Showing posts with label cosmic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cosmic. Show all posts

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

War Against The Dark Lord 3: Gossip & Treasure
























The Dark Lord what a jerk. All that propaganda and teaming up with the biggest a-holes in the multiverse and outside of it makes him even more appealing. Unlike other wars, the dark lord knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men and so he has evil bards to slander and lie and misinform rulers. Also, treasure if you can call it that is frequently cursed and mostly benefits evil people. So if you sell cursed stuff only evil people buy it so mostly it is illegal and most people break it or throw in a volcano or wave it in front of an angry dragon. It would be disappointing to hear about the dark one tracking heroes but not you.

This isn't for authentic middle earth. Its kind of a parody or a way to give your world some dark look shenanigans for a while. It doesn't have to last. There will always be yet another dark lord rising.

d20 New Laws in Face of Evil
- You heard the new crier it's the Law!
-Hang on we are the goodies right?
-Another psyop from the dark lord dream scheme team?

1 Any spies serving the enemy even unknowingly will be executed without trial
2 Anyone with orc, koblin, kobold or ogre slave is to hand them over to the military
3 Anyone knowingly selling cursed devices of evil shall be burned alive as a witch
4 All tainted with illness or mutations is to report to civic authorities
5 None on common land must wear a hood or robes fully covering the body unless part of recognised religious devotions. Any such garbed persons meeting in secret by night are henceforth witches
6 Any villain giving false counsel to their lord's enquiries in this time will be given 100 lashes
7 Anyone about their business who sees any orcs or goblins must report them to the authorities or be blinded and tongue cut out
8 All fit and able-bodied boys and men of 14 or older are to report to local headman and lord for military service, those caught evading service will be flogged and sent to the frontline with penal troops. Those claiming illness will be taken to a healer to be made fit for service
9 A new poll tax of +10% on all goods, new road and bridge tolls and town entry fees,
10 Local authorities will be stockpiling food and weapons in secure locations, ask you local village head man or woman where you will need to flee and what to take in a mass retreat
11 All spellcasters are to report to a local church authority or lords wizard to be briefed on the upcoming crisis and their new role with the crown
12 Those caught hoarding or profiteering off the war shortages, are enemies of the people and will be placed in stocks or pillory for a week
13 For their protection and the common good all halflings are to report to the civic officials where they will be transported to a place saftey
14 Curfew nobody out after 6pm until further notice
15 Flying undead minions of the dark lord have been seen, lights out after dark until further notice for public saftey
16 All newcomers are to report to civic officials for registration and to record their activities 
17 Church officials will be conducting random strip searches looking for evil signs, witch marks or cult tattoos. Only those guilty of espionage or witchcraft need fear
18 All bards are to report to civic officials and must obtain a permit to perform. Suspicious bards sewing dispair will be tarred and feathered those spreading dark lord propaganda will be burned
19 Looters or food thieves will be getting their hands cut off as a warning for the first offence
20 For the duration of the emergency in these troubled times, women may be put to work in jobs normally only allowed for men and may wear trousers. Wives must manage affairs of households and industry until the war effort is over

