Dual-Classing in Swords & Wizardry Complete

Dual-classing is an option that appears in 1^st and 2^nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but was not so far as I am aware in 0E D&D. It’s a way for human characters to multiclass, but in a fashion which doesn’t work in the same way as traditional multi-classing, a feature reserved for demi-humans.

One reason you could opt to allow dual-classing is to accommodate smaller groups. If you are playing a game with only one or two players this will let them have more options for their characters, and help them to fill more than one role. Another reason could be story-driven; you could include monasteries, warrior’s school, wizard’s insitutes, temples, thieves’ guilds and other such institutions which can offer training for the right price (and right skill). This could be another option for players to explore with their characters.

Dual-classing is basically a “career change” option in which the character decides to shift focus from his existing class to a new one. It’s a bit convoluted as presented in AD&D (both versions), requiring significant base attributes to qualify, followed by specific rules on how the XP gain works, depending on what abilities are used. Logisitically it’s a bit of a mess, because you have to track whether the PC was using his old class abilities or his new class abilities in a given instance, or limit what abilities can and can’t be used, and the old class can never advance after a dual-class transition. The system I propose below is a reductionist view, cleaning up this process for ease of use.

Dual-Class Requirements: a human (and even any demi-human at the GM’s option) can choose to dual-class in a secondary class at a later date. When he does so, the following rules take effect:

Prerequisites: the character must qualify for the prime requisite XP bonus in both the old class and the new class in order to dual-class. Example: a magic-user that wishes to dual-class as an assassin must have an INT, DEX and STR of 13 or better.

Optional Training Cost: the GM may want the character to spend 1D6 months and 1D6X100 gold pieces training before gaining level 1 in the new class, to justify the development of the new abilities at level 1.

Hit Dice: Hit dice are based on the old class level and do not improve until the new class’s bonuses would exceed the old class. For example: a wizard (level 5) who cross-classed as an assassin would not gain new hit dice until he reached assassin level 6. He would use the better of the two attack chart options for his class.

Saves: use the better of the two classes saves. In our magic user/assassin example a level 5 magic user has a Saving throw of 11. He will go to Save 10 when his assassin class reaches level 6.

Attack Rolls: On attack rolls use the better option of the existing class levels vs. the new class. So, to look at our magic-user level 5 who dual-classes into assassin, his chart is the same for both classes, so when he reaches assassin level 6 he’ll advance on the attack table like normal. A level 5 magic-user who dual-classes into fighter has a magic-user THAC0 of 18 at level 5, which means his THAC0 goes to 17 when he reaches fighter level 5. If you use the attack bonus and ascending AC option on page 44 of S&WC it’s even easier to figure, and according to that chart a level 5 MU has a +1 attack, while the fighter improves to +2 at level 4, so our dual-classed MU 5/F 4 has +2 attack.

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: when dual-classing the character gains the additional armor and weapon skills of the new class. However, the character still suffers any special restrictions regarding the use of such weapons and armor in the old class; this means a magic-user can’t cast spells in non-magical armor, and a thief can’t use thieving skills while wearing anything heavier than leather (just like multi-classing restrictions).

Experience Gain: while advancing in the new class the character divides all XP gained by ½ but applies the remainder to his new class only. When his new class reaches the same level as the old class he may start applying 100% of the XP gained to the new class. Thereafter he gains all class advancements as he improves his new class like normal (so improves hit dice, saves, attack modifiers and abilities as the new class only).  He retains his old class levels and abilities but only at that level of experience.

Optional Continued Class Advancement: The GM can optionally allow the dual-classed character to advance in the old and new class once both of them are the same level. At that time, continue to divide the XP into two parts, but both classes gain the XP. This requires keeping track of two separate XP totals. For example: our magic-user level 5 reaches assassin level 5. He had 25,000 XP in magic-user when he decided to dual-class in assassin. Once he reaches level 5 (12,000 XP) in assassin he may now proceed to advance in both classes, tracking XP separately but dividing all XP earned equally between the two classes. Once he reaches this point all multi-classing rules in the main book now apply.

 Example Dual-Classed character:

Vastor Redscar

Chaotic Human male of Aeronost

Magic-user level 5/Assassin Level 6 (MU XP 25,000-frozen, Assassin XP 27,000-active)

STR 14, DEX 16, CON 10, INT 13, WIS 12, CHA 8

HP 17, HD 5D4+1D6, Save 10, AC 6 [13] (leather plus Dex bonus), Attack Bonus +2 (or TAC 17)

Languages Known: aeronistic (common), Emon, elvish, Camrinal (forbidden tongue)

Weapons: long sword (1D8), short sword (1D6) (fights w-weapon style)

Assassin Skills: climb walls 88%, tasks and traps 30%, hear noise 4 in 6, hide in shadows 25%, move silently 35%, open locks 25%

Assassin Abilities: disguise, poison, backstab (+4 to hit and triple damage),

Spell Slots: 4 level 1 slots, 2 level 2 slots, 1 level 3 slot

Spell Book:

1^st Level: charm person, detect magic, light, magic missile, read magic, sleep

2^nd Level: darkness 15’ radius, ESP, invisibility, knock, phantasmal force, strength

3^rd Level: darkvision, fireball, haste, hold person, monster summoning I, protection from normal missiles, slow

Vastor Redscar was a student of the dark arts out of Asvinar under the tutelage of the wizard Taraman Dazaes when his master was assassinated. He was spared by the assassin, a woman named Rapineleth, who was impressed at his resourcefulness. She indoctrinated him in to the Guild of the Riven Flesh, an esoteric order of cultic assassins dedicated to the mad god of darkness, Ghaol, where he has prospered ever since. 

D&D 5E Saturday Creature Factory: Silgur Skinmen

Silgur Skinmen

CR 4 (1,100 XP)

CE medium humanoid aberration

Initiative +3

DEFENSE

AC 13

HP 55 (10D8+10)

Immunity: necrotic, poison and poison effects, disease

Vulnerable: radiant

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet (20 feet in a corpse puppet)

Multiattack the silgur may strike once or twice with its razor claws.

Melee Attack – Razor Claws +7 (reach 5 ft, 1 target), 2D8+3 slashing damage and target must make a DC 15 Constitution check or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The target may make a new save each round to shrug off the paralysis.

Stealth Attack: silgur skinmen are natural stalkers and gain advantage on stealth checks to sneak up on victims unawares in dark or shadowy environments. They add 3D8 damage to strikes against a surprised opponent against whom they have advantage.

Statistics

STR 17 (+3), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 8 (-1), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 10 (0)

Languages: common, one other

Senses: superior darkvision, blindsight, Perception +3 (passive 13)

Skills: Stealth +7

TRAITS

Regeneration: Silgur skinmen recover 5 hit points per round. Damage from radiant sources will halt regeneration until the end of the silgur’s next round.

Corpse Puppetry: any small, medium or large target that reaches zero hit points to which the silgur is adjacent may become puppeted by the silgur as an action. This kills the target if it was not already dead, as the silgur will cut a hole into the victim’s corpse and enter with chilling speed, wearing the body almost like a skin. While wearing a “corpse puppet” the silgur can escape casual detection (DC 15 perception check) although those who are aware of the silgur’s presence previously may be suspicious and roll with advantage. If the corpse puppet sustained heavy damage prior to death it might also grant advantage to those observing the puppet’s motions. Silgur skinmen cannot puppeteer a corpse more than an hour or two old, however.

The silgur uses corpse puppets to sustain additional damage; the corpse puppet can sustain 40 points of damage before the silgur takes damage (60 HP for large puppets and 20 HP for small puppets), at which time the corpse falls apart due to the loss of structural hit points. While worn, the silgur can benefit from using any weapons in hand of the corpse puppet, as well as any armored AC due to armor worn by the victim.

