Lingusia, the Age of Strife: Mihidir Trolls in 13th Age

There are several breeds of troll in Lingusia. In the west, beneath the mountains guarded by the city of Lancaster, lie the devious and vile mihidir trolls, a breed apart from the rest. Here the trolls of the underworld worship Thasrik, god of slavery and domination, and they let their infants fight for dominance in foul breeding pits where no family relations are ever allowed. The elite are true trolls of cunning intelligence, but these elite have mastered fleshwarping arts to craft many breeds of troll for specific purposes. A few examples follow.

Note: we playtested these Wednesday night (albeit in an actual play session!) I have modified the stats to reflect a couple "flaws" in the original design....key being making the grunt regen effortless as possible to track.

BTW don't throw a regular troll, a warmage troll and 20 grunts up against 5 level 1 PCs. They will not be amused!

1 Mihidir Warmage

1^st level caster (humanoid, lesser giant)

Init +4

AC 17 PD 11 MD 15 HP 26

Black Bolt +6 vs. PD ranged attack against up to 3 nearby targets, 2 necrotic damage per bolt

Claws +6 vs. AC attack, 3 damage; on a 16+ target takes 6 damage from a rend

Dread Growth (once per encounter, on Escalation die 3+); pick one Mihidir grunt. The grunt grows to large size for the remainder of the combat, gaining 20 hit points and doubling its claw and rend damage, but discards its cleaver. If no grunt is available the warmage can cast this on himself, gaining the bonuses instead.

Trollish Regeneration 5: when damaged the mihidir warmage heals 5 damage at the start of its next turn. It has 5 regeneration tokens. It does not regenerate that turn and loses a token if dealt fire or acid damage.

The mihidir war mage is a clever troll of the mihidir kindred, born and bred in the depths of the Ancient City of their kind for war and magic. The warmages are indoctrinated at an early age in to the teachings of the god Thasrik, lord of slavery and domination. They learn to abuse and subjugate the grunts to tortures considered “humane” and “character building” in the eyes of the mihidir elite. Over time, the best are culled from the chattel and taught a mixture of necromancy and polymorphic magic, especially the ability to enhance the already volatile chemistry of trollish flesh.

Mihidir Grunts (mook)

1^st level troop (humanoid, lesser giant)

Init +3

AC 17 PD 15 MD 11 HP 7

Cleaver Strike +6 vs. AC attack, 4 damage; on a 1 or 2 attack roll cleaver breaks!

Claws +6 vs. AC attack, 3 damage; on a 16+ target takes 6 damage from a rend

Trollish Regeneration 5: when reduced to 0 hit points the mihidir grunt heals 5 damage on a save (11+) at the start of its next turn. The grunt dies if it fails the save, or was reduced to 0 HP with fire or acid damage.

The mihidir grunts are medium sized trolls by any other standard, but still stand at least 6-7 feet tall against men and elves. Bred in the breeding pits of Thasrik, the grunts know only slavery, subjugation and torture. They are raised and released as dogs of war, chattel to be thrown against the enemy. The average grunt is an adult by age 6 and dead by age 7.

Mihidir Warbrute

5^th level huge wrecker (greater giant)

Init +8

AC 22 PD 20 MD 13 HP 220

Claws +10 vs. AC attack (two attacks), 30 damage per hit. If both attacks hit a living target it deals 20 extra rend damage and tosses the target 15 feet.

Siege Strike: If both claw attacks hit, and the target is an object (such as a porticullis or defensive castle wall), then double the damage and target collapses if both attack rolls were 16+.

Trollish Regeneration 5: when damaged the mihidir warbrute heals 20 damage at the start of its next turn. It has 5 regeneration tokens. It does not regenerate and loses a token if dealt fire or acid damage.
The worst spawn of the breeding pits, the warbrutes are shaped and morphed into monstrous savages by the mihidir elite to become living siege engines. The warbrutes are so large, some up to 50 feet tall, that they are often mistaken for giants. They can transport dozens of mihidir grunts and are usually “directed” by a mihidir troll.

Five Games that Desperately Need to Join the Old School Revival (somehow)

The OSR has done wonders for preserving the memory of games from the first decade or two of the hobby, and it's kept them alive either spiritually or in some form of retroclone. The OSR was strong enough that I think it is at least part of the reason that we ended up getting reprints of no less than four editions of D&D (not to mention the D&D PDF store), and is why we continue to see effort poured into making older games such as Traveller and Runequest available through various editions and iterations.

There are, however, some games out there which are worthy of this sort of respect, but which linger on in limbo, neglected by all save a very small handful of gamers who still have physical copies to play around with. Some non-D&D games have gotten some attention, yes....the 4C System is a decent lowdown on the classic Marvel Superhero RPG from TSR, for example, and others appear in decidedly more nebulous format (such as how Star Frontiers exists as a thing you can buy if you don't mind feeling a bit shady about the process).

Nope, this is about those games which, despite popularity or venerable status as classics, haven't somehow gotten their proper due when it comes to the OSR revival. Or "osr" revival if you're one to quibble that the hobby is exclusively about D&D and everything else is at best a fringe case. So without further adieu....my top five RPGs in desperate need of an OSR revival. All they need is a champion with the spare time to figure out how to massage the OGL into coughing up a suitable replica....or a crazy publisher willing to spew forth a working reprint or revival:

5. Top Secret

Top Secret recently had a module appear....in print no less....in Gygax Magazine. The only thing more utterly inconceivable than a game that's been out of print for close to 30 years getting a new module in print today is a game that's been out of print 30 years and doesn't even have an OSR retroclone to support said module.

Top Secret was part of an 80's wave of spy/espionage games and one of the most memorable. The second edition might arguably have been the better edition, but it was nonetheless a great game and did a fine job of conveying the genre from an 80's cold war style. It's possible later competitors like the Bond 007 game were better, but Top Secret was the one that first grabbed me.

Status: presumably part of WotC's wholesale grab of TSR, it is theoretically possible they could do something with the game but I think we'll be fortunate if they bother to scan it in for PDF re-release.

4. Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes

Even better than Top Secret was Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes, Mike Stackpole's magnum opus of gaming (because sometime after MSPE he moved on to fiction and never looked back). MSPE was based on the same core system as Tunnels & Trolls 5th edition, adding a skill system in and demonstrating rather amply that regardless of how irreverent and beer & pretzels T&T could feel, MSPE could use the exact same system for some serious gaming. The book was, like all Flying Buffalo products of the day, clean and exceptionally well organized with loads of interesting bits. One of my favorite games of the last four decades was in MSPE.

Status: MSPE currently languishes in the hell that is reserved for games that passed in ownership to other less stable/responsible publishers. So while Flying Buffalo exists and is producing new stuff even today, MSPE is not a part of that, having been bought by Sleuth Publications, which folded a few years later and also took Different Worlds magazine with it, as well as some great Tekumel books (as I recall...or maybe it was whoever bought Sleuth, and then THEY folded, too). The good news is you can still get copies of MSPE and most of the content released for it over at Flying Buffalo's online store. If a new iteration of MSPE were ever made possible all the game would need would be a an update to the modern era...the core rules could remain as-is.

3. The DC Heroes MEGS System

DC Heroes went through three editions before Mayfair Games had some sort of meltdown and liquidated their RPG line. The core mechanic, called the "MEGS" system for Mayfair Exponential Game System was a stroke of genius and this was my second-most-played game system for most of the late 80's and early 90's outside of AD&D and Cyberpunk 2020....it was such a smooth system, and it handled the vast power differences of the DC universe flawlessly.

Status: Sold to the people who released the system as "Blood of Heroes" and then disappeared off the map, MEGS languishes in forgotten game hell now. The only consolation I can suggest is that Mutants & Masterminds 3rd edition moved to a stat system with exponential values that is distinctly similar to MEGS.

2. Dragonquest

When SPI carved its way into RPGs it did so as only a wargame company could, with complex systems that were viewed by some as on the extreme end of the bell curve of complexity. Dragonquest quickly became my go-to system right after Palladium Fantasy and Runequest back in the day when I formally abandoned AD&D between 1985 and 1988, and I did not leave it as my engine of choice until AD&D 2nd edition (and a large table of begging and pleading players) coerced me into the dark side once more.

Dragonquest was robust, filled with exotic modifiers and details including astrological signs and a combat system that would make D&D 3.5 blush with jealousy. It's format was strongly aligned with the protocol for the era of wargame rulebooks, something that proved daunting to those who had not dabbled on both sides of the fence. It later fell into limbo as SPI was bought out by TSR, and was then revived in a new 3rd edition which received one module for support. A hypothetical future sourcebook still exists on the internet.

Dragonquest was noted for its elaborate rules on demonology with a strong focus on "medieval" feeling magic. When it was revamped by TSR it became a victim (and benefactor) of the "we are terrified of the fundamentalist anti-D&D crowd" focus TSR had adopted, and the demonology was removed entirely and replaced with a new set of rules on elemental summoning. The ideal 4th edition of Dragonquest would include both the new content and the missing old content.

Status: presumably one of many games sucked up as part of TSR by WotC, but suffering because they already have a flagship game. The best we could hope for would be a re-release in PDF down the road. There's a hidden online fanbase for the game as well, if you search hard.

1. Fantasy Trip

Need I say more? Fantasy Trip was for many the defacto alternative choice to AD&D back in the day, and was considered by many to be more playable and functional than other competitors of the time. It became the spiritual father to GURPS 1st edition and the Man-to-Man sourcebook which Steve Jackson Games released was effectively a second edition of Melee. Unfortunately TFT died when Metagaming went belly up after a scandal involving a "treasure hunt" for a million dollar gold unicorn advertised in a supplement, with no prize ever forthcoming. Steve Jackson's efforts to buy TFT outright were thwarted, prompting him to instead create GURPS.

TFT was so amazing because it was such a tight, concise system that offered all you could possibly need or want in one very clean, comprehensive package. It was the anti-D&D of it's day because it managed to be both complex and organized. It had sourcebooks which offered solo play, books like Melee and Wizard which offered tactical combat experiences, and the full "In the Labyrinth" which graduated it into a fantastic full-featured RPG. It was designed by Steve Jackson, and it shows. The map and minis/chits combat was fluid and fun. It was a Full Monte style package. I had a friend back in the day who practically devoted his life to this game...he never played anything else. I tracked down all of the books I could back then, and loved pouring over every detail it offered. This was written at a time when every word was worth reading, nothing was just filler text.

Status: The Fantasy Trip plays like a tight, pared-down version of GURPS which focuses on gritty, low-magic calculating fantasy with an emphasis on tactics.* We could technically have a version of TFT today of SJGames released a Lite version of GURPS which skinned the system down to just the stuff that would coincidentally exist in an iteration of TFT. As it stands, to get the pure deal you need to hunt around online for those sites which keep it alive, sometimes in the form of bootleg PDFs. Then you have to try and explain to your younger gamer crowd (or older D&D-obsessed gang) what TFT was and why it was so amazing. There's also a "version" of it in existence that has some current scenarios in print that model themselves loosely on Metagaming's old boxed sets here. Dark City's pretty close in terms of a modern rendition, but they still don't have a good hardcore "In the Labyrinth" product out, last I checked, to bring it all together.






*Note that a "tactical" experience in 1979 was decidedly different from what we think of as tactical today. A lot grimmer, high mortality rate, and no superheroics or game systems designed to keep you in the game through gimmicky rules designs. TFT comes from an era where tactical meant a sword to the gut was likely your PC's grizzly end.

Grimtooth's Traps Compilation from Goodman Games

Did you know about this? I sure didn't, until wandering over to Goodman Games to see what was new for Dungeon Crawl Classics, that is....my proclivity for collecting DCC modules has reached a fever pitch as I plot ways to either actually run DCC at some point or convert the modules to D&D 5E....because frankly it wouldn't be too hard, and the spicy zip that DCC brings to weird fantasy is well worth the effort.

Anyway, it looks like Flying Buffalo has joined in an unholy union with Goodman Games to produce a definitive hardcover collection of all the Grimtooth books, as originally presented with no alterations (such as was done with the Necromancer Games' D20 edition).

This absolutely MUST be on my game shelf.

