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Sunday, April 29, 2012
T&T 7.5 Creature Feature # 27
A new kindred by your humble host here at TROLL HAMMER...
Kindred: Boglyn
Attribute Modifiers:
STR .50
CON .50
DEX 2
INT 2
LK 1.5
CHR .50
WIZ 1.5
HT .40
WT .40
Type:
Boglyns are their own Type and Kindred
Level
Attributes: Dex, Int, Wiz, Lk
Special Damage: Normal Spite Damage;
Extra Attack: Tail Whip (4 dice).
Special Abilities: Magic use (see below); may have Talents; tough, thick skin absorbs 5 hits.
Special Abilities: Magic use (see below); may have Talents; tough, thick skin absorbs 5 hits.
History and Description:
Boglyn history is a complete mystery, and they are loathe to speak
of their past. Some say they come from another world, others say another
dimension. Only solitary males have ever been encountered, and of those, virtually
all are hermits living in caves, towers, or woodland cabins. They often dwell
in bogs, swamps, woodlands, or broken lands to facilitate their love of
privacy. Despite their seemingly xenophobic nature, they do like to establish
their dwelling within a few days journey of some sort of settlement where they
may trade for or purchase supplies and equipment. Boglyns do not get along with
one another, and will always act with hostility when encountering their own
kind. They will occasionally leave their solitude to search for and acquire
magic and treasure, most often solo, but very rarely they will join a party of
delvers. Boglyns are usually NPCs, but player characters are possible, with a
strict limit of one per delving party.
Boglyns are slightly less than half the size and weight of a
human. They appear as short, old human men, but twisted and gnarled. They have
thick, tough leathery skin (absorbs 5 hits as armor) that ranges from a creamy
tan to a deep chocolate brown in color. They never wear armor, but rather dress
in normal or magical clothing. They
have stiff, wiry grey, white, or black hair. Eye color ranges from a pale
yellow to a piercing, fiery golden. They have tiny, jagged teeth, bony fingers,
and large, long noses. They also have thin tails that are
as long as they are tall, which
they can use as a whip (4 dice). This whip attack acts as an extra attack each
combat round during melee and is in addition to any other missile or melee
attack. Boglyns favor daggers or staves for melee and hand crossbows,
blowpipes, chakram, and especially gunnes/pistols (when they can get them) for
missile weapons.
Due to their lives of solitude, intense magical study and practice,
and deep attunement with kremm, Boglyns automatically learn 1 level of spells
per level they have attained, cumulative. For example, a 3rd level
Boglyn would receive 1 level of spells for 1st level, 2 for 2nd,
and 3 for 3rd, for a total of 6 levels of spells. So, he may choose
six 1st level spells, or four 1st and a 2nd,
or three 2nd, or a 3rd and a 2nd and a 1st (they may not choose spells at
levels higher than their Type Level), etc. This
applies even for a starting character. Selections may not be changed, when a
spell is selected, it is forever. Boglyns may not use foci.
Boglyns have a deep love of all things magical, and of mechanical
gadgets of all types. They are obsessed with acquiring such items, and will go
to great lengths to do so. Their choice of Talents often reflects this:
Alchemy, Magic Lore, History, Tinkering, Engineering, and Scribe, to name a
few. They are also very fond of missile weapons, and many have a Talent for
Marksmanship. As any other character, a starting Boglyn receives one Talent,
and they may gain additional Talents when gaining levels. Higher level Boglyns
may create magic items as wizards.
As mentioned, Boglyns are generally solitary hermits, and most
have a fairly gruff and rude personality. While they will sometimes ally
themselves with others, there must be some clear cut benefit to the Boglyn, and
when the usefulness of the alliance has expired, the Boglyn will quickly move
on. Developing a true friendship with a Boglyn is an extremely rare event, but,
conversely, Boglyns are known for some level of loyalty to former allies they
parted with peacefully.
Sample
Boglyn
Name: Morug Invan Dulin
2nd Level
Boglyn
Str: 5
Con: 8
Dex: 18
Spd: 12
Int: 24
Wiz: 20
Luck: 18
Cha: 4
Ht: 2’6”
Wt: 60 lbs.
Adds: +8
Talent: Magic Lore (Int + 5)
Spells (3 levels total): Detect Magic, Omnipotent Eye
Weapons: Staff, Dagger, Blowpipe (darts laced with Hellfire
juice), Fire stick pistol
Notes: Morug has recently ‘acquired’ a small cabin in a
thick stretch of forest less than 10 days walk to a large town. He has been
studying magical items and their history and usage for a long time, and is now
ready to begin accumulating his own collection. He recently began studying Alchemy
as well, and is on the lookout for further texts and manuscripts to aid in his
studies. His tiny cabin is relatively neat, but is crammed full of books,
scrolls, and ancient manuscripts, as well as a small set of Alchemical
equipment he is using in his self-education. Morug also wishes for a familiar,
some sort of beastie that can act as a companion and guardian, so he is always
on the lookout for an opportunity to get one.
Copyright © 2012, Paul Ingrassia
Artwork is free for use clip art
Artwork is free for use clip art
M'OSKQORRG'S ODDITIES #2
M'OSKQORRG'S ODDITIES
Discoveries from Time in Exile
by David Moskowitz
Hobbtoons
What transformed little people of Floopsyre into a shipbuilder’s holy grail of raw materials? Most theories involve the Floopsyre version of “Bobbing for Kittens” and a litter sacred to the priestesses of Ellehra. But whatever happened, their hobb bodies—lifeless and desiccated- are enchanted so no part will ever go beneath the surface of any liquid. A single hobb can keep a leaking a galleon afloat, but such a ship must have the infrastructure to maintain the balance a hobb body cannot. Many vessels have capsized because their builders failed to accommodate for how this magical buoyancy might alter calculations related to the still applicable laws of physics.
In terms of their weight, toughness—against both physical blows and corrosive elements (they will float on lava and acid for example, but still be affected by the heat and vapors respectively)—treat hobbtoons as petrified wood. The enchantment vanishes when 25% of the mass is gone, and any severed or broken off piece retains no enchantment (and again, once ¼ has been removed, the remaining corpse loses its magic).
