The Borderlands

Gamers Rock on Toast!

2009-07-17T17:51:00.003-04:00

As anyone who follows or even occasionally reads this space (or recognizes me from message boards) knows, I'm not one who publicly pontificates or opines. I'm a reserved, somewhat stoic person that way. Usually my opinions come across in jokes or smarty-pants sarcastic comments. Go figure, I'm a gen-Xer. (There's an example for ya!) Mostly this blog is about old-school game guts, nuts-and-bolts kind of stuff, the bits you can take and use/abuse/jigger-with/mock/what-have-you. Today I'm cross-posting something I wrote at the Necromancer Games boards, just as a thank you to all the well wishes I've received from folks in comments here, there and privately.

As is probably evident, I'm going through a separation/divorce right now (I wont get into legal mumbo-jumbo), so here goes:

The well wishes of people here [Necroboards] and who follow the blog are very much appreciated. One of the things I like about us gamers, particularly the more seasoned crowd here [at the Necroboards], is that we all kind of got each others' backs even when we don't know each other outside the interwebs or agree on editions or other trivial bits of gamer ephemerae. It's encouraging and an emotional boost, at least for me. If there are positives right now with my ex it's that we don't have kids, so the separation/divorce part is pretty easy if a bit tense. And I'm single again and only 38, plenty of life left for me to razzle-dazzle the ladies. ;-)

So, once again, a hearty thanks all!

P.S.: Actual game shit to follow tomorrow. I'm off to play poker and get drunk tonight. :-)

P.P.S.: I lied, I'm 38 next month, I'm a Leo. Sue me! :-)

Golden Eye of the Kobold King [S&W]

2009-07-14T18:45:00.006-04:00

GOLDEN EYE OF THE KOBOLD KING

The Golden Eye of the Kobold King is, literally, a solid golden eyeball -- completely smooth, round and undecorated. It is also terribly cursed. The possessor is magically compelled to pluck out his own eye and replaced it with the Golden Eye.

Found dozens of years ago in an unnamed place by the chaos-worshiping kobold named Greebok, the Golden Eye enabled the weak-willed cretin to rise to power and claim himself a small following of fellow kobolds and malformians. Drawn to the power of chaos, Greebok and his minions eventually found a home in the dreaded Tar Pits of Gazkruul. There, the ragtag band of misfits and their charismatic leader defended the upper caverns of the Tar Pits from wilfull and annoying adventurers and other chaos-hating do-gooders.

That is until the group of mercen ... er, heroes ... Myckali, Pyros, Udo, Lysander and Darvig skillfully fought their way through the shifty kobold defenses and brute strength of the malformian guards, all the way to the very chamber of the Kobold King himself. There, in an epic battle, they slew the kobold king Greebok and his henchmen, and Pyros plucked the Golden Eye from Greebok's left socket -- only to succumb to the vile magics of the Eye and tear out his own and replace it with the cursed dweomercrafted treasure.

The Golden Eye of the Kobold King has the following properties:

*+4 to Charisma ability score
*Allows sight as a gem of seeing 1/day for 1 hour
*May cast charm person 1/week
*May cast detect magic 1/week
*-2 to all attack rolls
*Cursed! Possessor is compelled to pluck out his own eye and replace with the Golden Eye. A saving throw is permitted to avoid the curse on the first day, with -1 cumulative penalty to saving throws each following day. If successful, after the first day, the possessor must be the subject of a remove curse spell to willingly give up the Golden Eye. And the cycle starts again with a new possessor. Once the Golden Eye replaces a real eye, only a wish spell will negate its cursed effects upon the character. However, the character will still have only one eye ...

The Borderlands Campaign Party

2009-07-14T17:26:00.006-04:00

Introducing the PCs and assorted NPCs and hirelings for my Borderlands campaign, statted-up Swords & Wizardry format. This is an unusual campaign in that I have but one dedicated player; all other players in the campaign are stand-ins, one-shots, or irregular in some other way. Regardless of the number of actual players at the table, though, all characters are used in each session.

Player Characters:

MYCKALI
Level 3 Dwarven Warmachine (i.e. warrior)
Alignment Good
Strength 16, Dexterity 11, Constitution 12, Intelligence 11, Wisdom 13, Charisma 11
AC 4 (chain & shield)
HP 23
Saving Throw 14 (+4 vs. magic)
Melee Atk/Dam +2*
Missile Atk +0
Weapons Handaxe +1, battleaxe, dagger
Special Darkvision 60'*
Note Myck is a follower of the dwarf deity Klangeddin, father of battle.
*See house rules

PYROS
Level 2/2 Elven Adventurer King (i.e. fighter/magic-user or elven adventurer)
Alignment Neutral
Strength 13, Dexterity 17, Constitution 10, Intelligence 17, Wisdom 13, Charisma 8(12, from minor artifact Golden Eye)
AC 7 (-2 Dex bonus*)
HP 13
Saving Throw 15/14 (immune to sleep/charm)
Melee Atk/Dam +1 (-1, from Golden Eye)
Missile Atk +2 (+0, from Golden Eye)
Weapons Longsword, longbow, sling
Magic Items Golden Eye of the Kobold King (see next post above for details of this minor artifact)
Special Darkvision 60', find secret doors, 1-2 (d6)
Spells light, protection from evil, shield
*See house rules

DARVIG
Level 2 Human Cleric of Astrid
Alignment Neutral
Strength 13, Dexterity 11, Constitution 10, Intelligence 9, Wisdom 15, Charisma 9
AC 4 (chain & shield)
HP 14
Saving Throw 13
Melee Atk/Dam +1
Missile Atk +0
Weapons Heavy mace, sling & stones
Special Turn undead
Spells (typically) cure light wounds x2
Note Astrid is the human goddess of the moon, stars, fate and time.

LYSANDER
Level 2 Human Magic-User
Alignment Neutral
Strength 7, Dexterity 13, Constitution 10, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 13, Charisma 9
AC 8 (-1 Dex bonus)
HP 10
Saving Throw 14
Melee Atk/Dam -1
Missile Atk +1
Weapons Staff, dagger
Magic Items wand of magic missiles (charges unknown), healing potion
Spells detect magic, magic missile, sleep
Note Lysander is a follower of the human deity Folcoer, god of knowledge, learning and magic.

UDONATHAR ("UDO")
Level 2 Human Thief
Alignment Neutral
Strength 10, Dexterity 17, Constitution 9, Intelligence 9, Wisdom 11, Charisma 12
AC 5 (-2 Dex bonus*, -2 leather)
HP 10
Saving Throw 14
Melee Atk/Dam +0
Missile Atk +2*
Weapons Short sword, short bow & arrows, dagger
Special Thief abilities (as detailed in Knockspell magazine #2)
* See house rules

Hirelings:

GIMBY
Dwarf Man-at-Arms
HD 1 (hp 8), AC 5 (chain), Saving Throw 17
Weapons 2-handed axe, shortbow & arrows
Note Gimby and Dimby are dwarf twins who took up the cause of Myckali the dwarf warrior on a quest for great adventure in the Tar Pits of Gazkruul.

TRONDAR
Human Man-at-Arms
HD 1 (hp 7), AC 6 (leather & shield), Saving Throw 14
Weapons Longsword
Note Trondar was hired in Vander's Post to accompany the party during its exploration of the Tar Pits. He replaced Nudford.

DIMBY (R.I.P.)
Dwarf Man-at-Arms
HD 1 (hp 8), AC 5 (chain), Saving Throw 17
Weapons 2-handed axe, shortbow & arrows
Note Dimby was horribly slain by a tough malformian.

NUDFORD (R.I.P.)
Human Man-at-Arms
HD 1 (hp 8), AC 6 (leather & shield), Saving Throw 14
Weapons Longsword
Note Nudford was hired in Vander's Post to accompany the party during its exploration of the Tar Pits. He perished upon a kobold's spear.

Back in the Saddle

2009-07-10T10:31:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates recently! My home PC is basically shot and I've had a busy week or so at work and moving out the ex-wife's stuff. Yadda yadda, blah blah. :-)

I'll be back in the saddle with updates this weekend!

Chaos Beastmen [S&W]

2009-06-29T19:52:00.006-04:00

Today we have Warhammer Beastmen. They average out to be much weaker than the "comparative" rank chaos warriors, but I think that's only right and proper. Actually, they are closer to marauders in terms of hit dice/damage output, but they move much more quickly (except mounted marauders or chaos knights, obviously).

To quickly list what's coming up this week: centigors, dragon ogres, chaos ogres/trolls/giants, chaos dragons, chaos demons, bray-shamans and sorcerers.

CHAOS BEASTMEN
Beastmen are hideously mutated humanoids with bestial traits. Due to the warping nature of chaos, they may appear in almost any form, but most commonly they possess bestial heads with twisted horns, torsos ranging from bloated to muscled, and goat-like legs. Beastmen dwell in the dark forests of frontier lands, engaging in raids upon civilized outposts and communities for food or for the sheer pleasure of violence. Beastmen are the most volatile and uncontrollable chaos worshipers, as prone to fighting amongst themselves and their tribes as they are organizing attacks upon settlements with other chaos warriors. It takes strong will as well as physical power to muster an effective beastmen warband.

There are four general types of beastmen: ungors, gors, bestigors and wargors. Ungors are the frailest beastmen and wargors are the toughest. One visual clue to the effective toughness of beastmen is the length of their horns. Ungors possess little more than stumps, whereas gors, bestigors and wargors have successively more wicked and cruel-looking horns.

Ungors and gors are unruly and will charge the closest possible enemies on a roll of 1 (d6), regardless of their orders or commands. Bestigors and wargors are the deadliest of the beastmen and gain +1 to attacks and damage rolls with melee weapons.

Ungor: HD 1; AC 7[12]; Atk 1 spear (1d6); Move 15; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Unruly.

Gor: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Atk 1 hand axe or short sword (1d6) or thrown spear (1d6); Move 15; Save 16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Unruly.

Bestigor: HD 3; AC 6[13]; Atk 1 longsword or battleaxe (1d8+1); Move 15; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: +1 to attacks and damage with melee weapons.

Wargor: HD 5; AC 5[14]; Atk 1 two-handed sword or great axe (1d10+1); Move 15; Save 12; CL/XP 5/240; Special: +1 to attacks and damage with melee weapons.

Chaos Returns on Sunday

2009-06-26T15:03:00.003-04:00

Next in the series of posts on Chaos goodness is slated for Sunday. I have a busy weekend with the first Warhammer slugfest I've played in several years tonight, my nephew's wedding Saturday afternoon, and very likely a session of the Borderlands campaign Saturday night.

The PCs will be exploring the dreaded Tar Pits of Gazkruul -- rumored abode of a great evil menace and warehouse of treasures beyond imagination. Or so all the bigmouth hotshot smartypants adventurers say in Vander's Post. When he's asked about the tar pits, one of the town rummies Oozerbunk says "There be whales here!" and downs a mouthful of rockguts moonshine. Actually, everything Oozerbunk says is about whales. Locals tell that he lost his mind aboard ship a few decades past. They assume it had something to do with whales.

Signing off until Sunday!

Warhounds and Spawn of Chaos [S&W]

2009-06-25T06:53:00.005-04:00

CHAOS WARHOUNDS
Raised and trained by northmen marauders and warriors, warhounds are savage wolf-like beasts mutated by the powers of chaos. Warhounds possess distended maws with cruel fangs, twisted horns or tusks, long spikes down the spine, flail-like tails, and many other evil deformities. They are bred for pit-fighting sport and merciless slaughter in battle.

Warhound: HD 3; AC 7[12]; Atk 1 bite (1d6), 1 gore/spikes/tail/claws (1d4); Move 18; Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; Special: None.

CHAOS SPAWN
Chaos spawn are warriors who have mutated beyond human form into utterly misshapen beings of pure hatred, vileness and savagery -- the penultimate chaos blessing. Chaos spawn come in many forms, but most have grossly bloated "bodies," sprout multiple tentacles or limbs at random, croak from obscenely large maws filled with sharp teeth, and they drip unnatural slimes.

Because their limbs and tentacles grow and disappear constantly, chaos spawn make d6 attacks each round. Chaos spawn cause fear in all living beings within 30'.

Chaos Spawn: HD 8; AC 4[15]; Atk 1d6 tentacles/clawed limbs (1d6 each); Move 6; Save 8; CL/XP 11/1,700; Special: Cause fear (within 30'), only hit by magic weapons or spells.

[Edit: Cleaned up descriptions and chaos spawn attacks stat.]

Warriors of Chaos [S&W]

2009-06-24T06:31:00.008-04:00

CHAOS WARRIORS
The blessed soldiers of the chaos gods, warriors, champions and knights are mighty stalwarts in battle. Driven by fanatic bloodlust and desire to please their masters, they wield weapons most dire and don armor black as night. The most powerful chaos knights and champions array themselves in darkly ensorceled armor and weaponry, and decorate their hideous forms with battle trophies hewn from their dying foes. Warriors of chaos who most gloriously exemplify the carnage and bloodthirst of the dark gods are granted boons of physical mutation or even elevated to demonhood. (More on mutations and demonhood in a post later this week.)

