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A to ZChallenge

The Tower of the

Archmage

April 2011

David Brawley

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Introduction

During the month of April, over 1200 bloggers from

all over the world participated in theBlogging From

A to Z April Challenge.The premise of the challenge

was to post something on your blog every day in

April except for Sundays. The end result of which

would be 26 blog posts -- one for each letter of the

alphabet. Each days theme was chosen according

to the corresponding letter of the alphabet.

I discovered the challenge over at The Vaults of

Nagoh, and decided that it would be an interesting

exercise in blogging. I created a Google

spreadsheet and opened it up to my readers to

suggest topics for the 26 posts. There were only a

few suggestions, but they were interesting ones. I

filled in the remainder of the topics.

The challenge proved a little harder than I

expected, and it morphed as it went on. My initial

posts were musings on games, with little beyond

ideas and a bit of advice to share with the

community. I began to add new random charts,

magic items, and monsters to the posts in part

because I didnt feel that the thoughts I was

offering were enough, and in part because I found

it more interesting myself.

In the end Im pleased with my output, especially

the posts that offer things that are useful for just

about anyone, not just my own game.

Table of Contents

A is for Adventurers 2

B is for Bards 2

C is for Chaotic Neutrals 3

D is for Derring-do 3

E is for Elevators 4F is for Flotsam and jetsam 5

G is for Games Workshop 6

H is for High-level campaigns 8

I is for Immolation 9

J is for Jinn 10

K is for Khorne 11

L is for Loot 12

M is for Maps 13

N is for Necropolis 15O is for Orphan 16

P is for Portals 17

Q is for Quest Giver 18

R is for Rest 19

S is for Shadows 19

T is for Thuol 20

U is for Underdark 21

V is for Virginia's Style 22

W is for Walking Cactus 23X is for X marks the spot! 24

Y is for Ygg 25

Z is for Zombie 26

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A is for Adventurers

Adventurers are an odd lot. They are beings that

willfully put themselves into extreme danger in the

hopes of becoming ever richer, ever more

powerful. Sometimes its worldly power, and other

times it is something far stranger, but in the end,

its about power.

The problem most of them face is that they cant

do it alone. Venturing into some of the most

dangerous places in the world (or beyond it) takes

some serious backup, especially in the beginning.

This is why you find the odd groups that form

adventuring parties. It is rare to see elves, dwarves,

dragonborn, rakaska, humans, and goblins all

hanging out together in any instance beyond that

of an adventuring party.

Being exposed to all of these different cultures

makes adventurers some of the most cosmopolitan

beings on the prime material planes. After having

faced vampires and werewolves together, it isn't

that big a stretch to fight with werewolves against

vampires!

Of course that doesn't always prepare them for

more civilized intrigues. By the time they're ready

to get involved in such dealings, they're usuallyabout ready to be building their own castles,

temples, and towers at which they'll be the center

of courtly life. And thus we find ourselves back to

power. It does not stop here however.

For those truly motivated individuals the search for

power will send them far away from their homes,

and off to distant worlds and even to different

planes of existence. Some even become immortals,

what some call gods!

Whatever their destiny, they all start at level 1.

B is for Bards

The bard never much appealed to me as a class in

D&D. It just never seemed to fit in anywhere,

usually being a hodgepodge of abilities from the

other classes. They possess limited fighting ability,

limited roguish ability, and some odd magical

power all wrapped up with music and storytelling.

Im just going to put this out there lutes, ocarinas

bagpipes, drums, etc. do not belong in a dungeon.

For that matter, neither does the Bard!

This Bard is great for games though!

I totally understand the drive to have a debonair

dabbler in magic, a swashbuckling type thats just a

little more fantastic than your average rogue, but

the bard makes a poor template to base it on. A

better strategy would be to make a magic dabbler

that could be interpretedas a bard.

I would love to put such a class together for you,

but most of the work has already been done. In the

2nd edition setting Birthright true wizards were

rare as they needed the blood of a god in their

veins in order to tap into true magic. Anyone who

lacked that bloodline (most people) that was

interested in studying the arcane arts became a

magician. The magician character class had access

to a broader variety of weapons than a wizard and

a limited number and power of spells available to

them (spells of Divination and Illusion of all levels,

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all other schools 1st and 2nd level spells only), as

well as access to Rogues, Wizards, and General

non-weapon proficiency groups.

Now, this magician character can be looked at in a

variety of lights, depending on how the player

chooses to run him. With a high enough charisma

he could certainly act as a performer when not

crawling around in dungeons. Alternately the

character could be a hedge wizard who acts as the

village wise man. The character could also be

played as a noble dilettante who has toyed with

both rapier and wand. It could even be used (with a

slight tweaking of the spell & weapon list) to

present a variation on the innately magical types

(elves, dwarves, etc).

Hmmm... Ok, fine. I'll reinvent the wheel for the

Rules Cyclopedia. Look for a new character classnext month. Damn you A to Z Challenge, like I don't

have enough to do already...

C is for Chaotic Neutral

Chaotic Neutral can be described as being the

alignment of ultimate personal freedom. The

chaotic neutral character is the one that follows

her whims, but doesnt care about anyone elses.They give no thought for society or anyone but

themselves. They arent malicious, just selfish.

Aside fromPsionics,the Chaotic Neutral alignment

is the only other thing in my game that I ever

outright banned. Any new players that came to my

table with a CN character received one chance to

come back with a character of a different

alignment. Id accept an evil character at the table

before a chaotic neutral one.

The problem stems most likely from the group of

people I was playing with. They were mostly high

school and college age guys, and when given the

option of playing a CN character, any and all

chances of having a decent gaming session went

out the window. The CN characters would engage

in the most sophomoric and asshole-ish actions

and any group coherency fell apart with cries of I

can do that, its his alignment! It generally made

people upset, me included, so relatively early on I

threw down the Ban Hammer.

So what is it about the Chaotic Neutral alignment

that seems to attract assholes? Or is it just that the

Chaotic Neutral alignment is composed entirely of

unlikeable assholes? A quick search of the

characters generally assigned to CN indemotivational posters you end up with characters

like Jack Sparrow, Ash, Jayne, and Steve Zissou.

Now, the thing about all of these guys is that, yes,

theyre selfish, and they can only be trusted so far,

but not one of them will just stick a knife in a

companions back because they just felt like it.

Chaotic Neutral is about freedom, not insanity, but

that distinction was lost on my players at that time.

Even now I find myself cringing at the words

Chaotic Neutral. I think that I might MIGHT be

willing to let someone play a CN character now, but

they would have to work at convincing me.

D is for Derring-Do

In old school Dungeons and Dragons caution was

often the most successful strategy. Get in, get the

gold, and get out with as little danger as possible.

Especially at low level it was the best way to

increase the odds of survival. Yet it isnt themoments of creeping slowly down a dungeon

corridor, carefully mapping every step that players

remember. The real memories are made when the

characters engage in feats of Derring-Do!

They dont generally happen by accident though, or

at least not without a little preparation on the

DMs part. In order for the players to engage in

such memorable play they need to be given the

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toys to play with.

Lets work from an example: The Orc and the Pie.

