Real World Occupations for DCC

I plan to start running a megadungeon in the near future that is inspired by Dungeons and Dragons the Animated Series.  I knew I wanted the first session to be a funnel and have the real world “characters” have to figure out the horror that they are encountering and attempt to survive…

 

Let’s go on a team building exercise!  We can camp in those creepy woods!  What’s the worst that can happen?

 

OH MY GOD!!  WHY DID WE GO CAMPING IN THE CREEPY FOREST!!?

Really Real World Occupations
Roll 1d100	Occupation	Trained Weapon	Trade Good
1	Academic1	Heavy text book (as club)	Item that makes sense for rolled academic
2	Accountant	Expensive golden pen (as dagger/knife)	Hand calculator and money clip
3	Actor	Award trophy (as club)	Current screenplay and a copy of Stanislavski’s “An Actor Prepares”
4	Animal Trainer	Taser (as sling)	Yipping poodle, dog food, carrying bag, and whistle
5	Antique Dealer	Bust of Beethoven (as club)	History of furniture book, jug of wood polish
6	Artist2	Item that makes sense for rolled artist	Item that makes sense for rolled artist
7	Athlete3	Item that makes sense for rolled athlete	Item that makes sense for rolled athlete
8	Baker	Rolling pin (as club)	Christmas cookie cutters and mixing bowl
9	Barista	Thick metal carafe (as club)	5 lb bag of dark coffee, can of non-dairy creamer
10	Bartender	Knife (as dagger)	Flask full of whisky, two books of matches
11	Bee Keeper	Walking stick (as staff)	Three jars of honey
12	Brewer	Heavy mug (as club)	Three growlers of beer
13	Butcher	Cleaver (as axe)	Thick leather apron (+1 AC)
14	Butler	Leather hardback limited edition of War and Peace (as club)	Tanning mirror
15	Carpenter	Hammer (as club)	Level and dust mask
16	Casino Dealer	Brass knuckles	Deck of cards and 1d100 extra dollars
17	Chef	Tenderizing mallet (as club)	Rack of 50 spices and recipe book
18	Clockmaker	Screwdriver (as knife)	Baggie of sprockets, gears, and cogs
19	College Student4	Large text book (as club)	Item that makes sense for rolled student
20	Con Artist	Small pistol (1d6 damage)	10 bullets, “snake oil”- make up what the next big thing is
21	Conservationist5	Survival knife and walking stick (as club)	Book on history of rolled environment and challenges it faces.  All weather bedroll.
22	Construction Worker	Battery operated nail gun (as sling)	100 nails, hard hat and utility belt
23	Corrections Officer	Standard pistol (1d6 damage)	25 bullets, handcuffs and flashlight
24	Criminal Element6	Pistol (1d6 damage) and brass knuckles	Item that makes sense for rolled criminal
25	Cyclist	Old bike chain (as flail)	Bicycle and helmet
26	Deep Sea Diver	Harpoon gun (as bow)	Diving mask, snorkel, and flippers
27	Dietician	Walking stick (as staff)	10 days’ worth of healthy snacks and water packets
28	Delivery Driver	Baseball bat (as club)	Trucker hat and traveling dog
29	Demolitions Expert	Hammer  (as club)	Blasting caps, spool of copper wire
30	Dentist	Scalpel (as knife)	Pliers and small tin filled with teeth
31	Distiller	Three small cutting knives (as dart)	Bottle of strong alcohol, lighter, pack of smokes
32	Dog Walker	Thick leash (as whip)	Medium-sized dog
33	Doorperson	Doorstop (as knife)	Ball of string, whistle
34	Drag Racer	Switch blade (as knife)	Racing helmet, Thick leather jacket (+1 AC)
35	Electrician	Utility Knife (as knife)	Tool belt with pliers, hammer, and wrench
36	Emergency Medical Technician	Scalpel (as knife)	First aid kit (two uses- restores 1d4 HP)
37	Exterminator	Crowbar (as club)	Canister of toxic gas and sprayer
38	Farmer	Pitchfork	Pack of seeds and a hen
39	Fireman	Fire axe (two-handed)	Fire hat and protective suit (ignore 1 point of fire damage)
40	Fisherman	Butchering knife	Fishing pole and three fish hooks
41	Florist	Large scissors (as knife)	Glass vase and bouquet of fake flowers
42	Fry Cook	Frying pan (as club)	Can of cooking oil, bottle of ketchup and mustard
43	Gem Cutter	Chisel (as knife)	Fine gem
44	Golf Caddy	1d4 Golf clubs (as club)	Caddy cart and 10 golf balls
45	Grocery Store Checker	Pocket knife	Backpack, box of granola bars
46	Health Inspector	Heavy briefcase (as two-handed club)	Clip board with notes
47	Herbalist	Trowel (as knife)	Packet of chamomile and packet of sage
48	High School Student4	Large text book (as club)	Item that makes sense for rolled student
49	Hiker	Staff	Backpack, 1d4 MREs, 1 canteen
50	Home Décor Designer	Rubber mallet (as club)	Book of wall paper and carpet samples and measuring tape
51	Housekeeper	Thick scrubbing brush with wrist-tie handle (as flail)	Cleaning uniform and bottle of disinfectant
52	Hunter	Hunting rifle (1d8 damage)	50 bullets, bear spray
53	IT Specialist	Limited Edition “Rambo” knife	Laptop with loads of porn
54	Judge	Gavel (as club)	Book of history of the French Revolution, impressive black “JUDGE” robes
55	Lab Tech	2d4+1 samples of gross stuff (random effects)	Large clump of dry ice, small cooler
56	Lawyer	Cane (as club)	Lighter, fancy watch, and designer suit
57	Leatherworker	Large tongs (as club)	Leather armor made for Ren Fair (+2 AC)
58	Loan Shark	Brass knuckles	1d100 + 20 dollars and a flashy cell phone
59	Mason	Pointing trowel (as knife)	Bag of 1d6 artisan crafted bricks
60	Mechanic	Large monkey wrench (as club)	Spark plugs, liter of 40W motor oil
61	Medium	Ceremonial blade	Book of spiritual signs and book of current year’s horoscopes
62	Metal Worker	Thick metal tongs (as club)	Large chunk of metal
63	Meteorologist	Rock collection (10 rocks- as sling)	A collection of “moon” rocks and “Forecasting Weather for Dummies”
64	Military Personnel	Assault rifle (1d10 damage)	50 bullets, army fatigues
65	Model	Small pistol (1d4 damage)	8 bullets, super sexy outfit, fancy shoes
66	Mortician	Hacksaw (as knife)	Embalming fluid sample, measuring tape, blood-resistant apron
67	Motel Clerk	Shotgun (1d8 damage)	6 shots, book of strange occurrences across USA, flask with vodka
68	Musician7	Knife	Musical instrument of rolled musician
69	Optician	Iron (as club)	Great pair of designer glasses, traveling eye exam kit
70	Performer8	Item that makes sense for rolled performer	Item that makes sense for rolled performer
71	Photographer	Tripod (as club)	Camera and camera bag
72	Physician	Expensive stethoscope (as garrote- 1d4 damage)	Pain killers and booze
73	Pilot	Flare gun (4 shots, 1d4 damage)	Aviator sunglasses, pilots cap
74	Plumber	Large monkey wrench (as club)	Galoshes and water-resistant pants
75	Police Officer	Pistol (1d6 damage)	Handcuffs and badge
76	Post Person (Mail)	Taser (as sling)	Binder of undelivered love letters
77	Private Investigator	Revolver (1d6 damage)	Cool trench coat, pack of smokes, lighter
78	Psychologist	Briefcase (as club)	Hawaiian shirt and swimming trunks
79	Radio DJ	Book of cds (1d100 cds- as sling)	Headphones and old discman
80	Registered Nurse	Taser (as sling)	First aid kit (two uses- restores 1d4 HP)
81	Religious Leader/Occultist	Silver dagger	Religious symbol and holy book
82	Restaurant Owner	Pizza cutter (as knife)	1d100 dollars golden ring with tiny diamonds
83	Sailor	Butcher hook (as knife)	Compass and HAM
84	Salesperson	Heavy, large sales catalog (as club)	Large suitcase with fine jewelry
85	Salvager	Shotgun (1d8 damage)	Map to location of lost WWII plane, compass
86	Secretary	Letter opener (as knife)	Fun summer clothing, nice watch
87	Security Guard	Collapsible baton	Pepper spray
88	Singer9	Knife	3d20 dollars and a book of new songs based on rolled genre
89	Social Worker	Keychain self-defense weapon (1d4 damage)	Professional clothing, comfortable shoes
90	Store Stocker	Canvas bag filled with canned goods (as club)	10+1d10 canned goods and a roll of quarters ($10- for laundry)
91	Tailor	Scissors (as knife)	Sewing kit, 3 sets of clothing
92	Teacher10	Collapsible baton	Text book on rolled subject and a stress ball
93	Train Conductor	Crudgel	Pocket watch and whistle
94	Treasure Hunter	Pistol (1d6 damage)	25 bullets and tent and map
95	Tree Trimmer	Pruning sheers (as knife)	Book on tree identification and cultivation
96	Vagrant	Swiss Army knife	Candy bar,
97	Valet	Keychain self-defense weapon (1d4 damage)	Nice cell phone, designer sneakers
98	Veterinarian	Scalpel (as knife)	Pain killers, medium sized dog
99	Waiter	Taser (as sling)	Nice clothing and fanny pack
100	Writer11	Bottle of booze (as club)	Laptop and carrying case