Warriors and champions of chaos seek glory in battle, gaining +1 to melee attacks and damage rolls. Champions may possess a chaos magical item (25% chance, see below). Chaos knights and exalted champions receive a +2 bonus to melee attacks and damage, in addition to any magical accouterments bestowed upon them (75% chance for knights, 100% chance for exalted champions). Only chaos knights and exalted champions ride steeds into battle.

Groups of 4 or more warriors are typically commanded by a champion, although champions often guard chaos sorcerers or other dark dignitaries. Knights usually command 2 or more champions, but may also be encountered singly or as guards for demons or exalted champions.

Chaos Warrior: HD 2; AC 5[14]; Atk 1 battleaxe (1d8+1) or bastard sword (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; Special: +1 to attacks and damage with melee weapons.

Chaos Champion: HD 4; AC 3[16]; Atk 1 two-handed sword (1d10+1) or halberd (1d10+1); Move 9; Save 13; CL/XP 5/240; Special: +1 to attacks and damage with melee weapons.

Chaos Knight: HD 6; AC 2[17] with shield; Atk 1 lance (2d4+3, mounted) or 1 heavy mace (1d6+3, mounted) or 1 two-handed sword/great axe (1d10+2, on foot); Move 9; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: +2 to attacks and damage with melee weapons. A knight with a magic item should probably be CL/XP 8/800.

Exalted Champion: HD 8; AC 2[17] with shield; Atk 1 lance (2d4+3, mounted) or 1 heavy flail (1d6+3, mounted) or 1 two-handed sword/great axe (1d10+2, on foot); Move 9; Save 8; CL/XP 11/1,700; Special: +2 to attacks and damage with melee weapons; only hit by magic weapons or spells; always has 1 magic weapon and 1 magic armor or shield.

Chaos Steed: HD 4; AC 5[14]; Atk 1 bite (1d6), 2 hooves (1d4); Move 15; Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Battle-steady (+1 to attacks). An exalted champion's steed may also breath fire or poison gas once per three rounds in lieu of its bite attack (1 target within 10', save or suffer 2d4 damage). CL/XP 5/240 for exalted champion's steed.

CHAOS MAGIC WEAPONS & ARMOR
The following items are magical but do not necessarily add to attack or damage rolls, or provide a bonus to AC (see the descriptions). For brevity, the term warrior is used in place of champion, knight and exalted champion. If any of these items are recovered and used by good or neutral PCs, the dark sorceries imbued within them should cause serious harm, if not death. PCs should not be messing with dark chaos powers. In fact, finding the means to destroy chaos magical devices should be an engaging adventure unto itself. Surely one that garners some in-game favors from the local do-gooders and some mad bonus expees!

Armor of Damnation: No AC bonus, but any successful attacks against the warrior must be re-rolled. The re-roll stands whether a hit or miss.
Armor of Tortured Souls: +2 AC bonus against normal (non-magical) attacks.
Berserker Weapon: The warrior gains an extra attack with his melee weapon.
Blood Weapon: Upon a successful hit, the victim of this weapon must make a saving throw. Failure indicates the attacking warrior gains 1d4 hit points (cannot rise above maximum).
Chaos Runeshield: Does not confer an AC bonus, but on any successful hit against the warrior with a magic weapon that weapon is negated of all magic properties for 1 turn.
Hellfire Weapon: In addition to normal damage this weapon deals d6 fire damage.
Rending Weapon: All wounds inflicted by this weapon bleed for 1 extra damage point per round until a curing spell is cast upon the victim.
Spelleater Shield: Shield grants the warrior 25% magic resistance.

[Edit: Cleaned up descriptions (I should stop writing these at 6 in the morning!), adjusted attacks and CL/XP for knight and exalted champion.]

Cometh the Hordes of Chaos [S&W]

2009-06-23T06:54:00.010-04:00

"From the harsh snowlands they come. Blond of hair they are, and blue of eye, and tattooed upon the arms and face and chest. Others are raven-haired, with cruel sneers, delighting in the pain and misery they herald. From the north and east come these savage marauders, with slavering dogs on whipping leashes. Their eyes are mad with bloodlust, for blood they thirst for, driven forth on the whims of the gods they seek to appease."

The Liber Chaotica
(p.25, Warhammer: Hordes of Chaos)

One of my Borderlands players has recently started playing Warhammer with a friend of his, and soon I'll be participating in some rousing matches of death, slaughter and mayhem. I will, of course, be using my Chaos hordes to shed the blood of these pitiful fools' armies. In honor of this, I'm presenting numerous Swords & Wizardry conversions from the Warhammer Hordes of Chaos army book (6th edition) this week, and likely next as well. A couple months ago I wrote some conversions here for B/X for those who are interested.

CHAOS MARAUDERS & CHIEFTAINS
These marauding northmen pillage and slay civilized lands with reckless abandon. They are usually the first wave rampaging ahead of the more vile chaos warriors and champions. Chaos marauders wear scant hides and wield wicked maces or axes. Chaos marauders are brutal warriors and gain +1 to hit with melee weapons. Bands of 8 or more chaos marauders are led by chieftains; they also gain +1 to hit with melee weapons. Chieftains often ride hideous black warhorses clad in spiked leathers and mail into battle.

Chaos Marauder: HD 1; AC 8[11]; Atk 1 handaxe (1d6) or heavy mace (1d6+1); Move 12; Save 17; CL/XP 1/30; Special: +1 to hit with melee weapons.

Marauder Chieftain: HD 3; AC 7[12]; Atk 1 battleaxe (1d8); Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP: 3/60; Special: +1 to hit with melee weapons.

Marauder Warhorse: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Atk 1 bite (1d4), 2 hooves (1d3); Move 18; Save 16; CL/XP: 2/30; Special: None.

Quick NPC Checklist Update

2009-06-22T21:26:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts on the weekend, been feeling sick and hosed. How's it goin', eh?

Just a quick note tonight to say that I've updated my Quick NPC Checklist to include dice roll generation (v2). Pick a race, then roll to see what NPC you get. As with the original, these are all statless NPCs with just a name and distinctive traits.

Magic Item: Madcap Sorcerer's Paste [S&W]

2009-06-19T18:09:00.006-04:00

THE MADCAP SORCERER'S PASTE

This magical treasure is an unpredictable and dangerous black paste, typically found in exquisitely wrought phials studded with tiny glittering crystals. Sages tell its creator was the insane dweomercrafter Dyst Terrab, who was known in his lifetime as the Madcap Sorcerer. Fitting with Dyst's quixotic and imaginative persona, the thick black paste must be worked into the user's hair to be effective. Applying the paste takes a round. Once applied, the user gains the use of one of the following spells once per day (roll d6):

1) Confusion (when cast there is a 50% chance the spell affects the paste's user and his allies!)
2) Commune
3) Feeblemind (when cast there is a 50% chance the spell affects the paste's user!)
4) ESP
5) Suggestion (when cast there is a 50% chance the subjects act the exact opposite of the suggestion!)
6) Dimension Door

The enchantment of the paste lasts for 6 days and cannot be removed by any means short of a limited wish or wish. Even if the user washes it out of his hair, it magically returns within hours. Dispel magic will nullify the effects of spells cast by the user (if appropriate), but has no effect on the paste itself. Roll each day to determine which spell is available to the user. If the user chooses not to cast a spell on any given day, he loses 1d6 points of Intelligence and Wisdom as the paste eats away at his sanity. Lost Intelligence and Wisdom recover at only 1 point per day. If the user is reduced to 0 in either ability (or both), he goes completely insane, raves and drools, and becomes a vegetable man.

The referee is encouraged to rule that once either Wisdom or Intelligence reach low scores (or if the user is a victim of his own feeblemind), the only spell available each day to him is the lone daily spell from the Madcap Sorcerer's Paste -- it will still work regardless of the mental acuity or divine inspiration remaining in the user's wrecked mind.
Usable by: Clerics and magic-users.

Note that this item could lead to an interesting -- or completely nuts -- cycle of feeblemindedness on the part of the spellcaster and the player playing the character. Have at it I say!

Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey

2009-06-17T21:27:00.013-04:00

Two interesting trivia bits about Pink Floyd:

The band went through many names in the early years, starting as Sigma 6. Then, in succession, they became T-Set, Megadeaths (almost sounds familiar, eh?), Architectural Abdabs, Screaming Abdabs, Abdabs, and then the slightly more familiar The Pink Floyd Sound. Of course this was shortened to The Pink Floyd. And finally, they dropped the definite article and were simply Pink Floyd.

During the post-Waters Pink Floyd era -- the Momentary Lapse of Reason tour if memory serves -- Roger Waters claimed David Gilmour and Nick Mason violated his copyright by using "the Pig" (a giant floating pig featured at many Floyd shows since the Animals tour) for their Pink Floyd shows. Piggy was Roger's creation, after all, so why shouldn't he claim infringement? Makes sense. However, how did Gilmour and Mason circumvent copyright violation? They added a huge pair of balls to the pig. Take that, Roger!

These, and many more more profound, Pink Floyd tales and legends are recounted in Nicholas Schaffner's excellent book Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey. (Pictured first above.) Saucerful remains my personal favorite Floyd-related book, and, I would argue, the most thoroughly and objectively researched work about the band. It spans the band's career from 1965 through 1991. If you're a Floyd fan, and have not read it, I would strongly encourage you to do so. It's truly an amazing piece of musical history. If you can find the original hardcover all the better (1991, hardcover, 348 pages, by Harmony Books, ISBN 0-517-57608-2). (Pictured second above.)

Edit: Linkage to rare early Pink Floyd stuff:

*Early Floyd demo Lucy Leave written by Syd Barrett, circa 1965. Check out all the old photos while the song plays (you even see Bob Close in some of them!)
*Candy and a Current Bun, a Syd Barrett B-side gem. Recorded January 1967. Originally titled "Let's Roll Another One" -- BBC radio wasn't happy, hence the name change.
*Vegetable Man. You can really hear how Syd had pretty well lost it by this point in late '67 or early '68 (don't remember exactly when this was recorded). His ouster from the band was imminent.
*The Floyd perform Corporal Clegg on Belgian TV, 1968. David Glimour had just recently joined the band.

And who can forget this episode of WKRP in Cincinnati? Enjoy! :-)

New Spell: Shroud of the Great Gig in the Sky [S&W]

2009-06-17T12:29:00.004-04:00

SHROUD OF THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY
Spell Level: Cleric, 4th
Range: Touch
Duration: 24 hours

The cold clutching hands of undeath reach for you, then at the last moment dissipate into wispy trailing threads, washed away by the force of divinely ethereal music surrounding you like a glimmering shroud.

By virtue of this spell, the target creature gains a +2 bonus to saves against paralysis, level drain, fear and all other undead special abilities. If a save is not normally permitted, the target is allowed one to avoid the effects (with no bonus), but still suffers any normal damage. Additionally, the target is immune to the "rise as" qualities of undead creatures for 24 hours. Undead may still slay the target; it just avoids the nasty coming-back-to-unlife effects. Conventional means of restoring life to the target (raise dead, reincarnation, etc.) function normally. This spell does not protect against the abilities of undead creatures that have greater hit dice than the level of the cleric casting the spell.

R.I.P. Rick Wright and Syd Barrett

Pink Floyd Week at the Borderlands

2009-06-15T22:30:00.009-04:00

Inspired by my Grimbul's Dwarven Arms post earlier today (and my quotation to the right), I've decide to make this Pink Floyd Week. Everything on the blog up through Sunday will feature something gaming-related that references Pink Floyd. I'll also post links to interesting Pink Floyd videos, websites, and curiosities. Please feel free to post your own links or comment if you have something cool to share about Pink Floyd, especially if it happens to be gaming-related.

This is kind of an experiment for me, so I hope it doesn't stink like rotten cheese!

First up (see above) is one of the coolest posters I've ever seen: 1995's Pink Floyd's "Back Catalogue" by Storm Thorgerson and Finlay Cowan, photographed by Tony May. Awesomeness in Floydian technicolor! Oh, and the babes, too. :-)

Although this isn't "old-school" gaming stuff, several years ago I wrote two fan supplements for Decipher's CODA Star Trek RPG. The Divine Treasury (PDF link of Ferengi character creation options) and A Piece of the Action (PDF link of expanded character generation stuff and assorted other bits) are still available online at the CODA Star Trek RPG Support Site.

This connectes with Pink Floyd how? Well, in the Divine Treasury you'll find some none-too-subtle Floyd references in the Liquidator elite profession write-up (especially if you're a fan of Floyd's Obscured by Clouds album, like me). A Piece of the Action is listed just in case it's of interest. :-)

Grimbul's Dwarven Arms [S&W/Generic]

2009-06-15T06:22:00.006-04:00

Grimbul's Dwarven Arms

A circular steel shield hangs above the door to Grimbul's shop, its glossy finish etched and painted to depict a prism reflecting beams of light. Perhaps one of the most skilled weaponsmiths in the city, Grimbul is a bald, middle-aged dwarf with a forked beard, sparkling eyes, and a stern jaw. His right leg is lame and he walks with a noticeable limp (he was the victim of a well-placed orc axe). Grimbul's shop is clean, if drably colored, and the wall behind his large obsidian-topped service desk displays a breathtaking axe, shield, mail coat, and helm. These are Grimbul's personal arms, and aren't for sale. Tapestries illustrating various battles from dwarven history adorn the other walls. Behind the service desk stands a heavy iron door leading to Grimbul's smithy. He lets no one beyond this door. Inside are tools and workstations typically found in a smithy and an elaborate personal shrine for the dwarven gods.

