Spes Magna Games

Well, there’s some semi-big news ’round about here. First, I started a The Four Color Hack campaign yesterday. It’s a small group, including one player who’s only in town every two months or so, but we had fun. Three of the four players had sat in on my very first playtest, back when the combat system said it emulated the fastly furious action of comic books, but failed miserably to do so. I’m happy to report that the terrible slog that was TFCH combat back then is a thing of the past. That’s not to say we didn’t hit some rough patches, and I did get some good feedback from players, but I think most if not all of the problems were due either to me not explaining things well or to the system being unfamiliar to the players.

Speaking of The Four Color Hack, I’ll almost certainly be uploading the necessary files to DriveThruRPG this week so that TFCH can go from PDF only to print-on-demand. I’m also trying to teach myself how to use Scribus well enough so that I can offer Demi-Human Adventurers for Swords & Wizardry White Box as another print-on-demand product. Huzzah.

But, wait, there’s more in the news department. Ludi Fabularum: Games of Stories, the 16-hour course I’ve developed, kicks off tomorrow with my first group. I’m using Skill Centric Role Play by David Holmes and Hero Kids by Hero Forge Games along with a student workbook of my own in order to teach skills related to writing, editing, teamwork, et cetera. Interest in both Ludi Fabularum and my services as a private tutor seem to be picking up.

Unfortunately, I’ve had more than one prospective client opt for not hiring me due to my fee. Tutoring isn’t a side job for me. I’m trying to build it into my primary source of income, which means meeting a minimum income. It bums me out having to tell a prospective client that I can’t afford to lower my fee below X. I mean, I love teaching, and I want to help, but at the end of the day I’ve got bills to pay just like everyone else.

To help, I’ve set up a GoFundMe to raise money for scholarships for Ludi Fabularum. I’m shooting for $2000, which is enough to offer about two dozen partial scholarships for students. You can read more about this fundraiser at this link.

And now to continue pillaging the AD&D Deities & Demigods for things to convert to D&D 5E. Today is the first of two posts that update material from the Celtic Mythos for use with D&D 5E.

Cauldron of Scrying
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement by a cleric with the Nature domain or a druid)

This iron pot (weight 10 lb.) functions only when filled with a gallon of fresh blood from a beast. For an hour after the cauldron of scrying is filled with blood, you can cast the scrying spell (save DC 17) while touching the cauldron. The cauldron of scrying acquires different properties if filled with different types of blood.

Cauldron of Mind Reading. If the cauldron is filled with a gallon of fresh blood from an aberration or monstrosity, you can use an action to cast the detect thoughts spell (save DC 17) while you are scrying with the cauldron of scrying, targeting creatures you can see within 30 feet of the spell’s sensor. You don’t need to concentrate on this detect thoughts to maintain it during the duration, but it ends if scrying ends.

Cauldron of Telepathy. If the cauldron is filled with a gallon of fresh blood from a giant or humanoid, you can communicate telepathically with creatures you can see within 30 feet of the spell’s sensor. You can use an action to cast the suggestion spell (save DC 17) through the sensor on one of those creatures. You don’t need to concentrate on this suggestion to maintain it during its duration, but it ends if scrying ends. Once used, the suggestion power of the cauldron of scrying cannot be used against until the next dawn.

Cauldron of True Seeing. If the cauldron is filled with a gallon of fresh blood from a fey, you have truesight with a radius of 120 feet centered on the spell’s sensor.

Tathlum
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

The tathlum is a weapon of war made from the severed head of a creature. The tathlum‘s creator coats the severed head with lime taken from the creature’s territory, doing so seven times and allowing each coat to dry before applying the next one. The tathlum is thrown like a thrown weapon with a range of 20/60. Against creatures of the same type as the creature from which the severed head was taken, the creature hit by the tathlum takes 12d6 necrotic damage and is blinded for 1 minute. A creature blinded by this spell attempts a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, it is no longer blinded. The tathlum functions once per day.

