A place wherein this Dwarven Cleric can share his love of maps, dice, miniatures, and all things involving gaming and general geekery--not to mention the occasional witty non-gaming observations--whilst escaping from the humdrum existence of his routine Terran existence.

Hail and Well Met, fellow traveler! May my Stronghold provide a place for enlightenment and amusement, and somewhere to keep your dice dry. Enter and rest awhile.

18 June 2013

Digital Orc: Verloren (Review)

I have a whole slew of potential posts that are bouncing around in my head, including a recap of Free RPG Day loot-gathering. Unfortunately, my personal and professional life was turned topsy-turvy last Friday when my boss decreed that, in two weeks, he was shutting down the law firm and I'd be "self-employed."

My head hasn't been in the game since then, although I'm getting a bit more emotionally stable with the passing days.

But I was heartened this morning when I slipped over to the Digital Orc's blog to see what Dylan had in store. Lo and behold! Dylan's newest offering for Labyrinth Lord is up for sale!

(Disclaimer: I was an editor/proofreader on this project. I am not being compensated for this review, but will receive a copy of the final product for my proofreading services.)

I have not yet seen the final, finished product, but based off of the preview copy I saw as part of my proofreading? Wow. I should say up front that I do not play Labyrinth Lord, but all of Dylan's stuff has been fairly easy to port over to my 3.x campaign(s). My players have been known to recoil over some of his monsters. (Hello, backpack spider! I'm looking right at you, buddy!) This is more of the same.... From the evocative settings to the weird mutants, from the death-gamblers to the manipulative alien beings, from the sexy werewolf sirens to the hive-mind giant rodents....

Well, Dylan has done it again. This is some great stuff. He self-described this one to me as "weird" and it is. But that's not a criticism. It's weird stuff, but a cool weird. I liked what I saw and I think you will too. I can't wait to hold Verloren in my hands and let the ideas germinate for my own campaign.

You can buy the PDF on RPGNow.com for $3.99 or the limited run print version for $4.99. That's a small price to pay for 32 pages of cool gaming content. In fact, the only page I saw that was of little-to-no-use was the OGL page. Everything else had great content, maps, hooks, or images for in-game use.

From his own ad copy:
Verloren is a city hanging in the balance. Either it will fall to an ancient evil or triumph based on your actions. Enclosed are city details, maps, nine original monsters, and interesting non-player characters for encounters in and out of Verloren. In this fantasy supplement, players will face powerful monsters and explore a decaying city to discover the secret of The Change and save the thousands of inhabitants.
  • 9 Original Monsters
  • Over 20 Original Illustrations
  • 3 New Spells
  • Lots of NPCs and Story Hooks
  • 2 Maps
So take a moment if you would and jump on over to the Digital Orc: he's got purchase links for each option there. Verloren--GET IT NOW!

01 June 2013

I WON!

Thanks to Stelios over at d20 Dark Ages blog, I am the proud owner of a new miniature for my collection: Reaper's Angel of Death!

In honor of his 200th blog post, Stelios ran a give-away. A random drawing (ok, only a d6 roll, apparently...but still....) resulted in a win for yours truly.

And believe it or not, despite my love of Reaper miniatures, the Angel of Death is one I never had the chance to pick up for myself. And now it's winging its way toward me. I can't wait to start picking a color scheme for him.

Thanks again, Stelios!

And to all you who haven't had a chance to check out his blog, he's got some great stuff: reviews, gaming philosophies, soundtracks, and more!

14 May 2013

[From the Mailbag] Playing Catch-up from Los Angeles

The recently-completed A to Z April Challenge took more out of me than just physical and emotional stress. It also pretty much kept me from talking about some very generous and terrific things I received in the mail during that time.