The price of a hobbtoon is mostly dependent on its size and the positioning of its limbs. The difference between a spread eagle specimen and one in fetal position—not even good for log rolling contests—is about 15-fold, depending on the market. There are rumors that the Death Empress paid 200,000 gold for one of middling quality, but the credibility ends not with the price, but with the suggestion that Lerotra’hh had to pay for something.
Copyright © 2012, David Moskowitz
Discoveries from Time in Exile
by David Moskowitz
Hobbtoons
What transformed little people of Floopsyre into a shipbuilder’s holy grail of raw materials? Most theories involve the Floopsyre version of “Bobbing for Kittens” and a litter sacred to the priestesses of Ellehra. But whatever happened, their hobb bodies—lifeless and desiccated- are enchanted so no part will ever go beneath the surface of any liquid. A single hobb can keep a leaking a galleon afloat, but such a ship must have the infrastructure to maintain the balance a hobb body cannot. Many vessels have capsized because their builders failed to accommodate for how this magical buoyancy might alter calculations related to the still applicable laws of physics.
In terms of their weight, toughness—against both physical blows and corrosive elements (they will float on lava and acid for example, but still be affected by the heat and vapors respectively)—treat hobbtoons as petrified wood. The enchantment vanishes when 25% of the mass is gone, and any severed or broken off piece retains no enchantment (and again, once ¼ has been removed, the remaining corpse loses its magic).
The price of a hobbtoon is mostly dependent on its size and the positioning of its limbs. The difference between a spread eagle specimen and one in fetal position—not even good for log rolling contests—is about 15-fold, depending on the market. There are rumors that the Death Empress paid 200,000 gold for one of middling quality, but the credibility ends not with the price, but with the suggestion that Lerotra’hh had to pay for something.
Copyright © 2012, David Moskowitz
Super Beings in the T&T Universe: Part 2
Super Beings in the T&T Universe
by 'Mad' Roy Cram
Professor Whenn and Yorrdamma Vrash are doing research on entities of the Troll World that possess unusual or extraordinary talents and/or abilities which make them superior to ordinary beings. If anyone has comments or questions they may trollmail Yorrdamma Vrash via Trollhalla, who will be happy to respond to any inquiries.
by 'Mad' Roy Cram
Professor Whenn and Yorrdamma Vrash are doing research on entities of the Troll World that possess unusual or extraordinary talents and/or abilities which make them superior to ordinary beings. If anyone has comments or questions they may trollmail Yorrdamma Vrash via Trollhalla, who will be happy to respond to any inquiries.
Vampyres
Of all the Undead, Vampyres are perhaps the most dangerous and powerful. The old experienced
master Vampyre wizard-warrior can give even strong groups of players a run for
their money. Fortunately, not all Vampyres start at that level of prowess, nor
do the majority easily achieve such levels. Let us begin with a general
discussion of these dreaded creatures and their advantages and disadvantages.
Vampyres are made,
not born. When a Vampyre drains the blood of a victim, it may either leave it
to rot (in which case it may rarely return as a blood drinking zombie which has
none of the Vampyric advantages, but all the disadvantages), or the Vampyre may
elect to initiate the victim and ‘bring them over’. This involves returning
some of the blood from the Vampyre to the victim who is then buried. On the
next night the victim will rise from their grave, usually as a slave or servant
to the creature who made them. Most Vampyres are not keen to create these new members of
their race; they do not get along with each other in most cases, and they
despise rivals. Most powerful Vampyres were powerful as humans, and the
transformation to the Undead state only enhances the powers they had when they
were human. The usual slave or servant Vampyre rarely has any of the
significant magical abilities of the Masters, and is usually obsessed with the
need to drink more and more blood. In most cases the Master will be compelled
to destroy his progeny.
So, what powers do
Vampyres, old or new, possess in common?
From the start, they all have enhanced attributes (STR x 2.5, INT
and LCK x 1.5). As they gain experience the original value of these attributes,
as well as the others, may be increased.
Vampyres are all immune to most poisons that would otherwise harm living
tissues. They do not have to breathe. Vampyres have the ability to climb up or down walls like a
spider. They are not effected by any spells that would effect them mentally,
such as Oh-Go-Away or Yassa-Massa. Normal
weapons only do them spite damage. They heal one point of damage for each point
of blood they drain from a victim.
For spells, the
Vampyre must learn the spell from another Vampyre or a Wizard like any other
character. If the Vampyre was a Wizard before he was brought over, he will gain
spells as a Wizard. Otherwise, he will gain spells as a Rogue does. Vampyres
will not, and perhaps cannot, do magic involving fire of any kind.
There are several special spells that are unique to these creatures:
OBEY-ME: is a variation of the common charm spell or
Yassa-Massa. It costs 10 Wiz to cast, but the Vampyre can cast it on one person
per round by simply looking into the subject’s eyes. The victim does not have
to be subdued, but if the sum of his STR
+ INT + DEX is less than the
Vampyres attribute’s total, he will become the Vampyre’s willing slave. The
Vampyre can’t cast this spell while he is actively engaged in combat.
SHAPE-CHANGE: Costs 10 Wiz, and allows the Vampyre to take
on the form of a Wolf or a Giant Bat. His clothes disappear when he changes,
and reappear when he returns to his Vampyre form. This spell doubles his SPD,
and he can do whatever the creature whose form he has assumed could do. He
cannot cast other spells or use weapons or armor while in these forms.
MIST-ME: Costs 10 Wiz
to cast, and turns the Vampyre into a cloud of mist or fog that can move at
walking speed, but can only be harmed by fire, spells, or sunlight. The Vampyre
cannot do any harm to anyone in this form, or use any other magic.
Other favorite Vampyre spells include Hidey Hole, Little
Feets, Fly Me, and Rock-A-Bye.
Vampyres can call
and control rats or bats if any are about, and, in the woods, can call wolves
to their aid, if any are near. The older and more powerful the Vampyre, the
more effective they are in doing this.
Now for the disadvantages of the Vampyre. The Vampyre must
feed frequently and can only drink blood, human (preferred) or animal. Unless
he feeds at least every other day his desire for blood can drive him literally
to madness. This unquenchable thirst is especially acute in the young Vampyres.
