Gygax 75 Challenge - Week 5: The Larger World

We are in the home stretch - the last section! Time to draw the rest of the fucking owl, as they say.

Introduction

Week 1 -  The Concept

Week 2 - The Surrounding Area

Week 3 - The Dungeon

Week 4 - Town Features

Now, we tackle the longest part yet - detailing out the rest of the setting, even in sketches. This allows us to drop hints about what else may be out there, waiting to be discovered and played with.

This next session is long, so go get a snack and prepare for the absolute brain-vomit that ensues. This setting has been mostly knocking about in my brain for quite some time, so some bits were already half-filled for me; the other half is being lifted out of the Skulls & Shackles adventure path, though often through a remixed lens.

Remember, you can play along at home - head to Ray Otis' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!

Gygax 75 Challenge - Week 4: Town Features

Welcome back to the next installment of my attempts to tackle the Gygax 75 Challenge - making a new campaign setting in 5 weeks!

Introduction

Week 1 -  The Concept

Week 2 - The Surrounding Area

Week 3 - The Dungeon

This week, we tackle the Home Base - where players will return to to spend their ill-gotten gains, or lick their wounds to prepare for the next big adventure. In this case, there are multiple towns to choose from across New Rook Island, but I will focus on the largest - Peridot.

Remember, you can play along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!

Blood & Treasure - The Artillerist and Topkick Classes

So, I am working on my Pirate Hack for Blood & Treasure, to use with the setting I am making with the Gygax 75 Challenge. Part of that is tweaking a few classes, such as turning the Barbarian into the Reaver (the battle-mad front line of a good ship raid), or turning the NOD Companion's Curmudgeon class into the Old Salt (for NPCs who have been around the block a few times, or for a slightly different player choice).

The two I am adding are the Artillerist and the Topkick.

THE ARTILLERIST

Cannoneer by DevBurmak

Requirements - Intelligence and Dexterity 9+

Armour Allowed - Padded, leather, ring mail, scale mail, tower shield/pavises

Weapons Allowed - All black powder and siege weapons, club, dagger, mace, polearms, shortsword, sling

Skills - Bend Bars, Break Down Doors, Engineering, Move Silently, Riding

Black powder isn't exactly new, but it is the cutting edge of technology. The Artillerist rides that edge, a master alchemist and pyromaniac extraordinaire. While they can fight, they prefer to hang back, using their fancy new weapons whenever possible.

When using black powder weapons, the Artillerist reduces their reload time to 4/6, or 1 round when using pistols. They can also use weapons which require a staff or support without one.

Masters of black powder and alchemy, the Artillerist can concoct small explosives in their downtime. Each takes 10 minutes to make, and the artillerist suffers no chance of failure (basic or explosive!) when making them.

A 1st Level Artillerist can concoct normal explosives that become more powerful as they increase in level, and can create different concoctions as the table below;

All these bombs have a blast radius of 5 feet, or as their listed spell. An Artillerist can sacrifice one dice of damage to increase the radius by 10ft.

At 5th level, the Artillerist counts as two people when operating any siege or artillery weapons, and can reroll any artillery or thrown weapon scatter dice.

At 9th level, the Artillerist can open a Gunnery School, teaching the arts of black powder. They attract 1d6 men-at-arms per level, 1d6 1st level artillerists who wish to train under them, and a 3rd level artillerist to act as a lieutenant/deputy headmaster.

The Topkick is a master of small-unit tactics; the one leading boats on shore missions, or groups to infiltrate a coastal fort to bring it down from the inside. Similar to a Captain being in charge for shipboard battles, the Topkick is the absolute authority on his missions. This does not mean he cannot be questioned, but simply that his fellows trust his word when it comes to tactics.

This version of the Topkick is heavily lifted from A Wizard's Kiss, who did a version of the Warlord for OSR games. While he hasn't updated for a while, his blog is full of cool stuff - go have a look!

THE TOPKICK

Captain Flint is a Topkick for sure

Requirements - Intelligence and Charisma 13+, Strength 9+

Armour Allowed - All

Weapons Allowed - All

Skills - Communication, Politicking, Riding

Topkicks demand absolute dedication from their allies in battle. This doesn't mean the other players have to obey everything the Topkick tells them to do, it just means that when the Topkick says jump, your character trusts him enough to know that there must be a knee-high buzzsaw approaching or suchlike.

To establish this trust, the Topkick must spend ten minutes talking to any new party members. There cannot be more than one Topkick in a party - if there are, then their orders confuse each other and the Topkicks' abilities are all negated. The Topkick cannot command a group of people larger than the Topkick's Charisma score (until 9th level - see below.)

Topkicks can spend a standard action to use a Command, which is a catch-all term for various speeches, orders, battle-cries, etc. that have the power to turn the tide of battle. The Topkick can use one Command per level per encounter - the focus required for this sort of tactical thinking and charismatic oration is very mentally draining.

Commands only work on allies who are conscious and can understand the Topkick. They also need to be within 30' or the command is too faint or garbled to be heard.

Pick one Command at 1st level and one other at each odd-numbered level thereafter:

Encouraging Command: The Topkick and any allies under their command gain +1 to their side's Initiative rolls. 6th Level: +2 to initiative rolls.

Defensive Command: The Topkick can gather their allies into a shield wall - if three or more are together and armed with shield, they can an extra +1 AC, and provide cover to anyone behind them. 6th Level: gain +2 AC in the shield wall.

