The following is an introduction to the concept of the Nether Realms as places defiend by their elemental balance and energies by outlining several different Elemental Nether Realms.
The nether realms have varying degrees of similarity with the mundane prime material world with the most noticeable differences begin the connections to the various elemental planes. A nether realm may suffer or benefit from varying degrees and energy level of elemental substance. The following describes in broad terms some of the myriad possible Nether Realms.
Ash Nether- these realms have had a (relatively) recent surge in the abundance of elemental fire which has led to a degree of ruin and ash in the aftermath of the surge. The realm is still likely to be strongly influenced by Fire but it is possible for the realm to have stabilized or eased back to it’s original balance. Smoke and still burning fires are not at all uncommon in an Ash Nether and breathing may be made difficult by the smoke and ever present ash.
Ice Nether- these cold frozen realms suffer from a dominance of Air and Water (sometimes in conflict) with a weak or lacking influence of Fire. Mountains will be crumbling under the weight of glaciers, snows will blanket all the land and all but the deepest of seas will be frozen solid.
Rust Nether- a realm of elemental imbalance where the solidity of earth and the nurturing of water is checked by a diffuse but ever-present intrusion of fire and air. Matter itself is slowly burring away by the imbalance and while not traditionally ablaze all the world will look to be burning or rusting away. Nothing but the most extraordinary will last long in a rust nether.
Dust Nether- A realm with a lack of water where air dominates the earth. Vast seas of dust are blown by the harsh winds where oceans might otherwise flow.
Salt Nether- these realms have modern lack of Water and by an imbalance with Earth and the other elements great swaths of land are covered by great crystal towers of salt, the older the realm the less of these there will be found standing (unless the realm differs from a weakness of Air) and great salt flats will cover much of the terrain.
Radiant Nether- these curious realms are created by an over abundance of Fire that expresses itself as radiant heat and other energies not simply flame. Should there be a sun or stars in the sky they will be colossal and vibrant. Beware the lycanthropes in realms warmed by energetic vibrant moons.
Quag Nether- in these realms Earth and water dominate and are in conflict with each other leaving low languid mountains, shallow silt filled seas and sodden fields. These are dreary places where geyser of mud threaten what passes for life as much as volcanoes do in the mundane world.
Dusk Nether- in these realms Fire is not absent but it is not as energetic as it is in the mundane world and as such heat is nit as warm and light not as bright. A dim dusky gloom is common during the days lit by a lazy sun and the nights are deep and dark with virtually invisible stars and a dim moon.
Metal Nether- curious realms where Fire and Earth battled for dominance (and perhaps still do) where life is formed by metallic growths instead of flesh and bone as known in the mundane world. In realms where water is not absent great beaches of rust are pounded by lead colored waves.
Morttuus Nether- these are realms where death has won out over life perhaps by a sudden intrusion or absence of elemental energy. Some realms will be long dead with little but the eldest of shades present while others will be as a recent filled necropolis sometimes crawling with the undead. Some scholars will call these a Praesepultuus realm for all the world appears buried in death. There may endure populations of carrion scavengers and ghouls if the death of the realm was recent enough (one has to wonder at the hunger of ghouls in a Mortuus Nether long after the death of the living).
Vital Nether- a world teeming with life in abundance beyond anything seen in the mundane world, beasts and plants grow upon each other and the very dust in the air and the mountains themselves are alive, the ground is writhing with vermin and the seas are filled with life almost to the point one could walk upon the surface of the waters. All the blessings and curses of organic life are ever-present in these realms where even the ground itself may bleed.
Flooded Nether- an overabundance of Water has flooded a seemingly mundane world. All that remains is likely drowned but it isn not impossible for life to cling to rafts (or arks) or dwell high upon isolated mountainous islands where earth has not given way entirely to water.
Vitriolic Nether- Water is in imbalance with the other elements in these realms and often where one would expect to encounter common water they are instead scorched by acid. In some realms life has adopted but in others it hides from the ever worsening rains that strip the flesh and flow down to sea of acid.
