Friday, January 29, 2021

OSR: Pact Magic

This is a largely experimental post, inspired totally by Red Kangaroo's very interesting one on the nature of Wizards and magic.  I probably won't be incorporating any of this into my current games, but it's still something that might be useful to think about and could serve to inspire others.

Terms to Know:

MD: Stands for Mana Dice.  Unless stated otherwise, you have MD equal to your CON modifier + your COG (or INT) modifier.  These are used to power spells and are comparable to the usable amount of life force a living creature has.  NPCs generally have a number of MD equal to their HD.  MD burn out on a 5 or 6 and return after a long rest. 

Spells: Small spiritual creatures, similar to insects in our world.  Most are harmless or mere pests, but some, when fed mana, produce useful or interesting effects.  All spellcasting is done through using these small creatures.  These creatures are either symbiotically bonded to a larger creature's soul, in the case of innate magicks, or are placed there and when not in use, are stored in spellbooks, scrolls or other magical items that function as cages/zoos/wildlife preserves for them.  In the latter case, creatures can hold a number of spells in their minds equal to their open Memory Slots
  

"You misspelled 'Prismatic'." 

Wizards: Almost all Wizards are assigned a Familiar.  This Familiar is there to monitor a Wizard and ensure that the Wizard is using the spells given to him by the order wisely, or in a way that is in the interest of the Order.  Familiars are also there to spy on their Wizards and report to the leadership of the Order.

The Familiar also function as tutors to novices or aides to more experienced Wizards, able to hold onto excess spells or provide additional MD, should the Wizard's well run dry.

Wizards gain more spells by faithfully serving the Order and being granted access to more exclusive spells that only the higher-ranked members are allowed to possess. 

All Familiars want to advance as well, as they have their own parallel hierarchy, so this keeps the relationship between Wizard and Familiar cooperative and civil.  Most of the time.

Sorcerers: Sorcerers are descended from some kind of magical beast, whose blood flowed with magical power.  This blood was passed down to the descendents, who possess innate magical powers of their own, stemming from their venerate ancestor.  For example, Sorcerers descended from a Dragon possess the power to command flames while the Sorcerers descended from a Deep Janeen sing to the Earth and reshape it with their words. 

Sorcerers know a certain of spells.  These spells count as always prepared and cannot be forgotten or taken.  Sorcerers also possess additional MD on top of their base supply- this is a mark of their special birth.  Sorcerers also do not trigger Chaos or Corruption when they cast, and do not have Dooms. 

Sorcerers cannot learn new spells, unless they approach other spirits as a common mortal.  However, this is often dangerous, as Sorcerers represent a prime opportunity that cannot be resisted, so they are often targeted by malicious or selfish spirits when this occurs.  Sorcerers who attempt to gain more power thus often end up as sacrifices to thirsting Gods, the slaves of demons or the chew-toys of monsters.  For this reason, as well as others, most families imbued with such gifts teach their children to do such a thing is dishonorable or disgraceful, so few will ever do it.

Random Sorcerer Bloodlines:

1d3

1- The Duayevi.  Descended from an Aasimir warrior who is now venerated as an ancient folk hero.  His descendents start with +1d4 MD and know the spells Aid, Bless, Call to Heroic Death, Circle of Power, Fear, Foresight, Geas, Guardian Angel and Sunbeam
2- The Brascupes.  Descended from Brass Cups, the Dragon of Stars and Apples.  His descendants start with +1d3 MD and know the spells Anti-Gravity, Move Earth, Wall of Stone, Chains of Earth, Entomb, Flesh to Stone, Steel Intangibility, I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise and Finger Gun.
3- The Iluvo.  Descended from an unknown predecessor, but one said to be a great scholar.  An ill-omened, strange bunch.  It's descendants start with +2 MD and know the spells Force of Personality, Charm Person, Feeblemind, Mental Dominion, Dissonant Whispers, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Suggestion, Sleep and Mirror Image.

                                                    by Darkcloud013

Priests/Prophets: Gods are very busy, very active creatures.  They oversee the world, ensuring seeds germinate at the right time, the right dreams are sent to the right people, the harvest arrives on time, the storms travel the correct way and etc. They are divine party planners, constantly micro-managing and skipping endlessly from task to task.  Additionally, they are consumed with their own brand of divine politics, endlessly arguing and jockeying for the best territories.  Every War God wants to be in charge of the Conquest of Narizi, no one wants to handle the fifth Frogling civil war, especially since it's barely been a century since the last one.

What Priests do is essentially draw the attention of their God to a specific thing they believe their God might be interested in.  For example, Ankou, Shepherd of Souls, would probably hate these Undead, as they are souls trapped against their will in corpses.  If Ankou does decide he cares about this, he will act in a way that is explosive and powerful.  For example, he might flood the cavern with sunlight and burn the Undead to ash, or free the Undead so they can turn their necrotizing hands to the task of strangling the Necromancer, as they so desire to do.  That's not to say that Ankou couldn't act in a more subtle manner, should he choose.  He could simply provide his priest an escape route- it all depends on his ineffable will. 

However, Ankou might decide that such a matter is beneath his notice and ignore the Undead, leaving this problem to mortal hands.  A sacrifice will usually go a long way towards convincing a God to care about an issue.   

Additionally, when a Priest calls on a God, the God's attention might fall on the Priest instead, and when that happens, the God might, at best, demand the Priest do something to retain the privilege of remaining a priest.  At worst, the God might decide that something the Priest is doing, or not doing, upsets the Deity.  For example, your Goddess of War might be wondering why you are not agitating and trying to start a revolt in your home country, to free it from the occupying peoples, or your God of Family might wonder why you haven't gotten married yet.  Until such problems are rectified, expect little to no response from your God.

Priest Casting:

At Level 1, when you wish to petition your God, roll on the table below:

1d20
1-5: Your God hears you and responds favorably.
6: Your God hears you, but won't dispense any power until you swear to do something, make a sufficient offering or correct a failing.  The God might still intervene if you swear to do as it wants, but this is not guaranteed.
7-20: You are ignored.  Why has thou forsaken me?

The range of success increases by +1 per level, up to 13 at level 9.  For example, a Level 5 Priest's table looks like...

1d20
1-9: God's Favor
10: God's Judgment
11-20: Why has thou forsaken me?

Also, you can only call down a maximum of 1 miracle a day.  After the first, any additional requests will just be viewed as pushing your luck.   

Evangelists/Paladins:
The students of long-dead Saints, Martyrs and Angels.  They possess great and terrible power, usually related to something personal.  A Priest's magic can cause a river to flood and sweep away an invading army or inflict a plague on an unfaithful people.  A Paladin's magic is to cover themselves with armor of light, fly and give their limbs the power to pulverize stone and bend metal.

Paladins increase in strength by taking on more and more onerous restrictions.  A young Paladin may have sworn an oath of celibacy, while an elder Paladin might have sworn to help anyone who asks.  The more oaths the Paladin takes, the more powerful they become and the more abilities (spells) they learn; but the greater they become, the worse the penalties for failing to keep their oaths become.  A young Paladin may only lose his powers after breaking his oath, while an elder Paladin might have his blood to turn to fire and die in agony.

                                                    by pav327

Mediums: Mediums allow spirits to possess them in exchange for power.  When a Spirit enters their body it alters it, increasing the Medium's attributes to align more closely with the Spirit's nature, as well as lending any of the Spirit's innate abilities to the Medium. 