Invigorating Command: The Topkick inspires one ally to fight on through the pain, giving them 1d6 temporary hit points (last until the end of the encounter or 1 turn). 6th Level: 1d6+level hitpoints, and if the ally is unconscious, you can use this to slap them awake.

Inspiring Command: The Topkick brings one ally back from the brink of terror and defeat, allowing them to reroll a failed morale check or saving throw vs. fear. This command can be used as a reaction (i.e. on the turn of the person failing the save or morale check.) 6th level: Can grant all allies a rerolled morale check, OR grant one ally a rerolled save against domination, confusion, or other mental effects.

Warning Command: The Topkick warns one ally of an incoming attack, granting them a +4 bonus to AC for one round against the next attack from a designated enemy. 6th level: The Topkick predicts every attack just before it happens, granting the bonus against all incoming attacks in the next round.

Analysing Command: The Topkick points out a weak spot in the enemy's armour or their posture, allowing one ally to gain a +2 bonus to hit and damage against that enemy on their next attack. 6th level: All allies gain the bonus against that enemy for one round.

Tactical Command: The Topkick sees an opening in the flow of battle and orders one ally into it, granting them an extra action. 6th level: This Command, and the extra action it grants, can be used before initiative is rolled.

At 9th level, the Topkick gains the ability to command an army of up to 100 soldiers per level, or one ship per level. Everyone in the army is considered to be an ally for the purposes of Commands, though the effects will still be limited by the 30' radius. Furthermore, the Topkick's Commands can now also be used as Gambits - essentially the same thing but on a Naval scale. For example, a Tactical Gambit could be used to steal a ship into an enemy formation, an Analysing Gambit could maneuver a ship into position to flank, etc. DM fiat/negotiation will be required here, as it isn't a perfect fit with the Freebooters Naval Combat rules, but I am sure I can make it work!

Gygax 75 Challenge - Week 3: The Dungeon

So, we return with the next part of the Gygax 75 Challenge - making a campaign setting from scratch over 5 weeks.

Introduction

Week 1 - The Concept

Week 2 - The Surrounding Area

The third section is the "main event" - The Dungeon! The first big challenge for a new group of players to tackle. It's got to take planning, logistics, and most importantly luck to truly conquer.

Remember, you can play along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!

Gygax 75 Challenge - Week 2: Surrounding Area

So, we return with the next part of the Gygax 75 Challenge - making a campaign setting from scratch over 5 weeks.

Intro

Part 1

The second section is about creating "the surrounding area", the starter point for the game - launching point of (hopefully) many years of adventures!

Remember, you can play along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!

Gygax 75 Challenge - Week 1: The Concept

So, Week 1 begins!

I have am easy start here, because I already have most of the concept in mind. I want D&D Does Pirates, rather than just a lightly-reskinned D&D game. The setting becomes an important part of that - it needs to be alive and vibrant, offering more opportunities than just dungeons.

Of course, there will be dungeons, I'm not a monster.

Remember, you can play along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!

Gygax 75 Challenge - Make A Campaign Setting in 5 Weeks!

So, it's been... a while since I have posted here. Things have been up and down, lots going on, but here's hoping I can make this time stick. I have been pushing myself to be a little more creative, as I feel that a lack of any creative output has really caused some issues in my life.

To help with that, I am going to give the Gygax 75 Challenge a go - see if I can use it to make a campaign setting in 5 weeks. Specifically, I am going to work up a setting for a long-in-the-tooth back burner project; an OSR Wavecrawl/Saltbox Pirates game.

Each week, I will post up what I have managed, and by the end of it, we will see what I have managed to make. Hopefully, this will end with a wonderfully weird and interesting place to run a few games.

You can even follow along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook!

War Cults of the Southron Reaches Preview - The Bloodied Brotherhood

Another preview of War Cults, this time a full Cult! Ares is a fairly typical God of War, but the real fun comes from dealing with the fallout from having his Cult in your town...

Ares is the God of War, Bloodshed and Violence. A Chaotic being of great mirth and deep, sullen depressions, He represents the chaos of the battlefield and the subjugation of enemies. His worship is somewhat limited – his Chaotic aspects don’t tend to attract much respect outside of wartime.

His followers are a violent lot – more interested in strength of arms and the rush of battle than anything else, even their own safety. The rites and rituals of the cult are often linked with bacchanalian drinking sprees, bloodsports and animal baiting. Those cities which host full-time Ares Cultists accept their presence with a grimace – while they are known for their excesses and property damage, they are also fantastic when the city requires defence, or to create a sense of security during times of unrest.

The warriors recruited by Ares’ Cult are normally at peak physical strength – able to use weapons as tall as they are with ease, and take blows that would outright kill lesser men. In some of the City-States of the Southron Reaches, children as young as three are chosen from suitable parents and inducted into the Cult to be trained as warriors. They undergo intense physical training and religious indoctrination to make them the perfect servants of the Bloodied God.

Many warlike humanoids (mainly orcs and hobgoblins) will create altars to Ares after encountering his Cultists, and humanoid priests of the Bloodied God are not uncommon. And indeed, any blood shed in his name grants some measure of power – while rare, there are a few full-blown Clerics of Ares amongst the Orcish tribes of the Firgian Wastes.

