Saturday, July 18, 2026

Add A Fucked Up God To Your Campaign

Worshipers symbolically 
killing an effigy of 
a saint of killers

That title is an exhortation. 

NSFW, and trigger warning for bad things.

I was thinking about how some good old fashioned evil deities make a campaign setting sing. I also want to recommend the old version of Judges Guild's Unknown Gods (the recent version is shit). 

Vasterolompos, God of Serial Killers
Fanes to Vasterolompos are rare, almost always found exclusively in the underworld. More common is to run across a forgotten shrine in the wilderness. Vast started as a hearth deity, or so scholars say, but at some point became a god of revenge or murder and eventually methodical homicide. 

Worshipers, madmen all, each have their calling cards, rules, and modus operandi. One might only kill on Woodsdays. Another might only kill women, and keep their severed hands as trophies, a third may entice men into assaulting her before cutting their throats mid-coitus. Messed up shit. Have your lines and veils and x-cards sorted for these things. 

One thing the killers usually seem to do is burn an amber candle near the killing-site to honor their god and gain its blessings (which may include henchmen, special abilities, or monstrous forms). 

The king's highway-riders have several outstanding warrants for killers that are still at large.

They say that Vast whispers to potential worshipers, and entices them to study his scattered lore.

Ug, I have to go take a shower now. 

 

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Monday, June 22, 2026

The Hardest D&D Chess Room (it’s not)

I thought this room would be easy to figure out, but it really zapped the PCs, and two died in the room. Now that’s a good puzzle. 


The rules of D&D chess
  1. There is a chessboard of black and white tiles, each big enough for a human/demihuman to occupy.
  2. There are a bunch of floating eyes, distributed randomly, and occupying certain spots (no rhyme or reason to which color each eye floats above). If you make an illegal move, the nearest one zaps you for d6 dmg. Continue illegal moves and get zapped anew with each square you progress.
  3. If an eye-zap misses you, the attack will be rerolled against anyone sharing your square or anyone behind you, till the zap reaches a wall or strikes a player. Eyes can’t hurt each other. The zaps go in a straight line.
  4. The first color you step onto matters if you are of a certain “class.” If you move onto the wrong color afterwards, you get zapped, and your color becomes whatever you end up on.
  5. I had the classes be: 
    1. cleric=bishop
    2. dwarf=short king
    3. elf=queen
    4. warriors and most pets/familiars not being carried=knight
    5. wizard or actual bird=rook
    6. hobbit or zero level=pawn
  6. You have to move how your chess piece would move. If a cleric cum bishop moves orthogonally, they are going to get zapped. The eyes are fast, so if you try to run for the exit in a straight line as a bishop, you are going to get zapped each time you step on or jump over a tile during your illegal move; you might get shot a whole bunch of times.
  7. Ending or spending any part of your move on the same square as a fellow PC is illegal, even for those weirdly-moving knights. Some creative jumping/checks may be in order.
  8. You can attack an eye, as long as you make a legal move that ends in the attack thrust. So a dwarf/king cutting an eye in the next square over would be illegal, but if a dwarf/king charges into that contiguous square while striking, and they end their move there because that’s how a king moves, they will not be zapped. Each eye has one HP, but they are unharmed by illegal moves. If a cleric/bishop were to shoot an eye in a diagonally placed space, I’d say that is illegal because they are attacking before moving. The eye would survive, and the rule-breaker would get zapped. That would count as a turn from the rule-breaker too.
  9. If you don’t alternate turns with the other PC players, you get zapped. For instance, a warrior/knight moving in an L shape and then moving again would be a zappable offence. A wizard/rook moving a square orthogonally, looking around for a second, and then going one more square in the same direction would not incur a zap. But when a player says they are done, their turn ends. If they say something like, “I’m going to go again.” they have just announced that they love being zapped.
  10. The room is defeated if all the eyes are killed. The eyes don’t take turns, just to be clear. They zap whenever they can, and it is not a move or a turn; they are not in the game in that sense. But if all the eyes are dead, there is no one to punish poor play. The room might be a Zelda type room where all the enemies need to be defeated in order to reveal a treasure or open a secret door.
  11. The room is also defeated if the PCs make it to an exit, but one of them might have to step back in because a single PC in the room might need someone to alternate turns with. Any surviving eyes will be waiting if anyone comes back to the room in an illegal manner.
And that’s it. If you want a slightly easier version of the room, you could have little piece-denoting hats appear on the PCs as they step on the board. You could also put little judge-wigs on the eyes to emphasize that they are rules-judges, not players in the game.