 

• Academic (roll 1d8): 1) Biologist; 2) Chemist; 3) Physicist; 4) Philosophy; 5) Mythology/theology; 6) Historian; 7) Political science; 8) Geology
• Artist (roll 1d6): 1) Jeweler; 2) Potter; 3) Painter; 4) Sculpture; 5) Illustrator; 6) Architecture
• Athlete (roll 1d8): 1) Mountain Climbing; 2) Boxing; 3) Wrestling; 4) Track and Field; 5) Hockey; 6) Football; 7) Baseball; 8) Basketball
• College/High School Student– Main area of study/interest– (roll 1d10): 1) Drama; 2) History; 3) Mathematics; 4) Political Science; 5) Culinary Arts; 7) Being Popular; 8) Computers; Chemistry; 9) Astronomy; 10) Band/Choir
• Conservationist– type of environment interested in– (roll 1d8): 1) Wetlands; 2) Farmlands; 3) Desert; 4) Arctic; 5) Forests; 6) Tundra; 7) Ocean; 8) Prairie
• Criminal Element (roll 1d8): 1) Thug; 2) Gangbanger; 3) Debt Collector; 4) Body Guard; 5) Fence; 6) Counterfeiter; 7) Information Extractor; 8) Prostitute
• Musician (roll 1d8): 1) Guitar; 2) Drums; 3) Tuba; 4) Trumpet; 5) Bass; 6) Flute; 7) Clarinet; 8) Cow Bell
• Performer (roll 1d8): 1) Spoken Word; 2) Mime; 3) Puppetry; 4) Freak Show; 5) Dancer (i.e., jazz/tap, ballet, swing, break, interpretive, stripper, etc.); 6) Magician; 7) Juggler; 8) Hula Hooper
• Singer (roll 1d8): 1) Country; 2) Jazz; 3) Rock; 4) Metal; 5) Rap; 6) Pop; 7) New Wave; 8) Lounge singer
• Teacher (roll 1d8): 1) English; 2) History; 3) Social Studies; 4) Mathematics; 5) Earth Science; 6) Physical Education; 7) Band; 8) Cooking and Home Economics
• Writer (roll 1d8): 1) Horror; 2) Poetry; 3) Plays; 4) Fantasy/Sci-Fi; 5) Reference Manuals; 6) Children’s Books; 7) Mysteries; 8) Magazine Editorials/Journalist

Only the most badass survive and make it to 1st level!

