#Ace combat 0 art

[lockheed-martin-unofficial]

Ciphixy WIP. Actually the first time I’ve drawn them properly, I asked my friends how to get Pixy accurate:

[noelshourai]

This was from the Colour Wheel challenge on twitter.

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

🎁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁!⁠ [3/7] This content has been generously donated by @loottavern to be shared while The Griffon's Saddlebag takes a vacation! Please support these creators and their excellent content!⁠ ⁠ Related downloads are available *for free* through the link in my Vacation highlighted story! ⁠ ___⁠ ⁠ Valkyries take solemn oaths to combat the spread of the Rot God’s influence at any cost. The first true test of their devotion comes when they invite the Scarlet Plague into their own bodies, harnessing its incredible power to wield against its source.⁠ ⁠ While wearing this helmet, you have resistance to necrotic damage. The helmet has 3 charges and regains all expended charges daily at dawn.⁠ ⁠ 𝘼𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. As an action while wearing the helmet, you can expend 1 charge to cause wings of rot to erupt from your back. For 1 minute, you have a flying speed of 30 feet.⁠ ⁠ 𝙍𝙤𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. When this happens, you can use your reaction to activate the helmet’s Aeonian Wings property without expending any charges and immediately move up to half of your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Once this property of the helmet has been used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.⁠ ⁠ ---------------------------------------⁠ ⁠ 𝗥𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁: The helmet doesn’t grant resistance to necrotic damage.⁠ ⁠ 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁: You gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing this helmet. When you use your reaction as part of the Rot Rebirth property, you also gain 3d10 temporary hit points.⁠ ⁠ ---------------------------------------⁠ ⁠ Loot Tavern is one of the most prolific item makers in the 5e scene! Their work continues to fill in the game's item and flavor gaps with fun and interesting magic items. They enjoy creating items of varying rarities, so if that's a thing you really like to see in an item, be sure to check them out! They also release other content, much like the Saddlebag, so if you want to expand your haul of magic items and side content, Loot Tavern is a great option! ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[thecreaturecodex]

Melixie

Image © Paizo Publishing, presumably, accessed here

[The melixie is in the Bestiary 3, but doesn't have art in that source, being one of three monsters in a two-page spread. @abominationimperatrix found this art for me on a Ukranian Pathfinder blog, and it's definitely PF house style, which makes me wonder if it was posted by the artist somewhere. Anyway, melixies are cute and fun, and I would love to use them in a low level game sometime]

Melixie CR ½ CN Fey This tiny humanoid has the features of a bee—antennae, solid colored eyes without pupils, and chitin over its arms and legs. They buzz about on two pairs of translucent wings.

Melixies are fey creatures with the features of pollinating insects. Bees are the most common, but melixies resembling butterflies, moths, hoverflies and even beetles or thrips are not unheard of. They have an insatiable sweet tooth, and their diet is predominately sugar based. If a melixie can resist consuming their raw ingredients, they can use them to make tiny candies, baked goods and other deserts. Melixie confectionary is famous for both its variety and quality, and some discerning gourmets keep a melixie chef on hand for making treats that both taste great and are less filling.

Melixies believe in working hard, playing hard, and resting hard. They are willing to do even repetitive labor that other fey scoff at, as long as they are properly provisioned with sweets. Consuming a large portion (for their tiny bodies) grants them a burst of energy, allowing them to move exceptionally fast for a brief period before needing to rest and recover. Melixies often use this ability if they are in combat, letting them make hit and run attacks with their acid splashes and stingers (all melixies have a short retractable sting, regardless of the specific insect they resemble). Melixies get along well with arthropods of all kinds. Many melixies raise both regular bees for their honey and giant bees as guard dogs.

Melixie CR ½ XP 200 CN Tiny fey Init +4; Senses low-light vision, Perception +5

Defense AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, +4 Dex) hp 11 (2d6+4) Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +3 DR 2/cold iron

Offense Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (good) Melee sting +7 (1d6-1) Space 2 ½ ft.; Reach 0 ft. Spell-like Abilities CL 2nd, concentration +5 Constant—speak with arthropods At will—acid spray, dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 14) 1/day—ant haul

Statistics Str 9, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 12 Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +9 (-3 to jumping), Craft (confectionary) +7, Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +9, Fly +17, Perception +5, Profession (beekeeping) +5, Stealth +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Craft (confectionary) Languages Common, Sylvan, speak with arthropods SQ sugar rush

Ecology Environment warm and temperate land Organization solitary, pair or hive (3-24) Treasure standard

Special Abilities Speak with Arthropods (Sp) This functions as speak with animals, only it can be used to communicate with vermin that are arthropods, such as spiders, insects, centipedes or crustaceans. This is the equivalent of a 1st level spell. Sugar Rush (Su) As a move action, a melixie can consume a large quantity of sugar, honey or other sweet substance (at least ½ a pound). When it does so, it can take an additional move action for the next 1d4+1 rounds. When this time elapses, the melixie is fatigued for 1 minute. A melixie cannot use its sugar rush ability when fatigued or exhausted.

[the-whatcherof-89]

LDShadowlady aka Lizzie “Elizabeth” D.Titania Queen of Animalia.

CR 18 NG Medium Humanoid (Native Outsider Shapechanger)

XP 153,600 (if used as npc for encounter)

Undine Animal lord(Cat) Druid(Pack Lord)16

Neutral Good Medium humanoid (Native Outsider Shapechanger)

Init +8; Senses Perception +37

AC 28, touch 19, flat-footed 22 (+1Natural, +6Dex, +8Armor, +3Deflect) hp 187 (16d8+187)

Fort +18, Ref +15, Will +20

Speed Land 30ft, Climb 20ft, Swim 30ft. Melee Bite+18 1D6+6, Claws+18 1D4+6, Trident+19 1D8+7, Spells. RangedCrossbow+23 1D10+3, Spells.

Racial Amphibious, Deepsight, Hydrated vitality, Water sense, Scent, Low-light vision, Climb speed, Pounce, Rake, Natural attacks(Bite 1D6, Claws 1d4), Leap(+16 Acrobatics), Dominion(speak with animals Charm animals CL16th), DR10/silver.

Traits Natural-born leader, Lovesick.

Class features Pack-bound, Wild emphaty, Nature sense, Woodland stride, Trackless steps, Resist nature’s lure, Wildshape 6/day, Venom immunity, Thousand faces, Timeless body.