Anemos Nether- realms rich in energetic Air. The ever-present winds may lift whole islands up into the sky or rip away at the earth forming great delicate labyrinthine arches or have ground all but the greatest of mountains into a featureless waste.
Exanimus Nether- these realms are often mistaken for a Mortuus Nether because few last long in a sustained absence of Air. If the realm was of a different balance int he past it may indeed bear more characteristics with a dead realm but this is coincidence as while the sudden lack of air is deadly there is no negative force in play itself. Gods, wizards, and ancient civilizations may still reside in dome covered citadels that hold in precious air but the rest of the realm is a virtual vacuum.
Molten Nether- in these realms Fire and Earth are in dominance and battle with each other causing the presence of magma seas and gigantic volcanoes. Some may host cities of efreeti and demons relaxing in cooler climes. Some molten realms may have been a Metal Nether in the past and have huge melting cities or wilds covered by the steely skeletons of metallic beasts now dead.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
RIP Grandpa
My grandfather passed away yesterday morning at the age of 89. He recently suffered a stroke and was left paralyzed on the right side of his body and unable to speak or swallow.He was a pretty typical grandftaher in some ways; he showed me the basics of car repair on one of his old cars when i was little, my first car was his 78 Malibu on it's third engine, he'd slip $5.00 bills into my pocket when I wasn't looking into my early 30's. His only vice that I am aware of was gambling and that was mostly at OTB where he made daily visits when it was open, he gambled for years off of a "big" win and never let it be a problem to the family finances so it wasn't all that much.
This doesn't have a lot to do with gaming aside from my grandparent's home always being a place where family got together to play games, tons of scrabble and familiar family games but we also ranged far afield and played obscure games and made up our own as well. Back in my early D&D days my uncle used to visit about once a month and my father, uncle and a few work friends of my father's would play D&D with me DMing; during this period my grandfather would play a few times a year in those early days. My Grandpa's D&D chaarcter was a dwarf with a spear, I can't recall the character's name but the figure sat on my grandparent's mantle for years. While my grandpa enjoyed D&D a bit he enjoyed StarFrontiers more the few times we played it together he was a bigger fan of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon than Conan and elves.
A few pictures.
Ashes to Ashes. We all have our beginning's and our end. I lucked out with a decent grandpa who certainly contributed to my love of games.
This doesn't have a lot to do with gaming aside from my grandparent's home always being a place where family got together to play games, tons of scrabble and familiar family games but we also ranged far afield and played obscure games and made up our own as well. Back in my early D&D days my uncle used to visit about once a month and my father, uncle and a few work friends of my father's would play D&D with me DMing; during this period my grandfather would play a few times a year in those early days. My Grandpa's D&D chaarcter was a dwarf with a spear, I can't recall the character's name but the figure sat on my grandparent's mantle for years. While my grandpa enjoyed D&D a bit he enjoyed StarFrontiers more the few times we played it together he was a bigger fan of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon than Conan and elves.
A few pictures.
 | ||
| Grandpa (in the middle) back in WW2 playing with a scratch built "Japanese Banjo", most of the men in the picture are Japanese Prisoners of War. The Japanese POW's used to gamble with each other for work duty assignemnts such as trash carrying, of barber (can you imagine that Japanese POW's shaving U.S. servicemen with a straight razor?) |
 | ||
| Grandpa dressed up for my Aunt's Wedding in the late 1970's. |
 | |
| Grandpa chatting with a horse. Animals seemed to like the man, birds would land on his hands if he held them out for a bird to perch. |
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
The Scornsmen
That which rots in the underworld is best kept in the underworld. Those that pry the filthy lucre, cursed refuse, and grave-goods of forgotten tribes should be called out for their sins. - typical notions of The Scornsmen.
The Scornsmen are an association of anti-dungeon delvers that is just begging to be included in a megadungeon campaign. Put them in on the random encounter tables for your local dungeon or town, have the be a foil for your murder hobos, or a faction to join. the following are a few ideas on using a loose confederation of anti-dungeoneering activists in campaigns.