The Vampyre cannot endure direct or even indirect sunlight.
In his first round of exposure, he will suffer 6+1D6 loss of CON points, and,
beginning in the second round of solar exposure, he will lose the same amount
from each of his attributes each round thereafter, until he gets out of the sun
or is burnt to ashes. Smart characters will know to scatter the ashes as some Vampyres
can be revived by mixing their ash remains with fresh blood.
A wooden stake through a Vampyre’s heart will paralyze him.
His mouth must be filled with garlic, and his head cut off to kill him. If a
Vampyre is decapitated, care must be taken to separate the head from the body,
for if they are buried together, old, powerful Vampyres may rejoin and rise
from the grave.
Vampyres must rest in the daytime in a coffin that contains
at least a cup full of the soil they were buried in. They become helpless if they
cannot return to their proper resting place when the sun rises. Older Master
Vampyres may still fight, but will suffer a 50% reduction in all their
attributes in these situations.
Most young Vampyres cannot cross any body of moving water (a
stream or river) under their own power. Older Vampyres may do it, but not
without some difficulty. Immersion in running water has the same effect on
Vampyres as exposure to sunlight.
Vampyres, though not harmed by garlic or holy objects find
them intolerable, and will not be able to approach such objects. Holy Water,
however, will burn them like an acid.
Vampyres can be wounded normally by magic or enchanted
weapons, or by fire. Cold based spells don’t effect them, but fire magic gets
50% more damage than normal.
Vampyres cannot enter Temples
or Churches of good deities.
They also cannot cross the threshold or enter a house or
home without being invited by someone inside.
Sample Vampyres
Count Rasulki Hemo was an Earl in one of the Kasar duchies,
and was a student of dark magics and occult things. When political problems and
an internecine war reduced him to desperate straits, he was approached by a
powerful old Vampyre who offered him ‘immortality and great power’, and he
accepted the offer. Rising from his tomb he found that he was now the slave of
his maker. He served the Master for many years and kept his sanity until his
powers increased to the point where he was able to kill the Master. That was
300 years ago. Over the years he grew stronger and wiser, until one day he attacked
a pilgrim on a lonely forest road. The pilgrim was a powerful holy man, and he
showed Rasulki a vision of Hell and the punishment that awaited his kind there.
Horrified at the prospect of eternal hopeless suffering, the Count foreswore
his evil ways and vowed to make amends.
Now he dwells in
Kasar city where he seeks to root out and destroy evil beings and persons. He
still needs to drink blood, but never drains a victim to the point of death,
and he never attacks any good or decent citizen. He has several well hidden
coffins in secure places in the city, and he is very cautious in all his
activities. Let the wicked beware him though. They have put a large bounty out
on him, but he continues to plague them and bring them to justice.
The Count is a 6’
2”, 220 pound man. He is very handsome, but is also a master of disguises. He is
a third level wizard, and adept at most of the spells up to that level.
He possesses a Rapier with a permanent Zapathingum spell (9
Dice + 12 adds). He wears a suit of Zaparmored Leather that takes 18 hits. He
has a lot of gold and gems well hidden near his resting places.
The Count is
very wise and risk averse. He does most of his hunting during the wee hours of
the night.
Count Hemo’s attributes:
CON: 31
WIZ: 30
DEX: 24
SPD: 16
LCK: 42
Combat Adds: 72
Though other ‘Supers’ in the city fear him and do not trust
him, he does what he can to assist them when he can. He is very good at getting
information, and frequently passes it on to the Watch or to those who, like
him, are dedicated to fighting evil in whatever form it takes.
Tunos Ferat was a
devilishly handsome and successful Rogue who was ‘drafted’ into the Vampyre
community of the city, not entirely, it must be said, of his own free will.
But, once he had a chance to experience his new abilities he seemed to grow
into the role, and was soon becoming a major player in the group.
Then one
night he tried to bite a pilgrim on his way to one of the city temples who
turned out to be a Weird Holy Man. The very annoyed saint then cursed the
hapless would-be blood sucker. He made him ugly as a ten mile stretch of
unpaved road. All his beautiful hair fell out, he grew long and skinny, his
perfect teeth formed into hideous bucktoothed fangs protruding down over his
lower lip, and for a final touch he was given a body odor of amazing
properties. Any human who gets a whiff of it has to make a level four saving
roll on their constitution or be nauseated and blinded for as many rounds as they
missed the SR by. But worse, any
vampyre that gets within ten feet of
Tunos is immediately rendered helpless.
When he tried to return to his new
‘family’, they were horrified and tried to destroy him. He was forced to flee
and take refuge in the sewers of the city by day, an act that did not improve
his odor problem.
No longer able to prey on victims using his former beauty, he
was now compelled to prey on his former Vampyre friends, or to feed on
unconscious drunks or gutter scum he could find asleep in the slums and alleys
of the city. Thus he became the Vampyre’s Boogey Man. In this role, he found an
ally in the person of Count Rasulki Hemo, who at least would talk to him (from
a safe distance upwind), and the two shared information on the Vampyre
community.
Tunos likes to leap down on victims from a roof top or ceililng, and
gets surprise on his targets on a roll of 1-4 on a D6. He will only attack lone
or single persons or Vampyres.
Tunos Ferat’s attributes:
STR: 24
CON: 36
INT: 16
WIZ: 20
DEX: 16
SPD: 20
LCK: 24
CHR: 1
Combat Adds: 34
He can fight with a sword or dagger, and knows the Fly Me and Yassa Massa spells. He wears cloth armor.
The GM should play him as very mean and angry. He thinks
life has been really unfair to him, and he takes it out on his victims,
especially on the Vampyres he destroys.
Copyright © 2012, 'Mad' Roy Cram
Artwork is free for use clip art
T&T 7.5 Creature Feature # 26
The recently hyper-prolific Tom 'Kopfy' Loney treats us to a sample character based on his recent Strange Kin series of interesting kindreds over at his The Many-Headed Troll blog.
Ogerilla
MR 380 (39d plus 190)
9th level Rilla (Ape) Paragon
Crucial Stats
IN: 62
ST: 94
DX: 47
LK: 45
CH: 49
WZ: 31
Knows up to 4th level spells.
