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cptponcypants · 2 years ago

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A Year of Recovery

I am the 7th overseer (player) of @dorfposting‘s Dwarf Fortress succession fortress Gerbilgod. Here are the results of my year of running the fortress!

1st of Granite, 156

Gentledwarves, I am uncertain that I have ever before encountered catacombs so large and yet so full. The tombs are nearly all occupied and many slabs memorialize the fallen untombed. This place needs a turn of good fortune, but - alas - it appears that they look to me to deliver it. I will do what I must, but can make no promise to these desperate folk.

Much in the fortress appears to already be in good order. Food is in abundance, the mechanisms of most industries are in place, and standing orders have been given to keep essentials flowing. The issue, however, is a dearth of labor. We already have only a small number of residents, and this problem is exacerbated by many of them being permanent residents tied to particular jobs within the fortress rather than citizens proper.

I will attempt to convince them that it is in their best interest to throw their lot in with the rest of us and join the fortress in earnest. If I succeed then we can begin training them into skilled professionals who will hopefully be of more use in attempting to keep things afloat. More important than that, even, will be the ability to draft them into the militia, which is presently nonexistent.

(I've heard that if you remove the entry under the 'Labor/Locations' menu of permanent residents, they are more likely to become real citizens, so I'm going to give that a shot.)

Also in the interest of establishing a more robust defensive force, I am considering assigning a full-time laborer to steel smelting work. We have sizeable stocks of iron, processed coal, and flux stone, so the only thing preventing us from full-scale steel production is labor and time. If my attempts to convince our residents into citizenship are successful, I may assign one of them this task.

15th Granite, 156

So far, I have not managed to convince any of our residents to engage in real citizenship, but I have not given up hope. They will not join our military but may yet be willing to perform labor.

Furthermore, an elven caravan has appeared. I will see whether they have brought anything worth having and whether we have anything to give in return.

21st of Granite, 156

The elves brought little of worth, but I traded for it anyway in the hopes that someday they may bring something of more use. I also noticed no small number of trade goods crafted of flux stones. Our supply of flux is large but not endless, so I have forbidden the further use of flux stones for crafting purposes.

10th of Slate, 156

I have established a dedicated furnace operator and assigned them to a furnace with orders to produce only pig iron and steel. The weaponsmith will first be tasked with the production of an assortment of steel battleaxes, maces, warhammers, and shields before moving on to armor. The aim is to prepare to fully equip 3 squads, each with 8 axedwarves supplemented by a macedwarf and a hammerdwarf.

The idea is that axes are reasonably effective both against the unarmored, with their limb-loppery, and against the armored, with their large striking surface and good force multiplication. Then, the hammer and macedwarves can further support anti-armor efforts as well as provide more pulping in the event of needing to fight undead.

13th of Slate, 156

Migrants! And many of them! A full twenty two(!) new dwarves have joined our dingy outpost, and all but one are grown adults ready for labor and, of course, militia service. They were all drafted immediately apart from the medical professionals, who were assigned posts in the hospital.

After the draft, we now have two full squads of non-essential dwarves ready to be assigned barracks and rotate through training. Given that the old barracks have been overtaken by butchers workshops, I have designated space for new ones to be hewn from the earth. They will be near down to the magma forges so as to ensure militia dwarves are able to patrol for wandering magma creatures regularly.

24th of Slate, 156

One of the new woodcrafters immediately set about creating a new artifact for the fortress: a walnut wood earring!

I'll be honest, I wasn’t much impressed by the notion of a simple wood earring, but upon closer inspection it looks pretty neat!

It has also occurred to me that in order to accomplish my defense goals I will have to re-open the passage to the magma forges. Closing them was perhaps judicious in the past, but I am hoping now that things have calmed down enough that this won't invite total disaster.

2nd of Felsite, 156

The first Forgotten Beast of my tenure has arrived. I have done my best to identify what gaps my predecessors have left in our defenses that might allow access to the cavern it has appeared in, but I cannot be sure I have identified all possible routes. At the least I have identified one door that I think must be walled off to prevent a flying beast from entering, so I shall assign a dwarf to dedicated construction duty and hope they are swift.

4th of Felsite, 156

It seems my concerns were unwarranted. Even if the beast ever had a path into the fortress, it became immediately distracted by the presence of another of its ilk which quickly slew it upon their meeting. Good riddance, I say, and I hope its killer soon dies from its injuries.

21st Felsite, 156

It has come to my attention that there is the spirit of a bard haunting our dwarves. Despite its fullness and the number of slabs already stood within it, it seems our hall of memory is far from sufficiently memorializing all of our previous fallen. This will have to become a major aspect of my activities, now, as the restless dead are the last thing we need.

Upon closer inspection, this appears to be in part because there are a great many corpses left untombed. I will begin expanding the tomb complex immediately.

11th Hematite, 156

A human caravan. Two of them, in fact! Naturally our overworked Broker is taking some time to get to the depot, but hopefully some useful trade can be accomplished.

Work expanding the tombs is proceeding at pace. There are more than a few ghosts now, however, and we've already had one of our human residents scared to death.

Also, my layout of the barracks for our hopeful 3 militia squads has been completed. All of the rooms are hewn and smoothed and most of the furniture has been designated if not laid out. The only thing missing is to finish producing armor stands and a few weapon racks for the attached armory rooms.

17th Hematite, 156

The were-tortoise mayor was re-elected. I suppose this demonstrates our residents' opinion of local government.

The human merchants had little of use, but some cheeses and exotic meats seemed a reasonable enough excuse to dump a load of tattered clothes onto them. They don't seem to mind anyway.