New Hubris Class- The Klind Exile (Race as Class) and a New Hubris Video Review

A New Video

Ben Milton has just released a video review of Hubris for those who are curious about it and want more info!  A very heartfelt thanks to Ben (and all others) for the kind words and praise for Hubris!

DriveThru link here!

A New Class

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Hubris specific class post.  When I was writing the Klind enemies, I had envisioned an exile type class, but cut it due to the book already being fucking huge and I wanted to move it forward.

Here it is!

The Klind Exile

Behold the hideous Klind (art by Jeremy Duncan)

Here’s the PDF: The Klind Exile

You hail from the Blighted Sands (Hubris, pg 60) from the Klind Empire.  Your people worship the Serpentine God of Depravity, Set (Hubris, pg 211) and you hail from his lineage.  You are no priest of Set (Hubris, pg 304), but your face is snake-like, your body sculpted and lithe, your long arms end in slender lengthened fingers, almost like spider legs.

You are considered unnatural by your people.  You were born with the ability to use a gift that is not yours, rivaling those of the Sex Prophets or the Flesh Weavers.  You are feared and shunned by your people, hated and persecuted.

You have struggled for years, living in brutal conditions, surviving off the scraps you can find.  Well no more.  You have killed one considered your “better” and stolen their Bio-Organic Armor (Hubris, pg 304) and have left Klind to forge a better life.

Servants of the Empire hunt you, wishing to wipe your existence from the world of Hubris.  You can never stop; you can never rest.  You have no people you can call your own. You are forever alone; forever exiled.

 

 

Hit Points: 1d8

 

Weapon Training: A Klind Exile is trained in the use of bolas*, crossbow, dagger, dart, hand crossbow*, kukri, shortbow, short sword, throwing knives, and spiked chain*. Klind Exiles tend to wear light or no armor as it impedes their ability to invoke passion or weave flesh (see below).  Their bio-organic armor does not affect their roll.
*Weapons in the Hubris campaign setting (see equipment, pg 54).

 

Alignment: The very essence of the Klind and of Set is suffused with chaos.  While you may be exiled from your people, the chaos courses through your veins.

 

Lithe and Agile: Klind are lithe and agile creatures, full of grace and ease.  All Agility-based tests (not attacks) and Reflex saves are rolled one step higher on the die ladder.  Klind Exiles also have the Move Silently and Backstab skill of a Thief (DCC, pg 38) of equal level and alignment.

 

Ample Survivor: A Klind Exile has learned to survive on their wits and ability to be quick with a blade.  When fighting with simple blades (i.e., throwing blades, daggers, and the kukri), the Klind Exile is treated as if they have a 16 in Agility for the purpose of two-weapon fighting (DCC, pg 94).  The Klind is quick to act, when fighting with this type of weapon they add their Luck modifier (if positive) to their Initiative roll).

 

Claws: A Klind retractable razor-sharp claws that deal 1d6 damage. A Klind is never considered unarmed.

 

Abhorrent Creature: You have somehow have been blessed, or cursed, depending on your point of view, with a small amount of ability to use the alluring abilities of the Sex Prophet (Hubris, pg 302) or weave the flesh of others, same as the Klind Flesh Weavers (Hubris, pg 303).  This is seen as an affront to the will of Set and the hierarchy of the Klind themselves.

 

A player makes this choice at first level.  Once made it cannot be undone.

 

The Prophet: A Klind Exile that has the ability of the Prophet can summon forth intense emotions of passion and lust in those around them.  The Klind Exile must roll a 1d20+Personality Modifier+Klind Exile level and consult the able below.

 

Waves of Passion
1	Lost, failure, and gain a haggard, disgusting appearance (i.e., moles, lanky, fragile hair, liver spots, hunched over, etc.) for 24 hours.  All Personality rolls are made two steps lower on the die ladder for the duration.
2-11	Lost.  Failure.
12-13	A touched target must succeed a Will save (DC 8+ Klind Exile level) or become overcome with emotions of passion and lust.  They are unable to concentrate and suffer -2 to all attacks and save rolls for 1d3 rounds.  Those that critically fail their save fall to the ground and are helpless for double the duration.
14-15	A touched target must succeed a Will save (DC 8+ Klind Exile level) or become overcome with emotions of passion and lust.  They are unable to concentrate and make all attacks and save rolls one step lower on the die ladder for 1d6 rounds.  Those that critically fail their save fall to the ground and are helpless for double the duration.
16-17	You release a wave of passion and lust in a 5’ radius.  Any in the area must succeed a Will save (DC 8+ Klind Exile level) or become overcome by the emotions.  They are unable to concentrate and make all attacks and save rolls one step lower on the die ladder for 1d6 rounds.   Those that critically fail their save fall to the ground and are helpless for double the duration.
18-19	You release a wave of passion and lust in a 10’ radius.  Any in the area must succeed a Will save (DC 8+ Klind Exile level) or become overcome by the emotions.  They are unable to concentrate and make all attacks and save rolls one step lower on the die ladder for 1d6 rounds.  Each target affected heals you for 1 HP.  You cannot go over your maximum hit points.  Those that critically fail their save fall to the ground and are helpless for double the duration.
20-21	You release a wave of passion and lust in a 15’ radius.  Any in the area must succeed a Will save (DC 8+ Klind Exile level) or become overcome by the emotions.  They are unable to concentrate and make all attacks and save rolls one step lower on the die ladder for 2d8 rounds.  Each target affected heals you for 1 HP.  You cannot go over your maximum.   Those that critically fail their save fall to the ground and are helpless for double the duration and heal you for 2 HP.
22+	You release a wave of passion and lust in a 30’ radius.  Any in the area must succeed a Will save (DC 8+ Klind Exile level) or become overcome by the emotions.  They are unable to concentrate and make all attacks and save rolls one step lower on the die ladder for 2d8 rounds.  Each target affected heals you for 1 HP.  You cannot go over your maximum.   Those that critically fail their save fall to the ground and are helpless for double the duration and heal you for 2 HP.

