP Goals
+50-100 Good Idea
+100-500 Party saving idea
+100-200 Role-play Well – alignment extremism, heroic sacrifice, 
+100-200 Encourage other players
+xp value Single combat with enemy
+10% Victory Bonus
+1 per 1gp spent on training and other specific class expenses
+1 per mile traveled on foot or horse (+1 per 7 miles at sea)
 each class has its own list too



i have a hit save table for all but ill put in as a graphic later                 

ill start on my classes later but basically:

primary classes
W
arrior
P
riest

Rogue
Wizard

secondary classes
Sorcerer
Druid
Monk
Bard

non-humans
Elf
Dwarf
Halfling
Tako - octopus folk
 
still thinking about these

 tertiary classes
Paladin - holy champion of the gods
Ranger - ancient hunters and wood lords
Shaman - has hybrid spell list cast at will, spirit travel
(psion or yogi if civilized)
Berserker - bestial shape shifting barbarian champion

secondry non humans
Spirit Folk - shapes shifters connected to primal powers (beast, nature, elemental, divine)
Beast Folk - various sentient animal human hybrids (boar, dog, reptile and goat common)
Giant - young giant growing up among little folk until detected
Mutant - hideous freaks with strange powers - random powers and looks

Tertiary non human (goblinoids)
Kobold - sneaky trap building swarming hordes
Goblin - sneaky, thieving, skulking, magic loving
Hobgoblin - effective warrior men at arms
Bugbear - heavy elite stealth infantry

Saturday 24 November 2012

Concequences and Agency in RPG?


Crime and punishment in RPG?

Mutant Epoch deals with topics the 80s TSR family friendly product aimed at me would never have dealt with. What happens when the bad guys get you. In mutant epoch many characters are ex slaves and many of those made as sex slaves. Many creatures can reproduce with other species like cockroach people. And many monsters fancy attractive people.

Warhammer games have an edge, as does 2000AD comics. In Call of Cthulhu being captured by a cult is pretty bad. There are 1/2 orcs in DnD and 1/2 elves and an elaborate prostitute table in the ad&d DMG that's about it. Its the most different thing about mutant epoch.

My mom ran multiple state prisons assures me either gender can suffer same victimization in captivity. While in mutant epoch men get eaten and women get to be slaves. I dont want to get too gritty here but if it came up id make all characters have or fear the same horrible fate.

I am thinking of updating this freely and possible have some variants for culture-tech-alignment.

This is more for savage tribal types or evil - most pre-modern justice is cruel



Unhappy Fate if Captured table
01-3 Beaten unconscious and dumped in wilderness 1HP left
4-5 Beaten unconscious and dumped in city 1HP left
6 Beaten unconscious and dumped in danger 10%HP left
7-8 Bound out in wilderness - tied and staked, tied to tree, trapped in pit, buried to neck
9-10 Bound in public - crucified, stocks, caged, gibbet, tied and staked, whipping post
11-12 Publicly shamed and humiliated, flogged and dumped 1HP
13-15 Buried alive in a cave or box or sealed in a wall or bridge
16-19 Thrown to creatures for entertainment
20-21 Used as entertaining toy for sadistic sports - hunting, sparring, tug of war
22-24 Ritual ordeal (fire-walk, dunking in well, fall off a tower, thrown in sinkhole, etc)
25 Tied to creature or creatures and set loose
26 Tied to a corpse and abandoned
27 Bound and gagged and dragged off to distant land for weeks - roll again on arival
25-28 Tortured -1 Str&Con, roll again if survive
29-31 Tortured and mutilated -1d6Cha and roll again if survive
32-33 Tortured and crippled -1d6Str&Con and roll again if survive
34 Run the gauntlet - roll again if survive
35-39 Enslaved - labour (and/or sexual if good looking)
40 Enslaved - made to brutalize even kill other prisoners or roll again
41-42 Enslaved and sold at market far away
43 Enslaved by other prisoners
44-46 Enslaved as gladiator +1 Str and Con after 1d6 years if you live
46 Enslaved to militia
47 Enslaved to vile cult or state ritual service
48 Enslaved as eunuch - castrated
49 Enslaved by conditioning in service of captors as a war beast -1d6Int
48 Enslaved as specialized labour - can learn a new skill in 1 year
49-50 Enslaved as expendable - salt miner, test subject, poison taster, trap tester, bait
51 Imprisoned and treated as worthy visiting ambassador - roll again if try to escape and fail
52-55 Imprisoned and restrained with chains or tied or kept in a box -1d6 Str&Con after 1d6 months
56-57 Imprisoned with worst brutes and killers +1 Str and Con after 1d6 years if you live
58-59 Imprisoned with diseased -1d6 con
56-60 Imprisoned for breeding and or marriage
61-63 Imprisoned and fattened up in larder -1Str, +1 Con
64-66 Imprisoned and ransomed -1Str&Con/year - roll again if not paid after 1d6 years
67 Exiled to edge of territory - death if you return
68 Exiled too a distant colony - death if you return
69-75 Sacrifice for the gods
76-79 Executed by leaders decree in public spectacle
80-81 Killed and buried with ritual
82-83 Killed and dumped
84 Killed quietly and body dissolved in acid or lava
85-86 Killed and mutilated and dumped
87 Killed by being burned alive, remains scattered or eaten
88-94 Killed and eaten - barbequed, cooked in a pot, eaten alive, not pretty
95-97 Killed and turned into a trophy
98-00 Killed turned to undead or monster