d100 Gossip
01 The dark lord was wronged long ago and the gods cheated him, he just wants us to be free
02 The dark lord feeds all those who join them and pays in golden treasure and magic gifts
03 The dark lord just wants to smash all hierarchies so people can be free of gods and kings
04 The dark lord gets a bad reputation, it is all lies spread by those against his rightful rule
05 The dark lord is reborn again and again and will conquer all or destroy it all if he cannot
06 The dark lord is just a title despots give themself to recruit idiots to their cause
07 Past dark lords were independently drawing on old relics and legends to claim the name
08 All dark lords were guided by fate by a single malicious spirit that survived from long ago
09 Many have called themselves the dark lord and all failed and underestimated good
10 The first dark lord was cast down by the gods but drew power from the void beyond 
11 I heard the king will just barricade towns and cities and leave the countryside to orc
12 I heard goblins are swarming again, I guess the lords will drive them off then tax us more
13 I heard the goblins were promised their old lands back on the frontier by the evil one
14 I heard the dark lord has spies and magic scrying pools alert to any against him
15 I heard the dark lord is hunting adventurers in the area just to avoid problems later
16 I heard the army is on the verge of collapse with owed wages, old weapons and the clap 
17 I heard the dark lord just wants all the demihuman scum dead then will leave us alone
18 I heard the dark lord has tainted the coin of the realm to inspire madness and greed
19 I heard not all orcs like the dark lord. Many hate him for his hopeless aeons of failure
20 I heard there are old dungeon ruins in the hill we could move into and wait this out 
21  Monsters are on the march, I'm packing my things and fleeing to a castle in the morning
22 The dark lord often preys on weak or mad rulers, perhaps he already has the king in thrall
23 The nobility have already fled by sea taken the dark lords bribes
24 If we kill the leaders and present their heads, our new master will look kindly on us
25 We should probably dust off the militia armoury and post some guards maybe
26 I have never heard so many wolves in my life howling at night
27 I saw a huge swarm of bats that lasted hours and some were gigantic
28 I saw a goblin on a wolf and I hid till it left, I was so lucky I was upwind
29 I've seen these big thorn bushes sprouting up, big things like hedges
30 I saw mushrooms bigger than my head, but they were the poison kind only goblins eat
31 The dark riders of the evil one are hunting key people the dark lord knows are a threat
32 The agents of the dark lord seek certain relics and old artefacts and weapons
33 Hey has anyone seen any writing in rocks around here? Just asking for a wizard friend
34 I heard some adventurers came by with some gems the other day, anyone know them?
35 I found a dead halfling in the river poor thing, look like had been through hell
36 I heard the fishers quit cos of all the body parts found in the river and feeding the fishes
37 Some local mines had to close because of goblins, looks a pretty bad infestation
38 Ive been hearing goblin drums at night wonder what that means
39 If you are hit by poison orc or goblinoid arrows just get away and try to treat your wounds before the venom kills you, cleaning the wounds quickly can help
40 If you find orc blades they look crude but are very practical and worth a try
41 Some of the evil leaders have magic weapons you can turn against the dark lord
42 The dark lord leaves cursed weapons around to cause trouble and spread evil
43 The magic weapons of the evil one's captains are cursed and best destroyed
44 In these troubled times make sure a priest buries the dead properly or burn them
45 I heard cackling goblin witches riding bats around my house last night
46 A goblin took a dump down my chimney fouling our gruel pot and scared the children
47 My kids say a bugbear whispers to them through the window at night how adorable
48 My children had to hide from goblins the other day playing near the creek
49 All my goats disappeared. Don't know if they knew something or got stolen
50 I've seen distant smoke a bit lately, wondering what all the fuss was
51 The age of humans is over, this is the age of the orc!
52 Even though those frontier barbarians and amazons hate us some have come to fight orcs
53 Why don't the gods just stop the dark lord forever? They really do nothing, don't they?
54 I found this cool orc dagger! Pretty nasty looking eh!, Don't touch or I willl shank you!
55 Better look out, all sorts of men of fighting age have being pressganged into the army
56 Lots of men have been volunteering to fight including lots of women in disguise
57 I'm sending my children away, this nice merchant has offered to take them to a relative in the city for only a few pennies
58 I've stuck a broke farmer but the dark lord will let me take what I want when I want
59 The lords oppressing us for years, was it the dark lord or were they bad on their own?
60 I'm sure some divine miracle will save us we must pray away the dark lord
61 I heard an amazon say every dark lord wipes out so many men that women end up being in charge more often after even though the dark lord hates women
62 Plague has broken out recently nearby, watch strangers and travellers for the pox!
63 If you kill any orc they come back as zombies that never die, we have no hope
64 These bigger barbarian orcs seem mostly after the dark lord's wizards for some reason
65 In the early frontier days people enslaved and hoped out goblinoids and orcs, and people wonder what the monsters beef with us is like we didn't get rich off their dead
66 We raid their dungeons and caverns and villages they raid our farms and roads and towns
67 All kinds of monsters were less horrible before the dark lord was around
68 All the gods and powers lording over humans and twisting us with hatred and impossible standards, one day we will kill them all
69 The good gods love the dark lord, he proves why we need to worship or perish
70 The dark lord in the past depended on artefacts, destroy the key ones and we break him again
71 Even when we drive the dark one back we have to finish him and destroy his form and try to stop his essence escape again to be reborn
72 Wouldnt the real dark lord not admit it and accuse someone else of being him?
73 The lords of hell don't really support the dark lord, he does things to souls they don't like
74 The dark lord was long ago imprisoned in hell if only he could be again
75 You know I've never seen a woman orc work for the dark lord, wonder why?
76 The new dark lord has wizards that make orcs from alchemy and vile muck in great pits, the new orcs all men are armed and trained by brutal veterans to kill and fight in a few weeks
77 Lots of barbarian orcs don't like the dark lords or his wizards and how they "make orcs" and brainwash their creations into slavery under a proven failure
78 When I was lost underground in caves for a few years I met orcs that were as human as anyone
79 The dark lord is anti-life, he hates natural procreation and anything that lives without his consent
80 In the coming age of blood and fire best get on board with the dark lord who will control demons and undeath against his enemies
81 We caught a wizard poking around the graveyard last night, got him while trying some spell
82 Someone tampered with the sanctified area of the graveyard with unholy water and faeces. Hope we can get a priest in before zombies eat us
83 Someone painted bloody symbols of evil on the church door last night and naked people were seen running around the place then into the woods, bloody witches
84 The blacksmith just got some of those black metal weapons the orcs use in the shop
85 Orc goods work fine and put up with punishment but they sure are ugly and sometimes have rough edges. But worse of all its cheaper than anything I can buy locally, they would ruin us in a trade war
86 Orcs mostly fight and goblins act as, mostly skirmishers, archers or labourers. Goblin farmers grow fungus and have many useful domestic animals
87 Orcs don't like hobgoblins or bugbears around much and keep their goblins from changing into them by preventing goblin cannibalism that triggers these changes in times of war
88 I heard there is an orc legion in service to the lords of hell fighting the dark lord
89 The dark lord bound many demons to his will and chose them as the most vicious and willing to turn on each other, hell was to organised and united to let this happen to devils
90 The dark lord seriously cuts into hell buying and selling souls which they dislike 
91 I knew a guy who was a dark lord cultist and gee was he a stupid selfish maniac bastard. Who would join a club like that? Glad I told the inquisition 
92 Lots of those dark lord orcs made by wizards have never even seen a woman, confuses hell outa them. The dark lord didn't tell them any facts of life so old orc mercenaries teach em everything which is probably crap poor bastards
93 Goblins are not so bad in their own lands but they often end up bullied and enslaved by elves and orcs. The more hobgoblins and bugbears the more free the goblins are from other races and in conflict with them. But hobgoblins and bugbears often take over or replace goblins and predate on weaker kin. So they trade one master for another quite often
94 Over the ages, each dark lord has been weaker but the world gets more broken and some things are lost to us forever destroyed by the evil fury
95 There are plenty of other ancient evils and wicked gods out there who are far more subtle and don't die again and again and don't risk losing
96 Werewolves are around again, spread by the dark lord amongst us, look out you might know one
97 Has anyone seen any halflings lately, one borrowed my bucket and I was hoping on finding them again, there is a beer in it for you
98 The dark lord is just a shadow of a servant of one of the old gods living beyond his intended purpose by black elder magic he was never meant to wield 
99 Once incarnated in a new host body the evil one begins to diminish in power. He resists fighting directly using greater fire demons and elementals and dragon
100 The dark lord allied to the tainted bloodline of dragons long ago and most dragons hate him and sometimes they destroyed past dark lords. Shame you don't see dragons no more

