Wyrd Ways Promo #2

And, as promised, here are some excerpts from my upcoming Wyrd Ways of Walstock module...

The full module (PDF) will be available for sale sometime within the next week.  I'll post when it's ready!


Next week: we resume Divinity Updates with Priestesses of Potnia, Minoan Snake goddess: Part I!

Wyrd Ways Promo #1

I wanted to take a two-week break from Divinity updates to pitch my upcoming (and very first) module to my many readers. As you can see from the wonderful cover picture by Luigi Castellani, it is a tribute to classic adventure with a twist of political satire thrown in.

From the cover:

“‘Wyrd’ things are afoot in Walstock. This town might seem like your ordinary, post-apocalyptic-now-turned-fantasy locale, but it is not! Fell Cults have begun to take over and it is up to the brave adventurers to stop one in particular: the Cult of the Shield Ghul.

But the ‘Wyrdness’ doesn’t end there. Though this adventure can be used to facilitate your typical wander-around-and-kill-everyone-to-take-their-stuff-type scenario, it also includes a sinister (and frankly genius) plot, feuding factions, plenty of hyphens, not to mention bizarre NPC’s and situations to either interact with or stab to death.

Prepare yourself for an unusual and memorable gaming experience. It could be just what the Barber-Dentist ordered!”

The party will essentially be tasked with apprehending a certain eccentric individual, causing a cascade of events to unfold of both an intriguing and bizarre nature. And as my playtesters found out, this isn’t your normal dungeon delve-type adventure: one even suggested putting a warning on the label.

Credits:

Writing and design: Dan Osarchuk

Cover Illustration: Luigi Castellani

Interior Illustrations: Jim Yoder, Jeff Call, Andrew Walter, John Blaszczyk, and Stock Art

Walstock Town Maps: John R.L. McNabb

Stats:

Labyrinth Lord & other Classic Game System Compatible 

Character Levels: 1-3

Pages: 30

Words: ~25K

Rating: A+, Freaking awesome!

Coming soon to PDF on Drivethru RPG, unless the Hospitaliers exsanguinate me first!

Next week: Wyrd Ways Promo #2!

Clerics of Fenrir, Part IV

Cleric Spells (Fenrir)

The Great Wolf would rather his clerics bite and rip apart their prey, instilling fear and destroying all they encounter. But if they must cast a spell, then here they are- especially if such magic assists in biting off gods’ hands!

1st Level: Command, Cure Light Wounds (reversible), Detect Evil (reverse), Light (reverse), Protection from evil (reverse), Remove Fear (reverse), Pass without Trace^D, Speak with Animals^D (wolves only)

2nd Level: Bless (reverse), Hold Person (requires growling at them deeply), Stumble^D, Detect Invisible* (via scent), Scare* (requires howling)

3rd Level: Animal Growth (wolves and other predators only), Cure Blindness (reversible), Cure Disease, Remove Curse (reversible), Striking (on bite attacks only, +9 vs. hands!), Gust of Wind* (usable against pigs and those in dwellings), Infravision* (also makes eyes look scary), Protection from Normal Missiles*

4th Level: Cure Serious Wounds (reversible), Detect Lie, Summon Animal I^D (wolves only), Fear*, Polymorph Self* (only into grandmother forms that still have big eyes and teeth)

5th Level: Commune (requires making a gruesome kill first), Cure Critical Wounds (reversible), Dispel Evil (reverse), Summon Animal II^D (wolves only), Fearsome Wolf (as Faithful Hound*, but far more upsetting and vicious)

6th Level: Find Path (involves much sniffing), Summon Animal III^D (wolves only), Dweomer of Rage* (no potion required), Globe of Invulnerability*

7th Level: Regenerate, Restoration, Confusion^D

Fenris Cleric Foes

Though particularly vicious players might certainly enjoy portraying clerics of Fenrir, they are far more likely to be encountered as adversaries (that is Fenris clerics, not vicious players in this case).

The following table provides stats for such foes at various levels. With some minor modification, it could also be used for other types of clerics too.

Fenris Clerics: No. Enc.: 1; Align: C...

1st level: Mve: 40’*; AC 7*; HD 1*; Attk: 2*; Dmg*: 1d3 (bite attack) and/or 1d4 (dagger); SP: Cleric spells, Turn, Fenris Curse (Save to not devour victims they have slain; gain a Strength bonus and hit points after doing so), Wolf-Hunger* (10% chance); Sve: C1; Mor: 6

3rd level (Shaman): Mve: 40’*; AC 6*; HD 3+2*; Attk: 2*; Dmg*: 1d4 (bite attack) and/or 1d4+1 (dagger); SP: Shaman spells, Become Ethereal 3 rounds/day, Fenris Curse, Wolf-Hunger* (30% chance); Sve: C3; Mor: 8

Note: Shaman spells and abilities are described in the Thrym entry in Volume II.