Scornsmen in the local tavern.
Seeing as “adventurers” like to frequent taverns that’s where you are going to find scornsmen. Scornsmen in taverns will typically be of two varieties the obvious rabble-rousing do-gooders preaching about the dangers of dungeon looting and the moral and spiritual decay that it inflicts on practitioners and spies keeping an eye on dungeon-looters. If the scorns men are busy in the local taverns adventurers will have half the chance of finding henchmen, patrons, and clues as they normally would.
Scornsmen in the Streets.
Some scornsmen will appear to be soap-box prophets, or stange cultists preaching about the danger s of dungeon delving but some will also be hit squads willing to act when the law will not or when the law find’s it convenient to not offend a bunch of psychotic murder hobos of undecided power. Having scorns men causing a ruckus in the streets will reduce the opportunities dungeoneers have in unloading less portable loot, scorns men have been known to report sales of illicit goods to the proper authorities.
Scornsmen in the Outdoors
Scornsmen encounter on the road iand in the fields will come off as much as they do in the streets and alleys of a town but sometimes they will draw up large crowds of rustic folk and work them up into a frenzied rabble that wouldn’t be wise for a band of adventurers with sacks full of freshly looted coin to bump into. Scornsmen have been none to host educational events to boost their ranks and warn the public and sometimes these encampments can last for weeks drawing in the curious for miles about. There have been events all to similar to with-hunts/burnings sponsored by scorns men or taken to extreme by locals (many scorns men would be happy to shame adventurers onto a righteous path).
Scornsmen in the Courts of power
Scornsmen will constantly be trying to sway the opinions of nobles and royals to get them to pass laws and decrees that make dungeon-looting illegal or more difficult. when the scorensmen don’t; resort to violence but do have the ear of a prince or duke there will be tough times ahead for adventurers.
Scornsmen in the Dungeons
It would seem and unusual place for the scornsmen but the more militant of them and the hardier can be found in the catacombs and dark mazes of the underworld where they seek to save souls, stop the flow of dangerous contagion to the surface world, and purge the world of the unredeemed. Such wandering bands of scornemsen can be almost as well equipped as adventuring parties but they may lack some of the prized times that can normally only be found while looting dungeons. Some scornemen chapters leave the goods heaped in dungeons, some trap and even guard illicit caches down in the underworld, some destroy what they can in the depths while others secret them away to vaults of dangerous goods kept safe by the scornsmen.
Scornsmen as Adventurers
They are no fools these scornsmen and they will recruit and employ those who may otherwise fall to drawing forth the tainted goods of the underworld and as such this offers adventurers a number of opportunities. PC scorns men could gain exp for converting NPC dungeons, for treasure liberated from looters, for time spent guarding caches, and for times secreted away into vaults.
The Scornsmen are an association of anti-dungeon delvers that is just begging to be included in a megadungeon campaign. Put them in on the random encounter tables for your local dungeon or town, have the be a foil for your murder hobos, or a faction to join. the following are a few ideas on using a loose confederation of anti-dungeoneering activists in campaigns.
Scornsmen in the local tavern.
Seeing as “adventurers” like to frequent taverns that’s where you are going to find scornsmen. Scornsmen in taverns will typically be of two varieties the obvious rabble-rousing do-gooders preaching about the dangers of dungeon looting and the moral and spiritual decay that it inflicts on practitioners and spies keeping an eye on dungeon-looters. If the scorns men are busy in the local taverns adventurers will have half the chance of finding henchmen, patrons, and clues as they normally would.
Scornsmen in the Streets.
Some scornsmen will appear to be soap-box prophets, or stange cultists preaching about the danger s of dungeon delving but some will also be hit squads willing to act when the law will not or when the law find’s it convenient to not offend a bunch of psychotic murder hobos of undecided power. Having scorns men causing a ruckus in the streets will reduce the opportunities dungeoneers have in unloading less portable loot, scorns men have been known to report sales of illicit goods to the proper authorities.
