OSR: Expanding My Thoughts on Thieves

I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of views I've gotten on my previous post about Thieves in less than 24 hours. And I've had some good feedback to carry my thoughts forward.

As for why Thieves would be good at Saves vs. Magic, my argument is that it is both a natural evolution from their ability to use Scrolls and ties into the archetype of the Grey Mouser.

This notion about Saving throws being the niche for Thieves came about because of time I've spent pondering the excellent Lamentations of the Flame Princess and it's classes. The first time I read that only Fighter in James Raggi's game got better at their to-hit rolls, my mind reeled and I immediately shut the notion down as nonsense. But then I began to think about it and I saw how it very squarely made fighting their central trait and protected it. It was similar thinking that made me look at Thieves gaining a similar spotlight with Saving Throws.

At the moment as I brainstorm these ideas, my assumption is that any class can attempt to overcome any mundane obstacle or challenge. The Saving Throw idea either removes the notion of Thieves' Skills from the game or forces another resolution system. Right now I'm leaning toward stealing on old idea I read many years ago where locks or traps or hiding difficulties would now be set by the DM, the obstacle would have minimum Class Level which the Thief automatically succeeds at or an X in d6 chance any character need to succeed. For example, the party has found a chest that is locked. To determine it is trapped requires a Thief Level of 4+ or a 1 in d6 chance. To pick requires a Thief Level of 2+ or a 3 in d6 chance. If a Thief of the necessary Level or higher is in the party, they automatically succeed, if not any character has a chance to accomplish this.

This system could be further expanded toward bashing down doors, areas of knowledge, or any task resolution. Perhaps, the door in a dungeon requires a Fighter Level 2+ or a 3 in d6 chance or deciphering the script of an ancient tome requires a Wizard Level 3+, Cleric Level 5+, or a 2 in d6 chance.

I'm even exploring an option that would use Attributes as the minimum threshold instead of Class Level. In that case the chest the party discovers from above requires a Thief of Dexterity 11+, any character with a Dexterity of 14+, or a 1 in d6 chance. One of the reasons I'm exploring this design space is to emphasize Ability scores more directly in older DnD editions and some OSR games.

Again any thoughts would be appreciated and I intend to explore this area in some future games as well as here on Cross Planes.

2016: A Retrospective

While 2016 was a long and challenging year, in may ways, it was a banner year for Cross Planes.

Dungeon and Draongs Fifth Edition's OGL
When Wizards of the Coast launched their OGL, I stepped into the vanity publishing arena and knocked out fourteen releases over several months. I had set a goal of a project a week, but by summer I simply ran out of steam (mostly because I was neglecting my family and the blog). While this project will never allow me to quit my day job (not that I would anyway), their sales have allowed me to back some Kickstarters, purchase every Schwalb Entertainment Release for Shadow of the Demon Lord, and have the money to buy mostly whatever I want from OneBookShelf.com. One thing I quickly learned is that Reviews are your life blood and I began to evolve my layout and content quickly, as that lesson hit.

My OGL product with the most downloads is Character Crucible: Monster Hunter (my Pay What You Want Title), however it's only earned $4 in 234 downloads. 

My OGL product with the largest profit is Deities and Domains: Specialty Priests of the Forgotten Realms Vol. 1, it's been downloaded 109 times and has earned $160.

I also produced a product for the Cypher System, the Antagonist Anthology, which I feel is my best example of my layout skills, due to art support from MCG. It's been downloaded 46 times and has earned $45.

Cross Planes Game Studio
As I watched the percentage that was being taken from OneBookShelf.com, Wizards of the Coast, and Monte Cook Games (I don't begrudge them their take, but as a business person, I decided to do some exploration), I tried my hand at publishing other OGL products outside of 5E. I got lucky because David Black's excellent The Black Hack had just been published and I rushed to support it. The Class Hack, The Race Hack, and The Class Hack 2: Eccletic Boogaloo have been downloaded a total of 1,483 times and have earned over $1000.

