Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Excellent, so now I have a name for this upcoming tome of mind rending horrible truths. Give me about a couple weeks or so to get finished - I'm veering off Lovecraft for a little bit and concentrating on both my Sorcery system and typing up my non-Lovecraftian Conan adventure HC1: "Rightful Property".
P.S. If anyone wants a copy of HC1 [or for me to give it to thier GM] let me know....always willing to help spread the terror. 8)
Raven
P.S. If anyone wants a copy of HC1 [or for me to give it to thier GM] let me know....always willing to help spread the terror. 8)
Raven
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Bregales said:
*Thwap*
Smart Alec. :lol:
Raven
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Just as *thwap*ing a person who made a bad joke is a tradition for our gaming group....8)
Anyway- have to run. I have a overnight gaming weekend planned to start tomorrow. Considering that some of my players just got back from college and are hungry to game, I am likely to have my creative batteries sucked dry. Wish me luck!
Raven, :lol:
Anyway- have to run. I have a overnight gaming weekend planned to start tomorrow. Considering that some of my players just got back from college and are hungry to game, I am likely to have my creative batteries sucked dry. Wish me luck!
Raven, :lol:
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Quite right- so here goes.
[Note to All: After the last virsus scare and since I am not on a secure system, the people on my Conan and Cthulhu Mail List won't get the Word document of the following creatures until I get to my usual sysytem on Monday]
Raven
[Note to All: After the last virsus scare and since I am not on a secure system, the people on my Conan and Cthulhu Mail List won't get the Word document of the following creatures until I get to my usual sysytem on Monday]
Raven
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Dimensional Shambler
”Shuffling towards him in the darkness was the gigantic, blasphemous form of a thing not wholly ape and not wholly insect. Its hide hung loosely upon its frame, and rugose, dead eyed rudiment of a head swayed drunkenly from side to side. Its forepaws were extended, with talons spread wide, and its whole body was taut with murderous malignity despite its utter lack of facial description.”
-H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald “The Horror in the Museum”
Large Outsider
Hit Dice 8d10 + 24 [64 hit points]
Initiative: + 6 [+6 natural]
Move: 30 feet
DV: 16 [+6 natural]
DR: 6 [hide and chitin]
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+19
Attack: Claw + 13 melee [1d8+5; x2 critical; 6 AP]
Full Attack: Two Claws + 13 melee [1d8+5’ x2 critical; 6 AP] and Bite +10 melee [2d6+7; X2 critical; 7 AP]
Special Attack: Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 feet; Enhanced Manifest; Scent; Terror
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Saves: Fort + 9; Ref +6; Will +2
Abilities: Str 19; Dex 11; Con 17; Int 7; Wis 11; Cha 4
Skills: Climb +12; Jump +10; Knowledge [Outsiders] +12; Knowledge [Planes of Existence] +16; Listen +6; Spot + 8; Survival +12
Feats: Improved Grapple; Track
Climate/Terrain: Any in this plane of existence or any other
Organization: Solitary
Advancement: By character class [Usually Barbarian, rare specimens can acquire levels of Scholar]
Dark Vision: Dimensional Shamblers possess a range of senses that extend far beyond those experienced by human. They can perceive all objects in their line of sight, even those invisible or partially projected into another plane of reality, at a range of 120 feet.
Enhanced Manifest: Dimesional Shambler can leave their current plane of existence for any other as a full round action. In addition, a Shambler is unique in that it can take any object or creature it holds- including any Grappled creatures. During the process, the outline of the Shambler and all those ‘travelling’ with it begins to fade and glimmer in a distinctive manner. It and any one or thing touching it appears at their new destination at the end of the round.
Creatures and objects taken by a Shambler are usually never seen again unless the Shambler is under the control of a sorcerer- in which case their fate is depends on what the creature’s orders were.
