Balefrogs

Inspired by a somewhat recent conversation on the GLOG server.

*** 

Demon-worshiping is a pastime not limited only to those who stand on two legs. It is not unknown to find such practice among wolf packs, and sometimes, a wolf will willingly invite a demon into its body to become a worg, a creature much stronger, smarter, and much, much more wicked.

It is less known that toads have a similar tradition.

Toads are much simpler creatures than wolves, and rarely a toad would on its own think of cavorting with demons. Usually, this knowledge is passed between generations, all starting from a single witch's familiar that was parted from its mistress, using whatever scraps of knowledge remained in its head to regain the beautiful and horrible power it once had. While the exact details of the ritual may vary, in the best case scenario the foolish toad grabs the attention of some minor gluttonous demon, and the unholy spirit enters the warty flesh, transforming it into a balefrog*.

* the name was given to them by humans, which they personally despise, as they are toads and not frogs.

Nils Hamm

 

Like worgs, balefrogs can grow to monstrous proportions, the simple act of possession engorging the amphibian body to the size of a bear. Soon after, the hungers follow.

Each balefrog is plagued by two hungers: the hunger of body and the hunger of soul. The first one is purely mundane in nature, as the suddenly larger body requires more nutrients to function. Overcome by it, a newly-formed balefrog would usually start consuming its fellow toads, before moving onto larger prey, and, eventually, man-eating.

The hunger of soul is different. To sate the demon residing inside, the balefrog must consume knowledge. Unlike worgs, which learn everything their prey knows, balefrogs lack such sophisticated methods of extracting knowledge, and must, quite literally, eat written word instead: letters, journals, books, scrolls, anything that has writing on it. Naturally, the balefrog instantly learns everything that it consumes.

In this regard, balefrogs tend to form tastes, preferring personal secrets written in hopes that no-one will read them (the more scandalous the better), but also magical formulae, making spellbooks a special delicacy. For each consumed spellbook, a balefrog gains +1 HD, while also learning every single spell contained within. Unfortunately for everyone, the demonic nature of the balefrog also grants it the ability to cast these spells.

In most cases, balefrogs manifest far away from civilization, in deep forests and swamps, where literacy is rare even in settlements. A lucky balefrog might catch and eat a traveling postman, or stumble into a ruined chapel where it might find some discarded prayer books (although consecrated ground repels it like the unholy creature it is). However, if a balefrog happens upon a library or a wizard's tower, it might become a much more significant presence in the region.

Once enough knowledge is accumulated within a balefrog, it becomes smart enough to seek food through alternative ways. Using speech (like worgs, all balefrogs know how to speak, but prefer not to unless they find it necessary), they will start asking for favors from those who pass by, promising riches (a lie), power (usually a lie), and knowledge (the one thing they can always provide). With time, whole cults tend to form around a single balefrog, as it continues to teach those willing to satisfy its appetites.

What balefrogs don't want anyone to know is that knowledge changes them. A balefrog that feeds on romance novels and correspondence between lovers becomes a bit of a romantic in its own twisted way, its plans suddenly involving playing matchmaker between usually unwilling parties, while one that consumes religious texts might gain a habit of making long sermon-like speeches and musing on its own unholy nature.

Marek Madej

BALEFROG
HD 4 AC leather (immune to non-magical damage) Move normal, leap normal, swim 2x normal
Attacks 1d8/1d8 claws, 1d10 tongue (20 feet) + devour (see below) Morale 9
Intelligence alternates between dim and genius Disposition Jabba the Hutt

• Unholy - As creatures possessed by demons, balefrogs share their immunities (mundane weapons etc.) and weaknesses (consecrated ground, holy water etc.).
• Spellcaster - A balefrog has 2 MD to cast spells with, but does not innately know any spells until it consumes a spellbook or spell scroll.
• Devour - The balefrog can shoot its tongue at a single target within 20 feet. On a hit, the target must save or be swallowed, taking 1d4 acid damage per round. The balefrog must take 6+ damage in a single instance to be forced to spit out what it swallowed.
• Logophage - Balefrogs can instantly absorb information by consuming it in written form. A balefrog has expert-level knowledge in 1d4 topics, plus 2 per every HD it has above 4.

1d6 Balefrog Markings:
1. Horn-like protrusions all over the body
2. Eyes glowing with sickly pale light like lanterns
3. Smoking demonic glyphs and runes on warty skin 
4. Devoured corpses partially fused into its belly
5. Acid green vapor pouring out of its orifices
6. Useless unevenly placed extra limbs

  

Birds of a Feather (Dungeon)

Happy GLoGmas! This is a dungeon made for Epistellar of Routes and Routs, using his wonderful dungeon generators.

*** 

The Doomed City of Oberlyn had been leveled to the ground by many petty wars and other outgoing conflicts in the region a good 30-something years ago, hence the moniker. Considered mostly unimportant even before its razing, now all that remains of it is a pile of rubble in the rough shape of a city. Occasionally, an especially desperate group of vagabonds or criminals will pop into the ruins in a futile attempt at marauding. At best, those attempts end in disappointment. At worst, someone breaks a leg by stumbling over an inconveniently placed brick.

Roughly two miles away from the city gates is the Oberlyn Post Tower, which, unlike the city, actually stands to this day. In its heyday, the tower maintained vital communication between the Southern Marches and the rest of the Empire, as well as within the region. As far as anyone knows, it's been left abandoned with the fall of Oberlyn and stayed like this to this very day.

The tower solemnly persists on a rocky outcrop, overlooking the cliff side and the Summer Sea down below. No longer connecting to any of the main routes, it became but a peculiar landmark on account of its height among the ochre rocks and dry shrubbery.

It is also the current supposed residence of Lanza's Lancers, a mercenary regiment of dubious renown on the account of their recent desertion, and captain Lanza herself. If you come seeking the post tower, chances are you're looking to claim the bounty on the deserters' heads (60 sp for every mercenary brought alive, 400 sp for Lanza, half of that if dead).

The Dovecote, François Boucher

EXTERIOR

The post tower is made of large stone bricks covered by a layer of clay straw plaster. Due to time and lack of maintenance, some of the plaster started crumbling, exposing the stonework beneath. Rickety-looking wooden stairs spiral up the sides (see 6. Spiral Ascent), terminating in a wide platform on the top floor (see 7. Viewing Platform).

At any time of the day, flocks of pigeons and crows can be seen around the tower, occasionally flying in and out of the endless bird-sized holes built into it. Nearby ground is covered in noticeable amount of bird shit.

On the ground floor, a single entrance is visible, covered by a couple of broken, propped up wooden doors. This entrance leads to 1. Waiting Room.

(Grey-colored "walls" are not actually walls and signify a lack of physical barriers)

INTERIOR

The tower is divided into two distinct parts, each one has its own encounter table:

• The CELLAR, currently occupied by Lanza and her mercenaries, as well as the Bloodfiend. This includes room 1, as well as rooms 8-12 (marked in blue on the map).

CELLAR Encounter Table (d6):

    1. Bloodfiend ambush!
    2. A lone mercenary pretending not to sleep.
    3-5. 2d6 mercenaries on patrol.
    6. Captain Lanza accompanied by 1d4 veteran mercenaries (max HP).

Note: there are a total of 36 mercenaries left in Lanza's regiment at the moment of the PCs' arrival. Every night, the Bloodfiend will hunt down 1d4-1 more of them if left undisturbed. It already killed 2 last night.

