Reaching for Things You Shouldn't (Class: Wizard)

Another remix of Loch's immaculate Wonder-Worker, meant for a theoretical all-wizards game in the style of gnome comic Witch Hat Atelier.

ghst410

Mage

Start with: Traveling clothes, your Grimoire (1 Slot), three non-taboo Implements of your choice (see below), a light pocket knife. 

A - Crown, Spellcasting, +1 MD
B - Enchantment, Second Sight, +1 MD
C - Specialization, +1 MD
D - Artifice OR Gramarye, +1 MD

Crown
Like most living beings, you have a Crown, which is an invisible extension of your anima, or soul.

Unlike most living beings, your Crown extends [templates] * 10 paces around you, allowing you to cast spells onto anything that you can see within it. Spell effects that would leave your Crown falter and fail unless otherwise stated.

All spells you cast must originate within your Crown. 

Spellcasting
You can cast spells by combining a Word with up to [templates] Implements. You start with the knowledge of 2 Words, rolled randomly from the d60 list below.

Your Words are kept in your Grimoire. You can only use Words if you have a physical representation of them on your person (usually in, say, your Grimoire). Having a Word inked or branded onto your body bypasses that restriction, but marks you as a maleficar, an outlaw mage.

Words can be found in Grimoires of other spellcasters or in places where mages congregate or once congregated, but also inscribed on walls of ancient ruins or innards of powerful Monsters. When in a Libram, a place of great knowledge, you must roll randomly for the Word from its list.

It takes 2d6 days of downtime and uninterrupted access to the source of a Word to copy it into a Grimoire. A Grimoire has no practical limit on the number of Words it can contain. 

New Implements must be found in the world, or bought from artisans, which are available in most towns with a heavy mage presence.

Addendum: Magic
To cast a spell, dedicate a number of Magic Dice (MD) to it and roll them. They return on 1-3 and expend on 4-6, as usual, and are replenished at the start of each day after a night's sleep.

A given spell has [sum] points of power - dealing [sum] damage, reducing [sum] damage, etc.

Things beyond just damage allow creatures with the same or more HD than you to save. 

If you roll doubles when casting a spell, a Mishap occurs. Consult the following table, using the [value] shown on the doubles to determine the specific Mishap:

1. Fizzle - The spell fizzles out in a harmless, but messy and noticeable burst of [word].
2. Scatter - The spell affects a different target from the intended one, chosen at random.
3. Mangle - [word] is twisted into a different, related Word that weakens the intended effect.
4. Backfire - The spell works as intended, but you take [dice]d4 damage as [word] lashes back at you.
5. Overflow - Immediately add another MD to the spell, potentially causing additional Mishaps or Catastrophes. If you have no MD left to add, take 1d6 damage instead.
6. Reversal - The spell produces the opposite of its intended effect, and [word] is replaced with the appropriate opposite Word if possible. 

Kamome Shirahama

If you roll triples, the spell causes a Catastrophe in addition to any intended effects as its magic grows too wild to control. In that case, you must choose how the Catastrophe manifests:

• Transformation - Suffer [value] cosmetic changes themed around [word], with every third total change also granting a [word]-related ability. Reaching 10 total changes results in your body being fully consumed by magic as you permanently transform into a Monster.
• Desolation - Afflict an area within [value] bowshots around you with [word]. The effect is always disruptive (if not outright harmful) and long-lasting (if not permanent), creating a notable local landmark.
• Incarnation - Embody the magic into a new type of Monster of the [word] with [value] HD. Note that this creates a type of Monster and not necessarily a singular specimen, meaning that it will be permanently unleashed onto the world unless immediately taken care of.

Naturally, causing a Catastrophe marks you as a maleficar, provided it can be traced back to you.

Enchantment
Instead of simply casting spells, you may now use them to enchant items.

To enchant an item, cast a spell with a Word and chosen Implements onto it like you normally would by rolling MD. Enchantment takes 1 hour per MD used.

MD used for enchanting are indefinitely invested into the item and do not return to the mage's pool until they are reclaimed by the mage at any point afterwards or the item is destroyed, ending the enchantment in either case. Spent MD remain spent upon being reclaimed.

If an enchantment must grant a numerical bonus beyond obvious utility, use [dice].

Rolls of doubles during enchanting cause an Enchantment Mishap to occur, which is determined using its own table:

1. Breakdown - The enchantment fails and the item breaks, remaining unusable until fixed.
2. Outburst - The spell cannot be contained within the item, and is resolved as if cast normally.
3. Binding - Invested MD fuse with the item and can only be reclaimed by destroying it.
4. Drift - [word] is twisted into a different, related Word that weakens the intended effect.
5. Awakening - The item gains sentience and a colorful personality befitting of [word], and may refuse to cooperate in the case of a conflict of interests.
6. Curse - The item gains a malevolent downside, utilizing [word] to hinder its user in some way.

