Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque

Why is the Queen of Frostreave Masked in Iron?

2012-03-02T09:03:00.001-05:00

Way back when I asked folks what they wanted to know about the World Between, Trey asked: "Why does the Queen of Frostreave go masked?"

No one knows for certain. These are the rumors circulating around Katrina Rimeheart, the Masked Queen of Iron and Ice:

Half of Rimeheart's face is horribly scarred by the trials she went through the gain her immense magical power. She would heap great rewards upon those who found a way to restore her face to its former symmetry. So far, normal healing magic provided by the gods of the World Between has proven ineffectual.

Rimeheart's face is so hideous that a mere glimpse of her uncovered visage makes men go rigid with fear and covers their bodies with a layer of ice. It is said the she uses this power on lovers she's grown tired of and that she keeps their permanently frozen bodies as obscene trophies of her conquests.

Rimeheart wears a mask to disguise the all-too-obvious resemblance between her and Empress Christiana the Scarlet of Caligari. Rimeheart is Christiana's older sister who ran away in her youth to escape an arranged marriage. If her true identity were to be discovered, Christiana would send assassins after Rimeheart to prevent any future claims her sister might make on the throne of Caligari.

Rimeheart isn't human after all, but rather a demonette of Zzorch who can disguise her true form by taking the shape of a woman—but her magic is unable to disguise the otherworldly appearance of her face. If it were known that demon sits upon the throne of Frostreave, the clerics of Merrihel would stir the people to revolt against the sovereign.

Warrior Cults of Relmeenos

2012-03-01T09:01:00.000-05:00

The Warrior Cults of Relmeenos

It is rare that the warrior cults ofRelmeenos induct a non-native into the martial secrets of theirtraining regimens, but if a warrior proves their valor and loyalty toa cult they may be formally invited to join the ranks of theRelmeenosian paragons. Outlined below are the benefits of joining thePurple Helm'd Brethren and the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear.

The Purple Helm'd Brethren

Entry: Only men may join theranks of the Purple Helm'd Brethren. Furthermore, only the most haleand hardened specimens are considered tough enough to endure theHelm'd Brethren's training; a character must have at least a 13Constitution to survive the hardships involved in learning themartial techniques taught by the Purple Helm'd Brethren.

Training: Prospective Helm'dBrethren must endure the elements without the benefit of protectivegear. They must march for days at a time with little or no food. They must train incessantly with sword and shield. They drillconstantly in the art of fighting in formation.

Benefits: A character trained inthe fighting arts of the Purple Helm'd Brethren can survive on halfas much food and water as a normal man, gains a +1 to Armor Classwhen wielding a shield, and gains a +1 to hit with swords whenfighting in formation with other warriors trained in the fightingstyle of the Purple Helm'd Brethren.

The Sisterhood of the Rending Spear

Entry: Only women may join theranks of the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear. Furthermore, theSisterhood values warriors who fight intuitively and find a spiritualaspect to the art of war; as such, a character must have at least a13 Wisdom to be able to fully comprehend the military andphilosophical teachings of the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear.

Training: Prospective Sistersmust spend their days learning the tenets of the Sisterhood andpracticing their combat maneuvers. In particular, prospectiveinductees must practice both sprinting in full armor and the art ofthe spear.

Benefits: A character trained inthe fighting arts of the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear gains a 25%increase to their movement rate, a +1 bonus to attack rolls whenwielding a spear, and a +1 bonus to damage with short bows whenfiring in formation with other warriors trained in the fighting styleof the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear.

Gothic Fantasy: Dark Secret Tables

2012-02-29T12:50:00.001-05:00

To further a particularelement of genre emulation, I've worked up a few tables of "darksecrets" that plague the characters in my “Gothic Fantasy”games. In Gothic fiction, Protagonists and antagonists alike tend tohave horrible, repressed truths lurking in their pasts that threatento reveal themselves; the revelation is usually apocalyptic on apersonal scale or at least exposes the character to danger. Andthat's exactly what your should want for characters in your GothicFantasy games: personal apocalypses and a constant exposure todanger.

To add to the Gothic atmosphere of my games I haveeach player roll once on the following tables to see what dark secretlurks in their character's past. This isn't a table that generatesanything of mechanical heft; rather, it's designed to add somethingthat can inconveniently arise in play. In generally I advise not tobring any of these elements fully into play too quickly. Hint to aplayer that someone may have a little dirt on their character, butdon't make it explicit. Use their own paranoia to ratchet up thetension.

Also, while I've only everused this in D&D-type games, I see no reason why you couldn'teasily convert it to, say, Warhammer FRP or Call of Cthulhu. Furthermore, I've put in where in the literature these ideas camefrom, both so you can see how I use the influence of Gothicliterature in my games and in case you want to do some additionalreading to find your own inspiration.

Dark Secret Tables

First,roll 1d6 to determine which of the following tables will generateyour Dark Secret. Then, roll 1d10 on the appropriate table andrecord the results on a slip of paper you keep hidden from the otherplayers.

Table I (1d6 roll of1-2)

Roll	Result
1	Fratricide/Matricide – You have killed one or both of your parents. If this secret is ever revealed, you can expect to be shunned by polite society. Also, there may be a vengeful brother, sister, or constabulary on your trail. Inspiration: Anonymous, “The Parricide Punished”; Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle
2	Inhuman – Somewhere in your lineage is a bloodline not of human origin. You have an ancestor who may have sexually consorted with a demon, a vampire, or a deep one. You bear some visible (though concealable) sign of your inhuman heritage. If your secret is revealed you might be hunted down as a monster. Inspiration: Vernon Lee, “Dionea”; Arthur Machen, “The Great God Pan”
3	Plunderer – At some point in the past you stole an item or treasure of great worth. However, absconding with your ill-gotten gains proved difficult so you were forced to hide your prize. If your connection to the item's theft is discovered you can expect to be hunter by the law and quite possibly executed for your crime. Inspiration: William Godwin, Caleb Williams
4	Blasphemer – You once belonged to a strict faith, but some imp of the perverse goaded you into violating the tenets of your religion in a spectacular way. Perhaps your defiled a holy altar or defaced a rare sacred scripture. If your secret is revealed you might be hunted down by the faithful and burned as a heretic. Inspiration: Matthew Lewis, The Monk
5	Grave Defiler – At some point in the past you worked as a resurrectionist; you dug up and sold fresh corpses to medical schools for their anatomical lessons. If your secret is discovered you can expect the families connected to the bodies you procured to exact vigilante justice against you. Inspiration: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
6	Changeling – You are not human; the family that assumes you are of their blood had their infant child switched by the capricious fey for a changeling baby. You show the marks of your inhuman heritage, such as slightly pointed ears, red hair, and an aversion to cold iron. If your secret is discovered your own “family” will confront you and demand the return of their natural-born babe. Inspiration: Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Doom of the Griffiths”
7	Haunted – You murdered someone in the hear of passion; now their ghost haunts you still. Your secret is mostly safe, but those with psychic sensitivity or occult knowledge might be able to see the ghost that constantly pesters you. If they reveal your crime you will be hunted down by the law. Inspiration: Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto; Clara Reeve, The Old English Baron
8	Debauched – You are addicted to sensual pleasure. In fact, you have leads other, younger folk down the heady path of the hedonist. If your role in such degeneracy is discovered, the families of the people you have corrupted will seek you out and demand satisfaction. Inspiration: Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Venus in Furs; J.-K. Huysmans, A Rebours
9	Consorter with Demons – As a child you were taught the ways of summoning demons from their Hellish homes. While you have the ability to conjure forth devils through magical rituals, this power gives you no tangible benefits. However, if you are ever discovered to have this power it is likely that you will be burned at the stake as witch. Inspiration: M. R. James, “Casting the Runes”
10	Drug Fiend – You are a drug addict. Perhaps you favor the sweet oblivion provided by Eastern opium or perhaps you cannot resist drinking yourself into a stupor; in any case, the result is the same: you have lost your family's fortune to your vice and subsequently run away from them in shame. If your secret is ever revealed your family will confront you and demand recompense. Inspiration: Thomas De Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater; Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Table II (1d6 roll of3-4)

1	Institutionalized – At one point in the past you had a complete mental breakdown. The reasons for your breakdown are known only to you, but if word of your mental instability should become common knowledge, no one will ever be able to trust you again. Inspiration: Charlotte Perkins Stetson, “The Yellow Wall-paper”
2	Shipwreck Survivor – You were the only survivor of a terrible shipwreck, and only you know that the wreck was caused by supernatural means. In fact, you struck an abominable deal with the cause of the ship's destruction that allowed you to survive. If your secret were to be revealed you would be reviled by all god-fearing folk and possibly pursued by the families of the people who perished aboard ship. Inspiration: Herman Melville, Moby Dick; H. P. Lovecraft, “Dagon”
3	Voices in Your Head – Since childhood you have always heard voices in your head that urge you to do cruel, inhuman things. Sometimes you listen to the voices. If knowledge of the voices you hear were to become known, you would likely be locked away in an asylum for the incurably insane. Inspiration: Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House; Henry James, Turn of the Screw; Charles Brockden Brown, Wieland
4	Expedition Survivor – You were the sole survivor of an expedition into the wild, unmapped places of the earth. Unfortunately, circumstances during the expedition forced you to indulge in the most heinous of acts in order to survive: you cannibalized your fellow explorers. Sometimes you still hunger for the taste of human flesh. If your crime were to be exposed you would be shunned by all as a savage and hunted down by the families and friends of those you consumed. Inspiration: Kelly Link, “Survivor's Ball, or, The Donner Party”
5	Silent Witness – You once witness a serial murderer in the midst of dispatching a young woman to an early grave, but were too cowardly to intervene or inform the authorities. Her screams still echo in your mind. If your secret were to be discovered you would certainly be confronted by the angry friends and family of the murdered girl. Inspiration: Clive Barker, “The Midnight Meat Train”
6	Scientific Meddler – You once considered yourself a scientist working to further man's rational dominion, but your studies brought you down the path of meddling in areas of knowledge not fit for mankind. Perhaps you became obsessed with animating dead matter; perhaps your experimented with splicing animals together into unholy new forms. If your secret were discovered you would be disowned by the scientific community and denounced by the world as a usurper upon god's domain. Worse yet, you are stalked by some aberrant creation that escaped your lab. Inspiration: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau
7	Spy for the Inquisition – You were once a willing spy for the Inquisition, turning in anyone suspected of witchcraft and heresy. However, you also turned in a rival who you knew was innocent. You are haunted by the knowledge that they were tortured upon your word. Should word get out about your underhanded dealings you might find yourself in the clutches of the Inquisition. You might also be pursued by the person you falsely accused. Inspiration: Isaac Crookenden, “The Vindictive Monk or the Fatal Ring”; Edgar Allan Poe, “The Pit and the Pendulum”
8	Arcane Meddler – You once fancied yourself an occultist who would command the greatest of supernatural mysteries. However, you performed a ritual far too powerful for you to complete or control. You are now haunted by minor manifestations of infernal presences. If your secret should be discovered you would be burned at the stake as a sorcerer. Inspiration: Charles Maturin, Melmoth the Wanderer; Clive Barker, “The Yattering and Jack”
9	Uncanny Double – Since childhood you have had a doppleganger—there is a person who looks exactly like you that sometimes assumes your identity to commit awful crimes. If you should ever be linked to the deeds of your strange double, you would risk paying the price for their misdeeds. Inspiration: Edgar Allan Poe, “William Wilson”; James Hogg, The Confessions and Memoirs of a Justified Sinner; Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
10	Catacombs Disturber – You were once party to an expedition that violated the sanctity of an ancient resting place for the dead. The catacombs that you explored (and looted, in the name of archeology) were cursed: now your nights are haunted by horrific dreams and your days by the creeping dread that something has followed you back from those far-away lands. If your secret ever became public you would be shunned as little more than a tomb robber. Inspiration: Bram Stoker, The Jewel of Seven Stars; H. Rider Haggard, She

Table III (1d6 roll of5-6)

1	Failed Exorcist – You once worked as an exorcist; however, you had no particular skill or ability to banish demonic presences. In fact, while most of your cases involved people who were mentally disturbed, your last involved a young woman who slew her family while possessed by a particularly vicious devil—you were powerless to stop her. If your secret is ever found out you will be hounded as a fraud and perhaps confronted by church officials. Inspiration: William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist
2	Gambling Debt – You are addicted to gambling and have racked-up an impressive debt in one of the lowest sort of gaming houses. Your debt is now so far past due that there is no hope of squaring it except through the most magnificent of sums; the criminals to whom you owe the debt have contracted assassins to kill you as an example to others. If your secret is exposed your life will be in grave danger and no one from the gambling world will associate with you. Inspiration: Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
3	Diseased – You are the inheritor of a terrible disease passed down through your family. The disease represents a great sin perpetrated by an ancestor that you are doomed to repeat; the disease has a few tell-tale signs and the fear of physical degeneration constantly sets your nerves on end. If your disease (or its familial cause) is discovered, you will be shunned by all in polite society and disreputable doctors may send their agents after you to retrieve a “specimen.” Inspiration: Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”; Henrik Ibsen, Ghosts; Robert Louis Stevenson, “Olalla”
4	Abandoner – The pressures of respectable family life were too much; you abandoned your spouse and children, leaving them to fend for themselves. If your secret is discovered you will be hunted down by detectives hired by your family to ascertain your whereabouts and bring you to justice. Inspiration: Ann Radcliffe, The Italian; Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
5	Fraudulent Spiritualist – You once worked as a spiritualist who could supposedly contact the spirits of the dearly departed—for a price. Of course, you were nothing but a fraud. If your secret is revealed you will be stalked by the grieving families that you once deceived. Inspiration: Clive Barker, “The Book of Blood”; Sarah Waters, Affinity
6	Blackmailer – You once blackmailed a prominent member of society. Unfortunately, they have retrieved whatever evidence they once held against you and now wish to exact a painful revenge against you. Should your secret come out you will have to fear being discovered by both the law and your former victim. Inspiration: Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Scandal in Bohemia”
7	Family Cult – You belong to a family that is deeply involved in a pagan or demonic cult. While you may or may not belong to the family faith, if your connection to this cult is discovered you will be hounded by the religious and perhaps condemned as a witch. Inspiration: H. P. Lovecraft, “The Dunwich Horror”
8	Sadist – You are addicted to inflicting pain on others. In fact, when you were once abusing a young servant you went too far and killed your unfortunate plaything. If your secret is discovered you will be called to answer for your crime by the law and perhaps pursued by the servant's friends and family. Inspiration: Marquis de Sade, Justine; Alejandra Pizarnik, “The Bloody Countess”
9	Prostitute – In the past you have worked the streets and back alleys to earn your daily bread. If your secret is ever found out you will be shunned by polite society and you may be sought out by any prominent past clients who wish to make sure that you can never reveal your involvement with them. Inspiration: Alfred Hitchcock, Marnie; George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession
10	Accursed – You are the unfortunate inheritor of a family curse and the knowledge that you are the last of your family line. If your connection to your accursed family(or the reason why your family is accursed) is ever discovered you will run the risk of being shunned by all; furthermore, you must always be vigilant not to fulfill the terms of the familial doom or risk cutting your life short. Inspiration: Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto; Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Doom of the Griffiths”; Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables

A Gothic Fantasy Question

2012-02-29T12:04:00.000-05:00

Ok, let's say I'm going to preview some material from that Gothic Fantasy supplement that is slowly taking shape. What would you like to see and comment on first?

- rules for Terror, Horror, and Madness (crunch)
- suggestions for Gothic character archetypes (fluff)
- a Dark Secrets table for quickly establishing a back-story for PCs (mostly fluff, but at least it's a random roll)

What I Know About the Gods of The World Between (part 2)

2012-02-29T08:43:00.000-05:00

Continuing on from this post.

Killane of the Road (The LuckLord, The Prince of Coins, The Keeper of the Crossroads) –revered by gamblers, pirates, bandits, and travelers; ahappy-go-lucky god; definitely a trickster

Kumo-Thlis (The Snake God, TheOne Who Slithers) – definitely sinister; his rites involvesnake-handling, speaking in tongues, rolling in the aisles

The Lady of the White Way – awarrior-mother goddess, like Mother Mary crossed with Joan d'Arc;worshipped in both Midian and Scarabrae as a monotheistic goddess—allother divine beings are considered to be false idols and demons; hasa hierarchical priesthood, a pope, cathedrals, inquisitors, witchhunters, and templars

The Lamenting Mother – a cruelnature goddess; definitely Shub-Niggurath-y; inspires Suspiria-esqueshenanigans

The Luminous Hawk – a BeastGod; barbarians believe that he drags the sun into the sky each day;he is the enemy of the undead

Maham (the One-Eyed God of BeastTaming) – Storm Sovereigns pantheon; lost an eye taming a celestialbear; enemy of the Beast Gods; depicted as a one-eyed ogre

Mama Lazuul (Lady of theMidnight Hour) – goddess of crimes that happen under the cover ofdarkness and late-night rendezvous; goddess of thieves and love

Matakhan (Demon Queen ofAssassins, Executions, and Poison) – purple-skinned andmulti-armed; bloodthirsty; may be a female avatar of Hakhan

Merrihel (Goddess of Death andGlorious Battle) – the Morrigan via German opera and Romanticism;has Shadar-Kai Valkyries; hates Baba Yaga

Mong-Trall (The CapriciousMonkey God) – a trickster god; his temples are defended by monkeyswielding razors

Morgath (Lord of Undeath, TheCorpulent Reaper) – a big fat fleshy grim reaper; fit for doommetal album covers; worshiped by liches, vampires, pennangalan

Mother Lothack (Demon Queen ofthe raging sea, the Tempest Queen, Our Lady of the Sharks) – thedemonic consort to Father Sothack; those who survive shark attacksare considered to be blessed by her

Narlathia (Fey Goddess ofEnchantment, Pain, and Plunder) – her servants are deadly red-capsand drow; revered by marauders; Lolth-y and Cenobite-y

Papa Simett (Lord of Secrets andWhispers) – it is said that anything that is whispered is heard byPapa Simett

Skaylex (Goddess of Fungi) –more feared than worshiped; the mushroom men are her servants

Slithian Vor (Demon Queen ofAestheticism and Carnality) – Slaanesh as designed by Oscar Wildeand Aubrey Beardsley; sends succubi as emissaries

Sluurge (Demon Lord ofPestilence, Famine, and Gallows Humor) – always depicted as wearinga top hat; a diseased dandy

Thanalia (Goddess of forging,sailing, and cavorting) – party-time goddess

The Unconquered Badger – aBeast God; he is the God of defending hearth and home; you've seenthe honey badger video right? he's like Ron Swanson in honey badgerform

Zzorch (Demon Lord of Mutationand Wild Magic) – like Tzeentch, but more interested in mutationsand magical experiments; Victor Frankenstein would have worshipedZzorch

The Bless'd Warriors of Merrihel

2012-02-28T08:24:00.001-05:00

The Bless'd Warriors of Merrihel

The Bless'd Warriors of Merrihel areundead champions created from the remains of templars and paladinswho served the goddess Merrihel in life. They are animated by thepriests of Merrihel to serve the goddess's strange agenda inFrostreave and to protect sites sacred to the goddess. Their mightis sometimes loaned to Empress Katrina Rimeheart to help repel frostgiant raiders.

Bless'd Soldier of Merrihel

Movement: as normal man

Hit Dice: 1

Armor Class: 14 (studded leather and shield)

Attack Bonus: +1

No. of Attacks: 1

Damage: 1d8 (longsword)

Bless'd Knight of Merrihel

Movement: as normal man

Hit Dice: 3

Armor Class: 15 (chain mail)

Attack Bonus: +3

No. of Attacks: 1

Damage: 1d10 (greatsword)

Special Abilities: Bless'dUndead—immune to Turn Undead, Holy Water, etc. UndeadImmunities—immune to poison, disease, suffocation, etc. Frostborn—only takes half damage from cold attacks on afailed save; takes no damage on a successful save. Black Blade ofWinter—the first successful attack made by a Bless'd Knight ofMerrihel deals additional damage as per a Shocking Handsspell, but the damage is cold-related instead of electrical (1d8+3).

