The Clay That Woke Sale

I recently joined a G+ forum called Goblin Emporium where tons of buying and trading of RPGs goes on...you should check it out, lots of deals. Among recent offerings was one from Paul Czege for his Kickstarted RPG called The Clay That Woke, which from the description is effectively a unique fantasy RPG about minotaurs with an unusual token mechanic.

I don't have my copy yet, just ordered it, but if you're interested in a copy Paul is selling them inexpensively right now and I really have to say that the idea of an RPG about minotaurs (read about it from the Kickstarter page here) as presented sounds incredibly interesting. I'll do a review when the book arrives.

D&D 5E: the minotaur character race

Okay, it's back to D&D this week! I'm working up different interesting items for the next few blogs  in celebration of my work schedule calming down a bit, leaving me with a moment or two to actually think of things not work related. So....first up, a race important to all four of my core campaign worlds....minotaurs!

Minotaurs in the default 5th edition are descendants of a blasphemous race of humanoids which served the demon god Baphomet and were transformed in a ritual of blood and murder. Minotaurs could have a variety of other possible origins, as well, including:

The engineered race of anthropomorphs created by an advanced ancient civilization which eventually collapsed, leaving their slave races to grow up in their absence (Chirak)

The pious spawn of a first Minotaur who was cursed by the gods with bestial traits for his impertinence and trying to steal their secrets (Enzada)

A degenerate race of beast-men spawned from a primal chaos god, who evolved over time to develop a sense of self and an understanding of their nature; now they seek out their own personal fortune or philosophical sense of being in the world to atone for their origins in chaos and sin (Lingusia)

The bastard spawn of a heinous ritual of blood and lust put forth by a barbarian cult which believes that they must honor their beast god through the magical coupling of men and bulls, which lead to these mule-like minotaur-spawn riddled with madness, seen as blessed sons of the dark god (Pergerron)

And so forth.

Minotaur Traits

The core Monster Manual minotaur translates into a playable character rather easily, with the caveat that recklessness and charge make it a formidable fighter.

Ability Score Increase: Minotaurs start with a +2 Strength and can actually increase their Strength to 22 with ability score increases by level at the DM's discretion (for a total Strength mod of +6). Minotaurs also gain a +1 modifier to your choice of Wisdom or Constitution.
Optional Ability Score Limits: DMs can optionally limit minotaurs to a maximum of 15 Intelligence. If you choose this option, the let the minotaur have the increased Strength option as well.
Age: though it may vary by world, most minotaurs reach puberty by 10 and are fully mature by 15. Minotaurs live 40-60 years depending on how hard a life they have been subjected to.
Alignment: in a world where minotaurs are the spawn of some beast cult, demon or chaos god they will tend to be chaotic and evil. In worlds where minotaurs are a more conventional anthropomorphic race they may lean toward chaos but be equally common as good, neutral or evil beings.
Size: Minotaurs range from the high end of medium (8 feet tall) to the middle range of large (10-12 feet tall). Decide on your size at character creation based on setting; default minotaurs are large creatures.
Speed: minotaurs move quickly with a base speed of 40 feet.
Darkvision: minotaurs have darkvision 60 feet.
Charge: a minotaur can engage in a charge attack if they are able to move straight toward the target for at least 10 feet first. If the minotaur strikes with a gore attack it adds 2D8 to the damage and the target must make a save equal to DC 10+the minotaur's Strength modifier or be tossed up ten feet away and knocked prone.
Maze Sense: a minotaur has perfect recall of any maze it move through and gains advantage on any wisdom check to determine direction or recall the correct path to a place it has previously visited.
Reckless: A minotaur can choose to gain advantage on all attack rolls during its turn but all attacks against it also gain advantage as well. This last until the start of its next turn.
Gore Attack: a minotaur's natural gore attack deals 2D8+strength modifier damage on a strike. Minotaurs are always proficient in this attack.
Natural Armor: a minotaur's skin provides AC 14 protection. This does not stack with other armor, so when wearing armor of different types the minotaur uses either the AC 14 or the AC of the armor worn, whichever is greater. Dex will apply to the natural armor without limit.
Racial Affinity: Minotaurs are always proficient in the great axe.
Languages: default minotaurs speak Abyssal, but a player character minotaur starts with the common tongue and one other; those worlds where minotaurs are not spawned of Baphomet or simialr entities may speak giantish or some other language, even their own minotaur dialect, instead.