Animal companions Sea cat(lv8th) Leopard(lv8th)

Spellcasting CL16 DC18 Domains Daily spellcasting 4/6/6/6/6/5/4/4/3

0-Detect magic, Purify food and water, Create water, Read magic, Mending.

I- Goodberry, Entangle, Barkskin, Mud ball, Negate aroma, Cure light wounds. 

II-Animal aspect, Barkskin, Warp wood, Lay of the land, Restoration lesser, Tree shape.

III-Air geyser, Cure moderate wounds, Cloak of winds, Resist energy (communal), Magic fang greater, Call lighting.

IV-Aggressive thundercloud (greater), Cure serious wounds, Dispel magic, Freedom of movement, Reincarnate, Thorn body.

V-Call lighting storm, Cure critical wounds, Hungry earth, Animal growth, Stoneskin.

VI-Dispel magic greater,  Sirocco, Wall of stone, Move earth.

VII-Animate plants, Heal, Sunbeam, True seeing.

VIII-Earthquake, Whirlwind, Mass cure serious wounds.

Str 20, Dex 26, Con 22, Int 16, Wis 26, Cha 20

Base Atk +12/7/2; CMB +15; CMD +23

Feats Cosmopolitan(Knowledge Nobility, Diplomacy, Giant, Alko), Steam caster, Leadership, Divine interference, Natural spell, Powerful shape, Craft wondrous magic items, Weapon finesse(Natural attacks).

Skills Acrobatics+31, Climb+16, Craft(Stone&Wood)+20, Diplomacy+18, Fly+12, Handle animal+12, Heal+12, Knowledge (Geography+7, Nature+20, Nobility+7), Perception+27, Perform(Dance)+16, Profession(Engineer)+27, Ride+12, Spellcraft+20, Stealth+15(+4 while in undergrowth), Survival+20, Swim+28.

Leadership score (22) Cohort lv14th Followers I-110 II-11 III-6 IV-3 V-2  VI-1

Languages Common, Aquan, Druidic, Sylvan, Draconic, Giant Alko, Feline emphaty.

Combat gear Trident of fish command, Animalia’s regalia: Striker(Frost Huntsman Heavy underwater Crossbow+2), 50+1 Corrosive bolts, Living steel sickle, Animalia regalia: Commander(Darkleaf Wild breastplate of command), Ring of protection+3, Headband of mental prowess+4(Int, Wis, Perception), Cloak of resistance+2, Boots of the cat, Amulet of mighty fists+1, Ring of the sea strider, Ring of energy resistance major(Electric), Rod of splendor, Sleeves of many garments, Undine chain belts, Tome of understanding+2(used), Potions: Displacement(2), Magic fang greater (2), 4 Potions sponges, Jewelry worth 300GP, Druid’s kit, 4705GP.

Background Elizabeth was a powerful queen whom ruled from her ocean palace over the kingdom of Animalia which respected animals above all else. There was just one SMALL problem: She fell in love with Joel ruler of the land kingdom of Mezlana. For a long time, both of them met in secret while sending each other letters using their secret names: LDShadowlady and Smallishbeans. Things changed when Joel ascended to “godhood” after he drank from a magical fountain. Drunk with power, she almost abandoned him for the new god was different from the gentle and friendly man that was once. When he lost his powers, and his kingdoms, Lizzie abdicated her throne to return to his side for she saw what truly that man was deep down. Along with their fellow Hermits Grian, Mumbo, Rendog and Impulse they left and got married and started a new life. Between the founding of the Pixel Pact(and his disbandment), her love for all fluffy creatures and dancing (sometimes awkwardly) with Joel she was having a good life building various nature-oriented builds. “A wish limited only by your imagination.” She was planting flowers near a vast riverbed when she heard the voice. “What would you wish for?” She thought it was a prank from his husband. “Well… since you insist my dear genie of the lamp… i wouldn’t mind returning to my old kingdom for a romantic date.” The sound if finger snapping was heard. “It is done.” She was instantly transformed and sent into another world never seen before, she was in an underwater palace, in a royal bedroom, very similar to her original one, but slightly different. “Let the game begin. If you want my wish you must find me. Your husband is also invited.” She jolted. “What did you just say?!” The door knocked. “Your majesty are you alright?” She turned around toward the door to then back to look for the mysterious voice, it was gone. She turned toward the mirror looking at herself in her royal outfit: “Well now, i am in DEEP SEA trouble am i now?"

THE IMAGE DOES NOT BELONG TO ME

LINK FOR THE IMAGE:

[theaggressivewriter]

Pf2e Boss Monster Design

The tight math of Pf2e allows for encounters to be built swiftly and without worry, and the same goes for homebrew monster creation. One problem with the system, however, is the boss monster. Creatures with high level stats against a group of players can feel like a slog if the players are unable to reduce the creature's AC or saves enough for damage/cc to go through. It normally takes a lot of items and tactics for a normal group to take a creature down that's 4 levels higher than the party's level (or a +4 monster), and even creature's 3 levels higher (or +3) can still feel like a slog depending on their stat block. If you're designing a boss fight, consider this one trick I've learned over the past 2 years of GMing with the system:

Lie to your players.

For different systems this could mean a lot of things, DND 5e famously is known for its GMs secretly increasing the hp of a given monster behind the screens. But for Pf2e it's less a blatant lie and more of a performance. Rather than throwing a +4 or +5 monster, you could instead throw a +1 to +3 monster and accompany them with either other creatures or traps that you present to your players as that monsters abilities. Let's make an example.

Is your monster a fire breathing mutant bear that is killing other wildlife in the area?

(Art by Deftspex)

Easy. Let's make it an Elite Black Bear (making it L3), then add a Fire Mephit (L1) to the initiative, making the combat a Severe encounter for 4 level 1 players. What does this do, and how can we make this convey what we want?

Mechanically, the Black Bear acts as the base monster that the players can target and kill and the Fire Mephit acts on its own initiative, but what you do is tell your players that it's the bear doing what the Fire Mephit is doing. The bear is the one moving and its base health is the health your party is trying to take down to 0, but the "Fire Mephit" acts on its turn as if attached to the bear. It still takes damage if hit by an aoe, but must otherwise be specifically targeted by an attack rather than the Bear itself (you should give your players some sort of heads up or a description of something that can be targeted in order to remove the ability from initiative, like pointing out that breaking its jaws would remove them on a successful recall knowledge).

