OSR: Random Magic-User Generator

This is a spiritual sequel to one of my earliest posts, but written with Free-Form Magic in mind.  Read the original here.  Ideas borrowed from here.    

                      by 88grzes

What type of spellcaster is he?

1d4

1- Hedge-Witch.  He never attended any form of formal or semi-formal institution to learn magic.  He likely learned from his Master as an apprentice in the ancient way.  Before the current era, this is how all magic-users learned.  He is a practitioner of folk-magic and the ancient arts.  His legal status is uncertain and varying, depending on region and custom.      

2- Chartered Wizard.  He comes from an Order of magic-users granted civil sanction to exist and practice openly.  His legal status is legitimate and he has the backing of an institution behind him.  He likely has some kind of title, such as Wizard, Doctor (of Sorcery) or Magus.  

3- Outsider Mage.  He practices some form or school of magic from Foreign Parts or one not recognized by existing authorities, magical or otherwise.  He has no legal status, but neither is he a marked enemy.  

4- Outlaw Mage.  He practices some form or school of magic that has been marked as illegal, branded as "black magic".  He must conceal his true talents and never practice it openly, lest he attract Chartered Wizards, Paladins or Witch-Hunters.  

How experienced is this Mage?

1d8

1-2- Apprentice.  The Apprentice Mage has 1d3 HD.  He has MD equal to his HD.  He adds +0 to any spellcasting roll he makes.  

3-5- Journeyman.  The Journeyman Mage has 1d4 HD.  He has MD equal to HD+1.  He adds +1 to any spellcasting roll he makes.   

6-7- Expert.  The Expert Mage has 1d4+2 HD.  He has MD equal to his HD+2.  He adds +2 to any spellcasting roll he makes.   

8- Master.  The Master Magi has 1d6+2 HD.  He has MD equal to his HD+3.  He adds +3 to any spellcasting roll he makes.  

How many Affinities does he possess?

1d3

1- One.  Roll once on the 'What kind of Magic does he specialize in?' table.  

2- Two.  Roll twice on the 'What kind of Magic does he specialize in?' table.

3- Three.  Roll three times on the 'What kind of Magic does he specialize in?' table.

How potent is his Affinity(ies)?

1d3

1- Weak.  His Affinity for that type of Magic is weak, but it's all he has.  He adds +1 to any spellcasting roll he makes to use that kind of magic.  

2- Strong.  His Affinity for that type of Magic is solid and very useful.  He adds +2 to any spellcasting roll he makes to use that kind of magic.  

3- Inspired.  His Affinity for that type of Magic is powerful and rare.  He adds +3 to any spellcasting roll he makes to use that kind of magic.  

What kind of Magic does he specialize in?

1d10

1- Abjuration.  This Mage is very good at defensive magic.  Shields, wards and anything that protects is easier for him.  

2- Conjuration.  This Mage is good at summoning things that he needs.  

3- Divination.  This Mage is good at seeing and predicting the future.  

4- Transmutation.  This Mage is good at transforming one substance into another.  

5- Evocation, Elemental.  The Mage is especially talented at manipulating one of the Elements.  He is especially good at controlling: 1d4 [1= Fire; 2= Water; 3= Earth; 4= Air.]   

6- Illusion.  This Mage is good at 1d2 [1= Manipulating light to create "visible" illusions, constructs made of light; 2= Manipulating the minds and emotions of others using magic to create illusions that look and feel real, but have no presence outside of the experiencer's mind.]  

7- Necromancy.  This Mage is good at calling, controlling and manipulating the souls and bodies of the dead.  

8- Biologic Magic.  This Magic is good at manipulating living flesh.  He specializes in 1d4 [1= Shape-shifting; 2= Healing; 3= Fleshcraft, manipulating the flesh of others; 4= Sylvanism, or manipulating plants via magic.]

9- Mind.  This Mage is skilled at reading and influencing minds.  

10- Chance.  This Mage is skilled at manipulating luck, chance and Fate.  

When not using his Magic, how does he fight?

1d4

1- He uses a melee weapon, such as a staff or club.   

2- He uses a ranged weapon, such as a sling or bow.  

3- He carries a Wizard Weapon and uses it to fire bolts of elemental energy.  His Wizard Weapon is a 1d6 [1= Wand; 2= Staff; 3= Book; 4= Piece of Jewelry; 5= Orb; 6= Weapon, such as a sword.] 

4- He is a martial artist. 

What's special about this Mage?

1d20
1- He is a foreigner from a distant land.  He doesn't get the social mores and local customs from Around Here and is known for keeping his foreign ways, even here.  There is a chance that he is actually aware of how he's supposed to behave, but is playing up the caricature of the ignorant foreigner to prevent people from inquiring too much into him.

2- He is actually a spy, working for an enemy faction or Kingdom.  He often travels to meet up with his handlers and report back.  He has some excuse to justify these trips- perhaps he pretends to be a merchant as well as a Magus or maybe he is "searching" for lost magical secrets.

3- He's a member of a race known for their magical prowess, such as an Elf.

4- He's a member of a race known to have little to no magical prowess, such as a Dwarf. 

5- He has a secret vice.  He is secretly 1d4 [1= A Drunkard; 2= A drug addict; 3= A pervert; 4= A gambler.]

6- He is a secret cultist.  He is a 1d4 [1= The Minions of the Dark Powers; 2= A servant of Chaos; 3= A member of an Asuran Cult; 4= Part of a personality cult created by a charismatic mortal.]

7- He is stupendously rich.  He does 1d3 [1= Does not hide this fact, but flaunts it; 2= He lives somewhat humbly, but still comfortably; 3= He is paranoid about people trying to take his money, so he lives like a pauper and spends money like a miser.]

8- He is in severe debt.  He is 1d4 [1= Living like a hermit and trying to save every copper to appease his debtors; 2= Pawning them off with false promises; 3= Quietly looking for any means of making a large sum of money as soon as possible; 4= Living under a false identity in a new town/city to escape them.]

9- He is actually related to a significant and important family.  This family is 1d4 [1= A wealthy merchant clan; 2= Has multiple members that are highly placed in the Church hierarchy; 3= A Noble House that rules over a significant amount of land and people; 4= The Royal House, the Wizard is related to the current ruler.]

10- He is not actually human/normal.  He is secretly 1d4 [1= A Lich; 2= A Vampire; 3= A magical creature with the power to shapeshift; 4= A shapeshifter who killed the original Wizard and assumed his identity.]

11- He is secretly immortal.  He must 1d4 [1= Regularly consume a special elixir, or he will begin aging; 2= Perform a ritual every 100 years or he quickly fade and die; 3= Appease and serve his Patron, a powerful Spirit who guards his soul and restores his body; 4= He creates new bodies and transfers his soul to them when necessary- as this technically counts as "dying", he is on Death's most wanted list.]    