In this situation you have a 10x10 room with 1

door, 1 table, 1 chair, 1 orc, and 1 pie. The orc is

talking to himself about the pie, and how much he

is going to enjoy eating it, just as soon as its cool

enough to do so without burning his mouth. Enter

1 adventurer. Typically the adventurer will kick in

the door, and kill the orc, taking the pie for himself.

But it can be so much more interesting!! What if

the orc kicks over the table, sending the pie flying?

The adventurer catches it in one hand, and now

must decide whether to run or fight. Or what if the

orc grabs the pie and holds it hostage? What if

instead of kicking down the door, the character

knocks, and opens a negotiation with the orc for

the pie?

What each of these options shows are the

characters, both PC and NPC, interacting not only

with each other (pointy end going into the bad guy)

but also with the scenery, the props that the DM

provides. Errol Flynn couldnt have swung across

the room if there wasnt a handy rope or

chandelier. Jackie Chan doesnt do anything that

doesnt require at least 3 different things to

interact with during a fight, and its usually more.

Your players need those props too.

The most boring thing to find in any dungeon is an

empty 10x10 room. No room should ever be

completely empty (unless there is a very good

reason for it). There may be no monster, no

treasure, no trap, and nothing special but that

doesnt mean there arent barrels of stagnant

water, sacks of moldering something, stairs,

scaffolding, a big red button, or a giant brass gong.

In situations/rooms where there are monsters,treasure, traps, or something special, there should

be plenty of these things for everyone to play with!

Fire pits, alters to crawl under or jump over, large

potted plants, hanging chains, iron maidens,

anything and everything that may be put to some

crazy use by the players (or the monsters)!

This is something Im doing my best to remember

as I work on my megadungeon. When I forget

about it I tend to get stuck. Getting unstuck doesnt

always take a feat of Derring-Do on my part, but

allowing the possibility for my players will usually

do it!

E is for Elevators

The door was stuck, or perhaps barred from theinside. Nimble finished examining it and nodded the

all clear to Rathgar. Wedging the pry bar between

the door and the frame, he started applying

pressure. Slowly, the door began to bend before

finally popping open, some of the wood splintering.

Beyond the doorway was a shaft that ran down far

below the reach of the torchlight. Each of the

adventurers in turn took a look down into the

darkness. Nimble was the first to really look up, and

noticed a large dull silvery disk pressed into the

ceiling. As everyone was looking into the darkness,

Rathgar lit a spare torch. When Nimble was done,

Rathgar passed him the torch, and he tossed it

down the shaft. It finally came to a rest deep down,

probably over 300 yards.

I think I saw another doorway on the opposite side

of the shaft. Nimble reported. Maybe 50 feet

down.

Everyone silently considered for a moment. Well, ifyou want to scout it, well wait here and pull you

out. Rathgar offered.

You know, I think I do. Nimble quickly dropped his

pack, keeping it well away from the edge. With

quick deft movements he tied a silken rope around

his waist and began his climb. Rathgar fed the rope

out as Nimble clung to the wall, working his way

around and down the shaft with unsurprising

dexterity. It didnt take long for him to disappearinto the darkness, his presence indicated only be

the continued movement of the rope, and the hints

of something moving in the dark.

Ok, Im on the platform. Nimble said up the shaft

as quietly as he could. Slide down a lantern.

Rathgar took the lantern that Allianora was

carrying, and slipped the rope through the top ring.

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Here it comes. He warned. The lantern dropped

the length of the rope with remarkable speed, but

Nimble looped the rope and caught it easily. The

doorway was similar to the one his companions

were on, except that the door was closed, and

hanging on the wall was a small lever.

Hey! Nimble called up. Is there a switch behind

the door?

Everyone standing on the upper doorway looked at

each other. Did you look behind the door?

Rathgar asked Feris and Allianora. They both shook

their heads no. Shuffling around, they closed the

door, and looked at the wall behind it, seeing a

small switch.

Theres one up here too. Rathgar replied to

Nimbles question.

Im going to flip it Nimble warned. Reaching out,

he pulled the switch down. There was a clicking

sound, and the switch snapped back to its original

position. A humming noise could be heard from

above, and the grey disk dropped from the ceiling,

four chains attached at equidistant points on the

edge of the circle. It fell with enough speed to cause

a good breeze before coming to a stop at the level

of Nimbles doorway. Rathgar dropped the rope so

that it didnt catch on the disk.

On the center of the disk was a small orb standing

on a chest height pillar. Nimble stepped gingerly

onto the disk. Under the orb was a series of

symbols. Not knowing what any of them meant, he

pressed one at random, and the disk started

moving down.

Nimble?!? Rathgar called down

Im ok, just trying to figure out how to work this

thing. The disk came to a rest at another platform

on the same wall as the one Rathgar was standing

on. Nimble pressed another symbol, one that was

one away from the original one, and the disk jerked

upward, passing the lower doorway that he had

just left. It came to a stop before Rathgar. I think

weve found our way down. Nimble announced.

Elevators make for interesting ways to allow

characters to move through a dungeon, especially

given how many issues they can have! Will it work,

or get stuck during use? Will a chain break, or is

someone else controlling it? What if someone - or

something else wants to use it while the

adventurers are on it? Plus there's the whole

question of how deep down the adventurers are

willing to try to go!

F is for Flotsam and Jetsam

Flotsam and jetsam are the random finds of the

sea. Either things that were tossed overboard (for

whatever reason) or floated away when the ship

sinks, they can make for some interesting

encounters. Below you will find a chart best suited

for encounters on the open water. Many items

dont exactly qualify as flotsam or jetsam, but I

included them anyway.

Open Water Flotsam and Jetsam1. Pale golden skinned mechanical human,

black scorch marks cover its chest and head

2. Large empty cask3. Lifesaver with faded writing4. Coconut with a bloody handprint5. Message in a bottle See sub-chart A6. White leather ball with a face painted on it7. Wooden board with the word Minnow

painted on it

8. Rowboat with a child and a tiger9. Rowboat with the body of a warrior

complete with 1d3 masterwork

weapons/armor and 2d12*100gp worth of

jewelry

10.Empty Raft11.Small iceberg See sub-chart B12.Floating nest with a single large egg13.

Box 2x1x1 There are windows on 3sides, and a door. The lid swings open to

reveal furniture bolted to the floor designed

to fit a 6 tall humanoid.

14.Rubber duck/toy boat15.Piece of silvery metal 6 square (very light,

floats, very strong)

16.Ships figurehead See sub-chart C

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17.Large chunk of a ships railing and deck, tiedwith a rope to a harpoon that is stuck in a

large tentacle.

18.Body of a Grey in a space suit19.Crude totem pole20.Sealed bottle with a genie inside (looks like

Barbara Eden) whos only power is to be

able to enter and exit the bottle in a puff of

pink smoke as long as it is unsealed. She

hasnt been out of the bottle in over 500

years!

Not these two!

