Spes Magna Games

Yes, you too can now partake vicariously of the Chance Family experience and get some free game crunch at the same time. Download your own PDF copy of A Gamer Goes on Vacation today. This 9-page PDF offers such excellent features as:

* A day-by-day narrative of my recent family vacation to East Texas.

* Informative links to Interweb sites related to what we saw and did in East Texas.

* Full color photography.

* Crunch for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, including two new traits, a new magic item, a new haunt, a new simple template, and a new extraordinary ability for tigers.

This PDF was originally written (sans pictures and links) for Game Geek 19, now available for free at this link.

Tags: Game Geek, Summer Vacation

Many years ago, TSR put out a module in which a powerful curse transforms the PCs into doddering, aged coots. Great fun. The curse of the chibi is a variation on this idea. The undead bane poison is a retooling of some work I did for Fantasy Flight Games’s Traps & Treachery back in 2001. Also, because things aren’t scary enough, let’s add some contagious cancer to the natural world. Inspiration: Contagious cancer: The evolution of a killer by David Quammen.

Curse of the Chibi
Type curse; Save Will DC 17
Effect transform into adolescent

Description This ancient, rare curse transforms the target from an adult into an adolescent of its race. Apply a Size decrease of one category, reduce natural armor by -2 (minimum +0), and reduce both Strength and Constitution by -4. Damage dice are reduced due to the size decrease when applicable as well. The curse is negated by remove curse or break enchantment (DC 17).

Undead Bane
Type poison, injury; Save Will DC 15
Frequency 1/round for 3 rounds
Effect 1d4 Cha damage; Cure 1 save
Cost per Dose 120 gp

Description The undead are immune to poison with the sole known exception of undead bane. This thick liquid is distilled from holy water and the ashes of a saint or good-aligned outsider.

Devil Tumor
Type disease, contact or injury; Save Fortitude DC 15
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1 Con damage plus target is sickened; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Description Devil tumor is a type of contagious cancer. It attacks the skin and superficial muscles, those muscles which occupy the layer closest to the body’s surface. This results in painful lesions, swelling, and secondary infections.

Got more done than anticipated. The revised Latina Facta & Versatile Performance Redux is now available at Paizo.com and DriveThruRPG. Revision I of this 14-page, printer-friendly PDF contains great game crunch:

* 15 feats inspired by Latin sayings. Stare down foes with Caro Putridas Es! or inspire your allies with Morituri Te Salutamus.

* 18 bardic arts divided into acting, music, and dancing categories. Boost an allied bard’s abilities with Chorus, get into character with Affective Memory, or stun an enemy with your Snake Arms.

* 7 new bard spells, one for each level 0 through 6. Bamboozle enemies with deceptive cadence and turn an ally into a whirlwind of pain via fouetté en tournant.

And all of these bombastic bard bonuses are still only $0.99.

I was surfing Interwaves recently and came across a couple of lengthy blogposts about some of the stupider monsters that have popped up in various versions of the world’s most popular roleplaying game. Some the stupidest have been monsters that combine normal animals. Since I don’t want to be left out of the stupid combo-animal carnival, I humbly submit the catbirdopus, which combines a domestic cat, a hawk, and an octopus.

Catbirdopus
CR 1/2; XP 200
N Small animal (aquatic)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5

DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 9 (2d8)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +1
Defensive Abilities ink cloud

OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (average), swim 15 ft., jet 100 ft.
Melee 2 talons +5 (1d3-2), bite +5 (1d3-2 plus poison), tentacles +3 (grab)
Special Attacks poison (Fort 11)

STATISTICS
Str 7, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +1; CMB -2; CMD +1 (cannot be tripped)
Feats Multiattack (B), Weapon Finesse
Skills Climb +5, Escape Artist +8, Fly +12, Perception +5, Stealth +13; Racial Modifiers +2 Climb, +5 Escape Artist, +4 Perception, +6 Stealth

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Ink Cloud (Ex): A catbirdopus can emit a 10-foot-radius sphere of ink once per minute as a free action. The ink provides total concealment in water, and persists for 1 minute.

