Castles & Crusades: Ice Men

"Hyperborea is a cold and unforgiving realm with long nights, blasting winds, and a cold that can seep into one's soul as easily as their bones. Occasionally, Boreas hears the cries of the dying and offers them an alternative to a frigid and lonely death. Those that accept his offer find their very skin hardening into transparent ice. They no longer feel the wind and ice as they follow him into the North Wind. There they wait, patient and frozen, until he unleashes his ice men as a storm upon the land."

ICE MEN 

NUMBER: 2-8, 10-100   INT: Average

SIZE: Medium              ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
HD: 1 (d8)                    TYPE: Humanoid
AC: 14                          TREASURE: 1

SAVES: P                     XP: 5+3
MOVE: 30 ft.
ATTACKS: By weapon

PRIME ATTRIBUTE: Dexterity
SPECIAL: Duskvision, Immunity to Cold (full), Hide and Move Silently as Level 1 Rogue

 

 

 

 

INT: Average

Hyperborea: The Black Gulf, a D&D 5E Campaign

 

North Wind Adventure's Hyperborea 3rd Edition is fantastic and I'm using it as the setting of my Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition campaign. We just wrapped up or first Adventure (a mash-up Late Trapper's Lament and Orbital Vampire Tower--both are excellent) and next session we will jump ahead about 6 months in time and the Characters will go from 3rd to 6th Level (as a group we have completed several DnD 5E campaigns and my intention is to move them up to about Level 8-10 pretty fast).

Here are the Setting rules I'm using:

Characters can only be Variant Humans. For Sword and Sorcery I feel this is a good fit and I'm just kind of sick of Elves and Dwarves. I might expand it to Tcho-Tcho (Halflings), Tieflings, and Cambions or I might not.

At Level 4 the Characters get a +1 bonus to 1 Ability Score and a Feat. I read about this on Reddit and thought I'd give it a go. I had contemplated a bonus Feat at Level 1 and this satisfies that idea for me, we might choose this option through Level 20.

I'm ignoring the need for specific types of weapons (silver for instance agains Lycanthropes) and the need for magical weapons to harm a creature. To me that isn't something Conan or the Grey Mouser worried about, but I could be wrong. I'm going to keep the bonus from magic weapons to account for 5E's Bounded Accuracy though. I don't really intend for magic items to be that important to the whole campaign.

I'm focusing on the Weird as much as I am the Swords and Sorcery. The Characters were transported to a space station of a Vampire named Regulus Onar via a Weird Science Teleporter and dealt with the owner and a couple of aberrations and then discovered a lost world of ancient technology not that far away via a cavern system. I got some looks but I'm kind of just letting my sensibilities as a Dungeon Master take center stage. I like Weird Tales and if nothing else that trip to the Manse of Onar will be a running subplot. The adventure I used for their journey into the night sky above Hyperborea was the brilliant Orbital Vampire Station from Dungeon Age Adventures and Joseph R. Lewis. The layout was so DM friendly and I've since bought everything he's releases. I urge everyone to check it out.

5E: Third Party Products for D&D 5th Edition

For most of my time playing DnD 5E we avoided 3rd party stuff. Some of that early stuff wasn't very well balanced and once DnD Beyond launched it was super convenient to use it and not worry about 3rd Party stuff. However, as we played through one Campaign after another we started seeing some of the warts of DnD 5E, especially the Monster Manual and its "Challenge Rating" system. One of our Dungeon Masters found that Kobold Press' Tome of Beasts were far more challenging than anything in the Monster Manual and, in my opinion, understands CR far better than I do.

This year will be my 30th Anniversary as a Dungeon Master and for most of that time I didn't worry about Encounter design or CR and I just used what I though would be good for the Story. Our Friday group is usually 7 or 8 Players and most of them are really good at 5E. Its hard to challenge them and the more I tried to embrace Encounter design and CR the less fun it got for me as a DM.

I've decided that in this Hyperborea campaign I'm going to allow 3rd Party Player options and I'm going to run combats like I used but with a better understanding of how to approach it with double the Party size and exceptional Player skill.