While I may support 5E in the future, I will do so purely outside of the DM's Guild, simply because my percentage is better. Again, I have not problem with paying my dues, but most of my products are $1 each and a better percentage is just more money for me. I fully understand that I couldn't do any of this without OneBookShelf.com, WotC, or MCG and am grateful for what they have allowed me to do.

I have contemplated some OSR, Savage Worlds, and Fate Accelerated releases, but with my wife having extra responsibilities at our kid's Home School Co-Op, growing responsibilities at our Store, and trying to be accessible for our children, I don't know when this may happen. Additionally, I want Cross Planes to be forefront in my plans.

The Blog
My most viewed posts of the year were my series of Warhammer's Old World monsters for 13th Age. While I've slowed on those, I'm doing some for Swords and Wizardry.

As most of you know, I try to cover numerous systems here, but the last few months has been focused on the OSR. As much as I love DnD 5E, I'm hoping to explore the OSR with my gaming groups to allow them to add the distinguishing characteristics, instead of lying on game mechanics. We'll see how that goes.

I've hit some milestones this year, easily averaging over 30,000 views a month and even topping 40,000. I share this information because I don't know where Cross Planes fits in the Gaming Blogosphere. I don't know if that's a successful ranking or I'm still just a tiny fish in a small pond. My guess? I'm a little fish in a small pond, better than some, but not a Big Leaguer. I'm okay with that though, because I've experienced growth each year, in audience and skills, and that is what is most important to me.

Gaming
While I've been running two games (one DnD 5E game and another with that has run DnD 5E, Shadow of the Demon Lord, and Numenera) all year, I was playing in a third until early November. Our long time DM got married yesterday and had to step away. I've begun a Castle Whiterock game using DnD 5E, but I don't know if I can continue it. Running three games may be too much and I'm trying to figure out how to proceed as I'm simply becoming burnt out. What I intend to do is see if running two games again will fix it or if I simply need a break after roughly three years as a DM.

I am happy to report that I have now run two different 5E game through to 20th Level and one of those has even morphed into an Epic game using Epic Boons from the DMG.

2016
While there were many challenges this year, it was good one for our family. There were some bumps and bruises, but we're all happy and healthy. 

I don't talk about politics here and I'm not changing that now, my blog is about gaming and escape. What I will say is that too often we ignore the past and the U.S. has had some nasty and wild political times and regimes. History always repeats itself, since we seem loathe to learn from it, and hopefully we will evolve past this moment as we have in the past.

Overall, my family and I have food on the table, a roof over our heads, and a warm bed to sleep in. I'm far more blessed than many within our world, let alone our nation and I never want to lose sight of that.

As always thank you for making me a part of your life and I can't begin to thank your for being a part of mine.

OSR: Thoughts on Thieves

Something I've been pondering about OSR rules is why don't Theives have the best Saving Throws? 

Wouldn't that have been a good alternative to Thief Skills?

It's something I've been thinking about recently and in many ways I think Saves could be thought of as "skill checks", sure perhaps you won't die or be paralyzed or poisoned, but if there is no consequence to a "skill check", like a Save, then what was the point of it?

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Darkest Dungeons: Swine Chopper for Swords and Wizardry

During the Steam Sale this year, I picked up Darkest Dungeons, a Rogue-Like RPG that is pretty darn tough. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and when you finally succeed on a quest, I truly feel like I've accomplished something.

So I decided to stat up some adversaries:

SWINE CHOPPER for Swords and Wizardry

Hit Dice: 3
Armor Class: 7 [12] 

Attacks: Butcher Kife (1d6) or Ball and Chain (1d8)
Saving Throw: 12
Special: Bleed and Stun
Move: 6

Alignment: Chaos 

Challenge Level/XP: 5/240

   When a swine chopper rolls a natural 19-20 on it's attack roll with a ball and chain, the target is stunned and loses it's next turn. Additionally when it rolls a natural 18-20 with a butcher knife, the target takes 1 additional damage at the start of it's turn for 1d6 rounds.

   When not taking up its time honing its skills on butchering the dead and mangled flesh of its soon-to-be dinner, the Swine Chopper - an enemy that appears in the Warrens - will happily test its serrated and bloodied cleaver upon the bodies of naive adventurers, should they appear within its dark home. Of course, while being as slow and hulking as it is, it has with it a trusty ball-and-chain to make those tiresome chases end with simplistic and brain-splattering efficiency.

