Showing posts with label Class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Class. Show all posts

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Level 9 Gifts & Unique Strongholds, for Dolmenwood Clerics

Note: I found this in my gdocs with some half-finished versions for other classes, but it felt of worth to post this finished one here, for clerics/friars/religious sorts.

Having survived the rigors and travails of the wold, you are now of wealth and status enough to establish yourself in the region as more than a mere protagonist and roustabout. What follows are a d6 of unique strongholds for which you may gain dominion over by writ of trust or construction, as well as a d8 of gifts from those in your charge. You may use this to better flesh out NPCs of note, to populate hexes with places of power for such professionals, or for its intended use as examples for character classes which have unlocked their stronghold feature.


The hopes of these tables are that the construction of the Stronghold will be an adventure all on its own, and should you play within the setting multiple times; the remnants of previous campaigns will be present in such ways that directly influence the politics of the map. Gifts should be attained first when a Stronghold is announced to be constructed (as such a thing is cause for celebration), and then upon completion. In the event of rolling the same gift twice, just pick the item next on the list.





Cleric (OSE: C&E)

Strongholds

1. The Church would have you build a stronghold within the Table Downs, so as to extend the political influence of the faith towards those ghost-haunted hills and the borderlands beyond. They fear astrological turmoil and the weakness of the firmament in such lands, and were you to build there it would help reaffirm the sometimes meager faith of the populace.


2. The Church requests you build your stronghold on the edge of the Fever Marshes, for there is great perfidy in that swamp and no small amount of pagan sorcery. In constructing on the edge of the marshes, they anticipate your workers will face contagion and illness; it will be up to you to show them that faith in the One True God is of greater means than their earthly vessels.


3. The Church would have you build a proper stronghold in the port town of Dreg, so as to rouse the faithful of St. Wick back to their better natures. The Church expects there to be some degree of opposition from the criminal riff-raff, as well as from Lord Malbleat who may take umbrage to greater influence from an exterior power. The Church encourages your stronghold to tower above the town, so as to shame those who’d go to Shantywood Isle.


4. The Church desires you build your stronghold on the edge of the Hag’s Addle, so as to tame that region and snub the nose of the titular Hag. It is expected that a village shall crop up to fish and work the lands around your stronghold, and there is some vague implications from your superiors that were you to rid the Addle of the Hag, you may find yourself in line to be canonized.


5. The Church sees fit to grant you a small estate of hills within the Tithelands, so that your stronghold may serve as a stopping place for those visiting the Cathedral at Castle Brackenwold. They will expect an ongoing and subservient relationship with the Bishop Sanguine, as well as the Royal Academy of Sorcery in Loom which ordains practitioners of arcane means.


6. The Church kindly requests your stronghold be constructed upon the grounds of the Ruined Abbey of St. Clewd, so as to reclaim the land from faerie folk and things fouler still. Once reclaimed, the Church will assist in the funds of reconstruction and make sure that you are granted the title of “the Reclaimer'' in official church documentation. If the Church is made properly aware of that which dwells within the Ruined Abbey, they will provide Lichwards from the Order of St. Faxis to assist in protective warding rituals.

Gifts

1. A blessed kiss upon the forehead by the Bishop Sanguine, a mark that shines like a shimmering drop of sunlight in the eyes of lesser fiends, forcing them to avert their eyes so long as your actions remain blessed and just.


2. The body of a Crusader of St. Sedge, draped in finery and embellished with a golden death mask is to be interred in an ossuary within your stronghold as a show of good faith. The Crusader was steadfast in his warring, and within the halls of your stronghold no heretic will ever dwell in comfort.


3. A silver estoc of the Order of St. Faxis, to be mounted upon the wall in your quarters. In candlelight it appears almost red-hot in reflection, and when properly waxed in similar conditions it can appear to bleed. It has a way of drawing forth the truth of those of craven nature.


4. A grotesque gargoyle, bound in chains, to be mounted on your stronghold. Wicked beings can hear its long petrified torments and its proclamations that they save themselves lest they too be fated with such misfortune. At least, this is what you are told it does. 


5. A tapestry commissioned by one of your patrons or boon companions, depicting a moment of triumph and glory over the meager forces of darkness which sought to oppose you. It shall be fitting within your great hall, and was stitched with the faithful hands of a dozen nuns.


