These vile horrors are believed to be some sort of atavistic throwback to a long-dead insectile race. Nevertheless, they present a murderous and alien threat, despite being few in number.
These creatures are a little larger than human size, about eight feet tall, but they are hunched and slumped, usually with their wing-claws wrapped around them. When they unfurl and stand up straight, they generally reach a massive size, and terrify their prey. They are usually silent, but emit a strong smell of formic acid, which can be overwhelming when close to them. The underside of their bodies are covered in hundreds of long, sharp claws, and their head features several bulbous eyes and a vicious-looking proboscis. These creatures are secretive and seem to be driving some kind of hidden agenda, but no sage has yet been able to divine their purpose. Statistics: Reticentipedes are 12HD Aberrations, with equivalent spellcasting as a sorcerer, usually choosing Enchantment spells. They often choose to grapple an opponent, taking no penalty for spellcasting while doing do, and can insert their vile proboscis into a target they are grappling, causing a large amount of damage as they siphon life-force directly from the target, and causing a paralyzing poison to immobilize them. The physical revulsion caused in most humanoids on seeing them forces a Will save (DC 15) in order to avoid being sickened for the next 1d3 rounds. How you can use Reticentipedes in your game: • Tracking the course of one of these secretive monsters will be difficult- they possess humanlike intelligence as well as sorcery, and will rarely leave evidence. Those who have even seen them are likely to be disgusted, horrified, and traumatized. • A Writhe of Reticentipedes is, oddly, less likely to be cautious, trusting their own alien intelligence and power to overwhelm most challenges. They might leave some clues as to their own nature in whatever forsaken place they claim as their nest. • A sage who wishes to study these monsters might hire skilled adventurers, perhaps even telling them what they suspect the PCs will come up against. But does this Alienist have hidden motives of their own? (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 28 February 2019) It’s all well and good to describe how gloomy something is, until 95% of your players pipe up with “all Elves have low-light vision, so we’re fine”, and “I have Darkvision 60 foot!” It makes it quite difficult to set a scene sometimes.
My proposal is to to return darkness to something to continues to have an effect, isn’t just frustrating for everyone to deal with (like a 50% miss chance), and still leaves some races having an advantage in dark confines. Darkness: an area that is in darkness causes any sight-based perception checks, as well as any attack rolls (for ranged or reach weapons) to take an additional -1 per 5 feet of darkness between the target and the viewer. Creatures with low-light vision take only -1 per 10 feet of darkness between the target and the viewer. Creatures with darkvision take only -1 per 20 feet of darkness between the target and the viewer. Magical darkness doubles the above penalties. Note that this rule removes the concealment chance entirely for darkness, which means creatures in the dark can still be affected by critical hits, though these are much less likely overall. It’s a simple rules-based solution that still means creatures with low-light vision can miss seeing something in dim lighting (so it doesn’t ruin your mystery plot immediately) but does mean they have a mechanical advantage over other creatures without similar vision abilities. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 February 2019) These vicious and crafty foes have a surprising agenda!
Simulacrum Hornets are mostly indistinguishable from regular hornets, except for their size (about thumb thickness), and the faint image of a screaming face in the iridescent shell of their thorax. They are fiercely territorial and will attack foes up to Giant-size without fear. However, their actual goal is far more insidious- they were spawned by a wicked wizard who sought to cheat death, spreading his consciousness across a hive of insects. The hornets seek to make copies of the wizard, building crude replicas of a human form in their nests until it becomes fully assembled. Then, the swarm hibernates within the dummy for a season, and when a new swarm is able to be spawned, the ‘old’ hive animates and becomes a Simulacrum of the wizard who fathered then all. Statistics: Treat these as a Challenge Rating 5 swarm of hornets (3d6 damage per round for anyone enveloped). They will occasionally form a ‘face’ of sorts and try unsuccessfully to speak. When the swarm animates their hive, it becomes a Simulacrum (as the spell) of a 15th-level Neutral Evil Wizard. How you can use Simulacrum Hornets in your game: • Hearing rumors of a hornet swarm that chased someone into a river and formed a face screaming at them makes a frightening adventure hook. • Coming across inert hives (which have not yet animated) will be challenging enough, battling the swarm. Finding the incomplete Simulacrum within their hive will be scary, but not yet dangerous. • Finding an animate Simulacrum Hornet swarm, with an active Simulacrum or two, and several distinct swarms, will be a very threatening encounter, especially if unable to run away or find shelter somehow. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 26 February 2019) Those who sin against the edicts of the Heavens are alternately tormented and rewarded within the bounds of the Nine Hells.