Sub-Chart A

1. Love letter2. Treasure map of a Desert Island3. Detailed fleet information from of unknown

nation

4. Poems5. Seeds and growing instructions6. Last Will and Testament of someone named

Robinson

7. Three nonconsecutive pages from a holybook

8. EmptySub-Chart B

1. Grandma2. Polar Bear3. Penguins 2d64. Frozen mastodon5. Escape pod from JJs 17016. Silvery cylinder containing a green

slime/yellow mold/etc.

7. Flying Saucer encased in ice8. Nothing special

Sub-Chart C

1. Mermaid2. Warrior3. Priest4. Eagle5. Lantern bearer6. Dragon7. King8. Wolf

G is for Games Workshop

The Evil Empire of table top miniature wargames,

creator of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, as

well as a sundry of other related miniature games,

and holder of the license for the Lord of the Rings

miniature games. Anyone who has played any of

these games for any length of time (aka long

enough to have enjoyed an edition change) has a

love/hate relationship with GW. Its really hard to

deny the quality of their models, even when

complaining about their rules sets is like shooting

fish in a barrel with a tactical thermonuclear

device.*

My first exposure to GW came through a gamecalled HeroQuest. This board game came with an

array of monsters goblins, orcs, skeletons,

zombies and more that found frequent use in my

D&D games.

Chaos Warriors, Orcs, and Skeletons. Oh my!

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It was also my introduction to painting miniatures.

Back in the day (early 90s) I was using my dads

model railroad testors paints.

Heroes

I was later reintroduced to GW via Battlefleet

Gothic. It was cheaper than either WHFB or

WH40K, and the specialist game of the year. Plus

who doesnt love ramming spaceships?!?

A small portion of my Imperial Battlefleet

I eventually collected an obscene amount of points

for my Imperial Fleet (5,000+), then collected

Chaos (4,000+), then Space Marines (2,000), Orcs

(3,000), and Tau (1,500). The Orcs and the Tau are

the only fleets that arent almost completely

painted.

My chaos fleet on my cousin's board

I then bought someones Bretonian army for

Fantast Battles, and started working on a World

Eaters army for 40K. Ive actually yet to work on

the bretonians, sad to say

My force from a RTT. I came in 4th!

Ive also collected a variety of random GW minis

Elves In Space!

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Mordheim Necromancer

More recently Ive been collecting the Lord of the

Rings minis, which have brought me full circle with

my HeroQuest minis, as Ive used them as D&D

minis! Especially the orcs!

Clearly these are Bandits rather than orcs!

*OK, that last bit was an exaggeration. Many of

GWs rules sets are fantastic; the problem is that

its not their core games that have the great rules!

H is for High Level Campaigns

There comes a point in the life of a successful

adventurer when they will begin to want more

than another dungeon delve or wilderness trek. As

they approach name level (9 traditionally),

thoughts of castles, armies, and political power

begin to fill their heads. This leads to a vastly

different play style than low level play.

Way back when I actually got to play Rules

Cyclopedia D&D I only had 2 characters make it to

name level. The first was a fighter, whose name I

dont remember. He eventually built a castle, and

ruled a fair amount of land, fighting in one war

before being retired around level 11 or 12. The

second was the Archmage who eventually got up

into the low 20s. I played him a lot, and by the

time he was retired he had built himself a magical

flying ship very similar in look to the one from

Flight of the Navagator (I had recently gotten the

Champions of Mystera boxed set). It didnt have an

AI or bound spirit or anything like that, and it was a

little bigger, with lots of nifty little tricks. It also

cost him just about every gold piece he had,

several magical items, and took about 3 levels to

complete. He also had a number of other magic

items, and a very thick spell book. His last

adventure was fighting astral aliens who were

trying to take over the world. He was in the middle

of a quest to find an artifact held by a god that

would let him defeat the oncoming armada.

If Id have been able to continue to play him, and

hed have survived, he definitely would have

worked toward the ultimate end game of Rules

Cyclopedia Dungeons and Dragons, namely

becoming one of the Immortals.

Its a little different with the current edition ofDungeons and Dragons, or at least so it seems. The

focus remains on combat (rules-wise) no matter

the level, but the venue and the monsters become

more and more exotic as the characters reach

higher level. In heroic tier (low level) the players

are on a terrestrial world, with maybe some side

trips to the near Feywild or Shadowfell. Paragon

Tier takes the players firmly into both of those

realms and then out into the Astral Realms. By Epic

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Tier characters are traipsing around the cosmos all

the way down into the Abyss and battling demon

lords and greater dragons!

There is something about being a preteen that

makes high level adventures easier I think. By the

time I got into my late teens I became very focused

on low to mid level play, usually capping off around

name level. I just became much less interested in

what I perceived to be power gaming. I think it was

the shift in focus that seemed so sharp that it was

jarring for me. It might also be the fact that aside

from when I was 12 I never ran or was in a game

that ran long enough to reach those higher levels

of play. I simply never exercised those imagination

muscles.

I is for Immolation

There are few things that are more satisfying than

watching your enemies burn! Whether the fire

comes from a flask of oil, a fireball, or even a river

of lava, the level of satisfaction only varies by how

spectacular the immolation is, or by its sheer

volume.

Burning taverns is also a time honored tradition of

adventurers. So much so that by 7th level it's a rare

party that hasn't burned at least half a town to theground! Such actions will often be taken in the

name of saving the town from total annihilation,

but really, other steps could have been taken. No

other acts would have been as cool though.

As a DM you can use this tendency to your

advantage. To engage your players, give them

opportunities to set things on fire. Have them find

a cache of Greek Fire just before a big encounter,

for example, or have a battle take place with anopen and roaring fire pit or bonfire. Give them

enemies that are susceptible to fires such as insect

swarms, spiders in webs, and trolls to battle

against.

Once you've stoked their natural tendency to burn

things, do remember your responsibility as a DM to

turn the tables on them. There is no reason the

monsters can't push the adventurers into the same

bonfire, or use a burning flask of oil against them.

Having a burning zombie try to grapple a party

member? Your players will know you're enjoying

the game. Having a bunch of zombies coated in tar

and set alight as they march on the party? That's

the sign of true love from a DM.

Fun With Fire - New Rule

Whenever someone attacks with a flaming object,

such as a torch, the attacker may choose to forgo

the usual damage roll and instead roll 1d4 on the

chart below.

1. The object is extinguished - 1d2 damage2. The target jumps back - 1d2 damage3. The target is lightly burned 1d44. Something the target carries or is wearing

catches fire. 1d4 ongoing until extinguished.

5. The target is on fire and panicked - as #4 plusmust make a morale check

6. Hotter than you thought - as #5, but thedamage is 1d6

7. Way hotter then you thought - as #6, but thedamage is 2d4 and the morale check is at -2.

Modifiers

If attacking with a flame smaller than a torch, -1 to

the roll.

If the target is wet, -2 to the roll

If attacking with a magical flame, +1 to the roll

If the target is already on fire, +1 to the roll

If the target is highly flammable (i.e. soaked in oil)

+1 to the roll

If the flame is as big as the target (i.e. fire pit) +2 to

the roll

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J is for Jinn

The Jinn/Genie/Djinn/Efreet/Madrid are natives of

the elemental planes, or at least they are prior to

the current edition. In the Rules Cyclopedia, out of

all the different version of the creatures both

greater and lesser only the Greater Efreets are able

to grant the wishes that Jinn are traditionallyknown for, and the Jinn in a bottle doesnt even do

that! It gives the owner control of the lesser Jinn

for 101 days. While this is a mighty boon, it lacks

the power of Aladdin's Lamp!