20th Hematite, 156

The expansion on the tomb complex has been mined, but now it must be filled. The current rate of door and coffin production is insufficient, so our dedicated miners have temporarily been put on stonecarving duty. We needed to give some of these miners a side-job anyway.

8th Malachite, 156

One of our recruits was killed by a giant olm in an area exposed to one of the cavern layers. I think I will start walling these places off so as to prevent any more pointless casualties. We need these people to live until we can train them into soldiers dammit!

14th Malachite, 156

Another seven migrants - this time one of the new arrivals is an expert record keeper, so I have appointed them bookkeeper and assigned them an office. Hopefully this helps take some of the workload of our present manager/broker/chief medical dwarf. These new migrants will fill in the gaps of the latest fallen dwarves in the existing squads and begin to fill the third.

9th Galena, 156

The new barracks is just about complete, with the first set of armor stands being designated for placement in the militia commander's squad's armory. Here it is in all its boulder-filled glory!

Presently the squads are set to train periodically but I may set up a new schedule for them that trains more lightly until we boost the population further.

15th Galena, 156

Oh come on. We were just getting back on our feet here.

Well, Mr. Udil Etesathel, Recruit. Yeah, you with the axe. Have at 'em.

I guess at the least I won't have to quarantine them.

Please just punch alpacas until you bleed to death...

Why did the were-creature have to be the veteran mercenary!

16th Galena, 156 Ok, the were-camel’s bled to death now. I genuinely don't think there are any dwarves that tussled with him and lived so I'm going to hope that nobody got infected and this was a one-time single-shot temporary setback of just under 10 individuals mixed between citizens and residents. All while the monster hunters stood around and did nothing. Typical.

1st Limestone, 156 Given our latest mercenary misadventure, I am inclined to temporarily make our tavern accessible to citizens only so as to discourage dangerous guests from setting us back further. I may well go about carving out a new publicly-accessible tavern near the trade depot that can be locked down in the event of more were-creature guests.

Furthermore, I have a concern that may not warrant immediate action, but has loomed over all my efforts so far this year. Many dwarves, especially those longest-term residents, are generally unhappy - some of them very much so. This is almost certainly due to living in a place piled with corpses and haunted by the restless spirits of those who once inhabited said corpses, but despite our present efforts to alleviate that particular problem, it's slow going. It may be worthwhile in the mean time to provide something new and energizing into the lives of our dwarves. This idea may be foolishness, but given that we have a river, a series of mist generators would not be untenable. I'll blueprint something out but we may have higher concerns.

13th Limestone, 156 Our first full moon since the werecamel attack - only the tortoise mayor transformed! I dare not count on this sort of luck again.

We also received a caravan from a neighboring dwarven civilization. I traded for some thread, quivers, waterskins and the like, uncertain whether our textile industry is functioning properly and knowing that waterskins and quivers will be useful for our militia if we decide to expand it to include crossbows. I sent them back with such a load of tattered clothing as to be the talk of their mountainhomes for the next year. Why they agreed to take it all I still cannot comprehend.

10th Sandstone, 156 Eight more migrants, including a blacksmith. They are not particularly good as of yet, but I think I will start training them up constructing flasks for the militia. Also these new arrivals can fill out the gaps in our squad that was decimated by the werecamel attack and get us back to having two full squads and one 7-strength squad! I do not expect more migrants this year, but if more come in spring, we should be able to finally fill out our militia properly.

25th Sandstone, 156 It came to my attention that steel production has been dramatically delayed by two crucial smelting jobs being stuck in the traditional smelters which have halted production in favor of the magma smelters - this held up the entire process. The blocker has been removed by simply deconstructing them - now for progress and the power of magma alone!

18th Timber, 156 Finally! After much labor to produce slabs, coffins, doors, etc. I've finally managed to get enough residents focusing on furniture hauling duty that they're actually filling out the catacombs and putting ghosts to rest. We've lost a handful of residents and animals to these hauntings, so I can only hope we can continue at pace with this.

25th Moonstone, 156 There is a path to the caverns somewhere. I don't know how, but residents have been getting down there and are being attacked by cavern dwellers! We've lost two to this nonsense already, so I'll have to figure out how to plug up the gap.

Having inspected the fortress layout, I believe the only viable path may be some dangling up/down stairs that hang over the cavern. Perhaps ghosts have haunted citizens causing them to dodge and fall down the gap? Either way, I have designated the bottom of these for removal and shall floor over the gap and re-route the stairs, but will remain vigilant for more pathways.

15th Opal, 156 It appears my hypothesis has been confirmed. Somehow one of the cavefish people seems to have climbed up into these dangling stairs, but was quickly dispatched by the militia. Once the gap can be floored over, we should have security again.

1st Granite, 157 It seems my time is now up. I have endeavored to leave this place better and more secure than I found it, and I hope I do not flatter myself to think that I indeed have. Though I suppose the migrants would have shown up either way so I can't take that much credit.

Nevertheless! The barracks is complete. The militia is equipped with weapons and shields. Armor is soon on its way.

Some of the last gaps into the caverns are designated to be plugged, and a new airlock into the lowest is nearly completed in case a mission to retrieve corpses proves necessary.

(these floor designations are necessary to prevent cavern invaders from climbing the foliage below up into the downwards stairs, which used to be up/down - whoever’s next, make sure they get finished!)

Some new quarters have been carved and designated to be furnished for the furnace operators and smiths in order to keep metallurgy moving swiftly.

Last and certainly not least, the catacombs have been expanded, furnished, and zoned (or at least designated & zoned). This has not altogether stopped our haunting problem, and may well not sufficiently memorialize all of our dead, but these structures and the many unengraved slabs that remain should provide much fodder with which my successor can work to put all of our remaining spirits to rest.