Rolls of triples cause a Catastrophe like they would during spellcasting.

Second Sight
You gain the ability to see Crowns.

This allows you to identify fellow mages and other spellcasters and tell how powerful they are at a glance, as well as see incorporeal beings (like spirits, whose bodies and Crowns are essentially one and the same) and recognize the presence of other living creatures (for example, you could tell if someone is in a pitch black room with you, but not who it is).

Specialization
Select one Word you know and one Implement in your possession.
Spells you cast that use this Word or this Implement retain MD on rolls of 1-4.

Artifice
You can now create Implements. 

To make an Implement, you must take a mundane object and ritualistically prepare it over 3d6 days of downtime. The object becomes an Implement, gaining the appropriate effect. If there is no effect already associated with this type of object, you may suggest a new one.

You automatically gain specialization with every Implement you make.

Gramarye
Once, at any point after taking this template, you may invent a new Word.

This can be any Word from the lists below that you haven't encountered yet, or you may propose an entirely new one. In either case, you gain specialization with this Word, and may cast spells with it even if it's not present in physical form on your person.

It only takes 1d6 days for you to inscribe your Word onto a physical object. Even if you choose not to, others will be able to learn it by cutting you open and transcribing it from your internal organs.

pseudokap

Words

A Grimoire taken from another mage will usually contain 1d3 Words. A Libram can offer the knowledge of 4-8 Words, often vaguely linked by a common theme.

1d60 Words:

1. Slime
2. Ice
3. Vermin
4. Paper
5. Courage
6. Crystal
7. Silk
8. Confusion
9. Rain
10. Invisibility
11. Rope
12. Fish
13. Fungus
14. Mending
15. Smoke
16. Song
17. Healing
18. Light
19. Water
20. Wax
21. Silence
22. Clouds
23. Acid
24. Fire
25. Wood
26. Soil
27. Gold
28. Web
29. Gravity
30. Sand
31. Embers
32. Steam
33. Snow
34. Heat
35. Oil
36. Iron
37. Birds
38. Ash
39. Plants
40. Awe
41. Whisper
42. Echo
43. Dream
44. Waves
45. Stone
46. Frost
47. Silver
48. Joy
49. Lightning
50. Livestock
51. Mist
52. Growth
53. Mud
54. Calm
55. Wind
56. Mechanism
57. Roar
58. Shadow
59. Flowers
60. Clay

This is not an exhaustive list, and many other Words can be found in the world.

1d20 Taboo Words:

1. Flesh
2. Hunger
3. Ruin
4. Phantasms
5. Charm
6. Chaos
7. Disease
8. Memory
9. Pain
10. Fatigue
11. Poison
12. Fear
13. Sorrow
14. Beholding
15. Ghosts
16. Decay
17. Bone
18. Void
19. Rage
20. Blood

Casting spells that utilize taboo Words, as well as their mere presence within one's Grimoire, marks the person in question as a maleficar.

Conner Fawcett

Implements

Implements take up 1 Inventory Slot unless otherwise stated.

1d20 Implements with Direct Effects:

1. Wand - Create or conjure [word] at a distance.
2. Rod - Make a strike charged with [word].
3. Staff - Fire a cone-shaped blast of [word]. 2 slots.
4. Sword - Cut through [word]. 2 slots.
5. Orb - Get a vision of nearby [word], or something in nearby [word].
6. Censer - Affect all in your Crown with [word]. 
7. Horn - Drive out all [word] from your Crown. 
8. Jar - Draw in [word], sealing it within. Contains 1 thing at a time.
9. Hammer - Break [word] with a strike.
10. Veil - Become invisible to creatures of [word], and [word] itself. 
11. Lantern - See through [word] in your Crown.
12. Mask - Speak and ask questions of [word] for a time.
13. Alembic - With an hour’s work, distill a Potion of [word]. 2 slots.
14. Spindle - With a touch, mend something with [word], or [word] itself.
15. Fan - Move [word] within your Crown. 
16. Chain - Contain or immobilize [word], holding it in place. 
17. Key - Create a path through [word], allowing for harmless passage.
18. Bell - Animate [word] or a construct of [word] to obey simple commands.
19. Scissors - Separate [word] from something, or something from [word].
20. Chalk - Summon a spirit of [word]. Consumable, has 6 uses.

