How to Curry the Favor of the Neutral Gods, Including Cthulhu (DCCRPG)

This is an epistolary extract from an email I sent to my players a while back.

I have been thinking about how neutrals can gain luck. Let me first clarify though that the gods of chaos, the only gods thus far to have had much reason to award luck points in our sessions, don't generally care whether you are good or evil. They don't reward acts of depravity, but rather acts of insanity and creativity. The gods of other alignments will similarly award crowning moments of awesome if they happen. Some gods are good or evil, of course, but that pales in comparison to their stance on cosmic order.

Healing your team-mate or loved-one is not awesome, its nice to a degree, but ultimately just something in the group-interest (or worse yet, self-interest to have another meat-bag around taking hits for you) and not really something the gods care too much about. Saving an important NPC may be a different story... Let me also state that partrons are usually not to have a hand in luck, though exceptions have occurred. If you don't have a god and your patron isn't helping you with alignment, you should really consider getting an interesting god.

Anyways, what can neutrals do to please their gods? First off, being neutral is to choose to straddle the line between stasis (law, order, codes) and entropy (chaos, anarchy, disorder). It is not easy to role-play, though it does provide the security of the middle-path. It could be expressed by not taking a stance (easy to play, but hard to be awesome while doing that) and trying to strike a balance (very tough, but with more possibilities for awesomeness than the former). Neutrals may quest to return an area from the brink of either extreme chaos or stasis, or they may try to take out champions of extreme ideals that seem poised to tip the balance to one side or the other. 

Next, neutrals can seek to overtly please the gods of neutrality. It is quite possible. Usually this done by keeping natural areas natural, but unfortunately dungeons have not brought much opportunity to be all-hippy-like. In the days before my philosophy about all this started to congeal, I fear I may have missed opportunities to give out luck (to the people that convinced the group to not take a giant gold plate from a druid shrine and other such things). Its a little late now to dole out rewards for that, but hindsight will hopefully make me a better DM. However, you could always try to convince the group to go back to the woods; plenty of things there were never discovered.

It may work best if we have goals and ethos defined for our gods (and remember, a patron is not a substitute for a god, though patrons often help you to please your gods), so we can more proactively seek to please said gods. 

For instance, if you worship Cthulhu, you may try to define his ethos as: 

• Return civilization to nature, as it is not for the organization of lesser races.
• Seek out forbidden tomes, to better know my will.
• Seek out pieces of The Great Ritual that will bring about my re-awakening.
• Destroy and combat aberrations of nature, for natural selection is the only means to preserve the balance.
• Lead cults of the faithful, and make lottery-sacrifices of blood.
• Destroy the works of devils and demons, for they would seek to impose their will on nature.
• Avoid stagnation and stasis, for the march of time dictates my return
• Avoid wanton destruction, for the world is mine to reclaim and not anyone's to destroy
• Breed true with my chosen races (Innsmouth fish-men etc.)
• etc. etc.

My DCCRPG Setting/Houserules

House rules

Shields shall be splintered.

If someone is healing you (lay-on hands or first aid check), you may spend your own luck to increase their roll. You may also spend a luck point to re-roll a hit die when healing.

To level up, one needs to engage in some sort of activity that speaks to their character as an adventurer or specialist. This can be as simple as having a crazy tavern party, or as specialized as Training, Sacrifice, or Research. I want to make rules for creating buildings too...

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Fluff to keep your character sane

The world according to learnéd wizards: The world was once one of super-science. Man traveled freely among the stars, and had dominion over demons, who whispered the words of power to man who in turn perfected it into formulæ. However, there was one who tested the limits of hubris and brought ruin to the world. In the last days, he or she will return to finish the job.

 The world according to common man: The world is the plaything of the gods, who are terrible personages that one can only hope to but placate. Much more amiable, though fickle, are the spirits of the world, genis loci, faeries, and magic beasts. The world is in its last days, and the giant ruddy sun will eat us soon in an apocalyptic event. Then everything will start again.