What this does is a multitude of things, your solo boss monster technically has more action economy without breaking the math, your players have more tactical choices to make between getting rid of the Bear's fire related abilities, and it should make your players shit their pants from seeing a fire breathing bear.

I have a lot of other tips and tricks for boss monster design for pf2e, due to my notorious one shots being considered "Dark Souls" by many approving players. I'd like to one day turn my knowledge into a published book alongside templates, some homebrew monster designs, and some variant rules, but due to legal concerns will need to wait until I have a lawyer to assist me in understanding what I'm getting into.

[pixelatedraindrops]

Why Yuma Kokohead is my main whump candidate🌡️ An Analysis:

(contains raincode spoilers)

So, some of you people are probably asking yourself; Why do I keep making these sickly edits of Yuma?

Okay. Allow me to present my evidence and reasoning behind this weird little obsession of mine in 3 parts. (prepare for a small essay with some spoilers)

First off; I've noticed that Yuma always holds his head like this whenever he's distressed.

I know its probably just a nod to his memory loss, but he does it

EVERY

SINGLE

TIME

Through the whole game.

Like his model is just programed to do it whenever he makes these two expressions in the sprite art.

He always looks so pale and tired... sick even.

Which is why I edited these sprites first

The model of him that’s used in an Ace Attorney fan made crossover project does this exact same gesture too.

Only he actually looks like he's in even MORE pain here.

source

And Reminder; he canonically felt sick in the first chapter of the game. Idc what the reason was, the point is it happened.

All of this might confirm that he has potential to be frail of health or may suffer from specified ailments easily.

Also... DO YOU HEAR THIS LABORED BREATHING???

Like hello? BE FR RIGHT NOW??

In the JP dub, he speaks under somewhat heavy sounding breaths when he's going through this ordeal of trying to open the door to the Infirmary (as he should) It shows how exhausted he feels or how dizzy he is just wanting, BEGGING to lay down and make the world stop spinning.

(sorry for the poor quality video lol)

This was all that was going through my mind when I first played this part of the chapter. And I nearly lost it. He was officially on my list

This part of Chapter 0 was more than enough to convince me he had the potential.

SPOILER TERRITORY⚠️

Second: Yuma usually doesn't mind admitting when he is weak or vulnerable.

Such as when he tells Fubuki that he feels like he's in pain and going to pass out after Shinigami punched him in the Ch3 ML, or telling Vivia how scared he was when he was threatening to kill him during the Ch4 Investigation, or admitting his fear and hesitation to Shinigami in Chapter 5's deserted factory. Anytime that he admits his feelings if someone asks him rather than trying to act tough. Instead of playing dumb, he admits when he feels a negative way. He's completely honest about it.

THAT IS SOME GOOD SHIT 👀

This is really good fodder for a scenario where he just confesses that he's not feeling well. Or that he's about to be sick. Or if he's in pain or injured. Or if he's having a mental breakdown. He won't shy away from it. He'll say it.

(though I did kinda make him play dumb in my own fic lol I cannot deny that there are times he also wants to be strong and/or not be a burden to others)

Third: Yuma's size. HIS TINY SIZE??? COME ON?? He may as well be a CHILD.

I know vivia is a freaking giant but STILL LOOK HOW SMALL HE IS

He is so baby despite his age being completely unknown. He could be a teenager or he could be an adult over 20. Nobody knows.

Point is regardless of that, you can see him is any kind of vulnerable situation with no doubt or worry of it being OOC. You can see him crying if he's hurting. You can see him whining about making the pain go away. You can see him wanting comfort if he has a nightmare. You can see him having a panic attack reaching out to a caretaker for support.

He can be carried or lifted up by anyone taller than him and probably be light as a feather. Seeing him cling to them like a sick or hurt kid would.

He could sit or lay on their lap. He could lean on them as they help him walk if he's hurt, or as they help him eat or drink if he's too weak to do so himself.

And he probably couldn't stop someone from forcing him down to rest if he tried due to his physical stature being unfit for combat. (or anything)

Regardless, it would ALL FIT.

Like taking care of a child.

~

Now with those 3 points out of the way, I ask you all:

How can this character NOT be easy whump bait? Don’t underestimate my imagination as a sickfic enthusiast.

HE IS LITERALLY SO WHUMPEE SHAPED AND CODED WITH THIS INFORMATION

He's a perfect victim for specifically any sort of head issue:

Be it a headache, a head injury, migraine, or what I usually continue to give to him in my edits.

A High Fever.

plus, coupled with the RAIN 24/7 SETTING?

In THIS type of scenario??

AS I KEEP SAYING; IT'S WAY TOO DAMN EASY

THIS GAME PRACTICALLY SPOON FEEDS ME ALL THIS BAIT

he's got the major potential to be the biggest sickly wet cat ever

and I love him so much for that

he's so dizzyboy coded that I want to make him SICK AS A PUPPY

Which is why I do it so much.

40 degrees? Call a freaking doctor aaaa

I'll mostly go with a high fever because they're my favorite thing in the sick whump category and easy to edit, but at the same time, he could be suffering with any sort of issue and it would seem accurate, likely or canon, so long as it involves his head.

Such as a splitting headache, immense dizziness, flash blurred vision, or even a nausea induced migraine. (heck, even all of the above, go crazy)

You may ask yourself, why?

Easy: For caretaking fluff purposes.

That's mostly why sickfics exist.

The potential fluff of him getting taken care of by the NDA (found family) Shinigami (chaotic mascot partner/sibling) Kurumi (platonic or romantic) or heck maybe even Makoto (sibling dynamic or possible ‘self-care’)

Just the thought and image of him getting taken care of in general puts a smile on my face. Its a HUGE comfort for me 💜

The potential for the found family, shipping, or sibling moments he can produce from being in this state is astronomical. And you don't see that in characters very often. He is a very rare specimen. He is Number 1 after all.

Checks literally all of my boxes on why I love illness whump and sickfics so much. He is perfect.

Sometimes sacrifices must be made to forge deeper connections. And these kinds of scenarios almost NEVER fail to be 1 of three things: tooth-rottingly wholesome, heartbreakingly angsty, or chaotically comedic. It depends on your preference. (They're mostly wholesome and sweet though.)

~

fr though.

once you find your prime whumpee you never go back

and now I know how it feels ;w; the bliss makes me feel as though I am now complete in a place where something was missing.

~

Thank you Kodaka for this adorable smol anxious purple trainee who’s actually the top dog 💜

I love him dearly🥰

Some of you may just want to see Yuma as a cool smart, competent, and badass protagonist and that's great! I completely agree! That he is.