In our game, the PCs were lowered down into the middle of the board from above via the dungeon entrance, and I made a point of asking what color tile they landed on. We only had 4 PCs, and they all chose a different tile. After that, they kept taking double moves and it was a bloodbath. There was one exit to the north, and they just had to make it there to be safe.

At one point I let them make INT checks to get a hint: “games have turns, pieces, consequences, and legal moves.”
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Sunday, May 24, 2026

What if we Nimble-ified DCCRPG

Nimble has some good rules for interesting, speedy combat. It's still a skirmish-game that requires minis, but so is DCC, on paper.

Attacks:

  • Melee or Ranged: Choose a target and roll damage (whatever damage the weapon has listed)+STR/AGL mod. If you roll a 1, you miss. 
  • If it rolls its max, roll a DCC crit on your class table or add in an extra damage die (your choice) that can explode, but not crit.
  • Crits ignore enemy armor, if any (some monsters have soak/armor of 5 and others of 10). 
  • If your weapon happens to roll multiple dice, the leftmost one is the main damage die when a rule checks for one. 
  • Warriors and Dwarves also roll a deed die along with their weapon damage die or dice. If it rolls a 3 or higher, they may declare a deed. 
  • If the deed die and the  main damage die both roll max result, you have done a mighty crit. I happen to have a book with those. If you don't you can just roll a crit and add the deed die's result.
  • Warriors and Dwarves fumble if their deed die and main damage die both roll a 1. If a non-warrior/dwarf misses, they have to roll at or under a 1 or their Luck mod, whichever is higher, on an armor-based fumble die to avoid fumbling.
  • If a ranged attack misses, skip fumble stuff and deal 1d4 dmg to a random ally in the way, if any are there, with a 1 being a miss.  
  • Thieves that ambush/catch foes unaware automatically crit as long as they don't miss. 


Magic, the final boss of hacking DCC:

  • Outside of offensive spells, magic works as per DCC RAW. 
  • For offensive--specifically, damage dealing--spells, the wizard looks up the maximum successful result equal to their level (with failure results being a level 0) and each tier of success being one level). They can attempt to cast that result offensively by rolling any damage dice for it. 
  • If the left-most one rolls a 1, the mage has missed and has to pass a DC 10+spell level check or it is also a fumble.
  • Spell burn can be done before a spell is cast to raise the possible result, but a 1 is still a miss and possible fumble (fumbles mean one point of the spellburn is permanent). 

Things that cost an action (you get three actions back at the end of your turn):

  • Attacking (any attacks or offensive spells done after the first will have a -1d, cumulative).
  • Casting a spell.
  • Spellburn. 
  • Running up to speed feet (you move 5 less feet for each time you have already moved this turn) and doing a minor action such as opening a door or dropping a weapon.
  • Making a check to ask the judge a question. 
  • Climbing ten feet or your speed, whichever is less.
  • Performing an ability check (some checks may take multiple actions, such as lockpicking). 
  • Making a check to perform a feint or action that will assist someone (they roll with a size +1d die) or hinder someone (they roll with a size -1d die). 

Things that cost a reaction (each reaction takes up one of the three action points you get at the end of your turn, making you start your real turn bereft of them): 

  • Rolling your armor "fumble" die as damage soak. 
  • Taking a hit for an adjacent or orthographic ally (you can can then use the above reaction too if you have a reaction to spend).
  • Uleashing a readied action. 
  • Casting a counterspell.  