Bless'd Lord of Merrihel

Movement: as normal man

Hit Dice: 6

Armor Class: 18 (plate mail and shield)

Attack Bonus: +6

No. of Attacks: 2

Damage: 1d8 (longsword)

What I Know About the Gods of The World Between (part 1)

2012-02-27T08:21:00.000-05:00

What I Know About the Gods of TheWorld Between

What I know about the Gods of the WorldBetween...is not much at all. I know that there are many beings(proper Gods, primal spirits, ancestral spirits, and Demon Lords andQueens) that are worshiped as deities. I know that there arethousands of religions, pantheons, sects, and local deities worshipedthroughout the World Between. I know that the gods (whether properGods or powerful Demons) are cruel and weird; they all display verylittle regard for humanity and are worshiped mainly to be placatedrather than adored. I also know the following:

Asthaeton (God of Civilization,Virgins, and Progress) – he's basically the dour god of no-fun; hisfollowers might be the worst kind of fundamentalists and Puritans

Astariax (Goddess of Intrigue,Stratagem, and Mercantile Prosperity) – always depicted as wearingluxurious clothing and with her nose turned up in the air haughtily;like if Paris Hilton were Machiavelli

The Carrion Marquis –super creepy and gross death god worshiped in Mord-Stavian; god ofdeath in war; depicted as a rotting general surrounded by a cloud ofblack flies

Charlak (God of Imprisonment) –Storm Sovereign pantheon; it is said that he carved out dungeonsbeneath the world before men ever walked the globe

The Crooked Moon – cruelnature god; definitely Wicker Man-y

The Dismembered One – supercreepy and gross death god worshiped in Mord-Stavian; depicted ashorribly crippled and missing limbs

Dragon Cults – barbaric cultsrevering ancient, powerful dragons—especially dragons withmutations, such as multiple heads; Tiamat fits in here

Father Sothack (God of the BrinyDepths, the Drowned King, Prince of the Kraken's Maw) – grim seagod; Neptune crossed with Dagon; his avatar looks like that Cthulhoidguy from Pirates of the Caribbean; his rites involve near-drowningbaptisms

The Flayed Maiden –super creepy and gross death god worshiped in Mord-Stavian; depictedmuch like Julia in Hellraiser II before she gets her skin back

The Forest Who Walks – a cruelnature god; definitely Children of the Corn-y

Garm-Gorak (the Bloody Maw, Godof Wolves and War) – Storm Sovereign pantheon; like a Viking on anLSD-and-PCP cocktail

The Gaunt Gent (God ofknowledge, libraries, and silence) – Storm Sovereigns pantheon;Berbalang are said to be his special servitors in the world; hisavatar looks like Angus Scrimm in Phantasm

The Golden Lion – Beast God;God of Pride, Honor, and Martial Prowess

The Gods of the Grapes – Godsof Libations; depicted as satyrs (may have “The Great God Pan”connotations)

Hakhan (Demon Lord of BestialBloodshed) – depicted as a massive minotaur or broo-like creaturecovered in blood and girt with a belt of skulls; basically the god ofdeath metal album covers

Hulmora (Goddess of theElements) – Storm Sovereigns pantheon; like if Thor were apermanently pissed-off goddess who threw thunder and lightning andrain everywhere

Junox (The Ever-Flowing God) –a god more feared than worshiped; said to have created oozes, slimes,jellies, puddings, etc.; rules from a throne made of garbage andrefuse

The Gods Must be Crazy (Or Demons)

2012-02-26T11:40:00.002-05:00

I was thinking about how the cosmology of the typical D&D world is really stacked against humanity (and, by extension, elfity and dwarfity etc.) You have gods, yeah? Gods are generally good, neutral, or evil. This is a nice mix of otherworldly beings who want to help or harm humanity. Fairly even playing field.

But then you realize that there are these other classes of otherworldly intelligences that want to eat the souls of man/drag them into internal servitude/torture them for an eternity just for kicks. When you add in greater demons and archdevils, you've slanted the playing field against humanity's favor.

If your setting includes Cthulhoid horrors or hungry Far Realm overlords, the situation is even more dire.

Yet settings seldom reflect this. I've decided to make this uneven cosmic playing field part of my World Between setting. Even the gods who grant mortals a share of their divine power are generally grotesque, demanding, and utterly unfathomable. Which is to ask, what if all divine powers were demons?

Humanity, good luck with that.

(I've got the gods on my mind because of the near-TPK that happened in the Snow Temple of Merrihel in a recent LotFP game.)

Brendan's Twenty Questions

2012-02-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

Brendan posted these questions; I am answering them for myself.

Ability scores generation method? - 3d6 in order or 4d6 drop lowest, depending on the group
How are death and dying handled? - 0 is unconscious, -1 is dead
What about raising the dead? - Only if you want to be burned at the stake as a necromancer
How are replacement PCs handled? - roll then up, I'll find a way to slot them in
Initiative: individual, group, or something else? - group
Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work? - natural 20 crits, no fumbles
Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet? - depends on the situation
Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly? - are you feeling lucky, punk?
Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything? - we prefer to call it a tactical retreat
Level-draining monsters: yes or no? - No. Ability Score draining monsters? YES.
Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death? - yes
How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked? - no
What's required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time? - immediate advances, MU types have to find or research new spells
What do I get experience for? - treasure, defeating foes
How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination? - either/or
Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work? - yes
How do I identify magic items? the most fucked-up item you'vr found is probably a magic item
Can I buy magic items? maybe from a witch or hermit, but they won't want money--they might want a piece of your soul
Can I create magic items? When and how? - possibly, but not right off the bat
What about splitting the party? - good luck with that!

Random Equipment for Gothic Fantasy Games

2012-02-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

Instead of rolling for money andbuying equipment for your character as usual, your GM may opt to haveyou roll on the following tables to determine your startingequipment.

All characters begin with a dagger, flint and steel, abackpack, and 3d6 silver pieces. Additionally, if your character haslevels in the Specialist class they begin play with Specialist'sTools. If your character has levels in Cleric they begin play withan iron holy symbol. If your character has levels in the Magic-Userclass, they begin play with a spellbook. If your character haslevels in the Fighter class they get a +2 bonus to a roll on eitherthe Random Armor Table, the Random Melee Weapon Table, or the RandomRanged Weapon Table. (If you are using the alternate Spell-Casterclass your character begins with either a holy symbol or spellbook asappropriate for that character.)

After determining your character's“free” equipment, roll once on the Random Armor Table, once onthe Random Melee Weapon Table, once on the Random Ranged WeaponTable, and six times on the Random Items table. If you roll a resultyou've already gotten on the Random Items Table, you add a multipleof that same item or roll again.

Random Armor

Roll (1d10)	Armor
1	No armor
2-4	Shield
5-7	Leather Armor
8-9	Chainmail
10	Plate Mail

Random Melee Weapons

Roll (1d12)	Melee Weapon
1	Minor Weapon, Cestus, or Garrote
2-3	Minor Weapon, Whip, or Staff
4-6	Small Weapon, Spear, Rapier, or a Silvered Minor Weapon
7-9	Medium Weapon or Mancatcher
10-11	Great Weapon or Pole Arm
12	Roll twice and pick two weapons from this table

Random Missile Weapons

Roll (1d12)	Ranged Weapon
1-2	None
3-5	Sling or Blowgun
6-8	Short Bow
9-10	Long Bow or Light Crossbow
11	Heavy Crossbow
12	Firearm (If your campaign doesn't use firearms, roll again.)

Random Items Table

Roll (1d100)	Item
01	Air Bladder
02	Amputation Kit
03	Bag of Animal Bones
04	Bear Trap
05	Bedroll
06	Bells (1d4)
07	Blanket
08	Blindfold
09	Block and tackle
10	Bone Dice (1d4)
11	Book, Biography
12	Book, Blank
13	Book, History
14	Book, Legal
15	Book, Natural Science
16	Book, Novel
17	Book, Occult
18	Book, Political
19	Book, Poetry
20	Book, Religious
21	Bucket
22	Cage, Small Iron
23	Cage, Small Wooden
24	Caltrops (1d4)
25	Candles (2d4)
26	Cane, Wooden
27	Catapult Diagram
28	Censer with incense (1d6 sticks)
29	Chain (30')
30	Chalk (1d12 pieces)
31	Cookpots (1d4)
32	Crampons (2d4)
33	Crowbar
34	Drill
35	Ear Plugs
36	Figurine of an Unnameable Being
37	Fishing Net
38	Fishing Pole, Line, and Hooks
39	Flask of Oil (1d4)
40	Garlic cloves (2d6)
41	Grappling Hook
42	Graveyard Dirt (1d4 pouches or vials)
43	Hammer
44	Holy Symbol, Silver
45	Holy Symbol, Steel
46	Holy Symbol, Wood
47	Holy Water
48	Hourglass
49	Human Skull
50	Ink (1d6 vials) and Quill
51	Instrument
52	Kite and String
53	Lantern
54	Lightning Rod
55	Locket (containing the hair of a lost love)
56	Locks (1d4)
57	Lucky Gypsy Coin
58	Magnifying Glass
59	Mallet
60	Manacles
61	Map, Kingdom
62	Map, Local
63	Map, Sewer System
64	Mask
65	Medicinal Herbs
66	Miner's Pick
67	Mirror, Glass
68	Mirror, Silver
69	Mirror, Steel
70	Nails (3d10)
71	Nose Plugs
72	Paper (1d8 sheets)
73	Pincers
74	Playing Cards
75	Pole, 10'
76	Pouch (1d4)
77	Rope, 50'
78	Sack
79	Saw
80	Scroll Case
81	Shovel
82	Soap
83	Specialist's Tools
84	Spike, Iron
85	Spyglass
86	Stake, Wooden
87	Surgeon's Kit
88	Tankard
89	Tarot Cards
90	Tarpaulin, 10'
91	Tea (1d6 pouches)
92	Tent, Regular
93	Tobacco (1d6 pouches)
94	Torches (1d6)
95	Trail Rations (1d6 days)
96	Vial, Glass (1d4)
97	Waterskin
98	Wax (1d4 pounds)
99	Whistle
100	Wolfsbane (1d6 bunches of roots and leaves)

Gothic Fantasy: What Do YOU Want Out of It?

2012-02-23T19:54:00.002-05:00

I'm begun assembling what I already have ready-to-go for my Gothic Fantasy supplement for LotFP, but I wanted to ask what folks actually would want to find in such a product. What would you find useful?

Here's my preliminary breakdown of sections:

On the player side of the equation...

- Introduction: What is Gothic Fantasy?

- Gothic character archetypes

- Add-on Career Path system for generating Gothic Fantasy characters

- Multiclassing rules for LotFP

- Dark Secrets tables for fleshing-out character backgrounds

- Random equipment tables

- Random-roll "Gothic-appropriate" names

- Appendix N of Gothic lit

On the GM side of the equation...

- The elements of Gothic fantasy (how to incorporate the uncanny, the carnivalesque, spectrality, etc.)

- Toolkit on making a Gothic setting (with example setting)

- Advice on making Gothic villains (with sample villains)

- A "Night Gallery" of the usual suspects (vampire, Frankenstein's monster, werewolf, ghost, mummy, etc.) with LotFP stats

- Grimoire rules (add-ons for the drawbacks to reading eldritch tomes) with sample grimoires and new spells

- Poisons, Disease, Curses, and Body Horror tables

- Sample Gothic Fantasy adventure scenarios: The Horror at Humphrey House, The Black Casket, or, The Antiquarian's Lament, and Into the Crypts of Von Orlocke

More on Multiclassing

2012-02-23T09:50:00.002-05:00

Following this earlier post about multiclassing rules for use with LotFP, here's a chart with suggestions as to how to achieve a "character archetype" you might have in mind that is difficult to realize in the original class system:

Assassin	Fighter/Specialist focusing on Stealth, Sneak Attack, Tinkering, and Sleight of Hand
Barbarian	Fighter/Specialist focusing on Stealth, Bushcraft, and Climbing
Bard	Fighter/Specialist/Spell-Caster taking spells that focus on persuasion and charm effects
Druid	Spell-Caster taking spells that focus on nature or elemental effects/Specialist focusing on Bushcraft
Paladin	Fighter/Spell-Caster taking spells that focus on healing and protection
Illusionist	Spell-Caster/Specialist focusing on Stealth and Sleight of Hand
Ranger	Fighter/Specialist focusing on Bushcraft, Stealth, and Climbing/Spell-Caster taking spells that focus on nature and elemental effects
Swordmage	Fighter/Spell-Caster focusing on combat spells

Experience Points and Gaining Levels (Unified XP version): The following Experience Points mechanic replaces the usual LotFP mechanics: all characters use the Fighter's level progression chart. When a character gains enough Experience Points to go up a level, they may choose to take a level in any class they wish (unless the GM has reasons for restricting their choices). As usual, Hit Dice top out at 9th level; any Hit Points gained after 9th level are the static value listed for a given class rather than a random Hit Dice roll.

If your game is not using the Spell-Caster variant detailed above, it is recommended that players not be able to mix levels in both Magic-User and Cleric in one character.

LotFP: Gothic Career Path System (part 2)

2012-02-22T08:46:00.001-05:00

The second half of yesterday's random Career Path Table:

51-52	Mesmerist – You made use of your powers of persuasion to live off of others as a grifter. You gain a level in: Magic-User (at least one of your beginning spells must be Charm Person) Leading question: You've used your powers for questionable ends; what is the worst thing you've done using your powers of mesmerism?
53-54	Monk/Nun – You once took a vow to pursue the life of a cloistered devotee of the Church. You gain a level in: Cleric Leading question: What temptation led you to abandon your vow?
55-56	Occultist – You have pursued a life amongst dusty tomes of eldritch lore and made a career of learning forbidden secrets. You gain a level in: Magic-User Leading question: You have immersed yourself in unholy lore, but there is one text that even you are afraid to peruse; what is the grimoire you fear most?
57-58	Physician – You have made a study of the human animal and are a qualified anatomist or surgeon. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Tinkering, Search, and Languages Leading question: The human body possesses many unsolved mysteries; who was the most uncanny patient you've ever treated?
59-60	Priest – You are an ordained minister of your faith. You gain a level in: Cleric Leading question: A life of faith is a life plagued by doubt; what unholy urge tempts you to stray from the path of your God?
61-62	Prisoner – You were incarcerated for a crime you may or may not have committed. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Search, Tinkering, Sleight of Hand Leading question: The justice system is full of abuses; what is the most egregious abuse you witnessed while a prisoner?
63-64	Procurer – You earned your bread off the labor of prostitutes—your role was either to direct prostitutes to house of ill repute or you were the outright owner of a seraglio. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Sleight of Hand, Architecture Leading question: Some clients possess very specific tastes; what is the most inhuman or blasphemous acts you've seen visited upon a woman of the night or rent boy?
65-66	Rat Catcher – Your lowly task was to hunt down and destroy vermin; you were your home's first line of defense against disease. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Stealth, Bushcraft, Climbing Leading question: Some say that there are more than rats in the sewers and back alleys of the world; what horrors have you seen while fulfilling your duties?
67-68	Revolutionary – You were a rebellious agitator who pushed for violent revolution. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Sneak Attack, Tinkering, Languages Leading question: Who did you wish to overthrow?
69-70	Sailor – Whether a pirate, privateer, or marine, you made you living traveling upon the high seas. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Climbing, Open Doors, Tinkering Leading question: They say that monstrous things prowl the depths of the world's oceans; what terrors have you seen in your journeys?
71-72	Scholar – You have made your life a life of study, contemplation, and the pursuit of knowledge. You gain a level in: Magic-User or Specialist—focusing on Languages, Search, Architecture Leading question: The halls of academia are home to some truly bizarre characters; who is the most disquieting scholar you know in your field?
73-74	Scribe – You earn your meager coin by working as a cleric and copyist. You gain a level in: Cleric or Specialist—focusing on Languages, Search Leading question: In your duties you have been asked to copy rare texts; what is the most blasphemous text you've ever dealt with?
75-76	Scout – You worked as a ranger for a standing army or mercenary company. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Bushcraft, Climbing Leading question: As the advance scout for an army you've seen many a trap laid before you; what happened the one time you missed the tell-tale signs of an ambush?
77-78	Sellsword – You once lived by the sword as a member of a mercenary band. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: The screams of the slaughtered still resound in your ears; what happened?
79-80	Servant – You formerly led a life of service as a butler, maid, footman, or page to a person of wealth and prominence. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Open Doors, Search, Stealth Leading question: What scandal forced you to resign your position?
81-82	Smuggler – You worked for a criminal organization sneaking in illicit or banned goods past border agents and watchmen. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Stealth, Climbing, Architecture Leading question: What was the most mysterious item you were asked to smuggle past the authorities?
83-84	Soldier – You were an enlisted warrior attached to a standing army. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: What order were you given that your conscience forced you to disobey?
85-86	Spy – You lived the life of a professional intriguer and secret agent. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Search, Stealth, Languages Leading question: What is the one secret you discovered that you wished that never come to your attention?
87-88	Thug – You were no dextrous thief or dashing rogue; you mugged people using only brute force and intimidation. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: You once picked a fight you could not finish; what unnatural event had you mistakenly stumbled into?
89-90	Tomb Raider – You were a freelance archeologist who delved into the ruins of the past age in search of precious artifacts and the glory of discovery. You gain a level in: Specialist—focused on Architecture, Tinkering, and Stealth Leading question: What is the one tomb whose threshold you wish you had never crossed?
91-92	Vagabond – Rather than hold any form of gainful employment, you once lived as an aimless wanderer. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Architecture, Search, Bushcraft Leading question: The traveling life made you privy to many wondrous sights; what is the most miraculous thing that has unfolded before your very eyes?
93-94	Vampire Hunter – You were a professional hunter of the creatures of the night. You gain a level in: Fighter or Cleric Leading question: Why are you such a tireless pursuer of the undead?
95-96	Watchman – You were once a member of the town watch or a member of the local constabulary. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: Who was the most violent criminal that ever evaded your reach?
97-98	Wiccaman/Wiccawoman – You once lived as an isolated hermit; villagers would come to you for guidance and your ability to work magical charms. You gain a level in: Cleric or Magic-User Leading question: What supernatural even led you down the path of magic and witchcraft?
99-100	Witch Hunter – You once worked as an operative of the Inquisition; you were charged with rooting out and destroying any instances of witchcraft and heresy. You gain a level in: Fighter or Cleric Leading question: What happened the last time your righteous fury dominated and consumed your mind?

Thanks for all the great feedback on my Gothic hacks for LotFP so far; I take it as a majot compliment that folks are already excited about using this stuff in their games.

LotFP: Gothic Career Path System

2012-02-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

Following the dictum that "randomness leads to awesomethings" this section presents a career path system for GothicFantasy LotFP. In Gothic fiction, characters are generally helplessagainst the whims of fate; the circumstances of their lives can onlybe mitigated by free will to a limited extent—their portion of theweal and woe of the world is written immutably in the stars. Whyshould your character have it any better?

This system replaces the step in normal character generation whereyou chose your character's Class. Instead, the GM will tell you whatlevel your character is supposed to be. You then make that manyrolls on the rolling chart and tally up what it tells you. Forexample, if you need a 1^st level player character, youwould roll once and record the result. If you need a 4^thlevel player character, roll four times; voila, there are your Classlevels and the basic shape of what your life was like before youbecame an adventurer!