Description: Originally named Cicero Flame-Start, Ogerilla was born very smart and to a good rilla family, so no one knows why he has turned out so bad. He attended Wizard's School, as well as Advanced Warrior Training, in Appo-On-The-Mirky, in the country of Djung of Athebes. He then disappeared for a decade, and returned wearing strange armor and evil as all get out. There are tales of him eating ape flesh, as well as that of other Speaking Peoples.
Notes: Ogerilla was abducted by Nazi scientists from our world of Earth who were experimenting with trans-dimensional travel. After months in their laboratories, he was allowed to wear a Nazi uniform and take part in suicide missions. He not only survived, he became the Commander of the laboratory. All of his captors ended their days in experimental studies that rivaled his own tortures. As the Red Army encroached on the laboratory, Ogerilla rigged the base to self-destruct and returned to his homeworld of Elder. Back on that world he wasn't much more than another rilla running around in funny clothes and a spiffy helmet. He traveled to the Witching Lands of the North and became a servant of the Bat-Winged Fiend who continued his wizardly training for a horrible price, paid with the blood of others. He is currently trying to fill the power void left in the latest Evil Horde at the death of the Over-Ogre, who he liked as a person and respected as a friend. His troops do wear Nazi-styled helmets, but only he is allowed the great and expensive uniforms.
Text and art copyright © 2012, Tom K. Loney
~~~
Would you like to see your nasty beastie included in Creature Feature? Have you got a new kindred or creature you want to share with the world? Do you have a favorite player or non-player character you want to show off? Send submissions to the_mystic_fool@yahoo.com and include the words 'Creature Feature' in the subject line.
MR 380 (39d plus 190)
9th level Rilla (Ape) Paragon
Crucial Stats
IN: 62
ST: 94
DX: 47
LK: 45
CH: 49
WZ: 31
Knows up to 4th level spells.
Description: Originally named Cicero Flame-Start, Ogerilla was born very smart and to a good rilla family, so no one knows why he has turned out so bad. He attended Wizard's School, as well as Advanced Warrior Training, in Appo-On-The-Mirky, in the country of Djung of Athebes. He then disappeared for a decade, and returned wearing strange armor and evil as all get out. There are tales of him eating ape flesh, as well as that of other Speaking Peoples.
Notes: Ogerilla was abducted by Nazi scientists from our world of Earth who were experimenting with trans-dimensional travel. After months in their laboratories, he was allowed to wear a Nazi uniform and take part in suicide missions. He not only survived, he became the Commander of the laboratory. All of his captors ended their days in experimental studies that rivaled his own tortures. As the Red Army encroached on the laboratory, Ogerilla rigged the base to self-destruct and returned to his homeworld of Elder. Back on that world he wasn't much more than another rilla running around in funny clothes and a spiffy helmet. He traveled to the Witching Lands of the North and became a servant of the Bat-Winged Fiend who continued his wizardly training for a horrible price, paid with the blood of others. He is currently trying to fill the power void left in the latest Evil Horde at the death of the Over-Ogre, who he liked as a person and respected as a friend. His troops do wear Nazi-styled helmets, but only he is allowed the great and expensive uniforms.
Text and art copyright © 2012, Tom K. Loney
~~~
Would you like to see your nasty beastie included in Creature Feature? Have you got a new kindred or creature you want to share with the world? Do you have a favorite player or non-player character you want to show off? Send submissions to the_mystic_fool@yahoo.com and include the words 'Creature Feature' in the subject line.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
M'OSKQORRG'S ODDITIES #1
M'OSKQORRG'S ODDITIES
Discoveries from Time in Exile
by David Moskowitz
T’annkards
For the tavern master, dawn is never welcome. It is in the first light that one sees how customers may leave more than their wages behind. It is, however, a fine time for the undertaker, the furniture maker and the alchemist, whose foul smelling solutions remove even fouler stains from the ceilings…
Now imagine how it is after the Trollgod and his Champions have spent a night carousing.
But with the destruction, the Trollgod will sometimes favor an establishment with one of his special tankards, often key to such nights. The materials—bone, gold, jewels, iron--vary depending on who has offended him and what said party was carrying, but the enchantments remain constant:
1. The t’annkards are completely spill-proof: even if you turn one upside down, nothing will come out.
2. If one contains any liquid, whoever picks it up will be unable to let go of it until he or she has completely swallowed the contents. The no-spill enchantment prevents spitting out the contents or dribbling.
3. If the drinker decides to drain the tankard in a single effort and the liquid may have harmful effects, the saving roll level is halved, rounding up.
4. If the tankard leaves the tavern, or the keeper yields ownership to anyone but a blood relative (close enough to make breeding inadvisable), the t’annkard turns to wet clay, losing all enchantments.
GM’s are advised to consider drinking contests with hemlock, rrrrum (thick as molasses, and 160 proof), blood, or anything that may be set aflame.
Copyright © 2012, David Moskowitz
Clipart edited by Paul Ingrassia
Discoveries from Time in Exile
by David Moskowitz
T’annkards
For the tavern master, dawn is never welcome. It is in the first light that one sees how customers may leave more than their wages behind. It is, however, a fine time for the undertaker, the furniture maker and the alchemist, whose foul smelling solutions remove even fouler stains from the ceilings…
Now imagine how it is after the Trollgod and his Champions have spent a night carousing.
But with the destruction, the Trollgod will sometimes favor an establishment with one of his special tankards, often key to such nights. The materials—bone, gold, jewels, iron--vary depending on who has offended him and what said party was carrying, but the enchantments remain constant:
1. The t’annkards are completely spill-proof: even if you turn one upside down, nothing will come out.
2. If one contains any liquid, whoever picks it up will be unable to let go of it until he or she has completely swallowed the contents. The no-spill enchantment prevents spitting out the contents or dribbling.
3. If the drinker decides to drain the tankard in a single effort and the liquid may have harmful effects, the saving roll level is halved, rounding up.
4. If the tankard leaves the tavern, or the keeper yields ownership to anyone but a blood relative (close enough to make breeding inadvisable), the t’annkard turns to wet clay, losing all enchantments.