Kasdalan: The Slaughter of the MInotaurs and other Plots

The Slaughter of the Minotaurs


Six years ago Mardieur Mardieux roamed the swamps and forests of Kasdalan, warring with the Dark Queen. Lady Poe sought to gain control of the avatar before he knew his own worth, but in his rage the minotaur lashed out, slaying seven of her thirteen living daughters. It was a harsh blow to the queen, who had bred each of her children to be merciless and efficient necromancers, assassins and warriors in her service. She never forgave Mardieur Mardieux, but unable to lash out at the avatar who disappeared four years ago in the West, she has instead resorted to gaining cruel satisfaction out of capturing and slaying all minotaurs she can find.

Pallaeus and the Lakemen of Piridion both have regions with several populations of minotaur tribes. Lady Poe has sent forth several forces aimed at finding these tribes and slaughtering them or capturing as many as possible, for transport to the arenas of Mordren, or for experimentation in the City of Skulls. This has led to cause for alarm in both neighboring nations, as some minotaurs have united together to protect one another, and perhaps even to strike out against her. The minotaur chieftain Muurn Hadronias has united five of the greatest tribes in the region in to a powerful retaliatory force, and they intend to wage war against the Kasdalani forces until the revenge attacks stop.



The Breaching Darkness


Throughout the vast and dark Krylliathe Woods which encompass most of Kasdalan, darkness has consumed vast swathes of the wilderness. For reasons as yet not entirely understood, something is seeping in to the mortal plane from the spirit realm of the Shadow, and it is gaining a permanent foothold, it would seem, in the vast expanses of this largely untamed woodland. Lady Poe and her agents are aware of this manifestation, and indeed they have always known that there is a deep connection with the Krylliathe Woods and the Shadow Plane, but never before have permanent portals between this realm and the shadow plane been made permanently manifest, nor have the strange entities which have come forth from this darkness been so antagonistic, or even stayed permanently in the mortal realm. The concern is that there is a new agency, something which is so powerful that it is reaching out to consume the mortal realm from its shadow domain, and Lady Poe is deeply concerned about its intent.

While the threat is initially a worrisome curiosity, she will dispatch agents to investigate the stories of portals to shadow opening in the remote vastness of the woods. Adventurers in her service are quick to learn that indeed strange and deadly beasts are manifesting in the shadow, and indeed stories suggest that Kasdalan is not the only realm to be so affected.

In time, it will become clear that the source is a single being, one of uncertain origin or allegiance, called Molabal. Little else is known (at least in Kasdalan) as to Molabal’s true nature, but rumors that undying cults to this enigmatic self-proclaimed deity in the ancient City of Shadows can tell of its intent, and its weakness, even…of course, Molabal has been freed far to the west in Pelegar, though his freedom is dependent on the imprisonment of the avatar Mardieur Mardieux….

Next: Agents and Agencies of Kasdalan

Ages of Lingusia: Neutral Kindred in Swords & Wizardry

Next up are the neutral races of Lingusia. Note that satyrs and faeries have made an appearance in Agraphar as well; here are their Lingusia counterparts.

The Neutral Races

Half dragons: The Half dragons of Lingusia are a servitor race of the dragon lords, destined for slavery due to their draconic heritage, and often seeking to rebel.
Half dragons are statistically the same as Marlacks, but gain an additional feature:
Humanoid Form: half-dragons can shapeshift between their draconic form and a humanoid form of usually pleasing likeness, with either human, elf, or Halfling traits. This form lacks the claws and wings of their draconic form (see Marlacks, above) but still has a certain scaliness and draconic slit eyes. It takes one round to complete the transformation, although the half dragon can still move and act while changing. The half dragon can shift between forms at will.