d100 Treasure
01 Manbane poison, coats one melee weapon or ten arrows for the first hit, hour later victim saves or takes a d3 poison from septic wounds per wound. Made by goblins 25gp dose 
02 Goblinbread a type of tasty spongy fungus used as rations and keeps fresh or can be dried 1sp a day
03 Berseker potion starts a d4 rounds after drinking lasts one turn, addictive 25gp 
04 Wellbane, pollutes a well with a dose,
 lasts d4 days if water source replenished, drinkers save vs poison+2 or d4 days diarrhoea and vomiting and dose a d3 HP per day 25gp
05 Siege mine 8d6 (-1d6 per yard from centre, save halves) to breach wall or gate by berserk suicide bomber 30lb 300gp
06 Orcsalve heals 1HP but stings enough to make children cry for hours, comes in a wooden box with d6 doses 30gp
07 Firecrackers make lots of noise come in strings 
of 25 and goblins love them for 12gp
08 Blackbriar seed, grows a thick 3m tall and wide bush over a d4 days, experts groom them as they grow to shape into fortifications for 25gp
09 Horsebane seed, planted by goblins to kill horses painfully over a d3 days if they fail a save, a handful of seeds can plant 2d3 patches, 5gp but most people destroy it
10 Catnip is loved by every pussy in the land but also bugbears and it makes them, mellow playful and then sleepy. An ounce of catnip is only one sp
11 Goblin dagger, curved black iron foot long blade +1 on hands of chaotic evil user 250gp
12 Goblin small sword, curved black iron two foot long +1 on hands of chaotic evil user 350gp
13 Goblin shaman sickle all plants and mushrooms cut remain fresh a week 1000gp
14 Goblin Arrows, dozen in a bundle all treated with Manbane (see 01) 25gp
15 Goblin Shortbow +1 on hands of chaotic evil user 600gp
16 Spore grenade 2d4 over 1 area save or choke a rounds 40gp
17 Potted alarm fungus, screams if disturbed by noise or movement for d4 rounds 40gp
18 Goblin lords helmet, a finer than most silver inlay 
with boars tusks small pot helm for small races or a child, +1 Protection and improves reaction with wild boar or pigs by +2
19 Great Goblin Clever, 2d4 damage, hacks off a random limb on a natural 20 roll and causes  1HP per round blood loss until dead or treated, bugbears love these 
20  Goblin spider web net, can only be thrown once over 1 area and all within make a STR save to resist or trapped for a turn or freed with a blade or burned off causing 2d4 fire damage to all trapped 40gp
21 Bats in a box, 3d4 messenger bats in a box can be trained to home in a new location or fly to the dark lord command post, a d4 scrolls are usually with it 40gp
22 Bat swarm in a box, a 1 yard square wood crate containing a swarm of blood thirsty vampire bats who attack anyone in area when released, good for traps or dropping on victims 90gp
23 Giant bat and riding harness, AC+3 HD 2 D6 bite Mov 3 or 18 flying for a small humanoid 150gp
24 Wolf puppy, only a month old with 
1HP and misses mum 12gp
25 Warg wolf puppy, already has a d4 HP 150gp
26 Goblin hound, AC+3 HD 1 d4 bite Mov 15 has night vision and eats bugs and slugs
27 Baby giant spider in a cage, will grow bigger and it is already starting to talk 60gp
28 Orc horses are fierce war horses bred with orcish blood and cruelty, fearless but hard to control and it will eat meat and drink blood if it can or really wants any. Ugly as sin and mange covered AC+5 HD3 Bite & Hoofx2 d6 each 90gp
29 Zombie pony, not very fast, smelly and revolting but obey instructions without fear just half speed. Stats as a zombie just a quadruped and it tramples for a d8 120gp
30 Bone golem horse, used as mounts for heroes of necromancy and undead, AC+5 HD 6 Hoofx2 2d6 obeys first intelligent non-living evil one to mount it once old master killed 4000gp
31 Orc dagger, iron black bladed, serrated and saw-toothed wickedly, over a foot long, +1 +2 vs elves, if wielder not evil save or turn evil once blood spilt 300gp
32 Orc black scimitar, iron curved sword, with vile runes, three foot long +1 +2 vs humans, the wielder becomes paranoid when humans near with a failed saving throw 600gp
33 Orc iron blade, a straight sword over three foot, brittle and shatter on a natural 1 vs metal armour, +1 vs elves, faerie brings or demons 200gp
34 Orc Morningstar as mace but 2d4 +1 vs elves, faerie brings or demons, more durable from the dark lords iron orc blades 300gp
35 Orc black spear, with a black iron head and corrupted wood from an evil tree, d8 +1 vs elves, all wounded by it save vs poison and take a d3 one hour later. Wielder of these die much younger 600gp 
36 Orc Lord Blade, ingenious hight quality and brutal design, praise to the orc gods in old orc runes, grey steel d8+1 all with simple mean names like 
gutbiter, foesplitter, orphankiller  1200gp 
37 Orc Lord Spear, grey steel on a ash haft, dedicated to the orc lord, +1 plus when an elf withing 1 range head ignites with screaming hatred and does a extra d3 fire damage as long as a living elf is near. Only Lawful Evil can weild it or the touch burns for a d3. Some orcs kept a live elf on a chain to keep the spear angry 3000gp
38 Bow of the Orc Lord, a great twisted composite bow that can three times a day turn an arrow to a 2d6 magic flaming arrows 1200gp
39 Mace of the orc lord, a great flanged mace +1 +2 vs elves and demons, on a natural 20 a struck living victim must save or is blinded for a d4 rounds their eyes shrouded in magic darkness, only a lawful evil user gets the benefit of the blindness power dedicated to a orc night goddess 1600gp
40 Shield of the Orc Lord, +2AC and provides +1 to all saving throws, runes evoke a treasure hoarding burrowing orc ancestral demon, 2000gp
41 Silver Star Ring, given to elves as a trick long ago, can cast cure light wounds and light once a day, each use the wielder save or a wizard of the dark lord will begin spythem and inform local minions of the dark lord where the ring is 3000gp (1000gp if dark lord active and curse known)
42 Bronze Heart Ring, 
given to dwarves as a trick long ago, three times a day for ten minutes the ring can detect gold of over 100gp value withing 3 range or only 1 through rock. If over a 1000gp is detected the dark lords wizard minions know where the gold is too now and the wielder must save or develop a mad craving for the gold 2000gp (1000gp if dark lord active and curse known) 
43 The Golden Crown Ring, given to human nobles long ago to curse their lines and a few turn up occasionally and none know the true purpose. The wielder gains +1 CHA while wearing it but if left on the finger of a deadman they arise as a wight and seek to murder their families for the dark lord. 3000gp (1000gp if dark lord active and curse known) 
44 The White Gold Ring, was made to tempt wizards to the dark lord, it can store one 1st level spell and acts as a ring of protection +1, but at the next full moon, the wielder must save or is cursed to turn evil. Each month they get a new save
45 The Red Gold Ring, was given to border lords to ruin frontier defences. The wielder has +1 damage on all melee attacks on foes that bleed. But at the next solstice
, the wielder must save or is cursed to turn evil. Each quarter solstice they get a new save 2500gp (1000gp if someone knows about curse)
46 Cloak of the Wolf, with this pelt made from a dead werewolf in golf from the curse, can be given to a new victim. The cloak and cowl look mighty but anyone claiming it must save at the next full moon vs curse or they will put it on and become a lycanthrope. When a werewolf dies his brothers make a cloak and dark priests curse it and the items sold or left out for unwary to find 200gp (1500gp to a maniac who wants to be a werewolf)
47 Wyvern Rod, iron sceptre with a wyvern design coiled around and a green or violet crystal on top, the wielder can speak to wyverns in their tongue and has 2d6 charges of a charm wyvern ability for a day. Any wyvern once affected is immune the same charm effect rod
 which can get a tamer in trouble if they don't earn the beasts trust in a day 15000gp
48 Violet Wand holds 3d10 magic missiles but if a non-evil person fires at an evil person the missiles strike the wielder instead. When charges expire crystal cracks and a wizards soul escapes 1500gp (1000gp if properties understood)
49 Viridian Staff holds 2d10 charges one charge can cast burning hands and two charges can cast fireball. When the staff expires the gem cracks and a wraith escapes to attack the wielder and the dark lord gets a glimpse of them, If the staff is deliberately broken the wraith is free also 6000gp (or 3000gp if properties realised) 
50 Iron Crown worn by ancient rulers of men who served past dark lords. The wearer gets +1 INT and can cast comprehend languages three times a day. Anyone reading forbidden lore even mentioning the dark lord attract his gaze and he will arrange for them to find more corrupting lore at least once a month requiring a save to resist reading and turning evil 3000gp to most (1000gp if curse known)
51 Manpiercer is a great juggernaut with a magical balistia able to fire a 4d6 bolt +12 to hit every three rounds 20/40/60. The Juggernaut is AC +5 HD 10 and can also run over enemies for 2d10 damage with wooden roller wheels. The machine is filled with the spirit of malice and acts as a shrine to darkness used by evil priests. Anyone selling one who claims they can be controlled is a liar. When the dark lord slumbers they gather dust in hiding. 10000gp would be fair if it was under control, and they are smart enough to lie