But to me personally? He's also a soft, delicate, anxiety filled, adorable lil' wet cat who needs constant TLC, love and/or support 💊 Physically and/or mentally.

Get a character that can do both lol

That is all.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

I love this little guy so much! He means everything to me.💜 He’s just a little guy. My babygirl, my little scrunkly, my lil' blorbo, my little meow meow…

No matter how you see it;

Yuma Kokohead is a blessing✨

[pathfinderunlocked]

Moontoucher Vizier - CR7 Wizard

An archwizard responsible for creating a lycanthrope curse.

Artwork is in-game art from Hearthstone, by James Ryman, copyright Blizzard Entertainment.

This vizier, an accomplished wizard, learned of a way to magically induce the lycanthrope curse, and learned that creatures infected by this curse became stronger.  In an attempt to fortify his nation's position against the encroaching undead, he began experimenting with this curse, inflicting it on soldiers under his command in a fortress on the nation's border.

The moontoucher vizier is based somewhat on Archmage Arugal from Warcraft. I designed him to be fought alongside several werewolves - the basic CR 2 werewolf stat block is perfectly fine, but I used custom werewolves that have claws and inflict disfiguring touch on a successful claw attack. He casts rage and bone fists on the werewolves as soon as he gets a chance, before battle if possible, and casts moonstruck on enemies, preferably spellcasters If his enemies get within his melee range, he'll cast forced mutation and disfiguring touch before teleporting away with his ring of return, which is keyed to three different points around the room, if possible. If he's caught in a fight away from his keyed points, he'll set up one new point ASAP.

The Ring of Return is an official magic item from Ultimate Equipment page 173, but it's not listed on Archives of Nethys because... there's another unrelated item with the same name, and the website developers got confused. Its high value increases his CR by 1.

Moontoucher Vizier - CR 7

The robed man's cloth headgear has massive horns, his eyes glow with green fire, and the staff he holds blazes with magical energy.

XP 2,400 Male human transmuter wizard 7 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2 Senses Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 mage armor) hp 55 (7d6+28) Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft. (30 ft. without animal aspect) Melee mwk quarterstaff +3 (1d6-1)

Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +14) 4th—moonstruck (2) (CL 8th, DC 20) 3rd—beast shape I, forced mutation (DC 18), rage 2nd—animal aspect (already cast, raptor, CL 8th), bone fists, defensive shock, disfiguring touch (touch +2, DC 16) 1st—depilate (DC 16), expeditious retreat, magic missile (3), protection from evil 0—detect magic, mage hand, mending, read magic

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 16 Feats Arcane Discovery (Forest's Blessing), Arcane Discovery (Multimorph), Combat Casting, Dodge, Craft Wondrous Item, Scribe Scroll, Toughness Skills Craft (alchemy) +11, Heal +7, Knowledge (arcana, local, history, nature) +15, Linguistics +12, Perception +4, Spellcraft +15; Racial Bonuses +2 Craft (alchemy) Languages Aklo, Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Elven, Draconic, Giant, Gnomish, Infernal, Sylvan SQ arcane bond (staff), arcane school (transmutation), industrious Gear cloak of resistance +2, headband of vast intelligence +2 (perception), mwk quarterstaff (arcane bonded item), ring of return, scroll of mage armor x4 (1 already used), spellbook (prepared spells, face of the devourer, bull's strength, monstrous physique I, phase step)

EQUIPMENT ABILITIES

Arcane Bond (Su) Once per day, while holding his arcane bonded item (his masterwork quarterstaff), the moontoucher vizier can cast any spell he knows without needing to prepare it ahead of time or expend a spell slot.

Ring of Return Three times per day, the wearer of the ring can, as a move action, use it to form a link with the particular 5-foot square she occupies at that moment. This causes one of the stones on the ring to glow. As a swift action, the wearer of the ring can teleport to any unoccupied linked square within 100 feet.

The moontoucher vizier typically has all three stones linked to different 5-foot squares in his lair or the area he expects to fight in, if possible.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Multimorph (Su) When the moontoucher vizier casts a spell of the polymorph subschool on himself, he may expend 1 minute of the spell’s duration as a standard action to assume another form allowed by the spell.

Typically, the moontouched vizier begins combat with animal aspect already cast, and thus can alter its effects with Multimorph.

[soylent-crocodile]

Wolf Dragon (Monster)

(Pride by Nimphradora on FurAffinity)

(Although I didn't use it for art, this is another dragon inspired by Safari's line of dragons. The hook of a wolf dragon is very interesting, and I used it to create a rare social dragon, as well as to provide DMs with access to a culture like that of the Alpha-Beta-Omega hierarchy we once thought wolves had. Feel free to use other Alpha-Beta-Omega tropes, by the way. I also tied them with werewolves, because they are magic Wolves and I love monster ecology.)

CR8 LN Large Dragon (Earth)

Also known as lycanodrachs, or d’rrowg among themselves, wolf dragons are a rarity among dragonkind, as they live and hunt in social groups. These groups follow a strict hierarchy, one resembling that of wolves, but involving regular battles for dominance. These fights are typically ritualized, and it is considered taboo for one wolf dragon to kill another who has surrendered, but they are still loud, violent events. 

Wolf dragons are also highly territorial, and do not accept other large predators- or parties of humanoids- in their air space. Such intruders will, typically, be first approached by a flying wolf dragon who attempts to shout them down. Any who continue their flight afterwards will be attacked by the group with lethal intent. Despite this, those who obey the rules of a wolf dragon pack will find them courteous and wise hosts. Wolf dragon culture heavily values oral tradition, and they consider sharing their stories with guests to be an important aspect of hospitality. 

D’rrowg frequently cohabitate with stag dragons, although stag dragons typically choose not to integrate into wolf dragon packs, finding their violent power struggles and strict code of honor distasteful. Lycanthropes, most often werewolves, will sometimes enter a wolf dragon pack. Such beings are treated as a second class within the pack, but are still welcomed on the hunt and feasts. The real benefit, however, is maintaining their old personality when surrounded by wolf dragons. Wolf dragons hate green dragons, and will gladly sacrifice their life to take one down.

