Spes Magna Games

As promised last Savage Wednesday, here’s the link to the work-in-progress The Kids’ Game campaign setting for the Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer’s Edition game that starts this coming Saturday.

Now that you’ve read over the document, you can see the heavy borrowing from Torg by West End Games. I played Torg quite a bit while stationed in Hawaii. I was publised in two of their monster books and even got to rep WEG at a gaming convention in Honolulu. Good times.

Two key concepts from Torg are that there are alternative realities ruled by malevolent powers and that the heroes can bend the rules of reality. I’m keeping both of these concepts for The Kids’ Game, albeit in altered forms.

Speaking of those Torg monster books, they were Creatures of Aysle and Creatures of Orrorsh. One my contributions were the shadow dogs, the idea for which I took from a Grant Morrison Doom Patrol comic book.

A shadow dog is an Aylish creature which resembles a canine to some extent, but is in truth a magical creature gifted with the ability to track virtually anything with uncanny success. The shadow dog’s head is a flat wedge split by a great, drooling mouth filled with long, needle-sharp teeth. It has no eyes or ears, and relies solely on its enhanced sense of smell and its sorcerous talents. The lean, hard flesh of the shadow dog is covered with short, wiry black hairs that serve as olfactory receptors. Its large paws sport thick, curved talons.

Shadow Dog

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Notice d10, Stealth d6, Tracking d10
Pace: 8″
Parry: 5
Toughness: 4
Special Abilities:

Bite: STR + d4.

Detect: The shadow dog detects the “scent” of its quarry’s aura in a 100 yard radius with a Notice or Tracking roll.

Fleet-Footed: Roll a d10 when running instead of a d6.

Senses: A shadow dog is blind and deaf. Its sense of smell is supernatural, removing trait roll penalties for physical action. The shadow dog’s sense of smell functions out to 12″ under normal conditions.

Size -1

Tags: monsters, Savage Wednesday, Savage Worlds, The Kids' Game

This week’s Tuesday Terror comes from the AD&D Monstrous Compendium Annual: Volume Two, published in 1995.

Also called deep men or dark men, amiq rasol are vengeful undead spawned from pirates who were lost at sea, murdered, or marooned. These creatures haunt coasts and islands, preying upon the living. Amiq rasol appear much as they did in life, albeit perhaps paler with shabbier clothing. When seen through magic (such as true seeing) or when they attack, the amiq rasol’s true appearance reveals itself: that of a corpse whose eyes glow with hellish green fire and whose nails and teeth have become bestial.

Amiq Rasol
Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 58 (9d8+18)
Speed 45 ft., swim 25 ft.

STR 13 (+1), DEX 14 (+2), CON 15 (+2), INT 12 (+1), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 12 (+1)

Saving Throws DEX +4, WIS +3
Skills Deception +3, Perception +3, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold
Condition Immunities charmed, paralyzed
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

False Appearance. Unless seen via appropriate magic (such as true seeing) or when it attacks, the amiq rasol appears to be a living creature.

Actions

Multiattack. The amiq rasol makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. Against a creature that is grappled, incapacitated, or restrained, the bite inflicts an extra 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the amiq rasol regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the amiq rasol can grapple the target (escape DC 13).

Charm (3/Day). The amiq rasol targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the amiq rasol, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the amiq rasol. The charmed target regards the amiq rasol as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under the amiq rasol’s control, it takes the amiq rasol’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the amiq rasol’s bite attack.

Each time the amiq rasol or the amiq rasol’s companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the amiq rasol is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters, Tuesday Terror

This Sunday, the AD&D game continues as the characters — all squires serving Lady Mirelyn — continue to investigate sinister and secretive skullduggery in Saltmarsh’s allegedly haunted house. So far, the squires have found little evidence of haunting, but they have found evidence of murder in the form of a rot grub bloated corpse in the house’s basement.

Last Thursday, I presented AD&D versions of two creatures from the 1981 printing of TSR’s Gamma World. I’m a little more pressed for time this week, so here’s one more mutant monster reimagined.

Fen
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 4-40
Armor Class: 7
Move: 6″//12″
Hit Dice: 2+1
% in Lair: 30%
Treasure Type: D
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-6/by weapon
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low to average
Alignment: Neutral (evil)
Size: M
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: III/65 + 3/hp (Assistant or guard: III/110 + 4/hp. Leader: IV/170 + 5/hp. Chief: V/300 + 6/hp. Shaman: III/135 + 4/hp.)

Climate/Terrain: Coastal waters and swamps/tropical to temperate
Organization: Tribal
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Omnivore
Morale: Elite (14)

Fens are intelligent, man-sized humanoid fish. On land, they walk on stubby fins that double as legs. Fens have both lungs and gills, and they may remain out of water for as long as 24 hours without suffering any ill effects. Due to their translucent skin, fens blend into their environs when underwater so as to become invisible (requiring the ability to see invisible objects to locate them) as long as they are not attacking.

Fens are immune to electricity, and they take half damage from fire-based attacks. They make saving throws against light-based attacks with a +2 bonus. Fens fight with weapons, especially stabbing weapons and nets. They also use their tails to club their enemies. Once per day, a fen can polymorph into a large bird (treat as a giant eagle, but the fen’s hit points do not change). A fen can maintain its bird form for up to 1 turn.

For every 10 fens encountered, there will be a leader with armor class 5, 19 hit points, and 4+1 hit dice and four assistants with with armor class 6, 14 hit points, and 3+1 hit dice. If more than 24 are encountered, there will be in addition a chief with armor class 4, 22 hit points, and 5+1 hit dice and 12 guards with armor class 5, 12-14 hit points, and 3+1 hit dice. For every 10 fens encountered, there is a 50% chance for a shaman with 3+1 hit dice and the spell ability of a 3rd-level cleric.

