Saturday 31 May 2014

Minerology of Exile Island

Im not sure if this city worships chaos or law? I think Glorantha did metals best but...

A common spell is bless metal that activates the occult properties of metal. A seperate spell for each metal with cults and schools or cultures preferring a type.  Some metals have higher level spells. Bless metal requires a sacrifice of 1000 gp of goods or livestock or slaves per pound. Create one pound per level. One day in ritual forge per lv. Becomes as strong as steel for armour and weapons. Spell takes a day per pound. Should have as raw and pure as possible source.

Copper 2nd lv
The first metal, a holy protector against many old spirits and often used in holy symbols
Popular for cooking, sickles, armbands, jewellery, wire, bowls, plates, vessels, razor,
As a magical weapon can harm magic and +2 vs spirits in corporeal form
As magical wand detecting evil
As magical jewellery +1 save save spirits abilities or spells
As a magical device often a coin or hand sized wedge for cutting and igniting fires with a spark
As a magical armour or shield offers +2 AC vs spirits in corporeal form

Tin 2nd lv
The second used is a metal of purity and preservation used for protection
Popular for containers, decorative sheet metal cladding, light helmets, plates, pots 
As a magical weapon +1 on any edged weapon to hit
As magical wand detect contaminated food or water
As magical jewellery +1 WIS save vs spells
As a magical device often a decorative disc on another item +1 save vs fear
As a magical armour or shield +1AC vs outer planes beings

Lead 2nd lv
The third associated with silence and darkness
Popular for containers, weights, blunt weapons, mauls, eye makeup, slings, pipes
As a magical weapon +1 on any blunt weapon to damage, popular for slings
As magical wand detect water
As magical jewellery +1 save vs blindness
As a magical device often a ornamental weigh that can detect weight of an object
As a magical armour or shield is silent

Gold 3rd lv
The fourth is associated with light and ruler ship, pleasing to the gods
Popular for decoration, jewellery, vessels, plates, rings, torcs, cups
As a magical weapon +1d4 on any with negative plane powers such as weights or shadows
As magical wand make light
As magical jewellery +1 CHA
As a magical device often a neck ring or crown +1 CON save
As a magical armour +1AC vs evil

Silver 3nd lv
The 5th metal of the moon and can harm devils, lycanthropes and many undead
Popular for decorations, jewellery, also weapons against certain supernatural beings
As a magical weapon +1 vs devils, lycanthropes and undead
As magical wand detect magic
As magical jewellery +1 save vs powers of devils, lycanthropes and many undead
As a magical device often a medallion or necklace glows near devils, lycanthropes and undead
As a magical armour or shield +1AC vs devils, lycanthropes and undead

Electrum 3nd lv 
The first alloy important to alchemists, child of sun and the moon gods
Popular for decorations and jewellery
As a magical weapon +1 vs evil
As magical wand detect negative energy beings
As magical jewellery +1 save vs evil
As a magical device often a medallion or torc +1 DEX saves
As a magical armour or shield once a month absorbs effect of 1 level of energy drain for user

Bronze 3nd lv
The second alloy and the first metal of war
Popular for decorations, jewellery, weapons, armour, tools
As a magical weapon +1
As magical wand detect enemy
As magical jewellery +1 save vs fire
As a magical device often a medallion or tiny statuette +1 STR
As a magical armour or shield +1AC

Iron 3nd lv
Metal of death's, can be cold forged and can harm fey, demons and undead
Popular for horse shoes, weapons and tools
As a magical weapon +1 vs demons and fey and undead
As magical wand detect detect chaos
As magical jewellery +1 save vs chaos
As a magical device often a armband or headband +1 vs charm
As a magical armour or sheild +1AC vs demons and fey and undead
 

Steel 3nd lv
Modern metal of war stolen from dwarfs or found in star stones
Popular for armour, weapons and tools
As a magical weapon +1
As magical wand detect detect north
As magical jewellery +1 vs cold
As a magical device often a tool +1 NWP craft skill
As a magical armour or shield +1AC

Platinum 3nd lv
Bright metal or white gold is attractive and strong makes magical alloyed steel
Popular for jewellery or decorative tools and weapons
As a magical weapon +1 vs elementals
As magical wand detect treasure
As magical jewellery +1 vs electricity
As a magical device often a tool +1 NWP craft skill
As a magical armour or shield +1AC vs elementals

Mithril 4th lv
Enchanted alloy of cold iron and silver invented by elves but also mined
Popular for weapons, amour and tools
As a magical weapon +1, +2 vs evil
As magical wand detect evil
As magical jewellery +2 save vs evil
As a magical device often a tool +2 NWP craft skill
As a magical armour or shield  +1AC, +2 vs evil

Galvorn 4th lv
Stygian alloy of lead and iron invented by dark elves and mined in the underworld
Popular for weapons, amour and tools
As a magical weapon +1, +2 vs good
As magical wand detect good
As magical jewellery +2 save vs good
As a magical device often a tool +2 NWP craft skill
As a magical armour or shield  +1AC, +2 vs good Lv

Cobolt 4th
Developed by kobolds to fight dwarves and elves, poison to humans, also called koboldium
Popular for weapons, traps and tools
As a magical weapon burns with light +1 damage
As magical wand detect fey
As magical jewellery +1 save vs fey
As a magical device like a trap or clad on floor does 1hp per 10" crossed, DEX save 1/2 for half
As a magical armour or shield it glows with fiery light

Orachalcum 5th lv
Alloy of cold iron, gold and bronze produces light if struck
Popular for weapons, amour and tools
As a magical weapon +1d3 sparks
As magical wand detect metal
As magical jewellery +1 save vs magic and fear
As a magical device often +2 vs fire
As a magical armour or shield  produces light if struck

Adamant 6th lv
a metal used by the gods, especially to kill gods
Popular for weapons, amour and tools
As a magical weapon can hit any type of physical being
As magical wand detect gods
As magical jewellery +1 all saves
As a magical device often +3 tools
As a magical armour or shield cannot be broken

El 6th lv
The alien metal of the outer gods sensitive to other planes, often called El Metal
Popular for weapons, amour and tools
As a magical weapon can hit non corporeal, out of phase or plane beings
As magical wand detect planar gates or beings
As magical jewellery save on death or return as undead being
As a magical device often allows contact other plane once a week
As a magical armour or shield +2 vs other planar beings or spirits or undead

Could do kinds of stone later

Friday 30 May 2014

Helter Skelter in the Dungeon: Dungeon Race War

Will describe some setting hoopla on my dungeon + some links and talk for ad libbing all this Devil Hill business. And whats all this thing about that god under the dungeon? And why are the great powers interested in the Dungeon?

For now detailing the non humans and history which might be relevant to devil hill.

Lots of thoughts on this as I'm running it and fleshing out history of the island. Sadly dungeoneers are perpetuating a cycle of colonialism, extermination and hipster urbanisation.

Some players appreciate the original setting and work with it respectfully as a DM which id great. If I say local cultural beliefs look down on cheap hothousing and power mad adventurers, many of my players listen. Some wanna push the setting which is good if everyone else can cope with it. One person can drive a party into banditry or blood feud with they're personal agenda. Characters working for a faction will have an influence as should party establish cheap chain of taverns and mass produce chickens. Some are indifferent to setting and want power ups and kill kill kill. Or players like DnD spreadsheet number twerking which I don't have the maths brain thing like that. But  different kinds of players are all cool if they actually enjoy each others company. I guess really basic character classes enable these types.

At moment party regarded as new rich mercenary part time shopkeepers and looters.
Party looking more like some kinda cheap wannabe noble adventurer gang now. Newschool adventurers are seen by common folk like we look at drug addled gangsters in the uncool parts of town. Murder hobos, pressing the frontiers, camping in goblin territory. Might own houses but dont stay there much. Lets hope this humanoid rights thing never gets sorted out right and we can just go and take their stuff. Meanwhile their vulgar antics of adventurers and atempts at prestige condemn them to Gildentown, a suburb of Shadelport for the new rich. Cheap and flashy part of town with gold painted drain pipes for columns and lots of cement gardens and monster wedding cake houses. Flashy chariots and loud tempers as everyone here out to be better.

Shame of the old races

I will do more weird elf shit in the future.

Problem is the oldschool goblins have held their turf peacefully for millennium by having nothing humans want in the swamps and, mountains but as humans pushed in goblins who were bred as frontier soldiers by elves moved, back into to the goblin heartland. Their culture was shattered into thousands of gibbering tribes and variants forever. They are no longer a major force in he world but are still mighty and remnants of goblin kingdoms very powerful. Dark elves use goblins as serfs and make them grow mushrooms, hunt grubs and all sorts of bad jobs for a  slave cast. Many even fight for elves. Elves use them from necessity and don't waste them as most bosses do. Dark elf goblins insist every man wounded is carried away by three men. They get better medical care. More of them become boss types. They live longer, are not allowed to harm each other, so many volunteer knowing elves will feed and protect them

Elves kill you for treachery or persecuting them.