This large wolflike creature has a pair of backwards-facing horns and batlike wings complimenting its lupine features. Misc- CR8 LN Large Dragon (Earth) HD9 Init:+3 Senses: Perception:+21 Scent, Darkvision 60ft, Low-Light Vision Aura: Lycanthropy 60ft Stats- Str:24(+7) Dex:17(+3) Con:20(+5) Int:13(+1) Wis:25(+7) Cha:19(+4) BAB:+9/+3 Space:10ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:104(9d12+45) AC:22(+3 Dex, -1 Size, +10 Natural) Fort:+11 Ref:+9 Will:+13 CMD:29 Resist: Immunity: Dragon Resistances, Cold Weakness: Special Defenses:  Offense- Bite +15(2d8+11 plus Trip) CMB:+17 (+2 bonus to Trip) Speed:50ft, Fly 60ft (Average) Special Attacks: Breath Weapon (9d6 Cold damage, 60ft Line, Reflex DC for half, useable once every 1d4 rounds) Feats- Combat Casting, Power Attack (-3/+6), Tandem Trip, Flyby Attack, Alertness Skills- Diplomacy +16, Fly +15, Knowledge (Geography) +5, Knowledge (Nature, Religion) +8, Perception +21, Sense Motive +21, Stealth +15, Survival +19 (+4 Racial bonus to Survival checks to track) Spell-like Abilities- (CL9, Concentration +11, +15 for defensive casting and when grappled) Calm Air, Cure Serious Wounds, Moonstruck (DC16) 1/day Special Qualities- Wolf Empathy +13, Tactician Ecology- Environment- Forests, Mountains (Cold) Languages- Draconic, Sylvan Organization- Hunting Party (2-4), Pack (6-8, 1d4 Dire Wolves, 0-1 Werewolf) Treasure- Half Special Abilities- Aura of Lycanthropy (Su)- A lycanthrope within a wolf dragon’s aura of lycanthropy retains its memories and personality when transformed. Additionally, a wolf dragon may issue a psychic command to any lycanthrope within the aura, as with the spell Command or Murderous Command. The lycanthrope gets a DC15 Will save to ignore the command. Tactician (Ex)- As a swift action, a wolf dragon may grant one teamwork feat its possesses to an ally with 30ft who can see or hear it. They benefit from this ability for 10 rounds, and can only be granted one teamwork feat this way from any wolf dragon at a time. Wolf Empathy (Ex)- This ability functions as a druid’s wild empathy, using a wolf dragon's racial HD, but only for wolves.

[madanythinglaboratory]

Way of Responsibility (a DND 5e Homebrewed Monk Subclass inspired by Spider-Man)

Gotta Wrap This Up

At 3rd level, you channel your monastic power into natural safety nets: webs. When you make an unarmed strike, you can instead use a Ki point to use a Web Line (AC: 8 + your Wisdom modifer; HP: 10 + your Wisdom score) with a range equal to twice your Unarmored Movement bonus.

You can use your Web Line to accomplish one of the following:

You can attempt to grapple a creature one size larger than you or smaller. The target must succeed a Strength saving throw opposed by a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, which they can choose to fail. On a failure, the target's speed is reduced to 0, they cannot use somatic components for spells, and their melee attacks suffer from disadvantage. All the rules for grappling apply here, with one exception: if the target is being moved outside of your range, you must make an opposed Strength (Athletics) check against what is moving the target. On a success, you keep them from moving. On a failure, the target loses the the restrained condition. You cannot attack the target while they are restrained.

You can attempt to grab an object you can carry and move it to another point within range. If the object targeted is held by a creature, they must make a Strength saving throw opposed by your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a success, the action is wasted and the object unmoved.

You can only use this feature once per turn.

Don't Watch The Mouth, Watch The Hands

At 3rd level, your protective instincts sharpen your awareness of your surroundings, allowing you to increase your defense. When an enemy is hidden within 30ft of you, they do not have advantage on attacks against you.

Additionally, when attacked, you can use Patient Defense as a reaction.

Thread The Needle

At 6th level, you increase your mobility to rush to the aid of others. As an action, you can spend 2 Ki points and choose a point within range of your Web Line. You gain a Fly speed equal to twice your walking speed while within range of that point as you swing on your web. You cannot go higher than the point you chose or your previous altitude, whichever is higher. On subsequent turns, you can use your bonus action to choose a different point without spending Ki points.

If you take damage while using this feature, you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. The DC equals 12 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher. On a failure, you fall to the ground and end your swing. The Web Line can also be severed, achieving the same result as a failure.

Additionally, you can extend the benefits of your Slow Fall reaction to one creature within 5ft of you.

Been Real Fun Cleaning Up This Shocking Mess

At 11th level, you learn new combat tactics to stop others from harming innocents. You gain the following features:

You can double your Dexterity modifier for the purposes of calculating damage from unarmed attacks when swinging.

When using a Web Line to restrain a creature, their AC does not benefit from their Dexterity modifier

You gain temporary hitpoints equal to your Wisdom modifier every time you bring a creature to 0 hitpoints non lethally.

Let's Do This One Last Time

At 17th level, you can push yourself beyond your limits for the ones you have sworn to save. When you have 0 hitpoints and are unconscious, you can spend 8 Ki points on your turn to gain back a number of hit points equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die. The cost is lowered by 2 Ki points for every death save success you currently have.

Additionally, when you are out of Ki points, you can regain some by taking necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier per Ki point (no action required). This damage cannot be reduced in any way. You can only use this feature once per short rest.

[usafphantom2]

Special Edition Magazine Commemorates 80th Anniversary of The Black Sheep Squadron

January 4, 2024 Vintage Aviation News Articles, Press Releases 0

United Fuel Cells

Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington was a Marine Corps fighter pilot and the commanding officer of the VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron in the Pacific during World War II. Boyington was a leading flying ace, Prisoner of War, and a recipient of both the Navy Cross and Medal of Honor.

Probably one of the most famous photos Col Greg ‘Pappy’ Boyington (Photo by Mike Schneider Collection)

Boyington’s Black Sheep VMF-214 began in 1943, so this is the reason for the 80th Anniversary. VMF-214 Swashbucklers was in existence before Boyington took over the squadron number with a new group of pilots. The Swashbucklers had been in combat operations and just lost their commanding officer, and while they were out on R&R, higher command decided they needed more squadrons in the fight, right about the time that Boyington was lobbying to get a squadron. So, on paper the command of VMF-214 was given to Boyington, he collected from the the replacement pool a nucleus of pilots and also added new pilots to start their “VMF-214, and they came up with a new moniker, the Black Sheep.