6. A sculpted edifice depicting the seventeen archangels who aided Saint Benester, meant to be mounted in the quire room of your stronghold. Slightly concave, it does amplify the acoustics and make the voice of those speaking before it sound beatific and booming.


7. Commissioned misericord from the Woodcutter’s Encampment, carved from sweet monkswood, and embellished with the faces of one of each of the 100 Martyrs. Those within your stronghold who kneel shall feel the support of all those selfless men and women who died in ages past.


8. A resplendent brass bell, hundreds of pounds heavy, with silver filigree depicting the angelic host of the One True God upon its waist and crown. The clapper depicts scenes from the wold, etched in the metal. Powerful ropes of bound, reddened cord with gilded tassles have also been included. 


Aesthetic [d6]

1. It is to be constructed in the traditional stonework style of the early days of the Church, with a triple-arch entryway depicting the Host of Heaven, tall narrow windows, in rows of three, a vaunted belltower, and a three-level cellar for the quartering of lay practitioners, the holding of supplies in the event of a calamity, and a catacombs and ossuary for the laying of the blessed departed who deserve such consideration.


2. It is to be a rayonnat gothic church of quarried stone and magnificent rose windows which will allow the sun to shine down scenes of martyrs and blessed gardens upon the faithful. It is to have two stories to its height, with ample pierced gables to tell the tales of beatific deeds. There will be room here for cloistered workers, and ample space for a library office.


3. It is to be a dual-spired gothic church with a finely shingled roof and a large outdoor garden secluded behind high stone walls so as to allow for private cultivation of herbs and vegetables. It is to serve as a pilgrimage church, and will have rooms available for weary travellers and a feasting hall with ample larders to see none shall go hungry here.


4. It will be an articular church made from the native timbers of the wold, with a tended copse for firewood and game hunting open to the local woodsmen. It will display the Saints and Martyrs in acts of commensality, and it will be daubed to provide a gentle sense of comfort; so as to better make the pagan man feel safe to follow a righteous path.


5. It will be a stave church with great ore-pine posts, engraved to tell the stories of the common man’s triumph over sin through penance and hard work. Your quarters will be one the third floor, beneath the raised roof and the attic for the belltower. The grand hall will be open for the public and prayer, with architectural acumen benefitting the orator and choir addressing the crowds within.


6. It will be a priory house of finely hewn stone and powerful timbers, with a stables for the horses and a pesthouse for the unfortunate and the sickly who need to be tended to. Lay priests will conduct the proselytization while you attend to works upon illuminated manuscripts and astrological divinations in your observatory office. Wine will be produced for the benefit of sacrament and personal appreciation.


Special Servants [d4]

1. 3d6 + 6 fighters of 1st Level who serve you without question, 2d8 fighters of 2nd Level who served in foreign crusades and fight without fear against the undead. 1d3 botanists and 2d4 herbalists, as well as 1d3 sisters-mendicant from the Order of St.Lillibeth. 2d10+12 general laborers who will tend to the lands around your church.


2. 2d6 + 10 hunters of 1st Level, who know well the forest and will see your larder well stocked. 1d8 fighters and 2d4 clerics of 1st Level who shall serve as your guardians, inquisitors, and protectors of the stronghold. 1d4 Armorers and 1d4 Blacksmiths who will see your henchmen well outfitted. 1d4 houndmasters and 3d10+12 hounds of various pedigree, for sake of assisting your hunters and running out vermin and fouler things from the land.


3. 1d12+2 fighters of 2nd Level, many of whom served in foreign crusades and have been assigned to you by the Bishop. 2d6 engineers and 3d10+20 laborers to see that your stronghold will stand the testament of time. 4d6 scribes and illustrators to transcribe your holy books, make copies of important missives, and to work upon a grand illuminated manuscript for your legacy. 2d4 hounds and 1d4 houndmasters to walk the grounds and periphery of your stronghold and see to its upkeep.


