Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Noitas of Louhi

Louhi
Chaotic Demon Lord of Pohjola

Cult Edicts of Louhi
* Be cruel to Finns & men, especially Finnish men!
* Tempt them with beautiful rewards...
* ... and betray them whenever possible
* Unleash great calamity too

Noitas of Louhi
Special: Louhi is served by witches (see Volume II) and noitas (Finnish shamanic-witches). Noitas fight as magic-users, but are otherwise treated as clerics. And unlike standard witches (who can select different spells and brew potions), Louhi's noitas can call upon dark spirits to turn Finnish men. Both use mysteries of Louhi (below).
Allowed Weapons: Dagger, staff, whip
Allowed Armor: None
Symbols: Darkness, Cold, North, Whip
Can Turn: Finnish men
Mysteries of Louhi: If their magic would harm a Finnish man, followers of Louhi may reroll one of their spell rolls up to once per day per level.
 
* Louhi and her ilk's hatred of Finnish men can come to include (and even affect) western human males of other civilizations too, if the Referee so desires.



Next week: Noitas of Louhi, Part II!


Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Fighter-Wizards of Lemminkainen, Part V

   

Lemminkainen Encounters
In a strait, all things are useful. Lemminkainen will see just how resourceful the party is. And if things get too dicey, there's always a base 25% chance of one faithful in him showing up to join in the adventure too (per result #12).

Roll 1d12
1. One party member's mother warns them about an upcoming encounter below (reroll on this table to determine which one). They would be wise to heed her wisdom. 
 
2. 2d6 taunting maidens dwell here. Being of 1d4+4 Charisma each, one might wish to abduct one for wifeing purposes, but also being Pohjolan, one might pass. Even when taken and betrothed, she may wish to dance with others in the halls of joys and pleasure (a base 25% chance per month)...

3. The party can't rest their mounts anywhere, nor remove their armor (barding or human-type). Whenever such is attempted, annoying phantom babes and old women show up to chastise them and prevent it. Such a curse can only be identified by one faithful in Lemminkainen (or similar divinity), though a follower of another divinity would actually be needed to remove it. 

4. What lies ahead? A Pohjolan hold! Within, one will find 2d6 Pohjolan swordsmen drinking flagons of beer with snakes and lizards at the bottom, 1d4 dogs that love to lick the blood of strangers, and 1 Pohjolan host, ready to duel. There's also a 50% chance of 1d4th level noita of Louhi being within (detailed next week) to lead the dark northerners as a Hostess, as well.
Pohjolan Swordsmen: Align: C, MV: 40’, AC: 6, HD: 1, Atk: 1 sword, Dmg: 1d6, SP: none, SV: F1, Mor: 8 (4 if Host is slain)
Bloodlicker Dogs: Align: N, MV: 70’, AC: 8, HD: 2, Atk: 1 bite, Dmg: 1d4, SP: +3 to hit those who are bleeding, SV: F2, Mor: 9 (1 if Host is slain)
Pohjolan Host: Align: C, MV: 40’, AC: 3, HD: 4, Atk: 1 sword, Dmg: 1d8+2, SP: abilities of 4th level fight, SV: F4, Mor: 10
 
5. A hiisi moose is rumored to dwell here. Those who come across it (a base 10% chance of searching each hour) will find the rumors to be true, the beast to be a dire moose with treelike qualities, and it has an incredibly foul disposition. There's also a 25% chance of running into 1d4 lightly clad forest-dames (Finnish dryads) each hour.
Hiisi Moose: Align: C!, MV: 70’, AC: 7, HD: 4, Atk: 1 gore, Dmg: 2d8+2, SP: immune to mind/animal effects, can be treated as a plant, SV: F4, Mor: 6
 
6. With a hideous, fiery neigh, one of Lempo's fire-expiring stallions dashes forth! Even though it would seem an otherwise normal horse, the stallion's hide is continually aflame, causing terrible burns to any who come too close. Only some sort of dousing will allow it to be ridden.
Fire Stallion: Align: N, MV: 90’, AC: 8, HD: 2, Atk: 1 kick, Dmg: 2d6, SP: those within 3' take 2d6 fire damage each round, SV: F2, Mor: 3