White Star: Dralasite

DRALASITE

Armor Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 1+1
Total Hit Bonus: +1

Attacks: Pseudopod (1d6-1) or by weapon

Saving Throw: 17
Special: Amorphous
Movement: 6

HDE/XP: 1/15

   A dralasite's body can be altered in significant ways, but may choose one bonus per turn: by creating more legs, their Movement improves 9; by creating more arms, their pseudopod damage improves to 1d8; by narrowing their bodies, their AC improves to 6 [13].
   Dralasites are short, rubbery aliens that have no bones or hard body parts. Their skin is a flexible membrane that is very tough and scratchy. It generally is dull gray and lined with dark veins that meet at the dralasite's two eyespots. The internal structure of a dralasite is very different from the other races. The dralasite's central nerve bundle (brain), numerous small hearts and other internal organs float in a pudding-like mixture of protein and organic fluids. Dralasites breathe by absorbing oxygen directly through their skin, so they have no lungs. They are omnivores, but eat by surrounding their food and absorbing it, so they also have no digestive tract or intestines.

   All dralasites go through male, female and neutral stages during their lives (they may choose to control these phases with pharmaceuticals). Males release spores into the air, which drift until they become attached to a female. A young dralasite then sprouts from its mother, eventually maturing and dropping off.

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ACKS: Keyblade

Sword +2, Keyblade: The wielder of the keyblade can open locks as a thief on a 12+. It deals an additional 1d6 damage against undead. Additionally, while in possession of the keyblade, it's wielder has the arcane dabbler proficiency and avoids a backfire on a 4+. Finally, a keyblade's size and shape may be altered at will.

ACKS: Beholder

BEHOLDER for Adventurer Conqueror King System

% In Lair:  70%

Dungeon Enc: Solitary (1)

Wilderness Enc: Solitary (1)

Alignment: Neutral

Movement: 0'

   Fly: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 6

Hit Dice: 7

Attacks: 1

Damage: Special
Save: W7
Morale: +1

Treasure Type: N

XP: 1,900

When a Beholder attacks with one of it's eyes roll a d12:

1: It casts charm person.

2: It casts charm monster.
3: It casts sleep.

4: It casts telekinesis.

5: It casts flesh to stone.

6: It casts disintegrate.

7: It discharges a cone 60' long and 30' wide at the terminal end. 

    Any being within the cone will become fearful and flee for 30 

    rounds at running speed unless they succeed on a saving throw 

    versus Spells. 

8: It casts slow (reverse of haste).

9: It casts cause serious wounds (reverse of cure serious wounds).

10: It casts death spell.

11-12: It casts anti-magic shell.

A Beholder is an aberration comprising a floating spheroid body with a large fanged mouth and single eye on the front and many flexible eyestalks on the top. Their eyes each possess a different magical ability; the main eye projects an anti-magical cone, and the other eyes use different spell-like abilities (disintegrate objects, transmute flesh to stone, cause sleep, slow the motion of objects or beings, charm monsters, charm humans, cause death, induce fear, levitate objects, and inflict serious wounds). Many variant beholder species exist, such as "observers", "spectators", "eyes of the deep", "elder orbs", "hive mothers", and "death tyrants". A beholder casts spells as a 7th level Wizard or Cleric. Finally, a beholder can ignore any spell or spell-like effect with a Magic Resistance throw of 5+.

Swords and Wizardry: Elemental Clergy

ELEMENTAL CLERGY for Swords and Wizardry

Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class: 6 [13] 

Attacks: Flail (1d8)
Saving Throw: 13
Special: Casts spells as a 2nd Level Cleric
Move: 12

Alignment: Chaos 

Challenge Level/XP: 2/30

 Demoniac servitors of the Elder Elemental Eye, the Clergy enforce the putrescent reign of their Lord and Master.  The Clergy completely obey the Eye with both vicious zeal and depraved devotion.  Moving about their territory, stalking their subjects while clad in leaden black robes.  The overwhelming scent of ammonia alerts their victims to their approach and to certain doom if they are unfortunate to be chosen for the Clergy's inhuman rites.

