Showing posts with label dragons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dragons. Show all posts

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

War Against The Dark Lord 2: Dark Lords Encounters & Wonders





































War Against The Dark Lord 2: Dark Lords Encounters & Wonders
So these are to be used as usual as the war is breaking out. Just used a d10 early on and higher dice for increasingly bad stuff. Encounters are the things you meet travelling or camping as war starts. Wonders are things you might witness and not get involved in. Some are just memorable sights to witness, some are opportunities to learn or fight evil. Lots of confused people don't know what is going on at first so characters could easily help out.

I would probably hit a party with a war from 4th level especially when just returning with lots of loot. During the war travel gets worse and fate nudges you into helping. The dark lord targets those who stand out in his great scrying halls where wizards spy on the world with magic. So as you stand out you get more supernatural surveillance and more encounters as enemy sent after the party.

Next will be loot and gossip. Lots of the gossip is dark lord propaganda. Lots of items are cursed or require evil people to use them.

Why does this random mook support the Dark Lord?
01 You get stability with the dark lord, he is just what we need right now  
02 Well one day one of these dark lords is gonna win and 
03 I have a lucky feeling this time, I can just feel this time he will win
04 All these pretty people will all be brought down low with fire and iron
05 Well its always been the same dark lord and he always comes back 
06 My ancestors made a pact to serve the dark lord and I got the call
07 The dark lord really looks out for the little guy, he understands us
08 All that dark lord stuff, its jus to scare the enemies into eternal subjugation
09 All those rich and pretty people stop the dark lords chosen getting what they deserve
10 The dark lord wants you to be free, to kill who you like when you like 
11 The Dark lord says remorse is for the weak while the strong take what they want
12 All this plotting and corruption is weak and slow, the dark lord simplifies everything

Why does this evil hero support the Dark Lord?
01 Was tainted by evil oaths for corrupt unholy weapons
02 Wanted to try and save family ended up killing them all
03 Was granted power in return for an immortal soul
04 Promised immortality among the dark lords chosen
05 Rivals killed by dark lord agents who occasionally show up
06 Once you get on board with the power you learn to stop caring
07 We must reduce the weak with trials of blood and fire every generation
08 Dark lords taint runs in your bloodline and they dream of the lords dark gaze
09 The dark lord represents how the universe works, the strong eat the weak
10 Nobody can defeat the darklord, sooner you join us the better
11 When did the forces of good do anything lately? Made universe then abandoned us 
12 The dark lord draws on unstoppable powers from the void before the universe

War Against The Dark Lord 2: Encounters
01 Goblin bat riders scouting area possibly skirmish but mostly seek food and info
02 Wolf riders scouting area possibly skirmish but mostly seek food and info
03 Area cloaked in webbing  and giant spiders wait in ambush
04 Pack of savage wild dogs menacing area for food
05 Goblin foot scouts with bows mostly want food and targets for other troops
06 Gang of bandits bear the dark lords mark having joined him
07 Gang of thieves in service of dark one ambushing and killing travellers
08 Swarm of rats - breeding and feeding from dead 5% chance carry plague
09 Swarm of bats 5% of them has rabies
10 Swarm of ravens - will mutter about dark lord and say his name "darklord!"
11 Shifty looking robed man watching area from afar, is really an orc scout
12 Squad of hobgoblins out to massacre commoners to spread terror
13 Evil priest raising some people they murdered as zombies to block the area
14 Robed cultists dedicated to the dark lord in robes, led by a wizard many apprentices
15 Dark robed weasly man convincing people to surrender and prepare for the master 
16 An evil bard is spreading gossip and propaganda supporting the evil one in war
17 Wandering mob of zombie peasants on a killing spree
18 A lycanthrope in human form seeks company on the road
19 Doppelganger spy of the evil master friendly to travellers seeks information
20 An ogre with clever sitting on path preparing a serf stuffed with rats for a meal
21 A shadow coalesces as an evil shadow hungry for the strength of the living
22 A group of ghouls bold enough to hide in shadows and overcast hungry for flesh
23 Wight warrior with an ancient black blade of the evil lords forge seeks something
24 A frightful wight knight on a bone golem horse harrases travellers and messengers
25 A dozen goblin archers with a d4 wolf riders an army scout group seeking intelligence
26 Six wolf riding goblins chasing common travellers with a wagon
27 Swarms of evil bats roam the land spawned by the dark lords blood
28 Hobgoblin squad crucifying some caravan guards who resisted led by cruel officer
29 Orc barbarian mob of dozen warriors and d4 berserkers have run ahead of plan to loot
30 Wild hairy naked gang of abhumans from the woods have been duped to unrest
31 Band of feral goatmen from the dark mountain want to harry the ruination of humankind
32 A lone ogre was ditched by his orc handlers and is lost and hungry 
33 Four orc warg riders scouting for local orc commander, will flee and get help
34 A ferocious insane troll from the deep has come to see the sun fall from the sky
35 A lone wounded orc sees trouble coming and with last gasp blows hor for aid roll again
36 Six giant bats each with a goblin archer harry travellers who can't fight back
37 A young 4th level necromancer and his dozen skeletonised serf with farm tools, seeks corpses can carry back to master to make undead, carry a d6 bodies
38 A dozed dark templars led by a 4th level priest of darkness stirring up terror
39 Four orcs commanding a dozen cowardly ill-equipped goblins
40 Hood wearing cultists with burning torches and swords killing anyone not in a hood
41 Hooded cultists mugging a country priest or friar while a d4 scared commoners watch
42 Galloping frightened horse with unconscious cavalry trooper hanging from the saddle
43 The child cries for help, tells of a dozen orc archers attacking homestead near
44 An invisible imp has a mission to molest travellers and keep eye out for heroes 
45 An invisible dark elf follows travellers intending to murder them by night when helpless
46 A robed hidden hobgoblin will fire a single poison arrow then flee to report to command
47 A goblin bat rider flies by if not stopped a turn later hear goblins coming. A d4 wolf riding goblins archers will track party first and retreat if hurt to join dozen goblin skirmishers who hunt the party
48 Hill giant sitting by road with a dead cow and a d4 probably dead farmers busy eating
49 A band of armoured dwarves 3d4 fled underland tunnels to avoid two squads of orcs chasing them each led by rival commander, dwarves seek travelling companions
50 A young elf is being chased by a squad of orcs, has spent spells already and unarmed. Carries a message warning of orcs siege on hidden elf stronghold to elf king
51 Dead man caries a d3 cursed items left here by a giant bat as a trap
52 Halfling in hiding warns of upcoming encounter up road (roll again)
53 Unburied bodies lay by the road and a d4+1 shadows arise to attack
54 A dozen rambling zombies travel in line to nearest settlement and attack everyone they meet on way
55 Wagon of refugees with belongings and wagon struggling to move cart, two squads of orcs are on the way here in ten minutes
56 Lone ranger on horse chased by dozen goblin wolf riders
57 Squad of orc pikemen burning a house while family trapped inside
58 Cult leader priest with a dozen hooded fanatics a chaos flagellant and six 1st level templar priests have captured a local leaders family and taking them to the dark lord 
59 A dozen chaos berserker mutant flagelant monks with war flails on killing frenzy
60 A dozen orc riding giant lizards gallop down road raiding the area
61 four wight warriors leading a dozen skeletons have awoken at the masters bidding
62 Six wight knights riding bone golem horses hunt adventurers the master wants
63 Pack of wolves d8+8 have chased a local person up a tree 
64 Orc barbarians on horseback, six with mounts here to kill minions of the dark lord who does nothing but fail them and lie, tribe dedicated to killing dark lord and his wizards and cults. Stop to ask directions where enemy orcs might be
65 Gang of youths with clubs eager to meet the invaders sure that being human alone will make them win, friendly to strangers and boast of future heroic deeds
66 Bard rider on horseback (dark lord cultist) telling all to flee coming evil armies
67 A dozen bandits of the area unconvinced the Dark Lord offer more justice or prosperity than current regime is helping refugees and wounded soldiers by holding off some goblin archers
68 A dozen barbarian riders here to kill minions of evil, normally they're kind unwelcome 
69 Elves helping some humans on the road with food and blankets (1in6 are dark elves in disguise and blankets carry plague and food is poison)
70 Distant horns and shaking earth as hundreds of orc heavy infantry and a dozen armoured war ogres. A dozen warg riders scout ahead and skirmish with enemies
71 An old knight leading 3 dozen militia hunting monsters, no idea how bad things are yet
72 Nuns with a wagon have heard needy folk need help. Not really helpless as they all carry maces, wear chain under robes and leader is 4th level priestess
73 Knight with his squire and several extra pack horses travelling and no idea of what's happening
74 A dozen knights led by a paladin and her priestess follower on a horse on a mission against a weapon of the enemy
75 A bandit gang of two dozen have been court off guard and escaping area with all their goods and a d6 harmless followers. Could be convinced to fight and earn a pardon but they plant to hide in a distant cave they have heard of
76 A merchant wagon train of fleeing rich with four dozen men at arms. A d3 merchant families and servants are fleeing to a ship to leave the continent
77 Local lord with seventy-five spearmen and six knights and forty archers on the hunt for evil
78 Amazons on horseback, dozen from beyond the frontier here to kill orcs or goblins, possibly meet some women to take home
79 Goblins mostly archers, two dozen killing a wounded d4 1=treeant 2=giant 3=hippogriff 4=cave bear
80 Wyvern is ridden by d4 1=orc hero 2=evil 5th level wizard 3=evil 4th level priest 5th=evil cultist knight
81 A dozen hill giants drunkenly lumbering about commanded by an orc hero and an orc squad of pikemen
82 A dozen orc heavy troops with composite bows, poison arrows, scimitars in chainmail, led by a hero with cursed evil blade and pet warg
83 A dozen lizardfolk warriors serving the dark lord against humans, these use obsidian war clubs and javelins and blowpipes with poison, led by a hero on riding giant lizard 
84 A dozen trolls marching to an orc drummer with a dozen orc pikemen and an orc hero behind them 
85 Goblin skirmishers are busy setting fire to forest or houses or something unwelcome
86 Dozen orcs riding giant boars from distant land led by a hero and druid companion here to kill those serving the dark lord, mostly avoid locals but enemy orcs fear them
87 Evil wizard with succubus or incubus lover trying to get back to dark lords side with espionage documents, if cant avoid others will pretend to be agents of the kind on a mission and if that work might try and lead the party to a command outpost to kill. Outpost will have at least four dozen words, a d4 wards and a 4th level evil orc priest
88 A wraith roaming the woods spies for the dark lord and reports adventurers location to the dark lord who sends six wyverns ridden by 4th level evil priests 
89 A wraith riding a zombie wyvern attacks non-allied adventurers
90 Chaos warband of thirty mongrel monster maniacs not affiliated with dark lord but up for raiding and looting and fighting. Goatman hero leader has harem of d6 chaos shoggoth lovers
91 Drums indicate hundreds of goblins running through area eating everything, most animals hide or flee
92 A dragon flies overhead and will ignore most travellers unless it is tempted by treasure, then it will breathe from the air than land to mell
93 A hundred orc heavy infantry marching and charting war chants led by an orc hero and evil priest adviser
94 A hundred skeletons marching with necromancer lord 9th Lv wizard, some of them play jaunty marching tunes on bone flutes and human skin drums 
95 A hundred corrupted human cultists 
96 A great demon of shadow and fire, flies overhead unseen for an age, a fallen demon angel serving the dark lord and thought all on earth killed by gods long ago
97 A great gaggle of over a hundred chaos tainted mutants shunned by the good and pretty relish the dark lord coming and have started murdering up to demonstrate their support
98 A spectral army of damned souls sworn to serve the dark lord long ago, now a hundred of these spirit warriors march as if they still lived
99 Army of 100 orc pikemen 100 orc heavy infantry 100 goblin archers 40 orc warg riders, 6 Hill giants, 4 megaceratops with cannon platforms on their backs and 80 goblin baggage handlers carry supplies in read and strip land of anything useful or of value. Each group is led by own hero and force is led by a demon who rides a shadow dragon
100 A colossal vessel of the dark lord has arisen, a terrible burning giant that lays waste to all in path with a hundred cultists following all chanting and sacrificing victims to him

