The Three Wise Necromancers

 

Genderless, gentle, soft spoken and caring, the three wise necromancers are looking for the incarnation of an important religious figure and they come seeking the figure's blessing. The twist is that this religious figure can only be revealed after being raised from the dead and brought into unlife. Their gifts are compensations for bringing someone into unlife. People, who are not the prophet they seek, come back from the death with a vision or a few words that will guide the Necromancers toward the mysterious prophet's time of death. Sometimes they visit people who are getting close to their death, when they do they may want something in exchange of their gift, they never ask, but you always know - you just hope that you won't feel it when they bring you back. The people from the hills say that you don't have to take their gift and they'll never force you, but they only come when they have exactly what you need or exactly what you want. People from the marsh say that one brings good advice, one brings fresh fruit and the last brings tea.

Folk tales from the river towns say that if you put the kettle on, they will sit with you and share tales about undead people they know or that you once knew. How to use them in games?

• Use them to foreshadow incoming danger and to built dread or tension.
• Use them to bring news of deceased characters or NPCs
• Use them to bring a deceased character to unlife and to give them a personal quest to seek the undead prophet.
• Use them to setup a local religion and prophecy.
• Use them to make dying interesting by revealing clues each time a character die.

Written with comments from Marielle, Fred, Mystic Dan and Fighting Man.

The fives blades of the dead titan

I published this in Santicore (2014). Since it is a obscure contribution made under my deadname, I wanted to share it here too. The Santicore request was to create five intelligent blades, I used the LL rules for sentient blades. 

The fives blades of the dead titan.

History
A long time ago a titan of divine power died. Maybe it was a god or a goddess or both, it don’t quite remember who it was or how it died. Maybe it fell through many planes just to die on our world. The titan was divine but it was also made of flesh and bones and it divine corpse attracted a ancient specie of primordial scavengers. Those primordial scavengers dismantled the titan corpse and used it organs to created strange artefacts. The scavengers civilization fell and all their artifacts were lost, except for five weapons forged out of the divine senses of the titan. Those five weapons contain the fractured consciousness of the titan and move from hand to hand, searching for it remains. But sadly nothing remain, the titan’s organs became hungry ghosts that pursue and haunt the five weapons. But maybe, something remain, maybe that the titan’s heart have been preserved and have been well hidden by the primordial scavengers as a mean to come back into this world.

The dying consciousness of the titan have been bound into the five blades made out of it five senses. The consciousness is damaged and fractured, It don’t remember who it was or from where it came, but the five blades know that they are not whole and they long to be reunited with the rest of the titan remains. Maybe to be reborn or to finally pass away.

The primordial scavengers were maybe giant necrophagous demonic flies or maybe they were dwarfs or the larval form of the elves or some other beautiful beings.

Appearance
The five blades are organic and eldrich in appearance but without a wielder they simply appear as old blades, people can only perceive their true nature while touching them or when using their magical senses or abilities.

Psyche vs Willpower
The blades start with a psyche of 9 and gain 1 psyche point per use of their special powers. The blades gain 1 psyche points for each sentient sword close to them. They also gain 1 psyche point if they slay the wielder of one of the other sentient swords. Finally a blade loose 1 psyche point when their wielder die (they lose a d6 if it was a long term user). If their motivation is directly at stake, the blades gain a temporary d6 boost to their psyche.

The blades can try to take over the actions of a character for d10 rounds. When this happen, a character can make a willpower test to resist the blade influence. To make a willpower test, a character have to roll under their willpower score with a d20. The difference between the blade’s psyche and the character’s willpower modify the d20 result.

The willpower of the characters is equal to their highest mental attributes (intelligence, wisdom or charisma) plus their level. If they are under 25% of their total hit points, their willpower is halved. If something very important for the characters is at stake they also gain a temporary d6 boost to their willpower.

If a character block or avoid to use the sense associated with the blade for a least a day, this temporary remove a d6 from the psyche of the blade (if recovered, 1 point will will return by day). A permanent removal of the associated sense remove 6 points of psyche (that will return over time if the blade is abandoned).

