The Need For Secrecy

Well, it's December 1st and that means that the start date for my Arandish Labyrinth Lord campaign is only a month to six weeks away.  I plan to have the campaign underway by mid-January 2010.  I think the group will meet on a weeknight, on a somewhat focused time schedule, maybe from 6:30 or 7:00pm until 11:00pm, latest.  This schedule will be to accommodate those of us (myself included) who have busy "real life" schedules and want maximum gaming fun in a tightly scheduled format.  We have a similar arrangement in Carl's Mutant Future campaign -- we typically play from 6:30pm until 10:30 or 11pm, 4- or 4.5-hour sessions pretty consistently.  While short by the standards of my youth (we preferred epic 9-10 hour sessions, even through the 1990s), these under-5-hour sessions actually work very well in a rules-light system -- a party can get a shitload done in a session of this length.

The approach of the campaign start date means that increasingly my work on the Lands of Ara must remain hidden and secret.  The past week or two I have begun crafting the first five or six levels of an Arandish megadungeon, and I want to get a level or two done on a second one in case the party goes that direction. 

I am also beginning to flesh out the finer details of a few introductory adventure ideas for the party.  I play "sandbox" style and do not know which rumors or adventure hooks they will choose to follow up on, so I want / need to have a few "first adventures" ready -- at least one play session's worth -- by the time we start in January.  All I know for sure at this point -- and all the players will likely know when they start -- is that I am starting the party out in Swampsedge.

What this increased activity in the "secret" category means is that my output to this blog is slowing down a little, or will be soon.  There is a lot of stuff I'm creating and working on now that I cannot share until after my players encounter it, and probably some other stuff I'll never reveal.  As far as the blog goes, I will continue to provide region profiles for the remaining Lands of Ara, and I also need to get cracking on those elementalists.  It is possible that I will not have the elementalist classes ready by the start of the campaign, for I have much structural groundwork yet to get in place before they will be ready for game play, but here's hoping.

Also, coming soon, some ruminations on possible Megadungeons of Ara -- a post I will likely urge my players NOT to read, but one that must be posted nevertheless, as it is the sort of thing I would most like to share with my fellow world-builders, megadungeon designers, and idea-providers / horkers in the blogosphere.  I want your feedback!

Novellan Mountains d30 Encounter Table

The Novellan Mountains, which form the northern border of Telengard and extend eastward to the dwarven kingdom of Gannar, are known as a particularly dangerous place.  Bulettes abound in these high mountain passes, and the most dreaded of the Arandish red dragons, Razgar, is known to roost somewhere in this mountain range.  And of course the Arandish rock troll is another well-known denizen of the area. . . so adventurers beware!

Click here for the free downloadable pdf of this encounter table, including a 1d20 version.


Novellan Mountains Encounter Table – 1d30
   
1: Ape, Albino
2: Bear, Grizzly
3: Bear, Cave
4: Beetle, Spitting
5-6: Bulette
7: Cat, Mountain Lion
8: Cat, Sabre-Tooth Tiger
9-10: Cyclops, Horned
11: Dragon, Red (60% chance that this is Razgar the Red Dragon)
12: Dragon, White
13: Dwarf
14: Giant, Hill
15: Giant, Stone
16: Griffon
17-18: Hobgoblin
19: Lycanthrope, Werewolf
20: Men, Brigands (30% that the band includes dwarves)
21: Men, Ranger (50% chance Telengardian Roughrider)
22: Morlock
23: Neanderthal
24: Ogre
25: Orc
26: Roc, Giant
27-28: Troll, Rock
29: Wolf, Dire
30: Yeti (see Monster Manual p. 103)

Accepting the d30 Blog Post Challenge -- And Cheating!