War Against The Dark Lord 2: Wonders
01 The day grows shorter as twilight and sunset become several hours shorter
02 A great distant forest fire rains ash and sparks and smoke over a huge area for days. Chokes the air and reduces visibility and local spot fires startup
03 An eclipse long prophecized strikes panicking many peoples and paralysing both sides for a day
04 A great and terrible storm with gale-force winds sweeps over land destroying crops, damaging buildings and terrifying everyone. No forces move a d4 days
05 A volcano erupts surprising many, mostly darkens sky with smoke and makes sunsets more red and orange, but locals report damage and fire creatures spewing from the crater
06 A quake strikes the kingdom seemingly targeting many fortifications 
07 Heavy rain causes flash floods in lowlands and some people lose everything and even lives. Spreads chaos and hardship till giant beavers arrive to save the day
08 Bats swarm over the whole sky, millions upon millions like dark clouds
09 Coastal tsunami damages ports and fishing villages and many ships are lost
10 A plague breaks out in some cities as they prepare defences for war
11  A priest leading hundreds of singing peasants with flowers who are going to prey the evil one away with their love. The priest is mad as his secretly a doppelganger assistant has been poisoning him with madness drugs and mercury. The doppelganger really wants this scam to work and get promoted by the dark lord
12 An evil priest promises listeners life if they serve the dark lord and offers to take those willing to service and life behind enemy lines. Many desperate people are convinced by the promise of food and freedom. "Don't believe the lies, serving the dark lord is great!"
13 Baggage train of supplies in oxcarts heading to troops and needy is held up. An evil bard is trying to convince the quartermaster to take it all to the dark lord for gold and a title
14 A hundred orc spearmen and 40 goblin archers are leading the whole population of a village and several wagons of goods to the dark lord
15 A force of 100 barbarian horsemen from the frontier and a force of 100 knights have met on the road and the leaders are busy fighting about who should command and follow who and where the enemy is, this will continue for hours 
16 A sprawling force of a few dozen militia and several hundred irregular commoners with slings, bows and farm tools has united under the command of a naive young priest who marches to the enemy
17 Thousands of refugees swarm, abandoning heavy goods and broken wagons, some lost children and injured elderly crying for help
18 A wounded demoralised army retreating without any leadership fleeing and abandoning equipment, hundreds of men mostly wounded. Howls of wolves, drums and trumpets are behind them 
19 A priest driven mad by dark lord agents with drugs has assembled a children's crusade of three hundred city urchins with sticks and stones to fight the dark lord. All are hungry and cold
20 A recruitment station ahead has received two hundreds of recruits of all walks of life. Another hundred camp followers and refugees gather here also. Bard criers inform regularly new war and mobilisation news, people seem optimistic
21 A massive orc and goblin force is attacked by a third force of foreign orcs who set the orcs and goblins of the dark lord fighting while they flee. The force breaks up and scatters 
22 A marching army of undead is attacked by a fighting force of priests who route the undead scattering thousands of skeletons over the land all confused without orders
23 A halfling ventriloquist causes a dozen ettins to fight each other leaving several dead and most hurt. Then he starts taunting them again. 
24 Treants and tree spirit folk pour from the woods and route a goblin army 
25 A marching army of orcs halts. A wizard leader receives a message from the master and the whole force change direction to some distant cause
26 A marching army of orcs are repelled by halfling militia in trees throwing rocks
27 A great mighty wizard appears and routes an army of orcs and goblins
28 A hoarde of wildwood folk all hairy and naked and serving the dark lord are met by druids who convince them to change sides
29 An army of works is routed by mostly spells from elvish force who move in to finish off survivors 
30 A barbarian horde on horseback rout an army of orc infantry unprepared 
31 Forests are being infested with webs of giant spiders, some whole woodlands have been consumed
32 A migrating clan of ogres have set up a camp, more than  anyone in this land have ever seen
33 Thick black thorn bushes have sprung up in many places, blocking roads and forming huge hedge mazes meters wide sometimes, small races like goblins find it easier going than humans to cross
34 Millions of black rats swarm over the country spreading plague, eating stored grain and flowing into cities
35 A dark taint has overtaken local nature, evil squirrels and forest animals are hostile and tree spirits are evil unless someone can purify the heart of the forest in a secret druid cave
36 Hundreds of petrified fleeing human statues caught by a basilisk sent by the evil one. The beast still lurks awaiting orders
37 Squadrons of giant bats with goblin archers are attacked by giant eagles, clouds of ordinary bats and tiny birds fight around them darkening the sky, blood and feathers and bodies rain down
38 An abandoned army encampment with a few men hiding some wounded. The camp has been destroyed by werewolves spreading in the barracks now finally they have shed uniforms and destroyed most witnesses they have fled 
39 A wizard of the dark lord with hundred orc pikemen meets a cyclops leader to negotiate unity. Any interference now might ruin the meeting and possibility of the cyclops tribe joining. A dozen fighting cyclops are ready. It might be possible to get cyclops to help humans but this is harder
40 A colossal giant black undead wolf Carnix walks the land with a two dozen zombie wolves. The beast was released from the underworld by the dark lord and it longs to feast on humans
41 An army of orcs moving siege equipment, one of the weapons is worshipped as a minor god with a priesthood who care for it and it is pulled by a team of six megatheriums. The orc army includes 100 siege engineers 100 pikemen and 100 crossbowmen. The cult weapon is d4 1=Ullzauel the god cannon 2=Luran the violet ray apparatus 3=Gorizol a machine with lense to amplify a basilisk gaze 4=Hellspitter a machine that shoots a 20d6 fireball using gems as ammo 
42 Orc sappers have been digging and using black powder to divert a river that could flood all the lowlands. The massive earthworks are visible for miles. Once close see they are using human slave labour and have built a camp where the river diverging will destroy
43 Wizards have made vast black stone walls blocking roads and waterways causing chaos
44 A great string dust cloud is moving among it thousands of zombies moving in a herd to the dark lord's design. This control is based on a relic that might be damaged
45 A vast lake of mud has been created by wizards to block certain road routes and supply lines of the king's army. King's wizards hope to make a path through it by turning mud back to stone but mostly the land is ruined
46 A dark lord wizard unleashed a wind of death causing every 1HD or less humanoid to save or die as spectral death spirits slay those who fail with scythes and carry souls away. Survivors are horrifies 
47 Water is tainted with chaos in the area, strange plants, animals and mutant locals turn evil until taint is stopped
48 A great tribe of forest orcs unwilling to get involved in this age of strife using their druidic relics to all turn into trees for a few hundred years to the dark lord has gone or someone can find a way to revive them or convince them humans would cooperate against other orcs
49 A great barbarian prince with his burning spear Bloodbrand leads his army to attack an orc camp and personally slays a death knight hero of the dark lord
50 A great gathering of naked orcs standing about aimlessly. In the middle in a great muddy pit wizards make new orcs from the mud. Apprentices try to encourage orcs to try weapons and learn evil language commands. In a few days, they will be ready to fight 
51 A comet passes overnight, next day plague has broken out across the world
52 A shooting star crashes actually a greater demon entering the world released by the dark one 
53 A great burning light of the dark lord is seen blazing over the horizon shooting bolts of power into a great dark hole in the clouds above
54 A great spectral projection of the dark lord appears in the sky a supposed portent of his divinity according to the cult
55 A river turns red with blood, choked with corpses and body parts
56 Sixty orcs are digging up a graveyard and assembling skeletons on tables for a necromancer to make into skeletons. Have about 70 so far make a dozen a day, plan to be here a week
57 A giant cyclops orc hero leading a horde of a hundred irregular wild orcs with his great spear Grimsplinter a poison evil weapon used in the dawn age to kill an elf king. Has a personal guard of ogrillion orc-ogre hybrids
58 Great colossal drake Gloomfang unseen for an age plunges from the sky and destroys a town with fire and rages in the flames screaming
59 A vast dark shadow covers the land as armies of darkness advance allowing them more freedom in daylight for many cave born orcs and undead. As the armies advance dark priests plant monoliths that expand the effect, A temple in the dark lord's realm controls this effect with an artefact called the Cradle of Darkness
60 An ice lich riding an undead woolly rhino leads an army of a thousand frost covered zombies, spreading winter like conditions as they advance. The lich carries an artefact brings winter with it and has six living dark elf luitwnants riding winterwolves
61 Evil dwarves explode a cliff face revealing their great garage magical war juggernauts and a few iron golems to roll out over the land and crush humanity for the evil one
62 Dark elves call the great gnawing underworld dragon Nidhog to kill all the crops and fruit with blight overnight. Each night the dark elves affect a new district riding on wolves
63 Goblins call on their great worm god to spawn a plague of maggots that eat any food or crops on the plant then gnaw on wood or animals. Takes a few years to die off
