Conan and Cthulhu

[Raven Blackwell]

Byhakee are listed in the Call of Cthulhu main rulebook as having human range Intelligence and Power [this is Wisdom in the Conan system] and capable of using magic which means they are sentient beings. Thus I borrowed a page from the Decipher's inferior Tolkien RPG The Lord of the Rings (1) which gave sentient mounts like Elven Steeds and Shadowfax ranks in the Ride skill which could substituted for their rider's skill or to travel without a rider if it came to it. After all a sentient mount could assist a person mouting them, help them to dismount [willingly or no], push itself while travelling, fight while carrying a rider, attempt to avoid pitfalls by itself through rough terrain, etc. Their Ride skill represents their ability to do so. Recall Frodo clinging to Asaloth in the writen version of The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo didn't likely have more than a single rank or two in Ride but Asaloth was the one making the skill checks there allowing them to pass through difficult terrain ahead of the Black Riders. In all of the Mythos tales involving Byhakee I've read their riders usually just hung on for dear life like Frodo and left the driving to the Elder Horror.

As far as maneuverability is concerned Conan doesn't seem to use it. Flying creatures are just listed with a Fly speed. If you want to substitue 3.5 rules for flying Byhakee are likely like Mi-Go in that their wings are better suited to the Outer Dark than terrestrial atmospheres so they would have Average maneuverability- or worse.

(1) For the real Tolkien RPG see the long out of print Middle Earth Role Playing [MERP] once put out by the non defunct Iron Crown Enterprises [ICE] and the Vala help you in your search. I haven't seen these books for years.....

 

[bjorntfh]

Raven, I was crunching the numbers for Byhakees (we've got a character in game who's planning on summoning them as his regular mount) and I need to know a few details, I can't figure out how you did the skills. They have 61 skill points allocated amongst their skills and I'm trying to see if they're either missing 5 skill points (meaning that they get 6+Int/HD with 24 at 1st HD) or if they should have 5+int/HD in which case they are 6 skill points over their max.

This isn't meant to be ajudgement of your work, I love what you've done, I'm just trying to set them up by-the-book.

According to the MM3.5 outsiders get 8+Int/ skill point/level. I'd personally stat them out with the following skills: Survival +11 (ranks); Knowledge, Outsiders and Planes +11 (ranks); Knowledge, Geography +11 (ranks); Intimidate +11 (ranks); Knowledge Arcana +5 (ranks); Spot +13 (+11 ranks, +2 Alertness); Listen +13 (+11 ranks, +2 Alertness); Swim +10 (+6 ranks, +4 strength); Climb +15 (+11 ranks, +4 strength); Escape Artist +13 (+11 ranks, +2 dexterity).

The ranks in climb, swim and escape artist represent things learned in earlier stages of life while the rest are adult skills.

I'd do their feats as follows: (I'm assuming you're giving them the 2 bonus feat from favored class of their own race) Alertness, Fly-by Attack, Track, Weapon Focus [Bite], and Improved Manueverability. This should give them Good Manevuerability. If they already have Good Maneuverability replave Improved Maneuverability with Dodge to give them +1 AC.

 

[bjorntfh]

Actually Conan does use manueverability, it's at the back of SCrolls of Skelos (p. 127, last real game info page) and they have improved maneuverability as a feat.

Also all the things you listed for a mount doing don't require a ride check: it requires a ride check for a rider to make the mount do them. If the mount chooses the rider may (at the GM's discretion) have the DC lowered or the check waived.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

First generation Byhakee in adult form wouldn't have ranks in Swim or Escape Artist- that would be for their Aquatic larval form only which I haven't stated out because there is almost completely zero chance to encouter them in the Lake of Hali and if you did their father Hastur and their bigger brothers would most certainly be a more direct issue than a bunch of underwater nearly blind slug like beings. Second and later generation Byhakee are born via egg and never have an aquatic form- they are just smaller version of their adult selves.

