Blog Archive

Monday, 17 July 2017

Agypt – An Alternatity, mixture of Desert, Urban & Jungle Land.

This idea stems from a misspelling of the country in the north of Africa. I left the spelling in my monster description, as I thought it kinda fit. Eventually I realized that I wanted that name to be the one in game and then started thinking up an Egyptian themed area of my game world. This is a simple listing of my game ideas, for threads to be built up.

Agypt – often called "Land between the two rivers"
  • Small cities built along the rivers, they hold the wealth and power
  • Outside the cities are desert lands and jungle, the Middle Ocean is impenetrable
  • People are part of guilds, based on family memberships. Clerics rule over all.
  • Humans, Elves, Bastet (Cat-Kin), Tenderfeet, Jackalla & Phaetox are the main races
  • Elves are people of the jungle, green skinned and linked to elemental magic
  • Bastet are my cat-kin, very urban, highly magical many are spies, monks, ninjas
  • Tenderfeet are halflings, tied to oasis, many are druids. Many are prisoners in the cities
  • Jackalla are Jackal-Headed humanoids that protect crypts and ruthlessly hunt undead
  • Phaetox are dedicated to serving the sun cults, have flame wings, Cannot lie, Very Lawful  
  • Crafted Constructs are found in ancient temples, haven't been created in hundreds of years. some active ones still remain in remote regions (why???)
  • Dwarves are well known but not from the Agyptian lands, trading partners
  • Goblins, Gnolls, Giants are seen as enemies, because they cannot be trusted to keep their word
  • Minotaurs are well known from the Beastlands, act as high-end bodyguards
  • Multiple gods that both work together and very distinct, Mix of Nyssian and trad Egyptian ones
  • Every celestial object has an associated deity (Sun, Moons, Stars, Comets)
  • Astrology shows which of the gods have force...power...prestige...
  • Worship is open, most cities are devoted to one deity and have few temples
  • Every god is acceptable, some are only worshiped at specific times of the year
  • Everyone is pagan, worshiping more than one god, especially priests
  • Temples are rarely associated with just one deity, unless its the city Temple
  • Many Obelisks are dedicated to Ideals, not exactly godly overseers but similar
  • The afterlife is important concept, reached through specific actions and specific rituals. Different people needed to do different rituals. Thieving, sacrifice, murder, for some are holy rites. Often it is an art like sculpture, dancing or singing.
  • If you do not complete these rites, then you needed to give lots of coins
  • Temples always use obelisks to gather mana (magic), it is not a finite amount unlike most regions, so depending upon Astrology, certain temples will have more or less access
  • Clerics run the cities via culture, laws and followers
  • Knights ensure laws are kept, they are very rarely involved in political wars

  • Lots of underground passageways in cities, at times of death the people seek shelter below
  • No one is quite sure why the deadly famines happen, but people seek the dark passageways during these troubled times
  • Sacrifices happen during these times, of art, money and children
  • Very rarely do sacrifices happen of adults, but if it happens their faces MUST be covered
  • There are no official city libraries & no spell towers. Sorcery is a little known art, usually taught secretly in city temples, quietly. Many times they say they worship a different god, often referred to as a cult. When caught practicing magic, they are usually banished.
  • Wizards form small cults to study magic at an obelisk during specific times. They are often misunderstood as a religious groups, and many use this to avoid trouble. They use cosmology to cast ALL their spells, this is their spell components, They are sometimes unable to cast specific spells, if the alignment (need another word...) is off 
  • Anyone worshiping a non-recognized god is essentially assumed to be in a cult. A non-recognized cult can be seen as a heresy which calls for banishment
  • Adventurers have many ways to gain riches. Wars, arena combat, defeating cults, battling monsters and undead, trade caravans
  • Rogues have many ways, as they are an integral part of many cults or faiths. Every religion have these quiet hands to ensure their traditions are followed.
  • Theft is rarely wrong in any religion, what is more important is who you are stealing from
  • Poisoning is an art form, many thieving guilds have their own specific poison. For them it is not against their laws to poison as long as there is a bounty,
  • Undead are an ancient tradition, first used to protect wealth, now usually to secure sites
  • Originally cults, evil churches and necromancers started using them;
  • Good groups do use them, but only from the willing and the faithful to be bound 
  • Danger from not doing specific rituals, most people feel like the victim is to blame not the undead. Certain undead (wraiths) are accepted in many buildings, they hurt those who break the rituals, laws, customs, etc
  • Mummies come in many forms, always in the mastabas but elsewhere
  • Pyramids are dedicated to protecting wealth, power, knowledge,
  • Constructs were once very common, now less so
  • Lots of statues were deactivated, some seek the Activation Globes
  • Stories abound of Clock-Work Oasi in the desert 
  • Many believe they are connection points to LAWFUL outer planes
  • Cities and the nobility are always at war with each other
  • Trade & caravaning very popular way to earn favour and wealth