Sure, theres the ring of wishes, but whats more

fun, twisting a ring, or interacting with a

primordial/elemental spirit thats less than thrilled

at being tied to a bottle and made to serve a mere

mortal?!?

Ok, so this guy doesn't actually look all that put

out.

Of course not all are going to be ticked off at

having been trapped in a bottle. Maybe they relish

the solitude, or perhaps they fall in love with

whoever rubs the bottle or lamp?

And dont think that a spirit trapped in an unlikely

receptacle is merely for fantasy games. It can

certainly have its place in the right sort of sci-fi

game too!

R2 gets all the girls!

Go ahead; give that bottle or lamp a rub! The

results might surprise you!

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K is for Khorne

As I mentioned in my G post, my 40K army of

choice is that of the World Eaters Legion of the

Chaos Space Marines, a cult of bloodthirsty super-

warriors who worship the Chaos God Khorne who

sits upon his Throne of Skulls while his devotees

call out Blood for the Blood God!

The first member of my army was a Khorne

Sorcerer. Now, those of you familiar with 40K lore

know that Khorne hates magic/psionics, and his

followers are barred from practicing those arts.

Nevertheless, this guy was Khornes first recruit. I

found him in a case, primed back and missing a

backpack. I also bought the vampire cloak, put

them together and painted him up in the colors of

the legion I was considering, not knowing my faux

pas.

He quickly became a Chaos Lieutenant in my force.

It turns out my guys are willing to overlook his

propensity for robes due to his tendency to cleave

anyone in twain who dares to mention it!

Me losing the RTT to a well painted Demon Hunters

force.

Once I decided to follow the dark path of the chaos

gods, my Lieutenant was joined by several squads

of Berzerkers, a Khorne Lord, a Jugernaught, and an

old style Dreadnought.

At the time (3rd edition) there was an option for

cultists as a troop choice, and I had started to put

together a unit of 50 that would be driven before

the rest of my army as a giant ablative shield.

Unfortunately shortly after I got started on that

project they changed the codex on me. This wasmy first introduction to GW's tendency to mess

with things.

When the cultists were abandoned, I switched to

working on some armor Rhino transports, Predator

tanks, and a pair of Landraiders. I even built a Brass

Scorpion out of 2 defiler kits!

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Eventually I decided that while an entirely Cult

force was fun, I wanted to add a little diversity to it.

The easiest way to do that, and to still keep it a

very Khorne themed force was to add some

demons. While the Khorne bloodletters at the time

were pretty cool models, they were all metal, and

very expensive, so I opted to use beastmen Gors as

proxy figures. The other demon option for Khorne

are the fleshhounds (aka Khorne-dogs) but I hated

the miniature for them. As a proxy I picked up a

bunch of the original Hounds of Orion from the

Wood Elves army.

I opted to play the World Eaters for a couple of

reasons, the miniatures being only one of them. A

large part of the choice came from the playing

style. Its a no nonsense, in your face, Im gonna rip

your arm off and beat you to death with it sort of

army. I thought about going with orcs, but they

were due for a re-sculpt and another friend was

already playing them.

That choice has made for a lot of fun games. A lot

of games lost too, but fun ones none-the-less. The

fastest was in a 750 point tournament where my

entire force was wiped out by an exemplary Eldar

player before I got to take my second turn. While I

definitely prefer winning (who doesnt?) Ive

generally found my opponents to be good sports

either way. There have been a few grumblers and

ungracious winners, but in general Ive been lucky

in the people Ive played against. Ive been far less

lucky with my dice. While Im in no way a great

player, or even a good one, Ive lost a fair number

of games due more to bad dice than to bad

strategy. In the end it doesnt matter, as Khorne

cares not from whence the blood flows, only that it

does!

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

L is for Loot

Weve all heard the saying It is good to have an

end to journey toward; but it is the journey that

matters, in the end or one similar to it.

Ask almost any adventurer, and theyll tell you that

saying is complete bunk! At least the honest ones

will. Those self-deluded paladins and other

altruistic types may claim otherwise, but the truth

is if it werent for the loot (and the XP that comeswith it) no one would bother digging around in

dungeons and old ruins.

Sure, the journey, the experience, the adventure...

But what its really all about is the Loot! The

treasure! The swag! The booty! It may be piles of

gold and silver, it may be a magical, it may even be

a dusty old tome, but whatever it is, the loot is the

entire reason for the adventure!

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6 Treasure Rumors (with modifiers)

1. A payment caravan for an ancient army waslost somewhere near the old bandit caves.

It was never found! (+20% chance of copper

and silver coins)

2. The old dwarven mines are all tapped out,but when the orcs came, the dwarves didnt

have the chance to get everything away.

(+15% chance of gold coins)

3. A great jewelsmith was captured by anecromancer some years ago. Its said thatshe has him create ever more splendid

baubles for her to enjoy. (+15% chance of

gems and jewelery)

4. One morning last year a pirate ship wasfound beached near the village. The crew

was dead, a great cage on deck was

destroyed, and the hold was empty.

According to papers on board a great

treasure and an unknown beast had been

recovered. Since then livestock regularly

goes missing. (+25% chance of Special

Treasure guarded by something the players

have never seen before!)

5. The diabolist used likenesses to summon hisinfernal allies and slaves. While he was

killed, the various artworks were never

discovered! (Specific monster summoning

spell scrolls are works of art)

6. A cult of Orcus used gold bricks to buildtheir hidden shrine. Guess what? Its neverbeen found! (+25% chance of gold coins

found in 10gp bricks)

M is for Megadungeon Maps

Lucky entry 13 brings us a number of wonderful

things. First, its the half way point in the

challenge. Second it ties the A to Z challenge in

with this months RPG Blog Carnival about

dungeon cartography as hosted appropriately

enough by the mapmaker extraordinaire Dyson

Logos.

Im actually a little behind on posting some of

my newer maps from my megadungeon, so I

thought I would take this opportunity to play a

little catch-up.

This map connects withthe map 2Z along the

corridor marked G. I think Im going to need to

do a zoomed out view of this level just for my

own sanity. That giant chasm is going to cause

problems if Im not careful.

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This is the start of the 3rd level, and is at this

point connected to map 2A.

If I had the time and the technical ability Id

drop my maps into GIMP, or even better into

Google Sketchup, so that I could keep track of

the whole thing. I bet doing a walk-through in

Sketchup would be a very insightful experience.

Sadly I have nowhere near the time to learn

sketchup well enough to do it right now.

Im also going to share some work in progress

maps with you. Ive been struggling with doing

some real multi-level rooms. I know what I

want it to look like, but when drawing it out it

never comes out quite right. Ive actually

considered using multiple layers of tracingpaper or different colored pens.

Experimentation Shall Continue! Suggestions

are welcome!

These are random doodles that havent goneanywhere yet, but have not been abandoned

either!