• The DOVECOTE, where the Harpy and her flocks of omen birds reside. This includes rooms 2-7 (marked in yellow on the map).

DOVECOTE Encounter Table (d6):

    1. A flock of 1d4 purebred birds (d6: 1-3 piebald pigeons, 4-6 recorder crows).
    2-5. 1d4 flocks of omen birds, loud and agitated.
    6. The Harpy herself. 

GROUND FLOOR

1. Waiting Room
Dry plaster walls, creaky wooden floors, dust in the air. Broken wooden benches are strung around the room (all the non-broken benches were hauled into 9. Sleeping Quarters by the mercenaries).

In the north-west corner there is a big wooden counter which once was used for shipping and receiving of letters and parcels. Behind the counter is an old package wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string that was never delivered to its destination. Inside is a bolt of genuine silk (30 sp) wrapped around a tacky emerald brooch (fake, looks at least 100 sp) and a love letter.

The corner cabinet is full of stacks of old yellowed paper, wax sticks, a set of three brass seal stamps (10 sp each), and bottles of mostly dried ink.

Right behind the counter is a large wooden archway leading into 2. Post Office.

In the north-east corner is a set of big stone stairs descending into 8. Cellar, with many dusty and dirty footprints going both up and down (left by the mercenaries). 

2. Post Office
Yellowed wallpaper is mostly hidden by rows of wooden shelves that line the walls, each one divided into many sections of various sizes. A couple of big sturdy tables are set in the center of the room, covered in dust and scattered unsorted letters.

Upon further examination, each shelf section has a small plaque right underneath it that has a name written on it. Most names are of nearby settlements, with the biggest section being reserved for Oberlyn. Smaller sections have names of local noble houses instead.

Some of the sections contain undelivered letters and parcels of various, but mostly negligible importance. Very thorough (at least 1 full day) search reveals 50 sp total scattered inside various letters, postage stamps from the no longer existing Duchy of Caragod (25 sp to a collector), a never-delivered inheritance notice of 30 gp and a small cottage in the nearby village of Kirkwall, and a letter full of rather orderly gibberish (is actually an encoded message detailing the assassination of the current empress that was supposed to happen 30 years ago).

Hidden in the dark south-east corner behind two shelves is a locked safe with a big "CONFISCATED ITEMS" label. If unlocked, its contents include 50 sp in assorted jewelry, 2 vials of poison and a poison ring, a bottle of expensive brandy (20 sp), and what looks to be a perfectly normal chicken egg (further examination reveals intricate grooves in the shell; if given time and warmth, will hatch into a highly illegal pickchicken that will automatically open the first lock it sees).

The shelves next to the north wall are brought down and piled up into an improvised barricade blocking the way into 3. Dovecote, Bottom Floor. There is enough of a gap for someone small to squeeze through, but otherwise the barricade would need to be removed to pass.

The door in the north-east corner is lightly swaying back and forth on the wind. It leads outside to 6. Spiral Ascent.

3. Dovecote, Bottom Floor
The interior walls are riddled with tiny holes which house various breeds of pigeon. The wooden floor is covered in straw, rotten grain, and bird shit, and the air smells of the same. The only sources of natural light in this room are the same holes in the walls, making for a gloomy atmosphere.

Anyone who enters will immediately be subjected to many voices (including their own) from above screaming things like "CURSED! YOU ARE CURSED!" and "DOOM UPON YOU!".

In actuality, these voices are coming from the roosting omen birds. The Harpy taught them these phrases because she thought that it would be a) a good way to deter intruders, and b) funny.

There is a ladder alongside the north wall leading through an open hatch in the ceiling into 4. Dovecote, Middle Floor.

MIDDLE FLOOR

4. Dovecote, Middle Floor
The interior mostly resembles the bottom floor, with the one exception being a large mesh cage in the center of the room. 1d3 flocks of omen birds are always present here, ready to fend off trespassers.

The mesh cage door is open, and has no lock other than a simple latch. Inside is a rather well-preserved postmaster's table and a cushioned chair. The only items of interest are the big ledger book on the table, which shows who was sending/receiving mail (last entry dated 28 years ago), a large iron key (opens the safe in 2. Post Office), and a full falconry set (30 sp).

The weight of the cage and furniture in the center of the room coupled with the rotten planks makes the floor here treacherous. If, at any point, there are three or more people in or near the cage, or if anyone jumps, the floor will break, loudly dumping anything on top of it down to 3. Dovecote, Bottom Floor and dealing 2d6 falling damage, save for half.

The ladder continues upwards to 5. Dovecote, Harpy's Roost.

 

TOP FLOOR

5. Dovecote, Harpy's Roost
The interior, once again, resembles the two floors below. There is a larger and more varied concentration of birds here, with noticeable piles of down and feathers everywhere. The air is loud with squawking and cooing.

To the side, there is an improvised nest of sticks and broken furniture, lined with straw. If not encountered yet, the Harpy (also known as postmistress Mariette du Roc) will be here. Hidden away under a layer of straw are 2d4 big fist-sized eggs (1 sp each). Mariette would rather not talk about the eggs.

Hanging from the rafters above the nest is a tiny brass key and a ring on a chain. The key opens the hidden lockbox from 10. Pantry. The ring, made to resemble a circle of metal feathers, is magical, and grants the wearer the ability to speak and sing in Birdsong (the language of birds), as well as understand it.

Among the birds present there are 1d6 piebald pigeons (25 sp each as exotic pets) and 1d6 recorder crows (10 sp each, can "record" and "repeat" sounds on command).

A shoddy door in the eastern wall leads outside to 7. Viewing Platform.

6. Spiral Ascent
Wooden stairs without railings spiral upward to the top of the tower, wide enough to fit two people shoulder-to-shoulder. Some planks are missing, while others are bent or covered in a slick layer of bird shit.

Anyone trying to go up or down the stairs faster than a crawl will need to save to avoid slipping, and on a fail save again to avoid falling down.

At the top, the stairs end once they reach 7. Viewing Platform.

7. Viewing Platform
The platform expands from the tower into the open air, providing a breathtaking view of the Summer Sea and the ruined Oberlyn in the distance. Shoddy wooden railings provide an illusion of safety.

A weathered wooden bench is placed against the wall, two sacks of bird feed propped alongside it. A tarnished spyglass (25 sp) is wedged between the sacks. This is the only place Mariette can truly relax in. Those who spend an evening here watching the birds fly in the light of the setting sun have a [evenings]-in-6 chance to gain an innate understanding of a single technique or stance of Aderran.

At the center of the platform a long wooden post sticks out, with something covered by cloth hanging on a rope from the top of the post. Under the cloth covering is a small mirror (10 sp) that once was used to send signals.

Looking back at the tower, one can see a brass weather vane (15 sp) in the shape of a flying bird at the top of the shingled roof.

BASEMENT

8. Cellar
Cool air, uneven stonework of the walls and the floor, big wooden beams propping up the ceiling. Smells of mildew and sweat. Military tents are pitched haphazardly across the floor, surrounding smoldering campfires. 3d6 mercenaries of Lanza's Lancers are present here at all time, exhausted and paranoid.

Stacked around the tents are barrels of stale water, sacks of barely edible hardtack, and piles of weapons: 2d6 spears (medium), 2d10 sabres (medium), 1d4 crossbows (heavy).