4. 2d8 clerics of 1st Level and 3d4 friars of 1st Level, to study at your feet and learn to better connect themselves with the divine before going off into the neighboring wood as witch-finders and pilgrims. 2d4 antiquarians from Loom and Bellthorp, to help write letters and see that any shrine in the nearby wold is proper archived in a votive manuscript. 4d10 laborers to help tend to the daily upkeep of the stronghold and 1d4 chefs from Castle Brackenwold to ensure you are always able to properly eat a warm meal.


Your Legacy [d6]

1. Your sacrifice and devotion to the One True God was not without its failings, but one does not become recognized as a martyr unless they have suffered. Your name is inscribed upon your stronghold in stone, to be remembered as a martyr and a patron of the faithful and the good. Yours is a name remembered on feasting days, and to some you are viewed as a lesser saint of the woods.


2. Towards the end of your life you produced a votive manuscript of divine ensorcellment, such that any who gaze upon it feel the sublime weakness of a child before the strength of the heavenly host. The tome itself, when read aloud, has been ascribed to converting many a pagan host to the only true and proper path.


3. You died as an anchorite, your body host to the demons of the wood which if not for your grit and mettle, would’ve ravaged the common man and made mockery of their forms. You forced them to test you, with razors and claws, and though you lost your life in the process, they died sealed away; broken and impotent. You are known as the Hateful Host, the Knife, the Unbroken, and the Sacrament Sinner; titles which inspire those who know the truth of their origin.


4. You re-established the strength of the Church in the eyes of the Goatlords, manipulating politics so as to see their daughters married to the pious and zealous servant of the One True God. Within generations, the Goatlords will face schisms between their goodly population and their pagan traditions. You die knowing the Church will be stronger for this in time.


5. You died at the hands of the Drune, but not before burning one of their lodges and releasing those they would have offered up to hateful entities under baleful daggers and moonlight. Your death spurred on the fury of the righteous, and the Watchers of the Wood will recede into shadow and flame as the common man desires even less to do with them.


6. You engaged with a beast glantislant, or some other wretched behemoth, which sought to bring the woods to bend the knee and die, consumed by madness. You beat it back, you engaged the One True God to let you die a martyr if it would save the good people of the wood. You are remembered now as a Saint of self-sacrifice and beast-hunting, held in the toasts of hunters and those who face overwhelming odds to defend a greater ideal of community.


Thursday, May 14, 2020

Best Left Buried: The Bard (Unofficial)

The Bard
“Now it isn’t my fault that I, of smoldering gaze and a smile as white as moonlight, can woo three generations of uptight nobility into seeking me out whilst I lounge in their boudoir, priming my instrument for their pleasure. In truth I think it is our society which is to blame for putting such burdens of position upon young souls and souls young at heart who wish to be ravished by the imagined what if, of someone other than who they are bound. Thus the song, thus the dance, thus the dreams, thus the scandal.” - the Bard

"...Do you even hear yourself when you talk?" - Sensible Companions



Anyone will tell you that a Bard is a monster. Someone with a winning smile, an aesthetic somehow sublime even when waist deep in filth; someone with a voice that enrapts and seduces with all the possibilities of a better life.They entertain, naturally beguiling, drawing crowds and lacing their lyrics with infatuating thoughts. They fancy themselves true voices of the people, but in truth they know they can only exist among those who need their faint embers of hope enkindled. Those of true ambition, and deepest despair, have no time for such wastrels.

Secrets & Scandals: Bards have a nature about them which makes them seem good to talk to. This is universally, always, a bad idea. The Bard may, when conversing with individuals, spend a point of Grip to make a Wits check. On a successful roll, the party the Bard is talking to reveals; unintentionally, something personal or ripe for their own destruction.

This information may be a casual secret, an assumed desire, an emotional tell; not necessarily true, but something the Bard can convince others is true and manipulate for their own personal gain. The Bard holds the Upper Hand on rolls made to manipulate others into believing whatever scandal they conjure up about their victim.

The Bard may release this benefit in exchange for being held to no consequence for their wrong-doings, demanding blackmail payment, passing the blame on to another for the scandal, or manipulating the victim to anger or sorrow at the Bard’s discretion.

Bad Influence: Bards have the Upper Hand when encouraging others to engage in acts of hedonism, foolishness, bad faith, debauchery, or in pursuit of darkly-held desires. If the Bard is able to convince someone to do something they would not otherwise wish to do; such as getting a former alcoholic turned friar to succumb to drinking again, or getting a childhood crush to confess to a now married person despite the humiliation; the Bard regains 1d3 Grip. 

