Friday 31 October 2014

Underland 1 - Terrain types

So ive found a few blogs of late on a similar idea for super hostile terrain. I want to use such horrible places for my new underland setting in play and for under my islands in the Tenkar's Landing shared setting. Also handy for my Psychon setting. The underland is a hostile remnant land where ancient and prehuman remains have been hidden away and forgotten by surface folk. It is a post apocalypse dark fantasy setting that should be horrible. This post is about the basic terrain. Another will be on citadels. Another on dungeons, ruins and settlements. One on fantasy versions of my citadel generators. Ive foolishly sent my players there so will be pumping out more content.

Light in this setting is dim but present in most cases for at least night vision to function. The are great lights on the tops of some ruined citadels also used as navigation beacons. These artificial lights might be any colour or have colour tints. Some flicker or fade seasonally. Bioluminescant growths are common but surface human vision may struggle at times.

December 18 to jan 8 will in Adelaide with possibly poor net access but will spend time editing old works.

1d10 Quick Terrain
1 Ash plains - wasteland covered in loose ash or possibly compacted or sodden
2 Gravel and rubble possibly from crushed city or carried down by rivers
3 Mudflats - vast flats of viscous semi liquid muck like a swamp or bog
4 Natural structures like cliffs, caves, petrified forests
5 Ruined structures - remains of shattered citadels
6 Remnants of humans or mere look alike
7 Semi submerged and flooded with liquid
8 Volcanic debree - dormant volcanic vents, basalt plugs, fields of volcanic rock
9  Fungus Forest or biological zone from shrubby giant lichen to giant shroom forest
10 Exotic hazardous terrain -

1d100 Underland Terrain
1 Ash plain desert from some volcano or cataclysm or industry
2 Dust plain deposited from a past explosion or wind
3 Bone dust and fragments, near powdered with fragments and chunks from some ancient tragedy
4 Black soot from ancient fire or industry
5 Sand plain from some ancient beach or body of water
6 Salt plain with dunes from some dehydrated sea bottom
7 Sulphur plain of yellow powder from volcanic activity
8 Chemical wastes of toxic or corrosive dust
9 Dried and powdered algae dust plains
10 Dried plains of spore dust
11 Plains of gravel chunks worn down from larger rocks
12 Guano from bats or other creatures
13 Semi precious stones of low grade value but very attractive
14 Crystal shards often clear but other colours like red or blue or mixed
15 Ground down rubble from ancient ruins of past civilisation
16 Plains of tiny fossils mostly of ancient sea life
17 Seam of coal rubble with fossil chunks of carbonised wood and creatures
18 Chunks of rubble from ancient headstones and tablets cover plain
19 Chunks of  compressed ash from past volcanic activity, very lightweight
20 Mounds of twitching undead body parts
21 Mudflats bubbling up from below and oozing over terrain
22 Swamp with simple vegetation and fungi barely growing in dim light, smells of decay
23 Salt mash with stinking black mud covered in crust of salt
24 Colourful bacterial sludge seemingly dirty water with rainbow shimmering on surface but alive
25 Transparent slime mould growing rampantly over area
25 Glowing raft of luminescent fungal slime twitching and moving
26 Warm mud boiling up with geysers, steam and colourful calcium deposits and bacterial pools
27 Slow moving lava plain with huge rafts of black rock crust hot to touch and dangerous
28 Great lake of god flesh twitching, gibbering. Spawning crawling flapping mutant things
29 A liquid living lake of evil with skin on surface allowing passage, spasms at touch of good
30 A great raft of twitching ambulatory fungi, giving off spores and squeaks
31 A petrified forest with stone tree trunks and other mineralised ancient life
32 Canyons and eroded galleys, with caves and remnants of ancient creek beds
33 Great stone towers cover plain from ancient erosion
34 Mesas and buttes covered area with plenty of hiding places
35 Sinkhole filled landscape with trickles of water and natural wells, some hidden
36 Riddled with ancient mines with many hidden shafts, mounds of rubble and rubbish
37 Great stone monoliths naturally left behind by glacial or erosion, seemingly man made
38 Hills and cliffs riddled with caves, some huge spaces with waterways and great shafts
39 Plain of cooled lave covered in great slabs separated by several meters jump
40 Bizarre wind carved monoliths that whistle in the wind
41 Processional path lined with great statues of strange sphinxes or other mythic creatures
42 Great stone heads of old gods or prehumans, semi exposed from soil and embedded in cliffs
43 A great plain of stone megaliths in circles and processional routes, with great earth mounds
44 Huge graveyard with worn semi exposed graves, ruined mausoleums and crumbling tombs
45 A crumbling estate with manor, ruined walls, overgrown gardens and servants houses
46 Great ruined fort with battlements, crumbling gates and towers with remnants of ancient battle
47 Rubble of ancient city with remaining intact buildings and walls, possible degenerate residents
48 Ruins of villages and farmland with overgrown fields (probably with fungus)
49 Remnants of a old battlefield chocked with corpses, broken weapons, bones and feasting animals
50 Remains of a collapsed sprawling monument like a pyramid, citadel or other wonder
51 Blasted hills actually mounds of ancient cities with remnants of bricks from lost civilisation
52 Giant hexagonal stone steps and columns with caves probably formed by volcano or giant built
53 Semi submerged stones and pillars possibly cut or naturally formed with submerged tunnels
54 Algae covered cobblestones and huge stone slabs with submerged structures and caves
55 Garbage from ancient cities of flushed from distant cities of the surface
56 Ruins covered in growths of colossal fungus, sculptures and archways semi consumed by growths
57 Charred and burned rubble of some civilisation destroyed by volcano or great fire from heaven
58 Craters and scattered fragments of civilisation as if destroyed by great weapons of godlike power
59 Alien ruins of unfamiliar design and strange geometry with remains of huge inhuman skeletons
60 A once titanic organic structure with inhabitants, now dead and crumbling haunted ruin
61 Pure fresh water, crystal clear with albino cave fish and crustaceans of long extinct types
62 Dirty pools of contaminated water clouded with coloured soil, surrounded by rubble heaps
62 Salt water with crusted deposits on shore, higher buoyancy than normal sea water
63 Heated springs steaming and surrounded by calcium deposits with occasional geysers
64 Bodies of water with strange colours and shades from bacteria and minerals but drinkable
65 Pools of corrosives and acid, bubbling with vile vapours and strange colours
66 Bubbling pits of bitumen and highly flammable tar, possible animal remains of trapped victims
67 Pools of oil some bubbling with natural gas and toxic fumes
68 Hellscape of pits of burning oil and jets of flaming gas
69 Coloured warm water full of minerals and bacteria form great cloud like rafts of foam and calcium
70 Bubbling natural spring water with healing and rejuvenating properties
71 Steam covered plain of mud, geysers and hot spirings, shrouded in mist
72 Rivers of lava with bridges and land masses of basalt in between
73 Black stone domes, warm to touch, in some places collapsed into volcanic pits of fire
74 Great craters with strange coloured lakes some possibly alkali and corrosive, while others pure
74 Dark rocky flowing stone with vents of black sooty smoke pouring out, pits full of salamanders
75 Rough ground with strange vapours pouring from cracks causing visions or illness
76 Psychedelic wasteland of mist, coloured crystalline mounds and steam vents and strange pools
78 Black glass plain with glass citadels and castles remaining from the wizard wars apocalypse
79 A huge maze of volcanic rock where aerial predators swoop on those who try to climb walls
80 A grey plain of boulders and caves littered with bones and prehistoric art and graves
81 Giant shroom forest with great prehistoric lizards and giant bugs in a complex eco system
82 Great plateaus surrounded by mist supporting own strange eco systems from the distant past
83 A slime covered land of mould, lichen, gelatinous goop, oozes and other disgusting horrors
84 A great fungal mass all connected with other creatures living and growing amid its mass
85 A fungal plain of fungi which reacts to intruders with explosions, spore clouds and even screams
86 Fungi landscape where creatures converted to same breed of hostile fungus in fake ecology
87 A fungal land crawling with mushroom and toadstool folk swarming in strange rituals and spore clouds
88 A fungus forest densely populated by goblinoids and dark elves who live in giant mushroom houses
89 Great rafts of frothy slime where giant slugs and other invertebrates gather to drink and eat
90 A land of scrubby giant lichen, fungi, giant bugs and ant mounds, where huge ants tend landscape
91 A forest of giant crystals with occasional odd colours, magical fields and crystaline creatures
92 Magical aurora blasted landscape of rubble, craters and ruins, visitors are affected by weird magic
93 Animated terrain of rubble, garbage and piles of rusty cogs where golem things spontaneously form
94 Fused bone landscape made by elder necromancers in bone towers, crawling with undead
95 Black basalt towers of serpent and lizard men surrounded by fungus jungle and albino dinosaurs
96 A land of stony pillars and caves covered in cobweb homes of spiders, some in swarms or gigantic
97 Covered in spasming twitching worms, vary from region may include maggots, leeches or earthworms
98 Land of people or other creatures in stasis standing or in heaps for some forgotten purpose
99 Pits of larvae with human faces tormented by devils in this region with gates to hell and volcanoes
100 Frozen mountains of ice riddled with caves, some hollowed by volcanic activity