In the north-west corner, two bodies lie covered by cloaks. If examined, they are completely bloodless, their skin is pale and waxy, faces frozen in grimaces of terror and pain. The corpses have deep claw marks all over, similar to a bear's, with the exception of a single deep puncture wound in the chest area.

All broken furniture that originally occupied the cellar is piled up near the southern wall and the two (quite uncharacteristic for a post tower) iron doors leading to 11. Holding Cell A and 12. Holding Cell B. Noticeably, the door to 12. Holding Cell B is bent and broken open from the inside, its latch lying somewhere in the debris.

The company banner (120 sp, depicts a winged snake wrapped around a skeleton) is draped over the stone archway in the northern wall, which leads to 9. Sleeping Quarters. Another archway can be seen between two tents in the eastern wall, leading into 10. Pantry.

9. Sleeping Quarters
More uneven stonework. All of the pilfered mostly-whole furniture has been placed here, including actual beds with mattresses. This is where Lanza and her veterans rest, and where they set up their field headquarters.

If not encountered yet, captain Lanza will be here, accompanied by 1d6 veterans. They would either be discussing the desertion situation, the Harpy situation, or drinking and playing dice.

One of the beds has a box of high-quality wine (2d6 bottles, 5 sp each) hidden underneath, a trophy brought by one of the veterans. Further investigation reveals a total of 68 sp in jewelry stuffed in some of the mattresses, which was acquired in similar fashion.

A wooden door in the south-east corner leads into 10. Pantry.

10. Pantry
Mostly empty wooden shelves line the walls. All of the original post tower provisions have either dried into dust or melted into foul-smelling slime (and besides, most of them were for the birds and not the people anyways). The mercenaries store their own supplies here as well, but those are running low too.

All in all, the mercenaries have around 6 barrels of somewhat drinkable water (not counting the ones in 8. Cellar), enough hardtack and salted meat to last them a week, and 2 barrels of cheap ale (10 sp per barrel).

A small iron lockbox banded with brass is stashed behind one of the sacks of rotten grain, poorly hidden by the mercenary who found it here. If opened, it contains notes in Mariette's handwriting from a thesis on the "...Malleability of Ursine Flesh...", each stamped with an elaborate seal; and a decorative bronze syringe with the engraving "UBI STIRPIS IBI PATRIA" (50 sp, selling might bring unwanted attention).

11. Holding Cell A
Steep stone steps descend a bit, placing the door a good couple of feet above the floor. High (20 ft.) ceiling. Piles of straw are scattered around the floor, manacle chains bolted to the wall. This room is noticeably colder than the rest, and the mercenaries, superstitious as they are, have been avoiding it.

A small wooden table is set in the north-east corner. Tucked into the table's drawer are water-damaged notes listing and comparing statistics of different pigeon breeds, such as their flight speed and navigational capabilities, but also general intelligence and understanding.

Animal bones are everywhere in the room, from random shards and fragments to partial skeletons hidden underneath the straw. Most belong to birds, but an expert would recognize the remains of a horse, lion, ape, and bear among them.

This room used to be Mariette's, for lack of a better word, laboratory.

12. Holding Cell B
Same as 11. Holding Cell A, except in an even bigger state of disarray. The walls are covered in scratch marks (tally marks?) and dried bloodstains.

This is where Mariette originally kept the Bloodfiend. This is also where the Bloodfiend sleeps during the day, high up on the rafters, where it made itself a nest of straw and torn fabric.

Inside the nest are 200 sp in shiny objects it managed to accumulate over the years, including a silver locket with the portrait of a young woman with raven hair (in actuality, Mariette before her transformation) and SIGNS IN BIRDS, a magic smallsword (medium). 

 

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ANNELY LANZA, Captain of Lanza's Lancers
HD 4 AC chainmail Attacks 1d10 winged spear, 1d8 sabre Morale 10
Tall middle-aged woman, with a single long braid and features so sharp you'd think she was cut out of granite. Her helmet is decorated with wings, and her chestplate has the grimacing face of a goblin on it.

• She is a proficient user of Tamburo, attacks twice per round, and may follow up a successful attack with a bash of her figure-of-eight shield round the head (target must save or be stunned for a round, having to choose between moving without acting and acting without moving).
• Her choice to desert was more of a sudden, panicked decision rather than anything she planned in advance. She buried the lockbox with the leftover pay for her company's services (600 sp) on the way here, near the walls of Oberlyn, and carries a map to it at all times under her shirt.
• Unlike her men, she's smart enough to recognize that the Harpy and the Bloodfiend are two separate beings, and considers the "haunting" of the Dovecote to be the Harpy's doing, thinking she's some sort of a witch (neither of which are that far from the truth).
• She is willing to pay 150 sp (taken out of her company's pay) to anyone who brings to her the head of either the Harpy or the Bloodfiend, and can be persuaded to offer her mercenaries as hirelings.
• If the issue with the Harpy is not resolved, by the end of the week she will gather the remaining mercenaries and try to take the Dovecote by storm. Then, once her forces are well-rested, she plans to change her name together with her company insignia and continue mercenary work elsewhere.

Mercenary of Lanza's Lancers
HD 2 AC leather Attacks 1d8 sabres or 1d8 spears Morale 7
Yellow beret, yellow sash over a simple chestplate, boots of black leather. Empty stomach, tired eyes.

• Mercenaries who have max HP are veterans, and have a 1d10 crossbow in addition to other equipment. Veterans can be recognized by their epaulets and missing digits/eyes/noses.
• Most genuinely believe the Dovecote to be haunted after hearing the vocalizations of omen birds, and claim that it's a spiritual punishment for their desertion. Thus, they are scared shitless of going in there, and would rather leave the tower as soon as possible. The recent killings don't help the overall morale of the company.
• Scattered sightings of both Mariette and the Bloodfiend made them think that both of the winged figures are the same "Harpy", of which they are also scared shitless. 

The BLOODFIEND, aka Hypodermic-Snouted Taloned Bat
HD 4 AC leather Attacks 1d8 sharp talons, 1d10 proboscis, screech (see below) Morale 9
A giant bat-like creature with a wingspan of 10 feet, nose and fangs twisted together into a sharp, mosquito-like proboscis. 

• Has a fly speed of 40 feet, a screech attack (targets with unprotected ears nearby save or go deaf for 1d4 rounds), and can suck blood with its proboscis (target must save or lose an extra 1d4 HP, with the Bloodfiend healing for the same amount). May attack twice with talons or once with proboscis.
• Mostly nocturnal, relies on echolocation to navigate within its surroundings. Bright light stuns it. 
• Uncharacteristically high intelligence and understanding. Cunning in tactics, preferring to single out and ambush its targets, but not actively malicious. Obsessively collects shiny objects like a magpie.
• Hunts the mercenaries by creeping on them from the rafters way up above, squeezing through holes in the walls near the ceiling to traverse rooms without being seen. 
• Is a chimera created by Mariette through the rite of the Outer Cross, combining the features of a mosquito and a vampire bat to see how their bloodsucking abilities will interact. It's been terrorizing the countryside for the last 30 years, but never touching Mariette due to ingrain filial affection.

Postmistress MARIETTE DU ROC, the Harpy
HD 3 AC unarmored Attacks 1d8 peck, 1d6 wing slap Morale 8
A human-bird chimera. Patches of monochrome feathers, long hollow-boned limbs, human arms halfway turn into wings, avian head with a sharp beak (think crow demons from Dark Souls). Dressed in a once fancy and colorful, but now faded and thread-worn dress. Not an actual harpy.