12- He leads a double life as a criminal.  He is 1d6 [1= An underworld Mage, selling his magic to criminals for money; 2= A notorious thief who uses his magic to pull off otherwise impossible heists; 3= A conman who uses magic to create elaborate false cover identities and scams, to swindle people out of their money; 4= A murderer who kills people for 1d3 (1= The sadistic pleasure of killing; 2= To eat them, he is a half-ghoul; 3= For money, he is a contract killer); 5= A provider of illegal services, he 1d6 (1= Sells or manufactures drugs; 2= Runs an illegal brothel; 3= Acts as a banker for criminals, securing their money where the authorities can't seize it, he will also loan out money to these same people; 4= He is a fence, he buys and sells stolen goods; 5= He is a money-launderer, helping criminals provide a 'legitimate' source for their ill-gotten gains; 6= He is an information broker, who buys and sells information, also acts as a neutral party for negotiations between rival factions); 6= He is secretly a crime-boss, controlling a criminal syndicate and ruling over (part of) the criminal underworld.]

13- He is famous, well known by 1d4 [1= Everyone; 2= The Nobility; 3= Other Magic-users; 4= Foreigners] for some great feat or status.  He is 1d4 [1= Embarrassed by the attention; 2= Bashful and gracious; 3= Obsessed with his own glory and revels in the attention; 4= Arrogant, he regards this adoration as his due.]

14- He is insane.  He believes 1d6 [1= His servants are trying to poison him and checks all his food for poison; 2= That a sinister conspiracy is spying on and harassing him; 3= Demons are tormenting him and only a very specific series of rituals keeps them away; 4= That a deceased family member is leaving messages for him in random sights he sees when going about his daily life; 4= He believes his lover or wife is being unfaithful to him, despite possessing no evidence; 5= He believes that someone he has never met is secretly in love with him; 6= He believes that he is occasionally contacted secretly by an authority figure who tells him to do things.  These things are often illegal, but the authority figure has given him permission, so it's okay.]

15- He has a bound Spirit, which is forced to serve him.  The Spirit is 1d4 [1= A Demon; 2= A Spirit of Nature; 3= An Angel.]  The Spirit 1d4 [1= Wants nothing more than to be freed from it's bindings; 2= Wants to be free, but would not sacrifice too much for freedom; 3= Does want to be free, but only if it could find a better arrangement; 4= It is fine with the way things are for now.]  

16- He owes a Spirit something he'd rather not provide.  He is looking for a way to get out of holding up his end of the bargain.    

17- He is cursed to 1d6 [1= Die in a specific way, such as drowning.  He is terrified of anything that could bring about such a death; 2= Fall in love with a monster.  He has isolated himself to only the most necessary social contact; 3= Become a cannibal.  He has become a strict vegetarian as a precaution; 4= Transform into a monster under the full moon and harm those he most loves.  He has constructed a strong magical prison for himself and locks himself in it when the moon is full, to prevent him from harming anyone; 5= Lose everything, he is stashing his possessions in secure places, in the hopes that he will be able to recover them later; 6= To destroy his homeland, he has left and is traveling far abroad in the hopes of saving his people.]

18- He is hopelessly in love with someone out of reach.  This person is 1d4 [1= Much higher status than him; 2= Already married to someone else; 3= Laws or custom prevent their union; 4= She just doesn't see him like that.]

19- He is an assassin, sanctioned by the powers that be.  He has been granted the right to break any and all laws in the pursuit of his mission, from murder and kidnapping to breaking the laws of magic in this land.  He can work black magic or consort with demons, if necessary to accomplish his mission.

20- He is being manipulated by 1d4 [1= A mortal con-artist; 2= A fellow magic-user from his order/school/organization; 3= A temptress; 4= A monster such as a 1d6 (1= Lamia; 2= Hag; 3= Succubus; 4= Empusai; 5= Vampire; 6= A Rakshasha).]

by Bogdan-MRK

OSR: Buffing the Rogue: Tricks of the Trade

Ideas borrowed from here, here and here.  

by BillCreative

If you are a Rogue, you start with one of the 'Tricks of the Trade' at level 1.  You can roll randomly or select one.  For each 2 Rogue levels after this, you can pick another or roll again on the table.  If you roll a result again, you gain a deeper knowledge of the subject.  You gain another Trick at 3rd, 5th, 7th level and 9th level.   

Tricks of the Trade:

1d8
1- Poison Pro.  You know all about poisons, where to find them, how to handle them, how to buy and sell them, who will purchase them, which ones are illegal, etc.  You also know which creatures are poisonous and how to extract poison from dangerous creatures.  You start with 1d6 doses of a random poison.  Roll on the Random Potion table to see what you get.          
2- Trap Master.  You know about traps and how to make them.  Given basic materials, such as ropes, wire, heavy objects to act as weights, you can quickly construct traps, assuming you have the time and materials to do so.  Roll 1d3 times on the Random Trap table to see what you know how to build.    
3- Sneaky Stabber.  When you attack someone who was unprepared or not expecting, you do double damage if you are using a Quick Weapon.  Additionally, if you attack someone who you could conceivably kill in a single attack from stealth, the Referee may allow you to replace the damage roll with a save vs death.  
4- Mad Bomber.  You know the secrets of fire.  If given access to an Alchemist's lab, various chemicals or a well-stocked city, you can create explosives or incendiary devices sure to leave your enemies in pieces.  Roll 1d3 times on the Dangerous Devices table to see what you know how to build.     
5- Knife Shark.  You are really good at throwing knives.  When you hit someone with a thrown Quick Weapon such as throwing knife, shuriken, or something similar, you can immediately make another attack with a thrown Quick Weapon.  If you kill someone with a thrown Quick Weapon, regardless of if this is your first or second attack, you may automatically make another thrown Quick Weapon attack.    

6- Archery Expert.  When you make an attack with a bow or crossbow, you can immediately take a free action to move, dodge or disengage from the current situation.
7- Roguish Diplomacy.  When confronted with a foe, you can try to distract an enemy.  The tactic can be anything, from throwing sand in their eyes to juggling.  The enemy may be granted a check to resist against whatever ability score you are using to try and distract them.  Alternatively, if something is distracting enough, the enemy may simply be automatically distracted (Referee's Discretion).  If the enemy is distracted, you or an ally of your choice may immediately act against them as a free action.  
8- Goon Squad.  You start with a free henchmen.  This henchman has his (or her) own agenda and is not necessarily your friend.  Roll on the Random Henchmen table below to see who you get.

Random Poisons:

1d6
1- Widow's Kiss (Injected).  A poison collected from thousands of black widow spiders.  Causes 3d4 damage, 1d4 per round, until a creature passes a CON save or all damage is dealt.  Much feared, but not nearly as dangerous as people think.      
2- Rattler's Bite (Injected).  Taken from the Rattler Serpent, this poison is dangerous, but if treated, rarely results in fatalities.  This poison does 1d6 DEX damage per hour.  If reduced to 0 DEX, a creature must save or die.  Creatures subtract the amount of DEX damage they have taken from any roll to do an action requiring skill or precision.        
3- Dancing Spiral Venom (Injected).  This poison is the collected venom from the bite of the Dancing Spiral Spider.  Does 1 CON damage per minute or until a creature passes three CON saves.  Can make 1 CON save every 1d4 minutes.  If reduced to 0 CON, a creature dies.    
4- Fire Coral Dust (Absorbed through skin).  Created by powdering certain dangerous corals, an incredible unpleasant job done only by slaves.  If this dust is touched, any creature exposed to it will feel burning pain and must make a Morale check or immediately take action to try and get this horrible dust off himself.     
5- Fiddleback's Fang (Injected).  Taken from the fiddleback spider, this venom rots the flesh of anyone exposed to it.  Fiddleback Venom does 1d3 STR damage per minute, reducing any damage dealt by the amount of STR damage taken.  If reduced to 0 STR, the exposed creature dies.  Anyone exposed to this will also feel extreme pain and must make a Morale check or immediately flee and seek an antidote.       
6- Lullaby Sand (Eaten/Absorbed through skin).  Fine, golden dust, derived from the wings of a particularly gentle butterfly, purified and collected by children and fools.  When poured onto someone, the creature will immediately become sleepy and must save or fall asleep.  Eating it forces disadvantage on the save.  Creatures who know they are in a dangerous situation automatically pass their saves.    