GM’s are advised to consider drinking contests with hemlock, rrrrum (thick as molasses, and 160 proof), blood, or anything that may be set aflame.
Copyright © 2012, David Moskowitz
Clipart edited by Paul Ingrassia
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Super Beings in the T&T Universe: Part 1
Super Beings in the T&T Universe
by 'Mad' Roy Cram
Professor Whenn and Yorrdamma Vrash are doing research on entities of the Troll World that possess unusual or extraordinary talents and/or abilities which make them superior to ordinary beings. If anyone has comments or questions they may trollmail Yorrdamma Vrash via Trollhalla, who will be happy to respond to any inquiries.
Theriomorphs
These creatures are the shape changers or form dancers. For simplicity’s sake we will refer to them as ‘Weres’. These are entities that can change their physical form either partly or wholly into some kind of animal. The authors are indebted to mega author Jim Butcher from whose noir detective novel Fool Moon much useful information was obtained. If the reader enjoys wizard and werewolf stories, this is one of the best.
The most common form of Werewolf is fortunately one of the less dangerous kinds. These beings are humans who can use magic (the only magic they can use) to change themselves into a wolf and back to human form again. The wolf will have the same body mass as the human who assumed the animal form. All adult Werewolves will have a Wiz rating of at least 14. Each use of this spell costs them seven Wiz points. Like other magic users they regain Wiz at the rate of one Wiz per turn if resting. They don’t need to be naked to change to the wolf form, but most wear only the sort of clothing they can easily shuck off or wiggle out of because the spell that makes them a wolf does not affect what they are wearing. They will be naked when they change back to human again. The wolf gets three times its human Strength and Constitution and twice its Speed. I add these up to get a monster rating. I also give the Werewolf spite damage of one point for each five and each six they roll on combat dice. The wolf’s furry pelt is the equivalent of leather armor and takes 5 hits per round. The wolf has a manual Dexterity of three. It cannot wield a weapon with paws. If a Werewolf is defending its mate or offspring it will get double combat adds. These wolves keep their human mind while in the wolf form, but have highly enhanced senses of smell and hearing. I give them +6 on dice rolls involving either sense. They cannot speak any language while wolven. They are not affected by the moon or the sun. And they are vulnerable to harm by ordinary weapons as well as silver. Fire and magic can also hurt or kill them. They do heal at twice the normal human rate, and may heal up to one D6 of hits each time they change form. When a Werewolf is killed it should be beheaded or burned. They have an annoying habit of coming back to life if not completely destroyed.
This condition is hereditary. You will not become a Werewolf if you are bitten by one of these creatures. Though most tend to be solitary and reclusive beings, they can also be found in families, usually on isolated farms far from cities or towns. The adults will hunt as a pack at night. The children usually do not start to change until they are teenagers. Rare members may never change, but still carry the genes. Werewolves usually don’t bother people unless hunger drives them to prey on their neighbor’s livestock. In outlying areas one can find small hamlets or villages where everyone is a Werewolf. They are usually not friendly to strangers
Sometimes one of these Werewolves will get a little crazy and start preying on people. This provides some good role playing situations where a party must try and figure out who the culprit is.
Higher level Werewolves of this type may join a party in the woods or above ground, but they hate tunnels and caves. Most of them are the original tree huggers, and they will use all their abilities to help a group track down a rogue Werewolf or other creature that is making trouble for them or doing harm to the forest and its creatures. Don’t mess with their woods; they can be vindictive and very cross in these cases.
They also make good night watchmen and guards in a city setting. If you thought the junkyard dog was mean, wait til you meet the junkyard Werewolf!
A sad case of Werewolf is the poor fellow who made a high level wizard really mad and had a Urawolf spell cast on him (9th level, Intelligence and Dexterity of 54 required, 100 Wiz to cast). It turns the victim into a wolf just like the one described above. They are then stuck in the animal form until another Wizard or magic person can remove the curse or dispel the powerful magic.
This makes for some neat role playing too. If the character transformed is a player he must figure out how to make his predicament known to his comrades, and then they must try and figure out how to get him back into human form. Each week after the change, the victim must make a level one saving roll on his intelligence. Each time he fumbles or he misses one he loses one point of Intelligence. When his INT reaches 3 he becomes a wolf and remains that way forever. His human mind is gone.
Hexenwolf or Spell Wolfs are different in that they are created by an enchanted belt of wolf fur, or some sort of talisman. When they put it on, they turn into a werewolf like the type described above. They have the power to change back when they want to, but must take off the belt or talisman right away. These belts or items are given to them by magic users who usually mean no good, and always enchant them to make them do what the magician wants. Often, the one bestowing these ‘gifts’ on his pack will wear one too that makes him or her the alpha of the group. Wizards, however, can’t cast other spells while in wolf form.
One of the main drawbacks of this kind of transformation is the tendency of the user to ‘go wolf’ and just run away to the woods and stay in the wolf form until his mind is gone and only the wolf mind remains. Players should have to make a level one saving roll on Intelligence each time they transform. Like the Urawolf fellow, they lose a point of Intelligence every time they fumble or miss a roll. When their INT hits three they are done and stay a real wolf for the rest of their lives.
In the cities Hexenwolves are sometimes used by criminal groups of various kinds, and can do great mischief. Regular Werewolves of the first type above hate these creatures and will gladly help the authorities to track them down and kill them.
Lycanthropes are the classic Wolfman or Wolfwoman (fortunately rare), a human being that develops wolf like characteristics, but stays in humanoid form. These folks come from a clan of people whose tribal totem is a Wolf, and they are carriers of an angry wolf spirit put in them at birth by the Shaman. Their bite will not make you a Wolfman. In battle they change into the Wolfman form (they look the Lon Chaney Wolfman). They get a three fold increase in Con and Strength, double their Speed, but keep their Dex. Their skin gets the five point armor bonus in addition to whatever other armor they are wearing, and they can use whatever weapons they use as a human. They prefer big axes. In the Wolfman form they grow fur, claws, fangs and wolf features. They heal at four times the normal rate, and are resistant to pain or sickness. Once killed, they should be burned or beheaded, or they come back really angry. They are questionable allies because, once they go Wolfman, they will keep on fighting, and, sometimes, even turn on their own kind. They will fight until all the foes are slain. Only then do they return to human form. They are not affected by the moon or sun. They like to eat the heart and flesh of their victims.