There are two types of Mediums.  One bonds with a strong spirit and cultivates a relationship with it.  This comes with its own ups and downs- on one hand, the Medium only has to be aware of the feelings of one Spirit at a time.  On the other hand, it also limits the Medium's options.  If the Spirit has no solution to this current problem, you'll have to get creative.  However, this approach is dangerous in that it is comparable to riding a tiger.  It is doable, but should the tiger decide this current arrangement is unsuitable, you're in for a world of hurt.

Strong Spirits the Medium could host:

1d4

1- The Tiger King.  The First of his kind and Father of all Tigers (or so he claims).  Grants enhanced stealth capabilities, the ability to grow claws, cover oneself in ethereal armor and speak with animals.  While you host him, you have slit pupil eyes and faint stripes across your back and torso.
2- Aqualana, Mother of Royuno.  The Patron Spirit of a long dead civilization, once revered as a God, but now must make due with the babbled prayers of the Royunan's degenerate descendents.  Grants gills, the ability to control limited amounts of water, create and control currents, create fog and the ability to speak to and command crocodiles.  While you host her, you will have blue-green hair and your skin will begin breaking out into patches of scales.
3- Reyna Redtail.  A Kitsune and a Goddess of the Foxes (a race that might not have ever existed).  Gives you the ability to cover yourself in illusions to look like someone else, the ability to wipe away traces of your presence, turn invisible and conjure balls of cold, blue fire.  While you host her, you will have yellow eyes, fox ears and a fluffy tail.
4- Baron Heartstring.  A murderous Ghost and your infamous ancestor.  Grants the ability to make pacts that if broken, kill the person who swore them; the ability to steal the life of others to extend your own life; to command the dead to rise and serve you; and the ability to make your flesh harder to damage.  While you host him, your flesh is cold and hard as marble and your presence unnerves children and animals. 

Other Mediums choose a different approach- befriending many smaller spirits to guarantee a wider range of solutions to any particular problem.  This grants greater flexibility but greatly increases a Medium's headaches.  Instead of one partner, the Medium must juggle the competing interests of many spirits.  If being bonded to one powerful spirit is like marrying a beautiful, if occasionally unfaithful, woman then recruiting many lesser spirits is like being a King and having to appease, console and scheme against a Court of Nobles.  Skillful mediums who pull it off will find themselves less powerful, but will still possess many potential solutions.

Lesser Spirits the Medium could host:

1d4
1- Quival the Carpoi.  A spirit of grain and harvest- grants you the ability to make plants grow from your skin so you can effortlessly camoflague yourself in foliage or long grass.  Wants: For you to help farmers, for you to assist with the harvest.  While hosting him your hair takes on the appearance of the local plant life, in spring it is full of green buds, in summer it is full of leaves, in autumn your hair is russet gold and amber, in winter you are bald. 
2- Yuito the Shurale.  A spirit of the wild wood- grants you the ability to release clouds of spores that can charm women, but only in the sense that getting a woman drunk can "charm" her and make her more prone to suggestion.  Wants: shiny objects, comely girls.  While hosting him your skin takes on a greenish hue and your limbs become slightly longer.   
3- Xyai the Aurore.  A spirit of the clouds and the firmament- grants the ability to turn into a cloud and fly, while in cloud form.  Wants: To be adored, expensive gifts.  While hosting her your steps are light and your eyes turn storm-grey.
4- Veteta the Brisigar.  A spirit of flame- grants the ability to turn your skin to volcanic rock, making it harder and causing you to ignite flammable items on contact.  Wants: to destroy expensive things, to indulge her sadism.  While hosting her you smell constantly of ash and smoke and small items randomly ignite around you when you get angry. 

Shamans: Shamans are convivial sorts, Priests and wanderers of a sort who make friends with all they meet, whether human or spirit.  Unlike the Priests and Paladins, who bond with the Great Lords and the inhabitants of Deep Heaven, Shamans establish relationships with the Spirits of the Land and those smaller creatures that inhabit the Shallows of the Astral Sea. 

This can include spirits like those the Mediums make contract with, but also heroic ancestors, powerful ghosts, petty deities or demigods who are not permitted in the courts of Heaven, either because of some act of rudeness or lack of status.  These creatures are the Shaman's allies.  In exchange for favors or sacrifices, these creatures lend power and knowledge to the Shaman.

Example Shaman Pacts:

1d6

1- I will give you a sickle that cuts through wood and plant material like soft cheese, but is otherwise a normal sickle.  In exchange, you will give the memories of your first love.
2- I will give you the ability to summon and use my right hand at any time in any place you can see, in exchange for your left eye. 
3- I will give you the ability to use my sword, which passes through metal and stone like it isn't there.  But each time you use my sword, I will take half your remaining lifespan.
4- I will allow you to summon my head and devour whatever you wish me to, in exchange for feeding me a delicious human once every 3 months.
5- I will grant you my ability to fly, in exchange for your sex drive. 
6- I will give you the ability to turn invisible, in exchange for finding me a lover that fits my exact and highly specific tastes.

Or if you prefer more traditional spells...

1d4

1- I will give you the ability to cast Scrying and 3 MD.  In exchange, I want you to peep on sexy ladies when they are bathing or undressing.  Prostitutes don't count, by the way.
2- I will give you the ability to cast Sunburst and Light and give you 4 MD.  In exchange, I want you to destroy Undead wherever you find them.
3- I will give you the ability to cast Create or Destroy Water, Divine Retribution and Liquefy, plus 4 MD.  In exchange, I want you to throw throw expensive treasures into my river/lake/the ocean.
4- I will give you the ability to cast Healing Touch and Greater Restoration and 2 MD.  In exchange, I want you to help the poor and downtrodden.           

Diabolist: Diabolist is similar to a Shaman, but instead only bonds with one strong spirit in exchange for spells and power.  A traditional warlock.

Druids
are similar to Shamans except they only bond with Nature Spirits who hate civilization and generally only those in a specific area.  As such, Druids are very powerful in their environment but grow weaker the further they roam.  A Forest Druid in another Forest may be able to command some power, but a Forest Druid in a Desert will be very weak, as they will be too far away for their allies to hear and give them power.      

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

OSR: Gun Witch

 

                                                  artist unknown

"Control the things you can control, you maggot.  Let everything else take a flying fuck at you, and if you must go down, go down with your guns blazing."

- Cort, The Drawing of the Three

The Servants of Lady Lead:

You are a master of the gun- a marksman who has combined his reverence for the weapon system and his skill with using it with the ancient arts to master an entirely new style, that of the Gun Witch sometimes also called Sorcerer-Gunslinger, Powder-Witch or Ballistic Wizard.  You are a master of firearms, able to use your magic to enhance and your already lethal shooting irons.

Depending on the state of guns in the setting, you might be one of the last remaining members of an ancient, decrepit order that is slipping away in the flow of time, or the champions of the surging future, come to drag this backwards age into the light of progress.  Either way, you are looked upon with a mixture of awe and suspicion.

To determine your Status, roll on the tables below:

You are...

