Spes Magna Games

Are you unfamiliar with the work of Darren M. A. Calvert? If so, you owe it to yourself to reverse that sad situation. Today’s creature is inspired by Darren’s Shaolin frog picture, featured with his kind permission to the right of these words.

For Swords & Wizardry:

Qing Wa (Kung Frogman)
Hit Dice: 1+1
Armor Class: 8 [11]
Attacks: By weapon (1d6) or kick (1d6)
Saving Throw: 17
Special: camouflage, flurry, flying kick
Move: 12, 9 (swimming)
Alignment: Lawful
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30

Native to the swampy jungles of Kung, the qing wa, or Kung frogmen as they are sometimes called, are a race of philosophical humanoid amphibians. Slight of build, about three-quarters the size of humans, qing wa are admirably adapted to life in their hidden temple-city and jungle environs. Qing wa are excellent climbers, quick swimmers, and are so well camouflaged due to natural coloration and skill that they are practically invisible when motionless. An integral part of qing wa culture is intense philosophical speculation combined with martial arts training. A qing wa can perform a flurry with any weapon, attacking several times in a single round. This is treated as a single attack roll with a -2 penalty that inflicts an additional 1d6 points of damage with a successful hit. A qing wa can also make a flying kick with a -2 attack roll penalty against a target up to 20 feet away. A successful flying kick inflicts 2d6+2 points of damage.

Rumor has it that rarely a qing wa strays from the path of enlightenment and embraces Chaos. These dark masters are reputed to have terrifying supernatural powers. Regarding the truth of these rumors, the qing wa themselves remain politely silent.

Tags: Darren M. A. Calvert, monsters, Swords & Wizardry

The House
No family in the region had a worse reputation than the Stadgaar clan. The list of deeds attributed to members of the clan reads like a catalog of infamy: murder, treachery, torture, extortion, demon worship, et cetera. When at long last the family line declined and vanished with the death of the dowager Grenda Stadgaar more than a decade ago, the family mansion fell into disuse and disrepair.

Locals give the Stadgaar lands and ancestral home wide berth nowadays. Eventually, they say, the wilderness, time, and the elements will blot out the evil stain left on the land by the Stadgaars. Until then, foul spirits haunt the mansion, and only the foolish or the wicked would trespass on the estate.

The Things in the House
Yes, the Stadgaars were a wicked clan, but their wickedness had nothing to do with demon worship, murder, or torture. Theirs was a more common sort of wickedness: greed, emotional cruelty, dishonest business dealings, et cetera. Rumors of infernal activities started among the locals as malicious gossip, and the Stadgaars did little to discourage such rumors. Some family scions reveled in the dread they saw in people’s eyes. Over time, what started as gossip took on a life of its own, becoming part of the oral history of the region.

The decaying mansion and surrounding woods are not haunted either. Rather a family of fayeryes have moved onto the estate. Fayeryes are a type of woodland faerie with a fondness for places abandoned by humans and halflings. Secretive and territorial, fayeryes use their magical powers to discourage intruders. If that doesn’t work, they hide and wait for the intruders to leave. Fayeryes avoid violence unless attacked or their youngs’ nurseries are threatened. In the latter case, fayeryes become especially fearsome.

For Swords & Wizardry:

Fayerye
Hit Dice: 1
Armor Class: 7 [12]
Attacks: Bite (1d3)
Saving Throw: 17
Special: magical abilities, stealth
Move: 18
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

Fayeryes appear to be a cross between a long-tailed monkey and a wild cat. It would be easy to mistake a fayerye for a beast of the forest but for their large, intelligent eyes and expressive faces. Once per day each, a fayerye can “cast” darkness 15′ radius, hold portal, sleep, and mirror image. At will, a fayerye can “cast” phantasmal force. Fayeryes are stealthy and fast. They can hide in shadows and move silently (85% both). They infallibly climb walls and vegetation. When defending their young and/or a nursery, fayeryes can “cast” monster summoning I once per day. These summoned monsters fight with a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Tags: monsters, places of power, Swords & Wizardry

I felt like writing up a quick pantheon, so I turned to Chaotic Shiny’s pantheon generator. I sought out new deities a few times, cutting and pasting the names and spheres of influence I thought most interesting until I had 12 gods and goddesses that I could divide into three groups. One Lawful, one of Neutrality, the other of Chaos. Then I added brief descriptions. Here’s the results:

The Lords of Law
Renceth, the God of Prophecy, Friendship, and Keys. Renceth knows the future, but he does not freely share that knowledge. Instead, he puts into the paths of his faithful the people and the resources necessary to open the doors that will be encountered. Those who ignore Renceth’s gifts find their paths full of obstacles whereas the observant find their paths full of opportunities.

Taiath, the God of the Underworld. Taiath judges the souls of the dead on the Balance. Those who tip the scales toward Lawful are rewarded with the ineffable joys of the heavenly realms. Those who tip the scales toward Chaos are plunged into the terrors of the hells. Those who do not tip the scales at all wander the purgatorial fields in between.