• Fly speed of 30 feet.
• Adept at mimicking any sound (let alone voice) she's heard, will fully use this ability to her advantage to confuse and frighten intruders.
• Previous (and arguably current) postmistress of the post tower, still fully committed to the position.
• High-ranking member of the Dovecote Transom Club, which naturally makes her an expert on monster and animal biology. Oversaw the pigeon breeding efforts that took part here back in the day, in addition to more personal projects (including her Hypodermic-Snouted Taloned Bat).
• When Oberlyn fell, out of desperation performed the rite of the Outer Cross on herself, gaining both wings (from her carrier pigeons) and vocal mimicry (from recorder crows) in addition to prolonging her lifespan. Surprisingly, the rite went exactly as expected (her current fragile mental state was caused more by time spent in isolation rather than her metamorphosis).
• Lost her sense of purpose due to years of not being able to perform her duties. Territorial and protective of her flocks, but deeply lonely inside. Would love nothing more than restoring the post tower, re-establishing contact with the club, and delivering mail once again.
• Willing to share her expertise, club connections, and prized purebreds (like the piebald pigeons and recorder crows) with those who help fend off Lanza and her mercenaries (peacefully or otherwise). 

Omen Birds
HD 2 AC unarmored (see below) Attacks 1d4 beaks and talons (see below) Morale 7
Birds with dark feathers that shimmer with oil-slick colors in certain light, bone-white crests that puff up when agitated or vocalizing, eyes surrounded by rings of exposed grey skin, and sharp black beaks.

• Fly speed of 40 feet.
• All attacks automatically hit a flock of omen birds, but melee and ranged attacks deal a maximum of 2 damage. Spells and area-of-effect attacks deal full damage.
• Omen birds automatically deal 1d4 damage to all targets caught inside or nearby the flock. A target may choose to cover its eyes and mouth to reduce this damage to 1, at the cost of not being able to attack or perform other complex actions (but still be able to move normally).
• Have morale of 11 when in presence of Mariette. 
• Can mimic human voices, and will use this ability to voice various portents of doom (save vs fear the first time you meet a flock of them, realizing that it's a trick afterwards) as taught by Mariette.
• Another product of Mariette's rite of the Outer Cross, this time a chimera of her prized carrier pigeons and recorder crows, made in hopes of pioneering the idea of "speaking mail". The resulting creatures were more viable than originally expected, and all members of the current generation were born perfectly naturally.

Recorder Crow
HD 0 (1 HP) AC unarmored Attacks 1d1 peck Morale 5
A bird visually indistinguishable from a regular crow, but noticeably smarter.

• Fly speed of 40 feet.
• Perfect vocal mimics. All recorder crows present in the tower innately know how to follow commands "Record", "Stop", "Repeat", "Pause" and "Resume". Remember up to 1 hour of audio.

Piebald Pigeon
HD 0 (1 HP) AC unarmored Attacks 1d1 peck Morale 5
A beautiful purebred pigeon, the discoloration of its feathers causes the appearance of a white "hood" and "socks" on its dark body, alongside the more intricate layering of dark and white on the wings.

• Fly speed of 60 feet. These are especially prized by Mariette for their speed alone. 
• Great navigational abilities. A letter entrusted to such a pigeon has a 5-in-6 chance of being swiftly delivered to its destination, or 6-in-6 if it was entrusted by Mariette specifically.

 

These Bygone Words (Ritual Magic for GLOG)

One of the most interesting features of Beyond the Wall is its magic system. Specifically, all magic in the game is divided into Cantrips (small and flexible, but risky), Spells (reliable, but limited), and Rituals (big, slow, and with potential side effects). Here is my attempt at adapting the latter for GLOG.

Mechanically, it draws heavily and combines elements from both Sam Sorensen's Ritual Elements in GLOG Magic and Xeno's Ritual Magic rules.

InkYami

What is a Ritual? 

A Ritual is a type of magic separate (but not too dissimilar) from a regular Spell. Rituals are defined by the following:

• They are slow to perform, requiring hours at a time to be completed, making them better suited for periods of downtime. 
• They are big, able to create long-lasting or even permanent effects, or affect a large area.
• They are powerful (which is different from just being big), having a higher [sum] on average and a lesser chance of Mishaps or Dooms if performed with more [dice].

Rituals cannot be performed using MD. Instead, they use Ritual Dice, or RD:

• Unlike MD, RD are d8s, and are always spent upon casting a ritual (since they don't belong to anyone in particular, more on that later).
• Like MD, RD can still cause Mishaps and Dooms*, which affect everyone who takes part in a Ritual.

* personally, I'd recommend using Practitioner's Backfires instead, appropriately scaled up for the Ritual

Note: Since RD are d8s and not d6s, the chance to roll doubles or triples is lower compared to MD. This should make the idea of performing a Ritual with more [dice] more enticing.  

Each Ritual requires certain Components to be performed at 1 RD. It is assumed that all listed Components are consumed by the Ritual unless stated otherwise, in which case the Component will have "(reusable)" next to it.

Additionally, each Ritual requires [dice] hours to be performed, and at least one person to conduct it. While multiple people may take part in a Ritual, only one of them is considered to be the main ritualist.

Note: These rules assume that anyone is able to perform a Ritual as long as they know it and have the required Components, whether they have spellcasting abilities or not. In fact, this can be the only type of magic available in a low-magic setting. On the other side of the spectrum, you may restrict conducting Rituals to only spellcasters, providing them with an extra tool at their disposal outside of MD.

Finally, while Rituals don't accept extra MD like Spells do, their power can be increased by completing certain ritual Preparations. 

Ritual Preparations

 For each of the following that's true, +1/2 RD may be added to the Ritual:

• A ritual participant has spellcaster templates** (+1/2 RD per template, applies for all participants)
• The ritual is conducted on hallowed or desecrated ground (e.g. temple, graveyard)
• The ritual is conducted under the light of a full moon, or the dark of a new moon
• The ritual is conducted at a significant natural landmark (e.g. mountaintop, heart of the forest)
• The ritual is performed as part of an important festival or holy day
• Candles, incense, or other ceremonial fires are lit and maintained around the ritual site
• Glyphs and runes are etched into the floor or drawn in chalk or charcoal
• At least 5 people other than the ritualist are present and take active part in the ritual
• At least 1 slot of silver arcane implements is set up (e.g. bell, dagger, mirror)
• At least 1 slot of mystically significant animal parts is set up (e.g. tiger skin, bat wings, newt eyes)
• At least 1 slot of ritually preserved body parts is set up (e.g. human skull, heart in a jar, severed hand)
• The ritualist dons purpose-made and elaborate ritual garb (e.g. robe, mask, ceremonial paint)

** to account for half-caster classes, let's consider any template that grants +1 MD a spellcaster template 

For each of the following that's true, +1 RD may be added to the Ritual:

• The ritual is conducted during a solstice, equinox, eclipse or other major astronomical event
• The ritual is conducted at a place of power, like a circle of standing stones
• A living animal of mystical significance is present (e.g. white raven, horned hare, three-eyed toad)
• At least one entire skeleton belonging to a human, monster, or large animal is set up
• A truly rare and genuine arcane implement is set up (e.g. crystal ball, scrying mirror, cast iron cauldron)
• At least 1 slot of unique natural material is set up (e.g. chunk of meteoric iron, ancient fossil) 
• At least 20 people other than the ritualist are present and take active part in the ritual
• The name of a powerful being you've established contact with before is invoked, like that of a demonic patron (the being might refuse to contribute unless an agreement is reached first)

Multiples of any specific Preparation don't count unless mentioned explicitly. A single ritual Preparation cannot count for multiple entries (e.g. a skeleton and its skull, a living animal and its parts).