Good News Everyone! Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls is looking good

Rick Loomis released a beta test version of the Deluxe T&T rules to backers today. If you're a backer check your email. I'll say this:

1. What's released so far is formatted and in layout with art and looks very clean and orderly.

2. It's already got 105 pages done but the page count says it should be 178 pages long plus a 16 page quickstart in the back ("short form rules")

3. I like what they did with talents in this iteration, it's a smart and not overly "baby with the bathwater" way to deal with it.

4. The art in the beta is awesome.

5. This looks like a version of T&T I really want to play. Like, yesterday. Right now. Damnit!

Since they still have the spell lists and other stuff yet to go, I'm guessing we'll probably not see this in time for August GenCon but maybe we'll see it before the D&D 5E DMG releases in November.

Tunnels & Trolls Newsletter

If you're not on the list and you even remotely have an interest in the second oldest fantasy RPG in the world then you should subscribe here. Right now. Now!!!

They're up to issue 3, and it's a great informational newsletter, really pulls together just how much coolness is rolling around in the Tunnels & Trolls community these days. Also includes regular updates on the status of the Deluxe T&T Kickstarter and where it (and all the extras) are at.

It's also cool because if you (like me) found Trollhalla's strange inner sanctum walla a difficult place to find regular information --but still want to be an involved T&T fan-- then the newsletter is the perfect solution.

Saving Fang from the Pits of Morgul for Tunnels & Trolls

Saving Fang from the Pits of Morgul is a new Tunnels & Trolls adventure that Ken St. Andre just released, and which backers to the Deluxe T&T Kickstarter received PDFs of. The solitaire is actually intended for use with the original 1st edition T&T rules (which are in print somewhere through Ken, I believe) and is officially the first solo ever released for that particular edition, since Buffalo Castle came out with the 2nd edition of T&T.

The book is gorgeous...it's got Simon Tranter cover and interiors (Simon did the cover for my Chirak book, too) and Steve Crompton layout and design so in terms of overall look and quality it's way above the average non-D&D OSR product (or regular D&D-derived OSR product, for that matter). With Saving Fang out that adds this one to Buffalo Castle's revision and the new City of Terrors. From Rick Loomis's latest update it sounds like we may at last be seeing the Deluxe game and mail-outs maybe a month or two late (just guessing) past August....we shall see!

A Random Friday: Tunnels & Trolls updates, Neverwinter and more

Just a short post as I am behind my Monday-Wednesday-Friday quota this week (sort of). News bits and other random stuff:

Tunnels & Trolls

Tunnels & Trolls Deluxe will be running late, as Rick Loomis announced in the latest update, due to Liz Danforth being sick and also behind schedule due to a round of conventions going into August. They wanted to have it ready for Gen Con apparently, but no go. On the up side, the second PDF module is out, and I now have a nice copy of City of Terrors on the tablet.

Speaking of Tablet gaming, there have been a number of releases in the last year or two featuring revamped Fighting Fantasy books (and others inspired by such) which are pretty effective in the ios/Android format. I wonder if Rick and Ken have considered what it would take to turn T&T into an app-based gaming experience, at least for the solo adventures?

Runequest 6

 I am still reading Book of Quests for Runequest 6. It's a great book, and will provide some detailed discussion on it, hopefully next week. I've been talking to some of my players, and we have a new game interest brewing, just need to find a way to squeeze it in. My Wednesday regular campaign is Pathfinder-only, unfortunately; the player collective I have for that night comes for the Pathfinder, and deviating would be to seriously upset the apple cart. Maybe an off-weekend, played at home, so my wife can bring her gruesome RQII elven blood sorcerer out of retirement....

Max Payne 3

Last weekend (July 4th weekend) was very productive in terms of moving "games I've been playing for a while" to the "games I've finished" list. Max Payne 3 was on that list, and I wanted to discuss it at some point as I really enjoyed it, albeit in periodic short bursts, and feel it was one of the better titles of the last few years out there.

Long story short: fantastic campaign (as it should, the end credits for this title was insanely long) and when I could get into multiplayer it was a lot of fun, but strangely (or not) when I finished the single player side of the equation I found myself utterly and totally disinterested in sticking around for the multiplayer experience anymore.  The drive behind this game is the Max Payne story, and that was now wrapped up; continuing the never-ending cycle of violence in Brazil that the game depicts in MP just seemed sort of....pointless? I may revisit it at some point, if only to see how long the community lasts, but... Well, let's face facts; I'm getting old and apparently that has an effect on one's interest in highly repetitive video game tasks (of which MP is easily a component). Also, with like a million games in my to-do roster it's hard to take time for MP unless it's so compelling that it smokes the prospect of something better around the corner. Plus that Steam Summer Sale dealie just started. So...yeah.

Neverwinter

Remember Neverwinter? I've been playing it occasionally (not much), a game here and there, enjoying it in short bursts but not finding it the sort of game that I am motivated to plow through or keep up with, unfortunately. That could change if I find some willpower to stay focused on it (as I recently did, at least for a short while with Guild Wars 2). Maybe once the novelty wears off with Rift's F2P model.

My experience in Neverwinter isn't the interesting bit, however. My wife, who absorbs these games like most humans breathe air, recently seemed to stop playing Neverwinter entirely, after a month-long gorge-fest. I asked her why she had stopped and migrated back to WoW and Defiance....as it turns out, she explained that they all played through at least one or two characters to max level and hit the end game...or lack of it. Best as she can tell, the end game in Neverwinter is nonexistent, and it mainly seems to be an expectation that the community content through the foundry is the source of new material to explore. Anyone who's messed around with the foundry content by now may realize what a problem this actually is; although there is some good stuff in there, the general consensus on the foundry now is that it's lacking the tools for the sort of nuanced and detailed scenarios that it's predecessor titles allowed for. Also, for every gem there are mutliple steaming piles of code you have to dodge, and the Foundry's menu is atrocious for just finding something....I never could successfully locate my wife's own scenario through navigating its menus, for example.

Sneak Peak at the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls GM Screen Art + Buffalo Castle PDF out to backers

Thanks to the Lone Delver for pointing this out! Steve Crompton has the art for the screen (a remix of classic module art from the past) and a contest to go with it posted up on his blog. It looks pretty cool:

I recognize the art sources for all of the modules except the blue big guy on the right...he's escaping me at the moment (maybe a book I don't own? Hmmmmm)

ADDENDUM: And no sooner did I post this then look in my gmail than did I find a link from Rick Loomis to my backer's PDF of Buffalo Castle. Joy! Can't wait for the print copies (which I assume will all be bundled together with the other print copies to save on shipping....but I could be wrong). Anyway, good stuff.