The Illuminator King was once a mortal lord, who believed that all creation revolves around his actions, and all who witnessed him should behold his glory. Such was his pride, that The promises he made led to his fate now, as one of the Ten Thousand Kings of Hell. In his court, the Illuminator King is hoisted each day on chains from the ceiling, attached to brutal hooks and bolts through his body. He knows constant, agonizing pain from these and the ever-guttering candles mounted on his back, but lacks eyes, and cannot see his court as they howl below him, clamoring for his attention. In the lightless labyrinth of his realm, he is the only source of any radiance, witnessed by all of his vassals and petitioners. The Illuminator King is wise, but cunning and wishes to hear flattering words and honeyed vows before he will disclose anything. Those who flatter him may receive safe passage through his realm, although he may not keep his word, depending on his whim. Statistics: The Illuminator King is about as powerful as an advanced Bone Devil, and the body-horror of his appearance heightens the saving throw DC against his Fear aura to 20. He possesses Blindsense out to about 10 feet, but no vision at all. How you can use the Illuminator Ling in your game: • As one of the Ten Thousand Kings of Hell, the Illuminator King could be a patron for a Warlock. He is capricious and vile, but demands and appreciates honest worship in return for his gifts. • The Illuminator King might have knowledge from his mortal life, or of one of the other Kings of Hell, which might be useful. Calling him up, or visiting in his domain, might be the only way to gain this information. • As an adversary, the Illuminator King can be terrible and fearsome. He commands an army of vicious and fiendish Grimlocks which can be sent after those who he wishes dead. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 25 February 2019) Most RPGs aren’t really written like video games, where buying stuff like health potions is made easily accessible. But why not?
It’s not like people don’t need them, and it’s certainly not like there isn’t a market for them. They’re able to be created much faster (per gold piece value) than standard art works or crafting, which is pretty amazing. 1st-level potions are worth roughly 50gp, and can be crafted in a day. Mundane Craft skill checks are measured in silver pieces of progress per day. In some ways, why would you even bother? Even if you’re not looking at healing potions and valuing the direct contribution of a God’s energy, arcane magical potions are pretty darn miraculous, and don’t have that same burden. So are there ways you can do this? Certainly, most churches are likely to manufacture and store some potions in case of emergencies. Potions (rules as written, anyway) never ‘go off’ or run out, so there’s a good chance that most high-level adventurers have a few odd ones rattling around in cupboards or old backpacks. How can you use Potion Availability in your game? • For a start, making magic potions of a certain level available without needing to locate people or skill checks is just good business- players using them will use their money, and be able to adventure a bit longer without running the Cleric out of spells. It just makes things easier. • Vending machines would also make things easier, but they wouldn’t fit into a lot of games. Having them run by magical energy, and staffed by a tiny imp or ice elemental (to keep potions chilled) would be kind of fun. • Potions just make the game a bit easier, and they don’t tend to hurt the game balance. If you want to keep a more realistic feel to your game, maybe have them only sold by healers or wizards. But for standard potions, this will be an expense like buying a bunch of new arrows or another sword- it shouldn’t be complicated or need role playing, just “I bought a couple of healing potions while I was in town”. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 24 February 2019) Akkursid are horrible magical creatures created when a creature dies slowly of a curse. They feed on magical energy.