Scornsmen in the Outdoors
Scornsmen encounter on the road iand in the fields will come off as much as they do in the streets and alleys of a town but sometimes they will draw up large crowds of rustic folk and work them up into a frenzied rabble that wouldn’t be wise for a band of adventurers with sacks full of freshly looted coin to bump into. Scornsmen have been none to host educational events to boost their ranks and warn the public and sometimes these encampments can last for weeks drawing in the curious for miles about. There have been events all to similar to with-hunts/burnings sponsored by scorns men or taken to extreme by locals (many scorns men would be happy to shame adventurers onto a righteous path).
Scornsmen in the Courts of power
Scornsmen will constantly be trying to sway the opinions of nobles and royals to get them to pass laws and decrees that make dungeon-looting illegal or more difficult. when the scorensmen don’t; resort to violence but do have the ear of a prince or duke there will be tough times ahead for adventurers.
Scornsmen in the Dungeons
It would seem and unusual place for the scornsmen but the more militant of them and the hardier can be found in the catacombs and dark mazes of the underworld where they seek to save souls, stop the flow of dangerous contagion to the surface world, and purge the world of the unredeemed. Such wandering bands of scornemsen can be almost as well equipped as adventuring parties but they may lack some of the prized times that can normally only be found while looting dungeons. Some scornemen chapters leave the goods heaped in dungeons, some trap and even guard illicit caches down in the underworld, some destroy what they can in the depths while others secret them away to vaults of dangerous goods kept safe by the scornsmen.
Scornsmen as Adventurers
They are no fools these scornsmen and they will recruit and employ those who may otherwise fall to drawing forth the tainted goods of the underworld and as such this offers adventurers a number of opportunities. PC scorns men could gain exp for converting NPC dungeons, for treasure liberated from looters, for time spent guarding caches, and for times secreted away into vaults.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Random Dungeon Generation with Binary Space Partitions
One method used in computer games to generate random maps is the binary space partition (the BSP). In it's simplest application a space is subdivided into multiple smaller halves, this is repeated until enough breakdown is achieved and them details are added to flesh it out. It works in computer games, it should work in randomly building dungeons for table-top games.
Take a grid and block it off roughly in half.
Take those halves and split them in rough halves. I'm offsetting a little here and there .
Keep splitting up those halves either vertically or horizontally as you wish.
After a whiel you'll get enough complexity to suit your tastes, stop subdividing and draw in what fills those paces. (In my example here I went with rectangles one square in from the border of each space most of the time. I also decided to take my original couple dividing lines and make them wide corridors.)
Add some details such as minor connecting corridors and doors and there you are a randomly generated dungeon map.
Quick and easy random BSP dungeon generation tables, mark 1a.
Take a grid and block it off roughly in half.
Take those halves and split them in rough halves. I'm offsetting a little here and there .
Keep splitting up those halves either vertically or horizontally as you wish.
After a whiel you'll get enough complexity to suit your tastes, stop subdividing and draw in what fills those paces. (In my example here I went with rectangles one square in from the border of each space most of the time. I also decided to take my original couple dividing lines and make them wide corridors.)
Quick and easy random BSP dungeon generation tables, mark 1a.
Die rolll
|
BSP split
|
1
|
Divide Vertically exactly down the middle
|
2
|
Divide Vertically offset to the west
|
3
|
Divide Vertically Offset to the east
|
4
|
Divide Horizontally exactly down the middle
|
5
|
Divide Hortizontally offset to the north
|
6
|
Divide Horizontally offset to the south
|
|
Die rolll
|
Detailing the BSP area
|
|
1
|
Ignore the area, it’s full of stone.
|
|
2
|
Whole space is open.
|
|
3
|
Offset inward one square
|
|
4
|
Only fill the middle half of the space
|
|
5
|
Fill with a triangle that best fits.
|
|
6
|
Fill with an Oval that best fits
|
|
Die rolll
|
BSP connections
|
|
1-2
|
One Connection to one neighboring space
|
|
3
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Two connections to same neighboring space.
|
|
4-5
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One connection to each of two neighboring spaces.
|
|
6
|
one connection to all neighboring spaces
|
Friday, December 18, 2015
Longer Living (possibly) with HTK
A complaint about old-school RPG is how gosh-darned lethal it is at low levels and while I completely understand the and even appreciate the brutal campaign model that helps establish there are other ways game play can go with minor adjustment to rules and in this case what HP are.