Consumable implements vanish upon use, necessitating finding or buying more.

1d20 Implements with Modifying Effects:

1. Antique Pentacles - Spend 1-to-1 to increase [sum]. Consumable. Start with 10.
2. Linen Tunic - Increase [sum] by 3 as long as your bare skin is in direct contact with the earth.
3. Spark-split Branch - Affect up to [dice] extra targets, but reduce [sum] by the number of targets.
4. Gearwork Dial - Delay an effect for up to [sum] minutes, setting a condition upon which it triggers. You don’t need to be conscious for it to trigger. If the time passes without it triggering, the effect simply doesn’t occur.
5. Bullhide Belt - While the belt is buckled, the [sum] of spells affecting you is lowered by 3.
6. Furled Bloom - Spells overspill to things near them. Consumable. Start with 6.
7. Silvered Mirror - The next spell that affects you is deflected back at its source. Consumable, has 2 uses: cracks on first use, then shatters into pieces.
8. Cricket Brooch - Increase [sum] by 1 for each day spent without sleep.
9. Albatross Feather - Replace [word] in this spell with gale. Consumable. Start with 6.
10. Flint Arrowhead - Imbue the spell into a projectile, like an arrow or a slingstone, that you must immediately fire. The spell is cast on impact. Consumable. Start with 6.
11. Communion Chalice - You may add your MD to spells of those who drank from this chalice, as long as you're within each other's Crowns. You both suffer Mishaps and Catastrophes.
12. Beeswax Candle - When lit, anything illuminated by the candlelight is considered to be inside your Crown. Consumable. Start with 3.
13. Hush Scarf - While wearing this, your spells are no louder than a whisper, and people in your Crown must save to realize that their effects originate from you.
14. Twin Rings - As long as you wear one, its twin produces a [templates] pace wide "bubble" of your Crown around itself. If the twin ring is worn by another, you share each other's Crowns.
15. Thrumming Diapason - The spell's effect repeats [dice] rounds in a row. 2 slots.
16. Horn Cane - Allows you to affect horned animals you can see, even if they’re not in your Crown.
17. Sun Medallion - Increase [sum] by 2 when in direct sunlight. Moonlight and starlight versions also exist.
18. Scrivener's Ink - Spend 10 minutes to inscribe a sigil on a surface as you cast the spell. The spell takes effect when the sigil is touched, even outside your Crown. MD used to cast the spell remain invested until the sigil is activated. Consumable, has 3 uses.
19. Beast Familiar - A loyal animal companion. Has its own Crown of 5 paces around it, which counts as yours as long as the familiar trusts you. Any 1 HD animal can be a familiar.
20. Enchanting Salts - Used to substitute MD during enchantment, allowing to enchant items permanently without investing own MD. Consumable, required quantity scales with MD used for enchanting: a 1-slot lockbox (1 MD), a barrel (2 MD), a cart (3 MD), a ship's hold (4 MD).

As with Words, the Implements list is not exhaustive, and others may exist.

1d12 Taboo Implements:

1. Bone Dagger - Cut yourself with this dagger, adding damage you take to [sum].
2. Mage Femur - Add 4 to [sum] if harming another spellcaster. 2 slots.
3. Leaden Coils - Reduce your Crown to [template] paces as long as you wear them, making it invisible to those who can see Crowns.
4. Patchwork Poppet - The body of the last person whose blood was spilled on it is considered to be inside your Crown, at any distance.
5. Bronze Needles - Snap one in half to allow your spells to affect the inside of living creatures. Consumable. Start with 6.
6. Black Powder - Causes [word] to violently explode. Consumable. Start with 6.
7. Dried Tongue - When you see another mage use a Word, you can mangle that Word into a related one. Consumable, has 6 uses, then burns to ash.
8. Onyx Tablet - Infuse a corpse with [word], giving it motion and a strange power. You command the resulting shamblers. 2 slots.
9. Horvat's Nails - Your Crown also originates from any body, living or dead, that has 3 or more of these nails in it. You start with 8.
10. Funerary Brazier - Replace [word] in this spell with ghostflame. Ghostflame is pale in color and burns things without sound, light, smoke, or heat. 2 slots.
11. Cracked Hourglass - Spend years off your life 1-to-1 to increase [sum], growing visibly older.
12. Ritual Paint - Transform yourself or another into [word] or a creature of [word] for a time. Consumable, has 6 uses.

Needless to say, possession of taboo Implements marks the owner as a maleficar.

Heikala

Addendum: Mage Robes
Mage robes are comprised of a set of well-made robes decorated with charms, talismans, and esoteric patterns, commonly accompanied by a traditional pointy hat. A mage who dons them at the start of the day gains an extra MD that lasts until they are removed, usually before going to sleep.