Celebrity Quality: Bards are adored by the public for their aesthetic, their voice, and the romanticism applied to what others assume to be natural bravado and charisma. Bards can spend a point of Grip to attract a crowd in places where this would make sense (in a tavern, the village square, anywhere in a big city.) Doing this causes the Bard to be Against the Odds with local authorities, such as respected elders, scornful parents, bitter guards, and senior religious officials.

Intolerable Company: For as much as the public adores the Bard, their companions generally find them to be troublesome at the best of times. Other members of the Bard’s party act Against the Odds to aid, rescue, or help the Bard if the Bard has made use of their Secrets & Scandal within the last 24 hours. Furthermore, if the current situation has been made overtly worse by the Bard’s Bad Influence, party members must spend a point of Grip to even attempt to aid the Bard.

Dastards and Everymen of backgrounds that would make them easy prey for a Bard do not consider the Bard to be intolerable company and may aid them as usual.

Suggested Advancements: Take Child of Prophecy if your Bard is an absolute prat with delusions of grandeur. Take Battle Frenzy if your Bard has a violent temper when things don’t go their way. Take Eldritch Pact if your Bard is only so talented and beautiful because of background dealings with monstrosities from beyond the veil.

Note: I don't like Bards, and if there has to be one in Best Left Buried, I'd enjoy it to feel like a liability to have around. They can gather crowds, they can get useful blackmail, they can do and make people do terrible things because peer pressure; because why not trust the handsome/beautiful stranger? They wouldn't lead you wrong. 

Once again I don't want to step on the niche of a Scholar class, as they deserve to have the lore abilities. Scholars can know about Ghouls, Bards can convince you they saw the deacon making love to one based on a slur of the speech or a misplaced glance. They aren't inherently musical individuals from a mechanical standpoint, but there's nothing stopping you from having them do all this while cranking a hurdy-gurdy. 

Bards are designed to be socially based, not of the greatest use in the crypt; but they can cause enough havoc to ensure you get paid ample bits more than what you signed up for by virtue of blackmailing their hosts or driving them to violence or humiliation paid for by another patron. Their downside is of course, that Bards are very scorned by authority proper---as well as most other cryptdiggers who don't much appreciate having a shitty pretty boy accompanying them, strumming on loots, and ticking off the rabble. 

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Best Left Buried: The Herald

The Herald
“Friends, clerics, and thrice-anointed members of this, the lavish House of Chalices; I have the honor, nay, the privilege of introducing you to the Company of the Twelve. They’ve slain the fallen archon of Karam-Kotal, they routed the draconic horrors of the Southern Steppe! They come to you now, vaunted in deed, to humbly offer their service to your masters at the behest of their own!”

Heralds, Historical.

Heralds are not what one would often think of as heroes. They are performers, their craft; that of the lie you wish to believe. They monger in reputation and pomposity, offering up embellished tales of mighty deeds and desirable connections between the ruling class and those who delve the dark places of the world. They are notably glib, guileful, and always in the service of more wicked and influential sorts. 

Comforting Lies: Heralds are masters of spinning the truth and rousing speeches meant to manipulate their fellow cryptdiggers from the pits of despair. Once per adventuring day, the Herald may bid a number of points of Grip and make a Wits check with a target number of 8+Grip bet. On a successful roll, all those in the presence of the Herald recover Grip equal to the amount bet. The Herald can not recover Grip in doing this. They find no comfort in these lies.

The Honor, Nay, the Privilege: Heralds have the Upper Hand when introducing themselves, their company, or their party to high-ranking members of society such as nobles, military officers, academics, or clergy. Heralds may spend a point of Grip to grant the Upper Hand to other party members during said introductions, even if that character would otherwise be hated, spat upon, or be otherwise Against the Odds.

The Company Man: Heralds are always assumed to be lickspittle to the superior officers within their cryptdigger company, for without their master’s favor they lack any power or authority. Heralds are Against the Odds to lie to their superiors or act against them. Heralds must make a Grip check if they are ever accused of sedition or betrayal by higher ranking members of the company (including other archetypes such as Veterans.)