So any way the old school goblins in the mountain are the oldest and use stone weapons still. Darts, javelins, bows and spears are their favourite weapons. Blowpipes, bolos, garrottes and others are see too. Living where humans hate is the best tactic and why underland kingdoms of goblins everywhere like ancient times. Some goblins grown from beans, fern bushes, thorn bushes, cabbages, eggs, fungus especially toadstools. Elf women have been known to induce litters of other fey species but shunned is the birthing of goblinoids. Once loose they breed at a rate faster than humans so make up for slow elf breeding times. Elves reproductive rates so low they are doomed. Goblins are probably doomed but are putting up a lot of trouble. They migrate also to the great mountain passageway goblin kingdoms.

Goblinoids regard Devil hill as a sacred homeland.

Hobgoblins like maces and glaives and love crossbows and metal armour. More advanced goblin frontier tribes often have weapons like the humans they fight, like barbarians, empire, the Barony. Hobgoblins are naturally hard working and even employable but so easily offended and riled up. Goblins use this and keep their dumber cousins in control. Elves used hobgoblins to fight orcs and humans. Hobgoblins think best about war and domination, with leaders emerging which are smarter quite often. In matters of politics they are easily offended and outraged at anything even bad language sets them off.

Norkers are a dawn age ancestor of goblins and hobgoblins that had a resurgence in the stone age. Nilbogs are blessed chaos tainted chosen ones. Thouls are a terrible troll ghoul goblin cross breed bred for war and to guard kings. Goblins adapt in a single generation to local environments, developing small adaptions, skin colour, hair whatever.

Orcs are made by wizards in the stone age. The spell turns a ritually murdered elf corpse into a newborn orc warrior. Since then turns out you dont need the ritual at all that was just bullshit, you just need a couldron with room for lots of bodies. Elves created the version of the spell to crate orcs from peat and swamp clay and your enemies dead orcs into orcs. It was a messy war with extermination of a wizard school. Originally all orcs were  masculine and neuter. Then the half orc heretics came up with a way to make orcs able to breed,and again the elves killed their school. Later orc hero got wishes and made a dozen female orcs. All females are descended from one of the 12 mothers. Male and female cant be identified by human on sight mostly. Orcs make no difference to gender but mothers have developed obvious gender characteristics like breasts, and are elites. Mothers of half ogres or half trolls are heroes. Babies come out in a sack that continue to grow before opening. Great mothers produce litters. Allows them to breed faster, Grow longer hair and eyelashes. Orcs were made in devil hill long ago and regard as an important place to them. Other humanoids to fight and possible means to make more if they could understand the artifacts.

Bugbears are goblin mutation or sub species that gravitate to own kind to form tribes and breed true, but not as fast as most goblinoids. Bugbears often act as goblin chiefs, assassins, executioners, and champions among many goblin tribes. Other bugbears snub these losers. They love to sneak and kill after a good stalk. Cant help themselves. Hobgoblins and bugbears more wary of each other. Hobgoblins might snap and turn on them.

Dark and Bright elves are both related and tend to live in each others blind spots. They are said to be a bright elf for  every dark elf, a kind of spiritual twin. The king and queen of elfland are the gods of elves. Both have many forms and bodies. The gods of the bright and dark elves are actually the same beings. Humans just dont get it. Elves quarrel with little harm with millennia of skirmishing, but both unite against humans. On the Island they are separated by humans and seldom meet. Both politic with humans of the Empire and the Barron and have had elf slaying declared a crime in those lands. Elves are crossing the human lands more openly now and some are seen going in and out of Ghostwood. Elves come to dungeons to hire and buy slave goblinoids and trade. Looking for relics, gems and pretty ancient things attract elf adventurers. Dark elf woods near by and dwelling under the dungeon so most likely to meet.

Kobolds are type goblinoid nature spirit of low and dark places. The are industrious and hardworking, building in a mania from ancestral dungeon styles since the dawn age. Kobolds know they are small and use tactics and numbers to win. They are smart, crafty and brave in numbers, Many enslave them to use like drones for work or trap clearing. If you keep kobolds drunk they are lusty and entertaining companions prone to lewdness and loyalty. Shadel port sell them as house brownies and barn brownies. They love underground but like humans adapt to any climate. They were once a sea power and all can swim very well. They are one of the most successful goblinoids due to their age, skill and breeding rare. They are pretty good at magic. Had someone play my kobold character kit at 13th level. Kobolds heroes have elements of fighter, magic user and theif. Like other goblinoids Devil Hill is a sacred homeland.

Gremlin is a pocket goblinoid, a rat like trouble maker kind of like annoying squirrels. They can be bribed with food and trinkets but get more demanding and murderous as clan grow. Love sabotage, thievery, traps and locks. Other goblinoids plant them as saboteurs.

Dwarf are nature spirits and of all humanoids closest to trolls who also crawled from the flesh of slain giants at the dawn age that were slain by gods. They are dimly sylvan creatures but human like obsession with weapons, armour and gold has distanced them. Red dwarves live in forests and still connect with animals and fey most. Black dwarfs use iron and love war and are most often evil and like mountains. Grey Dwarf are underland dwellers and most isolationist. Derro and morocks are degenerate evil creatures descended from dwarfs. Dwarves explore the hill for relics and to kill race enemies like goblins. Dwarves are resentful to man for stealing technology (thieving apes!). A tribe of black dwarves with improved firearms and hell metal have been seen of late seeking to reclaim a dwarf ruin to start a new power base.

Trolls were once civilized and magical beings. One claimed to have developed secret of imortality and was actually a servant of chaos, the troll enemy. So the treatment made chaos trolls which out bred and exterminated most old style kin. There are some smaller peaceful ones left in barns and under stoves a lot like gnomes. The ancient trolls ruins are seen more than true survivors of the great dawn age power. True trolls and Dwarves used to fight now Dwarves just feel sorry for them and see their kinship clearly.

Gnomes are kin to dwarves and elves and true trolls. They are a nature spirit folk and many minor breeds exist in hidden places. A fool could mistake them for a dwarf. They are less warlike and less materialistic yet excellent tool users. Gnomes also like humans more. A grey gnome town is under the dungeon and some of their steam apparatus ruins are found.

Halflings are kin to elves and gnomes and goblins. They are nature spirits of hedges, shrubs and bushes. They are happy to borrow technology from humans, especially if helps them with creature comforts in their burrows. They explore the hill for stuff to steal or pretty ornaments.

Race - gestation period - growth rate - lifespan
Gremlin - month - x24 - 4 years
Kobold - month - x1 - 400 years
Goblin - 3 months - x4 -350 years
Hobgoblin - 6 months - x2 - 200 years
Orc - 4 months - x6 - 35 years
Bugbear - 1 year - x1/4 - 300 years
Ogre - 1 year - x4 - 800 years
Dwarf - 1 year - x1/5 - 450 years
Elf - 2 years - x1/10 - 1000 years
Gnome - 2 years - x1/7 - 600 years
Halfling - 2 years - x1/5 - 600 years

Many humans have some orc or elf blood from old days, and a bit of goblin too. Orc-human children get a mix of parent features but 1in6 are fully orc. Elf human is very unlikely 10% normal human fertility and might produce monsters or a shameful litter of goblins 7in10. This is due to curse on half elves. Elves dread breeding with humans now. They see humans as crude dirty apes.

Final note:
http://dreamsinthelichhouse.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/my-dungeon-has-dungeon-master.html
This is a nice piece on dungeon keeper big bosses who maintain dungeon traps and repopulate the pit. I had touched on this slightly and i have enjoyed using crypt keepers as level bosses so I need to incorporate more of these ideas...

Acrobatics & Tumbling for my rpg's

Just a clarification on these gymnastic skills I use in DnD, BRP and Marvel.

Its seems like olympic gymnastics are a art with codes and stuff id have to read whole books on to get.

Lots of gross motor gymnastic skills could exist
Dance, climb, jump, leap, flip, fall, etc and could all be used at same time

But a few i use players sometimes ask what is different?
Both related and complimentary. The dumbest definition is tumbling about springing off the ground and landing well, uses whole body but legs most. Acrobatics is aerial maneuvers and falling well, uses whole body but arms more. Skills should stack and compliment.