Veshah, the Goddess of Good, Archery, and Music. Veshah represents the good things in life. She defends her commmunity with her bow and arrows, and she enriches the spirit with her music. Complex exhibitions of orchestral archery are part of Veshah’s high rites.

Zazic, the Goddess of Knowledge. Zazic collects and collates everything that can be known. She reveals the patterns within disciplines and the relationships between fields of knowledge.

The Watchers
Alousavn, the God of Inspiration. Alousavn grants flashes of insight and motivation to achieve. He is favored by poets, musicians, artisans, inventors, and those in need of hope.

Droainon, the Goddess of Water and Sorrow. Droainon causes rivers to flow, tides to rise and fall, and rain to fall. She also helps her faithful give testimony to their sorrow through the cleansing wash of their tears. She represents both that which is necessary for life and the pain that life inevitably entails.

Kulloe, the God of Magic. Kulloe taught the first magic-users the secrets of wizardry, and to this day he watches those who delve into such secrets. He seldom interferes with how those secrets are used unless a magic-user brings shame upon the arcane arts.

Tourr, the Goddess of Abundance and Fate. Tourr chooses who prospers and who doesn’t. She rewards her faithful as she sees fit. It is the faithful one’s task to grapple with and to accept the consequences of Tourr’s decisions.

The Havoc
Cro, the God of Truth, Chaos, and Opposites. Cro always speaks the truth. Cro always lies. Cro stands firm against what is evil. Cro revels in evil, his hands stained with innocent blood. Cro is all things, and all things are Cro.

Moannah, the Goddess of Desire. Moannah gently kindles the embers of desire, nurturing the warmth of wanting. She adds fuel to the fire, stoking it with jealousy, greed, and obsession. She turns desire into an all-consuming fire.

Seskoe, the Goddess of Winter, Witches, and Creation. Seskoe turns water to ice, rain to snow, and sorrow to callousness. She is served by witches who seek to swallow life’s warmth. At the same time, Seskoe represents creation, but devoid of the light of inspiration. She creates without originality or love for her creations.

Tronsos, the God of Thieves and Beauty. Tronsos doesn’t reward his faithful. Instead, his faithful take their rewards from those unable to keep them from being taken. Of all rewards, beauty is the most prized, and beauty must be possessed and hidden away, safe from covetous eyes.

Tags: fantasy pantheon, Swords & Wizardry

Okay, I admit it. I love Grace Jones. Well, not her personally. We’ve never met, although I have seen her once in concert in a nightclub in Oaha, Hawaii. But I do love her music, her voice, and I find her various presentations of herself fascinating. How I could not turn Grace Jones into a demonic servitor of the god of deceit?

For Swords & Wizardry:

Masked Diva
Hit Dice: 8+16
Armor Class: 8 [11] (due to DEX)
Attacks: by weapon (1d8)
Saving Throw: 8+
Special: 18 DEX, backstab x3, immune to deception, half damage from non-magic weapons, magic resistance (50%), magical abilities, thieving skills
Move: 15
Alignment: Chaotic
Challenge Level/XP: 12/2,000

A masked diva is type of demon that serves Li, god of deceit. Infrequently, one is sent to bedevil and assist Li’s faithful. She may also be sent to destroy those who offend Li. A masked diva possesses incredible dexterity. She can backstab as an 8th-level thief, and has the thieving abilities of the same, but with a +20% bonus to hide in shadows and move silently (75% and 80%, respectively). It is impossible to deceive a masked diva. She always sees through disguises (including magical ones), detects illusions for what they are, and cannot be fooled by even the most clever of lies. A masked diva sings and dances with great skill. Her songs have magical properties as well. A masked diva can “cast” charm monster, confusion, fear, or suggestion at will through the power of her song. The songs are so potent that saving throws against their effects are made with a -2 penalty.

Tags: Grace Jones, monsters, Swords & Wizardry

For Swords & Wizardry:

Sleeping Knight
Hit Dice: 9+9
Armor Class: 2 [17] (platemail & shield)
Attacks: longsword (1d8+2)
Saving Throw: 6+
Special: 17 Strength, multiple attacks, parry enemy attacks, sleep eternally
Move: 12
Alignment: Lawful or Chaotic
Challenge Level/XP: 10/1,400

A sleeping knight is an enchanted warrior who rests in eternal slumber as a guardian over some place, be it a kingdom, a mountain pass, a tomb, et cetera. While the nature of guarded site varies, it is always home to dozens if not scores of ravens. When the sleeping knight’s site is threatened, the ravens die, and the knight awakens to confront the menace. A sleeping knight is treated as a 9th-level fighter with a 17 Strength. He gains multiple attacks against creatures of 1 HD or less, and he can parry enemy attacks. A sleeping knight does not age, breathe, or require food or water while he slumbers, and there seems to be no limit to how long his sleep may last. Sleeping knights are not undead creatures.

Tags: monsters, Swords & Wizardry