Rites

Ares calls for his followers to be ready for battle at all times, and his Rites reflect that. He has no set days of worship, nor times dedicated to him – the chaos of battle can strike at any moment.

Bloodsports – the Bloodied Brotherhood takes part in ritualised fights to first blood between members. These fights can have a number of stipulations, ranging from specialised weapons (cestuses, short swords and clubs are popular options), styles (pankration, blind-fighting and with certain limbs bound) and specific win conditions (first to hit the floor, first to make a sound, last man standing), between anywhere from two to a dozen combatants. Casualties and deaths are frequent, but healing magic goes a long way to making sure they are able to continue to serve the Cult. These bloodsports are also used as a form of trial and execution for crimes against the Cult – fighting to the death. If the accused survives, they are allowed back into the fold, their crimes forgiven – Ares clearly holds them in high regard.

Bloodletting – for those members of the Cult who are considered extreme even by the low standards of the Bloodied Brotherhood, the Cult allows them to release some of their rage via controlled bloodletting. While in mad, drug-induced frenzies, the Cultist is tied to a sacrificial altar, made of dark polished stone with channels designed to collect any spilled blood. Symbols of Ares, conquered foes and other esoteric symbols are carved into the flesh of the Cultist, letting out their hot rage and excess blood. This blood is collected, to be painted onto the faces, bodies and weapons of other Cultists before battle to grant them the rage of their fellows.

Baiting – while the Cult used to perform animal sacrifices to Ares, they noticed He seemed more likely to grant them his favour when the animals were given a chance to fight back. Much like the bloodsports, these battles are either between a Cultist and a beast, or between beasts themselves. While some of these beasts are locally sourced (wolves bears, owlbears and giant vermin being favourites), the High Priests will occasionally pay for some more exotic fare for the Beast Pits.

Dramatis Personae

Xephos, Head Priest of Ares

Xephos is a giant of a man, standing seven feet tall, broad as a bear and muscled like a bull. Dark black ringlets run down to his shoulders, framing a face that looks like it might have been chisled from granite. Like many Southrons, he is frequently found nude – however, he is known for wearing the pelts of beasts he has slaughtered in the arena as headdresses and cloaks. He also maintains his nudeness even when socially unacceptable, such as during official events or political meetings. Of course, no-one calls him out on this, as his station means he could get away with slaying just about anyone with no repercussions.

Despite the scarred nature of his fellows, Xephos does not bear a single scar on his body. While some claim he uses magical healing to maintain this appearance, most assume it is from his prowess in battle.

Much like his God, he is a man of titanic mood swings – one moment in a deep melancholy for having no equal to battle, the next a crimson rage so deep as to terrify even his closest clergy, to being the happiest man in the room. He is truly unpredictable, and a truly terrifying enemy.

Deathdealer Mercenaries

The Bloodied Brotherhood are also famous for selling their services as mercenaries, to raise funds for the Cult and find new and creative ways to murder people for their God. Mostly, they are hired by the Southron City-States during skirmishes or as a defending force from external invasions, but some will sell their services to other kingdoms, even travelling far across the world to spread the word of Ares and earn both money and renown for themselves and their God. While these travelling mercenaries will wear leather armour to keep with local traditions, they will revel in any opportunity to remain nude as they would back home. Of course, this can make them somewhat notorious in some areas.

Plot Hooks

The weekly Beast Fights have gotten out of hand, and a creature has escaped to wreak havoc within the city!

The Pitmaster is looking for a new beast for the Beast Pits, and is offering top dollar for something interesting. While out drinking, you hear tales of a particularly mean old Owlbear nesting somewhere nearby…

Two recently-joined Acolytes of the Bloodied God have been causing trouble, throwing their weight around. A few concerned citizens have asked you to deal with them quietly and respectfully (no-one wants retribution from the Bloodied Brotherhood).

Recent attacks by humanoid tribes are being led by Orcish Clerics of Ares. Might the Cult be able to use their standing to begin parlay with the invaders, or even bring them on side?

The Isle of Dread - Remix Edition Part 1

So, my previous game has ground to a halt due to grown-up issues, so I'm going to try and get everyone back together, or replace those who can't continue, with a better schedule and a new campaign.

And what better way to start a new campaign than the Isle of Dread?

I do plan on changing things up a bit, and injecting a little weird into the game. After all, the module is left fairly open with regards to what's really going on - one of the best things about older modules, in my opinion. That level of openness and hackability makes it way easier to make the whole thing fit into your world, rather than modern modules where you lift encounters or basic plots and have to leave the rest.

I'll be using Blood & Treasure for the game, for a nice combo of new-school ideas and old-school charm.

For a start, let's make the Kopru more interesting AND give them a little more foreshadowing than "bad things on Taboo Island!"

The Order of Nemesis

Image from Paizo

Paladins are holy warriors. The lead the charge against the enemies of their God, pushing back the grand forces of Chaos and Evil to the edges of civilisation, hoping one day to wipe it out entirely.

They are shining beacons of righteousness and hope to all.

Except the little people.

When the Paladins stroll through town, they ask about demonic invasions, Orc warband movements, or the doings of the Evil Overlord next door. While dealing with Capital Letter Chaos and Evil, they rarely have the time to ask about corrupt landlords, abusive spouses, or uncaring madams, and even if they do, they simply dont care about these minor doings in the grand scheme of Evil.

