Spes Magna Games

Earlier this week, J. Todd Scott emailed me with both praise and questions about The Four Color Hack. What follows is the bulk of my response to Todd, posted with his kind permission:

Question 1: So now that the villain is locked into the d12 bubble, what does that really mean?

Keep in mind that TFCH should always start and end with the narration. So, when the villain’s turn comes around, he’s trapped in a Positronic Bubble d12. That means, among other things, he’s not moving too far. He’s also not attacking through the bubble with effects that can be blocked by a Positronic Bubble. For the sake of clearer examples, let’s assume the villain is Chimera, and that Professor Positron is level 1.

Question 2: How does that d12 come into play?

In addition to the narrative effects, the Positronic Bubble d12 has 7 protection and 1d12 Hit Points. The player rolls 1d12, and gets a 6, so the Positronic Bubble d12 has 6 hit points. Effects blocked by a Positronic Bubble, such as Chimera’s claws, must get through the Positronic Bubble before Chimera can attack anyone else.

Question 3: Let’s say that villain now wants to attack Professor Positron, and Positron (the player) needs to defend and roll under his DEX of 10. Does that d12 affect that defense roll in anyway?

So, that means Chimera has to deal with the Positronic Bubble before he can attempt to tear apart Professor Positron. Since the Positronic Bubble is static, I’d rule it doesn’t get a defense roll unless Positron’s player can narrate something otherwise.

In the first case, Chimera would simply inflict damage against the Positronic Bubble. (And now I notice that Chimera’s base damage is missing from his stat block; grrr.) Most simply, this means Chimera inflicts 2d10 points of damage against the Positronic Bubble (1d10 base damage plus 1d10 Transmorphism). If Chimera does 13+ damage, he destroys the Positronic Bubble. If he does 7 or less damage, he failed to hurt the Bubble at all.

As GM, however, I’d more likely run the exchange like this:

GM: “Chimera’s arms transform into a monstrous crab claws, and he attacks the Positronic Bubble. How do you defend against this attack?”

Professor: “I focus on the Positronic Bubble, attempting to alter its shape so that Chimera’s attack is ineffective.”

GM: “That sounds like some clever quick-thinking. Roll against INT with a +3 because the level difference.”

If the player rolls under INT, Chimera’s attack fails; otherwise, Chimera damages the Bubble, possibly destroying it.

To further wrinkle the situation, Chimera can use his Power Dice pretty much just like a hero can, which brings me to the next question.

Question 4: Similarly, what about a character or villain with a Luck d8 ability or a Precognition d10 ability (like Chimera from TFCH) If Chimera can see effectively into the future, that’s something that could affect the TO HIT roll, rather than the amount of damage, right?

Here we have a six of one, a half dozen of another situation. I’d treat Precognition d10 as 6 points of protection in most situations. If this reduces damage to 0, then Chimera saw the attack in sufficient time to dodge it entirely. The GM could also rule that Chimera’s Precognition d10 enabled him to completely evade the attack. This would downgrade the die one step in terms of how many more times Chimera could just automatically succeed.

Question 5: If I’m the player and I’m rolling to dodge away from a villain with Combat Master d8, how does that die affect my defense roll? And if I’m rolling to hit that villain, how does his Combat Master d8 die affect my attack roll? Or is all this stuff just considered damage reduction?

In general, dice attached to powers don’t affect d20 rolls. The ability to use a Hero Die to achieve an automatic success takes this into account. My goal was to simulate that situation in a comic book where Spider-Man, for example, just can’t be hit. He uses his Amazing Agility against Doctor Octopus, dodging one attack after another, at least for a few panels. Eventually, however, Spider-Man’s luck runs out, and Doc Ock clouts him from behind with a tentacle.

Tags: TFCH

And here’s my final foray into into the Chinese Mythos from the AD&D Deities & Demigods. Way back in the day, the spirits of the air were among the few creatures in Deities & Demigods that I ever used as a DM. Here they are for 5E D&D.

These minions of the wind gods can be summoned by them in number of up to 100 every day…. They exist to fight for the gods. (Deities & Demigods, page 41)

Spirits of the Air
Large elemental, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 104 (11d10+44)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
Ability Scores STR 23 (+6), DEX 16 (+3), CON 18 (+4), INT 10 (+0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 11 (+0)

Saving Throws DEX +8
Skills Athletics +10, Perception +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages all
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Flyby. The spirit of the air doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Actions

Multiattack. The spirit of the air attacks twice with its claws.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) slashing damage.