1d4

1- One of the last members of a noble class, here to ensure order is maintained.  Your guns are precious relics, your knowledge of the explosive powders that power them secret knowledge, your status near-mythic in some parts.  In the areas that were once protected by your forefathers, you will be received as a noble and a very important person.
2- A new initiate into an order of warrior-priests who worship the skill and power of Man.  You serve the order, as well as a rising Empire, which seeks to uplift all other peoples to the same level as the Empire's current citizens.  You are here on a mission of reconnaissance and perhaps eventually, conquest.
3- A wandering knight-errant, traveling from place to place accompanied by only your prized weapons and perhaps a pack animal. You are looked upon with suspicion wherever you go as a stranger, and this suspicion only grows when the locals who see how you can lay waste to foes much greater than you with but the pull of a trigger.
4- You are the servant of revolution, practicing the ancient arts of your people, long suppressed by the tyrants who rule them now.  You were educated in dank catacombs and distant forest glades, training for the day that you and your compatriots would raise the people to arms against their oppressors. 

Your guns are...

1d4      

1- Ancient, precious relics passed down for a hundred generations.
2- Hand-crafted by the last master of the art, a man you respect more than almost anyone alive.
3- Amateur creations, made by you following the ancient diagrams as best you could.
4- The latest in sorcerous and military technology, created by the greatest smiths and finest materials your Motherland could provide.  

They (and other guns in this setting) work by...

1d4

1- Being filled with black powder, loaded with shot and the former ignited by sparks from flint striking steel.   
2- Being loaded with fire salts and shot, then using the shooter's mana to excite the tiny fire spirits sealed in their crystal prisms to the point where they destroy their own houses.
3- Being loaded with self-contained cartridges, each one the work of an artisan, each one layered in song, poetry and innate power.
4- The guns are animated by magic and fire bullets using their own mana.  They must be taken care of, loved and properly socialized to be held and used by humans or other intelligent creatures.

                                                        from Kill Six Billion Demons 

The Gun Witch is a sub-class for my basic OSR Wizard class.  For any other details, see the base class here.

Power: You are beloved by Lady Lead and Father Sulfur.  As an action, you can, as an action, meditate mid-battle to enter your battle trance, a state of perfect, emotionless calm.  When you do this, you get +4 to all your saves against firearm attacks for the next 1d4+COG modifier rounds (minimum 2).  If you are damaged while in your battle trance, you must succeed a CON save to maintain it, otherwise you fall out of it and lose your bonus.    

Drawback: You can only cast magic when you are holding or have a firearm on your person.  Ammo is not required. 

1d12

1- Alter Ammunition
2- Armor Piercing Shot
3- Battlefield Medicine
4- Detect Weapons
5- Dragonfire Round
6- Kill Zone
7- Misfire
8- Quickdraw
9- Right-Angle Ricochet
10- Safety Lock
11- Suppressing Fire
12- Void Scabbard

13- Bullet for my Valentine
14- Kill Shot
15- Lead Rain
16- Rain parts for the Wise

Legendary Spell: Bullet Time

Alter Ammunition
-----------------------------------------------------------
R: 10'        T: [dice] bullets    D: one action

For each [dice] used to cast this spell, select one of the options below:

- You create [dice] bullets for a current weapon of your choice. 
- [dice] bullets become rubbery, and deal nonlethal damage.
- [dice] bullets become superheated, dealing +[dice] fire damage for [dice] rounds.
- [dice] bullets become high-explosive rounds.  After 1 round has elapsed, they explode, doing 1d6 damage.
- [dice] bullets become immaterial, doing psychic damage.  These bullets also ignore non-magical armor. 
- [dice] bullets explode upon firing, creating brilliant flashes of light.  Anyone looking at these flashes of light with unprotected eyes must succeed a CON save or be blinded. 

Armor Piercing Shot
-----------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

You alter your senses, giving you the ability to see the physical weak points in structures, objects or armor.

If you or someone else attack a weak point successfully, they do +[sum] damage of an appropriate type and potentially split it open or destroy the target object.  If the targeted object was a piece of armor, destroying it does not damage the user's HP, but it does prevent them from using that armor.   

Battlefield Medicine
--------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature        D: one action

By touching a creature, you stabilize that creature at 1 HP.  Any effect that would kill the creature in the near future, such as bleeding out, massive internal trauma or something similar is removed as the damage is repaired.

Detect Weapons
------------------------------------------------------
R: 50'        T: creature        D: [dice] rounds

A creature you touch, including yourself, can detect the presence of weapons within range.  This includes anything designed to be used as a weapon or an improvised item that someone intends to use as a weapon, but does not detect things that could be potential weapons, such as glass bottles, box cutters, etc.

Dragonfire Round
-----------------------------------------------------------       
R: 10'        T: bullet        D: one action

You imbue a bullet with the power of elemental fire.  When you fire this bullet, it transforms into a shower of burning contrails and searing hot metal, damaging everyone in a 30' cone, doing [sum] fire damage.

Kill Zone
---------------------------------------------------------
R: special    T: a designated area    D: [dice] minutes

You can designate an area that you can see from your current position.  If an enclosed space, you may designated up to 2[dice] rooms or hallways.  If in an open space, you may designate an area centered on yourself extending either in all directions, with a radius of 10*[sum]', or a space with similar dimensions but only facing any specific direction you prefer.

While this spell is active, you may automatically make a firearm attack against any creature that enters this space or moves within the space.  Note that "move" means taking a move action, and not doing something such as making an attack, using an item or etc.

Misfire
------------------------------------------------------------
R: 50'        T: [dice] firearms    D: one action

[dice] firearms fail to fire next time they are used. 

Quickdraw
--------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

You may cast this spell as a reaction to initiative being rolled.  You boost your speed, jumping [dice] spots up the initiative order.

Right-Angle Ricochet
-----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: bullet        D: one action

You imbue a bullet with a fragment of your power, enabling you to guide its flight through the air.  This allows you to fire a bullet that can perfectly reflect off walls, columns or armor to strike a target of your choosing.  This spell allows you to fire around corners or bounce bullets off hard objects to hit enemies in the back.

Safety Lock
---------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: weapon        D: permanent until dispelled

By touching a weapon, you can prevent anyone but you from using it.  Any weapon that has this spell cast on it will not work for anyone but you.

If cast with 3 or more [dice], you can have this weapon explode if an unauthorized user attempts to use it.  You can also command a weapon affected by this spell to explode at will. 
 
Suppressing Fire
-----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: A cone 10*[dice]' wide    D: [dice] rounds

You unleash a hail of bullets in a cone 10*[dice]' wide.  Any creatures in this cone must save.  On a failure, such creatures take [sum] damage.  On a success, they take no damage.  However, each round for the duration a creature is in the affected area and does not take cover, lay prone or take some other action to avoid being riddled with holes, he must save or take [sum] damage.

Void Scabbard
-----------------------------------------------------------
R: touch     T: [dice] weapons     D: permanent until discharged

You stash [dice] weapons Elsewhere, where they remain in stasis until you will (one of) them to appear in your hand.

This spell is borrowed from Red Kangaroo's Sword Mage.


Bullet for my Valentine
------------------------------------------------------------
R: 10'        T: [dice] bullets        D: one action

[dice] bullets become infused with your hatred for [dice] specific creatures.  If those creatures successfully save to take no damage from your next [dice] firearm attacks must make an additional save.  If they fail the second save, they take damage as per normal as the bullets arc around and try to wound the intended targets again.   

