Building Omegea - A "behind-the-scenes" overview

Omegea started as a circle on a scrap of paper, and an idea to create a world that, rather than being based on a "realistic" geography, was completely unnatural. The original concept was that the world would be flat, a big flat circle of ocean with a circle of land in the middle. Then I drew a big "X" through the middle of the circle, unhappy with the concept on paper.

Looking at the "X" for a moment, I decided why not divide this big circle-continent into four elemental zones: Fire, Earth, Ice/Air, and Water. Now, this, I liked.

From there I added terrains that seemed appropriate to each element.

Eventually, the types of terrains began to suggest different themes to me, Earth: the zone of sylvan woodlands, fey castles, and viking fjords; Water: the post-apocolyptic zone of weird sunken wastes and dripping radioactive swamps; Fire,: the Conan/Lankhmar-esque zone of trackless rocky wastes and deserts dotted with sin-filled city-states; and Ice/Air: a zone of Sword&Planet dry sea-bottom tundras, domed cities, and flying ships.

All these lands smashed together suggested to me a massive supercontinent, like Pangaea, only I wanted my campaign set at the end of time, thus the concept of Omegea, after all the continents had traveled around the earth and met again on the other side.

Oh, that circle in the middle? That's a miles-high ring of mountains, pushed up by the force of all earth's continents struggling against each other. In the middle of that ring is rumored to be the Land of Iron and Crystal - home of the gods.

Its a lot of territory to cover, but players will gradually learn of three quick-travel options: the Airships of the northmen, the mystical Portals of Kn'Deesh, and the supersonic subway tunnels of the last technological Golden Age.

I'm slowly sketching a actual map of Omegea, and penciling in locales like Majinta, Dyskatyr, and Hathras, but I'm taking my time. Session 3 of Omegea was last night, and the world grows more and more on its own through actual play.

Omegea - Session 4

After a short break to delve into the Forsaken Halls, Omegea Session 5 is coming up shortly, so here's a recap of Session 4 (the characters are all level 2 now, btw).

Session 3 found the adventurers deep within the winding, bewildering corridors of the Underworld after gaining entry to one of the legendary Portals of Kn'Deesh (the infamous Grogor Obelisk in the center of Majinta). Session 4 picked up with them trying to bargain their way past the ominous guards with greatswords, who warned them the price of entry is a fresh head. Unwilling to chance combat with these guys, the party backtracked and tried another of the weird, wobbling suspended bridges, ending up in a series of corridors carved from some unnatural, pulsing black stone.

They soon discovered the Underworld is full of nasty predators looking for an easy meal, including a great, glowing purple spider that nearly TPK'd the whole group. in one odd room, they discovered a well lined with runestone, with a mirror-like surface of liquid far below, and a large bucket suspended over it from a sturdy winch. The dropped a torch into it and it disappeared with a wet hiss, though the mirror-like surface of the water was left undisturbed. The Magic User then lowered himself into the well via the bucket, passing through the surface of the "water". After a weird sensation of gravity reversing, the magic user found he had bobbed to the surface of of a wide, flowing river, lined with seeping weird vegetation on one side, and a fantastic ruined city on the other!

Realizing he had discovered one of the many access or exit points of the Portals, he convinced the rest of the group to follow (after some heated argument!) and see what lies beyond. The party sets off, bobs to the surface, and swims for the ruined shore. They discover that despite the ruined state of the city, it is populated with wealthy revelers indulging in all manner of narcotic herbs and concoctions, while being waited on by a large staff of slaves (who are in turn watched over by two different companies of mercenaries).

They explore the city (Hathras, City of Dreams), gradually discovering the way things work here. Though the decadent citizens of the city are outnumbered 3 or 4 to one by their slaves, something keeps them passive and content with their lot. The mercenaries seem to do little but guard against encroachments from the outside world. The city appears to be ruled by a few bureaucratic tax officials and a caste of aloof "Dream Witches" who have kept a living god (Grom) in a fitful slumber for many years. Every so often, huge black bubbles come tumbling down the streets of Hathras, and the city folk keep well away, for they are the living embodiment of the sleeping god's dreams, and anything can come out of them.

The party deliberately intercepts a couple of them, in one instance setting loose a swarm of beautiful butterflies, and in another, a swarm of crawling predatory creatures of unnatural origin.

They eventually secure lodging at the "Foreigner's Pavilion", an entire city square covered in majestic tents filled with scores of slaves, steaming baths, musicians, and merchants from all over Eastern Omegea (even some from nearby Majinta). They pester a couple of the slaves about their lot in life, and are puzzled by their complacency. They also visit several small markets and stock up on supplies.

They discover that a large part of the city has been abandoned, and is partitioned from the rest of the city by a wooden stockade guarded by a group of savage jungle mercenaries called "Dogmen" (referring to their canine headdress). Curious as to what treasures might remain within the silent mansions, the party begins to explore the more interesting looking sites.

They do turn up a few treasures (and a few nasty beasties), and in one basement discover a group of outlaw slaves! They appear to be free of whatever soporific affect plagues the slaves in the city proper, and instead of slaughtering the slaves for plunder, the party passes around a few bottles of wine and hunkers down to make nice and find out what exactly their story is, which is where the session ended.

Depending on the player's choices, Session 5 will likely feature an "Apocalypse Now"-style hex-trip down the River Lozsh to the Unneeded Tomb of Jingolor (the most famous minstrel of Omegea), which I'm looking forward to. Oh, and two new magic items, a new tech item, and maybe some platoon-scale military action too. :)

Swords & Wizardry tonight

If you didn't already know, there's a new, updated version of Swords & Wizardry available. This is the "Core" game, as opposed to White Box or Complete. I don't see too many changes per se, more a lot of additions, such as encounter tables and thief class being added to the "standard" roster. Looks like demi-humans and ability score modifiers might have been tweaked a bit. Check it out right here.

I'll be looking at it more closely at tonight's game. I'm keeping the "Complete" version handy in case someone desperately wants to play a monk or ranger, etc. Three new players tonight!

It looks like Frog God Games is starting to catch up with their production schedule. I've been waiting for a look at their Hex Crawl Chronicles, which are purportedly out this weekend.

I've picked up a couple of their Swords & Wizardry offerings to date, and they seem well done. I believe Mythmere has a pretty active hand in their development / conversion, so why shouldn't it be. I'm surprised not to have heard more buzz about these products in the OSRosphere, but perhaps other folks, like me, have been waiting for these cool-looking hex crawls to come out before buying a ton of adventures to go with them.

We're starting a new campaign, a little more straightforward / traditional than my usual Omegea campaign (still Omegea, but a more "traditional" area of it, the Westlands), which should help accommodate both the easy entrance/exit of players, and my busy writing schedule. The usual Omegea campaign was very demanding both on my creative well and on players being at every single session to help grow the storyline. The new campaign will be more sandboxy, and with more short-term objectives.