Random Traps:

1d8
1- Tiger Pit.  Dig a pit that is too big to climb out of.  If you're feeling really nasty, cut sticks into sharp points and drive them into the ground at the bottom of the pit.  Then cover the top of the trap with a layer of woven grass or branches and cover it with ground cover.  Any creature that steps on it will fall into the pit and be stuck.  The creature will also likely impale itself on the spikes.    
2- Springpole Snare.  Take a young tree that is springy and tie it back, then rig the rope to a tripwire or trigger.  Tie a knife or a sharp object to the end of the tree.  When triggered, the young tree will snap back and drive the sharp object into whatever tripped the trap.  
3- Twitch-Up Snare.  Tie a rope to the branches of a tall tree and tie a loop, then leave it on the ground.  When a creature steps on it, it will jerk tight and yank them up, leaving them hanging in the air.    
4- Crusher Trap.  A trap that leaves a piece of bait under something heavy, such as some cut logs or a heavy rock.  When the bait is grabbed or messed with, whatever holding back the heavy weight is removed, causing them to fall down and flatten the creature who took the bait.    
5- Bow Trap.  A bow, pulled back with an arrow nocked, is tied to a tripwire.  When the tripwire is triggered, the bow fires.    
6- Swinging Mace Trap.  Create a large, heavy ball, occasionally with large spikes poking out of it.  Attach it to a tripwire.  When triggered, the giant ball will swing down and inflict terrible injuries on anyone foolish enough to get in the way.    
7- Snake Trap.  Create a box that will spring open when triggered.  Put a venomous (and easily irritable) animal in there.  When the trap is triggered, hopefully the venomous animal will fall onto and bite the creature who opened the box.     
8- Guillotine Wire Trap.  Take a strong piece of cord or wire and tie it across a path between two immovable objects.  When enemies come, pull it tight so it rests at about neck level.  If a creature hits the wire going fast enough, it will do damage to the throat and stop them cold.  Best if wire is used, because it is much thinner and harder to see.  Also, better if used at night.         

Dangerous Devices:

1d6
1- Grenado.  Your classic homemade explosives.  You failed to become an Artificer, but you remember this one.  Does 3d6 damage in a 30' radius, save for half.     
2- Firebomb.  One step up from a Molotov cocktail.  Does 2d6 damage, save for half.  On a failed save, a creature is also set on fire and takes 1d6 fire damage per round until they can get the burning fuel off himself.  Leaves a pool of burning liquid behind and sets flammable objects on fire.        
3- God's Palm.  An explosive, modified to do less damage, intended to stun or disrupt.  Does 2d6 damage, save for half.  On a failed save, a creature is also stunned for 1 minute or until he can pass a save on his turn.  Stunned creatures can take an action or move, but not both.      
4- Gasbomb.  An explosive that floods a 30' cube with some sort of gas.  You know how to manufacture 1d4 [1= Tear Gas- no damage, but gives disadvantage on any check or save made to do anything complex, extremely painful; 2= Mustard Gas, 2d6 acid damage per round spent in the cloud; 3= Laughing gas- creatures must save or burst into gales of laughter.  Talking and spell-casting is impossible unless you don't need to talk to cast and anything precise is done at -2 as you're shaking from the laughter; 4= Euphoria Gas- creatures must save or fall into a languid state.  They feel great.  Creatures that fail their save will need to succeed on a save to do anything but laze around in the smoke.  Creatures who passed their initial save must save each round they are within the cloud.] 
5- Coldsnap.  Like a firebomb, except the exact opposite.  Does 2d6 cold damage, save for half.  Creatures that fail their save are also frozen in place and need to succeed on a STR check to break out of the ice.  If thrown into water, creates a piece of ice 8' long and 5' wide.  
6- Slayer.  As per a normal Grenado, but designed to maim and kill.  Does 3d6 damage, save for half.  Creatures that fail their saves also suffer from bleed and take 1d4 damage a round until they take an action to treat their wound, either with magic or a medicine check.    

Random Henchmen:

1d6
1- Babysitter/Bodyguard.  He'll protect you, but his primary job is to keep an eye on you.  This is because you 1d4 [1= Owe the local crime boss/loan shark an enormous sum; 2= You aren't trusted, having betrayed some former allies (but not your bodyguard's boss); 3= He's evaluating you.  If you pass, you can join the Boss' crew; 4= The Boss has a parallel objective to whatever you're doing.  Your protector is here to make sure the boss' interested are looked after.] 

2- A sexy femme fatale.  She's beautiful, dangerous and untrustworthy.  She definitely has a hidden agenda.  Secretly, she 1d6 [1= Has a heart of gold; 2= Actually loves you; 3= Feels nothing for you; 4= Is planning to betray you; 5= Working for you is part of an elaborate scheme that has a 50% of blowing up in her face; 6= Is being black-mailed/strong-armed/manipulated into doing this at the behest of another party.]

3- Former partner.  You used to work together until 1d6 [1= Your methods disgusted him, so he left; 2= His methods disgusted you, so you left; 3= He cheated you; 4= He abandoned you when you needed him most; 5= He took the fall for you.  There is a chance he is plotting his revenge or maybe he's just bitter; 6= You had different priorities, so you parted ways amicably.]  

4- Estranged family member.  This person is a 1d3 [1= Younger brother or cousin who idolized the criminal lifestyle.  "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster."; 2= Older man who initiated you into the criminal underworld such as a father, uncle, older brother, etc; 3= A wife, you got into this racket because you married her, but you and her are separated because of 1d4 (1= Money, you argued over it; 2= Her loyalty to her family over you; 3= Your father-in-law never liked you; 4= She got involved in her own business and disappeared one day without a word)].   

5- Old Hand.  An old rogue who can't get out of the game.  He's an addict, chasing the high of getting away with it.  Not as fast or strong as he used to be, but he has a wealth of knowledge about everything criminal.  Back in the day he was a famous 1d6 [1= Thief; 2= Robber; 3= Pirate; 4= Safe-cracker; 5= Smuggler; 6= Warlock or an unsanctioned Magus practicing magic illegally.  May know black magic or have a contract with a Demon.] 

6- A weirdo.  He is 1d6 [1= A junkie, only after his next fix; 2= A secret serial killer; 3= A half-ghoul; 4= A yandere-esque stalker- he or she is obsessed with you.  His feelings may be romantic, but he may just idolize you and want to do anything to earn your affections or "help" you; 5= A social outcast, someone who doesn't fit in around here, someone belonging to a different race, class, religion than the norm; 6= As "5", but is actually a shapeshifter pretending to be an outcast so people don't investigate too closely.]

by Vablo

OSR: Asuras: The Jealous Gods

                by YunaXD

Number Appearing: 1

Alignment: Any Evil

Languages: All languages currently or ever spoken by mortals

Treasure: Supplies for their cults, stolen goods for the same and Heavenly Treasures (see below)

Gods are immortal and unchanging, enduring from age to age.  To mortals, they are as distant and immoveable as the stars in the Sky.  And this perspective is mostly correct.  