Grimbul sells only the highest quality arms and armors (standard cost), but his eye for detail and deep-rooted passion to make armor "fit as right as a dwarf with a forked beard" increases production times for complete suits by 25 percent. Under no circumstances does Grimbul make anything to sell straight off the rack -- his professional standards and honor are too important to him to make "a fast coin selling cheap blades only fit for goblins!" If the heroes show an interest in his craft or dwarven lore, Grimbul proves a fountain of knowledge, spouting out tales of dwarven heroes and master smiths.

Encounter Idea: Grimbul's prized "Shield of Kraz" has been stolen. When the heroes enter Grimbul's shop, he is weeping over a bottle of dwarven spirit at the counter. He tells them of the theft, the long tragic story behind his family heirloom, and how if it weren't for his lame leg, he'd go after the thieving cretins himself. He suspects magic was involved in the theft. Grimbul's eyes flare up with passion, and he offers the heroes any arms and armor they desire -- free of charge -- if they track down the scum that stole his family shield and bring them to justice ... Dwarven justice!

Grimbul, Level 4 dwarven warrior: AC 1 (w/chain shirt +1 & Shield of Kraz +2); HD 4; Atk Battleaxe +1 (1d8+2); Save 13 (+4 vs magic); Move 6 (lame leg); CL/XP 4/120; Special Notice stonework. Abilities Str 16 (+1), Dex 9, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 13.
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Goblin, Orc.
Possessions: Battleaxe +1, chain shirt +1, Shield of Kraz +2, six gems (value 125 gp each), 425 gp.
Personality/Description: Grimbul is a grizzled veteran warrior who changed careers and took up weaponsmithing a decade ago. He is a passionate dwarf and loves to narrate tales of his forefathers, but distant sadness creeps over him when discussing his own past. His wife and children were captured by orcs in a surprise raid twelve years ago while he was off on a scouting mission. Grimbul found them dead and defiled when he caught up with the orc band a week later. He fought valiantly against the orcs, but received a terrible wound to his leg that crippled him. He swore bloody death upon the orc tribe but has yet to sire an heir to take up his mantle of vengeance. If his leg wasn't lame, he would have done it years ago -- his handicap forever eats at his soul.

[Edit: It's Steve's Obsessed with Pink Floyd week here at the Borderlands.]

Magic Item: Daerzith's Darkorb [S&W/Generic]

2009-06-11T12:47:00.004-04:00

DAERZITH'S DARKORB

Daerzith's darkorb is an eight-inch orb of solid black glass. The orb is housed in a velvet padded wooden case, and the case lid is lined inside with a black glass sheet.

Once per day for 6 turns, the darkorb grants its possessor sight through the orb as the clairvoyance and darkvision spells combined. The orb itself operates as the sensor and will only function if positioned within 600 feet of the case. The glass sheet in the lid operates as a scrying device and must be watched by the user to “see” through the orb.

Furthermore, the orb can fly up to 120' per turn under the user’s control. When the orb is out of the case and not commanded to fly, it hovers in place. If the duration expires when the orb is hovering or away from its case, it floats down to a solid surface. Separating the lid from the case, or breaking the case, permanently negates the orb’s magic.

The orb and case weight about 12 pounds.

[Edit: Screwed up the weight. Corrected.]

Magic Item: Moonshard Staff [S&W/Generic]

2009-06-09T06:44:00.004-04:00

This magic item is sort of a mid-level cleric's curing stick. None of the spells afforded the wielder are greater than 4th level, so it can't be used to raise adventurers back from the dead hand over fist. However, it does provide a decent supply of healing and curing.

MOONSHARD STAFF
The Moonshard Staff stands 5 feet tall and is made of polished white ash wood. The length of the staff features delicate inlaid silver filigree that winds its way down toward the bottom end, which is shod with a silver and iron cap and encrusted with a dozen tiny ebony skulls. The staff top sprouts several twisted roots carved to look like snakes. The roots hold a brilliant fist-sized moonshard gemstone. The Moonshard Staff holds 200 charges. Only clerics may use the staff.

The staff has the following magical properties (all as the cleric spells):

*Cure light wounds (1 charge)
*Cure disease (2 charges)
*Light (1 charge)
*Neutralize poison (2 charges)
*Purify food and drink (1 charge)
*Remove curse (2 charges)

Petunia Buttercup's Floral Shop [S&W/Generic]

2009-06-08T06:26:00.006-04:00

Another location from Vander's Post:

Petunia Buttercup's Fragrant Floral Garden

Petunia's flower shop is a single-floor building located in the Market district. Entering the shop, one is greeted with a scintillating bouquet of sweet flowers and incense. The shop's furnishings include a finely crafted sofa and several plush chairs located in an alcove, as well as a large rosewood table in the shop’s center. Petunia uses the table to arrange her floral displays, and the seating is offered for her customer's comfort if she's busy and they must wait for her full attention. The shop also has numerous small display tables, a writing desk, and a dozen or so hanging planters sporting an array of roses, tulips, black-eyed susans, mums, carnations and Petunia's favorite, petunias.

Opposite the entrance is a low doorway leading to Petunia's back garden, which spans 20 feet wide by 40 feet long. Visitors find several pathways winding through a gorgeous variety of flowers, plants and small trees. Brightly painted stones surround a shallow pool in the center of the garden; Petunia's pet goldfish call the pool home.

Petunia's floral arrangements are famous and her clientele comprises every social class. Despite her excellent reputation, Petunia charges reasonable prices for her services and she heartily offers tips and advice to fledgling green thumbs. Prices for typical mixed floral arrangements are 5 to 8 sp per bunch for tulips, mums and the like, 1 gp for a dozen roses, and as much as 5 gp for a dozen rarer flowers. Petunia sells seeds for all her flowers at 1 to 5 cp per two-dozen. Petunia also sells sticks of incense she makes from her flowers, usually at 1 cp per stick. Of special interest is Petunia's lavender incense. When a lavender incense stick is burned overnight, all those in the room (20’ x 20’ maximum room size) heal 1 extra hit point of damage. Petunia sells her “restful sleep” incense sticks for 20 gp each. Though they aren't magical, the lavender incense sticks were her grandmother's specialty and Petunia jealously guards the recipe for making them.

Encounter Idea: An important city guild master is having an affair with a rival's young daughter. The daughter is pledged to another, but she thinks her future husband is a brutish oaf. The secret affair has been going on for weeks, and the guild master sends his assistant to buy flowers for his young mistress from Petunia on a regular basis. Petunia knows of the affair, but considers it none of her business. However, when the guild master winds up dead in a canal, Petunia gets suspicious that the young woman's betrothed is somehow involved in the murder. When the news spreads across the city, Petunia lets slip to the PCs that the guild master was having an affair. Is the murder simply a jealous rival exacting bloody revenge? Is a more sinister plot covered up by the killing? Or did the guild master just get drunk and fall in the canal.

Petunia Buttercup, female halfling: AC 9 [10], HD ½, HP 3, Attack gardening tools (1d3), Save 18, Special none, CL/XP A/5.

Possessions: Spectacles, gardening tools, belt purse with 12 cp, 16 sp and 5 gp.

Personality/Description: Petunia is an elderly widowed halfling, cheerful, motherly and wise. Her two children, Bartholomew and Susanna, left home years ago to pursue lives as "thrill seekers" (as Petunia calls adventurers). She wears brightly colored dresses, a white apron, spectacles and gardening gloves. She has rosy cheeks, big green eyes, and graying corncob hair. She's been a gardener and florist since she was a young lass, picking up the trade from her grandmother Bessie. Petunia is a chatty woman, taking an interest in the affairs of all of her customers, and she always keeps a pot of hot herbal tea prepared for them. Her inquisitiveness and gentle bearing make Petunia a fine counselor and many locals come to her for personal advice or to reveal the latest gossip. Thus, Petunia is a good source of information that might otherwise be considered embarrassing or scandalous. Petunia has a deeply bred sense of ethics, however, so if she reveals information it's usually disguised as old wives' tales or vague metaphors.

Simonic's Scriptorium [S&W / Generic]

2009-06-03T06:29:00.011-04:00

A break from fire and blood and pus and goo today. :-)

Simonic's Scriptorium is located in the market district of Vander's Post (which you can read about here), the "home base" city for PCs in the Borderlands campaign.

Simonic's Scriptorium

Simonic is a scribe, cartographer and bookseller. Over the door to his shop hangs a wood sign resembling an opened scroll; faded paint on the sign reads "Simonic: Sage, Scribe & Scrollkeep." His shop is little more than a tiny closet squeezed between two houses in the Market District. There is a strong musty odor in his shop and the walls are lined with shelves filled to overflowing with books, papers, maps and scrolls. Quills, vials of colored ink, and sheets of parchment are scattered all over the place too. Filling most of the floor space of Simonic's establishment is a large oak table that he uses to both scribe texts and draw maps. On the table rests Simonic's prized possession: a painted globe that spins on a finely wrought brass clamp and stand. Since Simonic is a bit eccentric and absent-minded, he has written random notes and equations on the table over the years. Simonic lives in a similarly tiny apartment just down the road from his scriptorium.

Most of Simonic's books and scrolls detail the banal -- cartographic techniques, methods of parchment preservation, and similar disciplines. However, he does possess a few rather rare and astonishingly accurate maps of the region from centuries long past. Some of these highlight the locations of lost strongholds, dungeons, and other interesting locales. How he acquired these treasures Simonic does not say, although he does get a twinkle in his eye when asked such a question. He sells any of these maps to interested adventurers -- his asking price is 200 gp but he can be bargained down to 150 gp (he's made copies anyway). Simonic has no magical scrolls or books (unless the referee chooses otherwise), but he can sell adventurers "learnin' tomes," which detail a variety of subjects like alchemy, local history, herbal poultices, and religious lore. Each of these books costs 25 gp. Furthermore, Simonic is always interested in acquiring new books and maps. If adventurers offer to sell him any he pays between 5 and 10 gp for each book, scroll, or map (more if it's particularly old or valuable, obviously).

Encounter Idea: Simonic steals a map from a rival bookseller, hoping to make a copy and return the original before his rival notices. Unfortunately, his plot is discovered. Simonic pawns the map off on the PCs dirt-cheap and tells his rival that the PCs hired him to steal the map in the first place. The offended bookseller then hires a band of thugs (or skilled warriors) to hunt down the PCs and retrieve his stolen property. Unknown to all, the map actually contains a magically hidden clue pointing to a lost treasure. Of course, when the authorities find Simonic dead in his shop, the rival bookseller has made sure that all signs point to the PCs as the culprits.

Simonic the Thief: AC 6 [13]; HD 2 (1d6-1), hp 7; Attack short sword 1d6-1; Save 14; Move 12; Special thief abilities; CL/XP: 2/30.
Possessions: +2 amulet of defence (+2 to AC, short sword, fancy brass globe (value 175 gp), and a belt purse with 5d6 gp.
Personality/Description: Simonic is a wily, absent-minded, middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and a short cropped beard and moustache. He has bright blue eyes (the right one is lazy) and pearly white teeth. He typically wears well-worn scholarly robes, spectacles, sports a yellow cap with a blue feather, and keeps his short sword lashed to his waist in a rather frayed scabbard. Simonic was an adventurer for a short time in his early twenties, but a too-close-for-comfort encounter with an ogre's club left him dazed and suffering intermittent memory loss. To his credit, Simonic did bash some heads of his own while he traveled with the Blue Feather Bandits, so he's not afraid to use his weapon if pressed. However, he keeps the fact that he acquired his magical amulet from the dead body of a lone adventurer a close secret. Simonic killed the adventurer while he slept! While Simonic isn't the most altruistic scholar -- greed more than anything else motivates him -- he does have a talent and passion for scribing and map-making.

Which Fantasy Writer Am I?

2009-05-28T13:42:00.003-04:00

This online test has been making the rounds.

Your result for Which fantasy writer are you?

David Eddings (b. 1931)
-5 High-Brow, 17 Violent, -1 Experimental and 5 Cynical

Cool, I'm ... Low-Brow, Violent, Traditional and Cynical! Gimme beer now! *BEEELCH* :-)

Hmm. I guess it's not surprising considering Eddings is one of my fantasy guilty pleasures. Belgariad was pretty cool, but the rest of his work was a broken record skipping on the first track. :-)

You can take the test here.

New Look & System for the Borderlands Campaign

2009-05-26T18:58:00.003-04:00

Nothing new today except to note that I've changed the look of the blog, and the rule system I use will be changing. Not much of a change, really, but the campaign will switch from B/X D&D to Swords & Wizardry rules starting with the next session. None of the B/X stuff I have up here will disappear (in fact, more will probably come), but the blog rather will expand to include S&W specific material, as well other "systems of old" possibly if I feel the gumption to write multiple sets of stats and whatnot.

Cheers!

And no, I have no comments to add to ye olde-school gaming debate! :-)

House Rules: Combat [B/X]

2009-05-20T06:21:00.003-04:00

The following is a quick combat action reference I use for my games. There are a couple of changes to the combat system described in the Basic and Expert rulebooks (Fighting Shift and Defensive Parry, for example), but for the most part I run combat with limited house rules.