But The Order of Nemesis cares.

Dedicated to an ancient Goddess (Nemesis, Lady Vengeance, She), considered heretical by most of the faiths of the land, The Order is made up of those who will not stand by and watch the innocent suffer. Recruited from the lowest rungs of society to protect those who can't protect themselves, they are the Grey Guardians of many a city - even if their presence is passed off as simply superstition.

Recruits are taken from those who are wronged and wish for only one thing - revenge. Once She hears their prayers, they awaken one day with an oily, grey dagger under their pillow, and a message in their hearts.

Go seek your vengeance, my Child.

If they go through their retribution, they are inducted into The Order soon after, donning no uniform bar a grey cloak and their dagger.

The Order of Nemesis always has its ear to the ground - seeking out corruption and evil in the lowest parts of society, and providing revenge for those who cannot seek it themselves. They can make excellent allies, willing to share information to take down a high-priority target, or fierce enemies if you managed to wrong someone under their protection.

Order of Nemesis Code of Honour

• Protect those who cannot protect themselves
• The lowest of Men deserve the same as any other
• Any crime against the weak must be avenged
• No man is beyond Her reach - not even Her Children
• Forgiveness is weakness

In game terms, the Order is made up of Assassins. In systems where Assassins gain spells, they may choose spells from either the Assassin or Paladin spell lists. While they have to be at least Lawful, most are Lawful Evil.

The Dungeon Mascot! An OSR Hireling Class

Wroot The Goblin by Christopher Burdett

When you are deep underground, fighting for your survival against horrors born in darkness, inimicable to your sanity, it can be a welcome relief to find a friendly face. Often, these are less powerful enemies who are more likely to surrender in exchange for their lives (or even a share of the treasure!). But, these party favourites can become a liability at higher levels, making them more likely to die at the hands of some deep horror or ancient trap.

Letting them advance in this class might help with the survivability of the players new "pet", and might even lead to them to becoming a valuable party member! Or, knowing the average players, just another meatshield...

Requirements: Must be a small creature of 1HD or less, must have rolled max on the Reaction Roll upon first meeting them.
HD: 1d4+1
Attack: As Thieves
Saves: As Thieves
XP: As Cleric
Weapons and Armour: As Thieves
Level Cap: 5

Dungeon Mascots are a great tool for adventurers, helping to keep morale up with their friendliness and obsequity. Any allies traveling with a Dungeon Mascot gain a +1 bonus on saves versus fear or insanity, and provide a +1 bonus to Morale to other Hirelings.

Dungeon Mascots also take on the role of packrat - they increase their carrying capacity by 25%.

They are also eager to please, and organise their hauls with surprising efficiency - once per delve, they can pull any mundane item worth 10gp or less from their packs (this takes a turn). Every level, this increases by 10gp (to 50gp at max level).

Once (and only once), they can throw themselves in the path of a lethal wound received by a PC, dying and making everyone a little sad. Some players with less scruples might abuse this, but such is the life of the Dungeon Mascot.

Poor little bastards.

Random Table - Goblins!!!

Artwork from the Pathfinder SRD

Goblins are a staple of every low-level adventurer's murder-diet. But they can get a little stale after a while. So, here's a random table to help determine exactly what kind of goblins are inhabiting your next dungeon...

Roll 1d10	The Goblins Are Actually...
1	Backwoods little cavemen. Their weapons are crafted from bone, any armour is leather and bone, and they train various dire and prehistoric animals as guard animals and attack beasts. Their chief rides an odd rat-sabertooth hybrid (stats as a sabertooth/lion with a disease bite)
2	Masters of alchemy, in a trailer-park meth lab kind of way. They sling alchemical bombs and weapons, some have been modified by their masters (stats as anything else, like Ogres, Otyugh etc. visually horribly mutated goblin-beasts), plenty of drugs as loot. Some even have weapons of crystallized poison (one-use, does damage and make a Save vs Poison at a -4 penalty).
3	More than a little fey-tainted. They aspire to be more than their nature, but instead find themselves organised into grotesque mockeries of the Fey Courts, wearing mismatched clothes robbed from well-to do Halflings and Gnomes, and fighting with rusted rapiers and Elven weapons. Their speech patterns are filled with weirdly flowery prose mixed with base insults and filth.
4	Ruled over by a Demon-descended goblin, head and shoulders taller than the others, with a cruel smile, all the immunities and one special ability from its parent demon. His followers paint their faces with blood, sacrifice captives, and worship him as a God. May have some least demons in his service as well.
5	Infected with spores from a weird fungus in the dungeon. At night they are placid - you could even just walk right past them. But during the day, they wander the dungeon aimlessly, until the find a source of light brighter than ambient - then they suicidally rush it, hoping to infect more organisms until someone carries their spores outside of the dungeon to be carried away on the winds to another dungeon. More advanced infectees sprout hideous growths and have blind, lifeless eyes.
6	Have become strangely well-adapted to their dungeon environment - pale and hairless, bulbous blank eyes, lanky limbs with claws and oddly sticky hands - stats as Kobolds, plus perfect darkvision, permanent Spider Climb, and a severe aversion to light (they flee from light, and if forced to fight fight at -3 to all rolls). They go out of their way to remove or extinguish torches.
7	Cargo cultists who worship ancient Dwarven machines within their dungeon. Many wear brass armour and jewelery, and any with standing in the tribe (lieutenants, the chieftain) have Dwarven weapons (+1 damage), and may have constructed the ever-feared Goblin Tank from inexpertly-welded shields and scraps.
8	Brutal little cannibals. They wear demi-human skin-masks, carry cleavers and rusty kitchen tools, and don't kill their victims, instead capturing them to keep them fresh. There is a 25% chance that any given goblin is afflicted with a prion disease from eating brains (permanent berserker state, foaming, unable to tell friend from foe). Their areas always smell of cooking pork, and their loot often contains some pretty tasty jerky.
9	Oddly in touch with nature. They only use wooden weapons, wear leather armour, and their senior members (lieutenants,etc) have the abilities of a Ranger of their HD. The Chieftain has abilities as a Druid of her HD. Their areas are full of Assassin Vines and Shriekers which don't react to the goblins, and many animals (both regular and Dire) wander with them.
10	Seem pretty nice. They're converts to the local religion, they trade with the locals, and are well-groomed and respectable. This is a front - they're all thralls of a powerful psionic creature, who uses them to allow him to trade for valuable components for a great machine it's building, to allow it to control hundreds of beings at a time.