 

 

The Weaver: A Klind Exile that has the ability of the Weaver is able to manipulate the flesh of others to horrifying effect.   The Klind Exile must roll a 1d20+Personality Modifier+Klind Exile level and consult the able below.

 

Flesh Meld
1	Lost, failure, your flesh melts, taking on a waxy, plagued appearance (as if you’ve been scarred from a bad burn).  You suffer a permanent -1 to Personality for each occurrence.
2-11	Lost.  Failure.
12-13	You can touch a target causing their eyes and mouth to stretch, making it extremely difficult to see or speak.  They suffer -2 to notice rolls, ranged attacks, and persuasion rolls.  This lasts for 1d3 rounds.  The target is allowed a Fort save (DC 8+Klind Exile’s level) to avoid this.
14-15	You can touch a target, causing their flesh to become rubbery and painful, often forming bubbling boils, and hanging off the body. On a failed save the target suffers –3 to all rolls.   This effect lasts for 1d4 rounds.  The target is allowed a Fort save (DC 8+Klind Exile’s level) to avoid this.
16-17	You can cause the flesh of up to two targets in a 10’ radius to become rubbery and painful, often forming bubbling boils, and hanging off the body. On a failed save the target rolls all physical rolls one step lower on the die ladder. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your level.  The targets are allowed a Fort save (DC 8+Klind Exile’s level) to avoid this.
18-19	You are able to cause the flesh of one target within 15’ to meld together. Their legs fuse together and their hands become large balls of blistered flesh. They must make a DC 12 Agility test or fall prone. Their movement is reduced to 10’. They drop whatever items they are holding and are unable to use their hands. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your level.  The target is allowed a Fort save (DC 8+Klind Exile’s level) to avoid this.
20-21	You are able to cause the flesh of two targets to meld together.  The targets can be no further than 20’ away from you.  Their legs fuse together and their hands become large balls of blistered flesh. They must make a DC 14 Agility test or fall prone. Their movement is reduced to 10’. They drop whatever items they are holding and are unable to use their hands. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your level.  The targets are allowed a Fort save (DC 8+Klind Exile’s level) to avoid this.
22+	You can touch the target and shape their flesh in minute detail.  You can cause the target’s eyeballs to seal, nose and mouth to become covered with skin growth, etc. A target can last a number of rounds equal to their Stamina score before needing to make a DC 16 Fort save. A failed save means the target has died from suffocation. The player can come up with other amusing situations and the Judge and the player can discuss the outcome.  This last for a number of rounds equal to your level.  The target is allowed a Fort save (DC 8+Klind Exile’s level) to avoid this.

 

 

Damaged Bio-Organic Armor (Type I): You stole another Klinds bio-organic armor before fleeing your homeland.  In the scuffle to relieve the Klind of their armor, it was damaged and cannot be repaired.  The armor grants +3 to AC, suffers -0 to check penalty and has a d8 Fumble Die.

 

When taking damage, make a Luck roll.  If successful, you ignore 1 point of damage (even magical).  At night when sleeping in your armor, make a Luck roll.  If successful, the armor heals you, restoring 1 HP per hour.  While in the suit you do not need to consume more than 2 cups of water every 8 hours.  You can see in low-light in a 30’ radius, and can breathe in a sandstorm up to 1 hour.

 

Hunted: You are a mistake that should be cleansed from Hubris.  A small detachment of Klind is attempting to track you to bring you back to Klind, so you may be sacrificed on the altar to Set.  Even if you kill the ones after you, you know there will always be more.  This is your curse to bare.

 

 

 

Klind Exile Table
Level	Attack	Crit Die/Table	Action Die	Ref	Fort	Will
1	+0	1d10/II	1d20	+1	+1	+0
2	+1	1d12/II	1d20	+1	+1	+0
3	+2	1d14/II	1d20	+2	+1	+1
4	+2	1d16/II	1d20	+2	+2	+1
5	+3	1d20/II	1d20	+3	+2	+1
6	+4	1d24/II	1d20+1d14	+4	+2	+2
7	+4	1d30/II	1d20+1d16	+4	+3	+2
8	+5	1d30+2/II	1d20+1d20	+5	+3	+2
9	+5	1d30+4/II	1d20+1d20	+5	+3	+3
10	+6	D130+6/II	1d20+1d20	+6	+4	+3

 

 

 

Starting Gold
2d12	3d12+500	3d12+2,000

 

 

 

Class Damage

 

This is the damage a Klind Exile does if the group is using the optional damage rules outlined in Hubris, pg 50.

 

Klind Exile Class Damage
Light	Medium	Heavy
1d4	1d6	1d6

 

 

 

Info on the Klind

 

Taken from Hubris, pg 66.

 

The Klind are a race of humanoids devoted to their serpentine god, Set. They seek to dominate Hubris and bring all into Set’s fold, either through conquest, corruption, or as a suitable sacrifice.
For over 300 years the Klind have schemed, fought, and plagued Hubris. Most people of Hubris have only heard of the Klind whispered as frightening tales, from the safety of their homes or taverns. The true visage of a Klind, armored in their bio-organic suits, with bizarre and dangerous weapons, marching ceaselessly across the territories of Hubris in search of slaves and sacrifices is not something that can be accurately captured in story.
The capital of the empire is built around the Great Ziggurat of Depravity where sacrifices of the pitiful and unworthy are made to satiate the hunger of Set. The Venomous Red Scales are the elite guard to the High Priest of Set. These terrifying warriors police the streets, gather those suitable for sacrifice, and carry out the High Priest’s wishes. While risky and dangerous, outsiders still come to Klind to trade or search for treasures in the Blighted Sands.