COMBAT ROUND ACTIONS

A combat round is ten seconds long and a combatant may choose any one of the following actions:

1. Move and do nothing else (may use running speed).
2. Retrieve an item stored in a backpack, sack, or other carried container.
3. Drink a potion (the potion must be in hand or in a potion belt).
4. Move and fire a missile weapon (attack, normal move allowed).
5. Cast a spell (attack, no move allowed, must have both hands free and be able to speak).
6. Move and fight with a melee weapon (attack, normal move allowed, now considered engaged in combat):
6A. If already engaged, move limited to: Fighting Shift (move 5’ in any direction) or Fighting Withdrawal (attack and move ½ speed backwards) or Retreat (turn away and move at more than ½ speed, no attack allowed, lose shield from AC, foe has +2 to hit)
6B. Engaged combatants who slay their foes are no longer engaged
6C. All-out defensive parry forgoes attack but gains -2 AC bonus for round (no move allowed)
7. Turn Undead (attack, normal move allowed, must have holy symbol and be able to speak).
8. Switch or draw weapon:
8A. Switching or drawing a weapon while engaged counts as your attack for the round
8B. Switching or drawing a weapon while un-engaged counts as your move for the round
9. Use a magic item (attack, no move allowed if using a spellcasting item).

Free Actions: Things like shouting brief phrases, glancing around to spot new enemies, or dropping a weapon, sack, backpack or torch do not require an action per se; they are called "free actions". A combatant may make one free action during a combat round without sacrificing any part of his normal action. If free actions are abused, the DM may rule that a free action uses up a combatant's entire action for the round.

Fighting Shift: Combatants may move 5’ per round when engaged with an enemy. Movement can occur before or after an attack. If a combatant’s move takes him 5’ away from an enemy, he moves immediately after his attack, not before. A combatant must have 5’ of open space to move into to perform a fighting shift.

Note: I primarily have the fighting shift option because we use miniatures at the table. It owes its existence to the "5-foot step" of 3rd edition and the "shift" in 4th edition.

Parrying (All-Out Defensive Parry): Parrying opponents' attacks is considered a normal part of melee combat and no special modifiers or adjustments are required. Ducking and weaving, shield blocks, weapon parries—these are all covered by a combatant's armor class and Dexterity modifier. However, a combatant may choose to make a special all-out defensive stance by foregoing his attack and focusing solely on parrying melee attacks against him. Doing so improves a combatant's AC by -2 against any engaged opponents for the round. A combatant cannot move at all when employing an all-out defensive parry and he does not gain the AC bonus on missile attacks made against him.

More About Feats [B/X]

2009-05-17T09:14:00.011-04:00

One way I control power creep with feats in my B/X game owes its existence to 4th edition D&D: at-will, encounter, and daily limitations. In 4th edition these limitations apply to "powers," but I use the concept for feats. 3rd edition D&D has too many "at-will" feats, or feats that apply whenever the player wants to use them. By divvying up feats into these three categories, I have a control mechanism so that the bonuses provided by feats don't get out of hand.

Here are some more B/X feats.

Brew Potion
Prerequisite: Level 3 spellcaster.
You can create a potion of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know and that targets one or more creatures. When you create a potion, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. The cost to brew a potion is its spell level x its caster level x 400 gp in raw materials. When you create a potion, you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell. Brewing a potion takes one day.

Cleave
Prerequisite: Power Attack.
If you kill a creature, you get an immediate, extra melee attack against another creature within reach. You cannot move before making this extra attack. The extra attack is with the same weapon and at the same to hit modifier as the attack that killed the previous creature. You can use this ability only once per combat.

Combat Casting
Prerequisite: Level 1 spellcaster.
You are adept at casting spells in combat. If you are hit with a weapon, suffer spell effects or damage of any kind, or are otherwise distracted before your spell is cast, you can make a Constitution check (roll Constitution or less on a d20) to avoid losing the spell. You can use this ability once per combat.

Dodge
During your turn in the combat round, you designate an opponent and receive a -1 Armor Class bonus against attacks from that opponent. The bonus applies for the remainder of the combat or until the opponent is slain. A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) also makes you lose this dodge bonus, such as being held, surprised, paralyzed and so forth.

Educated
Prerequisite: Intelligence 13+.
You have been educated at a fine school or by a wizened mentor. You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence checks to recall or recognize historically important events, people, places and items. You can use this ability at will.

Empower Spell
All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by one-half. Saving throws are not affected, nor are spells without random variables. You can empower only one spell per day.

Enhanced Turning
Prerequisite: Cleric class only.
Your turning ability affects a greater number of creatures. You add +1d6 hit dice to undead affected on a successful turning attempt. You can use this ability once per day.

Extend Spell
An extended spell lasts twice as long as normal. A spell that requires concentration to maintain, or is instantaneous or permanent in duration, is not affected by this feat. You can extend only one spell per day.

Fleet-Footed
Prerequisite: Dexterity 15+.
You move more quickly than others in a fight. Add 10 feet to your combat movement rate. Your movement outside of combat is unaffected. You can use this ability at will.

Great Cleave
Prerequisite: Cleave.
This feat works like Cleave, except that there is no limit to the number of times you can use it per round. As long as you keep killing foes with your extra melee attack, you can keep attacking until all foes within reach are slain or you don’t kill one of them. You can use this ability once per day.

Great Pierce
Prerequisite: Pierce.
This feat works like Pierce, except that there is no limit to the number of times you can use it per round. As long as you keep killing foes with your extra missile attack, you can keep attacking until all foes within short range are slain or you don’t kill one of them. You can use this ability once per day.

Healing Strength
Prerequisite: Cleric class only.
Your divine healing abilities are strong. You gain a +1 bonus to damage healed whenever you cast a cure spell. You can use this ability at will.

Inspired Turning
Prerequisite: Cleric class only.
Your turning attempts are more powerful. You gain a +1 bonus to turning checks. You can use this ability once per combat.

Maximize Spell
All variable, numeric effects of a spell modified by this feat are maximized. Saving throws are not affected, nor are spells without random variables. You can maximize only one spell per day.

Pierce
Prerequisite: Power Shot.
If you kill a creature, you get an immediate, extra missile attack against another creature within short range. You cannot move before making this extra attack. The extra attack is with the same missile weapon and at the same to hit modifier as the attack that killed the previous creature. You can use this ability only once per combat.

Power Attack
On your turn, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract up to -5 from your melee to hit rolls and add up to +5 to your melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed one-half your level. The penalty to hit and bonus damage apply until your next turn. You can use this ability once per combat.

Power Shot
On your turn, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract up to -5 from your missile to hit rolls and add up to +5 to your missile damage rolls. This number may not exceed one-half your level. The penalty to hit and bonus damage apply until your next turn. Power shot may only be used at short range. You can use this ability once per combat.

Scribe Scroll
Prerequisite: Level 5 spellcaster.
You can create a scroll of any spell that you know. When you create a scroll, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. The cost to make a scroll is its spell level x its caster level x 200 gp in raw materials. Scribing a scroll takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its price.

Spell Focus
Choose one spell you know. All creatures’ saving throws against that spell are penalized by -1. If no save is allowed, the damage is instead increased by +1 per die rolled when you cast the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw and deals damage, you can choose which is affected when you prepare the spell for the day (save or damage). Spells that don’t allow saves or don’t deal damage are unaffected by this feat. You can use this ability once per day.

Spell Mastery
Prerequisite: Elf or magic-user level 6+.
Choose a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier (number of bonus languages) that you already know. From that point on, you can prepare these spells without referring to a spellbook.

Spell Penetration
Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 3+.
Reduce a creature's magic resistance rating against spells you cast by 10%. You can use this ability once per day.

Spellcasting Savant
Prerequisite: Magic-user class only.
You can cast spells in armor. You reduce spell failure chances for casting spells in armor by 10%.

Stealthy
Prerequisite: Dexterity 15+.
You are stealthy. You gain a +1 bonus to surprise checks when you are alone (more than 60’ away from allies). If you wear armor heavier than studded leather you do not gain this bonus. You can use this ability at will.

Toughness
You gain 4 hit points each time you take this feat.

House Rules: Feats [B/X]

2009-05-14T21:11:00.008-04:00

One of the house rules I use in my Borderlands game is the inclusion of feats. In my opinion, feats are one of the intriguing "new-school" features of 3rd edition (and now 4th edition) D&D, and I want to incorporate them into my B/X games in an old-school way. In other words, I want the player characters to have the fun option of feats, but as DM I want to avoid the ridiculous power creep that seems to march right along side feats and player characters in the dungeons and caverns of the game.

Many of the feats I use are simpler or bare bones versions of those found in the d20 SRD. Others that I use are unique creations, ones with a bit of flair or what I like to think is old-school style. I realize that may be anathema to some grognards, but I do believe that with most new directions in game system design, one can still find a bit of old-school flavor if one scuffs up the glossy surface, or looks at the mechanical aspects through retro-colored lenses and works to keep the shiny widget in the spirit of the old game rules.

In my games, all 1st level characters receive one feat. Additional feats are gained at levels 4, 7, 10, 13, and so forth. Some feats have prerequisites and some don't -- depends on my whim and fancy when writing them! :-)

Here are a few of my B/X feats.

Hero Savvy
You gain a +3 bonus to any one d20 roll (to hit roll, saving throw, ability check, any d20 roll at all). You must declare the use of this feat before you roll. You can use this feat once per day.

Keen Hearing
You have very sensitive ears. Improve your chances to hear noises by 1-in-6. Example: a human with this feat and actively listening at a door will hear noises one-third of the time (1-2 on a d6); an elf with this feat and actively listening at a door will hear noises one-half of the time (1-3 on a d6). A thief with this feat adds 1 to his Hear Noise ability. You can use this ability at will.

Keen Sight
You are very observant. You find secret or concealed doors more aptly than most. Improve your chances to find such portals by 1-in-6. Example: a human with this feat and actively searching finds a door one-third of the time (1-2 on a d6); an elf with this feat and actively searching finds a door one-half of the time (1-3 on a d6). You can use this ability at will.

Luck of Heroes
You receive a +3 bonus on one saving throw. You can use this feat once per day. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your roll.

Screw the DM
Prerequisite: Spiteful toward DM.
The DM must re-roll any successful attack against you, and the re-roll has a -3 penalty. You can use this feat once per day.

Shadow Walker
Prerequisite: Dexterity 15+, thief class only.
You are extremely adept at moving silently and hiding in shadows. Once per day you can slip into the Plane of Shadows for 1 combat round. While in the shadow realm, you act as if you were under the effect of a dimension door spell, but you only travel up to 120 feet in any direction.

The Shining
You have a trace of the Shining in your blood, an unreliable gift as hard to command as a dream, which enables you to pick up echoes of the past both wondrous and terrible. Once per day, you can attempt to invoke a vision of the past tied to the local area where you are standing (within a few hundred feet). You must make a Wisdom check to invoke a vision—roll your Wisdom or less on a d20. An invoked vision serves to augment historical and empirical knowledge, providing a +3 bonus on any Intelligence or other ability checks the DM requires for you to learn something. The vision lasts for one minute but the bonus lasts for one turn or until you leave the general area.

And you are really spooked afterwards.

Treasure Seeker
You have an eye for treasure. Whenever you appraise the worth of gems, jewelry, artwork or other valuables, you gain a +1 bonus to any Intelligence (or other) checks secretly rolled by the DM. If you fail the check, the DM will not inform you but will still give you a value—essentially, you always think you appraise correctly. You can use this ability at will.

Wild Magic
Prerequisite: Elf or Magic-user classes only.
Your magical ability is wild and unpredictable. At the start of each day you roll d6 and consult the following:

1) You lose one daily spell, determine which level randomly.
2) One of your spells may fail when you cast it. Roll d6 whenever you cast a spell, a result of 1-2 indicates it automatically fails. Once a spell fails, no other spell will fail that day.
3) Your spellcasting ability functions normally for the day.
4) Your spellcasting ability functions normally for the day.
5) One of your prepared spells works twice for the day. Roll d6 whenever you cast a spell, a result of 5-6 indicates that spell works twice (you can cast it again). Once a spell works twice, no other spell will work twice again that day.
6) You gain one daily spell, determine which level randomly.

News and Notes

2009-05-14T13:44:00.010-04:00

A couple items today:

The Brave Halfling Publishing website is now live. Rush here now! Read more here before visiting if you like.

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. Work has been busy and other boring life stuff has gotten in the way of D&D fun.

I've also been poking away on an entry for the One Page Dungeon Contest. Unfortunately, I missed the deadline (I confuzzled midnight with 00:00 hours somehow). Oh well. I'll post my would-be entry here this weekend, modified as a Borderlands adventure.

Edit: Looks as if the One Page Dungeon Contest has been extended one week over the deadline confusion. I guess I won't be posting my entry here over the weekend after all! :-)

Christopher B of A Rust Monster Ate My Sword made a great post yesterday about the label of geek/nerd. Go visit his "The New Geek" blog entry for some intriguing reading, and a point of view I certainly identify with.