52 Doomhammer a great juggernaut battering ram worshipped by orcs as a petty god with its own priesthood. The great engine is fueled with blood and it has been abandoned but not destroyed. Most gates cannot hold against the machine beasts great iron beak. The Juggernaut is AC +10 HD 30 and tramples victims with its rollers for 3d10 but moves only 3. 10000gp was promised to any who could rid the world of it by a past king (I'm sure the heirs will honour this happily)
53 Battle cart is a small wagon with six black powder barrels all fired at once on a 30-degree arc, good for mass combat and defence or could be wheeled into a dungeon. AC+5 HD 6 Mov 6 with men pulling or 12 with ponies or oxen. Within 30 yards everyone takes 3d6 damage save for half, 31-60 yards everyone takes 3d6 damage save for half and 61-100 save or take a d6. The device usually has a 4-6 man crew and takes 15 minutes for four loaders to ready for a shot.  6000gp with 120gp per volley of shot and powder
54 War mine a black spiked metal sphere used to destroy fortifications or natural features. A suicidal operator lights the short fuse and is killed in use. 8d6 reducing 1 dice per yard save for half. 1200gp operator not included  
55 Iron Hand grenade 2d4 
+1 damage vs elves or demons over 1 area save for half, throw after lighting the fuse and run, on a roll of one to hit explodes in the user's hand 100gp
56 Great Gun of Spite, a swivel-mounted gun attached to a waggon or settlement or ship or wall, fires a 3d6 ball once every 10 minutes with a crew of 2 to fire or move it, 10/20/30 range. Goblins like them but need double the crew and blow up on a 1 to hit roll. Good orc crews don't fumble and fire twice as often 2000gp for the gun 10gp a shot, 
57 Brass Beast Cannon, an ancient weapon shaped like a great bellowing beast, requires 6 oxen to pull it and a crew of 12 to operate. Once per hour the great gun fires a 10d6 cannonball mostly at walls rather than troops 20/40/60 range. It can only fire 12 shots a day or risks exploding. 20,000gp 200gp a shot 
58 War mortar, these crude indirect fire artillery pieces that a spotter can see incoming and a save can avoid the 6d6 damage with poor accuracy over half a mile, each require a wagon to move and another for stone balls fired and a care 6 to operate and 6 more to help move and act as spotters. More effective for buildings, than living targets, orcs working on explosive and gas shells bur maybe next dark lord. For now most crews poorly trained (-4 to hit usually), slow (fire ones per 10 minutes) and have fatal accidents on a roll of 1 to hit. 4000gp for weapon and 50gp a shot not including transport wagons or crew
59 Thunder shouter iron cannon, a older crude siege cannon requiring a waggon to move and a team of six to operate. It does 4d6 damage 10/20/30 once per hour and explodes on a roll of 1 to hit. Once assembles of the wagon aiming and adjusting it is very awkward so mostly iyt is used on gates and walls not live foes. 3000gp for weapon and 50gp a shot
60 Trebuchet the ultimate long range war weapon, often built on site by siege engineers it can hurl an ox or a half ton of rubble damaging walls and harming panicked victims, Burning missiles or plague corpses are alternate ammo. a 40 tonne wooden monstrosity requiring a crew of 70 to move it or half that to fire. 10/20/300 range 10d6 damage indirect fire every 20 minutes. 1500gp and half the crew gather missiles. Smaller ones are more common with range 30/60/100 4d6 damage only and a crew of 10 firings once every 10 minutes for 600gp
61 Necromancers sacrificial dagger +1, a victim murdered in a ritual has soul taken by the dark lord, immediately after the necromancers, next undead making or summoning spell calls undead with a minimum of 5HP per HD 1000gp 2000gp to necromancer
62 Necromancers wand each use in a un sanctified burial place revives a skeleton warrior that will serve the maker as long as they serve the dark lord. Otherwise the skeleton attacks. d100 charges  1500gp +10gp per charge
63 Necromancers rod each use in a un sanctified burial place revives a zombie warrior that will serve the maker as long as they serve the dark lord. Otherwise the zombie attacks. d100 charges  2000gp +20gp per charge
64 Necromancers ebon ring from serpent folk in the ancient times before humans, the ring can conjure a dozen 1HD spectral minion once a week for one hour that obey your mental commands. The ring bearer the night after saves and if they fail they are contacted by the elder wizard got Tsath-Thogg-Ark who will visit the user in their dreams. The demon is a second save is failed inflicts a greater curse turning the dreamer turning them Lawful Evil alignment 4000gp 10000gp to a serpent folk wizard or cult
65 The Book of Damned Souls, a primer for necromancers with a spell collection of a 5th level wizards that can be decoded from the poison pages. Every night read save or lose a Point od CON for a month. Full of theory and notes on friendly demons and dragon allies to the necromancer cause in the days of ancient Exilon. The dark lord has been printing copies and helping a ncromantic college thrive under his tutorledge 2000gp but banned by church
66 Necromancers orb used to communicate with a network of evil wizards that were gifts from the dark lord who spies on them all. If touched the dark lord sees you but mostly he won't care. With a turn handling the orb they may message other wizards through their orbs to see who is in. A normal person touching it sees hypnotic lights and if they fail a save stare at the ball for a d6 hours when they get s second save or are cursed with becoming chaotic evil 10000gp to any necromancer or undeath cult and quite a lot of evil customers want it. If the crystal is shattered it releases a hungry wraith bound inside by the dark lord and linked to his will
67 Necromancers staff, made from undead treeant wood with iron strips which meet at the top and hold a violet or green crystal. The staff is +2 and an evil user has protection from good 3 times/day. Once a day it can raise a dozen zombies from available corpses without proper burial by sacrificing a 1HD animal or person. Any touch necromatic spell can be channelled through the staff and added to damage from a successful hit. 3000gp to most people, 4500 to evil people
68 Death Knight Blade, wielded by greatest warrior undead heroes of evil, these +3+6 vs good blades have the following powers: darkness 3 times/day, call lightning once per day, invisible to undead at will, charm undead once per day, ice storm once per week. Each has a name like Soulcutter, Woundmaker, Heartpiercer, Braindasher, Foemaimer. Each belongs to a great deathknight hero who have habit or returning and always know where their blades are. The weapon works for anyone but if a good person draws blood they must save or they are become violent berserker who never let sword leave them and grow to delight in killing with the sword. For an evil user the blade LE spirit advises the user and is in fact a bound devil who escapes if the sword is broken by dragon fire or wizards ray, the demon is free. 10000gp but most sane people would avoid it if they knew what it was, a timebomb
69 Black Iron Crown of The Lich King, allows the wearer to mindlink and see through the eyes of any undead they create while wearing the crown. Enables them to give instructions by remote to minions. For living users it is addictive and the wearer must save each hour of use or suffer the curse of necromancers, obsession with death, immortality and repulsion from life a cancerous weakness. 10000gp to any necromancer or undeath cult and quite a lot of evil customers want it unfortunately and dragonfire is said to destroy it
70 Lich Kings Mace, more like a +4 two-handed d10 maul for a human, +d4 damage on good-aligned victims, on a natural 20 to hit a pulse of ebon energy arcs strike all living in 1 range radius. All victims save or be stunned, under 1HD beings die of shock. Any good person holding takes a d4 damage a round from ebon sparks. Any evil person holding it must save or will devote their life to lichdom as a priest tor wizard and they will kill anyone in their way 10000gp to any necromancer or undeath cult and quite a lot of evil customers want it unfortunately and sending it back to the underworld almost succeeded once
71 Iron ring of the master, +1 ring of protection that drains 1HP each time that single plus makes a difference in success. Older dark lords could reach the minds of luitenants through these but his essence is too diminished to do anymore than sense them in 100 miles now 1500gp to evil or those who don't see problems or 800gp to those who know the risks
72 Dark crystal of the Master, a fragment of a past incarnation of the evil one now a jagged black-violet stone on a black steel chain. The gen can be used to commune with the master once a day at night for ten minutes but you better have something. The master can cast one 1-3rd level spell through the wielder during the communion session. Anyone wearing the gem becomes tainted and gets a save per day or is cursed with becoming evil
73 Curse Arrow of the Dark Lord, +2 arrow if hits victim saves or loses 1HP per ten minutes  for a d12 hours of fevers and halucinations of dark shadows grasping at the victims soul. The victim gets another save after death or becomes a wight. 400gp have a nasty reputation as cruel so assassins all want them. 