First up are some offerings provided by Christian Walker. Old timers will remember him for his several excellent 'zine offerings, most lately Loviatar, a 'zine which I credit for a resurgence in interest and production of self-published RPG 'zines. He called it quits on Loviatar in late December 2012. Since then, he's been re-charging his batteries and taking a break. However, imagine my surprise in walking in from work one day and finding a LARGE envelope on my desk...a large envelope with his return address stamped on it. I tore into it with excitement and confusion, as I hadn't been expecting anything from him. I'm well overdue for saying THANKS, CHRISTIAN!!! Inside the package I found this little beauty:

I must confess, I've never seen this or heard of this setting before. I'm not well-versed in any Labyrinth Lord material, to be honest. This particular gem was first published in 2007 and is the basis for Mr. Bezios' "Phoenix Barony" setting (the end of the book promises several more adventures/modules in the setting). The gift was completely unexpected and utterly appreciated. It came on a very, very bad day and helped alleviate some emotional pain. The material within looks generic enough that it shouldn't be too hard to adapt and modify for my own 3.x/Pathfinder uses. In fact, I'm already plotting how and where to fit the Phoenix Barony in my campaign world in relation to Coldtreath.

Heh. Good stuff.


Speaking of good stuff, imagine my surprise when I received this in the mail on Thursday. Christian had, last year, started sending out one-page gaming material letters together with (and eventually in lieu of) Loviatar. I really enjoyed them and found them useful in my own campaigns. Well, he's started a new one-page letter 'zine: a Los Angeles-centered Cthulhu-oriented campaign setting, Shudde M'ell Confidential.

This first issue was intriguing to me. So much so that I sat right down and scribbled out a quick map and a letter to his newly-introduced first NPC regarding some mysterious runes discovered in an unusual excavation in the basement of a downtown building.

Yeah, I've got a set of brass ones. I'm a bit forward sometimes. But as I said, the material inspired me.

To be honest, I've never even played in a Cthulhu campaign. I'd do almost anything to live in Christian's neighborhood and take part in this one, though. Every Lovecraftian game I've heard any of my acquaintances run have all been New England-oriented campaigns. One friend had planned a northwest/Washington State-oriented game, but it never left the initial "wouldn't this be cool" planning stages. The idea of investigators in early 20th-century Los Angeles really sets off a spark somehow. There's a lot of interesting individuals, personalities, events, etc. that exist on the West Coast during this time period; certainly sufficient to make for a fun and realistic campaign setting.

Sigh. And here I am, stuck in the Rockies.

13 May 2013

[A to Z April] Wrap-up and Thoughts

My final entry for the 2013 iteration of the A to Z April challenge was to be titled: Z is for Zhurra’s Complicated Blade (spell). However, I also had some notes that I actually needed to swap this spell idea out for another map, because I'd swapped a map for a spell in my planned posts earlier in the month.

Sadly, this post may never see the light of day anyway. April just about did me in, blog-wise, you see.

As April went on, I was glad that I had taken the opportunity the first few days to pre-write and build a buffer. Stress at the firm is getting high, as the unknown creeps ever closer. Stress in the family because of that unknown, and worrying about my staff as well...well, suffice it to say it started taking its toll, mentally and physically. I suffered through a bad cold at the first of April, to be followed by a sinus infection in mid-April, to be followed by another bout of pink eye that hit on the last week of April.

I was simply in no shape to finish up the Challenge.

Truth be told, I haven't even thought about the blog in the last two weeks. I simply wasn't up to it.

The April Challenge is always a two-edged sword for me. It's like a mini-NaNoWriMo in some respects, as it forces me to be creative and to write. But it also burns me out.

True, the sickness didn't help.

It will take me a year to get excited about another A to Z April Challenge. Especially after this year, because I'm not sure what I actually got out of it. True, I have 24 posts of what I believe is good and useful game material. I am happy to have seen some positive feedback from this material. I feel like the Challenge was a success in that respect, even though it may remain unfinished (for now).

I'm not sure, though, that there was that much exposure to my blog this year. That's always one side-effect of the April Challenge: exposure and increased "follower" counts. It's not why I do it, but it's there. Problem is, my follower count only increased by eight in the month, and two of those have since disappeared. Not even remotely close to last year's effect. Ah well, their loss.

I was also concerned about this year's organization: each blog was supposed to have listed a theme or genre when they signed up, to aid in finding like-minded blogs. I noticed that a lot of bloggers didn't bother categorizing. This is one reason I didn't do a lot of reading across the Challenge's blogs: Blog names simply don't often tell you what the subject matter actually is; if it wasn't categorized as a gaming blog, I just didn't have the time to visit it.

I also think that it may have gotten just too big for its britches. There were a LOT of blogs participating this year: 1,656 of which I was number 815. It's easy for ANY blog to get lost amongst 1,655 others. I don't know if there's a solution to that, unless it's by having each genre hosting its own Challenge...but I'm not sure how that would work, or even IF it would work. It may defeat the purpose of the Challenge.