Silgur are an ancient race descended from the stars. The stories are that they were a servitor species of an ancient star-traveling realm, used to manipulate test subjects by their vile masters. One day a silgur escaped into the wild, and as its species procreates through the seeding of a corpse puppet host it laid eggs and propogated before it could be caught. Now the silgur are a threat everywhere.

Silgur skinmen get their name from their slender, gaunt appearance. A sligur’s skin is black and leathery with a glistening wet sheen, with sharp silver knife-like fingers. They have no visible eyes, mouths or noses. When the silgur kills a target it rapidly cut an incision in the victim’s back and slides almost effortlessly in to the body, creating disturbing protuberances beneath the skin. The silgur then puppeteers the fresh corpse, its skin somehow manipulating muscle and bone to do it’s bidding.

Silgur can only manipulate a corpse for one to two hours, and as rigor mortis sets in they must leave the body or go into a state of torpor from which they do not awaken until all nutrients in the body have been absorbed, a process that takes nearly as long as the body normally would to decompose. Silgur in this state of torpor usually awaken when they sense the presence of a new viable life form approach within three hundred yards of their location.

Silgur, though intelligent, still behave strangely due to the programming of their lost masters. A silgur, left to its own devices, will seek out victims, slay and puppeteer them, and drop the corpses off in a sort of eerie charnel house as if it is gathering bodys for the research of its lost masters. Despite being able to speak, silgur do not seem capable of deep thought or questioning their own behavior beyond the insatiable need for freedom and the gathering of corpses.

The Magic Item Economy in 5E - Why it manages to be mechanistic and filled with verisimilitude at the same time (maybe)

I was reading a thread over at rpg.net about magic item economies. If you know rpg.net then you also know it's sort of the cool place to bash 5E, albeit with a lot less effort and energy than the old edition war days. Some of this is because most of the remaining 4E fans of that edition still linger at rpg.net, and they have some old grudges against the way WotC cavalierly speared their edition through the heart and roasted it over 5E's birthing fire. That said, I had some comments about 5E's magic item economy I thought I'd share here, for fun:

So far in practice, after I got over the initial shock/hump of resetting my perceptions from the magic item economy of Pathfinder and 4E to the 5E methodology, I am extremely content. From a verisimilitude perspective the costs of magic (which are defined in terms of creation, selling and even purchasing albeit with a lot of emphasis on the GM deciding on how inexact the market is) are useful in identifying the fact that gold is also devalued in 5E....or more accurately less gold goes farther, and its an important element of the whole game economy. I say game economy because clearly D&D does not (and never has) done actual mirroring of a fantasy economy very well; it does just enough to make the game playable....but no edition to date will hold up under scrutiny without making a lot of special assumptions (one of which* is very safely that not only are adventurers the only ones who regularly find magic, they may be the only "adventurers" in your campaign to find magic at that moment, too.)

In actual play my players have figured out that any item they seek to make has a cost and a quest attached. This is fodder for future games, but has only been acted on a few times now. They've also figured out that selling a magic item is a bigger deal than just selling regular stuff; they don't just dispose of a magic item of note, they need to find a buyer with the money, and the haggling rules in the DMG facilitate that process. In one game I let players have some say (4E style) on what they found in a loot horde. It was a HUGE mistake as it turns out. 5E does not work well with "player agency" in loot acquisition like 4E did (I'm eyeballing that Staff of the Magi you've got Jeff!!!)

As GM, being able to assert that there is no local magic item economy (except if the players dig hard to find someone locally who might have a lone item or two to sell, or at best a potion or scroll shop run by the local mage's guild) has been not just liberating but shockingly effective at removing what has long been a Big White Elephant in the room for the last 15 years of 3rd edition: the demystification of magic items as a unique treasure, instead being treated as a commodity that you buy and sell like anything else. Now they are rare, valuable, and not something you can just buy....even if you do sell them; and so valuable that just like other exceedingly rare and covetous items in the market today, once you've sold it the chances of getting it back are insidiously hard.

The magic item selling rules on page 130 in the DMG really encourage the thought that the "base price" in the book is a mechanical base price.....that the actual price of magic in value is less than the stated price on average, and only occasionally worth more. I'm no economist (it should be obvious) but to me this helps emphasize that in 5E a little gold goes a lot further than it does in prior editions. It also suggests that if selling magic items is happening a lot in your game (which lower value seems to me is a way to discourage such.....or at least prevent the sale of such from being a means of gaining quick cash) then maybe you're handing them out too often.

Items selling at a devalued worth is contradictory to items being rare and coveted enough that no market exists because they are "too valuable" to those who own them. It implies an entirely different market out there: pawns. I think back to my youth when after my first marriage ended I needed money and went to pawn my wedding ring. It was worth (by sale price) like $1000 but the pawn shop offered me $30. Wake-up call on gold value in jewelry! Maybe the devaluing of magic items comes from the fact that since no one in 5E land knows the average value of such items...or their use....then the sale of such goods is severely devalued? Or just as likely even if they are known to have value, no one actually has much coin (a shockingly realistic moment in D&D coinage and economics, I admit) to buy them with, such that the only sales of such rarities always come from suspicious fellows, noblemen with money to burn and weird wizards who'd rather get you to quest for them anyway?

Imagine if attunement was only possible for characters with a level in a class, or some training? Not in the rules, but it makes sense to me that average merchants and commoners would lack this talent to use such items, rending them mostly ordinary.

Heck, imagine if every time you attuned to an item there was a 5% chance the item lost its power? And that increased by 5% each time it was re-attuned. Not a 5E rule, but it would really clarify why magic item trading and selling was rare.

For that matter: the 3 item attunement limit really does put a crimp on use and need, anyway. Think for a moment what our world would be like if each person was assigned exactly 3 power sockets for their entire life, and power-strips/surge protectors did not exist. We'd save money, that's for sure....and the competition of the market to get you to buy their amazing all-in-one appliance would be great, I imagine.

If you look at the starting equipment at different levels of play (and magic) in a campaign on the DMG, page 38 it's interesting to note that a 17th to 20th level character in a standard campaign has only 2 uncommon magic items and 1 rare magic item. That's pretty stingy by...say...Pathfinder rules. Even with the starting GP it is unlikely that the PC could afford another rare item if the GM allowed the purchase of such. This tells me that in 5E's realms where characters can only attune to 3 items, it is entirely possible that you could adventure for 20 levels and only ever find 2-3 items to attune to....and possibly never even find opportunity to swap out. That's extremely different from 3.5/PF assumptions which had a mechanically forced magic-item churn economy.



*two others would be: clear rules and guidelines on how and when magic items lose their power, and the most important of all: how many magic items are actually out there, and how many actual artificers are there? Set these sliders really high and you have Eberron. Set them really low and you have what I think is standard for 5E now.

The Even Dirtier, Simpler Monster Conversion Method for Swords & Wizardry to Dungeons & Dragons 5E (playtest update)

Playtest Update #1: I am revising how to do quick and dirty hit points based on my playtest experiences tonight.

As I was mulling over my recent Swords & Wizardry Complete acquisitions it occurred to me that at its core there is a single on-the-fly method to use S&W stat blocks with minimal or...seriously...almost no "real" conversion at all in D&D 5E. In fact most of the conversion work would be in guesstimating DCs for saves and skill/ability checks; the stat blocks themselves can be used with some simple rules in place for quick on-the-fly numeric conversion. The new method below will work with any 1st edition stat block as well, and I think is a bit cleaner than my prior system for conversion.

Here are my conversion method suggestions so far:

Preamble: before converting something in a S&W Complete tome from Frog God make sure they didn't do it already in Fifth Edition Foes; and remember a significant number of the creatures in Monstrosities are already in the 5E MM.