These beasts exist only in horrific pain, and wish to inflict that pain outwards into others. The only thing that relieves the pain for them is stealing others’ magic. Statistics: These creatures are Chaotic Evil and possess 8 HD. When a spell is cast on them, or they are included in the area of effect, they ‘drink’ the spell in, as if they had Spell Resistance. This heals 1d6 hit points per level of the spell, and grants the Akkursid one spell slot of up to the same level of the spell just cast, which they can then cast a spell with, as if they were a Sorcerer. They have two claw attacks, dealing damage equivalent to a shortsword. Akkursid will often ‘taunt’ enemies, popping up from hiding in hopes that a spell will be hurled their way. How you can use Akkursid in your games: • At lower levels, a single Akkursid can be a potent foe, perhaps haunting a location with persistent spells. They might even be draining magical power from lighting or similar enhancements to a settlement. • Although Akkursid are sometimes tragic creatures, they are very dangerous, and a nest of them making their way across the land should be very frightening, prompting several bounties and promises of reward. • Some kind of magical curse large enough to kill a town or city might spawn a large number of Akkursid. Adventurers trying to explore a location like this will be in constant danger of attacks by magic-hungry monsters (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 23 February 2019) These devilish weapons are employed by Frost Devils, and are made to slay any kind of humanoid creature.
The blades can only be made within the deepest depths of the Nine Hells, where the cold is fiercest. There, Gelugon smiths take liquid mercury and freeze it until it becomes a solid metal, forging it into brittle and rough-edged blades. When used by another Ice Devil, the Weapon stays cold long enough to be used as a weapon, but the small blades and hooks often break off in the body of a target, causing horrific damage and mercury poisoning to anyone who survives the initial blow. Statistics: these function as a +1 Frost weapon, initially inflicting 1d10 base damage per successful hit, and dropping to 1d8 after the first hit, 1d6 after the second, 1d4 after the third, and then disintegrating entirely after the fourth successful hit. A target damaged by one of these weapons is also subject to 1 point of Constitution damage per hit. This can only be removed by magic, or with surgery with the aid of a Chill Metal spell. If the weapon is held by a creature without the Cold subtype, it drops in efficiency each round as if it were striking an opponent. The wounds caused by these blades are horrific, and knowingly using one on a living target is a ghastly act. Gelugons delight in the shrieks of pain that they induce from their targets. How you can use Manbane Blades in your game: • Ice Devils using these weapons leave a tainted treasure behind which may test your players’ resolve for treasure. • A noble or other person attacked with one of these weapons is assured a slow and hideous death. Perhaps they might be preserved by a Lifeguard magic while players have the opportunity to find some kind of cure? • Perhaps a weapon like this could be used to attack a powerful dragon, with some modification. Persuading the Ice Devils to forge it for you would be a quest all of its own, though. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 22 February 2019) Wearing bling has historic and even modern reasons for being worn. So why don’t you often see players wearing it?
Wearing jewelry makes your wealth portable- no more bringing a wheelbarrow or wagon to transport all your money on a long journey, just turn it into expensive jewelry, and then redeem it for cash at the other end when you need to pay people (or literally hack it up and pay people with chunks of it). A commoner wearing rags and dirt isn’t likely to be ransomed (for what, their fleas?), but a noble high-class warrior wearing jewels can literally ransom themselves (why make an ongoing enemy by killing someone’s brother/sister/child/parent, when you can peacefully take their money and gear, and send them home poor but alive? This way, there are no hard feelings!). In modern times, this is allegedly the reason that pimps would wear blingy gold necklaces- any money they carried would be confiscated on arrest, but they could hand off a necklace to an associate to be pawned for bail money. Jewelry also isn’t usually as traceable as money in a bank account, which makes it quite handy for underworld figures. Having jewelry as part of your wardrobe also distinguishes you as someone who can afford to literally wear their money. People who think similarly are more likely to talk to you, make deals with you, and regard you well. This applies equally to nobles, merchants, and (perhaps surprisingly) mercenaries. Medieval mercenaries were often paid on the battlefield, or allowed to loot a city they had taken (leading to the term “to sack a place”), and so would often wear portions of very rich clothing, looted jewelry, and so on, to mark their success and effectiveness. In game terms, allowing player characters who dress in clothing other than “travelers’ gear” or “adventurers’ clothing” should gain a small bonus to interaction checks from their outfits, perhaps +1 to +5 depending on the tailoring, wardrobe co-ordination, fabulousness, appropriateness to the occasion, and cleanliness (filthy nobles’ silk garb that’s been dragged through a sewer will *definitely* not look as impressive!). (Originally posted on game Masters Stash on 21 February 2019) Legends tell that if you dig too deep, you’ll uncover things which cannot be sealed up again.