Improved Grab: Any creature hit by a Dimensional Shambler may be grappled by it as a free action. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The Dimensional Shambler often then uses its Enhanced Manifest ability soon after, leaving this plane of existence with any beings Grappled with it. [see above]
Scent: Among the many enhanced senses of a Dimensional Shambler it possesses a series of keen olfactory organs. A Dimensional Shambler can detect the presence of all creatures within 60 feet, though not their exact location, and may Track by scent alone.
Terror: Dimensional Shamblers produce Terror of the Unknown
Dimensional Shamblers are a race of nearly sentient predatory beings who range all throughout the planes of existence. Native to some far off reality, they hunt through millions of realities seeking prey with their ability to slip through the veil between worlds with the greatest of ease. This ability makes them of special value to sorcerers of many realities. They often employ these creatures as trackers, sending them to fetch specimens from far off worlds or hunt down enemies. Those sorcerers with a more scholarly bent utilize the Shamblers ability to move between worlds to explore other planes of reality.
In their natural state, Shamblers utilize their natural ability to shift into othe realities in hunting. Often they will track prey, grapple it and then shift into a plane of reality whose environment is lethal to the prey which then swiftly dies. They consider humans prey, but are not malicious about it. They are just hungry. If enslaved by or working with a sorcerer, the Shambler will often Grapple individuals specified by their master and then shift to their master’s location.
Shamblers, like many Outsiders, dislike being used as unwilling agents but are intelligent enough to work willingly with other creatures. In addition, there are reports of Shamblers of exceptional Intelligence who are capable of utilizing Sorcery and make reasonable subjects of a demonic pact being able to teach the Summoning school of magic plus other schools of magic as the GM desires. [If using Raven’s Rules of Sorcery, exceptional Shamblers know spells from the Banishment and Summoning Sphere plus at least one other- usually Elements and Forces or Death and Destruction]
”Shuffling towards him in the darkness was the gigantic, blasphemous form of a thing not wholly ape and not wholly insect. Its hide hung loosely upon its frame, and rugose, dead eyed rudiment of a head swayed drunkenly from side to side. Its forepaws were extended, with talons spread wide, and its whole body was taut with murderous malignity despite its utter lack of facial description.”
-H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald “The Horror in the Museum”
Large Outsider
Hit Dice 8d10 + 24 [64 hit points]
Initiative: + 6 [+6 natural]
Move: 30 feet
DV: 16 [+6 natural]
DR: 6 [hide and chitin]
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+19
Attack: Claw + 13 melee [1d8+5; x2 critical; 6 AP]
Full Attack: Two Claws + 13 melee [1d8+5’ x2 critical; 6 AP] and Bite +10 melee [2d6+7; X2 critical; 7 AP]
Special Attack: Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 feet; Enhanced Manifest; Scent; Terror
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Saves: Fort + 9; Ref +6; Will +2
Abilities: Str 19; Dex 11; Con 17; Int 7; Wis 11; Cha 4
Skills: Climb +12; Jump +10; Knowledge [Outsiders] +12; Knowledge [Planes of Existence] +16; Listen +6; Spot + 8; Survival +12
Feats: Improved Grapple; Track
Climate/Terrain: Any in this plane of existence or any other
Organization: Solitary
Advancement: By character class [Usually Barbarian, rare specimens can acquire levels of Scholar]
Dark Vision: Dimensional Shamblers possess a range of senses that extend far beyond those experienced by human. They can perceive all objects in their line of sight, even those invisible or partially projected into another plane of reality, at a range of 120 feet.
Enhanced Manifest: Dimesional Shambler can leave their current plane of existence for any other as a full round action. In addition, a Shambler is unique in that it can take any object or creature it holds- including any Grappled creatures. During the process, the outline of the Shambler and all those ‘travelling’ with it begins to fade and glimmer in a distinctive manner. It and any one or thing touching it appears at their new destination at the end of the round.
Creatures and objects taken by a Shambler are usually never seen again unless the Shambler is under the control of a sorcerer- in which case their fate is depends on what the creature’s orders were.
