Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part III

Baba Yaga's tests are perilous, yes, but that makes those who survive them stand out from the rest!

Divine Tests
1-4. Oh, you should think twice... The koldunia suffers a -2d4 penalty to all rolls that she makes for the next 24 hours, though the penalty will also last 1 hour longer for every natural 1 she rolls during that time.

5-9.  Far be it for the Witch Goddess to take magic from her servant- she will instead have them suffer 'an unfortunate accident' at the next (roll 1d3): [1] dawn, [2] dusk, or [3] midnight. And though it will inflict 1d6 x 1d6 damage, there will be little doubt as to who is responsible, whether a white, red, or black knight is seen. 

10-14. I'm not one of those pretty girls. The koldunia grows forevermore like Baba Yaga, aging 1d3 years and losing 1d3 CHA (except with regards to magical matters) for every time she experiences this test. In return, she gains a special ability based on what that change is. Roll 1d6.
[1] Long nose: +6 bonus to smell checks & can detect nationality
[2] Gnarled skin: +2 AC bonus & +2 to save vs. poison
[3] Long fingers: +2 manual Dexterity & can make a claw attack for 1d2 damage each round
[4] Hunched back: +1 Constitution, +2 hit points, & cannot be flanked
[5] Chicken legs: +2 to all saves & can ignore 1 mundane attack per round
[6] Iron teeth: can make a bite attack for 2d4 damage each round

15-17. Spoiled! Something even more pressing occurs, affecting the koldunia unless she can meet the gaze of someone else within 1d6 minute's time in order to give it to them instead. A save vs. death prevents this though and forces the koldunia to experience the test herself. Roll 1d6:
[1] Crops fail, or if they don't have crops, their current food stores go bad.
[2] Wedding (or other romantic event they're having) gets crashed.
[3] Learn a secret, but also age 1d3 years.
[4] Turned into a dog for 24 hours.
[5] Whisked away on a flying cauldron, ending up 1d100 miles away in a random direction.
[6] Their passage is 'swept away'- everyone forgets who they are for the next 1d3 days.

18+  Baba Yaga's chicken-legged hut emerges and the koldunia must make a choice of three (per Referee: pick one of three cauldrons, skulls, brooms, or the like). If the correct choice is made, then the test ends. If not, then Baba Yaga bites the koldunia for 3d6 damage and she must choose again sometime within 1d6 turns, taking more damage and every 1d6 turns thereafter until the correct choice is made, potentially becoming the Witch Goddess's supper!


DCC RPG Conversion Notes 
Charisma = Personality
Dexterity = Agility
Constitution = Stamina
Save vs. death = make a Will save DC 10
Referee = Judge



Next week: kolduns of Baba Yaga, part IV!



Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part II


Magical Side-Effects
Sinister magics bless those deserving and harm those who are not. Roll 1d12.

1.  Curse of Baba Yaga: What will be given for this? The koldunia experiences a divine test (detailed next week) unless she can touch someone else within 1d3 rounds first, making them experience it instead. In the latter case, a save vs. death negates, but doing so will also negate the spell. 

2. Aiiiii! I seeee! An ecstatic trance comes over the koldunia, causing her to be ridden by Baba Yaga while casting the spell and for the next 1d3 rounds afterwards. And though most won't actually see the Witch Goddess during this time (only a base 10% chance), the koldunia will move madly in a random direction each round, shrieking to all that she can! 

3. Oh, it's you... As long as the spell is meant to help one unworthy or to harm one worthy, then it only works at 1/2 its normal potency. If unknown whether a target is worthy or not, then there is a 50% chance of it being so. 

4. Herbs, my pretty: Some parts of especially unpleasant plants, animals, or even other beings are needed for the magic to work. Koldunias typically have such things on their person, but non-koldunias typically find such things to be quite disturbing and will react badly when seeing them (a base 66% chance).

5. I bite: Appearing to take on iron teeth (unless she has them already), the koldunia must chomp into the closest person or object within a random direction. Such an act allows the spell to commence and automatically causes 1d4 damage to the one so bitten- let's hope that it has good chicken legs!

6-8. Witchcraft! A random Witch Side-Effect occurs- see Volume II (listed under Mercury, p.20) to determine which it is.

9. Ivan's Three: The spell's target must make a choice from three things, such as huts, brooms, or skulls. If successful (a base 1 in 3 chance), then he either gains triple the spell's usual benefit (if it was meant to help him) or no adverse effect at all (if it was meant to harm him). If not, then Baba Yaga simply bites him for 3d6 damage instead. 

10. Spoil! Though likely to rile any goodly folk who see such a dark deed, the spell works at twice its normal effect, range, or duration if meant to harm someone else. If not, then it only works at 1/2 its normal power, causing goodly folk to simply grumble. 