1. Hit Dice
I've mentioned in a prior conversion that you could figure "5E HPs" by looking at the hit dice of the monster and comparing that to the equivalent CR on the table on page 274 in the 5E DMG; there's a simpler formula that gets a good approximation:

The Dirt Simple Hit Point Method: Roll HD as normal (or figure from an average; usually 4.5) and multiply by 4. This will generate a wider range on the hit dice and avoid uniformity. You should still roll regular hit dice for humanoids (like humans and elves) that normally progress with levels, however. PLAYTEST UPDATE: I didn't like the hit points this way in tonight's game, and have revised this to work as follows: use regular hit dice rolls for level/class based humanoids. Take the hit dice, roll or multiply by the average (4.5) and then multiply by 2 otherwise (shortcut: take HD and multiply by 9). X4 is a lot of hit points...do not use unless you want to challenge the party, or have a lot of high damage dealers in the group.

2. Armor Class:
S&W's armor classes include an ascending scale that is very close to what 5E uses....you rarely see S&W ascending ACs that are higher than what you normally see in 5E. If you're using a non-S&W stat block for conversion, or a module for S&W that uses descending AC, remember the formula: subtract descending AC from 20 for 5E AC.

3. Saves: 
On the saves, I think you could give S&W conversions a bit of oomph and also simplify your math by dividing HD by 3 and rounding down; apply this modifier to any saves the creature makes in lieu of determing attributes. If the creature has a noteworthy stat mentioned in its description, apply a +3 or +4 bonus for that stat's saves only.

4. Attack Rolls: 
There are a few ways to do this, neither is any better than the other, but I settled on the following because it is easiest to do on the fly:

The Dirt Simple Attack Bonus Generator: use the HD as the attack bonus. This may mean the monster is 1-2 points higher on average (or lower) than the option one conversion, but it works just fine and is going to give you a range that will be level appropriate or even superior to other monsters without being out of bounds. Bump this up by +2 if the creature is noted for exceptional strength (or dexterity if ranged or finesse) on specific applicable attacks.

5. Initiative Bonus:
In 5E very few monsters have an initiative modifier beyond Dex. My suggestion is divide HD by 3 (round down) and provide as the init mod/Dex mod. If the creature has a noteworthy Dex, use the mod you settle on instead.

6. Damage:
I have worked out three methods, but personally default to the preferred version:

The Preferred Quick and Dirty On the Fly Damage Conversion: add the hit die number to each damage set rolled. So a 5 HD beast with 3 attacks dealing 1D4/1D6/1D6 (average damage 9.5) now deals 1D4+5/1D6+5/1D6+5 (average damage 24.5). If you want a really tough boss monster then add double the HD to each damage roll.

If you compare the above to our HD determination method, to use the example a 5 HD monster has 90 hit points (average) on conversion....going by the DMG chart on page 274 that means it's average damage expression is around 15-20, so we're higher than the average for defense CR right now, which is just fine, I assure you.

Option 1-The Extra Dice Method: treat hit dice as extra damage dice instead. Add those damage dice evenly as multples to the existing attacks. So in the case above with three attacks dealing 1D4/1D6/1D6 from a 5 HD monster, you have 5 extra damage dice to deal: adding it evenly works out as follows: 2D4/3D6/3D6 (for average damage of 24); you can fudge it to make attack expressions line up properly (in this case we assume the D6 attacks are claws so they'd be equal).

Option 2-The Extra Deadly Straight Multiplier Method: if you want the monster to be a terrifying threat, do this. Just multiply the damage rolled by the hit dice of the monster. It's up to you if you multiply any adds, but strictly by the 5E rules you shouldn't. So a 5HD monster with  1D4/1D6/1D6 expression in this gets a damage average of 47.5....yowza!!!! but it does make the monster hit much tougher.

7. Save DCs
Just use this formula for a good average: 8+HD=Save DC. Maybe give it +2 if it has exceptional ability of note in the stat that fits any spell casting ability. If the creature has more than 10 HD then increase the Save DC by 1 for ever 5 additional HD after that (i.e. HD 11-15 = DC 19; HD 16-20 = DC 20, etc.)

8. Converting Save or Die Effects:
For save or die effects, to convert to 5E I suggest the following: figure the damage type (i.e. necrotic or poison), then change it to a save vs. DC against appropriate stat from step 7 above. Then have the attack deal dice of damage of that type equal to the HD or the monster, using D8 (or higher if it seems appropriate). Problem solved. EX: A 7 hit die creature has save vs. poison or die. Convert this into a Save vs. Con DC 15 or take 7D8 poison damage (or 1/2 on successful save). Convert other effects precisely, but maybe add a save after 1/0th of the time has passed for the effect to shake it off. EX: save vs. paralysis or become paralyzed for 1 hour. Allow a save to recover after 6 minutes. Another example: creature does a paralysis for 1 minute, so let the victim save after 1 round.

A little secret: this is going to be a houserule for my upcoming S&W Complete game; I never liked save-or-die even in the 80's, so all save or die effects in my games will deal damage equal to the hit dice instead.

9. Magic Resistance:
You can use the percentage as-is, or just subsitute the 5E standard magic resistance. I do the latter (easier) but either method is fine. Feel free to beef up resistances and immunities on the creature if it looks like it could use some.

10. Converting "hit only by magic weapons:"
In 5E this is always resistance against normal damage, but silvered/magic weapons bypass.

11. Level Drain
Convert that into 5E's "reduced hit point maximum" rule with Save DCs vs. constitution.

12. Movement: 
Divide by 4 and multiply that result by 10 feet for movement.

13. Everything Else:
When you're done, you might see something that makes less sense in 5E without it. For example, MR is a big deal in S&W Complete, but not as much in 5E....a lot of creatures that used to be highly magic resistant now express that through additional resistance/immunity in 5E, so feel free to beef defenses up if needed.

12. Pulling it All Together: The Cheat Sheet
Here's my "preferred list" cheat sheet for conversion. Print it out and stick it inside Monstrosities and Tome of Horrors Complete....congratulation, you've just doubled (or tripled) your monster options for 5E.

THE QUICK AND DIRTY S&W to 5E CONVERSION CHEAT SHEET:

• Size: medium, unless text suggests a larger or smaller creature.
• Hit Dice: Take HD number and multiply by 9. Roll HD as normal (figure a Con mod) for level/class based humanoids.
• Armor Class: use the ascending AC as is.
• Initiative: divide HD by 3 and round down for init mod/Dex mod.
• Save Modifier: use HD as CR to look up save bonus; for quick conversion divide by 3 and round down.
• Attack Bonus: use the hit die as attack bonus (so 5 HD = +5 attack).
• Damage: add HD as a bonus to damage to each damage roll; for boss monsters double the bonus.
• Save DC: 8+HD=save DC. Add +2 if it's a spell casting monster or boss monster.
• Movement: divide by 4 (round up) and then multiply by 10 feet
• Convert Abilities/Save or Die Effects: use the force to guide you; for save or die deal damage of appropriate type equal to HD in damage of monster (with save for half). Convert MR to 5E, and magic weapon immunity to 5E resistance.
• Challenge Rating: calculate it using the 5E DMG or just make it equal to HD

Here's a link to the Cheat Sheet

Done!

Challenge Rating
Now, calculating the CR....this is obviously easy enough to do with the final conversion averages, using the rules on page 274-277 of the DMG, and good to try out since it will give you an idea of what converted S&W monsters look like in 5E under this method. If you are rushed (doing a conversion on the fly) but use the cheat sheet version above, just look up CR by hit die and call it a day.