Improved Grab: Any creature hit by a Dimensional Shambler may be grappled by it as a free action. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The Dimensional Shambler often then uses its Enhanced Manifest ability soon after, leaving this plane of existence with any beings Grappled with it. [see above]
Scent: Among the many enhanced senses of a Dimensional Shambler it possesses a series of keen olfactory organs. A Dimensional Shambler can detect the presence of all creatures within 60 feet, though not their exact location, and may Track by scent alone.
Terror: Dimensional Shamblers produce Terror of the Unknown
Dimensional Shamblers are a race of nearly sentient predatory beings who range all throughout the planes of existence. Native to some far off reality, they hunt through millions of realities seeking prey with their ability to slip through the veil between worlds with the greatest of ease. This ability makes them of special value to sorcerers of many realities. They often employ these creatures as trackers, sending them to fetch specimens from far off worlds or hunt down enemies. Those sorcerers with a more scholarly bent utilize the Shamblers ability to move between worlds to explore other planes of reality.
In their natural state, Shamblers utilize their natural ability to shift into othe realities in hunting. Often they will track prey, grapple it and then shift into a plane of reality whose environment is lethal to the prey which then swiftly dies. They consider humans prey, but are not malicious about it. They are just hungry. If enslaved by or working with a sorcerer, the Shambler will often Grapple individuals specified by their master and then shift to their master’s location.
Shamblers, like many Outsiders, dislike being used as unwilling agents but are intelligent enough to work willingly with other creatures. In addition, there are reports of Shamblers of exceptional Intelligence who are capable of utilizing Sorcery and make reasonable subjects of a demonic pact being able to teach the Summoning school of magic plus other schools of magic as the GM desires. [If using Raven’s Rules of Sorcery, exceptional Shamblers know spells from the Banishment and Summoning Sphere plus at least one other- usually Elements and Forces or Death and Destruction]
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Fire Vampire
”They appeared as thousands of tiny points of light…..The myriad points of light were living entities of flame! [Where] they touched, fire sprung up”
-August Derleth, “The Dweller in Darkness”
Fine Outsider [Elemental]
Hit Dice: 1d8-2 [4 hp]
Initative: +5 [ +2 natural; +3 Dexetrity]
Move 40 fly
DV: 23 [ +1 natural; + 3 Dex; + 8 size; Dodge Feat]
DR: None
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/ cannot Grapple
Attack: Burning touch +12 melee finesse [see below]
Full Attack: Same
Special Attack: Burning Touch; Soul Drain
Special Qualities: Fire Subtype; Immaterial; Manifest
Space/Reach: 1ft/1 ft
Saves: Fort -2; Ref +5; Will -1
Abilites: Str N/A; Dex 17; Con 7; Int 2; Wis 9; Cha 10
Skills: None
Feats: Dodge
Climate/Terrain: The plane of Elemental Fire; in the company of Fire Elementals and Great Cthugha
Organization: Swarm [10-100+]
Advancement: Diminutive [2-4 HD]; Tiny [5-8 HD]; Small [9-12 HD], etc.
Burning Touch: Contact with a Fire Vampire causes 2d6 point of Fire damage to any creature or object it comes in contact with. A Reflex saving throw of DC 11 allows a mobile creature to receive only half damage. Flammable objects are set alight on contact with a Fire Vampire and receive 1d6 points a damage a round until the flames are extinguished. [Extinguishing an object is a full round action] While most creatures are not flammable, their hair, fur or clothes usually are.
Note that any creature touched by a Fire Vampire is also subject to its Soul Drain attack described below.
Fire Subtype: Star vampires are immune to all Fire damage irregardless of source. They receive double damage from all Cold damage and take one point of damage from each gallon of water or sand they are doused with.
Immaterial: Being composed of massless plasma, Fire Vampires are unaffected by any physical attack, unless the weapon is enchanted. Note that weapons striking a Fire Vampire are subjected to Burning Touch as per above and may be damaged as a result.