Silent Legions: Deep One

DEEP ONE for Silent Legions

AC: 6                                
HD: 2                                
Atks: bite or wpn +2
Skill: +2                          
Special: Resilient 
Move: 30' or 60' swimming 
Morale: 9   
Dmg: 1d6 or wpn   
Madness: None/1d6      
Save: 14+

   "I think their predominant color was a greyish-green, though they had white bellies. They were mostly shiny and slippery, but the ridges of their backs were scaly. Their forms vaguely suggested the anthropoid, while their heads were the heads of fish, with prodigious bulging eyes that never closed. At the sides of their necks were palpitating gills, and their long paws were webbed. They hopped irregularly, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four. I was somehow glad that they had no more than four limbs. Their croaking, baying voices, clearly used for articulate speech, held all the dark shades of expression which their staring faces lacked ... They were the blasphemous fish-frogs of the nameless design - living and horrible."


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White Star: Zergling

ZERGLING

Armor Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 1
Total Hit Bonus: +1

Attacks: Claw (1d6)

Saving Throw: 18
Special: 2 Attacks, Climb, Infravision
Movement: 15

HDE/XP: 1/15

   Zerglings are physically adaptable creatures, able to climb near vertical surfaces (90%) and are extraordinarily fast, though they are generally easy to exterminate.  Usually, zergling eyes are orange, though some have been observed to be red.  Such is their ability to see in low light conditions (infravision out to 120 ft.), these eyes can appear pure black (courtesy of the expanding pupils to allow more light to the retina).

   Zerglings form the most numerous of the zerg mutations—their simple DNA (distilled from the dune runners' genetic code to its most simple form), allows two zerglings to be spawned from a single larva. The larvae get the genetic information from the 'primordial ooze' of spawning pools. Zergling replication is so efficient that they thrive even when exposed to exceedingly high mortality rates, which are greater than almost all other zerg strains.

Silent Legions: Men In Black

MEN IN BLACK for Silent Legions

AC: 7                                Move: 40'
HD: 4                                Morale: 12
Atks: wpn+4                     Dmg: won
Skill: +3                            Madness: None/1d4
Special: Resilient              Save: 12+


   Men In Black are resilient, making them remarkably hard to kill, being tougher and harder to hit than most creatures. They may keep fighting for 1d4 rounds after reaching zero hit points.
   Albert Bender revealed the Men in Black to the world, but they are not government agents, they manifested in his bedroom, late at night, amid an overpowering stench of brimstone. They had bright shining eyes and oozed menace. On top of that, Bender’s health was dramatically affected (in a bad way, I should stress) by his hat-wearing visitors of the night.(If you like this post and others like it and have an extra $1 a month, please consider becoming a Patron of Cross Planes on Patreon.)

Apes Victorious: Predator

PREDATOR for Apes Victorious

No. Enc.: 1 (1d3)

Movement: 120' (40')
Intelligence: High

Psionic Potential: 3d4, inactive

Hits: 4d8
Armor: -4
To Hit: 11
Save: H4
Attacks: 1 (blade or shoulder cannon)
Damage: 1d8 or 1d10
Morale: 10
XP: 135

   Predators may Climb 98%, Hide in Shadows 90%, and Move Silently 95%.    Predators are physically distinguished from humans by their greater height, arthropod-like mandibles and long, hair-like appendages on their heads that are set into their skulls (popularly perceived as "dreadlocks"). Their bodies are resilient to damage, capable of recovering from multiple gunshot wounds and radiation doses which would be fatal to humans. 

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Shadow of the Demon Lord: Skaven

The Skaven, sometimes known as the Ratmen, the Ratkin or the Children of the Horned Rat, are a malevolent and diabolical race of large humanoid rat-creatures that inhabits a massive inter-continental underground empire known in their tongue simply as the Under-Empire, where at the very heart of Skavendom lies the horrific city of Skavenblight, the species capital city and the probable birthplace of the Skaven race. From deep below the earth, these scavengers have built a vast Empire, whose military power and incomprehensible numbers has the potential to smother the world in a seething tide of violence and anarchy. It is believed by all of Skaven-kind that the world is destined to be theirs, for they consider themselves the Supreme Master Race, undeniably superior in everyway to all the other races of the World.