Faeries: The faerie kin are true fey, born out of the Weirding and driven by curiosity to enter the mortal realm.
Height: 10 inches to 1’4” tall
Weight: 5-15 lbs.
Languages: Faespeak, elvish, and Middle Tongue
Ability Scores: +1Cha, -1 Con
Favored Classes: thief, magic user
Tiny Creatures: Faeries roll only 1D6+2 for Str and Con and never have higher than 8 in either attribute.
Tiny Fae: All Faeries are of the Fey realm (the Weirding Realm), and are tiny creatures, only one foot tall on average. They gain a 2 point bonus to AC and Reflexes due to their small size and nimble flying abilities. Faeries can only wear armor made for their own kind, which can be difficult to locate, and normally is only ever made of leather.
Flight: Faeries have wings and can fly. They are tiny however and only walk at half their normal movement rate, but can fly at double that rate.
Fae Archers: Faeries are always skilled in the use of the faerie bow, regardless of class weapon options. Such faerie bows only ever do 1 point of damage (and it has a 50% chance it only does subdual damage), but they can apply their fey magic to it to make the bow more effective. A faerie begins play knowing how to apply the sleep spell to a single arrow, but in the course of play the faerie can take magic user spell scrolls (and even tomes) and learn other spells to apply to her arrows as well. The faerie must use the Spell Learning chance based on her Int to attempt this, but once she has learned a spell that can be used for her arrow, then she may always imbue her arrows with that spell. Regardless of what spell she is imbuing, she can do so three times per day; the arrows will last for one week, and must be fired by a faerie from a faerie bow to activate the imbued spell.
Glamour Magic: Faeries may choose any one first level magic user spell that they can cast once per day.
Aspect of the Fae: Faeries are able to detect the presence of other fae for 100’ at will.

New Weapon: Faerie Bows
Ranged Weapon; Damage: faerie arrows do 1 point (50% chance of subdual damage only) plus imbuement if any; Rate of Fire: 2; Weight: .25 lbs.; Range: 20 feet; Cost: 150 GP (faerie characters get one for free); Special: Can’t be wielded by anything less than tiny creatures; small creatures can use the bow with a -5 penalty to attack. Only faeries can cause the spell imbuement when wielding the bow.

Goblins: Goblins are a deviant underworld race of deformed unseelie fey who have long ago sought to make a home for themselves in the mortal plane.
Goblins have statistics in the MM can serve for player characters, if desired.
Height: 4’1” to 5’2” tall
Weight: 100-155 lbs.
Languages: goblin, orcish, middle tongue and some other monstrous languages
Ability Scores: +1 Dex, -1 Wis
Favored Classes: assassin, fighter, thief
Goblinoids: The goblins are the least of the goblinoid races, and are related to both orcs, hobgoblins and bugbears. Goblins have learned to sustain their society through living off the scraps of their larger kin, and have become excellent survivors as such.
Although goblins are not prone to the use of magic, they nonetheless do have occasional mages and clerics in their communities. They revere an obscure deity, one never heard of outside goblin circles called Yamgach, the patron god of goblins. No human texts, not even the Idean Codices, speak of who or what this Yamgach is. Not even the orcs, trolls and other monster kin under whom goblins dwell seem to know much about this goblin god!

Terkithyi Lizard Men: A brutal race of fierce alligator-headed warriors who pride strength and fierceness as key traits.
Average Height: 6'6”-7’6” tall
Average Weight: typically 200-350 lbs
Languages: Lizardman and Middle Tongue. A few Terkithyi learn Draconic or other local Amechian tongues such as Chigros, Belladasian or Hotepsalan.
Ability Scores: +1 Strength, -1 Intelligence
Favored Classes: cleric, fighter
Vision: lowlight vision
Natural Claws and Bite: Terkithyi have vicious claws that do 1D6 damage and a bite that does 1D4 damage.
Natural Armor: Terkithyi receive a 2 point Natural Armor bonus to armor class.
Cold Blooded: Terkithyi are reptiles by nature, and grow sluggish and unresponsive in cold climates. When exposed to winter conditions atypical of their native environment (usually by more than 30 degrees), Terkithyi are at -1 to attack rolls from sluggishness. A terkithyi in a cold environment for more than 24 hours begins to lose hit points at the rate of 1 per day (negating normal healing).