As for their Feats and skills I confess that I didn't create them using any system but merely gave them skill levels that I felt represented their 'average' ability. One can take this number crunching too far. Also there are no indications that Byhakees would be Good fliers. As I recall Lovecraft portrays them in "The Festival" as being somewhat awkward in motion and they've never been offensive in any story save "The Feaster from Afar" in which one exceptional Byhakee places a hypnotic suggestion in a human's head to run until it passes out from exhaustion and then lands beside it and slowly devours it's brain. It deosn't swoop, hover, jink or use aerial tactics in catching prey- it just follows a guy in a straight line and lands when he passes out.

Since the Mi-Go are the only other prominent extra-spatial winged flyer and they are decribed in "The Whisper in the Darkness" as being clusmy atmosphereic fliers because their wings are adapted to the Outer Dark like a Byhakee's I made a reasonable conclusion that Byhakees aren't well equipped to traverse a terrestriall atmosphere. After all the terrestrial flights of the Byhakee used by Laban Shrewsbury in August Derleth's story "The House on Curwen Street" fly to the Outer Dark, fly sub-orbital and land again rather than flying straight through atmosphere. If they were superior atmospheric flyers they'd likely not have done this.

Of course recall that I've never said use my stuff religiously. You want to modify it for your game do so....but recall Byhakee are never used as anything other than mounts in any Mythos story. Nor have they ever taken a swim or escaped from manacles......8)

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Actually Conan does use manueverability, it's at the back of SCrolls of Skelos (p. 127, last real game info page) and they have improved maneuverability as a feat.

I'll look it up. However as I have said I have never seen a Mythos tale that denotes them as being superior atmosphereic fliers.

 

[bjorntfh]

The escape artist was all I could think of for entering cramped spaces, and the swim was for the larval stage, if you can think of a better use for the skill points, feel free. I'll probably just boost some random knowledges. There are 17 skill points to distribute as you see fit.

As for maneuverability I'd agree and say that they have a base of poor and can take improved maneuverabiliy to get it up to average.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

As for maneuverability I'd agree and say that they have a base of poor and can take improved maneuverabiliy to get it up to average.

That's sounds logical.

As for the skill points I think 8 skill points a Hit Dice is a little much for Byhakee. They might be sentient but they aren't Scholars. It seems 3.5 assumes that Outsiders are all of the super-sentient type like demons, devils and archons. Byhakee were made to be mounts. They might be able to understand spoken human languages and navigate execptionally well, but they'll ever be taking the admission tests to Miskatonic University any time soon. 8) They are animalistic to the core so I'd say they resemble Barbarians or Nomads more. If you want to crunch it out here's what I suggest- a base of 4 skill points per hit dice, x 4 at first Hit Dice. Their starting Int is 9 giving them a -1 Int modifer until 6 HD when it increases to 10. Thus they have 3 x 4 at their first Hit ice, 3 x 4 for Hit Dice 2 through 5, and 4 x 3 for Hit dice 6, 7 and 8 plus the original six ranks of Background skills of Ride, Knowledge [outsiders and the planes] and Survival. Thus a total of 12 + 12 + 12 + 6 = 42 skill ranks at 8 Hit Dice.

For Feats in advancement they'd likely get the Improved Maneuverability Feat at 9 Hit Dice and the Dabbler Feat at 10 Hit Dice.

 

[bjorntfh]

So how would you stat their skills now? I'll crunch them for you if you like. Also, how did you get their saves? It looks like good Reflex and Fortitude, but the numbers are off. It ought to be a base of 6 each, not 4 (2.5 to start at 1 HD, + 0.5/HD gives you a base save of +6 at 8th level.)

 

[Raven Blackwell]

I already changed their skills- check the entry. I edited it.

As for their saves my guess it should be:

Fortitude- Strong 2 1/2 + 1/2 per Hit Dice after the first + Con Bonus (0).
At 8 Hit Dice 2 1/2 + 3 1/2 = 6

Reflex- Strong 2 1/2 + 1/2 per Hit Dice after the first + Dex Bonus (+2).
At 8 Hit Dice 2 1/2 + 3 1/2 + 2 = 8

Will- Weak 1/3 times Hit Dice plus Wisdom bonus (0).
At 8 Hit Dice 1/3 x 8 = 2 2/3 rounded down to 2.