Omegea Atlas - Hathras, City of Dreams

Hathras, City of Dreams

Through the Western Waste, across the dead Marshes of Mayz, you arrive at the banks of the tepid River Lozsh. Stretching for a mile on either side of the river is the rambling, terraced City of Hathras. The city looks like a ruin in Springtime: jumbled marble columns draped in flowering vines, broken fountains that spill their crystalline waters out across the delicately cobbled streets, roofless palaces alive with mingled shadows , dappled sun beams, lilting songs, and faerie laughter. But this is no true ruin - the City of Dreams is rich, and well populated.

The folk of Hathras are ancient, decadent, and hedonistic, the last inheritors of a once-proud empire that has degenerated into indolence and escapism fueled by music, wine, and rare intoxicating herbs cultivated on the borders of the Marshes of Mayz. They earn their wealth through the sale of these herbs, which circulate all across the face of Omegea. The population of the city is roughly 20,000, though it is estimated 15,000 of these are slaves, mercenaries, and visiting merchants. The remaining 5000, true-blooded Hathrans, live as spoiled princes and princesses.

Aside from the competent mercenary companies, two important factors keep the city, seemingly ripe for rape and plunder, safe from harm. The first is the city's location. Bordered by the deadly marshes to the south, and by the near-impenetrable Jungles of Gil'Loorth to the north, getting any sizable force near to the city would be difficult at best, and very likely more expensive than sacking the city could repay.

The other factor is the presence of Grom, the Sleeping God, who slumbers in a drug-and-drum-induced dream-state, within a palace somewhere in the city. When last Grom woke, two centuries ago, to war against Hokhli the Wolf, the earth trembled and withered beneath his cloven feet. The folk of Hathras, goaded on by the infamous, immortal minstrel Jingolor, offered the god rest and succor. Since then, at least one Hathran Dream-Witch has remained close to the god, drumming and keeping the herb-brazier full and smoking. It is said that occasionally the bizarre dreams of the god come to life, sometimes to the terror, and often to the amusement, of the local populace.

Omegea: House Rules

I always enjoy reading others' house rules, so thought I'd post my own as they currently stand for my Swords & Wizardry Omegea campaign.

Non-variable weapon damage: All weapons do a flat 1d6 of damage. Two-handed weapons roll 2d6, and pick the higher result of the two. Two-weapon fighters (Dex 13+ only) may choose either +1 to hit, or apply +1 to AC. Long weapons such as pole arms and spears may be “set” or used to reach through a “front line” of allies to strike at opponents. Axes or spiked weapons convey a +1 bonus to the normal chance to break through doors.

Healing: Characters heal at a rate of 1d3+level per day of complete rest, or 1hp per day of normal activity or rest “in the rough”. After any combat encounter, characters may spend 1 turn on first aid to heal 1d3 points of damage incurred in that encounter only. Characters reduced to 0 hit points are incapacitated/unconscious, those below 0 must roll 1d6 – the result indicates how many rounds the character has to live unless aid is administered, and how many days of complete rest are required to get back to 1hp and resume normal daily healing.

Actions: Most actions such as searching for traps or secret doors, breaking through stuck doors, tracking creatures, sneaking, listening at doors and such can be achieved with a simple roll of 1 on a d6. In many cases evocative player description of the action taken may positively modify the die roll or negate the need for a roll at all.

Class Weapon and Armor Restrictions: There are no restrictions on what weapons a character may use based on class: every class may use any and every weapon. Magic Users are still prohibited from using any armor, unless they are Elven, in which case they may wear leather or chain mail. Thieves may wear only Leather armor.

Helms & Shields: Helms and Shields convey a bonus of +1 to Armor Class, but may also impose a penalty of -1 to the chance to listen at doors, climb, etc (unless removed or stowed during the action performed). A helm or shield may be willingly sacrificed (broken) to avoid 1d6hp of damage from a successful hit.

Critical Hits and Fumbles: A natural roll of “20” is always a hit, and a natural roll of “1” is always a miss. In the case of a “20” the damage is 1d6+6 (plus any other normal modifiers), and in the case of a fumble a dexterity check may be called for to determine the harsh consequences of missing so poorly.

Firing a missile weapon into melee combat: Missile weapons fired into melee combat that miss have a chance of hitting a friendly target instead. A character may alternatively opt to take a -4 penalty to-hit to avoid any chance of hitting a friendly target.

Fighting Men: Fighting Men gain a bonus of +1 to-hit and damage with either melee or ranged weapons (chosen at time of character generation). Anytime a Fighting Man kills an opponent, he may take an immediate second attack against any other foe within range.

Thieves: The thief class from Beyondtheblackgate is used.

Portals of Kn'deesh

"Millenia ago, before the continents of Omegea had travelled across the One Sea to meet again on the other side of the world, the great war between the lords of Chaos and Law began, plunging mankind and its bastard children into a dark age they would never recover from. Taking pity upon them, the Immortal Kn'Deesh travelled to the scattered enclaves of man and instructed them in the construction of many eldritch stone rings. The great menhirs were carved and pulled from the deep places, and Kn'Deesh blessed them so that, if one knew the proper commands and rituals, one could travel from one civilized community to the next, without having to brave the long, Chaos-tainted miles in between, thereby helping to keep the fires of civilization burning.

Even today, my young apprentice, the portals exist, though the stone rings have often weathered beyond the point of all recognition. What's more, they still work! I myself have traveled from the stone ring in the Commons Park beyond the Grey Market of Majinta to the stone ring looking out across the tumbling ice cliffs of the Salindra Fjord. Guard well this scroll, and the arcane rhymes within, for it is the key to traveling the wide lands of Omegea without wasting several lifetimes sitting upon the blister-inducing back of a Loro! Exercise caution, though - the paths between the rings are not always empty!"

Activate Portal
Spell Level: 3rd (Magic User)
Range: Special
Duration: 1 round per level
Incanting this spell activates the slumbering magic of a Stone Ring of Kn'Deesh, opening a shimmering black doorway into a winding complex of tunnels, chambers, and doors (some with runes indicating their destination), not unlike the scene one would find in an Escher painting. Exiting through the doors in this demiplane brings one to the middle of another stone ring. Unfriendly creatures sometime haunt these passages, and referees should check for wandering monsters if players linger overlong.

Fast Leveling?

As my Omegea campaign nears its one-year anniversary, I'm struck by the fact that the highest level any character has seen in this game is third. It really shouldn't be that surprising, considering the following facts:

1. Its a bi-weekly game, just 4-5 hours twice a month, and
2. The players are all busy writers, artists, and entrepreneurs, and we often have to skip a session due to schedule conflicts, and
3. Much as we hate to admit it, we aren't kids anymore, and can no longer devote entire weekends to gaming, putting in hours and hours whenever we feel like it.