 

Hubris Session 3- Exploring Undra the Great Spire

It’s been awhile since we’ve continued our monthly Hubris game as we took three sessions to playtest the first draft of my first Hubris module.   The playtest was quite a bit of fun and the group had a great time fighting orcs on a train!

Aside: Hubris PDF and POD here.

Players

Angie- Human Thistle Druid- level 1.  Named Ageo.

Nate- Avarian Trickster- level 1.  Named Crimshaw of the 7th Clutch.

Tyler- Mutant (squishy, oddly-shaped body, flamingo legs, and ant colony in his veins that he can release once per day as an attack)- level 1.  Named “Ant” Squishy.

Jamie- Human Cleric  (follower of Set)- level 1.  Named Spike.

Not Present This Session

Kevin- Human Thief- level 1.  Named Herr Schmierkase (means cottage cheese in German)

Emma- Half Demon- level 1

Sammi- Human Blood Witch- level 1.  Named Willow

Strolling Through the Grand Bazaar

I decided to draw a picture of how I saw Undra in my mind to help orient the players.  I have MAD art skillz.

We kicked off our session this session with the group standing on the first level of the Grand Bazaar, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells.  The group decided that the first priority was to figure out what the scroll found on the body of the beastmen they killed last session said.  They debated just going to the top level of Undra and turning over the piece of paper to the Royal Guard of the Setting Sun, but figured they wouldn’t be able to find out what it means.

They decided to mill around the bazaar and see if anyone could translate the document, or at least recommend someone who could.

Example layout of the Grand Bazaar

Spike, cleric of Set, noticed an ancient looking woman in drab clothing making exquisite sculptures.  He recognized her necklace (that of an open book) as the holy symbol of the God of the Terrible Whisper.  Spike approached the old woman and struck up a conversation with her.

“I’m actually only 40 years old!”

Spike and the old woman talked about the fickle love of their gods- Spire referring to the serpentine-like scars over his eyes for gaining Set’s disapproval.  The old woman laughed and showed him the start of a clubbed/deformed hand and said, “I have angered my god many times…  I am actually only 40 years old!”

Spike began inquiring about a sculpture on a shelf behind the old woman; it was of the Four Gorgons of Desire- four female humanoid bodies all merging together onto one serpentine body.  Spike noticed the same elegant script as found on the letter.

The woman looked at a piece of paper and read the translation, “Beware the serpents, for all wait in the dark, ready to strike.”

Spike asked if she was able to translate the language.

“No.  I do not know it.”

“Where might we get something translated?”

She coughed and spat a large phlegm ball, “Go to Junk Town.  Top level.  You’ll find a dilapidated library for the God of the Terrible Whisper.  Inside you’ll find The Watcher.  You’ll know him when you see him.  He can help you.”

The group thanked her for her time, tipped her some copper pieces and went on their way.

Ageo, the Thistle Druid, tried to haggle with an old hag for some healing potions, but instead was offered a thick bubbling black liquid that the woman claimed to be rejuvenating potions.  Ageo asked what they did.

“Why they keep you alive silly girl!  Would you believe that I am 190 years old?!  And I’m a HUMAN!”

Ageo got the hell out of dodge and the group decided it was time to venture down into Junk Town.

The group took the elevators down to the top level of Junk Town and were amazed by the amount of clutter, refuse, and junk piled in the area.  Large tubes poked through the ceiling, dumping garbage at a steady stream.  Some tubes went through the level, disappearing into the floor to drop their contents on another level of Junk Town.

Ant Squishy used his hound dog ability to see if he could detect any nearby mutants.  After a few seconds he felt four mutants nearby.  He walked up to the first one- a lithe cloaked female and attempted to strike up a conversation.

“Do you know where the Watcher is?”

“Wwwhhhat do you want with meeeee?”

The woman turned and revealed a slender serpentine face, extremely long arms with spider leg-like fingers.  She was filthy and looked hungry.

The group talked to her for a few minutes, eventually she said they needed to go on a sky bridge to another district.  There they would find the library they were seeking.

Ageo gave her four copper pieces for the info and the group turned to leave.  I had Angie make a Luck roll- she failed.  Unfortunately, other hungry scavengers in the area noticed Ageo’s generosity and decided to take the coins from the woman.

The group turned and told the group of men to leave the woman be.  The braggarts, no doubt bolstered by their numbers, decided it would be a good idea to mug the party instead.  With the distraction, the woman disappeared into the junk piles.

Crimshaw decided to transform from his Avarian form into a human one.  Bones snapped and popped, poking through his flesh, as mucus-like fluid oozed from his flesh.  All the bandits were horrified and nauseated at this sight.  Ageo pulled out her bone spear and gutted the first thug while Ant Squishy released his ant horde on a thug.  Spike channeled the wrath of Set and bellowed “Bow!” and pointed his finger down.  Three of the four remaining thugs did so.  The fourth made a run for it, disappearing around a large pile of junk.  With a final shriek, the man being attacked by Ant Squishy’s ants died.  The group made their way towards the land bridge, while Ageo stayed behind to completely castrate all the other men so they would think twice about their actions against women.

Sample map for Junk Town

Aside: I’m taking a page of Vornheim’s book on generating city territory as needed.  I wanted to have a sample floor ready for my players to explore Junk Town.  What I decided for Undra is that some floors wouldn’t be completely delved out into a cavernous hollow.  Instead they would be delved into large “rooms.”  So I created a chart (see below) that would tell me what the shape of the room is.  Then simply connect them via passages or sky bridges.  

