Song of the Beast Gods (Spider God's Bride 2)

[The Wolf]

So, it is a thing and I am working on it at the moment. I'd say I am about 80% done too. There are a few new monsters, a different take on the Civilised Culture (three variants for you to play with) and two new Cults to throw at your players.

It is happening and it's not the only Legend project I'll be working on. It seems that I'll be looking at something really cool after this.

A bit of a road map so far.

Cults and the new Cultist Class: DONE
New Cult Spell: DONE
New Riitual: DONE
New Culture variant: DONE
New Monsters: 90% barring some final tweaks.
Song of the Beast Gods Adventure Conversion: In progress
NPCS: In Progress

o=(========>

Darren

 

[tarkhan bey]

Excellent news Mr Wolf. I hope that you will get the nod for the other world of Xoth release as well. Any hints on your new Legend project? Anything, even as simple as typing SnS, heroic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy....... :wink:

 

[The Wolf]

I believe it has a Norse theme

 

[tarkhan bey]

Sounds promising.

 

[DamonJynx]

Excellent! Glad to hear you are working on these products.

I, for one, really enjoyed your thread on the re-work of SGB. Also, it's great to see an author actually listen and take on board suggestions from his customer base as you did in that thread. I think the Legend line can only improve if you're given lead developer/writer status for future planned releases.

 

[The Wolf]

Thanks Damon. I'm a fan of open development in many cases, unless there's something so 'top secret' you can't reveal a shred of info about it because it revolutionises a genre or something.

I enjoyed working on SGB's re-write and seeing the feedback, which in turn drove me on to improve things and so forth.

 

[The Wolf]

So there's not much I can do to share information on this project, since the scenario is fairly straight forwards.

However, here's my take on:

Nallah (Male slave merchant)
Value 1D20 Hit Location AP/HP
STR 13 1-3 Right Leg -/5
CON 12 4-6 Left Leg -/5
SIZ 13 7-9 Abdomen -/6
INT 14 10-12 Chest -/7
POW 12 13-15 Right Arm -/4
DEX 14 16-18 Left Arm -/4
CHA 12 19-20 Head -/5



Combat Actions 3 Armour: None.
Damage Modifier +1D2
Magic Points 12 Traits: None.
Movement 8m
Strike Rank +14
Common Skills: Athletics 47%, Brawn 56%, Culture (Own) 98%, Dance 36%, Drive 41%, Evade 61%, Evaluate 86%, First Aid 28%, Influence 89%, Insight 69%, Lore (Regional) 84%, Perception 76%, Persistence 64%, Resilience 64%, Ride 70%, Sing 44%, Sleight 69%, Stealth 71%, Swim 45%, Unarmed 51%

Advanced Skills: Acrobatics 47%, Commerce 81%, Courtesy 71%, Gambling 70%, Language (Native) 95%, Mechanisms 72%, Oratory 58%, Streetwise 68%


Weapons
Type Range Size Reach Damage AP/HP
Dagger -- S S 1D4+1 Bleed, Impale 6/8
Scimitar -- M M 1D8 Bleed 6/10
Combat Styles
Tricky Knife (Dagger, Scimitar, Net): 52%
Possessions: Camel, scimitar, dagger, pouch with 150 SP, one dose of blue whinnis poison (see below).
Description: Surprisingly strong and agile for a person of his bulk.
Tactics: Attempts to attack from atop his camel, calls his guards, throws a poisoned dagger (use stats for Potent Snake Venom on page 85 of the Legend core rules). He is a coward at heart and if cornered he’ll attempt to strike a deal (only to betray his allies later). He may also attempt to escape combat if hard pressed and near death.

 

[The Wolf]

So, here am I going through Song and I find out that many of the NPCs are missing their descriptions and possessions, even tactics in the core document. Compared to the original Spider God's Bride - so I am going to add in my own entries to those to keep them in-spec with the SGB re-write.

 

[Prime_Evil]

So, here am I going through Song and I find out that many of the NPCs are missing their descriptions and possessions, even tactics in the core document. Compared to the original Spider God's Bride - so I am going to add in my own entries to those to keep them in-spec with the SGB re-write.

I think that's a smart move. Not only does it ensure consistency across the books, but it adds some value for those of us who already have the d20 version.

 

[The Wolf]

That was my line of thinking Prime_Evil. There's a lot missing in terms of description, tactics and design to some of SGB 2. I want to put a lot of that in and make sure that it matches SGB as closely as possible.