64 Spiders have woven great cables over vast distances they can use like a telegraph system to send messages. The cables can be followed to spider operated stations and a hub connected to the dark lords command
65 A colossal spider monster bursts from the earth with her army of giant spiders
66 Tarrasque has been awoken by the dark lord and is being directed by a gold torc that hurts the beast. If freed it goes for the local dark lord HQ to destroy it
67 A great insect hive of evil tainted termite folk grows towering over area as trees stripped and earth scoured for construction. If the evil tainted queen is killed the colony die
68 Orcs are razing all the trees in a valley to build a gargantuan construct to house the essence of the dark lord if his current body fails
69 Goblinoids are digging a vast pit with slave human labour digging up a giant armoured corpse of a past form of the dark lord they hope to revive (you cant have 2 dark lords right?)
70 A local leader has camp with four hundred refugees, 100 spearmen, 100 archers and 100 horsemen. The king has been confused by his evil bard and is paralysed with indecision and has locked up their heir who dared disagree in a bout of paranoia. Orc scouts know of their plight and dark forces gather
71 Hundreds of forest animals and faerie folk and tree spirits pour from the woods and send a army of monsters fleeing
72 An orc force is under siege by a larger horde of beastfolk united against the dark lord and his wizard scum who tortured and enslaved beast folk in the past
73 A river or stream is polluted and banks fouled. Following upstream is a basilisk lair where the dark lord left an egg to hatch under a toad to poison the area. Stone statues of adventurers and goblins are scattered in the area
74 A sinkhole collapses getting bigger and bigger changing area with a rubble-filled flooded depression. Strange creatures of the deep scuttle out like giant bugs and worms later weird giant fungus sprouts everywhere around the area
75 The giant fungus is growing everywhere rapidly and spore spots develop on trees and plants. This fungus attracts giant bugs and worms and flies to the area and goblins love to forage here
76 An orc hero druid priestess riding a giant stag leads orc barbarians and hopes to liberate deluded orcs from evil and reconnect them with their spirit ancestors. The orc army will grow and the dark lord will send assassins and monsters to destroy her. Eventually leading orcs against the dark lords HQ
77 A black strange castle fades into reality like some phantom, undead winged apes in service of the dark lord swarm out to kidnap victims for the castle. The alien tentacle faced ultraterestrial  wizards from beyond inside drain victims souls to power the castle jumps and the bodies are encased in armour as undead troops. The dark lord only called them out of desperation as they will always betray him eventually
78 A great web structure over hundreds of yards part of a huge cable goes into the sky out of sight. Spiders guard the base and keep a look out for fire they will try to smother out with fresh webbing. The dpiders have tethered a star to the earth and agents of the darklord have invaded a celestial palace of a star spirit and her elf courtiers. The dark lord caught one of her spies and struck first fearing she might gather the stars themselves against him. An evil wizard advises the orc hero with a famous scimitar Moonrazor. The star eas sitting on the fence as stars do but now if freed will reward rescuers and send owls to the other stars and the celestial bureaucracy to get the gods acting. Her influence sheers decades off process. She offers advice on the dark lords artifact locations and weapons that could be used against him 
79 A great tree has been felled and partly burned. Aparently some faerie folk lived inside and in the roots blow. Various local talking animals, spirit folk and faries have gathered to bury friends. Nice cottage decor has been smashed and charred. A good opportunity to recruit a unusual follower. The critters might be motivated to fight or help
80 A winking star has appeared revealing the evil one has released a new great demon to the world and his cause. By day the demon appears in various battles where needed by the dark lord
81 The pole star shine bright larger than ever, a sign evil fears. Polestar sends spirits to the mortal world returning lost hero weapons from thousands of years ago that the dark lord fears. Across world heroes who have heard of the polestar myth look up and wonder if they will receive a gift
82 A great gateway opens in the mountain releasing shadows and zombies and skeletons. Distant chanting of cultists can be heard keeping the gate open. If slain the gate closes. The cult have a relic, special books and magical ingredients required to open this. The head priest of darkness is a famous evil hero and wanted criminal for killing royalty
83 Strange green and violet glows flicker and dance about in the northern sky. Some say this is god battling the darkness to weaken the dark one 
84 A strange luminous cloud passes over area inflicting many with mutations. Some locals are quick to shun or even kill mutants so many are forced to flee unless someone stops theses troublemakers. The condition might be cured with a rare lawful herb
85 An ancient wizard tower is under attack by a hundred orcs who have improvised siege weapons and await some black powder kegs or a cannon. The wizard guards a relic feared by the dark lord that could greatly aid the good forces. A spirit might inform the party of this but the wizard will be reluctant to use the weapon
86 A great crack in the earth opens releasing a d6 dragons and 3d6 wyverns who proceed to cause trouble. Twisting tunnels to the deep may release more monsters
87 A vast area covered in mold where people die from choking spores and the dead arise as fungal bloated undead. A fungus demon noble trapped in a apparatus at the centre held by the dark lords wizards. If freed the demon offers to send minions to aid when released it
88 An army of the darklord has human slaves digging up what seems to be a silver tower that fell and was buried long ago. Strange weapons of law are inside the wizard leader of the expedition hopes to claim
89 A great gathering of wild hairy naked wild folk with burning whicker man idols meeting at sacred stones. They are debating in their rare language which side to join. One who has served the dark lord as a dark hero offers death to the clothed folk and their stupid gods. An older king priest disagrees but is being burned tonight. Various candidates fight to be the next 7 year ruler including the dark lord agent who cheats with his priest and wizard followers. Humans mostly unwelcome but demihumans, beastfolk or halflings might get a say or chance to stop evil plots. Most humans don't know these wild folk exist or ever meet and would fear them
90 A serpant man wizard leading a lizard folk army with veloceraptor cavalry and a war trex. The wizard rides chariot pulled by a triceratops and has a dark elf chariot driver. He is doing a favor for the dark lord just this once an unpopular decision. If he dies the rest will likely return to their hibernation dungeon till the next apocalypse if given the chance
91 The moon changes colour to a strange eerie red and the whole night sky is filled with dim red light, a preview of what will happen if evil wins. Moon cultists determine a certain moon ziggarutt run by amazons in secret is under siege and is key to saving the moon. Inside is a gate to the moons celestial palace where evil has infiltrated
92 An evil star falls actually part of world left from creation demons have inhabited for aeons. The dark lord has brought them here to spread chaos but the demon prince of what is now a huge flaming crater seeks dominion over area. Demon cultists and chaos fanatics begin a pilgrimage here
93 Great burning evil eyes in the evening sky make everyone in world have lower saves by -2 each night until dark lord distracted or the aparatus used is broken. Experts know of the relic from previous use 
94 On the highest point in the land orcs are erecting an ancient design of a wizard defence tower that will be able to shoot burning rays to anything in its line of sight. A great crystal to power it is being moved to the gem in wagons with an escort
95 Ankheg giant burrowing bugs fill the area with hundreds of trenches, tunnels and pits intending it to be a future fortress. Once bugs hold strategic points as guards goblinoids from the deep pour out and man the bizarre fortification choking the area and expanding. Fungus thrives in tunnels with gobbo care and other giant bugs move in. Area will be prone to bugs and giant fungi for a long time
96 Magma pours from volcanic vent with lava forming a great basalt wall blocking a natural chokepoint blocking armies. If stopped quickly by killing salamanders chanting in the rift can be stopped 
97 One of the great dragons of evil is attacking a crumbling fortress with it's orc troops where an important future hero lives. Elves riding griffins appear and drive the beast away with lightning wands. Will anoint the chosen youth with gifts (and for family) and insist child goes to faerie land for training till right moment when needed (child returns as adult knight hero anytime)
98 Somewhere in the world a halfling messes up one of the dark lords infernal apparatus. Flickering lights in the sky alarm experst world wide and various evil relics and communications of the dark lord are crap for a d4 days till fixed. Perhaps the effect can be repeated at right time by good allies  
99 A gigantic dwarf golem the size of a small fort has a defensive force of 40 dwarf inside to shoot crossbows or guns from battlements in the titan. The giant lumbers to the nearest dark lord base to start smashing until eventually a greater demon or dragonfire destroys it. Once war over will march into a door in a mountain to be sealed till next time
100 A major force of the dark lord is camped ready to march. Someone somewhere lures away the wyverns patrollingthe sky away. Grey gnomish airships from a great door in a mountain come out and from extreme altitude drop poison gas, burning oil and black powder bombs on the army horribly burning and melting and blasting the army. Wyverns return confused and think they will get the blame. The next day survivor orcs come out in the plague and the area is diseased for a long time and taints the flesh of local animals for decades