 The world according to clerics of law: Perfection was achieved in the past; particularly in the last two empires of man. Miracles are the provenance of the gods and magic is folly. Creatures that do not bow to the might of the gods are to be shunned and driven back to the darkness from whence they spawn. The gods will perfect the world's flaws soon, bringing about the fabled latter days.

 The world according to clerics of neutrality: The gods set the worlds in motion and peopled them with their tools, and so it is hubris to try to conquer them, but also a failing to not protect them. The role of man is to maintain a balance between the stagnation of law and the entropy of chaos, between civilization and survival. In the last ages, which draw ever closer, the gods will return to guarantee their inscrutable goals.

 The world according to clerics of chaos: The world is a failed experiment. Only by breaking it down and denying its strictures can one hope to build a better world. True power comes from the dark gods and demons, who reward their servants' boldness.

 The world according to psions: This world is an illusion populated by mental constructs, sensations, and allusions to true reality. By exercising one's will on reality, we make it our own. The world will be ripped apart by nightmares if we don't manage to achieve enlightenment.
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Further Campaign Quirks

Creatures: Boring monsters such as bugs and beasts that are only remarkable in that they are bigger than normal don't appear in my campaign. In their place are horrors. Many creatures are fey in my setting. Kobolds, for instance, are not dog-men nor little dragon men, but cave and mine fey. They share the fey tongue from which dialects are made. Many favorite monsters from D&D make an appearance, but don't take their looks, history, or stats for granted. Think of dungeons as connections to the underworld of ancient mythologies. They provide many of their own monsters.

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OLD RULES THAT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED FOR A REFINED SYSTEM

Gold spent on the above activities translates to XP. The level to XP settings that my campaign currently uses is thus:

Gold spent/XP needed to level:

1st lvl @ 100 gill	2nd lvl @ 900 gill	3rd lvl @ 4,000 gill
4th lvl @ 6000 gill	5th lvl @ 10,000 gill	6th lvl @ 15,000 gill
7th lvl @ 21,000 gill	8th lvl @ 28,000 gill	9th lvl @ 36,000 gill
10th lvl @ 45,000 gill plus a quest to placate or overthrow the ever jealous gods

*gill is just a joke word for gold I picked up at http://youtu.be/AVZczLuoJoU

Carousing: Sacrifice to Gods or Spirits

Ancestors only accept the best beer.

You can see my original take on carousing rules for leveling up here. This time we tackle something a little more pious: Sacrifice check leveling.

Sacrifice is giving wealth or offerings to gods, ancestors, clan hoards etc. If you are not a cleric or member of some other appropriate group (a dwarf donating to his clan hoard, for instance), your action die for this roll is only a d16. As with carousing, sacrifice nets you experience equivalent to the gold you spent. You may spend 300 gold per level per week towards sacrifices, but relevant entities will give you +1 to your check for every 10% you increase your sacrifice, where 10% is calculated on your need to reach the next level. This extra gold only nets half experience though.

If you need to repent (as DCCRPG clerics may have to), you  should use the rules in the book for that. You can't gain XP that way.

Sacrifices need to be made at a temple, shrine, demi-human clan hoard, or somewhere else appropriate. You can establish such a holy place as an initial sacrifice.

You choose how much gold to donate. Evil gods demand lucre for themselves (they supernaturally take it), but good gods may require that alms be payed out to the poor via donation boxes etc. If you happen to worship them, the ghosts of your ancestors demand extravagant tombs and gifts. Dwarves, elves, and halflings that have ties to their clan can donate to the clan hoard and its defenses, and the gods/spirits of such demi-humans judge them.

When you engage in Sacrifice, roll a d20+Luck Mod, aim for DC15 to get extra bonuses beyond XP,  and hope you don't roll a 1!

Sacrificing a chosen foe of your deities or enshrining a religious artifact or relic will net you your Personality bonus to your Sacrifice roll.