Wednesday Bits: Deluxe T&T, B/X D&D PDFs and GURPS Underground Adventures

Just a "smidgeon of news to me" post for today.....too busy to do much more!

The Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter closed at $125,440, over 400% above its original goal. I opted in for all the print stuff I could plus the "vital spots" Tee. I predict a good year for new T&T gaming later this year! The release date goal is August, and hopefully Ken, Liz, Jim and the rest can meet that deadline. I hope Liz gets her tattoo sooner, though....!



I finally caved and bought the Basic and Expert PDF's of Dungeons & Dragons over at dndclassics.com. A few brief comments from my perusing the documents last night:

1. the PDFs are really nice and clean, and the Expert set is indexed (maybe it was my reader, but I didn't see linking/indexing in the Basic book). The Expert PDF also includes a scan of a TSR catalog circa 1982ish. Pretty cool. If you remember the old D&D scans from then WotC was doing this before, keep in mind the quality of the scans has gone up dramatically.

2. I find it very amusing that when you get back to the Basic/Expert sets gnomes are once more delegated to the status of monstrous denizens, and the Expert set even includes a sample gnome lair....

3. Speaking of gnomes, I had also forgotten that in Basic, the gnoll was described as being created when a mad wizard crossbred a troll and a gnome! Fantastic stuff. Will be mulling over using this nugget in future games.

4. I have to concede that in terms of my appreciation for older editions that I haven't given enough credit to just how important Basic and Expert D&D was to my formative gamer years (even back then I tended to ostensibly play AD&D while in reality I was using AD&D for characters and monsters and leaning on B/X for actual rulings). Looking at them now, there is a strong temptation to break these bad boys out for a new campaign played By The Book. Probably will never happen, but they're loaded onto my Nexus now, so I'm prepared, should the need arise.

So anyway, if you're wondering if $10 is worth the admission to check out Basic and Expert Dungeons & Dragons, the answer is: yes, yes it is.

On other news, there's a new GURPS PDF out which looks really interesting: Underground Adventures is all about the fantastic world of digging deep into the earth, and the mysteries it has held (or was imagined to hold) over the ages. So far a great read and very inspirational. As with most GURPS supplements, this can work well as a sourcebook for your preferred game engine as easily as it can for GURPS 4th.

Tunnels & Trolls Deluxe at 400% with 25 Hours to Go

It's at 400% and growing with one day to go. I upped my bid to include all the print versions of the various solitaires as well as the "Ya Missed My Vital Spot" tee. If I don't wear it I know my wife will. Also, given how much of a compulsive collector I've been for official Flying Buffalo T&T products, having a complete set of all the books about to be reprinted/revised is just a big old plus, so what the hell, why not (not to mention my tax return is already on its way).

Three Days Left on the Tunnels & Trolls Kickstarter

If you haven't jumped in, but like the broader old school revolution in all its facets, now is the time to get in on a chunk of the second fantasy RPG to come into existence and help T&T Deluxe hit a $100,000 stretch goal. (barring Empire of the Petal Throne....anyone know if T&T or EPT came first? I have no idea.)

Dungeon of the Bear and a T&T GM Screen

Tunnels & Trolls Deluxe has ripped on past the $80K mark and two new stretch goals are available, which I am buying into both of: The GM's Screen ($5 add on) and the reprinted Dungeon of the Bear ($6 add on). I happen to have a couple copies of the original Dungeon of the Bear, a module I'd actually love to run again one day, but a new one is always a good thing. The GM's Screen is just a "thing"....I like getting game screens (just got the Labyrinth Lord GM Screen the other day, actually) so its a no-brainer for me. Also, I'm curious to see what would go on one, since T&T is a game that is remarkably easy to run  sans-screen. Not a lot of charts in this system.

I'm hoping the Kickstarter passes the $100K mark, which would be cool. Kicktraq thinks its trending that way, so who knows? I mean, if Pathfinder Online can scrape past the finish line, maybe the Trolls can jump the chasm and keep on running...

Either way, I think I need to break out some 5.5 or 7.5 T&T soon and run a few adventures. 2013: a good year for classic gaming so far!

Tunnels & Trolls Deluxe is Funded!

I actually pledged last night at the $60 level, and as of this morning T&T Deluxe has passed its funding goal, so it's all gravy and cake from here on out!

I'm really looking forward to this next iteration of T&T, which is sounding a lot like it could very well encompass the totality of T&T as all its fans imagine it, and add more cool stuff in on top of it. Ken St. Andre drops hints and bits to those of us over at Trollhalla about its direction and design, which of course only wets the appetite for the final product.

T&T Deluxe, along with Legends of Dawn and the colorvision edition of the Castles & Crusades PHB marks my third delve into Kickstarter. I can see how this phenomenon gets addictive...it's like buying a tiny stake in a creative venture, and to contribute to those creators that I know and respect (or, in the case of Legends of Dawn, just impressed me sufficiently) is a lot of fun.

Although I love T&T myself, and have been playing it since I discovered the 5th edition boxed set around 1982ish at Wargames West, I do have an ulterior motive to my love for this game: I have kept every module, solitaire, edition and variant (from MSPE to Monsters! Monsters!) in a special box, and plan to hand it all over to my son in about 8-9 years, should he look like he's following in his dad's footsteps. T&T is an ideal game to introduce new and younger gamers to, not just a fine system for the old school grognards out there.

T&T Deluxe!

Ken's got a video preview up now:

T&T Deluxe, Paizo Anniversary Sale, Camazotz' Mud-Colored Nostalgia Glasses and More

So first, for Tunnels & Trolls fans it looks like Ken St. Andre and crew are going to collaborate on a Deluxe Edition of Tunnels & Trolls. There's more about it here on Trollhalla's Outer Sanctum and the Lone Delver also speaks on the matter in detail.

I'd like to see a Deluxe super edition of T&T and the fact that it's going to include collaborative work from Rick Loomis, Steve Crompton, Bear Peters and Liz Danforth along with Ken himself, of course, can only be a good thing. T&T 5th edition has long been regarded as the best (or most organized/well presented) edition of T&T thanks to Liz's work, and I am sure that we'll see the game shape up in the same fashion.

