Spes Magna Games

I think Shadowdark is my new favorite game. I’m running it for a group of middle school students during our lunch/recess hour. So far, everyone says they’re having fun.

I’m also enjoying Fernando Salvaterra’s wonderful artwork. This time, I offer up two of his kobolds as monstrous NPCs. As always, I’ve used these pic with permission, and you should consider supporting Fernando via his Patreon.

Dalto the Daring

Gleaming armor and flashing blade! Dalto the Daring darts and jabs, barking strange quips in his native tongue.

AC 16 (chainmail), HP 17, ATK 1 Sharpsteel +6 (1d6+3), MV near, S +0, D +3, C +1, I +0, W -1, Ch +1, AL C, LV 3

Acrobatic Flourish. Move up to near and make a DC 12 Dexterity check.

• Success = Advantage on next melee attack this round
• Critical success = As success and +2 AC for one round
• Critical failure = Melee attacks against Dalto have advantage for one round

Dalto’s Sharpsteel. This +1 shortsword has the finesse quality. Dalto has weapon mastery with this blade.

Dodge. 1/day, an attack that would hit misses instead.

Moldo of the Evil Doll’s Head

Sinister and sibilant! Moldo commands dark magic and wields a hell-crafted staff to which he often speaks. When he listens, does he hear the doll’s head’s evil words?

AC 13 (leather), HP 18, ATK 1 +1 staff +4 (1d4) or 1 spell +3, MV near, S -1, D +2, C +0, I +1, W +1, Ch +3, AL C, LV 4

Dodge. 1/day, an attack that would hit misses instead.

Scorpion Sting (CHA Spell). DC 11. Near range, one target. 1d6 damage and target has disadvantage on next attack roll or check.

Sinister Distractions (CHA Spell). DC 13. Near range, one target. For 1d10 minutes, the target hears eerie noises and glimpses disturbing shapes that impose disadvantage on checks related to concentration and perception. A target with keen senses (e.g., a goblin) can be surprised normally while the spell is in effect. A successful Wisdom check by the target reduces the duration to 1d10 rounds.

Spider Swarm (CHA Spell). DC 12. A spider swarm appears within near. Stays 1d4 rounds. Follows sorcerer’s commands.

Staff of the Evil Doll’s Head. This +1 staff that enables a spellcaster to cast illusion (DC 13 Intelligence check). Moldo cannot use this ability; he doesn’t even know about it. On a critical failure with illusion, the staff summons a barbed devil that attempts to slay the staff’s user and then disappear with the staff.

Tags: monsters, Shadowdark

The wonderful sword illustrations below are by Fernando Salvaterra, and I’ve used them with permission. If you’re looking for a great artist to support via Patreon, check Fernando out here.

Moon Sword. This +1 shortsword sheds light out-of-doors depending on the phase of the Moon: new (no light), crescent (5-ft. radius), quarter (10-ft. radius), gibbous (15-ft. radius), full (20-ft. radius). A shapeshifter wounded by the Moon Sword must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or revert to its natural form and stay in that form until the next moonrise.

Sword of Stars. The bearer of this +2 shortsword cannot become lost when traveling under the night sky. A Lawful bearer can cast with a successful DC 15 Wisdom check the spell Prophecy once per week (assuming the bearer completes penance after each casting).

Sun Sword. Damage from this +3 shortsword counts as fire damage against creatures with special vulnerabilities to fire (e.g., mummies and trolls). Also, these creatures as well as creatures that hate sunlight have disadvantage on their attacks against the wielder of the Sun Sword. Once per day upon command, the Sun Sword glows as if affected by a Light spell.

Tags: magic items, Shadowdark

Cleaning up old files on my computer, I found a folder full of stock art gathering virtual dust, and so I moved the folder to a more visible part of my desktop to remind me not to pay for things that get lost. The illustrations for the two monsters below come from Creeper Classics 1. The art in this post (and copyrights for the art) belong to J.M. Woiak and Heather Shinn of the STINKYGOBLIN.