Torc of Protection
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

When you wear this neck ornament consisting of a band of twisted metal, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws. The torc of protection does not function if you wear metal armor or use a shield made of metal.

Torc of the Gods
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)

This magical device functions like a torc of protection. Additionally, you can cast both polymorph (Wisdom save DC 17) and shapechange once each per long rest while wearing the torc of the gods. The torc of the gods does not function if you wear metal armor or use a shield made of metal.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, magic items

Presenting the Snail Monster for both Mutant Future and the third edition of RuneQuest.

The dreaded snail monster is a monstrous mollusk, easily twice the size of an adult African elephant. It fleshy body is not especially resistant to harm (AC 7), but is covered with a viscous slime that acts as a Class 6 poison (6d6 damage but save for half). An attacker seeking to avoid contact with this toxic goo must either use a weapon or else attack the shell. The spiked shell (AC 3) lacks pain sensors, blood vessels, et cetera. Non-energy Attacks against the shell inflict only half damage. The shell is impervious to poison.

If provoked, the snail monster attacks twice per round, using some combination of its powerful bite, its blinding eye beams, or a project shellspike. The eye beams project out to 30 feet and blind for 1d4 rounds. A shellspike has a maximum range of 1,500 feet. Shellspikes regenerate with remarkable speed.

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 45′ (15′)
Armor Class: 7 (3 for shell)
Hit Dice: 12
Attacks: 2 (bite and/or eye beams and/or shellspike)
Damage: 2d8 (bite), blindness (eye beams), 1d12 (shellspike)
Save: L6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None
XP: 4,400

Mutations: Dermal Poison Slime (Class 6), Gigantism, Optic Emissions (bright eyes), Spiked Shell

———

STR 8D6+32 (60)
CON 4D6+20 (34)
SIZ 6D6+24 (45)
INT 5
POW 2D6+6 (13)
DEX 2D6+3 (10)
Move 2
Hit Points 53
Fatigue 94

Hit Location (d20/Armor/Hit Points) Left Eye Stalk (1-2/3/9), Right Eye Stalk (3-4/3/9), Head (5-7/3/9), Upper Body (8-10/3/14), Lower Body (11-13/3/18), Shell (14-20/8/22)

Weapon (SR/Attack%/Damage)
Bite (9/45%/2D8+5d6
Eye Beam (6/75%/blindness)
Shellspike (6/35%/1d8+3d6)

Notes The snail monster may fire its eye beams or a shellspike and bite in the same round, against one or two opponents. The attacks take place 3 strike ranks apart. Creatures hitting the snail monster with a natural weapon (such as a claw or fist) somewhere other than the shell take dose of POT 10 poison. A target hit by the snail monster’s eye beams is blinded for 1d4 rounds. A shellspike as has the same range as a heavy crossbow (55/300).

Skills Listen 35%, Scan 65%

———

In other news, there’s about a week left in the 25th Wedding Anniversary Spes Magna Games Sale.

In bigger news, I’m also, I hope, not much more than two or so weeks away from bringing The Four Color Hack to print-on-demand. I’m working on a final edit and adding some more content. I’m not sure how much the POD version will sell for, but it will include the PDF as part of the purchase, and I’m certainly planning to send out a discount code to people who’ve already purchased the PDF version. Stay tuned. The Four Color Hack will be the first POD Spes Magna Games publication ever.

Huzzah.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future, RuneQuest, TFCH

Did you know I’ve released another PDF? Well, you do now.

Get your copy of Demi-Human Adventurers today, and expand your Swords & Wizardry White Box fantasy game with four new character classes: the Dwarf, the Elf, the Gnome, and the Halfling. Each race-as-class option presents ten levels of demi-human adventuring to thrill and delight your fellow gamers.

Next, an update on the domestic front. The Powers That Be that oversee the homeschooling program hosted by my parish have approved my “Introduction to Story Games” course. In addition to teaching writing and editing skills, we’ll also game. I have both Skill Centric Role Play by David Holmes and Hero Kids by Hero Forge Games en route to the house.