Plus you get some interesting trinkets and tactics to boot.

I'm a fan of putting non-magical interesting things into important people's inventories. So you'll find things like ivory-handled eating knives, and so on. I did a lot of work on Necromancer Games: Mother of All Treasure Tables a good few years ago, mundane treasure just doesn't get enough love.

Teharut, Chief Scribe
Value 1D20 Hit Location AP/HP
STR 10 1-3 Right Leg -/4
CON 9 4-6 Left Leg -/4
SIZ 10 7-9 Abdomen -/5
INT 16 10-12 Chest -/6
POW 13 13-15 Right Arm -/3
DEX 12 16-18 Left Arm -/3
CHA 12 19-20 Head -/4



Combat Actions 3 Armour: None
Damage Modifier -1D2
Magic Points 10 Traits: None
Movement 8m
Strike Rank +14 Common Skills: Athletics 22%, Brawn 20%, Culture (Own) 97%, Dance 24%, Drive 25%, Evade 24%, Evaluate 93%, First Aid 68%, Influence 84%, Insight 79%, Lore (Regional) 97%, Perception 79%, Persistence 86%, Resilience 38%, Ride 25%, Sing 25%, Sleight 24%, Stealth 28%, Swim 19%, Unarmed 22%

Advanced Skills: Courtesy 48%, Culture (Various) 72%, Language (Native) 90%, Lore (City History) 82%, Lore (Nobility) 87%, Lore (City Geography) 88%, Lore (Ancient Magic) 90%, Oratory 65%


Weapons
Type Range Size Reach Damage AP/HP
Dagger -- S S 1D4+1 / 1D4 Bleed, Impale 6/8
Combat Styles
Bookworm (Dagger): 37%

Possessions: Several worn parchments, a musty old book and a copper talisman worth 2SP.

Description: Teharut is old and very knowledgeable about the history of the city and the royal family, but will only share it with those he regards as intellectuals, as demonstrated by a Routine Lore test in any Lore based subject/skill. People find him difficult to converse with, for he has a tendency to ramble on about irrelevant details and tangential anecdotes; if consulted as a sage, quadruple the normal amount of time required to answer a question.

Tactics: If a fight ever broke out, he’d be useless in that regard. He might stab once with his dagger, and then run.

Or how about a pair of acolytes of a new god mentioned in SGB 2.

Nasith and Tarur, acolytes of Zothur

Value 1D20 Hit Location AP/HP
STR 14 1-3 Right Leg -/5
CON 12 4-6 Left Leg -/5
SIZ 13 7-9 Abdomen -/6
INT 10 10-12 Chest -/7
POW 14 13-15 Right Arm -/4
DEX 10 16-18 Left Arm -/4
CHA 15 19-20 Head -/5



Combat Actions 2 Armour: None
Damage Modifier +1D2
Magic Points 14 Traits: None
Movement 8m
Strike Rank +10 Common Skills: Athletics 24%, Brawn 27%, Culture (Own) 80%, Dance 55%, Drive 24%, Evade 50%, Evaluate 45%, First Aid 20%, Influence 80%, Insight 59%, Lore (Regional) 85%, Perception 54%, Persistence 68%, Resilience 54%, Ride 24%, Sing 29%, Sleight 25%, Stealth 30%, Swim 26%, Unarmed 34%

Advanced Skills: Courtesy 55%, Language (Native) 85%, Lore (Religion) 50%, Lore (History) 55%, Manipulation 64%, Meditation 58%, Oratory 69%, Sorcery (Zothur’s Favour) 64%

Magic: Grimoire (Zothur’s Favour): Banish, Diminish (STR), Diminish (CON), Intuition, Restoration, Wrack, Palsy



Weapons
Type Range Size Reach Damage AP/HP
Quarterstaff -- M L 1D8 Stun Location 4/8
Dagger -- S S 1D4+1 / 1D4 Bleed, Impale 6/8
Combat Styles
Beast Warder (1-H Sword, Dagger, Quarterstaff): 65%
Possessions: A few scraps of parchment, a hidden symbol of Zothur and 3SP each.

Description: Nasith is tall and gaunt; Tarur has flabby skin and reeks of sweat. Both are dressed in plain grey robes. These young acolytes are fairly recent arrivals in the city, for Yasath, the old priest who mentored Nathifa in her youth, has returned to Amenti. The acolytes have not had time to establish any relationship with Nathifa, and she has been avoiding them recently.
The king and his steward were only happy to see Yasath leave, and their enmity, although concealed, has carried over to the new acolytes.