Enjoy two more monsters for Shadowdark.

Eyebeast, Drooling

The drooling eyebeast (the least eyebeast) is an undulating sphere the size of a human head. Wart-like growths cover its moist flesh. From its top grow four flexible stalks, each ending in an eye. It has a large central eye above a wide, drooling maw. Numerous fangs grow from the upper jaw.

AC 12, HP 9, ATK 1 bite +2 (1d4 + attach) and 1 eyebeam (far) +4 (1d8), MV near (fly), S +0, D +2, C +0, I -1, W +2, Ch -1, AL C, LV 2

Alert. Cannot be surprised by visible creatures.

Attach. Attach to target; bite auto-hits next round. DC 14 STR on turn to tear off.

Eyebeam. Roll 1d4 to determine type of energy: 1 = heat, 2 = cold, 3 = electricity, 4 = necrotic.

Ooze, Salt

A mound of light grey slurry, wet and gritty. Malicious and among the weakest of creatures from the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Salt.

AC 13, HP 16, ATK 2 slams (1d6), MV near (swim), S +2, D +1, C +1, I -3, W +1, Ch -3, AL C, LV 3

Dessicating Aura. Flesh-and-blood creatures within close suffer 1 point of damage at the start of turn.

Impervious. Only damaged by magical sources. Immune to cold.

Tags: monsters, Shadowdark

The wonderful illustration above is by Fernando Salvaterra, and it is used with permission. If you’re looking for a great artist to support via Patreon, check him out here.

Cockatrice, Greater

A molting, lizard-chicken hybrid with a crimson, razorlike crest and a tail that is the body and head of a venomous serpent.

AC 12, HP 18, ATK 1 bite +4 (1d4 + petrify) and 1 bite +4 (1 + poison), MV near (fly), S -2, D +2, C +1, I -3, W +1, Ch -3, AL N, LV 4

Petrify. DC 12 CON or petrified.

Poison. DC 18 CON or go to 0 HP with a death timer of 1.

Tags: monsters, Shadowdark

Years ago, I briefly ran a version of Clio, Muse of History, in a superhero game. Here’s a redo of her for TSR’s classic Marvel Super Heroes. I took as my starting point the Olympians from the Judge’s Book and then modified as mythologically appropriate.

Background

Real Name: Clio
Occupation: Historian
Legal Status: Citizen of Olympus
Identity: Publicly known, but she is not widely believed to be the Muse Clio
Place of Birth: Olympus
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Zeus (father); Mnemosyne (mother); Calliope, Polyhymnia, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Erato, Melpomene, Thalia, and Urania (sisters); Hyacinth (son, deceased); Hymenaeus (son); Rhesus (son, deceased)
Base of Operations: Mobile
Past Group Affiliations: Gods of Olympus
Present Group Affiliation: None

Statistics

Fighting Good (10)
Agility Excellent (20)
Strength Incredible (40)
Endurance Amazing (50)
Reason Good (10)
Intuition Excellent (20)
Psyche Incredible (40)

Health 120
Karma 70
Resources Excellent (20)
Popularity 20

Known Powers

Body Armor: Clio’s Olympian physique grants her Good (10) protection against physical attacks.

Deific Transformations: Like most Olympians, Clio can change her appearance, form, and size. This ability permits Animal Transformation – Self, Growth, Imitation, Invisibility, and Shape-Shifting at Incredible (40) ranks.

Dimension Travel: Clio can travel between Olympus and Earth with Incredible (40) ability.

Goddess: Clio is an Olympian goddess. She has the Immortality power. Clio also has Class 1000 resistance to aging and disease.

Postcognition: Clio has Monstrous (75) precognition.

Ultimate Skill – History: Clio has Unearthly (100) knowledge of history.

Other Information

Equipment: Clio often carries a lyre.

Talents: Clio has the Performer talent. She is fluent and literate in all ancient and contemporary Mediterranean languages as well as English.

Contacts: Clio has contacts among the Olympians.

Tags: Marvel Super Heroes, superhero games