First round initiative is just as per Nimble, but two-handed weapons only roll a d16 and Warriors get their imitative bonus. 

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How did I do? Should I just leave spells as per DCC RAW? I kinda hate how fiddling with them is impossible, LOL. 

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Economic Woes Implied by DCCRPG

Photo text: The money and hoes will flow freely.

I have been thinking about the economy implied by item prices in DCC. I think I have a good guideline to what can be bought where, based not only on cost in coin but in man-hours and resources in a world where a peasant gets a few gold a year.

Type Pop Max Item Value Crafting Capability
Thorp/Hamlet πŸ›– 20~80 3 gp Daggers, Torches, Rations, Clubs, Staves, Slings, Chalk, Candles, Sacks, 10' Poles
Village πŸ‘ 80~400 10 gp Spears, Short swords, Shields, Maces, Handaxes, Padded Armor, Grappling Hooks, Waterskins, Oil
Small Town πŸ‘  400~2,000 50 gp Longswords, Longbows, Studded Leather, Battleaxes, Warhammers, Hide Armor, Small Hammers, Iron Spikes
Large City πŸ™️ 5,000+ 500+ gp Chainmail, Crossbows, Polearms, Mirrors, Lanterns, Thieves' Tools, Holy Symbols/Water, Scale Mail
Capital πŸ° 10,000+ 1,200+ gp Full Plate, Banded Mail, Barding, Sages-for-hire, Warhorses, Two-handed Swords, Glassware

Checking the Page 432 MEN AND MAGICIANS section, I see bandits are listed with scimitars and javelins. Maybe they need a village nearby to be in "business"; scimitars are kinda resource-heavy, like long-swords, they take a long time to make, something a village smith probably just doesn't have due to working on plows, nails, and horseshoes all day. Also, I image a lot of weapons bandits do have are heirlooms from when their folks were mercenaries of the last generation's wars. Maybe they have enslaved their own smith too.

Consider the lowly mirror. You need some specialist like glaziers to make what most would consider a vanity item. Maybe in a town you could get by with polished bronze, and the better quality mirrors would be in large cities with nobles or the capital. So though it is priced about the same as longsword, I put it in the Large City category.

Then we have to consider how long it takes to even make a weapon. Do you have the cash to hunker down in the inn for all that time? Maybe you should just send the thief to steal swords from the garrison. I'm sure they're barely even guarded πŸ˜‰

Or raid a tomb? The dead famously don't care if you take their stuff πŸ’€

Item Category Example Item Estimated Time But why tho
Simple Weapon Club, Spear, Staff d2 Days Minimal metalwork; mostly shaping wood/iron head.
Martial Weapon Mace, Handaxe, Dagger d3+2 Days Requires balanced forging and basic tempering.
Professional Blade Longsword, Battleaxe d2 Weeks Complex heat-treating, grinding, and hilt-fitting.
Ranged Weapon Longbow, Crossbow d3+1 Weeks Requires seasoned wood or complex mechanical parts.
Light Armor Leather, Padded 1 Week Tanning, stitching, and multiple layers of fabric.
Medium Armor Scale, Chainmail d3 Months Drawing wire and riveting thousands of individual rings.
Heavy Armor Banded, Full Plate 2d3 Months Master-level metallurgy; custom-fitting plates to the wearer.

BTW, while we are on it, the smithy is not a bank and it cares for your captured orc swords--we shouldn't use orcs in DCC, but that is another post--mostly as scrap metal. Maybe the smithy would give you a trade or something for that pitted pig iron. The smith provides 50 iron spikes, a new crowbar, or fixes your armor. He’s trading his labor, not his hard to come by coins. 

And the coal? Have you ever thought about where coal and pig-iron come from? I have, for some reason. I watched a lot of Lindybege and Baldrick's Worst Jobs in History.

BTW, the bigger towns probably have the orc sword problem too, but is is more of a couple-millennia old vase problem. Who has the cash to pay for that? What I'm saying is it doesn't seem like there should be that many coins in monster treasure hoards, so the PCs will have to deal with carting around rare items and trading them for other items.