The table is intended to give a general threat and possibly a chance to escape. Its a springboard to adventure rather than a sure death table. But being resurrected from found body in the creek is a possibility and might opens more plots. Savage beings may respect a survivor and offer the player membership and freedom if they take torture on the chin well. Perhaps a fellow prisoner or sect help you escape and call a favour. Perhaps a priest heals the recovering former prisoners and demands a service. Maybe the bad guys offer you a chance to avoid your execution. Obligations to others provide interesting outcomes in a campaign.

I tabulated horrible stuff captors want to do - not as absolute fate but as intention of foes - players should have some chances to escape or provoke enemies to fight one on one (perhaps getting killed by raider better than being given to undead) or even play dead. I'll give players at least a couple of chances. I played pirate games where everyone spent month in horrible prison and fantasy games where party galley slaves for a few months. Heroes have to suffer a bit or victory is cheap.

Up to gm if stat loss lasting or take like time to recover.

Some kind people at Old School Gamers on FB recommend let players new characters rescue old ones. Or make players roll back up characters to scare them.

Thursday 22 November 2012

Gamma Gobblers

 As most of my readers are American Ive been bombed with thanksgiving cheer but luckily thanks to American TV lots of Australians know more about US traditions and history than our own. But i love turkeys and had some as my best pals growing up. Until we ate them.

I got Mutant Epoch bundle from rpg drivethrough and have bee digesting it. It has variation table for each species and lotsa goodies. Lots of really horrible mutants including bug size critters. It probably influenced me a bit from here say before I saw it. Probably will do so again. Good to see a really dense well illustrated game book after seeing too many over designed hardcovers with little content.

I hope to do some more DnD stuff but my players enjoying gamma gaming at the moment. Im tempted to do my own d1000 mutation table with ideas from Mutant epoch, 1st ed 40k, gammaworld and others. Still looking for my fantasy game maps from 80s-90s. So here is some Gamma Gobbler  goodness for now as im feeling lazy.

Name: Riding Gobblers
Number: Wild 2d6+5 flock
Morale: 6 (8 male)
HD: 8d8+4
Armour: 7

Land Speed: 12/900/18

MS 2d6+2    IN 1d4+2
DX 3d6+3    CH 2d4+1
CN 3d6+2    PS 4d4+10 (4d4+20 male)

Attacks: Peck or wing buffet 2d6 or Males can make Jumping Spur Charge 2d4+6 when closing

Mutations: see below

Description: Riding gobblers are stupid but domesticated riding birds mutated from turkeys usually white, ginger, grey or wild have black-brown brindle patterned. They are also delicious but eating lots is sleep inducing. They also lay tasty eggs. Wild ones tend to hang about human settlements and don't resist being fenced off and tamed like many other creatures. Different strains with various colours and mutations abound with local breed names. Most are too fat to fly but they can hop up to 30m and like to rest in trees. With a rider this is only 10m. May do notoriously stupid things like jump in a barrel to keep out of rain and drown. Seekers often ride and farm them as do many new tribes.