Huzzah!

On the movie front, I’ve recently watched 1959’s soporific Invasion of the Animal People, starring Barbara Wilson, Robert Burton, and Stan Gester, and, once again, the voice of John Carradine. Bumpy headed aliens invade Lapland, unleashing a giant shaggy monster that doesn’t do much more than lumber about and growl. I’ve heard that Rymdinvasion i Lappland, the original Swedish version, is better. It certainly couldn’t be worse.

Presenting the Bumpy-Headed Alien and the Animal Person, the first for Mutant Future and the second for Swords & Wizardry White Box.

Bumpy-Headed Alien
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 8
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: weapon
Save: L6
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 1,070

Mutations: Ability Boost (WIL), Empathy, plus one other beneficial mutation

The bumpy-headed alien might not be an alien; it could be a Mutant Human. Regardless, it possesses impressive mental abilities (2d4+10 INT and 2d6+6 WIL). By focusing its mental energies, the bumpy-headed alien increases its willpower, making its empathic powers even more dangerous. The bumpy-headed alien often has access to technology combined with knowledge about how to use it.

Animal Person
Armor Class: 4 [15]
Hit Dice: 10
Attacks: Claw or Stomp (2d6)
Special: Immune to cold and piercing weapons
Move: 12
Save: 9
HDE/XP: 11/1,700

An animal person stands nearly 20 feet tall. Covered with long, shaggy fur, it walks on two blunt, elephantine feet. In combat, it attacks with its powerful claws or else stomps on its victim. An animal person is impervious to cold, and it cannot be harmed by piercing weapons such as arrows or spears.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future, Swords & Wizardry, WhiteBox Adventures

All Spes Magna Games products are still on-sale this month for at least 25% off their regular prices so that I can help you help me celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary. Huzzah!

But I digress.

Earlier this week, I pulled my AD&D Deities & Demigods off the shelf. What a great book, but also a strange book. Much ink, virtual and real, has been spilled over the idea of giving gods and goddesses stat blocks, as if they were a new category of monster to be defeated by adventurers. While I agree that the idea of any group of adventurers facing down the likes of Odin or Ares in combat is absurd, I also cannot ignore the examples in myth of mortals facing down deities and living to tell the tale. Diomedes, for examples, injures Ares in battle, stabbing the god of war in the belly with a spear. (Yes, yes, I know that Diomedes had divine assistance in this task.)

Deities & Demigods also includes several magic items, some on the level of artifacts and relics, as well as more traditional monsters that could serve as foes or allies for adventurers. I remember our characters fighting minions of Set during part of (I3) Pharaoh (one of the best AD&D modules ever published).

Flipping through the pages of Deities & Demigods inspired me to write what follows. Enjoy!

Sacred Bundle
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a barbarian, fighter, paladin, or ranger)

Only a tribal priest aided by a summoned spirit can create a sacred bundle, and each sacred bundle is created for a specific warrior. The sacred bundle appears to be a satchel made of animal hide, decorated with beads and embroidery. It contains 1d6+4 items, all but one chosen by the summoned spirit. The tribal priest creating the sacred bundle chooses the final item in the satchel. The warrior for whom the sacred bundle is made must collect the items, and they’re all dangerous or difficult to acquire. For example, the warrior may have to collect “a rattle from a cave of giant snakes, a feather from a high nesting giant eagle, or the hair of 13 enemies killed in battle”. When all necessary items are collected, the tribal priest places them in the satchel and sews it shut.

As long as the warrior carries the sacred bundle, he makes all saving throws and Wisdom (Perception) checks with advantage. All melee and ranged weapon attacks against the warrior are made with disadvantage. Furthermore, the warrior has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

And, now, a new legendary monster: the Thunder Bird!

Immortal. The thunder bird cannot be killed. Even if slain, it appears again, ready to fight evil anew.

Omen. The thunder bird’s appearance warns of great evil, and the thunder bird itself often takes part in the battle against this evil.