I Got My Name In A Thing!

I just wanted to share the joys of Expanded Petty Gods, a crowd sourced project of at Save vs Dragon, which takes the original Petty Gods book and adds divine servants, new spells and other stuff to help you run any of these lesser deities in a campaign.

I submitted a few spells, and it looks like they all got published!

Go check it out!

Rainbow Wyvern - A Monster For Narcosa

For those of you who don't know, Narcosa is a Google+ crowd sourced supplement to add a drug-fuelled tinge to your standard fantasy campaign, with rules for substances, new locations, NPCs, monsters and spells all under the general theme of getting fucked up.

Rafael Chandler mentions the Powder Born, a sect of psychos who snort the powdered bones of Rainbow Wyverns, making them freaky meth-head killers who try to erase their previous lives (up to killing their families and trying to burn down anywhere they had been before they took their first hit).

Crazy shit, and an excellent version of the 1d20 Bandits on the Wilderness table, but there's one thing missing - there's no stats for the Rainbow Wyverns!

To keep a cult of druggies going, either you get a lot of bones out of one big wyvern, or there's tons of them around. I decided to do both, cause they're both pretty cool ideas.

Stats for LL (check this handy guide to convert to you system of choice)

Rainbow Wyvern
No. Enc: 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 120' (40')
AC: 8
HD: 2*
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d3
Save: L1
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None
XP: 80

The Rainbow Wyvern is a strange creature indeed. While it resembles a common wyvern in size and shape, its scales scintillate lazily when relaxed, but when threatened they burst into iridescent fury, causing onlookers to suffer a variety of effects.

If exposed to the wyvern's scales, make a Save vs. Spells. If you fail, roll on the table below.

1. The patterns are pretty pleasing - lose your actions for this round.

2. Images swell and disappear - any attacks you make against the wyvern are made as if it was under the effect of a blur spell.

3. Momentarily, the patterns match their surroundings - you consider the Wyvern invisible this round.

4. The patterns become spiked, all claws and primal fury - the Wyvern is considered to have Frightful Presence as a dragon.

If you succeed the save, you realise the truth of the Rainbow Wyvern - its scale produce the illusion of a wyvern, but underneath that, there's a dog-sized lizard. Think like a Magic Eye picture, where the Wyvern slides out of view to reveal the true wyvern.

Once the real wyvern is spotted, use the stats for a dog, or something small and relatively useless.

Each of these wyverns can be ground up to produce 1d4 doses of Powder.

Big-Ass Rainbow Wyvern

Use the stats for a Wyvern, and add the ability to cast Illusion spells as a MU of its HD. Its smart enough to use its illusions to set up ambushes and hide its lair. This Wyvern is a total bastard to catch, but each corpse can make 2d6 doses of Powder per HD.

Games Workshop's Specalist Games Shutting Down?

So, I might be somewhat late with the news here, but apparently Games Workshop has decided to stop producing its Specialist Range figures - those old classics like Blood Bowl, Necromunda, and Inquisitor.

While this has been confirmed through several sources (including GW's Customer Support line), GW haven't put it up on their website as of yet, attempting to simply let the figures run out of stock and not replace them. Even Forge World is getting in on the act - they will no longer produce any of their specialist games (like Aeronautica Imperialis).

This is something of a blow to those gamers who enjoy the less "cut and dry" nature of these models - the Specialist Games models had some of the coolest sculpting work done at GW, and had a retro charm that modern models just seem to be missing. For those looking to add a little something different to their armies, or even to play these specialist games, many will be forced to take their custom elsewhere, or to use models from another range that may not fit particularly well.

Well, it's their bed, so they can lie in it. I am sure they don't make that much money from the SG stuff (even when they are stupidly overpriced, even by GW standards), but it's going to lose them a fair amount of business (or at least, a goodly amount of respect amongst certain circles). My advice would be to get yourself over to the Specialist Games Website and download everything you can for free - while you still can.

Welcome To The Wall - ASoIaF By Way of 2e AD&D...

So, the weather outside is frightful, and it recently snowed in Glasgow for about two weeks straight. Between that, and playing Skyrim and watching the new season of Game of Thrones, snow has been on my mind for a while, and I decided to follow through with one of my New Years Resolution to try a game I have never tried before.