We'll see how it goes. I hope I'll make fun and dynamic fights but I might have to revert back to using mechanically planned Encounters. My players will let me know pretty quick how that will work and I'm looking forward to that.

In fact, I'm preparing to use some rules I've stumbled upon online to spice things up. The one House Rule I'm looking at right now is that when you gain an Ability Score Increase you gain +1 to an Ability Score and a Feat. I realize that I am giving more levers to my highly skilled Players but I also think I'm going to help them round their Character's out. Again we'll see.

The 3rd Party product I'm currently looking at is Velda's Spire of Secrets which has an interesting Necromancer class as an option for one of my players. 

Actually, it has a lot of interesting Classes, Sub-Classes, Feats, and other cool rules. I intend to review in the coming days. 

You can Preorder Velda's Spire of Secrets here.

Marvel Monday: Sauron for Hyperborea

       

Sauron

for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Size: M
Movement: 25 (fly 80)
Dexterity: 15
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 7+3
Attack Rate: 2/1 (bite/claw)
Damage: 2d6+1/1d6+1
Saving Throw: 8 
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 1,400
Treasure Class: M, Q, S, T, X

* Breathe Fire (2/day): He may cast the spell breathe fire.

* Hypnotism (2/day): He may cast the spell hypnotism.

* Vampire Touch (2/day): He may cast the spell vampiric tough with a CA of 7.

Karl Lykos gained the need to drain life force energy after being bitten by a pternadon and spent most of his life merely draining what he needed to survive without permanently injuring or killing those he targeted. He became a physician and eventually met Charles Xavier which led to him meeting the X-Men. When he drained a bit of a mutant's life energy he was transformed into Sauron and his personality is far more destructive and paranoid.

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Conan: Keepers of the Crypt for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

      

Keepers of the Crypt

for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

No. Encountered: 2d6
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: M
Movement: 40
Dexterity: 11
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2
Attack Rate: 1/1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d8
Saving Throw: 14 
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 24
Treasure Class: B, E, H

* Immunities: Immune to cold, fear, paralysis, and poison.

* Resistances: Edged and piercing weapons inflict 1⁄2 damage to Keepers (damage dice halved, with bonuses added afterwards), but blunt weapons inflict normal damage.

* Vulnerabilities: If a Keeper begins its turn in direct sunlight it takes 1d8 damage. 

Mummified guardians interred to protect the treasure of the God-Kings they served in life.

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Marvel Monday: Martian Master for Hyperborea

  

Martian Master for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

"Led by a powerful High Overlord, the Martian Masters have sent spies throughout the galaxy in order to determine if a world is ripe for invasion. The Masters are always looking for more laborers, guards, and gladiators to entertain their twisted desires, however, they often find scientists and witches who are more than eager to collaborate with them agains their own species by becoming a Keeper.

Martian: #E 1d4 (1d8) | AL LE | SZ L | MV 30 | DX 11 | AC 4 |  HD 3 | #A 1/1 (weapon) | D (per weapon) | SV 14 | ML 10 | XP 40 |  TC A, X | Special: +2 to Saving Throws vs. Devices and Sorcery

* Telepathy: Polymorph self Martians can communicate telepathically with any sentient creature it can see. Additionally, it may lash out with a psychic whip against any creature within 30 feet forcing the target to make a Saving Throw vs. Sorcery or take 1d6+2 damage.

If a Martian's exoskeleton is not functioning or the creature is without it their stats are as follow:

Martian Without Exoskeleton: #E 1 (1d3) | AL LE | SZ L | MV 5 | DX 5 | AC 9 |  HD 3 | #A -- | D -- | SV 14 | ML 5 | XP 40 |  TC A, X | Special: +2 to Saving Throws vs. Sorcery

* Telepathy: Polymorph self Martians can communicate telepathically with any sentient creature it can see. Additionally, it may lash out with a psychic whip against any creature within 30 feet forcing the target to make a Saving Throw vs. Sorcery or take 1d6+2 damage.