In addition to their spellcasting utility, mage robes also serve as uniform and status symbol both, making their wearer appear unmistakably as a mage, with onlookers reacting accordingly.

Addendum: Maleficars
Mages who engage in dangerous magic and forbidden practices are called maleficars, and are considered outlaws of the highest order. Identification, apprehension, and prosecution of suspected maleficars falls under the purview of Wardens of the Sovereign Curia of Conduct and Rectification.

Maleficence is punished by Abdicatio, or Un-Crowning - the removal of all magical ability.

 

***  

This class is meant to be less setting-specific and more setting-defining, hence the number of additions compared to the original. By extrapolating its features, it should be easy enough to get a world where:

• All magic is defined through Words.
• All magical items are made using the enchantment process outlined above.
• Dungeons and other adventure-worthy sites have come to exist as a result of past Catastrophes...
• ...and so have all monsters, whether made by wizards or from wizards.

In short, think of a world where "a wizard did it" is the expected explanation for everything.

 

GLOGllow Knight: The Whole-Ass Game, kinda

Do you remember when I said that I'm gonna elaborate more on the advancement and gameplay loop of my Hollow Knight GLOGhack? Unfortunately, I DID disappear into the Silksong mines.

Then I ran a couple of playtests for my hack, got it to version 0.3, whatever that means, and ultimately ended up not being as satisfied as I'd like to be with it, so I decided to let it rest for a couple of months.

...until Hilander decided to host the Micro Manual Jam.

This seemed like a fun enough challenge, and I did happen to have a WiP hack and some layout experience under my belt, so I figured why not?

After roughly three weeks of work, I present:

Click on the image to open the itch.io page

However, this is very much NOT the system I wanted to make originally, as many things ended up being cut from my drafts to fit the jam format (which was a good and enlightening exercise that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone). 

For example:

• Paths, aka Class/Template equivalents? Gone.
• Traits (as well as Spells and Weapon Arts)? Simplified to only take a couple of lines each.
• Combat? Drastically streamlined, no more dedicated lists of minor and major actions to perform.
• Exploration procedures? Camp actions? Death rules? Massively simplified or removed outright.
• GM resources? Mostly added, actually, cobbled together from the tools I actively use to prep my games, although I did have to streamline some of them still. 

Even after all of those manipulations, the resulting game ended up being similar to something like Mausritter in complexity. I might return to the game later and re-add some things for an experience that's closer to what I originally imagined, or I might not, we'll see.

Is the game good? Go check it out for yourself, it's free, god forbid I begin contributing to the commodification of the hobby.

Also, the whole thing was made in Google Docs because I'm a freak. As a word of caution, please be more reasonable when making your pretty PDFs and actually learn some proper software, don't do what I did.

The Beast of Brynmor Farm

Made using the Monster-Making d666 by Louis Garamondia and Loch Nothic's Eye.

***

Brynmor Farm is located at the center of a hex of farmland. Surrounded by acres of untended wheat fields, the farm is the only notable feature in the hex.

As long as it lives, replace all encounters within the hex with The Worg.

Samantha Mash

The Worg is a horrible, horse-sized wolf with shaggy dark fur and teeth too big for its mouth. It stalks the fields, hiding in the wheat, looking for an opportunity to ambush all who dare to trespass.

Right before the ambush, the beast will hurl curses at its victims in a human voice. 

Three days before the party enters the hex for the first time, it snuck onto the farm and killed everyone in it, tearing most of them apart with its claws and devouring the rest. The beast turned the ruined farmhouse into its lair, and will retreat there after prowling the fields.

Most of the farmhouse's walls are broken, bashed in as if by a stampeding bull. Furniture is overturned and splintered, the floors are covered in straw mixed with dirt and blood. The torn body of old man Brynmor is splayed next to the fireplace, still clutching a bloodied scythe.  

The remaining animals, consisting mostly of chickens, pigs, and a small herd of cows, are scattered around the farm, hiding in dilapidated barns and sheds in terror. The Worg is aware of where they are, but tries to pace its hunger, as it does not know how much longer it will have to stay on the farm.

***

The Queen of Fangs rules from a small and ancient keep deep in the woods. Once known as the Wolf-Mother, she is a powerful presence, as old as the forest itself, if not older. All wolves (or at least, the more reasonable ones) swear fealty to her, but none serve her more loyally than her Fanged Knights.