Put all these together, and you get... The Wall.

HBO's A Game of Thrones

"Welcome to the Wall, boys. You are here not as a punishment, but to perform a great service to the Kingdom. The fact you are thieves, rustlers, liars, cheats, bastards and outcasts, who have been sent to the frozen arsehole of the Kingdom is coincidental, surely. This Wall marks the end of our hold on the land. Beyond it, there are savages, The Restless Dead, and creatures you thought only lived in your grandmother's scary tales. The Black Watch's job, our job, is to man this Wall, and keep those fuckers out."

The game borrows liberally from both A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and Skyrim, to create something almost entirely unoriginal, but at the same time a lot of fun. Hopefully, at least.

Players have been inducted into the Black Watch - once seen as an honour, one of the highest accolades a warrior can receive, to protect the Kingdom from the weird horrors of the Frozen North. As these Horrors stayed quiet for a few generations, many believe them to be gone (or to have never existed in the first place), leaving many feeling the Black Watch is an artifact of an age of superstition and unenlightened men. Hence, instead of sending great sending of criminals (mainly traitors to the crown, the dishonoured, bastard children of nobles, and those who want to be shown as an example).

I am currently swithering over which races will be available - I am considering sticking to Humans only. I can maybe see Half-Orcs, Half-Elves, maybe even Mul (Half-Dwarves) and Half-Giants/Half Ogres (the Wildlings in ASoIaF did have Giants among their numbers,after all...).

Players can choose from the Fighter, Ranger, Thief, and Wizard classes. Fighters will be most common,with Thieves and Rangers not too far behind. In order to help differentiate these relatively limited roles, each class will have a list of Kits (and optional rules) available to them.

• Fighters get the Tight Weapon Groups Proficiency, Style Specialisation/Fighting Style bonuses, and the following Kits:
• Barbarian (Wildling only), Berserker, Myrmidon, Noble Warrior, Savage (Wildling only), Wilderness Warrior (Wildling only)
• Rangers gain access to the following Kits:
• Explorer, Falconer (redone as the Crow Keeper), Feralan (Wildling only), Justifier (Black Watch only), Pathfinder, Stalker
• Thieves gain access to the following kits:
• Acrobat, Assassin, Bandit, Scout, Thug

However, to emulate the low-magic feeling of the ASoIaF universe, and to make the game that little bit more challenging, I am thinking about proposing a few rules for the use of magic - though I am not sure what yet. Ability checks to cast spells, a strict enforcement of material components (though they might be changed from the originals), limited access to spells, maybe even limited advancement - any NPC spellcasters will be low-level, maybe even with limits on their Intelligence scores to help keep higher-level spells out of reach. This is a game where the day is won by grit, determination and steel - not with a flabby sorcerer throwing a few spells around.

I also imagine that there would only be one (or no) Magic-Users in a group-after all, they are a valuable resource that can't be wasted. After all, most mages who commit crimes are either press-ganged into more valuable military service, or else sentenced to death. You really need just the right combination of military uselessness, lack of honour, and circumstance to end up a Wizard in the Black Watch.

Those caught practising unlicensed necromancy (using a few of the rules from the Complete Book of Necromancers) are always a good option. Their abilities to control and affect Undead creatures are much-valued when facing the Restless Dead beyond The Wall.

More on this setting as I think about it...

OSR D&D - Guns

So, guns have always had a weird place in D&D. Lots of the "Appendix N" inspirational materials had them, whether as one-off, almost magical items, or a regular feature of their setting (John Carter of Mars, frex, wouldn't be seen dead without his pistol). But, when looking for ways to implement them into D&D, options are limited.

And I can kinda see why - D&D has always ostensibly been more of a "Swords and Sorcery" kinda deal (until 3rd Ed pushed the whole thing into full-on High Fantasy), and a default part of that is, well, swords. Guns feel too modern, and for some people, seeing an Elf with a gun brngs back unfortunate Shadowrun flashbacks. But, due to D&D's tried-and-tested melting pot approach to its sources, the level of technology presented (like full plate armour) means that guns are pretty feasible. But you mention it in th wrong circles, and you'll be strung up by your dicebag before they have a two-hour long conversation about whether or not shuriken should exist in the Ancient Greek campaign setting, or whether Dwarves could build a spacerocket.

Gamers are like that.

There are plenty of D20 supplements with rules for guns (D20 Modern, for a start), but for genre imitation, guns feel like they should be a little more powerful than the "does 1d8 damage, is about as easy to dodge as a punch" model supported by these games.

As it's the most appropriate (and closest to D&D at its heart), let's take a gander at the Pathfinder SRD. It has rules for three levels of technology - emerging guns, advanced guns, and guns everywhere. I don't fancy changing up the entire face of the game, so we'll stick with Emerging - guns are rare, having just started moving out of the realm of cannon and arbuesque.  Maybe there's a secretive guild of alchemists and engineers who have fiddled up the first production line, or maybe they're a new Dwarven invention. Regardless, the first examples are starting to become publicly available, and are filtering down to the "adventuring" classes.

So, our basic, archaic guns are the pistol, blunderbuss, and musket. There are a few variations on these which I won't be including (the sword cane gun, for example), but these are your "standard" guns for this time period.