Haikyndyr Lizard Men: A desert-dwelling race of lizard men who are swift and cunning, defending their southern lands with poisoned arrows and traps.
Average Height: 5'1”-5’6” tall
Average Weight: typically 100-150 lbs
Languages: lizardman and Middle Tongue; some know Draconic
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, -1 Intelligence
Favored Classes: cleric, fighter, thief
Vision: lowlight vision
Claws: All Haikyndyr claws do 1D6 damage. They have a bite that does 1 damage (but is not nearly as fearsome as other lizardmen)
Favored Environment: Haikyndyr are desert dwellers and receive some special bonuses when in a desert environment. They gain a +10% bonus to stealth checks in the desert (move silently, hide in shadows) which is also a -10 penalty to tracking attempts.
Tail Trip: Haikyndyr are known for using their tails in trip attacks. They get a +1 attack bonus when aiming to trip someone in battle.

Serpent Men (Setites): The dark race of serpent men owe their existence to the dark god Set, considered to be the great deceiver and lord of maliciousness. The serpent men seek to espouse their dark god’s ideals and secretive goals.
Average Height: 5'6”-6’6” tall
Average Weight: typically 100-250 lbs
Languages: Serpentine and Middle Tongue; some know Draconic
Ability Scores: +1 Intelligence, -1 Constitution
Favored Classes: assassin, cleric, thief, magic user
Optional Racial XP Modifier: -10%
Vision: darkvision 120 feet
Poison Bite: Serpent men can bite with potentially lethal effect. Their bite does 1 point of damage but injects poison that requires a saving throw; failure means the victim is paralyzed for 1D6 hours; at the end of that time a second saving throw must be made; failure means the victim has perished.
Long Lifespan: setites can live to be 200 or more years old, and some venerable priests are said to be 600 years or older.

Ogres: A race of brutal killers and mercenaries who dwell in the forestlands of Lingusia and will work for whoever offers the best loot and largest meals.
Average Height: 8’ to 12’ feet tall
Average Weight: 400-900 lbs.
Languages: ogreish, plus one other (usually the middle tongue or giantish)
Ability Scores: +1 Str, -1 Wis; ogres should never have less than a 12 strength
Favored Classes: fighter
Optional Racial XP Modifier: -10%
Vision: darkvision 60 feet
Tough Hide: Ogre’s have thick skin offering a 2 point improvement to AC.
Large Weapons: Ogres can wield normal human-sized two-handed weapons as one handed weapons.
Disguise Issues: Ogres can’t attempt a decent disguise unless they are trying to masquerade as a different sort of large creature, like a troll or minotaur. This makes ogre assassins particularly ineffective.
Fists: Ogre fists do 1D4 damage.

Tieflings: Touched by infernal and abyssal blood, the taint of the tieflings is evident in their appearance and often also their behavior.
Languages: the local common tongue; tieflings who are in touch with their ancestry might know an abyssal or infernal tongue
Favored Classes: assassin, thief, magic user
Ability Scores: +1 intelligence and -1 charisma
Vision: Dark Vision 60 feet
Infernal Heritage: tieflings take half damage from fire sources and gain a +2 save bonus against spells and effects with fire (fireballs, fire breath, etc.)
Darkness 15 Feet: Tieflings can cast darknes 15' once per day.

Living Constructs: Extremely rare products of sorcery and arcanists, the living constructs of Lingusia are very rare, self-aware golems.
Ability Scores: Living constructs should gain a +1 bonus to one stat of choice, and a -1 penalty to Charisma, as they have difficulty understanding the emotions of living beings.
Mental Resistance: the strange minds of these animated entities make them especially resilient against mind affecting charms and enchantments, incurring a +4 save bonus against such magic and effects.