Tumbling helps to
-reduce fall damage by 20 feet or two stories or 6m
-spectacular cartwheels, flips, hand springs, hand stands 2/3 movement
-instantly stand with roll taking no time to get up
-while tumbling is harder to hit and can improve dodge attempts

Cool stuff to try
-mix with balance to tumble on a high wire
-jump out of car, off a building like a stuntman
-dive between someones legs, stab them in the back
-a tumbling charge makes you hard to hit
-if knocked over or fall or make dive for cover, then leap to feet all in an instant
-mix with martial arts to be more confusing target and fall well
-pretend to fall but dive and roll instead
-kick someone in the face while doing a handstand

Acrobatics helps to
-move through air with fineness when falling, diving, leaping and change to any facing instantly
-work with other acrobats, grabbing each others for flips, throws, form ladders
-swing on ropes, poles, candelabra, other persons to vault over them with ease and land on feet
-while performing acrobatics is harder to hit and can improve dodge attempts

Cool stuff to try
-jump from great height and and reorientated yourself to shoot multiple targets diferent directions
-vault over someone to attack from rear
-swing on chandeliers or curtain or vine to attack or just move about a scene
-make crazy leaps, vaults and swings by improvising terrain as gymnasium
-move in between people or over many difficult terrain hazards easily
-leap from tumbling burning vehicle and land on your feet
-maneuver in zero g better than everybody else
-fall but can maneuver to land on least worse things, like a enemy or tree
-fall but can maneuver closer to something for a chance to grab
-land on your feet if knocked back with punch or blast or can dive but land on your feet like a cat

My DnD

Tumbling helps to
-while tumbling is harder to hit +1AC and can improve dodge or DEX saves by +1

Acrobatics helps to
-while performing acrobatics +1AC and can improve dodge or DEX saves by +1

My BRP

Tumbling helps to
-while tumbling is harder to hit -1% per 5% skill  and can improve dodge by +1% per 5% skill

Acrobatics helps to
-while performing acrobatics harder to hit -1% per 5% skill  and can improve dodge by +1% per 5% skill

My Marvel

Tumbling helps to
-while tumbling is harder to hit +1cs dodge or evasion and -1cs extra on dodge penalty to be hit

Acrobatics helps to
-while performing acrobatics is harder to hit +1cs dodge or evasion and -1cs extra on dodge penalty to be hit

I let these stack for agility or talent feats

A few other notes

Climb can be used to grab or catch a falling person or to catch own fall or hang on to a bull
Throw skill is for unbalanced non weapon found objects
Throw can be used to catch items thrown at you
Wide range of athletic skills and dance could all be combined
Specific thrown weapons may require other skills

Circus Performer Career Skills
Acrobatics
Tumbling
Dodge
Balance
Climb
Throw
Jump
Dance

I want to design a ballet dancing hit-man narcissist hero now

Thursday 29 May 2014

Wizard schools, alighnment tables and trivia






A few odd things i needed to do grab bag:

Random alignment in my setting
Wizard Schools
Idea for type of spell - inspired by necromancy and idea that wizards make orcs

Alighnment
Alignment is for starting fights and that's why priests specialise in interpreting the will of the gods and resolving ethical matters. I love alignment so made more so neutrals can fight more too. Sheet in my game has two columns one with law-balance-chaos-none and good-middle-evil-none tick one from each or none. I even have alignment for pople who hate alignment. Their poor souls! Everybodies duty to help them.

1d12 Random Elfmaids and Octopi Alignment
For when all things kinda equal
name - language - what happens if i die? -  what i think

1 Lawful Evil - Diabolic - Hell to be tormented - seek true power and harm others for profit
2 Chaotic Evil - Demonic - Abyss - seek freedom to be selfish and cruel and use brute force
3 Evil - Stygian - Underworld - seek immortality, mastery over others, gain dark knowledge
4 Good - Devaic - Paradise - help the prevent suffering of others and reduce all harm
5 Lawful Good - Angelic - Heavens - seek to help others, protect the weak and bring order
6 Chaotic Good - Arcadian - Arcadia - freedom and life for all, spontaneous altruism
7 Lawful - Modronic - Nirvana - order for it's own sake, bring peace, quiet and certainty to world
8 Chaotic - Slaadic - Limbo - randomness and inconsistency for the moment is true freedom
9 True Neutral (Neutral) - Druidic - Reincarnated - everything part of natural world
10 Middle (G vs E) (Neutral) - Sylvan - Reincarnated - moderation between pleasure and pain
11 Balanced (L vs C) (Neutral) - Archonic - Reincarnated - moderation between control and freedom
12 Non Aligned (Neutral) - none - Purgatory - uncommitted, selfish or just disinterested in politics

True Nuetral = balanced-middle - support continuity of natural forces and cycles
Balance = balance-none - there is a way between law and chaos, we need both in right amount
Middle = none-middle - there is a way between good and evil, necessity drives conduct
Non Aligned = none-none - alignment is crazy and crap imposed on us, I will act as I please

Wizard School
Not as rigid as ADnD ones and overlap more. But need this and alignment table pronto for encounters.

d12 Wizard Schools
1 Elementalists call elemental powers and sects are different elements, quasi elements or para elements
2 Summoners call beings and powers from other worlds to do their will. Sects specialize in what to summon.
3 Illusionists create false visions, concealment, deception and deal with dreams. Sects differ in openness, some seek to entertain others to remain hidden and secretive.
5 Conjurers call on things and power from other worlds or create them from their will. Different sects make different things.
6 Enchanters use charms to manipulate others and make magical items. Different sects argue about ethics and magical economics.
7 Evokers call on other worldly powers for favours and magical powers. Each spell dedicated to separate entity. Books filled with names of entities. Sects prefer certain great arcane powers.
8 Cryptomancers use symbols, runes, powerwords, truenames, glyphs and other scribed magic to create magic items and defensive spells. Sects operate rival libraries of secret knowledge and languages
9 Sages serve rulers and nobles or even commoners with knowledge exclusionist and inclusionist sects. They are scholars and the power behind many thrones. Sects specialize in a field
10 Seers seek divine knowledge by arcane means and beyond human understanding or maddening secrets. They answer about the future and seek knowledge by magic. Sects have alternate methodologies like soothsayers.
11 Necromancers study death for immorality, lost knowledge and undead servants. Sects have undead preferences and makeup styles
12 Primordials - elder magic of cthonic alien wizards with sects or cults preferring different entities 

Create Servitor Spell
Can create a servant creature lasts until it is pissed off and leave or it dies. Has morale like a hireling so not automatically obedient. Different versions are specialized in. Others might be hostile requiring a charm or other spell to tame.

Necromancer ones require a corpse but skeletons and zombie versions are quite obedient. Other casters require a ritual with ingredients like special clay in typically a cauldron or pit. Orcs are quite common and can be initially compliant to a bullying creator. Most requires an hour ritual.

Create Dove lv1 obedient but stupid can carry a letter and back, delicious, from woven grass or paper
Create Sheep lv1 domestic sheep acts like any other, made from woven bundle of hair
Create Dog lv1 domestic working dog loyal to any kind feeder and leader, made from clay or wood
Create Kobold lv1 obedient but increasingly sarcastic and suspicious save every week, uses clay
Create Goblin lv1 obedient for a while then snaps save every day, use fungus, wood or dirt
Create Skeleton lv1 obeys instructions for a week then follows last order, use humanoid skeleton
Create Elf lv2 friendly if alignment similar and can be bargained with, use milk (or vegan substitute)
Create Gnome lv2 friendly if alignment similar and can be bargained with, use coal
Create Dwarf friendly lv2 if alignment similar and can be bargained with, use iron
Create Halfling friendly lv2 if alignment similar and can be bargained with, use food
Create Orc lv2 obedient if bullied, morale roll every week to revolt, use clay or a dead elf
Create Zombie lv2 obeys instructions for a week then follows last order, use humanoid corpse
Create Gnoll lv3 cowardly and hostile to creator gnoll who makes a save after a week to revolt
Create skeletal Mount Lv3 obedient quadruped animal makes a save ofter a month to go wild
Create Zombie Mount Lv3 obedient quadruped animal makes a save ofter a month to go wild
Create Ghoul lv3 obeys instructions for a night then flees resentful to creator, requires corpse
Create Horse lv3 obedient trained riding horse, requires clay or wood or woven grass
Create Ogre lv4 ogre obeys for 24 from confusion hours then goes wild
Crete Hecuva lv4 will appear and appear as helpful living version of corpse then attacks creator
Create Human lv4 create a resentful human who probably leave you, use clay or meat or wood
Create Shadow lv5  create a cruel evil shadow from a human corps
Create Wight lv5 create a angry vindictive wight from a human corpse
Create Troll lv5 create a angry insane troll who is constantly hungry, use rotten vegetation or peat
Create Beastman lv5 can create one type from living animal and human and surgery, can be tamed
Create Hill Giant Lv6 create a grumpy giant keen to fight for pecking order, use earth
Create Manticore Lv6 creates a monster keen to be a jerk, use mix of human, insect and animal slurry
Create Chimera Lv 7 creates confused angry at world nightmare, use mix of dead animals parts
Create T-Rex lv8 crates a towering reptilian titan hungry for gore, use stone skeleton or fossil
Create Lich lv9 create a insane undead wizard, use own self

The dead elf or clay versions of Create Orc spell are different and most lands ban the elf version. Especially the elves who killed almost every known user. Actually they dont like the clay spawned orcs either. Im thinking that one of elven secrets is they made orcs from own dead to win wars and to stop enemies using elf corpses for making orcs. A great tragedy they dont discuss. Dark elves and Bright Elves all part of fey and part of the balance with purpose. Goblinoids are their kin.

Any spells that create weird monsters are awesome and good for a Gygaxian ecology for murder hobos.

Wednesday 28 May 2014

Devil Hill Dungeons Part Two: Haan's Tomb

Tomb of the Miser King Haan
Misers Tomb was built by the nomad king Haan. He made slave wizards of many lands build this horrendous trap for robbers then had them killed to guard him in death as mummies. He took the wealth of a generation with him.