note i am infamous in my crew as not liking flying ships or balloons in anything but my deep gnomes are near victorian tech level scientific murder hobos. Princess ark was probably the best thing in Dragon mag for years but at the time i wanted spells and rules and was getting grittier history gaming. When Known world was Mystara it became unusable to me. 

Monday, 16 March 2020

Some of my Homebrew BX Mongrel Ideas


































So as I run a game using BX so race=class. I like it because it keeps humans the most common in play. Not because I believe humans are the destined cosmic master race like some slavecoach but I kinda find when I play dnd5 I feel like a furry convention. I have never seen anyone play a human (don't tell me) but I have heard of people playing humans and I believe these wild stories are true. Halfling was the closest I saw. Of course in the event that in 30 years all humans are furies ignore this post and sorry. Half my games are gritty and inspired by the grime and crime of olden times. So I use historic buildings and weapons and armour lots. It makes my weird alien stuff seem weirder. When my furry buddies in-game (I'm a talking crow) meet a deepone fishfolk on the beach we say hi and ask, "do you know where we can find a tavern". In a human-centric universe, that fish guy would steal your children if it could and pretty sure it is up to no good otherwise we would just be murder hobos when we searched his organs for clues.

So the point of this is not to abuse furries (god bless them) and to get their furry fury onto me but to talk about rules relating to my bx inspired class system. I don't have race=class caps. Go for it.

I have other caps. I allow people to change class and racial class (gasp).

0nce+INT bonus times. I also cap class level using prerequisite only so you could max out in one and change then. And smarter people would end up awesomely better off. I cap all classed at 20max anyway. So you can change your dwarf into a wizard or a thief or a cleric. Changing race requires some magic and a wish and possibly make you unpopular but you can do it you pioneering rebels, go for it.