11. Fire of Vasilisia: The magic can be cast for double its usual effect, range, or duration if the koldunia holds up a flame; triple for all three if it is set within a skull. Still, all non-followers of Baba Yaga who witness such an act must save vs. death or take 2d6 fire damage (3d6 if seeing the flaming skull), possibly being burned to ash as well.

12. Blessing of Baba Yaga: The spell works for thrice its normal effect, range, or duration, and it is not expended for the day. Still, the koldunia must save vs. death or experience a divine test too (or give it to someone else as in #1 above)- Baba Yaga won't give such blessings for free!


DCC RPG Conversion notes
Save vs. death = Will save DC 10
Spell not expended for the day= koldunia gains a +2 bonus to the spell check


Next week: Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part III!


Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part I

Baba Yaga
Neutral Slavic Goddess of Old Age, Witchcraft, & Death

Tenets of Baba Yaga
* Honor old age's wisdom & limits
* Respect death
* Initiate those who are worthy
* Punish those who are not

Kolduns of Baba Yaga
Special: Baba Yaga is served by kolduns (slavic witches; female koldunias) and volkhvas (slavic oracular priestesses).
Allowed Weapons: Dagger
Allowed Armor: None
Symbol: Old Face, Chicken Legs, Skull
Can Turn: Those who have a Wisdom score of 15 or less.
Baba Yagan Mysteries: When in their hut and working with a cauldron and special ingredients, kolduns of Baba Yaga can reroll one of their spell rolls. They may do so up to thrice per day per level, selecting which result they wish to keep.



Next week: Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part II!

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Clerics of Dazbog, Part V

Dazbog Encounters
Illuming light and dark, fire and water, Dazbog brings all the luck that's due. 

Roll 1d12
1. Here, the edges begin to show more, brightness contrasting shadow intensely. All within 240' are fascinated for 1d4 turn's time. A save vs. spell negates, though followers of Dazbog gain a +4 bonus to this roll.

2. Does Dazbog grant luck? Determine a random party member and roll any die: evens = yes; odds = no. If yes, then he or she gains a +5 bonus to all rolls until the next day. If no, then the opposite is the case. 

3. The upperworld shines bright. All within 1/4 mile are blessed with Dazbog's light, though they must save vs. death or take 1d3 fire damage and be blinded for 1 turn. Followers of Dazbog and other bright divinities are immune.

4. And the underworld darkens deep. All within 1/4 mile are blessed with Dazbog's darkness, though they must save vs. death or take 1d3 frost damage and flee in fear for 1 turn. Followers of Dazbog and other dark divinities are immune to this, as well. 

5. If currently night, the sun rises, making it day. If currently day, then the sun sets, making it night. Apart from the obvious great disturbances of such events, the results of either #3 or #4 above will also occur, with things setting right the next day, even if the common folk remain greatly unnerved. 

6. 2d3 Slavs dwell here, half being of a bright personality; the others, dark. All follow Dazbog, but that may be where their similarities end (a base 50% chance). If so, then they will be at odds. 

7. A four-faced statue stands at a crossroads. Sacred to Svetovid, the West Slavic version of Dazbog, going in the correct direction from there will bring good fortune. Those who do (a 1 in 4 chance), will gain a +1 bonus to all rolls until they veer from their path. Otherwise, only a volkhv of Dazbog can determine which is right for each person. 

8. Shimmering, the party spots a golden chariot in the distance. Investigation will show that a follower of Dazbog is driving it forth (see result #12 below). And though he will be able to fly and gain other bonuses with it, he will also be greatly exhausted afterwards when his divinity needs it back (per Divine Test results #15-17). 

9. From the dark lurks a strange, wolfish man. Is he a follower of Dazbog (per #12 below) or someone else altogether? Roll 1d5: [1-3] follower of Dazbog, [4] follower of Veles, [5] follower of Cherno-Dazbog, Dazbog's evil equivalent!

10. One faithful in Dazbog is sent from the local temple to petition the party. He asks them to (roll 1d4): 
[1] investigate some followers of Veles, [2] recover a weapon left behind by Perun clerics, [3] grant a boon to a priestess of Mokosh, [4] root out a group of Chernobog cultists. The party's actions will then decide who is fortunate or not. 

11. Rains erupt from the skies, drenching all within one mile who do not have sufficient cover, or luck (per Referee).

12. Here is one who embodies both light and dark. A follower of Dazbog, he is actually (roll 1d12): [1-3] one just very faithful in and/or blessed by him, [4-7] a cleric of Dazbog, [8-9] a volkhv of Dazbog, [10-11] a monk of Dazbog, [12] an avatar of Dazbog.

DCC RPG Conversion Notes
Save vs. spell= make a Will save DC 15.
Save vs. death= make a Will save DC 10.
Luck (per Referee)= make a Luck check DC 10 


Next week: kolduns of Baba Yaga!