Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Warlocks of Chernobog, Part II

Magical Side-Effects
Doom comes upon the world, and to Chernobog's warlocks too if they aren't careful. Roll 1d12. 

1. Cleansing Shadows: Chernobog insists that the warlock either perform a horrible sacrifice or wash his hands within 3d6 rounds. If not, then he will experience any of the spell's ill effects himself and should probably wash his hands anyway.

2. Sanctuary of Calamity: Stay back 6' from others! If the warlock does keep such a distance socially for the next 1d6 turns, then his spell will work at its normal potency and not be halved in all regard, even if his social life may cease altogether. 

3. Heresy Mute: Beware of that which you speak. The warlock must have remained faithful to his doom-divinity's tenets, only saying the best about devastation, heart-games, subversion, or the like for the last 1d6 hours. If not, then he will suffer an immediate divine test as the spell occurs. 

4. That Charred Smell: Dooms leave scents and one wafts in now. All within 1d6 x 5 feet must save vs. poison or be unable to bear it, suffering a -3 to all rolls for the next 1d6 turns, choking on the blackened remains of shattered dreams. 

5. Corrupting Night: To spite Belobog, Chernobog turns the area pitch black, affecting a 1d6 x 5 feet radius from where the spell occurs for the next 1d6 turns and robbing all non-followers of dark demon lords of their sight while within. 

6-8. No Side Effect: The spell works normally for now. 

9. A Curse Upon Thee: The warlock can now go further, doubling the magic's effect, range, or duration if used to harm a follower of one of the Slavic gods (and thereby a follower of Belobog), triple if used to harm their specific doom-corruption's divinity (Perun, Lada, Veles, etc.) If none applies, then the magic has no effect at all.

10-11. Hope Apocalypta: Chernobog demands disaster and if the spell would specifically aid in that- or whatever the warlock's doom-corruption's divinity would espouse, then its effect, range, or duration to be doubled. Otherwise, the warlock takes 2d6 apocalyptic damage instead!

12. Doom's Blessing: The magic works for twice its normal effect, range, or duration, as well as it not being expended that day. In addition, the warlock gains the ability to sense the direction to the nearest example of his doom-corruption's divinity, allowing him to spread more doom-corruption more easily.


DCC RPG Conversion notes
Save vs. poison = Make a Fortitude save DC 15
Spell not being expended that day= gains a +2 bonus to its spell check 


Next week: Warlocks of Chernobog, Part III!

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Warlocks of Chernobog, Part I

Chernobog
Chaotic Demon Lord of Doom-Corruption

Tenets of Chernobog 
*Spread doom via one of the following corruptions of the Gods, so as to defeat Belobog!
Cherno-Perun: brutality, puritannicalism, devastation
Cherno-Lada: obsession, heart-games, manipulation
Cherno-Veles: subversion, skulduggery, anarchy
Cherno-Mokosh: smothering, overindulgence, oppression
Cherno-Dazbog: chaos, madness, upheaval
Cherno-Baba Yaga: fear, being overly difficult, plague-slaughter 

Warlocks of Chernobog
Special: Chernobog is served by warlocks. In a sense, they are anti-clerics, since they work to subvert the message of a particular divinity (and thereby Belobog, Chernobog's arch-foe), rather than spread it. This trait is referred to as a 'doom-corruption's divinity'. For example, a warlock of Cherno-Perun would appear much like a follower of Perun to the untrained eye, but would actually be working to corrupt the tenets of Perun, or at least to promote Perun's extreme dark side.
Allowed Weapons: per the doom-corruption's divinity, plus a hidden curved dagger
Allowed Armor: per the doom-corruption's divinity, plus a hidden black robe
Symbol: per the doom-corruption's divinity, except that close examination will show it to be sinister, inverted, and/or darker
Can Turn: Followers of Slavic divinities, and thereby Belobog!
Chernobog Mysteries: Warlocks of Chernobog can reroll a failed save up to thrice per level per day. If they are actively engaged in doom-corruption at the time, then they can pick which result they wish to keep. If not, then they must take the second result, even if it's worse.
 

Next week: Warlocks of Chernobog, Part II!

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part V

Baba Yaga Encounters
Terrible things may happen, but those who survive may come out the better.

Roll 1d12
1. Old age comes for us all. A randomly determined, unlucky adult within 120' begins to experience more of the drawbacks of decrepitude. Whether it be aches and pains, or just finding it harder to do things generally, he or she suffers a -1d2 reduction to a random ability score, but also gains a +1d2 bonus to Wisdom.

2. Can you stand the tests? We shall see if a random party member has gone through enough already. Roll a 1d20: if the result is less than or equal to the character's level, then they gain an additional level. If not, then they lose 1 instead. Investigation will show that it is Baba Yaga at work. 

3. Three skulls are revealed. One burns for 3d6 damage, the other has an eternally lit flame, and the last grants immunity to fire for 24 hours. Those who pick them up will find out for themselves, though kolduns and witches will know already.
 
4. Up ahead, three cauldrons lie. Those who climb in will discover that each one may cause (roll 1d3): [1] old age (per result #1 above), [2] chicken legs (per divine tests #10-14), [3] +1 caster level. The effects last until the next (roll 1d3): [1] dawn, [2] dusk, or [3] midnight, though the bad memories may endure much longer.

5. Who is brave enough to enter the hut that stands upon chicken legs before you? How about the other two next to it? The first to enter one will be granted the answer to any one question they seek; the other two, death, putting one's chances of living at 1 in 3, while those faithful to Baba Yaga or a similar divinity will only be knocked unconscious with a wrong choice. 