Tactics: They try to work in tandem to harm and disrupt any attackers should a fight break out.

 

[Prime_Evil]

I agree strongly with the idea of using mundane treasures wherever possible. I also strongly recommend having a few items whose true value can only be recognised using the Evaluate skill - such as a pewter goblet that is actually tarnished silver or a gemstone whose value can be doubled by having it cut a certain way by a skilled jeweller. This makes characters who have put points into that skill more valuable and promotes realism (what...you mean that your professional thief can't estimate the value of the loot that she just stole???). Another trick is to throw in a couple of fake or counterfeit items whose true nature is not immediately obvious without creative skill use - one nasty thing I've used in the past is to have an NPC bribe the characters for his freedom with a hidden stash of gems that later turn out to be fake. Get's 'em every time.

Also, don't forget that in a skill based game such as Legend you might be able to add in a few items that offer an Improvement Roll to a specific skill - for example, a lost treatise by a famous swordsman outlining his secret fencing techniques or an alchemist's laboratory workbook containing the formula for a rare chemical compound (hmmmm...let's see what this 'elemental fluorine' stuff can do). And in the Swords & Sorcery genre, there are plenty of literary examples where poison, narcotics, and other exotic substances can be used as 'treasure' - (e.g. powdered azure lotus, the dried essence of a mummified heart, a handful of black dust from the surface of a dead star, etc ).

Incidentally, I love the Mother of All Treasure Tables and still use that book from time to time.

 

[The Wolf]

Yes indeed. I am not adding overly much, mainly where things are missing. I don't want to stamp all over Morten's work basically. I have a few things here and there which are exactly the kind of item you describe

I had a blast on MoaTT. One of my favourite pieces in that is the Orrery I borrowed the idea for from Dark Crystal. Though it got misnamed in the book.

 

[The Wolf]

The Guardian Beast, embalmed massive hyena

Dice Average 1D20 Hit Location AP/HP
STR 3D6+12 23 1-3 Right Hind Leg 2/6
CON 3D6 11 4-6 Left Hind Leg 2/6
SIZ 2D6+12 19 7-9 Hindquarters 2/7
INT 6 6 10-12 Forequarters 2/8
POW 3D6 11 13-15 Right Front Leg 2/6
DEX 3D6+6 17 16-18 Left Front Leg 2/6
19-20 Head 2/6



Combat Actions 3 Armour: Embalmed fur and hide. No Armour Penalty.
Damage Modifier +1D8
Magic Points 11 Traits: Night Sight, Life Sense, Formidable Natural Weapons
Movement 13m
Strike Rank +14 Skills: Athletics 75%, Evade 55%, Perception 67%, Persistence 57%, Resilience 55%, Stealth 69%, Survival 58%, Track 70%

Weapons
Type Range Size Reach Damage AP/HP
Bite -- M T 1D8 As for Head
Claw -- M M 1D6 As for Leg
Combat Styles
Fearsome Guardian (Bite, Claw): 70%
Possessions: None
Description: This massive beast has glowing red eyes, sharp teeth and claws. It does not move until activated and when it does so, it does with frightening speed.
Tactics: The guardian attacks the nearest Player Character and attempts to bite them first.

AND DONE!

 

[The Wolf]

Matt has edited this by the way and it should be out soon as well. Yet more SGB goodness - and once I'm done on MoL II (which begins properly next week) I'll turn my eyes to SGB 3.

Yeah, there will be a 3.

 

[tarkhan bey]

Huzzah!

 

[Prime_Evil]

Huzzah!

I couldn't have said it better myself

Is there any chance that we will see a campaign book for the World of Xoth at some point?

 

[The Wolf]

There's a possibility of something like that. Though Matt and Morten would be the ones to hash it out I think. I have my own S&S Campaign setting (with a twist or two) which I am working on for 13th Age and since 13th Age has the core d20 stats it would not be a stretch to convert Zankhara across onto Legend at some point down the line.

Zankhara is an interesting little slice of S&S with a few differences here and there.

 

[tarkhan bey]

Zankhara sounds pretty interesting Wolf. Do you have an ETA for the 13thAge version?

 

[warlock1971]

Hi Guys! Does Song of the Beast Gods "follow on" from Spider God's Bride?

 

[The Wolf]

Zankhara sounds pretty interesting Wolf. Do you have an ETA for the 13thAge version?

Not as of yet. This is something I'm working on as I can between other things I'm involved in. Like MoL II for example.