Gods and Change:

While all but the most fanatical believer will acknowledge that Gods can die and some will even countenance that the Gods can get old, but almost none will countenance that Gods will erode.  Yet despite all appearances, this is true.  Over time, a God will be changed by both the events of the world, their own experiences and the prayers of their own worshipers.  

This is why Gods will sometimes develop Aspects- these are sub-personalities within a God that have grown larger and larger over time as more worship is directed towards it.  In time, these Aspects can take over a God and the Aspect can devour the original personality, leaving the God with a new personality in the place of the old one.  Some might even question if the God is even the same creature as it was after the Aspect devoured it.   

This is not a fate most Gods wish to share, so they worked together and developed a solution.  They created the elixir of everlasting life.  Most believers might have rightly asked, "Why do the Gods consume food that grants immortality?  Are they not eternal?"  The most common explanation for this is that God food simply does that to mortals, while it affects Gods differently.  

Again, this explanation is mostly correct.  When mortals consume a form of the elixir of eternal life, whether it is embodied as a nectar, a food, a potion or a fruit, it will grant them immortality.  But when an already immortal being drinks it, it instead strengthens them and fixes them in place, halting any dramatic changes to their minds and spirits.  This enables Gods to endure from Age to Age without ending up as radically different creatures at the end of each.  

But what happens when a God is denied this elixir?

Long ago, after Marzan slew the Dragon-Goddess Tiamat and installed his father Anuman on the throne of Heaven, a number of Gods swore to serve him and the laws engraved upon the Rock of Eternity, as these were believed to come from the Creator of the Universe.  These became the Law Gods.  

Other Gods, who refused to bow to any sort of Law, or those who believed Tiamat the creator of the world, refused to swear such an oath and became the Chaos Gods, who terrorize the world to this day, fighting the Law Gods and amongst each other for control of the world.

But this neat split oversimplifies far too much.  Within both sides of this cosmic conflict were various ideologies, camps and schools of thought.  Among the Law Gods, there was a group that called itself the Az-Uran, a name that meant "Seeker of Truth".  This group clashed with the rest of the Law Gods over the matter of the mortals.  The Law Gods wanted to resurrect the dead mortals and create new races, while the Az-Uran did not want to recreate the mortals.  

Some favored eventually recreating them, once the changes to the world became apparent, while others argued that the mortals had already failed and lost their right to continue existing.  This disagreement led to a feud which escalated until it boiled over into open conflict, as the Law Gods decided to ignore the Az-Uran and move forward with their plans.  

The Az-Uran fought, but they lost.  In their defeat, they were denied access to the elixir of immortality and banished from Heaven.  For this crime, they vowed eternal vengeance.  Since that day, they have waged war against the Law Gods, seeking their ultimate ruin.

New Asuras:

Asuras, being immortal beings, still remember the rage they felt at being banished from Heaven at the beginning of the Second Age as keenly as if it happened yesterday.  To those original enemies of the Gods of Law, their hatred is sharp as a razor and twice as keen.  This is why for an incredible length of time, the Asuras were unwilling to let anyone join their fratricidal campaign to destroy the Gods of Law, for they felt that none had suffered as they, nor felt the same as they did.  

As the Age passed them by though, they began to take losses, either from death in combat, from corrosion or disillusionment with the cause.  Without the elixir of eternal life, Asuras are as prone to changing as mortals and so in some cases, even their perfect memories and immortal souls were not enough to sustain eons of hatred. 

For this reason, the Asuras have, as of more recently, begun to allow those who wish to join their banners.  As such, besides the older Asuras you can find their ranks being restocked by rogue demigods, ambitious mortals seeking true divinity or the shattered remains of dead Gods.  However, no matter how powerful or impressive these new Asuras are, the older ones will always treat them as "new members" because they've been doing this for longer than their new allies had worshipers.

           by IgnusDei

Asura

DT X (see below)

SHP X (equal to DT)

Atk Y (see below)

Mor 15

Saves (7+SHP)

Divine Vision: All Asuras have permanent Sight Beyond Sight.  They can see through illusions, see invisible things and see the true nature of all things they look at.

Damage Threshold [X]: All Asuras have a Damage Threshold.  They only take damage from a source if the amount of damage equals or exceeds their Damage Threshold.  If a source of damage cannot equal or exceed the Threshold, instead ignore it, as if it did no damage.  To determine the Asura's Damage Threshold, consult the table labeled "What is their Damage Threshold?" below.

Immortal: Asuras are immortal.  They ignore instant-kill effects and automatically pass any Save vs Death.  Unless you meet their Specific Death condition, see the table labeled "How can he be killed?" below, an Asura that is reduced to zero SHP will return to life in 20-X weeks, where X is their Damage Threshold.  

Magic Resistance: Asuras naturally resist the powers of magic.  Asuras have Magic Resistance equal to X-in-10, or X%.  If targeted with a magical effect, roll 1d10.  If the Asura rolls equal to or under the number of his Resistance, the magical effect passes over him without harming him and instead targets the nearest available target.     

Tactics: 

- Do not take your foes seriously until they do real damage

- Crush the most annoying ones first

- Do not flee unless faced with worthy opposition (such as a God or similarly powerful being)

by LJMorgue

To customize an Asura, roll on the tables below:

What is this Asura?

1d8

1-4: An Original.  This Asura was one who originally split away from the Gods of Law.  He has a much larger cult and is much better established when it comes to resources.  When rolling on the Asuran Cult table, roll twice and take the better result.    

5: A Rebellious Child.  This Asura has a godly parent who may take revenge against his murderers.  If he could be redeemed, however and returned to the side of Law, then the rewards for such a boon would be unimaginable.  

6: A mortal who tried to ascend to godhood but failed.  This Asura is a mistake of his own making, a horrific experiment gone wrong.  He has 1d3 overlapping Specific Death Conditions.  For each that is fulfilled, he has a 30% of dying permanently.  If this chance does not occur, he will return to life as per 'Immortal'.  If all of his Specific Death Conditions are fulfilled then he automatically dies.

7: The rejected sub-aspect of a God.  This Asura can "almost" perfectly imitate the God that he budded off from.  Only either a true believer or someone who has deeply studied that Deity's sacred nature would be able to tell that this "God" before you is a fraud.    

8: The remnants of a Dead God.  This was once a God, now it's something less, a pale shadow of it's former glory.  This Asura does not take any extra damage from anti-divine weaponry, nor is he affected by things designed to weaken Gods or divine beings.   

What does the Asura actually look like?

1d4

1- A statuesque and beautiful humanoid who resembles one of the mortal races.  Glowing and resplendent, beautiful and shining with glory.  Any injuries it has linger on as scars that mar it's perfection and make you want to weep.  

2- A grotesque and bizarre monstrosity, looks more like something you should stab or run away from than worship.  Roll here or use your favorite grotesque monster generator.  