Killshot
------------------------------------------------------------
R: 100'        T: creature        D: one action

One creature within range must save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] may add the difference to their saves.  Creatures with 3x or more HD than [dice] automatically pass their saves.  Creatures that also could not be killed by bullets automatically pass their saves.   

On a failed save, that creature dies as the next bullet you fire rips through a spot sure to kill them.  For example, on a human, this would be a headshot that splatters the target's brain across the far wall.

Lead Rain
--------------------------------------------------------------
R: 50'        T: any creature within range    D: one action

You fire a barrage of bullets, doing [sum] damage split as you choose among any number of creatures within range.

Rain parts for the Wise
------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: [dice] projectiles    D: one action

This spell can be cast as a reaction.  When you do, you can reduce the damage [dice] projectiles do by [sum].  If you reduce the damage to 0, you catch the projectile.  This spell only works on projectiles that could be conceivably caught, unless you invest four or more projectiles, then the spell works on any material projectiles.

This spell comes from my Monk sub-class.



                                                             by Michael Whelan

Chaos and Corruption of the Gun Witch:
When you roll doubles, roll on the Chaos table.  The spell still goes through.  You receive 1d3 Doom Counters.
When you roll triples, roll on the Corruption table.  The spell automatically fails.  You also receive 1d4 Doom Counters.
At 10 Doom Counters, you invoke the Doom of Fools.
At 20 Doom Counters, you invoke the Doom of Kings.
At 30 Doom Counters, you invoke the Ultimate Doom.

Chaos of the Gun Witch
1d6

1- Your gun fails to fire next time you make an attack.  You will have to clean it before it can be used again.
2- Your bullets temporarily stop obeying the law of gravity, giving your opponents +4 to their saves against your firearm attacks for 1d10 minutes, after which your bullets return to behaving normally.
3- You become magnetic for 1d10 minutes.  All metal within 30' of you is attracted to you.  You make all saves against firearm attacks at disadvantage and if you're holding something metal, you can't let go of it. 
4- 1d6 of your bullets become duds.
5- You lose 1 MD.  It doesn't return to your pool until you take a long rest.
6- Your gun fails to fire.  After 1 round, it fires as per normal.  Hopefully you're not trying to clean it at the moment. 

Corruption of the Gun Witch
1d6

1- The next bullet you fire misses it's intended target, regardless of spells or other effects on it, and forces a random creature to save vs firearm or be hit.  If the bullet hits, it does damage as per normal.
2- One of the clips of ammunition on your person explodes, doing 2d6 damage to you, save for half, and to any other creature within 15'.
3- For 1 minute, all bullets that strike or pass within 50' of you become enhanced by your magic, and ignore armor. 
4- For the next 1d6 minutes, all of your bullets transform into smoke and doves once they leave barrel.  This does no damage.
5- You become beloved by lead for 1 round, and all bullets fired within that round will instead target you instead of their intended target.
6- One of your guns transforms into a poisonous snake for 1d10 minutes.  If the snake is slain, it transforms back.  But be careful, the snake's venom is 1d4 [1= Save or be paralyzed for 1 minute, can make a new save each round; 2= Causes extreme pain, -4 to all delicate tasks (including shooting) for 1 hour; 3= 1d6 damage per round until successfully saved against, 1d6 minimum, 3d6 maximum; 4= Save or die]. 

Dooms:

Doom of Fools- You become cursed to kill someone you care about.  One creature will meet Death and the end of your guns. 

Doom of Kings- Your allies and close friends are cursed that they will all die, soon, and violently. 

Ultimate Doom- When you need them most, your guns fail you.  When they do, you will die.  It will painful, but likely short.

This Doom can be avoided by beating Death in a duel or by finding the Spirit of the West and making a bargain with him.

                                                                  by Boris Vallejo

Saturday, January 16, 2021

OSR: Playable Races of Nukaria (part 3)

This is a post detailing the races that people the hostile, wild lands of Nukaria's frigid South. 

For the people of the humid, tropical North, look here.  For the people of the temperate Equatorial lands, here.  And if you have favor something more exotic, you can find the Spirit-Touched here and the Half-Dragons here.

Common Races in the Cold South:

Quarrians
Dwarves
Vulturemen
Batlings
Bealars and Bealettes (Beavermen)
Wolfmen
Bearmen
Caribusa

                                                           by photoman356

Quarrians

The Blue People as they are known, are a race of blue-skinned humanoids with pointed ears and raven hair.  Their eyes are pure black and they have claws instead of nails.  From their veins flows purple blood, and they blush mauve or violet.  They are a crepuscular species, sensitive to bright light and skilled at operating in the half-light of the stars and moons.  Their religion is one of Moon Worship- unlike other peoples, their homeland has four moons, each of which has a name and separate domain.  Similarly, the Sun is an evil spirit to them, a tormentor and terror of blistering light and searing flame.  They practice strange rites in the witchlight of the stars, where bald-headed priestesses sacrifice animals to their selenic Gods. They are suspicious of other races and largely keep to themselves, restricting foreigners to their borders.  This is of no great loss, say those travelers who have pierced their lands, as they live desolate and humble lives amid the rough country south of the Cold Gates. 

Reroll Stat: COG

Ability: Quarrians have amazing night vision, able to see color and as well as a human can in low-light conditions, as long as their is some light.  Additionally, it takes 10 minutes for their eyes to shift into night vision mode in low-light or 1 minute in near-perfect darkness.  However, if they see any sources of bright light while using their night vision, they must save or be blinded.

Weakness:
Quarrians are sensitive to light and heat.  They receive a -2 penalty to all checks if made when the sun is at its height (12 to 4 pm) or in bright light.  They are fine in the early morning or evening, but once it gets later than that they have trouble seeing.

                                                          by bakarov

Dwarves

The Dwarves are a populous race of infertile males ruled by a ruling class of fertile nobles and their massive, egg-laying Queens who squabble and meddle in each other's affairs, engaging in petty sectarian conflicts for honor and revenge.  Dwarves themselves are honorable, industrious and grievance-minded.  They have the memory of a Loxodon and never forget a slight, no matter how small.  They are also a proud and industrious race, their individual skills usually impressive, but even more so is the size of their population.  Because of their Queens' constant egg-laying, Dwarves almost always outnumber their neighbors, which often allows them to demographically replace the local populations without fighting.  This strategy is often effective, but it just as commonly teaches the locals to not tolerate the presence of the Dwarves, but instead to initiate pogroms against them and drive them into other lands. 

Reroll Stat: CON

Ability: Dwarves are a hardy race.  They can eat almost anything and have resistance to poison damage.  They also make all saves against non-magical poisons with advantage.

Weakness: Dwarves, due to their common origin from a single Mother tend to be extremely similar in constitution.  This makes them easy prey for diseases.  Dwarves have disadvantage on all saves against diseases and disease causing effects.    

                                                      by JazylH

Vulkari or Vulturemen

The Vulkari are an ancient race that once reigned over almost the entire Southern region, their empire stretching from the Lands of Endless Snow in the South to the ice-choked shores of the West, to the Eastern Valleys and the Cold Gates.  Their kingdom was without rival and their enemies were powerless against them.  But the great men who forge empires seldom have offspring that can match them.  And successive generations of unmatched dominance led to decadence and corruption, which brough the inevitable decline and eventually, the collapse.  That was ages past, and now the Vulkari dwell largely only in their ancient homeland, which they defend zealously, though no one has tested their armies in almost a century.  Yet despite their ancient retreat, the signs of their conquest are everywhere.  Many of the oldest buildings still standing in the South were built by them or scavenged out of pieces left behind by the Vulkari.  Similarly, many races use the Vulkari script to write their languages, though they usually have different pronounciation. 