Your basic pistol stats for Pathfinder: costs 1000gp (!), 1d8 damage, x4 damage on a critical, 20 foot range increment (guns get 5 range increments, with a -2 penalty to the attack after the first), targets Touch AC in the first range increment and resolve normally after that, misfires (breaking the weapon) on a one.

Now, one of the things that a lot of people have commented on is that the misfire rate of even the earliest firearms wasn't as bad as rated here, and the guns would rarely explode on a bad shot. You ran the risk of powder burns, but that was about it - if your gun exploded, you were doing something terribly wrong. Pathfinder has a misfire rate for each weapon (normally 1 in 20), and on a misfire, a weapon gains the Broken Condition (which ups the misfire rate by 4, making it normally a roll of 1-5 on the D20). That seems a little harsh, cause once it's broken, another misfire means the gun goes boom, hitting you and anyone next to you for the damage value of the weapon.

That doesn't mix with the reality too well, but helps keep the guns "balanced" with bows and other ranged weapons. But it's such an artifact of these kind of games, I might need to include it. Well, in keeping with the idea that the OSR is less about balance and more about fun, I propose the following stats (for OSRIC, but pretty adaptable):

Weapon Type	Damage vs Small/Medium	Damage vs Large	Rate of Fire (Shots per Round)	Range (-2 to hit per increment)	Encumbrance	Cost
Pistol	1d6	1d4	1	20ft	4	300gp
Blunderbuss	1d8	1d10	1	10ft	8	550gp
Musket	1d10	1d10	1	40ft	9	650gp
Bullet + Powder	-	-	-	-	3 per dozen	1gp

Here's some rulings (as I'll be using them) which might prove useful for guns:

• The blunderbuss can be loaded with a bullet or shot, which fires as a 15ft cone, range increment 15ft - the user can make an attack roll against all targets within that range, at a -2 penalty. This can either be pre-made (same cost and encumbrance as bullets) or improvised, scraps of metal, nails, etc. which is free, if you can find it, but gives a -2 penalty to-hit and damage. Repeated use of such materials can cause damage to the weapon.
• All firearms require a full round to reload, limiting them to one shot per round (regardless of any bonuses to Rate of Fire).
• At point-blank range (i.e. melee combat range), a pistol may be used with a penalty of -1 to attack rolls, while the longer, less maneuverable blunderbuss and musket suffer a -4 penalty.
• If the opponent is unaware, bound, or unconscious, (where "coup de grace" rules would be appropriate) they make a Save vs. Death Magic - should they fail, they are dying (should you use those rules) or dead. If they pass, they take double damage from the attack.
• Misfires occur on a natural roll of 1 on an attack roll. Roll 1d10 on the Misfire chart below:
• 1 - Backfire - you must have overpacked the gun, or just straight-up done goofed. The weapon explodes, dealing its damage to you, and one die-step less to those in melee range of you (so a pistol would damage you for 1d6 damage, and everyone else for 1d4).
• 2-4 - Powder Burn - you weren't as careful as you should have been when loading the weapon - the shot goes off as normal, but you suffer 1d3 damage from the powder on your clothes and skin igniting.
• 5-6 - Dud - the powder doesn't light. It will take a full-round action to clear the weapon, and another to reload it.
• 7-8 - Jam - some delicate part of the weapon's mechanisms isn't working as intended. The weapon is unable to fire until someone with the skills to repair it can take a look and fix the problem.
• 9 - Hang Fire - the powder doesn't catch as quickly as you thought - perhaps it's a little wet in parts, or there's a slow-burning clump in it. Nothing happens - DMs, describe it much like a jam or a dud shot. In the next round (in the Fast segment, or at the highest initiative, or whenever), or the end of the current round, whichever seems more fun, the gun goes off as normal. Pray you hadn't started clearing the "jam"...
• 10 - Burnout - too much powder, methinks. The weapon lets out a massive gout of flame, burning out some delicate mechanism and making the weapon useless until repaired. However, anyone within melee range (including you) must make a Save vs Breath Weapon or catch fire.

I'll probably come back and review these rules soon - let me know what you think!

EDIT: First edit thanks to Butch, adding Hang Fire as a result... that's gonna fuck with my players something awful. I love it!

The "Mellified Men" - an OSR Monster!

 So, a little last minute, but here's my entry for The Grand Original Map Contest!

These guys will be statted out for OSRIC/Generic OSR D&D.

Centuries ago, there was a race of men, their name lost to the ravages of time, who worshipped nature in all its myriad forms. However, every so often a cult would arise to venerate one particular aspect of nature above all others - the deeps of the sea, fire, or in one case, the humble bee.

Well, the not so humble bee - this particular cult had found a species of bee whose honey held strange properties. It seemed to both radiate and absorb magic, and could "store" spells cast into it. Whether this was a natural mutation, the design of some curious wizard or divine intervention, the cult latched onto this new-found source of power, and began breeding and keeping the bees, collecting their honey, and worshipping them as divine agents.

As their belief swelled, and their breeding became more complex and refined, they finally birthed a Queen of such great size that, even as a larva, it dwarfed all but the biggest men. This Queen was seen as an Aspect of The Great Queen - the Mother-God of all bees, if you will. Around her, men and bees constructed a great hive, a labyrinth of honeycomb that stretched for miles underground.

As part of their strange rituals, this cult would add their lesser dead (slaves, drudge workers) to the Great Hive, allowing them to nourish their charges even after they had passed on.