some others...
lakes of blood probably from blood sucker dung mixing with water in rotting mess








Thursday 30 October 2014

Exile Log: Into the unknown north

So party up to usual downtime antics in city when Acula had a knock on his home door. It was a battered dark elf they had nor seen for almost two years. Explained he had been lost in underland while visiting his clan. He and Acula the archer had some beef over women in the past but were both greedy and mean enough to overlook this.

Caught up with Nahme the angelic relic bearer in her church. The octopus lad who had joined them was with her.

All went to drink and discuss future treks. They all hated Chandaru but reluctant to return to Hobgoblin Halls. Perhaps it was too organised and responded too efficiently to invaders. Elf found his old follower a drug dealing bugbear (party call him a Drugbear). He also had hiss riding Spider.

Nahme's wannabe follower Thomas the cleric quit as she had not made him a follower despite his loyal service. She said he wasn't good enough. Party still not interested in raising dead followers with healing credit pool at temple. Thomas stomped off angrily.

All seemed keen to visit the underland wastes with god relics and ruins deep under the island.

Did some shopping to prepare and decided to deal with the powdered women in jars party had found in necromancers lair. Aculard had opted for the one that detected as evil and sold to his necromancer buddy who bought all the god awful crap he found. The octopus lad though this a good del and sold his jar too. Acula bought some explosives and tried to use his secret police card to get a discount. The Dwarfs replied they had secret police friends too and could get a low ranking noob like him killed. So he paid full price and extra to forget his rudeness.

Nahme took hers to temple and opened and found a atractive noble girl of 800 years ago. He smashed jar freeing her from being a slave and gave her a job looking after her new estate. Did keep her from her husband though.

So all marched north and into the border lands, Found a woman in a gigget for collecting unicorn dung in elflands. Nahme declared party not interfear in justice remembering guy they saved from hanging turned out to be a pig and the mob almost lynched the party. Into cliff road between moutains and evil swamp and canibal horde came after them. Easily out ran mob as they had a cliff to climb.

Saw some familiars meeting in woods and dark Elf sent his bat to talk with them and he got to share picknick. All too powerful to kidnap for ransom.

Found the old prehuman bridge above the waterfall into the swamp that crossed a great river but decided to check out a train off the road. Turned out was a village of escaped slaves and fugitives from the barrony. After awkward questions if the party were friends of Barron, the party (Nahme and acula are card carrying secret police informants), the guards fired arrows at party.

Nahme sprouted her wings and cast a light aura spell and the Dark Elf added extra illusionary FX. Guards stopped and spoke to party and let them in. Stayed in tavern and Bugbear dealt drugs, Nahme spoke to priests in shabby shrines and Accula tried to seduce the ugliest women he could find. His orc wife and follower offered to get him new brides in the monster kingdoms in the north. Next morning Nahme spoke to mayor and offered to bring aid to the shabby village and Mayor thought it very brave to help enemies of Barony. So she backed down a bit.

Party marched to bridge. Heard there was a dungeon inside and Dark Elf sent his bat inside to confirm. On bridge were 30 barony orcs and a captain with Barron's Banner. Acula spoke to them and they passed without a hitch.

Finaly in uncharted lands with only crude maps they entered the unknown.

Heard a distant battle and found a disciplined lawful orc army or  fighting a larger 900 strong irregular chaos orc army. Most party unimpressed but Acula wanted to help lawful orc (Barron's allies) vs the demon worshiping mob. He ran up and began sniping leaders. A squad were sent against him and Nahme's orc guard ran to help Acula and his orc bride Olga. Dark Elf and the octopus fired at charging orcs. Nahme sighed and joined in, putting up her Aura and charging the band after Acula.

Acula managed to snipe leaders of the chaos orcs and the Elf made a smoky moaning phantom menace the horde. Party efforts helped the lawful orcs route the chaos horde and party helped chase the demon orcs into the swamp to the south.  The orc chiefs spoke to party and offered to take to their king. The party orc maids were green skins, these orcs were jet skinned. Party agreed and marched forrrrr 3 days north without problems. In orc camp king gave them some minor magic weapons and 11 000 silver which Nahme couldn't be bothered with. Orc king offered to fight for party in future. he also offered to take them to the Sinkhole the Dark Elf crawled from when escaping the Underland.

Had crude map extended to include now sealed off giant land and beast men kingdom in the north.

After a few days feasting and rest they went with escort to the sinkhole. Octopus lad recruited a orc lad as a follower and others took some orcs as baggage handlers.

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Roadwar Journal: The great Triffid Muster pt1

So the team were invited to the largest triffid muster in Australia ever by a farmer they rescued a while back from being chased by a triffids on a highway. So Karumi the ninja biker, the mutant in his ram buggy, sister Uriel in her combat Alpha Romeo,  a dodgy ex professor in his van and the Sheriff in his Interceptor went for the job.

Farmer explained he was being sabotaged and threatened by triffid rustlers so offered party 5% each if they helped get to market in Tamworth (home of biggest cuntry music fest in nation). Sister Urial had joined team as she had been murdering cultists in her spare time and found cult of Shub Niggeruth had farmers vege wrangler ads. She was convinced cult wanted to misuse triffids.

Farmer and his two daughters gave them a training course in triffid wrangling. Including the triffid grip tongs that two users would hold it down, while another person snips off triffid stings. Herd of 1000 were un genetically modified and free range. Farmer explained lead cars had triffid sound fx speakers to lure herd and other vehicles would nudge the stragglers. Other cars carried the kitchen, triffid wrangling supplies. Triffid food would be air dropped in during second week. Warned that wild triffids might join herd and try to lure off course or at least migh surprise some one. All crew supplied with triffid masks.

Corporate farms all had GM triffids modified restrained and plumbed in. Such farms were very expensive but our farmer had copied Sth American methods of free range breeding and had ammased a very valuable herd.

Met other wranglers. A herder car with a Italian and Spanish team of guys who were seasoned wranglers. A married couple who needed cash to save farm. A gay couple ran the kitchen truck. A couple of old hands from the farm in a big utility truck. A couple of girls from city who thought would be a good adventure trip. The farm security man in a buggy with two miniguns. A extra russian merc in a buggy. A couple of mercs in a armoured off road buggy. Team spent some time getting to know crew. Some team had to borrow off road vehicles for trip. Farmer and his daughters in ex military utility truck with a hatch and MG on roof.