Still, I can't help but think that after a year, the players should be high enough level to really spread their wings and enjoy the more challenging aspects of the setting. You can only go so long, I'm thinking, before the charm of death-by-falling-into-a-10-foot-pit wears off. It would be nice for them, I think, to get killed by a dragon or nuclear device once in a while instead.

So I'm considering some sort of fast-track leveling system.

It seems like the obvious way to do this would be to just hand out more xp arbitrarily, or even halve the xp needed to gain a level, but I worry that if the characters are leveling up every session or so, the thrill of advancement will become somewhat banal or anticlimactic.

I think an alternate way to do this would be to develop a system wherein the characters still only advance in level every 3 or 4 sessions, but advance more than one level at a time. Maybe I should cut out the "even" numbered levels altogether, so that a character would hit level 3 when they would normally hit level 2, for instance. Level 5 when they would normally hit level 4, and so on. This way, leveling would still be a rare and precious occurrence, but the gain in character "power" would be even more significant.

The thief's level advancement, for instance, would look something like this:
1 - 0
3 - 1250
5 - 5000
7 - 20000
9 - 50000

The advantage here is that I don't really have to change much, rules-wise. The players just advance their characters two levels every time they level. They roll 2 HD instead of one. Magic users always gain access to a new tier of spells each time they level.

A lot of new implications open up with this system. The first time a character levels (from 1st to 3rd), it becomes a lot stronger than with 1st to 2nd. This means if you survive your "initiation" period of 1st level, you come out the other side of it one tough customer, reminiscent of Spartan youths going out into the wilderness alone and those who survive coming back as warriors.

As a referee, I get to be a bit more creative as well, as I am getting a bit yawny designing low-level challenges for the players, and would like to bring some of the higher-concept, and higher-power, elements of this game setting into play. I mean, Omegea is setting where gods walk the earth and psychic overlords command hordes of mindless minions - kobolds are starting to get lame, fast.

Another interesting side-effect is that long-term campaigns like mine will see more clearly defined "chapters" as the players will be able to take on greater challenges at each step, rather than easing into more gradually difficult scenarios.

I'm not yet sure if I'm going to adopt this system or not. It certainly has its appeals. If nothing else, its an interesting experiment.

What do you think?

New Race: Reptelf

So far the players in my Omegea campaign have retained two followers: the guide-boy Tomas, and the mercenary archer Lorris. Lorris is a member of a species rare to the East called a "Reptelf". He is green-skinned, has pointy ears, rippling scales where hair would normally be, yellow eyes, and is cold-blooded in both temperament and biology. Even the most good-natured Reptelf cannot help but laugh with glee at suffering or pain.

Reptelfs hail from a craggy mountain valley in the South, where they live long lives under the dominance of a caste of priest-lords. Those few strong-willed enough to break this yoke often wander Omegea as mercenaries, and their abilities as marksmen are legendary. Reptelf females are more blue/green of skin, dark eyes, and appear to have long, normal hair of pale blue or green, but this is actually just a peculiar form of scale, as a brief caress will reveal.

There is a famous Reptelf in Omegean folklore: Lelldim, the assassin-guardian of the human Queen Azayzis the Dream-Loom, who stood against the Mindlords of Dyskatyr at the Siege of Darsom before fleeing into exile. Travelers sometimes speak, now centuries later, of encountering her in the wilds, seduced by her unmatchable beauty while Lelldim stands wary at a discreet distance.

Reptelf
HD 1+1; AC 4[15]; hp 7; Atk scimitar or bow; Dmg 1d8 or 1d6+1; Save F2; Special see below.
Reptelfs are a tall race of near-immortal snake-elf hybrids. Most are devout worshipers of Set, for whom they build vast citadel-temples and offer many human sacrifices. The average Reptelf warrior is clad in scale mail, carries a scimitar and small shield, as well as a bow, which they are notoriously proficient with (+1 to hit and damage). Reptelfs have infravision up to 60'. For every 12 Reptelfs encountered, there will be one Warrior of 3rd level, and one Priest of 3rd level. For every hundred Reptelfs, there will be one Warrior of 5th level, and one Priest of 7th level or higher.
Reptelf do not sleep as other species, but will take every opportunity to warm themselves (due to their cold-bloodedness). Reptelf's who fail to sun themselves or cozy up to a campfire once every 24 hours are fatigued and unable to digest their food (half hp's until this is rectified).
Reptelf player characters receive a +1 bonus to Dexterity, a +1 bonus to hit and damage with bows, and may progress as Fighting Men or Rangers (max 8th level in each), Chaotic Clerics (max 7th level), or Assassins (max 10th level).

Omegea Atlas - Prinsepia 9

Travel far in the northern lands of Omegea, across the barren tundras and endless ice-crystal forests, until you come to the Obsidian Plain. There, in the center of all those miles of cracked, nuclear glass rises a domed city of gothic spires of black iron, massive statues wreathed in gauzy gowns of rust, soaring bridges, and yawning portals leading to vast underground galleries and railways. Above it all, floating in and out of massive windows in the milky green glass of the great dome, lurk the massive airships of the Royal Navy.

This is Prinsepia 9, greatest city of the North. Ruled for a hundred generations by the iron-fisted Toklemoria family, a rule enforced by twin hammers: the military might of the Royal Navy, and the sorcerous power of the Circle of Thirteen Quantum Uncertainties. The members of the Toklemoria family live for centuries, their lifespans unnaturally lengthened by the alchemical ministrations of the Medikos Guild.

Below the iron spires are winding, gaslit streets and alleys filled with folk in their garb of savage Gruruk-fur and jeweled weapon harness. Most favor shaved heads and eyes darkened with kohl. The gentlemen of Prinsepia 9 typically arm themselves with short swords and irradium pistols, and wear rings filled with narcotic dusts of various hues, flavors, and effects to ingest when the melancholy of the mundane threatens them with boredom. Also to be found in the streets are foreigners and lesser castes from Prinsepia 9's many subject cities, such as Arigend 4 and Palmuria 12.

Technology is the god of Prinsepia 9. Out on the tundras are many archaeological excavations undertaken by those bold enough to risk the hazards of the wastes for the possibility of the next big find, and all the financial reward that comes with it. Each unearthed secret of the ancients adds to the prestige and power of the city. Beneath the city's own subterranean galleries lie deeper chambers as yet unexplored, many crawling with the hungry spawn of earlier ages.

At the center of the city, rising out of and above the great dome, is the Observatory, a massive tower topped with an array of lenses and arcane sensors used to track the motions of the stars, which the folk of Prinsepia 9 believe influences their futures, personalities, and daily lives.