Additionally, each career entry featuresa "leading question" to consider as you piece together yourcharacter's background; a player may answer as many or as few ofthose as they wish to develop a quick back-story for their character.

d100	Career
01-02	Alchemist – You were formerly a seeker after the forbidden knowledge encoded in the occult science of alchemy. You gain a level in: Magic-User Leading question: What were the aims of your alchemical research?
03-04	Artisan – You made your living at a skilled craft such as woodworking, smithing, brewing, etc. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Tinkering, Languages, Search Leading question: Who were your rival artisans and why do they wish you ill?
05-06	Artist – You made your living producing beautiful paintings, sculptures, stained glass, etc. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Languages, Tinkering Leading question: You once created a grotesque work of art based on something you saw in your dreams; what was it?
07-08	Assassin – You were once employed as a knife-for-hire. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Stealth, Sneak Attack Leading question: Your last assassination attempt went horribly wrong; why?
09-10	Author – You once made your living penning literature such as novels, penny dreadfuls, poems, or plays. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Search, Languages Leading question: You once wrote a grotesque text based on something inhuman that you witnessed; what was it?
11-12	Bandit – Your formerly haunted the wilds of the world to prey upon and rob unwary travelers. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Bushcraft, Stealth, Sneak Attack Leading question: Your gang of bandits was lead by a terrifying personage; who were they?
13-14	Beggar – You were once an indigent who begged in the streets for alms. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Architecture, Search, Bushcraft Leading question: What unforeseen ruin descended upon you to reduce you to this state?
15-16	Bodyguard – You were employed as the hired muscle for an important personage. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: The person you were contracted to protect met an unfortunate end; why?
17-18	Bounty Hunter – You earned your coin seeking out criminals and forcing them to stand trial for their misdeeds. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: Who was the worst criminal you ever apprehended?
19-20	Burglar – You once operated as a “second-story man” who specialized in robbing homes and domiciles. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Climbing, Tinkering, Stealth Leading question: You once broke into a home, but the residents were prepared for you; what were you subjected to before you made good your escape?
21-22	Charlatan – You once traveled from town to town selling swamp water and snake oil as curative tonics and patent medicine. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Languages, Sleight of Hand, Tinkering Leading question: What events led to you being exposed as a charlatan?
23-24	Dandy – In the past you came into possession of a sum of money grand enough to afford you a lifestyle of leisure; you were able to pursue whatever subjects interested you. You gain a level in: Specialist or Magic-User Leading question: How did you come to be able to afford a period of idle living?
25-26	Duelist – You made your living through strength of arms, whether it be boxing, wrestling, or swordplay. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: What events led to you killing an opponent in a violent rage?
27-28	Entertainer – Whether a busking musician, actor, or carnival performer, you earned your bread through the performing arts. You gain a level: Specialist—focusing on Sleight of Hand, Search Leading question: What is the strangest audience you have ever performed for?
29-30	Explorer – You were part of an expedition to either explore an unmapped portion of the earth or a colonist sent to civilize a savage land. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Architecture, Bushcraft, Climbing Leading question: What was your most terrifying interaction with a native populace?
31-32	Farmer – Whether you worked a farmstead owned by a lord or were an independent landholder, you made your living working the land. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Bushcraft, Climbing Leading question: The people of the rural lands sometimes stick to antiquated, pagan ways; what was the most unusual superstition or rite that you've been privy to?
33-34	Ferryman – You made you way by ferrying others across the world's waterways. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Tinkering, Search Leading question: You once fished a bloated corpse from the river; what did you discover in its pockets?
35-36	Fence – You once trafficked in illicit and stolen goods. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Tinkering Leading question: What is the most unnerving object you've ever found a buyer for?
37-38	Game Warden – You were employed by an aristocrat to keep their private hunting lands free from poachers. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Bushcraft, Climbing Leading question: The dark of the forest hides many strange things; what have you seen in the depths of the woods?
39-40	Highwayman – You were a “gentlemen (or gentlewoman) of the roads,” a dashing robber on horseback who relived travelers of their goods at swordpoint. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Bushcraft, Stealth, Sneak Attack Leading question: Horses are sometimes skittish creatures; what did you encounter on the lonely roads that threw yours into a foaming panic?
41-42	Hunter – You lived a rugged life of living off the land in a wild, untamed location. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Bushcraft, Climbing, Stealth Leading question: Gruesome beasts lurk in the wildlands; what kind of monstrous creature have you encountered?
43-44	Knight – You served a nobleman as a cavalryman and general protector of the realm. You gain a level in: Fighter Leading question: What atrocities did you witness being committed in your lord's name?
45-46	Laborer – Whether a carpenter, a weaver, or else, you earned your keep with the work of your hands. You gain a level in: Fighter or Specialist—focusing on Open Doors, Tinkering Leading question: Not all is as simple or prosaic in the workshops and factories of the world; what abuses have you seen heaped upon the backs of the working class?
47-48	Lawyer – You led a respectable life as a admitted practitioner of the law. You gain a level in: Magic-User or Specialist—focusing on Languages, Search Leading question: Gross miscarriages of justice are inextricably wrapped up in the legal system; what was the most flagrantly mishandled case that you were involved in?
49-50	Merchant – Whether a shopkeeper or an importation and exportation magnate, you made your living trading various commodities. You gain a level in: Specialist—focusing on Languages, Sleight of Hand, Tinkering Leading question: Strange items are sometimes traded as part of a normal parcel of goods; what oddity most stands out in your mind as a good you wished you had never laid eyes on?

I'll post the second half of the table tomorrow! More mysteries are to be revealed...

LotFP: Niche Protection and Multiclassing Rules

2012-02-20T09:00:00.002-05:00

If you've taken a look at the wayclasses work in Lamentations of the Flame Princess, you'velikely noticed that the game is particularly rabid about nicheprotection. In LotFP, only Fighters increases in combatability as they level up, only Specialists get better at using theiradventuring skills as they level up, and only Clerics and Magic-Usersgain increasing access to their respective spell lists as they levelup. (Discounting the racial classes, of course; I never use them.)

Interestingly, this tightly-controlledniche protection actually opens up the possibility of adding-in3e-style multiclassing rules as an overlay on the basic core assumptions of the game. Since each class has its own discreetbonuses, it's easy to “layer” classes on top of each otherwithout getting confused as to what each level in a given class isgranting the character. For example, a Fighter 4/Specialist 2 wouldfight as a 4^th level Fighter and have the adventuringskills of a 2^nd level Specialist.

Oddly enough, allowing multiclassingallows LotFP to hew more closely to its avowed inspirations. After all, how would you play a character like Conan without dippinginto both the Fighter's combat prowess and the Specialist's skill atsubterfuge? And how would you model the doomed Elric withoutgranting access to arcane magic and skill with a blade? Using multiclassing in my Gothic Fantasy games gets me to closer to Van Helsing.

However, I do like the idea of having aplayer's initial choice of a class for their character at 1^stlevel to have a bit of flavor that lasts throughout their adventuring career. After all, where you startoff in life should have some lingering impact as to how yourcharacter plays mechanically. Here's what you get as a “first-class benefit”under my house rules:

Fighter – Master ofSlaughter: when attacking with a weapon, roll the weapon's damagenormally but also roll a d4 and add two together as your final damageresult.(1)

Specialist – SavvyExpertise: you begin play with six points to distribute among thevarious adventuring skills; characters whose first class level is notin the Specialist class only receive two points per level todistribute among their adventuring skills. (A Fighter 4/Specialist 2would only have four points to distribute among their adventuringskills, for example.)

Magic-User and Cleric: theseclasses are the ones that I have house-ruled most extensively. Infact, I roll the two classes into one: the Spell-Caster. (In mycampaign all magic is more-or-less created equal, so allSpell-Casters have access to both the Magic-User and Cleric spelllists in the LotFP rulebook, as well as spells from without thepublished range of old-school fantasy rules.)

Spell-Casters follow the Magic-User XP chart, but always roll 1d6 for their Hit Points. Furthermore, acharacter who takes a level in Spell-Caster must determine the sourceof their powers. The source only grants the following additionalbenefits if Spell-Caster is the character's initial class, and theplayer may only pick one:

Divine Favor: the character'smagical abilities are granted directly from a godly being or beings. As such, the character has additional first-level spell “slots”per day equal to their Wisdom bonus; because Wisdom represents acharacter's connection to the divinity of the world, these bonusspells represent their god's favor.

A character who receives their magicfrom a divine source does not get to pick their own spells; theirspells are granted by a divine intelligence that refuses to barterfor power (this means that a character with Divine Favor has theirspells chosen ahead of time by the GM; nevertheless, this is not anopportunity to shaft the character because their god will chose theirspells for them with a degree of supernatural insight into the kindof dangers they may be facing.)

Things Man Was Not Meant to Know:the character's magical abilities are derived from their study ofeldritch tomes and sorcerous manuals. As such, the character hasadditional first-level spell “slots” equal to their Intelligencebonus; because Intelligence represents the power of the individualmind, these bonus spells represent the character's ability to forcetheir will over the arcane secrets of the world.

A character who receives their magicfrom this source gets to choose what spells they memorize as per therules in the LotFP rulebook.

Dark Pacts: the character'smagical abilities are granted by supernatural entities such asdemons, fey lords, specters of the past ages, primal nature spirits,and horrific alien intelligences from beyond the stars. As such, thecharacter has additional first-level spell “slots” equal to theirCharisma bonus; because Charisma represents personal guile, thesebonus spells represent the character's ability to bargainsuccessfully for power with an otherworldly being.

A character who receives their magicfrom this sources gets to choose half of their spells as per therules in the LotFP book; the other half are chosen by thesupernatural entity with whom the character has made a pact (whichis, of course, played by the GM).(2)

SavingThrows: A multiclass character makes saving throws as acharacter of their initial class of the total of all of their classlevels. Thus, a Fighter 4/Specialist 2 would make saving throws as aFighter 6.

The cost of adding the first level of a new class is equal to the XP value of reaching 2nd level in that class.

– I find the additional d4 damage die a nice replacement for the bonus to damage given to characters with exceptional Strength scores that is absent in LotFP. Plus, it's random, and I like random.
– One possibility opened up by these different sources of power is that the players can never be certain if an NPC Spell-Caster is a friend or foe based purely on their “style” of magic. For example, while evil wizards might rely on spells garnered from their studies of the Necronomicon, a kindly holy sorcerer might study holy texts and scriptures to discover magic to stave off the encroaching forces of darkness. Similarly, though the spells granted from Divine Favor come directly from a higher power, who is to say that a god isn't merely just a power demon lord worshiped as a false idol? And who's to say that one couldn't make a magical pact with angels instead of devils?

Completely Random Gothic Fantasy Characters for LotFP

2012-02-19T19:21:00.001-05:00

We play-tested my custom LotFP Gothic Fantasy random tables by rolling up some third-level adventurers and ended up with this lot. (Everything was random except the fact that these were to be 3rd level characters and they got to choose where to put their skill points: name, career path, classes, dark secret, ability scores, Hit Points, equipment, etc. were all random rolls.)

Ormond
Career Path: Vagabond -> Spy -> Dandy
Classes/Levels: Specialist 3
Dark Secret: Changeling
Cha: 13 Con 9 Dex 11 Int 9 Str 10 Wis 11
Hit Points: 16
Skills: Bushcraft 2, Sleight of Hand 2, Stealth 3, Sneak Attack 2, Search 2
Equipment: Leather armor, rapier, specialist's tool, five torches, five oil flasks, 60' rope, grappling hook, wooden pole, 10 sp

Leonella
Career Path: Ferryman -> Alchemist -> Soldier
Classes/Levels: Specialist 1/Magic-User 1/Fighter 1
Dark Secret: Blasphemer
Cha 9 Con 13 Dex 7 Int 8 Str 13 Wis 9
Hit Points: 13
Skills: Tinker 2, Search 2
Equipment: Leather armor, hand axe, short bow and arrows, specialist's tool, grimoire, ten oil flasks, lantern, shovel, two caltrops, whistle, 10 sp
Spells: Read Magic, Floating Disc, Comprehend Languages, Spider Climb

Cesare
Career Path: Lawyer -> Assassin -> Smuggler
Classes/Levels: Specialist 2/Fighter 1
Dark Secret: Spy for the Inquisition
Cha 7 Con 14 Dex 16 Int 6 Str 7 Wis 10
Hit Points: 13
Skills: Stealth 3, Climbing 2, Tinker 2, Sneak Attack 3
Equipment: Leather armor, short sword, sling and stones, specialist's tool, ten torches, ten pieces of chalk, blank scroll, mirror, crowbar, 15 sp

Bertram
Career Path: Beggar -> Scribe -> Prisoner
Classes/Levels: Specialist 1/Cleric 1/Fighter 1
Dark Secret: Accursed
Cha 9 Con 9 Dex 14 Int 11 Str 8 Wis 9
Hit Points: 13
Skills: Sleight of Hand 2, Bushcraft 2, Search 2, Architecture 2
Equipment: Chainmail armor, greatsword, longbow and arrows, iron holy symbol, specialist's tool, ten torches, ten pieces of chalk, blank scroll, mirror, crowbar, 30 sp

It looks like my tables are generating exactly the right kind of characters for my vision of Gothic Fantasy!

Any Interest in a LotFP Gothic Fantasy Supplement?

2012-02-18T17:54:00.001-05:00

Exactly what the title says, I suppose. The weekend is probably a bad time to ask, but if I were to put out a Gothic Fantasy supplement for Lamentations of the Flame Princess would it meet a receptive audience? It might be pdf, print-on-demand, or hell maybe someone would actually want to publish it.

I've been looking over the material I've got and it would likely contain the following:

- How to make a Gothic setting (thematic toolkit, with sample setting)

- An exploration of different types of Gothic atmosphere

- How to make Gothic villains (with a couple examples)

- Dark Secrets for PCs (random roll tables)

- Random roll Gothic-appropriate names

- Example grimoires as treasure (with new spells)

- Sample adventures (probably a fully fleshed out Horror of Humphrey House and maybe Into the Crypt of Drugula [name will probably have to be changed])

- Gothic bestiary of the usual suspects in LotFP stat-form

- Appendix N for Gothic literature

- Multiclass houserules for LotFP

In any event, most of this stuff will likely appear here on my blog first

What Relmeenos is Like

2012-02-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

Relmeenos

Precis: Warrior cults contestwith each other in a land where proving individual merit is a spiritual path unto itself.

Conspectus: Independentcity-states ruled by Poet Kings and Queens (who are often insane andincomprehensible); succubi, harpies, and nymphs; satyr cults andorgiastic rites to the Gods of the Grapes; yearly competition ofathletic prowess, philosophical debate, and poetic ingenuity calledThe Annual Wrestling with the Self and the Divine; frequentskirmishes between the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear (a cohort ofwild, debauched warrior-women) and the Purple Helm'd Brethren(legions of militarist, pseudo-fascist warrior-men); mathematicalmagic stolen from the mazes of minotaurs; werebears, medusa, anddisplacer beasts; gladiatorial games where crabmen face off againsthydras and cyclops; stirge swarms

Taste, Sound, Image:Spanakopita, Estradasphere's “King Krab Battle,” Frank Frazetta'sAtlantis.

FACT: Relmeenos is the newest location I've added to the World Between; after reading Jeremy Duncan's Weird Classical Age contributions to my Flavors of Fear supplement, I knew I needed a place where I could make use of all this good ideas.

Appendix N for Gothic Fantasy

2012-02-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

I think when most folks hear the phrase "Gothic literature" they think of Frankenstein and Dracula. Unfortunately, the predominance of those two novels has really obscured the initial works in the Gothic mode. (By the time Dracula was published the Gothic had already been in existence for well over a hundred years!) To address that, here's my "Appendix N" for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of this often-denigrate "literature of terror"!

There are quite a few little-read gems here; I urge you to go off the beaten track and pick up Wieland, a Vernon Lee collection, or the like. You won't be sorry.

Horace Walpole - The Castle of Otranto and The Mysterious Mother
Clara Reeve - The Old English Baron
Sophia Lee - The Recess
Ann Radcliffe - The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Italian
Matthew Lewis - The Monk
Charlotte Dacre - Zofloya
Lord Byron - Manfred
Percy Bysshe Shelley - Zastrozzi and St. Irvyne
John Polidori - The Vampyre
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
James Hogg - The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Charles Maturin - Melmoth the Wanderer
Charles Brockden Brown - Wieland
Edgar Allan Poe - "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Black Cat"
Nathaniel Hawthorne - The House of the Seven Gables, "Rappaccini's Daughter," and "Young Goodman Brown"
Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre
Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights
Sheridan LeFanu - Uncle Silas and "Carmilla"
Robert Louis Stevenson - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and "Ollala"
Henry James - Turn of the Screw
Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Bram Stoker - Dracula, Lair of the White Worm, and "The Judge's House"
Charlotte Perkins Stetson - "The Yellow Wall-paper"
Vernon Lee - "Dionea"
H. G. Wells - The Island of Dr Moreau
Arthur Machen - The Great God Pan, "The Inmost Light," and "The White People"
W. H. Hodgson - The House on the Borderlands and the Carnacki stories
Algernon Blackwood - "The Willows" and "The Wendigo"
M R. James - "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" and "Casting the Runes"
H. P. Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness, "The Call of Cthulhu," "The Dunwich Horror," "Dagon," "Herbert West: Reanimator," and "Dreams in the Witch-House"
Clark Ashton Smith - "A Rendezvous in Averoigne" and "The Return of the Sorcerer"
Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca
Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast
Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle

(I'm tempted to continue adding examples of the modern Gothic, but I'll stop myself at this point.)

Edited to add (by request):

William Gaddis - Carpenter's Gothic
Thomas Ligotti - The Shadow at the Bottom of the World
Lohn Lindqvist - Let the Right One In
William Peter Blatty - The Exorcist
Ira Levin - Rosemary's Baby
Stephen King - The Shining and The Dark Half
Tanith Lee - Dark Dance
Caitlin R. Kiernan - Threshold
Kathe Koja - Extremities
Poppy Z. Brite - Lost Souls and Drawing Blood
Toni Morrison - Beloved
Koji Suzuki - Ringu
Iain Banks - The Wasp Factory
Angela Carter - "The Bloody Chamber" and "The Company of Wolves"
Patrick McGrath - The Grotesque and Asylum
Mark Z. Danielewski - House of Leaves
James Hynes - The Lecturer's Tale

The Horror of Humphrey House: A Gothic Adventure Sketch

2012-02-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

I recently watched The Woman in Black and it's got me thinking of an adventure I'd like to write up for Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

The back-story: The Humphrey House was a most unhappy home. Thaddeus and Susan Humphrey were joined through an arranged marriage, but it was a union destined to end in mutual loathing. Thaddeus was madly in love with another women, but his parents coveted the generous dowry attached to young Susan. For her part, Susan did not desire a husband or domestic life--she wanted to go to university, but was sacrificed on the marital altar by a family who cared far less about her dreams than they did about connecting their family line to the influential Humphreys.

The tragedy: After a solemn, joyless marriage ceremony, the new Mr and Mrs Humphrey retired to a vast family home on the coast. The Humphreys must have fulfilled their conjugal duties as within a year a son, Nathaniel, was born to the parents. However, mysterious circumstances conspired to insure the family's ruin: Nathaniel died on his tenth birthday and his mother was found hanged in the attic. Thaddeus began to appear in the village pub, complaining that his ancestral home was haunted by the ghosts of his son and wife; after his rantings became too severe, he was locked away in an asylum where he died a man broken in both body and mind.

The house: The house is an excuse to use all the trappings and conventions of a good haunted house tale in a game. The spectral phenomena will start small but build the longer the characters stay within it. They will hear unexplained sounds emanating from the attic, they will catches glimpses of unnatural things in mirrors, objects will go missing only to re-appear in odd places, and strange chills will descend suddenly upon anyone straying too close to the family's papers. The phenomena will culminate in two apparitions (one a woman dressed in mourning garb, the other a young boy) who peer at each other through the windows of the house: the mother from the attic in which she was found and the son from the doorstep. If the characters interfere with certain things within the house, they will be attacked by Susan. If the characters interfere with certain things near the marsh, they will be attacked by Nathaniel.

The twist: There will be two layers of clues in the house. The more obvious layer of clues will reveal that young Nathaniel's body is somewhere in the nearby marsh, but was never properly laid to rest. These clues will indicate a course of action: find the boy's body (preserved by the boggy marsh) and bury it in the crypt that houses the remains of his heart-broken mother.

Following that first layer of clues is a mistake. The second layer of clues, which will be a bit more obscure and require a keen eye for detail, will reveal that Susan hated her child because he reminded her too much of the husband that was forced upon her. In fact, there will be signs that indicate that Susan drowned her son in the marsh with her own hands and was subsequently driven to suicide by his ghost. Following the logic of this second layer of clues will also presuppose a solution: one set of remains (either Susan's or Nathaniel's) must be desecrated to appease the other's unquiet spirit. It will be up to the characters to discern which ghost poses the least threat and which is the more malevolent spirit in need of banishment.

Points of inspiration: The Woman in Black, The Haunting, Bram Stoker's "The Judge's House," H. P. Lovecraft's "Dreams in the Witch-House," The Others, Ringu

WIR: Carcosa (part 2)

2012-02-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

The next two sections in Carcosa detail a few Technological Artifacts (of the Great Race and the Primordial Ones). In general, I like the ideas in these chapters, but I don't like the execution. For example, to actually use any of these artifacts a character has to have at least an Intelligence score of 17, and even then they only have a 5% chance of figuring out how to operate it. If played by-the-book, this renders these two sections all but useless for actual play; what I would have preferred were Artifacts that are tricky to figure out or at least have some interesting results if a player attempts different things with the them through trial and error.