The lair of these creatures is usually underwater in caves. Fens rarely build crude villages on the coast or on a hillock in a swamp. A fen lair will be protected by 2-8 giant electric eels (if underwater) or 2-5 crocodiles (if built on land). Female fens are nearly indistinguishable from males, and usually stay in the lair, where they guard hatcheries and train the tribe’s animals. Females and young typically number 85% and 125% the total number of males.

Fens are omnivorous, but they are likely to prefer human flesh to other meats.

Tags: AD&D, Gamma World, Mirelyn's Skyrealm, monsters, ThursdAD&D

So, my Saturday gaming group brought to a close our foray into 5E D&D. While discussing what to play next, the consensus developed that we would play Savage Worlds and that I would be the GM. So, I bought Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer’s Edition (because it was cheap and two other players own it as well) and cobbled together a campaign hook. Here’s the gist of it:

A group of kids: all from the same school, all in the same trouble for doing something stupid, all punished by having to help Old Man Sutherland clean out his attic. The kids find a manuscript that Old Man Sutherland says is a “role-playing game”, a new type of game he created years ago. He helps the kids make up characters. With the first roll of strange dice, the lights go out inside and come on outside, glaring through the windows. Old Man Sutherland shoves the manuscript and the dice into the kids’ hands.

As the front door bursts open, Old Man Sutherland utters his last words to the kids, “Protect the book! Use the dice! Run!”

I’m putting together a player’s guide that explains the modified character creation rules, the amended lists for skills and edges and what not, and talks a bit about setting rules. It’s still a work-in-progress, but I’ll post a link to the most current draft next Wednesday.

In The Kids’ Game campaign, everyone runs a kid between the ages of 10 to 14, all of whom attend the same school. Their world is very much like our world, but with one seemingly minor difference: There is no such thing as a roleplaying game in their universe. Very quickly during the first session (scheduled for 2 February), the kids will rush from point A to point B, but point B doesn’t exist in their universe and, when they arrive, they’re not the same as they were. The kids change to forms with abilities suitable for whatever universe they find themselves in.

No matter which universe, however, the kids face danger and intrigue. Creatures of Hostile Intent want the book and the dice. Not only is Mr. Sutherland’s manuscript the only roleplaying game in existence where the kids come from, but the book and dice hold Amazing Secrets that must not fall into the Wrong Hands.

Here’s a sample kid made up with my modified character creation rules:

Billy Moore

Small, scrappy, not too bright, and with poor personal hygiene skills. Billy is possessed to skate, as announced by his Suicidal Tendencies T-shirts that get worn too many times between washings.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Skateboarding d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d4
Charisma: -1
Pace: 6″
Parry: 4
Toughness: 4
Hindrances: Habit (bad hygiene), Hard of Hearing (-2 to notice sounds), Small (-1 Toughness, -1 Fighting and Strength rolls)
Edges: Luck, Quick

Tags: Savage Wednesday, Savage Worlds, The Kids' Game

This week’s Tuesday Terror can be viewed at this link. It think that site is the sculptor’s, who goes by the pseudonym steambastet. Below is what I think the creature in the picture could be as a D&D monster.

Despite its appearance, the sveppadýr is not undead, but instead is a plant creature, an amalgam of roots, fungus, bone, and vines that occurs in spontaneous response to the wanton slaughter of wildlife. It stalks poachers, despoilers, and hunters alike.

Sveppadýr
Huge plant, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d12+36)
Speed 60 ft.

STR 21 (+5), DEX 14 (+2), CON 16 (+3), INT 5 (-3), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 8 (-1)

Skills Perception +6, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning
Damage Immunities lightning; piercing and slashing from attacks made by plants or with wooden weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion
Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 16
Languages understands Common, Elvish, and Sylvan but can’t speak them
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Charge. If the sveppadýr moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the sveppadýr can make one hooves attack against it as a bonus action.

Hunter Becomes the Prey. The sveppadýr knows the distance to and direction of any creature that has killed a beast, fey, or plant within the past 24 hours, so long as the sveppadýr and the killer are no more than 5 miles apart.

Magic Resistance. The sveppadýr has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. The sveppadýr always makes its saving throws against spells and other magical effects that use plants (such as entangle).

Regeneration. As long as the sveppadýr is touching the ground, it regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn. If the sveppadýr takes cold or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the sveppadýr’s next turn. The sveppadýr’s body is destroyed is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regeneration.

Rejuvenation. When the sveppadýr’s body is destroyed, its spirit lingers. After 24 hours, the spirit grows a new body within 1 mile of the old body’s place of demise. The sveppadýr regains all its hit points. While the spirit is bodiless, a banishment spell (or similar magic) can be used to destroy the spirit and prevent its rejuvenation.

Woodland Camouflage. The sveppadýr has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in forested terrain.

Actions

Multiattack. The sveppadýr makes two attacks: one with its ram and one with its hooves.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage.

Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10+5) bludgeoning damage.

Wall of Thorns (Recharges after Short or Long Rest). The sveppadýr creates a wall of tough, pliable, tangled brush bristling with needle-sharp thorns. The wall appears within 120 feet on a solid surface and lasts for 10 minutes. The sveppadýr chooses to make the wall either up to 60 feet long, 10 feet high, and 5 feet thick, or a circle that has a 20-foot diameter and is up to 20 feet high and 5 feet thick. The wall blocks line of sight, but not the sveppadýr’s blindsight.

When the wall appears, each creature within its area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 31 (7d8) piercing damage, or half as much damage on a successful save.

A creature can move through the wall. For every 1 foot a creature moves through the wall, it must spend 4 feet of movement. Furthermore, the first time a creature enters the wall on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. It takes 31 (7d8) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on successful one.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters, Tuesday Terror