Hoplites, Part I

Heavy infantry, hoplites can serve various divinities and cults well. Though mostly found amongst the Greeks, early Italics and Carthaginians have them too. They are armed with aspis (hoplon) shield, dory spear, and xiphos or kopis short sword, as well as often being protected by classic bronze greaves, breastplate or linothorax, and helm. When so equipped, they can gain a +1 bonus per odd level (or HD) that can be added each round either to hit, damage, or improve their AC, allowing them to fight more precisely, viciously, or with more defense (as described in Volume I).

Divinity/Cult (select or roll d12)
Hoplites can gain additional bonuses based on which divinity they serve. In return, they suffer a -2 to all rolls when fighting on uneven terrain because their armor can be so bulky. 

1-3. Zeus: +2 to hit those who are on lower ground or are of lower station.
4. Apollo: +2 AC bonus vs. archers or when in full sunlight.
5-6. Athena: +2 AC bonus when defending an area or when using wise tactics.
7-8. Ares (link): +2 damage when attacking an area or when fighting those in lighter armor.
9. Poseidon: +2 to hit horsemen or when near the sea.
10. Hades: +2 to hit when indoors or underground.
11. Hephaestus: +2 AC due to especially heavy armor, but also a -5' speed penalty.
12. Early Itallic or Carthaginian Equivalent Deity: +2 AC bonus when near one's city or when near the sea.

Note: Artemis, Dionysus, Hera, and Pan have their own unique fighter-types, such as peltasts and amazons, while Zeus is served by myrmidons and hoplites- all detailed in a few weeks.

City-State/Subgroup (select or roll d8)
For further specification, hoplites can be from a certain city-state or racial subgroup, using whatever equivalent name the Referee has in his campaign if needed. See Volume II for more details. City patron deities are included as well, though individuals there may certainly have other patron gods or goddesses.

1. Athens/ Ionian (Athena): +2 to rolls involving philosophy, -2 to morale in protracted land battles
2. Corinth  (Poseidon & Aphrodite): always has access to heavy hoplite armor, but -2 to saves vs. magic
3. Crete/Minoan (Potnia & Poseidon): +2 to rolls involving leaping (hopping light), but will only use light hoplite armor
4-5. Sparta/ Dorian (Artemis & Apollo): +2 to morale in protracted land battles, -2 to rolls involving philosophy
6. Thebes/ Aeolian (Dionysus & Apollo): +2 to saves vs. magic, but will only use light hoplite helms
7. Other Greek: per Referee
8. Early Itallic or Carthaginian: or roll 1d6 again to determine due to Carthage's use of mercenaries

Guards for Clerics (select or roll d12)
Along with being an option for fighter player-characters, hoplites can also serve as temple guardians or even bodyguards for most Greek and other Mediterranean clerics, priests, and priestesses. Not only associated with the more martial cults, they are also recruited by those who follow peaceful divinities like Aphrodite (link) and Hestia, since those they encounter won't always be (mostly) peaceful too. Hoplites are rarely found protecting witches or mystics though: the former being too sinister and the latter being too esoteric. 

To determine whom a hoplite might be guarding, consult the table below. Otherwise, clerics, priests, and priestesses of the deities listed can gain hoplite protectors if their temple (and the Referee) sees fit.

1. Zeus
2. Aphrodite
3. Apollo
4. Athena
5. Ares
6. Poseidon
7. Hades
8. Hephaestus
9. Hermes
10. Hestia
11. Early Italic Equivalent (reroll 1d10)
12. Carthaginian Equivalent (reroll 1d10)

 

Next week: hoplites, Part II!

 

Minotaurs, Part II

Not all minotaurs are alike. Though necessarily rare (as monsters should be), they can have various types of heads, mid-sections, and lower bodies, not to mention armament and special quality. The bull type is naturally the most common and it could be argued that the goat-, stag-, or ram- headed ones aren't actually minotaurs, but in fact closely related monsters (minohircs, minocervs, etc.) or even that not all of the bull-headed ones are Minoan anyway. What is more, some are more bestial, gaining additional natural abilities, while others look more like large humans (with ruminant heads) and take greater advantage of weapons and armor. In any case, each variety will afford different considerations which can either be determined by the divinity or cult they're associated with (detailed in Part I) or at random.