SKAVEN          DIFFICULTY 5
Size 1/2  skaven
Perception 11 (+1); darksight
Defense 13 (soft leather); Health 9
Strength 9 (-1)   Agility 12 (+2)   Intellect 9 (-1)   Will 10 (+0)
Speed 16; climber, swimmer
Immune diseased, poisoned

ATTACK OPTIONS
Small Sword (melee) +2 (1d6 plus Poisoned on an attack roll of 20+)
Poisoned The target becomes poisoned, they must succeed on a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane that they may make once per day to lose the affliction.

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White Star: Klingon

KLINGON

Armor Class: 6 [13]
Hit Dice: 2
Total Hit Bonus: +3

Attacks: Laser pistol (1d6+1) or Bat'leth (1d6+1(

Saving Throw: 15
Special: +1 to AC due to scaly skin (already figured in)
Movement: 9

HDE/XP: 2/30

   Klingons possess a robust and enduring biology as well as large and muscular statures. They appear to be among the strongest fully organic humanoid species seen, being vastly stronger than humans. Their anatomy is redundant and supernumerary; every organ has a backup, including an extra set of kidneys, an eight-chambered heart, a third lung, and even a secondary brain stem, as well as an extensive and hardy skeletal structure. Their biology is even diffuse and superfluous at the cellular level, such as having back-up synaptic networks in their nervous systems. Their rapid metabolism allows injured Klingons to heal quickly. All of this makes Klingons extremely hardy and difficult to kill, as necessitated by their aggressive nature, and resistant to physical trauma, environmental exposure, and illness. 

   The Klingons adhere to a strict code of honor, similar to feudal Mongolian or Japanese customs, although some, such as Gowron, appear to struggle to live up to their ideals. Their society is based on war and combat; ritual suicide is often preferred over living life as a crippled warrior, and may allow a warrior to die with honor. To be captured rather than killed in battle brings dishonor to not only the captive but his descendants. Death is depicted as a time for celebration, not grief.

Numenera: Raqquill

The Raqquill are long time soldiers for the Horde and have formed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Krux.

RAQQUILL  3 (9)  

Motive: Conquest
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 11
Damage Inflicted: 3
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Might defense 4
Combat: The Raqquill are physically imposing and can control beasts.
Beast Speech: Roll a d6, on a 5 or 6, a Raqquill has a Level 2 beast ally.
Use: Mysterious agents of the Horde who seek a foothold on the 9th World.
Loot: --


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Apes Victorious: Gargoyle

The gargoyle's own legend has them as spawns of Satan, who have prowled the Earth for millennia, rising every 600 years in an attempt to wrestle power from Humanity to become the ruling presence on Earth. Now they arise on a planet of apes.

GARGOYLE for Apes Victorious

No. Enc.: 1d4 (1d6)

Movement: 90' (30'), (F) 360' (90')
Intelligence: Average

Psionic Potential: 2d6+6, active

Hits: 1d8
Armor: -2
To Hit: 12
Save: H1
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d4 or by weapon
Morale: 10
XP: 10

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Swords and Wizardry: Dwarf Slayer

DWARF SLAYER for Swords and Wizardry

Hit Dice: 4
Armor Class: 2 [17] 

Attacks: Great Axe (1d10+2)
Saving Throw: 11
Special: Detects attributes of stonework
Move: 6

Alignment: Law 

Challenge Level/XP: 5/240

   A Dwarf Slayer is the ultimate warrior, the perfect personification of death and destruction, and bringer of doom to the enemies of the Dwarf race. Slayers are the strangest and most deadly of all Dwarf warriors. They are outlandish doom-seekers, individuals who have wholly dedicated the entire fiber of their being to the hardest and most destructive life of battle that they can possibly find. Dwarfs are a proud people, and none of them cope well with failure or personal tragedy no matter how small. The loss of a single family member or a hoard of treasures is inconsolable to a Dwarf, a fate that can seriously unhinge their obsessive minds. Eventually these burdens become far to heavy to bear, and a Dwarf would eventually snap, making him forswear the fellowship and comforts of family, clan, and hold, opting instead for a life of self-imposed exile. Having broken ties with everything they once held dear, these Dwarfs leave behind all possessions save for their own axes.

