I've been enjoying Season 2 of The Walking Dead on AMC.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I must say:
Shane, you don't have to outrun the zombies, you only have to outrun Otis, how hard is that you low down creep?
Now I know some readers of the comic might not have been surprised Shane did something low and all for himself but the shot in the leg caught me off-guard.
If by some odd chance you are reading this blog and have cable television and haven't see the Walking Dead do yourself a favor and do so. Season 1 and current episodes were on demand for those with digital cable and the website is full of goodies and episodes.
There's a goofy but entertaining talk show trailing the episodes on AMC called the Talking Dead, it's superficial and silly but still entertaining, I've been watching it a day or so later so it doesn't break the mood of the episodes for me. The comic creator was on episode 2 and his discussion of the show was enough to soothe a lot of nerd-rage about differences in the comic and the show.
In closing, don't shoot the fat guy in the leg when being chased by a zombie mob, the zombies don't cap each other to get at a snack.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
True D&D Session Horror Story.
Listen now if you dare to a tale of gaming past, that still send shivers down the spines of the players involved.
We were playing AD&D on a fine Sunday afternoon about 20 years ago, the party was a vagabond band of thieves, murderers, burglars, necromancers and heretics. The target was a citadel under command of not too original big bad evil guy that held together a force of mismatched humanoids, bandits and thugs.
In an unusual turn of play and cunning on part of the players they decided against a frontal assault or climbing over the walls under cover of daylight and instead spent their effort seeking a escape tunnel from the fortress. The party was rewarded with their diligence and caution and quickly skulked into the inner sanctum of the villain.
The villain and his bodyguard normally fierce and intimidating foes were caught unaware and quickly dispatched with cunning and lucky dice rolls. With a quick found victory and visions of loot dancing in their heads the party went on to claim the defunct villains treasures for themselves, when to their horrors they noted a clamor.
The noise was that host of minions once held under sway by the villain now set free of his overbearing domination, all fleeing en-mass with everything they could carry. There were goblins with copper, orcs with silver and bandits with gold all scurrying through the halls, fleeing out beyond the gates and off into the distance down the road.
There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the players bayed and howled as the treasures they sought were carried off and scattered throughout the countryside. The PCs dashed and raced to keep all the cash they could. They laid about themselves with sword and spell but alas they could not keep all the treasures within the citadel of the villain they had just slain long enough to carry away and fill coffers of their own.
It was a true life D&D session horror story that truly still sends shivers up the spines of those that were there and causes this DM's lips to curl up in a wicked smile.
We were playing AD&D on a fine Sunday afternoon about 20 years ago, the party was a vagabond band of thieves, murderers, burglars, necromancers and heretics. The target was a citadel under command of not too original big bad evil guy that held together a force of mismatched humanoids, bandits and thugs.
In an unusual turn of play and cunning on part of the players they decided against a frontal assault or climbing over the walls under cover of daylight and instead spent their effort seeking a escape tunnel from the fortress. The party was rewarded with their diligence and caution and quickly skulked into the inner sanctum of the villain.
The villain and his bodyguard normally fierce and intimidating foes were caught unaware and quickly dispatched with cunning and lucky dice rolls. With a quick found victory and visions of loot dancing in their heads the party went on to claim the defunct villains treasures for themselves, when to their horrors they noted a clamor.
The noise was that host of minions once held under sway by the villain now set free of his overbearing domination, all fleeing en-mass with everything they could carry. There were goblins with copper, orcs with silver and bandits with gold all scurrying through the halls, fleeing out beyond the gates and off into the distance down the road.
There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the players bayed and howled as the treasures they sought were carried off and scattered throughout the countryside. The PCs dashed and raced to keep all the cash they could. They laid about themselves with sword and spell but alas they could not keep all the treasures within the citadel of the villain they had just slain long enough to carry away and fill coffers of their own.
It was a true life D&D session horror story that truly still sends shivers up the spines of those that were there and causes this DM's lips to curl up in a wicked smile.
Friday, October 28, 2011
We're Gonna Loot It.
and now for a musical interlude: (sung to the tune of the Laverne and Shirley theme)
D four, six, eight, ten and twelve.
Succubus, Beholder, Mind-flayer incorporated.