Type/Head (Select per Divinity/Cult or roll d20)
1-15. Bull: 6 or more HD, great strength (+2 to hit and damage), gore for at least 1d6+2 damage, powerful charge (does double damage, can then make opposed STR check to push foe back 1d6 x 5')
16-17. Goat: 3 or more HD, cause panic (those who first face it must save vs. death or be unable to act for 1d3 rounds), gore for at least 1d6 damage, butting charge (does double damage, can then make opposed STR check to push foe back 1d4 x 5')
18-19. Stag: 4 or more HD, wild lord (can use Commune with Nature at will), gore for at least 1d8 damage, antlered charge (does double damage, can then disarm foe if they don't save vs. paralysis)
20. Ram: 4 or more HD, inspire (allies in sight of it gain a +3 bonus to all saves), gore for at least 2d4 damage, ramming charge (destroys obstacles, does double damage, can then make opposed STR check to push foe back 1d8 x 5', who must then save vs. death or be knocked unconscious)  

Arms & Torso (Select per Divinity/Cult or roll d6)
1-3. Human: more intelligent, +2 chance of using arms and armor, better at heading commands from cleric of appropriate divinity or cult
4-6. Bestial: more primal, -2 chance of using arms and armor, +2 AC bonus, 50% chance of having claws (1d4 + Str damage per round)- if so, 5% chance of them being hoof hands instead (can't wield weapons, +20% speed)
 

Legs & Feet or Hooves (Select per Divinity/Cult or roll d6)
1-3. Human w/ feet: more intelligent, +2 chance of using arms and armor
4-6. Bestial w/ hooves: more primal, -2 chance of using arms and armor, 50% chance of having a tail (+4 to balancing checks, -2 AC penalty since it can be a target)- if so, 5% chance of body being centauroid (+30' speed, -4 AC penalty, +2 HD)
        If bull: strong legs (+2 to hit and damage)
        If stag: swift legs (+15' speed)
        If goat or ram: sturdy legs (+4 to all checks to resist being pushed or falling)

Arms & Armor (Roll d10, modified by Arms & Torso & Legs & Feet)
2 or less. Only uses its natural attacks
3. Currently unarmed, but will wield weapons it finds
4. Wields a great axe or other large weapon (does 1d10 damage)
5-6. Wields a labrys (double-headed great axe, does 1d12 damage, but only 1d6 to females)
7. Wields a great spear or trident (does 1d10 damage and can be hurled)
8. Wields one of the weapons above and a shield (+2 AC bonus vs. foes it faces) or breastplate (+4 AC bonus) or greaves (+2 AC bonus)
9. Wields one of the weapons above and wears either chain or scale armor (+4 AC bonus), 50% chance of also having a shield (+2 AC bonus vs. foes it faces)
10 or more. Wields a great spear or trident and wears a bronze breastplate and greaves (+6 AC bonus), 50% chance of also having a shield (+2 AC bonus vs. foes it faces)

Hide Color (for Head and for Parts that Are Bestial - d12)
1-2. Light Brown
3. Reddish Brown
4-5. Dark Brown
6. Black
8-9. Gray
10. White
11. Different Colored Patches, reroll 1d10 twice
12. Different Colored Head from Rest of Body, reroll 1d10 twice if applicable
 

Other Qualities (d12- roll 1d4 times )
1. One of a Kind: Is the only minotaur (of its type), cannot be killed for long, and remembers past grudges once it returns
2. Broken Horn: -1d3 gore damage, but +1d3 HD due to fighting experience
3. Longhorn: increase gore damage by one die (d4->d6, d6->d8, d8->d10), but can't fit into areas less than 10' wide
4. Bell(s): can never surprise foes (they hear it coming), but also unnerves them at the sound- save vs. death or -2 to hit for 1d6 rounds
5. Glowing Eyes: is evil now, but can also see in the dark
6. Shaggy Fur: +1d4 to saves vs. cold effects, commensurate penalty to saves vs. fire or heat effects
7. Golden Fleece: +3 to all saves vs. magic, but hide is in very high demand, making minotaur a desired target
8. Giant: +1 HD and +2 to damage at 10’ tall, and again for every 2’ taller
9. Enlarged head: +2 to damage, but -6 to all checks requiring balance
10. Gout: can exhale a gout of foul water, causing 3d8 damage to those who fail to save vs. breath weapon
11. Semi-divine (or demonic): +1d3 weapons are required to harm it.
12. Cow (Female- still has horns, but also breasts/udders)

DCC RPG Conversion Notes
HD: also equals attack modifier, though add at least 2 for bull minotaurs
Damage: add 2 more to damage done by all minotaurs for scaling purposes
Save vs. death = make a Will save DC 10
Save vs. paralysis= make a Reflex save DC 15
Save vs. breath weapon= make a Reflex save DC 12

Next week, hoplites!

 

 

Minotaurs, Part I

 

Large, ruminant-headed monstrosities (often with that of a bull), minotaurs can be associated with various divinities and cults. Herein is described the likely qualities of such associations, the disposition of the monster, as well as the origin of its presence.

