Spes Magna Games

Matt Jackson, gamer/mapper icon, recently posted CollaboDungeon 01 on his site. As Matt explains, “An idea that came to me while walking my pooches just now. A dungeon and collaboration between all of us to to make something, just for fun. The CollaboDungeon! I post a new map, you blokes and I turn it into an adventure.” Since I’ve turned one of Matt’s maps into an adventure before, I figured why not? Also, I needed something to run for my middle-school gamers at this week’s Ludi Fabularum meeting, so Matt’s map became a stone, and I killed two birds with it.

The result? The Barnacle Barrow of Blunderbuss Crain, a Dungeon World adventure set on Jonathan Newell’s wonder-full Genial Jack from Lost Pages . (Nota Bene: That second link in this paragraph is an affiliate link. If you use it to purchase the PDF, then I got a few coppers. The third link is for the store that sells copies from the first print run. The first link lets you glom the adventure via Google drive.)

When I cobbled together my brief review of Genial Jack, I noted that none of the new races introduced in the book have subraces. To quote me, “Oddly, none of the races have subraces. …. [This] seems a blank space that begs the application of creativity by the players and DM.” Permit me to muse about how subraces might be presented for one of the groups residing in Jackburg.

My choice? The Fomorians. Another quote, this time from Genial Jack: “The giants know as the Fomorians were banished from Faerie by Queen Mab after their leader, King Balor, sought to depose her.” These outcasts went off and conquered an island, which later got earthquaked and deluged, vanishing beneath the waves. Genial Jack literally took in the survivors, and they’ve been part of Jackburg ever since.

Since the book itself establishes that there are two types of Fomorians, it seems most sensible that those become subraces. If I make up a Fomorian PC, I choose between Fair Fomorian or Foul Fomorian. Reading the Fomorian traits presented in the book, I start to see a way they can be retooled gently between “core” traits and subrace traits. Ergo:

Fomorian Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.

Age. Fomorians age slowly, reaching adulthood around 25 years of age. They can live indefinitely, with some being thousands of years old.

Alignment. Fomorians retain a tendency toward Chaos from their former ruler, the mischievous Queen Mab.

Size. Fomorians vary in height widely, but all adults are over 10 feet high. You are Large in size.

Speed. Your walking speed is 40 feet.

Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with your choice of smith’s, brewer’s, or mason’s tools.

Languages. You can read, speak, and write Common and Jetsam, as well as a dialect of Giant.

Fair Fomorian

You appear very much like a human, but of prodigious size. As a Fair Fomorian, you may be considered comely to human eyes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Persuasive. You gain proficiency with the Persuasion skill.

Benevolent Gaze. You can cast Bless once, and it recharges after a long rest.

Foul Fomorian

About nine of out ten Fomorians have warped bodies, perhaps missing a limb, or having mis-sized limbs or misshapen bones.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Intimidating. You gain proficiency with the Intimidation skill.

Evil Eye. You can cast Bane once, and it recharges after a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Tags: 5E D&D, Dungeon World, Genial Jack, Lost Pages, Matt Jackson, place of power

Did you know that Matt Jackson is creating Old School maps that you too can support and own and cherish via Patreon? Well, he is, and you can. The map to to the right is a sample of Matt’s work. If you click the map, it embiggens. If you click this link right here, you can download a short 5E adventure using the map. It is written for 3-5 characters with an average level of three. The adventure features an oldie-but-goodie from 1983’s Monster Manual II, which I’ve posted below after some self-serving promotional stuff.

Did you know that I’ve released two new for-sale PDFs so far this year? Amazing, huh? If only I could be this productive every month.

Chance Encounters II expands your campaign using the fifth edition of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game. Revel at College of Cheer and Good Tidings. Gain a blessing from mulled wine. Be more alert in the glow of a guiding light. Fight side-by-side with a champion toy against an abominable snowman in cursed Arktinis. With five new character options, two new spells, seven new monsters, three new magic items, two new places, and an essay about cinnamon, Chance Encounters II offers something for almost everyone.

The war against the Axis Powers just got weird. World War Weird Classes presents 10 character classes from Demi-God to Gremlin to Zombie. Augment a team of commandos with something supernatural, or put together a Nazi-fighting monster squad. A huge thanks to Pete Spahn not only for WWII: Operation WhiteBox but also for being a class act and offering me numerous suggestions and corrections.

And now for that new monster!