3- A mix of humanity and 1d3 [1= Animal; 2= Mechanical/Robotic; 3= Alien (ie Aberration/From Beyond)]-like features.

4- Like something off a heavy metal album cover.  A chain-smoking skeleton wearing fine robes, a werewolf wearing molten metal chains who plays the flute, A gorilla wearing a suit with octopus tentacles instead of legs, etc.          

How powerful is he?

1d4

1- Strong, for a mortal.  This Asura has Damage Threshold [8] and as many Super Hit Points.  He has an Atk modifier of +4 and makes two 1d8+4 Attacks.  He has 50% Magic Resistance.  

2- Weak, for a God.  This Asura has Damage Threshold [9] and as many Super Hit Points.  He has an Atk modifier of +5 and makes two 1d8+5 Attacks.  He has 60% Magic Resistance.

3- Powerful, for a Deity.  This Asura has Damage Threshold [10] and as many Super Hit Points.  He has an Atk modifier of +6 and makes two 1d8+6 Attacks.  He has 70% Magic Resistance.

4- Terrifying, for the Hosts of Heaven.  This Asura has Damage Threshold [11] and as many Super Hit Points.  He has an Atk modifier of +6 and makes three 1d8+6 Attacks.  He has 80% Magic Resistance.  

What does he (primarily) use to reap his vengeance?

1d4

1- A melee weapon.  The Asura uses a 1d4 [1= Sword made of black glass that swallows the light when drawn.  It can slice through almost anything like a razor through paper; 2= A spear of gold, with a shining tip made of pure light.  The spear obliterates magical protections and can pierce any magical wards; 3= A trident, made of tarnished metal and encrusted with barnacles.  It can charm sea-life and force them to obey the wielder; 4= A hammer that crackles with lightning.  When it strikes the ground, it causes earthquakes.  When raised into the air, it calls down lightning.]  

2- A ranged weapon.  The Asura uses 1d4 [1= A bow that fires golden arrows that freeze people in time if they fail a save; 2= A sling that hurls tiny stars.  When the stars strike a target, they explode into fireballs; 3= A brace of javelins, each with a tip made of a different gemstone.  Each does a different type of elemental damage- ruby does fire damage, topaz does acid, amethyst does lightning, sapphire does cold, etc; 4= A octet of chakram made of bright silver.  If a creature is struck by one of these, he must save or have a limb severed by it's impossibly sharp edge.] 

3- He prefers to use his divine powers, he carries no proper weapon.  Besides his Domain powers (see below), he can also fire blasts of energy that do 1d8 damage and force a save that is related to the Asura's domain.  For example, a Fire Asura will shoot burning blasts that set you on fire unless you pass a save while a Nature Asura causes any wild beast struck by the blast to save or be charmed to the Asura and compelled to obey it.  

4- He rips his enemies apart with his bare hands (or claws, teeth, spines, etc).  He also has the ability to 1d4 [1= If it strikes a creature, to force that creature to save.  On a failed STR save, that creature is sent flying 1d6*10'; 2= Can parry damage from a successful attack, reducing it by his damage dice, he can do this 1d3 times a round; 3= He can break bones and disable limbs on a hit if a creature fails a CON save, this disables that limb until it is healed; 4= If he strikes a magic-user or a Fighter who uses Chi, he can strike their pressure points and force them to save.  On a failed save, their mana networks are short-circuited and they cannot use their abilities until they pass another save.]      

How does the Asura get around without being seen?

1d6

1- He can fly, unlike many of his "brother" Asuras.  He can also levitate in the air if he wishes.  

2- 1/Day, he can open a portal to anywhere he has been or can see.  He can also open extra-planar portals, but these require rituals and preparation.

3- The Asura has some sort of flying vehicle, such as a stolen chariot of the Gods.  

4- The Asura has access to a series of magical gates that litter the world.  Constructed by an unknown ancient race, these portals allow a user to teleport between any two gates, provided they have the power and knowledge of how to do so.  

5- The Asura knows how to access a parallel dimension linked to our own where spatial travel is vastly faster.  By popping into this other dimension, walking for an hour and then poking your head out, you will find you've crossed an entire nation.  

6- The Asura is just absurdly good at being sneaky.  Everywhere he went, he walked, ran or climbed.

by WendiBones

What is his Domain?

1d20

1- Fire.  The Asura is immune to fire damage.  He can command flames freely as per a Free-Form Wizard, getting +4 to any attempt to control and manipulate flames.  He can absorb sources of heat to heal himself as an action.  When he does this, he heals for a number of SHP equal to each 2d6 point of fire damage.  He can also replace one or both of his melee attacks with a 3d6 fire blast, save for half.  This fireball requires him to wait 1d4 rounds before he uses it again.     

2- Healing.  The Asura can, as an action, heal a creature for up to 3d6 HP.  He can also remove Horrible Wounds by an equivalent amount.  This healing does not damage the injured creature's CON.  It can also heal itself for 2 SHP as an action.

3- Romantic Love/Sex.  The Asura can, upon seeing a creature, attempt to Charm that creature.  That creature must save.  On a failed save, the creature is Charmed to the Asura and will treat it as a holy figure.  Charmed creatures will not generally do anything against their own moral codes, but they will be much more suggestible to the creature who has Charmed them.  Additionally, they must succeed on a save to take any action to harm the Asura or do anything that might hinder him or hurt his feelings.   

4- Fertility.  The Asura can, upon seeing a creature, for a creature to save.  On a failed save, the Asura causes flesh-eating parasites to spawn inside that creature, causing the creature to take 1d6 damage per round.  This lasts until the parasites are expunged or destroyed.  Magical cures for poison will destroy them, as will spells designed to remove poisons.  Any source of spiritual damage the creature takes will also affect the parasites, which will definitely kill them (as anything strong enough to hurt a Medium creature will definitely kill a creature as small as they.  1/Day, the Asura can also spawn 1d4 clones of themselves that have stats equal to 1/4 the Asura.          

5- The Sea.  The Asura can breathe underwater and control water freely as per a Free-Form Wizard, getting +4 to any attempt to control water.  He can also 1/Day conjure an enormous body of water that floods the local area.  The amount of water he summons will be enough to flood the local area, so if you're in a dungeon, he floods the current level, if you're in a village he floods that, if you're in a valley, expect a major rise in the water level.  

6- The Sky.  The Asura can fly and hover in the air.  He can replace one or both of his attacks with lightning bolts, each doing 3d6 damage, save for half.  His lightning bolts take 1d4 rounds to recharge.  1/Day, he can also control the weather in the area.    

7- Harvest.  Upon seeing a plant, the Asura can animate it and force it to obey him.  The Asura can control up to X HD worth of plants, where X is his SHP.  Small plants like grasses act as swarms, bushes and small trees have 1d3 HD, while fruit trees use the Treant statblock.  Note that this Asura can only influence cultivated plants, not wild ones.  The Asura can also force any plant he touches to Save vs Death.      

8- Death.  Upon seeing a creature, the Asura can force you to save.  On a failed save, that creature dies.  This ability only works once per day per creature.  If you pass your first save, you cannot have your life reaped by the Asura.  The Asura can also capture and devour the souls of the slain, so that they cannot be resurrected or experience the afterlife.     