We're gonna loot it!
Give us any treasure, we'll take it.
Give us any door, well break in.
We're gonna make our dreams come true.
Rolling all the dice.
No random encounters are gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the left now.
We're gonna make our dreams come true,
Rolling all the dice.
There is nothing we won't slay,
Going to make our saving throws today.
This time there's no stopping us.
We're gonna loot it.
On your mark, get set, and go now,
Got a dream and we just know now,
We're gonna roll a twenty.
And we'll loot it our way, yes our way.
Make all our dreams come true,
And loot it our way, yes our way,
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you.
-------------------
I just had type that after seeing this post: http://jrients.blogspot.com/2011/10/caves-of-myrddin-public-service.html , Feel free to thank Jeff.
D four, six, eight, ten and twelve.
Succubus, Beholder, Mind-flayer incorporated.
We're gonna loot it!
Give us any treasure, we'll take it.
Give us any door, well break in.
We're gonna make our dreams come true.
Rolling all the dice.
No random encounters are gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the left now.
We're gonna make our dreams come true,
Rolling all the dice.
There is nothing we won't slay,
Going to make our saving throws today.
This time there's no stopping us.
We're gonna loot it.
On your mark, get set, and go now,
Got a dream and we just know now,
We're gonna roll a twenty.
And we'll loot it our way, yes our way.
Make all our dreams come true,
And loot it our way, yes our way,
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you.
-------------------
I just had type that after seeing this post: http://jrients.blogspot.com/2011/10/caves-of-myrddin-public-service.html , Feel free to thank Jeff.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
An Apocalyptic Zombie Apocalypse
A comment I made here: http://professorpope.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-zombie-apocalypse.html got me thinking about how to make a zombie apocalypse truly apocalyptic in a D&Desque fantasy setting. I of course had to share these seasonal ideas.
First off what are the zombies? Are they regular D&D zombies…well that's boring. Use the stats for ghouls but replace paralysis with infection and things get nasty. Anyone infected by a plague zombie must save vs death or sicken becoming incapacitated in 2-7 hours and passing away in another 14-24 hours. Anyone slain by a plague zombie will reanimate in 2-5 turns.
Want to step up the apocalyptic factor: Anyone that dies on unconsecrated property will reanimate as a plague zombie in 2-12 hours.
Now we must get to the nature of disease in a D&Desque universe, it isn't always caused by germs it's caused by polluted humors which allow malignant spirits to enter the world, typically disease weakens or kills the victim but the zombie plague allows the evil spirit possession of the remains by animation of the corpse of the victim.
The spiritual component of zombie plague makes it dangerous to spell casters as it is contagious through magical contact. Detection spells may expose the caster to zombie plague if there is a zombie in the area of effect of a detection spell, the caster must save vs death 2-5 rounds after exposure or become infected. Casting healing magics upon the infected is dangerous as any healing spell cast on one who is infected exposes the caster to infection requiring a save to avoid infection.
Cure/remove disease spells also expose the caster to infection.
Turn undead works on plague zombies as per normal undead of the appropriate HD. The infected are not turned and the infection can't be turned away as it hasn't manifested itself enough for this to matter.
Plague zombies will avoid consecrated ground and temples until an infected person enters the grounds of such a place and then they will be as prone to enter such a place as they are any other place (they are drawn to sight of the living,noises, blood, motion and scent of the living).
PCs are likely to blast away at zombies with powerful spells and this on first blush seems safe enough. But any plague zombie destroyed completely by magic has a 10% chance per spell level used to defeat it of bringing a plague wraith into existence. A plague wraith will act as a normal wraith except when an victim is drained or slain they immediately animate as a plague zombie. Plague wraiths can themselves be destroyed by magic as a normal wraith.
There you go a recipe for making a zombie apocalypse a bit more apocalyptic in a D&Desque setting.
First off what are the zombies? Are they regular D&D zombies…well that's boring. Use the stats for ghouls but replace paralysis with infection and things get nasty. Anyone infected by a plague zombie must save vs death or sicken becoming incapacitated in 2-7 hours and passing away in another 14-24 hours. Anyone slain by a plague zombie will reanimate in 2-5 turns.
