Playing with Number Cubes

You can get blank dice and little label stickers from educational supply stores to make your own dice. But making the same dice that are commercially available is probably pretty pointless an alternative is of course to make your own.

D3:  Most obvious of all is the 1d3 that’s 1 to 3.  Just label 2 faces with 1, 2 faces with 2 and 2 faces with 3 and you’ve got a d3 that requires no division during play, it’s easy to read and roll too.

H3: This is a High rolling d3, it will generate 1 to 3 but usually a 3.  Label 1 face H1, 2 faces H2 and 3 faces H3.  The H is so no one rolls tis dice by accident. It’s to generate a weighted result that still falls inside the range of 1 to 3.

L3:  This sis a low rolling d3, it will generate 1 to 3 but usyally a 1. Label 3 faces L1, 2 faces L2, and 1 face L3.  The L (as H above  is to keep people from rolling the wrong dice).

Now wait a minute, what good would a L3 or H3 be? For weighted results (I said that above right). One use is damage by punching and kicking in OSR style games. .  L3 for barehand, d3 for gauntlet  or kicking with a shod foot, H3 for Cestus.

C6: Clipped 6. No 1’s or  6’s on this die . 2 faces get C2, 1 C3, 1 C4 , and 2 C5

K6: A Fat Clipped 6.  No 1’s of 6’s but weighted to the middle. 1 face gets a K2, 2 faces get a K3, 2 faces get a K4, and one face gets a K5.

F4: the Fat 4.  I’s a d6 but it rolls 1 to 4 and it’s fat in the middle. so 1 face is F1, 2 faces are F2, 2 faces are F3 and 1 face is F4.

S4: the Short 4. it rolls 1 to 4 but weighted to get a 1 or 2 so  2 faces get a1S, 2 faces get a S2, 1 face gets an S3. 1 faces gets and S4.

T4: the Tall 4  it rolls 1 to 4 but weighted to get a 3 or 4 more often,  Label 1 face T1, 1 face T2, 2 faces T3, and 2 faces T4.

There you a bunch of different ways to use number cubes to change the ranges your RPG campaign uses.


For chart & table fanatics the number cube dice conversion table.

die roll	D3	H3	L3	C6	K6	F4	S4	T4
1	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	1
2	1	2	1	2	3	2	1	2
3	2	2	1	3	3	2	2	3
4	2	3	2	4	4	3	2	3
5	3	3	2	5	4	3	3	4
6	3	3	3	5	5	4	4	4

Extra bonus, minor weapon damage table.

Scalpel	L3
Small Knife	D3
Belt Knife	H3
Scramasax	C6
Cinqueda	K6
Unarmed hand	L3
Shod Foot	D3
Gauntlet	D3
Cestus	H3
Walking Stick	S4
Long Dagger	H4

Solider Aper Paper mini-concept

As a related part of the Simian Savanna I want to make some paper miniatures for the various sorts of apes and mutants. I'd like to produce a few pdfs of the paper minis and offer them for sale (inexpensive or PWYW) on drivethruRPG but i'm not too sure about the trade dress issues.  The sample fellow here is pretty classical and maybe the straight classical look will be freebies distributed differently from the main line.  I imagine soldier apes dressed a bit more like Napoleon wars era might give it a unique and tradedress free look. 

For now the classical gorilla soldier:

Click for full size which is 150 DPI and would be about 2 inches tall if printed at 100%.

 

 

Good idea, bad idea?  Want to see the Napoleonic look or is that bonkers? Maybe WW2 style?

Return to the Simian Savanna Part-I

A while back I made two posts for the Simian Savanna an rpg setting for campaign where apes have taken over a world ruined by the madness of mankind and his technology. With the release of Apes Victorious I'm working on adapting and completing those original materials to that rule set.

Here as preview and reference is my encounter list before incorporating entries from Apes Victorious.  Working on a stat-list for each entry for each terrain type.