There are other groups of these kinds of creatures. In the deep woods one may encounter Bearmen or Boarmen, in the jungles, Tigermen, and in the savannas, Lionmen and their mortal enemies, the Hyenamen.
And now we come to the King of the Werewolves, the Loup Garou. This is a person who has been cursed by a powerful Wizard, Demon King, or Fairie Queen. It is very BAD juju! The victim is possessed by a terrible Wolf Demon. Only the most powerful of spells or exorcisms can free the Loup Garou of his dreadful burden. This Werewolf receives double damage from silver weapons. Magic weapons do him normal injury, but regular weapons do him no harm. He heals at the rate of 1D6 per combat round. The Loup Garou cannot control his changes. He becomes a Werewolf only on nights when the moon is full, and remains one, until the moon sets, or the sun rises. In Wolf form he gets four times Strength and Con, and triple Speed. His pelt is equivalent to plate armor taking 18 hits per round. He becomes a mindless killing machine that will attack any and all creatures it meets. He will instinctively flee though when he feels that he is about to change back into a human again. When he wakes up he will not remember what happened during his blackouts.
If you survive being bitten by this creature, you will be afflicted with Lycanthropy as described above, but few survive to suffer this problem. Loup Garou are relatively immortal. Unless their bodies are burned completely to ashes they will come back. Eventually these wretches will realize what mayhem they are guilty of, and will flee to the farthest places away from other people. They make wildernesses very dangerous on moonlit nights. Some may have a lover or family or friends lock them up on nights when the moon is full in a secure cell, and leave there to howl out their rage, until the sun has risen again. It is truly a terrible creature and potentially a real problem, even for strong characters.
The best time to try to kill a Loup Garou is while he is in his human form. However, his demon has a 50% chance, if he is in serious danger, to turn him into the Wolfman form of creature who will make a great effort to escape and run away.
Weres seldom get along with other Weres, unless related by blood. The ones who interact with people usually only do so out of necessity. Nearly all humans and other races find them pretty disturbing to interact with. One Were per party is a good rule. Weres do make for fun roleplaying. These not-quite-real people with issues can liven up a game as their problems begin to impact what is going on. Taking on a group of Weres can be an interesting challenge too.
A really interesting adventure would be to have two groups of players, one group running a small Werewolf community just minding its own business, and the other group a gang of low level bandits and ‘monsters (See Monsters! Monsters! By Ken St. Andre) attack the village. Neither side should know what is expected. The bad guys would be expecting poor peasants and serfs. The Werewolves would, of course, do everything in their power to protect their homes and families.
Women who get pregnant with a Were (in his human form, hopefully) often have interesting offspring. These kids grow up to lead interesting lives after puberty.
Professor Whenn (channeled by Mad Roy Cram)
Additional Thoughts from 'Mad' Roy Cram on Weres
Here are some examples of Werewolves and some other Theriomorphs. I admit this is a tough one. (I cheated a little on the dice rolls) This one would be a Warden – a Werewolf who is chosen by his pack to police the riff raff and stop crazy Weres from stirring up the public against the community.
Human
STR 15
CON 17
INT 15
WIZ 14
DEX 9
SPD 18
LCK 3D6
CHR 3D6
Def 0
Werewolf
STR 45
CON 51
INT 15
WIZ 14
DEX 3
SPD 36
LCK 3D6
CHR scary
Def 5
Loup Garou
STR 60
CON 68
INT 3
WIZ 3D6
DEX 3
SPD 54
LCK 3D6
CHR terrifying
Def 18
Wolfman, Bearman, Tigerman, Hyenaman etc.
STR 51 (bears and tigers get an extra D6)
CON 51 (bears and tigers get an extra D6)
INT 15
WIZ 3D6
DEX 9 or 3D6
SPD 6+2D6
LCK 3D6
CHR scary to terrifying
Def 5
To roll up Weres I use 3D6 and like dice (doubles or triples) add and roll over for STR, CON, and SPD. I allow no value for any attribute on any Were in human form to be less than a nine.
GM’s may make allowances for lower numbers in young, inexperienced, or Hexenwolves.
Remember: A natural or common Werewolf must have a WIZ of 14 or more.
CHR values apply only to the human forms. Scary CHR means normal people will be at a disadvantage or penalty when confronting such a creature. GM’s may make their own decision on what terror will do to heroes or player characters in these encounters. Some sort of Saving Roll might be needed to avoid a penalty.
One last note: Even in their human form Weres are very fast and agile. I give them a 1D6 roll as a talent for SPD.
Copyright © 2012, 'Mad' Roy Cram
Artwork is free for use clipart
by 'Mad' Roy Cram
Professor Whenn and Yorrdamma Vrash are doing research on entities of the Troll World that possess unusual or extraordinary talents and/or abilities which make them superior to ordinary beings. If anyone has comments or questions they may trollmail Yorrdamma Vrash via Trollhalla, who will be happy to respond to any inquiries.
Theriomorphs
These creatures are the shape changers or form dancers. For simplicity’s sake we will refer to them as ‘Weres’. These are entities that can change their physical form either partly or wholly into some kind of animal. The authors are indebted to mega author Jim Butcher from whose noir detective novel Fool Moon much useful information was obtained. If the reader enjoys wizard and werewolf stories, this is one of the best.