Next! Paizo is having a tenth anniversary sale right here.

I didn't find out about this until after visiting Barnes & Noble, where I purchased the latest Brian Fagan book Elixir, along with Dean King's Skeletons on the Zahara, Paula Guran's Extreme Zombies, Into Africa by Martin Dugard, and Immortality by Stephen Cave. All interesting books which I plan to blast through in the next month, and all helping me to alleviate my conscience from the engorgement on Steam games I engaged in just a couple weeks ago....but luckily this also served as a money sponge to avoid my succumbing to the ridiculous 75% off deals on print products over at Paizo. All of their older pre-PFRPG release OGL modules are up for sale, most at $2-3 apiece and all the adventure paths in stock at $5 each. PDF versions are also marked down across the board. It's madness, I tell you!

Luckily, a dearth of remaining discretionary income and a hearty mental kick to the noggin reminding myself that I never, ever run published modules (except on occasion for C&C) served to quell my insatiable consumerism. If you, however, wouldn't mind getting something around 37 adventure paths and single modules in print for 75% off, head on over. The PDFs of the core book are all $7.49 apiece right now. Kind of a steal, ya know?



On an unrelated note, I may have given up my chance to own the AD&D Premium edition rulebooks. My FLGS owner called up and inquired as to whether I really wanted them or not, to which I explained as I always do with books they've been holding for a week or more that yes, I do want them, but the problem is I absolutely don't need them so I've been having a hard time finding the discretionary income to throw at vanity ownership. So if she had someone else keen to buy them (she did) then she was welcome to sell them and I'll just take my chances on finding copies in the distant future. Such is life as a father and husband and sole breadwinner in the family right now.

And yeah, I could have saved up the moolah I spent at Barnes & Noble, but those books are something I'm actually going to read and enjoy, maybe learn something from. Buying pristine editions of AD&D 1st edition, simultaneously marvelling at the game I played as a kid and also mildly loathing it for the memories of my youth it brings up....just not quite the same bang for my buck.

I wonder if one's OSR-ness and love for all things 1980 and earlier is inversely proportionate to one's level of fondness for the memories from that period? I'm not saying I don't have fond childhood memories....but I definitely wouldn't repeat my childhood as it unfolded. On the other hand, I continue to hold a pristine boxed set of Runequest 2nd edition, which I do indeed enjoy perusing on occasion for the fond memories, and ironically I also still have my original 1st edition Gamma World books in startlingly good condition, still filled with my writing from age 9-12 when I played Gamma World to death. That there is one of the reasons I don't even feel mildly compelled to try Gamma World 1st edition again; every time I open the pages I see a snapshot of myself in my youth, and it reminds me that those days are unique and are nonrepeatable, at least in their original forms. That's what Mutant Epoch is for, anyway...!

Bah, enough introspection! Go check out Paizo and read what Ken has to say about T&T Deluxe.

Tales from the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: Dragons of Sarvaelen

Dragons of Sarvaelen


Since the dawn of mankind’s rise from the muddy waters of prehistoric times dragons have been present. Though hard to find, some erudite researchers can point to ancient caves filled with thousands upon thousands of years of ancient rock art, depicting a history both venerable and momentous in its imaginative capture of humanity’s efforts to understand the world around it. Dragons, it has been noted, are among the first beasts ever depicted by men.

The first dragons were said to have appeared in the deep wilderness, dragging and clawing their way up to the surface of the world from the chthonic realms below. Indeed, the many cavernous realms beneath the surface of the known world are attributed to the tireless digging and scratching of the dragons, which burrow long and deep into the earth to make their homes.

These first dragons spoke as men, and in some stories (mostly told among the elves) it is claimed that they actually taught the first languages to humanity. This language was to allow for easy instruction on the worship of the chthonic gods of the deep. The dragons, it was said, were the heralds of the Old Gods, born in the deeps of the world specifically to serve and envoys and servitors to these chthonic beings in the claustrophobic darkness at the center of the world.

The fragmentary texts which survived the Final War of the old empire of Camrinal piece together an interesting later history of dragons. It is clear that the more intelligent dragons served as envoys and voices for these old gods, although some might dispute that the dragons actually were such, and weren’t simply leveraging their own great power to set up cults and followings which served their own needs. Dragons regularly demanded tribute…and still do…from the lesser kindred of the world, seeking to promise safety in exchange for gold and sacrifice.

Arcane scholars who have studied dragons note that there are really two distinct breeds of beast in the world, one which is cunningly intelligent and rare, and the more common beasts which are normally found in the wilds, slaying livestock and terrorizing peasants. There is much speculation on how the two relate, as dragons by and large appear to be of normal intelligence, but it is as if some internal social problem or cultural matter has led to younger dragons going feral. Either way, whether speaking with one of the old intelligent dragons or the newer feral ones, a traveler risks losing his life if he enrages the beast.

Amongst dragons there is something of a different consensus. The dragons claim to have come from a breed of ancient beasts that sailed extraplanar realms, transmigrating from one dimension to the next, to populate vast numbers of worlds. The dragons that settled on Sarvaelen, they claim, were enamored with the dark whisperings of the Old Gods, tempted by their power, and so settled in to stay. The mysteries and secrets revealed by the Old Ones to the dragons was intoxicating, and those who embraced it found that they were given powers of prophecy and near immortality.

The embrace of the Old Gods had a terrible impact on the dragons, however, for the power of these chthonic gods warped and twisted the species over time, and as the generations past more and more dragons gave birth to feral children and monsters. Wyverns, serpents, hydrae and other beasts are suspected to have come about from the corrupted eggs of the eldest dragons.

Some dragons sought to purge their bloodline of the corruption, to turn their back on the Old Gods. These dragons migrated to remote regions, usually high in the mountains or in other areas sufficiently remote that the ever-present whispering of the maddening dreams and prophecies of the Old Gods was barely audible to their mind. These dragons have sometimes gone through desperate measures to purge their bodies of the taint, seeking to use exceptional magic, and occasionally engaging in breeding experiments with the lesser mortal races. No one knows if any have been successful at these efforts, but stories of adventurers contracted to scaly-skinned agents who descend from the mountains to pursue exotic tasks such as the acquisition of a phoenix’s eggs from the Seletharin Desert have been spoken of.