And with that, to my successor, I say good luck! Beware of the were-beasts, and do not trust to the soldiers to defeat them. Now I retire.

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I've chosen to dorf (or rather gorb) myself as our only goblin resident. Please don't throw them into the magma sea! I've named them 'Smörtukbuse', which is the goblin for 'fancypants' ('poncy' not appearing in the goblin dictionary) but without the diacritics which I couldn't figure out how to type into the text box.

Many thanks to @dorfposting setting this succession fortress up! This is the first opportunity I've had to get in on one and it was very enjoyable.

#gerbilgod #dwarf fortress #succession fort

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thaumaturgekitchen · 3 years ago

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Orc Cultures

(For an explanation on how all this works plus some cultures for elves, see here. Other cultures: Dwarves)

If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: I think orcs should get to punch God, as a treat. Violence has long been associated with orcs, if at times in some very dubious ways, and it's ultimately up to you to determine what that means for the orc cultures in your world. Is it transcendent and liberatory? Dreary and grounded in the realities of war, of long marches, sore feet, and empty stomachs? Not really a thing to begin with? I went for a 50/50 split with today's orcs - half grappling with the legacy of violence inflicted upon and by them in different ways, half saying screw that, let's have some fun forest jocks/cool crypt goths.

Weary Warriors

An orc's life is to fight and kill and die, and an orc's death is to fight and kill and die again in an endless, bloody cycle of planar warfare. So you have been told, in the brief time you knew your ancestors. So you will tell your children, if you live long enough to have any. You have grown resigned to the inevitability of violence, but it weighs on you all the same.

Common language: Orc

Pick two:

Gain proficiency in Intimidation

Gain proficiency in Athletics

Gain proficiency with warhammers and battleaxes

Gain proficiency with cobbler's tools and cook's utensils

Learn the spell False Life. You can cast it using any spell slots you have and can cast it 1/long rest at 1st level without expending a spell slot.

Vengeful Godkillers

After untold generations in the hands of a cruel and angry god, some among your number did the impossible. You toppled your god and shattered his throne, crushed his skull beneath your boots and drank of his blood. And with the taste of liberation fresh on your tongues, you turned to find a world of gods who were never there for you, who cherished their champions in their perfect, beautiful cities even as they sent them to slaughter your people. Some day, perhaps, you will learn to forgive the mortal pawns who fought and killed and died against you. But their gods? They must pay.

Common language: Orc

Pick two:

Gain proficiency in Religion

Gain proficiency in Intimidation

Gain proficiency with warhammers and mauls

Learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip

Learn the spell Wrathful Smite. You can cast it using any spell slots you have and can cast it 1/long rest at 1st level without expending a spell slot.

Sturdy Lumberjacks

Among the boomtowns at the forest's edge, orcs live and work side by side with dwarves and other sturdy folk, chopping trees and shipping lumber down the river. The elves may not like it, but it's a living.

Common language: Orc or Dwarvish

Pick two:

Gain proficiency in Nature

Gain proficiency in Athletics

Gain proficiency with handaxes and greataxes

Gain proficiency with carpenter's tools and woodcarver's tools

Gain proficiency with vehicles (water) and one type of gaming set

Speakers for the Dead

The world and its peoples are old indeed, and few more so than the orcs. These orcs live among their half-buried cities and mortuaries, tending to the honored remains of the ancient dead. Though they may appear frightening to outsiders, few can match their archival knowledge or mastery of bone and spirit.

Common language: Orc

Pick two:

Gain proficiency in History

Gain proficiency in Medicine

Gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies and leatherworker's tools

Learn the Spare the Dying cantrip

Learn the Toll the Dead cantrip

#d&d #cultures #orc

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escalation-gaming · 3 years ago

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Half-Dwarven Player Race

Half-Dwarves (Total: 10 Race Points)

Dwarves and Humans aren't normally able to reproduce, but sometimes through the assistance of powerful magic or alchemical means, such a pairing can produce children. Half-Dwarves stand shorter than Humans and taller than Dwarves, appearing more stout than Humans with heavier features (cheekbones, chins, noses, bone structure in general) but not quite to the extent of a full blooded Dwarf. Like Dwarves, beards are common on Males and heavy braids around the ears common on females as the hair in those areas grow faster than in Humans (though not quite as fast as found in their Full Dwarven kin). Half-Dwarves can reproduce with Humans or Dwarves, but oddly, a side effect of the magic needed to bring them to term means they can't reproduce with each other (though were a Half-Dwarf pair to use similar means as their Human and Dwarven parents, then on such occasion could a pairing bear children). Half-Dwarven Twins, while rare, have been known to happen, whereas Half-Dwarven Triplets have yet to be seen.

Half-Dwarf Racial Traits:

Medium sized Humanoid (Dwarf, Human)

Dwarf Blood: for purposes of Race related effects, Half-Dwarves count as both Humans and Dwarves.

Base Speed: 30 ft.

Ability Modifier: +2 to the Stat of their Choice.

Starting Languages: Dwarven & Common

Bonus Languages: Any except Secret Languages.

Industrious: gain a +2 Racial Bonus to the Craft or Profession Skill of their choice.

Durable: gain Toughness as a Bonus Feat

Strong-Willed: gain a +2 Bonus on all Will saving Throws.

Darkvision 60 ft.