Associated Divinity/Cult (d20)
1-6. Poseidon (Greek/Achaean): bull head, bestial arms & torso, human legs & feet or bull legs & hooves. Bloodthirsty, lustful, or territorial disposition.
7-10. Potnia (Minoan): bull head, human arms & torso or bestial arms & torso, human legs & feet. Affirming dominance, guardian, lustful, or bloodthirsty disposition.
11. Fufluns (Etruscan- neutral version of Dionysus): bull head, human arms & torso, human legs & feet. Contemplative, guardian, or territorial  disposition.
12-13. Pan (Greek/Arcadian): goat head (Aegipan), human or bestial arms & torso, goat legs & hooves. Lustful, drunken, territorial, or mad disposition.
14-15. Artemis (Greek/Dianic): stag head (Actaeon), human arms & torso, human legs & feet or stag legs & hooves. Affirming dominance, guardian, territorial, or lustful disposition.
16-17. Cernunnos (Celtic): stag head, bestial arms & torso, human legs & feet or stag legs & hooves. Contemplative, guardian, territorial, drunken, bloodthirsty, or lustful disposition.
18. Utu or Tiamat (Mesopotamian): bull head (Kusarikku), bestial arms & torso, 50% chance of bull hooves instead of hands or claws, bull legs & hooves or centauroid body. Contemplative or guardian (if associated with Utu); bloodthirsty or mad (if associated with Tiamat).
19. Osiris or Ra (Egyptian- via Banebdjedet/ Heryshaf/ Khnum): ram head, human or bestial arms & torso, human legs & feet. Contemplative, lustful, or mad (if associated with Osiris); affirming dominance, contemplative, or guardian (if associated with Ra).
20. Baphomet or Unharmonia (Demon Lords): bull, goat, stag, or ram head; human or bestial arms & torso; human legs & feet or bull, goat, stag, or ram legs & hooves or even centauroid body. Affirming dominance, bloodthirsty, or territorial disposition (if associated with Baphomet); affirming dominance, guardian, or lustful (if associated with Unharmonia).

(Listed physical qualities will be described next week.) 

 

Minotaur's Disposition (d8)

1. Affirming Dominance: acts to violently subjugate any who fail to submit to their divinity (or demon lord) immediately, especially those who would subjugate normal animals of their head type (thus goat-headed minotaurs would herd shepherds, stag-headed minotaurs would stalk hunters, etc.).
2. Bloodthirsty: seeks only to kill and then gorge upon the gruesome remains. +2 to hit and damage, -4 AC penalty, and must save vs. death to resist feasting on fallen foes even if others are nearby.
3. Contemplative: wishes mainly to mate and graze, though will also offer insight once every 1d6 hours to those seeking to solve labyrinths (physical or mental); only violent if provoked.

4. Drunken: wanders in a stuporous haze, violently seeks more drink. -1d6 to all rolls involving coordination; immune to fear.
5. Guardian: ruthlessly protects an area from interlopers, tolerates those aligned with the divinity.
6. Lustful: works aggressively to mate- those who resist are forced.
7. Mad: acts in a random fashion- reroll on this table once and every 3 rounds thereafter.
8. Territorial: challenges those who are in the area (likely some sort of labyrinths), attacking those who don't flee in time.

Origin of Minotaur's Presence (d6)

1. Native: born of some abominable pairing (in the tradition of Pasiphae), it now dwells here.
2. Divine Curse: was once a man who then angered the Gods.

3. Test: as some divine test, a cleric (or the like) has been turned into one for a limited time.
4. Summoned: called upon by a cleric (or the like) who has used a sacrifice based upon the minotaur's disposition to encourage it to remain here.

5. Totemic Item: grasping or wearing such a fetish makes one become a minotaur; that is, until it is taken from the sorcerer.

6. Unholy Mask: one has donned a mask and became a monster forevermore, though he likely had monstrous aggression in him beforehand.

Summoning Minotaurs

Clerics (and other spellcasters) of divinities and cults listed above can add the spell Summon Minotaur to their spell list. Treat it as Summon Monster, except that only 1 minotaur may be summoned per day, its HD (usually 6)  determining the appropriate Summon Monster spell's level. It takes 1d6 rounds to arrive and then the spell's duration begins- when the cleric can actually give the monster commands to follow. Once the spell's duration ends, the minotaur will act according to its disposition (if it still lives, either remaining or leaving the area) unless the cleric successfully casts another Summon Minotaur spell to control it once more. 

 

In any case, providing the minotaur with an offering (or sacrifice) that fits its disposition can increase the spell's duration by 50 to 100% (per Referee), as a promised reward given after the commanded deed is done. So offering a drunken minotaur a keg of wine can entice it to stay longer to obey the cleric's will, just as leaving the area can draw in a territorial one.

 

 

Next week: Minotaurs, Part II!