Class Maximums 

All classes are capped at 20th level
You can go as high in your class as you have attributes in your prime requisite

Gaining increases your attributes is a common quest for power, especially to superhuman amounts

Changing Your Class 

You can change your class once plus a number of extra times per extra INT bonus
You need to meet prerequisite attribute requirements for the new class
Bonus +1+2+3
Negative bonus means you can't change
You can change back to an old class you were prior
A Thief at 3rd level then becomes a fighter that is one change
A wizard at 5th level becomes a fighter for 3 levels then back to being a wizard that is 2 changes

When you change class you don't stop being the old on
-use that level in that class for those abilities and spells
-keep all racial abilities cumulative, its a heretical way to become OP
You can use the best weapons and armour permitted by the best class
Add all levels for equivalent levels as a comparison to a character who has not changed
Your most outstanding class is what you are mostly known for
When your total classes equal 9 you no longer gain a whole HD per lever
-from 10th level, you gain points per level depending on your current class
Hanging out with 1st level adventurers when you were a 12th lv wizard is uncool

A nonhuman and humans can adopt a new class can adopt a "human class"
-these are professional classes anyone can just learn with study and practice or necessity
If you change race class from human to gnome or dwarf to elf, magic or a wish is required
No guarantee your new or old race will accept this and you may be considered a heretic
-races might offer this as a procedure or accept you if earn respect through heroism or marriage
-devils or demons might buy your soul for a wish to change your race, it's a great deal
-many might thing a changed person could be a spy or a creepy fan or mad person

-might suspect you just chose to do this for some selfish mechanistic grab at power or blasphemy
-some ignore these silly rules because being an elf makes you almost immortal
-possible havens out there and places that don't care, village dwarf used to be halfling? So what

Consequences

This deals with some of the objections to race as class in BX
I don't really object anyone being a wizard in my setting
Ietmybx elves and bards use wizard or cleric or druid spells (pick one list)
Wanna be a paladin mix up cleric and fighter
A dwarf wizard will bash you in a pub fight and go berserk with his magic axe
Ancient orc elders used to elves in the past age and are near

-immortal but shun iron still
Beastfolk abhuman druids sound cool
Druid and Evil priest misusing that neutral magic
Templar clerics become monks or knights
Old Viking becomes a priest after years of raiding in retirement
Bored knight gets own frontier estate takes up black magic
Wizard stranded on an island for four years no spells become fighter then goes back when saved
Next time character marries gnome or orc in my campaign they can truly be together
Secret wizards offer magic transformations and polymorphisms
Cleric ambassador lived with the fish folk for several years as one of them

I might start a party off as having 4Lv in a previous class as part of an adventure setup


Wizards look fancy with big hats to stand out plus most common spells and public castings are flashy so people don't cause you of unlawfully casting a spell in secret. If someone attacks you and your spell and wizard gear are obvious you won't get the blame. Wizards in disguise or a warrior in plate casing charm is suspicious and possibly a witch.

Other Ideas

Put living standard paid on the character sheet.
It is illegal for commoners to dress above their station
Poor people don't get let into magic shops
poor = 1cp per day for most poor and even middle class really
rich = 1sp per day live in great comfort with servants and best stuff
royal = 1gp a day for flashiest nobility for best luxury and vice

Familiars need expanding to 20th lv
-consult other planar beings for knowledge

Alignment & Oaths

Adding mutations  to benefits (no protection from apotheosis tables)
1-4 Lv minor mutation
5-8 Lv for greater mutation
9-12 Lv d4 minor and one major
13-16 Apotheosis (say goodby to character probably)
17-20 touch causes permanent minor mutation once per person
-can stack benefits to get extra use per person
-with four lots grant a major mutation once per day by touch (one use per person)

Higher-level benefits 13th Level & above

-bonus +2 vs chosen enemy type and extra dice of critical or spell damage
-ability to sense 
chosen enemy type
-communing with higher powers or patron spirit weekly
-gain a guardian spirit to aid and give you unwanted advice

-protection from opposite alignment +2 save and AC 1m radius (stackable)
-self resurrection (one use on death powers restore you
-plane shift once per week (handy to come back with a second benefit)
-magical weapon +3 with intelligence and other magical powers -4 to others
-healing potion worth d8 appears every day to you
-summon a horde (once) raise a loyal army for a cause
-summon a powerful entity (once) to turn the tide of your cause or aid you
-at zero HP you don't lose any more HP unless burned or beheaded

d12 Higher level oaths

1 Crusader - wage eternal war vs nation or species or crime or vice until victory

2 Search and destroy - secret enemies like witches, cults, changelings or elves
3 Allegiance and service to one of the great rulers, heroes, nations or churches
4 Allegiance to a planar spirit that sends you secret missions through dreams
5 Poverty - give all you cannot use or carry to church or great cause
6 Missionary - zealously spread the faith setting up a mission
Sever all ties - all relations and loved ones and property to be left and forgotten
8 Quest - constantly seek lost relics and items lost by the cause

9 Pilgrimage - visit and protect various holy sites or destroy enemy holy sites 
10 Otherworld has called, seek to meet them on their own home plane
11 Build - create monuments like shrines, statues and temples    
12 Hero -wander and protect the commoners of the faith in need vs enemies

Monday, 16 September 2019

Invaders of Xor



Xor is a living world of meat, plunder and wonder
A ever living mystery and world eater
People live on and in Xor like parasites
Bad things come from other worlds
Things not good to eat that must die
Strangers who do not accept the will of Xor!

All kinds of otherworlds invade Xor for a meal which has the danger Xor might flood that dimension. Xor only wants to peacefully eat universes and barley is aware of intruders parasitism. But look out when Xor does notice your dimension and is hungry. Some otherworlders are stranded here and join a community or start one. Parts of otherworlds might be found inside of Xor taking thousands of years to be assimilated. Xor might even be used as a nexus between worlds but a dangerous one. Bringing goods through the gates and leaving on both sides makes the worlds interconnected. Creatures of law may not be approving of Xor and consider it close to chaos or raw material for chaos to usurp. Invaders of Law act poorly and are often disliked by xorians unless they actually fight need someone to fight chaos.

One of  these in a region will stand out and provide threats aplenty. Why not start between two of these or one at each compass point. Intruders usually have a way home but that might be be at a certain place or require a relic. Intruder gateways are for outright alien plunderers or explorers. Strange remnants are a place where unnatural to the nature of Xor creatures come from, a remnant of the past or otherworldly infection.

d12 Intruder gateways into Xor

1 Primal Law - entities such as Archons come to hunt and destroy chaos and imperfection
2 Singularity - bastion of Law where crusaders wage war against chaos and disorder
3 Deadworld - land smothered by darkness and necromancy and the hungry dead
4 Dungeonworld - a infinite self aware dungeon complex linked to the hells
5 Garbageworld - covered in garbage from other planes, locals seek to escape
6 Planet Psychon - mutants, androids, robots stumble on gateways
7 Europe 1640 - England and Spain search for new worlds while secret wizards planeshift*
8 Ancient Exilon - bronze age ancient city states send adventurers to visit Xor
9 Shadelport - city of pirates and wizards and elder ruins, many gates remain from long ago when the Monster Kings ruled and used to raid and plunder Xor
10
 Underland - various races of the deep raid Xor for food and some worship it
11 Demonic chaos - seeks to corrupt Xor into becoming a home for demon kind