Want to step up the apocalyptic factor: Anyone that dies on unconsecrated property will reanimate as a plague zombie in 2-12 hours.
Now we must get to the nature of disease in a D&Desque universe, it isn't always caused by germs it's caused by polluted humors which allow malignant spirits to enter the world, typically disease weakens or kills the victim but the zombie plague allows the evil spirit possession of the remains by animation of the corpse of the victim.
The spiritual component of zombie plague makes it dangerous to spell casters as it is contagious through magical contact. Detection spells may expose the caster to zombie plague if there is a zombie in the area of effect of a detection spell, the caster must save vs death 2-5 rounds after exposure or become infected. Casting healing magics upon the infected is dangerous as any healing spell cast on one who is infected exposes the caster to infection requiring a save to avoid infection.
Cure/remove disease spells also expose the caster to infection.
Turn undead works on plague zombies as per normal undead of the appropriate HD. The infected are not turned and the infection can't be turned away as it hasn't manifested itself enough for this to matter.
Plague zombies will avoid consecrated ground and temples until an infected person enters the grounds of such a place and then they will be as prone to enter such a place as they are any other place (they are drawn to sight of the living,noises, blood, motion and scent of the living).
PCs are likely to blast away at zombies with powerful spells and this on first blush seems safe enough. But any plague zombie destroyed completely by magic has a 10% chance per spell level used to defeat it of bringing a plague wraith into existence. A plague wraith will act as a normal wraith except when an victim is drained or slain they immediately animate as a plague zombie. Plague wraiths can themselves be destroyed by magic as a normal wraith.
There you go a recipe for making a zombie apocalypse a bit more apocalyptic in a D&Desque setting.
The Bad Guys Want to Win
There are many schools of adventure design in RPGs out there but what intrigues me the most are campaigns where players scale their endeavors to their capabilities. For this to be possible the ref needs to create a campaign where the adventures are buikt in an environment where the bad guys want to win and don't simply exist as exp piles and challenge bumps.
Do you have to tell the players that the Citadel of Lord Black who has ruled Darkoria for 1000 years and is guarded by the undead remains of his 2000 sons might be a tough or overwhelming challenge for a group of 1st level characters? Is a tower with no more then 3 stories and a half dozen horses corralled outside likely to be appropriate challenge?
The players should be able to make the choice. The bad guys should fight back within their capabilities. If the PCs manage a single raid into Lord Black's citadel and come running out with a couple thousand in loot they deserve it but if they return three days later to do the same they should die or maybe Lord Dark just isn't all he is built up to be.
The clever traps and guardians to the treasure vault should be built to be accessed by Lord Black and his trusted minions, not an adventure and loot path for the PCs. If the PCs walk into this vault and discover a charmed green dragon guarding his loot and they weren't' expecting to do so, they should die if they don't run fast enough. Who would you leave guarding your loot, a green dragon, a minotaur or a band of kobolds?
If a player owned a castle and it were under attack would he make sure to have concentric circles of defense where his absolute weakest forces were on the furthest edge and be sure only to commit his stronger forces after all else was lost and would himself avoid the invaders until the last moment, or would he lead a reaction force to smash down the invaders daring to pilfer his hard won loot? The bad guys should react as a player would: with ruthless sociopathic-homocidal overkill and the players should expect that.
The bad guys want to win and a ref should build adventures that keep that in mind. Yes it sets the bar higher for beginning play but that's good. Of course one must be careful in presentation and make it very clear what power levels one is dealing with or beginners will throw themselves against threats they can't possibly overcome and possibly become discouraged. There's always the chance players will become better at the game and be able to beat the bad guys even when the deck is stacked against them by opponents who want to win.
Are the players returning to the same base time after time when raiding the Tunnels of Terror? Have the bad guys ambush them on the route to or from the tunnels, even have the bad guys strike at their base. It can be pretty embarrassing to return to the local Inn to rest and discover it's been burnt to the ground.
Are the players tasked with recovering the 6 segments of the Gilborax? Is the villain tryign to do the same thing? Have the villain use the PCs to make his life easier.
Are the players tryign to stop Lord Black from invading Heartland? Let them try, but he will not delay his plans unless the PCs are a real problem and if the PCs are a real problem their destruction becomes part of the invasion plans.