74 The Dark Lords Creed, a book of the past dark lords and powers useful to predict him, or find his relics or weaknesses. Sought by his many enemies 1in6 are actually cursed copies that anyone reading for 8 hours must save or is cursed to turn evil, seduced by the evil ones service 2000gp
75 Shadowlords Helmet, summons a d6 shadow mastifs by night once a week who will obey an evil person or just attack any living beings they can catch. One hero would call them shadow hounds then lead them on horseback towards enemies then flee. The wearer can see in nightlight and ignores magical darkness or silence. Silver engraved helm pointy full helm providing +1 protection. Many past wielders died using it a gift for enemies long ago 4000gp breaking it releases a d6 bound shadow masiffs
76 Nightblade, a former gift to mortals from the dark lord, fine silvered steel +2 +3 vs devils and lycanthropes. Drawing blood with the blade awakens a deceitful spirit and the wielder must save of come to love the blade as an extension of their own body. On death the wielder becomes a wight in the service of evil and the sword becomes unholy black metal +3 +d3 damage vs good beings and detects living within 3. The weapons fetch a good price of 4000gp on sight of basic properties but no decent person would knowingly own one
77 Dark Lords Mantle, a suit of evil black plate with a spiked crown, battered and etched in ancient orc runes. Seemingly just a +1 suit, when worn complete the wearer must save, on a success they can pull it off in time with a struggle, with a failure the victim is turned into an orc and cursed with evil alignment 1800gp but orc will pay a bit more
78 Flowers of Malor, jewelled hair piece of ancient elves, corrupted to trick and taint elves. Elves seeing it save or will kill anyone to obtain it for their own elf clan. They will take it home and present it to their leaders to spread the dark lords corruption. Anyone wearing it has +2 CHA and can cast charm person three times a day. 10000gp to elves 5000gp to others
79 Chest of Teeth, a stout chest with 75+d100 necklaces inside made from from teeth, many unidentifiable and some with runes or human hair woven cord. Each necklace seems of approximate same value and in the past many such chests have been found. Chests of ears or finger necklaces was found before. Wearing one gives wearer +1 CHA to evil beings and -1 to good beings. The dark lord gave these to barbarian warlords who divided them amongst their kin and aid in their corruption. The chests mysteriously vanish a few days after being emptied. Each necklace sells for 100gp or more
80 Sceptre of Wrath a +2 Mace that an evil user can cast hold person three time a day, used by evil wight priests who ride undead wyverns. Wielder saves or his whispers of the dark lord and when life near death the dark lord will reach out to them offering aid which includes severing the wielders relation to their god 4000gp
81 Halfling Marsh Weed, comes in pouches for 4+d8 days, induces mild euphoria making user quiet and happy and eat only half as much and march a full day 30gp with a clay pipe
82 Entwater, fluid collected in hollows inside of a treeant for months, drinking it ads +1 Con +1 Str and d3+1 inches. It also makes you +2 save vs any dark lord items or relics, only usable once per person, and needs to be consumed in a d6 months with treants in a ritual if they like you. How any got to market was probably by theft 3000gp potion
83 Elfblade, shortsword glows if orc or goblin within 3 range and +1 2000gp
84 Moon Arrows, +1 silver arrows +d4 vs undead and lycanthropes, made by the elves come in quiver with a dozen 1000gp
85 Light of Vulnavia, bottle of liquid light usable as hole water and protection from evil 1 radius as long as light can touch. Light overcomes all magical darkness in area and shadow or darkness beings or undead take a d3 per round in it's light. Crystal bottle may smash bathing all in 3 radius the effects of the light for a final round as the light is lost to the world forever. 3000gp
86 Iron talisman made from a nail, belt buckle or horseshoe provides protection from evil to the wearer for an hour a day when rubbed and worried. 1500gp
87 Mithril elvish chain, +3 and no encumbrance, 7000gp
88 Curse Eater Fetish, made by wild folk, the idol tricks a curse or evil relic to transferring the evil magic to the idol. Then the idol should be burned or buried or thrown in the sea tied to stones. Ugly wooden idols with hair and stone inserts 600gp
89 Circlet of Sirilon, simple white gold circlet gifted to humans that aided and served elves in ancient wars with the dark lord. Some have resurfaced.+2 protection and a good character can cast light three times/day and cure light woulds three times/day. Each full moon the wearer saves or becomes cursed with good alignment 6000gp  
90 Wolfbane, a silver +2 battleaxe, +4 vs werewolves and detects werewolves in even in human form within 1 range. No effect vs other lycanthropes. 3500gp
91 Starlight Medalion, belonged to a star in the dawn age and only usable by a lawful good being. An evil or chaos touching it takes a d4 per round. Under a full moon once a month you may commune with the star spirit. Each has a separate name written in the angelic LG language on their medalion. The wearer can cast Invisibility to undead three times/day, Create Food and water three times/day. 6000gp
92 Heartstone, shining jewel kept in a lead box that magically hides it from detection. It casts a light 3 radius when opened and all in sight are cursed if they fail a save to more obsessed with alignment and impossible standards of planar perfection. If they are nuetral or non aligned they can roll a random new alignment. The light dims after this effect, the lid closes and the box vanishes. This was created by the spirit of malice to create more conflict in the cosmos 2000gp to those who know what it is, usually some idiot opens it, becomes more fanatic and the stone and box move on
93 Angels Trumpet, a 2 metre long trumpet of brass with runes of law and good. When called it summons a minor fiery cherebim to smite all who are not living to the impossible standards of heaven.If LG you are spread, if evil you are slain, if any other alignment save to think pure thoughs or be destryed. The angel may scan those bowing with ESP for impure thoughts and the mortal may make a save to think pure enough. After it takes the trumpet, 3000gp evil people would destroy but it takes dragonfire
94 Harp of Calmoron, silver harp of the star spirits left on the world as the gift of music. Play the music the owner most desires which often depends on alignment. If Lawful Good or a bard you can cast Comprehend Languages 
three times/day. 10000gp but even divine beings want this thing that all beings find pleasurable 
95 Splinter of Woe, a broken adamantium spike that is shaped like a crude shortsword +4. The blade once tasted blood for the first time in a day screams for a round and animals or normal creatures under 1d8 HD save or flee for a d4 rounds. If it slays the material form of a outer planar being it cannot reform for 30 years 10000gp
96 Sickle of Chaos, adamantium sickle +2 or +4 if a mutant and chaotic. If the mutant wielder kills a mutant they may swap a mutation with the corpse if it fails a saving throw. Mutations must be of same type minor or major. A mutant hero can use this to purge weak mutations and get better ones. Non mutant wielders make a saving throw a month or get a minor mutation a month and if they get more than their level they morph into a mindless shoggoth 10000gp to a mutant ("haha will never happen" sez a merchant) or 2000gp to most people
97 Seed of Alloril, from the first oak tree blessed by old gods and faeries, if planted becomes a full grown oak tree overnight 60 foot tall. Each night a patch of younger 30 foot high trees will grow and over seven days becomes a circular forest a furlong wide (600 yards or metres). Faeiries used these to plant forests in the dawn age. Killing the first tree at any time stops the process. Animals and possibly faeries or a treant will occupy the woods. Druids will sanctify this wood promptly. 5000gp  
98 Stone Witchblade, +2 stone dagger, a splinter of stone broken from a holy place by a prehistoric witch and bathed in blood of a demon. If a 1HD talking being is sacrificed in a ten minute ritual a minor demon is summoned. The first demon is a quasit that offer to make a soul pact and if rejected seeks revenge. Later demons are more stupid more agressive types that the summoner must bargain with. The demons desire permission to be released into the world to do as they please after one service. The dark lord would have witches summon demons all day long 10000gp 
99 Stormkettle, a five gallon cauldron with a lid for cooking if a sheep wool, a bat and a newt are placed in and it is boiled on a fire in a 3 hour ritual the local sky spirit must save or unleash a dangerous storm till dawn. The knowledge of the kettle is a secret of witches and requires three to operate the procedure 5000gp
100 Bone Whistle, if blown near navigable water, at nightfall a ferryman in robes in a small one passenger skiff and offer a ride. Anyone placed in the skiff is feried away to another world as determined by the boatman, often fairyland or hell or whatever. The ferryman demands a coin and the whistle. 10000gp