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Pictures cropped and adjusted for better

viewing.

N is for Necropolis

Necropolis.

Its a stirring word. A city of the dead. The place

where shadows and spirits dwell. In ancient times

on our world, a necropolis would be next to or near

a city of the living. Today our dead are amongst us,

and should the dead rise, were all in for a world of

pain. Back in the old days the dead were contained

within their own city!

Is a Necropolis even a valid feature in Dungeons

and Dragons? In a world where necromancers are a

dime a dozen how likely is it that the dead would

be buried as opposed to cremated? I know Id

rather be toasty than a mindless puppet to some

magic user with delusions of grandeur!

Lets presume for a moment that burial or

internment in tombs is, for whatever reason, the

cultural norm, in spite of ALL of the reasons why it

shouldnt be. Besides, if it wasnt, there would be a

whole lot fewer places for adventurers to plunder!

So besides giving our players someplace to poke

around in with their characters, what would one

expect from a necropolis? In this case we will

define a necropolis as a separate resting place for a

large number of dead bodies. The village graveyard

doesnt count, it has to be a significant city sized

location, distinct from any area where living being

inhabit.

An active Necropolis would likely be patrolled

regularly by specially trained guards, along with

novice paladins and clerics in lawful areas. It will

likely be similar to living on a Hellmouth (a missed

opportunity for an H post, perhaps to be

revisited!) with frequent spontaneous creation of

lesser undead and the natural attraction of more

dangerous unwelcome elements (Necromancers,

intelligent undead, etc.). Actually, this could make

for an interesting side campaign. Adventures could

range from dealing with zombies, families that are

being attacked by grandma, thieves trying to get

grandmas jewelry, necromancers who want tocontrol grandma, ghouls that want to eat grandma

(and mom, dad, the kids, cousins...), dealing with a

VIP internment and the circus that goes with it.

Thinking more on it, it sounds like it might actually

work better with BESM or a similar system.

The real interesting things happen when you start

dealing with a necropolis what isnt active! For

whatever reason people stopped coming to visit

the graves of their loved ones and new bodiesarent interred anymore. Maybe the city was wiped

out by a plague or war, or abandoned when

something happened in the necropolis, or maybe

people wisely started cremating their dead, but

then unwisely stopped keeping an eye on the

Necropolis. Whatever the reason this city of the

dead is now ruled by the dead, and more

frighteningly, the undead! It maybe that the

boarders of the Necropolis are warded well enough

that at this point they cant really get out... until

they can, or at least start to.

There is also no reason to presume that the

necropolis is even on the surface! A dungeon

necropolis is a perfectly valid locale, and in fact

may be more fitting, as it will never see the light of

day!

Hmmm.. Looks like Ill be adding a Necropolis to my

Megadungeon.

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O is for Orphan

Ive been all over with this letter. The obvious

choice is OSR, but I bet itll take more than one

hand to count those posts today. Otyugh will also

probably be a popular choice, as will orc and

owlbear.

What Ive settled on for todays letter is Orphan. So

many players choose for their characters to be

orphans, usually in an attempt to keep the DM

from using their characters family against them.

This misguided act can frustrate a Dungeon Master,

especially as they try to inject some role playing

into their games.

In the future, whenever a player describes their

character as an orphan, roll a 1d30 on the following

chart.

1. Youre actually a runaway because your family

didnt approve of the adventurer lifestyle

2. Youre actually a runaway, and your family is

looking for you!

3. Youre actually a runaway, and creditors are

looking for you! +50% starting gold

4. Your parents died when you were very young.

You dont remember them, and you were

adopted into a wonderful loving family.5. Your parents died when you were very young.

You dont remember them, and you were

adopted into a horrid family.

6. Your parents died when you were very young.

You dont remember them, and you grew up in

an orphanage.

7. Your parents died when you were very young.

You dont remember them, and you grew up on

the streets/in the wild

8. Your parents died when you were very young.You dont remember them, and you grew up at

a temple

9. Your parents died when you were a child. Your

kind aunt/uncle raised you and your 1d4-1

siblings. +2d6 starting gold

10. Your parents died when you were a child. Your

cruel aunt/uncle raised you and your 1d4-1

siblings. -10% starting gold

11. Your parents died when you were a child. The

temple took you and your 1d4-1 siblings in.

12. Your parents died when you were a child. You

grew up in an orphanage with your 1d4-1

siblings.

13. Your parents died when you were a child. You

grew up on the streets/in the wild taking care

of your 1d3-1 siblings. -10% starting gold per

sibling

14. Your parents died while you were a teen. They

left you the farm/store. Its not doing so well

now. You have 1d4 siblings, one of which is able

to take care of the farm/store. -2d4 starting

gold.

15. Your parents died while you were a teen. They

left you the farm/store. Its doing fine, but you

hate it. One of your 1d4 siblings is able to take

care of it. +2d6 starting gold

16. Your parents died while you were a teen. Theywere jerks and poor to boot. You and your 1d3

siblings have been scrapping by. -1d6 starting

gold per sibling

17. Your parents died while you were a teen. They

were jerks but pretty well off. You and your 1d4

siblings have been living off of what was left to

you, but its running out.

18. Your parents were killed when you were very

young. You survived by being hidden during the

attack, and you were rescued by a neighborand raised as their own.

19. Your parents were killed when you were very

young, and you were taken by their killer and

raised as his own. You just discovered this, and

have run away, taking a minor magic item

(DMs choice) with you.

20. Your parents were killed when you were a

child. You and your 1d2 siblings were enslaved

by the killer. Now youve all escaped!

21. Your parents were killed when you were a

child. You and your 1d3 siblings were enslavedby the killer. Youve just killed him, freeing

yourself and your siblings.

22. Your parents were killed when you were a teen

The killer was caught right away by the local

law, and justice was swift. You still have to take

care of your 1d4 siblings.

23. Your immediate family was killed when you

were a teen. They caught the killer a year later.

You were there when he was hanged.

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24. Your parents were killed when you were a teen

during a raid on your settlement. You and 1d3-

1 siblings survived.

25. Your immediate family was killed when you

were a teen during a raid on your settlement.

You were visiting your uncle/aunt.

26. Your parents were killed when you were a teen

by someone untouchable. You were left in

charge of +1d4*50 starting gold

27. You were captured and enslaved as a child. You

have no idea what happened to your family.

Your owner recently converted, and freed you.

28. You and your family were captured and

enslaved when you were a teen. Youve

recently escaped, but you dont know what

happened to the rest of your family.

29. The fire wiped out your entire family. Only you

survived, having been trapped down in the root

cellar during the fire (you were beingpunished). -2 to Charisma due to burn scars,

4d12*10 starting gold.

30. Ok, fine. Your characters entire family, the rest

of the village, and everyone who has ever met

you was wiped out by pirates/orcs/space

aliens/whatever. You saw it all, and it was very

traumatic/life altering/etc. Congratulations,

youre all alone in the world.

The death of your parents is presumed to be eitheran accident or due to natural causes unless

otherwise noted.