Marlacks: The winged dragonmen of Lingusia are an ancient, fiercely loyal race that has become more populous in recent centuries. Dedicated to their dragon lords, the Marlacks are determined to prove their worth so that they may ascend the ranks of dragonhkind.
Average Height: 6'-7' tall
Average Weight: typically 300-450 lbs; the natural armor of draconians is heavy
Languages: Draconic and the middle tongue
Ability Scores: +1 Str, -1 Int
Favored Classes: fighter, thief, magic user
Claws: Draconians have claws that do 1D6 damage.
Wings: Marlacks have dragon wings which give them lift. They can move somewhat faster, fly reasonably well, and are sufficiently talented that they gain no normal penalty when fighting while in flight (thus fighting as if they were on solid ground). They move at the same flight rate as their ground rate.

Minotaurs (Mishrag): From deeply religious cults to fierce warrior tribes, the minotaurs are a god-touched races of men who are born with bull’s heads.
Average Height: 8’ to 10’6”; minotaurs have shrunk over the centuries, and are not quite as large as they once were in ages past.
Average Weight: 400 to 550 lbs.
Languages: Minotaur and Middle Tongue, though some learn giantish, orcish and ashtarth.
Favored Classes: cleric, fighter, ranger
Ability Scores: +1 Str, -1 Int; as an optional rule, characters should not choose minotaurs as a raceunless they rolled at least 13 or better for Strength. There are no weak minotaurs out there.
Optional Racial XP Penalty: -10%
Vision: dark vision
Head Butt: Minotaurs who can get a charge attack or running start in can gouge with their horns for 2D4 damage in melee.
Maze Sense: Minotaurs are exceptionally good at navigating mazes and other complicated passages, and have a sense of absolute direction when doing so. A Minotaur has a 3 in 6 chance of discerning false passages and secret doors when in a maze.

Satyrs: The mysterious satyrs are native to the Weirding Realm, but they cross over more and more frequently in to the mortal plane, obsessed with its delights and hedonistic possibilities.
Satyrs gain access to a uniquely powerful power (the pan pipes) which are presented here as an encounter power that gets better as the Satyr levels. DMs may wish to scrutinize the race carefully if you are concerned about balance. Satyr characters should be most likely to choose primal classes, though by no means are they exclusively required to choose from such.
Height: 5’2” to 6’ tall
Weight: 100-250 lbs. (or greater for the gluttons)
Languages: Feyspeak, elvish, and middle tongue
Ability Scores: +1 Cha, -1 Wis
Favored Classes: fighter, thief, magic-user
Optional Racial XP Modifier: -20%
Master of Pan Pipes: Satyrs can imbue any set of pan pipes with melodious and hypnotic magic. Satyrs can learn to perform multiple hypnotic tunes with their pan pipes, to various effects. At the start of their career the Satyr may choose from one of the following song effects, which he may perform once per day for 1D6 rounds (with the effect lasting for the length indicated by the roll). Additional tunes may be learned over time, as the satyr reaches 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th level in their class advancement. All satyr songs can be resisted with a save versus magic enchantment/charm, and elves are always immune to satyr’s songs.

Satyr Songs:

Song of Delirium: You can weave a hypnotic tune that lulls your foes in to a stupor. All listening become entranced by the song and cease their actions for one round.

Song of Ferocity: You pipe a ferocious tune that sets your allies’ blood a’boiling. All allies who hear the song gain a +1 to their next attack roll and damage roll.

Song of the Wild: Your furious music sets your allies or enemies dancing madly about. The targets of this spell are compelled to dance instead of their preferred choice of actions.

Song of Escape: Through the wild pipings you energize your allies to recover from their plight. Each ally gains a +2 bonus to saving throws.

Song of Understanding: Through your enrapturing songs you sew the seeds of communication. This spell works to allow all who hear the song to understand one another as if they spoke each other’s language.

Song of Seduction: Through your hypnotic music you weave complex charms which draw in those around you, charging them with passion and lust. Each creature in burst becomes enamoured with the creature closest to it or a satyr, chosen by the song caster (save ends). When enamored, the target creature is effectively charmed in to desire and lust for a designated target, regardless of previous affiliation. For the duration of the encounter or until the effect ends the enamoured target will attempt to aid, seduce, copulate with or otherwise party with the target of his or her attentions. This can even overcome the hostile intentions of otherwise mortal enemies when in effect.