Sample Conversions:

Malcarna (from Monstrosities, page 313)
Chaotic Evil large fiend
CR 6 (2,300 XP)
Hit Points: 45
Init Mod: +4
Defenses:
Armor Class: 16 (natural plus shield)
Magic Resistance: rolls advantage on saves vs. magic
Resistance: fire, only magic or silvered weapons do regular damage
Immunity: charming, banishment
Saves: +2 on all saves; +6 Charisma
Attacks: 
Multiattack: 1 tail plus 3 weapon attacks
Tail Attack +5 to hit (reach 10 feet, 1 target) 1D8+5 bludgeoning damage
3 long swords +5 to hit (reach 5 feet, 1 target each) 1D8+5 slashing damage each
Movement: 30 feet
Hideous Beauty: targets must make a Wisdom save DC 13 to even attempt to hit a malcarna. Creatures of level 4 (or HD 4) or less roll at disadvantage to this save.
A hideous four-armed snake-tailed demon reminiscent of the Marilith, a half-demon often born of Marilith and mortal relations. 

Spire Monkey (from Monstrosities, page 456)
Unaligned small beast
CR 1/2 (100 XP)
Hit Points: 18
Init Mod: +0
Defenses:
Armor Class: 12
Saves: +0 on all saves; +4 Dexterity
Attacks: 
Multiattack: 3 claw attacks
claws +2 to hit (reach 5 feet, 1 target each) 1D3+2 slashing damage each
Movement: 40 feet (both normal and climbing speed)
Spire Monkeys are two-headed, six-armed little simians that live on rooftops and trees. 

Xole (Monstrosities, page 520)
Chaotic Evil medium elemental 
CR 6 (2,300 XP)
Hit Points: 91
Init Mod: +2
Defenses:
Armor Class: 17
Immunity: fire, cold
Saves: +2 to all
Attacks:
Multiattack: 2 (weapon and tail)
Stone Mace +7 to hit (5 foot reach, 1 target) 1D10+12 bludgeoning damage
Tail Swipe +7 to hit 10 foot reach, 1 target) 2D6+7 bludgeoning damage
Movement: 30 foot (earth-phasing or regular)
Earth-Phasing: xole move through earth in a semi-incorporeal state. It takes 1 movement action to begin the process, then they move normally.
Evil Elementals: Xole are evil and can be affected by protection from evil.
Elemental Mace: the mace can only be lifted/wielded by elementals of stone and earth.
Xole are similar to salamanders, but native to the plane of elemental earth; 7 foot long humanoid torsoes and 10 foot long tails.

Cinder Ghoul (Tome of Horrors Complete S&W version, Page 270)
Chaotic Evil medium undead
CR 5 (1,800 XP)
Hit Points: 54
Init Mod: +2
Defenses:
Armor Class: 15
Immunity: necrotic, fire, psychic, poison, disease, does not breathe
Saves: +2 to all
Attacks:
Slam +6 to hit  foot reach, 1 target) 1D8+6 necrotic damage plus 1D6+6 fire damage plus target must make a Save DC 14 vs. Constitution or it's hit point maximum is reduced by the necrotic damage dealt and can't be regained until after a successful save at the end of a long rest. If the target is reduced to 0 HP on its maximum it dies (and probably comes back as a cinder ghoul).
Movement: 30 feet flying
This ghost-like monster of ashes and charred body parts is a terror to behold.

(Conversion Note: the ToH stat block doesn't mention fire immunity but...come on, it's gotta have it; the rest are implied for 5E undead immunities)

Barking Alien's What are you good at? GM Challenge!

Barking Alien posited a list of questions for GMs, and I shall answer the challenge. The questions (and answers for me) are:

What genres, settings or games in general do you GM best? Which do you think totally rock?

Top Five:

Dungeons & Dragons - It sort of goes without saying...

Basic Roleplaying - I don't run this as often as I'd like, but every game is memorable.

GURPS Horror - I've used GURPS for some really strange horror games.

GURPS Space (not often, but always an experience when I do)

DC Heroes (MEGS edition) RPG - may never happen again, but still the best campaign and system I ever ran in the 90's.

Which games could you use work on? That is, if your group wants to play one of these games, you yourself would probably recommend different GM.

Bottom Three:

World of Darkness - I can't abide the core conceit of this universe, and would do it no justice. My version of this universe ends with a stake in the heart or silver bullet of every vampire and lycanthrope.

FATE (any version) - I spent a long time trying to discern how it worked, and when FATE Core came along I finally figured it out and was severely underwhelmed. An RPG for a different breed of gamer.

Hero System - despite owning all of it and being endlessly intrigued the actual process of pulling the trigger on this monstrosity is beyond me. My one attempt to run a Space Hero campaign was thwarted by my players who much preferred GURPS anyway.

What elements of gamemastering do you do best? What aspects do you nail more often than not?

Top Five:

World Building - d'uh.

Descriptive narration - I have been accused of making every orc's death meaningful and every chamber pot interesting.

Player Accomplishment - it's more art than science but I think I've got a generally harmonious balance between "difficulty of the job" and "wow we pulled this off" in my games, such that the players do feel genuinely rewarded when they figure stuff out. This is why I never really understand the core conceit of a system like Gumshoe...it's for GMs who don't know how to get what's needed to the players, basically.

Consistency - I show up 99% of the time every wednesday or try to make sure there is a sub GM if I can't make it. (Less consistent on Saturdays, but gotta slack somewhere!) Honestly, if you like this hobby, the best way to engage with it is to find a spot where you guarantee you will be present and running a game for 4-5 hours a week, every time. People will show, and soon you will have a loyal gang of players who appreciate you.

Agency - I work hard to imbue players with sense of agency and reinforce it. This makes everyone much more invested in the experience.

Which elements are still a work in progress? Name some things that you don't do as well as you like.

Bottom Three:

Keeping the Party Together - I am great at providing incentive for them to split up, terrible at getting them back together. Even when I use death as a motivator.

Wandering Eye - I sometimes get horribly distracted by whatever fancy thing is attracting me at the moment, which takes time away from whatever game I should be prepping for. This blog is almost like a clinical diagnosis of what my wife calls my "gamer ADD."

Love D&D Too Much - I really would like to run more space, horror, zombie apocalypse and planetary romance genre games, but D&D is just too seductive for me to escape. Even when I am feeling burnt out and need a break, I can't escape!

D&D 5E Saturday Creature Factory: Korozonti (Lightning Men)

Korozonti (Lighting Men)

CR 8 (3,900 XP)

LN medium celestial outsider

Initiative +9 (improved)

DEFENSE

AC 19 (natural armor plus dexterity)

HP 77 (14D8+14)

Resistance: thunder, acid

Immunity: lighting, fire

Special: cold damage heals krozonti and doubles their movement for one round

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet, 60 feet flying

Multiattack Korozonti are literally lightning quick. They may strike three times with any combination of fist, weapon or lightning strike attacks each round.

Melee Attack – Fist +9 to hit (reach 5 ft, one target), 1D8+5 bludgeoning damage and 3D8 lighting damage

Melee Attack – Lighting Whip +9 to hit (15 foot reach, one target), 2D4+5 slashing damage and 3D8 lighting damage plus target is knocked prone if it fails a DC 17 Dexterity Save.

Ranged Attack – Lighting Blast (Recharge 5, 6) (120 foot range, all targets in line of effect) targets in line of effect must make a save vs. Dexterity DC 17 or take 12D8 lightning damage; success means ½ damage.

Reaction – Lightning Shield (Recharge 6); Korozonti can evoke a wall of lightning and force that grants resistance against the attack that prompted the reaction.