So the two week journey began. Mutant in buggy scouted ahead with Karumi in case they had to talk way through anywhere. Most communities did not want a thousand triffids in area.

Day one found some corpses on road. A few vehicles had troubles off road avoiding towns. Some wild triffids joined herd and heroes had to search herd on foot. Tagged them with paint then killed them Wild ones smaller and more straggly.

One night heard triffids whistling oddly so the team searched the herd and found a whistling noise from distance. Found a camp of mutant cultists playing a flute. Karumi hid in woods while sister Uriel charged with her car and machine gunned the camp. A few stragglers climbed up hillock into woods and Karumi ambushed them. Interrogated mutants and they knew very little.

The proff in hi van kept inviting camp women into his van to play video games but they were all cheeped out by him. Others looked up his controversial books that got him sacked from his university job.

"Not my fault people misinterpreted my work"

A cyborg mate of party turned up to join the trek. He was a bit of a psycho if he heard loud noises but a good techie and killer.

One day found a crashed military plane wreck and corpse of a pilot. Sealed classified mission folder explained plane was searching for possible terrorist threat predicted (by classified means). Uriel called military and a copter came to collect wreck. She tried to convince them of threat of cults but farmer upset government might kill his herd. No explanation how pilot killed.

As team scoured rear for cultists, the sheriff took scout role and managed to deal with town sheriff in path. Eventually a gang with trucks and a bus and three cars began to follow team. Sheriff and Mutie headed to them. As the cult hunters were spread out the surrounded gang and launched a ambush. The lead gang cars tangled with Sheriff and the Mutie who rammed one.  The truck (intended to load triffids on) was jackknifed when tires destroyed by rocket and a following gang car hit the wreck. Karumi chased the bus and the mutie rammed it from behind and managed to lock into it. He climbed up and into back and started killing gang members. Karumi joined in the fun too. When the cyborg managed to flip out he rammed the ruined truck then got out to kill survivors with his steel fist. Other stragglers were gunned down. Two gang vehicles were taken by party as loot.

Less than a week to go with the Triffids....

Sunday 26 October 2014

Babylon log: Hittites, Mittani and Assyria and Back

 
Ive been pretty lapse on this game and have today done 3rd session  without a blog so this is catch up. Lots of this game is travel, fighting bandits and wild animals, home decor, social climbing and training to get accepted as ranking priests and champions of their cults.

So party committed to finding the four ancient evils minions plotting to end the world.

Starring:

The 1/2 Babylonian nobles, children of Mardukbanipal

Ariana the 1/2 Minoan pirate girl, now acolyte of Adad the storm god and now married to an Assyrian noble of a great trade house.

Toth the 1/2 Egyptian follower of Nergal the lord of Death. Gatekeeper to the the house of the underworld.

Iltani the 1/2 Sumerian, scribe offspring of divorced mother to father, raised in Ishtar Temple. Hungry for magic and secrets of the universe.

The Barbarian bodyguards

Sobek a Amorite warrior maid, pregnant to a satyr and collector of pets. Still seeking path to magic through Ishtar or Shamanistic Ancestor lion cult. Has a nice house prepared for baby and her pets.

Kull Draco a Gutian wild man turned civilized and become a hero of Marduk, chosen to recruit barbarians to the forces of Babylon. Wears dragon skin armour. Married with a shack.

Pek son of Farg, a Kassite initiate of Ninutra, a great hunter and warrior committed to glory and killing monsters.

So the party after time resting after the wedding of Ariana spent several weeks marching into the north int the shattered Hurrian kingdoms. The Assyrian traders made the route safe despite the wars between the Hurrians and the Hittites and the invading Mittani. Took a side route to a Mittani kingdom and were greeted by nobles for trade. They were intrigued by similar but different religion and names of their gods (actually more like Hindu gods like Agni). Told of a mountain pass of terror birds which intrigued them. So they took a side trek and climbed a cliff into a mountain pass. Attacked by prehistoric flightless carnivorous birds bigger than ostriches and twice as mean. The great devil birds were defeated and a few fled. Others were captured and bound and lowered down the cliff.

Found cave with eggs and took them back down mountain. Signs of the bird demon Anzu were on the wall carved thousands of years ago. Took eggs back and local king was happy to try and hatch them. Sobek was keen to have a new pet but all moaned no.

Marched on facing bandits and lions and wolves till reached the Hittite lands with safer roads. Met Hittite kings and saw parades of chariots, mountain palaces and isolated valleys. Just beat the snow and spent winter in luxury. Met some Europeans, Mycenaean, Egyptians and Minoans. By end of winter Ariana and Sobek were very pregnant.

Spring they came down from mountains back to the land of two rivers to Assyria. Visited Ariana's new in laws and then marched back to Babylon. Noted how few bandits were here but the heads on poles and flailed skins nailed to walls maust have been good for local order. Back in Babylon the bandits came as son as the crossed the border. The kingdom was still reeling from King Humarabi's death almost a year ago.

On the road saw great coloured tents and lines of common folk with possessions. Ariana pushed to front and all backed off from her regal bearing. Got admitted to sorcerer who feasted with them and asked about magic items he could see. Party tried to bargain and Toth and Iltani swapped spells with him. Iltani went for normal type spells but Toth gained Contact Tsathogua.

So almost in Babylon and saw a village menaced by a lone Auroch Bull. All went to investigate and a wounded panicked woman ran out begging the heroes to help them. Party were all keen and prepared charms and prayers. Ariana called down rain clouds with the power of Adad the weather god. Crept through village and Bull suddenly charged from behind a house. Ariana called down a lightning bold from the heavens striking the bull in the genitals. Pek fired a fire arrow at it in the same place and the bull's read end collapsed. Kull walked up with his great axe and before the bull could try and gore him he split its skull with his huge axe.

Villagers were healed and cheered and had a impromptu BBQ. Heroes artfully butchered and skinned the bull and Kull stripped the skull and began carving a cuneiform dedication. The next morning arived in Babylon and news of the bull kill proceeded them. Rode their chariot with the bull skull on display and arrived to family palace. Father was ready with guests and a feast and all celebrated their return.

Father spoke to each in private and each visited their temples. Then each set about training till the girls of the party had given birth.

Ariana was granted a iron sword from a ancestor and hero of Adad also. She went to temple to debrief and recover spells. Trained in various skills till gave birth to a son after two months. Left baby with servants and husband in Trade house and got ready for adventure.

Toth continued his studies and continued to dabble in forbidden lore and the arts of violence. Spent time with the priests in the great Nergal Temple in the city of Cutha.

Iltani brought the sorcery spells she had gained and other secrets she had learned to the Temple of Ishtar. They took her to the blind sorceress in the great temple and she became an apprentice. Finally learned the means to manipulate sorcery spells. She asked for more spells but order told her four spells was plenty for an apprentice,

"Perhaps in a few years", they said.

Pek became a champion of Ninurta and gained a spirit that was placed in his armour to serve him. They wished him to kill monsters. His slave lover gave birth to a son.

Kull became a champion of Marduk charged with recruiting barbarians in the coming war to save the Empire. His wive gave birth to a son also.

Sobek visited various Shaman as to what could be done about her Satyr child. A shaman convinced her to let a ancestor possess the unborn child so his inhuman character would never manifest. She went ahead and served several shamen to become an assistant shaman. She was more and more committed to ancestor worship and her totem lion spirits.

So as babies were packed off to nursemaids, the heroes went to see father. He was pleased they had become so powerful in such a short amount of time. But they were not ready to enter the underworld through the gates in the cities of Eridu or Cutha. So he told them to visit the island of Dilmun. Fabled garden Island where the first humans were created.

So they sailed down to the city of Eridu and spent a week with holy men, being bathed in holy water and talking to elders. Explained that the supernatural beings they have met were intruding at certain moments into the waking world and the heroes could be taught to cross the wall of sleep.