The most common form of Werewolf is fortunately one of the less dangerous kinds. These beings are humans who can use magic (the only magic they can use) to change themselves into a wolf and back to human form again. The wolf will have the same body mass as the human who assumed the animal form. All adult Werewolves will have a Wiz rating of at least 14. Each use of this spell costs them seven Wiz points. Like other magic users they regain Wiz at the rate of one Wiz per turn if resting. They don’t need to be naked to change to the wolf form, but most wear only the sort of clothing they can easily shuck off or wiggle out of because the spell that makes them a wolf does not affect what they are wearing. They will be naked when they change back to human again. The wolf gets three times its human Strength and Constitution and twice its Speed. I add these up to get a monster rating. I also give the Werewolf spite damage of one point for each five and each six they roll on combat dice. The wolf’s furry pelt is the equivalent of leather armor and takes 5 hits per round. The wolf has a manual Dexterity of three. It cannot wield a weapon with paws. If a Werewolf is defending its mate or offspring it will get double combat adds. These wolves keep their human mind while in the wolf form, but have highly enhanced senses of smell and hearing. I give them +6 on dice rolls involving either sense. They cannot speak any language while wolven. They are not affected by the moon or the sun. And they are vulnerable to harm by ordinary weapons as well as silver. Fire and magic can also hurt or kill them. They do heal at twice the normal human rate, and may heal up to one D6 of hits each time they change form. When a Werewolf is killed it should be beheaded or burned. They have an annoying habit of coming back to life if not completely destroyed.
This condition is hereditary. You will not become a Werewolf if you are bitten by one of these creatures. Though most tend to be solitary and reclusive beings, they can also be found in families, usually on isolated farms far from cities or towns. The adults will hunt as a pack at night. The children usually do not start to change until they are teenagers. Rare members may never change, but still carry the genes. Werewolves usually don’t bother people unless hunger drives them to prey on their neighbor’s livestock. In outlying areas one can find small hamlets or villages where everyone is a Werewolf. They are usually not friendly to strangers
Sometimes one of these Werewolves will get a little crazy and start preying on people. This provides some good role playing situations where a party must try and figure out who the culprit is.
Higher level Werewolves of this type may join a party in the woods or above ground, but they hate tunnels and caves. Most of them are the original tree huggers, and they will use all their abilities to help a group track down a rogue Werewolf or other creature that is making trouble for them or doing harm to the forest and its creatures. Don’t mess with their woods; they can be vindictive and very cross in these cases.
They also make good night watchmen and guards in a city setting. If you thought the junkyard dog was mean, wait til you meet the junkyard Werewolf!
A sad case of Werewolf is the poor fellow who made a high level wizard really mad and had a Urawolf spell cast on him (9th level, Intelligence and Dexterity of 54 required, 100 Wiz to cast). It turns the victim into a wolf just like the one described above. They are then stuck in the animal form until another Wizard or magic person can remove the curse or dispel the powerful magic.
This makes for some neat role playing too. If the character transformed is a player he must figure out how to make his predicament known to his comrades, and then they must try and figure out how to get him back into human form. Each week after the change, the victim must make a level one saving roll on his intelligence. Each time he fumbles or he misses one he loses one point of Intelligence. When his INT reaches 3 he becomes a wolf and remains that way forever. His human mind is gone.
Hexenwolf or Spell Wolfs are different in that they are created by an enchanted belt of wolf fur, or some sort of talisman. When they put it on, they turn into a werewolf like the type described above. They have the power to change back when they want to, but must take off the belt or talisman right away. These belts or items are given to them by magic users who usually mean no good, and always enchant them to make them do what the magician wants. Often, the one bestowing these ‘gifts’ on his pack will wear one too that makes him or her the alpha of the group. Wizards, however, can’t cast other spells while in wolf form.
One of the main drawbacks of this kind of transformation is the tendency of the user to ‘go wolf’ and just run away to the woods and stay in the wolf form until his mind is gone and only the wolf mind remains. Players should have to make a level one saving roll on Intelligence each time they transform. Like the Urawolf fellow, they lose a point of Intelligence every time they fumble or miss a roll. When their INT hits three they are done and stay a real wolf for the rest of their lives.
In the cities Hexenwolves are sometimes used by criminal groups of various kinds, and can do great mischief. Regular Werewolves of the first type above hate these creatures and will gladly help the authorities to track them down and kill them.
Lycanthropes are the classic Wolfman or Wolfwoman (fortunately rare), a human being that develops wolf like characteristics, but stays in humanoid form. These folks come from a clan of people whose tribal totem is a Wolf, and they are carriers of an angry wolf spirit put in them at birth by the Shaman. Their bite will not make you a Wolfman. In battle they change into the Wolfman form (they look the Lon Chaney Wolfman). They get a three fold increase in Con and Strength, double their Speed, but keep their Dex. Their skin gets the five point armor bonus in addition to whatever other armor they are wearing, and they can use whatever weapons they use as a human. They prefer big axes. In the Wolfman form they grow fur, claws, fangs and wolf features. They heal at four times the normal rate, and are resistant to pain or sickness. Once killed, they should be burned or beheaded, or they come back really angry. They are questionable allies because, once they go Wolfman, they will keep on fighting, and, sometimes, even turn on their own kind. They will fight until all the foes are slain. Only then do they return to human form. They are not affected by the moon or sun. They like to eat the heart and flesh of their victims.
There are other groups of these kinds of creatures. In the deep woods one may encounter Bearmen or Boarmen, in the jungles, Tigermen, and in the savannas, Lionmen and their mortal enemies, the Hyenamen.
And now we come to the King of the Werewolves, the Loup Garou. This is a person who has been cursed by a powerful Wizard, Demon King, or Fairie Queen. It is very BAD juju! The victim is possessed by a terrible Wolf Demon. Only the most powerful of spells or exorcisms can free the Loup Garou of his dreadful burden. This Werewolf receives double damage from silver weapons. Magic weapons do him normal injury, but regular weapons do him no harm. He heals at the rate of 1D6 per combat round. The Loup Garou cannot control his changes. He becomes a Werewolf only on nights when the moon is full, and remains one, until the moon sets, or the sun rises. In Wolf form he gets four times Strength and Con, and triple Speed. His pelt is equivalent to plate armor taking 18 hits per round. He becomes a mindless killing machine that will attack any and all creatures it meets. He will instinctively flee though when he feels that he is about to change back into a human again. When he wakes up he will not remember what happened during his blackouts.
If you survive being bitten by this creature, you will be afflicted with Lycanthropy as described above, but few survive to suffer this problem. Loup Garou are relatively immortal. Unless their bodies are burned completely to ashes they will come back. Eventually these wretches will realize what mayhem they are guilty of, and will flee to the farthest places away from other people. They make wildernesses very dangerous on moonlit nights. Some may have a lover or family or friends lock them up on nights when the moon is full in a secure cell, and leave there to howl out their rage, until the sun has risen again. It is truly a terrible creature and potentially a real problem, even for strong characters.