In certain areas where the planes touch and cross, or where an open portal has been blocked by a landslide or similar event, a Hellportal is sometime uncovered by excavation. From these Hellportals, depending on the strength of their connection and the size of the portal, infernal creatures may sometimes crawl. This can be an adventure location or the basis of an entire campaign, as you prefer. This might even involve having to enter the portal and close it from the other side, Oblivion (Elder Scrolls game) -style, which can be harrowing, terrifying, and amazing, a at once. This might be a way to introduce planar travel to lower-level adventurers, leaving it fixed in one place and not controlled (or even desirable), but potentially a source of exotic materials, herbs, or items, as well as monsters of course! How you can use a Hellportal in your game: • A Hellportal has opened in a local field. The creatures issuing from it are a swarm of winged devils, which are tormenting local farmers. Not only must they be stopped, but the portal must be closed or blocked to stop more fierce creatures. • A Hellportal has opened in a cavern below a city. On the full moon (or at another significant interval), some sort of creature is able to make their way through, or pass something back. This works well for a ‘Monster of the Week’ style game. • A Hellportal which was closed in a cult headquarters by collapsing the roof atop it has finally been cleared, and the monster which was attempting to emerge surges forth into the streets. Defeating the devil will be difficult enough, but crossing through the portal to collapse it from the inside, and trying to escape, will be a task for heroes. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 20 February 2019) These tragic undead spirits protect and shepherd the dead to their rightful place.
Folklore tells that the first to be buried within a cemetery doesn’t cross over to the Land of the Unliving, but helps others to move on. Wanting not to “lose” their family and friends, a solution was found- a local dog was buried first, meaning that the humanoid inhabitants of the area were guarded against evil spirits by a faithful and loyal servant. They appear as a great dark hound, streaming glowing spirit-essence as they pant or breathe, and can pass through objects without disturbing them. Statistics: a Hallow Grim is an incorporeal creature with 4HD, and can sense any other undead within a mile of its cemetery. They can take on a semi-corporeal form to battle physical threats, but fade away in sunlight. As a ritual action, they can howl, granting a specific target within hearing Protection From Evil, usually come to protect the spirits of those about to pass on. Unfortunately, this has become associated with causing the death of those who hear it. When they spend a night sitting over the grave of someone recently deceased, they grant a Gentle Repose effect, preventing that creature rising as an undead. How you can use a Hallow Grim within your game: • PCs who come across a new frontier town might be surprised to see a dog being feted, showered with affection, and fed treats aplenty. They might also be surprised to see that the parcel they are delivering carries a small vial of a fast-acting and lethal poison, intended for the dog before any inhabitants of the town die. They may have concerns as to its usage, however. • A PC who has a connection to the Land of the Unliving somehow (whether scarred by a necromantic spell at birth, or somehow undead themselves) may face some antagonism from a Hallow Grim, which doesn’t quite understand their state of being. This might also apply to someone cursed by necromancy. Alternately, they may have had the spirit bound to them to protect them. • A town being haunted by a great black spirit hound may request help to vanquish it, unaware that it’s attempting to hunt out some kind of evil undead within the town, whether a vampire, wraith, or other kind of insidious creature masquerading as one of the living. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 19 February 2019) It can sometimes be hard to stay on target and keep on going with any project- whether that’s the campaign you just started, the setting that just got released, or other hobbies you’re working on.