Just a little friendly advice to my fellow refs/DMs/GMs out there: build adventures with bad guys that want to win.
Do you have to tell the players that the Citadel of Lord Black who has ruled Darkoria for 1000 years and is guarded by the undead remains of his 2000 sons might be a tough or overwhelming challenge for a group of 1st level characters? Is a tower with no more then 3 stories and a half dozen horses corralled outside likely to be appropriate challenge?
The players should be able to make the choice. The bad guys should fight back within their capabilities. If the PCs manage a single raid into Lord Black's citadel and come running out with a couple thousand in loot they deserve it but if they return three days later to do the same they should die or maybe Lord Dark just isn't all he is built up to be.
The clever traps and guardians to the treasure vault should be built to be accessed by Lord Black and his trusted minions, not an adventure and loot path for the PCs. If the PCs walk into this vault and discover a charmed green dragon guarding his loot and they weren't' expecting to do so, they should die if they don't run fast enough. Who would you leave guarding your loot, a green dragon, a minotaur or a band of kobolds?
If a player owned a castle and it were under attack would he make sure to have concentric circles of defense where his absolute weakest forces were on the furthest edge and be sure only to commit his stronger forces after all else was lost and would himself avoid the invaders until the last moment, or would he lead a reaction force to smash down the invaders daring to pilfer his hard won loot? The bad guys should react as a player would: with ruthless sociopathic-homocidal overkill and the players should expect that.
The bad guys want to win and a ref should build adventures that keep that in mind. Yes it sets the bar higher for beginning play but that's good. Of course one must be careful in presentation and make it very clear what power levels one is dealing with or beginners will throw themselves against threats they can't possibly overcome and possibly become discouraged. There's always the chance players will become better at the game and be able to beat the bad guys even when the deck is stacked against them by opponents who want to win.
Are the players returning to the same base time after time when raiding the Tunnels of Terror? Have the bad guys ambush them on the route to or from the tunnels, even have the bad guys strike at their base. It can be pretty embarrassing to return to the local Inn to rest and discover it's been burnt to the ground.
Are the players tasked with recovering the 6 segments of the Gilborax? Is the villain tryign to do the same thing? Have the villain use the PCs to make his life easier.
Are the players tryign to stop Lord Black from invading Heartland? Let them try, but he will not delay his plans unless the PCs are a real problem and if the PCs are a real problem their destruction becomes part of the invasion plans.
Just a little friendly advice to my fellow refs/DMs/GMs out there: build adventures with bad guys that want to win.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Last American
I just discovered this : The Last American a 19th century book by John Ames Mitchell . The narrator , a Persian explorer, in the year 2951 visits ruined New York and Washington in the book.
From the introduction:
The astounding discoveries of Khan-li of Dimph-yoo-chur have thrown floods of light upon the domestic life of the Mehrikan people. He little realized when he landed upon that sleeping continent what a service he was about to render history, or what enthusiasm his discoveries would arouse among Persian archaeologists.
Good dolly, how did I miss this book all these years?
There's a number of illustrations in this 78 page book. It's an interesting book worth the brief read for folks into alternative history, science-fiction, post-apocalypse and games involving long journeys and rooting about in ruins.
From the introduction:
The astounding discoveries of Khan-li of Dimph-yoo-chur have thrown floods of light upon the domestic life of the Mehrikan people. He little realized when he landed upon that sleeping continent what a service he was about to render history, or what enthusiasm his discoveries would arouse among Persian archaeologists.
Every student of antiquity is familiar with these facts.
But for the benefit of those who have yet to acquire a knowledge of this extraordinary people, I advise, first, a visit to the Museum at Teheran in order to excite their interest in the subject, and second, the reading of such books as Nofuhl's "What we Found in the West," and Noz-yt-ahl's "History of the Mehrikans." The last-named is a complete and reliable history of these people from the birth of the Republic under George-wash-yn-tun to the year 1990, when they ceased to exist as a nation. I must say, however, that Noz-yt-ahl leaves the reader much confused concerning the period between the massacre of the Protestants in 1927, and the overflow of the Murfey dynasty in 1940.