The section that follows the Technological Artifacts is the most infamous aspect of Carcosa: the Sorcerous Rituals. To be sure, much of what is in the descriptions of the rituals will likely not fit the comfort level or play-style of most gaming groups. That said, there is plenty to use in your own games if you're willing to do a bit of re-flavoring. (Personally, I plan to replace all the human sacrifice and torture stuff with more esoteric requirements.) However, one thing that many of the moral panickers seem to have missed is that even using the rituals as written is a viable option for parties who don't wish to traffic in evil; the banishing rituals require none of the sensationalist trappings of the summoning spells, so it's easy to imagine a group that leaves eldritch summons to the bad guys and instead opt to attempt to banish any soul-destroying monstrosities conjured by the insane.

The next section is my favorite: Monsters! You can't have enough monsters, in my opinion. Hell, I wish these stats were part of LotFP's Grindhouse Edition as baseline examples of how to make gruesome beasties for the characters to encounter. There are plenty of monsters to choose from, and they all ooze that weird Lovecraftian feel.

Then we get the hex-by-hex detailing of what Carcosa is actually like. This section focuses on details slanted toward adventure: there are few (if any) mundane notes here; rather, the emphasis is on things that the characters can interact with directly. While this might frustrate some GMs looking for a fully-fleshed-out setting, I like this as a framework on which to graft my own game ideas.

After the macro view of Carcosa we get "Fungoid Gardens of the Bone Sorcerer," a micro view of a piece of the setting. This section is billed as a sample adventure, but I think that's something of a misnomer. This section details a location, but gives you precious little hints as to what you could actually do with it. While giving a GM "plot hooks" for the characters is a sometimes frowned upon practice, I think in a setting as unusual as Carcosa it's practically a necessity. This section feels like a missed opportunity to me.

Next we get a short chapter on Humanity on Carcosa. This comes in late in the game; I have to wonder about its placement--this is the sort of thing that should be at the front of the book since the different types of men and where they live have already been detailed. Absolutely bizarre editorial choice!

Next come the useful random tables: wilderness encounters, random spawn of Shub-Niggurath (why isn't this over with the monster stats though?), random Space Alien Armaments, random Robot Generation, and Mutations. These are all immanently gameable and completely useful; they will definitely see action in my own games. Rounding out the book is a set of reference tables for the Sorcerous Rituals. Useful, but again oddly placed--especially since this has additional rules for actually using the rituals! (Did you know that using a ritual brings with it the risk of unnatural aging? You wouldn't if you stopped reading about rituals in the chapter where they're described and never made it to the end of the book.)

One thing I didn't mention: the art throughout the book is awesome.

My Own Private Ravenloft, or Gothic to Go

2012-02-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

I was thinking the other day about having a go-to, portable setting for any "Gothic Fantasy" pick-up games I might run this year. Something that hits all the main generic conventions of a Gothic setting, but that I could print off, fold up, and stick in my back pocket if need be.

I made the above map using the free version of Hexographer by trying to recall what Romanian how geographically shaped and just winging it. I've named a bare minimum of locations and given them the briefest of sketches:

Castle von Drachenspiel: No one knows who rules the castle at the foot of the mountains. It could be the lair of a mad king, the laboratory of scientist usurping the laws of God and nature, or the domain of an undying lord with a thirst for more than just power. Perhaps your tormentor makes the castle his abode…and perhaps he has stolen away someone you love…and perhaps they are in the gravest danger if you do not rescue them in time.

Eastport: All is well in town during the day, but at night a strange prowler lurks in the fog-shrouded streets
—he’s carried off three defenseless people so far for unknown ends. A ship can be had to take you out to sea, but devilish creatures lurk among the depths. The townspeople are a superstitious lot. Outsiders report feeling watched everywhere they go in town. In the annals of history it is said that the town once harbored a cult who worshipped a dreaming demon of the deep; some say that cult still survives to this day.

Gallowshire: Danger lurks amid the streets of the capital city. It is said that mysterious slavers operate within the metropolis, shanghaiing the unsuspecting; it is also rumored that a foreign cult dedicated to a bloodthirsty goddess of murder has infiltrated Gallowshire. Poverty, crime, licentiousness, and the abuse of lotus powder has become a common way of life in the city. Worst of all is the Red Sickness, a plague that has struck the city without warning--many blame something that makes its home in the city's sewers as the cause of the disease.

The Grey Cemetery: The broken headstones of the burial grounds tell the stories that its residents cannot. Local legend says that some of the stones are etched with an obscure cipher. One look into the world-weary eyes of the groundskeeper will tell you that he knows of terrible deeds that have been committed within the bounds of the sacred burial ground.

The Hungry Hollow: The forest is dense and primeval. Rumor has it that a bandit king makes his lair among the ancient trees. Venturing too far into the forest is ill-advised; wolves with burning red eyes have been known to beset the unwary traveler. Only the most foolhardy hunters know of secret paths through the ancient copses.

The Monastery of the Black Flagellants: The lower levels of the ruined monastery are labyrinthine catacombs that hold many dire secrets. Some say that there is a library of occult tomes consigned to the dust of ages by the Church, others say that the corpses of a poisoned noble family have been hidden in a profane vault. It is whispered that a monstrous beast haunts the corridors of the monastery’s upper floors and that a ghostly woman in white has been seen at the window of the lightning-struck bell tower.

Mordvania: Strange things are said to happen at the crossroads of the Old Road near Mordvania. Will o’ the Wisps have been seen dancing in the distance, waiting to entrance the viewer. Folklore tells us that the Devil himself appears at midnight to strike strange, unutterable bargains with the desperate and damned. One often meets gypsies upon the Old Road; for a price, they will tell you what the future holds.

Repentance: The swamp surrounding the village of Repentance is inhabited only by outcasts and vagabonds. On clear nights, the sound of drumming and ululating music can be heard from the sparse habitations of the swamp people. Sometimes, it is said, they raise the dead to act as their tireless servants.

The Whispering Mountains: A perpetual storm seems to haunt the sublime mountains beyond the castle. The crags are treacherous and few have returned to tell the tale of what lives amongst the snow-capped peaks. It is claimed that a coven of witches perform loathsome rites hidden from the eyes of god-fearing folk.

As you can see, there are quite a few unlabeled areas on the map; these are to be filled in during play as the game dictates. Feel free to steal this setting; just make sure to tell me what transpires there later! Also, if anyone would like a larger version of the map, feel free to drop me a line.

Charles Dickens, Warhammer GM

2012-02-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Charles Dickens's 200th birthday.

Dickens would have been a hell of a Warhammer GM.

You see, he already had a firm grasp on the careers system. Take Oliver Twist, for example; his career path would be something like:

orphan-->laborer-->mourner-->street thief-->gentleman

Dickens was also no stranger to the "gribblies"; his stories feature spontaneous human combustion (chaos at work), gangs of child thieves (chaos cult, Fagin is turning those children into skaven), misshapen and uncanny young girls (Jenny Wren is a daemonette of Slaanesh), a guy whose job it is to fish corpses from the river (Gaffer Hexam--tell me that isn't a Warhammer name!), and a passel of ghosts, ever-hungry Fat Boys, etc.

Of course, Dickens would also be quite generous as a GM. No matter how lowly you started in his game, Wealthy Bourgeois would always be a career exit. And he'd hand out a *tonne* of Fate Points.

Anatomy of a Setting Location

2012-02-07T08:41:00.000-05:00

I had the thought that it might be fun if I pulled apart one of my setting locations line-by-line to show what little method there is to my madness. I'll use Midian, since it's the most recent place I've posted about:

Ruled in the east by Prince Medrose II and ruled in the west by Princess Avengelina—two siblings who contest the other's right to sit upon their father's throne

-> I had the odd thought "What if Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia were savvy political rivals bent on destroying the other's claim to power?" From there I started thinking about the corrupt families in Southern Gothic fiction and it all came together from there.

traveling carnivals and fortune tellers

-> If you haven't watched Carnivale, you really need to get on that.

fanatical worship of a goddess known as The Lady of the White Way (a warrior-mother goddess whose faith was spread by the sword in ancient ages)

-> This was partly inspired by the weird cult in Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre and my desire to have a Catholic-esque religion in the setting to emulate the machinations of the Church as represented in Gothic fiction. The underlying idea here is "What if they worshiped a deity that was part Mother Mary, part Joan d'Arc?"

inquisitors, witch-hunters, templars, and flagellants

-> This is pure Warhammer influence creeping in, but it fits well with the Gothic source material.

settling matters of honor with rapier and dagger duels

-> I love the idea of two grizzled sword-slingers sizing each other up in the town square at high noon and settling their differences in a flurry of steel. This is part Western gun fight and part samurai duel.

fencing schools

-> I like to have organizations that the characters might be interested in joining to unlock a special ability or two.

dustbowl-roaming bandits and bugbear thugs

-> Gothic fiction is filthy with bandits roaming the wilderness, so my setting is too. Also, imagine a bugbear outlaw wearing a battered Stetson hat. Awesome, right?

Southern Gothic atmosphere

-> This just reminds me of the kind of atmosphere I'm going for, the sort of imagery I'll use, and the themes that will crop up in play.

When taken apart, my methodology boils down to something really simple: take things you think are cool and stick them together with a bit of genre emulation as the glue.

Karina von Gussle, Lately of Midian

2012-02-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

Need a nefarious NPC? Here's one currently residing in Midian. I originally made this NPC for one of James Raggi's contests; my immediate point of inspiration was Arthur Machen's masterful Decadent horror novella The Great God Pan.

Karina von Gussle

As a girl, Karina von Gussle was tragically orphaned by a freak house fire. She was slated to be sent to
Mother Tyler’s Orphanage when Doctor Reynolds swooped in and adopted the girl. Karina grew to be a
beautiful young woman, so no one was surprised when the Doctor made a bride of his lovely little charge.
Doctor Reynolds’s area of research was a strange intersection of medical science and the occult. He
believed that it was possible to operate on the brain to modify its structure and allow eldritch power to be
channeled more effectively. What few realized is that when Reynolds took Karina as his wife, he also
intended her to be the test subject for this arcane theories.

After the operation, Karina was a changed woman. She was transformed from a demure, meek girl into a
voluptuously-minded woman who used her charms to bend men to her will. When asked about this abrupt
change in her personality, Karina claimed that her husband had opened her mind—both literally and
figuratively—to a powerful force that exists beyond the veil of reality. She refers to this being as Meligra,
Sister of Twilight’s Embrace.

Overcome with remorse for what he had done, Reynolds hanged himself from the rafters of his laboratory. Karina disappeared, but has since resurfaced in both urban locations and rural hamlets in Midian under a series of assumed names. She claims to be searching for a man whose mind is similarly open to the Sister of Twilight’s Embrace. She believes that their union is necessary to open a gate between worlds that will allow Meligra to walk the earth.

Karina von Gussle
Charisma: 16 Consitution: 14 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 10 Strength: 9 Wisdom: 14
Hit Dice: 2 (10 Hit Points) Armor Class: 12 Attacks:dagger +1 to hit, 1d4 damage
Special: Charm Person (3x per day), Confusion (2x per day)

(Image by Carlos Vazquez Ubeda)

What Midian is Like

2012-02-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

Midian

Precis: A degeneratefamily feuding amongst itself for control of a fractured kingdomamidst a backdrop of traveling carnivals, fanatical inquisitors,and duelists looking to prove their skill.

Conspectus: Ruled in the east byPrince Medrose II and ruled in the west by Princess Avengelina—twosiblings who contest the other's right to sit upon their father'sthrone; traveling carnivals and fortune tellers; fanatical worship ofa goddess known as The Lady of the White Way (a warrior-mothergoddess whose faith was spread by the sword in ancient ages);inquisitors, witch-hunters, templars, and flagellants; settlingmatters of honor with rapier and dagger duels; fencing schools;dustbowl-roaming bandits and bugbear thugs, Southern Gothicatmosphere

Taste, Sound, Image: Rotguttequila and beef jerky, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds's "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry,” JeromeJean Leon's Duel After a Masquerade Ball.

What the World Between Looks Like

2012-02-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

I have not forgotten the questions you asked me in this post about my homebrew campaign setting, Dear Readers. For example, the esteemed Beedo (one of the folks who really inspired me to start blogging about games) asked, "do you have any maps in mind?" Which I will now answer.

I have a sad admission to make: I absolutely suck at making maps, so when it came time to make a map of my campaign setting I resorted to a time-honored fantasy gaming tradition: I took a map of Europe, erased the place names, and plunked my own nations wherever they seemed to fit. Hey, if it's good enough for the Warhammer franchise, it's good enough for me.

(Fun fact: the first map of the World Between was done on a pizza box when I was in high school. How's that for old-school flavor?)

The various places in the World Between approximately map to these real-world locations:

Caligari - Germany
Frostreave - Russia and all those Scandinavian countries. (Yeah, sorry Scandinavians, I lumped you lot all in there.)
The Ghael Islands - The Caribbean.
Harrowfaust - Eastern Europe.
The Iron Principalities - Italy.
The Island of Jade Mysteries - Basically where North America would be. This is the most distant land from all the others in the World Between.
The Islands of Unparalleled Liberty - Sicily.
Midian – Spain.
Mord-Stavian - Egypt. Well, all of Northern Africa actually.
Relmeenos - Greece.
The Ruinous Scar - China. It's a big scar.
Scarabae - France.
The Scavenger Lands - The Middle East, India, etc.
The Shae Isle - Ireland.
Ulverland - Great Britain.

Jade Mysteries Monsters: Ebony Butterfly Swarm

2012-02-01T09:07:00.000-05:00

Ebony Butterfly Swarm

Ebony Butterfly Swarms are whirlingmasses of black-winged death. Legends hold that each butterfly inthe swarm is the reincarnated soul of a peasants who somehowdispleased Mong-Trall, the Most Capricious Monkey God and Lord ofMeaningful Trickery. While no one knows whether this legend is true,it is known that the wings of the butterflies who make up the EbonyButterfly Swarm are as sharp as steel. Ebony Butterfly Swarms arecarnivorous and have been known to attack livestock in fields andhave occasionally descended on mass to feast upon human villagers inthe countryside.

Movement: 10'

Armor Class: 7

Hit Dice: 5

Attacks: none (see special abilities)

Damage: none

Save: Fighter 5

Special:

Rending Cloud – an EbonyButterfly Swarm doesn't really attack per se. Rather, the swarmcovers an area of 20'; any living creatures within the swarm sufferthe follow effects: if the being has 3 Hit Dice or less it must makea Saving Throw or be slain by the cutting wings of the ebonybutterflies. If the being has more than 3 Hit Dice it must make aSaving Throw or suffer 3d8 points of damage.

Amorphous Swarm – anyonewithin the swarm's area may attack it, but any attack that is usuallyaimed at an individual opponent (an axe blow, Magic Missile, etc.)does half damage since the swarm's strength is greater than the sumof its parts. However, any attack that covers an area (Greek fire,Fireball spells, etc.) does double damage to the swarm.

* * *

This is the last of my monsters native to the Island of Jade Mysteries. You can find the Frost Maiden here, the Heikegani here, and the Guardian Prayer Tree here. I hope the purpose of these monsters were clear from a setting creation standpoint: I think that giving the monsters a certain slant really helps establish the atmosphere of campaign setting or adventure location.

I mean, I could have just used the stats for standard-issue ghosts, crabmen, and treants, but I think having a little twist here and there really makes the Island of Jade Mysteries feel like a different place than the average pseudo-medieval fantasy pastiche. It's definitely something I'd recommend for any homebrew campaign as an exercise in getting across your vision of what the place is like.

Ravenloft is a Silly Place

2012-01-31T08:09:00.000-05:00

"On second thought, let's not go to Ravenloft. 'Tis a silly place."

Whenever I consider running a game of Ravenloft I reach for my setting books to refresh myself about the lay of the land...and I'm always reminded of how much silly crap is attached to that setting. For example, this is Baron Urik von Kharkov, Dark Lord of Valachan:

His back-story is a masterpiece of what-the-fuckery: Von Kharkov was originally a panther who was turned into a man by an evil wizard and then later he was bitten by a vampire and turned into a Nosferatu. Leaving aside the racially-problematic "when-you-turn-an-animal-into-a-guy-they-turn-out-to-be-black-because-black-people-are-like-animals-amirite?" aspect, this back-story is both dumb and irrelevant. How does Von Kharkov's origins as a panther actually factor into the ways characters might interact with him? In no way whatsoever, as far as I can tell. During Von Kharkov's big villain speech you will never be tempted to have him drop in a little, "So...did you guys know I used to be a big cat?"

Also, his back-story illustrates a problem that runs throughout Ravenloft: When in doubt, add more vampire! The people native to Valachan think that Von Kharkov is probably a were-panther. Hey, you know what would be cooler than him being a polymorphed-panther-cum-vampire? IF HE WAS JUST A WERE-PANTHER! Seriously, were-panther > his canon back-story, every day all day. At least then you'd be able to work with some cool The Cat People-inspired atmosphere.

Urik von Kharkov illustrates the blessing and curse attached to the Ravenloft setting: it practically demands that you edit, alter, and delete parts of the setting and make it your own.

WIR: Carcosa

2012-01-30T09:26:00.000-05:00

Carcosa is a book whose reputation precedes it. In this "Where I Read" series I'm going to avoid all that; the hand-wringing and various defenses over Carcosa's scandalous content is well-rehearsed at this point, so whatever I have to say about it is unlikely to sway and hearts and minds. What I do want to do with this series of posts, however, is read Carcosa with an eye toward what works in the book as game-able content. I'm not likely to ever run a campaign wholly set in Carcosa, but I do plan on plundering it for useful bits.

After the Introduction (which lays out in a few words where Carcosa is coming and how you might make use of the book) is a section on randomly determining what dice to roll during the game. Basically, there is a table that you roll on to determine what dice you roll for things like Hit Dice and damage rolls in combat. Carcosa take a very strange tact with Hit Dice: you re-roll your Hit Points at the start of combat and the actual type of die you roll for your Hit Dice is randomly determined. Similarly, instead of having a fixed die attached to the damage output of a given weapon, you randomly roll to see what die type of damage the weapon does. While I appreciate the gonzo spirit of this rule, it's far too random for my tastes. What's worth, I can't see how it wouldn't slow down play. I can safely say that I'll never use this section of the book.

There are only two character classes in Carcosa: fighters and sorcerers. The next section is devoted to detailing the sorcerer class. They don't use Vancian magic the way magic-users do; rather, they can use rituals (though they don't actually start with any). Frankly, there's no reason to actually play a fighter in Carcosa; sorcerers fight as well as fighters do *and* they can use any rituals they discover on the adventures. Even if you only ever use banishing rituals, I can't see why you'd pick a fighter over a sorcerer. I suppose the XP chart might make a difference, but I'm doubtful that anyone in Carcosa lives long enough to really appreciate a quicker rate of advancement.

Next up is a section on the various "races of men" that populate Carcosa. Men in Carcosa come in a variety of hues (orange men, red men, green men), and even come in shades unknown in our reality (dolm men, jale men, ulfire men). Some men are even transparent (bone men). Sadly, there aren't any notes here about the actual cultures of these colorful men; jale men are rumored to be adept at sorcery, but that's about it. I really think this was a missed opportunity--the different races of men should have at least a few things that make them memorable apart from being rejects from the Crayola big box. Oh, there's a section on Alignment as well. In Carcosa, alignment basically tracks how you feel about the Great Old Ones. This hardly seems necessary or interesting.

Then we get a section on Psionics. I have to admit, this section disappointed me. For one thing, psionics is the perfect "sci-fi fantasy" thing to give Carcosa it's own distinctive flavor, but by the rules psionics are going to be vanishingly rare in a campaign. Essentially, having high scores in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma makes you more likely to have psionic powers; unfortunately, even if you have 18s in all three scores you only have a 12% chance of having psionic powers. In turn, this means that you will almost never get to use this section of the book. Keeping with Geoffrey's McKinney's fetish for randomness, you have to roll to determine what psionic powers you get every day. The most damning part about this section is how sloppy it is; several of the psionic powers are mistakenly called "spells" in their descriptions, which makes me think they were cut-and-pasted from a spell list and never looked at again.

More to come...