So down to the holy warf to board a horse prow ship to Dilmun. Ariana was exited to be on the sea again after several years away. A pleasant trip with several stops for trade and water. Saw Enki was worshiped as only god and met traders from Aftrica and Arabia. Finally arrived at the ancient island ans found Sumerian like culture and temples to the old gods. Visited temples with letters of introduction and trade goods. Boght a house to use as trade hall for the family and after settling in visited the great garden where some said Enki and the Earth goddess made mankind.

Together they inhaled sacred incense and prepared to enter the mythic dreamland.

Saturday 25 October 2014

Secrets under the seabed (hex level2)

So this map shows the great slab connecting the islands underwater.

The pink are tunnels usable by air breathers. The aqua lines and bodies are great underground freshwater rivers and lakes. The dark green are saltwater intrusions often used by salt water breathing horrors of the deep to invade.

The green and brown are to show locations of the above islands (or rather mountain tops depending on your perspective).

The dark grey is the extent of the great mountain range of rock that some say fell from the sky when the area was a surface kingdom. The light grey shows the great underland chasm of hex level3.

The pink lines connect various surface and subsurface settlements past and present, surface and underland. It also intersects with the salt and fresh water tunnels. There are three large underground kingdoms on level 2. The biggest one to he west is a dwarvern one. The second one a great prehuman vault where albino cannibal men have fully devolved into savage white orcs. The third is a dark elf settlement which deals frequently with the great underland's goblins, humanoids, beastmen and elves.

This is a quick map of the surface settlements. Most are villages of only a hundred or two. The largest marked with a bullseye are the Amazon town and the serpent man colony. These have populations of possibly over 500. Populations from other lands settle the islands but things from the underland boil up in great hordes or single horrors from time to time. The underland has larger numbers than the surface.







Thursday 23 October 2014

A quick sea hex with a secret

So i chose a sea hex between two land masses for Tenkar's landing project Hex 18-13. Scarford Reef is a awkward patch of water disliked by sailors who prefer to go via the south coast. This situation has made pirates thrive. Many pirates are crewed by inexhaustible amounts of the albino savage cannibals who once lived on all these islands. Occasionally one is found where none have been seen for generations or a throwback is borne.

This is level 1 of the map.

The Islands are former mountain peaks of a sunken area from pre-history.

Second level is just beneath sea and has tunnels connecting complexes on all islands. Some tunnels assessable only low tide, others are always flooded. Even the mainland could be linked.

Third level will be a great chasm dotted with mighty citadels and abandoned war engines of the gods. Underland races send search and destroy teams to keep out rivals and snatch best magic loot for selves. This is where the albino cultists and cavemen come from. And lots of undead and serpent folk.

I can stick this in my own setting or use as a mini campaign from surface. Underland has been on the way for a while now. I want to make old fashioned underdark settings seem nice.

Wednesday 22 October 2014

mesopotamia image dump 9

 Some Assyrian auxiliaries doing what they do best. Assyrians bringing home the bacon.
 Some Sumerian and auxileries including Gutians with bottom left with the hair braids.
A jolly good mess
 An Assyrian king on the loose after a battle
 Sumerian infantry - what are stats for a studded cape in your game? GURPs had skills for capes
 Reproductions of wall art niceley done.
 I still unsure of the significance of Assyrian shield types. Other than bigger shields more formation based and defending of others like missile troops. Wide variety of missile troops too. Must be some very exact logistics and deployments and kill zones to consider here.
 A nice Assyrian gateway

 A nice photo of a model showing lots of detail. I like the maze gardens




 This realy nice series based on relief wall art and found objects. Great detail.
 Most of the heavy armour of the bronze age deployed from chariot and often seem to have flexibility of a potbelly stove.

In my game i give fatigue mods on sneak, dodge and other skills if you wear sleeves or leg coverings in heat. Carry heavy armour for battle and caves.
Quadesh, the battle that ended Egypt, Hittites and chariots from military supremacy.
 A battle donkey wagon ready for war. Have had a few bronze age car wars moments in my game. Mostly for running down fleeing bandits but a few monsters and a prone giant even went under the wheel
 Egyptian chariots seem much lighter affairs
 Early temple complex
 Sea peoples, and many horned hat barbarian peoples about menacing cities and fighting as mercenaries. Egyptians had a royal guard of heavy armoured guys with swords and horned hats. This guy has a fighting spear and a javelin and a sword.
 More serious Assyrian siege action
 Time travellers always dropping in
 Wall relief painting reconstruction
 A nice image of Ur
 Quite a nice reconstruction with some greenery at least



I think this is a Assyrian Ziggarat

Old posts

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Exile Log: In the trash heaps of necromancers

So Acula, his no 1 orc warrior woman wife, Nahme the Angelic relic bearer with her orc maid, assistant priest and linkboy theif opened the vault in the ghostwood. They probed other crypt and found no trace of evil or magic within so left it. Were seeking the secret lair of a famed evil relic making necromancer.

Inside was a shrine of a chaotic neutral underworld luck goddess. On top was a silver cup with silver coins inside. Room lined with sealed family standing vaults ten doors in all. Acula took the silver cup which others frowned at. Then he pissed on the altar. -2 Save curse for him.

As touched the secret vault lid that was really a well used hidden door, all the doors opened. Half bathed in daylight and the wights stayed within. But five melee range wights surprising you is a scary thing. The wizened horrors screamed and Acula and Olga the orc and Nahme got drained. Olda twice. Monsters half destroyed others driven through secret door by priest who can now possibly turn undead this mighty.

Party fled back from Ghost wood and to Aculas Tower. Then fled to renamed again Silverthorn village/dungeon as she was officially Mayor and spent thousands on village infrastructure.  Finally got to Shadelport and the temple that owed them thousands in healing credit as part of relic deal. 1600gp credit used in healing level draining and curse removal.

Poor Nahme gasped at cost from a good church for heroes fighting evil.

Having rested in their city homes, Nahme with her husband in their new blood rich district apartment. The couple looked at property to invest in, looking at more boarding houses that could be turned to virtue. Acula spent time with his first human wife (no2) and human kid. Life a bit boring here since the orcs and owlbear baby moved to his grim tower.

In city they met the plucky Tako warrior still fresh from the sea and ignorant of surface folk. He was seeking battle and adventure so they all set off through Silvethorn estates. Tako showed off is underground hume under village well that linked to dungeon.

Nahme tried to wrangle workers and money to finish her small manor (12 000gp) faster. But hard being a lawful good taskmaster. Decided should check out tower of gold the party saw in deed office and was nearby so party would look at on way back to crypt.

Someone mentioned that evil sorcerer Chondaru and all reminiced about wanting him dead.Oh that's why we were looting the Hobgoblin Halls to kill him. Finding all those relics was great. So now we are off to loot a necromancers lair in the haunted forest to place we know full of wights.Some head scratching here.

So found on crossroad some vendormen with boxes of travellers treats. Except no 4 he had sacks of last season turnips. Rest less shabby vendormen sold braces of sausages, another had meat pies and third had eel stew. Bought all goods and told to invite masters to send goods to Silver thorn. One told of the fabled gold tower (a bit more flashy than the City deed offering ownership for 10 000gp).

Party found it in hidden mountain forest gulley. An immaculate shiny gold tower six stories of 16 foot each. With a spire on top and all windows shuttered. Acula knocked loudly and claimed this property was open for inspection. A angry elf began to abuse them and it turned out they predate humans on island and don't recognise city claim. Nahme offered to write a letter to city law makers that city should acknowledge them. This and a free pie helped elves be less abusive. Party tried to offer them visit Silverthorn which intrigued them. Party explained Elves no longer can be murdered on sight in the Barony. So went on their way. Seems gold just a glamour. Possibly un-allied elves not from bright or dark elves. Party hope to try and deal with again as all in the same hex.

