Wednesday, March 13, 2024

D66 Cult Creeds and Credos

Another D66 list? What sorcery is this? Or perhaps it's some ineffable power granted by those nice young men and their convincing pamphlets who visited the house last week...

D66 Cult Creeds and Credos

Harry Clarke
Mephistopheles: "Come - she is judged!" Art for Goethe's Faust, 1927

11: Comet: The wandering ones bring portents and harbingers to those who watch.
12: Mathematics: Through logic and geometry we will discern the truth.
13: Old Gods: Those who are forgotten are andescedent in their wisdom.
14: Star Signs: The rotation of the heavens are windows into that which is to occur.
15: The Tree: Roots reach down while branches reach high, drawing the elements together.
16: Birds: By flight does the body escape the toil and pain of the ground.
21: Dragon: By their ineffable age, they hoard not just gold but wisdom.
22: Giant Stones: Placed by forgotten men and forgotten methods, we worship their strength.
23: Burrowing Creatures: Under the earth we will they find the truth if we can just hear the words.
24: Ascetics: For through self denial is enlightenment.
25: Naked: Exposed and unprotected from the world do we find wisdom.
26: Gluttony: You never know how much is enough until you understand how much is too much.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Zelkor's Ferry, Reimagined

Ok, I don't have a copy of the Rappun Athuk megadungeon, so I don't know who lives in the settlement of Zelkor's Ferry. But I found Paths Peculiars' redrawing of the town map on his blog while I was trolling about for some town and building maps. I don't know who the residents are, except for a few names on the map legend, and one can often find a place for one more small huddle of buildings in their hex campaign. 


 So without any other embellishment, here's who I think lives there. More later....

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Campaign Journal: Along the East Road

Tonight's band of merry mushroom harvesters:

  • Frederick
  • Slick
  • Jax
  • Rondel
  • Orzu
  • and their various groupies

Watched by an inordinate number of town guards and zealots of the Paragons of the Comet, the party departed Opharel for points south the following morning. They had acquired, among other things, a few retainers for camp and horse-guarding duty including a cook, a drover, and a young dwarven man-at-arms who still carries a rag doll.

It was a crisp autumn day, and the party observed several armed patrols along the road, as well as caravans, both moving provisions for winter preparation, and rushing to Opharel to contract ships to move cargo before the winter storms.

Around midday, they came upon the hamlet of Huni, another wide spot in the road of perhaps 100 souls. They settled in at the well-appointed inn, and were greeted by the ebullient and portly proprietor. He set the party up with small beers and bread trenchers of stew. The party did the usual asking for rumors thing, and found that the settlement had been started by a few adventurers who had retired after a few scores. Interestingly, the thorpe's headman was a mage, a class not typically respected by the Theocracy. 

Wide spot in the road

As they chatted, Slick noticed a dwarf fiddling with a lock. The two met eyes, and the dwarf, recognizing Slick (and Flick) as individuals specializing in the art of acquisitions, tossed the lock to the thieves to try their skills against. Neither could crack it (although Frederick, with only modest lockpicking skills, got lucky). “Good enough,” said the dwarf, who introduced himself as Urin Duskborn. “Best to know how sharp your knife is before you try a cut.” He gifted Slick the lock (with keys) and they exchanged compliments. 

Friday, March 1, 2024

D66 Random Backgrounds and Minor Perks

Because I'm procrastinating, and because it's a fun diversion, have another D66 list. This time, "what did your PC do before getting into this lucrative life?" Complete with some perks. Some better than others. I'm sure some are duplicates of the myriad background lists already out in the world, but hopefully a few are unique by accident...

“Peasants” by Willem van de Velde I

D66 random backgrounds and minor perks

Ability/skill descriptions are left generic to allow modifications to specific game systems or as appropriate to your table.