Apes
Ape Patrol
Ape WorkParty (mixed apes)
Chimp Farmers
Chimps Scholars
Chimp Hippies
Bald Chimp Mystics
Shaved Chimp Cultists
Chimp Peddler
Chimp War-party
Baboon Marauders
Barbed-wire Baboon Fanatics
Baboon Gypsy
Baboon Scouts
Orangutan Savant
Orangutan Inquisitors
Orangutan Tricksters
Orangutan Bandits
Orangutan Swordsape
Gorilla Pacifists
Hooded Gorilla Militia
Gorilla Gladiator
Gorilla Lumberjack
Gorilla Marksman
Gorilla Hunting-party
Gorilla Savages
Gibbon Messenger
Gibbon Miner
Gibbon Skirmisher
Gibbon Grease Monkey
Gibbon Hobo
Sasquatch
Enlightened Sasquatch Warrior

Ape Mutants
Octorang Freaks
Scorporilla Type-I (has sting)
Scorporilla Type-II  (has stings for forelimbs)
Scorporilla Type-III- (sting, pincer-forelimbs, heavy armor)
Chimpamants
Cyclorilla
Four-armed Cyclorilla
Winged Monkeys
Man-Ape Cannibals
Man-Ape Throwbacks

Men/Mutants/Genies
Pygmy Tribesmen
Pygmy Shaman
Pygmy Sorcerer (Frauds or Psionics)
Painted Pygmy Cannibal Cultists
Pygmy Wanderers
Pygmy Peddler
Albino Cannibals
Albino Cultists (Reveal their inner-selves to the divine radiance)
Albino Reconstructions
Albino Luddites (Must destroy all technology that ruined the world)
Amazon Man-hunters (Liberated groovy muscle women)
Amazon Huntress
Amazon Hoplites
Amazon Bikers (Reject established Amazon society)
Simple Devolved Humans
Ravenous Devolved Humans
Kor Scout (mutant/augmented military brigades, believe themselves to be the new men)
Kor Sniper
Kor Commando
Kor Trooper
Lost Astronaut/Sleeper
Pampered Eloi
Eloi Assassin
Eloi Empaths
Eloi Vampires
Ghoul
Craniacs
Morlock Hunchbacks
Albino Morlocks
Shaggy Morlocks
Pink Morlocks
Morlock Brutes

Cyborgs and Created
Androids
Simian Cyber Slaves
Mutant Radio-drones
Wired Quislings
Patchwork Rejects
Robotank
Patchwork Immortal
Trashmass (animated junk pile)

New Folk
Moleman
Troglozak
Doggen
Wolfer
Ursoids
Skullmen
Floating Brain
Roachmen
Octon Explorers (Octopus men)
Octon War-Party
Octon Scientist
Death Turnips (sentient plantmen)


Mutant Horrors
Wolf Rats
Atomic-Zombie
Rustbear
Dreaded Mole
Bloat
Army Moles
Rad Bats
Creeping Grats
Toxic Grats
Blade Bats
Sting Bats
Grook
Giant Grat
Hemovores
Giant Scorpions
Sharkasaurus
Two-Headed Snapper
Bog Squid
Albino Sewer Gator
Muck Whale
Ash Crab
Shrieking Roaches
Razor Roach
Yellow Spitting Ants
Green Zombie-Ants
Green Zants  (green ant zombie)
Orange Rust Ants
Purple Stinging Ants
Gaunt Lapper
Giant Armored Skunk
Spiked Sloth
Cactus Ogre
Quill-Boar
Sabreskeeter
Triffid
Sentient Triffid
Batcat
Tigerbat
Crawling Scum (slimy skin of evil)
Huge Moth
Ravenous Clawed Grub
Penguin Swarm

Terrain types
Simian Savanna  (maybe have a Ape City and Pastoral Prefecture subytpes)
Melted Wasteland
Twisted Jungle
Chemswamp
Ashlands
Rotwood
Rust Wastes/Rubblescape (may or may not have separate tables)
NeoEden


I'm straying a bit from classical apes orthodoxy with this stuff by lumping in a bunch of sci-fi stuff from the 60's and 70's  sci-fi literature, comics, film and tv.  The Simian Savanna will have a broader scope where the Apes are competing with other species beyond the remnants of man who are second-class citizens (at best) and not entirely apart from the Ape society just yet. The Simian Savanna is a bit more like the Apes TV series and Marvel Apes comic "Terror" story-lines with some Omega-Man, Kamandi and Hercules Unbound thrown in.