So arrived earlier in day 9am and inside crypt sunlight had sealed less crypts than last time. This meant two more doors could open inside. Saw two doors of vaults had remained opened, matching with their earlier kills. So entered ready this time. Five dead came at them and were not a surprise and some already wounded (I make undead heal as a human in unhallowed graves). So dead fell fast. The cleric who noticed his silver magic mace could reflect sunlight that annoyed the dead now had a polished his now silver plated shield. Sealed vault doors covered by sun and heroes pried open doors and killed two more wights with no harm this time. So nine killed in both fights total. Looted the crypts and found symbolic tools of trade and dress inside individual wight vaults.

Saw lots of undead had been walking around here

Down below found a barracks with zombies (easily finished). Robbed trunks for weapons and junk. Found strange urns on shelf. Each player in prayer to luck goddess for help meddling with such items. Acula found some scraps of gold leaf with animals stamped on it worth 3gp. Mahme had a foot wide spider jump out onto her which Acula shot off her with an arrow. Old ate its legs off while holding arrow in hand, looking at her hideous human husband, smiling. For a moment party was all liking each other. Octopus ad opened one to be covered in magical filth giving him mummy rot. Was put to safe spot in party and Nahme worried about the parties medical benefits at the temple. She would discuss this with the Sun Gods Patriarch of the Shadelport.

Opened into corridor and chose the more evil looking black door with silver metalwork. Smashed open and a filthy foul messed necromantic lab was behind. Bench to strap victims down. Alchemist array of glass work, filled with grey, violet and black dust. Coffins were in room which of course opened.

Party pulled back to lst choke point. Warrior zombies, dressed as knights with two handed swords and twice as strong a normal ones. Party filled with arrows and dead kept coming. Nahme and Acula hurt, Olga was unconscious. Found bench of 6 more urns. Nobody else but Acula were willing to touch. He got a nasty scorpion bite then a gem with continual light. Octopus got exited and tried one and got a spirit almost posses him so backed away to far end of room. Acula found some clay cult tokens, and some coins. Best thing was a screaming flying skull which he grabbed and re-sealed. Will be handy one day. Some dumb incense he found and gave to Nahme who saw it was a favourite of the gods from 800 years ago and rare today. This started a quarrel about loot division. A good thing to feud over while in a dungeon.

Other door in corridor was a living room. Found Wardrobes with necromancer robes. Another of noble ladies, one of sexy slave outfits and another stuffed with peasant clothes. The wardrobes magically preserved clothes and killed bugs entering them.The octopus decided to wear some robes or take some to wear later. If the freakish boils on him didn't kill him. Room had desk with writings about the evacuation 800 years ago to the Black School on Devil Hill.



Next room a library. Looted when long ago when lair abandoned but the Octopus selected many works to sell to those dumb guys who use spell books and study. He thought this undead human making could be a weapon in the great below-the-sea-war. He would appeal to his patron entity of sorcery for wisdom on this matter.

Final room was bed chamber. A big fancy bed with a eight poster giant spider theme made a nightmare  canopy. Covered in webs with elf spun spider silk sheets on a human hair mattress. Next to bed was a cabinet of delicious liqueurs  with narcotics. Including something called bone medicine. Was made from grated unicorn horn, now death sentence to possess in city. Another had strange devices and fetish objects Acula and Olga stashed in their packs. Gave each other funny looks made others feel awkward. Most amazing treasure was three of the wizards wives in powdered form. One rated evil.

Having looted everything on the donkey waggon the party was ready to go. The orc warrior women made great scouts and guides in the woods allowing the best route for a cart. On way something was stalking them. Acula hid and party moved on. Was a strange albino elf riding a silver warg. Accula shot wolf and elf cast a sleep spell on him. He resisted and shot wolf and elf as wolf actually charged and bit him. Party heard fight and began running back. As arrived Accula had been badly hurt by poison arrows and warg. Both down and he was ready to kill warg but wife convinced him she could hire wolf master or learn herself. Strange elf bore sighns of necromancy and chaos.

Took back to Accula's tower torture dungeon for containment. Elf was a bone wood elf, niether light nor dark, bound to death and demons and the cursed wood. They were kin and masters of the bone goblins. Part of the great mystery curse 800 years ago.

Heroes and flunkies rushed to city to heal the plucky cephalopod. Had lots of stuff to sell but went to the dodgy guy who buys any evil relics Acula has flogged off before. Bought lots of the fluff evil loot. Octopus bought a zombie halfling manservant. He wants to ride on his head wearing necro robes and pretend to be a mindflayer.    

Necromancer was interested in buying the elf but they gave him to the secret police instead as both informants. Got given 50gp and Accula told well done for procuring the assassins tower for them. Gave him a black uniform of sub lieutenant and sent him home with security advisers.

The priest following Nahme is a bit forlorn as he has not been made a honorary follower of Nahme. He followed her previous follower when party serving temple and stuck around. When the acolyte girl died The young cleric assumed he would get job. Nahme snooping after new follower and considered the bone elf upset him.

All feuded over proper treatment of the powdered women. Nahme was persuaded that the women should be freed even the evil one. Acula offered to take the evil one and sell her to necromancer pal. More fantasy urbanisation, retail adventures and grave robbing next week.



Sunday 19 October 2014

Card Props From my Alpha & Gamma games

Quick cards i did for con game design. Used for metamorphosis alpha and my gammaworld out of the bunker games. Was possible to end gamma world adventure with space travel.

While playing with cards to allow for mutant,cyborgs, undead, androids, robots, plants etc for games realised the basic use of cards for race/class/occupations for rpg's work really well. Jaded players can pick at random for surprise.

My character sheet in a A6 or A5 zine form idea needs some work too.

The long promised mutation rules project i will try and start.

Designing a hex too...

Exile Log: Into the basement of Doom

As usual the heroes Nahme the Angelic relic bearer and Acula the greedy archer and cross species polygamist were as usual embroiled in setting up homes, caring for dependents and growing a little empir of their very own. Nahme has a poorhouse, a pure womens boarding house and her merchant husbands townhouse in Merchant district. Acula has a former murder house he got cheap. Allies of party have other property too.

All own a share of Mazewood village and underground former dungeon complex. Now Tunnels occupied by reformed poor people of Shadelport, converted good orcs (many from fem orc warrior order), kobold teens and tribes from several sources, a hunter clansman of acula and local farmers. Only a hotel on surface. Lots of herds are kept in dungeon by night. Farmers live underground now too. Population will be 200 soon, officially a sub village of the city.

Acula wants to be a kobold king and live for centuries on a pile of gold with lots of wives to sleep on. Nahme building a manour a bit from the village surface pub and seeks to establish a order of templars. She tried to convince village to all become Sun god worshipers and rename village to something with Sun gods name in it. Didnt work but they made her Mayor for 4 years as she had donated thousands to community.

Anyway so gang went to Aculas new tower of Assassins he bought cheap and evicted all the assasins from house in corpse form. Had his orcs spread assasins corpses in hedge thorn maze to scare off any who might return home to find whole clan of 200 years killed by Acula. So like orcish christmas the gleeful orcs turning tower into a scarier looking place. Brought in his orc kids and family pet owlbear. Was worried the lil gang would out grow and eat his human child in city.

New wife he rescued from assassins not so keen on tower going orcish and hearing of Aculas other human and monster wives. Olga the orc is now 3rd lv warrior orc heroine and knows she is number one wife by might alone. Has kept all peaceful. All wives now want own separate property and semi coooperating. Acula paid a Druid to help him miraculously impregnate the prettier and smarter of his kobold princesses.