Level One: Glittering hall of wizards

Spectacular glittering tiles and mozaics cover the level, battered but showing the wealth and power of his brief rulership of the Island. Still hidden chambers to be found here and loot amidst the rubble.

d12 Encounter
1 Goblin skirmishers with sling and javelin 2d4

2 Lone Warg rider skirmisher and scout
3 Goblin bandits with sword and shield 2d4
4 Apprentice wizard with 2d6 orc or skeleton guards 
5 Gibberling horde 2d12
6 Beastmen from the depths seek to capture wizards 1d6
7 A lone ghoul
8 Coffer corpse
9 Hecuva
10 Nilbog
11 Norkers 1d6 with pet wolf
12 Black wolves 1d6 

Level Two: The Weeping Palace 
This is where the kings administration and harem dwelled. Ghostly sobs and rattling chains can be heard. Remains of sheet covered rich furnishings are here left mostly undisturbed.
 

d12 Encounter
1 Quillan berserk tribals former harem guards 1d12 
2 Goblin wizard and guards 2d6
3 Goblin bandits with sword and shield 2d8
4 Sheet Phantom
5 Sheet Ghouls 1d4
6 Phantom of harem girl or scribal eunuch
7 Ghouls 2d4
8 Norkers 3d4
9 Necrophidius 
10 Zombies 3d4
11 Gibberling Horde 2d6+12
12 Beast Men with captives from the surface trying to take deeper

Level Three: The Wizard Prison
This is where wizard slaves and their loved ones and familiars where kept while wizards set to work. A prison level hanging with over a hundred cages from the celing. Stories tell Haan had magic nullification zones here to keep prisoners.

d12 Encounter
1 Desperate wizard apprentice in chains begs for help 
2 Dead wizard in a gibbet, actually a juju zombie
3 Yellow musk creeper and 2d4 zombies
4 Crypt Keeper lurks here teleporting people into other dungeons
5 Ogre band 2d4 looking for loot
6 Dark Creepers and darkstalker band 2d4
7 Ghouls 3d4
8 Norkers 2d4 with two bonesnappers
9 Iron Cobra  
10 Huecuva 2d4 in disguise as harem girls
11 Gibberling Horde 3d6+12
12 Beast Men with wizard captives from the surface trying to take deeper

Level Four: Forbidden War Vault of Haan
 

Cruel king Haan had assassins and warriors and also monsters. Artificial constructs like golems made by slave wizards as well as summoned ones. His conventional workshops were massive.It is said Haan was first king to make orcs from swamp muck instead of ritually murdered elves. Black Fang Tribe orcs are bigger and often have pet battle wargs. A specialist elite trooper keeps two on a linked chain. Beastmen were created here also. Swine men and orcs interbred making the Blood-Gore tribe and the World-Walker tribe that are attracted to gates. Some say the forges could be restored making it a military target.

d12 Encounter
1 Standard orc hunters with albino cave wolves 
2 Goblin Warg Riders 2d4 scouting from above
3 Grey-Bone tribe Orcs with shieldwall training and spears 5d6
4 Goblin Archers 5d6
5 Black-Fang tribe orc elite all 4HD with a Warg handler team
6 Swine men 4d6 led by a devil swine
7 Bloodgore orcs with pig faces 5d6 and pet boar 
8 Squealing naked World Walker swine faced orc stalks party (might call kin)
9 Bronze Men warriors now independent abhuman race 2d4 
10 Clay Men warriors were used as elite infantry and workers 3d4
11 Animated stuff attacks d4 1=armour suit 2=weapon 3=furniture 4=sculpture
12 Other Planar Being d4 1=devil 2=demon 3=elemental 4=daemon

Level Five: Tomb Level
Here is final tomb with pit of acid then ranks of clay men, then bronze inside tomb proper. Inside monsters he bound into place as final guardians including his children sired with other planar beings. One such lover eventually killed him ending his 400 year reign or terror. 

d12 Encounter
1 Other Planar bride d4 1=devil 2=demon 3=elemental 4=daemon 1d4 entities
2 Other Planar pet d4 1=d4 salamander 2=d4 frost salamander 3=d4 mephits 4=hellcat
3 Monster Bride d4 1=lamia 2=vampire 3=dragon 4=dark elf
4 A death knight
5 A sphynx with bronze men guards, will talk a bit
6 Devil swine long supporters of Haan
7 Bronze Golem  
8 Black-Fang tribe orc elite 4d6 all 4HD with 1d4 Hellhound handler teams
9 Bronze Men warriors now independent abhuman race 3d4 
10 Clay Men warriors were used as elite infantry and workers 5d4
11 Mummified brides of Haan 2d4
12 Beholder guard or a pleasure golem
 
Mysteries?
1 Is Haan a lich or somehow inside the tomb?
2 Is the Barron connected to him?
3 Are tales of his hode untrue?
4 Is his otherworld lover still there?
5 Is his mighty sword still there?
6 Was he struck down as revenge for striking the bound god?
7 How extensive was Haan's reign, any other sites of his rule?
8 How did Haan rise to power anyhow?

9 Enemies and traitors all had hand in fall?
10 What secret powers supported Haan?
11 Is this tomb still a threat to the world?
12 Haan promised to return from the grave - can he? has he?

Throw clues like these everywhere to foreshadow the final answers

Will do some goblin mine stuff soon

Exilelog: Goblin mines at last!

Have a new player Sal tonight who is mostly unfamiliar with pre 3rd ed dnd is interesting . His own game if a killer deathtrap dungeon where people die lots called Die With Honour. Has awesome collection of monster minis. He gives us dungeon map. Some people played  through 3 times over several years and play in con several times a year. It is in many ways a oldschool mega dungeon. We even get map to colour where character had been. 3.something edition.

Anyway as almost cancelled session ended up making character and Andz came over after all and we had a entertaining game as they finally visited my goblin mine zone in Devil Hill. Actually the peak is a Goblin city just with lots of empty places for fringe gangs and  murder hobos er cough I mean adventurer can attack.

Sal did worst roll i seen in years with a 9 a 10 and 11 as best tat so we cried abort. Started a new one as a sorcerer. Has a Imp. Also has own party of followers. A Elf, a Cleric and a Wizard. He leads them on adventures and kept hearing all the songs in adventurer pubs of Devil Hill. Also heard about the devil god imprisoned beneath story. Came to check out. On way met face shaping wizard (3rd time a player ha met. Boosted CHA more. Elf and Priest in armour and sorcerer wears +4 leather and a magic ring. Uses a shortsword and shortbow.

Asper Cumberbitch the CE pirate halfling and slum lord was looking for his pals in pub and none showed up xept the Dwarf who was so handy last time. Other younger warrior had retired from adventuring after one bout. So Asper and his lookalike followers four approached new party for a possible jaunt to one of the Dungeons. Also tailing him was Lilly a thief he had recruited and saved from certain death earning her devout loyalty. Neither ever been to Goblin mine and it was a popular destination. Cap of mountain riddled with caverns, caves and mines. Human, Dwarf and goblins all have used the mountain and Iron is deep into the depths now and too many dungeons to mine.

So they marched off across fields into woods the elf recognized as being kin to the dark elf wood. The elf is a pretty awesome hero with better stats than his master. On edge of fields was a gallows with rotting Barron's policemen hanging. Threw a rock at one up close and bodies dropped, alldhorror undead that made all the newcomers Flee. The elf just ran as all his friends did. Halflings petted with huge volley like a machine gun blasting apart three of dead and one fell at feet. Then it lept up terrifying away several halflings and missed grabbing a girl halfling by neck. Asper with swords finished it.

Everyone else came back and burned gallows and dead and Asper took dog tags.

In woods startled strange black deer with white dot markings. Thought nothing of it till heard distant stag grunt. Then wolves howled and storm started. Halflings all scuttled up and wizard did while rest  tried and failed. Elf blamed full plate. Then wolfs came and were fireballed into ash even though they all saved. Then the black stag man druid cast a lightning strike from the storm and shattered the tree. Two out of three halflings hurt a tad, rest landed like cats and threw rocks. Elf got in close and hurt and beast man returned bow with a great slash of his bone sword. Magic missiles finished off.

Nabbed his druid stuff. And debated. Elf said while evil was a being of natural order. Others said kill it, let it bleed. Asper treated its wounds and had follower halflings with poles carry the bound and gagged brute.

Someone will buy this freak", he cheered.

Outside dungeon entry buried the beastman with a hobbit pipe for a snorkel and a space for his face to breathe. Then went to check out the entry they had found. A rickety wooden and rope bridge over a rocky gorge. Hmmmph typical.

Sent halfling over and on way back he stopped and crawled back. Scared of sounds of fighting and goblins inside the mine entry. Asper went over and went inside. He saw purple goblin and green goblins betting on a pit orc fight. The fresh grown and born orcs offered them amusement older orcs would not tolerate. Asper walked up after one orc dead and loser greens left.

"Hey fellas, any one get in on this?"

Goblins grumpy and suspicious.

"You couldn't help me with my gold could you? It's too heavy and back here"

As stared with amazement he killed them all with stones before they new what hit them.