Neither of the above lists is exhaustive and other ways to gain RD may exist in the world.

Conducting a Ritual

Firstly, the ritualist must have access to the Ritual itself, by either having it in written form or by learning it like you would a Spell. In fact, Rituals can be found in most places you'd expect to find a Spell, like dusty old grimoires and ancient clay tablets.

Then, all required Components must be gathered and desired Preparations made to determine the number of available RD (rounded down). It should then be decided how the available RD will be used.

Instead of adding RD directly to the Ritual, you may instead do the following per 1 RD left unused:

• Stabilize the Ritual, ignoring 1 potential Mishap (but never a Doom)
• Decrease the time required to perform the Ritual by 1 hour (to a minimum of 1 hour)

At last, once the Ritual is completed, all added RD are rolled like you would roll MD, determining [dice] and [sum] and causing Mishaps on doubles and Dooms on triples as usual.

If a Ritual is interrupted before completion, it harmlessly fizzles out, its Components still consumed. 

*** 

sarcoma 

Example Rituals

All of the below Rituals are adapted from Beyond the Wall.

Mage Armor
Components: blood of one tortoise, [dice] * 5 silver coins.
Protective runes are drawn upon a willing target's skin in tortoise blood and molten silver coins are poured on it, harmlessly evaporating into smoke upon contact. While the target remains unarmored, it has +[dice] * 2 AC for 1 month or until it takes [sum] total damage, whichever comes first.  

Gather Mists
Components: incense, the tail feather of a bird of prey.
As the incense is burned, the ritualist chants and performs elaborate gestures, completing the ritual by swallowing the feather. After that, dense, billowing fog rolls into the area of a [dice] mile radius centered at the ritual site. The mist obscures the vision of anyone caught inside, preventing them from seeing further than an arm's reach. This mist lasts for [sum] hours and is unaffected by weather.

Goodberry
Components: [dice]d4 fresh berries, pure spring water, unused leather pouch stitched by the ritualist.
The ritualist imbues the berries with powerful curative magic by washing them with pure water and storing them in the leather pouch. Anyone who eats one immediately heals 1 HP. If left uneaten, the berries spoil after [sum] days.

Staff of Might
Components: an ordinary cudgel/staff/walking stick, a length of oak, ram horn, mortar and pestle (reusable).
The ritualist crushes the horn with mortar and pestle, sprinkles the dust onto the provided piece of wooden equipment, blessing it with names of power. Then, a length of oak is burned, the smoke imbuing the weapon with the tree's strength. 

For the next [sum] days, the weapon gains a +[dice] to-hit, deals +1 damage, and counts as magical for all intents and purposes.

Steed of the Sorcerer
Components: never-before-used harness and saddle of black leather.
The ritualist repeatedly utters the name of the steed, beckoning it. At the end of the ritual, a ghostly 3 HD horse with a black coat and eyes like fire arrives at the ritual site, and is then equipped with the harness and saddle. 

The steed is faster than any ordinary horse, moves in complete silence, and is utterly fearless and loyal to the ritualist, allowing no other to ride it. It fades into the mist together with its harness and saddle after [dice] days or if it's brought to 0 HP, whichever comes first.

Unseen Servant
Components: a piece of wood/bundle of sticks/straw, pure spring water, ritual knife (reusable).
The ritualist crafts a small humanoid figure out of the provided material, etches runes into it with a knife, and then plunges it in pure spring water. Finally, the figure is consigned to the fire, and the servant is summoned. 

An unseen servant is an invisible and incorporeal spirit that mindlessly obeys the ritualist. It can lift and carry up to [dice] slots, open doors, and do simple menial tasks like cleaning. It cannot fight or move more than [sum] * 5 feet away from the ritualist, and disappears after [dice] days.

 

8 Thieves from Beyond the Wall

More Beyond the Wall playbooks converted into Archetypes, this time focusing on the Thieves (or Rogues, as they are called in Beyond the Wall, although Specialist would suit some of them much better). 

These ones are intended for Vayra's Ultimate Thief, but should be compatible with niosis' Hunter as well.

Ben McEntee

1. Adventurous Trader
Starting Equipment: nice clothes (+1 reaction), crossbow (heavy), stiletto (light), merchant's scales, ledger and writing supplies, 200 silvers' worth of common trade goods, cart drawn by a mule (1 HD). 
Skill: Haggling
Benefit: You have 2 extra inventory slots. Items stored in these slots are perfectly concealed on you. In addition, you usually can tell what it would take to bribe a guard or official. 
Drawback: You owe 1d6 × 1000 silvers to a powerful and dangerous lender. They expect regular payments of 10% each week, and if you fall behind, they'll send collectors. Or worse.

Note: Ultimate Thief already has Hidden Pockets as a template ability, but I usually remove it as I prefer the class to be on the lighter side, especially combined with an Archetype.
    
2. Untested Thief
Starting Equipment: dark clothing, blackjack (light), forearm dagger (light), boot knife (light), set of lockpicks, rough rope (10m) with grappling hook, chalk. 
Skill: Streetwise
Benefit: You are proficient in thieves' cant, a secret language of symbols, signs, and coded speech used by criminals. This allows you to disguise anything you say as mundane conversation, identify fellow thieves, and leave and recognize hidden marks and warnings of the criminal underworld. 
Drawback: Your first job went bad and you were made the scapegoat of a crime you may or may not have committed. When you arrive at a settlement, there's a chance the local authorities have your description: 1-in-6 in villages, 2-in-6 in towns, and 3-in-6 in big cities and capitals.
    
3. Local Performer
Starting Equipment: colorful clothes (+1 reaction), shortsword (medium), musical instrument of your choice, hat with a feather, make-up kit, small mirror, deck of cards. 
Skill: Performance (specify type)
Benefit: When you perform, you can captivate listeners within earshot for up to [templates × 10] minutes, causing them to ignore most other things. If you work your recent adventures or some gossip into the performance, people in nearby settlements will have heard about it within a week. 
Drawback: You crave the spotlight. Whenever there's an opportunity to perform or someone asks you to, you must save to resist, even when it's dangerous, inconvenient, or would blow your cover.
    
4. Dungeon Delver
Starting Equipment: scavenged armor (+2 AC), war pick (medium), bullwhip (light), 3-meter pole, shovel, oil lantern, thick sturdy rope (20m). 
Skill: Architecture
Benefit: You are utterly at home in dungeons and ruins, and suffer no combat penalties from rough terrain, cramped spaces, or dim light. By knocking on a wall, you can tell if there is an open space or any hazards behind it, like water, creatures, mechanisms built into the wall etc. 
Drawback: After your time spent underground, the open sky feels vast and oppressive. When fighting outdoors with no cover above your head, you always act last in the initiative order.
    
5. Young Woodsman
Starting Equipment: hard leather vest (+2 AC), trusty hatchet (medium), whittling knife (light), 1d4 jaw traps, hooded cloak, net big enough for a large boar. 
Skill: Trapping
Benefit: While in the wilderness, you can spend 10 minutes to camouflage yourself, another person, or an object (most likely a trap) in dirt, mud, and surrounding foliage. Camouflaged targets are functionally invisible in the current environment as long as they're not moving. 
Drawback: You have -2 reaction with predatory animals like bears and wolves, as they recognize you as potential competition. In combat, such beasts will prioritize attacking you.
    