I'm thinking I can't beat the Shadowdark treasure tables for that. Yet.

One more thing. Upper level characters generated outside of the funnel seem loaded. 

Class Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Warrior 5d12 5d12 + 500 5d12 + 1,500
Wizard 3d10 3d10 + (2d4 x 100) 3d10 + (5d4 x 100)
Cleric 4d20 4d20 + 400 4d20 + 1,300
Thief 3d10 3d10 + (1d6 x 100) 3d10 + (3d6 x 100)
Elf 3d12 3d12 + 500 3d12 + 2,000
Halfling 3d20 3d20 + 250 3d20 + 1,500
Dwarf 5d12 5d12 + 700 5d12 + 2,000


Holy shit! It would seem they can buy and sell whole towns after a few levels. So I suggest you tell the player, "You have a budget of [roll] to buy gear. Spend it or lose it. I'll let you keep up to 10 gold from the remainder."


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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

A List of Draculas and Medusas

Medusa is a gorgon, but not in D&D. She’s a race. And there are male medusas?! Well okay, I find this sort of thing amusing, so I put it into a little RPG I’m crafting at the moment.

d50 Monster Description
1. AsterisksLittle guys, hardly bigger than hobbits, that have a rather viking thing going on. Winged helmets. Iron-hard fists. Shrewd and brave.
2. BabayagasHags that travel about in chicken-legged huts and flying cauldrons.
3. BehemothsBig ass beasts made by the gods just to boast. Usually sleeping, but roused by iniquity.
4. BlackulasUnlike draculas, blackulas retain their souls.
5. CenncroithisOne-eyed columns that suck in unwary prey in to feast on. Worshiped by cultists and apemen.
6. CerebusesThree-headed hell dogs. Of course the heads breathe fire.
7. CharybdisesSea sarlacs that can cause whirlpools thrice daily.
8. ChoculasEven browner than blackulas.
9. CircesWitches that turn people they are offended by into animals.
10. ConansBarbarians that desire to hear the lamentation of the women.
11. CthulhusSea giants with octopus heads. Their mere presence causes madness.
12. JeckyllsMad alchemists that are addicted to PCP-serums that remove their inhibitions. Often carry Γ¦olipiles, smoke bombs, and cane-swords.
13. DraculasVampires that desire virgin blood.
14. DurinsBanesGreat big humanoids with whips and bat wings… or was it fire?
15. FenrirsGiant wolves.
16. FrankensteinsWalking dead created by mad magicians and jeckylls.
17. ElohimReally arrogant storm gods that go around in robes and try to tell people what to do. Can polymorph into burning bushes and rapey animals.
18. GrendlemomsLook like Angelina Jolie dipped in gold, but have natural high heals and tails. Diabolical mothers of demons such as grendles.
19. Headless HorsemenRiders that keep their severed heads in hand, ready to throw at you.
20. HydrasWater/swamp snakes gigantic in size and many-headed. Severing a head just makes two new ones grow.
21. JerseydevilsWyvern-devil hybirds that are birthed by ungrateful mothers, grendelmoms, circes, and babayagas.
22. JΓΆrmungandrsGreat worms. Will swallow you whole.
23. KingkongsGarguantuan gorillas. Distracted by pretty women.
24. KoscheisWizards with tusks that galavant around on sleipnirs causing trouble. Each one must be killed in a unique way.
25. LadonsSnakes with long bodies and many heads. Tend to guard magic trees.
26. LeatherfacesChainsaw wielding cannibals that wear their victims and feed on fear. Some have a cunning that allows them to masquerade as normal people, called buffalobills, but they can only keep up the act so long.
27. LeviathansHuge sea serpents.
28. LoreleisUndead river sirens. They think every man is their lost love.
29. LucifersTempters that should be stuck in the seven hells, but often slip out because some foolish koschei summoned them.
30. MedusasLamias that have snakes for hair and stonifying gazes. They are great archers too.
31. MothmenShadowy figures that stalk the woods. They can fly, and often use camouflage to imitate humanoids.
32. MothrasGiants moths with web and sleep dust attacks. Seem to always have eggs somewhere, and their caterpillars avenge them.
33. MychaelMyersMad men whose minds are bereft of all save the most evil thoughts. Silent and patient stalkers.
34. NessiesLake monsters.
35. PazuzusWind demons with Darth Vader voices.
36. PinheadsA race of demons or angels that find pleasure in pain. Their head is riddled with nails, tacks, and needles.
37. PolyphemusesOne eyed giants. Love to eat sheep.
38. RenfieldsServants of undead, kept in their thrall. Can’t help but eat bugs.
39. SarlacsGiant ambush predators that grab people with their long tentacles and swallow them whole. The digestion is slow and painful.
40. ScyllasesAt home in the sea, but will grow legs to come on the land like a mermaid. Only the legs are kinda, several wolves that fuse like a rat-king at the scyllases’ waists.
41. SleipnirsMany legged horses. Highly prized by gods and spirits as war mounts.
42. SlimersGreen ghosts that gunk up everything.
43. SmaugsBig old lizards with wings and fire breath.
44. StaypuftsSeemingly joyful giants that have little regard for property damage.
45. SpocksA logical race that prefer science to fights, but will often put down adventurers while prevaricating about the needs of the many. Watch out for their phasers.
46. TalosesBronze men that spring from the ash trees of wizards. Sometimes giants, sometimes speedsters, and sometimes winged.
47. Tee One ThousandsThe ultimate golem, made from mercury that can harden and liquify at will. Ignore most physical damage; slowed by cold.
48. TiamatsHorrid sea monsters that mate with anything and create more monsters.
49. WorfsA race of warriors obsessed with fighting and honor. Hate their own kids for being weak. There are a surprising number of half-worfs out there that hate their dads back.
50. ZardozesGiant flying stone heads. Followed by crowds of crazed cultists that the zadozes reward with guns and red outfits that are very revealing.