Now...to buckle down and get some more writing done. Maybe. If I can.

30 April 2013

[A to Z April] Y is for Ynx (creature)


A tall, slender humanoid approaches you from the end of the corridor. It reaches out its four arms, equidistantly placed around its torso. The creature has an equine head with donkey-like ears and shark-like skin. Its eyes glow an eerie green The creature flails its arms around as it nears you; one touch of its hand and it vanishes, as does the corridor around you. When your vision clears you find yourself in an unknown place.

Ynx CR 4

CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Init: +5; Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +4; Spot +4

DEFENSE


AC 18 (+4 Dex, +3 Studded leather, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 14
hp30 (6d8+3)
Fort +5; Ref +10; Will +7

OFFENSE


Speed 30 ft.
Melee +8 Slam (1d6+3)
Special Attacks Displacement burst
Spell-like Abilities (CL 8th); 3/day -- quickened dimension door

TACTICS


A ynx attacks with all four arms, slamming its foe repeatedly. It will first target its foes with its displacement burst, or the largest group of its foes. It will flee if it is reduced to less than 5 hp.

STATISTICS


Str 19, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 18
Base Attack 4, Grapple 8
Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Mutliattack
Skills: Concentration 6, Escape Artist 7, Hide 5, Intimidate 7, Jump 5, Listen 4, Move Silently 2, Spot 4
Languages: Common, Ynx, Telepathy 100 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES


Displacement Burst: Once per day, a ynx can teleport all creatures within 50 feet of it to randomly determined locations. The ynx can only affect creatures of which it is aware and to which it has line of sight. A successful DC 16 Will save negates this effect. An affected creature is teleported in a random direction (roll 1d8, with 1 indicating north and the other numbers indicating compass going clockwise) and a random distance (1d10 × 100 feet) away from the ynx; determine each creature’s direction randomly. A teleported creature arrives in the closest open space to the determined destination, but must appear on a solid surface capable of supporting its weight. If there is no appropriate destination in that direction, the creature does not teleport at all. The save DC is Charisma-based.


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Previous "Y"s:
2012: Ylder's Timid Divinity (spell)
2011: Y is for Yllseriad, The Shrine of


27 April 2013

[A to Z April] X is for Xal's Dire Brown (Beverage)

Xal’s Dire Brown

This brew is the insane creation of a dwarven brewer known only as “Xal.” His name does not translate into any known language, so it is rumored that he changed his name after being cast out from his Clanhold. There are also those who say it was actually created by a well-known dwarven brewer who changed his name for the original brew so that he would not be blamed for its horrible and unappetizing appearance. The recipe has been handed down through the generations, but is believed to be identical to that originally created by Xal. The brew is not common, but can be found here and there across the realm, usually on dusty back shelves in finer drinking establishments. Only a true connoisseur knows that the ugly and dingy bottles contain a truly magnificent treasure.

The brew itself is a murky brown color that has a thick, viscous texture. It smells of wax and sulpher but tastes of grapes with a hint of citrus and spice. After drinking, it has been known to cause momentary giddiness and dizziness. These are side effects from which a drinker will recover in 1d6 rounds. Although safe to drink, if spilled on an object or a creature, the brew will melt or burn similar to the effects of acid. When spilled, it will cause 1 hp damage, regardless of amount spilled. This damage is not incurred when the liquid is consumed.

The typical bottle is an iron flask with a metal cap. The label is fastened to the bottle by a silk ribbon tied around the neck. The label itself is written in an ancient dwarven dialect, not commonly spoken. These bottles, when new, each contain ten servings of the brew.

Xal’s Dire Brown, 50 gp/bottle

**Many thanks to Dyson Logos and his Random Table of Potion Containers, used to create the bottle for this particular brew.

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Previous "X"-es:
2012: X is for Xouvyus (New NPC)
2011: X is for X'rr

26 April 2013

[A to Z April] W is for Wild Drip Crater (locale)

Wild Drip Crater is a unique feature of the landscape in the prairie in the geographic center of the continent of Dran. While those who have not seen the Crater for themselves routinely refer to it as "simply a hole in the ground," those who have witnessed it have never been the same.