Reroll Stat: COG

Ability: Vulkari can fly, though they are not fast or agile in flight.  Additionally, they can only fly if they jump off a high place, are thrown into the air or have an ability, spell or magic item that can help them get airborne.

Weakness: Vulkari are light-weight, with hollow bones, little meat on their bones and generally no fat.  They take +1 damage per die from blunt weapons or bludgeoning damage.  Their enemies know this, as it is common knowledge. 

                                            source unknown

Batlings

While the Batlings might appear to be a brutal race, they are actually much more genial than most people assume.  Batlings come from underground, having emerged from the enormous cave systems riddling the Spine of Tarraq many hundreds of years ago. For this reason, they cannot fly, but are excellent climbers.  They dwell in rocky places that other races cannot easily reach, scampering up and down their mountain-fortresses with bare hands.  They are known to be excellent mountain-guides, able to guide parties through the mountain passes at all times of year.  Most of them live in canyone-cities and cave-towns, sheltering from the cold in dark places lit by braziers and bonfires, most kept lit by dried dung.  They are also known for their husbandry of enormous insects, which they raise in warm caverns, far from the cold surface.  Other than those animals, they are also known to raise goats and other creatures that can climb as well as them, as well as some kinds of bird.  And while most Batlings are simply hard-working, they have a dark reputation for luring travelers down wrong paths in the mountains to kill and eat them, or to kidnap and enslave their women.  Batling women are also known to be lasvicious, which has to account for at least some of the rumors.  The rest are, debatable.

Reroll Stat: DEX         

Ability: Batlings have the ability to eat sounds, gobbling them up and preventing anyone from hearing them.  Batlings can eat a number of sounds equal to their CON modifier a day, with a minimum of 1.  If an object's sound is "eaten", that object continues to function but makes no sound.  Similarly, if the sound of a creature's voice is eaten, that creature cannot speak or cast spells for 1 hour, unless those spells do not require vocalization (Psychomancer).  Creatures who have their voices eaten may then save once each hour after the first.  On a successful save, the creature regains its' voice.     

Weakness: Batlings are covered in soft, down fur that helps keep them warm.  But this fur is also a disadvantage, as it catches fire easily.  Batlings take +1 fire damage per die.  They also are at increased risk of overheating in hot climates because of their fur.  To compensate for this, many Batlings cut their fur short in warm climates, but this means that they cannot stand the cold and must wait for it to regrow before returning South.      

                                              by Watchful Crow Arts

Bealars or Beavermen

The South is full of many mild, slow-flowing rivers and enormous, calm lakes.  The rest of the land is harsh and brutal, with craggy mountains, rock-scarred gulleys, towering fjords and treacherous passes, for every raging river there is a gentle lake.  Yet this mystery has a simple explanation, the Bealars.  A short, hairy folk with teeth of iron and wide, flat tails, the Bealars are a humble people of fisher-farmers and craftsmen.  They are most famous for their dam-cities, which they build by blocking rivers and building enormous, artificial lakes.  They then build dwellings and other structures in the dam itself and atop the lake. 

Bealars have a reputation for being hard to defeat in battle, not because of their skill, but because once a Bealar dam-city has been built, it is virtually impregnable.  These floating cities are incredibly difficult to take, and since Bealars raise schools of fish in the lakes they create, they tend to be able to hold out for years.  And sieges are even more difficult than taking their cities by force of arms, because it is impossible to surround a Bealar city.  If you do, they will just open one of the gates holding back the water in the lake and send a wall of water to sweep you away.  This impregnable defense means that Bealars are actually excellent colonizers, able to root themselves into an area and remain there for a very long time.  Despite this fact, they are often good neighbors who only want to live peacefully.  They are excellent craftsmen, especially with wood and trade carvings and fish with their neighbors.

Reroll Stat: STR       

Ability: Bealars have iron teeth and powerful jaws that can chew through anything softer than steel, if given enough time.  They are famous for being able to gnaw down trees, after all.

Weakness: Bealars are rather slow and clumsy on land.  They take a -2 penalty to all initiative rolls.  This penalty does not apply in the water, however.  Bealars are excellent swimmers.    

                                             source unknown

Wolfmen

The Wolfmen of the Frozen South are well known for their fierce and warlike culture, impeccable honor and iron-clad family structure.  These wild barbarians dwell in the vales and high vallies of the Cold Gates, spilling down the slopes in the long and brutal winters to ravage the hillsides and carry away booty.  They are a menace to the more civilized of the Southern races, poorly understood and regarded as an almost irrational force, practicing strange customs and doing things no other race follows.  They are often flattened into caricatures in the stories of the other tribes, but Wolfmen are just another people.  They practice fierce monogamy, raise their children communally and shun many of the accountrements of civilization, which they regard as a corrupting, weakening influence.  They are not aligned with Chaos, however, but with their own iron traditions, which they guard zealously and practice with dutiful reverence. 

Reroll Stat: CON

Ability: Wolfmen can howl, and this sound can carry over vast distances.  To another Wolfman, or one who has been trained to understand a particular clan or tribe's howl, or moon-song as they are sometimes called, these howls can carry a large amount of information.  A Howl can carry a message of up to 20 words, that only someone who knows your tribe or clan's howl pattern can interpret correctly. 

Weakness: Wolfmen are strongly disliked by many in the South, and even in other lands, their fearsome reputation precedes them.  People will scorn you and some towns will bar you from entering or staying over night.  In other places, you may endure mockery, insults or subtle sabotage.     

                                                 from here

Ursai or Bearmen

The Ursai are a race of solitary paragons and sage warriors.  They are a small people, large in individual stature but slow to breed.  They have few children, but raise them well, instructing them in firmness, gentleness and honor.  Ursai do not have a homeland of their own, instead their people are scattered throughout the lands of other peoples, with Ursai rarely gathering together except for on the days of great religious significance.  Ursai are not Moon-worshipers, but they do avidly track the movement of the heavenly bodies for signs, to tell the date so they know when to gather, to attempt to predict the future and to know the will of their ancestors.  They do not worship any Gods of their own, and their religion is syncretistic, mixing traditional beliefs with the worship of whatever spirits or Gods reign over the area the Ursai lives. 

Ursai are often sought out for their wise council on such matters, as well as for their skill in diplomacy.  This is one thing that is not well known, but Ursai are actually excellent negotiators, as they consistently have to deal with those smaller and weaker than them, but also more numerous than them.  So they tend to develop easy-going personalities who will compromise on most, but not all things.  But no matter how gentle they are, never forget that everyone has a limit past which they will not go.  And when you find such a line, it is best avoided, especially if your opponent is ten feet of fatty armor and rock-hard muscle. 

Reroll Stat: STR

Ability: Bearman have natural armor.  When not wearing any other armor, Bearman have Armor equal to 5+(CON modifier).