Defense power
The effect is similar to a stinking cloud spell or worse if the blade permanently spend a psyche point. The effect stop if the wielder sheathe or drop the blade.

Daily powers
The wielder can use these powers for a total of three time by day. (It can be three uses of the same power or one use three different powers). Each blade can also magically augment their associated sense for d10 turns.

Special powers
The wielder can only use one of these powers once a day. Each use augment the psyche of the blade by one point.

Magical bonus
The blades are +1 weapons and gain additional plusses when tracking their prey (up to +4). Most of the time a prey is a single individual, but it can also be a small group of people or creatures that work closely together.

The Hound (sense of smell)

• Communication: the Hound don’t talk, it communicate by influencing animals or by manipulating odors.
• Defense power: the blade can punish it wielder by violently overwhelming their sense of smell.
• Psyche : the hound is very animalistic and instinctual. You can roleplay it as a wild beast. Often predatory but sometime like a mother caring for her cubs.
• Motivation: the hound is looking for a trail, for a odor that it remember. Once it pick it up, it will want to follow it at any cost. It will lead it wielder toward the other blades or toward things or locations that remember the titan.
• Daily powers: use it pherhormones to grant a one point bonus to reaction. Enrage it wielder or someone it once wounded. Magically follow the trail of anyone it had wounded.
• Special power: turn it wielder into a strange and hybrid beast (like the spell howl to the moon).
• Magical bonus: +1 per encounter where the character is able to smell closely it prey or one of it personal items.

The Listen (sense of hearing)

• Communication: the Listen communicate by making it wielder think they heard people or objects say something.
• Defense power: overwhelming it wielder senses with a cacophony of voices and screams that seem to come from everything around them.
• Psyche : the Listen is patient and stealthy. It love secrets and it want to remain unnoticed to listen on people. It can be fascinated by music or by the sound of a fly or other scavenging insects.
• Motivation: the Listen is waiting to ear a prophecy or a secret invocation from the past. It sometime desire silence to be able to listen well. This may cause it to want to silence things permanently. If it ever hear the heartbeat of the titan’s heart, it will follow it sound at all cost.
• Daily powers: comprehend languages, clairaudience, listen to surface thoughts.
• Special power: silence 15 radius, detect lies.
• Magical bonus: +1 per encounter where the character is able to listen to it prey for at least a turn without being noticed.

The Watcher (sense of sight)

• Communication: the Watcher communicate through visions.
• Defense power: the blade can torment it wielder with terrible visions that need to be disbelieved like a illusion spell.
• Psyche : The Watcher is curious and inquisitive like a detective. It like to observe things and can sometime become obsessive. Once it get obsessed by something it start following it like a stalker. It can see into the past and sometime it confuse it with the present.
• Motivation: the Watcher is looking for signs or for clues of what happened to the titan or the scavengers. It also want to watch over the other sentient blades.
• Daily powers: read languages, read magic, ESP (sight only), augury.
• Spell like power: invisibility, hold person (must keep gaze contact), detect illusions.
• Magical bonus: +1 per encounter where the character is able to watch it prey for at least a turn without talking back.

The Mouth (sense of taste)

• Communication: the Mouth can speak through the mouth of anything it had slain.
• Defense power: the wielder tongue swell up and they start to asphyxiate.
• Psyche : the Mouth want to taste life, it like it when it wielder talk and taste things. It also like tasting things itself by being thrust through them.
• Motivation: the mouth want it wielder to herald the return of the titan. It want to pronounce the secret incantation that The Listen will hear. It want to pronounce the secret word that will unlock the door. 
• Daily powers: speak language, command, detect evil, magic or alignment by tasting.
• Special power: suggestion, read memory by eating (speak with dead), scream (blast of wind).
• Magical bonus: +1 per encounter where the character is able to taste it prey (by licking, kissing or eating parts of a creature of the same specie).