Monster: Skeletal Warrior [B/X]

2009-05-07T05:48:00.006-04:00

Skeletal Warrior
Armor Class: 7 (or 4, see below)
Hit Dice: 2+2*
Move: 60' (20')
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1-6+1 or by weapon +1
No. Appearing: 3-12 (3-30)
Save As: Fighter 2
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic

Skeletal warriors appear similar to other skeletons except their bones are blackish hued and they have an eerie purple glow in their eye sockets. Since the necromantic magic used to raise skeletal warriors is strong and vile, in addition to normal undead immunities, they have resistance to turning (turned as zombies), they suffer only half-damage from edged weapons, and they gain +1 to all damage rolls. Skeletal warriors usually wield scimitars or short swords, but 50% of the time they also have chainmail armor and shields (providing AC 4).

Monster: Thrall of Nivrashar [B/X]

2009-05-05T05:45:00.008-04:00

Thrall of Nivrashar
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5**
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 (longsword) or curse (see below)
Damage: 1d8 (plus lose 1 Strength) or 3d4 (plus -2 to all saves, from curse)
No. Appearing: 1-4 (0)
Save As: Fighter 5
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic

Thralls of Nivrashar (more commonly known as "nightshades") are wicked undead beings shrouded in tattered black cloaks, with shimmering red eyes. They wield long, black swords etched with evil runes that reflect no light. Nightshades don’t walk, rather they appear to glide effortlessly across the ground. When nightshades are destroyed their bodies dissolve into fine black ashes.

According to sages, nightshades are believed to be the evil undead manifestations of elite warrior-elves who were enslaved by the infamous dark elf sorcerer Nivrashar. Nivrashar fell in a cataclysmic arcane battle over 500 years ago, a battle which created the region of the Borderlands now known as the Blasted Moors. Nightshades stalk the Borderlands to this day, often attracted to (or some say summoned by) the power of evil sorcerers, priests, or even other undead creatures such as liches.

Nightshades are attracted to magic and they prowl dungeons, graveyards, and other areas that are rich in magical auras. Nightshades always attack magic-using or spellcasting enemies first—only when these foes are slain, do they move to attack other creatures. If in the service of a greater undead creature or an evil priest or sorcerer, nightshades collect magical items from their slain foes, returning the items to their master.

In addition to standard undead traits (immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells), nightshades have the following abilities:

Once per day, a nightshade can curse a single target within 30’ (otherwise as the clerical spell). The target is allowed a save vs. Spells to avoid the curse. A cursed creature suffers 3d4 hit points of damage from the negative enrgy coursing through its body and a permanent (until removed by remove curse) -2 to all saving throws.
A nightshade’s longsword deals 1 point of Strength damage (no save) with each successful hit—this is in addition to the normal 1d8 damage. A creature of 3 hit dice or more reduced to Strength 0 (or killed outright by damage) dies and rises as a nightshade in 24 hours. Creatures with less than 3 hit dice that are killed by a nightshade ... well, they're merely dead. No special status for them.
Nightshades can detect magic at will.
Nightshades suffer a -1 penalty to all attacks, damage and saves when in daylight. In addition, a light spell cast into the eyes of a nightshade will blind it for 1d4 rounds.
Because of the weapon’s pure vileness, any non-chaotic creature touching a nightshade’s sword automatically suffers 3d4 points of damage per round with no saving throw.

A cruel way to create a recurring NPC is to have any PC slain and risen as a nightshade (regardless of hit dice/level) hunt down his former allies one-by-one, both to steal their magic items and exact revenge for their obvious treachery!

House Rules: Multiclass Characters [B/X]

2009-05-01T06:14:00.003-04:00

MULTICLASS CHARACTERS
The following house rules cover multiclass characters.

Experience Points: Multiclass characters must divide their earned XP equally among both classes. Essentially, this means multiclass characters will rise in level somewhat slower than single class characters. Otherwise, multiclass characters gain levels normally in each individual class (except for hit points, see below). Multiclass characters never gain XP bonuses for high ability scores.

Ability Scores: To be able to multiclass, a character must meet the requirements of each class.

Hit Dice: When a multiclass character gains a level in one of his classes, he rolls hit dice normally to determine hit points except he must divide the total in half each time. A character will always gain one hit point when he gains a level, regardless of halving hit dice and any Constitution penalties.

Attack Rolls: Multiclass characters always choose the best attack roll matrix available to them.

Saving Throws: Multiclass characters always choose the most beneficial saving throw numbers available to them.

Restrictions: Multiclass characters must abide by the restrictions of all their classes. For instance, a cleric/fighter may not used edged weapons (unless the deity's favored weapon permits), a thief/fighter may not wear armor heavier than leather without incurring penalties to thieving abilities, and a magic-user/fighter may not wear armor at all without incurring spellcasting penalties.

Thief Armor Penalties: Leather (none), chain mail (-20% to all thief abilities), plate mail (-40%), shield (an additional -20%).
Magic-user Armor Penalties: Leather (25% spell fail), chain mail (50%), plate mail (75%), shield (an additional 25%).

Thief Penalties: Thieving abilities are reduced by this much, or the penalty may be applied to the thief's d% roll when using abilities while wearing heavy armor.
Spell Fail: When casting a spell wearing armor, the magic-user must roll d%. A result equal to or less than the listed % above results in a spell failure. Failed spells are lost and count towards daily uses.

Spellcasting: Multiclass cleric/magic-users cannot combine their spellcasting abilities. These characters must choose spells for each class separately, and using up the daily spells from one class has no influence on the daily spells of the other class. For purposes of caster level, consider each class separately. A 3rd level cleric/2nd level magic-user casts cleric spells as a 3rd level cleric and magic-user spells as a 2nd level magic-user—not as a 5th level spellcaster for both classes.

Borderlands Gazetteer: Eastern Borderlands Map

2009-04-28T18:42:00.007-04:00

Today we have the third of my "regional" maps of the Borderlands. I've tried again to get the colors a little fuller, and I noticed that doing so makes these maps look more and more like the maps from the 1st edition AD&D Forgotten Realms boxed set. Which is OK by me as those are actually my favorite set of maps of any of the campaign settings published by TSR, including the Darlene Flanaess maps -- although I still love the calligraphy of those ones. (Note: See Jeff's Gameblog here for a wonderful look at the Pekulish script detail of the Darlene maps.)

Fans of Necromancer Games will notice a few familiar names and a bit of geography. In addition to Bard's Gate, the pleasant little village of Fairhill turns up in the Borderlands, as does the infamous Rappan Athuk: Dungeon of Graves.

I plan to draw more localized maps of the Borderlands in the future. However, what areas get detailed largely depend on where the campaign sessions focus.

And yes, Yonder Bognie is named after a little village in Aberdeenshire in the northeast of Scotland. ;)

House Rules: Gnome Class [B/X]

2009-04-24T05:56:00.005-04:00

Here is my take on the gnome as a PC class. As with the half-orc, this has not been playtested, so use at your discretion.

GNOMES
Gnomes are short demi-humans, slightly taller and bulkier than halflings, but also shorter and thinner than dwarves. They weigh about 100 pounds. Their skin is ruddy brown-grey and their hair ranges from pure white to pale grey. Gnomes are capable miners, craftsmen, and engineers; they are particularly talented goldsmiths and jewelers. Gnomes build their homes in low, rocky hills or underground burrows, often in isolated wooded regions. Like their dwarven cousins, gnomes are highly resistant to magic. The Prime requisite for a gnome character is Strength. A Strength score of 13 to 15 earns a gnome a 5% bonus on experience points; Strength 16 or higher earns a 10% bonus.

Gnomes use the same experience point progression as dwarves, as well as dwarven saving throw and attack roll matrices.

RESTRICTIONS: Gnomes use six-sided dice (d6) to determine their hit points. They may advance to a maximum of 8th level. Gnomes may use any type of weapon or armor which has been “cut down” to their size. For example, they may use a warhammer or crossbow, but may not use a two-handed sword or a long bow. A gnome character must have a minimum Constitution score of 9.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Gnomes usually live underground and possess heat sensing vision (infravision) to 60 feet. Gnomes are also expert spelunkers and miners and are able to find slanting passages, traps, shifting walls, and new construction one-third of the time (1-2 on a d6). Gnomes hate all kobolds and goblins with a passion, having bitter rivalries with these creatures dating back many centuries. All gnomes gain a +1 bonus to attack AND damage rolls against kobolds and goblins. Gnomes speak gnomish and common, and they can also communicate with any burrowing mammal (such as badgers, ground squirrels, moles, and the like).

Borderlands Gazetteer: Central Borderlands Map

2009-04-21T19:31:00.003-04:00

Here is the second of three "overview" maps of the Borderlands. This one covers the central Borderlands. I've tried to get the colors a little brighter and robust this time around. I'll post the third map, the eastern Borderlands, next week.

I should probably point out that these maps all line up side-by-side-by-side, west to central to east. The images may not scale exactly, but they flow into one another horizontally. Just in case it wasn't obvious! :-)

Gazetteer entries for this region of the Borderlands, as well as entries covered by the other two maps, will appear here in the future. Since my players visit this blog from time-to-time, gazetteer entries will reveal only the basic information about locales, "common knowledge" if you will.

I'm not yet sure how I'll provide entries detailing secret DM-only info. One option is to tag the blog post as "DM's ONLY!" or some such. Another is to offer PDFs via e-mail. At any rate, I'll figure something out.

Borderlands Gazetteer: More Money, Calendars, and Moons

2009-04-20T17:53:00.006-04:00

GEMSTONES
Wealthier merchants use gemstones when they travel because they weigh less than coins. Although gemstones don’t always replace coins in a transaction, they do provide merchants with an easy way to exchange large sums of money without lugging around sacks full of coins. Listed below are the names and values of gemstones unique to the Borderlands region.

Blue Shalphin: A deep blue and green gemstone found only in the Heartstone Mountains. Average value is 50 gp for a coin-sized gem.
Moonshard: A white stone streaked with silver-colored veins; believed to have come from Astrid's moon and possess healing properties. Average value is 500 gp for a pearl-sized stone.
Sunstone: A red and orange crystalline rock flecked with black patches. Average value is 100 gp for a fist-sized rock.
Ylazarite: A clear, pinkish-white gemstone coveted by wizards for its powerful magical properties. Average value is 1,000 gp for a coin-sized gem.

LETTERS OF CREDIT
Ulfedran and Bard’s Gate moneychangers issue letters of credit to clients who have good-standing accounts. The value of these letters can range from a few hundred silver pieces to thousands of gold pieces. If a client fails to keep up his good credit or falls hopelessly into debt, those he owes money to may seize his account and possessions in compensation.

TRADE BARS
Trade bars, often called ingots, are used in place of coins for large transactions, usually in the thousands of silver or gold piece range. The trade bar is the rarest form of wealth exchange in the Borderlands, issued only by the mints in Bard’s Gate and the Grand Duchy of Ulfed. Standard trade bar values are 1,000 to 5,000 silver pieces. Gold trade bars have similar denominations.

CALENDAR
The calendar of the Borderlands, known as the Ulfedran Calendar, is identical to the modern Gregorian calendar. The calendar was established six years after the founding of the Ulfedran Empire, and back-dated to the ascension of the first emperor, Trajaan. Twelve months comprise a “turn” (or year) of the calendar, with four months of 30 days, one month with 28 days, and seven months of 31 days. Every four turns an extra day is added to the month of Februar—such turns are known as Chaos Turns.

The months, in order (days in parenthesis): Januar (31), Februar (28), Marz (31), April (30), Mai (31), Juni (30), Juli (31), August (31), September (30), Oktober (31), November (30), Dezember (31). A week consists of seven days, beginning on Birgitstag and ending on Dagmarstag. The days in between are Huloranstag, Ulricstag, Volundstag, Astridstag, and Freyastag. These names remain fixed in the Borderlands (being named after Northern gods) even though they aren’t the official names of the days on the Ulfedran calendar.

Although the Ulfedran Empire fell roughly five hundred turns ago, the Ulfedran calendar remains the definitive source for the reckoning of turns in all lands of the North. The current turn is 1189 of the Ulfedran calendar.

THE TWO MOONS
Two moons exist in the heavens of the Borderlands: Astridsmond and Chaosmond; or, as they are more commonly known, Astrid’s Moon and the Chaos Moon. Astrid’s Moon appears regularly and predictably in the sky and her cycles reflect the development of the Ulfedran Calendar, which finds use throughout the Borderlands. The Chaos Moon, however, is entirely unpredictable and no observer can accurately track its patterns, except to note that the Chaos Moon is always full on two nights each year—the Night of Witchcraft (mid-autumn) and the Night of Mystery (mid-spring).

Once gain, I must tip my cool stolen idea hat to the Warhammer world for the two moon stuff. :-)

Borderlands Gazetteer: A Bit of Politics & History

2009-04-17T06:46:00.003-04:00

This morning we have some rough notes on the major political movers and shakers in the Borderlands. The city of Bard's Gate mentioned here is, of course, the same city (although I've altered it quite a bit to fit my campaign) detailed in the Necromancer Games supplement Bard's Gate (scroll down a bit on the Necro "products page" link to find out more).

BORDERLANDS POLITICS

The Grand Duchy of Ulfed is the major military and political power in the Borderlands, even though the realm is not technically part of the region (the Grand Duchy is many miles south of the Borderlands). Grand Duke Godric von Thorn considers himself the rightful ruler of the Borderlands, although most Borderlanders scoff at this grandiose claim knowing full well he has neither the political backing nor the military might to enforce his will upon the entire region. However, Duke Godric does maintain considerable influence through strong economic ties to the city of Bard’s Gate and a large garrison of troops at Ebonstone Keep. These soldiers are under the command of Count Frederick, who is married to Duke Godric’s cousin Drusilla.