Alternate B/X, S&W Wandering Monster Tables

This is the Wandering Monster table I use for my Omegea setting and the occasional Wilderlands pick-up game. The tables are based on the B/X Wandering Monster tables, which I gradually adjusted over time to better suit my Weird Sorcery & Science style.

Obviously, there are not a lot of specific details available on a Wandering Monster table, such as physical description or how exactly certain special abilities work. I tend to work mainly off a combination of evocative names (such as "Fly, Giant Talking", or "Spiderbear") and whatever suits the situation and character abilities best.

Incidentally, you will notice there are no Clerics on these tables - in the Omegea campaign, all spell casters are considered to be "Sorcerers", with d6 HD, no armor use, may use all weapons, and may choose spells from Cleric or Magic User tables alike, using these according to the Magic User Spell progression. So, if you use Clerics in your campaign, simply give it a 50/50 chance whether a table result of "MU" is a Wizard or a Cleric.

Armor Class is Ascending, so if you use Descending AC, simply subtract the AC's listed below from 20 to get what you need (for example, AC14 below is AC6 for a descending AC game).

MONSTERS

(Monsters typically attack and save as Fighters of level equivalent to their HD. Monsters typically have 1d6 hit points per hit die. Some stronger monsters may have d8 or d10 per Hit Die at the Referees discretion)

Level One

1. Acolytes(1d8) – AC14; HD1; dmg1d6

2. Bandits(1d8) – AC13; HD1; dmg1d6

3. Beetle, Nuclear(1d8) – AC16; HD1; dmg1d6; bladder glows 20’ for 1 hour.

4. Wretches(1d6) – AC16; HD1; dmg1d6

5. Thieves(1d6) – AC15; HD1; dmg1d6

6. Marauders(2d4) – AC14; HD1-1; dmg1d6

7. Green Glowing Slime(1d4) – AC1; HD2; dmg dissolves person in 1d10 rounds unless burned off (1/2 dmg to both slime and victim).