Statistics

STR 14 (+2), DEX 20 (+5), CON 12 (+1), INT 18 (+4), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)

Languages: common, primordial, Korozonti

Senses: blindsight, Perception +6 (passive 16)

Skills: Arcana +8, Insight +6

TRAITS

Lighting Magic: Korozonti are often encountered with levels of storm sorcerer, and korozont wizards and druids favor storm and lighting magic.

Superconductive: cold damage actually heals a Korozont and doubles their movement until the end of their next round in which the cold damage is dealt.  They become “hyperconductive.”

Blindsight: Korozont can actually “see” in other spectra of light and as such invisible creatures are plainly visible to them, due to infrared radiation and other waves of light the body works in. This gives them functional “sight distance” blindsight.

Korozonti are a race of lighting elemental humanoids that migrate through the planes. Though they are identifiably native to the Elemental Chaos, they have been found far and wide, usually in the service of lawful, neutral and good deities and their servants. A large enclave exists in the Outlands in a dominion called Peace, where it is said the demiurge of peace (known as an obscure primordial called Saedra’hadal in the Anansic language) exists. This demiurge is allegedly a benevolent being of light and purity, served by a host of dedicated seraphim, the city of Kamaskos in which the Korozonti reside, and other celestial beings.

Korozonti physically look like men of glass and mirror surrounded by lighting. They usually wear cloaks and robes to disguise the bulk of their form. Merely touching a korozont can cause 3D8 lighting damage unless they will themselves “harmless” so the need for thick robes and gloves when moving in crowds is evident. Korozont robes are distinct, in that they seem to negate static charge, creating an insulating effect; normally a korozont in regular clothes will rapidly build up a charge and accidentally release a lighting blast within 1D10 minutes of moving about, half that in a dry and arid environment.

Korozonti are dedicated to philosophical pursuits of truth and knowledge. They are prone to following whatever power they meet in the planes that promises this, and are known to occasionally be duped into following evil beings.

Optional Trait: Lightning Movement

Some korozonti are so proficient at their form of lightning that they can move with near instantaneous speed from one location to another. This ability may be used once per day, and allow them to arrive literally "like a bolt from the blue" at another location within 1,000 miles. This arrival is impossible to disguise, with a thunderclap and lighting strike. In the event a target is standing at ground zero (by accident or design) he or she must make a DC DC 17 Dexterity save or take 4D8 thunder and 4D8 lighting damage and be knocked prone adjacent to the point the korozont arrives.

Demiurges of Chirak: Milina, Daughter of the Betrayer

Doing lots of work on the 2nd edition Realms of Chirak when I'm not being distracted by my S&W retool of Sarvaelen. Here's a write-up on the demigoddess Milina....for those of you not familiar with Chirak's divinities, the short version is: the pantheon of gods died in an apocalypse, and the only "divine" figures in the world of Chirak today are aspiring mortals who have found one of the surviving Zodiac Stones that contain the divine essence of the fallen gods, and seek to unlock the secrets within which will grant them true godhood. 

Milina

Milina is the daughter of Minhauros, and she at once loved and hated him. Milina holds a shard of the Taurus Stone which carries her down the path of the demiurge, and she is now the sole keeper of the essence of the stone (the remainder is kept on the Isle Outside of Time). She was always opposed to Minhauros, yet was his unwitting pawn on more than one occasion, including leading Mardieur Mardieux to Minhauros' rotting corpse where he was ambushed and murdered (long story), and Minhauros’s cultists then imbued the vestige spirit of the dead god into Mardieur’s body with the power of the Taurus Stone. It was with this action that Minhauros returned, the first true god to walk the lands of Chirak in twenty-six hundred years, and once again began his bid for world domination and resurrection.

Milina was discharged of whatever unknown pact she held with her father after his resurrection, and after his subsequent death three years later during the Siege of Barcen she disappeared. Milina now wanders the Realms of Chirak seeking enlightenment and the means to heal the corruption Minhauros wrought through the essence of the Taurus Stone. She has discovered that this is an onerous task, for she seems to be cursed with a taint of chaos due to her father’s nature; she finds it difficult to do good without also sewing discord in her wake.

Though Milina seeks to heal the corruption of the Taurus Stone as its avatar, she wrestles constantly with the evil that she inherited from her father. This perpetual struggle has manifested on more than one occasion as she is compelled to do great harm, then work to make amends.

Milina’s cult is small, and her following does not seek many followers due to the reluctance of the goddess to grow her own cult. Her priests who have met directly with her realize that she fears that the curse she labors under with the stone will also transform her cultists, but the wisest priests of her flock point out that this may be a necessary process; that her destiny may be to carry an aspect of both order and chaos within her, perhaps for a very long time until the spiritual taint of Minhauros is at last lifted from the Taurus Stone.

Milina’s shrines and temples can be found in secretive locations throughout the Kaldinian Isles where the lawless descendents of the Sea Kings find her quite popular. She has also found popularity along the western shores of Grelmaine and even in the murky lands of Xaxican; she is regarded as one of the 113 demon gods by the Xoxtocharit, which irritates her to no end, especially when a Xoxtocharit priest uses a summoning ritual on her; Milina’s demon taint from her father is enough for her to feel the compulsion of the summoning.

Milina’s three largest temples can be found in Westgate, the Freeport nominally allied with Espanea, where a fierce band of expatriates continue to worship her and some even still worship Minhauros. Another temple is said to be found deep in the mountainous lands of Masiria, and a final great temple is said to lurk somewhere in the far east, where the Skeledani Nomads rule. That temple is said to have once belonged to Minhauros, but a prominent gnoll shaman had a vision of the god’s demise and quickly converted his entire flock to the worship of Milina.

Milina’s Cult in Dungeons & Dragons 5E:

Followers: Milina’s doomed nature as a demiurge of chaos who tries to become a lord of order attracts the attention of those with a torn or dualistic nature, perhaps those who have a desire for authority but a tendency toward anarchy. She is especially prone to gaining the attention of hermits and madmen who for some reason, often trying to commune with her. Her total cult following among humanoids is believed to be somewhere around 2,000 strong, but it is more than ten times that when you factor in monstrous denizens such as gnolls, ogres and minotaurs.

Profile: Milina’s cultists gain access to the trickery domain.

Alignment: Milina’s actual alignment is chaotic neutral with good tendencies. Milina’s outward conduct confuses many as she appears to be neutral good (and any detection spells will indicate such). The reason for her strange alignment issues is that the Taurus Stone itself is still heavily corrupted by Minhauros’s use and radiates a chaotic evil effect on her spirit and those around her.

Cultist Alignments: Milina’s cult tends toward chaotic neutral to evil in the east, neutral evil to neutral good in the Kaldinian Isles and is all over the place in the west, though the cultists in Westgate fall firmly on the neutral evil side. She has a handful of clerics who have embraced her duality and who are actually neutral good or chaotic good. These clerics and followers tend to be the ones who have the greatest empathy for her plight of nature.

Armament of the Demigoddess: clerics of the demigoddess favor short blades (shortsword, dagger) and shortbows as these are seen as iconic of the goddess.

Current Location:

Milina travels the planes easily, and has even been spotted in the City of Doors itself. Since divine powers are not ostensibly allowed in the City of Doors there is some suspicion that she actually parts with her zodiac stone, leaving it hidden in the mortal plane of Chirak for a time.

Milina was last sighted in the region of Shaddizhar, near Arenjun, and it is believed she was investigating the enigma of the “forgotten god” cult that manifested in that region. That was four years ago. There is a rumor that she may currently be somewhere in the region of Xaxican, traveling with a Preservationist named Ascalar who has been writing a biography on her life. This rumor comes from a Grelmanic captain named Esvaradio who claims to have carried them northward on his ship, the Unfettered Pennance just a few months prior.