Weakness: Bearman are huge, giving them a large reach.  However, this can be a disadvantage.  If a creature smaller than them (Bearmen are large creatures) gets within 5 or fewer feet to them, they get a penalty to hit that creature.  If the creature is Medium, that penalty is -2 to attack and defense rolls if the Bearman is using any weapon other than bare hands, or -1 if the Bearman is.  If the creature is Small, the penalty rises to -4 or -2.    

                                                      source unknown

Caribusa

A race of herbivore warriors and nomadic foragers, the Caribusa are known for their hardiness and determination.  As one of the most numerous of the Southern races, they compete fiercely with the Dwarves and the Bealars for control of the peatlands.  Unlike many herbivore races, Caribusa are fierce and warlike, raiding each other and their neighbors during the summer and autumn months.  Their warriors cut off one antler and hang bells from the other, fighting with a spear and a long knife called a Kimpaki.  And while the Dwarves can match them in population, they are omnivorous.  Dwarves can eat almost anything, but even they can only eat some plants.  Caribusa, by contrast, can eat moss, mature pine needles and even lichen. This enables them to range further and stay longer without needing to return home or maintain supply lines.  They are one of the few races who have perfected the "hit-and-run" strategy, only be rivaled by the Equatorial humans.  The only difference is that while the humans chase their prey until exhausted, the Caribusa get their prey to chase them. 

Besides their warlike ways however, they are in many ways, not nearly as odd as warlike herbivores might seem.  Polygamy is extremely common for them, with Kings and successful warriors maintaining harems of women.  These harems, along with the women in general, handle the majority of the work in a tribe- gathering wood, maintaining supplies and helping plot the route the herd will take.  The men spend all their time fighting or protecting the herd; any man that does or cannot engage in such activities is the object of scorn.  Caribusa are also known to abandon those who cannot keep up with the herd.  In the past this would mean leaving the elders and the lame to be devoured by wild beasts or preyed upon by the herd's enemies, but these days those who cannot keep up will usually commit ritual suicide and have their body cut apart and laid out as an offering to the herd's ancestors and the evil spirits that mean to do the herd harm.  They are a people who love honor more than life, and thus gladly choose death before dishonor.  And if someone who is meant to die will not do the honorable thing, their relatives will cover their shame by doing it themselves, then lying about the courage of their fallen kinsmen.   

Reroll Stat: CHA

Ability: Caribusa have the ability to levitate.  By concentrating for at least a minute, they can float up to 10' off the ground.  They can levitate for up to 10 minutes or until they lose their concentration.  Whenever they take damage or need to focus on doing something else, they must save or lose their concentration.  When it snows, the Caribusa gain the ability to transform their levitation into flight, but must maintain concentration to stay in the air.     

Weakness: Both male and female Caribusa grow antlers.  These can be used as natural weapons (1d6) but they also function as handles through which a Caribusa can be grappled.  Whenever someone makes a grappling check against a Caribusa, that creature makes that check with advantage.  

                                                             by Reptile Cynrik

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

OSR: 1d10 Magic Rings plus some extras

 

                                                by Lucas Durham

Magic Rings:

1d10
1- Ring of Infatuation
2- Ring of Petrification
3- Ring of Rubber
4- Ring of the Spider Swarm
5- Ring of the Dancing Queen
6- Ring of Elemental Absorption
7- Ring of Reversal
8- Ring of Slavery
9- Ring of Red Miles
10- Ring of False Wishes


Ring of Infatuation

Actually composed of two rings, the Lover ring and the Beloved ring.  Both rings must be worn for the magical effect to activate.  The creature who wears the Lover ring finds himself suddenly desperately, head-over-heels in love with the wearer of the Beloved ring.  The wearer of the Lover ring will then immediately begin making plans for how to woo the wearer of the Beloved ring and begin a romantic and/or sexual relationship.

The Lover ring does not change the personality, morals or behavior of the wearer, but the wearer will likely modify his behavior to avoid offending the object of their affections.  The wearer of the Lover ring will seek to do all the things he would do with an ordinary lover with the wearer of the Beloved ring. 

The wearer of the Lover ring will not fight the object of his affections, unless there are no other options are available, but even if he does fight the wearer of the Beloved ring, he will not kill the Beloved ring's wearer.

The wearer of the Beloved ring is not placed under any enchantment and is free to reciprocate or respond as they see it.  However, even if they spurn the wearer of the Lover ring, the wearer of said ring will continue trying to enter a relationship with them, by any means.  If the relationship becomes a toxic, one-sided obsession, so be it.  The wearer of the Lover ring will not care.

The wearers of each ring can sense each other's direction and distance from each other, though not in strict terms.  "I know he is far away, to the Northeast," not, "She is 200 miles southwest, 3,000 feet above sea level." 

Finally, if the wearer of the Beloved ring is not present but someone puts on the Lover ring, if that person has heard of the person wearing the Object ring, he falls instantly in love with that person.  If the wearer of the Lover ring hasn't heard of the person wearing the opposite ring, he will instead fall in love at first sight if he sees the wearer of the Beloved ring.

The wearer of the Lover ring will not remove the ring willingly from his own finger and will fight any creature that attempts to take it off him by force.  Only the wearer of the Beloved ring will be permitted to removed the ring.

Ring of Petrification


Anyone who wears this ring is instantly transformed into a statue.  The creature cannot move or act, but does not age nor need anything a living thing would require.  The ring, as well as any equipment on the creature's person, is unaffected by the change and can be removed, though some things might be hard to take off the statue without damaging it.  If at any point, if the Ring of Petrification is removed, the creature that was petrified is de-petrified and returns to whatever state they were in before they were petrified.   

Ring of Rubber

Anyone who wears this ring finds his flesh takes on a rubbery quality, able to stretch and bend far past what it is normally possible.  That creature makes all DEX saves and checks with advantage.  That creature also gains immunity to blunt/bludgeoning and falling damage, unless such an impact is ruled by the Referee as too much force to be absorbed by the creature's elastic flesh.  Examples include such a thing as falling from a very high building (5 stories or more), being hit by Thor's hammer or something of a similar magnitude, etc.

Additionally, A creature wearing the ring of rubber only does half damage on successfully hitting in melee, because their rubbery flesh doesn't transfer energy efficiently.

Ring of the Spider Swarm

This ring can, 1/Day, as an action, summon a swarm of spiders to aid you.  It also gives you the ability to talk to spiders as if you shared a language.  The spiders you summon are not charmed to you, and you will have to negotiate with them if you want them to do anything strenuous.  Spiders are willing to offer their service in exchange for food, usually in the form of tasty bugs, but they'll eat just about any meat, though you'll probably have to chop it into little pieces so they'll be able to carry it away.

Alternatively, if there are any in the area, the ring will automatically summon a Giant Spider.  Giant Spiders range from the size of large dogs to the size of medium-sized vegetable gardens (20' from tip to tip).  They also range in intelligence, from about as smart as dogs to as smart as pigs.  Giant Spiders will need to be paid for their service as well, but they'll need a lot more meat.  Alternatively, a Giant Spider may request some other service, such as killing away a bunch of small animals that keep trying to eat the Spider's eggs, driving off a rival or investigating something the Spider doesn't understand. 