The only other major political player in the Borderlands is the city of Bard’s Gate, or rather its ruling merchant houses are. The houses not only have trade agreements with the Grand Duke, but also with the dwarves of Dreb Mar, the Miner’s League of Vander’s Post, the gnomes of Glimbuldor, and the far off Barony of Hrulgor. The merchant houses also maintain a large standing army in Bard’s Gate, significantly larger than the garrison at Ebonstone Keep. However, they do not have the vast reserves of the Grand Duchy of Ulfed to call upon if war arises, and so Duke Godric knows he can keep the merchant houses in check. Clearly though the merchant houses of Bard’s Gate have the nerve (and the bankrolls) to at least spar with the Duke in the political arena.

To the west of the Borderlands lies the Barony of Hrulgor, a realm that was once part of a union of petty baronies dominated by the Grand Duchy of Ulfed after the fall of the Ulfedran Empire. Hrulgor split from the Baronies of Ulfed (as the union was called) in a civil war over a hundred years ago. The Grand Duchy warred against Hrulgor to halt its secession. However, the protracted ten-year campaign significantly drained resources in both realms and was ended when Duke Gofred von Tharn was slain by a great bear that rampaged through his encampment on the borders of Hrulgor. The nobles of Hrulgor still hold strong hatred for their counterparts in the Grand Duchy.

Borderlands Gazetteer: Western Borderlands Map

2009-04-13T18:03:00.005-04:00

I was finally able to scan my first "re-done" campaign map of the Borderlands today at work. (Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner at home. Drats.) I say "re-done," as the Borderlands have gone through several geographical "versions" over the years and each has had its own hand-drawn map. Most are just pencil skethes, but for this new campaign I wanted an old-school, tacky, hand-drawn and colored map. Like the ones I used to draw with pencil and crayon back in the early-to-mid eighties. Only using pencil and pencil crayons for coloring this time, not actual kiddie wax crayons! :-)

At any rate, this map covers most of the western Borderlands, which is the main area of the campaign. You'll see two different fonts on this map: a crappy hand-written one (done by me directly on the map, pre-scanning) indicating Vander's Post, the Keep, Crosspike, and various keys and titles on the edges of the map; and a cleaner one added via Photoshop indicating numerous other place names (much nicer).

I figured since I'm blabbing about the campaign setting here, I'd better bloody-well get around to posting a damn map! :-)

Borderlands Gazetteer: Deities & Demigods

2009-04-12T14:51:00.003-04:00

Listed below are the major human gods of the Borderlands. A few names might be familiar to readers -- Freya, Kyuss, and Ulric. Freya was borrowed from the fine folks at Necromancer Games, specifically the module Crucible of Freya. Kyuss, of course, is familiar to Greyhawk fans. Ulric is yet another one of my lifts from the wonderful world of Warhammer.

All demihuman gods worshiped in the Borderlands are taken straight from the Best of Dragon 3 -- specifically the excellent Point of View articles written by Roger Moore.

Note that each of the gods listed has an alignment corresponding to the nine-alignment graph found in OD&D and AD&D. I use this alignment graph in my B/X D&D campaign rather than just the bare bones lawful-neutral-chaotic alignment options.

One final note: The god of thieves named Osiric should in no way be confused with the retro-clone ruleset OSRIC ("Old School Reference and Index Compilation"). I'm not calling anyone a thief on the sly or trying to be clever, or anything of the sort. I love the old-school retro clone games released in the last few years--Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, Swords & Wizardry, and so on. The name Osiric is merely a bastardization of the Anglo-Saxon kings named "Osric," and has been part of my Borderlands campaign for years, long before the "old-school renaissance" blossomed on the intarwebs.

Just a little preemtive clarification!

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HUMAN RELIGION
Throughout the Borderlands, people respect and fear the divine powers. Deities take an active role in the world, promoting the causes they favor, watching over the domains for which they are responsible, and constantly seeking to increase (or at least defend) their temporal power by protecting their worshippers and encouraging the active expansion of their faiths. Zealous individuals may deny the influence of certain gods or, if demanded by their faith, actively fight against a rival church. But nearly all Borderlanders believe the gods are very real, very powerful, and are the ultimate controllers of fate. Most people have a patron deity—one whom they primarily worship—but all the gods are venerated, honored, or feared (as appropriate) for their respective portfolios.

Each of the races worships its own pantheon of gods. Presented here are human gods.

Astrid, Goddess of the Moon, Stars, Fate and Time
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Typical Worshipers: Wizards, sorcerers, astrologers, seers
Symbol: Silver star
Favored Weapon: Mace

Birgit, Goddess of Fire, Music and Poetry
Alignment: Chaotic good
Typical Worshipers: Bards, rogues, entertainers
Symbol: Licking flame
Favored Weapon: Short sword

Dagmar, Goddess of Trade, Prosperity and Mercantilism
Alignment: Neutral good
Typical Worshipers: Professionals, merchants, moneylenders, craftsmen
Symbol: Abacus or coins
Favored Weapon: Dagger

Deamma, the Earthmother
Alignment: Neutral
Typical Worshipers: Barbarians, druids, rangers, foresters, farmers
Symbol: Two joined trees forming a circle
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Eldreth, Goddess of Tyranny, Suffering and Pain
Alignment: Lawful evil
Typical Worshipers: Evil fighters, monks, wizards, sorcerers, slavers
Symbol: Multi-tailed barbed whip
Favored Weapon: Scourge

Folcoer, God of Knowledge, Learning and Magic
Alignment: Neutral good
Typical Worshipers: Bards, wizards, sorcerers, scholars, alchemists, scribes
Symbol: Open book or scroll
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Freya, Goddess of Love and Fertility
Alignment: Neutral good
Typical Worshipers: Farmers, female fighters, lovers
Symbol: Golden crucible
Favored Weapons: Longsword, longbow

Huloran, God of the Sea and Storms
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Typical Worshipers: Fishermen, sea merchants, sailors
Symbol: Trident, circular crested wave
Favored Weapon: Trident

Kyuss, God of Undeath, Decay and Unholy Flesh
Alignment: Neutral evil
Typical Worshipers: Evil wizards, sorcerers, fighters, evil humanoids, undead, monsters
Symbol: Human skull with writhing green worms
Favored Weapon: Club

Loden, God of Greed, Vanity and Hedonism
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Typical Worshipers: Rogues, bards, vain nobles, lustful youth
Symbol: Mirror and silk mask
Favored Weapon: Rapier

Magnus, God of Hunting, Beasts, Forests and the Wild
Alignment: Chaotic good
Typical Worshipers: Rangers, fighters, hunters, trappers
Symbol: Bow and three arrows
Favored Weapon: Spear or longbow

Maida, Goddess of Healing, Mercy and Forgiveness
Alignment: Lawful good
Typical Worshipers: Healers, wetnurses, herbalists, mothers
Symbol: Three hands held in a circle
Favored Weapon: Mace

Mathias, God of Wisdom, Travel and Contemplation
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Typical Worshipers: Monks, seers, philosophers, wanderers
Symbol: Crossed staves
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Mortis, God of the Dead, Tombs and Guardian of Souls
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Typical Worshipers: Morticians, grave diggers, lawyers
Symbol: Jawless skull
Favored Weapon: Scythe

Odamar, the Creator, God of Light and the Sun
Alignment: Lawful good
Typical Worshipers: All walks of life, particularly ascetics
Symbol: Shield emblazoned with the rising sun
Favored Weapon: Mace

Osiric, God of Rogues, Shadows, Games and Deception
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Typical Worshipers: Rogues, thieves, cutthroats, bounty hunters, vagabonds
Symbol: Knotted rope
Favored Weapon: Crossbow and dagger

Tancred, God of Justice, Honor, Nobility and War
Alignment: Lawful good
Typical Worshipers: Nobility, knights, paladins, fighters, monks
Symbol: Flaming sword
Favored Weapon: Greatsword

Torvax, God of Destruction, Hatred and Slaughter
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Typical Worshipers: Evil barbarians, fighters, soldiers, evil humanoids
Symbol: Spiked gauntlet (clenched fist)
Favored Weapon: Greataxe

Ulric, God of Wolves, Battle and Winter
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Typical Worshipers: Fighters, rangers, warriors, mercenaries, hunters
Symbol: Wolf
Favored Weapon: Maul

Vodrath, God of Betrayal, Secrets and Evil Magic
Alignment: Neutral evil
Typical Worshipers: Evil wizards and sorcerers
Symbol: Flaming crystal ball
Favored Weapon: Dagger

Volund, God of the Forge and Smithing
Alignment: Lawful Good
Typical Worshipers: Fighters, smiths, craftsmen
Symbol: Anvil
Favored Weapon: Warhammer

House Rules: Half-Orc Class [B/X]

2009-04-12T12:31:00.007-04:00

Here is my take on the half-orc as a player character class for B/X D&D. I haven't had anyone playtest this yet, so make of it what you will.

Half-orcs find life extremely tough in the Borderlands. Not only must they survive the harsh environment and savage monsters, but they also face strong prejudice from just about every other race inhabiting the region. Their orc blood taints their fate, and a half-orc must work twice as hard as anyone else to gain respect and acceptance in the wild frontier.

HALF-ORCS

Half-orcs are the offspring of one human and one orc parent. Myopic and emotional creatures, in one moment half-orcs are surly, foul-tempered brutes, given to fits of violence and rage. The next moment, they are quiet and unassuming, preferring to fade into the background unnoticed. Behaving with discipline or forethought is beyond the ken of half-orcs. They do instinctively understand strength and power, though, and are very capable of intimidating (and being intimidated by) others.

The prime requisite for a half-orc is Strength. A half-orc with a Strength score of 13 to 15 gains a 5% bonus on earned experience; Strength 16 or higher earns a 10% bonus.

RESTRICTIONS: Half-orcs use six-sided dice (d6) to determine hit points. They may advance to a maximum of 12th level of experience. Half-orcs may use any type of weapon and armor, and may use shields. Half-orcs use the Fighter experience point progression, as well as saving throw and attack roll matrices. A half-orc character cannot have a Charisma score greater than 13.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Half-orcs have infravision, which allows them to see up to 60 feet in the dark. Half-orcs speak orcish and the common tongue, and may have any bonus languages except dwarven, elven, and secret languages. As savagely-born warriors, half-orcs are quick to act in a fight—they always gain a +1 bonus to individual Initiative checks regardless of Dexterity. Half-orcs are also stealthy and elusive at times, gaining a 10% chance to hide in shadows and move silently (used exactly like the thief abilities) at 1st level. This chance increases by 5% every level gained thereafter.

Borderlands Gazetteer: Languages & Coinage

2009-04-10T22:51:00.003-04:00

The following are notes on human and demihuman languages, as well as common coins used in the Borderlands.

LANGUAGES

These are languages of special interest to player characters. Other languages exist in the Borderlands, such as orcish, goblin, giant-tongue (and so forth), but do not require any special notes.

Arcana (Sencyr): The secretive arcane tongue of wizards and sorcerers, it is a complicated mix of words and symbols. Uses a unique symbol alphabet.

Common (Low Ulfedran): Language spoken by the vast majority of common folk throughout the Borderlands. Uses the ulfedran alphabet.

Dark Tongue (Krahk-Druhl): Harsh tongue of the great orcs and trolls of the Borderlands. Unlike orcish, it has few tribal dialects. Uses the foul druhlak alphabet.

Druidic (Frondhal): Secretive tongue of the druids. Uses the frondhal alphabet.

Dwarven (Khazad): Tongue of the dwarves of Dreb Mar. Uses the dwarven alphabet.

Elven (Quelnath): Spoken by the moon elves. Uses the elven alphabet.

Gnomish (Waglim): Language of the gnomes of the Borderlands. Uses the dwarven alphabet.

Halfling (Boradas): Language spoken by the halflings of the Borderlands. Uses the low ulfedran (common) alphabet.

Thieves’ Cant (Pritt): Secret tongue used by thieves’ guilds and rogues. It is not a written language.

Ulfedran (High Ulfedran): Language of the Grand Duchy of Ulfed and the Barony of Hrulgor. Ulfedran is usually spoken only by the clergy and nobility in the Borderlands. Uses the ulfedran alphabet. Common is descended from ulfedran.

Wild Elven (Nedhral): Spoken by the wild elves of Nandruir. Does not have an alphabet, as it is not a written language.

COINAGE

The standard coinage of the Borderlands is as follows:

1 Platinum Star (pp) = 10 Gold Crowns (gp)
or 100 Silver Swords (sp)
or 1,000 Copper Shields (cp)

The coinage standard rate is based on the currency of the Grand Duchy of Ulfed. Ulfedran minted coins are accepted everywhere in the Borderlands, including Bard’s Gate, although the city mints its own coins as well. Bard’s Gate coins have roughly the same value as Ulfedran coins, but they are not as widely accepted in isolated rural communities, especially in the western tracts of the Borderlands. The Barony of Hrulgor also mints its own coins in the city of Highport. These coins have slightly less value than those of the Grand Duchy. Mithril coins, minted long ago by the dwarves of Gheledum, rarely find their way into circulation. A mithril coin is roughly the size of a modern dime and worth 10 platinum stars.