Now how about the RPG. It's a simple skills using RPG. It started as a x in 6 on a d6 skills check RPG--and still could be used that way--but it morphed into something else. It might need some inventory management rules, maybe armor options, and lacks the vancian spells. I'm working on it. 

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Level titles as DCCRPG quests

Thru henchmen, all things are possible, 
so jot that down.

So you've seen this idea from be before (when I did it for old D&Ds), but this time it is a DCCRPG flavored take.

In my upcoming game, I'll give an adventure credit per session a player attends. A PC can spend credits equal to a level to earn it, but first they have to finish a quest that matches with their level title (PCs or Judge can suggest different ideas, trying to weave quests into other PC's wherever possible).  

It's quite possible PCs will acquire quite a few credits between quest realizations, but that's fine.

There are a few entries where I came up with a couple ideas and put them in. Sometimes multiple ideas. I learned a lot about DCC doing this. Not only should you not feel restricted to the level up ideas here nor even the level titles. The book mentions that these are just the most common.

So let the player propose a title they are working towards. What could they do to get called that? Thus spoke Goodman: "Characters of 6th level and above are extremely rare, so much so that no generic titles exist. Players are encouraged to develop their own titles for such levels using Appendix T for inspiration as needed."

At other times, retroactive titles may be acceptable, based on level-appropriate exploits. "I am now Yak-friend!"

Cleric Title Quests

Lvl Lawful Chaotic Neutral
1 Acolyte: Fetch an item that will serve useful in religious ceremonies to your gods. Zealot: Slaughter a den of infidels. For chaos! Witness: Observe a rare phenomenon and survive to tell the tale.
2 Heathen-slayer: Strike down a dirty cultist leader. Convert: In a place where the gods must listen, reject the Law Lords. Pupil: Seek and serve a hermit to learn their secrets.
3 Brother/Sister: Bring a small fortune to a monastic order and join it for a year and a day. Cultist: Bring us three skulls; we need something to drink out of. Chronicler: Travel to a ruin to record a name lost to time.
•Witness a crazy ass thing your party gets into and write it down.
4 Curate: Find a relic of a saint--a foreskin or some-such that is purported to heal the sick.
• Heal a sick community.
Apostle: Join a dark savior in their creepy pilgrimage. Judge: Arbitrate a dispute between strange entities.
5 Father: Clear out and re-sanctify some ancient fane to house your flock. High Priest: Gather your minions for a great ceremony.
• Have a god-duel with another cleric, old testament style.
Druid: Kill the current druid title holder in mortal combat. Survival of the fittest!