Ring of the Dancing Queen

This ring grants the user incredible skill at dancing, giving them +4 to any checks made to dance or perform using their dancing skills.  The ring also exerts a charm effect on those who watch the ring's wearer- those who see him (or her) dance must save.  On a failed save, if the wearer is in a space where dancing is expected or at least encouraged of the watchers, then those who fail their saves will be charmed into going out there and dancing with the ring's wearer.  If the ring's wearer is not in a situation where people are expected to dance or is performing, those who fail their save are captivated by the performance and will not divert their attention from it, unless something clearly more important presents itself to them, such as an intruder, an attack, a clear and present danger, something that could interrupt the performance, etc.   

Ring of [Elemental] Absorption

This ring can, 1/Day, absorb the energy of a specific type of elemental or magical attack or ability to heal the wearer for X, where X is the damage dealt.  This ability can be used as a reaction.  To determine what kind of elemental damage the ring can absorb, roll on the table below.

Element:

1d10

1- Fire.
2- Ice.
3- Lightning.
4- Thunder.
5- Acid.
6- Force.
7- Psychic.
8- Necrotic.
9- Radiant.
10- Poison. 

Ring of Reversal


This ring grants the user the ability to X times per day (minimum of 1), where X equals their CHA modifier, to reverse/invert the effect of a magical spell or effect.  For example, fire spells become ice, healing spells become harming spells, force fields suck people in, buffs hobble the creature they are cast on, etc.

Ring of Slavery

This ring does not grant it's power to the person who wears it, but to the person who stains the diamond on it with his blood.  When you mark the gemstone with your blood, the ring accepts you as the Master.  Whoever then puts on the ring becomes the Slave.

The Slave, once they put on the ring, cannot take it off unless the Master says, "I release you" three times in a row.  "I release you, I release you, I release you." 

The Master can, at any point, inflict pain on the Slave.  This pain can be inconveniencing to excruciating, granting a -1 to -4 penalty to whatever the slave attempts.  Creatures must check morale when pain is inflicted upon them like this, or be forced to beg for the pain to stop, or otherwise take action to make it stop. 

The Master, additionally, can command the ring to detonate.  This does 3d6 damage that ignores Armor to the slave and teleports the ring.  The ring will disappear for 1d4+1 years, after which it will reappear in a random storage container somewhere in the world.

Once the Slave takes off the ring, they cannot be affected by the ring, nor can the ring be detonated unless it is being worn.  Additionally, if someone else marks the diamond on the ring with his blood, that new person becomes the master.  The Slave can also escape from the ring by cutting off their own hand or finger, assuming he or she has the stones for it.    

Ring of Red Miles     

The ring of Red Miles enables the user to create long tendrils of blistering energy that resemble the tentacles of a squid or the thin branches of a sapling.  The user can conjure up to X tendrils, where X is the user's total Constitution score.  These tendrils then spread out towards up to X creatures.  Multiple tendrils can be sent to attack the same creature as well. The tendrils do 1dX+[COG modifier] damage, where X is the lowest dice that could equal the user's HD or level.  For example, a Level 4 Fighter with a COG of 13(+1) using this ring would have his tendrils do 1d4+1 damage on a hit.

Each round, the user can have the tendrils automatically attack, forcing the creatures who have been targeted to save.  On a failed save, the targeted creature is hit.  And creatures do need to save multiple times before tendril.  While this is being done, the user cannot take an actions requiring physical effort- they can walk across a room and pour themselves a glass of tea, but cannot dodge an attack or make a saving throw.  Should they attempt a strenuous action, the tendrils disappear.

Each time the Ring of Red Miles is used, the target must save.  On a failure, the target is Fatigued until they take a short rest. 

The Ring of False Wishes

This ring is cursed.  Tell the players this.  Also tell them that it grants wishes, but that it will twist them to try and make something bad happen.  This is a lie, but make sure you tell the players this, either explicitly as the Referee or through an NPC.

The ring will grant 3 wishes to the first intelligent creature who wears it.  However, these illusions are entirely illusory. For example, if the party wishes for 1,000,000 gold pieces, the ring will cast an illusion on the stones in the stream bed, making them appear to become gold coins.  These illusions do not stand up to physical scrutiny and can be seen through by someone making and succeeding on a COG check.  However, it should be able to fool most people, at least for a while. Someone who believes the results of the wish to be fake has advantage on trying to see through them.  Someone who does not know about the cursed ring or wants to believe in the wishes has disadvantage on seeing through them. 

The ring cannot grant any more wishes until that creature is dead or the wishes have been exposed as fakes.

                                                           source unknown

Ioun Stones:

Ioun Stones are powerful magic items made from gemstones engraved with many thousands of tiny runes.  Imperceptible normally, but visible if inspected closely under bright light.  Ioun Stones orbit around the user's head, granting the user certain powers.  As long as the Stone orbits the user, he has access to that power.  A Stone can be forced to deactivate by hitting it out of the air (requiring a successful attack roll against the user) or by succeeding a DEX check, where the DC is 12 + the DEX modifier of the Stone's user. 

However, even if stolen an Ioun Stone will only function for one user- to anyone else, it is just a fancy rock.  Ioun Stones can only be taken off of the dead or willingly given from one person to another. 

The only way to destroy an Ioun Stone is to seal them in a hardened container and then sink that container in the depths of the sea, or bury it deep underground.  The Stones will lose their magic after 1d100 years of not being used, after which they will be ordinary gemstones.  Anything else will just result in you embarassing yourself.

To see what kind of gemstone the Stone is, roll on the tables below.


What kind of Stone is it?

1d20

1- Ruby.
2- Sapphire.  There is a 40% that the Sapphire is a Star Sapphire, and a 10% that it is a Golden Star Sapphire.
3- Emerald.
4- Agate.
5- Peridot.
6- Amethyst.
7- Tourmaline.
8- Bismuth.
9- Diamond.
10- Garnet.
11- Jade.
12- Topaz.
13- Opal.  There is a 50% the opal is a fire opal.
14- Citrine.
15- Rhodolite.
16- Zircon.    
17- Pearl.  There is a 50% the pearl is black.
18- Alexandrite.
19- Aquamarine.
20- Tanzanite.

What power does it grant?

1d6

1- Attribute.  This Stone increase one of the user's ability scores by 1, up to a maximum of 18.  That ability score is 1d6 [1= Strength; 2= Dexterity; 3= Constitution; 4= Cognition; 5= Charisma; 6= Reroll.]

2- Protection.  This Stone grants the user 1d4 [1= [10 Armor] as long as it orbits the user's head.  This bonus can stack with another piece of armor; 2= The stone parries the first melee or missile attack against the user (assuming a physical missile).  The stone cannot parry non-physical attacks; 3= The stone can 3/Day do damage equal to half the damage an attack dealt by that creature did to the user.  Ex: Zulu the Orc does 6 damage to you and you activate the stone to do 3 damage back to him.  This can be used as a reaction; 4= The stone grants resistance to (halves) damage from a specific elemental type against the user.  This stone grants resistance to 1d6 (1= Fire; 2= Cold; 3= Acid; 4= Lightning; 5= Thunder; 6= Necrotic).]  

3- Regeneration.  This Stone gives the user the ability to regenerate 1d4 HP a minute or 1 HP a round.  It also immediately stabilizes the user if it is allowed to float above the user's head for more than 1 round.  However, because this magic is based on stimulating the body's natural healing abilities, the user will become much hungrier after healing and will require twice as much food as a normal creature his size.  After regenerating from serious injury, much more food may be required (Referee's Discretion).   