District Shape
Roll 1d6	Result
1	Triangle
2	Square
3	Circle
4	Rectangle
5	Diamond
6	Pentagon

The group made their way into the next district and found the library in the distance.  The group entered the old building, which was a large pillar of rocked connecting the floor to the ceiling of the district.  Inside was a monk of the God of the Terrible Whisper, sorting through books that were still in decent conditions from those that needed repair and replacement.

Spike asked after the Watcher.  The monk was hesitant to give out such info, but a few coins for the cause of repairing such important books, loosened his tongue.  “Go through this archway to the central chamber.  There you’ll find many of my order repairing these books.  The Watcher is in there.”

I then asked each of the group to create a quick story based on an emotional aspect (I used my Bonds thinger).  I gave them a few minutes and then asked them for their story.

The group made their way into a large central room, torches in brackets with eeirie cool blue light illuminating the area.  Several monks bent over desks scribbling away, repairing books.  In the far end of the room, the light faded, but a large shape could be seen.

The group entered the room and then the sound of heavy pages being flipped filled the room.  A soft, but strong voice began speaking.  It summarized a challenging time for Ant Squishy, where is arrogance nearly cost him everything… Then it spoke of the alienating feeling Ageo has with others, not sure they understand the importance of nature and its balance… Crimshaw caused the death of a comrade due to his greed and (at the time) lack of skills… and finally Spike was worried about not being worth of Set and that his god would abandon him, or worse, punish him…  All the while, the pages kept flipping.  The figure stood, massive, and covered in shadow.  The figure began walking towards the group, the sound of heavy bare feet slapping against the rock floor.

Coming into the light was The Watcher.

“All these stories are in the annuals of time… One simply has to know where to read.  What do you need of me?”

And that’s where we left off.  It was a fun (albeit short) session.  We will be playing again at the end of May.  I’m looking forward to seeing how the players interact with The Watcher and more delving into Junk Town.

The group is torn between staying in Undra and finding work and coins (i.e., hunting beastmen, picking up other odd jobs, etc), getting the scroll translated by The Watcher (or someone else), or saying screw all and packing up and heading to Razar in the Unsettled Expanse (because several in the group wants to go hunt fucking dinosaurs!).

Hubris Review Round Up!

Entrails Reader and Conspiracy Theorist Occupations by David Lewis Johnson

For older review click here, here, and here.

Aside: If you’re interested in DIY RPG Productions apparel, you can find that here!

Hubris has been out for a couple months now, both PDF and POD and a few more reviews have come out in that time.  If you’re still on the fence about nabbing Hubris, these may answer some of your questions about the setting.  Here are a few questions answered here.

Edit: I’m a total jerk and forgot to include Christopher Helton’s great review of Hubris!  I am a bad person.

Murder Machine Action shot by Jeremy Duncan

Erik Tenkar has done a piece on the book.  Here’s a snippet, “I’ve reviewed part of this book and it is simply amazing. Solid 5 star reviews on RPGNow”.

Sophia Brandt did a great review of the book not too long ago.

Noism did a mini review of the book over at Monsters and Manuals.

Canyons of the Howling Red Rock with a Red Colossus by Angie Groves

And finally two new reviews have popped up on Drivethru/RPG Now.

One be a Derek H

In addition to all the previous reviews there is one high point for Hubris- it may have the best section on gods found within all Dungeon Crawl Classics supplements. Other sources provide plenty of wizard patrons and few have paid any attention to clerics and their gods. Hubris not only provides some new examples of the divine, it adds a new spell-like mechanic for calling directly upon them for a miracle. Another high point is the few pages devoted to wizard spell books and how they reflect their master and their master’s patron, if any.

This setting skeleton is just about perfect for a DIY Judge who wants ideas and generators rather than concrete examples. It isn’t a six star product, but it does deserve a five.

And here is another review by an anonymous reviewer:

I suck at writing reviews. I keep trying to start and other than saying “This book is amazing” I struggle to put the words together to express my opinions. Usually because I don’t think I’m critical enough of a product. There’s no way, for example, that a book can be this good…no offense intended to Mike Evans, but nothing is perfect, there are always areas to improve…especially when you’re talking about a monster tome the size of Hubris, and also a company’s first product release? Come on. I’m sure there was tons that could have been done better with Santa is Dead, but I have the luxury of that product not getting scrutinized year round and being viewed through the lens of a christmas farce (although it’s truly anything but, thanks to the amazing talents of Evey Lockhart and team).

But there is nothing bad I can say about Hubris, other than maybe I want more out of it, but I’ve no time to play it. That’s not Mike’s fault though, that’s my own…so even that isn’t a problem with the product in any way, shape, or form.

This is a hefty book that you need to physically have at the table. Not because you need to flip back and forth and reference it constantly, but because you’ll want to. You’ll want to turn to a random page and pull out a detail and use it. You’ll want to throw your players into the middle of this world and set them loose upon a place that yearns to destroy them…no, to change them, to warp them until they are as twisted and infected by the cruelty that permeates this massive landscape.

There are terrible things here, wonderful in their awfulness, and this place begs to be explored in its entirety. Which may be an impossible task; but you’ll find yourself coming back to it again and again, as I have, looking for inspiration.

I just wish I had something critical to say. Maybe when I’ve finally run it, and finished it, and can say “There wasn’t enough in this book”, but I honestly doubt that will happen.

Which is a shame, because if the bar is set this high by Mike Evans, what hope do I have of putting out something better?

Even the demon imps that kill your character and eat eyeballs have a good time in Hubris!  Art by Wayne Snyder

Cthulhu- Invoke the Name Mechanics for Hubris and DCC

The other day I did a blog post about Illithids and how I would run them in my Hubris campaign (or DCC in general).

I wanted to create Invoke the Name rules (found in Hubris: A Visceral World of Adventure).  The basic jist is once per day a cleric can speak the name of their god, channeling immense power with just that one word.  The cleric rolls 1d20+Personality Modifier+level and consults the table.