Ability Scores: We have the Wrong Ones

2012-01-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

Strength and Constitution: Why are these separate ability scores again? I would roll them together into something evocative like "Might."

Dexterity: Probably should be split into two Ability Scores to cover both manual dexterity and agility if you're after "realism," but since I spit in the eye of realism where possible this can stay as is. That said, since Dexterity tends to give you a benefit to both Armor Class and to-hit rolls with missile weapons, it might be something of a "god stat."

Intelligence: A character's Intelligence should purely be a product of how smart the player plays the character. Ever have one of your less-smart friends try to play a high-Int wizard? I would swap Intelligence out for Willpower. Willpower covers both the ability to resist magic and to use magic to enforce your will over reality (and thus get bonus spells for a high stat).

Wisdom: Wisdom has always been used for concepts that don't actually fall under the definition of the word "wisdom": street smarts opposed to the book smarts of Int, willpower, connection to the cosmos, etc. Axe it. Replace it with Perception. Link Perception to surprise rolls, rolls to find hidden doors...hell, put the bonus/penalty to hit with ranged weapons here.

Charisma: Again, how likable or convincing a character is should be the province of role-playing. Also, the things connected to Charisma are silly. Number of henchmen you can have at a time? No. The number of henchmen you can have at a time should only be limited by how many you can afford to employ and your reputation. Morale? No. Morale should be determined by how well your henchmen are paid, how well you treat them, and how fucked the adventure gets.

But, let's face it, we're stuck with the Ability Scores we have because they are part of the shared language of D&D.

Not for nothing, the Ability Scores I use in my Barbarians of Lemuria hack are: Might, Agility, Willpower, and Perception.

Weird Adventures soundtrack

2012-01-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

I received my hardcover of Weird Adventures last week and it is an inspiring thing of beauty. Expect a few "where-I-read" posts in the near future. In the meantime, I realized I already have the perfect soundtrack for some weird adventures in The City.

Cruising Through the Interzone

Tracklist: Estradasphere - A Car Ride in Idealistic Ethiopia (part 1) † Lydia Lunch - Portrait of the Minus Man † Tom Waits - Dead and Lovely † Kim Boekbinder - Big Easy † Jill Tracy - In Between Shades † The Black Heart Procession - Never from This Heart † Neko Case - Look for Me (I’ll Be Around) † Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Moonland

You can listen to this mix here, if you so choose. (Actually, I use 8tracks mixes a *lot* for my games. Much easier than dealing with switching CDs mid-game.)

Mind Flayer Riff

2012-01-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking that in my campaign setting mind flayers won't the the Squidface-from-Star-Wars rip-off we're used to. Rather, mind flayers will be a race of weird sentient squids that mind blast their enemies, climb atop their skulls while they're stunned, bore into their craniums and start driving their victims around like a fleshy car.

When they're done with a particular "vehicle" they eat his or her brain and find a new ride.

Perhaps mind flayers even have a sort of decadent NASCAR vibe where they actively hunt people who seem like they would be particularly fast...all because there is a grand footrace in which the mind flayers race their host bodies on a track lit by fungoid light deep within the underdark.

(Art by Molly Crabapple.)

Jade Mysteries Monsters: Frost Maiden

2012-01-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

Frost Maiden

Frost Maidens are ghostly undead womenof great beauty who haunt the countryside of the Dainamyo Prefecture. In life they were the geisha of the Pleasure House of Tang-Feng, butduring the puritanical Winter Purges of Lord Hamasari they weredriven out and their home was burned to the ground. As they huddledtogether for warmth in the Dainamyo, they made a pact that they wouldnot let their deaths go unavenged. Their bodies died of exposure,but their spirits live on to attack the living and demand thewhereabouts of Lord Hamasari and his soldiers.

Movement: 60'

Armor Class: 6

Hit Dice: 7

Attacks: 1

Damage: 1d10 (freezing touch)

Save: Magic-User 7

Special:

Undead Immunities – poison, disease,etc.

Ectoplasmic – a frost maiden onlytakes half damage from physical attacks.

Breath of Winter – a frost maiden mayexhale a Cone of Cold in lieu of attacking with her freezing touch. A frost maiden can use this ability three times per day.

Heart of Ice – frost maidens areimmune to both cold and fire attacks. Furthermore, a frost maiden exudes an aura of intense cold that gives a -2 penalty to-hit to anyone in close combat with her.

Gothic Classes for Labyrinth Lord (part 2)

2012-01-19T08:02:00.000-05:00

Continuing where I left off on re-presenting the standard Labyrinth Lord classes for a Gothic-themed romp through my Ravenloft hack.

Warlock

Old name: Magic-User

Description: Warlocks are menand women who seek occult knowledge in a never-ending quest forpersonal power. Some attempt to use white magic to beat back thedarkness, while others have no qualms over battering their souls awayfor arcane secrets.

Inspirations: Dion Fortune's TheDemon Lover, H. P. Lovecraft's “The Dunwich Horror”

Changes: 1d6 Hit Points perlevel. Many spells with receive a heavy re-flavoring to be morein-line with the genre. Expect many of those flashier staples(Fireball, Magic Missile, etc.) to become more subtle and more darklyhued. For example, while the usualFly spell is pretty lame as-is, if it becomes a spell that canonly be used to fly if that character rides a broom WalpurgisNacht-style, then we might be in business.

Also, it's a veryflavorful thing to give your warlock a “theme” that colors his orher use of magic. For example, if your warlock uses “shadowmagic,” then we can give all of her spells subtle (ornot-so-subtle) trappings and effects that reflect her style of magic. Some possible themes: diabolic pacts, spectral magic, blood magic,astrological magic, fey enchantment, Lovecraftian magic of madness,voodoo, etc.

MeSmerist

Old name: Illusionist

Description: Mesmerists arecunning men and women who have mastered the arts of mind, control,suggestion, and illusion.

Inspirations: Charles BrockdenBrown's Wieland, George du Maurier's Trilby

Changes: 1d6 Hit Points perlevel. See Warlock for changes in the way spells are flavored.

Bandit

Old name: Thief

Description: Bandits are outlawsand wolf's heads who skirt the laws of enlightened civilization; theymay be ruffians and highwaymen who care little for else besides theirown gain, or they might be rebels who strike back against anoppressive regime.

Inspirations:AnnRadcliffe's TheMysteries of Udolfo,Percy Shelley's Zastrozzi

Changes:1d6 Hit Points per level. A bandit gets a +10% bonus to the PickLocks, Find and Remove Traps, Pick Pockets, Move Silently, and Hidein Shadows special abilities.

Assassin

Old Name: Assassin

Description: Assassins areexperts in the art of dealing death; some assassins are merelycold-blooded killers-for-hire, others are principled murderersseeking to avenge a great wrong.

Inspirations: AnnRadcliffe's The Italian,EdgarAllan Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado”

Changes: 1d6 Hit Points perlevel. Assassin's get all thief abilities as if they were a thief ofthe same level; they do not get bonuses to these abilities as abandit does.

One thing you'll note: no monks.

Gothic Classes for Labyrinth Lord (part 1)

2012-01-18T07:46:00.000-05:00

One of the strongest aspects of the old-school D&D engine is that with just a little minor tweaking and re-flavoring it can feel like a different kind of game. I've known people who have used the D&D rules to run sci-fi games, Indiana Jones-style games, post apocalyptic games, etc. Of course, it can also work for a wide variety of fantasy modes as well.

I've committed myself to running some heavily Gothic-inspired games in the year to come, probably in my hacked version of Ravenloft. I'll be using the Labyrinth Lord rules but with these variant classes to reinforce the Gothic mood I'm looking for:

Gothic-ThemedCharacter Class Variants for Labyrinth Lord

Exorcist

Old name: Cleric

Description: Exorcistsare mortal men and women granted divine power by their god to seekout and banish evil spirits.

Inspirations: William Peter Blatty's TheExorcist, Bram Stoker's Dracula

Changes: The Turn Undead abilitynow covers more than just undead; exorcists can banish “uncleanspirits,” which will include some non-undead monstrosities. Exorcists do not choose their spells per day; rather, the GM chooseswhich spells an exorcist's deity grants them for the day. Thesespells should be chosen with the challenges the exorcist is likely toface in mind—after all, the gods have knowledge of the future.

Witch

Old name: Druid

Description: Druids are thepriests and priestesses who serve the pagan gods of nature; they seethemselves as the wardens of the natural world and as the protectorsof the old ways.

Inspirations: VernonLee's “Dionea,” The Wicker Man

Changes: See exorcist forchanges to the way spells are granted. Also, witches will probablyhave some sort of familiar at the start of play.

KnightErrant

Old name: Fighter

Description: Knights errant arewarriors who wander the world seeking to fulfill a quest. A knighterrant may be searching to avenge their father's murder, locate aholy relic, or find and restore a rightful heir to the throne.

Inspirations:HoraceWalpole's TheCastle of Otranto,Edgar Allan Poe's “El Dorado”

Changes:I'll be using my Fighter Options for the knight errant.

WitchHunter

Old name: Paladin

Description: Witch hunters arefanatical followers of a god who seek out and punish those who actagainst their faith. They are charged with discovering and punishingheresy and deviltry wherever it might be found.

Inspirations: WitchfinderGeneral, The Blood on Satan's Claw

Changes: The witch hunter'smoral code will be a bit more flexible than the paladin's; after all,evil must be rooted out at all costs!

Slayer

Old name: Ranger

Description: Slayers arewarriors who have pledged themselves to the fight against the inhumanmonsters that haunt the lonely places of the world. They stop atnothing in the battle against the beasts who prey upon mankind.

Inspirations:Buffythe Vampire Slayer, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Castlevania

Changes:1d8 Hit Points per level. Instead of gaining a bonus againstgoblinoids, a slayer gets to choose an enemy that they receive theircombat bonuses against from the following groups: undead,lycanthropes, demons (inclusdes devils), automatons (golems andconstructs), hags (and other warped, chaos-tainted creatures),Outsiders (Cthulhoid aberrations), fey (goblins, elves, etc.).

Part 2 to come.

WIR: Realms of Crawling Chaos (part 3)

2012-01-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

The next section of Realms of Crawling Chaos details a system for psionic powers. As the authors note, this system isn't intended for use by player characters. The reason for this is fairly obvious: some of these psionic abilities are quite powerful and would definitely be a bit too much if played in the hands of the players (see, for example, Id Insinuation--which lets a user psionically control the victim for 2d4 weeks at a time).

Following the chapter on psionics is what is probably my favorite bit in the entire book: an appendix of rules for eldritch tomes. Not only do the rules and suggestions in this section ooze Lovecraftian flavor, the mechanics are simply awesome. Books are rated in terms of the complexity, the amount of time needed to study them, total number rolls against the book's complexity to gain access to its otherworldly secrets, the number of spells or rituals each book contains, and the potency of the book (of course, each book has a malign effect on its reader if they fail to "save" against the book's potency). This is brilliant stuff that I will definitely use in my own games.

The next appendix details a quick-and-easy system for generating random artifacts. The system is simple: roll d100 three times to get the power contained in the artifact, the form of the artifact, and the strange property of the artifact. As an example of how this plays out, I rolled 21, 26, and 3 which gives me a chalice constructed of gold and bearing etchings of loathsome aquatic creatures that can reproduce the power of a single spell of 1st-6th level. Definitely usable in play.

The final two sections are quite brief. The second-to-last gives conversion notes that adapt the psionic system to Mutant Future. The last gives the literary sources for all the Lovecraftian references the book used as points of inspiration (I was hoping this would be in here).

Overall, I'd say this is a must-have supplement if you are running an old-school game with a Lovecraftian slant. You may not use everything in the book, but you will find something in here to set your imagination alight.

Fighters Need a Little Something

2012-01-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

If you do away with Ability Score Requirements for the various classes in the AEC, fighters need a little something to make them a more appealing choice in Labyrinth Lord; all they've got going for them is a slightly lower XP-per-level requirement and the vain hope that they will some day reach 15th level and get a second attack.

My houserule: At 1st level, fighters get one of the Special Abilities outlined below. They also get a new ability at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

Special Abilities

Cleaving Blow – when youreduce an opponent to 0 Hit Points or less you may make a free attack against an adjacent foe.(1)

Weapon Master – pick onegeneral type of weapon (swords, axes, bludgeons, bows, etc.); you get +1 on all to-hit rolls with that type of weapon.

Warlord's Advance – when your“side” in a conflict rolls initiative you get a +1 bonus to the roll.(2)

Brutal Strike – you add yourConstitution bonus to damage.(3)

Precise Strike – you add yourDexterity bonus to damage.(3)

Zen Strike – you add yourWisdom bonus to damage.(3)

Insightful Strike – you addyour Intelligence bonus to damage.(3)

Defensive Stance – you gain a+1 bonus to Armor Class.(4)

Valorous Warrior – you get a+2 bonus to all saves vs. fear effects.

Primal Rage – you can chooseto take a -1 to-hit for a +2 bonus to damage per attack.

Deadly Assault – you score acritical hit on foes when you roll a natural 19 or 20.(5)

Notes

– This is a great special ability for fighters in one-shot games or in campaigns that will end in the low-levels; since many of the foes faced will likely be of the single Hit Die variety, chances are that the fighter will get a good deal of mileage out of this. In games where the characters will face off against a single, more powerful foe (as in LotFP-style games), this special ability will be far less of use.
– If your game uses individual initiative rolls, consider bumping this bonus up to +2 if using a d10 or perhaps +3 or +4 if using a d20.
– If you are using one of the more generous methods of ability score generation (4d6-dope-lowest, for example) you may wish to limit players to picking one of these damage-boosting abilities for their characters.
– I considered making different “versions” of this special ability based on fighting style. For example, there could be a Duelist's Stance that gives a +2 bonus to Armor Class when fighting with a main gauche instead of a shield, a Shield Warden's Stance that gives a +1 bonus when fighting with a shield, etc.
– Assuming, of course, you already have a critical-hit-on-a-natural-20 rule in play.

Archetypal Suggestions

Fighter is generally the suggestedclass for new players because the fighter's mechanics are the easiestto grasp and because popular fiction is rife with archetypal fightersthat are easy to identify. Even new players can come to the tablewith a character concept like “I want to play a knight in shiningarmor” or “I want to be Conan!” Generally, these are thesuggestions I give them on choosing special abilities for theirfighter that will fit their idea of what they want to play:

Archer – Weapon Master (bows),Precise Strike (if you have a Dexterity bonus),

Warlord's Advance

Barbarian – Primal Rage,Brutal Strike (if you have a Constitution bonus), Cleaving Blow

Knight – Weapon Master(swords), Valorous Warrior, Cleaving Blow

Samurai – Zen Strike (if youhave a Wisdom bonus), Deadly Assault, Valorous Warrior

Swashbuckler – DefensiveStance, Deadly Assault, Precise Strike (if you have a Dexterity bonus)

Tactician – Insightful Strike(if you have an Intelligence bonus), Warlord's Advance,

Defensive Stance

I didn't ask, I just bought it

2012-01-13T09:31:00.001-05:00

You should too.

Jade Mysteries Monsters: Heikegani

2012-01-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

Continuing my series of monsters native to the Island of Jade Mysteries...

Heikegani

Heikegani appear to be giant crabs withhuman-like faces. In truth, they are the reincarnated spirits ofclan warriors who chose to flee battle instead of rallying to thedefense of their lord. Cursed by the Monkey God for their cowardice,they now wait within the seas to challenge warriors who happen bytheir lairs, for it is only through dying in battle that their soulswill be allowed a place in the afterlife. Heikegani can sensewarriors of virtue and will seek them out in preference to all otherfoes.

Movement: 60'

Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice: 3

Attacks: 2

Damage: 1d6 (claw)

Save: Fighter 3

Special: Entrapping Claw – on anatural to-hit roll of 18-20, a heikegani is able to grab anopponent's weapon and disarm them in lieu of doing damage.

An amalgam

2012-01-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

Over the last few days I've received a bunch of gaming stuff in the mail. As I laid it all out on the table a weird thought took hold of me: what if I used it all as part of the same game?

Here's how I would do it: the characters are airship pirates who get caught in an aether storm and crash land on an unknown island. They quickly discover that the island is inhabited by multi-colored tribes of men who make constant war against each other. One of their crew is captured by a cult who plans on using them as a sacrifice in a ritual that will summon a Cthulhoid monstrosity from beyond. The characters must locate a wizard who will teach them the correct banishment ritual or rally the members of a strange, mystical traveling carnival to their cause of freeing their captive crewman.

WIR: Realms of Crawling Chaos part 2

2012-01-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

Okay, let's tackle two more sections of Realms of Crawling Chaos: monsters and edritch artifacts.

The monsters section has all the gribblies you'd expect from something Lovecraft-inspired; you've got your Shoggoths, your Elder Things, and your Colours Out of Space. We're also given stats of the various Big Bad Cosmic Horrors from the Cthulhu mythos: Cthulhu, Shub-Niggurath, Azathoth, etc. are all present and accounted for. (Although, for some reason, no stats are actually given for Azathoth. Okay, so it doesn't really translate to game terms, but why not suggest some things you could do with Azathoth in the game that don't require stats?)

There are also quite a few "look at what will become of the white race if it degenerates!" type monsters in the form of White Apes, Cave Beasts, and Devil Apes.

There are also some creatures that clearly come from Lovecraft's non-mythos works; what story is the Giant Albino Penguin from anyway? This brings up the one thing I wish the authors had done in this chapter: given the work the monster was "taken" from. It sure would be nifty to be able to read a monster description, then turn to the story the monster appears in for further inspiration.

In general, I think if you use the monsters from this section your game will certainly take on a Lovecratian feel. In particular, I found the illustrations evocative. There's old-school for sure, a bit like a cross between Erol Otus and Lee Brown Coye.

The next section covers "Eldritch Artifacts," which includes both weird technology and occult items. All these items have a Weird Tales feel to them and they certainly don't give bonuses the way typical D&D magic items do. Overall, these are cool but would have to used quite sparingly in a campaign to emphasize their rarity and their strangeness.

Next time I'll talk about the Psionics system and the very useful appendices to the book.

Crowdsourcing: Hot Naked Rakshasa Chick?

2012-01-09T11:53:00.000-05:00

Am I doing this blogging thing right?

Anyway, for game purposes, I want to crowdsource ideas about what this rakshasa is reading, why she is reading it, and what she plans to do with the knowledge contained therein.

In the meantime, I'll be enjoying watching various people at various places having various meltdowns over the announcement of a new edition of D&D.

WIR: Realms of Crawling Chaos

2012-01-06T12:04:00.000-05:00

I'm going to do a Where-I-Read of Realms of Crawling Chaos spread over a few blog posts. Though this supplement has been out for a year, I rarely see it talked about; I'm going to be looking at it specifically with an eye toward what it has to offer a "weird fantasy" campaign.

What is it? Realms of Crawling Chaos is a 64 page supplement written for the Labyrinth Lord system by Daniel Proctor and Michael Curtis. It has a color cover by Sean Aaberg and black-and-white interior art by Aaberg and Mark Allen. The purpose of Realms of Crawling Chaos is provide Lovecraft-inspired bits to aid in the creation of a "dark fantasy" game. The supplement doesn't lay out a full-fleshed setting or a sandbox for play; rather, it gives the building blocks for you to add as much or as little Lovecraftian flavor to your D&D-esque game.

One thing I especially appreciated at the outset was that the authors make it clear that they are focusing on elements from Lovecraft's work specifically instead of merging Lovecraft's works with the later works that he inspired. I also liked that they used the whole of Lovecraft's writings as potential points of inspiration, instead of limiting themselves to the "Cthulhu mythos." (Though, there is plenty of mythos in here as well.)

The first few pages of the supplement talk about the over-arching themes found in Lovecraft's work and offer suggestions as to how you might work them into your game. The themes they discuss are: The Insignificance of Man, The Vastness of the Universe, An Uncaring Natural World, The Reality of Man as an Animal, Superior Otherworldly Beings, and Science as a Double Edged Sword. As someone who teaches Lovecraft as part of a Gothic fiction course, that list of themes looks about right to me.

Next up is a section on alternate Lovecraftian races that could be used for player characters. These are presented in both race-as-class and race/class versions. Mostly, these new races are human-monster hybrids, such as Sea Blood (human and Deep One), Subhuman (human and Voormis), White Ape Hybrid (human and White Ape), with the addition of a pure White Ape for your consideration. I particularly liked the Sea Blood race with its built-in mechanic for bodily degeneration and ultimate inability to fight against the lure of the sea.