1. Thou dost displease me! Your face shows a mark of shame. Holy men will abhor you until you remove this mark with a successful Sacrifice check. 2. Thou art too proud! Your stature is lessened until you level up twice. People take pity on you now. 3. I am wagering with the adversary, and so... You lose something precious to you, such as land, your cows, or a loved one. 4.  Thou dost amuse me so. People don't take you seriously until you complete an adventure, but you gain 1d5 luck points. 5. Only thou canst handle the following mission. You are charged with a difficult quest. 6. Who art thou again? You gain a complex, driving you to prove your worth to your gods. Role-play it well or risk losing luck. 7. Thou must suffer the sins of my peoples! You are covered in painful boils for a while. -1 to agility baring a successful Fortitude save after morning prayers. 8. Thou must feed my sheeple. 3 Idiots join you. They fight as henchmen, but they are bumbling fools and will constantly give away your position. Killing or turning them away is bad luck. 9. Thou must give alms. You are compelled to give away all of your rations. Except for a meal you are currently eating, you can't stop giving away your food until an adventure or quest ends. Eating food you once gave away will net you 1 Luck loss. 10. Suffer the children. 1d16 orphans show up during your next adventure. Get them to safety and see to their needs lest you get bad luck. 11. Thou deservest to know that my chosen people are... You realize that a race chosen by the game judge is the chosen race and all others are to be derided and ignored. This may cause you great cognitive dissonance if you are not of the chosen race. 12. What hast thou done?! If you are a cleric, roll on the clerical mishaps table. If not, you are kicked out of the holy grounds and can no longer make donations at this site. -2 luck. 13. Thou must slay the mightiest beast in the land! You cannot gain any experience until you slay an infamous monster named by the judge. 14. Thou art marked with my curse.  You get a bad result from this list.  15. Thou art a prat.  An applicable result from this list.

If you rolled a natural 20 when making your Sacrifice roll, you get 1d5 luck points and then check for other results. 1. Divine luck is granted to you. +1d4 luck. 2. You know the general location of a relic of your faith (holy classes can use them, others can sell them). 3. Choose a spell you know (or learn one at next level if you have no spells). Luck burned when casting it comes back as if you were a thief. 4. You may call on the favor of a divine agent, such as an angel, one time if your goals are aligned with your gods. 5. You may burn a luck point any time something from a divine source would harm you, or when enemies of your god would seek to harm you for your beliefs. This protection lasts one scene per use and goes away if you are currently not in good standing. 6. Your faith is strong enough to perform most any bog-standard miracle during the next adventure. Look to real life holy books for examples. 7.  You gain a vision of the future. The next time you would be knocked to 0 HP, you can make a DC 10 intelligence check to avoid that damage. 8. You have gained a bit of divine favor. You gain an extra 1d4 hit die. 9. You get an extra 1d4 added to your turn unholy checks if the natural roll for such checks is an 18 or higher. 10. Until the next level, you are watched over. Once per fight you can use an action to regain one hit die of health. 11. Whenever you seem to be out of food, roll your luck and if you succeed you miraculously have food. 12. You may remove one mutation, spell corruption, or deformation from yourself or one companion. 13. The next time you would have to roll on the deity disapproval table, you may forgo that roll. 14. A supernatural being makes your association, and puts you on the fast track to sainthood, demigod-status, etc. You still have to earn your way into the position though. 15. A good result from this list.

DCC Psion Power Draft: Pyrokinesis

With this draft, I am keen to know if anything seems off about material melting points. By the way, the going-nuclear ability is inspired by Firestarter.

Pyrokinesis

Pyrokinesis is the ability to speed up the vibrations of matter on a molecular level, giving rise to heat. Psions minus their ML from any fire damage they would take while manifesting this power.

Check Success: You can start to heat material, which is affected based on the number of rounds you concentrate. If you want to concentrate for a number of beyond your ML, you need to make another power check.

You may use Mind Burn to speed up the process; ability points spent reduce the number of rounds needed to achieve an effect on a 1 for 1 ratio.