The Hand (sense of touch)

• Communication: the Hand communicate with body sensation, mainly through pain and pleasure.
• Defense power: inflict pain or unbearable pleasure.
• Psyche : the Hand is resourceful and manipulative. It like it when it wielder is close to other beings. It hate being sheathed and it like being touched. It like to change hands and don’t hesitate to get it user in trouble. But it can get quite attached to a wielder that use is sense of touch a lot.
• Motivation: the Hand want to feel the other side, the intangible world haunted by the ghost of the titan’s organs. It want to open doors to other realms, especially the door that The Mouth want to unlock.
• Daily powers: protection from elements, unseen servant, sleeping touch (single target).
• Special power: charm person (touch), hold person (touch), become intangible (like gaseous form)
• Magical bonus: +1 per encounter where the character is able to touch the skin of it prey for at least a turn.

The ghost organs

The ghosts of the titan organs are attracted to the sentient blades and will haunt the surrounding area. The ghosts are not hostile to the blades wielders but they are quite deranged and may attack them if they interfere with their haunting. Their chances of appearance is 1 on a d6 for each sentient blade present in the same area. Test for encounter when visiting a new location or when the blades spill a lot of blood. A d6 of them will appear to haunt the area or to follow the wielders.

Each blade let it wielder perceive and interact with the ghosts through it associated sense. Each blade can also harm the ghosts as a +1 weapon.

The ghosts look like giant decomposing mutating organs. They usually can’t harm people, except maybe when the barrier between the worlds is thin. But they can possess the sick organs of the living. After a d6 of days, the possessed organ will mutate and will extract itself from it victim to become a mutated organ homunculi or golem. With more time the ghosts can even possess healthy organs. Use the hit dice of the victim and improvise it stats.

The ghost world of the organs is made of the carcass of the titan mixed with element of the real world.

The ghost organ is a mix of the (d12) and the (d12): 

1. Skeletal system
2. Muscular system
3. Nervous system (include the brain)
4. Respiratory system
5. Cardiovascular system (but the heart is never present)
6. Digestive system
7. Excretory system (includes the Urinary system)
8. Endocrine system (a collection of glands that produces hormones)
9. Lymphatic system (include the immune system)
10. Integumentary system (skin, hair, nails, with sweat and other exocrine glands)
11. Reproductive system
12. Weird inhuman system

How to wear your magical scarf

Magic items could have different effects depending on how you wear or use them, for example:

Think about a magical sword, it could have different effect when you:

• Hold it in your hand
• Keep it in your scabbard
• When you draw it 
• Hold it close to your chest
• When it taste blood
• When you strike it in the ground
• When you pray over it
• When it break (or when a other blade strike it) 

Jewelry can have depending effect depending of:

• how you wear them
• where you wear them (neck, ankle, wrist for necklace) 
• when they are in their jewelry box
• when you hold them in your hand 
• if wear them for a specific event 
• when you wear them with a other item

It could be fun to experiment with this.

The Cosmic Worm Blade

Ruleset: B/X

The Worm Blade is a bastard sword +1

Special: +1d4 dmg VS fleshy and rotting undeads.

Each level the blade holder can summon the Cosmic Worm Maiden a number of times equal to their current level.

The maiden is a agent of the cosmic balance, she is in charge of maintaining the natural cycle of decomposition and she seek to return undeads back to their natural states.

When summoned the maiden imbue the character with her cosmic essence for the duration of a combat. 

When under the influence of the maiden a wave of worms crawl on the character, they devour anything the character wear and form a wondrous dress of woven worms, the character is transfigured and take the form of the maiden and receive:

• a healing 1HD of hp (the transfiguration heal the character). 
• AC as unarmored (the worm dress offer no protection).
• The maiden form can use the worm blade like a dancing sword.
• The worm blade can harm any undead. 
• The maiden form can turn undead and speak with worms.
• While touching a rotting undead with her bare hands the maiden form can absorb all the worms that crawl in their flesh, doing 1d8+LV dmg while healing the sword bearer by d8+LV hp. 
• If something harm the maiden, a cosmic worm crawl out of the astral plains to protect the maiden. The worm (stats as displacer beasts) protect the maiden with it displacing power. The worm can not attack while transferring it displacing effect to the maiden. Each round the player must choose if the worm attack or apply it displacing effect. 
• Foes slain by the worm blade can not be re-animated or become undead.
• Worms (including carrion crawlers) will not harm the maiden form and will seek to protect her. Corrupted or chaotic worms will roll a reaction test.  