12 Primal chaos - swarms of gelatinous tentacled alien horrors

*Other times are possible like modern special forces or monster investigators

d12 Strange remnants within Xor

1  Mile wide clod of earth with some intact ruined settlement survivors from some other world, semi buried intact ruins are their current lain and they are just exploring xor
2 Mass of ship hulks and a sargassum of weed fused into a mass inhabited by sailors from many worlds and a few feisty sea monsters surviving. Sailors are damned and don't try to escape
3 Collosal mass of fungus caverns inhabited by fungus and faerie folk, including by goblinoids, pixies, elves, gnomes, mushroom people, giant bugs and more 
4 Dead area where a necromancer lives and has learned to make undead from the dead flesh of Xor. If not stopped many such places grow. Some are quiet and hidden for aeons
5 A large section of a underland city was snatched and relocated inside Xor and inhabitants have done well and trade with the locals. Many strange races are among survivors
6 Macroscopic life has infested the area attacking and feasting on Xor and spreading it's own single celled life forms colonies, some are individually baseball or beachball sized often linked in chains. Dangerous slimes, jellies, flagellum and strange life thrives
7 Bone castle once a living place housing a population now a desolate dead hollow, full of all kinds of unwholesome creatures and cults in the skeleton of a living citadel
8 Infected sickly swamp of putrid sweat, infections and ulcers form a unique environment, disgusting but welcoming to bugs and the goblins who hunt them. Demons and undead here prevent the land being healed 
9 Crystalline life form ecology is absorbing life and fluid, growing and expanding into complex alien intelligences. Psionic beings have been attracted or empowered and come here
10 Dragonspawn Pits of Tiamat, mother of dragons has opened a gate here where thousands of baby dragons are fattening up on Xor for the next dragon apocalypse on some dimension. Tiamat only pops in occasionally 1in6. Xor does not mind dragons as they excrete his spoor on distant dimensions aiding it
11 Chaos warp point where creatures become mutated and prepare to  kidnap and devour nearby peoples. 

12 Chaos infection where a demon throne of a abyssal lord festers with it's horde. With intent to conquer the local area, warbands rair the surroundings often meeting Templars of Xor or Crusaders of Xor or many other local forces waging eternal war

Terrible new theory:

Humans came from Xor first
Then spread to other worlds

Wednesday, 11 September 2019

Treasure Frogs


























Treasure Frog
Small d8 HD AC as leather Bite d6 Mov 9 Swim 12 Hop 1 carries d4x100sp
Medeum 2d8 HD AC as leather Bite 2d4 Mov 12 Swim 12 Hop 2 carries d3x100gp
Large 4d8 HD AC as chain Bite 2d6 Mov 12 Swim 9 Hop 3 carries d6x100gp
Huge 8d8 HD AC as plate Bite 3d6* Mov 12 Swim 9 Hop 3 carries 2d4x100gp
*
hit rolls 20+ swallows victim whole and flees crushing them for d6/round
**hit rolls 17+ swallows victim whole and flees crushing them for 2d6/round


Treasure frogs are used by frog folk to carry valuables but as they live for centuries they often carry loot long forgotten. They also smell treasure and dungeons near swamps often attract them. Some semi flooded dungeons are infested with them. Frog folk often use the frogs to find more treasure who can sniff precious stones and metal. A speciality skill is required to train and handle frogs who are experts at escaping and often escape. Each frog has a command word to disgorge loot but they forget them after fifty years or so. Frogs Some frog folk tribes keep their untrained frogs locked in a room. If your not careful frogs will all pour out bouncing everywhere and flee. Frogs mostly only try to eat smaller creatures but treasure carriers makes them feisty enough to attack, especially in large numbers. Frog folk can tell individual frogs apart but humans can't.

Small carries d4x100sp 1in6 chance of a semiprecious stone worth 10gp
+ d4 1=15gp silver ring 2=20gp carved agate seal
3=cat skull  4=semi digested fish

Medeum carries d3x100gp d4x semiprecious stones worth 10gp
+ d4 1=45gp gold ring 2=100gp jade idol
3=kobold skeleton 4=bottle of beer


Large carries d6x100gp d4x semiprecious stones worth d3x10gp
+ d4 1=100gp ruby gold ring 2=2d4 healing potion
3=knights helmet 4=
rotten goat corpse

Huge 
carries 2d4x100gp 2d4x semiprecious stones worth d3x10gp
+ d4 1=500gp diamond ring 2=crate of beer
3=
+1 dagger in scabbard 4=dead semi digested adventurer

Wednesday, 28 August 2019

Edition Drama Club





































So recently i had a player join a game wanting to play old school dnd. Only problem is he had a totally different idea of what that consisted of. I don't realy use the OSR label anymore and don't mind oldschool but I query how useful an identifier it is when many ppl I meet assume Im a horrible neckbeard for using it. Anyway this person said a few things they expected and i failed at.

So it was a one shot game as I visited state for a few days to get a permit. My old players were keen but whole thing was kinda a cuff of the moment game. I thought I'd playtest i 3fold scenario in my Exilon setting. Everyone was glad to catch up but tired. All asked to start 3rd lv as they had struggled up from first my last few years of seasonal visits which is fair enough. New player arrived after this and another turned up later. Game play was a bit broken. They spent way too long investigating, went to dungeon killed some stuff and got some loot without too much drama and picked up on setting mythology from shrines and artworks in dungeon. Finished abruptly when someone came to collect a player as I thought everyone was too tired and rushed the real adventure ending which was finding which of the treasure was cursed. I quite like identifying loot and carousing after.

Anyway after I got a lengthy evaluation
though they said they liked it but...
So I got a fail on....

Characters too superpowered
Nobody ran away
Nobody described their every action in detail and preferred to roll
Just hack and slash vs inferior foes
Was just like 5th ed but simpler
Little oldschool content at all

Also this gem:
Adnd is simpler than BX and rules fit on one sheet and you only need 2 classes
The guy was pretty young and smart but I think had some different ideas on stuff to me which is ok.

The argument about skill rolls vs describing everything is pretty old.
I'm happy for players to search the slow way or perhaps talk everything through
but chatting with every npc or searching everything can be tedious
but Im fine with slower more creative way but happy to save everyone time and do more stuff faster

So to clarify I don't play mostly 80s games still out of sentimentality I play them because I'm unconvinced later editions do what I want or look like I imagine a game to be. I like the wargamer interest in historic arms and armour and don't really go for cool art like Pathfinder. Which I don't mind but I just don't imagine fantasy like that. So basically I play mostly as I did in mid 80s but simpler. I've actually played  BRP and RQ more as I like the grittiness of combat, game physics and history gaming. Also I don't really like character classes at all. I went back to DnD because record keeping and speed of play and easier sell. I mostly have run Cthulhu because I love it but also it is a game I can get running easier than any other I play and more so than RQ, BRP or oldschool dnd games. Even running dnd not in a official setting seems like a risk in clubs I'm in today vs the DIY feel of 1st and BX.

So here is a little brief over what stuff from what eds I stole for my homebrew

BX/BCMI/Cyclopedia
-My starting point
-Race as class is my preference, it keeps humans common.
-Lower stats, harsher rolling scheme
-Known world setting I liked until went all flying boats stuff and named Mystara (sorry)
-Good adventures which were fresh

Adnd
-Extra classes but some I disliked as too finicky
-Non Weapon proficiency in OA and DSG
-More complex alignment
-Crunchy broken and badly organised
-How many choking rules in 3 monster books?
-Some good adventures but many classics need extra quests to fix
-Dungeoneers Survival Guide and Oriental Adventures were great

2nd Ed
-Bards improved and a better starting point for my version
-Ultimate series of brown books were great for fighter abilities and kits
-I stopped playing DnD for 20 years the moment i touched necromancy blue book
-Psionics improved but still broken
-Capping fireball damage - heresy! Now Lich are weak.
-Had lots of good setting books plus green books were good
-I was fine with Illusionist spell changes
-Not really interested in adventures from here on

3rd Ed/Pathfinder
-I really only played Temple of Elemental Evil PC game
-It got me back into dnd
-I like possibility of getting abilities normally outside class
-I don't mind some exotic feat abilities but rather fit them into skills
-Is this when bonus table changed?
-Sorcerers, the basic idea of them, easier to play for noobs

4th
-Ugh though if it was meant to be a tactical board game I guess they succeeded
-For a while ppl stopped playing elves because they made another elf like race

5th
-Superficial resembles what I want but nope
-I like minimising stacking and a few things, If it seems too good it probably is
-I've yet to see a human character in any 5th ed game
-Not really like mythology or fantasy lit precedents
-Several mechanics on character sheets Id like to just remove
   
Lamentations Rules
-Played for several years
-Liked guns and 1600s setting
-Didn't like most adventures but appreciated artistic bravery

Bluehome
-Liked it but I like STR bonus in games and kids seem to
-Probably the free retroclone I most recommend with Osric
-Castles & Crusades almost became my game (if it had skill system day one....)

