Spes Magna Games

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

Back in December 2015, I wrote up the poohvian for AD&D. It’s time for an update of Myles Wohl‘s wonderful illustration.

Keepers of Bees. Poohvians are good-natured, short humanoid bears who live in small tribal bands. Pastoral and gentle, poohvians cultivate berries, nuts, and fish in hatcheries, and they always keep honey bees. Poohvians prefer to live in hilly forests, making their homes out of well-constructed burrows or within natural caves.

Rumbly, Tumbly. Poohvians love friendly contests of wrestling during social gatherings, especially after a few mugs of mead and some honeycakes. Almost always, these frequent poohvian celebrations become boisterous, even rowdy, but the grappling matches seldom result in serious injuries or hurt feelings.

Poohvian
Small humanoid (poohvian), neutral good

Armor Class 15 (breastplate, shield)
Hit Points 9 (2d6+2)
Speed 25 ft.
Ability Scores STR 12 (+1), DEX 8 (-1), CON 12 (+1), INT 8 (-1), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +2
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Poohvian
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Keen Smell. The poohvian has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Wrestler. Whenever the poohvian makes a Strength (Athletics) check while grappling, the poohvian is considered proficient in the Athletics skill and adds double its proficiency bonus to the check (+4) instead of its normal proficiency bonus (+2).

Actions

Multiattack. The poohvian makes two attacks: once with its claws and once with its bite. Most of the time, however, the poohvian prefers to fight with weapons.

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

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d3+1) piercing damage.

Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage.

Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.

Tags: 1E AD&D, 5E D&D, 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

May is here, which means in a couple of weeks, I’ll have been married twenty-five years to wife Katrina. That’s half my life. How humbling to think that despite my many flaws that one person would stand by me for two-and-a-half decades. To help celebrate this event, all Spes Magna Games products are on-sale this month for 25% off their regular prices.

Elsewhere on the domestic front, the tutoring goes well. Nearer the beginning of April, I had zero clients. Starting a new month, I have three, which I see for eight hours a week. I’ve one school that seems interested in hiring me for the coming school year, and for certain the home-school program administered through Our Lady of Walsingham, my parish, has work for me, albeit in this latter case not enough to pay the bills all by itself.

Speaking of home-schooling, I’ve pitched an idea to the Powers That Be in said program to run a six-week summer course for homeschoolers called “Introduction to Story Games”. I think it’s a wonderful idea that’d give me a chance to not only teach more kids how to RPG, but would also help those kids by reinforcing targeted academic and social skills. If my “Introduction to Story Games” class gets approved, I’m considering using Skill Centric Role Play by David Holmes and Hero Kids by Hero Forge Games. Who knows? Maybe this class could become something like a regular source of income.

On the movie front, I’ve recently watched 1959’s ridiculous Invisible Invaders, starring John Agar, Jean Byron, and at least the voice of John Carradine. Brace yourself as Earth is brought to its knees by highly advanced aliens from the Moon who use their vast technological superiority to possess the bodies of the dead, creating highly radioactive zombies that, while they are slow, can at least walk without dragging their feet through the dirt.

Presenting the Invisible Invader, first for Mutant Future and then for the Marvel Super Heroes Roleplaying Game.

Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90′ (30′)
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 8
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: weapon
Save: L8
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: XV
XP: 1,060

Mutations: Animate Dead, Light-Refracting Force Screen, Sonic Vulnerability

The invisible invader is a highly intelligent (2d4+10 INT and WIL) alien creature that seeks to conquer inferior life forms. It can surround itself with a light-refracting force screen that renders it invisible to sight across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and absorbs 30 points of damage each attack made against it, unless the attack is sound-based. Not only do sound-based attacks ignore the invisible invader’s light-refracting force screen, such attacks also inflict +2 points of damage per die.