 After the combat the character must make a reaction test toward the maiden. 

(bonus for neutral alignment and charisma, penalty for losing the fight or for acting against the cosmic balance)

• On a good result the maiden can answer one question before leaving. 
• On a negative result she inflict a mutations linked to her nature and appearance.
• On a very good reaction she may transfer one of her physical traits and grant a blessing or a extra summoning. Her favored champions slowly take on her appearance. 
• She can also restore level drains in exchange of a quest, the reaction roll should influence the nature of the quest. Her quests usually involve burials, singing to summon worms and mourning. She will not answer summons when a character is questing for her.   

Horned Mask

Decks of many things!

I have now two decks of cards available on DriveThruCards

The Fabulous Tiny Guild: 

A deck made with 130 characters I drew for my mini-zines.
http://www.drivethrucards.com/product/240185/The-Fabulous-Mini-Guild

If you want to print some tiny character sheets to go with the cards, you can find the PDF file there.

The Wizard's Inheritance:

A deck of 101 whimsical magical items made with the illustrations from the Wizard's Inheritance zine.
http://www.drivethrucards.com/product/240088/The-Wizards-Inheritance

Goblin Phoners

Goblin Phoners always show up when adventurers try to focus on something, like picking a lock, resting or studying spells. They talk loudly on their totemic phones about boring business or personal stuff.

They install their offices were you are and after a few calls other goblins show up to deliver useless stuff and to seem busy doing nothing useful.

Trying to listen to their conversations ask for a saving throw to avoid the effect of a confusion spell (see conversations). 

If you try to talk to them they simply ignore you. If you antagonize them they let you know that you are clearly bothering them. If you start a fight they can dial spells on their totemic phone.

Goblin Phoners (1d6) [AL C, MV 60’ (20’), AC 6, HD 1 -1, #AT 1 (special), THAC0: 19, SV 0 human, ML 7

Special abilities:

• Make a phone call (free of charge the first time): summon 1d6 goblins after 1d6 rounds. 
• Teleport (cost 2 phone charges): teleport self or other to a random dungeon location. 
• Putting you on hold (cost 1 phone charge): cast hold person spell. 
• 911 (cost 2 phone charge): attract a random dungeon encounter that have to listen to the goblin complains. Will leave after 1 turn if the goblin is not in danger.
• Its for you (cost 1 phone charge): cast charm for 2d6 rounds if the character take the call. 
• Conference call (cost 1 phone charge): summon 2d6 goblins and 1 random dungeon encounter to a specific dungeon location. Everyone arrive after 1d6 turns. The summoned goblins try to look busy. The random dungeon encounter look confused. 

Phone charges: 
totem phones use the goblins ML as their phone charges. To recharge their ML the goblins have to do goblin stuff, they recharge 1d6 charges each time the adventurer take the time to rest. Sometime they also use totemic chargers that they have to plug right were the characters are. A totemic charger recharge 1d6 charges by turn before burning up (cause 1d4 electricity dmg). 

If you pick up a totemic phone you can use your HP as charges. 1 charge cost 2 HP. 
(4 HP if you have a bad relation with the goblin's totems). 