The following section adds new magical abilities in the form of formulae (alchemy) and new spells. The formulae seem quite fun; I can imagine that they give magic-users fiendish experiments to pursue in-between game sessions. The new spells also add quite a bit of that ol' eldritch flavor. My favorite spell in the section is Hideous Graft; I can see a desperate party of adventurers using it to graft the head of an important, recently-slain foe onto a party member in a vain attempt to gain access to their enemy's memories.

More later; next stop, new monsters and beasties.

Places to Avoid Table

2012-01-05T09:44:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, the captain of a mercenary band wrote in to ask: "A visit to the Islands of Unparalleled Liberty might do much to boost morale, but I have heard that many such visitors are loathe to depart, and fall prey to strange, debilitating poxes and agues. What establishments should I forbid them to visit on pain of death if I wish to maintain my full complement of troops and the iron discipline that is ever my watchword?"

Want to generate some locales that the characters shouldn't be visiting? Roll 3d6 on the following table. Either roll 3d6 once and simply read across the row (roll of 6: The Harlot's Dimples, house of ill repute, front for skaven) or mix it up by rolling 3d6 three times (rolls of 9, 4, 14: The Hag's Tit, pie shop, frequent haunt of Morly Gullcatcher).

Roll	Name	What is it?	Why should it be avoided?
3	Hell's Bitch	Rough pub, frequented by sailors and dock workers	Owned and operated by Doktor Vamker, who uses the bodies of anyone who dies on the premises in his necromantic experiments
4	The Bucket of Chum	Pie shop that serves vitals of questionable edibility	Front for a coterie of mind flayers; their servants drug patrons and taken them to the basement to have their brains devoured
5	The Broken Ass	Opium den, frequented by exiled aristocrats	Front for the Steel Cadre, a fascist paramilitary organization that is plotting to take over the Islands of Unparalleled Liberty
6	The Harlot's Dimples	House of ill repute, definitely disease-infested	Front for the Spiketail Clan of skaven; their servants knock-out patrons and drag them to a sewer hideout where they are subjected to warpstone experiments
7	The Wench's Complaint	House of ill repute, specializing in masochism	Front for a disreputable requiter for the Ulverland navy; patrons might be shanghaied and then press-ganged into military service
8	The Weeping Cabin Boy	House of ill repute, specializing in sadism	Owned and operated by Jana Sparan, a cultist of Shub-Niggurath who will either tempt patrons into selling their souls or sacrifice them to her dark god
9	The Hag's Tit	Rough pub, frequented by thieves and thugs	Utterly infested by disease and vermin; any amount of time spent here will call for saves vs. disease
10	The Monkey's Guffaw	House of ill repute, specializing in “exotic races,” aka orc women	Cursed by Harland Yarm, a warlock who was killed on the premises. Any amount of time spent here will call for saves vs. curses; this curse can only be removed by giving Yarm's remains a proper burial.
11	The Maggot's Nest	Drug den, specializing in goblin-harvested mushrooms	Front for neogi slavers whose servants will drug patrons and then attempt to sell them as laborers to lords in Mord-Stavian
12	Your Son's Folly	Bawdy playhouse, specializing in all-nude revues that satirize contemporary politics	Owned and operated by Freeman Hull, whose drow lover uses the establishment as a place to test her new poisonous concoctions
13	The Miserable Pustule	Cabaret, where all the players are incurably tone-deaf	A frequent haunt of Morly Gullcatcher, a notorious highwayman who is under surveillance by bounty hunters sent to capture him. The characters will get caught in the crossfire.
14	Your Mother's Lament	Fish-and-chips shop, where the chips are always soggy	A den of thieves; the characters will be the victims of pick-pocket attempts.
15	The Knifeman's Stumble	Rough pub, frequented by mercenaries and sellswords	Frequented by the Bleeding Nihilists, a death cult. Unfortunately, whatever day the characters visit this establishment is the day they've decided to kill themselves...and everyone else they can take with them.
16	The Grinder's Hole	Bear-baited ring	Cased for weeks by the Violet Dawn, a thieves guild who will hold out the establishment on whatever day the characters happen to be there.
17	The Squatting Nymph	Underground pit-fighting ring, no hold barred and fatalities encouraged	Cased for weeks by the Antiking's Men, a radical group who will firebomb the establishment on whatever day the characters happen to be there.
18	The Braying Cousin	Oil-wrestling venue; matches are encouraged to end in copulation for the amusement of the crowd	Owned and operated by Demian Hask, who must keep the walls of one of the establishment's rooms coated in blood lest some horrible Cthulhoid thing break through into the world.

Jade Mysteries Monsters: Guardian Prayer Tree

2012-01-04T09:01:00.000-05:00

Guardian Prayer Tree

Ancient legends tell the tale of thewandering monk, Ishigaza Guro, who made it his life's ambition tobestow a powerful blessing on the holiest temples of the Island ofJade Mysteries. This blessing took the form of granting one or moretrees near the temple a limited form of life as Guardian PrayerTrees. If a temple that received Guro's blessing is attacked, theblessed tree will animate and come to the temple's defense.

Movement: 60'

Armor Class: 0

Hit Dice: 9

Attacks: 2

Damage: 3d6 (smashing branch)

Save: Fighter 9

Special: Each Guardian Prayer Tree has1d4+1 prayer strips entwined in its branches; each prayer strip canbe used as a clerical scroll. Once a prayer strip is used by theGuardian Prayer Tree, it is consumed; a Guardian Prayer Tree can useone prayer strip per round in place of its normal attacks.

To determine what kind of prayer stripsa Guardian Prayer Tree has, roll 3d6 on the following table:

3	Gate
4	Holy Word
5	Cause Blindness
6	Dispel Magic
7	Cause Fear
8	Cure Serious Wounds (on self)
9	Cause Serious Wounds
10	Call Lightning
11	Flame Strike
12	Sticks to Snakes
13	Cause Disease
14	Bestow Curse
15	Blade Barrier
16	Spiritual Weapon
17	Insect Plague
18	Harm

What Do You Want to Know About the World Between?

2012-01-03T10:16:00.000-05:00

In response to my latest post giving the sketchy details about an area of my campaign setting, Trey said, "I dig these write-ups--though I hope your also going to give us some more flavorful detail on some of these locations after you've sketched them."

You know what? I take requests. So, Dear Readers, what would you like to know about the World Between? I probably won't be writing much more prose to describe these places (because that stuff never gets used at the game table), but if you ask me a question about my setting I will give you an answer in the form of gameable content. For example, the next few posts will be of unique monsters found in the Island of Jade Mysteries.

So, if you ask, "What horrors lurk in the northernmost forest of Harrowfaust?" I might give you the stats for a few unique monsters that dwell therein...or I might give you a random encounter table for use in spooky, Gothic woodland locations. If you ask, "Who are the most important clerics in Caligari?" you might get a few brief rights up with stats, a relationship map showing competing aims and schemes within a church's hierarchy, or an adventure seeds concerning spiritual machinations.

Ask me questions, I will give you stuff to play with.

To recap, these are the areas I've sketched so far:

Caligari - Weimar-esque decadent empire riddled with crime, drugs, and cabaret halls; Warhammer's Empire meets Michael Moorcock's Melnibone
Frostreave - Grim frozen northern land with pseudo-vikings and snow witches; George R. R. Martin's The Wall meets Norse myth meets Russian fairy tales.
Ghael Isles - An island chain that is home to cannibals, voodoo, and swamp witches; Serpent and the Rainbow meets The Isle of Dread meets Aztec mythology.
Harrowfaust -   Vampire families battling pennangalan families amidst a Gothic backdrop of superstitious peasants and occult mysticism; Gothic novels meets film noir meets Hammer Horror.
Iron Principalities - Petty kingdoms constantly at war, with Borgias-esque families and mercenary kings; Warhammer's Border Princes meets The Castle of Otranto meets Black Adder.
Islands of Unparalleled Liberty -  Lawless pirate islands where rum is cheap and life is even cheaper; Pirates of the Caribbean meets “The Call of Cthulhu” meets Clive Barker's Abarat novels.
Island of Jade Mysteries -  Isolated realm of holy shrines, warrior clan warfare, ceaseless bureaucracy, and an immortal queen; Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan meets every Akira Kurosawa samurai epic.

Feel free to ask questions about any of these, or about new areas as I post them!

What the Island of Jade Mysteries is Like

2012-01-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

TheIsland of Jade Mysteries

Precis: Isolated realm of holyshrines, warrior clan warfare, ceaseless bureaucracy, and an immortal queen; Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan meets every AkiraKurosawa samurai epic.

Conspectus: Ruled by the EternalPrincess, Maida I; worship of ancestors and and primal nature spiritsat far-flung, mountainous retreats; warrior nuns and military monkswho use voice magic; runes and water divination; master weaponsmithsworking with thrice-blessed steel; ogre magi, serpent men conductingstrange experiments in wilderness fortress cities, and kappa guardingbridges; amazingly complex governmental bureaucracy and legal system;deadly games of chess played with human pieces, werefox trickstersand cults that worship Mong-Trall (the capricious monkey god);wandering exorcists

Taste, Sound, Image:Sushi, Voltaire's “Ringo No Uta,” Utagawa Kuniyoshi's MitsukiniDefying the Skeleton.

Stormhalt

2011-12-27T09:33:00.000-05:00

Map Key:

Guillermo Fand – kindly alchemist, can provide poisons, potions, and Greek fire for a price, will also tell the PCs what he knows about Countess von Mallarme and the ghost of Mallory Tam if asked. Fand hates Marcus Eban (#7) for some imagined slight and will offer the PCs items at a reduced rate if they plan on attacking the Celestial Tower (#6).
Fighting arena – the city's residents enjoy the spectacle of fights between caputured and enslaved lizardmen. Brave/foolhardy visitors are also encouraged to test their prowess against lizardmen warriors; winners take home substantial cash prizes. This is also a good location for PCs to wager on fights and/or make contacts among the various underworld lowlifes that frequent the arena. If the characters hang out here they will definitely here of the Blue Whiskers (#3) or see them in action.
Guild house for the Blue Whiskers Gang – the Blue Whiskers are a thieves' guild that runs protection rackets, organized pick pockets, and the like. One of their members is also a talented locksmith who can provide a key to any door in the city in return for the right payment or a favored owed. The Blue Whiskers know of Fand's tower (#1) and may try and recruit the PCs to rob it.
Castle of Countess Sylvia von Mallarme – the Countess is the real power in the city; everyone knows she is a vampire, but no one talks about this fact for fear of ending up on her dinner plate. The Countess will offer a very generous award if the PCs agree to wipe out either the Blue Whiskers (#3) or Stark and his disciples (#11).
Langlor Forest – Countess von Mallarme (#4) keeps a sizable army of skeletons, zombies, and ghouls lurking in the forest. Should anyone be noticed laying siege or breaking into her castle, these forces will march to her defense.
The Celestial Tower – At the top of the Celestial Tower is a powerful telescope; the telescope can be used be skilled astrologers to predict the most auspicious day to undertake any task. Also, it can be used to spy on any other location in Stormhalt with varying degrees of success.
Marcus Eban – Eban is an astrologer in the pay of Countess van Mallarme (#4). He will let visitors use his telescope, but only if they fulfill a bizarre task. (Money holds no interest for him.) He is also batshit insane. Eban mutters things about the fox mask incessantly (#15).
The Red Goat Tavern – a good place for adventurers to scope out employment possibilities. Merchants come here looking for sellswords to act as caravan guards and bodyguards. A storyteller here might hint at the existence of the fox mask (#15); the tavern is also a place where the PCs might overhear rumors about the alchemist, the astrologer, or the cleric (#1, #6, #11).
Garth Tam – proprietor of the Red Goat (#8). He is a gruff, retired soldier. If the PCs offer him a share of the treasure, he might be persuaded to hire on as muscle for the party. He will, however, refuse to cross the bridge at #10 but won't explain why.
Mallory Tam – in life, Mallory Tam was the wife of Garth—until he caught her in bed with another man and killed both of them in a fit of rage. Now her ghost haunts the bridge. She can be persuaded to accompany the PCs or tell them the location of the fox mask (#15) if they first either a) kill Garth or b) unearth her bones from where Garth has buried them in the basement of the tavern and give them a proper burial in the churchyard (#11).
Varmak Stark's Church – Varmak Stark is an over-zealous cleric. If the PCs convince him that they are faithfully hunting a great evil, he will aid them by joining their quest or by offering to heal their wounds/give blessings/etc. If the PCs do anything even slightly untoward, he will rally a mob against them and proclaim that they do the Devil's work. Stark considers Countess von Mallarme (#4) to be an unclean demon and he is the only one in the city that knows about the undead army in the forest (#5).
The Singing Trollop – the Singing Trollop is a pirate ship that is anchored within sight of the coastline. If the PCs hire (or steal) a boat and row out to the ship they might be able to convince the pirates to either sack Countess von Mallarme's castle (#4) or to create a diversion so that the party might raid the armory (#14). The pirate captain is a woman named Veronique Cleborne; she knows about the ghost of Mallory Tam (#10), the guild house (#3), and the fox mask (#15).
The City Watch – if the PCs cause trouble, this is where the forces of law enforcement will come from. However, the captain of the watch—Sophia Zelm—can be bribed to have her watchmen look the other way if the PCs need to get up to something. Sophia also has keys to the armory (#14).
The Armory – tons of weapons and armor and gear that might tempt the PCs into larceny. Of course, it is well-guarded. If the PCs raise their own mob, perhaps recruited from the Red Goat (#8) or Varmak Stark's followers (#11), this would be the place to arm them.
The Fox Mask – inside this old, disused tower is hidden a magical fox mask. Anyone who wears the mask will be invisible to the undead. The mask is guarded by...something. In general, the tower gives off a foreboding atmosphere; the people of Stormhalt avoid the tower on principle.

Treasure Haul 2011: The Christmas Hangover

2011-12-26T09:26:00.000-05:00

Stuff given unto me by my generous gamer friends!

I'll probably never play GURPS, but the new edition of GURPS Horror is written by Ken Hite...so there will definitely be stuff for me to steal from this and it will be a joy to read.

Why didn't I know about Realms of Crawling Chaos before?

Message sent and received: I will be running a horrific Labyrinth Lord campaign in the new year.

A Game Recap in Text and Music

2011-12-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

We begin in media res; the party has recently come to the realization that they are up shit creek without a paddle.

The Tiger Lillies, "Crack of Doom"

First encounter: gnoll mercenaries in the pay of the party's nemesis. No one rushes in; lots of swagger and staring each other down before the business of bloodshed begins.

Woven Hand, "Winter Shaker"

A brief respite, but it becomes apparent that something is very, very wrong at the inn. As in "Why did the barmaid just cough up her innards?" levels of wrongness.

The Hellblinki Sextet, "Dementish Waltz"

...and it leads back to the crypts beneath the house on the hill.

Katzenjammer Kabarett, "Eve at the mansion"

Our host is laying out a very generous spread...I wonder if this food is safe to eat? (As it turns out, the food is fine...but the miasmatic air is not safe to breath.)

Jill Tracy, "The Fine Art of Poisoning"

...and then, predictably, all hell breaks loose. Literally. Madness, hallucinations, walls closing in, MELEE!

HUMANWINE, "Rivolta Silenziosa"

Why are We Together in the Unhallowed Metropolis?

2011-12-15T10:24:00.000-05:00

Unhallowed Metropolis is one of my favorite non-old-school RPGs. Its system is no great shakes, but the setting's mish-mash of Victoriana, rampant undead, film noir pastiche, and Gothic horror is pretty much calculated to hit me where I live. That said, one thing that game doesn't really detail in much depth is why the characters might be "adventuring" together. In D&D-esque games, this is usually easy enough to explain, but in a game where social class in implied to create sharp cultural divisions it can strain credulity to have a Dickensian street thief rubbing shoulders with Sir Reginald Farthingworth IV, you know?

Here's a few ideas I cam up with to help rationalize why a disparate collection of aristocrats, undead hunters, and common rabble might band together as a party:

1) Thrown together by circumstance. Putting the characters in a life or death struggle where they need to band together to survive tends to erase or upturn the usual social strata. Of course, this is a typical set-up drawn straight from zombie apocalypse media. Consider, for example, The Walking Dead. Why are a policeman, a redneck hunter, a scrappy kid, and couple housewives traveling together through the walker-infested landscape? Because they happened to be at the same place at the same time.

2) Birds of a feather. If all the players agree that there characters have some involvement with the criminal underworld it gives them an excuse to be together. After all, it wouldn't be out of place for a drug-addicted aristocrat to have contacts with a doctor of dubious qualifications, a fallen mourner, or a common street thief. The character's vices and failings are especially useful here for establishing relational connections between the characters.

3) A confederacy of equals. This is the more pleasant version of #2. If the players agree their characters might all belong to an organization that wants to abolish the class system altogether. Perhaps they all belong to a Brotherhood of Neo-Marxists or are all devoted to an altruistic venture such as a free hospital or an organization that works to end poverty. Research on the Fabian Society, worker's unions, abolitionist groups, temperance movements, and suffragette organizations would uncover some interesting models to borrow for your game.

4) Neo-Victorian =/= Victorian. No need to be slaves to canon. I'm firmly of the opinion that if you buy a game you're free to change it however your like. Feel free to change the game's fluff so that the social constraints aren't as rigid as their Victorian inspirations. Also, there was more wiggle room in the Victorian era for class mobility than people tend to give it credit for anyway.

Crowdsourcing: Too Good to Leave Buried in the Comments

2011-12-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I put out a call for information and detail on the Fish Temple. Well, Christmas must have come early because the responses were absolute gems. In fact, they're too awesome to leave sequestered; they deserve some space on the front page.

Telecanter tells us that: The fish was actually living, collared in the temple, then vivisected and torture-worshipped until just a mummified husk. Then the cycle continues: a new fish must be lured in with fat, virgin merchants.

Mmm, delicious torture-worship.

Aos reminds us that: This fish temple is tended by crabmen. they both love and hate the Fish, which is why they torture worship it. They see it as a vast mindless being, which is at the same time a giver of life in the form of food. It is only proper that it be both revered and despised. The priesthood is separated into 12 different levels of hierarchy. Priests wear special braces and bindings, which constrain and alter the growth of their carapace, forcing it into the shape that is appropriate for their particular place within the command structure.

Any opportunity to get crabmen into the game is an opportunity seized, in my books.

Trey notes: The Lords of Depth and Darkness, two long-lived (and supposedly mircaluous) albino catfish (resembling the gnooch of India, but for their albino pink skins). The Lords are said to be messianic emmissaries of the Primordial Source of Being, a principle of creation and fecundity. The toxins in their barbs and in their eggs (the presence of which hints that one of the lords is a lady--or not) are hallucinogenic and said to give visions to their priests. The barbels are used in ritual piercing to bring the substances into the bloodstream.

The toxins are also mutagenic, but the course of the mutation is variable. Some priests become wholly transformed into hybrid forms and spend their days in tidal pools beneath the temple. Others merely develop stigmata of their deities.

Which reminds me that I have a d100 mutation table to post at some point.

Jeremy adds: The Fish Temple has been attacked multiple times (though unsuccessfully) by agents in the employ of Lady Viola Bronzescale, whose literary salon and gardening society are dedicated to the city's cultural enrichment and physical beautification (she has been instrumental in the recent dismantling of unsightly buildings and the general increase in parks, pleasure gardens, and fountains). The Fish Temple, or more precisely, the prodigious stench that emanates from it long after the God-captive has been reduced to dried skin and bones, has long been a thorn in her ladyship's ample side.

She is thwarted in her efforts by agents hired by the Right Worshipful Guild of Perfumers and Incense-grinders, whose earnings see a marked increase about midway through the Temple's Capture Cycle.

I'm a bit ashamed that Jeremy worked a literary salon into the deal before I did, but hell I'll just steal that bit anyway.

rorschachhamster leaps into the fray with the following: Rumor has it, that the species of really enormous fish changes the outlook and the general worldview of the worshippers.The tempel actually has a, to outsiders at last, very complicated calculating of times, depending on the phase the actual temple fish is in. E.g., the "degillification of the giant barracuda" was a three month span 324 years ago...