“This carnivorous beast likes human and demihuman flesh. A zorbo has poor armor class and attack damage when first encountered, but it can absorb the natural armor class of its surroundings….” (Monster Manual II, p. 131)

Zorbo
Small monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 10
Hit Points 22 (4d6+8)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
Ability Scores STR 13 (+1), DEX 10 (+0), CON 15 (+2), INT 3 (-4), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 8 (-1)

Skills Athletics +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages —
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Item Absorption. When the zorbo hits a creature with its claws, the zorbo absorbs the Armor Class (including magical bonus) or magical quality of a random protective item worn or carried by the creature hit, even if the net result reduces the zorbo’s Armor Class. The creature can resist this effect with a Wisdom save against DC 13. If the protective item is magical, it loses its magical functions for 1 minute. The zorbo acquires an Armor Class equal to what it would have if it were using the protective item.

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

Actions

Claws. Melee Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) slashing damage.

Nature Absorption (Recharge 6). The zorbo can absorb the natural armor class of whatever natural material it touches. This grants the zorbo an improved Armor Class, depending on the material: Armor Class 20 for stone, Armor Class 17 for metal, Armor Class 15 for wood, or Armor Class 13 for earth. The zorbo also gains a bonus on melee attack damage rolls: +5 damage for stone, +3 damage for metal, +2 damage for wood, or +1 damage for earth. The new Armor Class and damage bonus lasts for 1 minute.

Tags: 5E D&D, Matt Jackson, micro-adventure, monsters

Over on G+ today, Matt Jackson posted a pic of a little map with these words: “Let’s have some fun today. I made a map, let’s stock it! Write a short adventure for whatever system you prefer.”

I figured, Why not?

While you check out my small contribution to the fun, consider making a contribution of your own to Matt Jackson’s Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser. Speaking as both a gamer and a veteran, Matt’s fundraiser is double good.

Huah!, and welcome to Ean Illiam’s Cavern Stores!

Ean Illiam, ancient but spry merchant, set up shop more than a decade ago in a group of caves about a day’s ride outside the village. Rumor says Ean served the former king as a soldier. Or as an assassin, or maybe a warpriest. Such is the way of rumors. Ean himself denies these rumors with a wink and a toothless grin.

Whatever the truth, Ean offers quality goods for a reasonable price. He regularly receives shipments of common weapons, armor, and dungeon gear. Shoppers can almost always find whatever they need from these categories. If a trusted customer knows how to ask, Ean also supplies poisons. Services offered by Ean and his staff are more limited. Herman Aleš, a talented blacksmith, works for Ean, as does Mojca Marica, a chirugeon. A hot meal and ale can almost always be had, although Ean isn’t running a tavern, so don’t expect anything too fancy. Surely, stories about Ean arranging murders for hire cannot be true. Can they?

1. Entrance: Carved stairs lead up into the stony hillside. Ean almost always has a few guards on duty in or around this area. These guards often have well-trained mastiffs on hand to help emphasize the importance of behaving. Lanterns hung from hooks twisted into the ceiling provide light throughout Ean’s caves. Those who look before heading in may notice smoke billowing out from natural chimneys higher up the hillside.

2. Front Stores: Ean greets customers here. Shelves built along the walls display Ean’s more common goods. Clerks assist with the sales, and one doesn’t need to be alert to spot a guard or two keeping keen eyes on visitors. Sturdy tables and chairs are set up down the center of the cave, and a hollowed out section of wall serves as a cooking pit. A simple stew is almost always kept bubbling above the fire.

Ean Illiam
Devious, Hoarder, Intelligent, Organized, Solitary
Cudgel (b[2d8] damage)
12 HP
0 Armor
Close
Instinct: To strike a deal

* Call for help
* Deal like a devil
* Move with remarkable speed

3. Rear Stores: Lesson common and more expensive goods occupy the shelves. A heavy curtain is drawn across the exits to the north up the stairs and to the south into the private stores. There might be guards behind those curtains.

4. Stairs Up: If asked, Ean or his staff say that the stairs up lead to private rooms off-limits to visitors.

5. Private Stores: Ean’s most exotic and expensive goods are kept in this cave, and access is granted to only his most valued customers. Mojca has a small clinic area set up in this cave.

Mojca Marica
Intelligent, Magical, Organized, Solitary, Stealthy
Scalpel (w[2d8] damage)
12 HP
0 Armor
Close
Instinct: To heal

* Alert the guards
* Apply the healing arts
* Deceive the senses

6. The Forge: The heat and noise from this area spread through Ean’s caves. Herman Aleš labors here with hammer and tongs, assisted by surly apprentices.

Herman Aleš
Intelligent, Solitary
Hammer (1d10+2 damage)
12 HP
2 Armor
Close, Forceful
Instinct: To forge

* Grip like steel
* Look for imperfections
* Work metal

7. Rippling Waters: Is this is a spring? To where do the cool, clear waters flow?

Tags: Dungeon World, Matt Jackson, micro-adventure, Wounded Warrior Project