Manifest: As a full round action a Fire Vampire may either leave Earth and return to the Elemental plane of Fire or appear on Earth. In either case, it manifests at its new location at the end of the round.
Soul Drain: Fire Vampires feed off the living energies contained in all life. Contact with a living being allows a Fire Vampire to attempt to siphon these energies. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw of DC 11 or temporarily lose one point of Wisdom. If the target survives the attack, it may recover the ability damage as normal.
Note that any creature subjected to a Fire Vampire’s Soul Drain attack is also subjected to their Burning Touch attack described above.
Fire Vampires are spawn of the Outer God Cthugha, the Lord of the Fire and the Void. They appear to humans as small flickers of light, slight larger than an average candle’s flame. However their diminutive size belies their ability to cause harm. Composed of sentient star hot plasma, the very touch of a Fire Vampire sears any substance they come in contact with. While nearly harmless to the denizens of their home plane of Elemental Fire, when summoned to a material plane in sufficient numbers, they present a serious threat to that plane’s native life forms.
Being semi-intelligent balls of star-hot plasma, their very touch sets any flammable material alight. In addition they consume the living energies of living creatures to survive. Thus Fire vampires touch a target to feed, their intense temperature usually sets them alight too. Since they usually travel in packs of dozen, hundred or even thousands, they can strip a landscape bare of all life in minutes, leaving only blackened and melted rock.
Few sane sorcerers would willingly summon a large number of Fire Vampires to the material plane. However Star Vampires often swarm around Fire Elementals and there have been unfortunate circumstances where they follow an Elemental who has been summoned to another reality. Since the summoning sorcerer is usually ill prepared to control his unexpected guests, he or she is usually consumed by the swarming Fire Vampires. The summoned Elemental and Fire Vampires then often return to their plane of origin immediately, but on rare occasions they may choose to ravage and reshape the nearby landscape for a while before returning home.
In the rare and unfortunate occurrences where the Great Cthugha send its manifestation into another world such as our own, it is always accompanied by thousands of Fire Vampires of various sizes.
”They appeared as thousands of tiny points of light…..The myriad points of light were living entities of flame! [Where] they touched, fire sprung up”
-August Derleth, “The Dweller in Darkness”
Fine Outsider [Elemental]
Hit Dice: 1d8-2 [4 hp]
Initative: +5 [ +2 natural; +3 Dexetrity]
Move 40 fly
DV: 23 [ +1 natural; + 3 Dex; + 8 size; Dodge Feat]
DR: None
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/ cannot Grapple
Attack: Burning touch +12 melee finesse [see below]
Full Attack: Same
Special Attack: Burning Touch; Soul Drain
Special Qualities: Fire Subtype; Immaterial; Manifest
Space/Reach: 1ft/1 ft
Saves: Fort -2; Ref +5; Will -1
Abilites: Str N/A; Dex 17; Con 7; Int 2; Wis 9; Cha 10
Skills: None
Feats: Dodge
Climate/Terrain: The plane of Elemental Fire; in the company of Fire Elementals and Great Cthugha
Organization: Swarm [10-100+]
Advancement: Diminutive [2-4 HD]; Tiny [5-8 HD]; Small [9-12 HD], etc.
Burning Touch: Contact with a Fire Vampire causes 2d6 point of Fire damage to any creature or object it comes in contact with. A Reflex saving throw of DC 11 allows a mobile creature to receive only half damage. Flammable objects are set alight on contact with a Fire Vampire and receive 1d6 points a damage a round until the flames are extinguished. [Extinguishing an object is a full round action] While most creatures are not flammable, their hair, fur or clothes usually are.
Note that any creature touched by a Fire Vampire is also subject to its Soul Drain attack described below.
Fire Subtype: Star vampires are immune to all Fire damage irregardless of source. They receive double damage from all Cold damage and take one point of damage from each gallon of water or sand they are doused with.