Their more respected members were submerged in the honey vats after death - the honey acting as a preservative, mummifying the corpse with little other work needed.

Their greatest members, their Mages and Priests, were allowed to choose the date of their death. When this date had passed, they began eating nothing but honey - slowly, they would waste away, but their bodies would radiate strongly with magic, as it suffused every fibre of their being. When the finally passed, they were sealed into their own honey-filled casket, and the surviving members of the clergy would perform arcane rites and blasphemous rituals on them to ensure that they would be spared the worst of the ravages of death, to join the Great Queen and become one with the Hive.

However, for some reason (recent surges of magic, disturbance of their resting place, specific alignment of the stars), a few of these Bee-Priests have risen, and have began production once again - and they'll do anything to keep their practices secret.

In terms of appearance, these "Mellified Men" resemble other preserved corpses - their skin is leathery, with a yellow-brown colouring, and surprisingly little obvious decomposition (barring the wasting of muscles, and some of the thinner sections of skin having bones showing through). Some wear jewellery and ornamentation, clearly as part of their burial attire.

The Hive

Even the walls of this place are laced with the corpses of the cultists. Some sections have retained an odd semblance of life, powered and maintained by the power of the honey even after centuries. 
Sticky, brittle bones reach out at you as you pass, hoping to serve their Queen from beyond the grave.

No. Encountered: 2d8 metres
Armour Class: 5
Hit Dice: 10HP/5ft
Attacks: Special
Damage: 1d6
Special attacks: See above
Special Defences: Spell immunities
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Non-

The Hive Wall does not act as a creature as such, more like a trap - anyone passing within 5 feet must make a Saving Throw vs Breath Weapon or be grappled, and take 1d6 damage per round they are grappled. Once grappled, the character may make a Strength check/Bend Bars roll once per round to escape The Wall's foul clutches, and may take no other action until free. 

Drone Zombies

These shambling creatures, taught skin a yellowish-brown hue, seem to be the workers and grunts of the operation. They don't seem too bright.

Use the standard OSRIC Zombie stats, with the following changes:

Special Abilities: Hivemind
Int: Non - Special
Hivemind: In groups of at least 20 other Drone Zombies, each Drone Zombie's Intelligence rises to Low, making them capable of using weapons (change damage as appropriate) and basic ambush tactics. They will still fight to the death.

Hive Guardians

These creatures seem to be infused with a strange intelligence and vitality - they seem less decomposed than their fellows, and are capable of some very complex strategies. These zombies can be seen taking charge of Drone Zombies in non-controlled situations, and when controlled may act as "generals".

Use the standard OSRIC JuJu Zombie stats, with the following changes:

Special Abilities: Hivemind Synapse
Hivemind Synapse: Hive Guardians may grant the effects of Hivemind to groups of Drone zombies numbering less than 20,  so long as they remain within 50 feet of the Hive Guardian (line of sight does not affect this ability).

Bee-Priests

These Undead wear fine robes spun from silk, decorated with complex geometric patterns (mostly hexagons), and are decked out in fine jewels. These spellcasting Undead are frequently found leading large groups of other Mellified Zombies from the back, providing support and heavy firepower.

(Turned as type 10)
No. Encountered: 1d4
Size: Man-sized
Move: 120 ft
AC: 1
Hit Dice: 8+3
Attacks: 2
Damage: by weapon or spell
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defences: See below
Magic Resistance: See below
Lair Probability: 25%
Intelligence: Exceptional
Chaotic evil
Level/xp: 8/3,810 + 12/hp

These creatures share other undead’s immunity to charm, hold, and sleep spells. Electricity and cold
does only half damage, and they are unaffected by normal weapons. They also the ability to cast spells either as a Cleric or Wizard of 10th-level. Most will use the Inflict Wounds spells to heal their troops, along with classic offensive spells.

Similar to the Hive Guardians, these creatures possess the Hivemind Synapse ability, except they can maintain it out to 200 feet.

Most of these creatures will travel with a guard of 8d10 Drone Zombies, and 1d10 Hive Guardians.

Have You Heard The Blessings Of The Plaguefather?

So, another bout of the Dread Lurgy as laid me low this weekend. But have no fear - I am currently working, in between illnesses and sleeping.

I'm preparing my entry for the Grand Original Map Contest over at Tenkar's Tavern. I don't want to give away too many details, but a conversation with my girlfriend about Mellified Man and insect worship will play a very strong part in the adventure...

Stay tuned for more details!

SHOCK HORROR NEWS - WotC Re-Release ALL THE PDFs

Yep, they're re-released all the old D&D .pdfs, including a whole host of new ones, over at www.dndclassics.com.

At the start of the lifespan of 4e, WotC removed all the PDFs from their website, citing piracy and other issues as the reason they withdrew. 4e's sales suffered, especially as Paizo continued to release PDFs of all the new Pathfinder content.

I, for one, applaud this move - it's good to see that the OSR movement as picked up enough steam to be picked up by a company currently facing a lot of problems and sniping from all corners.

This should be interesting. I expect WotC's stock to rise in the next few months, just in time for the release of D&DNext...

EDIT: Apparently, there are some issues with PDFs people have purchased previously not being available, but WotC are stating that they intend to release the remaining PDFs "in waves"... time will tell if they hold to their promises!