In game terms, dragons of Sarvaelen are statistically identical to your preferred game system’s take on them, albeit with a preponderance of ancient priests and mages in the service of the Old Gods. The dragons seem to have avoided much damage to their kind during the Final War of Camrinal, although the stories from that period suggest that a great many feral dragons were captured and trained for war in that time. Such an affront would be impossible now, as all of the great Magi are long dead, snuffed out during the final days of the war when Camrinal was blasted into oblivion. Indeed, it is said that undead dragons and their knights, unable to rest, still haunt the last battlefields before the imperial city of Zaravande, looking to carry on the fight eternally.

In T&T, Legend and BRP you can use your preferred dragon stats as you see fit. Dragons are multi-colored and come in many varieties, so there is no uniformity among their kind, or division by color. If you use dragons in C&C or other similar games, color types are less relevant and dragon breeds are better identified by their use of exotic breath weapons. Nor is alignment an issue for dragons, where a red or gold can both be chaotic evil, or both lawful good, and their color is only what they have a preponderance of, as their chromatic nature leads naturally to a wide mixture of “mutts.”

Next: back to the frontier wilds along Camrinal, and to the remote Watcher outpost near the ruins of dread Zaravande!
 

Tales from the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: the Naga

The Naga of Sarvaelen

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, who 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 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 (known in later centuries only as Yama) 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 Nagapuram can 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 it’s 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 call their unique sects the “Sons of Sydaris” or simply Sydarites. They believe that Sydaris has a unique ability to channel the thoughts and speech of Agharda.

Because the naga are so ubiquitous throughout Sarvaelen’s lands, the appearance of one is not regarded with fear or suspicion save in the most remote regions of Aereonost and the other kingdoms along the Pavain Sea. As such, a naga character is certainly a possibility in play.

Naga Statistics for BRP

STR 3D6, CON 3D6, SIZ 2D6+6, DEX 3D6, INT 2D6+6, APP 3D6, POW 2D6+6 EDU 3D6

Armor: naga scales provide 1 point (or 1D2) of natural armor.

Movement: Naga move at a speed of 10 meters and swim at a speed of 16 meters.
Attacks: Constriction (1D6+DB) or Bite (1D3+DB plus poison); Naga poison is Potency 15 vs. CON;  inducing paralysis for 1D6X10 minutes in the target (this effect strikes in 1D6 rounds); if a target is bitten more than once in that period each successive strike deals 1D6 damage directly and reduces DEX permanently by 1 until all HP damage is healed. Naga can only bite once before they must regenerate more poison; this takes 1D6 hours before the poison sacs in their cheeks are refilled.

Swimming: Naga base swimming score is 80%.

Naga Character Statistics for Legend

STR 3D6, CON 3D6, SIZ 2D6+6, DEX 3D6, INT 2D6+6, CHA 3D6, POW 2D6+6

Hit Locations: use the same hit location chart as lamia (MoL); tails have the same HP as legs.

Armor: naga scales provide 1 point of natural armor.

Movement: Naga move at a speed of 10 meters and swim at a speed of 16 meters.
Attacks: Constriction (1D6+DB) or Bite (1D3+DB plus poison); Naga poison is Potency 75 vs. Resilience, inducing paralysis for 1D6X10 minutes in the target (this effect strikes in 1D6 CAs); if a target is bitten more than once in that period each successive strike deals 1D3 damage directly to two random locations, and reduces DEX permanently by 1 until the damage is healed. Naga can only bite once before they must regenerate more poison; this takes 1D6 hours before the poison sacs in their cheeks are refilled.

Swimming: Naga have a base swim score equal to DEX+STR x 4.

A Typical Naga in Legend:

Average Stats: STR 11, CON 11, DEX 11, SIZ 13, INT 13, POW 13, CHA 11

Naga Hit Location Chart:
D20 Hit Location           AP        HP
1-6 Tail                             1          5
7-9 Abdomen                    1          6
10-12 Chest                      1          7
13-15 Right Arm                1          4
16-18 Left Arm                  1          4
19-20 Head                       1          5

CA: 4 Move: 10m; 16m swimming; SR: 12 Damage Bonus: +0 MP: 13

Typical Armor: 1 point natural; usually they wear leather or soft leather. Warriors wear chain and sometimes plate

Skills: Swim 88%, Evade 50%, Perception 60%, Persistence 45%, Resilience 50%, Stealth 70%

Weapon Skills: Constriction 50%, Bite 45%, one other 45% (usually spear or sword)

Weapons:
Constriction (1D6)

Bite (1D4 plus poison, see above)
Scimitar (1d8; bleed)
Short Spear (1D8+1; impale)

Naga in Tunnels & Trolls:

Naga are already in T&T, on page 27 of the 7.5 edition rulebook! If you are using an older edition, the stats are:

STR X1.5, CON X1, DEX X1, INT X2, LK X1.5, CHR X1.5, WIZ X1, SPD X1 (but double when swimming)

Naga Venom: Naga deal poison damage the first time they get spite damage in on any attack. The victim makes a save vs. CON equal to the level of the Naga or become paralyzed for 1D6X10 minutes (this sets in within 1D2 rounds). Additional spite damage is dealt as normal but deals 2 points for every spite to a paralyzed victim. Naga can only use this initial venom attack once before it must regenerate; the regeneration takes 1D6 hours.

Constriction: This naga attack deals 4 dice plus personal adds in combat. If the naga using this attack deals any damage (including spite damage) he can make a Save vs. DEX (usually equal to the target’s level, but the GM can decide) to grab and constrict an opponent. If he succeeds the naga deals its full HPT in damage to that target the next round automatically. The naga can keep the hold each round by making a STR save vs. the target’s level (or GM’s judgement) each round. If the naga critically fails a save during this process the target break free an deals it’s HPT for the round in damage against the naga instead!

Next Week: The Dragons of Sarvaelen....cthonic wyrms of the earth, the heralds of the old gods.....not your ordinary fire breathers....!