Rounds	Effect on non-living targets	Effect on targeted creatures
1	Paper, dry grass,wool, and similar materials ignite.	Creatures feel mild pain. Fire-based entities disrupted (Will save to move).
2	Wood darkened, kindling ignited	1d4 damage. Mild blistering.
3	Logs ignited, metals are dropped unless their holder endures 1d4 damage.	1d6 damage.
4	Metals scorch for 1d7 damage. Water boils (1 cubic foot per ML). Leather ignites.	1d8 damage.
5	Logs reduced to embers and scorch for 1d8 damage, as does metal. Concrete grows brittle.	1d10 damage. Roll luck or be scarred.
6	Steel grows soft and scorches for 1d16 damage. Gold melts.	1d12 damage. Creature’s touch now does your ML in damage.
7	Materials scorch for 2d16. Adjacent creatures take 1d12 damage. Glass melts.	1d16 damage. Roll luck or be scarred. Creatures of HD lower than you can’t save.
8	Materials scorch for 3d12 damage. Steel melts.	1d20 damage.
9	Anyone within 20 feet will take 2d12 fire damage.	1d30 damage. Still receive half damage  if they save.
10	Molecules so excited that there is a chance of localized nuclear explosion (roll luck).	Atomized. Still receive 1d16 damage on a save.

Roll 1: Reduce the number of rounds needed to achieve an effect by up to 1d5. Creatures of HD less than your ML can’t save.

Roll 20: Roll 1d6. (1)You are feverish for the next 2 turns (1d4 stamina damage); (2) Success, but you ignite in supernatural flame (no damage to you or possessions) and scortch things for 1d5 damage per round; (3) Your clothes ignite (1d4 damage per round, full round action to put out the flames) ; (4) One of your possessions must make a save or explode (1d8 damage to adjacent creatures); (5) You accidentally summon a fire elemental that is angry at you; (6) Your insides boil for 1d14 damage, but a FORT save will reduce it by half.

How Psions Are Different From Other DCC Classes

This is a rough draft, and I've really played with the class tables, so let me now what you think.

How psions are different from core classes:

Psions can make for hardy adventurers, given time, but they start their careers relatively weak, as their special perception of reality causes them great stress and confusion. However, they catch up with a vengeance at later stages, and their Will saves become very powerful.

Psions have access to psionic powers, which are supernatural abilities initiated by the psion exercising their will on reality. While most classes have abilities that require you to try to roll high and reach or exceed a target DC, psions have to roll at or under their own ability scores. For a psion using a power, rolling low is good, just as with luck rolls in the core rules. The lower the better. Of course, when they perform more mundane actions, they try to roll high just like everyone else.

Many psion powers mention the die chain. For easy reference, the die chain is reproduced here:

d3–d4–d5–d6–d7–d8–d10–d12–d14–d16–d20–d24–d30

Power Points: If you are using powers from older iterations of D&D, you have power points as per those systems. This build doesn’t concern itself with power points beyond that. The powers in this supplement are balanced by manifester level rather than power points, but you may find mind burn reminds you of the flavor a bit.

Level	Attack	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice*	Powers	Ref	Fort	Will
1	+0	1d7/I	1d16	1d3+INT MOD	+0	+0	+1
2	+1	1d7/I	1d20	1d3	+1	+1	+2
3	+1	1d8/I	1d20	1d3	+1	+1	+3
4	+2	1d8/I	1d20+1d12	1d4	+2	+1	+4
5	+2	1d8/II	1d20+1d12+1d8	1d5	+2	+2	+4
6	+3	1d10/II	1d20+1d14+1d8	1d6	+2	+2	+5
7	+3	1d10/II	1d20+1d14+1d10	1d4	+3	+2	+5
8	+4	1d12/II	1d20+1d16+1d12	1d3	+3	+3	+6
9	+4	1d12/III	1d20+1d20+1d12	1d3	+4	+3	+7
10	+5	1d16/III	1d20+1d20+1d14	1d10	+4	+3	+8

*Psions can use one power per turn, in the place of their highest action die. Additional action dice can only be used for other actions, such as attacking.