Stats: 

Milina, Daugher of Minhauros

CR 25 (75,000 XP)

NE medium demigod (planetouched immortal)

Initiative +11

DEFENSE

AC 20 (dexterity plus permanent mage armor)

HP 600 (70D8+280)

Resistance: cold, thunder, lightning, psychic, poison and necrotic (and normal piercing, bludgeoning and slashing weapon attacks if stoneskin is active)

Immunity: fire, disease, fatigue and all damage from slashing, piercing and bludgeoning weapons of a non-magical source

Special: Magic Resistance, rolls advantage on Consitution Saves

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet

Multiattack Milina may make six shortsword attacks per round or up to six short bow attacks per round.

Melee Attack – shortsword (enchanted +3 Flaming) +16 to hit (reach 5 ft vs. one target), 1D6+10 slashing damage and 4D12 fire damage per strike. Milina deals an additional 2D6 slashing damage against targets she has advantage against.

Ranged Attack – Shortbow (enchanted +3 fiery) +16 to hit (60/120 range vs. one target), 1D6+10 piercing damage and 4D12 fire damage per arrow.

Reaction – Planestep (recharge 5-6); as a reaction Milina may planestep as a teleport reaction up to 60 feet in any direction.  

Statistics

STR 14 (+2), DEX 24 (+7), CON 18 (+4), INT 20 (+5), WIS 22 (+6), CHA 24 (+7)

Saves: strength +8, Dexterity +13, Constitution +10, Intelligence +11, Wisdom +12, Charisma +13

Languages: Espanean (common), Old Mythric, primordial, abyssal, infernal, elvish, Nithiadian, Mercurian, Syrgian, Grelmanic, Xaxicani, Xoxtocharit, Sabiri, gnomish, dwarvish, ignan

Senses: darkvision

Skills: Arcana +11, History +11, Insight +12, Religion +11, Stealth +13, Deception +13, Intimidation +13

TRAITS

Master Evoker: Milina is a 20^th level Evoker and has access to all spells from levels 1 through 9. Milina’s spellcasting ability is at +13 attack and Save DC 21; she has access to empowered evocation and overcharge. Her memorized array of spells typically include:

Cantrips: blade ward, fire bolt, mage hand, mending, true strike

1^st:  (4/day) burning hands, magic missile, protection from evil and good, Tasha’s hideous laughter, unseen servant

2^nd: (3/day) alter self, charm person, blur, cloud of dagger, detect thoughts, scorching ray

3^rd: (3/day) bestow curse, counterspell, fireball, fly, tongues

4^th: (3/day) fire shield, greater invisibility, stone shape, wall of fire

5^th: (3/day) creation, scrying, wall of stone

6^th: (2/day) eyebite, flesh to stone, move earth

7^th: (2/day) delayed blast fireball, plane shift, teleport

8^th: (1/day) demiplane, incendiary cloud

9^th: (1/day) meteor swarm

Cautious Demiurge: Milina has cast the clone spell to insure her longevity, restoring her in a grotto on a remote Kaldinian island. She will seek out her slayers with a vengeance, and to restore her ownership of the Taurus Stone shard.

Bond of the Taurus Stone: Milina has held possession of the Taurus Stone shard for centuries now, possibly much longer (her age as well as whether she is a direct daughter of Minhauros is sometimes called into question). She can sense the presence of the stone, either her own shard if it is taken or any other shard of the Taurus Stone’s precise direction/location so long as it is on the material plane.

Shard of the Taurus Stone (unique, requires attunement): this divine artifact grants Milina the following traits. The stone is embedded in her chest and can only be removed by force when she is reduced to zero hit points or otherwise rendered helpless. Each of the  following powers becomes unusable if the stone is taken from Milina, but only those with a * after the title are initially available to a newly attuned user. The stone’s powers include:

Demiurge Saving Throw Bonus:* the Taurus stone lets Milina roll advantage on all Constitution saves. She gains her proficiency score on all attribute saves.

Magic Resistance: Milina rolls with advantage on all magic saves.

Stoneskin:* the bearer of the Taurus Stone may invoke stoneskin; this ability is restored with a short rest.
Ageless:* while bearing the stone the user does not age.

Fire Immunity: the bearer of the stone gains immunity to fire damage.

Spell Restoration:* once per day the bearer of the stone may recover one spell slot as a bonus action. If the bearer does not have any spellcasting ability then the bearer gains the ability to cast burning hands that may be cast once at his or her level of ability with intelligence as the magic attribute.

Legendary Spell Mastery of the Demiurge (recharge 5-6): at the end of a target’s turn the stone-bearer may invoke one of the following spells as a legendary action at 20^th level of effect (+13 attack, DC 21): flesh to stone, wall of stone, wall of fire, fireball, disintegrate, meteor swarm, shapechange, incendiary cloud.

Equipment: +3 enchanted fiery shortbow, +3 flaming shortsword, Taurus Stone shard, additional random treasure, usually some cash (250 PP and  a pouch of 3D6 gems worth 1D10X50 GP each), component pouch, a traveling spell book.

Tales from the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: The Mountain City of Asvinar

I'm working on a new scenario, which takes place in and near the following city...

Asvinar

Population: 3,000 humans, 350 halflings, 485 brunendar dwarves, plus roughly 2,500 seasonal workerss

Ruler: Baron Anton Feredath

Notable Personalities: High Priest Tunin of the Temple of Nevereth, Sheriff Goster Sotherlon, Warden Taelen Doar, Watcher Trevor Kathin, Lady Tartessa Vindrese, Cult Lord Galadacho, dwarf clan lord Vaken Durnagor

Key Locations: The Mountain Quarter (gambling and brothels), Gostimer Keep, The Watch Tower, Temple of Nevereth, The River Quarter (shipping, river docks, refinery), the dwarven quarter (home to clan Brunendar)

Asvinar is located 175 miles southeast of Aelghast along the banks of the Senderan River valley where it emerges from the Southern Droamspire Mountains (nick named the Claw Mountains locally).

Asvinar is a modest city which thrives on the mining operations in the mountains as well as brisk trade with the coastal port and capitol of the kingdom of Aeronost, Aramen. Most of the raw iron ore in Aeronost comes from this region, and it has made many merchants and prospectors wealthy men. Less common but much coveted are the mines which tap upon precious metals such as gold and silver.

Asvinar has a friendly connection to three local nonhuman tribes. First of these relations are the Brunendar dwarves, a clan of dwarves who dug up from the depths of the underlands a little over a century ago and after a brief period of tense relations forged a friendly alliance with the ruling baron of Asvinar at that time, Lord Trenton Gostimer.

Second of the nonhuman tribes are the silt halflings of the coast, who dwell in dozens of prosperous villages and minor sea ports at the river delta where the Senderan River pours out into the Pavain Sea. The silt halflings call themselves the Senderathi, after the river, and pride themselves on their great familiarity with the region. The Senderan River is only 150 miles in length, but without this river much of Aeronost would be without arable land; the silt halflings are responsible for much of Aeronost’s agriculture.

The third of the nonhuman tribes in this area is the Fallindreth elves. These mountain elves are an exiled tribe descended from the Ilmarain elves of the Summer Court. Little is known of them; they have been in the mountains for at least four centuries, and regularly engage in trade and commerce with certain mountain villages while harboring a deep suspicion of the merchants, soldiers and miners out of Asvinar. The recent presence of the Brunendar dwarves only made things worse, for unknown reasons.