6. Gifted Dilettante
Starting Equipment: fine clothes (+1 reaction), cane-sword (medium), letter opener (light), 1d6 books on random topics, golden pocket watch, writing supplies, a winning smile. 
Skill: Etiquette
Benefit: You can read and write at triple speed. When faced with a task requiring a specific skill or knowledge, there is a [templates]-in-6 chance that you recall enough from your studies to act as if you have that skill (for this instance only) or know the relevant factoid. 
Drawback: Most things come naturally to you, until they don't. You must save to ask for help, admit your ignorance, or let someone else take the lead, even when it's clearly the wisest choice.
    
7. Learned Tutor
Starting Equipment: scholarly robes, walking stick (medium), ornate dagger (light), reference tome, educational charts and diagrams, smoking pipe, heirloom memento. 
Skill: Logic
Benefit:  You can teach any skill you know (including its special ability) to up to [templates] people during a rest. Each following day, they must save or forget it. Additionally, by spending 10 minutes examining something, you uncover one useful fact about it, but only once per target. 
Drawback: When you encounter a new curiosity, like an inscription, device, creature, or some other mystery, you must save or waste 10 minutes fussing over it. This doesn't activate your Benefit.
    
8. Assistant Beast Keeper
Starting Equipment: leather apron, wide-brimmed hat, shepherd's crook (medium), skinning knife (light), sack of animal feed, comb and shears, loyal beast of your choosing (1 HD). 
Skill: Animal Ken
Benefit: Animals will never attack you unless you provoke them first. You can pacify an angry, scared, or hostile animal with a touch on a [templates]-in-6 chance, and command a pacified animal to perform a non-dangerous action on another [templates]-in-6 chance.
Drawback: You smell like the barn, which most folk find unpleasant and which tends to betray your presence, making hiding difficult. If you manage to wash the stench off or mask it with perfume, you lose your Benefit until it returns to you.

*** 

Bonus!  

Since Ultimate Thief's skills are mainly suited for a real rat bastard, which is not exactly the vibe for Beyond the Wall, I've expanded the original list to a d30 and added some new, mostly wholesome skills into the mix. Most of them are adapted from Lexi's Scholar and Gokun's Craftsman (for those in the know).

1d10 (more) Thief Skills

1. Stealth
   You can do loud things (running, fighting, breaking stuff) very quietly, and do quiet things (walking, climbing, pulling a knife, rummaging around in a backpack) in absolute silence.
   
   Note: This is just Ultimate Thief's capstone turned into a skill, since I had a different capstone for it in mind. There are only 9 actually new skills, sorry for false advertising 😔
   
   
2. Astronomy
   When in view of the night sky, you can navigate by stars, accurately forecast weather for a week, and make predictions about the future (receiving one accurate, but cryptic detail on a 1-in-6 chance).
   
   
3. Physiology
   Gain a second save against disease. With 10 minutes of examination, you can determine all mundane ailments a living body is suffering from or the exact cause of death of a dead one.
   
   
4. Art
   You have perfect visual recall, and never forget faces, scenes, symbols etc. With proper materials and an hour of work, you can reproduce anything you've seen in a lifelike painting.
   
   
5. Esoterica
   You can read magical scripts and identify whether a specific item or phenomenon is magical in nature, with a 2-in-6 chance to accurately determine the exact magical effect.
   
   
6. Escape Artistry
   You can undo any knot and slip out of shackles and other bindings. Your body is able to contort through any hole no smaller than your head.
   
   
7. Law
   You can write legally-binding contracts, and slip hidden clauses into them with a 3-in-6 chance (causing unintended loopholes on a failure). You also have a 2-in-6 chance to argue someone out of legal charges.
   
   
8. Gambling
   When playing games of chance, you can choose to cheat by rolling twice and picking which result to use. You have a 4-in-6 chance to spot when someone is bluffing or cheating, in or out of the game.
   
   
9. Theology
   By looking into someone's eyes, you can tell if they are burdened by shame, guilt, sin, or true devotion. You count as an ordained cleric for the purposes of officiating marriages and funeral rites.
   
   
10. Mathematics
    You can estimate distance, weight, trajectory, and time with unsettling precision. You may automatically catch anything thrown to you, or snatch projectiles out of thin air that were aimed at you but missed.
    
    

8 Fighters from Beyond the Wall

I feel that Beyond the Wall is treated by the OSR community very similarly to how Hellboy comics are treated by the comic community: whenever it gets brought up, people's thoughts on it usually range from "it's pretty good" to "one of my favorite things ever", but subsequent discussion rarely lasts beyond that.

Because of that, as someone who considers Beyond the Wall their OSR system of choice, I was quite excited to learn that Vivanter of Mediums and Messages decided to try it out. Even though the system ended up not quite working for him, the resulting overview (which I found to be quite agreeable for the most part) made me reconsider my own issues with the game. 

Inspired by Vivanter's playbook conversions, I decided to try something similar and convert 8 select playbooks into Archetypes for Vayra's Ultimate Fighter, although they would probably work just as fine for niosis' Warrior too.

As is tradition, most of the mechanics were shamelessly stolen from other, much more talented people.

Ben McEntee

1. Would-Be Knight
Starting Equipment: chainmail and tabard (+4 AC), shield (+1 AC), arming sword (medium), fine rope (20 m), silver flask, your own horse (2 HD). 
Skill: Heraldry
Benefit: When you challenge someone to single combat, they must save or be compelled to accept. Once the combat starts, they will continue to fight you until one of you yields, falls, or if someone else intervenes. 
Drawback: You must follow a code of honor. You are forbidden from attacking helpless foes, breaking your word, refusing combat challenges, and using underhanded tactics like poison. If you violate the code, you lose all Fighter templates until you complete an act of penance.
    
2. Last of a Fallen House
Starting Equipment: nobleman's clothes (+1 reaction), rapier (medium), parrying dagger (light), bottle of expensive wine, threadworn but kingly cloak, signet ring with your House's sigil. 
Skill: Leadership 
Benefit: When unarmored, you add [templates × 2] to your AC, representing your poise and graceful footwork. If you're hobbled, humiliated, or visibly disheveled, you lose this benefit until you restore your composure and appearance. 
Drawback: If someone slights or insults your noble standing, your House's legacy, or you personally, you must save to resist violently lashing out in response.
    
3. New Watchman
Starting Equipment: gambeson (+2 AC), spear (medium), bow (medium), loud horn, hooded lantern, iron keyring with unlabeled keys, loyal watchdog (1 HD). 
Skill: Alertness 
Benefit: You cannot be ambushed, meaning that you always get to act during a surprise round. Additionally, you add [templates] to your initiative rolls. 
Drawback: You suffer -2 reaction with thieves, con artists, and other criminal types, and they instinctively distrust you. If you speak while disguised, you always betray your identity somehow.
    
4. Village Hero
Starting Equipment: patchwork leathers (+2 AC), sturdiest shield in the village (+2 AC), hardy club (medium), simple knife (light), lucky trophy from the threat you defeated, gnarly scar. 
Skill: Folklore 
Benefit: You have +2 reaction with peasants and other commoners, and can easily find food, shelter, or information in any village you visit. In addition, you are immune to fear. 
Drawback: The threat you once defeated survived, and is now your nemesis. Determine with your GM who or what it is. At the worst possible moment, your nemesis will return to finish the job, heralded only by the aching of your scar.
    