The Rusty Battle Axe recently posted a d30 table for Random Blog Topics.  I accepted the challenge, rolled a 15 on his Table, and got a result of "Lions, Tigers and Bears."  Secretly, I had really been hoping to roll an 18, for a result of "The Best Names for Taverns, Pubs, Inns and Bars," but I felt honor-bound to stick to the roll and started composing some thoughts on Lions, Tigers, and Bears:

I am quite fond of large predatory land mammals, and although I have more gut-level fear of sharks than polar bears, I harbor a healthy respect for large land creatures, and lions, tigers, and bears are all three types I would just as soon never meet in real life.  For that very reason, I think they make excellent low- to mid-level foes for wilderness-adventuring parties in D&D, and Ara's forests, swamps, and mountainous regions are populated with some particularly dangerous varieties.

I then planned to write up stats for a few such creatures -- only to realize I had no good ideas, or at least no new ones.  With big cats, I think I pretty much blew my wad with the Swamp Tiger, and although I'm obsessed with mountain lions right now, the mountain lion already has stats in Labyrinth Lord (p. 67).

I also wanted to do a B/X conversion / slight modification of the polar bears belonging to the Frost Giant Jarl in module G2 -- only to find that, once I looked them up, those bears are statted as Cave Bears, also already described in Labyrinth Lord (p. 64)!

So, at a total loss, I finally decided to do what so many of my great heroes and forebears throughout history and fiction have done: cheat!  I granted myself a bonus of +3 to my d30 roll, which gave me a result of 18, or The Best Names for Taverns, Pubs, Inns and Bars.  Here goes:

A great many of my inn and tavern names follow the formula:

"adjective" + "animal or monster name"

The adjective in this formula is usually sexually connotative, like "impotent," "randy," "horny," "well-hung," "cuckolded," "hermaphroditic," or "lucky."  Examples: The Big-Balled Dragon, The Cuckolded Cheetah, The Randy Griffon, or even The Badger's Testicles Inn (a slight modification of the formula).  Sometimes the descriptive adjective is non-sexual, something more run-of-the-mill like "hairy," three-legged," or "rabid."  Examples: The Greedy Lion, The Hairy Ogre, The Erratic Crow (this last a popular pub in Swampsedge).

What follows are some brief descriptions of a few well-known (and, I hope, well-named) bars in Ara.

The Impotent Owlbear 

The Impotent Owlbear is one of the most popular merc bars in Redvine, in northern Achelon.  Many of the best caravan guards, swords-for-hire, northern monster-hunters, and Achelonian rangers frequent The Impotent Owlbear.  The tavern's name is meant to demean the deadly monster so hated by most of the pub's frequent clientele, and the establishment is well-known for displaying a huge owlbear skull above the front door -- reportedly a remnant from a monster the pub's owner, an ex-monster-hunter named Orgle, killed singlehandedly many years ago before he started the pub.

Immensely popular amongst adventurers, merchants, and local nobles alike, The Hairy Ogre in Tradefair (The Western Lands) is named for its proprietor, a hairy yet affable ogre named Bob.  (Some actually believe that Bob is actually half-ogre, half-human -- he is short of stature for an ogre -- but Bob is proud of his ogrish heritage so no one says this aloud.)  The Hairy Ogre's main competition in Tradefair comes from the Dragon's Teeth Inn, and upscale bar catering primarily to rich traders and the more pretentious locals who haven't realized (or don't care) that the food prepared by the chef at Dragon's Teeth is vastly outclassed by Bob's legendary stews and inventive home-baked breads.

Noffellian bars are usually named for Noffellian heroes, kings, and gods.  Tarandis and Noffel are the most popular king names in this context, and in northern Noffel lots of bar and inn names have "Frey" in them somewhere.  There is a famous pub in Jakama called Zapar's Fancy -- with the best seafood in Noffel, some say.  Many Noffellian pubs love to include the words "sword," "iron," and/or "blade" in their names.

Telengardian Inn names tend to be matter-of-fact and serious, e.g., Wayfarer's Haven, The Ironcrown Tavern (both in Ironcrown) and the Silver Dragon Inn (in Hollyn).