Weapon Familiarity: Half-Dwarves are Proficient with Battleaxes, Heavy Picks, and Warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “Dwarven” in its name as a Martial Weapon. [2 Race Points]

Half-Dwarf Random Starting Age

Adulthood: 18 Years Old

Intuitive Classes+1d6 Years

Self-Taught Classes+2d6 Years

Trained Classes+3d6 Years

Half-Dwarf Aging

Middle Age: 55 Years Old

Old Age: 80 Years Old

Venerable (+ Maximum Age): 110 Years Old (+ 3d20 Years)

Half-Dwarf Random Height and Weight

Base Height Base Weight Modifier Weight Multiplier

male: 4 ft. 2 in. 120 lbs. 2d6 x6

female: 3 ft. 9 in. 85 lbs. 2d6 x6

Half-Dwarf Alternate Race Traits:

Crafty: gain Cunning as a Bonus Feat [Replaces Durable]

Life Blessed: Some Half-Dwarves absorb some of the magic needed to bring them to term. They gain a +2 Racial Bonus on all Saving Throws made to resist Death effects, Saves against Negative Energy effects, Fortitude saves made to remove Negative levels, and Constitution checks made to stabilize if reduced to negative hit points [Replaces Industrious]

Focused Study: At 1st, 8th, and 16th Levels, Half-Dwarves gain Skill Focus in a Skill of their choice as a Bonus Feat. [Replaces both Industrious and Durable]

Shrewd: +1 Racial Bonus on Appraise and Perception checks. [Replaces Weapon Familiarity]

Sample Half-Dwarves:

#dnd #pathfinder #homebrew #pathfinder 1e #pathfinder 1st edition #rpg #ttrpg #Dwarf #Human #Half-Dwarf #player Race #Heroforge.com

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spaceshipsandstarwyrms · 6 years ago

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New Class: the Oracle

A Luonn Tua’s eyes glaze over, their mind days in the past, viewing what already has been. Their gaunt hands shake while they maintain the magic.

Limping, a Brahvaasch man crosses a battlefield. He slices his own arm as he reaches out for his foes, and blood and dark matter energy flow from the wound simultaneously.

As a dying man breathes his last, a blind Maeshar catches the ebb of his life force and transfers it to one who may yet be saved.

A young Saguarin with ancient wisdom in her eyes fixes her gaze on a clifftop. With the wave of a hand, she steps forward and appears there.

A Proxy hefts a battleaxe against their foes, striking once, twice, and casting a blazing fireball at them, all without a word.

Oracles study a variety of mysteries that grant them magical talents. They delve deeper into the unknown than the average magic user in the Nacora Galaxy, and their powers - and the costs of such power - are particularly unexplainable.

Delving into Mystery

Oracles seek knowledge about one of the mysteries of existence and the universe itself. This research grants them untold power as they continue to more potently explore the particular enigma that plagues them. The mysteries an oracle might explore are the very cornerstones of the world: the inner workings of time, the secrets inherent to blood, the cycle of life and death, the fickle nature of conflict, and the multitude of dimensions that encompass reality.

Cursed by the Divine

At the core of any oracle’s mysterious power is a curse bestowed to them by the unknowable divinity of the universe. Curses vary in severity, but every oracle learns to live with their curse and eventually use it to their advantage.

If an oracle’s curse should ever come to an end, so too would their mysterious power. Unlike a typical magically-inflicted curse, an oracle’s curse cannot be removed or alleviated by any mortal means.

Creating an Oracle

The two most important questions to ask yourself when you create an oracle are ‘what is my curse?’ and ‘when did it come upon me?’. An oracle’s curse is often related to their mystery, and establishing the intricacies of both will help develop your character. Depending on the intensity of a curse, an oracle may be a drastically different person than they were before they gained their powers.

Online tutorials and occult academies exist throughout the galaxy and may have helped your character develop their knowledge and powers, but trial and error is its own learning experience. Every magic user has a different path to their talents. Exploring how your character discovered magic can help you understand them better as a person.

Quick Build

You can make an oracle quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should by your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the occultist background. Third, choose skills that use your best ability scores and select the following starting equipment: a plasma pistol, an energy shield, a carbon fiber vacsuit, a holy symbol, and a personal energy barrier mark I. Finally, choose the chill touch, guidance, sacred flame, and thaumaturgy cantrips, as well as the 1st level spells bane and cure wounds.

Class Features

The oracle is a class that can fit in a classical fantasy setting as well as a science fiction fantasy setting such as this one. If you plan to use the oracle in a standard 5th edition game, or decide to include the cleric as a playable class in S&S games, we encourage you to change the spellcasting ability score of the oracle from Wisdom to Charisma in order to minimize overlap with the cleric. As an oracle you gain the following features.

Hit Dice: 1d8 per oracle level

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and shields

Weapons: Simple weapons, automatic pistols, battleaxes, glaives, heavy pistols, longswords, plasma blasters, shortswords, and warhammers

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Etiquette, History, Insight, Investigation, Persuasion, Science, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.

A simple weapon costing 1000 cc or less.

A simple weapon costing 500 cc or less, or a shield.

A suit of armor costing 1500 cc or less.

An arcane focus.

A credstick with 1000 cc.

Curse

At the core of your mystery and its power is a curse that is unshakable. Wherever these curses originate, be it from some divine force, your own hubris, or the unknowable beyond, they bring with them both banes and boons. With effort and time you can overcome the drawbacks of your curse. At 1st level, you choose a curse from those listed in this entry. At 5th, 11th, and 15th level you gain additional boons from your curse.

Mystery

At 1st level, you choose the mystery whose answers you seek. You will search to the ends of existence and stare into the deepest darkness to understand the truth of your mystery. Both your curse and magic come from this mystery and its powers reflect on you.

This choice will provide you with a revelation at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th, 14th, and 18th level and determine the ability gained from the unveiling of your mystery at 20th level. Five mysteries are listed at the end of the oracle entry. They are Blood, Conflict, Dimensions, Life, and Time.