So what are some tricks you can use to keep your mojo? First of all, it can be useful to keep a project diary- and start a new one for each new shiny project. Pick up some cheap exercise books and keep them around for when you see an idea. When you see something that gets you inspired, grab one of the empty books and write it down in there. Continue to accumulate stuff- links, names of movies or TV shows that have inspired you, pictures, anything that makes you go “oh, yeah, that’s why I want to do that thing!”. When you find your energy waning on that project, you can run through your old project journal to get re-inspired. Secondly, limiting your project. Not every campaign will be, or should be, a multi-year epic with dozens of PCs and decades of time (in-game) passing. Build up to that, and certainly allow for success, but start with setting a goal (defeat the planetary governor, or rescue the King, or liberate the nation from its invaders) and just accomplishing that goal. If the players want to keep going, leave yourself a hook for escalating the threat (the planetary governor works for the Evil Empire, the King was kidnapped because of a plot by Doppelgangers, the invaders were being driven by commands from a ancient Demigod), but don’t feel the need to use it. Next, have an idea of big events which will affect your project. If one of your players is going out of town for a month, plan that your group still meets. Play Munchkin, play a few one-shots or something, but don’t lose focus and just never bother coming back to the game. It’s also handy to discuss with a group what your threshold is for missing people, before canceling a game. For my seven players, our agreed threshold is two people, which means if a couple is out for the week due to parents/-in-law visiting, we plan to watch a movie, or play board games. That way, we stay together as a group, and people don’t get left out. If something is going to cause a delay or interruption, it’s important to be able to recover from that. Last, and most important, buff your Willpower saves! When you start feeling your enthusiasm for what you’re doing crumbling, or you start hearing the siren song of a new project calling, have the self-awareness to recognize it and catalogue the new thought in a new journal (or an existing one). Then, re-read your current journal and remind yourself why this project sparked that excitement in you, and that you want to see it through. This can also be useful if your project hits a snag or hasn’t been going the way you expected it to. By the way, this doesn’t just apply to your gaming. The reason I use ‘project’ here is because I’m also a wargamer, writer, and work on a whole bunch of other ideas distracting me. And then I’ve got to write a daily post here... you see how this goes? (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 18 February 2019) Sometimes, beating everything in sight isn’t ideal, or even possible. Sometimes you just want to get in and get out again as fast as possible.
Rescuing a hostage from within an army barracks, enemy castle/dungeon, or some other hostile location can be a really challenging adventure idea, especially if you add a time challenge and more than one hostage. How you can use Rescue Missions in your game: • Rescuing a hostage is a time-honoured tradition of adventuring, whether a kidnapped prince, powerful merchant, or vulnerable family members. • This can be a bit more challenging if the person you need to rescue is someone you don’t *want* to rescue, like a recurring villain. • Alternately, you can use this idea if you have captured an enemy, and know that their allies will be trying to rescue them. Having enemies infiltrating your own stronghold and running a dungeon in reverse can be a fun change of pace. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 February 2019) It’s a staple of many “HFY” stories that humans can pack-bond with anything, from wild animals, to Roombas, to a volleyball, to a robot marooned to die on an alien planet. They often advocate or even take extreme actions to recover or repair such objects, baffling other creatures.
While it seems to be partly a learned behavior, from hearing childrens’ stories about animate objects which cannot be animate (trees, socks, or children’s toys are common), part of it seems to be innate to humanity. It’s a triumph of humanity’s spirit over uncomforting logic. Let’s gamify that! Humanic Empathy is an ability gained by humans and those who are mostly-humans (half-Orcs, half-Elves, and similar races, but probably not Tieflings and Aasimar, unless they were raised thinking they were human) . When a character pack-bonds to a thing, identifying it as something valued and given personality characteristics which they wouldn’t normally have, their Humanic Empathy is activated. The object must be given a name, even if that’s “Spellbook McBookFace”. The human then gains a +1 determination bonus on saving throws against any effect which would force them to harm or otherwise abandon the object or creature. In addition, if the human is in touch contact with the thing for the majority of a long rest, they heal an additional 1 hit point during the rest. However, if the object is lost, damaged, or destroyed, the human gains no benefit from the next long rest immediately following. Why humans cannot easily extend this empathy to fellow intelligent creatures is unknown, and studied by many sages. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 15 February 2019) Journeying to far places has always been something that humanity has indulged, whether for exploration or exploitation. The next planet out from us likely not to be too far away, explorationally speaking.
Exploring an entire planet as a game concept isn’t too hard- like a hex crawl or a West Marches game, but really big. Depending on the type of game, and the Spirit which you’re indulging, you can add in different elements. If it’s a hard-science setting, survival and terrain are likely to be the biggest threats to any Sojourners (watch The Martian if you need examples). For a more Planetary Romance style setting, you can throw in four-armed aliens of both green and white style, whatever your fancy. You could even throw in some dragons, just seize the Opportunity you’ve been given. The important thing is to indulge your Curiosity, and make “what’s over that horizon?” your treasure, instead of just regular kinds of treasure. (Today’s post brought to you by the sad death of Opportunity Rover, after 2,319 mission days. Good robot.) (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 14 February 2019) This sod and stone cottage in the wilderness marks the dwelling place of one of the world’s Great Druids. She swells alone with her animal friends out in the moors, keeping the area secured.