Behold the Great Cthulhu

 

Here’s the PDF version: cthulhu-invoke-the-name

 

A person loses their mind from the terrible corrupting power of Cthulhu

 

The holy symbol for a Cleric of Cthulhu

Thoughts on Illithids for Dungeon Crawl Classics and Hubris

 

Cody Mazza asked if I would post a Discussion of the Day over on G+ about Mindflayers (he also did a blog post about them).  There are many good comments about how people handle them, but it got me thinking about what I would do if I inserted Illithids into my Hubris (or a Dungeon Crawl Classics) game.

Illithids

I think of Illithids as beings from the native plane that worshiped Chaos (were they elves that fell too far down the well in their magical experimentation, were they humans that dabbled with powers no human should meddle with or are they a long-forgotten race now obliterated from history?).  In their pursuit and devotion of Chaos, they broke through the barrier and touched it.  These beings tapped into this unlimited power (perhaps even leaving the native plane for thousands of years) and harnessed it, learning dark and nefarious secrets of the cosmos.  This grand knowledge and power came with a terrible price, however.  By feasting on Chaos, their bodies were altered, becoming vile, twisted, and evil.

Thus the Illithid was born.

Illithids are Chaos junkies.  They feast on it.  Without it they are nothing, reduced to a weakened pathetic creature.  Going too long without feasting on Chaos will permanently reduce an Illithid into a Husk.

Through their exploration of Chaos, the Illithids touched the consciousness of the great Cthulhu and were cowed, becoming devoted servants of this great being.

Illithids feast on humanoid brains because they lack a sense of self.  They have hideous intelligence, but without the sense of self, they become apathetic and listless.  When an Illithid consumes the brains of a target, their personality reemerges and they become motivated and devious.  An Illithid also gains all knowledge and memories of their victim while full from their “feast”.  An Illithid usually consumes one humanoid brain every two weeks, but can go up to a month before they begin to succumb to the ravages of starvation.

Illithids are corruptors.  Everything they touch becomes slimy, covered in stringy bits of ectoplasm and sticky mucous.  Spend too long in the company of an Illithid and this corrupting influence will begin to manifest physically and mentally on an individual.  Slaves of Illithids often lose their minds within a few short weeks and eventually become loyal thralls to their masters.

An Illithis Slave: once a human, now a monster

They have no fashion, instead wearing cobbled together clothing they find in ancient armories or taken from their victims.  Somehow this cobbled together aesthetic gives the illusion of fashion to the Illithids eneimes.

Illithid’s are covetous and easily jealous of the belongings and achievements of others.  This is reflected in their society.  Illithids constantly scheme, backstab, and attempt to thwart one another in an attempt to gain power, notoriety, and knowledge.  There is only one way to climb the ladder in Illithid society: murder.

Illithids are cunning and rarely attack head on, instead using trickery, illusions, slaves, or beasts in their stead.  However, should an Illithid attack, they are not to be underestimated.  They are powerful spell casters and have the ability to blast a target with psychic energy, stunning and disorientating them.

Illithid

Decide whether the Illithid is an Arcane or Divine caster.

Divine casters are worshippers of Cthulhu and use clerical spells and add a Cthulhu-style bend to them them.

Consider the rank you want for the Illithid and consult the tables below.

Illithid Statistics by Rank
Rank	HD	AC	Initiative	Attack Modifier	Action Die	Fort	Reflex	Will	Claws Damage	Target DCs for Special Attacks
1	1-2	9-13	+1	+1 to +3	1d20	+1	+2	+4	1d3	8-12
2	3-5	10-14	+3	+3 to +6	1d20	+2	+4	+6	1d4	12-14
3	5-7	13-16	+5	+5 to +10	1d24	+4	+6	+9	1d6	14-18
4	7-10	15-20	+7	+8 to +15	2d20	+5	+7	+9	1d8	18-20
5	10-20	17-22	+10	+12 to +18	2d24	+7	+9	+13	2d6	22-24

 

 

Illithid Rank	Abilities
1	Low-light vision 30’, Mindblast and spellcasting (+2 check)
2	Low-light vision 50’, Mindblast and spellcasting (+5 check)
3	Low-light vision 60’, darkvision 30’, Mindblast and spellcasting (+7 check), Unsettling Aura– Enemies with 1 HD or fewer flee (no save), enemies of 2-3 HD must succeed a Will save or are rattled.  Make all attack rolls one step lower on the die ladder while in the presence of the Illithid.  Targets of 4+ HD are immune to this effect.
4	Low-light vision 80’, darkvision 50’, Mindblast and spellcasting (+12 check), Unsettling Aura– Enemies with 2 HD or fewer flee (no save), enemies of 3-4 HD must succeed a Will save or are rattled.  Make all attack rolls one step lower on the die ladder while in the presence of the Illithid.  Targets of 5+ HD are immune to this effect.
5	Low-light vision 120’, darkvision 60’, Mindblast and spellcasting (+18 check), Unsettling Aura– Enemies with 4 HD or fewer flee (no save), enemies of 5+ HD must succeed a Will save or are rattled.  Make all attack rolls one step lower on the die ladder while in the presence of the Illithid.

 

 

Illithid Caster
Rank	Arcane Spell Level	Arcane Spells Known	Cleric Spell Level	Divine Spells Known
1	2	3	1	4
2	3	6	2	7
3	4	9	3	10
4	5	12	4	12
5	5	16	5	14

 

 

Illithid Rank	Immunities
1	Half damage from non-magical weapons
2	Immune to non-magical weapons or natural attacks from creatures of 2 HD or less.
3	Immune to non-magical weapons or natural attacks from creatures of 3HD or less.
4	Immune to weapons of +2 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures 4 HD or less.
5	Immune to weapons of +3 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures 5 HD or less.

