Back to Basics: Basic Fantasy!

Thanks to Erik Tenkar, Basic Fantasy will be getting some love today! While others can better describe the nifty little game, I thought I'd offer up a race from my upcoming Atlantis campaign setting! So without further ado, the Mer. (No, I never claimed to be creative...)

Gaming with Class: The Psalmist

So, years ago, I picked up a copy of Green Ronin's "Mythic Vistas: Testament", a d20 setting for the Old Testament of the Bible.  I had a lot of fun with it at the time. With my preference for simpler rule sets, however, I thought I'd make use of the book's Open Game Content to convert my favorite class over to Swords and Wizardry, white box edition. This is the first time I've built a class for it, so suggestions are welcome.

Download available here

One Page Dungeon

Just something I cobbled together, using a combination of Chgowiz's One Page Dungeon template and Photoshop. For Swords and Wizardry, an encounter with the promise to be more, if the GM wants. I'll probably revise this later into a full adventure, but for now, it works.

Download the pdf here.

A Listing of Links

Also known as: Dan is lazy but wants to blog.


I've been trawling the internet for a while, building up resources that amuse, educate, and entertain. I thought I'd pass a few of them along. Click the names below to go to the relevant sites.

The Cookbook of Cora Underbough

Something easy to get back into the swing of blogging, and before I forget, Happy Holidays! (as belated as it is...)

Inspired by a post over at Grymvald Gazetteer, I decided to borrow a bit of reality to spice up my fancy. The end result is below. I hope you like it.

A Bit of Dungeoncraft

While browsing The Welsh Piper for hex map templates this morning, I came across this chart for generating ruins. Being the curious sort I am, I decided to give it a try, and got the following results:

Type: Castle (14 levels)

Ruin: Angry God(s)

Interest: Plunder

Major Domo: Fighter1, Demon, Fighter2

Minions: Humanoids (F1)

Animals (F1)

Bandits (F2)

Animals (F2)

Worms (Dn)

Weird* (Dn)

Pretty slick, no? One thing I like about charts like these, is when elements come together to help tie to a theme. What we see is that we have a castle that was ruined by an Angry God. Why was it ruined? Well, we see that one of the main nemesi is a demon, and that its minions are worms and something weird. The 14 levels help too. I COULD build a tall castle, but where's the fun in that? Assuming 2 levels for towers, 3 'main' levels, 1 level for the dungeon and 2 for the catacombs, that leaves 6 levels. What lies beneath the catacombs, that could refer to a demon? Why not an old temple? Suppose that in expanding the royal catacombs, the builders unearthed the entrance to an ancient temple complex, and in exploring, awoke the demon originally worshiped in Pre-Stygian times. The reigning monarchs fell back into old worships, a pall fell across the land, and the dominant deity decided enough was enough.

Now, for the fighters, suppose that Fighter 2, with his band of bandits (a mercenary crew?), went a-lootin' and dug up ol' squirmy?

The thread continues from there, spinning out a dungeon that could occupy a stalwart group of adventurers for many a session. I think I'm going to have to write this out and torment entertain my players...

So there you have it! Pop by the Piper, give the chart a roll, and see what you get. Be sure to post creations you like in the comments below!

The Blue Sun

Thrice round the room the blue sun slipped

With a dip and a spin and a flash

And Into Shadow nimbly skipped

With the ring of a saber's clash  

-- From the Bladesong of Forgemaster Kelail

A sturdy +1 shortsword, the Blue Sun bears its namesake, a gibbous moon depicted on the flat of the blade in a single sapphire the length of a man's middle finger. Much like the moon from which it takes its name, the Blue Sun sheds false light, obscuring the wielder in shadow. The wielder is always treated as one step higher (or lower, depending on system used) AC than armor and other bonuses normally allow.

In Review: The Sacred BBQ!!

What do you get when you cross Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition, The Burning Wheel's design ethos, and sprinkle a bit of narrative gaming on top? No, that's not a riddle, it's The Sacred BBQ!

Codex Fantastica: Mytwari

Home: The Mytwa Jungle

Description:

Tall, graceful beings, the Mytwari are green-skinned plantfolk whose faces grow into masklike  forms that the Mytwari take great delight in ornamenting with dyes in colorful patterns.

Deeply in tune with the living world around them, the Mytwari serve as children and caretakers of the Mytwa Jungle. There, amidst a dazzling bouquet of wild blossoms and dizzyingly tall trees, they spend their days tending to the needs of the jungle.

The Jungle, however, is not alone in its life, and on occasion a Mytwari journeys beyond the Mytwa Jungle, to see and learn more of the world around them. Often attracting the curiosity of the taciturn Sulk, a Mytwari's natural affinity for growing things, and for the magics of plants often help to pay their way on their journeys.

Elahn's Tears

Busy week! Life and church have kept me away from the internet, so in apologies, have a magic item for your preferred retroclone.