5th level: Mve: 40’*; AC 6*; HD 5+4*; Attk*: 2; Dmg*: 1d6 (bite attack) and/or 1d4+2 (dagger); SP: Cleric spells, Turn, Fenris Curse, Wolf-Hunger* (50% chance); Sve: C5; Mor: 10

* The effects of certain Divine Tests of Fenrir (Wolf-Hunger) can change his clerics permanently, granting them various boons and penalties that would affect the stats so marked. The cleric has a 10% chance per level of having experienced each of the following and would then be subject to the specific boons and restrictions thereof when encountered. See that section for specifics.

Roll for each:

1. An increased chance of hitting with their bite attack...

2. An improved AC & speed...

3. Larger size for greater Strength and Constitution...

4. Lycanthrope form...

In addition, beating the percentage by 20% or more means that the cleric has experienced that Test twice, thereby giving him double the bonus and penalty. For example, a 4th level cleric of Fenrir has a 40% chance of experiencing each of the above. On a d100 roll of 21-40, it’s shown that he’s experienced that Wolf-Hunger once. On a roll of 01-20, it turns out that he’s actually experienced that Wolf-Hunger twice!

Fenris clerics of higher levels can even have a chance of having experienced various Wolf-Hungers thrice or more (by beating the percentage by 40%, etc.), all depending on howl far the Referee is willing to go.

Next week: Preview of my upcoming module: Wyrd Ways of Walstock!

Clerics of Fenrir, Part III

Wolf-Hunger

Fenrir compels his cleric to hunt, consume, and destroy- and he should relish the task! Such results can also be used to randomly determine what a Fenris cleric’s motivations are when encountered as an NPC: how quickly he will try to eat the party... and whether he will use relish or not!

Divine Tests

1. Hunters need rest to grow larger and more vicious. The cleric must do so for the next 2d6 turns unless any prey comes within 10’ of him first.

2-3. Fenrir’s hunger must be sated now! The cleric need bite the first being he sees but can save to resist the urge. If he saves, then he must bite the second being he sees, and so on. Once he bites a being, then this particular instance of Wolf-Hunger is complete, though the being will likely attack the cleric then (a base 75% chance)!

4-9. The Great Wolf consumes some of the cleric’s spells (50% chance for each one), making them unavailable until the next stroke of midnight. Roll 1d6 for each one lost to determine what the cleric need do to use it before then:

[1] Empower or assist a monster or other vicious beast with its hunting.

[2] Hunt, slay, and consume 3d6 HD worth of being(s).

[3] Terrify an innocent by stalking them- dressing up as their grandmother would certainly help add to the terror.

[4] Attack those who are in their homes, especially by using threats of blowing their house down.

[5] Slay a jailor or other one who chains, or even free one who is chained (who can then be eaten afterwards- with or without relish).

[6] Eat a god, or at least part of one (e.g. an arm)... or eat a follower of one of the gods if nothing else!

10-11. As offspring of Loki, Fenrir has been known to associate with gods and other demon lords. Use a Test from one of the following in this case rather than Wolf-Hunger, but make sure the results are wolfish nevertheless! Roll 1d3:

[1] Hel (see Volume I)

[2] Loki (see Volume I)

[3] Thrym (see Volume II)

12-17. Fenrir howls and his cleric changes, becoming forevermore like the Great Wolf himself. Roll 1d4 to determine his new trait. Subsequent instances of the same result will only compound the effects and the penalty that goes along with them:

[1] Gain a wolf head that improves the cleric’s chance to hit with his bite attack by +1 and any smell and hearing-based rolls by +3, but also gives him a -4 reaction penalty when dealing with any non-wolves, non-followers of Fenrir, or others who don’t particularly care for those with wolf heads.

[2] Gain a furry hide that improves his AC by 1 and speed by 10’ but also reduces his chances of successfully using his Turn ability by 3.

[3] Grow larger, gaining 1 foot in height and a proportional increase in weight along with a +1 Strength and Constitution bonus. Unfortunately, the cleric also loses the ability to cast one of his spells forevermore as a result, as well as not being able to fit into his favorite pair of pants ever again.