Party came in and saw entry was abandoned human mine that had exposed graves before goblins burrowed in the rear. Asper was kicking corpses off a cliff. Was a distant giant turd. Asper threw rocks at it and a baby otough crawled out and the halflings stoned it. Saw mine car and tracks off distance. Went after green goblin and down stairs into chamber of mildewy mist. A circle of stone in middle of room so halfling threw a rock at one. Glowing eyes opened and looked about then closed. Threw nearby and saw more eyes. Elf identified as mushroom men. Spoke peaceably and swapped a wooden ogre child's doll for a healing shroom. Went on and found another track wih a cart. Before sorcerer could say that looks dangerous, five exited halflings sitting in it. So sorcerer cat fly on elf and he followed the halflings who chased down the goblins. They broke break handle and dived out and bashed goblins. Elf first aided them and left one gently with resting head. Asper winked and a halfling bashed its head in silently as party moved on.

Heard distant crash and gibbering of goblins excitement.

Found a chamber of a crypt surrounded by dead miners. Opened with a cantrip and skeletal revenant came out. Part beat it back and tried o burn but it still healed so they it sealed up.  Found kobolds camping and one a pointy hatter. Surely a wizard! So spoke about trading potions till halflings and Lilly broke out and killed kobolds except two surrendered. Asper told Lilly to take bound kobolds and take care of them so their friends will find them. Elf seemed pleased about his heroic good influence. Lilly wiped kobold blood off her knife and returned.

Party find huge cathedral chasm with many entries, some lights, and can see scattered goblins rummaging through shrooms and mine rubbish. Decided to head back. Passed a shroom room and picked some edible, drug and poison shrooms for later. At least this party had shrooms they could bond over and they returned to Froghop village Tavern. On way saw secret police and sorcerer shocked to see halfling walk up and talk.

Halfling showed his official informant badge and gave them dog tags from dead men and they gave him a 50gp ruby!

"It's ok guys we are on good terms"

Then it was beer and shrooms for all!

Exempt that beastman who might have been forgotten.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Viking Log: The city of Irem to Mecca to Cairo

Vikings left Baghdad last time intending to travel to desert for lost city of Irem then onto Mecca.

Days of searing heat, had easily scared off bandit scouts. Days into desert a horde of 70 pagan tribesmen attacked the party of 25. Camels all made a racket as vikings prepared selves with prayers and put on a choice piece of armour. Thora and Johan managed to injure and kill almost 20 of them. A few more fell as spears and javelins got closer and a few vikings took arrows. Thothadr wondered if releasing his darkspawn was a good idea right now.

After the archers softened up the vikings then a charge from the horde with swords and vikings made a mess of them. Pole axe and spears set particularly good. Thorhadr started to just kill horses which unnerved everyone. Everyone is wary again of him.

Managed to lose many men and camels of water but all up killed and injured 40 men. Many prisoners and piles of swords. Had to kill horses from lack of water and went on. Had a hard time till another merchant band saved them.  Finally arrived at a trade oasis where locals would be able to help them explore the cursed waste.

Found a German knight there with start chart he was using to eek city as well. Vikings told local tribe leader man was a sorcerer in league with devil and tribe killed him. Party sacked his documents and found he had been exploring area. Maganged to get some of his baggage handlers. Heard from wise men of Al Azred, the lot city and the imprisoned demons there. Met a man who had been there once and bribed him to return.

Johan's wife sick so some of party went onto mecca including the loki berserk Loon.

Into the desert managed to scare of some of the starving desperate bandits easily. Days into desert made camp. Thorhadr heard something and saw a creepy humanoid with large ears and bristly sand coloured hair. Creepy and like a man but not like a man too. Party chased thing away and a few shaken by creature.

Nights later managed to injure one trying to signal party but a viking shot it. Grabbed it and bagged it while it was screaming. Heard it's clan scream back and eventually let it go in fear of creatures harassing them.

A few nights later Hrafn was extra careful to stay with water and awoke to see eight of the sand devils trying to damage water supply. Breidr and others slaughtered the creatures.

Finally found a collapsed ruin that looked like earth had recently swallowed up the place. Looked alot like German drawings but less intact. Could he have done this?

Guides led them on and into city. Spent a day lookinging around found thousands of shattered start stones. Throa performed her rune seeking trance and sat on the heap. Thora passed out trying to call a raven spirit again. Rest kept searching and Thorhadr had seen visions of area search intently an area. His suspicious cousins wary of anything Thorhadr interested in joined him and found a tunnel partly blocked by sand.

Into the depths they went of the forbidden city. Found a great mosaic mural of lizard folk. Then found galleries of mumified lizard men, sand people and a great kraken like horror that thankfully was dead. All troubled but gathered some mummy dust for a recipe from Necronomicon they had read of. Eventually ahead of them the guides with weapons and leader with a magnificent gold thoth headed hilt dagger commanded them to surrender. Vikings slaughtered them. Followed the way the cultists had directed them a found old cells. Also found strange compulsion to not leave area. Second sight aw emantions from ahead so they all headed there. Saw a sand person flee so chased it. Unfortunately into a chamber with a horror beond evil. A Cthonian giant covered in dirt and slime, a horror land kraken and it was laying an egg into a sand persons hands.

Vikings kind of snapped. Alrec ran at it crazed and hacked off a tentacle, others prayed and Hrafn ran to help his brother. Those praying almost wiped out party by pausing. Alrec grabbed the bleeding sulfur tentacle and started to eat the Ichor. Another tentacle hit him almost destroying his arm. Johan sat back vomiting again. Thora was in shock babbling but managed to heal Thora. Hrafn got some good hits and his parry attempts wounded the creature more. Finally Breidr charged in frenzied with a sword in each hand and finished it. Hrafn was partly crushed underneath but alright. Alrecs arm healed and functional again. Hrafn stomach burned from ooze he ate and others tried to make him be sick. He had crazy idea would grant him godlike powers.

Found chamber with sand persons and some cultists, one was suckling blood to a baby cthonian. Others crawled on floor and some eggs were there too. Party destroyed everything and increasingly frazzled. Alrec took an egg perhaps it was worth something.

Also found copy of Al Aziv of very own. Alrecs dream o reading a book was going to come true. He had been studying from the Koran for nearly two months.

Wandered around more and discovered strange golden metallic door. In minds a voice asked who lay slumbering beneath the sea? Cthulhu of course and door opened into amazing chamber with four more doors. Then door lammed sealing them inside. One door opened for Iquatha to a barren glacier with frozen corpses in ice. Home? Nobody interested. Another opened for Shudemael to a blasted volcanic wasteland in darkness. The next opened for Cthuga and saw giant sun over a black lava plain. Final one they couldn't get so found description in AL Aziv of very room with a few hour searching. Opened for Yog Sothoth into a crystal chamber of mists. Alrec and Thorhadr went into mist and returned looking weary with hair grown and no memories. Everyone pulled the out sensing a superiority about them. One held a gold scepter other had a elder sign. They hastily closed door so could open the Cthulhu door again and fled. Alrec and Briedr had been a way a month and now had new knowledge of the mythos and the stars and nature.

On surface all guides gone or dead. Throa had been on rune quest in spirit world and had returned from it with knowledge to make an elder sign. Crazy old Johan was sure his knowledge of stars and what he had learned from arabs would hep them get out of here.

Found way from desert and arrived back at oasis a mess but alive. Relieved they had killed the evil the vikings rested. Thora had lost 40+ sanity in adventure and recovered. Johan got down to 4 SAN. Thorhadr spoke to his god Tsathogua who told him his sorcery was progressing well and gave him more visions of the French version of the Book of Eibon and taught him a ritual to make him an immortal insane cannibal. Is aware that the god are competitive and can be turned on each other. Thora had a vision that the Hyperborean reindeer god was a stooge for Cthulhu cult to drive out Tsathogua. The reindeer cult symbol was upside down more like a squid. Travelled overland and found friends and headed by ship to Cairo. Left the Arab Doctor who had considered betraying them all to Mecca officials. He had been persuaded vikings on gods quest.

Got boat and camel train to Cairo and saw Pyramids. Hrafn having dreams from the Ibis Knife. Under second sight it is most powerful item they have seen. Johan's wife recovered and Alrec reading Al Aziv. Hopefully home by winter. From all the san losses, reading and the crystal chamber of yog sothoth several have 10 -30% mythos now. Two that have no mythos have 99 SAN.

Monday 26 May 2014

Dark Future Log: Starting characters + New SAN Table

So start session turned into a character gen session with trial combat. Ran mostly using gurps autoduel for cost and some setting info, still cant find my prit copy which is one of my favorite gamer product ever. Cover art is awesome of 1st edition. Also have other one of favorite products: Death Valley Free Prison adventure for excellent cyberworld setting with lots of mad max punk cars, weapons and armour. It is a cross between road warrior and escape from new york. Have the Dark Future rulebook and a 4 pg art booklet ad from Dragon.

A little bit of Dark Conspiracy too.

Years of cyberpunk running and I still have it. Able to improvise lots of tech on fly. Will play next sun arvo before vikings then wil alternate with several other cyber punk gms for cyberpunk sunday. I might try a few sessions of Cthulhu Metropolis too later.

A few typos on character sheet to fix.

Original plan was to be mustered out cyborg troops but players ended up with some other choices. All that free cyberwear and biowear is not free. It was all made by bastards and is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The also have SAN losses.

