Spes Magna Games

There are just a handful of days left for the Merry Christmas in July sale at DriveThruRPG. More ominous: I return to work next Thursday to prep for the start of another school year. This marks my third year teaching at a Catholic school for boys, and I’m almost to the point where I’m looking forward to the students’ boisterous return.

N.B. That previous link goes to my DriveThruRPG store. The links below are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I get a few coppers.

It seems likely that I’ll be permitted to resume Ludi Fabularum, the story game club that I’ve facilitated for several years, both at my current school and where I taught previously. This means figuring out what game to use with the boys. So far, I’ve got a few choices mulling about in my mind. Here are those mulling choices, in no particular order.

5E D&D: Odds are good that several of the students already play this one. It’s easy to teach and easy to learn, and there is no shortage of support for the game.

OSRIC: Odds are good none of the students already play this one. It’s not as easy to teach or to learn as 5E D&D, but it has the advantage that the rules are available for free. I also own a great deal of compatible material.

The Hero’s Journey: This is a gem of a game. It’s also easy to teach and learn, and I own the core books. THJ was my first choice going into last school year, but the lockdowns, et cetera put the kibosh on Ludi Fabularum for the entire school year.

Marvel Heroic Roleplaying: I adore this game, and I’ve used it for Ludi Fabularum before. The learning curve can be a bit steep. Since it’s no longer published, getting the rules can be tricky.

Prowlers & Paragons Ultimate Edition: This is a new game, an update of the original Prowlers & Paragons. I’ve like the looks of this game. It appears flexible, easy to teach, and easy to learn.

Tags: Ludi Fabularum

I’ve not posted a new monster for 5E D&D since December 2020. Shocking, I know. So, to remedy that oversight, here’s an oldie-but-goodie glommed from 1978’s Gamma World from TSR. Merry Christmas in July!

N.B. That link goes to my DriveThruRPG store’s products, which are on sale for a few more days.

Standing nearly 10 feet tall with a wingspan of just over 25 feet, the yexil move clumsily on the ground but with grace while in flight. It has deep orange fur, a sinuous neck, and a leonine head with large eyes and insect-like mandibles. Yexils are omnivores with a fondness for eating manufactured clothing, the more colorful and fashionable the better.

Yexil
Large beast, neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d10+20)
Speed 25 ft., fly 75 ft.

STR 18 (+4), DEX 11 (+0), CON 15 (+2), INT 8 (-1), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws CON +4
Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge 4 (1,100)

Dive Attack. If the yexil is flying and dives at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a melee weapon attack, the attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage to the target.

Flyby. The yexil doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Keen Sight. The yexil has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

Multiattack. The yexil makes two attacks: one with its mandibles and one with its talons.

Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage.

Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the yexil can’t use its talons on another target.

Searing Eyes (Recharge 5-6). The yexil fires twin beams of intense heat from its eyes, affecting a line 75-foot long line that is 10 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Tags: 5E D&D, Gamma World, monsters

Just when you thought it was safe to adventure in the water again, here come two new monsters, one for Swords & Wizardry and the other for Mutant Future.

Carcharidaemon for Swords & Wizardy

The fearsome carcharidaemon prowls the watery depths as well as the coasts of hellish realms. It preys on lesser creatures not because it must eat to live but because it enjoys inflicting pain and causing death. A carcharidaemon is equally at home swimming in the water or crawling and hopping frog-like on land. Twenty feet long and immensely strong, few creatures dare challenge the might of the carcharidaemon.

Hit Dice: 20
Armor Class: 0 [19]
Attack (Damage): 1 bite (3d6), 2 tentacles (1d6), 2 claws (2d6)
Move: 15/24 swimming
Save: 3
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 30/7,400
Special: +1 or better weapons to hit, constriction, immunity to acid and poison, magic resistance (75%), spells, swallow whole, telepathy 100 ft.

A carcharidaemon swallows a person whole on any attack roll in which the die rolled is 4 or more over the required number, and always if the die roll is a 20. Swallowed victims suffer 1d6 points of damage each round from powerful digestive fluids. This monster’s tentacles extend to 20 feet. If a tentacle hits, it automatically constricts, claws, and gnaws for 2d6 points of damage per round (instead of the normal 1d6). There is a 50% chance that the tentacle also pinions one of its victims limbs. A carcharidaemon can always Detect Invisibility, and it can cast Dispel Magic up to thrice per day. Once per day, it may Raise Water (treat as the reverse of Lower Water).

Sharktopus for Mutant Future

A monstrous combination of giant octopus and great white shark, the sharktopus may have its origins in an ancient military lab. Released or escaped into the oceans, the sharktopus threatens both open water and coastal regions. This cunning beast attacks quickly, especially once it senses blood (which it can do to a range of 300 feet). When in its feeding frenzy, a sharktopus never checks morale. Its tentacles grow to lengths of 15 feet. On land, these tentacles are strong enough to act as legs, and the sharktopus can survive out of water for several minutes.