Monsters are based on Eqyptian mythology and desert lands, tables to be defined soon


Wednesday, 28 June 2017

Ravok - living exo-skeleton battle armour

Have used these creatures a few times, as end the big-bad monsters at the end of the dungeon, hunting anyone that come inside their domain. Their tail is quite powerful and a source of known magic in a low magic world. They were inspired by the predator movies, an intelligent creature, that uses their hunting skill to inflict mayhem. Now, imagine them in a magical setting, and they did not choose to wear the hyper-magical suit but it was imposed on them due to trickery, forced to commit unspeakable actions that they cannot fully control.

Ravok

Medium Winged Insectoids AC 21 (+6 Dex, +5 Natural)
HD 7d8 +14 (60 hp)

Saves Fort +7 Ref +12 Will +2
Init +7
Speed 50 ft

BAB +6 CMB +15 CMD +22
Melee +13 / +13 pinchers (1d10+5) +13 tail (1d12/15-20)
Range +16 (Spear 2-12 +8 dmg)
Special Attacks Tail acts as a +3 enchanted weapon
Special Defenses Immune to 3rd level and lower enchantment and illusion effects, Insectoid Telepathy 100 ft

Str 19       Con 15    Dex 24
Int 13       Wis 10    Cha 13
Skills Acrobatics, Climb, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth Survival +12, Jump + 24

Feats Imp Bull Rush, Power Attack, Cleave, Jumping Attack Focus (+3)
Tail Feats Only: Imp critical & Imp Disarm 

Climate/Terrain Any Remote / Night time on mission
Organization         Solitary, Pair or Order  (3-12)
Challenge Rating 6
Treasure               None
Alignment             Strongly Lawful (50% Neutral, 40% Evil)

The Ravok were initially adapted as an exo-skeleton for an insectoid race that were dying off due to the great winter.  The people were enclosed within dark gray armored skin, and their natural features were enhanced given huge pincer claws, mandibles, multi-sectioned eyes with an acutely sensitive antenna & large, extremely spiked tail. The pincers can open up for the wearer's hands to perform delicate actions for about 20% of them. Most use spears as their primary weapon but their tail is important due to its strength and in ceremonial rites. They cannot fully speak. but can scream in pain or if it brings terror to those it hunts.

They are known as an unmatched terror, long feared for their assassinations, and dark plots bringing destruction to individuals and groups alike. They are feared and watched for, but their history and their situation isn't. It's long been misunderstood why they attack groups within cities, but they are compelled to complete missions. Their vendettas are more subtle and very personal, often much less violent.

Many communities will attack the Ravok on sight because of their histories of devastating raids. Ravok have few battle scruples, they attack and maim weaker beings on sight. One favorite tactic is to rip the arms off an opponent to attack those who investigate the screams. Because these creatures attack at night or during storms, many places don`t places realize they are being threatened until too late. Small circles of them will sometimes take over castles or dungeons to plan long term actions.

Originally this insectoid race were called the Ryush, an intelligent, hard-working trading group found in hives through-out the North. When the endless winter came, the conditions caused their numbers to drop, and their leaders turned to the Chavok, the ruling elite for help. They hired the Doposylla, an infamous slug race known for their body modification magic, who promised life but did not reveal the entire truth of the transformation. The Ryush were transformed into the Ravok and were doomed to remain in the exo-suit as they cannot survive outside their armor. Their controls were held by the Chavok Lords, as they paid for the transformation. Ever since their rebirth, the Ravok cannot survive in the wilds and even worse they are bound to obey their Chavok Lords as was written into their contract. The Ryush have ever since despised the Chavok and work to bring ruin to them and their allies as well as to free their kin locked inside the armored skins.

Some groups of the Ryush remain hidden in secret locations, as a few frozen nests of unborn Ryush were kept safe until their new homes were created. They dedicate themselves to staying free from the influence of the Chavok or other would be Masters.  These are only a few hives that the non-armored Ryush can exist, and this is usually where they give birth to their young. The most talented or strongest are choosing to inherit the body armor of the champions who fall. These Ryush are fully aware beings, trying to both protect their kin, make connection with other races and to bring the Chavok to justice.

Ryush AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 natural armor), HD 1d8 +1 (5 hp), Saves Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +2, Init +1, Speed Fly 40, Attack: Pinchers +2 (1d4+1) or Tail +0 (1-3), Special Insectoid telepathy within 20 ft; Advance in any class.