8. Murderous Lepers(3d6) – AC13; HD1-1; dmg1d6

9. Giant Black Bees(1d10) – AC13; HD1d4; dmg1d3+poison(2d6).

10. Corn Children(4d4) – AC13; HD1d4; dmg1d4

11. Lizard, Giant Purple(1d3) – AC15; HD3; dmg1d8

12. Thugs(2d4) – AC13; HD1; dmg1d6

13. Giant Albino Mole(1d10) - ; AC16; HD2; dmg1d6

14. Mildew Skeletons(3d4) - ; AC13; HD1; dmg1d6

15. Snakes, two-headed(1d6) – AC13; HD1; dmg1d3x2+poison(1d6).

16. Spiders, baby-faced(1d4) – AC13; HD2; dmg1d8+poison(paralysis).

17. Mocking Faeries(3d6) – AC15; HD1d3; dmg1+poison(2d3).

18. Vampire Bats(1d10) – AC13; HD1; dmg1d3+1d6/rnd blood drain.

19. Sly Looters(1d8) – AC13; HD1; dmg1d6

20. Oozing Curs(2d6) – AC13; HD2; dmg1d6+5% chance oozing disease.

Level Two

1. Beetle, exploding(1d8) – AC16; HD2; dmg1d6; explodes when killed 2d6 5’r.

2. One-armed Berserkers(1d6) – AC13; HD1+1; dmg1d6 (+1 to-hit and dmg).

3. Cat, Giant Green(1d4) – AC14; HD3+3; dmg1d3/1d3/1d4; camo.

4. Elfs, Sadist(1d4) – AC15; HD2; dmg1d6; spells as MU2.

5. Fungus Ghouls(1d6) – AC14; HD2; dmg1d3/1d3+fungus paralysis.

6. Amazons, Jackal-headed(1d6) – AC15; HD2; dmg2d4.

7. Oooze, Stop-motion(1) – AC12; HD3; dmg2d8; acid dmg.

8. Slavers(1d6) – AC14; HD2; dmg1d6.

9. Lizard, Giant Frilled(1d4) – AC15; HD4; dmg1d10, hypnotic frill.

10. Lizard Men, Red(2d4); AC15; HD2; dmg1d6+2

11. Morlocks(1d10) – AC12; HD2; dmg1d6

12. Fops, drunken(2d6) – AC18; HD1d3; dmg1d6.

13. Imps(2d4) – AC17; HD2; dmg1d4+poison(2d6).

14. Fly, Giant Talking(1d6) – AC14; HD1; dmg1d6+1d4digestive bile.

15. Monkeys, Undead(2d6) – AC14; HD1; dmg1d6 or 1d3 ranged.

16. Snake, fire-breathing(1d8) – AC14; HD2; dmg1d4 15’ cone.

17. Spider, human-handed(1d3) – AC14; HD3; dmg1d6+poison(death).

18. Lizard Men, black horned(1d8) – AC15; HD2; dmg1d6+2.

19. Mercenaries(2d4) – AC18; HD2; dmg1d3.

20. Hazmat Zombies(2d4) – AC12; HD2; dmg1d4/1d4

Level Three

1. Ape, Four-armed albino(1d6) – AC6; HD4; dmg1d6/1d6/1d6/1d6.

2. Beetle, Halbard(1d6) – AC17; HD3; dmg1d10

3. Hulking Brutes(2d4) – AC15; HD3; dmg1d6+3

4. Silverfish, Giant Poisonous(1d3) – AC13; HD3; dmg1d2+poison(paralysis)x4

5. Shapeshifters(1d6) – AC15; HD4; dmg1d6; change appearance at will

6. Ice Ants(2d4) – AC17; HD4; dmg1d6; cold aura 30’ dmg1/rnd.

7. Doll, murderous(1d6) – AC15; HD4; dmg1d3/1d3/1d6

8. Compost Heap, Living and Hungry(1) – AC12; HD4; dmg1d6+paralyze and envelope

9. Houri(1d6) – AC13; HD3; dmg1d6; charm person at will.

10. Suit of Armor, animate(1d6) – AC4; HD3; dmg1d6

11. Wereworm(1d8) – AC13; HD3; dmg1d6+poison(2d6)+5% infection.

12. Witches(1d4) – AC11; HD2; dmg1d6; spells as MU2.

13. Obsidian Judge(1d3) – AC12; HD1; dmg1d6; gaze petrifies.

14. Pulsing Jelly(1) – AC12; HD5; dmg2d6; vampiric aura 30’ drains blood 1pt/rnd

15. Vicious Warriors(1d6) – AC14; HD4; dmg1d6+3.

16. Shadows(1d8) – AC13; HD2; dmg1d6+1pt Strength.

17. NPC Party(3d3) – 80% Fighting Men, 10% MU’s, 10% Thieves, Levels 1d3 each.

18. Spider, Howling(1d3) – AC15; HD4; dmg1d6+poison(2d6); paralyzing howl.

19. Ghoul Sorcerers(1d6) – AC14; HD3; dmg1d3/1d3+paralysis; spells as MU2.

20. Lecherous Spirit(1d6) – AC15; HD3; paralysis touch + cold 1d6/rnd.

Level Four through Five

1. NPC Party (3d4) – 70% Fighting Men, 10% MUs, 20% Thieves, Levels 1d3+1.

2. Bear, Stuffed Undead(1d2) – AC15; HD7; dmg 1d6/1d6/1d10

3. Jackals, Vampire(1d6) – AC15; HD4; dmg1d6+3d4 blood drain.

4. Giant Hookworm(1d3) – AC14; HD6; dmg1d8.

5. Heron, Evil Black(1d4) – AC14; HD5; dmg1d6+petrify

6. Shapeshifters(1d6) – AC15; HD4; dmg1d6; change appearance at will.

7. Ooze, Electric(1) – AC12; HD3; Dmg2d8 20’ radius.

8. Plague Men(2d4) – AC16; HD4; dmg1d6 or 3d6 acid 30’ cone.

9. Lizard, Black Centipede-headed(1d2) – AC16; HD6; dmg3d6.

10. Wereslugs(1d4) – AC16; HD4; dmg2d6

11. Werecentipedes(1d6) – AC20; HD4; dmg2d8

12. Brute, croc-headed(1d6) – AC14; HD6; dmg2d6

13. Jelly, Hypnotic(1) – AC15; HD5; dmg1d6/rnd; hold person 3/day.

14. Roachbear(1d4) – AC15; HD5; dmg1d6/1d6/2d6

15. Giant Mantis(1d4) – AC15; HD4+4; dmg2d6/2d6

16. Disintegrating Cloud(1d4) – AC18; HD5; dmg save or disintegrate one item or limb.

17. Blood Phantom(1d4) – AC18; HD6; dmg save or 3d6 blood loss dmg

18. Iron Giant(1d8) – AC16; HD6; dmg1d6/1d6; regen 2d6/rnd

19. Crab, Giant Land(1d4) – AC17; HD4+4; dmg2d4/2d4

20. Assassin, Shadow(1d4) – AC17; HD6; dmg 1d6+3/1d6+3; invisible

Level Six through Seven

1. NPCs(3d4) – 70% Fighting Men, 10% MU’s, 20% Thieves; Level 1d4+3

2. Razorworm, segemented(1d6) – AC16; HD7; dmg1d10+bleed 1/rnd

3. Mantisbear(1d2) – AC15; HD7; dmg1d8/1d8/1d10

4. Obsidian Orb(1) – AC14; HD10; dmg1d10+paralyzing tendril.

5. Stone Maw(1d3) – AC14; HD6; dmg1d8, walk through stone

6. Vampire Batman(1d4) – AC14; HD7; dmg1d4+4d6blood drain; teleport 120’

7. Dragon, Small, Stupid(1d4) – AC17; HD6; dmg1d3/1d3/2d6 or fire 60’ cone for 6d6dmg 3/day.

8. Brass Bull(1d2) – AC20; HD8; dmg2d6 or petrifying gas 60’ cone

9. Faeries, undead(2d4) – AC18; HD1; dmg1d6; spells as MU5

10. Snake, Giant 7-headed(1) – AC15; HD7; dmg1d10x7; regen5/rnd

11. Werebeetle(1d4) – AC22; HD8; dmg1d12

12. Brute, Elephant-headed(1d6) – AC16; HD8; dmg2d6

13. Bleeding Mummy(1d4) – AC5; HD5; dmg1d6/1d6 + 20% bleeding disease (1/rnd until cured).

14. Brain Jelly(1) – AC12; HD8; dmg1d10/rnd digest; hold person at will.

15. Spiderbear(1d4) – AC5; HD5; dmg1d6x8.

16. Ice Men(3d6) – AC18; HD2; dmg1d6; freezing aura 1/rnd 30’

17. Fire Men(3d6) – AC20; HD3; dmg1d6; burning aura 1/rnd 30’

18. Scorpion-bat, Giant(1d6) – AC18; HD4; dmg1d10+poison(4d6).

19. Ripping Spectre(1d4) – AC20; HD6; dmg1d6x6;

20. Clay Guardian(1d8) – AC18; HD6; dmg1d8/1d8; regen5/rnd

Level Eight +

1. NPC Party(3d6) – 60% Fighting Men, 20% MU, 20% Thieves. levels 1d4+4

2. Floating Green Cube(1) – AC20; HD12; dmg2d6 per 6 rays: cold, fire, electric, negative, nuclear, disintegrate.

3. Dog, Giant 3-headed(1d2) – AC18; HD8; dmg3d6x3

4. Giant, helmeted(1d3) – AC20; HD10; dmg1d12+3

5. Dragon, Fast, Smart(1d4) – AC22; HD12; dmg1d6/1d6/3d6 or 12d6 fire 60’ cone.

6. Demon(1d4) – AC20; HD9; dmg1d6/1d6/2d6 or weapon 4d6

7. Giant, Hawk-headed(1d6) – AC16; HD8; dmg3d6; flies.

8. Statue, Giant Guardian(2d3) – AC24; HD10; dmg2d10

9. Toad of the Abyss(1d4) – AC20; HD9; dmg1d20; adhesive/corrosive tongue.

10. Vampire Sorcerer(1d3) – AC15; HD9; dmg1d6 or 3d6 blood drain; spells as MU9.

11. Black Knights(2d4) – AC22; HD9; dmg1d6+5.

12. Master Assassins(1d6) – AC20; HD7; dmg1d6+poison(death); surprise.

13. Living Idol(1) – AC24; HD20; dmg5d6/5d6, poison breath 60’ cone.

14. Great Worm(1d3) – AC14; HD15; dmg2d8; swallow 15 or better.

15. Burning Bones(1) – AC19; HD9; dmg fireball (6d6) at will; flies.

16. Platinum Eidolon(1) – AC21; HD8; dmg2d6/2d6; immune to magic.

17. Spider, massive(1d4) – AC18; HD9; dmg2d8 + poison(death)

18. Mantis, Great Purple(1d3) – AC22; HD10; dmg3d6/3d6; spells as MU5.

19. Cold Shoggoid(1) – AC24; HD15; dmg1d8/1d8/1d8/1d8; cold aura 6

20. Mindlord(1) – AC20; HD12; dmg1d8+4; spells as MU10.

Death and Alignment

Goodwife Sera wrung her hands together in the candlelight, her tiny children beside her nervous with glistening cheeks. Across from the bed stood her wrinkled old gran, watching intently as Jiro, the village physician, worked on Sera's broken husband. Sera had warned her husband about buying the ill-tempered Loro: even she knew plow-beasts should be docile and determined. Some warrior would have gotten better served by the thing, and now here her husband was, trampled nearly unto death.