The Full Oracle suite of flavor and abilities will be found in the Spaceships and Starwyrms: Core Sourcebook coming out on December 11th on drivethrurpg.com.

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#spaceships and starwyrms #dnd #5e #tabletop gaming #dungeons and dragons #classes

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somethingdnd · 6 years ago

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Monster submission: Zuvembie (1st draft)

Hi everyone, I’m looking for any suggestions on this monster! Is it appropriate for a CR 5 creature? Any rules I’ve missed or ideas on how to improve it?

Copyright stuff: The Zuvembie appears in the Pathfinder Bestiary 3, and can be found on the Pathfinder System Reference Document at https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/zuvembie. This conversion for D&D 5th edition is by Lachlan McGowan, and uses text from the Harpy in the 5th edition Monster Manual.

Monster lore & tactics:

A Zuvembie is an undead creature formed when sacred forests are corrupted by necrotic energy. They wander the paths between the Feywild, the Material Plane, and the Shadowfell, driven by a twisted desire to protect whatever forests they travel through. Some zuvembies are former dryads; others were once elves, eladrin, or even hags. Most zuvembies are forced into undeath by the forests’ corruption, but a few have embraced it willingly, looking to take revenge on the creatures who attacked their lands. In either case, their desire for revenge soon overtakes all else in their mind.

Territorial Wanderers: Zuvembies are determined to protect the sacred groves they once resided in, but they are also compulsive wanderers with a poor sense of direction. This means that they usually consider whichever patch of forest they happen to be standing in at the moment as an inviolable holy site. If a zuvembie sees someone starting a campfire, trapping an animal, or even stepping on the wrong patch of grass in the forest, it is likely to fly into a cold rage and prepare an ambush.

Controlling and Summoning: When a zuvembie decides to attack a person, its priorities are controlling the battlefield and keeping itself safe. It will usually begin fights by luring in enemies with its hypnotic Corpse Call, and summoning animals to distract foes that it has not enchanted. Zuvembies have a particular affinity for poisonous beasts, and will usually summon giant scorpions, giant spiders, or giant toads. If its summoned allies are defeated, the zuvembie will use its other spells to control the battlefield so it can kill its enemies or escape. While it carries a battleaxe and has razor-sharp claws, its primary focus is spellcasting – it only uses its melee weapons on entranced or entrapped targets.

Guardians and Traps: In theory, a zuvembie’s extreme territorial instincts could make it a capable guard creature – in practice, they are almost impossible to bargain with, since they value nothing but indiscriminate violence. A few powerful necromancers and foolhardy fey lords have managed to use a zuvembie as a guard creature; by all accounts, their usual method is to capture the zuvembie with magic, let it loose in whatever room they need guarded, lock the doors, and let the zuvembie’s territorial instincts do the rest.

Portal Protectors: More intelligent zuvembies will sometimes settle down in a permanent lair, usually close to a portal between the Feywild and another realm. It may even attract similarly-minded undead and plant creatures, such as Banshees, Blights, and Will-o’-Wisps, in a loose confederacy of guards who look to protect the portal from any and all intruders. Even then, these other creatures usually give the zuvembie a wide berth, knowing that it could at any point take offense to their existence and turn its rage against them.

#submission #d&d #homebrew #5e #dnd #pathfinder #conversion #fey #zombie

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thatboomerkid · 8 years ago

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Albert Kenkaid, Old Ghost with the Silver Tongue

Albert Kenkaid, Old Ghost with the Silver Tongue, the Mage Lost to Eons, the Swordsman Shifting Yet Unbreakable -- CR 10; Lawful Neutral Medium outsider (augmented human, lawful); alchemically quickened immortal [see below] human fighter (lore warden) 6th+

Brought to you absolutely free to play, to test & to share, as always, by the fine folks of my Patreon.

Created by Justin Sluder & Clinton J. Boomer

Initiative +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +21

Aura Any character who inspects Albert (using detect magic or any similar divination effect) becomes keenly aware of the specific formula necessary for his revival (see Conditions of Reanimation, below)

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 18, flat-footed 19 (+5 armor, +4 deflection, +4 Dex); Albert gains an additional +2 dodge bonus when using Combat Expertise; each round in which Albert moves more than 10 feet, he may choose to gain the effect of a blur spell until the start of his next turn

Hit Points 73 (6d10+36); fast healing 3

Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +3 (+2 on all saves from Kirin Style, see below)

Defensive Abilities timeless body (see below); Immune ability damage, ability drain, disease, energy drain, fatigue, paralysis, poison, sleep, starvation, thirst; Resist acid 12, cold 12, electricity 12, fire 12

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Melee The River of Dark Iron, Flexible Yet Unswerving [+1 transformative adamantine sword cane] +10/+5 (1d6+4)

or +1 adamantine rapier [transformed] +10/+5 (1d6+4/18-20)

or +1 adamantine battleaxe/warhammer [transformed; two-handed] +9/+4 (1d8+4/x3)

or +1 adamantine bastard sword [transformed; two-handed] +9/+4 (1d10+4/19-20)

or +1 adamantine falcata [transformed; two-handed] +7/+2 (1d8+4/19-20/x3)

or +1 adamantine nine-section whip [transformed; two-handed; fighting defensively] +3/-2 (1d8+4) and +3 AC [may be combined with Combat Expertise, above]

or masterwork silver dagger +10/+5 (1d4+3/19-20)

or unarmed strike +8/+3 (1d3+2)

original image from here

Ranged +1 distance pepperbox rifle +11/+6 (1d10+1/x4); range 160 ft. (resolves attacks against touch AC when the target is within 800 ft.; max range 1,600 ft.); it is a free action for Albert to rotate chambers and a move action to reload all four chambers

or masterwork silver dagger +12 (1d4+3/19-20); range 10 ft.