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Hyperborea: Gort

 

Gort for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

"Gort is a member of a "race of robots" invented by an interplanetary confederation to protect their citizens against all aggression and holding irrevocable powers to "preserve the peace" by destroying any aggressor."

Gort: #E 1 (1d6) | AL LE (or N) | SZ L | MV 50 | DX 11 | AC 0 |  HD 9 | #A 2/1 | D 3d6 | SV 8 | ML 11 | XP 900 |  TC A, F, W | Special: DR 3

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Marvel Monday: Skrulls for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

 

Skrulls for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

The Skrulls originated from the planet Skrullos, where they spread out amongst the stars as a mercantile civilization, primarily interested in free trade and willing to share their technology with the races they deemed worthy. When they encountered a new race, they simply transformed themselves to resemble that race to facilitate negotiations. The Skrull Empire that resulted from these contacts was based on free trade and mutual cooperation, but a darkness began to grow amongst their population. Decadence crept into to their newer generations and many were born degenerate and corrupt. Many Gods watched hungrily at their success and took credit for the shapeshifting, but the worship of Azathoth crept into their culture and take a stronger hold amongst them. These days it is common to find pockets of them on numerous worlds, living amongst the remnants of starfaring technology they no longer know how to use. Most skrulls encountered on Hyperobrea use their shapeshifting gift claim to be guided by Azathoth and to serve the men of Leng.

Skrull: #E 1d4 (2d6+1) | AL CE (or N) | SZ M | MV 25 | DX 14 | AC 6 |  HD 2 | #A 1/1 (weapon) | D (per weapon) | SV 13 | ML 8 | XP 40 |  TC A, X | Special:

* Shapeshifter: Polymorph self as the spell 3/day and they can appear as a specific individual. 

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Marvel Monday: Omm for Hyperborea

Omm

for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Size: L
Movement: 50 
Dexterity: 18
Armour Class: 5
Hit Dice: 7
Attack Rate: 1/1 (bite)
Damage: 2d8
Saving Throw: 7 
Morale: 9
Experience Points: 255
Treasure Class: C, G, X

Omm was one of Gaea's earliest spawns and it was worshipped as a god millennia ago, spawning a race of "Spider-People", which were enemies of the equally monstrous Serpent-Men of Set. During the Hyborian Age, the Spider-God was worshipped in the Zamoran town of Yezud, while in Artallus, a town in northern Zamora, the Spider-God was known as Arachna.

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Conan: Night-God for Hyperborea

     

Night-God

for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: L
Movement: 5 (fly 60)
Dexterity: 18
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5+2
Attack Rate: 1/1 (bite)
Damage: 1d8+1
Saving Throw: 12 
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 350
Treasure Class: A, N, X

The Night-God was a time-forgotten entity, worshiped in Shadizar, Zamora. It was served by a cult of red-clothed acolytes, led by the priestess Hajii, who kidnapped a young girl each month and took her to a minaret as an offering to keep the peace with the Night-God (despite never having seen it).

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Hyperborea: Machismilodon

     

Sabre-tooth (Machismilodon) for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Size: L
Movement: 50
Dexterity: 17
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 11
Attack Rate: 5 / 1 (claw x4 / bite)
Damage: 1d10+2 (x4) / 2d12+4
Saving Throw: 10 (Avoidance 8)
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 1,700
Treasure Class: - 

According to legends, the machismilodon, was gifted to Lunaqqua by Krimmr who sought her affection, and while the blue goddess gladly accepted his gift she had no interest in Krimmr in any way. To further tease the bearded warrior she decided to name her new companion, Fang. For untold decades the sabre-tooth wandered with his mistress and saw many marvels, but Krimmr's rage grew and grew and he hatched a plan to have Rel, the "God of Thieves" steal the beast from the goddess of the moons through seduction. While Lunaqqua did accept Rel's affections she saw through Kimmr's plans and seeking to keep Fang safe she created a moonbow so that he could hunt in safety on Selene, the larger of the two moons. To this day, when both Selene and Phobos are full, many on Hyperborea claim that Fang is free to return to this world and hunt while his mistress protects him from Krimmr's wrath.