Asvinar is home to about four thousand citizens (mostly human, with some halflings and dwarves), and a seasonal population of migrant workers for terraced farmland. A larger year-round population of miners brings in many strangers, but the Aeronost merchants who prosper from their operations don’t care; they need whatever labor they can afford, and hired blades to protect them from bandits and monsters. The city in turn responds by profiting from the stray coin these laborers will spend when on leave from the mines. Though the priests of the goddess Nevereth speak poorly of the gambling halls and dens of sin which have sprung up in what is called “the mountain quarter” of the city, Baron Feredath chooses to take no action, for his family quietly profits from several such establishments, even as he runs six of the two dozen-odd mines in The Claw.

Terrain in the region is arid and desert-like, with scrubby trees in the mountains. The highest mountains in The Claw are around 12-13,000 feet in height, far short of the high mountains in south western Atlenar. Like much of Aeronost the region is rife with succulents, mostly in the form of large-barrel bodied cactus. Overland travel without roads is tough going. Roads out of Asvinar lead north along The Claw into northern Aeronost and the banks of Lake Vunares, and east along the river to the coast and the capitol. One forlorn road, well-kept but poorly traveled winds out to Aelghast.

Key Locations in Asvinar:

The Mountain Quarter: this is actually a stretch of civilization running along the roads that lead up into the mountains, and eventually branch to head out to Aelghast or Lake Vunares. About a mile of road is occupied by numerous taverns, bars, gambling dens and brothels. The business stays outside of Asvinar’s city limits but it’s reputation is well known and despised among the locals. One notable personality here is Warden Taelen Doar, who acts as an ostensible “peace keeper” hired by the Baron to make sure the quarter is peaceful. He relies on a group of two dozen of hired mercenaries to do the job.

Gostimer Keep: the sea of power in Asvinar and center of power for the mountain province. Baron Anton Feredath is overlord of the land, and also a stakeholder, having six successful mines in operation. He keeps a standing garrison of two hundred soldiers that is a mix of local men and hired mercenaries out of Aramen or Catalone.

The Watch Tower: The Watchers of the Sullen Vigil maintain a tower at the highest peak overlooking the western passage out of the mountains. The Watch Tower is sometimes called Hawk’s Rest as it is often the favored perch of local hawks. A lone member of the Sullen Vigil named Trevor Kathin maintains the tower, which serves as a restpoint for knights of his order as well as a trading post. The tower affords a view of the west, including the passage all the way to distant Aelghast.

Temple of Nevereth: located along one of the terraced levels of the city in the river valley where Asvinar rests, the temple of Nevereth is a beautiful cathedral-like structure noted for its impressive stained-glass windows which some claim were saved from an older Camrinal temple long ago. The high priest of the temple is Elder Tunin, a man who in his youth was part of the crusades of Aeronost some forty years ago to exterminate the remnants of the cults of the old gods in Thaerinal to the south and (less successfully) among Mandrelavas. As an older man he is troubled by the sinful behavior that the mines bring to Asvinar but his spirit is no longer what it was. He does have a contingent of paladins in his service, who identify themselves as the Knights of Nevereth’s Tears in reference to a reliquary in her temple, place in the center of the holy symbol of her order in which is believed to be tears shed by the goddess herself at the destruction of Camrinal. These paladins spend much of their time seeking out evil cults in the mountains, but mostly only succeed in fighting an occasional monster of bandit group. The lead paladin is Traina Evenmore, a blond woman of thirty years who secretly delights in combat despite the pacifistic directive of her faith.

The River Quarter: located at the base of the valley along the river, this quarter of the city is dominated by mercantile trade, shipping centers, the river docks, and a cluster of local halflings who have acclimated to life amongst humans. A refinery for ore is also located here just down river, as is a lumber mill. The woman in charge here is Lady Tartessa Vindrese, a half-elven woman (exceedingly rare) of the Vindrese lineage out of the capitol. Her father Golan Vindrese placed her in charge of his mining operations, and to get her out of the Capitol where she was causing much trouble. Vindrese continues to be a problem locally, as she secretly runs many of the operations in the Mountain Quarter as well as the thieves’ guild locally which has an ongoing quietly run protection racket amongst the shipping guilds and barge owners.

The Dwarven Quarter: home to clan Brunendor, this is where about five hundred dwarves live in a section of the upper valley that they have turned into a deeply carved catacomb of homes, businesses, refineries and smithies. Vaken Durnagor is current clan lord, the clan itself named after the legendary hero of their ancestors, Brunendor the Axe. Durnagor is a typically burly, dour dwarf of middle years with three wives and four children to his name.

The clan puts a certain measure of effort into excavating the depths of the earth and finding the connections and passages to the underlands in this region. They were driven out of the depths of the earth a century ago, but have spoken little of what it was they fled from….or continue to watch out for. The clan maintains a standing militia of its own, 100 strong, which regularly forges into the depths to slaughter humanoids such as orcs and goblins and keep the old dwarven roads clear.

Monsters of Sarvaelen: Creatures encountered by the Sullen Watch

Since I'm riding a wave of interest in turning Sarvaelen into a S&W setting, here are stats for some of the unique monsters of the world of the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil...

Ghuls of Camrinal

Hit Dice: 3          

Attacks:  two claws (+3 to hit, 1D6 damage each) and bite (+3 to hit, 1D4 damage plus ghul fever)             

Armor Class: 7 [12]         

Saving Throw: 15

Special: ghul fever, cannibals, half-dead, fear immunity, disease immunity, +2 turn resistance

Movement: 9

Alignment: any, but inevitably gravitate toward chaos

No. Encountered: solitary or in small groups (2-12)

CL/XP: 4/120

Traits:

Ghul Fever: once bitten by a ghul, the target must make a saving throw vs. the poison of the bite or suffer from a debilitating fever. The principle effect is 1D6 minutes long and induces nausea and severe cramping, causing the target to suffer a -4 penalty to attacks, saves and any other physical prowess checks the GM deems appropriate.

Cannibals: Ghuls are known cannibals. The ghuls of Aelghast restrain themselves, and feed only on their own (so far as anyone knows) and the dead (suspected but not proven; they are very careful to avoid being caught). Any ghul that feeds off of living kindred flesh may immediately recover 1D6 hit points.

Half-Dead Immortals: Ghuls don’t age. They look like zombies, with rotting skin and bones visible, clearly not being quite “alive” yet not dead, either. However they do breathe and effects which affect the living usually also harm them (except for diseases). Ghuls are susceptible to turn undead effects, but with a +2 bonus to the saving roll. They “appear” as undead on spells that detect such conditions, but with an eerie aura of half-life suggesting something unusual about them.

Seen Too Much: Ghuls have already experienced some amazing horrors in their time. Ghuls are immune to fear effects.

Disease Immunity: Ghuls are immune to the effects of all disease.

The ghuls are a survivor race, mutated descendants of a handful of Camrinal citizens that survived the apocalypse and kept their wits about them. Even hideously changed into half-dead beings the ghuls prosper, though in time it seems the madness inevitably creeps over them.

The ancient empire of Camrinal was a vast, dominant power that subjugated the old kingdoms to its rule about two hundred years ago. Camrinal not only ruled by force of arms but by force of magic as well, for it indulged the aristocracy of its era with a culture of free experimentation and arcane dabbling that eventually led to a magiocracy in which only those who demonstrated sorcerous talent were allowed to hold the reigns of power, ownership of property or positions of strength in the Empire. Magic had, in this now lost era two centuries gone, become ubiquitous.

When the fires of destruction rained down upon Camrinal in the Final Conflict, the vast majority of the old empire was wiped out, but many of its lesser citizens and a few elites survived. Today these survivors are mostly found as changed beings among the population known as the ghuls, but in some odd corners of the world there still exist untainted purebloods, though they often do not realize their own lineage.

As ghuls age they gradually begin to lose their mental faculties, and slowly go insane. When this happens they become feral creatures, driven purely by a desire to devour flesh. When a ghul dies or is slain, it returns within 1D4 days as an actual undead ghoul.