Here on out in this post HP are going away as the definition of a charter and monsters durability in combat to be replaced with an old time alternative of HTK (Hits to Kill), Hit Points are the degree of damage a blow, effect, or situation inflicts upon others.
Alternative HTK based Combat
HTK serves to measure two things: durability and a threshold for being defeated in a single blow.
Whenever a character, NPC, or monster suffers damage equal to or in excess of their current HTK score said charcter, NPC, or monster is Killed.
Whenever a character, NPC, or monster suffers damage under their current HTK score they are Hit and theHTK score is reduced by 1 point.
Natural Healing occurs gradually, 1 HTK is restored per day of rest. This might seem slow but it is an entire hit thus a wound that is being shaken off and recovered from.
Magical Healing works as normal with 1 HTK being restored per traditional HP that would be restored by a spell. Magical healing is a bit more magical as it isn't just healing portions of wounds but entire wounds, likely multiple wounds.
So a massive blow will still eliminate a combatant but minor blows will wear away slowly at combatants. This gives Pcs a little more room to be heroic at lower levels as (by example) 2 successive blows for 3 pts of damage each do not vanquish a character with 6 HTK but instead inflict 2 hits that reduce the HTK score to 4. Protracted combat becomes more and more dangerous but the threshold from living to dead may take longer to be breached.
It should also be obvious that higher HTK characters and monsters are going to be around longer in fights unless some really big guns are brought into play. Clever play and tactics should involve combats that are more than simple attrition on abstract HP abd maybe even encourage non-combat resolution to potential threats in a game. A 44 HTK dragon under this alternate combat variant would be be pretty fearsome if there was no way a party could deliver 44 or more pts of damage in a single blow.
Possible Elaborations
Non-lethal combat-
Non-lethal damage. Non-lethal damage still wears a combatant down in the same manner as potentially lethal blows and makes it possible for lethal attacks mixed in to slay combatant but if the blow struck that overcomes a combatants HTK is non-lethal they are knocked out instead.
Recovering from non-lethal damage is quicker with 1 HTK being restored by 10 minutes of rest or incapacity. Once a character has regained 3 HTK or more while knocked out they may make a saving throw to recover their sense and function again.
Note: knocking your ally out is not an option to save their life when they are down to 1 HTK only ht non lethal damage is restored at 1 HTK per 10 minutes.
Serious Wounds-
When ever a character is wounded once HTK are reduced to 1/2 HTK or less previously they must make a saving throw or suffer from a Serious Wound. Serious wounds could either be specific effects like broken hands, severed arms, or more generic like the temporary loss of ability points.
Serious wounds should typically be recovered when HTK are recovered in excess of 1/2 HTK but some campaigns may be well served by longer lasting grievous injuries which while someone hasn't suffered enough Hits to Kill them they are still in a very bad state.
Here on out in this post HP are going away as the definition of a charter and monsters durability in combat to be replaced with an old time alternative of HTK (Hits to Kill), Hit Points are the degree of damage a blow, effect, or situation inflicts upon others.
Alternative HTK based Combat
HTK serves to measure two things: durability and a threshold for being defeated in a single blow.
Whenever a character, NPC, or monster suffers damage equal to or in excess of their current HTK score said charcter, NPC, or monster is Killed.
Whenever a character, NPC, or monster suffers damage under their current HTK score they are Hit and theHTK score is reduced by 1 point.
Natural Healing occurs gradually, 1 HTK is restored per day of rest. This might seem slow but it is an entire hit thus a wound that is being shaken off and recovered from.