9- Wine.  The Asura can transform any liquid it touches into wine.  It can also create around itself an aura of drunkenness.  Any creature within 50' of the Asura must save each round or take 1 point of drunkenness.    

10- War.  The Asura can bless creatures with superhuman skill with weapons or incredible toughness, making them superior warriors.  He can bless one creature with a bonus to their Atk equal to +X, where X is the Asura's SHP.  The Asura can also divide this bonus among multiple creatures, as long as each creature has at least a +1.  The Asura can also bless a creature with a Damage Threshold of up to 1/2*Y, where Y is the Asura's Damage Threshold.  This bonus can only apply to one creature.   

11- Travelers.  The Asura cannot be slowed by difficult terrain.  As a free action on his turn, the Asura can also pass through physical objects as if he was immaterial.  While immaterial, he takes damage from sunlight as per a Ghost.  

12- Thieves.  The Asura can replace one of his melee attacks with an attempt to steal an object from a creature.  An object must be on a creature's person somewhere or within easy access of that creature for the Asura to steal it.  Creatures may get a save if the item the Asura is attempting to steal is in someway protected- for example, a save is permitted if the Asura wants to steal the ring off your finger.  If the Asura is instead trying to steal the treasure map in the bottom of your backpack, that might succeed automatically.  The Asura can also steal a part of your body or your spirit, but these always permit a save.  For example, the Asura could try to steal your heart in a literal way, or steal your courage, which would give you a penalty on saves vs fear.  

13- Merchants.  The Asura can trade conditions, such as being blinded, poisoned, HP and other physical traits as if they were physical commodities, but only with the consent of both parties.  The Asura can, as an action, transfer a condition from itself to another or vice versa.  The Asura can also transfer HP and ability score points as well, again requiring consent.  The Asura will keep some cultists nearby to exchange terrible conditions with, in exchange for the promises of future rewards.  

14- Fortune/Luck.  The Asura can steal your good fortune.  By touching you, the Asura can cause you to gain a -1 penalty to all rolls for the rest of the day.  This penalty stacks for each time the Asura touches you.  This gives the Asura a Luck Token.  For each Luck Token the Asura has, he can reroll a d20, though he can reroll each d20 only once.  When a Luck Token is spent, it is gone and the Asura must steal more luck.        

15- Prophecy and Divination.  The Asura can only be detected via divination if he wishes to, or if someone more powerful than him is attempting to scry for him.  He can also send false visions to anyone looking into the future or anyone trying to scry near him.  You see what he wishes you to see.     

16- Magic.  The Asura can empower a spell-caster, enabling them to reroll any spellcasting rolls in his presence.  The Asura can, upon seeing a spell-caster, also force them to save.  On a failed save, every time the spell-caster attempts to cast, he must succeed on a save or his spell automatically fails.  

17- Knowledge.  The Asura can know almost anything.  Upon seeing a creature, the Asura can force that creature to save.  On a failed save, the Asura can reach into his mind and copy his knowledge, so the Asura knows everything that creatures does.  On a successful save, the Asura only learns one random fact about the creature, the importance of which is determined by a d20 roll.  On a roll of "19", the Asura learns you are an exiled Prince, while on a roll of "4" the Asura learns you love pepper on your eggs.  The Asura also has a X-in-10% chance of knowing something important about a random subject, where X is half his SHP.    

18- Law and Justice.  At the beginning of a battle, the Asura can make a decree and state the punishment for that.  For example, "Anyone who casts a spell will be harmed by their own magic".  This law then applies to all creatures involved in the battle, including the Asura.  The Asura can repeal this decree at any point.  If the Asura wishes to issue a new decree, he must repeal his old decree first.    

19- The Wilds/Nature.  When it sees a creature, the Asura can force that creature to save.  On a failed save, that creature takes 1d6 COG damage per round where it can see or hear the Asura.  if this COG damage reduces a creature to 0 COG, he loses all reason and acts like a feral beast.  All feral beasts and wild creatures must successfully save to harm the Asura.  

20- Slavery.  The Asura can, upon seeing a creature, force that creature to save.  On a failed save, the creature is Charmed and must obey the Asura's orders.  This state persists until the Asura releases the Charmed creature, the Asura dies or the creature passes a save on his turn.  If the creature fails 3 saves against the Asura, that creature must obey the Asura for the rest of the day.   

        by GENZOMAN

How can he be killed?

1d4

1- The Asura can only be slain by a specific type of person.  To kill the Asura, a person must be 1d6 [1= A hero; 2= A king; 3= A kinslayer; 4= Chosen by the Gods; 5= A man who has accumulated a great hoard of riches; 6= A man who has died and returned to life.]

2- The Asura can only be killed at certain times.  The Asuran can only be killed 1d4 [1= During a certain time of year; 2= Under a certain celestial event such as a solar eclipse; 3= On certain days of the year; 4= On certain years, such as only on a leap year or years that end in a number divisible by "3".]  

3- The Asura can only be killed by a certain type of weapon.  The weapon must be 1d4 [1= Made of a certain type of material such as mistletoe; 2= Created by a certain type of person such as a Giant or Demon; 3= A weapon from a certain location, such as one from the land the Asura originally ruled; 4= A weapon that was used to do something specific, such as a sword that killed a king or a spear that was used by a hero.]     

4- The Asura can only be killed by a specific type of creature.  The Asura can only be killed by 1d10 [1= A Wizard; 2= A Dragon; 3= A Vampire; 4= An Intelligent Undead; 5= A Construct; 6= A Ghost; 7= A Goblin; 8= An Evil Humanoid (such as an Orc); 9= An intelligent beast; 10= One of the Fair Folk.] 

How does the Asura feel about mortals?

1d4

1- It utterly despises them.  Mortals are disgusting creatures that, if the Asura could, would be exterminated.  The Asura regards them all with obvious contempt.    

2- It doesn't particularly like them.  Mortals are little insects- small, annoying and always underfoot.  The Asura doesn't like them, but it won't go out of it's way to harm them unless they stand in the way.    

3- It thinks of mortals as tools, sacrifices, a resource to be exploited.  It doesn't hold any fondness toward them, nor does it dislike them.  It values the useful ones and discards the incompetent ones.      

4- It actually like them.  Mortals are endlessly enjoyable to the Asura, who likes to manipulate them as a hobby.  It might even regard a few of them with actual affection, though being the target of the Asura's affections can be as hazardous as being it's enemy.    

How intelligent is the Asura?

1d4

1- Dumb, for a God.  The Asura is only about as smart as the average man.  He is likely quite insecure about this.  Much of the thinking and planning is likely handled by his Cult, with him getting all the credit.  That won't make him feel any better though.  

2- Smart, for a Man.  The Asura is about as smart as an intelligent man.  

3- Intelligent, for a Genius.  The Asura is very smart, equal to the most intelligent mortals.  

4- Brilliant, for all Time.  The Asura is so far beyond you in terms of intelligence, engaging in a battle of wits against it would be like challenging a dog to a riddle contest.    

How sane is the Asura?

1d6

1- Completely Mad.  The Asura is completely insane.  It has suffered badly from erosion and now has such a radically different perspective that it is borderline incoherent.  The Asuran Cult spends most of their time trying to contain and steer their master.  