My EMO homebrew rules
-Skeleton of BX with arms and arts skills
-Fighters get most fight skills, rogues get non fight skills, others get spells
-Basic four classes plus Druid, Bard, Monk, Sorcerer
-Basic races plus some extra Abhuman, Changeling, Giant, Tako (cos I need octopi)
-No half races or the real world problem cliches they evoke
-Psionics is a spell list just like arcane, divine and nature spell lists
-Elves and bards can choose any one spell list
-You can change class at least once bur changing race might be a bit odd
-STR is the dump stat, i didn't call it players did. Followers are more popular
-Changed stat names 50% cos im a jerk 50% cos I want to be more clear
-WIS is not perception a idea that crept in over editions
-Luck Points to help you survive derived from WIS plus rogues get bonus ones
-You can have no Alignment or become a deranged fanatic for bonus goodies in return for oaths which might make party murder each other or go to prison
-Alignment is very clear so paladin killing babies are evil, the gods judge this not humans
-Campaign goal advancement not xp
-Class abilities like rogue bumped up as levels not based on different amounts of xp
-Saves just based on stats

My downloads page has pdfs which are a ongoing work in progress. Probably try and finish second book in next school hols when in Sydney. I can see 2 monster books - one with simpler creatures describes as briefly as possible. Second with more detailed feature monsters with lots of variations and scenario hooks. A spell and or skill book to detail these subjects more. A book with classes with example builds to simulate other classes and races and 2nd ed kits so ppl can jump in at higher level play easier/faster. The downside to choices is they slow characters down. Lots of abilities added per level make

Ive considered making a character zine booklet rather than a character sheet...

Occasionally I get a dumb idea like
improve stats a d10% on prime requisite per level
plus d10% on any stat per level and you can put on prerequisite....
At 100% goes up a point (sorta like UA adnd Cavalier)

Psychon and Xor books in print would be good.

Sorry so few posts. Life not conducive to creativity at moment.

Worth mentioning Iv'e read very little swords and sorcery fantasy since the 80s mostly mythology and pre ww2 lit, non fiction history and classics. I still thinks there should be a simpler official dnd for kids like BX.

Monday, 1 July 2019

In defence of skill and ability rolls


I made this meme based on some poor guy asking on FB for advice running the cruise of straad. So yeah im the last person who should be mean about typos. Anyway a vampire cruise might be a good adventure.

Recently there have been debates asserting that attribute rolls are a terrible problem that remove autonomy. Some went back to the war game roots of the game claiming the attributes have very limited purposes and thus charisma gets followers and is nothing to do with being charming.

So Im not going to repeat those arguments but dance around the general subject and rant lots about stuff possibly flimsily connected. A side note is I despise gambling, bets and games of chance but RPGs are fine.


So this debate is not only in DnD. Many players of Cthulhu games prefer gumshoe system to chaosium BRP because spot rolls to search stuff takes away player autonomy and rolling lots to find clues has problems. Like if you don't find a clue does the adventure break? So in the last case there are adventures predicated on noticing someone making a spot roll to see a clue. Well in this scenario as the villain is a next door neighbour you could have some local incidents and then have another opportunity. Or you could just say the dice roll is theatrics to make the player feel like they are achieving something. I could make the roll have varied degrees of success so even a fail sees something suspicious. The GM has plenty of options here to save the scenario opening. An easy way is have plenty of witnesses and the odds are a player would succeed. Even failure with whole party can be amusing.

So if players want to search a specific panel, desk or object thats ok too. They could get a bonus or it could speed things up. If they smashed the desk they probably would find a hidden object I don't have a problem with that. I dont mind players rolling for persuasion or conversations too. Often rolling is just a way of speeding up play. Searching everything item by item can be tedious. Talking to every shopkeeper can be pretty tedious. Sometimes it is fun but wasting game time is a problem especialy in a four hour session with multiple players competing for face time or a few showboaters controlling the DMs attention. If everyone wants to do this it is ok but finishing a adventure is ok too. The opposite of a player who just wants fight can be a pain too but that's another story.

Im fine with players getting a bonus to a roll or a extra roll for being specific or having a good idea so you can kind of do both approaches.

While older DnD recommended a stat roll to do things outside of specific class abilities, later versions of 1st ed with non-weapon skills used stat rolls for all kinds of effects. Personally I like this and It is part of my retro clone. I offer unskilled persons a chance often and apply some simple dificulty mods or give automatic successes in non stressful situations. I like skill systems and played BRP as much if not more.I do like very simple bonus systems as opposed to adding lots of numbers and find recent eds overly complex and wasteful recording of information.

My current system uses this:


So part of my claim is in the economy of play time a roll can speed things up rather than role play stuff that has little effect or could even be a distraction. Most of my more recent ed game play is pretty slow already. I did not like the non weapon proficiency requiring various petty pluses when a stat would have been simpler and require less book checking another time wasting exercise.

There is also the economy of time in a dungeon like wandering monsters to make time wasting a hazard. Time is one of the resources a player contends with which effects light sources and spells. It is one of the things we deal with in game so making lots of search rolls can be pert of the challenge. In Cthulhu you might have limited time to find documents in a library like opening hours and those failed library use rolls whittle away the resource of time. Oldschool gaming is resource-horror to me and less about heroism but it can be that too. To be heroic you need to actually suffer and failing stuff and struggling with time is part of a adventure. 

Most players like rolling dice.

My other main point with rolling skill and attribute tests is i don't thing players are the same as characters. Your stats are a tool to play someone other than yourself. I like the idea of live action role playing but i cant afford costumes and I don't want to play a cripple old man every time. Im happy to use stats to guide behaviour and personality of a character. I'm happy to have my character try things i should not be able to or know stuff i wouldn't. I'm also happy to have players roll to see if the character would know stuff modern people take for granted. Playing ignorance is required at time. I had a plyer who was a survivalist ex sniper and he would try to bring all kinds of horrible real world murder antics into every game and often we had to explain your character cannot make a bomb even if he offered to show us how with stuff under the kitchen sink.

I have seen players be very silly and take risks and DM make player roll for Wisdom to see if character would do the stupid party threatening thing. This is a bit of an attack on players autonomy but their behaviour was a problem for every other player. Ive had new players join in a 2 year Cthulhu game and try and help cults, hide clues, which for the regulars who fought hard for years is not great.I probably have killed characters for consistently doing stupid things. Players who just want fights and attack everything can work in a game where everyone wants it but a one madman can ruin an adventure and the whole player group experience. I'm not sure if rolling to force a player to not do the stupid thing is great but a roll so everybody at tables knows your character knows what they are doing is a jerk move does make people pull their heads in. There is a whole bunch of issues here not in scope of this but basically a roll to let a player know something is a obviously dumb thing at least makes it clear if they are jerks is ok. Forcing them to act to DM whims is bound to be a problem. If it is a common thing that comes up there are other issues going on.

As far as player vs character ability goes rolls to know setting info are fine. If someone who reads poorly wants to play a literate characters and make rolls to know stuff the player does not that is ok. If a shy player wants to play a character with friends who is good at persuasion that is fine. Forcing a shy person to roleplay everything or compete with a flamboyant over actor is not great. If skill and ability rolls let a player do things they cannot in real life that is good. If a player wants to role play or search specific things let them. But to me the point of a characters attributes and abilities are to act as a leveller. I've played a few more narrative less gm power games and several players with more flamboyant egos tend to dominate more quiet ones. Also the diminished GM sat back and let it happen in the name of autonomy. The point of game systems is to mediate and balance and provide physics and chances of doing stuff. A shouty story writing group or amateur improv theatre  is a different experience.