Greg gets all Lovecraftian with this: The "Fish" Temple holds a large pool which is a magic portal through which Father Dagon thrusts his head to accept the sacrifices of virgin human females. The "Fish" Temple is maintained by Deep Ones and their half-breed human/Deep One hybrids.

Which also reminds me that I got Realms of Crawling Chaos as an early Xmas present and I need to sit down and read it soon.

Bill the Dungeon Master takes us out by mentioning that: The Venerated and Venerable Priests of the Almighty Fish Temple perform auguries through the ancient art of Blemmography -- studying the flow, color, and consistency of the slime that oozes from the Fish Temple's decaying flesh. While, legally, they are only permitted to perform this service for the royal family, it is an open secret that they will read the slime for any who wish to know the future...and are willing to pay the price demanded by the Icthyohierophant.

Icthyohierophant...you bloody genius!

The point being: this is why DIY D&D is best. I started with a mere picture, now I have a full-on game. Thanks guys!

Crowdsourcing: The Fish Temple

2011-12-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

Hmm, I post a table of random venereal woes and not a peep was heard from the readership. I'm going to take that as an embarrassed silence. No judgments here, you wanton libertines. In an attempt to make this a little more interactive, here is a picture:

The picture is titled "Fish Temple" and it is by Sean Andrew Murray. If you're fit for it, dear readers, I would like you to tell me one fact (or more) about the Fish Temple. You might wish to address:

- to what god, goddess, gods, demon lords, squamous things from beyond, etc. is the Fish Temple dedicated to?
- what being or group of beings tends to the Fish Temple?
- what sort of enemies wish to see the Fish Temple destroyed?
- what miraculous properties does the Fish Temple have?
- who visits the Fish Temple?

I await your answers with baited breath. (See what I did there?)

Random Poxy from a Doxie Table

2011-12-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

While carousing places like The Islands of Unparalleled Liberty chances are good that one of the characters picks up an unwelcome "gift-of-lust" from whatever bawdy house, temple of Slaanesh, or back alley they've been comporting themselves in. This is a table for those occasions. Alternately, it can also function as a random disease table when the characters face-off against a particularly infectious foe, such as skaven, otyughs, filthpigs, etc.

RandomPoxy from a Doxie (d10)

01 – The Scarabaean Prance:This disease causes the victim to fall prone to spasmodic movementsthat vaguely resemble clumsy dancing. Whenever the victim attempts astrenuous physical action, they must make a saving throw. If theypass the saving throw they make act normally. If they fail thesaving throw they loss their action for the turn; instead of actingnormally, their turn is consumed by awkward, dance-like spasms. While “dancing” the character's armor class is improved by twodue to the difficult of hitting such an unpredictable target.

02 – The Weeping Scabs: Thisdisease covers the victim’s body with pus-leaking sores. Thedisease cause no physical degradation, but since this ailment is soclosely associated with consorting with jezebels and slatterns anyNPC likely to be judgmental of such conduct reacts to the victim asif their Charisma score was halved.

03 – The Mordish Rot: Thisdisease causes the victim's skin to continually peel off in itchypatches. While suffering from this disease the character onlyreceives half the usual benefit from both natural and magicalhealing.

04 – The Galloping Gurgles:This disease cause its sufferer to feel as if their guts were a massof writhing snakes; they also emit horrific bodily noises from theirgut. The disease's victim takes a -2 penalty to all physical actionsand their belly will make loud, distracting noises at the mostinopportune times.

05 – The Sputtering Hack: Thisdisease causes its victim to cough up blood. When first contracted,the disease lowers the character's Constitution score by 2 points. Each week that the disease persists lowers their Constitution afurther 2 points. When their Constitution reaches 0, they die.

06 – The Fumbling Shakes: Thisdisease causes the sufferer to shake uncontrollably and occasionallylose motor control. A character with this disease takes a -2 penaltyto any actions that involve fine, detailed work. Additionally, inhigh-stress situations there is a 50% that a character with thisdisease will drop whatever they are holding.

07 – Frost Fever: This diseasecauses its victim to alternate between a raging fever andbone-shaking chills. While suffering from this disease a charactertakes double damage from fire and cold, as well as a general -1penalty to all actions.

08 – The Ulverlandian Lament:This disease causes its sufferer to feel as if there were a colony ofinsects scurrying around inside their skull. The disease makes itimpossible for a character to concentrate; while suffering from thedisease a character takes a -2 penalty to any mental actions. Ifthey are a spellcaster, they will find it impossible to use magicwhile afflicted. Additionally, each day a character has this diseasethere is a 30% chance that they permanently forget who to read andwrite in a language they know.

09 – The Ruinous Bloodthirst:This disease causes its victim to fly into a murderous rage at theslightest provocation. When a character suffering from this diseasefeels slighted or provoked they must make a saving throw or randomlyattack 1d4 nearby targets until they are dead or the disease carrieris subdued. While in a rage the character gains a +2 bonus to-hitand damage.

10 – The Midianese Plague: Thisdisease causes its victim to break out in black pustules. Thecharacter must make a saving throw once a day; on a failed savingthrow the character dies in agony.

What the Islands of Unparalleled Liberty are Like

2011-12-11T09:42:00.001-05:00

TheIslands of Unparalleled Liberty

Precis: Lawless pirate islandswhere rum is cheap and life is even cheaper; Pirates of the Caribbean meets “The Call of Cthulhu” meets Clive Barker'sAbarat novels.

Conspectus: Ruled by the PirateCountess Isolda Tarmapp; grog, jezebels, and the lash; shark-men,deep ones, and sacrifices to Dagon—demon lord of the briny depths;ghost ships manned by spectral sailors; damnation games and buriedtreasure troves; wrecking crews, brigands, houses of ill repute; astrangely opulent and out-of-place opera house known as The Shell bythe Sea; towers dedicated to Tzeentch, demon god of change; pirates,outlaws, outcasts, disowned royals, and other “wolf's heads”; theOrder of the Consecrated Tenebriates (drunk on shadows they are)

Taste, Sound, Image: Rum andfried shrimp, Kurt Weill's TheThreepenny Opera, Wayne Reynold's Tales of the Razor Coast.

New Monster: The Factory of Undeath

2011-12-07T09:08:00.001-05:00

Not every petty lordling of the Iron Principalites rules through strength of arm or through cunning stratagem--some rule by fear and occult might. Gillard Vasquelle, Necromancer King of the Shamalatt Hills, keeps an iron grip over his kingdom through an army of undead servitors that he uses to both enforce his will over Shamalatt's people and to make war against his neighbors.

One of Vasquelle's necromantic innovations is the Factory of Undeath. A Factory of Undead is a specialized form of iron golem that is powered by the souls of the departed. Vasquelle has two uses for his Factories of Undeath: he deploys them on the battlefield as war machines and commands them to scour battlefields in search of corpses to be reanimated among his legions. Indeed, a Factory of Undeath is so named because it can produce zombies and skeletons from human remains.

Factory of Undeath
No. Enc.: 1-2
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 60'
Hit Dice: 9
Armor Class: 3
Attacks: 2 (metal fist)
Damage: 1d8
Saves: Fighter 9 (immune to necromantic and mental effects)
Morale: 12

Special Abilities:

Spawn Undead: When encountered, a Factory of Undeath contains enough bodily matter to spew forth 1d6 skeletons or zombies (or a mix of the same). Any undead creatures spawned by the Factory Undeath are controlled by it and will be used against anything that attacks it.

Necrotic Release: Instead of attacking with its fists, a Factory of Undeath may opt to release some of the necromantic essence that powers it in a cloud that surrounds the creature in 30' radius. Anyone caught in the necrotic cloud takes 3d8 points of damage (save for half). However, in choosing to use Necrotic Release the Factory of Undeath loses part of its animating essence and takes 1d6 points of damage.

Unyielding General: Any undead within 60' of a Factory of Undeath are immune to Turn Undead.

What the Iron Principalities are Like

2011-12-06T09:44:00.001-05:00

The IronPrincipalities

Precis: Petty kingdomsconstantly at war, with Borgias-esque families and mercenary kings; Warhammer's Border Princes meets The Castle of Otranto meetsBlack Adder.

Conspectus: Comprised of manysmall fiefdoms, each ruled by a backstabbing family of schemers andpoisoners; brisk mercantile activity because there are few (if any)trade restrictions; gigantic bazaars; mercenary bands that serveKhorne (the demon god of bloodshed) or Arioch (chaotic god ofstratagems); The Guild of the Red Hand (assassin's guild); Tiamatworshiped as the goddess of prosperity; artistic renaissance andenchanted paintings; famed mask makers and grand balls; sacredmurderers of the cult of Khaine (which may be connected to theworship of Khorne); the drowned city of Karmodia

Taste, Sound, Image: Red wine,“Mars, the Bringer of War” from Gustav Holst's The Planets, Paumgartner altarpiece

Tomorrow I'll post a monster from the Iron Principalities that you can gank for your own games.

On Music and Gaming

2011-12-05T13:05:00.001-05:00

I'm seen many divided opinions on using music during games, but I've always been a big proponent of having a soundtrack to the party's adventures. Music can serve multiple purposes at the gaming table; music helps create mood and establish atmosphere, music adds one more immersive aesthetic element, and music can be the foundation for the memorable experience that emerges at the intersection of epic dice rolls, pizza and cold beer, and spending time with good friends. As Oscar Wilde stated, "Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory."

I've used all kinds of music in my games: trip-hop, ambient, doom metal, punk, industrial...it's all served a purpose for me. Nevertheless, the complaint I've seen lodged most often against using music in gaming is that music can be a distraction--especially when it comes to music with lyrics. More and more, I'm coming around to the idea that classical music might serve my purposes best at the table; it is, after all, evocative without being terribly intrusive.

Some pieces I'd use (and how I'd use them):

"Ballad for Marguerite" from Charles Gounod's Faust. This piece is equal parts decadence and tragedy; I'd use it for games set amid a doomed and damned urban populace. Like, for example, Caligari or Vornheim.

Jean Sibelius's The Tempest. The Tempest has been called the most onomatopoetic piece of music ever written; the overture sounds precisely like a ship being wreaked upon a strange shore--which makes it a perfect backdrop for adventures in the Ghael Isles, the Isle of Dread, or perhaps the forthcoming Isle of the Unknown.

For mere pocket change you could own Vornheim

2011-12-03T17:39:00.001-05:00

Christmas/Hanukkah/Yule/The Winter Invocation of the Blizzard Lord came early this year; all pdfs from Lamentations of the Flame Princess are on sale for a paltry $1.35 each.

On Brutality

2011-12-02T13:19:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest elements of old-school D&D and OSR-type games is that they are joyfully inconsistent. For example, PCs get a bonus to melee damage based on their strength scores, but since monsters don't have strength scores...well, they tend to get more damage dice instead.

This leads to some oddities. Gnolls, for example, are noted for their strength and thus get +1 to all damage rolls. Ogres, which one imagines are bigger and stronger than gnolls, don't get a strength bonus to their damage. (In Labyrinth Lord they get a paltry 1d10 damage club!)

Rather than go through the Monstrous Manual and give every creature a strength score to make certain monsters more threatening, I use what I call the Brutality rule. If a creature is sufficiently brutal (or sufficiently METAL, if that's how your brain works) it re-rolls any damage dice that come up as 1s. Truly brutal monsters (such as dragons, elder giants, Orcus, etc.) might even get to re-roll 2s and 3s.

Credit where credit is due: I copped this idea from 4e's brutal weapon rules and Warhammer Fantasy Battle.

What Harrowfaust is Like

2011-12-01T13:33:00.001-05:00

Harrowfaust

Precis:Vampire families battling pennangalan families amidst a Gothicbackdrop of superstitious peasants and occult mysticism; Gothicnovels meets film noir meets Hammer Horror.

Conspectus: Half of the kingdomis ruled by Sebastian von Karlok (an ancient vampire lord), the otherhalf is ruled by Gabrielle Lorbrek (a pennangalan priestess);ignorant, fearful peasants; the demon Orcus worshiped as a god; gypsycaravans and riverboat travelers; isolated mad scientists craftingmagitech that is fueled by lost souls; ancient keeps and fortresses;Gothic atmosphere; pennangalan cults vs. vampire cults; armies ofanimate skeletons and zombies (Army of Darkness-style); secretsocieties of vampire hunters; tarot card magic; the poisonous gardensof Mother Mina; undead vultures as spies

Taste, Sound, Image: The copperytang of blood, Bauhaus's In the Flat Field, the filmNosferatu.

Random Weird Organization Generator

2011-11-30T12:34:00.001-05:00

Sometimes your players knock on the wrong door. What organization's headquarters have they stumbled upon? Sometimes you need a nefarious organization to be behind some recently-uncovered plot. Who has kidnapped the burgomeister's daughter? Sometimes the characters stop the wrong caravan. Who the hell are they dealing with anyway?

RandomWeird Organization Generator

Roll	The Adjective	Noun	Of Noun
1	The Tenebrous	Order	Of Exorcists
2	The Cyclopean	Cult	Of Templars
3	The Squamous	Sisterhood	Of Spiritualists
4	The Eldritch	Brotherhood	Of Fortune Tellers
5	The Grotesque	Brethren	Of Oracular Seers
6	The Unutterable	Guild	Of Tenebriates
7	The Eldritch	Fraternity	Of Opheliacs
8	The Antiquated	Sorority	Of Diabolists
9	The Sacred	Society	Of Mourners
10	The Dread	Corporation	Of Warchanters
11	The Blasphemous	Consortium	Of Executioners
12	The Ashen	Lodge	Of Orphans
13	The Cadaverous	Association	Of Dirge Scribes
14	The Corpulent	Syndicate	Of Tomb Guardians
15	The Jabbering	Union	Of Murder Balladeers
16	The Pestilential	Coven	Of Dreamthieves
17	The Crystalline	Sodality	Of Plague Doctors
18	The Repellent	Coterie	Of Sewerjacks
19	The Sepulchral	Cadre	Of Mad Cartographers
20	The Pallid	Mutuality	Of Runebearers

Roll 3d30; each roll corresponds to aphrase in one of the columns where taken in order. For example aroll of:

8-12-19 would generate The AntiquatedLodge of Mad Cartographers

17-8-2 would generate The CrystallineSorority of Templars

19-14-5 would generate The SepulchralSyndicate of Oracular Seers

Let your imagination go from there tofill in the blanks.

What the Ghael Isles are Like

2011-11-29T08:56:00.001-05:00

The GhaelIsles

Precis: An island chain that ishome to cannibals, voodoo, and swamp witches; Serpent and the Rainbow meets The Isle of Dread meets Aztec mythology.

Conspectus: Ruled by plantationmasters whose operations are fueled by either the labor of enslavednatives or zombies; peasants who fear curses above all else; worshipof spirits as gods and possession as a religious rite; lizard men,hags, and aboleths; tribes of primitive savages living in bayous;secret entrances to Lovecraftian Dreamlands; devil cults andbullywugs; gibbering mouthers regarded as divine oracles; neogislavers; cursed gold coins, “Lost World” islands of prehistoricbeasts; The Crystalline Brotherhood of Admixers (an exiled order ofalchemists)

Taste, Sound, Image: Gumbo, TheDead Weather's Sea of Cowards, Vodou veves.

Random Witchery

2011-11-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

I would be remiss not to mention Vector Sigma's set of awesome Random Striga Generation tables.

Here's the witch I came up with on my first go with the Sigma's tables:

Frau Ratgrave
Origin: barren
->the woman who would become Frau Ratgrave cursed the gods for the unfruitfullness of her womb; in turn, the gods cursed her with hagdom
Spite: livestock
->the fecundity of domesticated animals enrages the infertile hag
Modus Operendi: harries traveler's on "her road"
->she haunts the cattle path outside Weltshire that leads to the big farm market in Darrow
Appearance: gaunt & fat
-->Hmmm. Frau Ratgrave is a nearly-skeletal hag, save for her belly--which is a bulbous, sagging mass that mocks the full bellies of woman bearing a child
Dress: dark robes
-->to better blend in with the forest
Supernatural Quirks: Her evil eye can cause barrenness (synchronicity!) and she can assume the shape of anyone whose fingernail clippings she's eaten
Vulnerability: mundane plant
-->she's vulnerable to whatever flowers look like Georgia O'Keefe-style flower-vaginas, as these symbolize the reproductive powers of womanhood
Conveyance: Chariot
-->drawn by monstrous unborn fetuses
Implement: Mummified infant
-->done-up like a marionette, perhaps as a means to control some monstrosity
Minion: Giant animal
-->giant, slavering rabbit--pagan symbol of fertility perverted

VERDICT: this table is awesome and I will be adding it to my in-play binder.

Steal this Ranger

2011-11-25T11:30:00.001-05:00

I'm scheduled to play a one-shot Labyrinth Lord game and man did I roll well during character creation! (4d6/drop lowest was the method we were using.) Here's my character:

1st level Human Ranger
Str: 17 Dex 18 Con 16 Int 12 Wis 13 Cha 14
Hit Points: 10 (we're using the advanced HD rule in the AEC)
Armor Class: 1
Equipment: Chain mail, shield, longsword (+2 to hit, 1d8+2 damage), short bow & 20 arrows (+5 to hit[1], 1d6+2 damage), backpack, bedroll, 8 torches, flint & steel, wineskin, 2 days preserved rations, 3 gp & 5 sp
Special: +1 hit/damage against goblinoids & giants; only surprised on 1 in 1d6, surprises others on 1-3 on 1d6; tracking

So, if you find yourself in need of a character on the quick, feel free to use this guy. Just let me know how he fared.

[1] Oddly, LL doesn't specify that your Strength bonus only applies to melee weapons. It just says it gives a bonus to hit and damage rolls...which makes it seem like it stacks with the Missile Attack bonus from a high Dexterity. Will have to clear that with the GM first because that is not how I remember it working in early D&D.

What Frostreave is Like

2011-11-23T13:20:00.001-05:00

Frostreave

Precis: Grim frozen northernland with pseudo-vikings and snow witches; George R. R. Martin's The Wall meets Norse myth meets Russian fairy tales.

Conspectus: Ruled by KatrinaRimeheart (The Masked Queen of Iron and Ice); dread stars worshipedas gods (Caiphon, Hadar, Gibbeth, etc.); berzerk warriors who ridepolar bears into battle; githyanki raiders from beyond space and time; frost giants,trolls, and rakshasa in skeletal forests; mead halls, drinkingcontests, and skalds recounting tales of valor; reverence for theRaven Queen (a goddess of death) and her shadar-kai Valkyrie servants; dwarfartificers; grim fatalism; Baba Yaga and her traveling hut; whitedragons; the hallucinogenic mushroom forests of Khem populated by madgoblins

Taste, Sound, Image: Meat allbloody and red washed down with ale, Neurosis's Enemy of the Sun,Frank Frazetta's The Silver Warrior.

New Monster: Germ-Free Adolescent

2011-11-22T11:03:00.001-05:00

"He's a germ free adolescent / Cleanliness is her obsession / Cleans her teeth ten times a day / Scrub away scrub away scrub away / The S.R. way"

I've been digging up some old albums I haven't listened to in a while and in my stack is X-Ray Spex's seminal Germ-Free Adolescents; X-Ray Spex was one of the first punks bands I really loved.

I had some free time yesterday, so I whipped up a weird monster based on the above X-Ray Spex track:

Germ-Free Adolescent

Hit Dice: 1 (4 hp)

Attack Bonus: +1

Attacks: 1 (as per unarmed strike)

Armor Class: 10

Movement: as per normal human

Saving Throw: +1 (+5 vs. disease)

Germ-Free Adolescents are thealchemical children of Nadara, Hygienic Mage of the Cerulean Hills. Nadara is both a germaphobe and detests any sort of rebelliousness;as such, producing natural children was out of the question forher—instead, she has grown a “family” of perpetual teenagersvia alchemical experiments.

Nadara's adolescent children are vastlydifferent from the stereotypical teenager. They always agree withtheir “mother,” are fanatically opposed to any sort of rebellionor non-conformity, and are obsessed with tidiness, cleaning, andbeing overly cheerful.

Germ-Free Adolescents aren'tparticularly skilled as combatants, but they exude an Aura ofBanality that may hinder adventurers' plans; while within 30' of aGerm-Free Adolescent, a character must pass a Saving Throw to doanything untoward, illegal, or impolite. If the character fails theSaving Throw, they find themselves behaving in what is likely anuncharacteristically pleasant way. If they pass the Saving Throwthey may act as normal.