P is for Portals

A portal, simply defined, is a doorway, gate, or

entrance. A passage that goes from one place to

another. It can be as simple as the door from a hut

into the village proper, or as fantastic as a fog thatbridges the gap between this world and one ruled

by dark forces. Whatever its form, the basic

premise always remains the same - giving the user

access to somewhere else.

Dungeons and Dragons, and all other roleplaying

games, are themselves portals to a worlds of

shared imagination, worlds where those who share

it, create it!

Within the game, portals can serve a variety of

purposes as well as shapes. Any dungeon doorway

can be closed, stuck, locked, trapped, hidden,

secret, bared, or even false. It may open into the

next room, or to a room on another side of the

planet. It may even open to somewhere not of this

world. If its a magical portal, what does it look

like?

Magical Portal Appearance

Roll once on each chart

Visual Texture

1. Clear

2. Mist/Smoke

3. Prism Distortion

4. Fluid - Opaque

5. Fluid - Translucent/Distorted6. Pure Light

7. Drain-like swirl

8. Opaque

Color

1. Clear/Reflective

2. White

3. Blue

4. Green

5. Yellow6. Orange

7. Red

8. Purple

9. Black

10. Brown

11. Roll 1d8+1 Twice

12. Shifting/Rainbow

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Some portal examples:

This one is clear and clear

Fluid - Opaque and Blue and White

Prism and Blue

Pure light and White

Q is for Quest GiverIn just about any computer or video game RPG

there are NPCs that tell you what to do. In some

games, you can say No but for the most part you

follow the story and take the quests as given.

World of Warcraft addresses this in one of the

most obvious ways of any game Ive ever seen by

sticking a giant golden exclamation mark over their

heads.

Dungeons and Dragons and even Traveller tend tobe at least slightly more subtle...

Ok, just ignore that mysterious guy in the dark

corner.

Like I was saying, Dungeons and Dragons and even

Traveller tend to be at least slightly more subtle

than WoW with its floating punctuation marks.

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Maybe not a whole lot, Ill grant you, but a little.

The real difference is how with a good DM quests

often pop-up during play, unplanned, even un-

thought of until something happens at the table

that triggers the DMs (or the players) imagination.

In computer games, that cant happen (at least not

yet).

So what does a quest giver look like in D&D? Just

about anything really! From the village priest, to

the local lord, to a visitation from a god, or the

gravelly voice of a carved stone face. Really, it can

come from anywhere.

Now I'd like a little audience participation. Tell me

the most unusual Quest Giver you've used or

encountered!

R is for Rest

Adventurers and bloggers both need it.

See you tomorrow!

S is for Shadows

A shadow is an interesting thing. It exists, but

doesnt really. There, but not. Traditionally in RPGs

Shadows are monsters (Not Undead!) or things for

thieves to hide in, but Ive been watching a lot of

Babylon 5 recently (Im into season 4). If anyone is

unfamiliar with Shadows from B5, they are an

ancient alien race, one of the first ones to inhabit

the galaxy. They were fanatically devoted to the

idea that in order for life to survive it must have

conflict.

As an ancient race they used an advanced

biotechnology in their ships. The ships, which used

captured sentients as CPUs, were incredibly

powerful, yet until the end they were content to

remain hidden, and use other races as pawns in

their game with the ultra-lawful Vorlons. The few

times that Shadows are shown in person, rather

than their ships, there isnt usually combat. Theyre

able to become invisible at-will, so will usually work

though an intermediary rather than show

themselves. The few times they are involved in

combat, it tends to end fairly quickly. They dont do

very well against energy weapons at short range,

but then who does?

What the Shadows can do in an RPG is to serve as a

powerful villain! Theyre incredibly smart, with

access to great power which theyre perfectlywilling to share, but at a cost. They introduce

themselves by asking What do you want? A fairly

innocuous question, but when the adventurer

responds the bugbears on level 3 dead and then

they go back to level 3 to find them all dead? Plus

all the treasure is still there, untouched! What

price would the PCs be willing to pay? Could they

convince the local lord to go to war with a

neighbor? Theyll help things along by killing a few

cattle and a villager or two. Maybe they can leadthe attack?

Of course you dont need to use a new monster to

accomplish this. Any of a number of powerful and

sneaky beings exist already in the game that can

serve; vampires, Medusa, lycanthropes, evil

cultists, devils, and of course Mind Flayers!

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T is for Thoul

Of all the creatures, monsters, vermin, and beasts

from the Rules Cyclopedia there was only one that I

ever dismissed out of hand. There are a good

number that I never got around to using, but only

this one was blacklisted. I was perfectly happy to

have fairies of various sorts, elk-people, owlbears,hippogryphs, and the whole assortment of oozes,

slimes, and molds in my game, but theThoul...

I bet a fair number of you dont even know what a

Thoul is. Allow me to explain. A Thoul is the

magical combination of a Troll, a Ghoul, and a

Hobgoblin. Except when very close, they look

exactly like hobgoblins. They have the paralysis

attack of a ghoul, a slightly reduced regenerative

ability of the troll (1hp/round), and the

aforementioned looks of the hobgoblin. Oh, and

they can be spellcasters too.

Even today I look at the Thoul and my first reaction

is Why would anyone even think of this?!? and

my second reaction is this is just a way to screw

with players by showing them some hobgoblins,

and then BAM, youre paralyzed.

Now, I get the concept of variant monsters. Ive

made a few myself, but when I do so, I dont juststick two (or three) different monsters together.

Im much more likely to take a monster and tweak

it, rather than just slap something on top of it.

So rather than the result of some awful wizard-

forced mating that requires gallons of mindbleach,

lets re-imagine the Thoul.

If it looks like a duck, quacks like an iguana, and

kicks like a mule, you can bet a wizard did it.

Hoq-Goblin

Armor Class: 6

Hit Dice: 3** (M)

Move: 120' (40')

Attacks: 2 claws or 1 weapon

Damage: 1d3/ 1d3 or by weapon

No. Appearing: 1d6 (1d10)

Save As: F3

Morale: 10

Treasure Type: C

Intelligence: 6

Alignment: Chaotic

XP Value: 65

Monster Type: Monster (Very Rare).

A hoq-goblin is a magical variant of a hobgoblin.

Except when very close, hoq-goblins look exactly

like hobgoblins. Their primary distinguishingfeature is a grayish pallor, and an extra joint in

their overlong fingers. They are sometimes found

as the bodyguards of a hobgoblin king or Chaotic

ruler, if they arent on the throne themselves.

The touch of a hoq-goblin will paralyze (in the same

way as that of a ghoul). If it is injured, a hoq-goblin

will regenerate 1 hit point per round as long as it is

alive. They are cunning creatures, and will fain

death when gravely injured until they canregenerate.

There can be hog-goblin spellcasters. (S4/W4)

Terrain: Barren Lands, Cavern.

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U is for Underdark

"Where are we?" Nimble grumbled.

"Lost" Feris answered. "Same as the last time you

asked..."

"Guys!" Allianora snapped. "We need to getRathgar out of here. Any ideas?"

"What about that lamp that Spider Priest sold us a

while back?" Feris asked.

"We'll have to use a diamond to light the thing

down here!" Nimble complained.