The best time to try to kill a Loup Garou is while he is in his human form. However, his demon has a 50% chance, if he is in serious danger, to turn him into the Wolfman form of creature who will make a great effort to escape and run away.
Weres seldom get along with other Weres, unless related by blood. The ones who interact with people usually only do so out of necessity. Nearly all humans and other races find them pretty disturbing to interact with. One Were per party is a good rule. Weres do make for fun roleplaying. These not-quite-real people with issues can liven up a game as their problems begin to impact what is going on. Taking on a group of Weres can be an interesting challenge too.
A really interesting adventure would be to have two groups of players, one group running a small Werewolf community just minding its own business, and the other group a gang of low level bandits and ‘monsters (See Monsters! Monsters! By Ken St. Andre) attack the village. Neither side should know what is expected. The bad guys would be expecting poor peasants and serfs. The Werewolves would, of course, do everything in their power to protect their homes and families.
Women who get pregnant with a Were (in his human form, hopefully) often have interesting offspring. These kids grow up to lead interesting lives after puberty.
Professor Whenn (channeled by Mad Roy Cram)
Additional Thoughts from 'Mad' Roy Cram on Weres
Here are some examples of Werewolves and some other Theriomorphs. I admit this is a tough one. (I cheated a little on the dice rolls) This one would be a Warden – a Werewolf who is chosen by his pack to police the riff raff and stop crazy Weres from stirring up the public against the community.
Human
STR 15
CON 17
INT 15
WIZ 14
DEX 9
SPD 18
LCK 3D6
CHR 3D6
Def 0
Werewolf
STR 45
CON 51
INT 15
WIZ 14
DEX 3
SPD 36
LCK 3D6
CHR scary
Def 5
Loup Garou
STR 60
CON 68
INT 3
WIZ 3D6
DEX 3
SPD 54
LCK 3D6
CHR terrifying
Def 18
Wolfman, Bearman, Tigerman, Hyenaman etc.
STR 51 (bears and tigers get an extra D6)
CON 51 (bears and tigers get an extra D6)
INT 15
WIZ 3D6
DEX 9 or 3D6
SPD 6+2D6
LCK 3D6
CHR scary to terrifying
Def 5
To roll up Weres I use 3D6 and like dice (doubles or triples) add and roll over for STR, CON, and SPD. I allow no value for any attribute on any Were in human form to be less than a nine.
GM’s may make allowances for lower numbers in young, inexperienced, or Hexenwolves.
Remember: A natural or common Werewolf must have a WIZ of 14 or more.
CHR values apply only to the human forms. Scary CHR means normal people will be at a disadvantage or penalty when confronting such a creature. GM’s may make their own decision on what terror will do to heroes or player characters in these encounters. Some sort of Saving Roll might be needed to avoid a penalty.
One last note: Even in their human form Weres are very fast and agile. I give them a 1D6 roll as a talent for SPD.
Copyright © 2012, 'Mad' Roy Cram
Artwork is free for use clipart
Saturday, April 7, 2012
T&T Supplement: It Came From Beyond the Stars
It Came From Beyond the Stars
A T&T 7.5 GM Adventure
by Scott Malthouse
Trollish Delver Games
Published by Peryton Publishing
Strap on your sword and grab your shield, something has fallen from the sky, and the King wants you to find out what it is.
Scott Malthouse treats us to a fantastical romp in the Kingdom of Peakvale on Trollworld, from the village of Willowmoss, to the wilderness of the Greyshades, to an urook death ritual in the Cerberus Forest, in a smooth, concise manner. He presents us with a fast-paced trip through several familiar sci-fi horror tropes, but with a pleasantly T&T-esque twist. I was reminded of old sci-fi classic movies like the Blob, but the true virtue of this adventure is a deep sense of the Lovecraftian washing over you, particularly at the climax. Fans of weird fantasy/horror/sci-fi blending will love this one.
The adventure includes plenty of detail, including wandering monster charts for various areas of the Kingdom of Peakvale and vivid, yet not overblown, descriptive passages. Simultaneously, Scott has left things bare bones enough for a GM to embellish and personalize things to his own play style and player characters. Several very interesting and richly detailed NPCs make appearances throughout, and again, these are at once complete and bare bones, plenty of room for a creative GM to embellish when needed/desired.
It Came From Beyond the Stars is a worthy addition to any T&T collection, short and sweet, but packs a lot of punch. It is available at DriveThruRPG for a mere pittance. Click your way on over and download it today!
Copyright © 2012, Paul Ingrassia
A T&T 7.5 GM Adventure
by Scott Malthouse
Trollish Delver Games
Published by Peryton Publishing
Strap on your sword and grab your shield, something has fallen from the sky, and the King wants you to find out what it is.
Scott Malthouse treats us to a fantastical romp in the Kingdom of Peakvale on Trollworld, from the village of Willowmoss, to the wilderness of the Greyshades, to an urook death ritual in the Cerberus Forest, in a smooth, concise manner. He presents us with a fast-paced trip through several familiar sci-fi horror tropes, but with a pleasantly T&T-esque twist. I was reminded of old sci-fi classic movies like the Blob, but the true virtue of this adventure is a deep sense of the Lovecraftian washing over you, particularly at the climax. Fans of weird fantasy/horror/sci-fi blending will love this one.
The adventure includes plenty of detail, including wandering monster charts for various areas of the Kingdom of Peakvale and vivid, yet not overblown, descriptive passages. Simultaneously, Scott has left things bare bones enough for a GM to embellish and personalize things to his own play style and player characters. Several very interesting and richly detailed NPCs make appearances throughout, and again, these are at once complete and bare bones, plenty of room for a creative GM to embellish when needed/desired.
It Came From Beyond the Stars is a worthy addition to any T&T collection, short and sweet, but packs a lot of punch. It is available at DriveThruRPG for a mere pittance. Click your way on over and download it today!
Copyright © 2012, Paul Ingrassia
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