Hit die: d5

Abilities:

Powers: At first level, psionicsts have a number of psychic powers equal to their intelligence modifier plus a 3-sided die (minimum one power). At each level thereafter, they gain more powers equal to a die roll as indicated on table P1 (the intelligence modifier no longer figures into the number of powers gained, but it will affect their manifester levels [see below]). Psions may learn powers automatically when leveling, or they may have to gain them through more esoteric means, as per the whim of the DM.

Mental Alacrity: At the beginning of their adventuring career, psions are often distracted by the happenings in their own mind and in nearby minds and other phenomena they take notice of via the mental plane. They start with a lower action die than most other classes, but quickly gain more action dice as they level up. They have an initiative bonus equal to the number of action dice they currently have.

Manifester level: Psions manifest powers, and powers often reference the manifester level of the psion. A psion’s manifester level is their ability modifier plus their class level, but the minimum a manifester level will ever be is 1. Different powers are based on different abilities, so a psion may be at different levels when manifesting different powers. Some power results constantly change to match the manifester level of the being that manifested them.

Mind Burn: A Psion can burn ability points after they make a power check they are not satisfied with, unless it was a natural 20 roll. If they choose to burn, they lose as many points of ability as they needed to roll under that ability when they first made the power check roll. After the power starts to take effect, the psion’s manifester level will most likely become lower until they recover ability points through rest. You burn through the ability that you are rolling your power check against, but you always have the option to burn intelligence or personality instead.

Raising Manifester level through Mind Burn: You may also burn the appropriate ability points, to increase your manifester level.The amount of points burnt increases manifester level for one success result of a power by an equivalent amount.

Mental Recovery: Psion minds and their inner strength regenerates quickly.For the psion, intelligence and personality damage each heal at a rate of 1d5 per night of rest.

Power Check Roll: To see if you use a psionic power correctly, you need to roll a d20 and score at a designated ability score or below (the default ability is intelligence, but some powers list other abilities to check against). Failure to do so means the power does not work.

Roll 1: When rolling a power check, rolling a 1 is good, called a power score in common parlance, and something cool as dictated by the power's "Roll 1" description happens.

Roll 20: When  a power check, rolling a 20 is bad, called a critical failure in common parlance, and something bad as dictated by the power’s “Roll 20” description happens. If something is allowing you to roll a smaller die, and you roll the highest result on that die, you need to roll a luck check or suffer bad effects as if you had rolled a 20. Sometimes rolling a 20 still causes the power to go off, albeit in a perverted form.

Encounters for The Wandering Trees

My players have finally finished adventuring in The Wandering Trees (adapted from the pages of Dragon #67), so I can release this info.


With a hex grid, it was easier to tell when I should make rolls for random encounters (1 in 6 chance each day and for each watch of the night, plus an additional chance for each hex crossed, doubling if there is no random path granted by those willy trees). Here is the  table I was using (has my attempts to make up interesting DCC stats for level one threats before the rules were finally published). In retrospect, I would roll 1d6 for number of monsters encountered each time it wasn't specifically listed; my players somehow just kept not properly dying. Otherwise, I am satisfied with myself for some of the odd crits and powers sprinkled throughout here.