Servant of None. The thunder bird cannot be summoned or compelled to act. It is its own creature.

Thunder Bird
Large celestial, chaotic good

Armor Class 22 (natural armor)
Hit Points 202 (27d10+54)
Speed 45 ft., fly 90 ft.
Ability Scores STR 22 (+6), DEX 23 (+6), CON 15 (+2), INT 18 (+4), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 17 (+3)

Saving Throws STR +11, CON +7, WIS +8
Skills Perception +8
Damage Immunities lightning, thunder
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Auran, Celestial, Common
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

Independent. The thunder bird is immune to any magical effect that would influence its emotions, thoughts, or will. Charisma checks made to influence the thunder bird are made with disadvantage.

Keen Sight. The thunder bird has advantage of Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the thunder bird fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Rejuvenation. If it dies, the thunder bird returns to life in 1d6 years and regains all of its hit points. Not even a wish can prevent this trait from functioning.

Actions

Multiattack. The thunder bird makes two attacks: once with its beak and once with its wings.

Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) slashing damage plus 5 (1d10) lightning damage.

Wings. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10+6) bludgeoning damage plus 11 (2d10) lightning damage.

Lightning Breath (Recharge 5-6). The thunder bird exhales lightning in a 120-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Legendary Actions

The thunder bird can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The thunder bird regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The thunder bird makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Thunderclap (Costs 2 Actions). The thunder bird strikes its wings together, creating a powerful clap of thunder. Each creature within 250 feet of the thunder bird and able to hear the thunderclap must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 36 (8d8) thunder damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t knocked prone.

Whirlwind (Costs 2 Actions). The thunder bird surrounds itself with roaring winds. Each creature within 10 feet of the thunder bird must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 27 (6d8) bludgeoning damage and is flung 30 feet away from the thunder bird in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes an object, such as a wall or floor, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed at a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone. If the saving throw is successful, the target takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn’t flung away or knocked prone.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, magic items, monsters

It’s still May, which means all Spes Magna Games products are on-sale this month for at least 25% off their regular prices. Why? To help you help me celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary!

And now, ripped from the Dark Dimension for your D&D game…

…the Mindless Ones!

Created to Destroy. The Mindless Ones were created by the entity Plokta as unstoppable engines of destruction. Plokta is a disembodied entity who hails from the Dark Domain. He possesses the ability to warp the perceptions of creatures, granting them an illusion of their fondest desires. Such a gift comes with a price however, for each creature that accepts Plokta’s generosity must also forfeit its soul.

Primitive, Savage, Devoid of Love. The Mindless Ones cannot feel love or exhibit even the smallest degree of kindness. They live only to fight and to destroy. A Mindless One’s body is composed of dense physical matter, granting it great strength and durable, stone-like skin. Its single eye projects destructive beams of energy. Possessing no evident state of awareness, a Mindless Ones attacks any creature it sees, including other Mindless Ones. These monsters can only be made to follow commands through the use of magic.

Mindless One
Large construct, unaligned

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 157 (15d10+75)
Speed 25 ft.
Ability Scores STR 22 (+6), DEX 8 (-1), CON 20 (+5), INT 1 (-5), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 1 (-5)

Damage Resistances cold, fire, force, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical weapons
Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands all languages but cannot speak
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Immutable Form. The Mindless One is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The Mindless One has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The Mindless One’s weapon attacks are magical.

Sunder. The Mindless One can smash through any barrier given sufficient time. It can damage Huge and Gargantuan objects. It ignores the damage threshold of big objects such as castle walls. Even magical barriers, such as a wall of force, can be destroyed by a Mindless One. If the damage inflicted by the Mindless One in a single round exceeds three times the caster level of the magical barrier, the magical barrier fails.

Actions

Multiattack. The Mindless One makes two attacks with its fists.

Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.

Eye Beam (Recharge 5-6). The Mindless One projects a beam of destructive energy from its single eye in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) force damage on a failed save, or no damage on a successful one.

Tags: 5E D&D, monsters