"If you'd have remembered where the stairs out of

here were, we wouldn't need to!" Feris said

accusingly. "So light the thing, and lets get the hell

out of here!

The Light in the Dark

When lit in a dungeon this lamp will direct it's

bearer to the most direct passage to the surface by

casting light in the direction they need to go. The

lamp does not avoid any danger, be it traps,

monsters, or anything else, so care must be taken.

In order to light the lamp, a stone must be placed

where the wick would usually be. Depending on

the distance to the surface, a different value stone

must be used. No matter what stone is used, the

light will continue to shine for 1d4+1 turns, making

its use a potentially expensive prospect.

Dungeon Stone

Level Cost

1 50gp2 100gp

3 250gp

4 600gp

5 1,500gp

6 4,500gp

7 10,000gp

8 25,000gp

9 50,000gp

10+ 100,000gp

The Light of the World

The Underdark is the 4th edition name given to the

vastmythic underworldthat has been a part of

Dungeons and Dragons from it's very beginning.

One of the most important things for surface

dwellers when venturing into the Underdark is

getting back out again. Teleportation magics aren't

always reliable, and paths can twist, bend back,

cross over, and run under in ways that will give a

map maker a constant migraine. This item can help,

but at a cost.

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V is for Virginia's Play Style

People are different from one another. This may

seem like a fairly simple and obvious observation,

and it is, but its important to remember when

gaming with them, and even more so when you live

with them!

Im going to use World of Warcraft to illustrate the

differences in play styles between Virginia and

myself. Now, I have not actually played WoW, but

Ive played other games like it, and I know myself.

Part of the reason I haven't played it is because

we've only got one computer that would really be

able to run it. When Diablo III is finally released,

that'll change, but until then...

Virginia started playing about 9 months ago, just

before the Cataclysm. In that time she has started a

number of different characters of various races and

classes, but her primary is a Night Elf Hunter that is

currently hovering at just under level 70. The fact

that her primary hasnt hit the level cap of 85 says

something about her playing style. She is taking her

time with her character, exploring the world, and

completing quest chains. She is also working on a

number of different achievements that are not

directly related to leveling up, including reading all

of the in-game books, loving one of each of thecritters, and slaying one of each of the pests, and

exploring every corner of the game world as she

goes along.

When playing a WoW-like game, my strategy

would be almost the complete opposite of what

Virginia is doing. Id have my primary character

level-capped by this point, and would have started

2 or 3 other characters that would be well into

their 30s-50s. My primary character I would play

for a little bit every time I played, as I worked

toward completing whatever achievement I had set

as my next goal.

Virginia is also soloing the entire game. No quests

that require multiple players, no raids, no PVP.

Given how little time we have to enjoy video games

I wouldnt be very different in this aspect, but if

there was a dungeon or raid that I wanted to

tackle, Id be more willing to try to find someone to

quest with, at least for that instance. Going along

with that, Virginia has avoided joining any guilds,

though she frequently gets offers. The issue withguilds is that they require a certain investment of

game time, and that isnt always doable, especially

as were both working on our Masters degrees!

Another aspect of the game are the professions.

While Virginia has spent a lot of time working on

her secondary professions (first aid, fishing,

cooking) her primary skills (skinning and leather

working) are languishing a bit. This is due to a

couple of factors, including that shes leveled pastwhat her leather working skill can handle. This

means that the leather shes collecting her skill

isnt good enough to work with, necessitating

buying leather to work with. In addition to that,

there is all the other stuff she needs to buy like

dyes, thread, etc. This serves as a hindrance to her

using and advancing that skill. Ive occasionally

researched the next couple of recipes so that she

knows what to buy. That way she doesnt have to

keep running around trying to collect everything. I

do this just because I get frustrated at her lack ofadvancement in leather working!

In the end, our characters will both get to the same

places, and well both have fun doing it, we just

take different routes getting there! I find this most

noticeable when I watch her play, and I have to

remind myself that she isnt doing it wrong, shes

playing the way she wants to play. She's having fun,

and that's what really counts.

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W is for Walking Cactus

The suns light beat down upon the blasted

landscape. A tall white tent stood alone in a field of

odd flat cacti. Within the tent the adventurers did

their best to keep cool.

Do you think well find him this time? Rathgar

asked quietly, mostly to break the silence.

Nimble paused fanning himself and his brow

wrinkled. I hope so. Sita has been missing for a

long time.

Allianora placed her hand on Nimbles shoulder.

Well find her.

But the Magus first Feris pointed out. He must

have a way of finding her.

As the sun set, the adventurers exited the tent, Feris

last, a braided rope with a large tassel in his hand

that stretched back into the tent. Giving it a swift

tug, and then releasing it, it snapped back into the

tent. The whole structure vibrated for a moment

before it collapsed down into a small square bundle

of cloth with the braided rope wrapped around it.As Feris stooped down to pick it up, he noticed a

nearby cactus seemed to be bowing its extremities

in towards its central trunk.

All around them the cacti did the same, and slowly

lifted themselves from the ground.

Diania Cactiformis aka Walking Cactus

Armor Class: 6

Hit Dice: 4+

Move: 30' (10')

Attacks: 1

Damage: 1d10+2

No. Appearing: 3d12

Save As: F5

Morale: 10

Treasure Type: Nil

Intelligence: 0

Alignment: Neutral

XP Value:

Monster Type: Lowlife

The Walking Cactus is an ambulatory desertcreature distantly related to other giant bugs and

worms. Its green coloration is the result of algae

that grows upon its shell. During the heat of the

day when the walking cactus rests immobile it

buries its sensitive proboscis under the sand to

protect it. During the night it roams the desert

looking for sustenance. It is an omnivorous

creature, and will eat anything from desert

vegetation, carrion, to any creature that it can

hunt.

Most of these beasts are between 8-12 (4-6HD)

feet in length, standing about 3-4 feet from the

ground, though the largest recorded specimen was

over 20 feet long! It is able to lift its front portion

an additional 3-4 feet. It attacks with its forelimbs,

striking with them as spiky clubs.

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X is for X Marks the Spot!

If there is anything else that will get an

adventurers heart racing like a big pile of treasure,

its a map that leads them to a big pile of treasure!

Ive had games where my players will find out

someone else has a treasure map, and will spend

an entire session just tracking it down, or figuringout how to steal it!

Now, as Professor Jones points out, X rarely marks

the spot.

You know, except when it does.

In spite of the power they have, Ive found that

maps, and specifically treasure maps, are rarely

used. Maybe its because it requires too much

prep? Im not sure. It could also be that DMs dont

want to send players off the map, or the rails, as it

were. Yet a treasure map can be a wonderful vesselfor not only getting your players on the rails, but

practically leading them on by the nose. Pick up an

awesome new module? Tired of having your player

hanging out and want to see something new?

Simply promise them riches beyond imagining.

Of course not every treasure map actually leads to

treasure. Some might be traps. Others may have

been correct at one point but the treasure already

collected. Others still may be completely false. The

previous owner might be completely ignorant of

the truth, no matter what they believe.