Wednesday, 15 April 2020

Maalus, the thing from the deep




















Oh no the wards of IP cast by wizards of old made a certain monster not viable for your old style adventures? Well I hereby let you publish this thing. Just mention this blog if you do.

Maalus*Magical Giant Marine Invertoibrate LE
AC as plate HD 8-14d8  Mov 6 Swim 6 Walk Underwater 9
2d8 Punching Tentacles x4
Grappling Tentacles x8
Once held by two tentacles victims injected with 2d4 acid per round or an egg
-get a saving throw a day for three days to resist becoming a thrall
-once become a thrall prefer to breathe water only tolerating air for an hour
-thrall worships the parent maluus and will do anything even serve themselves as food
*Requires silver or +1 or batter magic weapon to harm
6 diameter circle of ink in water three times a day
Telepathy range 24 ESP range 6 sense life range 6
 Phantasmal force three times a day last as long as concentrates

The Maalus is a prehistoric horror of the deep, servants of the void and the outer darkness who once let evil undersea empires that invaded the land and wiped out civilisations. Tako octopus fairies managed to exterminate most of them from shallow seas and reefs on behalf of the dragons who rule the oceans. Some Maalus remained in the deep or crawled into underground rivers and lakes to build hidden lairs. They implant eggs into victims that make them slaves. Those that resist or surplus are injected with acid and bodily fluids drained.

Maalus prefer to allow their thralls to deal with the world but some, often those met by humans have fled their lairs and lost their minions to some enemy. These are the most desperate to kidnap victims and implant them with eggs. Once implanted a maalus embryo attaches itself to the brain and alters the creatures respiratory system and body to survive deep under the sea and serve the maalus. The Thrall worships the parent maalus and will do anything the Maalus wants. The thralls skin becomes green and slimy and they have obvious gill slits and clear eye membranes. The longer they are enthralled the more hideous they seem. Cure disease can restore a thrall to normal but the person saved needs a save vs death to survive the process or reversal often drown or are poisoned in the process. Thralls live hundreds of years as servants to Maalus and if cured at an extreme old age the human will not have aged since becoming a thrall. Once implanted the Maalus will try to imprison the person until they are overcome and if they resist for three days will be considered a poor host and eat the being instead. Some Maalus well-established breed own thralls. Various creatures and undersea races might be thralls already, some Maalus collect a variety of thrallkind as a hobby. The oldest Maalus have hundreds of thralls over thousands of years to build and toil.

While most Maalus met are the most desperate of their kind, most live in deep underwater cave palaces surrounded by mortal thralls. When the Maalus is killed (which is the only way they die mostly) its thralls fight to eat as much of the parent as it can and the best d4 combatants separate and fully grow into a young Maalus. Some even have willing host cults.

As they were very long-aged and worked with many evil powers of old some have additional abilities and stranger powers.

1in6 can cast charm person three times a day
1in6 have a mouth that can talk and they won't shut up
1in6 can emit a stinking cloud around them three times a day
1n6 can spray effects of a web spell once per day at touch range
1in6 have a champion warrior thrall used for missions and to lead raids
1in8 can cast spells as a wizard or evil priest d6+4 levels
1in8 can implant a different egg that makes hosts a zombie instead
1in8 have a mind link to thralls any range
1in8 secrete an addictive thick and ropy protein fluid they feed to thralls and captives
1in12 can send telepathic dreams to any living in a mile to help lure victims
1in12 can control weather once a day
1in12 can cast phantasmal killer twice a day
1in12 can regenerate 1HP per round as long as they are in water
1in12 can call a 8HD water elemental to serve for an hour, once per week
1in20 can once a hear call a gargantuan sea monster to rampage over several miles

d12 Maalus Adventures1 Several locals have had strange dreams and have jumped into the well never to be seen again

2 A water hole near a cave has become a place of fear since several locals vanished
3 For ages the flooded mine has been a place of evil and strange slime coated humanoids that kidnap victims to never be seen again 4 Locals mutter about a cult that promise life eternal living under the sea to the faithful
5 Priests found and healed a strange sick man found on the beach who tells of being a slave in a reef with others serving a nightmarish master for decades. The man found his families graves from over a hundred years ago. He also tells of treasure 
6 Long ago a coastal village was swallowed by the sea and some say the sunken village still has people living and walking in the ruins. Sometimes fisherfolk see them
7 A ship came into the harbour and only cabin boy was on board hiding in a barely, spoke of slimy green sea folk who climbed aboard and took the crew
8 Fishermen have been wandering off at night and disappearing and nobody knows why 
9 A local idiot keeps talking about their lover in the lake who sends them dreams. The idiot boasts soon will join lover and live forever. Several other people have disappeared in the area.
10 A cult has been kidnapping victims and hurling them and treasures into a flooded sinkhole
11 A shrine to the river god has been found empty and the shrine caretakers all missing. Locals are worries and fish and ducks have begun to shun the area
12 Friendly dolphins that used to help the fisherfolk have become sick and slimy looking and rarely surface. Now they have been attacking boats and knocking them over and dragging boat folk below

Wednesday, 8 April 2020

Day of the Sarsen


Dedicated to
Children of the Stones UK Kids TV
Dro Who Stones of Blood
Susan Cooper

Sarsen Stone elemental guardians, Balanced-Neutral
AC as Plate&shield HD 8* or 16** or 32*** Mov 6 or 3 or 1
Attack 2d8 Crushx1 or Touch, save or sticks to with limb, second attack traps the whole body
Once victim stuck can automatically crush each round or drain attribute points
Each stone drains one specific attribute such as STR , 
victim drained to zero dies in agony
-8HD=1 drain & cling one victim 16HD=d3 drain and cling two 32HD=d6 drains and cling four
Clerical healers can restore all lost stats with a spell or recover one point a day from rest
Dead arise as wights next full moon who worship and defend the stones by night
Immune to non-magical weapons hits from such weapons save or break
Immune to gas, poison, non-magical fire, paralysis, petrification, charm or sleep magic

These ancient elementals were worshipped and sacrificed to. The beings are intelligent prehistoric petrified earth elementals bound to earth by evil powers. Lives they drink from their victims are beamed to the void beyond the stars to feed their masters. Wizards of those days used standing stones for all kinds of magic so the creation of these was made to hide shrine and temples guarded in the open. The Sarsen sleep for aeons at a time but they can be commanded to await a magical alarm or curse or blood spilling to awaken them. Often they start with animals or loners or homeless. Once awake they become hungry and begin to hunt again more obviously, even destroying a cottage to devour those living inside. Some leave them sacrifices and hide till they sleep again.