The U.S. Marine Corps’ Black Sheep squadron has served the nation continuously for 80 years. A new special edition magazine commemorates the milestone and their legacy.

“The WWII Black Sheep were among the most effective combat units and their achievements made them legendary,” said Kevin Gonzalez, the magazine’s creator. “An ace is a military aviator credited with downing five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat, and there were nine Black Sheep pilots who became aces.”

Boyington – Black Sheep Leader is a special edition magazine that features historical articles, archival photographs, and original graphic novel art. A special art section includes a depiction of Pappy’s last dogfight, when he and his wingman Captain George Ashmun, were both shot down during a strike mission over Rabaul. Boyington survived the dogfight and was captured at sea by the crew of a Japanese submarine. He was never officially reported as a prisoner by the Japanese and was secretly held prisoner for 30 months. Eventually, he found his path to military aviation through an aviation cadet program, which then led to the Marine Corps Reserve in 1937 and flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Boyington was allowed to leave the Marines to join the American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers, where he gained combat experience flying against the Japanese. After the U.S. entered WWII, he returned rejoin to the USMC. He wrote about his experiences in his best-selling book BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP, published in 1958, which later became the basis for a popular NBC television series for two seasons in the 1970s.

Ezoic

Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington died on Jan. 11, 1988, in Fresno, Calif., and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In 2007, the local airport added the commemorative name Coeur d’Alene Airport/Pappy Boyington Field. In 2019, Boyington was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The modern-day Black Sheep continues the squadron’s legacy. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 (VMFA-214) is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and flies the F-35 B Lightning II, the Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

On March 25, 2022, the squadron was redesignated as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 (VMFA-214) as it began accepting new F-35B Lightning II aircraft from the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas

“Many of the graphic artists who contributed to this project are military veterans,” said Gonzalez. “It’s exciting to see their artwork on the pages of this magazine.”

Boyington – Black Sheep Leader is a special edition magazine from the creator of the Pappy Boyington Field documentary film. More information about Boyington at the website: PappyBoyingtonField.com

[lockheed-martin-unofficial]

Headcanon that Ciphixy were on their wedding anniversary touring the Usean countryside when the Lighthouse War happened, and they just ignored it & went on. They happened to be at the locations of several missions that trigger was in, casually sightseeing as the fighting happened above their heads.

Also, I usually dislike the little detail that Pixy is Belkan because Come On, not all the bad guys need to be Belkans, but I will make an exception & tolerate it if only to headcanon that Pixy dresses like that guy making funny stereotypical German videos (going on “just a small walk” through the Waldreich mountains that lasted 10 hours is something Pixy has totally done)

Cipher on the other hand,,, life is a runway and the planes are just accessories

(Hc that Phoenix would exclusively sortie with Hawaiian shirts)

[lex1nat0r]

The Danse Mechabre: White Elephant

AAR #01

Ran the first session in what is hopefully going to be a full Lancer campaign over the weekend. Gonna be posting these after-action reports from the GM perspective in case it's useful to anyone (and it turns out there are a couple of things I need to make sure I remember). No spoilers because at least half of the players are on the tumbles (eye see you).

Characters (LL 0):

Raiju (Hacker/Ace/Centimane) - GMS Everest - Delta

Sunshine (Grease Monkey/Technophile/Leader) - GMS Everest - Exchange of Affection

Rook (Walking Armory/Stormbringer/Brutal) - GMS Everest - Not Fun By Myself

Daylight (Technophile/Crack Shot/Infiltrator) - GMS Everest - Hits Different

Magpie (Hacker/Technophile/Centimane) - GMS Everest - General Protection Fault

You will notice right away that there are three - count 'em, three -characters with the Technophile talent. That means there are three bonus NHPs in the party. And the first thing I neglected to do is prompt for more interactions with the bonus NHPs. The only one that got characterization in this session was Molotov, Sunshine's little buddy.The reason I didn't prompt for more interaction is mostly because this group is used to 2.5-3 hour sessions and I am trying to hit one combat per session, which does not leave a lot of time for roleplay outside of combat. The schedule will need to be adjusted somewhat.

So in the year 4570u the PCs depart as crewmembers (and one stowaway) from the secret KRAKEN facility on the highly experimental blinkship Eye of the Tiger. The crew of the Eye of the Tiger had secretly been replaced with revolutionaries, planning to use its blink carver to quickly head towards the core worlds and help overthrow Union's Second Committee. They go into stasis, trigger the ship's blink carver and wake up to a variety of alarms blaring. It eventually turns out the year is now 5016u and the blink carver may have moved them in space as well as time. Or something. They fix up the ship a little and realize that they're near a planet that is putting out a distress call. When they also get the opposing force's broadcast about returning the planet to 'traditional Cradle values' they decide the situation requires mechanized intervention. Important note: I'm very happy with my players for not immediately deciding they need to intervene on the side of the people putting out the distress call and that maybe they need more information before getting stuck in. Keep hold of that instinct, just because you didn't need it this time doesn't mean you won't in the future.

So while the Eye of the Tiger engages the enemy fleet in orbit, the lancers drop right in to protect an urban area.

Combat 1.1: We get to be the Cavalry for Once

Sitrep: Control

OPFOR:

Pyro x2

Priest Vehicle x2

Hive x2

Grunt Breacher Vehicle x6

Outcome: PC victory, 11 - 8

No PC structure or stress damage, though Hits Different and Not Fun By Myself both used a Repair. The only mech to not get hit was Delta, which secured the lower left control zone and blasted away with its howitzer (whoever put the howitzer on the default Hacker loadout in COMP/CON is a real joker).

Here's the aftermath of the battle after I invoked the mercy rule when it became clear the NPCs couldn't take enough control zones some time around the middle of the last round (not pictured: the Hives' Razor Swarms that were still in 3/4 control zones).

(Tokens by Retrograde Minis (on the basic blank 1-hex tokens that come with Lancer so they show up well), map by Interpoint Station's pixel art assets, they released their new mapmaking tool like the day before we played. VTT is Roll20)

Most of the civilians had already been evacuated from the area with two exceptions: the blue building just above the lower left control zone (some kind of cultural building maybe, there were a lot of civilians around it), and the orange building to the left of the lower right control zone (an IPS-N showroom/liaison office). Those were both intact at the end of the combat, which will be relevant next session.