In the Free City of Kaladar, there are at least sixteen different pubs and eating establishments with the words "Green Dragon" in their names, but the most famous one is in the Lord Mayor's District, and is called simply The Green Dragon.  (This "Green Dragon" motif is in fact popular throughout south-central Ara; there are a few Green Dragon Inns and Green Dragon taverns in Achelon, and a Green Dragon Traveler's Hostel in Greywood in western Delzar.)  The Greedy Lion in the dangerous North Wall District of Kaladar is known in certain circles as a place to pick up dangerous and not-quite-legal mercenary and courier work.  The single most famous (and expensive) inn in the Free City of Kaladar is the Hotel Kaladarian, formerly the Queen of Achelon's palace back when Achelon ruled Kaladar prior to the Free Kaladarian Decree of New Calendar year 60.  

Lastly, despite my better judgment I must mention The Aroused Barracuda in Thieves' Port.  This is probably one of the seediest and most dangerous bars in Ara.  No one enters unarmed, and only one in six patrons (on average) walk out alive.  A tough place catering to those who don't want to be found nor fucked with. 

 

Four Horrid Spells

Who knows why, but I seem to love magic-user spells on themes of slime, scum, filth, and grotesquery.  So I present four horrid spells, two of which were actually created by more inventive people than me, as noted individually below.   

Stickyfoot
Level: 2 (M-u)
Range: 100'
Stickyfoot creates a small (3’ x 3’) patch of a transparent, sticky substance which instantly bonds one person or human-sized being’s feet to the floor.  This patch may be cast anywhere within sight of the magic-user up to 100', and it sets instantly, so it must be cast directly under someone in order to be effective.   Once it adheres to its target’s feet and sets, the Stickyfoot substance immobilizes the target for 1d4 rounds, then vaporizes, freeing the target.  While immobilized, the target attacks at -1, and any DEX-related AC bonuses are negated.  The Stickyfoot spell can only be used against one human-sized target at a time (exceptionally large targets are not affected), and will only work in areas with solid floors (for instance, the Stickyfoot substance would not adhere to the side of a sand dune or to a patch of slimy swamp muck).

[Stickyfoot was conceived and written by Dave Miller for the original Crimson Blades of Ara game.]


Troglodyte Stench Burst
level: 3 (M-u)
range: 100 feet
Creates a 10’ radius spherical cloud of Troglodyte stench, enfeeblingly repulsive to humans and demi-humans, which appears within 100’ of the caster and lasts for 1d6 rounds.  Those humans or demi-humans trapped within the transparent cloud must save vs. poison or suffer a –2 to all attack rolls while still in the cloud.  Even those who escape the radius of the cloud find that the stench, and the –2 attack penalty if not saved against, will cling to the target for 10 additional rounds. 

Cannibal Curse
level: 4 (M-u)
range: 20 feet
Cannibal Curse turns one target within 20 feet into an uncontrollably ravenous cannibal for 1d6 rounds.  The cursed individual will viciously attack the nearest member(s) of its own species, biting at his/her/its/their flesh and attempting to eat him/her/it/them.  The cursed individual cannot be reasoned with while the curse is in effect.

[Note: The Cannibal Curse spell could be made available to evil clerics, in which case it would be a level 5 evil cleric spell.]


Vomitus Deluge
level: 5 (M-u)
range: 500 feet
On command, a magical stream of viscous, pungent acid spews forth from the caster and bursts onto its target(s).  The effect has a range of 500 feet and creates a vomitus burst 20' in radius. The burst deals 2d4 points of initial acidic damage. Unless somehow neutralized, the acid lasts another 1d6 rounds, dealing another 2d4 points of damage per round.  All beings caught within the burst of the vomitus deluge are allowed a save versus spells; a successful save reduces all damage by half.

[Vomitus Deluge was created by Jamey Racer II for a D&D 3.5 campaign in 2007-08.]

And of course no list of horrid spells would be complete without our favorite "horrid" spell, the most requested spell scroll in the Kaladarian Grand Wizardry Archive every year since its debut in 1583, the ever-popular Scumbrella!!