The Crater appears to be in the geographical center of the continent. The crater itself is an oval measuring 300' wide by 400' long at the rim's widest points; the walls slope gradually to the floor. A single pathway spirals down the outside edge making two complete circuits before it reaches the inner floor, some 400' below. The substance making up the floor and walls defies identification: it is neither dirt, nor stone. It most closely resembles bleached bone. All attempts to sample or break the surface of the crater have failed: it is impenetrable and unbreakable. Other than the pathway, the entire surface of the Crater is smooth, unbroken, and featureless.

While the surrounding plains are green and verdant, the crater itself is dry. Bone dry. Any water or liquid that is spilled or poured out onto the surface of the crater vanishes, presumably from evaporation, before it touches the ground. No matter the weather on the outside, no precipitation ever finds its way to wet the surface of the Crater. No matter the season on the outside, the inside of the Crater is always at a constant 71º. There are no winds or weather patterns within the Crater; even magical weather fails within the Crater.

Perhaps the oddest feature of the Crater is that which gives it its name: the wild drip. While inside the Crater, individuals report hearing the distinct sound of dripping water. There is no discernible source for the sound, but -- without fail -- one can hear a single drip every second while within the walls of the Crater.

Some have gone mad listening to this sound.


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Previous "W"s:
2012: W is for Wyrm, Slimeclaw (monster)
2011:W is for Waulker (npc)


25 April 2013

[A to Z April] V is for Varra Turnskull (npc)

Next to Shosh, the Goddess of Wrath and Forests, Varra Turnskull reveres her parents. In fact, it is safe to say that she idolizes her parents. She carries with her a miniature painting of the two of them. Of late, it has been a time of sadness for Varra: her mother is critically ill, suffering from an as-yet incurable case of Pit Canker.

Unfortunately for all involved, it has been some time since Varra has spoken with her family. She has spied on them to ensure their safety and welfare, but has been made to feel unwelcome by her older brother who has appointed himself guardian and caretaker over their parents and the family home. To make matters worse, she must be careful about the attention she draws to her parents, as they fled their ancestral home in Warntell Dale when Varra was still a baby. She has never been told the full story about their pre-dawn flight from Warntell Dale beyond the fact that they did so with the constable and a posse hot on their tales. She vaguely remembers the frantic, meandering travels from the Dale to Quickvale where they now reside.

The persecution did not stop with their arrival in Quickvale, however. Even though they have long resided in Quickvale and have established a beautiful homestead, most of the community of Quickvale shun and avoid them. Through her work and associations, Varra has cultivated a relationship with a small thieves’ guild who has a small degree of influence within Quickvale. This guild cares for, watches over, and provides for her family -- including protection and groceries -- in her absence.

As a teenager, she found herself in a situation where her older brother and some of his cohorts had her cornered. She had nothing but love for her older brother; she looked up to him as a role model and a hero. As teenagers will do, however, he fell into the trap of peer pressure and he found himself joining with his friends as they mocked and ridiculed Varra for her looks, among other things, and did so without mercy. The harassment continued until Varra could take no more; lashing out she struck one of her brother’s friends in the head with a rock, killing him instantly. Her temper took over control of her mind and body and she thoroughly thrashed everyone near her, including her brother. Since that day her brother has rarely spoken to her, both afraid of what she could do when provoked and angry at himself for being part of the problem. Because of this event, Varra keeps a tight rein on her emotions, controlling and drowning her anger as much as possible. Every so often, however, her control may slip and she gives in to her reckless anger.

She is fiercely loyal and is known for her integrity. She is also known for her pride. In fact, her pride drives her to extremes: she has been known to sneak into estates during fancy parties just so that she can be near people of means and “breeding.” At the same time, she will place wagers on nearly anything, even though she has little patience for those who she believes are devoted to lost causes. She is devoted to Shosh and those deities with whom Shosh associates.

Varra has never been called attractive, even among others of her mixed-race lineage. Her stringy black hair is typically pulled back into pigtails and long braids. She is of average height and build. It is difficult to say what color her eyes might be, as they change with her surroundings. Her dire rat, Reaskeln, is devoted to her mistress and would die for Varra. The two are rarely seen apart.