Suggested Advancements: Take Master of Deceit if your Herald knows exactly what it is their line of work calls for. Take Ears of the Owl if they’ve spent some time in court and know they shouldn’t trust anyone. Take The Holy Song of War if your Herald has learned that faith is an opiate best shared with masses that can throw their weight around

Note: As there was talk of a desire for a Bard for Best Left Buried, I thought to cobble together a character archetype that better fits the tone of the implied setting and the mercenary company implications therein. Thus rather than a magic musical troubadour (which is silly) who knows lore (which steps on the niche of the Scholar), you get the Herald, a pompous social sort who is good at making connections, lying to benefit allies after a calamity befalls them, and who is adherent to the company's social order (as without it they lack any structure). They are one part A Knight's Tale Chaucer, one part Jeff Winger, and a few parts spy, company loyalist, and most likely to fall into alcoholism type face character. 

As with much of Best Left Buried,  the social characters shouldn't be entirely social-based. The Herald exists usefully in the crypt as a means to recover Grip at the cost of their own, and they have a use when getting jobs from important patrons (as well as when covering up for less than pleasant party members during said social interactions). Their downside is a bit less downside than some other archetypes due to its specificity; but the penalty is a bit harsher (beyond what will happen on a narrative level) and anyone else in the party who accuses them of betrayal/sedition can also invoke it (thus Veterans have more power/position, and if the party has a leader proper, they too will wield this over with the Herald.) They will likely work in interesting tandem with Dastards and Cutthroats, potentially allowing for a very dashing musketeer type trio.

Monday, May 4, 2020

OSE: Woldish Goatman Race-as-Class [Unofficial]

Just a quick OSE-take of a favorite enemy group which might be able to function as Player Characters in the larger woodland region. No additional randomizers or anything as I'm working on other projects; but felt the desire to give this a shot and see how it turns out. It is, from a design perspective, a hodgepodge of OSE Barbarian, Half-Orc, Ranger and a smidge of Knight; which I think encapsulates the general vibe of Goatmen as a whole, with room to be a Longhorn or Shorthorn as a bit of customization. 

Woldish Goatmen
The horned folk of the High Wold, generally of evil bent and wicked desire. Equal to humans in intellect, but of a devil’s cunning. Some will collaborate with the soulless animals of humanity and the perfidious demi-fey of the wilds to increase their personal power and grasp at dangerous ambitions.

Red Steel's take on the O.G.

Woldish Goatman [Race-as-Class]
Requirements: None 
Prime requisite: DEX and STR
Hit Dice: 1d6 
Maximum level:
Armour: Leather, chainmail, shields, plate (upon becoming a Longhorn)
Weapons: Any
Languages: Alignment language, Woldish, Gaffe, Caprice (if INT or CHA is 13+)
Special: A Woldish Goatman with at least 13 in one prime requisite gains a 5% bonus to experience. If a Woldish Goatman has an INT, CHA, or WIS of 13+ they will automatically be a Longhorn come 5th level.

Longhorn Gazes & Shorthorn Chicanery
Upon reaching 5th level, the Woldish Goatman’s hierarchical position is all but certain. The character must choose between being a Longhorn and a Shorthorn.

Being a Longhorn...
Those who are Longhorns gain the use of a terrible gaze, which grants the use of a Charm spell once per day. Those afflicted by the gaze are additionally unable to harm the Longhorn until the sunrise of the following day. Additionally the butt attack of a Longhorn increases to a d8 damage dice.

But to their detriment Longhorns are expected to serve as the sadistic noble knights of their people. They must engage in Single Combat as Knights do (See Advanced Fantasy Genre Rules, p28). They will also be expected to serve one of the Goatlords, which will grant them enemies of others. Being a hedge knight will gain them further enemies without any diplomatic benefit. 

Being a Shorthorn...
Shorthorns are not blessed with a sorcerous gaze or powerful horns, and the shame of their position leads to greater efforts in chicanery and thuggery whilst adventuring. Shorthorn gain a +1 AC bonus due to the abuses suffered leading to a resilient hide, and they gain a 3-in-6 chance of going unnoticed when sneaking up on a target. If the Shorthorn goes unnoticed, the target may be surprised. 