Scumbrella
Level: 1 (M-u)
Range: touch
Scumbrella is a 1st-Level magic-user spell that is cast upon a single mundane umbrella.  The next time that umbrella is opened, it dumps sewage and filth all over the person(s) underneath it.  Scumbrella is mainly a “practical joke” spell with very little direct combat application, though the target scummed by a Scumbrella is considered surprised for one round.  Further, if someone with open sores or wounds opens the Scumbrella, a save vs. poison is required to avoid catching some nasty disease.

Finally, to cap off our exciting tour of horrid spells, I present a magic-using NPC who takes advantage of some of them (as well as some great ones by bat from Ancient Vaults), Elzar the Horrid:

Elzar the Horrid
Human Magic-User Level 6
Sex: male
Alignment: neutral
STR 6, DEX 13, CON 14, INT 17, WIS 10, CHA 5
HP: 13
AC: 7
Weapons: dagger (1d4 dam.)
Armor: unarmored (base AC 9)
Spells (1st): Scumbrella, Gobsmacked
Spells (2nd): Mutinous Limb!, Summon Peasant
Spells (3rd): Troglodyte Stench Burst, Vexation of Food and Drink*

*Listed as a Level 2 Druid Spell, but Elzar has adapted this spell for arcane use as a level 3 spell.

Elzar the Horrid is thought to dwell southwest of Wilkiss, somewhere along the northern edge of the Great Western Swamp, in a particularly nasty smelling hovel guarded by a loyal giant toad.  He spends most of his time working to develop new horrid spell scrolls and potions, which he sells (through an agent) in the popular public market in Tradefair.  Elzar is widely held to be the creator of the Troglodyte Stench Burst spell, but he has never publicly verified this fact.  Elzar likes to be left alone and will use his array of horrid spells, including the distinctly antisocial Mutinous Limb!, to deter visitors to his hidden swamp cave.  He wears a ring of protection +1, which, along with his high DEX, accounts for his lowered AC.  Elzar is a Council Adept in good standing (i.e., he pays his Council dues) but he never attends meetings or Council functions in person.

Ancient Vaults Spells - Available in Ara!

I have been following bat's Ancient Vaults and Eldritch Secrets blog for awhile now, and am impressed with the quality of the offerings there and the care with which they are presented.  I have been planning on pilfering a bunch of bat's stuff for use in my Arandish campaingn, and then just recently, Chgowitz at the Old Guy RPG Blog posted this inceredibly handy index to Ancient Vaults spells!

So I hereby declare that all Ancient Vaults spells found at the above link are available for use in Ara.

Thanks to bat for the great content and to Chgowitz for the superb organizational effort!

Killer-Looking Harryhausen Cyclops

I recently obtained an awesome 3-DVD set of the Ray Harryhausen "Sinbad" movies: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).  I dig all these movies (along with Clash of the Titans of course) and especially Harryhausen's monsters; my all-time favorite Harryhausen creations include the statue Talos from Jason and the Argonauts (1963), the baboon prince in Eye of the Tiger, and this awesome looking cyclops from 7th Voyage.

In celebration of this great cinematic creature, here are proposed B/X stats for it -- not substantially different from a standard D&D cyclops, but I figure those cloven hooves make him a bit lighter on his feet (hence the faster movement rate and lowered AC), plus there's his horn attack.    

Horned Cyclops
No. Enc. 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
AC: 4
HD: 13
Attacks: 1 (Club, Horn or Thrown Rocks)
Damage: 3d10 / 4d6 / 3d6
Save: F13
Morale: 9
Hoard Class:  XVIII + 5,000 gp
XP: 2,400

Indigenous to the Novellan Mountains of northern Telengard, the horned cyclops is in most respects identical to its non-horned brethren (see LL p. 69), except that this type may opt to attack with its horn, which inflicts 4d6 damage.

"Hi!  I'm from the Novellan Mountains!  Let me eat you for lunch!"