Hexblades of Legend

Since I have an unhealthy obsession with the concept of the hexblade, I decided it was time to work out some details on just how these spell-wielding blades work in Legend as a quasi-mystical martial order, and in Tunnels & Trolls as a specialist class (see bottom of the article):

The Order of the Hexblades


The concept of the hexblade is a master of witchcraft, who relies on a special relationship with his uniquely forged weapon to cast and focus magic through. Hexblades gain their power through dark pacts, and seek to learn power from spirits both malevolent and benign. Some hexblades are good natured and seek to help those around them with their unique gifts; others fall quickly to the potential corruption of the power they seek and walk a darker path.

Hexblades have a loose fraternity of association, for the easiest way to become one is through a practice of apprenticeship to a master. Much like shamans, hexblades rely on knowledge of the spirits and the planes to tease out their magical talents. Some civilized lands may have entire knighthoods or magical orders dedicated to the practice of the hexblades, but in most lands they are reclusive fellows who gather in large groups only on rare occasion.

The hexblade started with a class which appeared in Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition first, and later as a warlock variant in 4th edition. Literary and game inspiration for this archetype can be found in the fiction of Adrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher,” and similar concepts of a man with a special blade can be found in Moorcock’s Elric novels. I also suggest the Kane stories by Karl Edward Wagner.

Joining the Ranks of the Hexblades:
This process is as simple as finding a teacher willing to take one on, who is willing to teach the art. A character could begin play having completed his apprenticeship training. If this option is permitted, then the following Professional Background will be available:

Profession: Hexblade
Cultural Background: All
Common Skill Bonuses: +10% perstence, +5% Athletics, +10% to one blade weapon style
Advanced Skills: Lore (Any), and Craft (Weaponsmith) or Lore (Tactics)
Magic: Common Magic, Manipulation, Sorcery (Grimorie: Tome of the Hexblade)
Hexblade Starting Common Magic: 6 points chosen from the Hexblade spell list below.
Starting Hexblade Weapon: A newly rolled hexblade chooses one blade weapon (sword, dagger) with which he has the Hexblade bond (see initiate details, below). This weapon will be made of cold iron as its exotic material (which may depending on setting have an effect on some planar beings and fae creatures).

Hexblade Magic:
Students of this art have access to the following magic by way of teachers or institutions in the more civilized realms where enclaves of hexblades can be found. Most hexblades are extremely proficient in common magic, but tend to rely almost exclusively on the Tome of the Hexblade for their sorcerous studies.

Common Magic: Bearing Witness, Bladesharp, Coordination, Countermagic Shield, Demoralize, Detect (exotic metals), Dullblade, Fanaticism, Fireblade, Mobility, Parry, Protection, Repair, Strength, Vigor

Sorcery (Tome of the Hexblade): Damage Enhancement, Damage Resistance, Haste, Spell Resistance

Heroic Abilities: Deflecting Parry, Duellist, Sundring Strike

Hexblade Skills:
The following skills can be trained through hexblade membership: Athletics, Craft (weaponsmith), Persistence, Resilience, any blade style, Sorcery (Tome of the Hexblade), Common Magic, Manipulation.

Membership of the Hexblades:

Hexblade Initiates and the Nature of the Hexbade Itself:
An initiate must procure a unique weapon which he forges or finds on his own. The weapon must be of no common origin, either being made of an exotic metal, being unique in some fashion (i.e. a king’s blade, or the weapon was used in the past to slay a powerful extraplanar opponent) or it must be forged by the initiate himself out of exotic metals and imbued with a sacrifice of 1D3 HPs of damage-worth of his own blood during the forging process. If an exotic weapon material is needed, it defaults to cold iron.

Once a hexblade has this weapon, he undergoes an initiation ritual of bonding with the blade. This imbues himself and the weapon with a unique connection; he may now use the blade to channel his sorcery and common magic, reducing the MP cost of spells by 1 point when doing so (to a minimum cost of 1 for common magic). His weapon is now an imbued component of his casting, and he must grasp it when casting any spells. He gains a +10% bonus to his manipulation, sorcery (grimoire) and common magic skills with his blade in hand. Without his blade, he can still cast magic, but it costs 1 MP more than normal and he gains a -10% penalty to the same skills.

Does a hexblade need to bond with a sword of some sort? That’s the GM’s call, but the presumption is that the nature of the weapon is highly conducive to channeling magic, and other weapons are not. Alternatively, there could be branches of the order that specialize in hexed axes, pole arms or even hammers and maces.

A hexblade who loses his weapon permanently must restore it with an equally significant weapon. If he fails to do so after one year and one day, he is cast out of the order. Likewise, a hexblade who forges or bonds with a new blade loses his connection to the old blade.

Hexblade Apprentices:
A hexblade apprentice must have 30% or more in three order skills and 45% or more in his blade weapon skill. He must have demonstrated an act of servitude to the credo of his specific order or mentor (which can vary; an evil order may require that he have slain an honest man; a benevolent branch may require that he saved an innocent under threat of harm). Additionally, the hexblade apprentice must have learned Bladesharp 2 by now.

Hexblade Adepts:
The hexblade adept must have three order skills at 45% or better and his blade melee skill at 60% or better. He must either have the Duellist heroic ability and attained Bladesharp at rank 4 or better. Adepts may take on apprentices but are not required to do so.

Hexblade Masters:
Hexblade masters have three order skills trained at 70% or better and must have 90% or better in his blade melee skill. Hexblade masters must also have Grimorie (Tome of the Hexblade) at 75% or better and have Bladesharp 5 or better. A Hexblade master must have earned a reputation for himself; if his name is known and either feared or respected by a noted ruler or leader of the land, such that the other senior masters of the order feel his reputation is engrained, then he may be entertained for membership at his highest rank. He must then commit one truly great deed, worthy of the skalds to sking about, such as slaying a hydra or dragon, liberating an oppressed kingdom, slaying a corrupt king, or even conquering his own domain. The task may depend on the ethical skew of the hexblade himself. At this level, however, it is his demonstrable proficiency and efficiency, not his ethical leanings, that are most important.

Should the hexblade attain the rank of master, he is required to take on a new apprentice to teach his skills to if he has not done so already.