Thief Title Quests

A lot of thief things feel urban and guild related to me. They might be good as play-by-post tasks done between games. Or maybe they can trick the other PCs into thinking they are in the guild too.
 
Lvl Lawful Chaotic Neutral
1 Bravo: Win a duel in a public square to earn a spot in the thieves guild. Thug: Bash some ponce and take their jewelry. Beggar: Case and rob a temple that is foolish enough to let paupers in.
2 Apprentice: Accompany a elder-thievesman on a job. Murderer: Garotte a guy that looked at you funny. Cutpurse: Grab a bag and run.
3 Rogue: Take a job that uses your luck, guile, and charm. Cutthroat: Lead a kidnapping of a high-value specialist. Burglar: Steal 39 girdles from a high-security temple.
4 Capo: Discipline some underlings that snitched or killed the wrong noble. Executioner: Someone pissed off the guild and you are taking them out. Robber: Successfully hold up a noble's carriage: "Your money or life."
5 Boss: Take the reigns of a city's underworld; all the other potential bosses seem to have fallen out of windows. Assassin: Kill a king or hero during a highly secure ceremony. Swindler: Trick some nobles into investing in your sure thing.

Warrior Title Quests

Note that noble warriors should probably try out being part of a military order (p46). I say if you earn the title Knight then you are in!
 
Lvl Lawful Chaotic Neutral
1 Squire: Save your mentor or a noble from a deadly threat. Bandit: Raid a local outpost and escape with the pay-chest. Wildling: Slay a predator with 2× your HD using primitive tools.
2 Champion: Deal the killing blow on a baddie giving a town trouble. Brigand: Organize a gang and hold a strategic bridge for one week. Barbarian: Crush your enemies. Hear the lamentations of their women.
3 Knight: Fend off those who disturb the king's peace! Marauder: Search the land till you find something worth sacking. Berserker: Defeat a monster 3× your size while naked.
4 Cavalier: Fucking joust to the death with mounted foe(s). Ravager: Plunder a great hoard with your horde. Headman: Slay the leader of a tribe in an honorable or brutal duel.
5 Paladin: Complete a mission for royalty or extra-planar big wigs. Check out Lankhmar DCC agents. Reaver: Unleash the horde! Take out a settlement worthy of your military might. Chieftain: Unite three disparate tribes under your banner.

Wizard Title Quests

Hey did you notice the rulebook has chaos first for wizards? Also, they share cultist with Clerics. 
Lvl Chaotic Lawful Neutral
1 Cultist: Procure the heart of a monster to use for a cult party.
•Make a pilgrimage to an entity's stronghold, and learn Patron Bond in the process.
Evoker: Get the components for a summon spell (Consult Spirit & Find Familiar counts), which you learn too. Astrologist: Follow a supernova to witness a supernatural event.
•Quest to change an ally's birth augur.
2 Shaman: Snort purple lotus. Deady, rare, and addictive!
• Turn a family member into a magic servant.
Controller: Cow or boss around something with your arcane might. Enchanter: Bewitch or transfigure an important creature or place.
3 Diabolist: Summon or manifest a creature from the seven hells. Conjurer: Bring forth entities to fight for you. This could teach you a spell like Animal Summoning p129 or Monster Summoning p184. Magician: Craft a magic staff or item (this teaches you a spell).
4 Warlock/Witch: Make a pact with a powerful entity for power. You know patron bond for this purpose. Summoner: Call forth a great entity with a ritual-style spell. Thaumaturgist: Warp a foe with your magic might.
5 Necromancer: Raise the dead for a great purpose (like a siege). Elementalist: Specialize in elemental magic (this teaches you Arcane Affinity p162) Sorcerer: Eat another mage's brain to absorb their power.