1	Wood Elf Stalkers from the local wood elf community. Very Quiet. Will attempt to stab and grab. They hate kobolds, and know their scent. Treasure: Natural material daggers, skins, elf bread. Init +1; Atk dagger +2 (1d5); AC 12; HD 1d8; MV 10 Meters; Act 1d20; SP as elves; SV Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2
2	Kobold traders from the hills. Kobolds are mischievous cave fey that will try to barter for gemstones, gold, or cobalt. Negotiations may break down unless the players could really use some cave creature regents such as umber-hulk juice. They attack dwarves and wood elves on site. Treasure: Besides  1d10 worth of gems, A battery pack for a robot. They don't know its significance, but like the LED readouts. Init -1; Atk little pike +4 (1d5); AC 11; HD 1d5; MV 12 Meters; Act 1d16; SP stoney skin absorbs 1 point of damage from weapons and dulls them; SV Fort +4 Ref -1 Will +0
3	A unicorn. It will attack any amoral characters that sport furs, but if the PCs are gooduns, it will lead the way to a grove that is safe for the night.  Init +3; Atk horn +4 (1d8 [+3 if charging]) hooves +2 (roll on a lvl 1 warrior crit table for damage); AC 11; HD 1d9; MV 13 Meters; Act 1d20; SP immune to poison, disappears upon death save for its magical horn; SV Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +4 Note: A player encountered it, and happened to crit it with a demon's horn (as you do), rolling a sunder on the crits table and severing the unicorn's horn. The unicorn started to go darkside, and infected his assailant with an ebon-skin curse...
4	A pair of wolves. They are hungry, but run from pain or fire. One of them used to be a man and is slightly larger as he was cursed by a bog-witch. He will stalk the group from afar after they are first encountered if he has been driven off. Init +3; Atk bite +2 (1d5 and grabbed crit:by the throat, and the target has one round to get loose before said throat is torn out); AC 11; HD 1d6; MV 12 Meters; Act 1d16; SP —; SV Fort +0 Ref +2 Will -3
5	A shambling moss monster desires arcane knowledge and likes a little dismemberment too. Treasure: Kept in a nearby cave is a collection of sorcerer bones and some tomes (can learn 1d3 spells at the next leveling up with study). Init +0; Atk soggy pseudopod +2 (1d4+4) Spell (see SP) +5 (as stolen spell) ; AC 11; HD 1d9; MV 13 Meters; Act 1d20; SP Any spell caster that fails a spell check in its presence “teaches” the moss their failed spell, and the monster takes on an aspect of the spell as well as gaining the ability to cast it; SV Fort +4 Ref -2 Will +4
6	A small barghest (lycanthropic goblinoid) and three hobgoblins on a pilgrimage to defile the Great Oak Tree in the name of urban squalor. The barghest is in his mundane form, but mutters something about “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry” if PCs get cheeky. Treasure: Barghest bile goes for a good price in the right alchemist's shop. Also, a ring worth 23 sp that has the image of a goblinoid god.  Barghest (dog form): Init +2; Atk bite +3 (1d6 and grabbed crit: by the throat, and the target has one round to get loose before said throat is torn out); AC 11; HD 3d7; MV 12 Meters; Act 1d20; SP Regeneration 1d4 (recharges on a 5 or 6 as per 4e style recharge rules unless damaged by steel); SV Fort +3 Ref +2 Will +0
7	A lake/pond/river haunt that attempts to garrote with soggy vines. Treasure: nearby are the remains of victims with 1d12 in riches. Init goes last; Atk garrote +3 (1d5 and grabs. Must break free within 3 rounds or suffocate); AC 12; HD 1d7; MV 4 Meters; Act 1d16; SP can't be grabbed (slimy), very quiet (stealth +5); SV Fort +0 Ref +0 Will +0
8	A man-eating tree that tries to take a chomp against someone leaning on it. Make a reflex save+ nature check mod or lose a digit/hand/arm. The tree cannot move, but no reason to let the players in on that until their panic has died down. note: One player lost their hand in play, and bargained with his patron to replace it. He now has a wooden hand with a mind of its own.
9	A Mossy walking skeleton that moans, “Beware the caiiiiirrrrnnns” but otherwise has no intelligence that can be accessed by mundane means. A ritual to speak with the dead may reveal more.
10	Will o’ Wisps or Japanese-style ghost lights (as appropriate for terrain) swarm in (1d5).  Init goes last; Atk enervating touch +0 (1d3); AC 10; HD 1d3; MV 4 Meters; Act 1d16; SP only takes damage from supernatural sources, can be turned; SV Fort -3 Ref -2 Will -2
11	Obendar, a minor god of trees and vines. He knows about everything that happens in the forest,  and call many things to his defense. He can only be compelled to speak by heroic PC deeds he has heard wind of or when threatened by certain species of tree-eating beetles which he has a phobia of. Treasure: a wealth of spell regents (2d16 gp on the market).  Obendar: Init +3; Atk slam (1d6 crit: knocked out of the fight and vines will kill you if you aren't saved by someone afterwards); AC 17; HD 3d6; MV 3 Meters; Act 2d10 (crits if either come up as a 10); SP can lay on hands as a cleric (+8), weapons must do 4 damage or more to hurt Obendar; SV Fort +3 Ref -2 Will +3
12	Ensnaring vines try to choke 1d3 PCs. Make a reflex save or be grabbed by the neck. Damage as a garrote. These vines hiss and scream when cut (3 hp).
13	A vine-ensnared, slightly rusty robot at the foot of a tree. If investigated, a panel in the front will drop open.Any magical object placed within the revealed compartment will power the robot. The robot's temperament will match the alignment of the object. If its not evil, it will serve the PCs until it breaks its programming by learning about this thing you humans call love, or something. Init +0; Atk ram (1d6), laser (4, crit=head-shot and death)(recharges every other round); AC 20; HP20 ; MV 4 Meters (hover); Act 4d5 (crits on 3 6s); SP vulnerable to logic bombs ala Captain Kirk; SV Fort+7 Ref -2 Will +0
14	A swordopus itching for a fight with land-lubbers. Init +2; Atk sword+2 four times (1d6); AC 20; HD 1d6 ; MV 10 Meters; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, telepathy ; SV Fort+0 Ref +2 Will +1