d50 Common variants - usually whole group has same and colours
1 Intelligent - +2d6 Int, 33% chance can talk
2 Shock Prone - if fail morale roll freezes till source of fear gone +1d20 minutes
3 Gas generation - if scared produce 2d6+3 tear gas - it is immune
4 Antlers - 2d8 extra horn attack
5 Gamma Eye - can KO enemies
6 Radiation Eyes - zap foes with radiation
7 Explodes on death like a chemax grenadier (seekers can kill them without this effect)
8 Contagious Wattles - close prolonged contact develops wattled red flesh bubbles on rider
9 Teleport - when failed morale teleport to safety with rider
10 Sonic Blast - super destructive gobbler noises
11 Fly - full wings
12 Extra Legs - 1d4+1 extra legs +10% speed per leg - grow back if amputated (yummy)
13 Metallic Feathers - AC4
14 Cyborg - thermagraphic vision, eye view radio up-link, 2 weapon mounts
15 Beserker - If threatened attacks +4 hit till foe or self dead
16 Laughter inducing poison lasts 1d4 hours after eating 2d6+6 intensity
17 Unigobbler - a single horn extra attack+1d10, poop cures 1d3 dam, lasts only 1 day (d6/day)
18 Sense Metal - gobbles and struts if walks over buried metal
19 Altered diet - eats 1d6 1=plastic, 2=metal, 3=flesh only, 4=concrete, 5-6=contaminated waste
20 Inflatable - gobbler if enraged inflates to 4 times size and floats away as gasbag mutation
21 Extra heads - 1d3 extra alert heads sleep in shifts, sometimes try run different directions
22 Luminous - glow various colours at night depending on strain
23 Tentacles - 1d4+2 wattle covered psuedopods used to feed and grapple attack
24 Cluster bomblets - shoot 1d6 explosive 2d6 dam pellets from wattles ahead if surprised
25 Fire breather 10m cone of 4d6 fire once a day if disturbed
26 Saw wings like biological chainsaws 3d6 dam
27 Forms telepathic bonds with kin or riders
28 Danger sense - start to cluck warnings if ambush or danger near
29 Turn invisible if fail morale roll
30 Poison beak intensity 13 paralysis venom on beak
31 Wings with functional hands - tool users
32 Build mounds or rotting vegetation to hatch young (Australian bush turkeys do this)
33 Chameleon feathers - aids in hiding and communication
34 Spits gobs of acid 2d6 ranged attack 25m range
35 Grows bigger, redder, beak glows with heat if mad +2d6 peck
36 Shoots black spines from bristly beard, 1d4 shots of 1d6 per round 18m range
37 Prehensile Snood (dangly thing on beak) uses as a hand - reach to 6m
38 X-ray vision - can see hidden weapons or enamies
39 Razor spurs - spur attack wounds bleed 1hp per round till treated
40 Elongating neck - can stretch to 5m to feed or spot danger
41 Has a bulgy single eye
42 Wattle covered - red fleshy lumps all over - hideous
43 Silence field 10m radius when nervous or can be trained to raise
44 Aquatic - webbed feet and can swim like a duck
45 No legs, floats by self inflation with gas, multiple self healing gas chambers
46 Larger +1d6 PS, CN and +4 HD
47 Radiation resistant but mildly radioactive poop 1d4 intensity
48 Fear aura - if startles activates fear cloak intensity 2d4+6 mental attack once per encounter
49 Extra delicious - addictive intensity 2d6+6 to resist lifelong cravings
50 Regenerates - 1hp per round, may surgically remove meat and will recover

Gamma gobblers take to untrained riders well but look to each other for morale - all rolling as a group. The may attack with mutations if surprised or spooked. A trained rider can make his gobblers jump,  attack, be silent, sit and can use their weapons unhindered from turkey back. A trained rider makes his gobbler follow his lead not the group. A trained gobbler rider can make a CHA check to sway all surrounding gobblers in the caravan to not panic. Wild gobblers sometimes follow people home and hang about till trapped. Tamed gobblers with missing riders head to any beings that dont look scary for help.