2- A little crazy.  The Asura is only sort-of crazy.  The Asura can act rationally, but it has one overriding belief that it believes unquestionably.  For example, the Asura may be perfectly normal until you bring up the Sun, at which point the Asura will tell you, earnestly and completely, that the Sun is a giant eye that watches everyone on Earth.  That is why it will never go outside during the day.  Any evidence against this point will be reasoned away.  It is a self-reinforcing logical cycle.      

3- Schizophrenic.  The Asura hears voices that tell it to do things.  It also occasionally suffers from hallucinations.   

4- Multiple Personalities.  The Asura has 1d6 (exploding) personalities.  Each one has different goals, ideas and perspectives.  Depending on which personality is in control at the time, that will change the Asura's behavior, plans and actions.   

5- Eccentric.  The Asura has a few silly beliefs, such as a diet of yogurt and meat will stop mortals from aging or that all spiderwebs are actually connected to each other, but it is mostly functional.  The Asura may also engage in strange behaviors, such as burying itself alive on a regular basis or drinking only cold tea.    

6- Mostly sane.  The Asura seems sane and for the most part, is. 

by marcosabel

Asura Cults:

As pseudo-divine beings, Asuras crave worship just as the Gods do.  As such, all Asuras will seek to establish cults around themselves.  Besides functioning as a potential source of sacrifices and/or helpless creatures to torment or manipulate for their own amusement, an Asuran Cult also functions as a ready-made source of servants and resources for the Asura to advance their schemes.  

Asuras rely primarily on their cults for help because while they share common cause with other Asuras, that does not necessarily mean they like or even trust one another.  In point of fact, part of the reason why the Old Guard of the Asura have started accepting newer members to their brotherhood is because far too many of them have perished in infighting and the intercine wars of the Asura themselves.  

An Asura's Cult will generally be modeled after their specific character and their Domain.  For example, an Asura of Love will found a pleasure cult where the cultists while away their hours in-between schemes inventing new perversions, while an Asura of War would found a warrior brotherhood dedicated to training, killing and violence.  

Regardless of which form it takes, all Asuran cults are secret, unless the Cult is so powerful that it has been able to displace the previous power-structure in the area.  This is because like the master they serve, the Asuran Cults are evil and either twist the people who join them into villains or attract/recruit people who will already agree with the Cult's wicked designs.  

To generate an Asuran Cult, roll on the tables below:

How large is the Asuran Cult?

1d4

1- Tiny.  The Asuran Cult is small, commanding only the resources of a single extended family, village or tribe.        

2- Modest.  The Asuran Cult is humble, commanding the resources of a small town.    

3- Large.  The Asuran Cult is composed of many members, with multiple secret meeting places, hidden cells and the resources of a large town at it's disposal. 

4- Very large.  The Asuran Cult is huge, possessing a huge number of members and commanding the resources of a small city.  

Why do the cultists serve the Asura?

1d4

1- Religious Devotion.  The Cultists believe that the Asura is a God and they aren't entirely wrong.  They serve it with great devotion and zeal.  

2- Fear.  The Cultists fear that if they do not appease the Asura, it would destroy them.  They are almost certainly correct.

3- Promises of Rewards. The Cultists have been promised something that only the Asura can provide.  Perhaps they are in need of rain to break the drought, or someone to protect them from the predations of their violent neighbors.  

4- Shared Cause.  The Cultists agree with the Asura on some point of religion or ideology.  For example, they may be Servants of Chaos who want to throw down the Law God who rules the City, or they might be Minions of the Dark Powers who want an excuse to take their revenge upon society and the Gods.  

What is the Cult primarily composed of?

1d6

1- The poor and lowly.  The cultists aren't very skilled beyond farming, but they know every inch of the local area and are extremely good at pretending to be innocent and not knowing what you're talking about.  Evil cult?  Surely nothing like that could happen in our sleepy little town.        

2- Warriors.  The cult is a warrior brotherhood or martial lodge, granting the Asura a large supply of skilled fighters.    

3- Scholars.  The cult has access to all sorts of forbidden lore, secrets and knowledge.  The Asura has access to chemists armed with explosives and dangerous chemicals, artificers with their contraptions and alchemists with their magical brews. 

4- Merchants.  This is an extremely well-funded cult with access to vast financial resources.  Their preferred method is not to fight, but to bribe.  They have tentacles everywhere- after all, everyone needs money.  

5- Nobles.  The cult's members have the privileges of rank and the protection of the law.  When poor people do something weird, it's suspicious.  When the high and mighty do it, it's eccentric.  

6- Criminals.  They already break man's laws, so why not the laws of God?  This cult is intimately tied to organized crime, assassin brotherhoods and other extra-legal groups, granting it access to all sorts of skilled people, from lock-pickers and safe-crackers to poisoners and smugglers.    

What other servants does the Asura have?

1d6

1- Their Spawn.  Are you still a Demigod if one of your parents isn't technically a God?  These creatures may not be divine, but they are extremely powerful.  

2- Fleshcrafted Monsters.  The products of divine power, magic and sculpted flesh, these horrors vary in strength, intelligence and usefulness.  Maybe the Asura creates monsters to aid his cultists in battle, or maybe he creates beings that only exist to suffer and feel pain for a laugh.  

3- Chaotic Humanoids/Savages.  The Asura is also served by 1dX [1= Gralei; 2= Goblins; 3= Garrols; 4= Kobolds; 5= Quaggoths; 6= Pale Ones.] 

4- Lesser Demons.  Lesser Spirits of wickedness, they spy, tempt and manipulate on the Asura's behalf.  

5- A Dragon.  The Dragon only serves because the Asura and it have an arrangement.  Perhaps the Dragon collects rare gems and the Asura has promised them a famous one stored in a highly secure Temple in exchange for the Dragon's services.      

6- The Undead.  Bound by magic to serve, these damned souls seethe in silence at the Asura's tyranny.  

Who is their second-in-command? 

1d12

1- A powerful Wizard or a Lich.  If a Wizard, the Asura has promised them immortality.  If a Lich, the Asura protects their phylactery.  Additionally, if their second is a Lich, the Asura may be holding their phylactery hostage, to ensure the Lich's obedience.    
2- A Vampire Elder.  
3- A Hag or a Coven of Hags.  A Coven of Hags is often less dangerous than one, as they will be too busy scheming against each other to try and plot against you, hopefully.  
4- A Genie.  There is a chance that the Genie is being compelled to serve via magic.    
5- A Jianghsi.  This only applies if the Jiangshi chose to become such, so it could continue to seek immortality.    
6- A Lamia.  Some speculate that the Lamia were created to mock the Naga, the bitter rivals and enemies of the Asura.    
7- A Giant.  The Giant is a 1d4 [1= Hill Giant; 2= Frost Giant; 3= Iron Giant; 4= Cloud Giant].  The Fire Giants refuse to serve anything divine, even the sputtering half-gods that most Asura resemble.    
8- A Demon.  The Demon either serves because it and the Asura have a contract or a shared goal.  There is still probably a contract even in the latter case, as the Asura isn't stupid enough to go without one.    
9- An Elder Ghoul.  He's ancient, he's ugly, he's fat and jolly and he's never been better fed.  If the Asura has any affection at all for mortals, it likes the Ghoul because he's just such a cheery guy.