Other forms of wealth exchange exist in the Borderlands, but are rarer. These include gemstones, letters of credit, and trade bars.

House Rules: Fate Points

2009-04-10T15:10:00.004-04:00

One house rule I've used in all my D&D games (since I lifted the idea from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay back in the mid-80s) is the Fate Point Rule.

FATE POINTS

Fate Points represent the favor of the gods, the fickle hand of Fate, sheer blind luck, or perhaps something else altogether. In any case, it is your ability—or rather your special trait as a hero—to avert danger and cheat death.

Whenever something bad happens to you, you can spend a Fate Point to overcome it. If you burn horribly from a dragon’s fiery breath, if you fail a saving throw against a spider’s poison, if you fall into a bottomless pit, if your nervous system shorts out when teleported to the plane of eternal pain and death—these are the kinds of things you spend a Fate Point to avoid. Most of these are “certain death” examples. That’s what you should spend a Fate Point to do—avoid dying! The DM will decide what the result is when you spend a Fate Point.

Alternatively, you can spend a Fate Point to re-roll any one die roll. It may be an attack roll, damage roll, saving throw, any roll at all. You may decide to re-roll after the original roll is made, but you must use the result of the re-roll, even if it is worse.

All 1st level characters receive two Fate Points. Once you use a Fate Point it’s gone forever—it cannot be recovered by any means. When you have spent all your Fate Points, you have exhausted your heroic ability to cheat fate. Fate Points are powerful things, use them wisely!

Borderlands Gazetteer: Vander's Post

2009-04-06T21:11:00.009-04:00

A rather lengthy post today, the write up for the main "home base" for PCs in my Borderlands campaign -- Vander's Post.

As a side note, you aficionados of the old Citybook series by Flying Buffalo Inc. (part of the "All-System Catalyst Series" along with the famous Grimtooth's Traps) may recognize a couple of the establishments in Vander's Post. I love those old Flying Buffalo books, particularly Citybook 1 -- two locations in Vander's Post are from this treasured piece of my gaming collection. I'll let you guess which ones. :-)

As a second side note, you may notice unfamiliar deities alongside more familiar ones (from the Best of Dragon 3). Volund and Dagmar are deities which will be detailed later on in this blog sometime.

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VANDER’S POST

Political Structure: Independent city-state (large town)

Alignment: Neutral

Economy: Mining and trade

Population: 12,120

Racial Mix: Human 58%, dwarf 29%, halfling 6%, gnome 4%, half-orc 1%, half-elf 1%, elf 1%

Banner: Black miner’s pick on red field

Colors: Black and red

Vander's Post is a tough frontier mining town located on a tributary of the Silver Run River, named after a legendary man who carved out a homestead in the region a few hundred years ago. That simple homestead grew over the years to the bustling, riotous town that is now Vander's Post. It is said by the locals that Vander was the size of a bear, could eat as much as a bear, and had a growl that would send the most fearsome grizzly running into the night like a frightened alley cat.

The town's economy is almost entirely based on iron, gems, and precious metals mined in the foothills of the Heartstone Mountains. The taverns of Vander's Post are famous for fights as well as fare, and the ruling Council of Five looks favorably on adventurers who spend looted dungeon coin hand over fist in the town's establishments. Vander's Post maintains a notoriously fierce militia, which isn't surprising considering the number of adventurers that visit and the overflowing populations of orcs, trolls, and giants in the mountains nearby. The militiamen are well equipped, well paid, and expertly trained—these aren't your average city watch hooligans. Numerous adventuring companies are based out of Vander's Post, the most famous of which is Trugard's Troll Slayers—a hell bent gang of drunkards given to fighting each other in the taverns and streets as much as they are to skinning trolls.

Vander's Post is divided into five districts: Market District, Council District, Dwarftown, Hallow District, and City Square. The Market District is the second-largest district, and is home to almost all of the shops, taverns, and businesses in the city. The Council District is the smallest part of the city, with all of the official government buildings and offices, as well as the city library. Dwarftown isn't really a district so much as a section of town with a large dwarf population—the name isn't official, but a moniker the locals attach to the area. The Hallow District is the "poor" neighborhood, home to the less fortunate residents, as well as run-down buildings and seedy inns and taverns. City Square is purely residential and the largest district of the city. The richest citizens live in "The Grove"—a hill in the center of the district with lush, tree-lined avenues.

Politics: The Council of Five rules Vander's Post. They are elected every three years and each councilor is usually the head of one of the city's various trade guilds. A majority vote on the council is needed for any edict to be made law. Any citizen in Vander's Post can put forth an edict, however he needs a petition with at least five hundred signatures before the council even considers it. Councilors can freely proclaim edicts at any time. The current councilors are Iyalar Niwarn of the blacksmith's guild (female human), Castar Pel of the merchant's guild (male human), Haklaz Huinstone of the engineer's guild (male dwarf), Fragar Grondak of the city militia (male dwarf), and Jerrin Baar of the miner's guild (male human).

The populace of Vander's Post generally believes that the Council shouldn't "interfere" with day-to-day life. Most social and political organizations in the town are operated by the guilds. The Council funds various city commissions, such as the Public Works Commission, the Health and Welfare Commission, and the Trade and Taxation Commission (the least popular by a long shot), but a single guild or a collective of guild representatives invariably runs these commissions. Because of the influence of the guilds in Vander's Post, taxes are rather low—and haven't, in fact, been raised on over ten years.

Law: There are very few laws in Vander's Post, and most that are on the books regulate how the guilds are able to control their various members’ business activities and account for their revenues. Crimes of business include tax or guild due evasion, operating a business without guild sanction (a grievous offence punishable by public flogging), giving short measure in a transaction, and falsifying accounting rolls. Punishments range from a fine (usually five times the amount owed) to public flogging to imprisonment. Public crimes, those against the city or people and their property, include assault, rioting (loosely enforced), public drunkenness (never enforced), arson, rape, murder, theft, and similar offences. Punishments for these crimes range from fines to imprisonment to expulsion from the city. Executions are rare in Vander's Post, as the townsfolk have a tendency to help even murderers find their way "out of town" dead or alive. Several years ago, the Council passed an edict making it illegal to usher criminals outside the city walls hog-tied with strips of heavily spiced meat wrapped about them. It seems local bears and wolves suffered digestive problems.

Religion: There are numerous churches in Vander's Post. The largest are dedicated to Volund (god of the Forge) and Dagmar (goddess of Trade) in the Market District, with mid-sized temples and smaller shrines for most of the other good and neutral human gods scattered throughout the city. There is also a large temple for Berronar, Clanggedin, and other dwarven gods in Dwarftown.

Economy: Like the political arena, the economy of Vander's Post is dominated by the guilds. The most powerful guild is the Miner's League, led by the tough talking human Jerrin Baar. His league has the largest membership of any guild in the city and it is responsible for almost half of the city's entire income. Other notable guilds include the Loyal Order of Blacksmiths, the League of Merchants and Traders, the Indefatigable Fraternity of Engineers and Wankelers, and the Truehearted Brotherhood of Wheelwrights. The city militia also has its own influential guild, suitably named the Militiamen. The most profitable exports from Vander's Post include silver, iron, gems, granite, weapons, and armor. Most agricultural foodstuffs are imported as the surrounding lands have poor soil and yield minimal crops. A popular local moonshine nicknamed Rockguts is beginning to catch on in nearby towns and villages. There are several recipes floating about these communities but none match the sheer potency of the Vander's Post original.

All goods and services are available in Vander's Post at standard prices, except for clothing (150% standard), mounts and related gear (120% standard), and food, drink, and lodging (120% standard).

Organizations: As noted above, the guilds dominate Vander's Post. In addition to the guilds, there are three notable organizations in Vander's Post: the Silent Brotherhood, the Independent Society of Dungeoneers, and the Black Watch.

The Silent Brotherhood is a network of rogues, cut-throats and thieves that operate out of several seedy establishments in Vander's Post—most notably the Laughing Rat's Ass, a true dive in the Hallow District. The brotherhood has its fingers in many pies in the city, and has even managed to blackmail several councilors over the years that have had the misfortune to engage in secret affairs with brotherhood agents. Fragar Grondak has made it his personal mission to squash the brotherhood's activities.

The Independent Society of Dungeoneers is a loose group of adventuring companies based in Vander's Post. From time to time, these bands venture forth into the foothills of the Heartstone Mountains to hunt down orcs, trolls, giants, and other monsters. Several of these companies have been granted generous plots of land or paid exorbitant sums of tax money by the Council of Five in exchange for their monster hunting services.

Lastly, the Black Watch is an elite branch of the town militia. These soldiers are as tough as they come, grim, and utterly devoted to the city. The Black Watch and the Society of Dungeoneers have a heated rivalry, and the two groups are not overly fond of one another. Their annual goblin pitball matches draw huge crowds and support massive betting rings within the city.

Notable Establishments: Mafled's Silver Tankard (finest alehouse in the city), Sleaz's Tattoo Parlor (twin orc tattoo artists), Harblagh's Fortunes (half-orc fortune teller, abused by locals), Grimbul’s Dwarven Arms (a dwarf weaponsmith and armorer), the Dead Troll Tavern (a notoriously seedy dive popular with adventurers, run by the human Borz Gast), the Brickhouse Brewery (run by Vendum and Gar, gnome and dwarf brewers), the Diamond Spider Tavern (run by the human Spider Braz), and the Gentle Riposte (a high class tavern frequented by the five councilors, run by the elf Aristella Larona).

House Rules: Classes [B/X]

2009-03-30T06:13:00.011-04:00

This morning we have the Borderlands campaign house rules for classes.

CLERICS
RESTRICTIONS: Clerics must tithe a minimum of 10% of all treasure gained to their church. Clerics may also use the favored weapon of their deity even if it is an edged or piercing weapon.
SPELLS: Good-aligned clerics may freely swap any daily spell for a cure spell of the same level or lower. Chaotic-aligned clerics may freely swap any daily spell for a cause spell of the same level or lower. The original spell is lost for the day and replaced by the cure or cause spell.

The cleric spell progression table is changed from page X5 of the Cook/Marsh edition Expert Rulebook to the table on page 4 of the Mentzer edition Expert Rulebook. The table is shown to the right. In addition, clerics may gain extra spells per day for having exceptional wisdom scores. See the wisdom table in this post.

DWARVES
GIANT-FOES: Dwarves are especially hateful toward giant creatures and have developed special fighting techniques against them. Dwarves gain a bonus of -2 to their AC whenever they fight giants, titans, ogres, and trolls.

ELVES
WARRIOR SPIRIT: Elves gain a +1 bonus to hit when using short and longswords OR short and longbows, player choice.

FIGHTERS
WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: Fighters choose one weapon to focus their martial training on by 3rd level. This specialization gains them a +1 bonus to hit and +1 to damage with the chosen weapon at 3rd level. At 9th level, fighters gain an extra attack every two rounds (3 attacks per 2 rounds) and a further +1 bonus to damage (+1 to hit/+2 damage per attack). Upon reaching 15th level, fighters are able to attack twice per round with a +1 bonus to hit and +3 bonus to damage.

The benefits apply only when using the specialist weapon. A fighter cannot change his specialist weapon once it’s chosen.

HALFLINGS
HIDING: A halfling’s chance to hide in dungeon environments (one-third chance) also applies to urban environments. The halfling must have some cover or shadows and remain perfectly quiet and still.

MAGIC-USERS
SPELLS: Magic-users gain bonus spells per day for having high Intelligence. Use the Intelligence table (from this post) to determine a magic-user’s bonus spells.
SPELLBOOKS: A magic-user may at any time add a new spell he comes across in written form (typically scrolls and other spellbooks) to his spellbook, provided the following three conditions are met:

1) The magic-user reads the scroll or spellbook page with read magic to identify the spell.
2) The magic-user makes a successful d% check to copy the spell into his spellbook (see the Intelligence table here).
3) The magic-user has sufficient pages in his spellbook to write the spell, and he spends 4 hours (and 50 gp—in special inks, materials, and research) per page copying the spell into his spellbook. The maximum time a magic-user can spend in a day copying spells is 8 hours—any more time and the magic-user just cannot focus or concentrate well enough to accomplish the painstakingly delicate work.

If the magic-user fails to meet any of the conditions above, the spell copying process fails and the scroll becomes useless (and the spell on it is wasted). Once a spell is successfully copied into a spellbook from a scroll, the spell on the scroll is considered harmlessly “cast” and the scroll becomes useless. If the spell is being copied from another spellbook, the failure and success results are slightly different. On a failed copying attempt, the pages the spell is written on in the spellbook are permanently ruined, and that spell can never be copied again. If successful, the spell remains intact in the spellbook and can be copied again later by a different magic-user (using the same procedure).
SPELLBOOK PAGES: Each spell in a spellbook takes up a specific number of pages. The pages are equal to 1d4 + the level of the spell. Thus, a 2nd level spell takes up from 3 to 6 pages in a book, and a 5th level spell takes up from 6 to 9 pages. Standard spellbooks given to apprentice magic-users by their masters have 100 pages to start, but more pages may be added later at a cost of 10 gp per page. If a spellbook is ruined or destroyed, the costs to replace it are listed on page X11 of the Expert Rulebook.
WEAPONS ALLOWED: In addition to daggers, magic-users may also use quarterstaffs and slings.