I am satisfied with this table to a degree that I won't do the adventure's suggested swamp random encounters... unless I run through the whole table somehow. Then I'll scramble to stat a catoblepas.


There is also a green knight guarding the Southernmost bridge. He takes all challenges to single-combat and curses groups that try to overpower him with numbers or sorcery (curse: 50% chance of getting lost even if on a trail. Incidentally, the knight cannot die, but he is rather honorable and will yield if bested in single-combat. He does not pursue trespassers past the bridge. Uses hobgoblin stats cause I'm tired.


In the north swamp is a bog-witch that cursed her former lover to wander as a wolf until the treasure of the druids is found. Rolls a d30 for Charm and Polymorph effects.


Creatures of the forest not listed above :


Wereboar (pig form): Init +0; Atk charge +3 (1d4, critted targets are gored (1d5) and slowed); AC 13; HD 1d6; MV 11 Meters; Act 1d20; SP Regeneration 1d4 (recharges on a 5 or 6 as per 4e style recharge rules unless damaged by horns, teeth, or tusks); SV Fort +1 Ref +1 Will -1


Entling: Init -1; Atk slam +3 (1d5, critted targets get an eye poked out unless they have goggles or a helm); AC 12; HD 1d8; MV 6 Meters; Act 1d18; SP animate entangling roots (encounter); SV Fort +1 Ref -1 Will +2


Phooka (humanoid form stats are as DCC beta kobold with a club)  tree form: Init -1; Atk slam +3 (1d5, critted targets get an eye poked out unless they have goggles or a helm); AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 6 Meters; Act 1d18; SP only damaged by cold iron or magical attacks; SV Fort+1 Ref -1 Will +2


Pseudodragon: Init +0; Atk sting +2 (1d3 +save or 1d3 poison, lose a finger if you roll a 1); AC 12; HD 1d4; MV 7 Meters; Act 1d20; SP camouflage (+3 stealth); SV Fort -1 Ref +2 Will +0


Dryads:  Init +1; Atk slam +2 (1d5); AC 13; HD 1d8; MV 10 Meters; Act 1d20; SP charm (will save or do what the dryad wants); SV Fort +2 Ref +0 Will +2


Giant Crayfish: Init +1; Atk claw +4 (1d5, grabs on a crit); AC 14; HD 2d8; MV 9 Meters; Act 1d20; SP— ; SV Fort +0 Ref +1 Will -3