[4] Like a lycanthrope, the cleric changes into a wolf-man every night of the full moon. When this occurs, he experiences the changes for #1, #2, and #3 above. In addition, the cleric must kill anyone he encounters while in this state, unless they too are devotees of Fenrir. If the cleric already has experienced 1 or more of the changes above or experiences this result twice, then the effects and penalties double in magnitude. For example, if a cleric already has a wolf head, then his wolf head becomes more potent in lycanthropic form, granting a +2 to hit with his bite attack, improving smell and hearing by 6, as well as causing a -8 reaction penalty instead. He would also gain the furry hide and larger size of results #2 and #3 above.

18+ Ragnarok (or something close to it) occurs! A Fenris Wolf arrives within 1d6 rounds and then attacks everyone in sight until slain. See the Tyr entry in Volume I for details on these monsters (AC is 1 [18]). For every Wolf-Hunger result over 18, another one accompanies it. Though he might enjoy the carnage, the Wolves are just as likely to attack the cleric too!

Clerics of Fenrir (Part II)

Magical* Side-Effects (Fenrir)

The Fenris Curse allows the cleric to recover hit points by consuming his prey, but there are other, more versatile (and upsetting) methods for the Great Wolf to provide succor. Roll 1d12.

1. My, what big teeth you have... The spell's target is just too delicious to resist! The cleric gets a free bite attack on them with a +4 bonus to hit and damage (since they most likely weren’t expecting it) and then must keep biting them until the cleric is wounded. Even though the target won’t receive any benefit from the spell in this case, the cleric will at least gain some hit points if he ends up consuming them!

2-3. Bite makes right: Toughening the target of the spell up a bit, the cleric makes a bite attack for just 1d3 damage (even if of a higher level where he would cause more bite damage). Afterwards, the cleric doesn’t have to keep biting them (emphasis on ‘have to’) and they will receive the normal effects of the spell; that is, if they don’t try to bite him back!

4. This spell will charge you an arm... It’s no little nibble that Fenrir wants now, but have no fear: someone else can suffer in order for the spell to work. The cleric must bite a sacrificial victim for 4 hit points per level of the spell. He should make sure not to let the followers of Tyr know if he actually does take off an arm though.

5-8. No Side-Effect: Apart the impending sense of wolfish dread, the magic works normally this time. 

9-10. I’ll huff, and I’ll puff. Have you consumed the sun? Eaten the moon? Blown down a house made of straw? Only if the cleric has caused some wanton destruction within the last 1d4 hours will the magic work, and with a 50% bonus to its range, effect, or duration.

11-12. Death-Howl of Fenrir: The magic works for double its usual range, effect, or duration. What is more, the cleric also gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage rolls when in melee for the next 1d6 turns, though he must also save vs. Death/ make a Will save DC 10 or begin devouring any fallen foes (see Fenris Curse)!

Next week: Clerics of Fenrir (Part III)!

Clerics of Fenrir (Part I)

Fenrir

Chaotic Demon Lord of Evil Wolf-kind, Terror, & Destruction

Tenets of Fenrir

* Let nothing chain you, even Gods

* Be a ferocious hunter, grow strong

* Consume all that get in your way

* Destroy the world

Clerics of Fenrir

Special: Clerics of Fenrir are also known as shamans.

Allowed Weapons: Dagger, wolf bite (see below)

Allowed Armor: None

Holy Symbol: Large Wolf, Hand Bitten Off

Can Turn: Clerics of the Gods (especially Norse ones: +2 bonus; -2 penalty vs. others)

Fenris Curse: Clerics of Fenrir can make a wolfish bite attack every round of combat, causing 1d3 damage at 1st level and increasing the damage die for every odd level thereafter (i.e. 1d4 at 3rd level, 1d6 at 5th level, etc.)

What is more, clerics of Fenrir must Save vs. Spell to not immediately devour any victims that they have slain, a process that takes 1d6 rounds for every HD the victim has. They suffer an AC penalty of 6 while eating (unless they drag their prey to a safe place), but also gain 2 bonus hit points, as well as a +1 Strength bonus per HD of wolf-chow consumed afterwards. The bonuses last for the next 24 hours, but the lamentations for the fallen can last far longer.

Next week: Clerics of Fenrir (Part II)!

Clerics of Janus, Part IV

Cleric Spells (Janus)

Janus’s focus is on time, space, beginnings, and endings and so too do his clerics mainly cast spells of that nature, some even requiring gateways or other portals to work.