Varra Turnskull CR 4
Half-Orc Ranger 4
CN Medium Humanoid
Init: +3
Senses: Listen +7, Spot +6
Languages: Common, Orc
____________________________________
AC 16 (+3 Dex, +3 Studded leather), Touch 13, Flat-footed 13
hp 23
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +3
________________________
Speed: 30
Melee: +7 Battleaxe (1d8+3 / 20 / x3) or
Ranged: +8 Dart (1d4+3 / 20 / x2) (range 20)
Full Attack: +7 Battleaxe (1d8+3 / 20 / x3) or +8 Dart (1d4+3 / 20 / x2) (range 20)
Space/Reach: 5/5
Base Atk 4; Grp 6
Atk Options: Favored Enemy (elementals): +2 damage
Combat Gear: Battleaxe +1, Studded Leather
Spells Known: (CL 4)
1st — (DC 13) entangle
________________________
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 7
SQ: Animal Companion -- dire rat (Reaskeln), Wild Empathy
Feats: Armour prof light, Endurance, Martial Weap Prof, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Track
Skills: Concentration 2, Hide 9, Jump 3, Know dungeon 7, Listen 7, Move Silently 9, Search 2, Spot 6, Survival 9, Swim 4, Use Rope 3,
Possessions: Combat gear plus Potion of Cure Light Wounds (x4); Potion of Endure Elements; Potion of Protection from Energy; Potion of Resist Energy

---------------------------------------------------------

Reaskeln CR 1
Dire Rat Animal Companion CR 1
Neutral Small Animal (Animal)
Init +3
Senses: Low-light Vision, Scent; Listen +4; Spot +4
____________________________________
AC 15 (+3 Dex, +1 Natural, +1 size), Touch 14, Flat-footed 12
hp 10
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +3
________________________
Speed: 40, swim 20ft., climb 20ft.
Melee: +4 Bite (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5/5
Base Atk 0; Grp -3
Atk Options: Disease Filth fever
________________________
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 12, Chr 4
SQ: Bonus Trick, Link, Handle Animal, Share Spells
Feats: Alertness. Weapon Finesse
Skills: Climb 11, Hide 8, Listen 4, Move Silently 4, Spot 4, Swim 11
________________________
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Disease Filth Fever (Ex): DC(12) Filth fever DC Fort incubation 1d3 days
Evasion (Ex): If subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.
Link (Ex): Ranger gains a +4 bonus on Wild Empathy and Handle Animal checks made on animal companion
Share Spells (Ex): Ranger may have any spell casts on self also affect animal companion

**Many thanks to WotC's "PC Portraits" Archive for the image.


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Previous "V"s:
2012: V is for Vapor Dwindle (spell)
2011: V is for Vesseth (npc)


24 April 2013

[A to Z April] U is for Ulah of Kaitus (npc)

Ulah is originally from Quickvale, but upon reaching adulthood traveled to the far eastern coast of Dran to the exotic port city of Kaitus. He now claims that halfling haven as his only home, even after having returned to Coldtreath. He dresses in a Kaitian style and uses Kaitian weapons and equipment.

Ulah’s parents are both still alive in Quickvale, although they are reputedly in poor health. Ulah has not seen them or contacted them for years. They were both domineering and controlling people, quick to judgment and anger, especially where Ulah was concerned; as a result, he fears them both. Ulah is the youngest of three children; his older brothers used him as a whetstone for their acerbic wit and mild torture.

The attitudes and personalities of his parents and elder brothers have caused the people of Quickvale to hate and revile the family. Since the community witnessed how Ulah was treated by the family, Ulah is both pitied and respected around Quickvale. They honor him and would care for him and protect him if he was ever in need ... and if he would ever ask. Unfortunately, such a request is unlikely to come; doing so would mean Ulah would have to chance meeting one or more family members.

His teacher in Quickvale introduced Ulah to the joys of learning and reading. Since that time, he has been fascinated by tales of all kinds. He is never without a book or two of his own as well as a journal in which to write tales and stories that he hears in his travels. When in Coldtreath and unemployed, Ulah is likely to be found at the Great Library, browsing through stacks of some of the finest assemblage of scrolls and tomes in leagues.

A number of years ago, before his return to Coldtreath from Kaitus, Ulah stumbled into the forest lair of a colony of immense spiders. He barely escaped with his life and did so with an intense dislike for spiders of all kinds. He always keeps a few potions in his equipment which would allow him to deal with spiders; he is likely to react poorly upon encountering large spiders and would leap into immediate combat.