Germ-Free Adolescents take 1d6 pointsof damage per round when exposed to loud, discordant music.

What Caligari is Like

2011-11-21T10:15:00.001-05:00

Inspired by Jeremy's What Galbaruc Looks Like, I thought I'd post the way I present my own homebrew campaign setting. Generally, I give the players a sheet that gives the a "precis" (a two-line description meant to capture the atmosphere and generic conventions of a place) and a larger document that gives the "full" description of that location. Even my full descriptions aren't that comprehensive; they're just the "conspectus" of details of what is going on there and a few sensory/aesthetic cues to give a flavorful impression. First up, Caligari!

Caligari

Precis: Weimar-esque decadentempire riddled with crime, drugs, and cabaret halls; Warhammer'sEmpire meets Michael Moorcock's Melnibone.

Conspectus: Ruled by EmpressChristiana the Scarlet; pleasure cults that worship Slaanesh; wizardswho manufacture clay golem servants for the very wealthy; rampantcrime and gangs of thieves; opium dens, cabarets, and parlors whereillusionists entertain using shadow magic; forests teeming withbeastmen, werewolves, and blood owls; vast cathedrals with evenvaster dungeons underneath; mind flayers and dopplegangers waging asecret war against each other; hedonism and excess; sewers infestedwith skaven; Cthulhoid cult networks operated by tieflings andcambions

Taste, Sound, Image: Cold lager,The Tiger Lillies's Bad Blood + Blasphemy, Gustave Moreau's Salome Dancing Before Herod.

My Take on LotFP-style Skills

2011-11-18T11:29:00.001-05:00

I think the skill system in Lamentations of the Flame Princess is great, but I'm not as sold on the actual list of skills in the game (1). These are the ones I use at my table:

Skill	Used for...
Athletics	...climbing, jumping, swimming, feats of strength
Decipher	...understanding foreign languages, cracking codes, reading runes
Heal	...can be used to grant 1d4 Hit Points back to a wounded character (but can only be used once per character per combat or directly thereafter), treating poison and disease
Influence	...barter, intimidation, charm, bluff, diplomacy
Lore	...arcane knowledge, remembering obscure facts
Perception	...spot hidden doors, spot ambush, notice strange details
Stealth	...sneaking, hiding, shadowing, subterfuge
Thievery	...picking pockets, picking locks, disable traps, slight of hand
Survival	...hunting, finding water, finding shelter, navigation

(1) Especially "bushcraft," which just sounds hopelessly pubic to me.

Adventure location inspiration

2011-11-16T11:07:00.001-05:00

What is this place? It could be:

- The Pleasure Palace of the Wind Raj
- The Opulent Temple of Tzeentch
- The Guild Hall of the Beleaguered Grail Seekers

Why do the players want to go there?

- The Wind Raj has captured an NPC important to the characters; if the PCs don't rescue her in time, she will be forever transformed into one of the Thousand Ethereal Brides of the Wind Raj.
- The characters need to find a way (read: strong arm) a priest of Tzeentch to un-petrify, un-curse, or un-disintegrate someone important.
- The characters have reasons of their own to seek the Grail; they need to break in or infiltrate and "borrow" the Guild's maps and notes on where the Grail *might* be found.

Your turn, Internet; what is this place and why might the characters want to go there?

On Levels and XP

2011-11-15T12:17:00.001-05:00

James Raggi made a post over at the Lamentations of the Flame Princess blog that was pretty illustrative of the attachment many gamers have to old-school mechanics and conventions. After making a big long post about an adventure he's working on, Raggi tossed off this minor bit in a footnote: "if LotFP gets a third edition someday, the level system is on the chopping block." It's pretty telling that people mostly ignored what Raggi wrote about the adventure and focused on that one line in the comments; people love them some levels in D&D-type games!

Raggi's reason for targeting levels is one that I'm sympathetic to; as he states, "I'm getting really awful about the reward/XP thing in adventures." However, I don't think it is levels that are the problem here; rather, it's the "reward/XP thing" that causes the issues. Personally, I don't like anything in my games that resemble doing my taxes. Looking up two numbers (such as current XP and XP needed to gain a level) and cross-referencing those on a table to see if I can get pumped up into D&D's equivalent of the next tax bracket is not a part of the game I consider fun.

My solution to this problem is not to do away with levels because it is fun to feel like your character is gaining power and standing in the world. Gaining a level makes it feel like your character is getting somewhere; this is D&D version of John Gardner's concept of profluence. According to Gardner, profluence is the pleasurable experience of reading a narrative and feeling like its moving toward something. Since D&D doesn't have a story, a similar pull is introduced when you feel like you character is moving toward something.

Instead of axing levels, I omit XP entirely. Characters level up when I say they do and I often have the entire party level up at the same time(1). Less book-keeping, but that feeling of advancement is still retained. Also retained is compatibility with the sea of OSR materials out there that presume that characters have levels that gauge their capabilities.

Monetary rewards (treasure, payment for services rendered, rewards, etc.) still retains its allure because the game has a built-in use for such things: they allow the characters to get things do they wouldn't be able to if they were flat broke. That, in itself, seems like reward enough.

(1) The question might be raised about the "balance" issues that could occur if everyone goes up in level at the same time. After all, fighters and magic-users have different XP progressions for a reason, right? To be honest, I don't think this matters as much in LotFP since all of the characters are super-specialized; the fighter's increasing attack bonus and higher hit dice seem fairly equal to the magic-users slow gains when it comes to spellcasting. It helps that I don't use the demi-human classes (elves would be ridiculously good) and that I cap character levels at 10.

Random Table: What Happened While You Were Away

2011-11-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

If you game long enough, this is a situation you will encounter: one of your regular players has to miss a session because hey, life happens. What do you do to explain where their character was when they come back next week? Generally, I treat the missing PC's hasty departure and hasty return to the party in a pretty hand-wavey way because I'm not that into coherent narratives; that said, this is a fun opportunity to figure out what that character was up to in the interim. Thus, I give you:

What Happened While You Were Away? (d100)

Carousing in the criminal underworld

01 – Went on a bender with initiatesof the Gods of the Grapes: earned the enmity of a prominent house ofill repute.

02 – Went on a bender withmercenaries of the Bronze Juggernaut company: made a powerful contact within a house of ill repute.

03 – Went on a bender with philosophystudents: earned the enmity of a powerful thieves guild.

04 – Went on a bender with Amazonianwarrior priestess from the Sisterhood of the Rending Spear: made animportant contact within a powerful thieves guild.

05 – Robbed by a highway(wo)man: losthalf of your coin, but are now infatuated with your assailant.

06 – Went on a bender with initiatesof the Raven Queen: earned the enmity of a powerful assassin'sguild.

07 – Went on a bender with Knights ofthe White Crow: made an important contact within a powerfulassassin's guild.

08 – Went on a bender with sailorsfrom the Sorrowsea: woke up with a mild hangover and set of rune-marked keys.

09 – Victim of an attempted robbery,but you turned the tables on your assailants: gain 2d8 silver coins.

10 – Went on a bender witharistocratic dandies: woke up with a vicious hangover (-1 to all actions for the first 1d4 hours of the day) but also with a mapleading to buried treasure.

Adventures in Mercantilism

11 – Invested in a tea importationscheme: it pays off; gain 25% more money than you had last time.

12 – Invested in a venture exportingexotic spices to the goblin city of Gaxen Kane: it pays off handsomely; gain 50% more money than you had last time.

13 – Invested in a snake-oilpaddler’s latest curative tonic: gain double the amount of money that you had last time and 1 potion of healing.

14 – Invested in a traveling carnivaltroupe from Midian; the troupe goes bust after one performance: lose25% of your money.

15 – Invested in the GrindlespaakSpeculative Bank of Harrowfaust; the bank physically disappearsunder very mysterious circumstances: lose 50% of your money.

16 – Invested in an expedition toreach the fabled lands of The Silver Prince across the Straights ofDiscomfort and Indignation; lose all your money and begin play with1d4 less than your maximum hit points due to collection agentsgiving you a sound thrashing.

17 – Had a big meeting to discuss apotentially lucrative business opportunity: nothing comes of itexcept you gain a map to a far-flung fortress.

18 – Had a big meeting to discuss apotentially lucrative business opportunity: nothing comes of itexcept you gain a powerful contact in a merchant's guild.

19 – Had a big meeting to discuss apotentially lucrative business opportunity: the meeting turns into apub crawl; you awoke with a vicious hangover (-1 to all actions forthe first 1d4 hours of the day).

20 – Had a big meeting, which youspoiled by making an unpardonable faux pas: now a powerful merchantprince(ss) has hired an assassin to have you killed.

Away with the faeries

21 – You were captured by trolls andforced to cook for them: you escaped with a cookbook that holds onemagical recipe.

22 – You were enslaved by dwarfs andforced to toil amongst the forges of the Bloodtatter Mountains: youescaped with a magical weapon.

23 – You were compelled to dance fora company of elf marauders as they shot arrows at your feet: one ofthe arrows struck true; you start play with 1d4 less than yourmaximum hit points.

24 – The eladrin of the Verdant Towerrandomly chose to celebrate you as a hero of a war you never foughtin; the sumptuous food you ate at their table grants you 1d4temporary hit points above your normal starting total.

25 – While traveling through thewilderness, you offended an Unseelie lord by not offering him a bowlof curdled milk; you now are hunted by drow assassins andLolth-worshippers.

26 – While traveling through thewilderness, you offered an Unseelie redcap a nip from your wineskin;he was so pleased that he gave you a silver ring worth 125 silverpieces.

27 – A dryad was jealous of yourbeauty and attacked you in the night; you now bear a facial scar andlose 1 point of Charisma.

28 – You laughed at the joke of awilden you encountered on your travels; you now have a powerful allyamongst the Wild Hunt.

29 – You spurned the advances of anymph; you will have bad luck at sea the next time you set foot on aship.

30 – You were captured by an ogre whofound you too unappetizing to eat; the next time you encounter anogre, troll, orc or the like they will avoid coming near you.

Encounters with mysterious strangers

31 – Morlius the Fleshcrafter hasaltered your appearance; you are now more comely: gain 1 point ofCharisma.

32 – Morlius the Fleshcrafter hasaltered your appearance; you are now more ugly: lose 1 point ofCharisma.

33 – Maximillian the Oath-breaker hasgiven you an iron ring that will make one attack against you ringhollow (no damage from one chosen attack, then the ring rusts andfalls to pieces).

34 – Her Dreaming Majesty of theRiver Ophelium has given you a blessing; +1 to all saving throws inyour next adventure.

35 – Auber Orellian, mad scientist ofThornroot Hill, has given you a strange clockwork puzzelbox ofunknown purpose.

36 – Master thief Old Graham haspicked your pocket; you lose one random item of value that you carryon your person.

37 – The ghost of King Alastor hascursed you from beyond the grave; -1 to all saving throws in yournext adventure.

38 – Deathknights belonging to theLost Legion of the Blighted Urn have taken a strange liking to you;they have given you letters of reference that when presented to anintelligent undead will compel it to give you welcome as long as youdisturb nothing in its lair.

39 – Mother Tyler, proprietor of theOrphanage for Cast-Off Children, has convinced you to take one ofher young charges as your “squire.”

40 – Goldfinch Terrial, famed bountyhunter, has given you a weighed net.

Adventures in theology

41 – Vindus Pelep-Duhr, questingshaman of the Gnawing Panther, has taught you a charm that will letyou calm one dangerous animal on your next adventure.

42 – You have had an audience withPopess Yulia XII of the Church of the Lady of the White Way andkissed her signet ring; you gain +1 to all rolls for your nextadventure.

43 – You have offended a voodoopriest(ess) of the Ghael Isles; you suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls for your next adventure.

44 – You have done a service for thetemplars of the Raven Queen: they have given you a scroll of undeaddetection for your troubles.

45 – For reasons unknown, templars ofthe Raven Queen suspect you to be a necromancer and have dispatchedwitch-hunters to bring you in for interrogation.

46 – You accidentally attended aparty thrown by Slaanesh worshipers: the unholy things you've nowseen cause you to lose 1d4 points of Wisdom.

47 – You have meditated with apriest(ess) of The Island of Jade Mysteries; you gain 1d4 points ofWisdom.

48 – You have done a service forclerics who serve Garm-Gorak or Khorne (your choice): in return,they have sharpened your weapons; you gain +1 to all damage rolls forthe next three encounters.

49 – A sorceress avatar of the Ladyof the White Way takes a fancy to you; as a token of her amorousintentions she gives you a bracer that glows red when in the presenceof poison.

50 – You mistakenly chopped down atree held sacred by a Shaean witch cult and they hex you for theoffense: at an inopportune time you will drop something veryimportant.

The horrors and glories of war

51 – You participated in a crusade;you return with a holy relic that will allow you to turn undead onceas 5^th level cleric.

52 – You found work as a mercenary inthe skirmishes between the two sovereigns of Midian; you return withbooty worth 75 silver pieces.

53 – You found work as a mercenary inthe skirmishes between the vampires and pennangalan of Harrowfaust;you return with a blood disorder that causes you to lose 1 point of Constitution and your hair is now bone white.

54 – You found work as a mercenary inthe skirmishes that rage in The Iron Principalities; you were paidfor your services in oil paintings worth 100 silver pieces.

55 – You were conscripted into thearmy of Ulverland; while a conscript you participated in a raid on aconvent: the Lady of the White Way has cursed you—lose 1d4 pointsof Strength.

56 – Shields will be splintered! Onepiece of protective gear you own was destroyed in battle.

57 – Weapons will be sundered! Oneweapon you own was destroyed in battle.

58 – The spoils of war: you retrieveda magical piece of armor or a shield from a fallen combatant; theirghost demands its return, but so far you've been able to ignore them.

59 – The spoils of war: you retrieveda magical weapon from a fallen combatant; their ghost demands itsreturn, but so far you've been able to ignore them.

60 – You served as a medic to theberzerker warriors of Frostreave; you gain healing herbs that willcure one wound for 1d6 hit points of damage.

On the road again

61 – You have been busking on thestreets of Stormhalt; gain 2d6 silver pieces.

62 – You stopped to help repair abroken wagon wheel on a gypsy caravan; you gain a magical charm thatwill make you immune to one petrification attack.

63 – You stopped to help repair abroken wagon wheel on a gypsy caravan, but it was just a cunningruse; they made off with your horse or other animal.

64 – You stumbled upon an abandonedcart full of owlbear pelts.

65 – You stopped for a drink at aroadside tavern; a brawl broke out: you leave bruised and with 1d4less than your maximum starting hit points.

66 – You stopped for a drink at aroadside tavern; the bard performing inside really touched your heart-strings: you leave feeling invigorated and temporarily gain a+1 bonus to all saving throws for a day.

67 – You stumbled upon an unattendedcask full of what are either undead eels or animated mind flayertentacles.

68 – You traded food to a group offish-hat-wearing goblins for 1d4 pots of sticky slime (can be usedas a Web-spell-grenade).

69 – You traded food to a group offish-hat-wearing goblins for 1d4 pots of sticky slime (can be usedas a Web-spell-grenade). (Unfortunately, these slime grenades areinert and will do nothing.)

70 – You stumbled upon a left-behindscroll caddy. There is a 50% chance that one of the scrolls ismagical. If one of the scrolls is magical there is a 50% chance thatscroll is magically cursed.

Adventures on the open seas

71 – You spot a kraken from on deck;you are so inspired that you paint said kraken and manage to sellthis painting for 3d6 gold pieces at an open market.

72 – On the coast of the Ghael Islesyou meet a mermaid; in return for not divulging her location tolocal slavers, she gives you a strand of her hair—if you stuff herhair into your mouth you will be able to breath water for an hour.

73 – Your ship is the victim of awrecking crew; you wash ashore and make your way to the nearesthabitation—the Arkhamdale Asylum—where you are mistakenly lockedaway. You later manage to escape and you may have met a secret heirto the throne of Midian while incarcerated.

74 – While working as a coastalsmuggler in Scarabae, you discover a network of bootlegger's

tunnels that you could use as ahideout if necessary.

75 – Crabmen attempt to board andseize the vessel you are traveling on; you help fight them off andin the process tear one of the crabman's claws off. That night, youeat it in butter- garlic sauce: you now have an insatiable hunger formore crabman.

76 – Sirens attempt to lure you toyour death in the sea, but you resist their song: you are immune tothe next charm effect used on you, but now all music sounds likecacophony to your ears.

77 – On the last say of your voyage ahigh-stakes card game breaks out below deck; make an Intelligencecheck or saving throw or whatever is appropriate: if you succeed yougain 4d6 silver pieces, if you fail you lose 4d6 silver pieces.

78 – Your ship sinks mysteriously inthe night; you nearly drown, but awaken in an abandoned shrine toDagon. You escaped with your life and a handful of shark's teeth.

79 – In a gulf near The Island ofJade Mysteries you met and fell in love with a cranemay (which arelike swanmays but not as stupid). The cranemay will come to your aidonce, if possible, but will thereafter find you utterly boring.

80 – You were press-ganged into thecrew of a pirate ship sailing from The Isles of Unparalleled Liberty; make a saving throw vs. disease or contract some random oddailment.

A little light reading

81 – You've been reading tome aftertome about wererats; you've become so obsessed with them that younow own a silver dagger.

82 – You've been reading book afterbook on the domestic patterns of the kenku: when in a kenku lair youwill be able to accurately guess the layout of their fortresses.

83 – You've been reading scroll afterscroll about the life of Saint Ariana (The Sword Maiden Redeemer):you gain a +1 to any saving throws against clerical magic for 1d4weeks.

84 – You've been reading runic stonesinscribed with the history of the Desert of Burning Sands: its mindnumbing stuff, suffer a -1 penalty to any saving throws involvingwillpower for one adventure.

85 – You've been reading a strangetreatise about the proper way to saddle and ride an unwilling dinosaur: you can now saddle and ride an unwilling dinosaur.

86 – You've been reading adissertation on the rites that banish uncontrolled elemental spirits: sadly, this book was written by a crackpot and the rites detailedtherein have no effect.

87 – You've been reading curiouslysubtle penny dreadfuls: through reading them you have gained athorough understanding of the ceremonies needed to enter the WailingLabyrinth (a place of unquiet ghosts).

88 – You accidentally read anenchanted book that renders you illiterate for 1d8 days.

89 – You accidentally read anenchanted book that changes either your alignment or religious affiliation.

90 – You accidentally read anenchanted book that grants you a bonus of 1d4 points of Dexterity.

It was just a dream...

91 – You dreamed of unspeakableCthulhoid horrors. You awake with the ability to cast SummonMonster III, but every monster summoned will be some variation on atentacled chaos beast. Once you cast this dream-spell you forgethow to channel its energies and can never cast it again.

92 – You dreamed of another plane ofexistence known as the Happy Hunting Grounds. As you strolled theperfectly green meadows of the Happy Hunting Grounds deer and rabbits kept approaching you and smilingly begged you to kill them.

93 – You dreamed of rummaging throughan immense pile of never-ending junk and scrap metal. The next timeyou encounter a golem it will focus all its attacks on you.

94 – You dreamed of committingmurders in a foreign land: the next time you enter a new city youwill learn that a murderer fitting your description is wanted for astring of fatal crimes.

95 – You dreamed of a world ofshifting geometric shapes that move with the precision of finely tuned clockwork: for the next three days you gain a 50% bonus todetect and disarm

traps, even if this isn't an abilityyou normally possess.

96 – You dreamed of a great snakedevouring the sun: the next time you encounter a reptile you mustmake a saving throw or suffer the effects of a Cause Fear spell.

97 – You dreamed that you were abullywug who frequently trips and lands in puddle of ocher mud; forthe next day you suffer a -1 penalty to all saving throws that dealwith dodging out of the way—this penalty increases to -3 if youare in a muddy area.

98 – You dreamed that you were eatingat a banquet honoring a great king; unfortunately, all the disheswere made from your best friends. For the next week you will have tomake a saving throw to keep any food down.

99 – You dreamed that you were eatingat a banquet honoring a great king; unfortunately, all the disheswere made from your best friends. For reasons best left un-analyzed,this dream pleases you immensely: all the food you eat in the nextweek will taste like the nectar of the gods.

100 – You dreamed of being torturedby witch-hunters. You wake up with inexplicable marks all over yourbody, and any witch or druid you come into contact with for the nextmonth will take a great liking to you.