4- Sustenance.  This Stone sustains the user, eliminating their need for 1d4 [1= Food or water; 2= Sleep; 3= Air.  This also renders them immune to inhaled poison and dangerous inhaled gases; 4= Time.  This Stone makes the user ageless, preventing them from aging while the stone is affecting them.] 

5- Absorption.  This Stone can absorb 1d6 [1= 1d8; 2= 1d10; 3= 2d6; 4= 2d8; 5= 2d10; 6= 3d8] elemental/magical damage as a reaction.  This reduces the amount of damage you take by X, where X is the absorbed damage.  The user may then, as a full action, release the absorbed damage against a target of his choice.  The stone can only absorb and store one attack at a time, and while it is storing an attack it cannot absorb another until emptied.

6- Power.  This Stone gives the user 1d4 [1= The ability to ignite his weapons, covering them in fire which does an additional +1d6 fire damage; 2= Gives the user 1 Mana Dice which he can use to cast spells.  This MD can also be used to replace other dice, such as the Boxer's Stamina Dice; 3= The ability to 1/Day double his modifier for any check based on STR, CON or COG; 4= The ability to charm people by forcing them to make a save.  On a failed save, they will treat you like a good friend for 1 hour.  After that hour is up or on a failed save, that person will realize you used magic to influence him and will react appropriately.]   

                                                   by Dmitry Burmak

Bag of Holding:

A Bag of Holding can hold the contents of 8 normal inventory slots while only occupying one itself. 

Bags of Holding are fairly common magic items, often passed from adventurer to adventurer, either by hand or recovered from well-chewed corpses in dank dungeons.  Some however, are sold by cash-strapped adventurers.  So if you know the right places to look, you might be able to buy one for yourself.   

A Bag of Holding can hold the contents of 8 normal inventory slots while only occupying one itself.   

But you should never buy a Bag of Holding second-hand, merchants rarely bother checking their contents, as they are usually only purchased by Criminals and Adventurers, and are often used to hold things too strange or illegal to bother with.  But if you did, roll on the table below. 

Alternatively, this could be the table used when you take a Bag of Holding off another Adventurer. 

What is in this Bag of Holding?

1d20

1- 1d6 corpses in various states of decay.
2- A wheel of cheese.
3- 1d10*10 torches.
4- A ten foot pole.
5- A bed, including pillows, blankets and a stuffed mattress.
6- A magical item.  Roll on your favorite lesser magic item table.
7- 50 gallons of 1d6 [1= Lamp oil; 2= Salt water; 3= Brandy; 4= Fresh blood; 5= Green Slime; 6= Molten metal.]
8- 1d8 boles of fabric.
9- 1d20+10 pounds of salt.
10- A Mockery.  This Mockery is a 1d4 [1= Mock-Soldier fighting an imaginary war; 2= A Mock-Chef who makes edible, if largely tasteless food; 3= A Mock-Lion in a vest and bowler hat who reads to children and devours mean people; 4= A Mock-Ghost, which "haunts" people by hiding, making spooky noises and rearranging things when no one is looking.]
11- 10 candles, chalk, red string and a sacrificial dagger.
12- 1d100 pairs of women's undergarments.
13- An empty wooden barrel with a lid.
14- 1d10 polearms.
15- 1d10*10 arrows.
16- An Unbound Undead.
17- A musical instrument.  You find a 1d6 [1= Lute; 2= Shofar; 3= Flute; 4= Tambourine; 5= Drum; 6= Trumpet.]
18- A love letter addressed to someone you don't know.  No location is listed, but the letter mentions a landmark that you have heard of.
19- A treasure map along with a letter telling whoever was meant to receive it that they found some legendary destination, promising wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.
20- Cult regalia marking anyone who wore it as a 1d4 [1= Minion of the Dark Powers; 2= Chaos Cultist; 3= Member of a suppressed religion or heretical sect; 4= A Demon-Worshiper.]

Sunday, January 10, 2021

OSR: Nothing like a Home-cooked meal: Cooking Rules for the Discerning Adventurer

 

                                                 from Food Wars!

Here are some rules for cooking.  They are based heavily on these rules and inspired by Skerple's Eating the Monster Manual and Eating the Veins of the Earth, as well as this post by Cacklecharm

This post can be considered an unofficial part 2 to a series on non-magical healing.  Part 1 is here and the post that inspired both, my Death and Dismemberment tables, are here

Eating food restores Fighting Spirit (FS - ie 'Grit').  Depending on the quality of the food, ingredients and the skill of the chef, the more FS it restores. 

To prepare food, you must succeed on a Cooking Check.  The base DC of this check is 10 and varies depending on the following modifiers.

Cooking Check Modifiers:

- You have fire or a stove (-1)
- You have utensils (-1)
- You have pots and pans (-1)
- You have spices (-1)
- You have water (-1)
- You have fresh ingredients (-1)
- The person primarily preparing the dish (rolling the Check) is a skilled cook (-X, where X is the number of ranks they have in the Cooking skill)
- You are cooking with a rare, difficult to use ingredient (+1)
- You are cooking with a poisonous ingredient (+1)
- You are using ingredients preserved for travel, e.g. dried, dehydrated, pickled (+2)
- You are cooking with a magical ingredient (+2)  
- You are attempting to cook a Fine meal (+2)
- You are attempting to cook an Exquisite meal (+4)

If you fail a Cooking Check, the ingredients or food you used is wasted.  Eating it restores 1d4 FS. 

Fine Food and Excellent Service:

There are four levels of quality a Meal can fit into: Poor, Basic, Fine and Exquisite.

Poor
Meals are not true meals at all, requiring no cooking.  If you scarf down a ration while on the road or while crouched around the last few embers of your campfire, that is a Poor meal.  Poor Meals heal 1d6+[your level] FS.

Basic Meals require a minimum of 2 ingredients and cooking.  They take a minimum of 1 hour to prepare or the length of a Short Rest.  Basic Meals heal 1d8+[your level] FS.

Fine Meals require a minimum of 4 ingredients and cooking.  One of these ingredients must be rare, fresh or magical.  Fine Meals require at least 2 hours to prepare.  A Fine Meal restores 1d10+[your level].

Exquisite Meals require a minimum of 10 ingredients.  Half of these ingredients must be rare, fresh or magical.  Exquisite Meals require 1d4+2 hours to prepare.  An Exquisite Meal restores 1d12+[your level] FS. 

Note that leftovers from meals do not provide the same benefits and count as normal rations or a Poor Meal.  

Butchering:

If you kill a creature and butcher it, preparing the meat, you can divide it into a number of portions.  Each portion is equivalent to a Ration.

At minimum, a creature needs at least 1 Ration or an equivalent amount of food to maintain its' body.  If it doesn't receive this much food it starts to take STR damage as its' body starts to break down muscle to feed itself.

A butchered corpse provides a number of Rations equal to 2 + HD.  So a 1 HD Deer will give you 3 Rations, a 6 HD Buffalo will give you 8 Rations and a 8 HD Elephant will give you 10.

Does this mean that a small party of adventurers could feed themselves by exclusively killing and eating towns-people, drifters and criminals?  Yes, it does.  However, it should be noted that eating your own species will turn you into a Ghoul and eating the flesh of creatures not belonging to your own race will turn you into a Wendigo.  It's also extremely taboo, for the above reason as well as others.

                                                    from Food Wars! The Second Plate