Good dolly, how did I miss this book all these years?
There's a number of illustrations in this 78 page book. It's an interesting book worth the brief read for folks into alternative history, science-fiction, post-apocalypse and games involving long journeys and rooting about in ruins.
Devouring Sentinel
A horrifying monster to challenge your players with from my recent sketch post.
Devouring Sentinel
No. Enc: 1(1-3)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: Telekinetic Flight- 60'(20')
Armor Class: 0 (body), 2(mouth), 3 (pseudopods)
Hit Dice: 9-14
Attacks: 1 bite or pseudopod emissions
Damage: 2d6 or special
Save: as fighter of same level as # of HD.
Morale: 9 (in 12)
These cunning subterranean dwelling creatures resemble 7-10' wide bumpy/crusty levitating bivalves with wicked fangs, a number of peering eyes seemingly placed randomly about their bodies and an assortment of writhing pseudopods extending from their shell. The Devouring Sentinel is an intelligent creature and is sometimes summoned and bound by power spell-casters to guard a treasure or area.
The Devouring Sentinel moves with a permanently active telekinetic flight that is not prone to disruption by effects hostile to magic.
The pseudopods of a Devouring Sentinel can be severed by an edged weapon that does 5 or more hp of damage when specifically targeting an exposed pseudopod. The Devouring Sentinel doesn't lose any hp over the 5 points needed to sever the pseudopod when one is attacked. Losing more then one pseudopod might force a Devouring Sentinel to withdraw. Severed pseudopods will be replaced in 2-12 days.
The mouth of the Devouring Sentinel is vulnerable when the creature is raging or mocking it's prey as well as when it is attempting to snare prey with it's tongue or make a bite attack.
The Devouring Sentinel can attack prey up to 30' away by extending it's tongue in manner similar to that of frogs and snaring man-sized or smaller prey. The victim will be held fast and drawn to the creatures mouth (if a save fails) where they will be automatically hit by the creatures bite attack each round until the victim is devoured. A Devouring Sentinel can attack a small sized foe and swallow them whole in this manner and will be able to consume them with it's mouth clamped shut. Man-sized prey will be able to fight back but smaller foes will be hopelessly trapped. Only one victim will be devoured at a time.
Equipment carried by a Devouring Sentinel will be swallowed into the creatures transit sack an organ not unlike a bag of holding. The loot will be expelled back at the creatures lair. f one can retrieve the sack (only possible when it's empty as death of the sentinel will cause any items in the sack to rip it open) a magic-user in the know may use it to produce a bag of holding.
As horrible as being devoured by the Devouring Sentinel may be the most feared attacks from this creature come from the high pressure sprays emitted by the pseudopods. Each Devouring Sentinel will have half as many pseudopods as it has hit-dice (plus or minus one). Each pseudo pod can be aimed at virtually any target. Each pseudopod spray can be used 3 times a day and may be targeted against a single foe up to 60' away, the victim may avoid or diminish the attack with an appropriate saving throw.
The exact properties of each pseudopod may vary as follows:
d8roll.....Type of Pseudopod
1............. Calcifying Spray: victim is entrapped as if victim of a Flesh to Stone spray.
2..............Soporific Mist: as a sleep spell.
3..............Toxic Goo: victim must save vs poison each round until it is cleaned off or die.
4..............Stupefying Spray: as hold person or hold monster as appropriate
5..............Stun Spray: as power word,stun spell
6..............Madness: as confusion
7..............Slime: victim is sprayed with green slime (as per monster)
8.............Russet Jelly: victim is covered in metal rusting jelly all normal metal items carried will be destroyed in 1-3 rounds unless cleaned off. Magic items have a 20% chance per "plus" of surviving unharmed.
There are rumored to be massive colonies of these creatures deep underground or on other planes. Some Devouring Sentinels may have pseudopods with characteristics that differ from the norm, they are considered mutants and hunted down by their kin.
--------
Legal Mumbo-jumbo
Devouring Sentinel, Copyright © 2011 James D. Jarvis
License: anyone is free to use the Devouring Sentinel as presented here in their game related postings online, periodicals and published RPG game products (including print and pdf) so long as they acknowledge the copyright to the Devouring Sentinel and provide notification to James D. Jarvis of use ( a comment on this original blog post is fine). The Devouring Sentinel is not in the public domain but may be used as spelled out in the license.