 

 

Illithid Mindblast
Check Result	Effect
1	Mindblown.  Roll 1d8: Headache- 1-5) stunned for 1d5 rounds; 6) Hemorrhage- suffer 2d6 damage; 7) Migraine- fall unconscious for 1d8 hours; 8) Scanner- Brain explodes.  Killed instantly.
2-11	Mind-numb.  Can’t use ability again for 1 hour.
12-13	The Illithid blasts a target within 30’ with psychic energy for 3d6 damage.  Target can make a Will save for half damage.  Can’t cast Mindblast again for 2d5 rounds.
14-15	The Illithid blasts a target within 60’ with psychic energy for 3d6 damage and stunned for 1d4 rounds.  Target can make a Will save for half damage and resist being stunned.  Can’t cast Mindblast again for 2d4 rounds.
16-17	The Illithid blasts a target within 90’ with psychic energy for 5d6 damage and stunned for 1d4 rounds.  Target can make a Will save for half damage and resist being stunned.  Can’t cast Mindblast again for 1d8 rounds.
18-19	The Illithid blasts a target within 120’ with psychic energy for 5d6 damage and stunned for 2d3 rounds or blast two targets within 5’ of one another for 3d6 damage and stunning them for 1d4 rounds.  Target(s) can make a Will save for half damage and resist being stunned.  Can’t cast Mindblast again for 1d6 rounds.
20-21	The Illithid blasts a target within 120’ with psychic energy for 6d6 damage and stunned for 2d5 rounds or blast two targets within 10’ of one another for 4d6 damage and stunning them for 2d3 rounds.  Target(s) can make a Will save for half damage and resist being stunned.  Can’t cast Mindblast again for 1d5 rounds.
22+	The Illithid blasts a target within 120’ with psychic energy for 7d6 damage and stunned for 3d3 rounds or blast three targets within 15’ of one another for 4d6 damage and stunning them for 2d3 rounds.  Target(s) can make a Will save for half damage and resist being stunned.  Can’t cast Mindblast again for 1d3 rounds.

 

The Peppermint Knight- Adventure Time Class/Race DCCified

Awhile back I created The Dog class for Adventure time using DCC rules.  I wanted to do another one, so here it is:

 

The Peppermint Knight

 

Peppermint Knights are the stalwart defenders of the Candy Kingdom!  Raised from birth, knowing their destiny and their duty, these talented fighters bravely face their foes, never shirking from their duty.

While most Peppermint Knights never leave the walls of the Candy Kingdom, save to escort Princess Bubblegum to a royal meeting, there are those who answer the call of ADVENTURE and travel the lands, taking the fight to evil’s doorstep rather than waiting for it to arrive in the kingdom.

Hit Points: Peppermint Knights are the defenders of the land.  They are stout warriors and gain 1d8 HP per level.

Weapon Training: Peppermint Knights are trained to use a wide array of weapons at birth.  They can use the following weapons: battleaxe, club, crossbow, dagger, dart, handaxe, javelin, longbow, longsword, mace, polearm, shortbow, short sword, sling, spear, staff, two-handed sword, and warhammer. Peppermint Knights wear whatever armor they can afford

Alignment: Peppermint Knights are loyal to the Candy Kingdom and to Princess Bubblegum.  They are Lawful in alignment.

Eat Me: Peppermint Knights are delicious and nutritious.  Many hideous creatures capture these brave warriors simply to devour them!  Once per day a Peppermint Knight can break off a 1d3 junks of their round body (don’t worry they grow back instantly).  These junks can be eaten by the Peppermint Knight or others.  Aside from curing bad breath, roll 1d10 to see what effect also happens: 1) heals target for 2d4 HP; 2) allows target to see in the dark for 1d3 hours; 3) gives that target +2 to Will saves against mind-altering effects; 4) hardens the targets flesh for 1 hour, giving them a damage reduction of 1; 5) makes the target’s breath super cool and minty- they can make a breath attack for 1d6 cold damage to a target.  Once used the effect is gone; 6) makes target’s breath minty fresh and they gain major self-confidence.  Receive +2 to Charisma rolls for 1d3 hours; 7) it’s like having a warm cup of peppermint tea.  You only need to sleep for 4 hours to become fully rested; 8) turns the consumers flesh pink; 9) turns the consumer’s flesh blue; 10) the consumer’s body becomes cold to the touch.  The target ignores 2 points of fire damage for 1d3 hours.

Regenerate: A Peppermint Knight’s body heals from damage very quickly.  Each night while actively adventuring, a Peppermint Knight regains 1d4 HP.  While receiving bed rest they regain 2d3 HP.

Unexpected Foe: Most creatures do not believe Peppermint Knights are a true danger, and that is to their detriment.  Peppermint Knights start with a higher base attack bonus than usual, because they are feisty buggers!  The critical threat range for a Peppermint Knight is 19-20 starting at 1^st level.  This increases to 18-20 at 5^th level and finally reaches 17-20 at 9^th level.

Compassionate: A Peppermint Knight is not one for worldly items and wealth.  They may not own more than they can carry.  A Peppermint Knight also gives their money to those in need freely, but that doesn’t mean they will give all their wealth and not be able to find for themselves.

 

Peppermint Knight Advancement Table
Level	Attack	Threat Range	Action Die	Ref	Fort	Will
1	+2	19-20	1d20	+1	+1	+0
2	+3	19-20	1d20	+1	+1	+0
3	+3	19-20	1d20	+1	+2	+1
4	+4	19-20	1d20	+2	+2	+1
5	+5	18-20	1d20+1d14	+2	+3	+1
6	+6	18-20	1d20+1d16	+2	+4	+2
7	+7	18-20	1d20+1d20	+3	+4	+2
8	+8	18-20	1d20+1d20	+3	+5	+2
9	+9	17-20	1d20+1d20	+3	+5	+3
10	+10	17-20	1d20+1d20+1d14	+4	+6	+3