Number Encountered: 0 (1d3)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90′ (30′), Swim 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 15
Attacks: 9 (tentacles x8, bite)
Damage: 1d6 tentacle/2d8 bite
Save: L7
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: None
XP: 3,300

Mutations: Chameleon Epidermis, Echolocation

When swimming to attack, the sharktopus jets at three times its normal speed. Once in melee range, it sprays a 40-foot-radius cloud of black ink that obscures its prey’s vision. With a successful hit, a tentacle constricts a victim, automatically inflicting damage each successive round. The victim suffers a cumulative -1 attack penalty per tentacle constricting it. A hit with an edged weapon that inflicts at least 8 points of damage with a single blow severs a tentacle.

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In keeping with the theme of this post, I’ve put both versions of Sharks & Shallows on sale for a mere $0.50 for the rest of this month. The title link goes to the product description page. The discount link adds the PDF to your cart at the discounted price. In either case, Shallows & Sharks presents a half dozen predators to challenge your players.

Shallows & Sharks: Old School Fantasy Version and its discount link

Shallows & Sharks: Old School Mutant Apocalypse Version and its discount link

If you missed the two other posts with discounts, this post includes Aquatic Depths & Denizens at a discount whereas this other post includes That’s a Goblin!? and Terrors of the Toxic Waste at reduced prices.

Tags: monsters, Mutant Future, Swords & Wizardry

Super Bard uses magical music to fight crime and help others. Most of his powers focus on the latter. His oratorical powers inspire others to greater success, and his soothing songs heal injuries and boost willpower. When he needs to fight, his magical sonic scream serves as a ranged attack, while in close combat he relies on his fencing skills. Super Bard is multilingual, skilled in English, French, and Italian.

William Speares aka Super Bard
Power Level 6

Strength 0, Stamina 0, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 2, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 3

Powers:
Bardic Inspiration
Enhanced Advantage (Inspire 3) [Cost: 1 per rank, 3 pp]
Enhanced Advantage (Luck 2) (Flaw: Luck limited to Inspire) [Cost: 1/2 per rank, 1 pp]

Counter Charm
Immunity 10 (Mind/Emotion Control Effects) (Extras: Perception Area, Selective, Sustained; Flaws: Distracting, Half Effect) [Cost: 1 per rank, 10 pp]

Magical Music
Sonic Scream – Damage 4 (Extra: Ranged) [Cost: 2 per rank, 8 pp]
AE: Charming Lyrics – Affliction 2 (Dazed, Compelled, Controlled; Resisted by Will) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception, Ranged) [Cost: 4 per rank, 1 pp]
AE: Songbird – Flight 4 (500 ft.) [Cost: 2 per rank, 4 pp]

Song of Healing
Healing 5 (Extras: Perception Area, Selective; Flaws: Distracting, Others Only) [Cost: 2 per rank, 10 pp]

Advantages: Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 4, Equipment 2, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages, Ranged Attack 3

Skills: Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+7), Sleight of Hand 2 (+3)

Offense:
Initiative +1
Rapier +5 (Close, Damage 3, crit 19-20)
Dagger +5 (Close, Damage 2, crit 19-20)

Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/1 (leather armor), Will 5

Power Point Totals: Abilities 22 + Powers 34 + Advantages 14 + Skills 5 + Defenses 15 = 90

Tags: Mutants & Masterminds, superhero games

Not too long ago, whilst talking with Terry and Eric instead of continuing our small-scale post-apoc Savage Worlds campaign, we brainstormed a bit about running D&D’s The Keep on the Borderlands as a reverse dungeon. The players would make up orcs, goblins, et cetera as characters to defend the Caves of Chaos against the human invaders who’ve set up shop in the nearby keep.

Around the same time, I almost got to play in a Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) game (but the GM backed out before the start). I’ve never played DCC, but I’ve read parts of the rulebook, especially the character creation material. For those unfamiliar, DCC players make up two 0-level characters who have little in the way of equipment, abilities, or hit points. The process is highly random. Ability scores, race, and background are all generated via dice rolls. These character are then run through an introductory adventure, called a funnel, and those that survive become 1st-level characters.

These two things — the reverse dungeon and DCC character creation — merged in mind. I’ve put together about a half dozen pages written for 5E D&D that address semi-DCC-esque character creation that randomly generates ability scores, race, and background.

(N.B. The two links above are affiliate links.)

Here’s an example of a 0-level character made using the process I’ve come up with:

Orc Guild Artisan (Cobbler)

Strength 15
Dexterity 12
Constitution 15
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 17
Charisma 10
Luck 12

Birth Sign/Boon Unicorn/Medicine Skill Expertise

Hit Points 4
Proficiency Bonus +2

Skills Insight, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies Cobbler’s Tools
Languages Common, Giant, Orc
Equipment Cobbler’s tools, a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp

Tags: 5E D&D