The enemy comp is very short-ranged which ended up working because the PCs had to get at them to get into their control zones. It also features a lot of burn which I ended up not using correctly (see below). I maybe went a bit hard on Strikers with that many Breachers, but I knew it would be fine because Breachers can only hit something once in a blue moon (Hits Different was the only one to get tagged by a Breacher shotgun). A lot of vehicles because I like combined arms in my mecha (I think I get this from my exposure to Battletech). No optionals on any of the enemies to reduce cognitive load on me, and even then there was plenty I forgot (see below).

I was worried about cover and LoS going into this because it doesn't feel like the Lancer rules have enough detail on that but it was easy enough to adjudicate in practice. Also shout out to one of the best rules in Lancer: the PC that went last nominates the PC to go next. That helped speed things up a lot.

Overall for a first combat with 5 PCs, getting through it in ~2.5 hours is pretty impressive! HOWEVER:

Things I Definitely Forgot About:

Tech attacks ignore cover!

Engagement gives +1 diff on ranged attacks!

Pyros deal double burn to anyone who already has burn!

Pyros can put out their FIREBREAK shield at the end of each of their turns!

Breacher's shotguns have a threat of 3!

All the PC talents!

Thankfully this can kind of be written off in fiction as the OPFOR being kind of bozos and the PCs not being fully familiar with their mechs (maybe some residual grogginess from stasis and the fact that mech warfare was still pretty new to them).

So definitely some things to keep in mind for next time - I'll have to come up with a format of NPC stat blocks that works for me because just using their stats in the core book clearly means some things get overlooked.

Next Time: Straight into the Wall?

INDULGE ME:

Campaign notebook is a Maruman Mnemosyne N195A, 7mm lined. A month ago I swore I would only use binders for campaigns going forward but Lancer seems constrained enough (note I did not say 'on rails') that I can get away with not doing that (as opposed to, say, a hexcrawling sandbox) that I can get away with it. Plus this notebook was only holding a half-done campaign idea that is unlikely to see the light of day so I figured I'd use the rest of the pages up. I've found the paper is very good at taking fountain pen ink, though I'm not using a fountain pen for these notes. I've settled on a Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5mm gel pen as working best, and I do like that pen (it's what I used to finish out my #Dungeon23 notes).

[pessimisticsarc]

STATISTICS

BASICS

NAME: Rustin Spencer Cohle NICKNAMES: Rust, Crash, The Taxman BIRTHDAY: June 15th, 1964 PRONOUNS: He/Him

FAMILY

MOTHER: Barbara Sanders FATHER: Travis Cohle (deceased) SIBLINGS: Andrew Sanders (half-brother), Stephanie Sanders (half-sister) CHILDREN: Sophia Cohle (deceased)

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Matthew McConaughey RACE/ETHNICITY: White HEIGHT: 5’ 11" (1.8 m) BUILD: Ectomorph HAIR COLOR: Dark blonde EYE COLOR: Blue DOMINANT HAND: Right-handed ACCENT: Alaskan/Texan NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS: Synesthesia, Insomnia, Auditory and visual hallucinations BLOOD TYPE: 0+ TATTOOS: Blue heron (right forearm), mixed runes (left breast) PIERCINGS: Earrings (removed)

HOME LIFE

RESIDES: Lafayette, LA BORN: Galveston, TX RAISED: Pilot Point, AK VEHICLE: Ford F-250

EDUCATION AND SPECIALIZATIONS

LATEST EDUCATION: Houston Police Academy WEAPONS: Handgun TRAINED IN: Hand-to-hand combat, Heavy weaponry, Interrogation, Tracking LANGUAGES: English, French

BELIEFS

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: Anarchist RELIGION: It’s complicated (self-proclaimed Atheist) DRUGS: Coke, Heroin, Speed, and Molly (verse dep.) SMOKES: Yes ALCOHOL: Yes DIET: Vegetarian

RELATIONSHIPS

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Demiromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Demisexual ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEX: Sex-indifferent MARTIAL STATUS: Divorced

PERSONALITY AND INTERACTION

PHOBIAS: Claustrophobia HOBBIES: Art (drawing; painting; poetry), reading SOCIAL MEDIA: No

MISCELLANEOUS

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good MBTI TYPE:  Assertive Logician MBTI ROLE: Analyst ENNEAGRAM TYPE: The Idealist TEMPERAMENT: Melancholic WESTERN ZODIAC: Cancer CHINESE ZODIAC: Wood Dragon PRIMAL SIGN: Hummingbird TAROT CARD: Justice TV TROPES: The Anti-Nihilist, Broken Ace, Functional Addict, Byronic Hero (more) LOVE LANGUAGE: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time

[thecreaturecodex]

Yānguĭ

"MTG - Gloom Sower" © Wizards of the Coast, by Chris Cold. Accessed at the artist's deviantArt gallery here

[Surprisingly, there's not a lot of good art of smoke monsters out there. The name "yānguĭ" is Google-translate-Chinese for "smoke ghost", as I was unable to find a specific name for this creature. This is derived from the memoirs of Ji Yun, a bureaucrat in Qing Dynasty China who recorded his various encounters with and stories he heard about the supernatural. Ji Yun recommended that the yin energy of the undead be countered with yang energy, so he sent brave soldiers with guns and explosives to fire them off while shouting in order to clear away the evil clouds. Hence, the vulnerability to fire I gave my version.]

Yānguĭ CR 8 CE Undead (incorporeal) This rolling cloud of smoke takes on shapes disturbingly reminiscent of hands and skull-like faces.

The yānguĭ are spirits of rebellion, created when an army of rebels is slaughtered on cursed land. No matter the original cause or the righteousness of the mortals that go into its creation, a yānguĭ is a depraved and destructive entity that seeks to overturn all forms of social order. Those who encounter a yānguĭ are forced to behave strangely by its maddening vapors, and its touch leaves psychic scars. Unlike many other incorporeal undead, a yānguĭ cannot create spawn directly. Instead, it delights in causing permanent madnesses in the victims it leaves alive.

Being an undead creature, a yānguĭ has no place in a natural ecosystem. They do occasionally lash out at animals and other nonsapient creatures, leaving their minds addled and draving them towards greater violence. Fortunately, they are vulnerable to fire—its energy can disrupt their necrotic existence. Even torches can be used to injure a yānguĭ (although greater firepower than that is likely to be necessary to kill one of them). Each yānguĭ arises from multiple deaths simultaneously—a unit may produce a single yānguĭ, whereas the destruction of a whole army may produce dozens of these monsters.