Telengard - Rugged Plains and Mountain Fortresses

The northeastern Arandish kingdom of Telengard is a vast expanse of wasted high plains and harsh eastern mountain slopes that has never fully recovered from the ravages of the Old War. Most Telengardians are sheepherders, miners (some working for the dwarves of neighboring Gannar) or mercenaries, the latter typically venturing south into Delzar to fight on the Mizarian frontier. Due to threats from monsters and outlaws, the major towns and villages of Telengard are walled, and most traffic in and out of the lonely kingdom moves along the northern trade routes. Telengardian characters tend to be lean, cautious and tough, respecting individual strength of character more than political power or wealth.

With twice the land area yet half the population of Noffel, Telengard nevertheless subsists largely on the taxation of dwarven goods coming from the east, iron mining, and sheepherding.  Lacking abundant fertile farmland, Telengard must trade with its wealthier neighbor (and former enemy) Achelon, and its southern neighbor Delzar, for many staple agricultural goods.  Telengardians are at peace with Achelon and few Telengardians hold Old-War related grudges, but there are certain proud locals who view Achelon as a rich, pampered country unworthy of Telengard's respect.  Due to its proximity to Gannar, Telengard has a particularly large dwarven population, many of whom serve key roles in local Telegardian town and regional governments.  This is also a region where goblins as Player Characters (an idea brought to my attention by James M. at Grognardia) could come into play.  Very few rodians venture this far north, however -- the climate does not agree with them.

The Telengardian Roughriders
The Roughriders are a well-trained and highly disciplined group of horse-mounted fighters and rangers who patrol Telengard's borders and wilderness areas in small (1-4 man) patrols.  The Roughriders technically take their orders from the king of Telengard, but in practice, each Roughrider precinct (based out of a different Telengardian town or city, the largest being from Ironcrown) exercises a fair amount of autonomy in establishing its regular patrol routes and keeping its region safe.  Originally established at the end of the Old War to hold Telengard's borders against Achelon and to hunt down any renegade Dark Magicians still at large, the Telengardian Roughriders are nowadays mostly kept busy saving citizens and travellers from local monsters and brigands.  Roughriders help maintain the northern east-west leg of the Endyn Trade Route and are easily found there, but their jurisdiction includes all of Telengard, including the region of the deadly Ghardash Wilderness.


The Ghardash Wilderness
The most dreaded wilderness area in Ara, and perhaps the single most dangerous region in Ara, the famed Ghardash Wilderness is actually a relatively small area in north-central Telengard, nestled against the southern slopes of the Novellan Mountains between the fortress city of Ironcrown (to the south and west) and the northeastern dwarven mountain kingdom of Gannar (due east).  The Ghardash Wilderness is where many of the strangest and most deadly monsters summoned to Ara during the Old War eventually settled, and therefore, unlike most other Arandish adventure locations, few humans are to be found within its environs.  Even certain low-level monsters think twice before settling in Ghardash.  Also, don't forget that Razgar the Red Dragon inhabits this area as well. . .


Ghardash Wilderness d30 Encounter Table

1: Bear, Grizzly
2: Bugbear
3: Bulette
4: Cat, Panther
5: Cockatrice
6: Dragon, Green
7: Dwarf
8: Ghoul
9: Hobgoblin
10: Lycanthrope, Werebear
11: Lycanthrope, Werewolf
12: Manticore
13: Men, Brigands (20% chance that the band includes rodians, 20% that it includes dwarves)
14: Men, Insane Magic-User or evil Cleric (level 5-9)
15: Men, Ranger (Telengardian Roughrider)
16: Ogre, Wild
17: Orc
18: Owlbear
19: Roc, Small
20: Shadow
21: Spider, Giant Black Widow
22: Throghrin
23: Troll, Hill (same as standard troll)
24: Troll, Rock
25: Troll, Tree
26: Wight
27: Wolf
28: Wolf, Dire
29: Wraith
30: Razgar the Red Dragon


Click here to download a free pdf of this Table, along with a 1d20 version.