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Hyperborea: Zephra

    

Zephra for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Size: M
Movement: 30
Dexterity: 15
Armour Class: 8
Hit Dice: 3+3
Attack Rate: 1/1 (weapon)
Damage: (per weapon + 1)
Saving Throw: 13 (Sorcery 11)
Morale: 9
Experience Points: 820
Treasure Class: I, M, R, 

Zephra's father, Zukala, claims to be a great sorcerer as well as older than sunken Atlantis, his magical mask grants his daughter the ability to use an action to change into a tiger (ASSH2E pg. 403) and immortality.

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Hyperborea: The Helmet of Nabu

 

"The Helmet of Fate was created by the Lord of Order Nabu along with two other mystical items: the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny."

Helmet of Nabu: Only a Lawful character can wear the helm and while wearing it they gain an AC of 5, their Hit Points increase by 20,  they can speak, read, and understand any language, gain a +2 to all saving throws, and may cast the following spells: charm person 1/day, detect magic 3/day, dispel magic 1/day, fly 2/day, light at will, lightning bolt 1/ day, magic missile 3/day, protection from evil 1/day, shield 1/day, and teleport 1/day. If a Neutral character attempts to wear the helm they must make a Sorcery saving throw and take 2d8 damage on a failed save or 1/2 of that on a successful save. If a Chaotic character attempts it they must make a Sorcery saving throw at a -2 penalty and take 4d8 damage on a failed save or 1/2 of that on a successful one. 

Hyperborea: Shoggoth

   

Shoggoth for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: L
Movement: 40
Dexterity: 18
Armour Class: -1
Hit Dice: 10+4
Attack Rate: 1/1 - 6/1 (1d6 bites)
Damage: 1d10+3 (per bite)
Saving Throw: 12 (Transformation 10)
Morale: 12
Experience Points: 2350
Treasure Class: Q

"It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train—a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter."
— H. P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness

Special (shoggoth)

* At the sight of a shoggoth, any creature with fewer than 2 HD must make a sorcery save, failure indicating it flees in panic (d6, 1–3) or is paralyzed with fear (d6, 4–6). The save is modified by willpower adjustment, if applicable.

* Surprise for a shoggoth requires a d12 to be rolled and 1 indicating it is surprised.

* If a natural 20 is rolled when the shoggoth bites a creature it is beheaded. Obviously, most decapitated victims are killed outright; some creatures, however, will prove unaffected by
such a blow (e.g., automata, elementals, gibbering mouthers, grey oozes).

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Brides of Kthulhu: The Maiden for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

  

The Maiden for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: M
Movement: 35
Dexterity: 14
Armour Class: (per armor)
Hit Dice: 4 (see below)
Attack Rate: 1/1 (weapon or spell)
Damage: (per weapon)
Saving Throw: 15 (Sorcery 13)
Morale: 9
Experience Points: 270
Treasure Class: S

Kthulhu woos young women with innate sorcerous gifts by entering their nightmares where he whispers demoniac secrets to them and claims that their magic is his gift to them. The dark knowledge he imparts may take months or even years and upon completion, his evil whisperings seek to make her his intended in a ceremony where she must sacrifice the person or thing she loves most to him and accept his mark, a third nipple.

There are those that find the strength to overcome Kthulhu's vile assaults and dark grooming but they are forced to pay yet another toll as he murders the sorcerous talent that drew him to them in the first place which may result in death (15% chance) or madness (60% chance).

A Maiden of Kthulhu often helps recruit others to his cults, acts as spies, and even works to help him enlist other young women by alienating them from those closest and making sure they find his dark idols. Maidens are also capable warriors in his name due to his eldritch lessons on folklore, sorcery, manipulation, and martial training.

Maidens have a Charisma of 17.

They are 2nd level Witches and 2nd level Bards.