Special Attacks Know Thy Enemy, Weapon Training (light blades +1)

Spells (upon command, CL 1st):

at will — detect magic; prestidigitation

1/day — detect secret doors, true strike

Note that Albert senses the lingering magical auras of all spells and items as if they were two categories more potent; thus, he may identify that a 1st level spell was cast – normally producing a Faint aura – in an area ten-to-sixty minutes later, just as if the spell had originally produced or possessed a Strong aura.

In addition, Albert can make Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks to determine the school of magic involved in the aura of an item or of a creature, even if the target is no longer in line of sight. If he fails a Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft check or special Perception check (here) while using detect magic, he may continue to retry his checks so long as he maintains concentration.

TACTICS

Before Combat Albert makes use of his considerable charm, cunning, wit, guile and improvisational skills to swiftly gather intel about anyone he might face, relying on his various implements to check all those he encounters for magical ability ... or protection.

If he learns that his opponent is inhuman, is a wielder of mind-altering magics, is capable of using an effect such as disintegrate or is otherwise a grave and active threat either to himself or to the Global Masquerade, he will strike first more-often-than-not.

During Combat Unless his opponent cannot possibly be dealt-with in a nonlethal manner, Albert initially attempts to subdue the majority of his human foes by first tripping and then disarming them.

Mr. Kenkaid has killed hundreds of people over the last two and a half millennia ... possibly thousands. He finds that he does not enjoy it, particularly. And although he has resigned himself to killing hundreds of thousands more, when the time inevitably comes to do so, Albert will not kill anyone whom he does not absolutely have to.

Usually.

Should his opponents refuse to surrender, or should he be reduced to below 50 hit points, Albert immediately begins fighting to kill; he remains focused on a single opponent at a time, making use of his Kirin Style and Kirin Strike feats and his Know Thy Enemy ability. If reduced below 30 hit points, he fights defensively and switches the focus of his attacks to the opponent dealing the most damage to him. If reduced below 15 hit points, he transforms his weapon to a nine-section whip and takes a defensive position -- moving at least 15 feet each round -- engaging his opponents in melee once more only when he has 50 or more hit points (a process that requires over a minute).

Morale As a true immortal, Albert does not fear -- nor fully understand -- the finality of death. That said, he very much does not enjoy being looted while he is unconscious or (however momentarily) slain; thus, he flees if reduced below -5 hit points.

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 18

Base Atk +6; CMB +12 (+14 disarm, +16 trip); CMD 26 (28 vs. disarm, trip)

Feats Arise Once More, Unquiet, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Cosmopolitan (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Cunning, Fast Learner, Greater Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Improvisation, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improvisation, Kirin Strike, Kirin Style, Skill Beyond Ages (x2), Skill Focus (Appraise, Diplomacy, Perception, Sense Motive); Epic 6th: Albert has advanced beyond 6th level five times, gaining use of one additional feat each time (included above).

This increases his CR by +1.

Traits Keen Eye For the Unknowable, Reckless, Seeker, Smooth, Fancy-Talkin' Devil [Bonus]

Drawback Umbral Unmasking: although he appears to be both healthy and human, Albert’s shadow reveals a very different side of the man’s long existence: in silhouette, a careful observer may clearly discern every wound Albert has ever suffered, all layered and laced through his twisted, emaciated and brutally-wracked body.

Skills Acrobatics +18 (+26 jumping), Appraise +23, Autohypnosis +5, Bluff +11, Climb +6, Craft (all) +10, Diplomacy +26, Disable Device +12, Disguise +11, Escape Artist +14, Fly +8, Handle Animal +11, Heal +5, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (local) +17, Knowledge (all others) +8, Linguistics +16, Perception +21, Perform +11, Profession (all) +5, Ride +8, Sense Motive +25, Sleight of Hand +8, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +8, Survival +5 (+9 to track targets under the effects of a spell, using spells at least once per hour or otherwise producing a magical aura), Swim +6, Use Magic Device +11

Note: Albert is considered ‘trained’ in all skills and enjoys a +4 bonus on all checks for skills in-which he possesses no ranks

Languages Common plus any 13 languages of your choice

For your convenience, you may assume that he speaks Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Shadowtongue, Sylvan and Undercommon in addition to any five modern-era languages such as -- for example -- Italian, Cantonese, Hebrew, Urdu and Russian.

Albert has learned, spoken, mastered and subsequently discarded countless now-dead dialects over the centuries, swiftly adapting with the turn of ages to new tongues whenever the need arises. His ability to quickly recollect older modes of expression & syntax is expressed in his superhuman Linguistics score, above.

SQ Cult of the Gold-Fisted, Expertise, Maneuver Mastery, Scholastic, Skill Ranks (+22)

Gear +1 glamered mithral shirt, +1 distance pepperbox rifle with 20 metal cartridges, +1 transformative adamantine sword cane, masterwork silver dagger, belt pouch, boots of the cat, circlet of persuasion, cloak of the hedge wizard (divination), courtier's outfit (also functions as a cold weather outfit), gloves of reconnaissance, golembane scarab, heavyload belt, inquisitor's monocle, LeCoultre Grant Complication pocket watch (worth $25,000 USD), ring of sustenance, swarmbane clasp, traveler's any-tool, vest of escape, wrist sheath, a Wealthy lifestyle paid-up in advance for one full year; 181 gp ($18,100 USD)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Conditions of Reanimation: If slain, Albert remains dead only until the predetermined conditions of his return are met (see below) unless his body is completely destroyed at the time of his death by an effect such as disintegrate, trap the soul or a spell effect that would normally prevent even miracle or wish from restoring him to life. Once the conditions of his reanimation are met, Albert is fully healed and his body is instantly returned to life as if brought back via true resurrection.