Mr Gobbles the Bonapartist ambassador is invited to dinner with the seekers as guest of honour. He will be sure to tell his kin of the friendly greeting he received.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Gamma Aeon: King Beavers Quest


Last blog described a book that has had me dreaming weird stuff and feeling repulsed by flesh and even odd fruit at shop. So all a good influence on my fantasy brain - i tip my hat again to Brian Aldiss too.

I intended these characters to be expendable and players have learned to love them. I agreed after winter training any stat below 9 is 9. gee im nice. I still getting hang of lethality style of the game again. So im being a bit nice to not explode players much.

Starring in Game 2 of this campaign

Johnny 1111 (Mark)
From Bunker weakling to wasteland warrior - his Gamma Eyes zap the best foe out in most battles. Happy with his B-type Slug gun he is the best scavenger and still looks human.

Deathport 0002 (Matt)
The bat winged wonder chef, who has discovered joys of being party heavy weapon hoarder. Grenades, a las pistol, a sonic blaster, plus some dynamite make him a heavy hitter.

Fishtank 2414 (Carolina)
The human unicorn and pyromaniac joined the Radioactivists with suspected results. At first she turned albino so she got some sunglasses and a hood like any good mutant. Priest offered more "wisdom of the atom" and she developed a really cool power. She has been working as a brewer, arsonist and fireman in the village. She was in a book burning club in the bunker.

The heroes have dwelled in village for 3 months and winter setting in. The Mayor offers them ammo and recharges for aiding the village and other aid plus whatever they can loot. The mayor recommends anything to slow the gangs would be good so they hunted them using Johnny as bait in his bunker jumpsuit looking all awestruck at the sky.

The bandits approached - a mutie otter, the human leader and a teeth on psuedopods abomination on a chain. Fishtank sneaking up behind saw a really really fat Porcupine woman trying to blindside Johnny. Johnny took of his shades all cool and zapped the leader - bam KO. Fishtank attacked the porcupine with her axe while it tried to grab her. Johnny fired his gun at the loosened abomination charged and chomped him. Deathport flew through the tree canopy and lasered down the otter trying to drag off his leader. He was fired a poison xbow bolt and kept dragging.

Johnny kept backing off and shooting - 2h-handed grip point blank. Fishtank got grabbed on leg by porcupine and got shocked by a mutation. With her new shape mimic power based on touch she duplicated the porcupines powers and form (and she has kept it since). Two kebab coated porkers battled away swearing at each other. Deathport fried the otter and was in turn shot by a cyborg who hung back calling HQ. He was a partial face job with a full arm. Deathport was kinda taking his own medicine for once. Fishtank was knocked out and Deathport backed off after a second laser hit. The abomination biting Johnny fled with the borg.

The party took their prisoners to the village and licked their wounds. Scored a few muskets and a xbow with poison bolts.

Resting a bit and wowed a party member is now a porcupine the gang rest 2 weeks and get some healing berries from the mayor and ammo. The guys drink mutation potions. Deathpool develops military genius making him quite a bit deadlier and Johnny developed heightened precision also making his every attack deadlier. The lads made girlfriends and some unhappy village fathers while nobody will kiss a porcupine.

Deathpool leads them to the sealed door he has lusted after with his sonic blaster but the Sleeth dwelling there said they would all die if he did. So they spent a day prospecting and found some crap like lead pencils in a box and a toy ray gun that would fool many. Fishtank found 40 eggs and a fuel drum stash. They traded them with sleeth (kept cool toy) who said they were gator eggs and paid more than humans who would just eat them. They traded all their bulky food, beer and chocolate for food pills. They walked home in the dark and saw a gang ahead. Fishtank went first and climbed silently up an escarpment and almost surprised a lady blue skin mutant with pink hair. The mutant saw her and assumed she was her tribal sister and scolded her. Fishtank attacked. The rest of the evil gang back on the ground level saw the fight and just cheered instead of helping.