Immaterial: Being composed of massless plasma, Fire Vampires are unaffected by any physical attack, unless the weapon is enchanted. Note that weapons striking a Fire Vampire are subjected to Burning Touch as per above and may be damaged as a result.
Manifest: As a full round action a Fire Vampire may either leave Earth and return to the Elemental plane of Fire or appear on Earth. In either case, it manifests at its new location at the end of the round.
Soul Drain: Fire Vampires feed off the living energies contained in all life. Contact with a living being allows a Fire Vampire to attempt to siphon these energies. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw of DC 11 or temporarily lose one point of Wisdom. If the target survives the attack, it may recover the ability damage as normal.
Note that any creature subjected to a Fire Vampire’s Soul Drain attack is also subjected to their Burning Touch attack described above.
Fire Vampires are spawn of the Outer God Cthugha, the Lord of the Fire and the Void. They appear to humans as small flickers of light, slight larger than an average candle’s flame. However their diminutive size belies their ability to cause harm. Composed of sentient star hot plasma, the very touch of a Fire Vampire sears any substance they come in contact with. While nearly harmless to the denizens of their home plane of Elemental Fire, when summoned to a material plane in sufficient numbers, they present a serious threat to that plane’s native life forms.
Being semi-intelligent balls of star-hot plasma, their very touch sets any flammable material alight. In addition they consume the living energies of living creatures to survive. Thus Fire vampires touch a target to feed, their intense temperature usually sets them alight too. Since they usually travel in packs of dozen, hundred or even thousands, they can strip a landscape bare of all life in minutes, leaving only blackened and melted rock.
Few sane sorcerers would willingly summon a large number of Fire Vampires to the material plane. However Star Vampires often swarm around Fire Elementals and there have been unfortunate circumstances where they follow an Elemental who has been summoned to another reality. Since the summoning sorcerer is usually ill prepared to control his unexpected guests, he or she is usually consumed by the swarming Fire Vampires. The summoned Elemental and Fire Vampires then often return to their plane of origin immediately, but on rare occasions they may choose to ravage and reshape the nearby landscape for a while before returning home.
In the rare and unfortunate occurrences where the Great Cthugha send its manifestation into another world such as our own, it is always accompanied by thousands of Fire Vampires of various sizes.
If unhappy with the Conan magic system (I was), try replacing it with Call of Cthulhu d20's magic system (while the rest of the rules stay Conan). In it, anyone can cast spells (if they can learn them), but must pay a terrible price (usually temporary ability drain) for doing so, and wil ventually go insane (like most wizards in fantasy literature, LOL).
IIRC, in the Conan stories, wizards seem to only cast a minor spell or two or one major one before being cut in half (if they could have cast more, they would have staved off death a few more rounds or even won). Cthulhu's magic system enforces this. Add Cthulhu Mythos (or not) as a knowlege skill. Add Sanity Points (or not). I tried it once and thought it was fun as GM, but the players were resentful of losing sanity everytime they cast a spell, LOL. Go figure.
IIRC, in the Conan stories, wizards seem to only cast a minor spell or two or one major one before being cut in half (if they could have cast more, they would have staved off death a few more rounds or even won). Cthulhu's magic system enforces this. Add Cthulhu Mythos (or not) as a knowlege skill. Add Sanity Points (or not). I tried it once and thought it was fun as GM, but the players were resentful of losing sanity everytime they cast a spell, LOL. Go figure.
The King
Cosmic Mongoose
Raven,
I suggest your read some review of "The Black Company Campaign Setting" from Green Ronin. There are already some threads on this forum.
This is D20 system but the rules introduce a new magic system for a low magic setting: it is hard to cast spells but you can configurate them as you wish.
I suggest your read some review of "The Black Company Campaign Setting" from Green Ronin. There are already some threads on this forum.
This is D20 system but the rules introduce a new magic system for a low magic setting: it is hard to cast spells but you can configurate them as you wish.