The cottage can be found surrounded by a tight wall of packed stone, overgrown with turf which makes it hard to spot. It is small but cozy inside, and bears the marks of simple living, but immense power- a few scrolls, wrapped in oil hides to protect them, tossed on a shelf; the trophy head of some unnatural beast, stuffed and mounted; a faintly glowing staff standing on its own in a corner by the doorway. It also smells heavily of herbs and good tea, and has a heavily scarred work table. While the Great Druid who lives there welcomes guests cautiously, she is wary of strangers to begin with. How you can use the Druid’s Cottage in your games: • Happening across the Druid’s Cottage in dense fog or a bad storm makes it an ideal place to shelter. There’s soup warming by the small hearth, and a bed, and plenty of blankets. When the Druid returns home, however, things might change- depending on how the visitors have treated her home. • Seeking out one of the Great Druids to challenge them for their position is an accepted way to progress in the Druidic hierarchy- but it may come with learning and responsibilities that the applicant was not ready for. • Four miles out, another concentric wall surrounds the area, this one made of packed bones, also overgrown by turf and unnoticeable unless someone digs into it. Another seven miles out, there is a last wall made of chalk which is natural to the area, laid into the earth. The combination of the three ensorcelled walls renders the area an inward-facing Binding effect, trapping an enormously powerful Infernal in a cave beneath the earth under the cottage. This Great Druid’s duty is to safeguard the creature buried there, and make sure that none disturb its rest, or that any who hear its whispers on their fevered dreams live to wake it. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 13 February 2019) We’ve all seen your standard post-apocalypse fare: yellows, browns, red dust, rusty machinery, faded-out greys. But it’s more likely to be vibrant green.
Without continuing industrial pollution, and human-driven upkeep on plants, they’re going to be thriving. Unless you’re setting your game a loooooong time after some kind of devastating destruction, or the destruction has been global and static (like a nuclear winter), plants will be around, and will be infesting whatever corners they used to be cleared from- cracks in concrete, roots underneath sidewalks and sewage pipes, ivy on walls. Your standard post-apocalypse is likely to actually be really good for the earth (eventually-ish), because all those plants are going to be eating up the carbon dioxide and monoxide in the air, and letting it just be oxygen again. A ‘vault dweller’ or someone who has been on a spaceship their entire life is going to notice the air quality immediately- it’s a taste thing. It may even give them a bit of a high, as increased O2 levels tend to do to people in high climates. So think about your ruined buildings and car-strewn highways, and compare to your lawn, which grows berserk every time it rains. Now multiply that by years of no maintenance or check on their growth, and think about what a nightmare it would be to be a groundskeeper in the post-apocalypse world. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 12 February 2019) This magic Item is crafted from the corpse of a raven slain unnaturally, wired together and lit with fireflies. It radiates a sense of vague dread to touch it.
The item is activated by contact with a Fey or Extraplanar creature, at which point they must make a Reflex save (DC 20) or become trapped, as per the minimum containment version of the Imprisonment spell, appearing stuck within the rib cage of the raven. The skeleton itself can be crushed from the outside with a normal human’s strength, but the trapped creature cannot affect it themselves. Often created by Druids of the Gatekeeper tradition, they are left as very expensive traps when extraplanar creatures are roaming. How you can use Unearthly Oubliettes in your game: • Your PCs might happen across a creature trapped within one of these. Whether it was imprisoned unjustly or otherwise, it might promise the world or more to be released. • A particularly fearful Druid might have a flock of these items decorating their lair, in hopes of preserving their freedom from a powerful Few they once made a pact with. If sending PCs out on a mission, they might be persuaded to part with one of these to capture a foe within. • PCs who desire to trap a powerful extraplanar creature might resort to crafting one of these traps. The materials themselves are not altogether difficult to gather, but the ritual itself may pose an issue to defend. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 11 February 2019) A particular sect who serve Padraig, Lord of Light, espouse the philosophy that no creature is inherently good- all creatures, including newborn babies and kittens, are evil by nature, as their focus is only (and can only be) on the self. Their belief is that only through conscious choice, and choosing the right path and right actions, can anyone hope to attain purity of spirit and true goodness.