Magical Healing works as normal with 1 HTK being restored per traditional HP that would be restored by a spell. Magical healing is a bit more magical as it isn't just healing portions of wounds but entire wounds, likely multiple wounds.
So a massive blow will still eliminate a combatant but minor blows will wear away slowly at combatants. This gives Pcs a little more room to be heroic at lower levels as (by example) 2 successive blows for 3 pts of damage each do not vanquish a character with 6 HTK but instead inflict 2 hits that reduce the HTK score to 4. Protracted combat becomes more and more dangerous but the threshold from living to dead may take longer to be breached.
It should also be obvious that higher HTK characters and monsters are going to be around longer in fights unless some really big guns are brought into play. Clever play and tactics should involve combats that are more than simple attrition on abstract HP abd maybe even encourage non-combat resolution to potential threats in a game. A 44 HTK dragon under this alternate combat variant would be be pretty fearsome if there was no way a party could deliver 44 or more pts of damage in a single blow.
Possible Elaborations
Non-lethal combat-
Non-lethal damage. Non-lethal damage still wears a combatant down in the same manner as potentially lethal blows and makes it possible for lethal attacks mixed in to slay combatant but if the blow struck that overcomes a combatants HTK is non-lethal they are knocked out instead.
Recovering from non-lethal damage is quicker with 1 HTK being restored by 10 minutes of rest or incapacity. Once a character has regained 3 HTK or more while knocked out they may make a saving throw to recover their sense and function again.
Note: knocking your ally out is not an option to save their life when they are down to 1 HTK only ht non lethal damage is restored at 1 HTK per 10 minutes.
Serious Wounds-
When ever a character is wounded once HTK are reduced to 1/2 HTK or less previously they must make a saving throw or suffer from a Serious Wound. Serious wounds could either be specific effects like broken hands, severed arms, or more generic like the temporary loss of ability points.
Serious wounds should typically be recovered when HTK are recovered in excess of 1/2 HTK but some campaigns may be well served by longer lasting grievous injuries which while someone hasn't suffered enough Hits to Kill them they are still in a very bad state.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
HTK instead of HP ?
Old timers may be familiar with HTK (Hits TO Kill) being used instead of the now more standard HP (I'll use it now and again for no good reason). I've seen some posters online a little confused by HTK and if you collect vintage D&D/RPG you are going to see now and again and as above it is just another way to write Hit Points.
I got to thinking about it and realized it has a lot more certain definition built in as opposed to HP. HTK = take this much damage and death is the result, HP = there's this many points to fiddle with. HTK is a lot more certain and a tad more grim. Hmmm, I think like it more than ever before.
I got to thinking about it and realized it has a lot more certain definition built in as opposed to HP. HTK = take this much damage and death is the result, HP = there's this many points to fiddle with. HTK is a lot more certain and a tad more grim. Hmmm, I think like it more than ever before.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Problems of Dinning on Dragons
Last post I covered some possible benefits of dinning on dragons. Dinning on something as dangerous as a dragon may not the the safest of prospects, the following are some possible risks and dangers (not all of which need be present in all campaigns or all dragons).
Dragon Blood is caustic. While it may be possible to drink or bathe in dragon blood it is a dangerous liquid that must be neutralized before eaten or bathed in by mortals. Anyone foolish enough to bathe in dragon blood will begin to take 1hp per dragon HD in acid damage after the first 5 minutes. Anyone foolish enough to drink it will suffer 1d6 damage per dragon HD.
Dragon Flesh is Littered with Bone. Dragon flesh is edible but he flesh is packed with a huge variety of boen spurs and splints that enhance the dragons muscular abilities but will cut the uncareful that eat dragon meat. Eatign poorly prepared dragon flesh will inflict 1-3 hp of damage on the uncareful and if a whole portion is consumed the damage to their intestines will prove lethal within 3 days if a save vs death is failed.
Dragons are full of parasites. Dragon flesh organs and blood are contaminated by a host of parasites. If not properly cooked these parasites will get into the victims bloodstream and slowly distribute throughout the body and begin to bore into flesh and bone causing those contaminated by the parasites to lose 1 point each of Dexterity and Strength each day for 2-7 days. Rumors of claim more immediately dangerous dragon parasites exist.