Ulah is considered to be fairly attractive although many in Coldtreath are taken aback by his Kaitian fashion. He has bright green eyes and jet black hair that is pulled back into a long queue, as is the norm for Kaitian males. He is a towering 6'6" tall, a fact which makes his Kaitian appearance all the more striking.

He is a powerful and effective warrior who rarely fails at a challenge, but a warrior motivated by greed and avarice. He believes in nothing but himself, although he has been known -- on occasion -- to stop and give obeisance at an earth-shrine. Besides reading and listening to tales, Ulah’s great love is hunting.

Ulah of Kaitus CR 5


Human Fighter 5
CN Medium Humanoid
Init: +3
Senses: Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages: Common, Orc
____________________________________
AC 21 (+3 Dex, +5 Breastplate, +3 Shield, heavy wooden +1), touch 13, Flat-footed 18
hp 46
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
________________________
Speed: 20
Melee: +7 Greatsword (2d6 +2 / 19-20 / x2) or
Ranged: +8 Crossbow, hand (1d4 / 19-20 / x2) (range 30)
Full Attack: +7 Greatsword (2d6 +2 / 19-20 / x2) and +1 Shield, heavy (1d4+1) or +8 Crossbow, hand (1d4 / 19-20 / x2) (range 30)
Space/Reach: 5/5
Base Atk 5; Grp 7
Combat Gear: breastplate, crossbow (hand) +1, greatsword, shield (heavy wooden) +1
________________________
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 9
Feats: Armor prof heavy, Armor prof light, Armor prof medium, Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Prof, Improved Shield Bash, Martial Weap Prof, Quick Draw, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Toughness, Tower Shield Proficiency
Skills: Climb 5, Intimidate 7, Jump 5, Listen 0, Ride 5, Spot 0, Swim -2,
Possessions: Combat gear plus Potion of Bulls Strength; Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds; Potion of Neutralize Poison; Potion of Rage; journal; quill pen; ink bottle; three books (Best Loved Tales of the Barbarian Wars, by Dragowulf Wyrponwug; Tales of Bloodshed, by Anric Gunnarsson; The Deeds of Janexa Unnla, by Count Dagran.)


**Many thanks to WotC's "PC Portraits" Archive for the image.


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Previous "U"s:
2012: U is for Upper Snarl (locale)
2011: U is for Urosh, Temple of (map)

[A to Z April] T is for Tombstone Blossom (monster)


This flower has a long, reedy stem topped by a small blood-red flower from which protrude sharp branch-like violet spikes. Despite its unusual appearance, it is attractive in an odd way.

Tombstone Blossom CR 2

N Small Plant
Init: +2; Senses: blindsight; Tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +1; Spot +1

DEFENSE


AC 12 (+1 natural, +1 size), touch 11, flat-footed 12
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +5; Ref +0; Will +1
Immune: plant traits
Weaknesses: vulnerability to fire

OFFENSE


Speed 0 ft.
Melee Sting +5 (1d3 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: poison

TACTICS


A tombstone blossom can sense any living creature within 60 feet. When a living creature comes into range, a tombstone blossom will attempt to force contact and make a touch attack, either through an actual attack (while they are not mobile, they can make an attack on any creature within its range) or through casual contact (the blossoms are quite lovely and attractive, so casual contact is highly possible). Once the touch attack is successful and the living creature is poisioned, the tombstone blossom poison begins its work. Any creature who dies as a result of the blossom’s poison will give rise to another patch of tombstone blossom flowers.

STATISTICS


Str 11, Dex 14, Con 14, Int --, Wis 10, Chr 16
Base Attack 2 Grapple -4
Feats: --
Skills: --
Languages: --

SPECIAL ABILITIES


Poison (Ex): Sting-injury; saveFortitude, DC 13; frequency: 1/round for 6 rounds; effect: 1 Con; cure: remove disease then any restoration spell.

Undead Bane (Su): A living creature who remains still within a patch of tombstone blossoms receives benefits akin to a hide from undead spell. A harvested blossom bestows the same benefit for up to 1d4 days following harvest, if worn on the lapel (or similar area) of a living creature.