As its action for the round, the invisible invader may alter the subliminatory frequency of its physical form and merge with a recently killed creature that is approximately the size of a human. The invisible invader then animates the corpse, which becomes highly radioactive (Class 4 radiation in a 15-foot radius). Due to its imperfect control, the animated dead has its movement reduced by 25%. The invisible invader can use the corpse’s physical abilities, including mutations, but it loses its light-refracting force screen. Damage suffered by the corpse does not affect the invisible invader, unless the damage is sound-based.

In its visible form, the invisible invader resembles a squamous humanoid creature with large hands and feet with three phalanges each.

Primary Abilities: F Ty, A Ty, S Ty, E Gd, R Rm, I Ex, P Rm
Secondary Abilities: Health 28, Karma 80, Resources Rm, Popularity 0
Powers: Animate Dead (Am), Light-Refracting Force Screen (Rm)
Nota Bene: When the invisible invader uses its Animate Dead power on a recently dead creature approximately human in size, the corpse animates under the control of the invisible invader. Use the corpse’s original FASE, but apply -1CS to Fighting and Agility and +1CS to Strength and Endurance. The corpse emits Excellent intensity radiation. The invisible invader retains its own RIP and Karma. In its natural form, the invisible invader’s Light-Refracting Force Screen grants Remarkable levels of Invisibility and Resistance to all forms of damage except those based on sound. Whether possessing a corpse or in its natural form, the invisible invader is vulnerability to sound-based attacks (+1CS damage).

Tags: Marvel Super Heroes, monsters, Mutant Future

Today’s post seems particularly important since the world ended yesterday. So, without further ado, I bring you the giant grasshopper apocalypse.

If you’ve never watched Bert I. Gordon’s delightfully horrible The Beginning of the End, you’re missing out on an American film that aspires to B-movie status. Starring Peter Graves and Peggie Castle, this absurd piece of cinema history features a plucky photojournalist (Castle), a heroic agriculturalist (Graves), and an assortment of bit players doing a poor job of pretending horror in the face of ravenous grasshoppers grown to monstrous proportions after eating radiation-treated giant fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Get it? A radiation-based science project designed to end world hunger creates a swarm of giant locusts that threaten to devour the world’s food supply? Ooh. Irony.

If you’re brave enough, here’s the trailer. After the pic below, you’ll find giant grasshoppers for two game systems.

Presenting the Megalocust, first for Mutant Future and then for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 12
Attacks: 1 (bite or trample)
Damage: 3d6 or 6d6
Save: L5
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
XP: 3,800

Mutations: Poison Resistance, Reflective Epidermis (radiation), Sonic Suspectibility

The megalocust is a flightless grasshopper the size of a school bus. It has a voracious appetite, and it does not distinguish between animal or vegetable matter. In close combat, it attacks with a powerful bite (1-2) or tramples its target (4-6). The megalocust has a +4 to its attack roll when attempting to trample a foe that is smaller or approximately equal to the size of a horse. This mutant is immune to the effects of radiation. It suffers only half damage from poison, or no damage at all with a successful saving throw. The megalocust is vulnerable to sonic attacks and effects. It takes +1 point of damage per die from sonic attacks that cause damage. Against other effects, it suffers a -4 penalty to its saving throws.

What makes the megalocust most dangerous is that it maybe encountered as part of a swarm (25%) rather than a solitary creature (75%). A swarm contains 5d10+50 megalocusts.

Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-4 (75%) or 55-100 (25%)
Armor Class: 4
Move: 12″
Hit Dice: 12
% in Lair: Nil
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 3-18
Special Attacks: Trample
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Animal
Alignment: Neutral
Size: L (about 40 feet long)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/X.P. Value: VII/2,700+16/hp

The megalocust is an enormous, ravenous insect most often encountered alone or in small numbers. Some of the time, however, megalocusts breed in prodigious numbers and form a swarm. In combat, the megalocust attacks with a powerful bite, but most of the time smaller creatures simply will be trampled for 6-36 points of damage. The megalocust is immune to electricity and poison. It suffers double damage from sound-based attacks (where applicable), and has a -4 penalty to its saving throws against such effects.

Tags: AD&D, monsters, Mutant Future