The abomination and cyborg were in the group with a fox woman (spotted cooking a hot dog with burning hands), An ex bunker-mate with a musket forced to join the gang and mutie medic lady with blue skin. Well Deathpool dropped a grenade and Johnny threw dynamite at the distracted gang. Blam. The bunker kid was blasted into chunks, the blue medic teleported and the fox jumped into a parallel universe (gone for at least a week). The others were seriously battered and the cyborg and deathpool lasered each other again. Fishtank jumped on the abomination, pinning it and shocking it. Johnny walked up and killed the damned abomination at last. The cyborgs head exploded from a laser and they cut off his arm. His home base radioed him during procedure which always feels a bit awkward.


Home again and a winter of training. So i bottomed up their worse stats. Acolyte Fishtank studied mutant lore, Deathpool improved his raygun skills and Johnny improved his number of attacks with guns (double tap!). By spring the party was sent by mayor to Beaverton with a letter to the Beaver king. They sailed by giant sea otter and were welcomed by beavers and given apartments. They traded some tat at market and saw a battered ruin of a 1.5 tonne life ray, going cheap. Fishtank got a blowpipe and met some real porcupines. She also swapped her bunker brand ciggies for beaver cigars (rolled on thighs of beaver maidens). Every one in future cancer proof so smoking makes a comeback. Met some tortoises trading lettuces. The beaver folk were mostly true-breed mutation proof ani-men aqua laborers. Some were ordinary mutant animal beavers. Party met first talking tobacco plant and saw pack triffids (ok when you cut their heads off).

The beaver tabernacle was 8 floors high and 24  m wide with other log domes around it. Some hangers and parts of the old airfeild were off limits. Beavers had a reactor, industrial pumps and several armored cars. Humans were second class but not unhappy as the Beaver Kings law was pretty good. He even married a human for his controversial 5th wife. So they met the king in his throne room and were invited to a feast.

At dinner the party acquitted themselves not to well. Johnny offended an aristocratic dueler beaver with his refusal to admire delicious wood chips and methanol. Deathpool tried to boast about the party deeds (talked a bit down) and beaver ladies yawned  behind their fans. Fishtank as a porcupine got on fine and they all liked her concern for fire fighting. She thought sea otter folk smashing crabs on their chests and hugging adorable. The ape ambassador frowned at them the whole time and gossiped with Johnny's new enemy. He was hoping to have apes and beavers unite in a crusade. But good king beaver likes Mormons and friendly people over war or any species.

Then they were taken to king beavers lab. They saw his models of wooden cities and wooden rockets made from iron skinned mutant redwoods. Sadly no apes would volunteer yet. Gave party police stars and letters and a passbook (or logbook for beavers) and letters or trade. He offered them batteries and bullets and apartments. Fishtank got a ww2 style flame thrower her arson dreams come true. Johnny got a beaver made bolt action .303 with bayonet. Deathpool got a high tech riot helmet with megaphone, radio, gas mask, thermograph vision and POLICE across front. King beaver wanted them to first check out the island and get to know it, perhaps do some old bunker looting. But his real goal was a secret in a chest.

The contents were a hideous metallic pod with a grimacing skull face and some input ports. Inside the peeled metal was a human skull with no teeth and massive brain pan with a tiny mummified baby like body plumbed into the exosuit. He explained this thing was found in a crater five yeras ago freshly dead in a wreck. He accessed its exoskeleton logs to discover it was a scout of a branch of humanity that has been in space for over 200 years and now planned to return. They were all big brained with stunted bodies and needed their exosuits to live. It had observed moon bases, orbitals and a warden class starship orbiting the moon. You can also see ruins of Earths beanstalk in Africa. It had sent a message home stating Earth had been found and needed terraforming - too much oxygen.

Good King beaver explained he needed the superior bunker bred technical knowledge of party to find functional space hardware and marshal defenses against these returned to earth horrors. The party all fully impressed accept their quest. Deathpool volunteered to join the Beaver brand of Mormonism on the spot. He is debating putting word BEAVER or MORMON on his helm next to word POLICE.