One other point for arguments stats have very limited effects based on 70s wargaming is kind of steamrollering of nearly 50 years of gaming evolution. Wisdom for example has changed slightly edition after edition. Nowadays Wis is used for perception which i dislike cos wise old people having acute senses seems silly. I renamed stats in my retro clone to help define stats more clearly and made some new uses for them. One of my beefs with many new editions is adding stuff on character sheets that are not needed. The argument bonuses are more significant than attributes which could be removed is more true if the attributes do nothing in play. I feel this a bit in 5th ed.

In BRP I find calculating stat derived skill bonuses is one of the biggest pains (Ringworld did it well though). But I preferred the old resistance table because it used less dice while 7th ed Cthulhu can end up using lots more dice. Ive also seen some the odd for different things change in the more recent system and prefer the old ones.

Thankfully I don't hear ppl proposing to fight the DM in melee combat in the name of role playing and are satisfied with rolling dice to stab monsters.

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

Expanding maps...






































This is rough of a southlands for the previously made northlands. The north is in decay and falling wild. The south is bristling for war and divided into territories of castles ruled by counts, dukes, barons and petty knight clans in the smaller ones. The castles own serfs on estate and they don't get access to traders or outsiders much. Knightly combat sports, slavery and invitations to far off wars common but they prevent local fights. Lots of knightly clans here players could be related to. Knights roam about lots and broke knights become robber knights.

Every hex has one to a hundred humanoids and three dozen demihumans. There are caves crossing all over the kingdom dug in prehistory when humans hid underground from great disasters. The underland is easily accessible and allows travel for subterranean humanoids. There are a d6 famous local haunting and a creature in ever hex.

There are three small trade towns. Silverton where court meets and well off nobles live seasonally. Silverton is defended by by the other towns. Seaton a trade port with many exotic goods and magicians live. Ironton where mined goods are smelted and made into arms and armour. The kingdom military is garrisoned here. Several villages with coach houses and free trade for road commerce. Small castle = pop 40-100 Large Castle = Pop 200-500.

Multiple ruined castles from a long lost evil dynasty are intact and have been plundered by adventurers every generation. There is a haunted dwarf ruin also. Castle Strange is a ruined prehuman fort where alien creatures dwell and odd haunted things happen. Many adventurers explore it's haunted depths. The wilderness in the east between the witch mountains was renown as a elf kingdom. Most fear it as haunted and some say elves still are hiding in a invisible otherworldly faerieland. Strange monuments and ruins are there and cultists frequently occupy it.

d20 Common Road Encounters
1 Knight and entourage challenges travelers identity
2 Bandits with dogs
3 Local thugs d4 1=labourer hoodlums 2=important brat bullies 3=noble young hellrakes into sadism 4=angry local lynch mob looking for criminals as fairly as such groups do
4 Robber knights leading gang of thugs
5 Pilgrims off to holy war or holy place
6 Dashing highway man and gang of flashy thugs
7 Peasants hauling goods look tired and busy
8 Cultist murderers looking for sacrifices d4 1=Rat Cult 2=Devil Cult 3=Goat Demon Cult 4=Necromancer Cult
9 Tax collector charges party 10% of everything
10 Traveling minstrels (1in6 a travelling thieves guild
11 Humanoid warband d4 1=kobolds 2=goblins 3=hobgoblins 4=orcs  5=bugbears  6=ogre
12 Wolf pack hunting
13 Coach of nobles with servants on way somewhere
14 Herder driving animals on road blocking it for ten minutes
15 Travelling tinkerer selling and fixing things
16 Witch hunter looking for new communities to purge the unclean
17 Youths singing and eating and playing music in group by roadside
18 Travelling priest 1=important priest with servants 3=local priest with acolytes  4=country wandering friar
19 Mutants begging for food scraps
20 Roll on uncommon table

d12 Uncommon Road Encounters
Mostly for nights or unholy days
1 Magician and entourage of random alignment
2 Werewolf by night or doppelganger infiltration by day
3 Exotic heraldic beast predator
4 Beast folk usually d6 1=elk 2=rat 3=lion 4=dog 5=cat 6=bear 7=boar 8=bat
5 Giant marsh lobster if raining otherwise a hungry lion
6 Ghost Knight or Ghost lady looking to spread misery and terror
7 Demihumans travelling to avoid attention mostly by night
8 Chaos corrupted undead knight
9 Witches cast spells while flying by
10 Witch Hunter demands cash payment to avoid being accused of witchcraft, offers subscription rates and contracts or a lump sum. Sometimes needs dupes to attack some old mystery hermit, by night
11 A mysterious stranger offers you wonders in return for your soul soul in a bargain with devils
or d4 1=werewolf ointment 2=flying ointment 3=a pet imp 4=+1 magic dagger
12 Adventurers for hire on the road looking for luxury vice in Silvertown

Will probably do castle generators
Lotsa knight stuff coming

Sunday, 5 May 2019

d100 Stuff My Kenku Says


Best thing in 5th ed is Tengu. My current black dragon charletan coward sorcerer Tengu has a great time eating eyeballs, saying awkward things and otherwise being a jerk. As ppl insisted I play by book and talk only using quotes I started noting every interesting phraze in game. So as I'm away next game I made this table to replace me. Kinda makes my skills in communications hard. Added some phrases to sell my fake potions from my background. Have been carrying eggs found around 3 sessions. Others wanted to eat my eggs which is horrific and evil. Egg eating monkey bastards. Eating babies is revolting. Anyway hoping my eggs hatch soon.

d100 
Phrases My Kenku Heard
01 Ride me daddy
02 Took my coconuts
03 Sodomy
04 Piss in my skull
05 Piece of shit Drow
06 No lawyers on ship
07 Im on way out
08 Get out
09 What the fek
10 My Kindred
11 Killed you
12 Slap the bar
13 Shut your holes
14 Choke on the bar
15 Shank him
16 The pain
17 More hands
18 Loose change
19 Whiskey on the ship
20 Loose change
21 Humans different size
22 Come with pants
23 Bottoms as well
24 Better at fingering
25 I wanted to f*cking live
26 Look in the sack
27 Pigs can't fly
28 This isn't funny
29 This isn't funny
30 How many can I fit in my mouth
31 Grab it in the tongue
32 We need to make shelter
33 Need medicine
34 Go check them out
35 If you do that again I will kill you
36 Your a liar
37 Go get them
38 Wanna be friends
39 Slave with benefits
40 You need to get yourself some new material
41 Shit what happened to elf
42 Devils anus
43 Rift sounds hilarious
44 Follow us
45 Bong Bong (elf village danger bell)
46 Yodelaheehoo
47 Exploding toad 
48 Cant you see the hilarity
49 He stepped into my blade
50 Gets nasty when it's dark
51 Take the point

52 Orgy
53 Booby traps
54 Acid
55 Bugger
56 Reach around
57 Double magic loot
58 Magic item
59 Nobody
60 Cant kill a dancing man
61 Escaped
62 Made a hole
63 No pants
64 Taken prisoner by elves
65 Good friends
66 Danger Danger
67 Tame scrag
68 Sleep
69 Magic missile
70 Arse
71 Cures baldness

72 Wanna buy a potion
73 Buy now crazy prices
74 Magic medicine show
75 Roll up roll up
76 Cure all diseases
77 Make your sweetheart love you back
78 Buy a potion buy a potion
79 Makes you less ugly
80 Trust me
81 Low low prices
82 Two for price of one
83 Barley addictive
84 Delicious flavours
85 No unwanted side effects
86 Results guaranteed
87 Makes you twice as pretty
88 Cures all ailments
89 Lasts all night long
90 Improves love life
91 Cures alcoholism, drug addiction and lusty thoughts
92 Yes I am a doctor

93 Not a comman not a conman
94 Honestly
95 Nevermore nevermore

96 I cannot tell a lie
97 You can trust me
98 Cures all ills
99 Takes a few days to work
100 You might need a double dose