Conversations:  

If someone is foolish enough to listen to a goblin conversation (save vs confusion spell) or to take a phone call (save vs charm person) roll a d10 on the conversation table:

1. The call is about some goblin business or project in the dungeon. It is possible to get some gold by getting involved. Naturally goblin business and projects are a lot of trouble. (This involve 1d6 gp (or 1d6x10gp for big or risky projects) by round of conversation. 
2. The call is about personal goblins matters. Helping the poor goblin's situation can grant a goblin contact or henchmen. But goblins matters are very complicated (and confusing)!
3. The call is gossip about a monster or a encounter.
4. The call is gossip about a treasure or magical item. 
5. The call is gossip about a dungeon room or trap. 
6. The call is gossip about a NPC party or one of the PC. 
7. The call is about goblin politics, you have a big headache (-1 to saves until rest) but you can use this to get +1 reaction bonus with goblins.  
8. The call is about goblin nerdy tech, you have a bigger headache (-2 to saves until rest) but you can use this for a one shot boost to your find/remove trap skill or to get a clue about a puzzle. 
9. The call is about goblin cooking, that involve the effect of a random potion and 2d6 ingredients. Asking the goblin to repeat the ingredients just get more confusing... 
10. The call is with a goblin totem, spirit or deity. The entity ask for a Quest and grant a blessing on accepting and a curse on refusal. Accomplishing the Quest grant a additional reward. Ignore the blessing or the curse if someone is just listening to the conversation. 

Chaos record player cat

Chaos record player cat
HD: 2+1 (12 hp) AC 14, DMG: 1d4 or special,
MV: 40 (120), ML: 6, saves: wizard lv5
AL: chaotic cute

Once the cat select a tune it can play it for up to 1d6 rounds.
Each time someone hit the cat, it randomly change it playing tune.

The cat can teleport once a day, Cheshire cat style.

Records effects: 1d8
1: visual vibrations, displacing effect for +4AC bonus.
2: scratches: area of effect 1d4 dmg attack by rounds to everyone listening. (Invisible claws attacks, must roll to hit)
3: this is my song: charm person single listener (save negate).
4: ear worm: implant suggestion, area of effect. (save negate, -1 to save by listening of the tune)
5: reverse: force a round of rerolls (including the cat).
6: Sonic miauling: 1 dmg by rounds, -2 to any d20 dice roll. Area of effect. (save negate)
7: beautiful song: save vs paralysis or stunned for 2d6 rnds (drop weapons). (single target)
8: catchy tune: save vs spells or dance for 2d6 turns. Contagious by touching (save allowed).

If the cat is reduced to 0hp, it must pass a save to see if it record break.
If it record is broken the cat die. If not, it turn into a magical record player that can be used to play random record effects.
But each time someone play a tune, there is a chance that the cat awaken (cat save vs spell).
Each character that used the cat record will save at -2 against it effects.
When the cat awaken it blink and vanish, Cheshire cat style (dont worry it will be back...).
(Roll new HP for the cat)

Some chaos record cats have unique record that have 1d3 unique magical effects.

Chaos records are worth 1d6x500 gp +500gp by unique effects.

Chaos record player cats dont like each other, if someone play a magic record, they usually vanish away (they get +4 to save against magic record effects).

Greater Flamingo Staff

Speed drawing from this morning.

Werewolf Lanterns

I don't know what those strange lanterns do, but if someone want to write a random effects table for the lanterns I will happily post the link here. 

Some lore about the lanterns have been discovered on Aeons & Augauries.

Dreaded Parrot Helm

The Dreaded Parrot Helm, 

it does not mimic voices. 

Chimera's Cross of Animal Flesh

I am bored and a little bit demotivated so I am just mixing old drawings together. I guess this could be some impossible artifact. You could present it as a apparition, if you dare to reach inside you end up holding a grail. Naturally drinking from the grail must have interesting chimera flavored side effect. I guess that once you move the grail, reverting it to it double cross form of animal flesh is a bad thing. Also the apparition feel like blood & water transmuting into each other. Sometime it also spawn chimeras.  

Helms of Transfiguration

In a room there is three helms of transfiguration.
Do they grant wisdom and visions? Do they talk and cast cleric spells?
Or maybe they store and trade experiences, personality and appearance?
But what happen if you wear the damaged helm?