Suggested Level: medium (6th—12th) This ornate baroque oil lamp is meant to sit on the bedside of the dying, prolonging their life for as long as it burns consecrated oil. The lamp must be refilled every six hours with special consecrated oil, which costs about 100gp per dose, even at material cost to the Church. The dying person stays stabilized while the lamp burns, but if the flame is extinguished, they die (no saving throw). This item is sometimes used to save the life of someone poisoned or dying of some kind of disease, often allowing time to reach a cure of some kind. However, the lamp needs constant attention to make sure the flame does not become extinguished, and the oil does not run out. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 8 August 2018) Categories All One option for keeping your PCs alive when they hit negative hit points is to do away with dying (unless the player is onboard with it, or there’s no narrative alternative). Adding scars and serious injuries each time this happens is a way to still have fallout for the characters when this happens. However, you need to add this to NPCs and monsters as well, in order to make it fair, otherwise your PCs will be significantly disabled by accumulating these effects. If a character would be dropped to -10 or fewer hit points, you can double the effect of the injury for each 10 hit points they would have taken (so, for example, if they would be dropped to -43 hit points, they take a 5x effect serious injury). This can characterize ‘boss’ or otherwise aged monsters really well, and can affect the tactics your PCs use in order to confront them. Tackling the “scarred bandit leader on the end” is a bit more fun than just “attacking the 3HD one”. 1d10 serious injuries and scars 1: Damaged eye (-2 on any ranged attacks and Balance checks) 2: Damaged hand (-1 on attack rolls or checks with that hand) 3: Crippled leg (-5ft. speed) 4: Nervous system damage (-1 Dexterity) 5: Trauma (become Frightened by similar creatures/situations that caused the injury, Will DC 10 to resist each round) 6: Respiratory injury (-1 Constitution, can hold breath for 1 round less) 7: Muscle damage (-1 Strength) 8: Memory damage (-1 Wisdom) 9: Brain damage (-1 Intelligence) 10: Anxiety issues (-1 Charisma) (None of these are intended as slights on those who have disabilities, but ways to represent taking injuries in-game. As someone with a diagnosed mental heath condition, offense is furthest from my mind. Feel free to change the titles of these for your own campaign as necessary.) (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 7 August 2018) Categories All Sooner or later, the PCs will likely have to fight a dragon. And, if they know it’s coming, they’ll talk to a sage who can give them some advice in order to deal with it. And who better to consult than Madame Dindrori, the Dragon Sage?
Most people don’t expect a dragon to be that sage. Madame Dindrori is friendly, ambitious, knowledgeable- to humanoids. She is no slouch physically, being a 400-year old Red Dragon, but she is on the runty side, and is outcast from what can be considered “regular dragon society”. This has made her incredibly bitter towards them, and she now collect stories of their lairs, weaknesses, and known spells, precisely so she can sell these secrets to humanoids. Other dragons consider this far beneath them, and would never consider such an act, which is why Dindrori is still alive- her audacity in beginning this business sixty years ago has gone unnoticed, and just been put down to “lucky humanoid attacks”. Madame Dindrori is a Huge red dragon, wearing custom-made spectacles. She is often surrounded by books in her cozy, comfortable cavern, as well as well-rubbed gold coins on which she rests. She goes in human form to the local town, and buys cattle for food- although it galls her to part with any of her hoard, it does cut down on the number of violent adventurers who visit. At least without paying. Statistics: Neutral Evil Mature Adult Red Dragon, -2 to Strength and Constitution, Intelligence 23. Madame Dindrori is exceptionally skilled in knowledge regarding other dragons (+35 skill bonus). For a minimum of 100 gold pieces per 100 years old of the target dragon, she’ll not only tell what weapons and energy are useful against them, but personal anecdotes about their weaknesses (“left wing is a little weak after he crashed into a cliff once, and he turns to that side poorly”, or “she’s a sucker for flattery, and prefers Enchantment spells”) and the location of their lair. For a one-tenth cut of the hoard, she’ll give much more useful information (like “his eyesight is failing, but his servants call him “Great Master”, which is how he recognizes them- you’ll be able to use that to get close”). She has not lasted this long by directly confronting her foes, so she will not under any circumstances accompany others to fight another dragon. She’s far too fond of her comforts for that. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 6 August 2018) Suggested level: low (2nd-4th) This shield bears the livery of the Duke of Osher. His yellow and black stripes are known through the lands, and are a warning to enemies, and to remind his own soldiers to be wary. It is said that these stripes mark safety, and are greeted with enthusiastic cheers when they are seen by the populace. Those who bear these shields feel constantly ready for action and able to avoid accidents. Statistics: +1 heavy shield, and bearers gain a +2 bonus on Initiative rolls, and on Reflex saves against trap effects. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 5 August 2018) Categories All Thol’Gadak is an ancient Devil, one tortured and tormented and battered until he attained the capabilities required of the role for which Asmodeus intended him. He was hammered in the fires of Hell and tempered in its icy wastes, and has emerged like the finest steel. He maintains an uneasy peace between many of the Barons by threat of his silver blade, gifted to him by Asmodeus, capable of harming most devils immediately. Since attaining his rank, he has never known defeat in battle against Devil, Demon, or Angel, and maintains a ruthless and merciless attitude to those who break the rules. On occasion, Thol’Gadak is loosed upon the world for a particular mission. He does not have the brute power of a Pit Fiend, not the control of Hell’s armies, but he is just as lethal in his own way. Player Characters may cross paths with Thol’Gadak if they have broken an Infernal Pact (or have been made unable to complete one). He will challenge the accused, and any who wish to join them as champion, and share their sentence. Thol’Gadak is, however, a creature with honour. He will execute his mission, and likely his prey, but he will stop short of harming the innocent, even forsaking a chance to slay his foe if it might harm another. This can be used against him, but he is no fool, and will not tolerate someone deliberately intervening and also declaring themselves an innocent. If he is somehow cheated of his foe, he will accept this, if foul-temperedly, and Gate back to Hell to vent his fury. Statistics: treat Thol’Gadak as a Pit Fiend with +2 AC and no wings, but with a silvered sword dealing bonus ice damage. He will rarely make more than one weapon and one natural weapon attack on the same foe, considering it dishonorable. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 August 2018) Categories All Feasts are an important part of high society- they let you invite over all your friends, and show what you can afford to spend on them for entertainment and exotic foods. They’re also a very important mark of social status, and let nobles recognize and reward those who have done well. They are also an option for artful cooks to show off, challenge the tastes and expectations of their audience, and exhibit their skills at making incredible culinary arts. They make for great events for intrigue and drama, and there are plenty of options for the centerpiece of a feast. Random options (roll d6): 1: A grand spectacle of main courses, each with a centerpiece of one head of a Chimera- a hearty goat stew, a serpent stuffed with rice and olives, and a roaring lion’s head atop a mane of angel-hair pasta. 2: Jellied Giant Eel in an oaken cask, with raisins and stuffed peppers. 3: A Dire Bear, butterflied and roasted over coals for three days, stuffed with rich vegetables, and with loaves of rye bread to sop up the juices. 4: A pudding made in the shape of a terrible ooze, molded as if it is digesting the other dishes on the table. 5: Plates and bowls made of marzipan and painted with edible dyes, holding desserts made to look like stew, and bowls made of shellfish shells holding savoury dishes made to look like desserts. 6: Towers made of spun sugar to resemble an Elven city, with tiny sugar figures magically animated and strolling about the promenades and streets. The city is lit from within by magical lights. (Originaly posted on Game Masters Stash on 3 August 2018) Categories All We’ve all had something we’ve run into and just almost flipped the table, since the creature was so terrible. It didn’t make any sense, it looked terrible, it was WAAAAAAY too tough for the size it was, or it just had ridiculous powers that completely broke the game, and hadn’t been thought out well. Personally, I’ve never used an Yrthak (giant flying sonic pterodactyl thing from 3rd edition). What creatures have you never used as a GM, or flipped a table with as a player? What do you think you could change about them, that would make them interesting enough, or useful enough, to want to use? (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 2 August 2018) Categories All Warriors who wear heavy armour are often borne into battle on the backs of warhorses. Paladins, Knights, and other cavaliers are known for this kind of well-trained, highly-skilled animal. Although they often cost money for purchase and upkeep, as well as tailor-made armour (barding), the simple warhorse is often far more complicated. Horse lineages are sometimes traced as much as that of the noble riding them. The sire (father) and dam (mother) are selected for breeding favorable traits, and well-bred horses can be purchased for many times the regular purchase price. Traits for Well-Bred steeds (d10) A warhorse with one random trait costs 1.5x the Players’ Handbook cost for a warhorse. A steed with two random traits costs 3x as much (re-rolling doubles). A steed with one selected trait costs 2x the PHB cost. A steed with one selected and one random trait costs 5x as much (re-rolling doubles). A steed with two selected traits costs 10x as much, and will be highly prized, and recognizable by most other people with any proficiency in Animal Handling. 1. Fierce- this warhorse gains an additional +1 on attack rolls when charging. 2. Steady- riders gain a +5 competence bonus on Ride checks to stay in the saddle when struck. 3. Eager- this warhorse’s base speed is increased by +5ft. 4. Taciturn- this horse gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws vs. fear effects. 5. Dancer- this warhorse gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC. 6. Gallant- this warhorse grants the rider a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls when charging 7. Fearsome- opponents attacking this warhorse in melee take a -1 morale penalty on attack rolls. 8. Sure-footed- this warhorse has a +4 competence bonus on checks made to avoid being tripped or pushed. 9. Beautiful- this horse gains +4 to its Charisma score, and is visibly a finely-bred horse, garnering attention from traders and horse enthusiasts. 10. Seer- the horse can See Invisible constantly to a range of normal sight. The horse has no way of communicating this, but it explains why they keep startling at nothing. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 1 August 2018) Categories All |
AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|