Wings. The spirit of the air beats its wings. Each creature within 10 feet of the spirit of the air must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The spirit of the air can then fly up to half its flying speed.

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

A new threat for Mutant Future:

Manesthoid
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 150′ (50′), fly 180′ (60′)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 8
Attacks: 3 (2 claws/1 bite)
Damage: 2d4+6/2d4+6/1d6+3 plus poison
Save: L8
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XVII
XP: 2,560

Mutations: Chameleon Epidermis; Unique (Combat Precognition, Ootheca, Sensory Adaptations)

The manesthoids are 12-foot-tall, highly intelligent, mutant praying mantises. By means of specialized cells in its chitin, a manesthoid can instantly alter the lucidness, appearance, and color of its exoskeleton. When stationary, a manesthoid can be nearly invisible. With its ability to rotate its head 180 degrees combined with its compound eyes and frequency-sensitive organs in its thorax, a manesthoid has keen senses. It is surprised only 1 in 8 times, and its hearing extends into frequencies inaudible to the human ear.

In combat, a manesthoid strikes with its hooked forelimbs and its powerful bite. The manesthoid’s saliva is a Class 9 poison (save or fall asleep for 2d4 rounds). Due to its combat precognition, it strikes with a +4 bonus to hit in combat, and its attacks inflict +3 points of damage per damage die. Once per combat round, roll 1d20. On a 10+, the manesthoid’s perceives enough of the future in sufficient time to take defensive action against one attack. The manesthoid takes one-half damage from the attack.

Against a helpless target, a female manesthoid extrudes an ootheca, which is a porous, adhesive material containing 1d8 manesthoid eggs. It takes the female 1d4 rounds to extrude the ootheca, and it sets to concrete-like hardness in another 1d4 rounds. The eggs hatch in 1d10 days, and the immature manesthoids consume the entrapped creature.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future

Then Elias was afraid, and rising up he went whithersoever he had a mind: and he came to Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant there, And he went forward, one day’s journey into the desert. And when he was there, and sat under a juniper tree, he requested for his soul that he might die, and said: It is enough for me, Lord, take away my soul: for I am no better than my fathers. And he cast himself down, and slept in the shadow of the juniper tree: and behold an angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him: Arise and eat. He looked, and behold there was at his head a hearth cake, and a vessel of water: and he ate and drank, and he fell asleep again. (1 Kings 19:3-6)

Fantasy roleplaying games often include divine magic, usable by clerics or other servants of deities. Among the magical effects these divine servants call upon is the ability to create food and drink. For example, in the most recent edition of D&D, the spell create food and water is a 3rd-level spell that creates “45 pounds of food and 30 gallons of water”, which is “enough to sustain up to fifteen humanoids or five steeds for 24 hours.” Furthermore, the “food is bland but nourishing, and spoils if uneaten after 24 hours. The water is clean and doesn’t go bad.”

Other fantasy games based on some version of D&D have similar spells. Thus, we find Create Food and Drink in Charlie Mason’s excellent White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game as a 5th-level Cleric spell. That makes it among the highest-level Cleric spells in the game, a use of a rare resource just to create “a one-day supply of simple food and drinking water for 24 humans”.

I’ve played fantasy roleplaying games for nigh on four decades, and I have no memory of any player ever using a spell to create food or water during a game. The closest I remember is goodberry, a 1st-level spell that not only creates food but also helps heal injuries.

When we look at religion and mythology for examples of divine food, we don’t often find things as mundane as “bland but nourishing”. Ambrosia, soma, amrita, magical peaches, et cetera, variably grant immortality, greatly extend the consumer’s lifespan, heal injuries and disease, and so on.

So, here are my suggestions about making spells that create food and water a little more magical for three different fantasy roleplaying games.

AD&D

Create Food & Water
Level: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 1 cubic foot/level
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 turn
Saving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: When this spell is cast, the cleric causes food and/or water to appear. The food thus created is highly nourishing, and each cubic food of the material will sustain three human-sized creatures or one horse-sized creature for a full day. For each level of experience the cleric has attained, 1 cubic foot of food and/or water is created by the spell. Up to three times per day, a creature can spend 3 turns to make a meal of this magical food and/or water. During this time of rest and gustation, the creature heals 1d8 hit points (as cure light wounds). If the creature is afflicted by blindess or disease, the creature gets to make a new saving throw against the effect (assuming a saving throw was allowed to begin with). If the creature succeeds on this saving throw, the creature is healed of the condition (as cure blindess or cure disease).