To return, Albert’s body must first be washed in rare alchemical reagents and prepared for burial, then equipped with his iconic adamantine blade. He arises after his body has lain dead for one full week, so long he is thereafter placed within a magic circle against chaos beneath artificial lighting of any kind, including torchlight.

Albert may self-resurrect in this way only once per year; if he dies a second time before one year passes, he instead returns to life one year after his second death, assuming that the ritual components have been completed properly and the conditions are still right for his return.

If brought back to life by other means, Albert never gain a negative level as a result.

Enhanced NPC: Albert has lived many lives under many names; over this time, he has acquired vast amounts of wealth.

He is typically equipped with gear as a 10th-level PC (above). Given time and proper information about his opponents, he can specialize his gear to be more suitable for an upcoming encounter; for example, if he knew that he was to face both moral & babau servants of the glabrezu called Jiklichu Jha, Despoiler of Desires, He who Corrupts the Coveted in a rooftop battle, Albert could freely trade his watch -- worth 250 gold -- for some combination of ten total items each valued at 25 gold pieces, such as scrolls of bless weapon, protection from evil, shield, damp powder and jump.

This increases his CR by +2.

Expertise (Ex): Albert has Combat Expertise as a bonus feat. This replaces bravery.

Immortal: Albert is immortal. He can only be killed by being reduced below -15 hit points, and he remains dead only until the conditions for his resurrection are properly met (see below). He was born around 2,300 years ago, and this age has granted him Skill Focus as a bonus feat for the Appraise, Diplomacy, Perception, and Sense Motive skills.

Kirin Style and Strike: As a swift action while using Kirin Style, Albert can make a Knowledge check to identify a single creature (DC 15 + the creature's CR), gaining a +2 insight bonus on such Knowledge checks. If successful, he gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against that creature's attacks, as well as a +2 dodge bonus to AC against that creature's attacks of opportunity. These last for as long as he uses Kirin Style, or until combat ends. After hitting a creature with a melee or ranged attack he has successfully identified (for the purpose of Kirin Style), as a swift action he may add his Intelligence bonus twice (+8 total) to damage, up to once per round.

Know Thy Enemy (Ex): As a standard action, Albert can study a specific target, making a Knowledge check appropriate to his target's type. If successful, in addition to learning abilities and weakness of the creature as normal, Albert gains a +2 competence bonus on all attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against that target for the remainder of the encounter, or until Albert uses this ability on a different target.

This replaces armor training 2.

Maneuver Mastery (Ex): Albert has a +4 bonus on all CMB checks and to his CMD, included above. This replaces armor training 1.

Scholastic (Ex): Albert gained 2 additional skill ranks for each fighter level, and could only spend them on Intelligence-based skills; all such skills are class skills for him. This replaces his proficiency with medium and heavy armor, and shield from his fighter levels.

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Immortal Creature

Seen as both a gift and a curse, an immortal creature doesn't age and doesn't die.

Creating an Immortal Creature

“Immortal” is an acquired or inherited template which can be added to any living creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or greater that isn't already an outsider (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). An immortal creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1 if it has 10 Hit Dice or less. At 11 Hit Dice or more, as the base creature +2.

Type: An immortal creatures type changes to outsider and it gains the augmented subtype for its original type.

Senses: An immortal creature gains darkvision 60 ft. If the base creature already has darkvision, it increases by +30 ft.

Armor Class: Immortal creatures gain a +4 deflection bonus to Armor Class.

Hit Dice: An immortal creatures racial HD change to d10s, unless the base creature is a dragon.

Defensive Abilities: Immortal creatures have fast healing equal to one-half their total Hit Dice (minimum fast healing 1). They are also immune to the following: ability damage, ability drain, disease, energy drain, fatigue, paralysis, poison, sleep, starvation, thirst. They gain resistance to acid, cold, electricity, and fire equal to double their total Hit Dice if they have 10 or less Hit Dice, and immunity to one of these if they have 11-15 HD, two of these at 16-20 HD, and all four at 21+ HD. They also gain the following ability.

Timeless Body (Ex): An immortal's body doesn't physically age, and it doesn't die once it reaches its maximum age. Immortal creatures still gain ability score increases to their mental ability scores from aging.

Speed: All base speeds of the base creature increase by +10 ft. If an immortal can fly, its maneuverability improved by one step.

Ability Scores: Str +2, Con +2, Int +2, Cha +4.

Feats: For every 500 years an immortal lives beyond their normal maximum age, it gains Skill Focus in an Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill as a bonus feat.

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15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Background & Campaign Notes:

In the final waning centuries of the first millennium BC, the creature who would come to be known with the great passing of untold ages as the legendary Albert Kenkaid -- Old Ghost with the Silver Tongue, the Mage Lost to Eons, the Swordsman Shifting Yet Unbreakable -- was born beneath an auspicious star and the blessing of saints somewhere within the vast holdings of the great Carthaginian Empire.

He was studying in China, already long-since immortal, by the fall of those dominions and the dawn of the first millennium AD.

No one knows, precisely, how Albert achieved his immortality.

If there’s been one constant truth to the last twenty-three centuries of Albert’s long and deeply strange life, it’s that everyone wants to hear the story ... and that he isn’t telling.

Doesn’t keep people from hunting after the art, of course, and many a would-be immortal has wasted-away their precious-few decades on this old rock tracing & cataloging Mr. Kenkaid’s earliest footsteps.