7. Gliding upon a nearby death river is a black swan, or some other surprising event. Such a sight might seem an epiphany; that is, until a blind shepherd (with surprisingly good aim), begins cursing profusely and opens fire!
Blind Shepherd of Death: Align: C, MV: 20’, AC: 9, HD: 2, Atk: 1 bow, Dmg: 1d6, SP: +6 to hit with his bow; those struck must also save vs. death or die! (those slain may then also only be resurrected by their mother); otherwise blind, SV: F2, Mor: 12

8. A glowing, smoky wall of flame blocks the way ahead. All who attempt to pass through will take 10d6 damage. Another route must be found, unless travelers are overly fond of a sauna.

9. As the party rounds a turn, they discover a lava river flowing beyond. Luckily, it seems like it can be bypassed with a minor detour. Unluckily, within the river is a rocky pinnacle. From that springs a fire eagle intent on bringing the fire directly to the party.
Fire Eagle: Align: C, MV: 120’ (fly), AC: 7, HD: 3, Atk: 1 fiery bite/ 2 fiery claws, Dmg: 1d6+3/ 1d3+3  (fire), SP: those within 3' take 2d6 fire damage each round, may breathe a 60' cone of flame for 3d6 damage every 3 rounds, SV: F3, Mor:8

10. What is that I hear? Something sounding like a howl and a roar... Those who remain to find out will be attacked within 2d4 rounds by a hideous wolf & black bear. These monsters will aggress relentlessly until given something to eat. Otherwise, the party members will do!
Hideous Wolf: Align: N, MV: 70’, AC: -2, HD: 2, Atk: 1 bite, Dmg: 1d4+2, SP: very hard to injure and has 75% magic resistance, but will stop to eat any food or prey given, SV: F2, Mor:12
Hideous Bear: Align: N, MV: 50’, AC: -2, HD: 4, Atk: 1 bite, Dmg: 1d6+4, SP: very hard to injure and has 50% magic resistance, but will stop to eat any food or prey given, SV: F4, Mor:12

11. All manner of lizard and serpent slither here. For the next 2d6 rounds, each party member must save vs. paralysis or be bitten for 1d3 damage and then must save vs. poison or fall unconscious for 3d6 rounds (to be potentially bitten again). What is more, there's a 15% chance each round of a very large serpent with 100 eyes showing up too.
100-Eyed Serpent: Align: C, MV: 30’, AC: 6, HD: 6, Atk: 1 bite, Dmg: 3d6, SP: those bitten must save vs. poison or die!; cannot be surprised or flanked (it has 100 eyes!) , SV: F6, Mor:10
 
12. One faithful in Lemminkainen approaches. Apart from his obvious brash, minstrel-upstart ways, conversation will reveal that he is actually (roll 1d12): [1-2] just one who greatly emulates Lemminkainen, [3-4] a Tiera-type fighter-henchman, [5-9] a fighter-wizard of Lemminkainen , [10] a fighter-ranger of Lemminkainen , [11-12] a wizard-bard of Lemminkainen
 
 
DCC Conversion Notes
Save vs. death= make a Will save DC 10
Save vs. paralysis= make a Reflex save DC 15
Save vs. poison= make a Fortitude save DC 15
 
 
Next week: noitas of Louhi! 
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Fighter-Wizards of Lemminkainen, Part IV

Spells (Lemminkainen)
To be brash, one must use clever magic, though fighting, tracking, and singing may be required too. 
 
