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.

Sword and Magic - Adventures on Fomalhaut

If you're a Fomalhaut fan like me, you'll be pleased to take a look at Melan's house RPG, which he has kindly shared with us here.

There's also a download of "Towards Fomalhaut, a brief collection of three example scenarios that previously appeared in Fight On! and Knockspell:

• The Isle of Barzon is an island where the inhabitants toil under the reign of a repressive dictatorship, who in turn obey the Flying Gods, mysterious beings who hunt and kill according to their purpose. The scenario, suitable for any level, pits the characters against the island’s mystery whether they are castaways, thieves or prospective conquerors.
• The Tower of Birds is a small dungeon set in an arid environment. Dangerous traps, implacable foes and the challenges of navigating the tower’s interior and exterior await those who would seek water or solace from the powers of the wasteland. Levels 3-5.
• Pentastadion is a briefly outlined example city-state ruled by an oligarchy of the rich and devious, and populated by the best sailors of Fomalhaut. Here, adventure awaits in teeming ports, elegant villas and squalid slums; opportunities are open for swordplay, thuggery, but also in the hallways of power and the tangled web of intrigue."

Dune!

Lazy Blog Post - Judges Guild

Radiohead for Haiti

I don't normally talk about music here, but this one's for a good cause. Check out Radiohead's live performance, and if suitably inspired give a little to a worthy charity.



Setlist:
01 Faust Arp
02 Fake Plastic Trees
03 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
04 National Anthem
05 Nude
06 Karma Police
07 Kid A
08 Morning Bell
09 How to Disappear Completely
10 Wolf at the Door
11 The Bends
12 Reckoner
13 Lucky
14 Body Snatchers
15 Dollars & Cents
16 Airbag
17 Exit Music (For a Film)
18 Everything In Its Right Place
19 You and Whose Army?
20 Pyramid Song
21 All I Need
22 Lotus Flower
23 Paranoid Android
24 Street Spirit

Campaign Concept: Lost Civilizations - Underwater!

I'm a big archaeology buff, and stuff like this always intrigues me.

In cases like this where there may possibly be an entire lost page of history just waiting to be explored, the gamer in me can't help but think an underwater-based campaign of exploration would be a blast. Throw in a little Lovecraftian horror and lost Atlantean technologies and you've got a bang-up campaign concept.

I had fun with this on a more limited scale 25 years or so ago with the Judges Guild product Modron, which offers a lot of fun (and you should really have if you don't already).

But how about something on the scale of an entire hex-map, underwater? Hex-swim instead of hex-crawl?

Sounds fun to me.

Magic Items for 1st level characters

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

Occasionally I'm tempted to throw those squishy 1st level characters a bone (I know, I'm a big softy), so here are some magic items appropriate for a 1st level character to be gifted as "starting equipment".

Magic User: Staff of the Apprentice

This staff is typically made of sturdy wood reinforced with brass caps at either end and engraved with arcane runes from top to bottom. They are usually distinct in appearance from one school or master to the next, and are typically given to a young Magic User upon "graduating" to a full-fledged 1st level apprentice. The staff allows the magic user to cast each of the following, once per day: dancing lights, detect magic, and read magic.

Cleric: Amulet of the Acolyte

This is an ornate amulet or holy symbol, bearing the device of the cleric's patron, given to young clerics upon achieving the status of a full-fledged 1st level acolyte. It is typically made of brass or iron with a thin plating of silver or gold, and sometimes inlaid with gems. When brandished, it allows clerics to turn undead as if they were 1 level higher, and also allows the cleric to cast, once per day, protection from evil.

Fighter: Sword of my Ancestor

Not necessarily a sword, this is a weapon, sometimes ornate, sometimes plain, that has typically been hanging over a mantelpiece for most of the young fighter's life, and is given to him or her when they first set off in search of adventure, along with the tale of that brave ancestor's adventures (perhaps with a legacy which may come back to haunt and/or favor the character later in the campaign). While the weapon is not magical (most of the time), once per day the character can draw upon the small amount of magic remaining in it, or perhaps spirit haunting it, to make an attack as if it were a +3 magical weapon. Unfortunately, this is stressful to the old thing, and any "natural 1" rolled during such an attack results in the weapon being irreparably broken.

Thief: Such Clever, Cunning Instruments

This is a set of small tools, picks, and other devices crafted by the thief's master and gifted to him or her upon "graduating". They are typically carried in a small, waterproof leather pouch that may be easily concealed beneath the thief's outer clothing. So cunningly are the tools crafted, that the thief's minimum chance to open locks or remove traps is 40%. Of course, once the thief's own abilities surpass 40% in those skills, the tools are of no more use to him or her and they typically pass them along to the next neophyte burglar.