Dwarf Title Quests

Lvl Lawful Chaotic Neutral
1 Agent: Recover a stolen clan item. Rebel: Sabotage a king’s forge to protest unjust conditions. Apprentice: Gather fine materials for your elders.
2 Broker: Negotiate a trade deal between two rival clans. Dissident: Free political prisoners from a mountain hold. Novice: Discover a new vein of metal in dangerous territory.
3 Delegate: Represent your clan to an supernatural entity or body. Exile: Perform an act of greed so great you are kicked out of the clan. Journeyer: Travel to the world's lowest depth and return with treasure.
4 Envoy: Deliver an important object. Iconoclast: Destroy an ancient statue you believe is a "shackle." Crafter: Forge a weapon using an extraordinary component. For this purpose, you have the ability to cast Sword Magic p229 until you succeed.
5 Syndic: Establish a new stronghold recognized by the Dwarf Kings. Renegade: Lead a revolution that overthrows a corrupt Rune Pope. Thegn: Lead a force of dwarves to reclaim a dwarven treasury*.
*: In my setting, hoarding treasure turns dwarves into monsters, so something big is waiting for ya.

 

Elf & Hobbit Title Quests

Elves and Hobbits have the same first level title. Odd. Also, the bookmark for the PDF has Elf as ELF and it bugs me. And I am also thinking we shoulda had a bit more MelnibonΓ©sΓ©  in the titles.
Lvl Elf (All Alignments) Hobbit (All Alignments)
1 Wanderer: Visit a place not on any map; return with a strange plant. Wanderer: Travel far and return with a new ingredient.
2 Seer: Get a patron (you learn the spell to bond) and get from them a vision of the coming end. Explorer: Map a dungeon or wilderness. Gotta find all the rooms/features.
• Visit another plane of existence.
3 Quester: Find visit three strange locations for three different purposes.
• Make up an epic quest. It's in the name after all.
Collector: Acquire three impossible items (e.g. bottled moonlight).
• Acquire a full set of something, such as The Rod of Seven Parts.
4 Savant: Research a new spell not in the book (you make and quest; Judge edits) Accumulator: Amass a hoard so large it attracts a dragon.
5 Elder: Help one of the young kingdoms of the  with a great trouble. Wise One: Win a riddle contest with a sphinx while pipe-weeded out of your gourd.

Saturday, April 11, 2026

Fixed the Hounds of Hendenberg forest crawl

So, I've been running a PBP of Horrible Hounds of Hendenberg (please check out the replay!). I've got some issues with the hex crawl part. 

It doesn't say how long it takes to find a feature; it takes too many die rolls for my tastes. Hangman's Hill and the Hermit Cave should be part of the town's map, not a hex away. A very nice looking/vibing product, but a little sloppy. 

Well, I can at least make the rolls simplified for you fine people.

Using math, html, and a surly sandlestin, I converted all the things into a d100 table. You should probably roll on it, declare to the players what happens and let them deal with it, then roll again as they wander around.
 
d100 Roll Feature Found? Travel Time Encounter? Navigation Nav w/spec*
01–17 Yes 2 Hours On Course On Course
18–25 Yes 4 Hours Yes On Course On Course
26–33 Yes 6 Hours Yes On Course On Course
34–50 No 2 Hours LOST On Course
51–66 No 3 Hours On Course On Course
67–75 No 4 Hours Yes LOST On Course
76–83 No 5 Hours LOST On Course
84–92 No 6 Hours Yes LOST LOST
93–00 No 3 Hours Yes LOST LOST

* Specialist: Elves, Rangers, or guides reduce travel time by half and help you avoid getting lost. If you have a map, you should be able to find your way every time.

Our PCs wandering into a crazy hexcrawl

 

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.