ECOLOGY


Environment: Temperate
Organization: Solitary or patch (2-15)
Treasure: --
Advancement: --
Level Adjustment: --

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Previous "T"s:
2012: T is for Thord’s Gore Reach (spell)
2011: T is for Thoklin Oroxel (npc)

22 April 2013

[A to Z April] S is for Suffocation, Immediate (spell)

Suffocation, Immediate

Transmutation
Level: Cleric 7, Druid 7, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 ft/ 2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Upon a successful casting of this spell, the air in the target’s lungs, nose, mouth, and airways turns into a watery mucus-like substance, causing the target to immediately begin to suffocate.

When cast, the target must immediately make a Fortitude save; if successful, the target coughs up and expels the mucus and suffers subdual damage of 1d6 per caster level and may only make a move action for that round. If the Fortitude save fails, the target takes 1d6 subdual damage and must make a Constitution or she begins to suffocate. In the first round, she falls unconscious (0 hit points). In the following round, she drops to -1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she suffocates and the spell ends.

The spell may be countered by dispel magic or heal. Immediate suffocation does not affect any creature who does not require air to breathe, such as an undead creature.

Components: a glass vial of murky water.

**Many thanks to my buddy Simonathi Starym for a bit of game testing, advice, and tweaking on this year's A to Z.

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Previous "S"-es:
2012: S is for Snake, Howler (monster)
2011: S is for Sheriff

20 April 2013

[A to Z April] R is for Rest

Every iteration of D&D has had rules regarding "rest." Other games have the rule as well. Rest is essential to the well-being of a character, both physically and mentally. Bad things happen when characters get over-tired; likewise, rest makes good things happen.

For example:
  • Swords and Wizardry: a character can regain 1 HP per day by resting; 4 weeks of rest gives full recovery.
  • Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: 1 HP per day of rest; after 30 days that increases to 5 HP per day.
  • 2nd Edition: 1 HP per day of rest; 3 HP per day with complete bed rest. A full week of complete bed rest allows a character to add her Constitution HP bonus to the 21 HP recovered for the week.
  • 3.5 Edition/Pathfinder: 1 HP per character level per day for 8 hours of rest. With 24 hours of rest that increases to 2 HP per character level per day.
  • 4th Edition: with a "short rest" you can use healing surges. With an "extended rest" you regain all lost hit points (and all used healing surges.
  • Star Frontiers: 1 point for every 20 hours of rest.
  • Champions, 2E: 1/10 of character's REC in BODY per day of rest.

And those are just the rulebooks I have immediately to hand. Why do I bring this up? In all honesty, today's post was scheduled (pre-April) to be a map of the "Ruins of the Crimson Hunt." Whatever that is. I say "whatever that is" because I have no idea. I haven't fleshed it out; neither have I drawn a map of it. You see, driving home from the office on Thursday, my sinuses began to burn. And when I say "burn" I mean, "as if acid had been poured into my left nostril and allowed to settle there." I spent all of Thursday night tossing in my bed suffering from hallucinatory dreams. And not the good ones. There was no work for me on Friday, only bed rest. I'm not sure how many hit points I've recovered. Certainly some, because I feel better. Not great, but better. I'll be resting the remainder of the weekend in order to recover as many hit points as I can before Monday comes around. You have to have maximum hit points, after all, before you brave the Monday Dragon, right? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous "R"s: 2012: R is for Rage Hawk (monster) 2011: R is for Real Life

19 April 2013

[A to Z April] Q is for Quickvale (locale)


Quickvale
CN small town
Corruption: -1; Crime: +1; Economy: +3; Law: +1; Lore: +0; Society +4
Qualities: holy site, strategic location
Danger: +0

DEMOGRAPHICS

Government: Council
Population: 796 (627 humans; 71 halflings; 39 elves; 23 dwarves; 15 gnomes; 7 half-elves; 7 half-orcs; 7 other)
Notable NPCs:
  • Red Mercenary Douta Naendri: (LN female half-elf fighter 4)
  • Summoner Arak Ral Judi: (CE male human sorcerer 8)
  • Prayer Thief Jaskan Fasttalker: (CG male halfling rogue 14/wizard 5)

MARKETPLACE

Courtesy of the Roleplaying City Map Generator
Base Value: 1,100 gp;
Purchase Limit: 5,000 gp;
Spellcasting: 6th
Minor Items: 3d4;
Medium Items: 1d6;
Major Items: --


Get the JPEG of the map here.
Get the PDF of the map here.