Shorthorns occupy a lower role in society, but as a result little is expected of them to serve. Humanity elsewhere in the Wold look upon a Shorthorn with far less fear than they gaze upon a Longhorn; and as such the hatreds suffered are somewhat less. Shorthorn are not expected to swear fealty to any Goatlord, it is assumed by any Longhorn that a Shorthorn must already be owned chattel. As such, Shorthorns can make for reliable spies and informants due to their innocuous position. 

Meredith McClaren, used without permission.


Woldfish Goatmen Skills
Goatmen of the Wold can use the following skills with the chance of success shown in the matrix below: 
▶ Climb sheer surfaces (CS): Only applies to natural surfaces (e.g. tree trunks, cliff faces). A skill roll is required for each 50’ height to be climbed. Failure indicates that the Goatman falls at the halfway point, suffering falling damage. They are goats after all.
▶ Hide in shadows (HS): Requires the Goatman to be motionless—they can neither attack nor move while hiding.
▶ Move silently (MS): A Goatman may attempt to sneak past enemies. 

Combat 
Goatmen can use all types of weapons and can use leather armour, chainmail, and shields. Longhorns may wear plate, but in doing so lose their ability to Climb Sheer Surfaces.Goatmen also possess an innate headbutt attack, which deals d4 damage.

Disdain of Drune & Witches 
The Woldish Goatmen have long had poor dealings with the Watchers of the Wood and the Witches of the region. They will not knowing assist either such force and any attempts made to parlay with such forces (not intended for outright treachery) are made with a -2 penalty to reaction rolls. Longhorns who are noted for receiving aid from these forces will be assumed traitors to their people; Shorthorns will be assumed to be bewitched and pitiable. 

Foraging and Hunting 
A party possessing a Woldish Goatman succeeds at foraging with a 2-in-6 chance, and finds prey when hunting with a 2-in-6 chance. If it is a Shorthorn, the foraging chance is increased to 4-in-6; if it is a Longhorn the hunting chance is increased to 4-in-6.

Laurie Skelton, used without permission.

Retainers
The Woldish Goatmen are almost universally reviled within the Dolmenwood, as such an retainer in their employ have their loyalty score reduced by one. Longhorns will never serve a Shorthorn, asking such is grounds for a duel. This penalty is not present for Shorthorns serving a Longhorn.

After Reaching 9th Level
A Woldish Goatman may make the fool’s errand of seeking true power and authority, carving out a dominion within the wilderness. Longhorns may build a castle of stronghold and control the surrounding lands, becoming known as a Lord or by some other title won through belligerence against their now rival Goatlord peers.

Shorthorns will never be accepted as rulers, and thus they may establish a village under the service of a proper lord, or establish a rebel stronghold, attracting 2d6 bandits, rebels, and other goatmen destined for shorthorn nothingness. These rebels will serve the character with some reliability, but if killed or enslaved by Longhorns, the PC will not be able to attract new rebels to replace them (unless daring raids are performed).

Woldish Goatman Level Progression
Level
XP
HD
THAC0
1
0
1d6
19 [0]
2
1,850
2d6
19 [0]
3
3,750
3d6
19 [0]
4
7,500
4d6
19 [0]
5
15,000
5d6
17 [+2]
6
30,000
6d6
17 [+2]
7
60,000
7d6
17 [+2]
8
120,000
8d6
17 [+2]
9
250,000
9d6
14 [+5]

Woldish Goatman Saving Throw
Level
D
W
P
B
S
1
13
14
13
16
16
2
13
14
13
16
16
3
13
14
13
16
16
4
12
14
13
16
16
5
12
13
13
16
15
6
12
13
11
14
15
7
11
13
11
14
13
8
11
12
11
14
13
9
11
12
9
14
13

Woldish Goatman Skills Chance of Success
Level
CS
HS
MS
1
85
10
20
2
86
15
25
3
88
20
30
4
90
25
35
5
91
30
37
6
92
35
40
7
93
40
42
8
94
45
45
9
95
50
47


An Attempted Framework Conversion for: The Hole in the Oak set in Dolmenwood

The Hole in the Oak is a low level adventure about venturing into the Mythic Underworld for Old-School Essentials , and though it features s...