Stranger Owlbears

The Owlbear is an iconic monster of fantasy RPG. The beast mixes the body of a bear with the features of an owl making it strange creature indeed but a creature with a strangeness that is not expanded upon to enhance it's value it play.  Here with stats provided as per swords and wizardry are some variant Owlbears to add to a campaign and make Owlbears more interesting and deadly. The varieties need not all be present in the campaign and one may serve well as the default standard for Owlbears to beef up the reputation of this iconic monster as appropriate for the campaign.

Shrieking Owlbear
Shrieking Owlbears have the body of a bear, but a beak and facial features of an owl. The shrieking owl bear pounces from hiding with a startling shriek that will paralyze all that hear it within 30’ (that fail to save vs paralysis if not immune to fear)for 2-5 rounds. On an attack roll of 18+ or any attack vs a paralyzed victim the shrieking owl bear grabs and mauls the victim for an additional 2d8 points of damage.

 Shrieking Owlbear: HD 5+1; AC 5 [14]; Atk 2 claws (1d6), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12; Save 12; AL N; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Paralyzing shriek, hug for additional 2d8 if to-hit roll is 18+ or victim paralyzed.

Bounding Owlbear
Bounding Owlbears are sleeker and quicker varieties of owl bear that can climb with uncanny ability often leaping on prey from unexpected perches. A Bounding Owl bear may leap or jump down as far as 40’ as part of a attack,or charge move.  If a Bounding owl bear successfully strikes a man-sized or smaller victim while bounding the victim may be knocked prone and pinned beneath the Bounding owl bear until it leaves or is forced off, it is +4 to hit pinned victims.
On an attack roll of 18+ or any successful attack vs a pinned victim the bounding owl bear will maul it’s victim for an additional 2d8 points of damage.

Bounding Owlbear: HD 5+1; AC 5 [14]; Atk 2 claws (1d6), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12, Climb 9; Save 12; AL N; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Maul for additional 2d8 if to-hit roll is 18+ or vs pinned victim.

Uncanny Owlbear
Uncanny Owlbears have the body of a bear, but a beak and eyes of an owl. If anyone is unlucky enough to meet the gaze of an uncanny owl bear they must save vs paralysis or be frozen in place for 10-60 minutes. On an attack roll of 18+ (natural roll), the owlbear grabs its victim and mauls it for an additional 2d8 points of damage. Uncanny Owlbears prefer to drag paralyzed victims back to their lair to dismember and dine on them in peace. Only a sick or controlled Uncanny Owlbear would attack more than one paralyzed victim unless it was defending it’s lair or young.

 Uncanny Owlbear: HD 5+1; AC 5 [14]; Atk 2 claws (1d6), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12; Save 12; AL N; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Gaze, maul for additional 2d8 if to-hit roll is 18+ or victim paralyzed.

Witchlin Owlbear
Witchlin Owlbears appear much as their kin but they have a mysterious aura of power and magic about them.  If a Withclin Owlbear saves vs a spell (or other targeted magic) the spell is reflected back at the caster due to the weird magical energies it is infused with (which also give it an improved save vs spells). On an attack roll of 18+ (natural roll), the owlbear grabs its victim and hugs it for an additional 2d8 points of damage.

Withclin Owlbear: HD 5+1; AC 5 [14]; Atk 2 claws (1d6), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12, Climb 6; Save 12 (10 vs spells); AL C; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Maul for additional 2d8 if to-hit roll is 18+.




Murmuring Owlbear
Murmuring Owlbears have the body of a bear and the facial feats of an Owl. The murmuring owl bear constantly murmurs and babbles causing fear and distraction in those near it, anyone within 60’ of a murmuring owlbear that isn’t silenced must save vs confusion or be unable to act meaningfully until the owlbear harms them directly or slays a companion. On an attack roll of 18+ (natural roll), the owlbear grabs its victim and mauls it for an additional 2d8 points of damage.

Murmuring Owlbear: HD 5+1; AC 5 [14]; Atk 2 claws (1d6), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12, Climb 9; Save 12; AL N; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Confusion, Maul for additional 2d8 if to-hit roll is 18+ or vs pinned victim.