10- A Royal Mummy.  Like the Asura, the Mummy is obsessed with what was, never to be again.

11- A Beholder.  Beholders are attracted to those obsessed with perfection and monumental goals and if anyone qualifies, it is the Asura.    
12- A Mind-Flayer.  For some reason, the Asura's servants are all extremely obedient and seem incapable of disloyalty or betrayal.  I wonder why that is...

by ErikVonLehmann

Treasures of the Asura:

Asura disdain most possessions, as they are immortal, so such things do not concern them in the same way mortals do.  They, do however, greatly value any relics that can be plundered from Heaven, stolen from the Gods or recovered from where they were lost.  They seek these Heavenly Treasures above all.  

Treasures of the Asuran Cult:

1d4

1- Sacks of money, meant to fund the Cult's mortal operations.  

2- Luxury goods such as tea, fine wines, silks, meant as a gift to the Asura.

3- Pieces of art, made to glorify the Asura and aid in worship such as statues, idols, paintings, ceremonial braziers and bowls.

4- Stock-piled supplies for siege or other operation such as large quantities of food and potable water, stacks of uniforms, bales of arrows or lockers full of weapons.

Heavenly Treasures:

This one was...

1d4

1- Created by the Asura.

2- Stolen from a God.

3- Lost in the fall of the Asuras at the beginning of the Second Age.         

4- Recovered from a battlefield long forgotten.

This Heavenly Treasure is...

1d12

1- Needle of Shamunak.  A dagger made of purest night, the blade is absolutely black.  1/Day, any creature touched by this weapon must save or die.  This effect is so powerful it also bypasses any sort of immortality.  This knife is death incarnate.

2- Drum of Heki-Teki.  A massive drum made from the skin of the first cow, with a frame of ivory and wood from a acacia tree.  When struck, any creature who hears it must save or be compelled to dance.  Dancing creatures can still take actions, but any actions that require concentration are made with disadvantage.  Additionally, any creature who attempts to take any action against the drummer must successfully save to take such an action.  

3- Wand of Papaleshi.  A golden wand the length of a man's arm, this wand can fire blasts of unquenchable fire.  Those who perish in these flames are consumed utterly, their souls devoured and utterly destroyed.  The flames can only be extinguished at the wielder's command.  

4- Axe of Drumo.  An axe of stone and ice, this axe allows the wielder to pass over any sort of terrain without suffering any sort of harm or trouble.  Thorns on plants will bend away from the wielder, mountains will open up a gorge to allow the wielder passage, water will support the wielder's weight, etc.  

5- The Noose of Yagamotri.  A flying rope of unbreakable cord, this rope will fly and wrap itself around a target of the user's choice.  It will then inflict terrible agonies upon the target and fill his mind with visions of suffering, causing immense pain and distress.  However, it will never do permanent damage, nor kill the target, even if the target would prefer to die.

6- The Discus of Agregom.  A stone disc embossed with thousands of names, this disc can be thrown as a weapon.  When a target is selected and the discus thrown, it will unerringly seek that target until it is stopped or the target is dead.  It can change directions mid-flight, dodge around projectiles and has the ability to resist magic.

7- The Earring of Priom-Shakesh.  A jade and glass earring that grants the user the ability to change their form into any shape they can imagine.

8- The Armor of Jakarani.  Made from overlapping layers of metal and unbreakable glass, this armor grants the user immunity to one type of damage per day.

9- The Vase of Pisca.  A beautiful piece of porcelain, thin as paper but harder than steel, this vase can produce healing waters.  These waters restore health and youth to those drink from them, while washing away disease and poison.  

10- The Stones of Eshini.  A necklace containing an enormous diamond set on a golden disk ringed by different colored gemstones, this necklace allows one to control time.  At the wearer's command, the wearer can travel back up to the last or the next dawn.  The wearer is protected from paradox while wearing this necklace, but any changes he makes might have drastic consequences.    

11- The Three Spears of Chava.  A series of three spears- one that can be used to designate allies or creatures you don't wish to harm.  The second spear can be used to designate enemies or those you wish to harm.  The third spear when it strikes a target, will erupt and unleash a massive storm of wind, water, ice and lightning which will buffet and potentially destroy all marked enemies, but leave all those marked as allies unharmed.  

12- Crown of Hakri.  If a creature swears to serve the wearer of the crown, should they die, the wearer can resurrect them and restore them to life.  The wearer of the crown may also destroy any creature who has sworn allegiance to him as an action, slaying them immediately.

by batu123

Plot Hooks:

1d10

1- The Goddess of Healing has been kidnapped from her Temple!  No one knows who did it, but fingers are being pointed and the local pantheons are gathering for war.  Find the Goddess and rescue her before the Gods go to war and devastate the local area.  God-War means natural disasters, curses and genocide as the rival God will not just wipe out their rival, but kill their people too.

2- The party is hired to help stop a group of evil-doers who are seeking to locate the lost pieces of a sacred key that opens a treasure vault of the Law Gods.  Concealed within it are potent and terrible weapons too dangerous to be used.  If these evil-doers get their hands on them, the whole world could be endangered.  

3- A drought has struck the land.  The Court Wizard and the Priests agree, this drought is not divine judgement, but the interference of evil.  Find a way to restore the rains before the people perish of famine.

4- Unnatural weather has begun afflicting the land- raining blood, clouds that spell out people's secrets, shooting stars that sing as they zip overhead.  They are getting worse and more dangerous.  Find who is responsible and stop them before the power of Law is broken and Chaos swallows up the whole country.            

5- A vast curse has been placed over the land, preventing the birth of female children.  As the years go by, this is causing a dramatic population collapse and numerous social problems.  Find a solution before these various issues rip the whole region apart.    

6- A famous prophecy has been fulfilled.  The long awaited savior, promised by the Gods, has come to set his people free and usher in a new golden age.  The only problem?  This man is not from Heaven, nor did the Gods send him.  Find a way to expose and defeat this false savior, before he wins over the people and upends his whole civilization.

7- Something has gone wrong with the process of death.  People either don't die at all, or their souls are not collected.  The previously dead are returning as ghosts while Necromancers have an absolute field day.  The river Styx has flooded it's banks and the dead walk the Earth.  Find a way to stop this, before more people get hurt.

8- A new religion appears that is doing all sorts of good works.  It heals the sick, grants sight to the blind and makes the deaf hear.  The only problem is that after people are healed or fed by the food the priests conjure up, they seem different.  Slower, more passive, more willing to accept.  Less willing to resist.  The Priests are concerned and want you to investigate this new religion and make sure it's all legitimate.  Surely it's not what they think it is.  

9- A new star appears in the sky, a rival to the sun.  This dramatically raises the temperature and causes magic to begin operating in wild, erratic ways.  Anyone relying on magi-tech is going to have a very bad time.  Additionally, every prophet and seer is proclaiming doom and the end of days.  Avert this apocalypse before the world is scorched or swallowed by raging tides of magic.

10- For some reason, the sun has grown dark and cold.  It still gives light, but it is weak and pale.  It also no longer harms the Undead or creatures threatened by sunlight.  Necromancers, Vampires and the Undead become much more dangerous as a result.  Find a way to restore light to the world or suffer the consequences of a world of the dead.

by Vladimir Matuykhin