So in the Assasins tower, found a old door hundreds of years old, predating 200 year old tower in basement. Shattered open and inside was ancient corrupted shrine, dedicated to Orcus. Battled some goatmen barrow wights and cleansed by removing evil occult objects and re - sanctifying as a temple of light with Nahmes clerical powers. Nahme lost level but credit in healing temple was a good buy health plan.

Found sub cellar with ruined grog and stores with ledgers. Bottom level was a necromancer lab and zombie sweatshop with an escape tunnel. Among books found map and mention that a necromantic veil relic was made in Ghostwood by necromancer. Party got very interested in finding and robbing his dungeon in Ghostwood. Also books dated the original church as from fall of the kingdom that became ghostwood overnight 800 years ago.

Party now 5th level and major flunkies going on third.

Party rested and Acula found the necromancer guy who who bought the murder house corpse furniture and always bought any evil or macabre or cult crap. Sold Orcus stuff and a wight monk they forced into a barrel to a necromancer (for the lost lore undead monk might know). Sold wight corpses in city alchemist markets. Dug up more info on dungeon and went to Ghost wood (only six miles away from Aculas Tower). Found area with old headstones uplifted by ancient trees, melded into the forest. Found two crypts including one with more wights and entry to the necromancers dungeon lair.

HobGoblin Halls lost relics and Chondaru the enemy sorcerer have been forgotten.

This was night of floods all way home and internet got broke

Saturday 18 October 2014

Marvel Log: Revenge of the Empire


Had a quick game of Marvel.

A secret pre WW2 Nazi bunker experimental time machine project site 30km from River City acting mysteriously. The River City Sentinels were alerted by signal from government super spooks watching the anomalous location now plugged with 40 meters of reinforced concrete. Heroes arrived.

The Traveller the ultra temporal deceptive with hyper deceptiveness, teleportation and a ufo disguised as a car and a pocket dimension time vehicle of his own from the future. Covers face in grey bandages in hero I.D. Cop trenchcoat always. Can form ray gun from body into hand and create "quantum clones".  Read Psychic impressions.

Titan Armour aka T.C. aka Titanium Colossus. Built buy a poor girl kid from trash yard crap. Nobody knows age or gender. Skates around on hover skate field boots and has a huge concussion cannon she wants to put on market as humane weapon.

Sparky a machine animating scientist-medic genius who forms armour from garbage, emits lightning bolts and carries advanced gadgets of his design. Eccentric and cocky tech hero.

Storm Wing the most experienced and popular hero with team is made official leader with Captain Australia as second.

Stormwing is a telekinetic power house able to fly, make force shields and crush enemies at will. Currently learning to use tk sense of touch as radar. Is a millionaire airline owner and ex fighter pilot. Her kid brother looks after the baby she had with cosmic entity.  

Captain Australia the latest in long line of wearers of this costume since WW2. Also an alien cyborg. Unlike previous captains he can roll high speed in a ball shape by grabbing ankles and tumbling. Can boost strength for limited period to highest in team (Am 60). 

Tank Armour, another millionaire weapon developer testing products as a super hero. Now suit has space capable life support, stealth field, and a new conventional weapon hard point. He can change simple elements like turn air into solid carbon and makes metallic hydrogen to power the suit's plasma forge.

Thunderstrike Armour, another millionaire weapon developer. All powers from suit of armour and has electrical field that protects him, damages those who hit him and makes martial attacks greater. He is a military engineer originally and super smart. New hero on the block.   

So team meet and squabble about new hero. Traveller shakes hands with and bumps new members, Titan suit is so new has no impressions. Thunderstrike and Tank don't realise they have been on same defence tech boards in civilian I.D.'s

Call to APIO controlled former spy bunker and heroes alerted as dealt with previous gate built and used by WW2 Nazis. As heroes arrived, mostly in travellers ufo/flying car, Stormwing Flew with Captain, Thunderstrike was carried by metahuman affairs copter with hook on his suit. Titan skated over the river.

Arrived in stages and surrounded the bunker. Heat and repeated blasts burrowing from concrete. Surface building exploded and 4 Notorious ww2 Japanese Villains remained looking haughty.

Supersumo a powerhouse wrestler with armoured fat but skilled warrior
Electric Samurai who creates his biometal armour and sword at will and electrically charge them
Sakura the cherry blossom girl, who can fly and move superfast and explode into fireball looking effortless and easy.
Dr Fang a horrible stereotype immortal cult leader with powers of alchemy

Traveller tried to scan their powers and not really any luck. Titan fired her concussion cannon wide open angle blasting three of the gang on low setting. Samurai had stepped forward hacking the new kid Thunderstrike making him bleed and their electrical fields go crazy in different colours. Sparky came from behind and threw a sticky power drain sphere on his back stuttering his shock field. Stormwing blasted villains with force. Sakura the meta geisha ran up heroes at hyper speed and exploded sending the UFO car crashing. Captain Australia accidentally rolled over it.The Japanese imperial time travel team recognised him instantly from uniform files from their time.

Geisha got taken down by teamwork first. Dr Fang disintegrated a hole through the Titan armour after teleporting behind it. He managed to hurt the previously hidden operator who screamed like a child. Other heroes disturbed and Dr Fang got picked on next. As was laying down with heart attack, traveller and his two clones did triage abd cuffed the villain. Traveller decided to use his psychometry on the wizened old chinaman and fell into a coma screaming. 4000 years of memories of the evil cult leaders torture sessions flooded into him.

Sparky, Thunderstrike and Samurai all battled with cascading sheets of different coloured lightning that most wouldn't go near. Capt Australia rolled about battlefield and rammed Samurai several times with her strength boosters on. Samurai swept through three heroes with one sword blow and critically wounded thunder who was bleeding but fought on. Eventually they brought Samurai down with team work.

Tank and Storm wing managed to hold Aumo airborne then drop him into concrete slab on bunker. Heroes all dogpiled him with everything, tank formed a carbon block on his head. Sumo eventually fell kept too busy by TK wrestling from Storm Wing.

APIO helicopter grabbed unconscious villains and asked Traveller the time travel expert what to do with them. They already had Dr Fang imprisoned in Canberra War Memorial since 60s and having two seemed odd. Threw villains back through with rude ote in Japanese and dropped one of Sparkys energy siphons and bombs through closing the portal and destroying the old time machine.

Heroes started a group Karma Pool finally and Stormwing in charge as most popular (50) with Captain Australia (42 pop). Traveller from scanning team mates realizes three of them have grey aliens in origin stories. He hopes they are the friendly kind. Picked up on Tank with Lemurian connections which Dr Fang also had. He went to train his Agility up and now has better than average human health (23 points instead of 20 - rest of party 60-120 each). Will improve his accuracy too.

Will start a bit earlier next time but enjoyable battle. Instant +5 Karma for dialogue and smack talk working really well - i think i stole this from Zac.

Service Resumed


Unclean wind spirits smashed the Internet with a storm on Tuesday night - second worst flooding I've seen in Sydney in 7 years. I was trapped in meatspace and was social, watched lots of LEX and regretted catching it so late in life. But im better now and back online. Doing lots more art. Flashbacks of late to some past awesome shows. Been getting more minis and models happening. Assembling my soldiers and chariots. Roman, Assyrians and Sumerians. Ive realized Assyrian Auxiliary sets make good Babylonians. Will get more for my moderns and 1920s minis. Shame I missed the fantasy adventurers in 1/72nd. I'm now claiming 1/72nd - 1/68th scale is my official scale with scale getting sloppy in my Marvel games. 

So will design some of my magic item sets, underland stuff, manuscript work, a d100 post crash ship isolated infrastructure community and start on my Zero and 1st level mutation lists. Babylon and Exile report catch ups.


Tuesday 14 October 2014

Roadwar 2000: A quick bounty hunt for the arvo...