1st Level: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Protection from Evil, Remove Fear, Sanctuary (can also be cast on others who stand near portals or who are making new beginnings), Hold Portal* ^(PT), Message* ^PT (does not need line of sight)

2nd Level: Augury, Bless, Hold Person (frozen in time and space), Silence 15’ radius (ditto for sound), Spiritual Weapon ^PT, Knock* ^(PT)

3rd Level: Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding ^PT, Prayer, Remove Curse, Haste* (reversible)

4th Level: Cure Serious Wounds, Divination, Exorcise, Striking (+2 when used around portals), Dimension Door* ^PT

5th Level: Atonement, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Dispel Evil, Plane Shift ^PT, Distort Distance*, Teleport* ^PT

6th Level: Blade Barrier ^PT, Find the Path, Heal, Word of Recall ^PT, Greater Teleport ^PT (as Teleport*, but no chance of being off target)

7th Level: Gate ^PT, Restoration, Symbol ^PT, Time Stop*

PT: Spell requires a nearby portal, such as a gateway, door, or other opening to work. Note that Janus Mysteries will also then grant a +2 bonus to all of the cleric’s rolls related to the spell.

 *: Magic-User Spell

Portal Encounters

The thresholds of Janus can be simple or elaborate; mundane or even magical pathways to another world. Whatever the case, those who travel through will likely be making a new beginning.

Portal Appearance (roll 1d6)

1. Simple Door

2. Moderate Door

3. Elaborate Door

4. Gateway

5. Arch

6. Other (Cave, Hole, Cabinet, Standing Stones, etc.)

50% base chance of being locked or blocked

20% base chance of being guarded

Portal Function (roll 1d30)

1-25. Normal passage to adjacent area

26-27. One-way, stranding passage through time, space, and/or reality*

28-29. One-way, returning passage (1d100 hours later) through time, space, and/or reality*

30. Two-way, secured passage through time, space, and/or reality*

*Special Portal Function

1. Travel into the past ^P, 1d100 (and roll 1d8): [1] rounds, [2] minutes, [3] hours, [4] days, [5] months, [6] years, [7] decades, or [8] centuries

2. Travel into the future, 1d100 (and roll 1d8): [1] rounds, [2] minutes, [3] hours, [4] days, [5] months, [6] years, [7] decades, or [8] centuries

3-5. Travel in a random direction (correcting for elevation and/or obstacles), 1d100 (and roll 1d8): [1] feet, [2] yards, [3] quarter miles, [4] miles, [5] ten miles, [6] hundred miles, [7] thousand miles, or [8] interplanetary

6. Otherworld: see Manannan listing in Divinities and Cults: Volume II for generation guidelines

P: Unless the past isn’t altered in any way by the time travelers (a very unlikely event), then those returning will likely end up in an alternate reality/ Otherworld due to the paradox(es) they cause(d).

Next week: Clerics of Fenrir Wolf!

Clerics of Janus, Part III

Liminal Space

Janus sends his faithful through many thresholds so that they might better understand the implications of space and time.

Divine Tests

1-2. Are you administering the proper rites? The cleric apparently needs more practice honoring new beginnings and measuring how much has already been done. He must now take 2d6 turns of time, as well as having a 50% chance of needing to sacrifice at least 1d6 x 10 gold pieces in treasure or goods, in order to do so.

3-4. A firmer reminder is now required. The priest is immediately shifted in time or space, suffering a -2 to all rolls for the rest of the day and possibly other considerations. Roll 1d3.

[1] Be sent 1d100 minutes into the future- he will experience it as lost time

[2] Be sent 1d100 minutes into the past, being able to even change it, but then suffering 1d20 damage from any paradoxes caused

[3] Be sent 1d20 feet in a random, horizontal direction, taking 1d3 damage and being pushed aside if he would materialize in a solid object

5-9. Duration and dimension can necessarily limit a cleric’s magic. As a result, he experiences a reduction in spells available (50% chance for each one) until dawn of the next day.  Roll 1d6 for each spell lost to determine what the cleric needs to happen in order for him to be able to use it before then:

[1] Arrive at a certain hour: roll 1d12 to determine what hour that is, ignoring whether the time is before or after midday

[2] Pass through a gateway, doorway, or other portal that he has never traveled through before

[3] Prevent all evil beings from passing through the nearest gateway, doorway, or other portal for the next 1d3 hours

[4] Open and pass through a gateway, doorway, or other portal that is currently locked or guarded

[5] Be at an area of synchronicity of time and space (e.g. a location associated with 144 at 1:44)

[6] Defeat one that has violated the laws of time or space (e.g. undead or summoned being)

10-12. Liminal Space can have broader applications, so in this case, use a Test from a similar Divinity rather than one from Janus. Roll 1d3:

[1] Manannan (otherworlds caused by time and space)

[2] Mars (beginnings of war)

[3] Mercury (gateways of trade)

See Divinities and Cults: Volume II for details on these Divinities. In the case of Manannan, explain the sense of not belonging or being otherworldly to the worship of Janus being more popular during archaic times.