You were right- I made the changes.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Also Byhakees don't have the Knowledge [geography] skill but rather use their Enhanced Navigation special quality. They rely on the bone whistles and the incantation to act as a beacon and the rider to provide directions if they are going to a new place on a planet. Once they arrive somewhere though they can always return.

They can navigate in the stars using Knowledge [outsiders and the planes] though as their rider isn't likely to be able to see much less give directions.

 

[bjorntfh]

Thanks, one last note for you: Scent gives a +4 to survival rolls to track by scent. Totally minor, just thought you should know. Oh and the initiative should be +8 (same as reflex saves.) Glad I could help, if I did.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

I made the changes. Now some poor PCs in Hyboria is ready to have a flock of Hastur's children decend upon them......

 

[bjorntfh]

Yup, now it should be interesting. The PC who uses Byhakess will be pleased.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

You know a PC that wants to take the Unspeakable Oath to Hastur? Otherwise Byahkees can be downright testy......

 

[bjorntfh]

Nah, he's got lots of ride and somewhat less of good judgement.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Hear ye, Hear ye- I have begun collecting, correcting and revising my Lovecraft material and will send it out via my mailing list and to anyone who wants it. Included are spells for contacting, bind and summoning eldritch horrors and an improved template for Deep One-human hybrids. It's called "The Crimson Tome". Here's a brief sample.

New Spell

Control Shoggoth [Advanced Spell of the Nature style of Sorcery]
Power Point Cost: 16
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Short [Twenty-five feet plus five feet per level of Scholar the caster possesses]
Target: One Shoggoth
Duration: One hour per level of Scholar the caster possesses
Saving Throw: Will negates
Prerequisites: Control monstrous humanoid; fifteen ranks of Handle Animal; fifteen ranks of Knowledge [arcana]; fifteen ranks of Knowledge [nature]; Magic Attack bonus of +6 or greater
Magic Attack Roll: Sets DC for the target’s Will save

Derived from the ancient formula used by the Elder Things that created Shoggoths. control shoggoth is a magical ritual that allows a sorcerer to control these abhorrent monstrosities. Upon the casting of the spell is Shoggoth makes a Will save opposed to the caster’s Magic Attack Roll. If the Shoggoth fails this check, they are magically constrained to obey the caster’s commands without question. Shoggoths dislike being under another’s control and will at the next opportunity seek to destroy the caster of this spell.

Shoggoths seem to be able to build up a resistance to this spell over time. After being subject to this spell for a hundred times and each hundred times after that a Shoggoth gains a +1 cumulative bonus to the Wills saving throw against this spell. This may not seem to be terribly dangerous to the caster, but since Shoggoths are effectively immortal they will eventually develop a partial immunity to this spell. This fact is what doomed the Elder Things as their Shoggoths eventually rebelled and destroyed them. Later masters of Shoggoths usually place Shoggoths in suspended animation when they are not needed and cast this spell only upon awakening them for a specific need. Still the occasional Deep One colony can get annihilated through their priest’s carelessness.

Those seeking to bind a strange Shoggoth to their will are usually have no way to determine how many times the Shoggoth has been exposed to this spell already and may find it much harder to accomplish than they expected.

Any one who wants the whole schtik and isn't on the Blackwell Press mailing list- except for Damien of course- give me a pm with an e-mail address to send it to.

Cheers from Carcosa,

Raven

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Well, the Crimson Tome is complete. I've sent to everyone on my mailing list. Should anyone else want it in the future, please send me a personal message with an e-mail to send it to.

Cheers,

Raven

 

[toothill man]

crimson tide is brillant and I think it is a must have conan resource 8)

 

[The King]

Well, the Crimson Tome is complete. I've sent to everyone on my mailing list. Should anyone else want it in the future, please send me a personal message with an e-mail to send it to.

Cheers,

Raven

Why is it that I didn't receive it?