Additional Secrets of the Hexblade:

Tome of the Fey Courts
Although the Tome of the Hexblade is the grimoire of study for the order, there are rumors of an older tome, written in the lost history of the Fey Court by the elven prince Aritroskis, which contains even more potent secrets. Such a tome is a coveted prize for a dedicated Hexblade, for it contains the secrets of teleportation:
Sorcery Grimoire (Tome of the Fey Court): Intuition, Regenerate, Teleport, Shapechange (human to wolf)

Adamantine Hexblades:
A weapon crafted of admantine is impervious to harm, or so it is said. Furthermore, it is said to weigh less and be more nimble in one’s hands. Such a weapon has an AP double the normal for the weapon in question, and double the HP as well. It grants a +5 modifier to the wielder’s strike rank (provided that wielder is trained at 40% or better in using the weapon type). Finally, because it is so keen, it does one additional point of damage after subtracting all APs from the damge dealt (so an adamantine war sword which deals 7 damage and hits 6 AP of protection would deal 2 instead of 1 damage like a normal weapon).

The Hand of Zoromast
There are rumors of this infernal talisman, a mummified hand capped in a gold clasp and chain from the first and most legendary hexblade of a lost era. Rumor has it that a hexblade who wears the Hand of Zoromast around his neck will gain even more impressive fighting talent and a closer bond with his blade. The stories also suggest that Zoromast’s spirit will attempt to possess the wielder, but that a sufficiently strong-willed hexblade can defeat the spirit and tame it to his use.

An ordinary man wearing the Hand will feel nothing, though the spirit may seek to possess him. A hexblade immediately notices that he gains an additional +5% bonus to his sorcery, manipulation and common magic skills as a result of wearing the hand. In addition, he discovers that he now innately knows Bladesharp 6 (for which the hand is a focus) so long as he wears the talisman. If he removes the Hand, knowledge of the spell also evaporates.

While worn, the Hand’s spirit will try to possess the bearer. Zoromast’s spirit is a malevolent ancestral spirit, with INT 12, CHA 12, POW 24; Spectral Combat 120%, Persistence 96%, Discorporate 120%, Stealth 96%. The spirit, once it possesses its victims, can substitute his own skills: One-Handed Sword Skill of 150%, Dodge 114%, Lore (ancient history) 114%, and Shield (114%). However, while possessed the bearer develops a very evil and self-serving disposition, and tends to call himself Zoromast a lot.

The artifact will be destroyed should Zoromast’s spirit ever be exorcised or destroyed.

Hexblades in T&T:


This Specialist class requires a Dex and INT score of 16 or better and a WIZ of 12 or better. You don’t need to roll TARO like usual, but you do need to have those two scores up to demonstrate the right level of talent.

Attributes: Hexblades rely on DEX, INT, WIZ and CON for level advancement.

Hexblades can cast spells like a rogue, and have the same access and limitations, but a limited spell list taught by members of their order (see below). They have an edge over rogues, however: they can and will learn amongst themselves. All hexblades start play knowing Vorpal Blade and one other 1st level spell from the Hexblade spell list below. Hexblades can learn any magic like a rogue, but only the hexblade spells can gain the benefit of spell cost reduction from their special weapon (see below).

Hexblades can create a bladed weapon (any sword of dagger) precisely as described above, by forging or locating a unique weapon that the hexblade then bonds with. At character creation the hexblade starts with one, typically made of cold iron. The weapon lets the hexblade reduce cost of his hexblade spells by 1 WIZ per level, but more importantly, so long as the Hexblade is fighting with his bonded weapon he may double his personal adds when using it.

Hexblades can advance in their order, gaining ranks and notoriety. The T&T requirements for advancement are as follows:

Initiates: Hexblades start as initiates, having completed the ritual and forged their first blade as indicated above. They may eventually try to forge newer and more powerful blades (or find them) and then commit to a new bond if they desire. This severs the bond with the old blade.

Apprentices: A hexblade must reach level 2 to be an apprentice, and must meet a task specified by his mentor or order (see above for details).

Adepts: A hexblade adept must reach level 3 and must have all spell from the hexblade list learned up to level 3 as well.

Masters: the master must not onluy perform the tasks outlined in the main article, but must also be at least level 6 and have all spells on the hexblade list through level 6.

Hexblade Spell List:
Level 1: Cremme de la Kremme, Detect Magic, Know Your Foe, Teacher, Vorpal Blade
Level 2: Dura-Spell Battery (must be his blade as the object), Unerring Blade, Whammy
Level 3: Dis-Spell, Shield Me
Level 4: Double Double
Level 5: Breaker Breaker, Resist Magic
Level 6: Reversal of Fortune
Level 7: Zappanthingum
There are as yet no known spells of higher level in the hexblade repertoire…

Hexblade Magic Items:

Tome of the Fey Courts: This ancient book grants the hexblade the ability to cast “Blow Me To…” so long as the book is in his possession, as well as Healing Feeling and Second Sight.

Adamantine Hexblades: in addition to adding a +3 boost to the DEX of the wielder (which means boosted personal adds), adamantine weapons forged into hexblades double the damage of any hits (including spite) that gets through armor.

The Hand of Zoromast: This talisman can be used as a focus for Dura-Spell Battery. It lets the hexblade reduce the cost of all spells by 1 WIZ when worn (minimum of 1), and lets him cast spells as if he were one level higher. However, the spirit within will seek to possess the wielder. This requires a Level 5 Save vs. INT to overcome. If the hexblade fails, the spirit possesses him. His LK score doubles while possessed, and he may triple instead of double his adds with his bonded weapon, but he is now quite evil and thinks he is an ancient power-mad hexblade.

If the spirit is ever teased out of the artifact it is an MR: 120 beast (or tougher depending on your crew) which can only be harmed by magic and magic weapons, and deals damage to INT instead of CON. If a target is reduced to 0 INT it will immediately possess the body and restore it to life.




Hexblades in Sarvaelen

The hexblades of Sarvaelen are the remnants of a once powerful order of mystical witch-knights that served both the emperor and the empire's enemies faithfully during the final years of the Last War. The story goes that a handful of hexblades escaped the destruction of Camrinal and carried on their tradition in remote regions of the known world, such that today there are a handful of scattered orders and loners who are practicing hexblades.

Unlike official knighthoods such as the Order of the Sullen Watch, the Order of the Hexblades are not officially recognized by the young king of Aeronost. Hexblades are regarded with a measure of fear and supersitition by those who understand their roots, but most commoners regard them as little more than eccentric mercenaries who a disposition for magic.

Next Week: The Secrets of the Naga in Sarvaelen!