Through the dusk shadowed wood the youth staggered, trembling fingers clutching at his stomach. As he stumbled on, ink-dark blood spattered the trail, one that lead back to a ruined village, ravaged by the Forgehounds of Khor. Barely more than a boy, he had stood with the men of his village, and now, the poisoned shards of a Warsmith's dagger burning in his gut, he would die.


Against a sturdy oak he sank, breath ragged, brow beaded with fevered sweat. Just a child, a simple boy with dreams of his own good earth to tend, he had not dreamed of war, and yet, when war came he fought as courageously as any knight. Just a child, and already his life ended.


"Mama." A sole word, a plea to one who had soothed his fears and mended each wound. It came unbidden, the farmboy's arms curling around his stomach. Head bowed, he closed his eyes, a spasm of pain ripping a cry from his throat. The world dimmed, and he knew no more.


When awareness returned to the boy, it came as a sense of comfort,  its form a simple wooden cup pressed to his lips.


He drank, the cool liquid suffusing him with a sense of calm, the burning talons of poison loosening their hold on his body.  He drank, and as unconsciousness overtook him once more, a gentle hand stroked his hair, a soft, earthy voice humming a lullaby once had calmed him when storms raged about his home. At peace, he slept,  the chalice clutched between his hands...


Elahn's Tears

A plain chalice of wood, unadorned by mark or script to signify its true purpose. A gift of Elahn the Allmother, the chalice now passes from owner to owner, bringing comfort when most needed.


Elahn's Tears' true purpose becomes manifest when its bearer is in dire need. Should a bearer of Elahn's tears be mortally wounded, the chalice fills with a sparkling liquid. This liquid restores 2d8 hit points, and neutralizes any poison or disease the bearer suffers from.

Once the chalice has been used, it vanishes from its bearer's possessions, reappearing elsewhere in the world to ward a new owner, for a mother's love is never bestowed solely upon one child alone.

Codex Fantastica: Uktulkli

Home: The Thousand Stars
Description: 

Stocky, hexapedal amphibians with thick, fringed tails, Uktulkli stand four feet tall at the shoulder, and measure some twelve feet long from chest to tail.

A peaceful race, the Uktulkli are creatures of magic, born from deep wells that dot the ruins of the Thousand Stars, an island chain  in the midst of the Skymirror Sea. Slow and contemplative, the Uktulkli are considered lazy and dull witted by most races. Those with the patience to maintain a conversation with an Uktulkli, however, find a wise, nurturing individual. Born of water, Uktulkli spend most of their time in contact with the lifeblood of the world, basking in streams, or diving deep in the waters surrounding their homes.

When the notion takes them, the Uktulkli weave Star Pearls from the sacred waters of their Lifewells. These fist-sized, translucent stones glow with a bluish light, gently illuminating a space ten feet in diameter. Whatever other properties these strange artifacts possess is unknown, and when pressed, the Uktulkli respond with a sleepy smile.

My brain, she dinnae sit still.

Being as addled as I am, I jump from project to project with frustrating irregularity. On occasion, an entirely new idea springs up, demanding attention with enough force that I can't get it out of my head until I do something with it. So I present the basic framework for a Role Playing Game inspired by the works of Jim Henson.

The following content is protected by the Creative Commons 3.0 NC-BY-ND license.

Dreamblade Boogie: Temple Lion

What's this? Dreamblade Boogie on schedule?! Pretty much!




Temple Lion
Armor Class: 3 [16]
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: Bite
Special:  Unform Nightmare
Move: 12
HDE/XP: 4/240

"Temple Lions, sometimes known as Shishas, have protected Dreamers for thousands of years..."


Not all that treads Nightmare is evil. Beloved servants of the spider goddess Namerasae, the Temple Lions patrol the borders of Nightmare, cutting back the ever-spreading threat. Further blessed by Namerasae, the Temple Lion can focus its attention on any one creature of Nightmare. That creature must pass a saving throw -2, or be Unformed, destroyed instantly. Because of this,  Temple Lion pelts draw a king's ransom from the Lichking of Nightmare.

The Illuminated Nymph

A rumpled piece of parchment scuds along, pushed by the wind.
Closer examination reveals it to be a graded assignment.

Theoretical Enchanting

The Illuminated Nymph

Rhialto The Resplendent

(First Year students do not take on sobriquets, Rhialto. 

 Speak with me at the end of the lecture)

For the edufication and illumination of the artisan, The Illuminated Nymph conjures an ideal example of the female body, which may be studied in great detail. (Edufication is not a word.See comment at the end of the assignment sheet.)

Mode: Illusion

Enchantment Type: Limited, Triggered

Enchantment Check: -55

Enchantment Time:  Three Weeks

Effect: When activated, the amulet projects a nude female. The amulet functions Thrice daily, and projects the image for a grand total of five minutes.