11: Poacher: Start with roll of snare wire. Good chance to trap small game.
12: Fence: Improved chance to get a better return from any traded valuable.
13: Urchin: Improved chance to not be noticed in a crowd. Moderate pickpocket skills
14: Merchant: Improved chance to talk down/haggle price of items.
15: Fisherman: Start with net, filet knife, and inaccurate ruler. Good chance to secure rations from waterways.
16: Drover: Start with riding horse or pack mule. Knows horseflesh, can pick best riding or draft animals.
21: Shepherd: Start with staff, 1d6 sheep, and hyperactive herding dog.
22: Tanner: Odorous. Start with skinning knife. May skin and preserve hides of any game or monsters slain.
23: Farmer: Start with pitchfork, bag of seed, and a chicken.
24: Town Crier: Good chance at picking up rumors/gossip in town.
25: Brewer: Start with cask of ale, pouch of brewers yeast. Knows good water.
26: Barman/maid: Never forgets a face. Improved chance to talk down belligerent foe without force.
31: Tailor: Start with sewing kit. Can repair or make articles of clothing.
32: Barber: Start with scissors, razor, combination hair tonic/disinfectant, and bandages. May stabilize unconscious PC, improve natural healing.
33: Baker: Start with rolling pin, bag of flour, pouch of yeast. Can prepare rough bread with appropriate grain or nuts.
34: Butcher: Start with cleaver. Can prepare maximum rations from stock or game animals.
35: Bounty Hunter: Start with sheaf of wanted posters, crossbow, manacles, and bloodhound.
36: Sailor: Start with cutlass and 50' rope. Can handle a small boat, crew on larger.
41: Soldier: Start with shield, kettle helmet, and spear.
42: Acolyte: Start with holy symbol, vial of holy water, and prayer book.
43: Magician's Apprentice: Start with one random 1st level spell, usable once/day. Might fail.
44: Sewer Rat: Improved to-hit/damage against vermin, disease resistant.
45: Mudlark: Chance to find a random useful item while searching an area.
46: Linkboy: Start with a lantern on a pole.
51: Blacksmith: Start with hammer and tongs, whetstone. Can sharpen/repair weapons, chance to repair metal armor.
52: Forester: Start with felling axe. Decreased chance to get lost in the woods.
53: Carpenter: Start with saw, square, brace and bit. Knows woodwork.
54: Mason: Start with hammer, chisel, and level. Knows stonework.
55: Grave Digger: Start with shovel. Improved to-hit/damage against undead.
56: Gong Farmer: Odorous. Resistant to disease, immune to nausea.
61: Night Watchman: Start with club, whistle, bundle of torches. Decreased chance of surprise.
62: Noble: Start with signet ring, nice sword, extra cash. Chance to know the “right people” in any city.
63: Courtier: Start with perfume and makeup. Chance to talk their way to the “right people” in any city.
64: Wiseguy: Start with a stiletto and sap. Chance to “know a guy” in any city.
65: Ratcatcher: Start with bundle of rat traps and small fierce terrier.
66: Copyist: Start with ream of parchment, ink and quills. Literate, +1 language.

PDF of List

“Silhouette of a king in procession with courtiers and page” by John Bennett



Wednesday, February 28, 2024

D66 Shrine Locations, Mundane to Exotic

Another brief brainstorming, or perhaps just a brain-flurry...

I can't pull off d100, but d66 is well within the wheelhouse....

Source 

D66 Shrine Locations, Mundane to Exotic.

11: Moss-covered isolated menhir to a dead god
12: Ozone-emitting waterfall within a water-carved grotto
13: Iron-bound, brutalist sculpture looming over failed croplands
14: Willow grove filled with mischievous nymphs
15: Haunted cabin in the woods
16: A massive coliseum, ringing with the memories of gladiators and plays
21: Hot springs, vine-draped and wreathed in thick fog
22: An oracle's cavern, steeped in hallucinogenic vapors
23: Massive, overwrought cathedral
24: The crumbling corpse of a petrified dragon
25: A small, shiny rock
26: Monastery perched on a cliffside, ringing with continual mantras
31: A faded portrait on an abandoned manor-house wall
32: An extensive dust-covered library, rarely visited and protected by zealous librarians
33: Monkey-infested jungle temple
34: Creepy hostel, just off an unused trade road
35: Wind-blown desert crossroads
36: Sacred halfling brewery
41: Inundated temple in a rising, shallow sea
42: Hallowed brothel in a city's merchant quarter 
43: Floating stone circle, the stones hanging in space and moaning
44: Single towering basalt column, leagues from any similar stone
45: Grove of trees woven into a delicate structure
46: Smoking caldera, reeking of sulfur
51: Mountain aerie occupied by a pair of sacred eagles
52: Ancient oak guarded by fanatic druids
53: Old battlefield echoing with clashing arms and screaming men
54: Wandering methuselah-elephant adorned with scrimshawed tusks
55: Rusting steel tower filled with flickering, forgotten technology
56: Crashed alien ship containing mummified remains, picked over for exotic metals
61: Gymnasium of fitness ascetics, humid and reeking
62: Stylite's tower, prayers and blessing exchanged by a basket
63: Massive midden pile filled over a vanquished city
64: Silent petroglyph-carved desert slot canyon
65: Cave of primitive ancestors, filled with crude paintings of extinct creatures
66: Ancient, glyph-covered wandering golem

PDF of List


source