D&D 5E

Create Food and Water
3rd-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You create 45 pounds of food and 30 gallons of water on the ground or in containers within range, enough to sustain up to fifteen humanoids or five steeds for 24 hours. The food is pleasing and nourishing, but spoils if uneaten after 24 hours. The water is clean and doesn’t go bad.

A creature who consumes this food and drink during a short rest regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. The meal also ends any one of these conditions which might be afflicting the creature: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.

White Box

Create Food and Drink
Spell Level: C5
Range: Close
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell creates a one-day supply of remarkable food and drinking water for 24 humans (or horses, which drink the same amount as a man for game purposes).

Up to three times per day, a creature may consume this remarkable food and water, taking 30 minutes to rest, eat, and drink. After doing so, the creature is affected in one of the following ways:

1. The creature is cured of all diseases, including those magically inflicted.

2. The creature regains 1d6+1 HP.

3. A poison affecting the creature is counteracted (but the food and water cannot bring the dead back to life).

Tags: 1E AD&D, 5E D&D, Catholic, spells, WhiteBox Adventures

Spes Magna Games has been in business since December 2009. In that time, I’ve published more than 50 PDFs for various game systems. About two years ago, I released The Four Color Hack. At the time, I had vague plans of eventually releasing TFCH as a print-on-demand game.

Well, eventually has arrived, and TFCH is officially Spes Magna’s first real book.

You can get TFCH as a 6-by-9-inch 80-page black-and-white softcover for $10.95 (not including shipping and handling). The softcover includes the $3 PDF. If you’ve not checked out TFCH yet, start with the PDF. If you like what you see, and you want the book, use this link right here to get the print-on-demand version for $7.95. Caveat: The discount link in the previous sentence expires at the end of September 2018.

Ms. Jessica Dow deserves a big “Thanks!” for picking up the dropped ball of formatting TFCH for print-on-demand. I hope to work with Ms. Dow again on another print-on-demand job in the near future.

But enough of that. Let’s head back into the Chinese Mythos from the AD&D Deities & Demigods. Today, we meet Mu Yuan, the 70-foot-tall killer of the gods, for use with 5E D&D.

This monster has 3 eyes in his tyrannosaurus-shaped head, and has 4 large humanoid arms. He has the strength of a storm giant…. He also has a powerful magical device shaped in the form of a small triangular piece of stone that has the power to turn into any weapon [Ma Yuan] wishes, magical or otherwise. (Deities & Demigods, page 40)

Ma Yuan
Gargantuan monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class 24 (natural armor)
Hit Points 615 (30d20+270)
Speed 60 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 60 ft.
Ability Scores STR 29 (+9), DEX 10 (+0), CON 28 (+9), INT 13 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 13 (+1)

Saving Throws INT +9, WIS +10, CHA +9
Skills Religion +9
Damage Resistances fire (due to Morphic Stone); bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-legendary attacks
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 28 (120,000 XP)

Amphibious. Ma Yuan can breathe water and air.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of Ma Yuan’s choice that is within 120 feet of him and aware of him must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Ma Yuan’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Ma Yuan fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Ma Yuan has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magical Weapons. Ma Yuan’s weapon attacks are magical.

Siege Monster. Ma Yuan deals double damage to objects and structures.

Actions

Multiattack. Ma Yuan can use his Frightful Presence. He then makes up to five attacks: one with his bite and four with his claws. He can make a Morphic Stone attack in place of one or two claw attacks, depending on whether the Morphic Stone takes the form of a one-handed weapon or a two-handed weapon.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 48 (6d12+9) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 22). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and Ma Yuan can’t bite another target.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d8+9) slashing damage.

Morphic Stone. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 37 (8d6+9) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) cold damage. As an action, Ma Yuan can transform the Morphic Stone into any melee weapon, magical or otherwise, that he wants to wield. Quadruple the weapon’s damage dice since Ma Yuan is Gargantuan. The preceding attack and damage values reflect Ma Yuan using a Gargantuan greatsword frost brand.

Legendary Actions

Ma Yuan can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary option can be used at time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Ma Yuan regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Change Morphic Stone. Ma Yuan can change the Morphic Stone into a different melee weapon and then attack with that weapon.

Move. Ma Yuan moves up to half his speed.

Swallow (Costs 2 Actions). Ma Yuan makes one bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target takes the bite’s damage, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside Ma Yuan, and it takes 49 (14d6) acid damage at the start of each of Ma Yuan’s turns.

If Ma Yuan takes 60 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, Ma Yuan must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of Ma Yuan. If Ma Yuan dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 30 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Tags: 5E D&D, Deities & Demigods, monsters, TFCH