1st Level: Create Water (as ice rain), Delay Poison, Protection from Evil, Remove Fear (reversible), Taunt Person (reversed Charm Person*)

2nd Level: Bless, Silence 15' Radius, Burning Eyes (as Burning Hands*, but shoots from the fighter-wizard's eyeballs instead), Fire Arrows (as Magic Missile*, but are on fire), Sleep*

3rd Level: Conjure Animals (only to distract, perform nonviolent actions, or feed/ feed on other animals), Call Lightning (D), Hold Animal (D), Invisibility*

4th Level: Create Food and Water, Fire Sword (causes the fighter-wizard's sword to be engulfed in flame, allowing it to cause +1d6 damage per round to those it hits for 1 round per caster level; can also be used to cut through walls of fire). Summon Sylvan Beings (D), Haste* (over snow only), Ice Storm*

5th Level: Dispel Evil, Summon Spirit (ancestral, elemental, or nature spirit), Hallucinatory Terrain (D), Feeblemind*, Polymorph* (self; eagle form only)
 
6th Level: Commune (with Mielikki or Ukko, since Lemminkainen is a demigod), Disintegrate*, Maze*



Ranger-Wizards & Wizards-Bards
For those looking for more specialized followers of Lemminkainen, there can be ranger-wizards or bard-wizards too. 
 
Ranger-Wizards: fight as clerics and have the tracking abilities of the ranger. They still learn only one spell per level, can only cast 1/2 the cleric's amount of spells per day, and cannot turn- the same restrictions as fighter-wizards.
 
Wizard-Bards: use the rules for bards in Volume II, but substitute Lemminkainen spells instead.
 
 
Next week: Fighter-Wizards of Lemminkainen, Part V!
 

 

 
 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Fighter-Wizards of Lemminkainen, Part III

 
Much adventure comes with following such heroic audacity.

Divine Tests
1
-10. What shall the fighter-wizard go forth and seek? He loses access to all of his spells- roll 1d10 for each one to see what he must do to get it back.
[1] Find a beautiful (potential) wife with braided tresses, especially if he doesn't have one already.

[2] Abduct a beautiful (potential) wife, since finding one may not be enough.
[3] Stand up to the next group he encounters: stilling sneers, silencing taunts, and crushing bosoms.
[4]
Abstain from war, not initiating combat for the next 4d3 hours unless someone else initiates it first.
[5] Insult a shepherd.
[6] Acquire a new, well-made item: even better if it's magical.
[7] Hunt a moose or similar beast for at least 1 hour. There's a base 25% chance of it being found each turn, and it will be hiisi (dire: +4 HD, +2 dmg)!
[8] Roll for a divine test from Mielikki, hopefully also enjoying some wooded place and meeting some fetching forest-mothers too in the process (2d4 Finnish dryads- a base 33% chance of the latter).
[9] Bridle a wild horse, though it will become inflamed once found, causing 2d6 damage each round to all who come within 3' of it.
[10] Find a swan, but if it's black (a base 25% chance), then the fighter-wizard immediately experiences a 12 +1d6 test on this table.

11-16. Sometimes, the adventures find you. Unless the fighter-wizard succeeds at 3 Charisma checks in a row, something fell befalls him. Roll 1d4.
[1] Alas, his wife (or nearest counterpart) goes to dance in the halls of many strangers, halls of joy and pleasure. Time to find a new one...
[2] Nowhere can the faithful of Lemminkainen find rest, not even for his mount for the next 24 hours. He may sit a while, but will always be disturbed by some old woman or babe.
[3] Pohjolans attack: 2d4 fighters with 1d3 levels each and 1d3 mean hounds that love to lick the blood of strangers (1d2 HD each)!
[4] For the next 3d4 hours, any fences, portals, or barriers the fighter-wizard comes to are either writhing with snakes or are made of fire. He (and any lucky others who are in the area) can save vs. paralysis to pass through them to only take 1/2 of the 4d6 damage each would otherwise inflict.

17+ Beware of Nasshut, the blind Pohjolan shepherd! The fighter-wizard is slain by such a cur's serpent arrow, chopped to pieces, and dropped in the nearest river. He can only then be resurrected by his mother raking his pieces back together, but she must do so within 3 days' time. If his mother is still alive, she will know, for his hairbrush will give the telltale sign of oozing blood. If not, then he remains slain. And for every divine test result over 17, reduce the number of days she has to save him by 1. Wise followers of Lemminkainen often keep their mothers (and their hairbrushes) not too far for just this reason.


DCC RPG Conversion Notes
Charisma check = Personality check DC 15
Save vs. Paralysis = make a Reflex save DC 15 




Next week: fighter-wizards of Lemminkainen, Part IV!