White Star: Trandoshan from Star Wars

TRANDOSHAN

Armor Class: 5 [14]
Hit Dice: 3+3
Total Hit Bonus: +4

Attacks: Bite (1d4) or by weapon

Saving Throw: 14
Special: +1 to AC due to scaly skin (already figured in)
Movement: 9

HDE/XP: 3/75

Trandoshans are sentient humanoids with smooth, scaly skin. Trandoshans ranged from being tall and fairly gaunt, to being short and more rotund. Trandoshans are powerful beings, and have long thin arms that end in either three thick digits, or four thin digits, including a thumb. Trandoshans have a pair of eyes set back on a pointed skull, and a maw filled with pointed teeth. Trandoshans often walk barefooted, and have feet with three digits each. A Trandoshan's skin color can vary wildly, and Trandoshans can be found with green, red, orange, brown, or yellow skin.

Clerical Work: Deities of Aereth, the Known Realms for D&D 5th Edition

Here are the Domains for some of the Deities of Aereth, The Known Realms (of Dungeon Crawl Classics fame).

The Triad

Centivus, The Shaper                          N       Knowledge and Life     
Choranus, The Seer Father                 LN      Arcana and Life
Ildavir, The Giver of Form                  N       Life and Nature

Greater Gods

Ahriman, The Deathbringer               CE       Death and War
Amun Tor, The Father of Riddles       N         Knowledge 
Auzarr, Keeper of the Nexus              N         Arcana
Daenthar, The Hallowed Forge          LG       Knowledge and War
Ireth, The Starmistress                       CG       Light
Madrah, Lord of the Earth and Sky    N         Tempest
Olidyrah, The Dauntless                     N         Trickery
Ormazad, The Changeless                 LG        Life
Poderon, The Deep Delver                NG        Nature
Zhuhn, The Great Enemy                  CE        Arcana and Death




   

Shadow of the Demon Lord: The Voice of Rage and Ruin

I see a bad moon a-rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today

THE VOICE OF RAGE AND RUIN          DIFFICULTY 250
Size 2 horrifying demon
Perception 12 (+2); truesight
Defense 14; Health 130
Strength 19 (+9)   Agility 14 (+4)   Intellect 12 (+2)   Will 18 (+8)

Immune damage from disease or poison; gaining Insanity; dazed,

   fatigued, frightened, immobilized, impaired, poisoned, slowed,

   stunned.
Spell Defense A demon takes half damage from spells. It makes 

   challenge rolls to resist attack spells with 1 boon, and creatures 

   attacking the demon with spells make their attack rolls with 1

   bane.
Demonic Shadows Lit areas out to a number of yards equal to 1 + 

   the demon’s Size (round down) become shadows.

ATTACK OPTIONS
Claws (melee) +9 with 3 boons (3d6)
Bellow (long range) +4 with 3 boons (4d6 plus Cavernous Maw)
Cavernous Maw When the demon makes an attack with its bellow, 
   gets a 20 or higher on the attack roll, and beats the target number 
   by 5 or more, the demon can inhale the target if the demon does  
   not already have a creature swallowed and the target creature is 
   smaller than the demon. A swallowed creature is blinded,  
   deafened, and defenseless for as long as it remains inside the 
   demon. The target moves with the demon when it moves, and it 
   takes 1d6 damage at the end of each round. If the demon becomes 
  injured or incapacitated, it vomits out the swallowed creature, 
  which lands prone in an open space of the creature’s choice within  
  1 yard of the demon. 