Damien
Mongoose
Indeed. The Black Company CS has a really awesome casting system - it's skill based.
But one should be forwarned that it is -not- for beginners, so if you have any newer players, or players not good with numbers and loads of options - you either shouldn't adopt the BCCS magic system, or just make sure that player (or players) isn't going to try to play a magic-user.
But one should be forwarned that it is -not- for beginners, so if you have any newer players, or players not good with numbers and loads of options - you either shouldn't adopt the BCCS magic system, or just make sure that player (or players) isn't going to try to play a magic-user.
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Iron_Chef said:
Actually I have the original Chaosian non-d20 Call of Cthulhu sourcebook, which is what I am adapting these critters from. 8) I plan on adding some 'cleaned up' versions of the spells from that book- for example the version of the 'Bless Blade' spell from that book in 'Raven's Rules for Sorcery v 1.1' no longer requires such a grisly ceremony. As a practioner of magic in the real world, I don't like to create the stereotype that magic is inheritantly 'evil'. It's not good either mind you- how it works depends on the one weilding it like any tool.
The forthcoming Tomes of Utalis are also based on the Lovecraftian tomes from CoC as well.
Already did- Knowledge [outsiders]. It requires a Corruption check for each five ranks you take. 8)
I use Corruption for this. Some spells in 'Raven's Rules' have a warning that may or will cause Corruption checks when first learned and/or used. The Tormented Sacrifice and Debaucher Feats have this warning as well.
As for the Black Company system, can anyone point me in the right direction to find such a review? 8)
Raven
The King
Cosmic Mongoose
there are 2 reviews there http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=product&productid=119733.Raven Blackwell said:
I don't have the product but it seems to me like Ars Magica where spell-casters can determine his own spells: effect, length, duration, range, etc. You calculate all this factors and then you apply modifier (and have to pay the price).
There is also the Stormbringer adaptation to D20 system (SRD 3.0): "DragonLord of Melniboné" with very minor magic spells. But the best of all is the summoning of demons (and this becomes similar to Howard's Conan): the spell-caster decides which demon he needs and its characteristics and feats (from a big list) and then spends XP to summon it. Some of them are as powerful as to cost 10.000 XP to summon.
You probably know Michael Moorcock's world, which is very akin to Howard's concerning low magic and demons. But in Stormbringer its near the end of the world and the gods (which kept apart from any intervention) are now fighting along with humans for control of the world (gods of law vs gods of chaos).
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
The King said:
Oh my goodness- are those Deep Ones I see there? They'd likely come in handy for one of my games.
That Nightgaunt would too- I don't know how many of them my party has run into. And of course the Shoggoth. And who couldn't use more Ghouls and Sepent Men, eh? That Hunting Horror screams 'Snake Deomn' to me too.
I don't see a Dimensional Shambler or a Fire Vampire though. Kinda sucks to be on the B-list, eh? 8)
Raven
Damien
Mongoose
This is a pretty thorough Black Company CS review as well:
http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1462
http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1462
Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Read through the reviews- not exactly what I am looking for. Too crunchy for my players. I mean I like the Mongoose Sorcery system of Power Points and schools/Spheres of magic. I just don't think they've developed it, or will do so. I'll content to channel my restless creative energies to remake it.
Also I think we're drifting off the topic here- I'd be more than happy to continue the conversation on 'Raven's Rules' or 'The Conan system without Conan", but I don't want to displace the minions fo the Old Ones here....They might grw angry, y'know and I don't want to have to put the Elder Sign on every window and door of my apartment again. 8)
Raven
Also I think we're drifting off the topic here- I'd be more than happy to continue the conversation on 'Raven's Rules' or 'The Conan system without Conan", but I don't want to displace the minions fo the Old Ones here....They might grw angry, y'know and I don't want to have to put the Elder Sign on every window and door of my apartment again. 8)
Raven
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