6. Baba Yaga creeps closer. 1d3 party members immediately experience one of her divine tests- roll 1d20 on that table. Those who survive gain 1 level of koldun, even if they don't want it. 

7. Perhaps servants of Cherno-Baba Yaga, perhaps not, 1d6 alkonosts (Slavic harpies) lurk here, seeking prey. There is also a 50% chance of a follower of Baba Yaga arriving (per #11 below), whether to do battle with them, or to assist (an equal chance of either).

8. One of three ride by: a mighty, phantom bogatyr (Slavic knight) signalling a change of time (roll 1d3): 
[1] white - dawn, [2] red - dusk, or [3] black - midnight. It then becomes that time, leaving those who don't follow Baba Yaga or similar divinities to pause in confusion for 1 turn, a common consequence of such a radical change in time.

9. With horrid nightmares ending, a random, unlucky party member awakes from his or her next sleep, but cannot move, for they have been hagged! And though they will eventually regain motion 1d12 dreadful minutes later, the horror of this nocnitsa visiting each night can only be stopped by performing some deed to one faithful of Baba Yaga (per #11 below), which might be even worse. 

10.  A witch war is brewing between a group of 2d6 kolduns of Baba Yaga and 2d6 witch followers of another goddess (roll 1d6): [1] Hel of the Varangians, [2] Hecate of the Greeks, [3] Morrighan of the Celts, [4] Trivia of the Romans, [5] Ishtar of the Mesopotamians, [6] Loviatar of the Finns. Most might wish to flee such a calamity, though the heroic will wish to stand and fight.

11. Wizened and aged, a follower of Baba Yaga emerges. She is (roll 1d12): [1-4] just a devoted follower of Baba Yaga, [5-9] a koldun of Baba Yaga, [10-12] a volkhva of Baba Yaga. Those who seek her wisdom will almost always pay a price.

12. Death comes for us all. A randomly determined, unlucky adult within 120' must save vs. death or die. If they save, then the next adult in a random direction must save instead. The process continues until one perishes, proving who is worthy and who is not.
 


DCC RPG Conversion Notes
Wisdom = Personality
Save vs. death = make a Will save DC 10


Next week: warlocks of Chernobog!

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part IV

Koldun Spells (Baba Yaga)
Who can stand wielding what the Witch Goddess can?

LABYRINTH LORD
1st Level: Command, Cure Light Wounds (reversible), Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Protection from Evil (+3 if cast in her hut), Remove Fear (reverse), Resist Cold, Divine Weather (D), Faerie Fire (D), Pass with Trace (D), Message*, Shocking Grasp*, Shield*, Sleep*, Spider Climb*, Ventriloquism*

2nd Level: Augury, Bless (reverse), Delay Poison, Find Traps, Know Alignment, Hold Person, Holy Chant, Resist Fire, Reveal Charm, Speak with Animal, Spiritual Weapon (wielded by a phantom), Barkskin (D), Feign Death (D), Find Plant (D), Fire Trap (D), Obscuring Mist (D), Produce Flame (D), Stumble (D), Warp Wood (D), Amnesia*, Arcane Lock*, Auditory Illusion*, Detect Invisible*, ESP*, False Gold*, False Trap*, Invisibility*, Knock*, Levitate*, Light* (reverse), Ray of Enfeeblement*, Scare*, Shatter*, Stinking Cloud*, Web*

3rd Level: Animate Dead, Cure Blindness (reverse), Cure Disease (reversible), Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding (works when placed in her hut), Locate Object, Prayer, Remove Curse (reversible), Speak with Dead, Striking, Snare (D), Blink*, Clairaudience*, Clairvoyance*, Fly* (requires a cauldron to stand in), Tiny Hut* (but can move around on chicken legs instead), Suggestion*

4th Level: Cure Serious Wounds (reversible), Detect Lie, Divination, Exorcise, Neutralize Poison, Protection from Evil 10’ Radius (+3 if cast in her hut), Sticks to Snakes, Tongues, Flash Fire (D), Hallucinatory Terrain (D), Arcane Eye*, Charm Monster*, Fear*, Globe of Invulnerability (Lesser)*, Polymorph Others*, Polymorph Self*, Summon Monster II*

5th Level: Cure Critical Wounds (reversible), Flame Strike, Insect Plague, Control Winds (D), Wall of Fire (D), Contact Other Plane*, Distort Distance*, Feeblemind*, Magic Jar*, Secret Chest*, Telekinesis* 

6th Level: Animate Objects, Blade Barrier,Find the Path, Heal, Word of Recall, Control Weather (D), Fire Seeds (D), Anti-Magic Shell*, Arcane Window*, Dweomer of Rage*, Geas*, Guards and Wards*

7th Level: Astral Projection, Gate, Regenerate, Wind Walk (requires a cauldron to stand in), Control Weather (Greater) (D), Finger of Death (D), Reincarnate (D), Power Word Stun*, Summon Demon*, Permanency*



DCC RPG
1st Level: Blessing, Darkness, Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Paralysis, Resists Heat (but not cold), Second Sight, Word of Command, Chill Touch*, Choking Cloud*, Ekim's Mystical Mask*, Magic Shield*, Sleep*, Spider Climb*, Ventriloquism* 

2nd Level: Banish, Binding, Curse, Lotus Stare, Neutralize Poison or Disease, Restore Vitality, Detect Invisible*, ESP*, Fire Resistance*, Forget*, Invisibility*, Invisible Companion*, Knock*, Levitate*, Locate Object*, Monster Summoning*, Ray of Enfeeblement*, Scare*, Shatter*, Spider web*, Curse of Moirae*




Next week: kolduns of Baba Yaga, Part V!