13-17. A greater understanding of space is now required of the Janus priest, as well as anyone else who happens to be standing within 1d6 x 5’ of him when this Test occurs. They are immediately teleported a certain distance in a random, horizontal direction, also taking damage from any unfortunate collisions and/or elevation adjustments that might occur when they arrive at the destination. Perhaps he will remember to stick to proper rites for all new beginnings from now on? Roll 1d4.

[1] 1d100 feet, 1d4 damage

[2] 1d10 quarter miles, 1d8 damage

[3] 1d100 miles, 1d10 damage

[4] 1d1,000 miles (roll a 1d100 and add another d10), 1d20 damage

18+ As ‘Janitor’, Janus needs to clean up the cleric’s mess and show him that once and for all, time and space are one. After allowing him to view a temporal mishap that his lack of proper ritual has likely caused (or will cause), Janus then causes the cleric to either (roll 1d3):

[1] Travel 1d10 years into the past

[2] Travel 1d10 years into the future

[3] Enter an alternate reality with 1d4 divergences caused by paradoxes in the timeline (see the Manannan listing in Divinities and Cults: Volume II to generate divergences at random)

Those standing near the cleric when this Test occurs can also be transported with him (per Referee). And, unless the cleric finds another way to immediately return to his original time or reality (a base 5% chance per level), then those transported will end up being stranded. They then have a 50% + 10% chance per level of returning (or seeming to return) by either:

[1] Showing up immediately to find the party again but years older (if they were transported to the past)

[2] Reappearing again years later at the same place and at the same age (if they were transported to the future)

[3] Being switched with an alternate reality double that has a 50/50 chance of being either kinder or crueler and also has all ability scores adjusted by 1d6-3 (if they traveled to an alternate reality).

Otherwise, they will not return. What is more, for every Liminal Space result over 18+, increase the time travelled by 1d10 additional years and increase the divergences by 1d4!

Clerics of Janus (Part II)

Healing Side-Effects (Janus)
Like the flow of time and space, the healing of Janus is based on both beginnings and endings. And in the case of the patient, it will hopefully begin the cure and end the injury sooner rather than later.

What is more, if you’d like to save a die roll, you can have the Healing Side-Effect match whichever clock direction the top of the healing die faces when it lands. For example, if the result on a d6 for a Cure Light Wounds spell points to 4 o’clock, then consider the Healing Side-Effect result to be a 4. For healing spells that don’t have die rolls, simply roll a d12.

1-2. Is it the Appropriate Time? Janus presides over all beginnings, and the question is: what time should healing take place? Roll a d12 to determine the hour that healing is to occur for the patient (ignoring ante meridiem/ post meridiem time). If not already known, then roll a d12 to see if the hour matches. If it does, then the healing occurs immediately. If not, then healing occurs as soon as the correct hour is struck. In addition, and possibly unfortunately for the patient, he or she also cannot receive any healing until this hour is struck, whether from the spell that triggered this Side-Effect or not.

3-4. Rite makes Right. All Good Creation requires proper ritual and that includes curative magic. 1d6 turns of time and 2d6 gold pieces in offering are now required to make the healing work. If not, then it is forfeit.

5-6. Gatekeeper: Movement through space and time requires portals and the same holds true for this healing. As soon as the patient passes through one, whether magical or mundane, then he or she receives the spell’s curative effect.

7-8. Janus Geminus: It is now a temple that is needed for the healing to work, preferably a Roman one. If the recipient has been injured in battle though, then the doors to the Temple of Janus are open regardless and allow healing, no matter where the recipient is. If the recipient is fortunate enough to be in a Roman temple when the healing spell is cast, then he or she gains 50% extra benefit. If not injured in battle and not at a temple when the spell is cast though, then healing occurs at just half the effect.

9-12. Blessing of Janus: Not only is the patient healed automatically for the full amount, but he or she gains the benefits of Janus through time and space too. As a result, the patient can also take an extra action each round, as long as it involves movement, for the next 1d6 rounds.