Yānguĭ  CR 8 XP 4,800 CE Large undead (incorporeal) Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense 30 ft., Perception +18 Aura maddening vapors (10 ft., Will DC 20) Defense AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 14 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 deflection) hp 104 (11d8+55) Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +11 Immune cold,incorporeal traits, undead traits Weakness purifying flames Offense Speed fly 40 feet (perfect) Melee 2 incorporeal touches +11 (2d6 cold plus 1d6 Wis damage) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Statistics Str -, Dex 18, Con -, Int 13, Wis 19, Cha 20 Base Atk +8; CMB -; CMD 28 Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse Skills Fly +24, Knowledge (history) +12, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +14 Languages Common, Necril Ecology Environment any Organization solitary, pair, gang (3-6) or army (7-24) Treasure none Special Abilities Ability Drain (Su) A creature struck by a yānguĭ’s touch attack must succeed a DC 20 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of Wisdom damage. A creature reduced to 0 Wisdom must succeed an additional DC 20 Will save, or gain a random madness when its Wisdom score is restored. The save DC is Charisma based. Maddening Vapors (Su) Any creature within 10 feet of a yānguĭ must succeed a DC 20 Will save or be confused for 1d4+1 rounds. The yānguĭ does not count as the nearest creature to a confused victim for the purposes of “attack nearest creature”. This is a mind-influencing compulsion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Purifying Flames (Ex) A yānguĭ takes half damage from non-magical sources of fire, and full damage from magical sources of fire. A yānguĭ that takes fire damage stops emitting its maddening vapors for 1 round.

[gedthestudent]

5+2 Micro-Reviews of my favorite D&D Retro-Clones

OSRIC and Hyperborea 3e

I am very partial to the Advanced flavors of Dungeons & Dragons so its no surprise that these are included in my favorites. OSRIC is a relatively faithful retro-clone of the first edition of AD&D, a game much maligned as the most un-designed among the editions of D&D. It turns out once you remove Gary Gygax's appalling writing, weapon versus AC adjustment tables, and endless Dragonsfoot debates about initiative rules, you arrive at an excellent game. For a free product, it comes with a surprising amount of charming art in the black-and-white style now synonymous with the OSR. The book is not only free but it is three books in one: a player's book, a game master's book, and a bestiary. Hyperborea 3e on the other hand is a AD&D 1e retro-clone that is laser-focused on the sword and sorcery genre. It also streamlines AD&D 1e by smoothing over some of the game's peculiarities. Attribute modifiers are simplified, weapon damage versus size adjustments are dissolved, and segment-based initiative is dissolved in favor for a phase-based initiative in the spirit of Holmes' Basic D&D. Multi-classing is also dissolved in favor of providing a rich variety of distinct sub-classes. Hyperborea 3e also includes robust spell research rules. Spell levels in this retro-clone only reach the heights of spell level 6. The two-column formatting and black-and-white art is wonderful. Hyperborea 3e comes in two books, one for players and the other for game masters. The latter book includes an even a more detailed gazetteer for Jeffrey Talanian's namesake setting, the bestiary, and more rules.

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Dungeon Crawl Classics is a fascinating and idiosyncratic retro-clone based on the scaffolding of D&D 3e. DCC has unified d20 resolution mechanics, ascending AC, and the emblematic three saving throws of reflex, fortitude, and willpower. That is where the similarities end. DCC is as much as game as it is a shameless indulgence of the spirit of old school D&D. Death is common, dungeons are dangerous, and the world is gonzo. DCC adopts the race-classes of Basic/Expert D&D but also endeavors to be its own game with two defining features: funnels and extensive charts. Heroes are not made, they are found. Level-0 characters must survive an ultra-lethal dungeon before they are able to enjoy the first level of a class. Funnels are a tool to teach OSR principles and they have the subtlety of a blunt executioner's axe. Do not be fooled by the book's length. The game is a simple and familiar. Most of the length comes from the tables for spell checks, critical fumbles, and critical successes. The other defining feature of the game is the incredible flavor held in these tables and in the situations that arise from rolling on them. DCC is both a premier retro-clone and the single greatest instrument of mainstream D&D deprogramming.

Castles & Crusades

Castles & Crusades is both understated and underrated. To describe the game in the most simple terms, it is AD&D 1e reimagined with the unified d20 resolution of D&D 3e and beyond. The game includes all of the iconic D&D classes and the eighth printing in particular is to be applauded for its superb art and formatting. Punitive attribute requirements are dissolved, ascending AC is used, and multi-classing is presented in an accessible manner. My only criticism that the explanation for the non-combat resolution mechanic is poor. All Difficulty Classes are 18. All rolls are modified by the one of the six classic attributes. If the roll includes the character's primary attribute, they receive an additional +6 to their roll. If the roll includes the one of the character's class abilities, they receive an additional bonus equal to their level. This is the game to play if your table wants to engage with AD&D but do not want to engage with its vestigial qualities.

Old School Essentials and Advanced Labyrinth Lord

Old School Essentials is a 1-to-1 retro-clone of B/X D&D presented in a best-in-industry, control panel format. Game mechanics are stripped bare and presented in a brutalist fashion that leaves no room for ambiguity. Descending and ascending AC are both included. All the art is wholesome and not at all missing the OSR charm. Advanced Fantasy is the definitive version of the game that includes everything in the Classic Fantasy tome but introduces reimagined features and rules from both AD&D and Unearthed Arcana. Labyrinth Lord was the retro-clone that preceded OSE. Advanced Labyrinth Lord is a comprehensive game that includes everything in the first iteration of Labyrinth Lord but incorporates the Advanced Edition Companion. This results in an experience that cleaves much more faithfully to AD&D proper. Classes' attribute requirements are here and descending AC is used. Segment-based initiative from AD&D 1e is absent. What OSE might lack in flavor, ALL has in abundance.

Swords & Wizardry Complete

Original D&D, or "OD&D," has no shortage of retro-clones either. There is Delving Deeper, Iron Falcon, White Box Fantasy Adventure Game, Swords and Wizardry, and more. Each seeks to clone various iterations of OD&D and each has its fans. Swords & Wizardry seeks to clone the original game and its supplements, which results in a streamlined game that approaches AD&D. More class options, a divorce between race and class, and both descending and ascending AC are all present. Swords & Wizardry also is known for its unified saving throw. There is no more wrestling with five categories of saving throws. The crowdfunded Revised edition of Swords & Wizardry Complete also comes with rules for morale and spell research.