The Gold Bug. This is a parasite or perhaps the spirit of the dragon. One who dines on the flesh of a dragon may find themselves compelled to rebuild the dragon’s hoard. A PC so afflicted will not be able to gain experience points due to the distraction until they reassemble the entire hoard. A remove curse spell will only put off the process for a week at best.
Dragon-dinning Stink. Eating dragon flesh leaves the gourmand with a stench that takes 13 years to wear off. The stench is almost impossible to notice to normal folk but the draconic species will note it easily (within 100 feet per HD of dragon eaten). The stench of a dragon eater will cause even the most benevolent of dragons to react with an increased degree of hostility (at least one degree less favorable on reactions). Dragons as the same type that was eaten will know and react with rage gaining +2 to attacks against the eater of dragons.
The Heart of the Dragon. Rumors abound of much power begin gained by one who dines upon the hearts of dragons and it is mostly true, one who consumes 7 dragon hearts of the same species of dragon will fall into a deep sleep for as many years as Hit Dice of the dragon (they are safe from starvation, dehydration, and normal temperatures while so sleeping) and during the last year grow a dragon-egg like cocoon from which they will emerge as either a half dragon or dragon. Sounds great to some but the years of imposed hibernation are not conducive to a successful adventure career while so asleep and a DM is free to declare when such a sleeper emerges from the cocoon they are now an NPC monster.
Dragon Blood is caustic. While it may be possible to drink or bathe in dragon blood it is a dangerous liquid that must be neutralized before eaten or bathed in by mortals. Anyone foolish enough to bathe in dragon blood will begin to take 1hp per dragon HD in acid damage after the first 5 minutes. Anyone foolish enough to drink it will suffer 1d6 damage per dragon HD.
Dragon Flesh is Littered with Bone. Dragon flesh is edible but he flesh is packed with a huge variety of boen spurs and splints that enhance the dragons muscular abilities but will cut the uncareful that eat dragon meat. Eatign poorly prepared dragon flesh will inflict 1-3 hp of damage on the uncareful and if a whole portion is consumed the damage to their intestines will prove lethal within 3 days if a save vs death is failed.
Dragons are full of parasites. Dragon flesh organs and blood are contaminated by a host of parasites. If not properly cooked these parasites will get into the victims bloodstream and slowly distribute throughout the body and begin to bore into flesh and bone causing those contaminated by the parasites to lose 1 point each of Dexterity and Strength each day for 2-7 days. Rumors of claim more immediately dangerous dragon parasites exist.
The Gold Bug. This is a parasite or perhaps the spirit of the dragon. One who dines on the flesh of a dragon may find themselves compelled to rebuild the dragon’s hoard. A PC so afflicted will not be able to gain experience points due to the distraction until they reassemble the entire hoard. A remove curse spell will only put off the process for a week at best.
Dragon-dinning Stink. Eating dragon flesh leaves the gourmand with a stench that takes 13 years to wear off. The stench is almost impossible to notice to normal folk but the draconic species will note it easily (within 100 feet per HD of dragon eaten). The stench of a dragon eater will cause even the most benevolent of dragons to react with an increased degree of hostility (at least one degree less favorable on reactions). Dragons as the same type that was eaten will know and react with rage gaining +2 to attacks against the eater of dragons.
The Heart of the Dragon. Rumors abound of much power begin gained by one who dines upon the hearts of dragons and it is mostly true, one who consumes 7 dragon hearts of the same species of dragon will fall into a deep sleep for as many years as Hit Dice of the dragon (they are safe from starvation, dehydration, and normal temperatures while so sleeping) and during the last year grow a dragon-egg like cocoon from which they will emerge as either a half dragon or dragon. Sounds great to some but the years of imposed hibernation are not conducive to a successful adventure career while so asleep and a DM is free to declare when such a sleeper emerges from the cocoon they are now an NPC monster.
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