This is not to say that they treat children (or kittens) badly; they merely believe they don’t know well enough to have chosen good paths. Much of the sect’s symbology and argot revolves around walking right paths, and “rising” like the sun. At its best, this sect is warm, welcoming to any who claim sanctuary and an earnest desire to change and redeem themselves. It encourages moral choice as a foundation of day-to-day life, and consideration of others. At its poorest, it revolves around meaningless ‘micro-transactions’ of “right choice” to do absolutely standard things (like “I walked the right path by making sure I welcomed every seller in the market today”), and mealy-mouthed confessions of “falling” by walking the wrong path, and begging forgiveness of the gathering for their future choices. The sect, originally small in size, grew remarkably when one of its adherents attained true ascension and transformation into one of the Host, due to his actions as a teacher of moral philosophy, and his renown in redeeming an imprisoned devil through years of struggle. That one is now known as Raduriel, the Ascended Son, and is often the Intercessor called upon by members of the Sect who have any spellcasting ability. How you can use the Sect of the Ascended Sun in your games: • A player character, especially a religious one, might be from the sect. This means they could be a faithful believer in its philosophy, or perhaps someone who is cynical about its premise. • A powerful Ascensionist might be attempting their own transformation, by commissioning the building of a cathedral in a dangerous and monster-haunted area. They firmly believe that they are walking the right path by doing so, and if it is successful, it will mean a safe place making the area peaceful for many years. However, he is blind to the danger it places his congregation in, and how much help they need beyond “having faith and walking the right path”. • Powerful PCs might have reason to call upon Raduriel himself. He is willing to serve those who do good, but his payment for such a task is more likely to be a promise to change, or to help others do so. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 9 February 2019) Today marks a year that I’ve been posting for Game Masters Stash. Honestly, I had a bunch of ideas for what I wanted to post for today, and I’ll probably use a bunch of them later, but today kind of crept up on me, and poor sleep hit me with a 4d6 sneak attack, so I’m a little under the weather!
This has been a fantastic year. Forcing myself to write something, anything, for today’s post, just about every day has measurably improved my writing, and my confidence in GMing. I’ve gotten to test out a bunch of ideas, edit, and get feedback from players, fellow GMs, and even some industry professionals recently, which has blown my mind. I’ve had runaway successes on posts I thought would be run-of-the-mill and posts I thought for sure would be a success but flopped, and those are a really valuable part of writing too! So thank you to Ragnarokgar who has made Game Masters Stash possible, to Arjade who has always had my back, and our newest contributor Pyre, who’s doing some great stuff. Thanks to all the past contributors we’ve had while I’ve been here. And most importantly, thanks to all our readers. Your enjoyment of what we write keeps us coming back. So keep reading for ongoing Game Mastering content, and hopefully we’ll have some exciting news for you shortly... when I get my act together! (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 8 February 2019) In classical mythology, Medusa was a beautiful maiden who served Athena, and was raped by the god Poseidon within her own temple. Athena was so angry that she cursed Medusa with venomous snakes for hair and an appearance that would turn viewers to stone.
Which makes Medusae (plural) a good D&D monster- they have supernatural powers and poison, as well as being physically threatening. But as far as storytelling, it doesn’t make a great deal of sense for a goddess to curse her own priestess for being attacked by another god. So what you can do is to flip that narrative- Medusa asked Athena for the tools to make sure that no man would ever again attack her, and Athena, taking pity on her assaulted priestess, granted the request, even though it was against her own teachings and alignment. This way, Medusa has some agency within the story, the transformation makes a whole bunch more sense, and even if Medusa has now become a monster which slays all who come close, there’s a cohesive story which has tragedy and pathos, even if it still begins with the terrible trope of rape as a learning/transformative tool. So have a think about other monsters which might be transformed people, any why and how they may have come to that shape. Perhaps the Beholder race came from a single body-dysmorphic creature, xenophobic to the extreme point of genocidal mutilation. Could some kind of Storm Giant come from a sorcerer who wishes to attain the true power of storms, and experimented with several transformative spells? Pathfinder has elves who become irredeemably evil spontaneously transform into jet-skinned and red-eyed Drow to reflect their hearts. If nothing else, this might make your PCs think again next time they want to cut the head off someone and use it as a weapon. Let’s hope so. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 7 February 2019) |
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