Settling in the year 2000 has been fun too.

Cars all need cool names.

Characters include:

Cyborg nun a agent of the Vatican, returned to Australia to report on weird wasteland phenomena. Has a data jack a cyber eye and boosted reflexes, mucleware and dermal armour. Drives a refitted Alpha Romeo with pop up machine gun in linked fuel car. Prefers a sub machine pistol up close.

A Japanese "secretarial working visa" (sex worker?). Actually a Gentech agent, raised in a psionics research centre and trained by corporate ninja. She has some biological mods including low light vision, poison resistant glands, and boosted dex. Can read surface thoughts. Has a scan proof silent recoiless low cal machine pistol. Most ammo will scan. A virbo mono katana and a kowasaki ninja bike that runs on fuel. Ha lots of mini grenades and vibro shuriken. On a mission from Gentech to look for other corporate agents or black labs or operations in wasteland.

A ex military vet with cyber arm with a jackhammer punch, 9mm pistol, cyber eye, data jack dermal armour and a partial reconstruction including spine and shoulders. Has lots of big guns including a grenade launcher. Wears full armoured duster coat with inserts and flack armour. Has a Nissan 4x4 reconditioned with a MG. Has been mustered out and experience in the zone has been deleted. Well just a few nightmares and a free psych session once a year.

A ex military pilot with a major reconstruction, cyber arms, legs, eye, heavy dermal armour. Legs contain rockets for limited flight (more like a jump), magnetic hand clamps, a door and vehicle hacker deck. Drives a truck with drone rack including a flying scout drone with rockets, and a motorbike with a machine gun. Is seriously unstable SAN around 30 after all the implants. Has a ultralight stealth gyro copter. Truck has meatgrinder and biodiesel slurry microplant behind cab. Roadkill to fuel in 24 hours. Remembers nothing of own life, just flashes of burning in a ground attack jet crash and some bad feelings around choppers. So borged up police will have STAR force on standby when he is seen doing anything suspicious.

A wasteland mutant still to have mutation sorted and will get some kind of  feral buggy or bike.

First three in Sydney at Woli Creek gate near airport. Party at truckstop get a organ courier job for $5000 bucks to Bathurst only two hours away on peak conditions. Of course world a mess since map box updated. So left through various PC police control zones under martial law out past penthith through the mountains and into the wastelands beyond. Bathurst one a mecca of motorsports in Australia is now a fortified town surrounded by gangland turf.  Whoever wanted these organs was illegal and had reason to avoid using air travel. Mostly means illegal. Probably organ jackers. Transplants still 10% of cloning.

Into the dustbowl past ruined homes, rural town suburbs, and sand dunes till approach at Bathursth saw smoke ahead. Sent biker ahead and she saw with her bionic eye a turned over farmers food aid from red cross with some other wrecks. Saw some scavs in the rear or truck and a glint of a sniper lens.

Drove off road and bike got a rock somewhere and bike stopped. Left in the middle of nowhere she grabbed some stuff, put of stealth suit and moved up. Others moved up in 4x4 and alpha and had heard sniper and had location. Biker girl mad moved not very far feeling very vulnerable. Bullet hit armoured windscreen of 4x4 and driver felt bullet touch him with contempt.

The Alpha and 4x4 wasted the sniper with machine gun fire then two large feral battle buggies with light machine guns and two bikes came out of the smoke. Vet in 4x4 stood out of  sunroof and fired a grenade under a buggy destroying it. Alpha MG gun nun wasted gun crew on second buggy. One biker jumped on 4x4 and climbed around cab. Driver dropped the GL and fired his cyber arm pistol wasting the dude while slowing the truck down as it passed through smoke between hills through his jack. Ninja biker girl had made very little progress and now a bike came at her. Driver missed her with light machine pistol but she wasted him with barley a twitch from her stealth gun and went after the bike that skidded off to a halt.

Alpha wasted other buggy and into smoke plume where she saw trouble and slowed down. Wasted one feral with a MG then got out and held the other one up and locked him in her tiny trunk. 4x4 had a couple of riflemen fired at him from behind dunes and he used his grenade launcher to waste them with a grunt.

Looted a feral dirt bike. Some crappy guns. Lots of sacks of farmer famine food aid in truck that will make fuel in no time. On to Bathurst to collect pay and deliver hot organs.

Worked very well. Players learned people running stand still compared to cars. Heavily armed combat vet cyborgs grease wasteland psychos prety well.

Dark Future Sanity Shock 1d10+4 rounds if lose 5+ SAN and make Idea roll
1 Berserk charge into hand to hand or ram if in vehicle with any convenient target
2 Ammo Psycho, discharge as many shots as possible, if run out look for more ammo
3 Flee in terror even pointlessly in a corner till you injure self as fast as possible
4 Flashbacks of traumatic past or nightmares, religious visions or out of body experience.
5 Black out or feint unconscious, don't remember anything happening around
6 Freak out crawl into a ball as if problem might just go into a ball
7 Blow up the world! seek to ignite a fire or set off explosion or cause massive property damage
8 Seems fine now but inappropriate flip out later at loved one, authority figure, member of public
9 Stand uselessly d4 1=Laugh 2=cry 3=vomit 4=screaming (or pick most appropriate)
10 Self harm in most dramatic way possible like huge fall or explosions or skin self or suicide charge

Dark Future Insanity 20% SAN loss in one hit gets one of these
1 Death wish take unreasonable risks, like to smoke, drink, gamble and drive fast. Live for adrenaline
2 Drug abuse becomes obsessed with a substance and becomes dangerously unreliable
3 Weapons and killing are only things you truly care about. You horde weapons and long to use them
4 Time to beef up! You become obsessed with self modification, appearance, surgery and working out
5 Sex and looking hot takes away the pain. Unreliable, wasteful, vain, exhibits dangerous behavior
6 Paranoia! Somebody to blame, secretly plotting, mysterious agenda cant trust any one so be ready
7 Religion and magic and alternative healing will save you with crazy beliefs and unhealthy cults
8 Greed turns you on your fellow humans d4 1=money 2=food 3=power 4=true knowledge
9 Split personality with own agenda and manifestation. A friend, demon, childhood toy, dead lover
10 Prone to psychotic rage in times of stress, SAN checks to keep yourself together

Experimental drug therapy or chipped in therapy could be court ordered. Possibly vets have already had this. Many meds come in cigarette form or slap patches. A medic might order you to smoke this. You could use this table for other modern action war games too.

Every crew and gang has a crazy theme of course. My gang table for marvel handy too. Enjoying using my tablet for real road maps.

Probably will do next session at Bathurst Truck Stop for another assault mission and some secret black ops subplots for characters.

Saturday 24 May 2014

d100 Encounters in Wizard School

Exile Island has three main known wizard schools:

Shadel Port University magic school is the premier magic school in the world (but the Imperial School or Wizardry is awesome but many types of wizardry not taught there). It is most open and accepted. Encounters for here. First 20 results recycled here.

Second is the Devil hill school for renegades and rejects from Shadel port. On average student of poorer quality. Only one in six female, the school is notoriously sexist. Not actually evil the school is tolerated as long as it stays on it's part of the Island and makes no plots against the Shedelport University or its agents.

Third is the so called necromancer school that accepts only evil students, has links to the ancient Necromancer empire and students are taught by devils and demons and undead. Students are tempted with power and scholarships and supposedly pay for tuition with their souls. The Barron tolerates them and the Empire hates them, offering gold for dead necromancers.

About half of apprentices have only utilitarian spells to assist their master like living tools who serve the masters wishes. Roll a dice on odd the wizard knows mostly non fighting spells. The others are specializing in advanced adventurer diplomas and practice spell casting in the school gym.

Enrolled students have 1d4 cantrips and are zero level and pay about 100 per year tuition and board
Apprentice students are 1d4 level and pay about 1000 per year per level
Masters are at least 6th level or 5th+1d3
School heads are name rank 10th level or 7+1d4
School chief librarians are 14th level or 11+1d6
School heads and founders usually 20th level and a minimum of 18th 17+1d3

A master often establishes his own home with library and laboratory and can start to tutor students.
A name rank wizard has own tower can teach formaly to multiple students