Smaller sarsen are most often found toppled over or broken near old cult centres and might even be in a village. Medium ones are on hills or special places often in circles or rows. The largest are great monuments that seem impossible for simple people to move. A sarsen makes the sound of dragging through the earth. A medium stone displaces a ton of earth as it moves 3meters and you can hear rubble. The very largest displace tons and shake the earth while moving which may cause damage in the area.

Later peoples might build on top a fallen sarsen or use a laying one as a foundation. Some find abandoned ones then move them unaware for thousands of years what the stones are. Some might fave some signs or runes one them or be carved into great heads or beasts or giants. Local folk stories warn of them often attributing them to giants or ancient priests.

They are intelligent elementals but think very very slowly and don't speak. They communicate telepathically with any earth elemental based being,

1in6 are magically silent
1in6 can move through the ground without leaving a trace
1in6 when killed HD equal to own by draining emit a red glow and gain +3 Mov
1in6 once a year this sarsen awaken and move but will take animals or sacrifice
1in6 non-magical metal weapons stick to sarsen and become trapped by magnetism
1in8 if killed split into two half-size sarsen
1in8 create ghouls or some other undead type
1in8 form a stone mouth to eat those killed messily might be horizontal or verticle
1in10 radiate intense cold or heat that can be felt
1in10 have beating stone hearts that you can feel coming while moving
1in10 have ESP range 9 that help them predict what they stalk
1in10 can create illusions to draw victims towards them
1in12 when in a group gain an additional centre stone, a petrified greater demon
1in12 has a giant constrictor snake with horns coiled around it as an ally
1in12 has a band of savage goat folk cultists who bring it blood
1in12 can summon shadows once per day 8HD=d4 16=2d4 32=4d4
1in12 regenerate 1hp/round but acid stops it regenerating
1in12 when killed releases something d4 1=druid 2=demon 3=bard 4=warrior
1in12 chant creepily causing fear to all in radius equal to HD
1in12 can levitate at a speed of 9 but makes a crackling and buzzing sound
1in20 can cast call lightning once a day only in a storm
1in20 drain energy levels instead 8HD=1 16HD=2 32 HD=3
1in20 crystalline and speak telepathically to any being demanding blood sacrifices

d12 Sarsen Story Seeds1 Innkeepers children climbing on old witch stone got a scrape and that night hungry stone wants more, at night the inn is attacked, a sarsen smashing through walls
2 Wights have become more aggressive making locals afraid to go out at night. Nobody can figure to where they came from but some say they worship a mysterious stone in the woods
3 A cult have been sneaking into the village disguised as travelling workers and other inn guests and leaving goat blood on local stones trying to awaken a sarsen to worship
4 A local hill had a farmer find a stone door into the hill. Inside the entry, a sarsen pillars hold the roof up at certain points. When they are awakened by intruders and follow them doorways of stone will collapse sealing intruders inside them
5 Locals await the dread night of the stones as there no criminal sacrifices to leave outside. Then they are pleased when guests arrive. They will try and drug and kidnap strangers but will if tables turn and lose beg visitors to catch them some bandits or even fight the bloodstone
6  Locals have seen ghosts and heard voices near the old stones and avoid them but now a cult has come to awaken the stones. Each night the cult kidnap and sacrifice someone till all 13 of the witch stones awake and the cult leader hopes will obey their wishes
7 Near a camping site on a distant road, an awakened sarsen has been murdering travellers. Usually, it takes a guard or a straggler. Now it has awakened and is hungry enough to kill a whole group of travellers
8 A scholar claims local stones were moved since a study made a century ago and locals won't comment. A local drunk has been found ground into mincemeat in an old quarry
9 Dark elves have been awakening sarsen to terrorise locals
10 After blood was found on an old witch stone locals have rounded up an old woman they say murdered the drunken labourer, she begs crowd for mercy as they build a fire pit to burn her
11 A cliff in the woods has four strange carved pillars guarding a cave. Locals say a treasure is inside but nobody ever comes back
12  An evil wizard is served by demon-worshipping goat folk, now he is served also by a black crystal pillar that levitates and has glowing symbols on it as it moves 

Friday, 31 January 2020

Necrovirus and You


I've used this as a term for my alien plague that creates undead in my various SF settings - my road war and planet psychon games. My whole idea for this came to writing a comic book series bible intending to do something 2000ad over the top with tech and zombies and cyberpunk and rival alien terraforming attacks. On Psychon undead are part of experimental future warfare when manpower was diminishing that went wrong.  Most of what is here were as used in my Murder Highway setting.

A massive plague wiped out half the human race leaving infested survivors and uncontaminated peoples.

When in contact with plague by bite or scratch or aerosol there a chance of being infected
Severe contact such as infected blood transfusion or filling in a pit of rotten zombies is harder to resist. Surviving the plague even just a mild case results in you becoming a zombie. Various strains appeared later and someone may carry multiple types.

The first few cases appeared as the mars mission lost contact.
The early form just killed people dead leaving survivors possibly scarred or cosmetic effects.
It was later the dead arose and contact from these proved to be a more virile strain.
Necrotech incorporated operated massive mausoleums cryogenic facilities where patients in decline were frozen in some state of decline to be cured in the future. The company was supposed to invest in cures and longevity treatments but the freezers and private army and undead research proved too profitable. Various cults emerged also celebrating the apocalypse.

So in the wastelands as climate change and war and labour shortages gripped the world. New types of undead emerged while elites hid in quarantined VIP zones and used airship to link walled cities. Other bioplagues and mutations emerged too some interacting with the necrovirus. Then there was technology and undead leap that no one expected. When cyborgs were infected something new happened. The virus changed again and acted more intelligently and a nanotech carrier was developed and let loose. Machines and even structures became infected. Terrorists and rogue AIs resulted in numerous strains of hostile machine minds which were a further distraction. Lots of new security protocols kept human technology mostly human. As monsters, mutants, undead and rogue AI emerge more strange overlaps and phenomena occur as the world becomes more alien.

d12 Basic Undead

1 Standard Zombie - slow and stupid and silent
2 Fast Zombie - sneaky and faster, improved senses and door opening skills, noisy

3 Ghoul - screaming with teeth and claws and toxic venom, intelligent hunters
4 Glow Ghoul - radioactive ghouls, glow green and emit toxic rays
5 Revenant - regenerating with some memory and intellect, talk, use machines 

6 Mutant Zombies already mutated then became zombies
7 Cyborg Zombied - animated cyborg soldiers and gang members, more resilient 
8 Wight - more intelligent and cunning with soul draining chilling claws, scream with rage
9 Cyber Wight - as wights but they can interface into tech and jack into cars, focused
10 Ghast - more intelligent ghouls that reek of decay often quite a bit larger
11 Zombie Hulk - huge swollen monstrosity of a zombie
12 Ghoul Hulk - huge swollen monstrous brutal ghoul

Vampires and Lich are mostly rumours and speculation but later in war when aliens fighting get worse and more obvious, new stranger creatures appear. Numerous AI becomes aware of and debating what to do next.