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Previous "Q"s:
2012: Q is for Quickdeath (monster)
2011:Q is for Quaint Folk

18 April 2013

[A to Z April] P is for Pond Stalker (creature)


A spindly, spider-like creature scuttles toward you across the surface of the dark, still water. It looks very fragile and completely harmless, until its front two legs pierce your ankle....

Pond Stalker CR 5

N Medium Vermin
Init: +3; Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +0; Search +0; Spot +0; vermin traits

DEFENSE


AC 17 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +8; Ref +4; Will +3

OFFENSE


Speed 40 ft.
Melee Sting +13 (1d6 plus poison) or Bite +6 (1d4)
Full attack: Sting (x2) +13 (1d6 plus poison) or Bite +6 (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with sting attack)
Special Attacks: web, poison

TACTICS


A pond stalker’s mouth parts are much too small to do any damage to anything larger than a medium-size creature; to a medium creature or smaller, its needle-sharp proboscis can do minimal damage. Instead it prefers to attack with its forelegs which extend out to give the stalker a ten-foot-reach. The forelegs have stingers at the ends which inject venom into its victims. Once the creature succumbs to the stalker’s poison, the stalker drinks the resultant fluids through its straw-like proboscis.

STATISTICS


Str 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 0, Wis 10, Chr 2
Base Attack 4 Grapple 10
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Skills: --
Languages: --

SPECIAL ABILITIES



Poison (Ex): Sting-injury; saveFortitude, DC 17; frequency 1/round for 3 rounds; effect 1d4 Str; cure 1 save

Water Skate (Ex): The oil secreted by the glands on the pond stalker’s legs allow it to stand, walk, run, and otherwise move on top of any still or slow-moving water. A pond stalker treats fast-moving water as difficult terrain.

If harvested from a living pond stalker, the oil secreted on its legs can be distilled into Potions of Water Walk, worth 650 gp per dose. A fully-grown pond stalker can generate one dose per leg.

ECOLOGY


Environment: Temperate
Organization: Solitary or colony (2-5)
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 9-15 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: --

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Previous "P"s:
2012: P is for Pyramid of Swords (locale)
2011: P is for Poushif Bonereader (npc)

17 April 2013

[A to Z April] O is for Omen Wine (beverage)

Often called the “poor man’s divination,” omen wine is a substance that has found its way across the continent from a small monastery hidden high in the desolate Krassmere Mountains. The monks who make this wine are violently protective of the recipe and will take any measures to protect the monastery and the process by which omen wine is created. Rumors persist, however, that omen wine consists in part of griffin blood.

Omen wine comes in single-dose bladders made from some type of animal skin. The bladder is tied shut with a strong but slender cord. A small runestone dangles from the cord; the rune itself is from an unknown language and glows in the presence of divine magic. Each dose costs 375 gp.

The wine itself is a dark green liquid with semi-transparent, silvery swirls. Omen wine smells delicious, like strawberries. However, it tastes of something not unlike spoiled chicken.

Upon drinking a dose of omen wine, the individual must make a DC 25 Fortitude Save. Depending upon the individual’s Save result, omen wine causes different effects.






Save Roll
Initial Effect
Secondary Effect
Less than 15
The individual falls into a coma for 1 hour. This is not a sleep effect, and thus elves are not immune to it.No secondary. During this time, it cannot be awakened by any means short of casting greater restoration on it.
15-20
The individual takes temporary nonlethal damage equaling its current hit points and is staggered for 1d4 rounds, after which the nonlethal damage is reversed.The creature remains shaken for one hour. Heal will negate all effects.
20-25
The individual becomes panicked for 1d4 rounds.The creature remains shaken for one hour. Nothing short of restoration will negate either effect.
26+

Sudden pain sweeps over the individual’s body and it becomes sickened for one hour.
No secondary. The effects can be negated only by a remove curse spell.

Once the initial effects of the omen wine wear off, the individual receives a vision. The result of this vision is comparable to casting divination, with the chance for a correct divination based on the individual’s character level, rather than the caster level.


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Previous "O"s:
2012: O is for Oath of Righeous Magic (spell)
2011: O is for Opening Doors

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