SPECIAL ATTACKS

Frenzied Attack The demon attacks two different targets with its 

   natural weapon, making each attack roll with 1 bane.
Possession When a creature goes mad as a result of the demon’s 

   horrifying trait, the demon can use a triggered action to make a 

   Will attack roll against the triggering creature’s Will. On a 

   success, the demon disappears and the creature becomes the 

   victim of demonic possession (Shadow, page 227).

SPECIAL ACTIONS
Void Step The demon uses an action, or a triggered action on its 
   turn, to teleport to a space it can see within medium range. Roll a
   d6. On a 1, the demon must wait 1 minute before it can use Void 
   Step again.

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Apes Victorious: Lepus

Before the War, Ganymede Inc. used a top secret serum known as Supermyx for a U.S. government experiment. Rabbits were used to test Supermyx, but were mutatated into giant, carnivorous predators. After the war, the giant rabbits have adapted to this new planet and hunt it's wastelands.

LEPUS for Apes Victorious

No. Enc.: 1d3 (1d3)

Movement: 240' (80')
Intelligence: Animal

Psionic Potential: 1d4, inactive

Hits: 3d8
Armor: -2
To Hit: 14
Save: G3
Attacks: 1
Damage: 2d6
Morale: 11
XP: 80

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Numenera: The Krux

The Krux are believed to be evil demons from another dimension who serve Hordak and his Horde in his effort to rule the Polyverse.

KRUX  4 (12)  

Motive: Conquest
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 4
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Mind defense 5
Combat: The Krux rely on their mastery of sorcery.
Sorcerer: A Krux has 3 random cyphers.
Use: Mysterious agents of the Horde who seek a foothold on the 9th World.
Loot: A dead Krux has 1 random cypher.


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Shadow of the Demon Lord: Bullywug

Bullywugs are covered with smooth, mottled olive green hide that is reasonably tough... They can vary in size from smaller than the average human to about seven feet in height. Their faces resemble those of enormous frogs, with wide mouths and large, bulbous eyes; their feet and hands are webbed. Though they wear no clothing, all bullywugs use weapons, armor, and shields if they are available. Socially, they are fascists, and are adept hunters and fishermen, skilled in the use and construction of snares and nets.

BULLYWUG          DIFFICULTY 1
Size 1/2 bullywug
Perception 10 (+0); shadowsight
Defense 14 (hard leather, shield); Health 11
Strength 11 (+1)   Agility 11 (+1)   Intellect 8 (-2)   Will 10 (+0)
Speed 8; swimmer
Camouflage A bullywug has 1 boon on challenge rolls to hid in 
   swamps.
Leaper A bullywug can use an action and move when taking a fast 
   turn.

ATTACK OPTIONS
Tongue (melee) +1with 1 boon (1d3)
Spear (melee) +1 (1d6)

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White Star: Ovion

OVION


Armor Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 1+1
Total Hit Bonus: +1

Attacks: By weapon (1d6) 

Saving Throw: 18
Special: Multi-Attack
Movement: 6

HDE/XP: 1/15

Ovions are insectoid creatures that manage a mysterious gambler's paradise on the planet Carillon. The Ovions use Carillon's playground on the surface to attract their prey. The chancery is rigged to let the players always win, and there is grog and entertainment to keep the people occupied. Ovions occasionally prowl discreetly on the entertainment level, but generally remain out of sight. Individual humans are trapped selectively and are taken into the hive-like structures underground instead of their desired destination. They are then placed into chambers which slowly transform them into food.

Ovions, due to their extra arms, may Multi-Attack, making 1 extra attack per round.

Swords and Wizardry: Saurus

SAURUS for Swords and Wizardry

Hit Dice: 3
Armor Class: 6 [13] 

Attacks: Weapon (1d10)
Saving Throw: 14
Special: Ferocious
Move: 9

Alignment: Neutral 

Challenge Level/XP: 3/60 

   The ferocity of the Saurus allows it to fight until it reaches -5 hit points before it dies.

   The Saurus form one of the core species of the Lizardmen race, created by the Old Ones to be the warriors and guardians of their society. When the Temple-Cities are on the warpath, it is the Saurus who make up the hardened core of the fighting forces. This is of no surprise, for the Saurus were created solely for the purpose of warfare and nothing else. They are large and ferocious predator-warriors, so single-minded in their duties that they have no concept of personal thought, individuality or personality.