So the Triffid Muster is next big roadwar gig. But Sheriff in his former cop black interceptor had some spare time and took a bounty to the Blue Mountains to nab a parole absentee.

So headed into mountains and met up with the Mutie in his rust red ram buggy.

On way found a few odd things. Encountered hillside road with a crashed tractor and trailer on road with gap between them a patch of mines. Above this point was a tree with a parachute in it with a hanging body.

"i could jump that but I'm not tackling that without team" declared the Sheriff.

Lost 4 hours. Came across a attempt to cover road with oil and a gang nearby with flamer. Fired rocket killing and igniting napalm. Mutant went off road around flames and ran down guy with flamer, the Sheriff followed and ran guy over again.

Drove past millitia bunker and both saw light artillery piece 40mm cannon aimed at them from a concrete bunker hidden from most views on a bend with a rough gravel uphill driveway to road. Shell pierced rear end of Sheriff's car rupturing fuel tank. Both floored it around corner and stopped. While Mutie jumped out with a patch kit while Sheriff grabbed light disposable rocket tube. Red bunker militia utility vehicles came around corner in chase and Sheriff fired rocket. Damaged one truck badly and it drove off road and got stuck in crap at bottom of slope off road. As second car came in Sheriff got out his .45 magnum revolver and critically wounded driver who steered of road also.

Chased for 3 km after temporary patched fuel tank holes. Managed to shake guys off with help from machine gun nests from a town border guards. Drove on till got to rest and repair till next day. In morning went to meet Karumi the cyber biker girl but on way saw a wrecked car with a huge 12 foot tall roo corpse judging from rear.

Mutie got out his Gentech Buck Knife and licked his lips, days of free food and biofuel. Sheriff sat back wary as ever. He looked at car in good nick and went to look. Found driver missing through smashed window and a trail of gore and bloody handprints to a human skin pile. Huge beast leaped up. It was a big red roo-goanna hybrid that had learned to play dead to hunt. Huge Mutie punched it with his inhuman strength and reflexes and the Sheriff shot it in the head. The thing that shouldn't have lived was dead.

Karumi arrived and took samples for her company. Mutie hacked up beast and was impressed by the beast. Managed to arrive in town to see it was a gang town. Every car in town a red one. All Purple heart gang members. A zone vet gang about 25% with low grade military cyberwear limbs. Cars only lightly armed and armoured. Party sure they could take two or three cars each but eleven cars in town. Most of town in bar where the wanted man was picked up by face recog from a net image.

Man was towns beloved fry cook. They all boasted how they had got him out of jail. They assumed Sheriff and Mutie were gang members visiting. Sheriff told everybody the gang were cannibals who ran hospitality to other gangs. Mutie ordered a pork roast at unbelievably low price. Lots of the Purple Hearts gang tried to hire Karumi. She zipped her jumpsuit to her belly button and exuded her bio implant pheromones and hung out by kitchen door pretending to get a breather. Cook came out to crack onto her. His guards charmed by her let the couple alone and she lured him to car. How about handcuffs she suggested as she locked him in rear cage of the ex police interceptor. Guys all escaped with gang realizing what had happened..

A long car race of obstacles and ambushes was on. Some gang ambushes even helpful. Party set off traps which ended up worse obstacles to pursuing gangs. Finally got close to country town militia and team escaped gang wrath. Talked to town militia and thanked them. Town claimed wrecks.

Got to Sydney outer zone and collected $2400 for prisoner.

Karumi smacked herself in the head.

"All that for so little. What were you thinking you idiots?"

Was mostly filler session with 4 players absent but got lot done and car chases were fun with groups on map outperforming on drive rolls to get forward by car lengths. Every drive roll then a random road hazard. Several rounds of this worked well for several sequences. Sheriff player remarked game more scary alone or with only two or three players.

Triffids next game

Monday 13 October 2014

Curses, Conditions, Corruption and Relics pt2

Very happy with new batch here for various ages of horrors that ruled world in the monster kingdom age. Next will do non human stuff, reptilians, arachnids, amphibians and more...

Ran Roadwar2000 and Babylon today will blog soon. Assembling soldiers, building roads. Teaching and making art again. About to be kicked off health benefit for working so i hope my fitness lasts a while. Must stock up on meds and get dentistry all done quick. Being too healthy and working isnt so bad an outcome.

Have some stuff i did for con games which i will use again here and I'm liking idea of core character choices stuff done with cards. Skills, Spells, class, Alignment all on cards. Worked very well in my con games. Have considered a character zine for dnd with various data on whole spreads for higher levels.


Mid and high level encounter tables. I'm getting away with numbers and boss monsters as elites but will need some more soon.

These types could be mashed up with other types to make necromantic elder cultists or elder chaos warband.



Elder Magic Relics
Elder gods dwelled since primordial times. At times their power is released occasionally enslaving the world and benefiting many non human servitor species. They have many names but they themselves have tru names we cannot comprehend. Many ruled through cults in the dawn time, during the elder age and the monster empire.  


d20 What non human entity created relics for cult?
01 Dreaming lord under the sea and his dread servitors and hybrid minions world wide by waterways
02 Alien being from the stars intrudes our world through dreams, masked cults and possession

03 Cosmic conduit of time and space seeks hosts to bare children to cultists and become living gates
04 The lord of elder communion unites human & elder gods, assumes thousands of masks to lure cults
05 Mindless lord of atomic chaos at the core of the universe, cult call his servitors from the stars
06 A sorcererous tentacled hairy toad being called upon by magicians to learn arcane power and madness
07 A black void of living darkness who absorb light and souls, serves witches and beings in the dark
08 A serpent headed humanoid master of the saurian and serpentoid beings who ruled the past
09 A great body of mist spawning monsters or tentacles or mouth or breasts served by woodland cults
10 A great ball of cosmic flame served by cults via sacrifice, immolation, arson and destruction
11 A multidimensional anomaly, self aware and impossible, calls horrors through space and time
12 A biological mass in space, a great brain that spreads spores through stars spawning new life forms
13 A shambling tentacled thing seeking only to breed and turn cultists into hosts for tentacle blob things

14 A great glowing naked flesh colossus with flowing mashed features, absorbs and infects cultists
15 A being of interstellar void & freezing arctic winds, takes prisoners to distant worlds and hybridises
16 Tentacled burrowing kraken & its spawn who devour planets from within, corrupt the minds of mortals
17 A entity that occupies complex structures and huge machines and even cities as systems of order
18 Things from beyond dimensional vale seek to become one with us and offer power, most just hungry
19 A race of great spirits that may manifest as physical or mental things, haunt locations & kill with relish
20 A carnivorous vegetal horror that creates hostile ecosystem that turns humans into cattle and slaves

d20 Horrid stories of relic bearing cult hero

01 Triggered a disaster that killed thousands
02 Body became host of horror from beyond that heroes killed

03 Hybridised with victims and continuing in secret with cult
04 Aided a coven of wicked magicians who tormented the people
05 Called a horror into the word d4 1=to breed 2=to destroy 3=to rally cult 4=doom enemies
06 Went to join master as immortal to serve them forever
07 Turned into monster and sealed away as guardian of relic
08 Tormented people until lynch mob killed them publicly
09 Ruled a monster kingdom puppet state sacrificing own people to dark gods
10 Awakened a horror until magician defeated them both
11 A immortal agent of the gods still but transformed into something horrid
12 A famous dread magician until killed by a hordes out for revenge
13 Journeyed to spectacular place then returned with impossible stories
14 Had mad visions in isolation and recorded learning

15 Fooled people into puppet cult and use as pawns for real hidden mystery cult
16 Started a well meaning charity and benevolent society and charmed public
17 Corrupted a community into foul worship and service vile inhuman gods