(Rhialto, while your  enthusiasm for Enchanting is to be commended, there are several flaws in this design. First, a classmate's permission must be obtained before working their visage into any spell effect. Additionally, the materials and training to create such an artifact are well beyond the first year student. In light of this, as well as grammatical errors and flaunting this prestigious academy's rules regarding rank and title, I give this assignment failing marks. We shall attempt this course again... Next year.)

The "Illustrius Grimoire"

Something for Talislanta 4th Edition, enjoy!

A slim ledger, the type commonly used by students learning the arcane arts, lies on the street. 

Waterlogged, the cover sports the title 'The Illustrius Grimoire of Rh**l*o t** Re*p**nd***' . The thoroughly soaked interior sports only a handful of salvageable pages, sporting the spells below.


A Charm for the Benefication and Beautiment of the Caster
This will get Kylestae to attend the Festival of Lights with me!

This charm's purpose is to improve, for a short time, improve the handsomisity and general pleasantry of self of the caster.
Mode: Alter
Casting Check: -11
Duration: 5 minutes
Effect: +2  CHA


Ziggula's Dancing Misfortune
Named in honor of Ziggula the Corpulent, gourmand of the Academy's kitchens, this simple charms summons several hornets, in commemoration of the day that Ziggula brought such a nest down upon his fat head.

Mode: Attack
Casting Check: -8
Range: 100' (For the caster's protection from flying flatware)
Damage: 3 points
Duration: Instant

Dreamblade Boogie Bonus: Book of Nothing

Courtesy of Ridurey1

In one of the lost cities cloaked in the dreamstuff of Nightmare, a dark tome nestles among more innocent grimoires. Within its pages, some say, the Book of Nothing holds the secret to banish Nightmare forever. At what cost, however, does the wisdom come?

When opened, the reader and 1d6-2 other individuals within 15' of the Book of Nothing must make a save -5. Success incurs 1d6+2 HP damage, and a permanent loss of 1 Constitution point.


Any who fail the save  have their soul trapped within the Book of Nothing. Their Wisdom and Intelligence scores drop to 3, and their eyes become shadowy orbs.  Destruction of the book is not enough to reclaim the victims' souls, only intervention from a higher power (either through direct intervention or a Crusader's Miracle) can restore those claimed by Nothing.

Dreamblade Boogie: Dreamreef Marauder

Dreamreef Marauder

Courtesy of Ridureyu1

Armor Class: 6 [13] 
Hit Dice: 15 
Attacks: Bite (2d6)
Special: Swallow Whole
Move: 9 
HDE/XP: 17/3,500


"No one cares for a shark's company, not even another shark."


The dreamstuff of Nightmare covers the land, clinging like a thick fog
to hide dangerous pitfalls. More dangerous, however, are the things
which swim its depths.

Thankfully rare, the Dreamreef Marauder is a titanic shark whose fin
cuts the dreamstuff as it hunts, towering taller than a man. A horror
in battle, the Marauder's preferred tactic is to lunge from below, catching
unsuspecting prey in its many teeth. In addition, when the Marauder rolls
ten or more higher than the target's Armor Class, the target is swallowed
whole.

Dreamblade Boogie: The Tower of Faces

At the center of Nightmare, brooding over the corrupted realm, the Tower of Faces serves as home to the Lich-Kings. From the Tower they rule with an iron first, working their machinations deep within infernal workshops, sending out their dream-stuff minions to ensure Nightmare remains firmly under their sway. A towering spire some 120 feet tall, and its sullen gray walls, inside and out, are worked with the mad frescoes of tormented dreamers.the Tower is wrapped with the souls bound by the Lich-Kings. From the forlorn visages of these souls the Tower takes its name.

Presented below is the entry level to the Tower of Faces for those brave few willing to assault the sanctum and overthrow the Lich-Kings. But be warned, the stuff of Nightmare is nebulous, and no two journeys within the Tower will be the same...

The Tower of Faces: Level One

 (to be populated at the GM's discretion*)

*Because, y'know, the tower changes... not because the Puzzled Viking is lazy... Honest!

Dreamblade Boogie: The Lungthief Beetle

Lungthief Beetle

Beetle, Lungthief
Armor Class: 4 [15]
Hit Dice: 1+4
Attacks: Bite
Special: Shatter
Move: 12
HDE/XP: 1/15



"The secret of immortality is carved in its carapace, 
in runes only the dead can decipher."

Serving as a living phylactery for the Lich-Kings of the
Dreamland, Lungthief Beetles are rat-sized insects that
search the battlefields for corpses. Relatively weak, they
defend themselves with a painful bite that deals 1d2 damage.

Upon finding a suitable corpse, the Lungthief Beetle burrows
into the chest and animates the corpse, allowing the Lich to
claim a new body (hence the name). Due to the malevolent force
of the soul held within their carapace, any time the Lungthief
Beetle fumbles, scores a critical hit, or a critical hit is scored against
it, the beetle explodes, shards of its shell doing 1d4 damage to 1d3
creatures in a 10' area, determined randomly.


((Image courtesy of Ridureyu1))