Most wizard schools preach celibacy unless married or for while in study

d100 Encounters in Wizard School
1 - Drunken frat-boy wizards molest party with cantrip
2 - Students playing crazy pranks provoke party
3 - Magical creature being moved by wizard and guardsmen
4 - Golem performing some task
5 - Bored familiars stalk party for hi jinx
6 - Wizard thinks party may be of assistance in a quest
7 - Party accused of being wayward students - penalty is possible castration
8 - Students offer party employment to pass their exams
9 - Tempting university job vacancy
10 - Students hassle party for tips and trivia
11 - Drunken student kegger - a carousing opportunity
12 - Fraternal ritual in progress
13 - Librarian asks party to confirm facts about them in journals
14 - A student bard decides to drop out and follow party
15 - An evil mid lv student practices a spell on a party member or follower
16 - Goblin servants bump into each other and mix packages
17 - Scream and explosion from spell gone wrong
18 - Student chased by creature from spell gone wrong
19 - Student offers to groom and grow your beards with cantrips for small fee
20 - A wizard with their magical concubine glares at any who look too hard
21 - angry wizard chasing and beating aprentice or using spells on them
22 - A old hag from cafeteria offers study secrets for sex or cash
23 - Man selling cantrips printed as 3fold flyers 100gp each
24 - Apprentice selling seedy books or other shonky deals
25 - Older students tormenting, enslaving and spanking younger ones
26 - Old wizards having a stick fight
27 - Students with ring of protection from energy drain and a bound succubi offer others a go, 100gp each
28 - Students making familiars fight for money
29 - Sobbing student with d4 1=letter from home 2=school results 3=tavern bill 4= mean threats or bulling or pranks from other students
30 - Goblins having a smoko break blowing exotic clouds of smoke from illicit drugs
31 - Kobold messenger running with note
32 - Kobold with tool box and little wagon of materials on some chore
33 - Hall monitor 1d4 level wizard spying about campus
34 - Invisible stalker on job pushes out the way
35 - Elemental on some job
36 - Drunken master withaprentice or familiar helping them home
37 - Invisible graffiti on wall
38 - Weak explosive runes or minor magical trap left
39 - Door been pointlessly wizard locked or held
40 - Illusion of atractive woman followed by sprentices
41 - Magic mouth yells out abuse then disapears
42 - Familiar eating a rat
43 - Familiar passing thinks party worth spying on a while
44 - Sleazy students hassling meek member of opposite sex
45 - Visiting priest and accolytes
48 - Visiting noble with master 1d4 1=showing resentful child around 2=commissioning a item 3=seeking knowledge 4=planning a expedition
49 - Students playing chess 1d4 1=each other 2=shapeshifter 3=familiar 4=master
50 - Student trying to sell adorable baby animals as familiars
51 - Students racing familiars and betting on odds
52 - Student whispers he can help them sell soul for a wish
53 - Wizards making freshly decantered beastmen clones battle
54 - Translucent phantom passes by, looking for host to sit exams so it can rest in peace
55 - Clumsy students with body 1d4 1=in a coffin 2=dead apprentice 3=test subject 4=dead prostitute
56 - Students with dirt on them and grave stench
57 - Students trying to write on walls in secret
58 - Students chasing each other with ball
59 - Students kissing in attempt at hiding
60 - Students holding hands mooning about happily
61 - Students pressuring other students to make out
62 - Students with sign protesting d4 1=student death toll 2=tutorial fees 3= cafeteria prices 4= defending humanoid rights
63 - Student running around with steaming coloured potion bottle screaming
64 - Gremlins beating a weak freshman and stealing cash and spell book
65 - Students having a cantrip battle
66 - Bewildered adventurers or expedition return suddenly by teleport
67 - Orc guards searching for a stolen spell search everybody
68 - Student offering to show you how to get an Imp familiar
69 - Wanted poster concerning d4 1=stolen item 2=bounty on wizard killer 3=wanted rare ingredient 4=missing student
70 - Young students impressing lesser students with cantrip display
71 - Student selling sly potions off the back of a potion cart
72 - Alchemy student asking around for exotic ingredient
73 - Gust or cold wind or bad smell wafts by
74 - Students in secret door with sly bootleg potion lab, try to buy party off with potions
75 - Young wizards trying recreational drugs with a visiting sorcerer
76 - Druid and a sorcerer having a debate on cosmology
77 - Barron's secret police in mask d4 1=questioning student 2=consulting with a master 3=beating a student 4=carrying a chained up wizard
78 - Bard with group of student fan watching play adoringly
79 - Old wizard trying to hang out with students and be hip, maybe party will think he is cool?
80 - Illusionists having battle with phantasmal force
81 - Student with zombie manservant carrying books and potions
82 - School librarian talking to a lich
83 - Summoned creatures tearing bad students to shreds in public
84 - Student falls from height to death or dying near party
85 - Student offer to sell a charm person scroll
86 - Master quizzes visitors for reasons to be here is suspicious
87 - Students arguing about who is bestest wizard ever
88 - Religious family begging student to leave school and come home
89 - Student crying as family leave them and master holds poor student up
90 - A orc asks student for magic tax one gold piece, looks self assured
91 - Student chugging multiple potions on a dare
92 - Students testing cursed items for master
93 - Students with out of control monster they are meant to toke somewhere
94 - Strange looking man offers scholarships for right student, possibly a devil
95 - Students playing kick the kobold looking for kobold
06 - A group of goblin exchange students ask what are you looking at and get in your face
97 - A wizard taking newly created steaming slimy orcs on first walk around out of cauldron
98 - Students taunting a charmed ogre, slapping hi in face and humiliating with cantrips
99 - A young royal student sees dreamy character and plots to run away with them
100 - A master thinks a character looks dishy, invites back to tower to see magic items

Revising a few old tables at moment to full d100

Dark Future BRP

Sunday 1-5 Will run BRP Darkfuture (before Vikings game), Maybe a few sessions. Mashup of madmax/carwars/cyberpunk/judgedredd/maxheadroom/deathrace 2000.

Players are ex military, mindwiped after the Zone and mustered out with implants and bad attitudes. Get into the fancy world of courier driving and death motorsports. You can kill anyone without insurance in the wasteland. Help make roadkill out of gangs. Run down mutants on sight for bounties and bush tucker. Any gimmick can get your team a online-tv contract.
Characters include drivers, mechanics, urban combat specialists, snipers, hackers, bikers, truckers, couriers, criminals, lawyers, fixers, body guards, salvage experts, road nomads, cultists, police, ammunition specialist, drone operator, gang members, journalists, parapsychics and conspiracy theorists.

The world is a hellish shell of the past, it gets visibly worse and more implausible daily. How fast how dense is your car in the year 2000?

I ran in past i just need car sheets and character sheets a few models for now. Version of BRP with combat 1-3 seconds horrorshows outside of a car.

Will do a new character sheet and finish my other articles that were slightly too big topics this weekend. Will use my version of rules with 1 sec combat rounds, shoot as much as you like with cumulative recoil penalties.

As for setting it is Qz on the brink of disaster. Population centers after the plague are fenced off most trade by airship. Mutant scum, wasteland gangs and cults fill in between the cities. Daredevil drivers travel between them for special deliveries and just for the bloodsport. Refugees are machine gunned on the beaches daily. Billionaires act like royalty and nobody remembers what an election is. Plagues have left world depopulated and global warming has dried up the wilderness.






Devil Hill Dungeons Part One

These while based on the strata dungeon design model are more diverse and mostly more recent than the Vault of Ages Type. See last post for map.

Tomb of Sir Alpeth
 Sir Alspeth was a crusader when the faiths of the land declared a crusade on Devil Hill. He was a mighty knight who looted many dungeons for the Empire. He ruled the Island from this dungeon determined to kill the bound godHe was killed fighting an anti paladin over the tomb of the bound god. His grave is haunted but his paladin arms and armour are buried here. His fallen comrades defend his grave even in death.

Level One: Throne Level

Battered and raided a few times but with secrets and loot still. Floor collapses in places sliding down to lower level.

d12 Encounter
1 Wights 1d6

2 Zombies 3d6
3 Skeleton Spearmen 4d6 Half are archers
4 Animated Armour Golem
5 Animated Knights weapons 1d4
6 Gargoyles 2d6
7 Band of Ghouls 2d6
8 Mummy knight
9 Wraith knight
10 Revenant
11 Skeleton Warrior
12 Crypt Keeper sends victims to dungeon depths

Level Two & Three: Monster Terrordrome

These joined levels are raided by golblinoids and even adventurers and beings from the Dungeon of Xull. Goblins are trying to support Thouls to take over as dominant undead. These Troll-ghoul-goblinoids are dangerous and growing.


d12 Encounter
1 Wights 1d6

2 Zombies 3d6
3 Skeleton Spearmen 4d6 Half are archers
4 Goblin Explorers 4d6
5 Orc Troops seeking relics 3d6 6 Hobgoblins in heavy armour with halberds formations 1d12+6
7 Goblin Hero with Thoul body guards and 2d6 goblins
8 Goblin warg riders 2d4 scouts and skirmishers
9 Thoul exterminators on prowl 2d4
10 Bugbear kill team 3d4
11 Goblin Shaman with thoul guards and 3d6 goblins
12 Trolls exploring 1d6 (seeded by goblin shamans)

Level Four: Guardian Level
Is a underground cathedral, with urns and supernatural artworks. Level is a trap barrier and temple against evil intruders. Many of his followers from campaigns buried here. 


d12 Encounter
1 Wights 2d6

2 Zombies 4d6
3 Skeleton Spearmen 5d6 Half are archers
4  Wraith Knights
5  Stone Golem
6  Banshee
7  Eye of fire and ice
8  Crypt Keeper
9 Thoul exterminators on prowl 2d6
10 Mummies 1d4+1
11 Skeleton Warriors 1d6+1
12 Empire pilgrim adventurers looking for relics 3d4
 

Level Five: Crypt of Alspeth
The final resting place is sealed here but under seige from evil who want to destroy his relics so none may use them. His armour, shield and holy avenger are buried here guarded by his iron golem horse. Creatures from other planes and from the miser kings dungeon have come up here.

d12 Encounter
1 Wights 3d4

2  Rakasha
3  Succubi
4  Wraith Knights 1d6
5  Stone Golem
6  Banshee
7  Barbed Devils 1d3
8  Vampire
9 Zombie Ogres of the miser king 4HD 1d8+2 clubs 3d6
10 Mummies 1d6 
11 Skeleton Warriors 2d6
12 Death Knight
 

Level Six 
Is shared with Miser King and will describe later. Entry was made by accident when digging the complex then sealed, but undead of Haan come up to fight the undead of sir Alspeth.