5. Retired Veteran
Starting Equipment: worn brigandine (+4 AC), notched halberd (heavy), old dagger (light), waterskin, set of 10 iron spikes, really good boots, faded sash with your company's colors, old wounds. 
Skill: Tactics 
Benefit: Whenever you arrive at a new place, there is a 3-in-6 chance you've visited it in the past. If you have, the GM will tell you three things you remember about it: one danger to watch out for, one point of interest, and one useful old contact that's not necessarily friendly. 
Drawback: Your old wounds slow you down, halving your effective movement. You can push yourself to move at full speed for one round, but take 1 nonlethal damage as your wounds act up.
    
6. Failed Ranger
Starting Equipment: waxed hide (+2 AC), longbow (heavy), hunting knife (light), heavy cloak, flint and tinder, bird call whistle, tarnished mark of your order. 
Skill: Hunting 
Benefit: While in untamed wilderness, you can forage enough food for up to [templates] people and track trails left by creatures up to [templates] days ago without fail. 
Drawback: You abandoned the safety of hearth and home and grew too accustomed to the wild. You gain no rest benefits when resting in civilized places such as towns, villages, or inns.
    
7. Lost Barbarian
Starting Equipment: fur garb (+2 AC), blade of unseen make (medium), bow of unseen make (medium), bottle of alcohol unique to your culture (intoxicating to any constitution), token of your home. 
Skill: Survival 
Benefit: You have devised a patchwork tongue of words and phrases borrowed from many cultures and people you have encountered. When you speak it to someone, there is a 2-in-6 chance they still grasp your meaning. This also applies to animals. 
Drawback: You suffer -2 reaction with nobles and other city-dwellers, as your foreign ways scare and confuse them. There is a 2-in-6 chance any paid service will refuse you, unless you pay double.
    
8. Nobleman's Wild Daughter
Starting Equipment: oversized chainmail (+4 AC), heirloom greatsword (heavy), concealed dagger (light), stashed dress, vial of perfume, handkerchief embroidered with your family crest, personal journal. 
Skill: History 
Benefit: When you hear someone voice doubt in your abilities or dismiss you for your birth, you gain advantage on rolls made to prove them wrong. This also applies to attack rolls against them. 
Drawback: You are being pursued by 1d4 scorned suitors who sought to marry into your family. Whenever you invoke your family name or are recognized as nobility while in a settlement, there is a 3-in-6 chance one of them tracks you down within a day.

 

GLOGllow Knight: Build-a-Bug

This is a part 2 of my personal attempt to make a TTRPG suitable for the world of Hollow Knight.

In addition to just dry rules text, I will also be providing some designer commentary for specific parts, which will be done in red text like so. I also went back and added commentary to part 1 of the series, so check it out even if you have already read it and especially if you haven't.

In this one, we'll continue exploring character creation and do a deep dive into the Trait system.

Sinsin

HKRPG: Bug Bones Edition

Traits
There are many different species of bugs, all of which have their own unique Traits that define them.

Like I mentioned in part 1, the idea of not using a set list of species came up extremely early in the development of the original Hollow Knight RPG, pretty much before the actual development had even begun. While there are explicitly named species of bugs in Hollow Knight (snails, bees, mantises), the majority of the characters you encounter in the game only have a passing resemblance to real-life insects, and even the ones that are named are heavily anthropomorphized.

Instead of restricting players to select few species, we decided it would be much more appropriate and "OC-friendly" (which we considered to be a big draw of the system) if the theoretical representation of any potential bug species could be made quite literally out of insect parts. Those parts ended up being called Traits.

Unfortunately, the end product ended up being more flawed than I expected. Physical Traits like Mandibles and Pincers, used to represent the actual anatomy, had to battle for attention with mental Traits, like Civilized or Feral (which probably shouldn't have been a Trait in the first place). However, the worst mistake was making Attribute Increases into Traits.

Traits had two limiting factors: the bug's Hunger score (the more Traits you had, the more food you had to eat every day) and the hard limit of 7 Traits max. In most cases, for most characters, Attribute Traits ended up being simply too good not to take, so they started taking up real estate that could've been used for more interesting and flavorful options. Worst of all, PCs of players who didn't take an Attribute Trait ended up being visibly weaker that the PCs of those who did. All in all, taking an attribute Trait was essentially mandatory, and not taking one was a trap option that wasn't always clear to a new player.

Pick 1 to 3 Traits from the following list for your bug. If you pick less than 3, you gain an extra skill rank for every Trait you skipped.

The original Trait system had Traits with different Hunger costs (essentially point-buy). Something as powerful as Flight would cost 4 Hunger, while Luminous, the ability to emit light akin to a firefly's, would only cost 1, and a drawback Trait like Carnivore (which prevented the PC from eating plant matter) would cost -4 Hunger, providing more points to pick pricier Traits with.

In addition, some Traits also had sub-Traits, which modified their parent Traits and could be taken at an extra cost, but didn't count towards the 7 Trait limit. For example, the 1 Hunger Camouflage Trait had a much pricier 3 Hunger sub-Trait called Active Camouflage, allowing the bug to adapt their natural camouflage to the current environment instead of being limited to a single one.

Now, combine this with the fact that we had over 100 Traits to pick from and you can see how this could create confusion and choice paralysis in a new player. A part of it was fun, sure, but ultimately it lead to players treating their characters less like characters and more like (eugh) builds.

So, in order to address my issues with the original system, I decided on the following:

• Traits will be used to represent specific, mostly physical insect qualities of the whole species and not of a particular character (i.e. no more attribute increases or mental Traits).
• The Trait limit will be significantly lowered to avoid players creating total monstrosities, ensuring that any potential combination of Traits could plausibly represent a character in the world of Hollow Knight (less choices, more impactful choices).
• There will be no negative Traits.
• There will be no differently priced Traits, each Trait should be as desirable as any other Trait (very much echoing Arnold's sentiment about incomparables).
• Each Trait should strive to be equally useful to most PCs, no matter their Size, Skills, Path ranks or any other chosen building blocks (again, echoing Arnold). 

(Note: as an artist, I tend to think design-first of potential characters, and believe that drawing a bug first and THEN trying to represent that drawing with Traits is the best approach to making PCs in this game).

Boiling down 100+ Traits to only 36 was very much an iterative process, which you can tell by my Miro board:

Most of the initial list of Traits

 

Second iteration, note some of the more sauceless/niche Traits being put to the side

 

 

 

And here's the final Trait list (or, "final" until I decide that I actually dislike some of them, that is):

• 11. Acid Spit – You can spit globs of boiling acid at your enemies. This is a 1Q light ranged (4″) weapon that ignores all DR.
• 12. Ancient Blood – Lifeblood courses through your veins. As a major action, you may heal another bug by feeding it your blood. Spend HD and restore [sum] Hearts to it, while taking [sum]/2 (rounded up) damage yourself.
• 13. Aquatic – Your body is especially adapted for living underwater. You may breathe water and swim at full Speed.
• 14. Bloodsucker – You may feed on the blood of other bugs. 1 HD worth of fresh blood counts as a ration for you, and your bite is a 1Q light weapon that heals 1 Heart when you deal damage. If your bite is already a weapon, it becomes medium and gains that ability.
• 15. Burrower – You can burrow through loose earth and other soft materials at half Speed. In addition, you also have 6″ of tremorsense to help you navigate.
• 16. Camouflage – Your appearance allows you to blend in in a certain natural environment (pick one at the start), granting Advantage to any stealth rolls as long as you stand still. You may also gain 1 Fatigue to adapt to the natural environment you’re currently in.