Feyril

Hit Dice: 6          

Attacks:  two, by weapon (+6     attack, 1D8 cleaver or pick plus special, below)  

Armor Class:      3 (17)

Saving Throw: 11

Special: slayer of mirth (deals double damage to surprised target that was laughing/happy); silver or +1 or better weapons required to hit; magic

Movement: 9

Alignment: chaos

No. Encountered: usually solitary but 10% chance of 1D4 working in a group

CL/XP: 800

Traits:

Slayer of Mirth: the feyril despise the happy, friendly or optimistic. A strike against an unsuspecting target that is in such a state deals double damage due to the sheer venom of the feyril attack.

Skin of the Goddess: The rugged skin of the feyril can only be harmed by magical or silvered weapons.

Magic Skill: feyril are usually (60% chance) magic users of INT 13-15 on average. They typically know the following spells as a wizard of 6^th level experience, but will choose any spells that help hunt prey:

Level 1 (4/day): sleep, charm person, read magic, magic missile

Level 2 (2/day): Invisibility, Strength

Level 3 (2/day): Hold Person Slow

Feyril are short, dwarf-like men who have developed a superstitious reputation thanks to the folklore which precedes them. The stories speak of how feyril are not really men at all, but a curious sort of creature born from the turbulent, bubbling dreams of the mad goddess Matrigias, said to have been the first of the Old Gods, and that she was accosted in terrible ways by the male gods who were unable to control themselves. From this horrific union she became pregnant, bloated from one horizon to the next with the spawn of the world, and when she at last broke water she was destined to give birth to all of the animals of the world. The stories say that Matrigias was driven mad by the endless spawn of animals which crawled from her womb to populate the world, and that she shed unbearable tears of blood and water at the endless pain. From these tears grew the feyril, squat and toad-like little men that were described by some as almost like infants in appearance, but horribly wise to the world due to the suffering of their mother. The feyril crawled forth, to extinguish any joy or revelry where they found it. Such was it that when mankind was at last born into the world he could know joy, for the feyril had stolen all of the pain and suffering of their mother by then. It was only later that humanity came to fear the feyril, for they found the joy and merriment of men to be offensive, and sought to extinguish it by means of murder and fright.

Naga (of Nagapuram)

Hit Dice: 6+4

Attacks:  one weapon (+6 attack, polearm 1D8+1 damage) and bite (+6 attacl, 1D4 damage plus venom below); or one bite or weapon and constriction (+6 attack, 1D8+2 damage) 

Armor Class: 3 (17) or by armor

Saving Throw: 11

Special: constriction, naga venom

Movement: 9 (land) or 15 (swimming)

Alignment: chaotic

No. Encountered: 1D4 or 2D12

CL/XP: 8/800

Traits:

Naga Venom: if bitten by a naga, the target makes a saving throw against poison at -2 due the potent nature of the venom. If failed the target is paralyzed for 1D6X10 minutes. Naga can only perform this bite once every 2D4 hours, as it requires time to regenerate.

Magical Talent: naga are naturally skilled mages and clerics. Any given naga has a 10% chance of being a magic user or a 14% chance of being a cleric of 1D6 levels of skill. In any community of naga there is a 50% chance of a magic-user or cleric of at least 6+1D6 levels of the give class.

Naga in Sarvaelen are an ancient race, cursed long ago with the serpentine traits that mark their lineage. Once, or so the story goes, the Naga were among the greatest of the old ones, the races that predate modern men long ago. A series of ancient tomes, most of which are now lost to history called the “Yavandreth Manuscripts” tell a bit of the ancient tale of the naga. A mostly complete  set of the four surviving tomes can be found at the Library of the Sun in the port city of Aramen, Aeronost’s southern port and capital of the so-called Stormsinger Coast province. There the lone monk Procosius maintains these books and remains the land’s foremost authority on Naga lore.

As legend goes, naga were once men, albeit of a breed of old that was naturally inclined to sorcery and spoke directly to the Old Gods but were changed in some forgotten time to the half men, half serpents they now are. The naga ruled all of Sammar in the south and were allied with Camrinal, but were cast down during the Great War two centuries ago. Their ancient king was the sorcerer Kaliya, a powerful necromancer and priest of the old gods revered by his people. These four gods they worshipped were said to grant great strength to the naga.

According to the Yavandreth Manuscripts, Kaliya did something to anger his gods. There are conflicting tales. One says he was to sacrifice his eldest child in honor of the gods and as a payment for his great necromantic talent, but he refrained from doing so and brought down a great curse upon his people. Another tale suggests something similar, but that it was his wife, Padmavati, could not bear to lose her child and so spirited him away before Kaliya could sacrifice the infant. Yet another tale says nothing of this curse induced by loss of sacrifice and instead suggests that the naga were formed when they sought to make a dark pact with the elder god called Dev Yama’Dragoth. Yama’Dragoth granted the naga their wish, giving them supreme power and immortality as sorcerers, but in exchange he took their humanity, leaving only the twisted, serpentine forms naga are known for today.

Whatever their origin, naga appear to be half men and half serpent, often with strongly reptilian facial features and sometimes the wide, decorative “hoods” of a cobra enveloping their head and neck. Naga are fearsome to behold. Naga are known for their poisonous bite, also a shared feature with the cobra, and they are exceptional swimmers, albeit not aquatic, a common misconception among humans since the only known kingdom of the naga is to be found on the Isle of Stoneblight, where the naga city of Nagapuramcan be found.

Nagapuram is an impressive, ancient city located on an expansive island about two hundred miles off the Stormsinger Coast in the Pavain Sea. The naga call the island Manak’tagar, and defend it vigorously from outsiders; one must seek a benefactor to vouch for a foreigner who seeks to visit the island and its amazing city of ancient monuments. Stories of travelers, diplomats and merchants indicate that there are ten thousand naga within the city and probably three times as many slaves, usually of humans from the south eastern kingdom of Sammar, which does not normally disturb the citizens of Aeronost who have frequently had to deal with hostile pirates from that distant land.

The island itself is ruled by the so called Living Goddess who goes by the name of Padmavati, the mythical first queen of the naga. Whether she styles herself a descendent or a reincarnation of this first naga queen is unknown, but she does believe she is a demigoddess, imbued with the powers of the current naga patron deity, Manasa.

The naga are a potent force locally, and the diplomats of Aeronost have sought to keep them as allies rather than enemies. Still, the naga are so feared that the often do as they will, and treat much of the Stormsinger Coast as their own domain. This has often led to unfortunate bloody conflicts between the soldiers and naval forces charged with protecting the dominion of the Pavain Sea and the forces of Nagapuram.

In the region of Aelghast, there is a small community of about one hundred naga who have taken up residence in the subterranean caverns around a sacred hot spring that they call Uk’halat. The hot spring has been turned into a shrine dedicated to the seven-headed serpent god called Agharda, said to have devoured the original four naga gods of old and absorbed their essence. It is believed by this remote group of exiles that the seven heads of Agharda represent the seven kingdoms of the naga, spread throughout the world, and that worshipping this deity will reunite the naga into a powerful force that will resume the mantle of rule again.

This worship of the seven-headed god is regarded as heresy by the Living Goddess Padmavati, as it was only a century ago that the cult of Agharda was embraced by her people. This period led to a vicious war with the distant eastern empire of Kadatha, and nearly led to the destruction of the naga kingdom. As a result of this conflict Agharda’s worshippers were forced into exile lest they be hung for heresy. This branch near Aeronost follows the fanatical priest Yazzad Sydaris, and calls their unique sect the “Sons of Sydaris” or simply Sydarites. They believe that Sydaris has a unique ability to channel the thoughts and speech of Agharda.