I heartily recommend making prop maps. For one

thing, its fun, and generally doesnt take a long

time. For another, they dont need to be - nay,

shouldnt be works of art! These are treasure maps

made by neerdowells, not cartographers! While

many online tutorials suggest using white paperstained by tea or coffee, I recommend brown

paper. I also recommend ruining the map. Check

out the one i did. How much of it is now illegible?

How many times has it been folded and unfolded?

Wrinkled, wadded up, longingly even lovingly

caressed? Is the ink smeared, the page ripped?

Burned? Stained with blood, beer, or even bile?Has

it been sealed with wax? All of these are easy to

do, and dont require anything that you dont

already have in your house. Id recommend paint

rather than any actual bodily fluid however... But Ipromise you, hand that to your players, and theyll

be loading the horses and hitting the road!

Treasure Map/Magical Scroll Generator - Roll once

on each chart

Medium - 1d12

1. Vellum2. Parchment3. Papyrus4. Paper5. Bamboo or Wood6. Clay7. Bone8. Wax9. Cloth10.Metal11.Stone12.Special - See below

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Special Medium - 1d10

1. Grain of Rice2. Living being3. Ice4. Corpse5. Undead creature6. Glass7. Memory Liquid Metal8. Scale Model9. Snow Globe10.Inside a Locket

Via http://evildm.blogspot.com

Condition - 1d8

1. Pristine2. Worn and faded3. Intentionally damaged4. Reused (Painted/written over)5. Broken into multiple parts - some missing6. Corroded/burned/stained7. Roll 1d4+1 twice, ignore doubles8. Broken into multiple parts - all included

Inscription Technique 1d6

1. Ink/Tatoo2. Paint3. Carved/Inscribed4. Burned/Melted5. Woven/Embroidered6. Embedded

Accuracy 1d4

1. Nearly completely accurate!2. Mostly accurate3. There is some truth to it4. If its right, its by accident

Y is for Ygg

Ill be honest, I did not recognize Ygg as one of

Odins 200+ names.I thought it was a Norse word,

but I had to look it up. As for the All Father himself

he has never made an appearance in any of my

games, yet he is a very interesting archtype. The

one-eyed god is associated with wisdom, war,battle and death, and also magic, poetry, prophecy,

victory, and the hunt. He sacrificed his eye at the

spring of Mimir to gain the Wisdom of the Ages,

and hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil for

9 days and nights while pierced by his own spear to

gain power in the 9 worlds (aka Magic!)

Aside from some books on mythology from my

childhood, my primary exposure to Ygg comes from

two sources. The first being the Disney cartoon

series Gargoyles, and the second Neil Gaimans

American Gods. Its been a while since I last

watched Gargoyles, but from what I recall both do

a fair job of portraying some of the complexity of

Odins character. Gaiman of course does a better

job, but thats to be expected.

I actually think that the Norse pantheon does a

better job with the gods than the Roman or

Egyptian ones. The Norse gods are all fairly

complex individuals, making them a little moreinteresting as characters.

The Eye of Odin

This magical talisman is an artifact of minor power.

When claimed, the owner will know its powers

and dangers. Once claimed, the owner must

continue to wear the talisman for its powers to be

used. During the first 9 days and nights the Eye will

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attune itself to its new owner. During this time the

owner may relinquish the Eye with no ill effects. On

the 10th morning the Eye will be attuned. Upon

attunement the wearer will gain enough XP to

automatically bring them to the midpoint of the

next level. In addition from that point on all XP will

be gained with a 10% bonus. This bonus will stack

with any bonus based upon high ability scores.

The wearer of the Eye will be immune from attacks

that damage Wisdom or drain levels.

Every day the talisman is worn the wearer will take

1d6 points of damage that will manifest as a stab

wound in the side. This damage may be healed

normally.

After the Eye is attuned the loss of it will cause the

former bearer to lose 2 levels. In addition, until thecharacter earns enough XP to bring them to their

former level, they will suffer a 15% penalty to all XP

earned.

Z is for Zombie Preparedness

The A to Z challenge has claimed many blogs over

the last 30 days. Many started out this challenge,

and some have fallen. Today we see the

predictable results of the month:

I hope that youve been practicing your

preparedness drills. Its a weekly occurrence in my

household. Usually I pretend to be a zombie who

has invaded the house. My corgis Lucy and Alice

start out a few feet away from me barking and

doing a good job of alerting Virginia that a zombie

has breached the perimeter. Unfortunately then

Lucy decides to take matters into her own paws

and attacks. Sadly this does not go so well for my

11 tall dog. As we all know a zombie is vulnerable

to either massive damage or head shots. Lucy is

then either killed or infected, and at this point Alice

comes to the rescue, her three brain cells over

stimulated by seeing her sister become a zombie

snack. Alice proves to be nutrient poor, and

becomes a very friendly zombie. Virginia is then

hunted down and slaughtered. Shes usually found

with her feet up, watching the predictable eventsunfold, and clicking on her laptop.

Judging by the survival rate of Zombie

Preparedness drills in my household, Im

considering a few preventative measures. First is

theZombie Proof House. With one foot thick

concrete walls and a second floor entrance with a

DRAWBRIDGE its way more secure than almost

any other single family dwelling out there! With

some solar panels, water processing equipment,

and a greenhouse, you'd be completely set, for a

while anyway.

Alternately you could take to the water with theSS

Tom Sawyer - Zombie Destroyer riverboat. Of

course obtaining either of these isnt going to be

easy after the fact, so wed all better get on it.

Especially since there is only one house, and the

boat hasn't been built yet!

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After an encounter or two with zombies, if your

players survive, they become a lot less scary an

encounter... that is until they run into variant

zombies!

Surprise Zombies! Roll on this chart once per

zombie encounter after the second in the

campaign.

1. Fast Zombies! Double movement, +2 initiative2. Cunning Zombies! When more than one zombie

attacks the same target all gain a +1 to attack

3. Projectile Vomiting Zombies! All zombies gain abreath weapon attack, single target, 10 range,

1d4+2 damage, save for half

4. Infested Zombies! When killed zombies willrelease an insect swarm

5. Leaping Zombies! Jump attack, 1d8 damage,save vs paralysis or knocked prone

6. They Just Wont Die Zombies! When killed 1d3body parts will remain animated and begin

attacking anyone alive*

7. Exploding Zombies! Whenever the zombietakes any damage roll a die. On an even result

the zombie explodes, causing 1d6 damage to

anyone within 10 feet.

8. Sapient Zombies! For whatever reason theseguys remember their former lives. They still

kinda want to eat your brain though -

Intelligence 9, neutral alignment

9. Magic Zombies! They glow faintly with magicpower. melee attacks do an extra 2 damage,

ranged magical attack does 1d4+1 points of

damage and slows the target.

10.Jiang Shi Zombies! These zombies absorb halfthe damage they cause as temporary hit points

- no cap!

11.Pregnant Zombies! When killed a hideousdemonic being bursts forth from the zombieschest and attacks**

12.Roll Twice, ignoring duplicate results*Zombie body part - AC8, hp 1, move 15 (5), 1d3

damage, XP 5

**Use kobold stats - 1d6 damage with claw attack