Or unto death.

The physician stood up, put his instruments away, shook his head sadly at Sera, and left the family alone to watch as the unconscious farmer's breaths grew shorter and more ragged, and then stopped altogether. Well, that was that then, thought Sera, by necessity putting her tears aside - her family would need her to be strong now, at least until she found a new man to support them. She reached out to pull the blankets over her dead husband's face, but then jerked her hand back with a stifled scream.

He was burning hot! Within seconds, the famer's body was consumed by heat, dissolving into a hissing steam that quickly dissipated into the humid air of the cottage, leaving behind only sterile bones, and clothes and blankets seemingly unmarred by the heat. Sera and her children gawped.

Gran looked at them, her toothless mouth open in a lop-sided grin. "Ayup," she said with a chuckle, "told ya so!"


Death and Alignment in the world of Omegea

When the vast majority of human Omegeans die, their bodies slowly and normally decay, for they are Unaligned (or "Neutral"), and no supernatural forces hold sway over their bodies or souls. But for those who have committed themselves to the service of Law, or of Chaos (or have been born to one or the other, such as with the races of Aelfar and Trogha), death is not so natural and gentle a process.

Death

The bodies of those sworn to Chaos spontaneously combust, their flesh consumed by heat, fire, smoke, and steam (or some variation thereof), leaving behind only a clean, white skeleton. Strangely, the heat of this consumption never harms anything the body is laying upon or touching.

Conversely, the bodies of those who obey the powers of Law quickly stiffen and petrify, turning into white marble. These marble bodies do not weigh much more than their living selves, for they are somewhat hollow, and can be crushed if one tries hard enough.

The Afterlife

The bodiless souls of most, unaligned, folk go to the endless Underworld beneath Omegea. The souls of the servants of Chaos, however, return to the raw essence of the world. Some become spirits of the water or air, others of the fires in the roots of mountains, and some even become mindless parts of the unseen magical energy that twists and winds through all things.

The souls of the servants of Law go to the wide Land of Steel and Crystal, where lies the City of the Gods, where they tend the endless gardens, pleasure domes, palaces, and bureaucratic institutions of the gods (ironically those of both Law and Chaos, it is rumored).

Naturally, those who serve both Law and Chaos have been promised an afterlife of unimaginable Paradise once one side or the other wins the Eternal War. But the majority of souls, those great masses of the Unaligned, haunt the endless corridors and pale gardens of the Underworld, engaging in the search for passed loved ones, crying out to the heavens for succor, holding grand fetes and poetry readings, and other unliving pursuits, as they wait for the End of All Things.

Coming Back from the Dead

Bringing someone back from the dead is a complicated and iffy process. Of course there are infamous spells of "Raising the Dead" and "Resurrection", but all they really do is open a portal to the Underworld (or the Spirit World or the City of the Gods as the case may be). It is up to the mortals wishing to retrieve them to actually go in there and do so - and they'd better have a damned good reason to, or they risk drawing the ire of the gods.

Babel Fish

It has occurred to me that this, the humble Babel Fish, would be a neat item/creature to include in a future session of Omegea. I wonder if anyone would stick it in their character's ear if they didn't know what it was? And what effect would it have on clerics, as it apparently disproves the existence of gods?

Omegea - Session 3

Session 4 of Omegea is tonight, and I realized I haven't posted about session 3 yet. Last session found the party licking their wounds a bit from last time, and enjoying a bit of the treasure they picked up (they've been quite impoverished until now), along with some restorative wine and food.

They discuss a bit over dinner what to do next. They've got three adventuring sites to explore at the time (the Face in the Wastes, the Dome, and the Grogor Obelisk), and are very much getting the hang of sandbox exploration - plan your time and resources wisely. The obelisk at least they know they must attempt soon - the mystical scroll they obtained to gain entry purportedly only works beneath a full moon, and that is occurring early the next morning. They decide to equip themselves and set back out to the Head to hopefully plumb any remaining mysteries before the obelisk demands their full attention.

They purchase some lime and salt, in hopes this will aid them against the giant sluglike creatures known to haunt the interior of the great Head. They make it to the head without any great hardship, and once again perform the ritual of opening. They enter the head and begin to explore.

Remembering they had never checked out the Head's "basement", they head there first. They descend the spiral stair-chute cautiously, and find themselves in a box-like chamber lined with shining aluminum cabinetry, and a door with a bright yellow sign on the far wall. Exploring the cabinets, they find them stocked with crumbling papery boxes (rotten cardboard), filled with shiny aluminum cylinders (canned food). They crush one open and find it filled with long-spoiled pink ooze. They ransack the whole room and turn up nothing of real use until the end - a roll of laminated maps! They then turn their attention to the door.

The door has a a glassy, hand-shaped symbol in the center. The magic user places his hand upon it and a ghostly voice speaks, "user not recognized!". The (Lawful) cleric steps up and tries - "user recognized, proceed!". Past the door and into the next chamber, they see shuffling in the shadows at the far end a horde of man-like beings in rotten white jumpsuits. The horde lurches forward, eerie green lights flickering in their eyes, and their hands outstretch greedily. The party falls back into the storage chamber searching frantically for a good place to stem the tide. The Fighting Man then pulls forth the odd gun-like weapon found beneath the seat of the ornithopter in Session Two, clumsily loads a shell and fires at the mindless ranks before him!

There is a flash of multicolored light, and a wave of heat, once, twice, three times and then all goes dark. When the party's eyes readjust to the gloom, they find the horde is destroyed. Each wears a thin, platinum headband set with an onyx chip. They collect these and hastily exit the basements.

They turn their attention to the unexplored higher reaches of the Head, passing again the "Mayday!!" grille, and the head's facial control panel, until at last they come to the uppermost chamber within the head. A bluish low emenates from within and they find themsleves before a black iron pedastal with wires, tubes, and pulsing lights. Atop it is afixed a bizaare metal and glass contraption with what appears to be a brain floating within.

"Attend Me" a booming hollow voice intones, and the party feels a dire compulsion overtaking them. All save the fighting man reach helplessly into their packs and draw forth a platinum headband, placing it upon their own heads. The reptelf, upon so attiring himself, shrieks and descends into tormented madness, while the remaining go limp and await orders from their new master. The Fighting Man however draws forth the weapon of the ancients yet again, fumbling to load another shell. "Defend Me Slaves" booms the bodiless voice, and the characters lurch toward their former companion.

It all comes down to a single initiative roll - tpk or victory? Fortunately the fighting man wins the roll, and the Brain Chamber explodes into light, heat, and sound. Its a near-tpk anyway, as most of the characters are brought to death's door by the backlash. A little healing brings them round, and the party packs up whatever else they can find and exits the Head.