A Good Day

Got a day off, hanging out with my kids. They mostly did homework, but we were together.

Started reading the Star Trek Playtest Files from Modiphius.

And got the Early Access files for the Unity RPG.

Really, really good day.

So far, I like what I've seen of the changes made to the 2d20 system for Trek (I'm in the Next Generation era). Seems very smooth and I hope it play as well as it reads.

Unity has exceed my high expectations for it. The Early Access PDF is very professional and has great artwork. The rules are yelling at me to run them, and soon. The are like a neat marriage of DnD 4E and 13th Age (and no grid necessary).

More soon.

Shadow of the Demon Lord: Tommy-Boy

I picked up Of Monstrous Mien for Shadow of the Demon Lord yesterday. We all know I like to make and adapt monsters, so I thought I'd give this new PDF a whirl and build something:

I chose a Medium Monster and these were my random rolls:
Origin: Mutated by magical energies run amok!

Beast-like. The monster’s body is parallel to the ground with its head at the front and supported by 5 legs. 

Eyeless

Brachiation. The monster has hook-like hands or feet and possibly a prehensile tail. It can clamber through branches with ease, gaining the Climber trait.

Warty. The monster’s hide is a mass of thick, wart- like protuberances that increase its Defense by 1. 

Pincers. The monster can attack with powerful pincers. When the monster gets a success on an attack roll with the pincer, it can use a triggered action to grab the target.

Semi-sapient features. The monster’s features are disturbingly human. The monster gains the Frightening trait and increases its Difficulty by one step. 

Here is it's write-up:

They say Leena Pickens always wanted a baby boy, though some say Ole Cedric beat her everytime she gave him a girl, all twelve times. Some even say that Old Cedric threatened to leave her and her girls if she couldn't give him a right heir.

Most agree, Leena visited that crazy Wise-Man on top of Gray Peak. Salazar of Gunt some call him. The Green Wand to others, including a few of the working girls 'round these parts. But some of the older folk, they remember him as Thurgood the Mad. Yeah, the one who rode with the Orange Delvers. Yeah, him.

It seems poor Leena just couldn't due with another daughter nor being left behind by Ole Cedric. Sadly, they say she traded with Salazar or the Wand or the Mad One for some magic.

What did she trade? I'd rather not guess.

But soon enough she was rounder than she ever been and she assured Ole Cedric so much that he decide his boy would be named Thomas, after his Da. Leena and Ole Cedric talked about their little Tommy to anyone and everyone.

But then the night came and the birth turned bad. Some say that two midwifes fainted at the mere sight of little Thomas. Leena didn't survive the birth, not surprising.

The poor woman gave birth to monstrous thing that night at the very stroke of midnight. Many say it literally tore it's mother apart and climbed up to the ceiling of their farm house. Most agree that it swung about like some beast out of one of the Empire's Zoos in the good old days. It seemed more spider than man, except for it's face, which was that of an innocent babe with more than a passing resemblance to Ole Cedric.

Yep, they all agree that little Tommy-Boy tore into the whole bunch there that night. It's horrible body, covered in livid warts, running parallel to the ground, with too many legs ending in wicked pincers and a baby-face that nearly matched it's daddy. Except for the eyes. It didn't apparently need 'em, 'cause it certainly didn't have any.

Ole Cedric finally got his boy or I guess his boy finally got Ole Cedric.

TOMMY-BOY          DIFFICULTY 15
Size 1 frightening monster
Perception 12 (+2); dark sight
Defense 14; Health 20
Strength 13 (+3)   Agility 9 (-1)   Intellect 7 (-3)   Will 13 (-+#)
Speed 10; climber
Climber A kobold is impaired while exposed to 
   direct sunlight.

ATTACK OPTIONS
Pincers (melee) +3 with 1 boon (1d6+2 and can use a triggered action to grab the target)

SPECIAL ATTACKS
Frenzied Attack The monster attacks two different targets with its 
   natural weapon, making each attack roll with 1 bane.

 

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