Devouring Sentinel
No. Enc: 1(1-3)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: Telekinetic Flight- 60'(20')
Armor Class: 0 (body), 2(mouth), 3 (pseudopods)
Hit Dice: 9-14
Attacks: 1 bite or pseudopod emissions
Damage: 2d6 or special
Save: as fighter of same level as # of HD.
Morale: 9 (in 12)
These cunning subterranean dwelling creatures resemble 7-10' wide bumpy/crusty levitating bivalves with wicked fangs, a number of peering eyes seemingly placed randomly about their bodies and an assortment of writhing pseudopods extending from their shell. The Devouring Sentinel is an intelligent creature and is sometimes summoned and bound by power spell-casters to guard a treasure or area.
The Devouring Sentinel moves with a permanently active telekinetic flight that is not prone to disruption by effects hostile to magic.
The pseudopods of a Devouring Sentinel can be severed by an edged weapon that does 5 or more hp of damage when specifically targeting an exposed pseudopod. The Devouring Sentinel doesn't lose any hp over the 5 points needed to sever the pseudopod when one is attacked. Losing more then one pseudopod might force a Devouring Sentinel to withdraw. Severed pseudopods will be replaced in 2-12 days.
The mouth of the Devouring Sentinel is vulnerable when the creature is raging or mocking it's prey as well as when it is attempting to snare prey with it's tongue or make a bite attack.
The Devouring Sentinel can attack prey up to 30' away by extending it's tongue in manner similar to that of frogs and snaring man-sized or smaller prey. The victim will be held fast and drawn to the creatures mouth (if a save fails) where they will be automatically hit by the creatures bite attack each round until the victim is devoured. A Devouring Sentinel can attack a small sized foe and swallow them whole in this manner and will be able to consume them with it's mouth clamped shut. Man-sized prey will be able to fight back but smaller foes will be hopelessly trapped. Only one victim will be devoured at a time.
Equipment carried by a Devouring Sentinel will be swallowed into the creatures transit sack an organ not unlike a bag of holding. The loot will be expelled back at the creatures lair. f one can retrieve the sack (only possible when it's empty as death of the sentinel will cause any items in the sack to rip it open) a magic-user in the know may use it to produce a bag of holding.
As horrible as being devoured by the Devouring Sentinel may be the most feared attacks from this creature come from the high pressure sprays emitted by the pseudopods. Each Devouring Sentinel will have half as many pseudopods as it has hit-dice (plus or minus one). Each pseudo pod can be aimed at virtually any target. Each pseudopod spray can be used 3 times a day and may be targeted against a single foe up to 60' away, the victim may avoid or diminish the attack with an appropriate saving throw.
The exact properties of each pseudopod may vary as follows:
d8roll.....Type of Pseudopod
1............. Calcifying Spray: victim is entrapped as if victim of a Flesh to Stone spray.
2..............Soporific Mist: as a sleep spell.
3..............Toxic Goo: victim must save vs poison each round until it is cleaned off or die.
4..............Stupefying Spray: as hold person or hold monster as appropriate
5..............Stun Spray: as power word,stun spell
6..............Madness: as confusion
7..............Slime: victim is sprayed with green slime (as per monster)
8.............Russet Jelly: victim is covered in metal rusting jelly all normal metal items carried will be destroyed in 1-3 rounds unless cleaned off. Magic items have a 20% chance per "plus" of surviving unharmed.
There are rumored to be massive colonies of these creatures deep underground or on other planes. Some Devouring Sentinels may have pseudopods with characteristics that differ from the norm, they are considered mutants and hunted down by their kin.
--------
Legal Mumbo-jumbo
Devouring Sentinel, Copyright © 2011 James D. Jarvis
License: anyone is free to use the Devouring Sentinel as presented here in their game related postings online, periodicals and published RPG game products (including print and pdf) so long as they acknowledge the copyright to the Devouring Sentinel and provide notification to James D. Jarvis of use ( a comment on this original blog post is fine). The Devouring Sentinel is not in the public domain but may be used as spelled out in the license.
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