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Monstous Monday: Linnormor for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperbore

  

Linnormor for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Size: M
Movement: 40 (fly 60)
Dexterity: 17
Armour Class: 3 (DR 1)
Hit Dice: 8+2
Attack Rate: 3/1 (bite/bite/bite)
Damage: 1d8+1/1d8+1/1d8+1
Saving Throw: 13 (Avoidance 11)
Morale: 9
Experience Points: 1800
Treasure Class: A

A linnormor have wings, a serpent's body, dragon's head, scaled skin and two clawed forelimbs. If a wing is injured they slither like a snake and use their arms for traction.

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Hyperborea: Icemen

  

Icemen for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1d6 (4d6)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: M
Movement: 30
Dexterity: 11
Armour Class: 3 (DR 2)
Hit Dice: 1
Attack Rate: 1/1 (fist)
Damage: (per weapon)
Saving Throw: 16 (Transformation 14)
Morale: 9
Experience Points: 105
Treasure Class: O

"Hyperborea is a cold and unforgiving realm with long nights, blasting winds, and a cold that can seep into one's soul as easily as their bones. Occasionally, Boreas hears the cries of the dying and offers them an alternative to a dark and lonely death. Those that accept his pact find their very skin hardening into transparent ice that no longer feels the wind and cold as they follow his clarion call to join him in the North Wind itself where they wait for him to unleash them as a storm upon the land."

An iceman can cast the Fear spell 1/day.

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Hyperborea: Winged Ape

 

Winged Ape for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: L
Movement: 40 (fly 60)
Dexterity: 14
Armour Class: 6
Hit Dice: 5
Attack Rate: 3 / 2 (fist)
Damage: 1d10
Saving Throw: 14 (Avoidance 11)
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 600
Treasure Class: H

"Are they the progeny of black sorcery or did some primeval intelligence breed them into being to guard their demoniac shrines?"

When a winged ape rolls a natural 20 on their attack roll they are able to grapple a creature and attempt to break its back. The target must make a saving throw vs Death or take 20 + 2d10 points of damage and the winged ape howls victoriously causing any creatures that can see and hear it to make a saving throw vs Sorcery or gain a -2 to all attacks for the next minute, note that the winged ape's turn immediately ends after this even if they have attacks left. Additionally, the penalty from multiple howls does not stack.

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Hyperborea: DeRo (Deranged Robot)

DeRo for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1d6 (4d6) 
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Size: S
Movement: 25
Dexterity: 15
Armour Class: 5
Hit Dice: 4
Attack Rate: 1 / 1(weapon)
Damage: (per weapon)
Saving Throw: 14
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 175
Treasure Class: I

"Clothed in rags and dirt, hung all over with hand weapons, their hair long and matted, were the strangest, most disgusting creatures I had ever seen in my life. They were dwarfs, some of them white-haired, from the Gods know what hidden hole in Mu's endless warren of caverns."
- Richard Sharpe Shaver, I Remember Lemuria!

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Monstrous Monday: Mare for Hyperborea

Erik Tenkar recently revealed that there will be a Kickstarter for the 3rd Edition of AS&SH possibly as soon as early June. We also learned that the new edition will simply be called Hyperborea which makes sense in a lot of ways. I own both the 1st and 2nd Editions in print so I'll definitely be backing the 3rd edition.

Mare for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea

No. Encountered: 1 
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Size: M
Movement: 40
Dexterity: 16
Armour Class: 6
Hit Dice: 4
Attack Rate: 1 / 1(bite or night terrors)
Damage: 1d6 / 2d6
Saving Throw: 13
Morale: 10
Experience Points: 540
Treasure Class: Q

A mare is the soul of a witch that chose to leave its frail body and now sustains itself by finding a sleeping person, sitting upon their chest, and inducing night terrors which it then feeds upon. A mare can Climb (10:12), Hide (9:12), and Move Silently (10:12) and once it encounters a sleeping person it sits upon their chest and after 1d4 hours their target must make a Saving throw vs Death or suffer 2d6 damage. If their target dies from the mare feeding upon them there is a 30% chance they will return from the dead in 1d6 nights as a will-o'-wisp and seek out the nearest the place of desolation.

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