Ancient Blood might be the only Trait in the list that is truly Hollow Knight-specific, the rest are much more generic.

• 21. Climbing – You can crawl across walls and ceilings at full Speed, as if you were walking on the ground. If you're interrupted while climbing, you must make a GRACE roll or fall.
• 22. Darkvision – Your eyes pierce the darkness, allowing you to see when there is no light. However, they glow faintly, making you stand out against the shadows.
• 23. Extra Arms – You have an additional pair of arms to hold things with, with all that entails.
• 24. Extra Legs – You have more than one pair of legs, which provide you superior stability. You ignore difficult terrain and cannot be forcibly moved against your will.
• 25. Flight – You can take to the air for up to 10 minutes at the cost of 1 Fatigue. However, if you're disrupted mid-flight, you must make a GRACE roll or fall.
• 26. Fluffy Coat – Your fluff is especially thick and insulating, allowing you to suffer no negative consequences from extreme temperatures. Additionally, you can stash up to 1 Slot of items within your fluff.

My attempt at "balancing" Darkvision was by introducing a drawback in the form of glowing eyes, which also matches nicely with some the character designs in Hollow Knight.

Since I decided to remove Trait prices, one of the challenges was making sure that the Traits are roughly equally interesting and somewhat comparable in perceived power (although I doubt I really achieved that here). Usually game-breaking Flight was thus changed to not only cost Fatigue (I stole that from someone's blogpost that had a birdfolk race that could fly at the cost of a ration, but I can't seem to find which blog it was, so please let me know if you know!), but also to last for the equivalent of a dungeon turn.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, some flavorful, but less exciting Trait options, like Fluffy Coat, were given an extra mechanical benefit to balance things out.  

• 31. Hibernation – At will, you can slow your bodily functions to a near-death state, allowing you to convincingly appear dead. While in this state, you require no sustenance as long as you remain still.
• 32. Horn – You have an imposing horn (or multiple) to charge with. It is a 1Q heavy weapon that attacks with Disadvantage unless used after moving.
• 33. Iron Guts – You can consume rotten food, and venoms and poisons affect you like alcohol – intoxicating but otherwise harmless.
• 34. Leaping – Your powerful legs allow you to jump a distance up to your full Speed.
• 35. Luminous – You can emit a steady glow, illuminating a 4″ radius around you at will.
• 36. Mandibles – Your bite is a 1Q light weapon that inflicts venom (roll MIGHT (2) or move at half Speed for 1 round).

Like with Fluffy Coat, Hibernation needed an extra benefit to justify taking it, so it also became the Play Dead Trait. I'm actually kinda proud of this one!

Iron Guts seems like a more interesting and fun take on poison resistance/immunity, if you ask me.

• 41. Molting – You can painlessly detach your limbs. When you spend HD to heal, you molt, regrowing all missing limbs and leaving a hollow exoskeleton behind.
• 42. Obscuring Cloud – As a major action, for 1 Fatigue you can release a static cloud of dense particles around yourself with a 2″ radius, making it difficult to see through.
• 43. Panoramic Vision – The construction of your eyes grants you 360-degree vision and the ability to see twice as far as most bugs. You are also immune to being ambushed, and may act as usual during a surprise round.
• 44. Pheromones – You release subtle chemical signals that those around you can sense. You gain +1 to reaction rolls and can send simple, wordless messages to nearby bugs.
• 45. Pincers – You have powerful pincers instead of hands. Each pincer is a 1Q medium weapon that ignores 1 point of DR. However, you suffer Disadvantage on rolls requiring fine manipulation.
• 46. Poisonous – You are poisonous. Any creature that makes direct contact with you on a successful attack is afflicted with a poison (roll MIGHT (2) or lose 1 MIGHT for a day). Most wild predators will avoid attacking you if possible.

Note how Panoramic Vision has a pretty generic name instead of being a specific insect part. Naming it something like Compound Eyes would mean that a character that would have compound eyes now MUST take this Trait to be properly represented, which is a pretty big choice considering the amount of Traits you get. A more generic name means that it could represent not only compound eyes, but also something like eyestalks, without requiring separate Traits for each, while characters who don't have the Trait could still have those body parts as flavor.

(This is the same reason why Flight is not called Wings, by the way.) 

As for Obscuring Cloud, I decided that most of the active Traits should cost Fatigue (which takes up an inventory slot) instead being limited to X/day like they usually are in OSR games. This seemed like a more organic approach, and would let more "bestial" characters that don't use bulky armor or weapons to benefit from them more.

• 51. Prehensile Tongue – You have a long, flexible tongue that can extend up to 4 inches to grab objects. In combat, it's a 1Q medium reach weapon.
• 52. Proboscis – Your proboscis is especially sharp. Your bite is a 1Q light weapon that counts as being in your hand for the purposes of dual-wielding.
• 53. Scent – Your sense of smell is exceptionally sharp. After meeting a bug, you can recognize their scent and track where they’ve been, as well as detect their presence on objects or other creatures.
• 54. Scythe Arms – You have sharp blades instead of hands. Each scythe is a 1Q medium weapon that can be used as a shield for Parries, but you suffer Disadvantage on rolls requiring fine manipulation.
• 55. Slime Trail – As a minor action, you can move up to your Speed while secreting a trail of sticky slime (difficult terrain) wherever you step for 1 Fatigue.
• 56. Song – You communicate through high-pitched sounds that carry over long distances. Only bugs who have been taught your song can understand its meaning.

Prehensile Tongue is more "frog" than "bug", but at this point I was running out of new Trait ideas to fill out all 36 of them.

• 61. Spinneret – As a major action, you can produce 6″ of silk rope or cover a 2×2″ area with sticky webs (difficult terrain) for 1 Fatigue.
• 62. Squishy – Your body is soft and flexible, allowing you to squeeze through gaps as small as an average bug’s head.
• 63. Tough Shell – Your shell is especially tough, providing 1 DR. However, this doesn’t stack with armor, and armor you would still choose to wear must be tailored to your shell.
• 64. Venomous Stinger – You have a stinger. It is a 1Q medium weapon that inflicts the target with venom (roll MIGHT (2) or get staggered, only being able to make one action next round).
• 65. Vocal Mimicry – You can perfectly mimic the voices of bugs you’ve heard before, as well as other sounds.
• 66. Water Treading – You can walk across the surface of water at full Speed as easily as walking on solid ground.

Example Bug Species

I potentially might expand this list in the future, but for now the idea was to showcase that you could represent pretty much any insect you want with only two Traits, potentially taking a third one if you wish. 

• Bee: Flight, Venomous Stinger
• Snail: Tough Shell, Slime Trail
• Beetle: Tough Shell, Horn
• Mantis: Scythe Arms, Climbing
• Spider: Spinneret, Climbing
• Moth: Flight, Fluffy Coat
• Flea: Bloodsucker, Leaping
• Crab: Pincers, Aquatic
• Ant: Pheromones, Scent
• Cicada: Burrower, Hibernation

 

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In the next part, I'll show my take on character advancement and explain the supposed gameplay loop of the system.

If I manage to do that before disappearing forever into the Silksong mines, that is.