Dungeon Palace of Xull the Liberator
King Xull's Dungeon Palace is the pleasure palace and shelter for a doom averted by an ancient heretic warlord. Xull broke the rules of war and magic and crippled the bound god in battle.


Level One: Entry Ruin 

Once a grand procesional entry now this is a battleground of adventurers and monsters trying to establish territory. Heavily trapped by kobolds so all wary. There is always an encounter holding the entry way just inside the darkness
 

d12 Encounter
1 Kobolds trappers 3d6

2  Goblins gang 3d4
3  Warg riders 1d4 skirmish and harassing scouts
4  Bat rider goblin patrol 1d4 will flee to rally gobin horde
5  Stirge Owl Swarm 2d6+6
6  Carrion Crawler
7  Gelatinous Cube
8  Orc warriors skirmishing 2d6
9 Bugbear assassin
10 Dark Creeper assassin
11 Bandits
12 Adventurers
 

Level Two &Three: Administration Levels 
Former Empire bureaucrats ran the dungeon and empire from here. A redbrick like complex with humanoids vying for power. Level two has a goblin tribe with other goblinoids and pets. The Third is held by orcs.


d12 Encounter
1 Kobold scouts 4d4

2  Goblin warriors 2d6+6
3  Hobgoblin phalanx 1d6+6
4  Orc raiders 3d6
5  Orcs with horrible war dogs 1d6 orcs, 1d6 dogs each
6  Owl bear
7  Hook Horror
8  Thoul warrior
9  Ghouls 1d6
10 Ogres 1d4
11 Troll
12 Bugbears 1d6

Level Four: Stone Plaza
 

This level was found as a stone age gathering place with stone huts and sacred plaza. The primitive finery was incorporated into design where Xull would address his minions and hold court. Now it is a neutral zone where monsters trade.
 

d12 Encounter
1 Gremlins 5d4 with darts

2  Kobold crafters with trade goods 4d4
3  Goblin merchants 3d6 and 1d3 wargs
4  Orc bandits 3d6
5  Hobgoblin guards keeping the peace 1d6+6 with a pet hook horror
6  Constrictor cave snake or Cave Fisher drops from above
7 Dark elf merchants with erotic artworks and drunks
8  Piercers 3d6
9  Bugbear 2d4
10 Ogres 1d4
11 Troll
12 Goblinoid market with traders stalls
 

Level Five: Fungus Garden  
This level still has intact relics and art from the tomb and has demihuman presence. They are here to trade and monitor other dungeon inhabitants and perhaps the surface. Fungus outcrops here are common and some races come for grazing. Crawling with vermin, bugs and rats. 

d12 Encounter
1 Dark dwarf warriors in armour with guns 1d4+4

2  Dark elf scouts with 2d6 archers and a leader 1d4+4 level
3  Deep gnome agents happy to trade 1d6+6
4  Ankeg
5  Bugbears 6+1d12
6  Trolls 1d4
7 Ogres 2d6
8  Goatmen looters 6+1d6 (or hyena or wolf or ratmen)
9  Thouls 3d4
10 Gatherers from upper levels roll on level 1d4 encounter table
11 Giant Spiders 2d4
12 Cave lizards 3d4

Level Six: Ruined Pleasure Palace 
This was where king Xull's pleasure garden was. Now occupied by beings from the underland and worse

d12 Encounter 
1  Goblins 6d6 with Nilbogs, thouls, Shamans, Wizard and other elites
2  Dark elf scouts with 3d6 archers and a leader 1d4+4 level and 1d4 pets
3  Orcs 5d6 with ogre or troll elites, undead and a priest 
4  Kobold suicide squads with bomb vests and grenades
5  Bugbears 3d6 with shaman and two owlbears
6  Trolls 2d6 with shaman and pet cave bear
7 Ogres 3d6
8  Goatmen looters 6+2d6 (or hyena or wolf or ratmen)
9   Darkstalker and creepers seek to rob and murder intruders 3d6
10 Adventurers from upper levels or underlands
11  Amber golem guardian
12 Succubi or erinyes or mummy harem women

Level Seven: Tomb Level
Connected to underland but still core is intact. Xull is a greater mummy with entourage who will talk and torture for fun anything living that comes his way. He wields his mighty weapon that brought down the last age before him

d12 Encounter 
1 Orc elite warriors 3d4 with priest and undead ogres 2d6

2 Human cultists seeking mysteries of evil 3d6 + 1d4+6 lv leader
3 Dark stalker and creeper hunters will track and molest party 4d6
4 Wight guards 3d4
5 Bugbears 4d6
6 Trolls 2d4
7 Ogres 3d6
8 Goatmen looters 6+3d6 (or hyena or wolf or ratmen)
9 Umber Hulk 1d3
10 Dark elf explorers and traders come to communicate with Xull 3d6 +1d6+4 Lv leader
11 Xulls bride a ghoul queen with 5d6 ghouls
12 King Xull and his dozen wight bodyguards

Wizard School

After the university of hadelport this is the largest magic school on the Island. They do not get along with university but both respec each other even though the school is for renigades and cheaper. The necromancer school is shunned and necromancers are not included in faculty. This school is nooriously more sexist and corrupt than the university. Non humans use bone and stone weapons of advanced stone age and mostly monster hide and bone for armour. Rust monsters roam grounds as deterrent for outsider warriors 
 
Level One: Gate Way

Entry point always has two dozen orcs, a orc leader and a 6th level wizard and 1d4 1st level apprentices on duty. Commonly used by servants and zero level students

1d6 Encounter

1 kobold servants run in panic screaming 1d4 
2 Apprentices 2d4 zero level
3 Apprentices 1d4 first level

4 Orc guards one dozen
5 Giant rats 2d4
6 Gelatinous cube

Level Two: Apprentice barracks
 

This level is where lesser students live. Old crones work in many roles in kitchens and bath rooms. The entry is another guard house like the dungeon entry point and a door magically locked by gatekeeper wizard on duty

1d6 Encounter
1 kobold throw potions and run 2d4
2 Apprentices 3d6 zero level
3 Apprentices 2d4 first level

4 Orc guards one dozen
5 Hobgoblin janitors doing rounds 1d4
6 Rust monster or carrion crawler school pet

Level Three: Senior student dorms
Older students live here and spent time at study, goofing off, snack raids, abusing younger students

1d6 Encounter
1 kobold throw potions and run 2d4
2 Apprentices 2d6 first level
3 Apprentices 1d4 with random d4 level each

4 Hobgoblin guards one dozen with champion leader
5 Hobgoblin janitors doing rounds 1d4
6 Gremlin problem 4d4

Level Four: Library and administration

Where books and lecture rooms and intro alchemy labs are situated

1d6 Encounter
1 Teacher 6th level with 1d4 1st apprentices and a hobgoblin butler
2 Apprentices 2d6 first level
3 Apprentices 1d4 with random d4 level each

4 Bugbear guards 2d4
5 Apprentices performing chores 1d4 zero level
6 Invisible thuel watchdog reports intruders to school

Level Five:  Lecture rooms and gymnasiums
 

Spell testing rooms, martial training, target ranges and senior lecture rooms and offices here

1d6 Encounter
1 Teacher 6th level with 2d4 1st apprentices and 1d4 hobgoblin butler
2 Apprentices 3d6 first level
3 Apprentices 2d4 with random d4 level each

4 Bugbear guards 2d4+4
5 Ogres workers 1d4
6 Invisible 4th level hall monitor reports intruders to school

Level Six: Staff residents and laboratories
Teachers reside here with personal apprentices doing dirty work

1d6 Encounter

1 Teacher 6th level with 2d4 1st apprentices and 1d4 hobgoblin butler
2  Crypt keeper hall monitor evicts non masters or unaccompanied by master
3 Apprentices 3d4 with random d4 level each

4 Bugbear guards 3d4+4
5 Ogre workers under troll command 2d4 plus troll
6 Invisible stalker hall monitor

Level Seven: Trial area
Where students are tested and a double gatehouse defends the elevator into the caverns of the underland

1d12 Encounter
1 Rust Monster 1d4
2 Crypt Keeper - sends people into air of great cavern below
3 Apprentices 2d4 with random d4 level each
4 Bugbear guards 2d4+8

5 Ogres workers 3d4 + leader
6 Invisible stalker guard
7 Owbears 1d6
8 Hook Horrors 1d6
9 Salamanders 1d4
10 Elemental 12 HD
11 Dark elf spy 1d6+4th level
12 Gelatinous cubes 2d4