THIEVES
THIEF ABILITIES: The base chances for the successful use of thief abilities are recalculated at 1st level:

Open Locks: 10%
Find/Remove Traps: 10%
Pick Pockets: 10%
Move Silently: 10%
Climb Sheer Surfaces: 60%
Hide in Shadows: 10%
Hear Noise: 1-2 (d6)

DISCRETIONARY POINTS: At 1st level, a thief gains 60 discretionary points to assign to his abilities. No more than 30 points may be assigned to any single ability. Hear Noise is an exception and cannot be raised at 1st level.
IMPROVEMENT BY LEVEL: As a thief gains new levels, he gets 30 points to assign to his thief abilities. No more than 15 points may be added to any single ability at each level and no ability can ever rise above 95%. The Hear Noise ability is an exception again. For every 10 points assigned to it, the thief gains a 1-in-6 chance to hear noises. Hear Noise can never rise above a 1-5 chance. At the DM’s discretion, thieves can assign only 5 points to Hear Noise, but must do so two levels in a row before gaining an improvement.
NO ARMOR: A thief who chooses to wear no armor at all gains a +5% bonus to all his thief abilities, except Hear Noise (which is unaffected).
DEXTERITY ADJUSTMENTS: A thief’s abilities are modified by his Dexterity score (see the Dexterity II table here).

House Rules: Expanding Ability Scores 2 [B/X]

2009-03-28T19:46:00.016-04:00

As I posted earlier in the week, I use expanded ability scores in my Borderlands campaign. Today, I'm posting the tables for Dexterity (two), Wisdom, and Constitution. I haven't expanded the use of Charisma in my games thus far.

Dexterity has several significant extra uses. It now affects a thief's special abilities for finding and removing traps, moving silently, and so forth. It also provides a bonus to dodge-able saving throws -- dragon breath, fireball, missile-firing traps, and the like. Lastly, I use two-weapon fighting house rules, and high dexterity scores reduce the penalties associated with fighting with two weapons. All Borderlands house rules will be detailed in future posts.

Wisdom has a minor expansion: bonus spells for clerics and a maximum spell level allowed. Like I allow for magic-users with high intelligence, clerics gain a few extra low-level spells per day if they have exceptional wisdom. Additionally, the greater a cleric's wisdom is, the higher the level of spells he can cast.

Constitution has a minor expansion as well: resurrection survival. Whenever a character is the target of a raise dead spell, or similar effects, there is a chance the character won't survive the intense magical alteration of his body and spirit from a dead to living state.

House Rules: Expanding Ability Scores [B/X]

2009-03-23T06:07:00.006-04:00

In my Borderlands campaign I've expanded the scope of ability scores. Each ability score has new modifiers, such as Bend Bars/Lift Gates and an Encumbrance adjustment for Strength. Additionally, I frequently use ability checks in my games to resolve character actions, as suggested on page X51 of the Expert Rulebook. If you roll your ability score or less on a d20, you succeed. Using ability checks allows me to avoid complicating the game with a "skill" subsystem. Anything which might be considered a skill or anything a character should reasonably expect to know because of his class is easily handled by saying "OK, roll an ability check" against Intelligence, Wisdom, and so forth. The key to handling this is the reasonably expect to know part -- when a player wants to do something well beyond the scope of his character's experiences, I simply say no. However, if there is even a slight chance that the character can perform the desired action, I'll allow a check with a penalty of up to +4 (again, as suggested in the Expert Rulebook).

Today I'll start with Strength and Intelligence. Some of the expanded ability score uses tie to house ruled character class features, such as the starting spells and bonus spells for magic-users. I plan to detail these class features in future posts. Other expanded ability uses are lifted right out of the AD&D Players Handbook (which was the second version of D&D I learned to play after B/X).

Note: I apologize for using an image, but I have yet to figure out how to put tables into the blog posts!

Warhammer Tomb Kings and Hordes of Chaos Monsters for Classic D&D

2009-03-21T13:20:00.014-04:00

There are some really cool bad-ass monsters in Warhammer. Below I offer up several "conversions" for classic D&D: Tomb Guard, Tomb Swarm, and Plaguebearer. The first two come from Tomb Kings, the latter from Hordes of Chaos. Although the plaguebearer should probably be some kind of weak demon in the D&D game, I've chosen to make it an undead creature.

TOMB GUARD
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 4*
Move: 90' (30')
Attacks: 1 weapon
Damage: 1-8 or by weapon
No. Appearing: 1-6 (0)
Save As: Fighter 4
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: V
Alignment: Chaotic

Tomb guards appear as partially mummified animate humanoid skeletons bearing master quality weapons and armor, as well as golden jewelry and decorative icons.

Tomb guards were elite warriors in life, personal bodyguards to nobles, royalty or other important people. In respect of this role, they were honored with the privilege of dying with their lords. Tomb guards rest in sarcophagi, standing upright near the inner tomb. If intruders violate the tomb, they awaken to defend it without quarter. Often, the lords of the tomb guards are now also undead creatures, such as vampires or liches.

The horrifying gaze of a tomb guard causes fear in any living creature within 30’ (otherwise, as the cleric spell). A successful saving throw indicates that the intended victim is immune to that particular tomb guard’s fear ability for one day. A tomb guard is turned as a wraith.

Tomb guards always wear chainmail or a breastplate (treat as chainmail for AC), as well as a helm. Weapons used by tomb guards are always of the finest quality but are otherwise normal. However, some tomb guards have a single +1 magic weapon (if their treasure generation results in a magic item).

TOMB SWARM
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 2 to 4
Move: 30' (10')
Attacks: 1 swarm
Damage: 2-5
No. Appearing: 1 swarm
Save As: Fighter 1
Morale: 11
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic

Tombs are littered with the rotting corpses, husks, and bones of countless rats and other small creatures. Necromantic magic animates the empty shells of these rodents and they scuttle from their hiding places to protect the tomb and its occupants or treasures.

A tomb swarm acts in all ways like an insect swarm (see Basic Rulebook, p.B37) except the damage caused is 1d4+1 (2d4+2 against unarmored characters). Additionally, a tomb swarm is unaffected by sleep spells and is not driven away by smoke. Fire or cold damages them like an insect swarm. A tomb swarm cannot be turned.

PLAGUEBEARER
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 4**
Move: 60' (20')
Attacks: 3 or 1
Damage: 1-4/1-4/1-6 or special
No. Appearing: 2-5 (0)
Save As: Fighter 4
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic

A plaguebearer is a bloated, foul smelling undead creature that spreads deadly disease. Its yellow-black flesh is split all over its body, revealing grotesque swollen organs and a writhing mass of putrid green maggots. Its elongated cyclopean head has a wide toothy maw and a long black tongue, dripping with unnatural excretions. It also has long filthy claws on each hand. A plaguebearer plods along on spindly, knotted legs, clouded by a swarm of tumid black flies.

Plaguebearers attack fiercely with their claws and disease-inflicting bite. On a failed Poison save, their bite attack inflicts a noxious festering disease that drains 1d4 points of Constitution each day until the victim reaches 0 Constitution and dies. Dead victims rise as plaguebearers after 24 hours. A cure disease spell cast before the victim dies removes the disease immediately but does not restore lost Constitution. Plaguebearers are turned as wraiths.

In lieu of its claw and bite attacks, a plaguebearer can vomit a grotesque spew of entrails, maggots and filth in a 180 degree arc to its front. The vomit has a range of 10 feet. Anyone in the area must make a saving throw vs. Poison or be nauseated and unable to act (except move away from the plaguebearer) for 1d6 rounds. A plaguebearer can only vomit once per day.

A plaguebearer is continually surrounded by a swarm of black flies. The flies bite, buzz and generally distract opponents within 5 feet of a plaguebearer, imposing a –1 penalty to attack rolls.

Chaos Monster Template

2009-03-17T18:59:00.010-04:00

The power of Chaos compels me.

My love affair with Chaos first blossomed with room 58 -- the "Temple of Evil Chaos" -- in module B2 The Keep on the Borderlands. Gary Gygax's description of polished black stone with swirling red veins, a translucent red stone wall, a great bell of black iron, three stone altars streaked with black and red -- this stuff was gold to an impressionable 10-year old. I really didn't have any clue what evil chaos was back then, but heck it sure sounded cool! There were even zombies to fight, huzzah!

This obsession with Chaos has since run throughout my entire gaming life. By 1986, I was playing Games Workshop's minis game Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and soon after the 1st edition of the Warhammer RPG. I found the use of the evil, corrupting powers of Chaos in the Warhammer world inspiring as a DM, and the artwork was simply awesome -- so radically different from anything that TSR or Judges Guild (and everyone else) was putting out in the 80s.

I still use Chaos in my D&D campaigns today, regardless of which edition I referee. Evil cultists holed-up in vile temples, corrupted town leaders manipulated by horrible demons, twisted monsters from beyond the pale -- these are the ingredients that inspire my best adventures and game sessions.

Enough with the rambling, let's get to the goodies. Below I offer up a quick and dirty template which allows a DM to use "Chaos" versions of normal monsters.

CHAOS MONSTER TEMPLATE

Chaos is the indefinable yet complete epitome of all that is unnatural and evil. Chaos corrupts all living things, warping monsters, plants and animals into hideously evil mutations of their former selves. When taken by the power of Chaos, once benign treants become murderously evil blights upon the woodlands; orcs mutate into even crueler, multi-limbed savages; giant spiders transform into heavily armored web-crawling nightmares; even humans who at first dabble with the power of Chaos eventually are twisted and tormented until their very essence is pure evil. All who succumb to the lure of Chaos are forever corrupted.

However, not only does Chaos warp extant living things; its power also spawns wholly unique and foul creatures. Unknowable and unholy monstrosities spit forth from the Chaos void, dripping putrid ichors and warping reality wherever they roam. Seldom do these creatures have definable forms and most are so utterly vile that intelligent beings go mad at the mere sight of them. Perhaps the most evil of Chaos creatures are demons. These horrific, bloodthirsty beings plunge into the world from beyond the void to slay and destroy for pleasure, or they are summoned by Chaos sorcerers and clerics to punish enemies and torment the world.

The following template can be added to any creature to create a “Chaos-warped” version of the creature. Roll 1d10 once for each Chaos creature; twice or more if you want a potent creature. Remember to adjust the XP value of the creature if the result meaningfully improves its statistics.

Roll 1d10. Mutation (and Effect)
1. Eyestalks (creature’s eyes are on foot-long tendrils)
2. Extra limb (extra attack each round; damage either as 1d4+1 claw attack or by weapon)
3. Exceptionally strong (add +1 to melee attack and damage rolls)
4. Exceptionally agile (+1 to all missile attacks)
5. Animal-like legs (can move more adeptly; add 10’ to combat movement, 30’ to normal movement)
6. Naturally tough skin (-1 AC bonus)
7. Battle-bred spawn (creature gains +1 hit die, +1 to hit and damage, and +1 on all saving throws)
8. Blood rage (Creature flies into a violent rage at the start of combat. The rage lasts for 2d6 rounds; if there are no enemies left to fight, the creature must make a saving throw vs. Wands or attack an ally. The rage confers a +2 bonus to all attack and damage rolls and the creature never fails morale checks.)
9. Chaos magic-infused (Creature can cast 1d3 magic-user and/or cleric spells of third level or lower once per day—treat caster level as equal to hit dice of creature.)
10. Two heads (creature has two heads, both on shoulders or one in chest and one on shoulders. Creature is prone to erratic behavior because of conflicting personalities of the heads. Roll reaction checks each round to determine creature’s behavior.)

In future posts I'll provide both monsters altered using this template, as well as "chaos" inspired creatures of my own design.

Traits & Tokens

2009-03-15T15:36:00.008-04:00

I love lists of stuff for D&D.

*Lists are definitely old-school.
*Lists provide lots of information in an easy-to-read format.
*I don't think I could have become a DM without lists.
*This post provides a list of traits and tokens for starting characters. Or NPCs.
*Or experienced characters for that matter.
*Really, it's a list of stuff to flesh out any character.
*I've compiled this list over the last ten years from various sources and my own ideas.
*Enjoy!

If you want a PDF copy of this list, drop me an e-mail (steven_a_cook *at* yahoo.com).

Welcome to the Borderlands

2009-03-15T13:05:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Borderlands! I'm Steve and this is my little corner of the web to write about my classic D&D campaign. The campaign uses the 1981 Moldvay/Cook/Marsh edition of the Basic and Expert Rulebooks. These beautifully written and illustrated rulebooks comprise the first edition of the rules that I learned to play back in 1981, and to this day they remain my favorite rulebooks. Dungeons & Dragons has become a lot sexier and sophisticated over the years, particularly in terms of rules and graphic design, but this classic edition of the D&D game will always be the first I reach for on the book shelf.

This blog will feature whatever oozes out of my brain about classic D&D. House rules will certainly appear here, as will new rules, monsters, classes, spells, magic items and such. Ruminations on sundry D&D topics will appear, though probably less frequently than the "crunchy bits". Adventures or modules are likely to appear as well. Overall, this space will be a grab bag of classic D&D stuff.

I hope you enjoy it!

Steve