On the road back to Majinta they have an unfortunately run in with a less than honourable patrol from Majinta. Harsh words are exchanged, and then blows! Both sides eventually flee the scene, but the party realizes they will not easily regain entry to the city of Majinta without assistance. They return to the Witch of the Western Wastes and ask her assistance.

She agrees to provide them with disguises and a coin of charming. She also buys the stockpile of platinum headbands and tells the party they must have encountered the remnant of one of the infamous Mindlords of Dyskatyr, perhaps the result of one of their many attempts to gain immortality gone horribly awry.

With the help of the coin, the party returns to Majinta and plots their exploration of the great Obelisk. After midnight, they proceed to the obelisk and beneath the light of the full moon pull forth their scroll and read it. The Magic User realizes they are reading a simple scroll of detect magic. Nonetheless it outlines the secret door into the obelisk and reveals the mechanism to open the door. Once inside, they find themselves in a recurring sequence of perfectly cube shaped rooms, until they at last pass through an amorphous, spongy tunnel onto a great landing with iron bridges suspended from chains that seem to dissapear into a great void. They select a bridge at random and follow it across to another landing with a great pair of doors flanked by giant guardians with wicked curving greatswords.

They banter a bit with the guards, hoping to trick their way in, but things start to get ugly, and there we end the session.

Oh yeah, the cleric (Diago the Unwise) leveled up! He gets spells now!

Coin of Charming - this one-use item appears as a single, uncommonly shiny silver coin of the local mintage. If dramatically presented during a session of negotiation or bargaining, it will render all individuals (previously unaware of its presence) temporarily compliant and uncaring of the outcome, providing nothing too drastic and uncharacteristic is attempted. Once used, the coin reverts to normal tender, and anyone charmed by its effect forget the occasion altogether.

Omegea - The Suppurating Hive

One day the demon Peshwigaruk'k (who infamously swallowed the puissant Jewels of Car Cule) came to lands of Trallus, the Golden King. He was greatly enamored of the rich crimson wine of the folk of the high mountain valleys of Frol, and wished to see its source. After a walk of twenty-four days through civilized lands, he came at last to the vinyards of the Golden King, and there gorged himself on the swollen purple grapes, as well as several of the King's servants who were unfortunate enough to get in his way.

Hearing of this violation, the Golden King took up the Raven Lance, mustered his knights, and rode out to challenge Peshwigaruk'k. Mighty as he was, and despite slaying several of the more novice knights, the demon could not stand against the ancient energies of the Lance, and was forced to flee. As one last act of defiance against the Golden King, and within view of both the monarch and his pursuing knights, the black demon squatted upon the border of Frol, and defecated out a mountain of filth, bones, and undigested grape seeds. Disgusted, the King gave up pursuit and let the demon escape.

Over the years, the foul mound would harden and the lands around it grew clotted with evil-looking vines and weird vegetation bearing evil-looking fruit. Creatures unwise enough enough to consume the dark grapes were quickly corrupted, and dug out of the mound a great hive of tunnels and lairs, choked with seeping slimes and the bones of whatever victims the denizens are able to drag into the lightless tunnels and consume.

Today, rumors abound in the alehouses and lotus dens of Frol that the legendary Jewels of Car Cule lie, still, somewhere within the Supperating Hive, awaiting some adventurer brave enough to challenge the hive's guardians. There are at least five (and possibly more) distinct varieties of creature known to lurk within the hive and its surrounding, vine-choked territory:

Hengis: The hengis appears to be a vile, red-feathered combination of goose and scorpion. Its tail is highly poisonous (save or suffer 2d6 dmg), and its bite diseased (10% chance). If near death, it will choke out a spray of noxious vomit (save or be rendered helplessly nauseated for 1d4 rounds) and flee. HD1+1; AC5[14]; dmg1d6; Save:F1, No. Appearing 2d4.

Tokus: The tokus, from a distance at least, appears to be manlike in form and stature, but is infact a sexless insectlike creature with gray, leathery skin and a face consisting entirely of snapping mandibles and waving chelae. The tokus are ravenous, and love to drag prey into the halls to consume alive at their leisure. HD2+2; AC7[12]; dmg1d8; Save:F2; No. Appearing 3d4.

Gargenai: The gargenai is a hulking shaggy creature with tiny black eyes, a bloated, pink underbelly and fourteen reptilian, clawed feet. Its maw is easily four feet wide and can swallow a man whole (natural 20). When attacking, it typically rises up on its back ten legs and slashes with the other four. HD6+6; AC3[16]; dmg2d4x4 or 2d8/rnd(swallow); Save:F6; No. Appearing 1d3.

Beoshe: The Beoshe appears as a beautiful maiden with ivory skin, long black hair, black eyes and unusually full, red lips. They are typically garbed in diaphanous gowns of white spider-silk, and carry silver carafes filled with wine made from the dark grapes of the Hive's vineyards. They typically use seduction and wine (save or be drunk as slow and charm person after only a sip) to secure their meals, but their nails are razor-sharp, rusty iron, and they can defend themselves more than adequately when necessary. HD3; AC7[12]; dmg1d4x2; SaveC3; No. Appearing 1d4.

Toableb: Perhaps the most horrific of the Hive's denizens, the toableb appear to be hairless, pink, swollen infants with razor-sharp iron teeth, glowing yellow eyes, and grasping hands. They travel in hordes, easily overwhelming all but the strongest prey, and move surprisingly fast and quietly. When their appetite takes hold they emit a wailing cry that turns even the bravest man's blood to ice, but when slain they emit a pitiable scream that sounds heartbreakingly human. HD1d4; AC9[11]; dmg1d3; Save:F1; No. Appearing 10d4.

The Puissant Jewels of Car Cule: There are, in fact, five of the legendary Jewels scattered here and there deep within the mound, though whether they have been corrupted by the demon's taint is unknown. Treat as Ioun Stones, randomly determined for your campaign.

Building the Old School group - part 2

"Up the Red Caravan Causeway, through the fungus-choked Sinking Lands, and you arrive at the towering sandstone walls of Majinta: City on the edge of the Western Wastes. Beyond the city a shroud of roiling green mist hangs in the air, marking the border of the Wastes. Over the city brood the Totem-Towers of the Majintans, their black iron facades depicting the scowling faces of the city's ancient forefathers. A crowd of merchants, fighting with their stubborn, honking, pack-loros, eye you suspiciously as you near the great gates. But the glaive-wielding, insect-helmeted guards at the entrance pay you no mind - their only concern is that you hand over the silver coin required for entrance.

You've come here following rumors of the lost Sword of Rhoghrim. But the city stinks of Chaos - even the begging street urchins have an unwholesome gleam in their eyes. This is not likely to be an easy job..."