Albert is a genius, a scholar, a poet and a master orator, easily one of the finest swordsmen to ever grace the planet, and an utterly lethal hunter of ... “problematic” magic-users. He’s been formally enforcing the Law of the Arcanotheign since the late 11th century, but his hatred of those who cannot properly hide their sorceries is far older.

Over the many centuries of his existence, Albert has served as a prince and as a slave, as a rebel general and as a royal prostitute, as an ascetic holy-man and as a gold-draped street-thief; he’s been beheaded three times, burned at the stake twice, shot more times than he can count, buried alive on four separate occasions, and he spent the entirety of the 7th-through-9th centuries in the thrall of an ancient vampire lord.

He did not enjoy any of these events, and he has taken drastic steps to ensure that the likelihood of any of them occurring once again is low.

Albert’s great and abiding love of cities, culture and civilization itself simply cannot be overstated: he has borne firsthand witness to decade upon decade of abject barbarism, stupidity, cruelty, war, want, madness and squalor in the howling wilderness; he violently rejects all attempts to reconcile such things as inevitable or “morally right”.

Above all, it should be remembered that Albert has committed countless atrocities of truly indescribable horror over his lifetime, yet that he has also thwarted innumerable threats to our very cosmos, earning him a tremendous, irredeemable debt from all earthly life.

He is very deeply crazy, by the standards of nearly every society.

Using Albert In Your Campaign

Any character might know -- or learn! -- the following about Mr. Albert Kenkaid using Knowledge (Arcana); characters with membership in the Cult of the Gold-Fisted gain a +2 bonus on all such rolls.

DC 5: There are several immortal creatures in the world, and one of them is an ancient Carthaginian swordsman called “Kincaid,” best known for killing wizards in poetic, elaborate & horrible ways.

DC 10: Albert Kenkaid is a high-ranking member of the Cult of the Gold-Fisted; some consider him the de facto leader of that cellular organization, although he claims no such title himself. In any event, Albert Kenkaid is both welcomed and well-respected anywhere -- worldwide -- that the silver & gold icons of that Cult are hung.

DC 10: Albert is, by his own admission, ineligible for membership in the Cult of the All-Seeing Eye: he possesses no ability to cast spells, nor any command over spell-like or supernatural abilities. That said, the Cult treats him as a valuable ally, often calling-upon his limitless arcane knowledge as a highly-paid consultant ... or upon his expertise as a very discreet “cleaner”.

DC 15: The Cult of the Lady of Graves publicly considers Albert little better than the undead, and refuses any alliances with him ... despite his immense power and potential use to them.

DC 15: Albert maintains a cold, professionally-neutral stance with the Cult of the Red Mantis, including those whom he suspects may be linked to the Inner Circle of the Archfiend. He will return to the Cult -- without cost -- any masterwork sawtooth sabre that he acquires, although he takes some pride in collecting them.

DC 15: Albert considers both the Cult of the Savored Sting and the Cult of the Starsong to be petty, ignorant dabblers in the dark arts, and he does very little to hide his disdain for either organization. He will, however, buy a drink for Jack Hardy, the One-Man Party whenever they cross paths. The reasons for this are unknown.

DC 20: Albert openly despises the Cult of Grandmother Nightmare, and he will not work with anyone whom he knows to possesses any loyal affiliation with the group. He has fought their ‘champion’ Happy Muurvaerid to the death on two separate occasions, and he actively looks forward to killing the creature a second time.

DC 20: Albert considers Dr. Tick-Tock an ally, if not a close friend, and has gone on-record with his dislike of the kolyarut’s growing reliance upon the assassin called Jackie Ipanema.

DC 20: Although he is exceptionally ancient by the standards of our own planet, Albert comprehends far better than most that he is frightfully young on a cosmic scale. Thus, he indulges obsession with the truly antediluvian, collecting everything he can possibly acquire about such figures as the serpentfolk, the God-Kings of Osirion, the Armageddon Engine, Cthulhu and Old Mage Jatembe. He would trade nearly anything for deeper information into the life and Ascendance of the Self-Made God.

DC 25: For many centuries, Albert maintained a private army -- mostly through the Leadership feat -- of antiquarians & collectors tasked with finding and reviving him in the event of his demise. In the modern era, he has simply placed a price on his resurrection: any creature returning him to life is owed any one favor, subject to a very short list of caveats (mostly involving violations of the Global Masquerade) but otherwise quite ... open-ended.

DC 25: Members of the Kardashev Raijen Group International are utterly obsessed with Albert’s gift, seeking after the method of his immortality with nearly the same zeal that they invest into pursuit of the True Razor Smile of the Obsidian Queen.

DC 25: For over two millennia, Albert has beat his head bloody against the all-but-insurmountable limitations placed upon mortal ability. He has not yet learned that the code has been cracked, nor that the lifting of such limitations is but a precursor to the Herald’s Return. It can only be guessed how he will react to such news.

DC 30: Kenkaid self-identifies primarily as homosexual, but he has sired a small number of progeny over the millennia; from his seed are drawn a large number of Imperious bloodline sorcerers.

DC 35: Albert can neither confirm nor deny the alleged age of the wyrm called Marduk the Viridian, as the dragon claims to have been born near the city of Babylon in the time of Hammurabi -- 18th century BC -- and to have relocated to the Americas at some point long before Mr. Kenkaid was born, thereafter slumbering through some 95% of recorded history.

DC 40: Albert has a somewhat ... complex relationship with the Archdevil Moloch, who was worshiped publicly in his homeland of Carthage; a few ancient scholars have claimed that Mr. Kenkaid long-ago sacrificed his own natural aptitude for spell-casting to that fiend in exchange for his unnatural longevity.

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#pathfinder #witch hunter #urban fantasy #villain #cr 9 #ABADAR

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