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Ghast, Lovecraftian

”Repulsive beings which die in the light…and leap on long hind legs…a pair of yellowish red eyes…something about the size of a small horse hopped out into the grey twilight, and Carter turned sick at the aspect of that scabrous and unwholesome beast, whose face is so curiously human despite the absense of a nose, a forehead, and other particulars…”

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath

Large Humanoid
Hit Dice: 6d10 + 12 [48 Hit Points]
Initiative: +6 [+5 Reflex; +1 Dexterity]
Movement: 40 feet
Defense Value: Dodge 13; Parry 17 (1)
Damage Reduction: None
Baae Attack/Grapple: +5/+13 (1)
Attack: Bite +12 melee [1d12+6; x2 critical; AP 11] or Claw +9 melee [1d8+4; x2 critical; AP 7]
Full Attack Bite +12 melee and two Claws +11 melee [1d12+6; x2 critical; AP 11 and 1d8+4; x2 critical; AP 7]
Special Attacks: Filth Fever; Leaping Kick
Special Qualities: Darkvision; Daylight Vulnerability; Mount; Scent; Terror
Saves: Fort +7; Ref +6; Will +2
Attributes: Str 22; Dex 13; Con 14; Int 4; Wis 11; Cha 2
Skills: Sneak +8; Survival +8
Feats: Endurance; Fighting Madness; Power Attack; Run; Weapon Focus [Bite]; Track
Terrain: Subterranean
Organization: Tribe [40 to 500+]
Advancement: Usually as Barbarian but rare Ghast Scholars are known to exist

(1) Includes Size Modifier

Filth Fever: The mouths and claws of Ghasts are reservoirs of disease. Anyone suffering injury from a Ghast has the potential to for suffering Filth Fever as detailed below

Fortitude saving throw: DC 12
Incubation Period: 1d3 days
Damage: 1d3 Dexterity; 1d3 Constitution

Darkvision: Ghasts may see sixty feet in all conditions except in direct sunlight. They are considered blinded if exposed to direct sunlight.

Daylight Vulnerability: Ghasts suffer 1d8 Hit Points damage each round they are exposed to direct sunlight.

Leaping Kick: As a Full Action a Ghast may choose to jump upon a target and deliver a powerful kick to a single opponent within forty feet. The Ghast is considered to have a melee attack of +7 when doing so and if it hits its target inflicts 2d10+10 points of damage. The Ghast may also attempt to Trip the target if it hits with this attack. This attack and Trip attempt do not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Mount: Despite being bipedal, a Ghast's strange physiology allows it to be ridden as a mount with no penalty by humanoids of Medium size if it is willing to do so.

Scent: A Ghast may sense the presence but not position of all creatures within sixty feet by scent alone. This increases to one hundred and twenty feet if the creature is upwind of the Ghast and decreases to thirty feet if the creature is downwind. A Ghast may Track a creature by scent alone and gains a +4 bonus to the their Survival check when doing so.

Terror: Ghasts provoke Terror of the Unknown

An early product of Serpent People’s attempts to create life Ghasts have a simple but functional look to them. Bred to serve both as soldier, mount and manual laborer Ghast possessed great Strength but little else. Relatively unintelligent, savage and cannibalistic, Ghasts were considered a failure by the early Serpent People and cast out into the deeper underground caverns below the Serpent People’s subterranean cities. Here the Ghasts flourished among the other horrors beneath the earth and multiplied.

Now colonies of Ghasts exist in all the dark corners of the Earth everywhere. Some colonies remain in the deeper depths of the Underworld, but a few colonies have established themselves near the surface and periodically raid the surface on moonless nights. Certain Black Kingdom tribes speak of great devils that strike when the moon hides her face. Ghasts are omnivorous, but prefer meat to vegetable matter and consider humans and anything smaller and slower than they are as prey.

If captured young Ghasts can be trained as a mount though it is difficult to do so. To have a Ghast mount is a mark of pride for a Black Kingdom shaman.

Ghasts are a favourite of sorcerers casting the control monstrous humanoid spell- especially those of the Serpent People.