18 Hopped bodies causing untold evil before being banished or imprisoned
19 Wrote confessions as became more insane, killed self after creating book and relics
20 Increasingly grew from sympathetic hero to despicable insane magician as fell to madness

d12 Elder Magic Corruption conditions
01 At first sunset after first use
02 After 3 uses of power
04 After 7 uses of power

03 If carried 24 hours
05 If carried 7 days
06 If carried next full moon
07 if read text or study artist depiction of elder gods or minions or cults
08 If hears a elder god related magical chant
09 When wielder takes more than half damage
10 If the user makes a blood sacrifice
11 If the wielder is effected by elder god cultists spell
12 If user in presence of elder god, sleeping entity, servitor or hybrid

d12 Common Elder Magic Objects
Things may have any number of pluses or uses (one use a day is for basic items)

01 Sacrificial daggers send victims soul to patron god 1in10 have pluses to hit and damage too and are used as foci by cultists
02 El Metal Weapons may harm beings on other planes or requiring magic to hit 1in10 have
pluses to hit and damage too
03 Mask of El Metal provides dark vision and hide alignment, 1in10 also hide from magical detection and location can see astral, ethereal and magical phenomena
04 Robes of the cult lords act as as protection adding to armour and saves, decorated in cult symbols, 1in10 cast dimension door once a day
05 Diadem of the elder gods casts friends three times a day, 1in10 cast charm person once a day
06 Torc of madness +2AC from sane persons (non cultists) 1in10 also +2 saves vs sane magic
07 Skull of communion is a hybrid skull bound to entity most act as a y/n augury once a day but 1in10 can cast contact other plane once a day too
08 Tentacle rod strikes as a 2d4 flail and grips if critical 20 hit roll 1in10 instead a tentacle staff does 2d6 damage
09 Ring of elder power, can shoot a d3 magic ray once per round like a cantrip, 1in10 staff versions shoot magic missile with colour according to cult
10 Flesh Plugs of the cult master, insert into lips, cheeks, nose or ears makes wearer enjoy pain 1in10 any damage does one less point
11 Stick of elder power once a day drain 1STR point with a touch and transfer to self for one turn, 1in10 drain energy level and can use to power a 1st level spell known giving you an extra use of spell, both abilities only once a day
12 Summoners wand calls monster summoning one once per day and 1in10 monster summoning three instead 

d12 Corruption effects 
01 Contact objects d4 1=patron entity 2=cult 3=servitor species 4=hybrids by dreams or telepathy
02 A familiar appears, sent by a god to watch over you

03 Alien parasites d4 1= or swarm of weird bugs 2=alien larval horror 3=elder god embryo 4=alien worms
04 Spirit attempts to possess you in moments of weakness or stress, then tries to summon more entities
05 Awaken long slumbering horrors and their agents by proximity
06 See things in other worlds increasingly clear, they start to see you too and hunger for you
07 Increasingly develop madness d4 1=irrational fear 2=megalomania 3=sadism 4=delusional
08 Grow new organs as become a hybrid being pleasing to patron god
09 Hear otherworldly beings whispering madness to you
10 Urge to start new cult 1in6 with split personality runs cult in secret a surprise to normal self
11 Become d4 1=undead immortal servitor 2=cannibal 3=hybrid slave 4=cultist
12 Obsessed with dark knowledge in blasphemous books and occult experimentation

Khaos Relics
Khaos is understood to be the demonic chaos of evil today but was a time when chaos was more neutral and less objectionable until demons began to enslave and use it to their ends as the angelics became increasingly lawful. Older style chaos exists still and hates it's heretical evil khaos which subverts true chaos with intellect, sadism and hate. Original pure chaos is abstract and difficult to understand, mostly forgotten by public.


d20 Horrid stories of relic bearing cult hero
01 Opened portal to the abyss of khaos releasing swarms of evil
02 Destroyed a community famed for virtue and peace
03 Rallied a barbarian horde to lay waste to civilisation
04 Burned a famous library and killed literate victims and scholars
05 Tormented lover and killed horribly to punish them for not loving them
06 Destroyed a church renowned for goodness
07 Bred with monsters and produced spawn of horror
08 Led a horde of demon worshipping goblinoids
09 Kidnapped children to corrupt and serve in evil army
10 Led horde of irregular troops to death against superior disciplined foe
11 Led a horde over vast distance to kidnap unwilling lover who was trying to flee
12 Led a gang of horrid bandits who became khaos tainted cultists

13 Polluted a community with khaos and people broke out in mutations or plague
14 Bred hybrid demon animals to create earth born demon horde
15 Led coven of khaos witches who plagued countryside with fear
16 Released a great horror into world with awful ritual
17 With demon lover became parents of monster child who menaced kingdom
18 Covered the land with impaled corpses especially on roadways
19 Was attacking a holy place with horde and killed by priest or holy warrior
20 Ascended to abyss to join ranks of chaos and evil

d12 Khaos Corruption conditions 
01 At first sunset after first use
02 After 3 uses of power
04 After 7 uses of power

03 If carried 24 hours
05 If carried 7 days
06 If carried next full moon
07 if in presence of a demon
08 If hears a demonic magical chant
09 When wielder takes more than half damage
10 If the user mentions a demon name while spilling blood
11 If the wielder is covered in blood
12 Enters khaos holy place like temple or near a gateway

d12 Common Chaos Magic Objects
Things may have any number of pluses or uses (one use a day is for basic items)

01 Weapons of chaos made from demon bone, with + to hit and damage, some bleed, 1in10 also burn for +1d4 damage and can start fires (some demon bones weep acid, radiate cold or shoot sparks instead)
02 Demon bone summoning wand calls 2d8 goblins 1in10 call 1d6 ogres
03 Demon ring +2 save vs fire and reduce one point per dice from fire, 1in10 reduce fire damage by half, some variants exist resisting acid, cold or lightning

04 Blood amulet if you drink a victims blood after battle can heal one hp (once per fight) 1in10 heal up to 12 points by drinking blood of 12 fallen foes per battle
05 Ring of shape change turns you into a brastman such as a goat or wolf man for 1 turn, 1in10 can change for an hour a day and also turn into normal animal version

06 Demon bone armour and sheilds have plusses to AC and 1in10 also provide same plus to resist fire (or other attack form like acid, cold or lightning depending on demon type)
07 Levitation relic typically a domestic object like a broom, bucket, churn or milk stool that can cast levitation spell once a day 1in10 cast fly instead
08 Mask of the demon (also in helmet form but always cover face) can breath 1d6 flame bolt per round as an attack, 1in10 versions fire 2d6 and other attack forms like cold, lightning or acid possible
09 Girdle of Mutation can call on gods with a mass sacrifice of innocents for a random mutation. A 10% per mutation you have of being changed into a mindless chaos spawn ameboid when you next try with 1in10 versions dont have the bad side effect
10 Teleportation Ring casts dimension door once a day with 1in10 versions casting teleport instead
11 Sacrificial dagger give victims soul to demon patron if they fail a save or are chaotic evil, 1in10 heals user one hp per soul sacrificed
12 Horn of Khaos is a demon horn you attach to your skull for life with a ritual and proved + on AC and saves like a ring of protection, 1in10 come in set of two and can saround weilder in unholy phantom flame at will which provides 30 inches of light

 d12 Corruption effects 
01 Item fuses to body and cant be removed without surgery or death
02 Hunger for blood the more innocent the tastier

03 Hunger for destruction of property, vandalism and arson are favorites
04 Hunger for pain yours or others, whatever you can get
05 Always seeks to be leader by any means
06 A minor demon familiar appears to guide you to chaos and evil
07 A demonic patron announces you are it's thrall
08 Grow demonic features like horns, hooves, tail, tongue
09 Cast no shadow or reflections
10 Animals fear and hate you
11 Shun holy symbols of law or good and their sanctified ground
12 Demonic tattoos appear on you, some with messages for you from abyss