Owlbear: Init +0; Atk claw +4 (1d8, blinds or KOs on a crit); AC 12; HD 3d8; MV 12 Meters; Act 1d20; SP —; SV Fort +2 Ref +1 Will -4


Upside-down-human-faced giant centipede (Chitter): Init +0; Atk bite +1 (1d3, save versus poison or become paralyzed) AC 12; HD 1d3; MV 6 Meters; Act 1d20; SP— ; SV Fort +0 Ref +0 Will -2


Slightly humanoid face-bearing giant spider (Mank):  Init +2; Atk bite +3 (1d3, save versus poison or become paralyzed) AC 14; HD 1d6; MV 10 Meters; Act 1d20; SP Cast web (reflex save or immobilized) ; SV Fort +2 Ref +2 Will -2


Wraith (more interested in talking about silver keys than fighting):  Init +0; Atk touch +3 (1d3 and player makes an attack at a companion ) AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 10 Meters; Act 1d20; SP can only be harmed by magical attacks or sunlight, torches do 1d2 dmg ; SV Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2

Chelonians Have a Grinding Stop Envisioned for the Multiverse

Okay, first off, I loved the idea of really odd Slaad. But one problem I had is I feel a proper slaad should be batrachian, by which I mean frog-humanoid. I like color-coded monsters. They help with the shared-language of the hobby.

Anyways, I was inspired by a dictionary.com entry of the the day to make Chelonians. Chelonians are turtle-humanoids, and much as slaads are the champions of chaos, chelonians, called chael colloquially, are living perversions of stasis ideals. The chael are the dark side of law in the cosmic conflict and they want to stop everything before it gets any more entropic. There are a few varieties of chael that may be encountered.

Green Chaels are obsessed with recording information. More pragmatic than other chaels, greens accept the eventual entropic dissolution of the universe into various forms of background radiation, but seek to preserve lists, tomes, librams, formulae, and other data. This often puts them into conflict with adventurers that are searching for something the greens have their eyes on.  Green chaels use psychic attacks which overload victim's brains with too much information. If you have ever communed with an extra-planar entity, chances are it was a green chael that was secretly taking information from you too.

Pale Chales prefer to bring stasis by their supernatural cold powers. The most powerful freeze hamlets and call up glaciers. Just like a mix between Subzero and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (why hasn't that game been made yet?!), they will freeze you in place, duck their parts into their shell, and slam into you like a mini gamera, blasting your frozen chunks about. Don't mess with a pale chael. Pales spend time putting out fires, volcanoes, and snuffing warm-blooded creatures' lives.

Blue Chaels are the masters of time. Time Stop spells and instant aging are among their weapons. They lay their time eggs throughout the multiverse. If enough happen to align, making a ley-line network, interesting effects that can be utilized by chronomancers and gate-makers happen, but more eggs in an area bring a risk of local time stoppages or rip-van-winklisms. Scholars rightly suspect that enough eggs will spell the end of the multiverse via eternal pause.

Red Chaels try to take the war to chaos's doorstep. Militaristic and never forgetting grudges, reds are sought for their skills as mercenaries and generals. They will fight for any side that seems to be on the side of law or the original, primal order of the universe (though primordials are chaotic, they do have claim to the first groupings of law or at least the original order) . Reds use stunning attacks that petrify their enemies, turning them into atomically inert substances that are very hard to reanimate.

Can you think of a variety of Chelonian? Jenna made a chael personality reminiscent of the turtles all the way down meme:

Viticus Chelonian, Excrucian Deceiver

"If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

This tortoise-armored Deceiver may stack himself arbitrarily high, achieving an effortless physical, social, or even intellectual superiority over his opponents. We advise maintaining a prickly disposition and ideally physical contour in his company lest he integrate you yourself into Viticus Chelonian's invincible throne.

Key Stats:
Persona (The Invincible Throne of Viticus Chelonian Invictus) 3

No idea what game persona is for, but thanks!