Option: Daughters of Oberon
Some satyrs are, once every seven generations, born as females (not called fawns, either; never ever call them that!) A satyress is a rare beast, for not only you are a coveted female satyr, but you are born a true daughter of Oberon. On discovering your heritage you find that you have some of his fey glamour to light your blood with arcane power. Satyresses (all female satyrs) gain the ability to charm person once per day.

Source!

Ages of Lingusia: Mishrag and other Minotaurs

Mishrag Minotaurs

   Minotaurs are valued for their religious dedication, muscle, and keen sense of architectural design. They have no central presence, appearing in small tribes and communities abroad on the surface and in the Lower Dark.

   While most minotaur tribes remain subterranean, the benevolent Mishrag are among the few who venture forth to live amongst the surface dwellers. Most minotaurs remain in secluded enclaves beneath the earth, however, and often serve as slaves or mercenaries for more powerful neighbors.

Appearance and Personality: Lingusian Minotaurs are most bull like, with horns, faces, hooves, hair and tail drawn from bulls. Minotaurs are considered a Chosen Species, for it is said that at some time in the ancient past, the first minotaur was born of a human woman whom Wolfon took a liking to. Indeed, all minotaurs are male, and must seek out human women to perpetuate their species. Underworld enclaves are known to periodically raid remote human and elvish communities to find fresh stock for their breeding pens.

Relations: Many people, especially in Hyrkania where the long-lived servants of their faith have proselytized for centuries, regard Mishrag as a curiosity but in more remote lands, people fear and loathe the subterranean minotaur clans. Dwarves hate them with a passion, and some dwarven rangers specialize in minotaur slaying.

Religion: The Mishrag are the most well known of the tribes, dedicated to the peaceful worship of Amasyr, Ogron, and Seth. There are other subterranean tribes as well, seen rarely on the surface. Such tribes do not follow the worship of the Mishrag gods, and in fact revere Wolfon, the predatory god of the wild, and occasionally Baragnagor, the dark creator god of the chaoskin.

Languages: Minotaurs speak their own language, and one other language, usually Middle Tongue (to speak with their harem of human wives), elvish (ditto), or a neighboring underworld tongue. Ashtarth is a common language, as well, since minotaurs are often found as mercenaries for the dark elves.

Names: Minotaurs prefer simple names, and rarely attribute any meaning to them. They will refer to themselves and mention their tribe name, as well, but more as an honorific.

Tribe Names: Mishrag, Gotho, Belor, Himlar, Greos, Chabdam, Borakh.

Name Examples: Zigmond, Valos, Tobar, Shaban, Grosht. Ureck, Lovarg.

Adventurers: Mishrag are ready-made to be adventurers, wandering priests of the land. Other minotaurs might be driven to adventure due to exile, or perhaps a good minotaur seeks to escape his tribe’s malicious ways, and wants to win a human women through good deeds instead of capture and slavery. Mishrag minotaurs favor being clerics and monks but they almost always revere Graethos, though some old cults remain dedicated to the lost gods Ogron, and Seth. Mishrag are neither smarter nor more intelligent than other minotaurs, just enlightened. Other minotaurs prefer martial classes, for they are professional warriors, and descend from an ancient code of honorable conduct, even if they seem uncivilized. Minotaurs are angry, brooding souls, and they like to speak with violence.

Average Height: 8’ to 10’6”; minotaurs have shrunk over the centuries, and are not quite as large as they once were in ages past.

Average Weight: 400 to 550 lbs.

Languages: Minotaur and Middle Tongue, though some learn giantish, orcish and ashtarth.

Mishrag Minotaur Adventurers

   The standard minotaur design rules for 4E apply, and any and all applicable racial feats and powers are available to Mishrag. Mishrag are most often found in the roles of cleric, paladin, invoker and sometimes avenger. Other minotaur clans are more commonly found as fighters, rangers and barbarians.