When I had this stuff as part of a failed comic treatment for a bunch of corporate zombie hunters out to find why zombies are massing to attack corporate cryonics labs. I wrote this in about 91 and lots of the tech I thought up creeping into film FX now. Necrotech Elite Special Ops were sent to find the control source of zombies and have various bloodthirsty adventures with more and more alien weirdness. There were cybertech alien and mutant versions of various classic monsters. I never got to publish it or use as an RPG setting as I'm not a huge zombie fan but my murder highway BRP game and Psychon I kinda use these.

In my roadwar it's more like part of alien warfare but the human race has no ideas. As the campaign went on the team learned more and picked up clues and met new things. The setting was a slow apocalypse. There was massive depopulation, ruins, incredible wealth gulfs, AI, cyborgs, car murder motorsports, massive walled urban zones, corps. So undead was one of many problems including environmental change. aliens, mutants, triffids, cthulhu, satan and really anything else in the mix. These undead guys were a good setting element to cause trouble of make areas worse on death races and missions.

My original notes files on cd rom seem to not be readable by modern machines or files were possible from my amiga which I used through uni. Might be hardcopies with sketches.

   

Saturday, 11 January 2020

Astrology in my settings



































So each age the names of the constellations and stars change

1st age Dawn AgeStars were in constant flux and people communicated with stars and saw the gods take to the heavens. Lots of sorcerers are born under a full moon they say. As gods came and went or retired or were forgotten the sky changed. Some stars were brighter but as their god became distant so did their star.

2nd age Night Age1 Great Eye - used to gaze down at the world killing what displeased it with rays

2 Dragon - the great mother dragon one of the progenitors of all life, Queen Tiamat
3 Twin Rods - rods used by a foreman or ruler or judge, also a measure 
4 Spider - formerly was the insect, great spider queen who's webs linked the continents 
5 Giant - giant king had seized heavens from gods, fathers of many races
6 The Skull - all power came from death and the great void of entropy
7 Whip - formerly was the worm, symbol of power, domination and slavery
8 Scorpion - viscous poisonous scorpion men helped to fight the gods
9 Bat - formerly was pterodactyl or lizard bird, who took the tablet of destiny from the gods
10 Kraken - great devourer from the sea and the stars who ruled stone cities of black magic
11 Hydra - great primordial beast of the waters, lord of serpentine power
12 Wheel of pain - subjugation, torture and humiliation of the weak was the great art then

3rd Age Stone Age

1 Eye - the great spirit eye in the sky watches all
2 Dragon - great mother dragon
3 Twin Spears - weapon of heroes
4 Crayfish - great sea monster
5 Lion - king of beasts, some are sabretooth
6 Tree - great tree supports universe
7 Cup - to carry and measure and share
8 Scorpion - viscous enemy of life
9 Eagle - great lord of sky
10 Turtle - great lord of the sea
11 Hydra - eternal serpent father
12 Wheel - great disc of the world, used as calendar, sundial and compass

4th age The age of Exilon1 Shepherd - protector of the flocks
2 Winged bull - bull of heaven
3 Twin Swords - heroes with swords often fighting monsters or beasts
4 Crab - terrible sea beast
5 Sphynx - great and terrible wise guardians of the gods
6 Barley Stalk - head of grain and art of agriculture
7 Balance - scales which measure wealth and virtue vs sin in afterlife
8 Scorpion - enemy of man
9 Anzu Bird - terrible god bird demon that battled the gods
10 Goat Fish - great sea goat brings water and fish
11 Hydra - ancient serpent of underworld, healer and prophet 
12 Chariot - vehicle of kings and the divine, messenger of gods
5th age The age of Humans1 Mirror - self reflection and vanity
2 Bull - stubborn and aggressive bull
3 Two Arrows - certainty and direction
4 Barrel - carries and protects
5 Lion - king of beasts
6 Maiden - fertility and the virgin goddess
7 Balance - measure and judgement and fairness
8 Scorpion - enemy of man
9 Hawk - lord of the sky
10 Dolphin - prince of the sea
11 Snake - biting tail in circle or figure 8 or two headed, space and time 
12 Wagon - great vehicle, symbol of trade and wealth

Each year has a name as well but after 1200 years these lists are broken.
Modern years date to the start of the age previously people refereed to years by names and kings but frequently were inconsistent and contrary.

There are still lots of variants. Monsters and abhumans often use the 2nd age reckoning still. In the second age as some races in the great monster alliance changes they changed the constellations. Much of the world was dark and frozen deserts but many beings made false suns to propagate thick alien jungles and crops some were different coloured. Some places had vast fungus forests. Underland and the surface were more alike.

The third age was mostly illiterate and the wizards and necromancers who grew in this time and ended it used the second age system which common folk couldn't comprehend so a popular version emerged. This third age form was used by shamen and megalith builders for a aeon.

The fourth age was a glorious age where long lost gods returned to rule the world and cities and writing and metal all returned. Complex taxonomies and lists were commonplace and astrology was frequently mentioned and incorporated into all kinds of fields. Every king had astrologers and listened to their daily advice on what colour to wear or food not to eat to avoid being usurped on Thursday. The cataclysm ended that age and faith in gods and supernatural experts changed. Art and religion became simpler and less boroque and no longer tried explaining all. 

The later 5th age is a age of materialism, exploration and sea empires. 5th age astrologers trying to sound more objective and methodical and shun the older systems. Wizards claim to be the greatest power of this age but gunpowder is probably second. The third great form of the empire is in civil way and has lost it's grip. Traders and merchants and slavers and vice peddlers and pirates cross the world now.

So various cultures used these in artworks and dungeon designs some on a huge scale with earthworks and gardens. Some with strange tests and magical ordeals. As you move on circle calendar and return from the start the tests become otherworldly and the flow of time alters for those taking the test. The most modern version is 12 wagons linked in a circle each is a dungeon room. Every time you make a circle level gets worse. Palaces often have rooms themed and named after these and some say palaces of the gods have these too.

Astrologers enjoy arguing and philosophising and criticising rival systems. The commoners and kings still listen to their advice and take them with a grain of salt until they come true. In the 4th age astrology was as serious as religion and occupation. By 5th age it is a fringe art just making a come back in it's new form with lots of maths and less super naturalism and other omens. Most popular ones are charlatans. There are a few accurate ones who prefer to hide and make money and hope no kings notice them. A few serve kings but foolish kings have the most and these astrologers get murdered in court most especially if they make errors. Gods in 4th age are shown in control mapping out destinies through arcane science exactly. In the 5th age are shown gambling or gaming with the fates of mortals as pawns while drinking or making foolish bets.