Above is the opening flavor text for this Friday's Swords & Wizardry game. As I blogged back in May (Building the Old School Group), I was puzzling over how to put together a group of like-minded old-school gamers. As fortune would have it, they were, for the most part, already right there in front of me - people I knew from work, clubs, pubs, and old gaming groups - who I knew shared an interest in, if not gaming in every case, the fantasy/scifi/horror genres in general and all they entail from movies to books to video games, etc.

Between 5 and 8 people will be showing up for the first session!

I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm showed by the folks I suggested giving this a whirl - half of them have never played an RPG before, and some are even (gasp) girls! - despite my cautionary advice that they would be entering into some pretty damn nerdy territory (though I made it clear costumes would be expressly forbidden).

The game itself will be set in a new campaign setting I've been tinkering with: Omegea (the opposite of Pangea - the continents have traveled around the globe and gotten back together again just before the end of all things) - kind of a Dying Earth meets Weird World meets Melnibone meets Barsoom type of setting. Yep, dune seas, flying ships, lost technologies, weird cults, radium rifles, amorphous diabolical blobs, all that good stuff. You've seen some glimpses of it already, here and there.

At any rate, I hope it turns out good, and everyone has fun. There's a big stone head jutting out of the sulfurous peat of the Wastes, and a cracked crystal dome beyond that, crawling with nasty-looking, chitinous creatures. Just waiting for a fresh meal...

Omegea - Session 2

Session 2 - The Head in the Wastes

Session 2 opened with rolling a character for a new player. He played in my old 3.5 Wilderlands group years back, so it was fun to see a veteran "new schooler" experience the old school for the "first time in a long time".

The PCs spread their wings a bit more, starting to take advantage of the opportunities presented by a sandbox game. Actually, I'm starting to think of it as more of a Playground than a Sandbox, a concept I'll investigate more in a future blog post. They decided to pursue the most current lead on the location of the Sword of Rhogrim first, knowing only that the hero last to possess the sword disappeared while investigating a mysterious crystal dome out in the wastes, past a great stone head.

Many of the townsfolk of Majinta are familiar with the head, or the Head of Oos, as it is locally known. It is formed out of a cliffside and is some 60' feet high. After taking on some hired muscle (a couple of out-of-work swordsmen from the slave market, one of which is a "Reptelf", a race I'll detail in another post), the party ventured out the three leagues to the foot of the head. (For some reason I like that expression, "the foot of the head"). There was a clearing in the normal creepy vegetation of the wastes, likely from visiting tourists, as well as a great stone tablet covered in archaic foreign words. One of the characters (a failed academician)was able to translate, and the party flinched as the mouth of the stone head ground open.

Cautiously, carefully, the party entered, making the poor torchbearer/guide/urchin lead the way. They found themselves in a vaulted stone gallery in which every little sound echoed loudly. At the back was a spiral staircase leading up and down, and they also found the skeleton of a dwarf, and what looked like slimy trails all over the walls and ceilings (which made them very nervous). They followed the stair up, hearing a strange hissing noise that got louder as they climbed. It proved to be emanating from an odd circle of metal mesh. If they listened closely, they could almost make out the words "Mae-Dae" or something of the sort. They fidgeted with a group of jeweled studs beneath the mesh, but that only made different and increasingly annoying sounds issue forth.

Up a short stair, they arrived at a landing with a strange metal door marked with a yellow sign bearing a triangle pierced by two arrows. The door proved to be electrified, much to a warrior's chagrin! Up onto another landing, and they found themselves in front of a bizarre array of levers and buttons. Messing around with them a bit, they managed to get two large steel circles to twist open in front of them, and they found themselves looking down at the clearing in front of the stone head - they had managed to open its eyes! Just then, the cleric Deago the Unwise, notices a strange sucking sound above him, and screams as a slimy, 12' long black-and-purple sluglike creature (see stats below) with frond-like antennae squeezes out of a fissure and attacks. It shot a stomach-like, toothy appendage out of its mouth that burned through the cleric's chain mail, sunk its teeth into his chest, and started pulling the unfortunate holy man forward. The party attacked, managed to sever the things stomach-tentacle with a lucky "20", and it withdrew back into its crevasse.

The party threw a grappling hook up through the left eye of the Head and was able to climb up onto the top of the Head. Behind it, they saw another metal door, a paved (though overgrown) courtyard, and a weird chariot-like conveyance with a glass dome and five metal blades attached to the top. Inside they found an array of levers and such, and under the seats they found a white metal box, and a black metal box. The white box contained four syringes of some sort of healing potion, and the black box contained a sort of pistol like device with 6 large shells. Out to the NE, they could just make out the top of a cracked crystal dome in the distance, and they headed towards it.

They were met outside by angry beetles. They managed to flip one onto its back (more fantastic outside-the-box thinking during combat!), and kill it, and were able to slip away as the other beetles feasted on the body of their dead cousin. They climbed the dome, found the valve, repelled down into the greenhouse and started to search through the weird and often hostile plant life within.

Then they ran into the green slime! Things got very bad very fast, flesh was consumed, and it was nearly the end for them. Nonetheless, they were able to escape the dome, heal the damage they had done to themselves to get rid of the green slime with the vials from the ancient chariot, and decided they had best get back to Majinta for a little rest and recuperation. Living to fight another day. They were attacked on the way home by a Fungusbat (see below), but killed it with another surprise 20.

Looking forward to the next session!

Burjoroi
This 12' long sluglike creature is black with deep purple splotches, and has two quivering frond like antennae it uses to "see" and "smell" with. Despite its size, it can fit through cracks as narrow as 6", and is extremely stealthy. In combat, it can either spray acidic bile (1d4 points to anything fro 15' in front of it, save for half), or lash out with its toothy stomach-tentacle (1d8 dmg). If it hits by 3 or more over what it needs, the stomach-tentacle has attached itself to the victim, and will do an automatic 1d8 points of damage each round until detached or destroyed. Burjoroi are rumored to be psychically sensitive, and will seek out psychically sensitive individuals to feast upon.
HD4+1; AC5[14]; hp21; atk spray or bite; dmg 1d4 or 1d8; Special see above; Save F4.

Fungusbat
This creature appears to be a gray and green bat (with a 8-10' wingspan) dripping with moss-like fungoid growths. Its mouth is unnaturally large, and filled with translucent 9" needle-like teeth (which fetch as much as 2gp each at market, there are about 20 teeth in the average fungusbat). In place of eyes it has two black, branchlike growths that appear to detect motion or air displacement. Its bite can convey (25% chance per bite) a wasting disease that will dissolve the victim into a heap of green and gray fungus in 2d4 days.
HD2+1; AC6[13]; hp11; atk bite; dmg 2d4; Special fungus disease; Save F2.