Jet (Ex): A catbirdopus can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 100 feet. It must move in a straight line while jetting, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity when it does so.

Poison (Ex): Bite – injury; save Fort DC 11; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Str; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY
Environment temperate and hot water
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

Catbirdopus Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Small; AC +1 natural armor; Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (average), swim 15 ft., jet 100 ft.; Attack 2 talons +5 (1d3-2), bite +5 (1d3), tentacles +3 (grab); Ability Scores Str 7, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6; Special Qualities jet, low-light vision, ink cloud, scent.

4th-Level Advancement: Attack bite (1d3 plus poison [frequency 1 round (6), effect 1 Str damage, cure 1 save, Con-based DC]); Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Attacks poison.

Tags: Pathfinder monsters

The 2011 One-Page Dungeon Contest is over. My The Lure of the Jade Throne didn’t win, but lots of better submissions did. You can check out the results by clicking this sentence.

With every one my Quid Novi? e-letters, I include some recommended reading from various places on the Interwebz. Here’s a round-up of several of recently recommended reading links.

For Awesome Campaigns Build A Player Campaign Book by Kit Reshawn

Ever noticed how what takes six months of real time to game might cover only a day or two of campaign time? I have, and the gap between real time and campaign time can make remembering important details difficult. Kit Reshawn offers some good advice about how to better organize campaign notes so that important details don’t get lost over real time.

New Stuff from Chaotic Shiny Productions

Need to brainstorm elements for some stage magic? Well, who doesn’t? The link above randomly generates elements for stage magic. For example, “This trick requires four tiny saws, one exotic coin, one large mirror and one small snake. It is often performed at bars.” Chaotic Shiny is also working on a “City Builder Generator Pack”. You can check out a sample of what it can do by clicking on this link.

How To Have An Epic Campaign In Three Acts by Patrick Benson
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Patrick Benson posts parts one and two of three articles that look at epic campaigning. In part one, he discusses defining “epic” for your group and establishing the campaign’s heroes, villains, and threat. Part two goes into more detail about your epic campaign’s set up. Part three of the series looks at how one wraps up your epic campaign with a legendary bang.

A Dyson Mapping 1-2-3 “Tutorial” by Dyson Logos

Old School cartographer offers a step-by-step look at how to create one of his great cross-section dungeon maps.

Weem’s DM Tips for RP Prompting and Immersion

This interesting thread is full of tips ranging from inspiring to silly about how to improve the roleplaying qualities of your game.

A Pathfinder Spell Card Generator! by Jefferson Jay Thacker

Tired of looking through books for spells? Like to have things printed on cards? Well, then check out this site. With a few clicks here and there, you can generate a page of spell cards for your favorite caster. Includes spells from the core rules, APG, and various Player’s Companions, adventure paths, and campaign setting guides. Good stuff!

Growing Up Gamers

This is a family blog, written by members of a gamer family for other gamers. It includes thoughts on gaming, reviews of games, and accounts of gaming with children. Makes me want to play more games with my family.

Driftwood: Hard and Soft Scenes by Walt Ciechanowski

Gnomestewer Walt Ciechanowski talks about the differences between vital (or hard) and nonvital (or soft) scenes in adventure design. He offers some thoughtful advice about how to incorporate both in your game.

Bringing Some Old-School Principles Into Pathfinder by Aplus

I’ve recommended this blog before. This time around the link leads to a post about how to take Pathfinder and use it for an old-school, sandbox campaign. The author makes good use of Pathfinder setting material blended with Old School Revival material for other publishers. Inspiring.

It’s a Kind of Magic by Alzrius

Alzrius talks about the science of magic, and how the way you explain the mechanics of magic can enrich your campaign world. Reminds me of the time I was inspired by Shankara’s Crest Jewel of Discrimination to explain how monster summoning spells worked.

Tags: One-Page Dungeon