Any man bold enough to seek out the Queen earns the right to stand audience before her. If he passes the trials and proves his worth, the Queen grants him a singular offer to join the ranks of the Fanged Knights. If he agrees to the pact, he stays in the keep, never returning to civilization and his old life ever again.

Then, the new knight is granted a wolf's pelt by the Queen herself, and is bound to it, free to exist as both man and beast, but never fully either, forevermore.

However, there is a cost to be paid. Upon joining, the Fanged Knight forswears all material possessions except those granted by his order. To bind this vow beyond the knight's will, the Queen's pact ensures that all gold becomes anathema to her knights, burning their skin in excruciating pain on the slightest contact.

Moreover, the knights are forbidden from ever consuming flesh both human and canine, as doing so means turning one's fangs against kin. No other transgression or act of treachery will bring as much of the Queen's ire as this.

All of the above are common knowledge to anyone who has heard of the Queen of Fangs.

***

Dafydd was once a Fanged Knight, but fell victim to a dark hunger and consumed the flesh of his kin. As punishment, the Queen of Fangs cursed him to become one with his pelt, a creature stuck between man and beast, but lower than either.

Once banished, Dafydd grew to enjoy his new form, in a way. No longer bound by arbitrary laws of civilization or his old order, the cursed knight fully gave into his unsavory instincts. Now known as The Worg, Dafydd spends his existence maiming, torturing, and killing all unlucky enough to encounter him not for sustenance, but for sport.

Despite his current appearance, Dafydd is still perfectly capable of speech, and will put this ability to great use by taunting his opponents with a constant stream of curses and vulgarities. He does it for no reason other than to derive a twisted sense of pleasure from the process.

 

babezord

THE WORG, Cursed Knight Dafydd
HD 6 AC chain Move 2x normal
Attacks 1d10/1d10 claws OR 2d6 bite + devour (see below) Morale 10
Intelligence wicked cunning, unraveling at the edges Disposition horrible bastard

• Pact-bound - Dafydd's pact with the Queen of Fangs still holds sway over him. Gold in all forms burns him like molten metal, and golden weapons deal double damage (preferably actual weapons, but improvised ones like a golden candelabra or gold coins stuffed into a sock will do in a pinch).
• Devour - The target hit by The Worg's bite attack must save or be swallowed whole, taking 1d4 acid damage per round. The Worg must take 8+ damage in a single instance to be forced to spit out what it swallowed.
• Regurgitate - Instead of making an attack, The Worg may vomit out the corpse of a random creature it previously devoured, which then reanimates and joins the fight. By the time the party encounters the beast, it has already eaten three farmhands, two pigs, and a single guard dog.

Inside the beast's gullet is a gloved hand of a nun clutching a golden holy symbol. The sharper edge of the symbol is tightly embedded into the flesh, and it's slowly working its way deeper. 

In a month, it will pierce the monster's heart and kill it. The Worg is vaguely aware of this impending doom, and will grow more reckless and violent as the day approaches.

If killed, the beast may be skinned for its pelt, which grants its wearer the ability to shapeshift into a 4 HD dire wolf once per day. This is a rare opportunity to obtain such a pelt without invoking the wrath of the Queen of Fangs or joining the ranks of the Fanged Knights.

Alternatively, the pelt may be brought back to the Queen. She will offer no material reward for it, but instead will grant a single favor from her and her knights.

After skinning, all that remains of The Worg is a beaten, haggard corpse of a man.

*** 

d666 Results:
FORM - WOLF
DANGER - BEING EATEN 
MIEN - REPUGNANT
HABITAT - FARM CROPS
DRIVE - TERMS OF CONTRACT
WEAKNESS - GOLD

Philosophical Metals

Igor Ivanov

Mors

Under certain rare conditions, mundane metal will rot and putrefy as flesh does. Mors (also known as Morzt, or Corpsemetal) is the end product of this process.

It resembles aged, heavily corroded iron, encrusted in layers of characteristic black rust. Mors does not exist in raw form, nor can it be produced deliberately. It can only be found: in weapons and armor buried under ancient battlefields, or stashed in crypts and tombs together with other grave goods.

Mors exists on both sides of the veil between the dead and the living, and incorporeal undead like ghosts and shades interact with it as if they were corporeal. This means that they may wield items made of it freely, but also may be restricted by them, like being wrapped in chains or put in shackles made of mors.

This also allows mors weapons to damage incorporeal undead and other creatures that belong to the Underworld. On the other side of the veil, a wound dealt by a morsblade to the living will never heal naturally (track how much HP damage is caused by mors weapons), and can only be healed through magical means.

Corpsemetal armor suppresses the subtle signs of life by which the wearer may be perceived: the sound of breathing, the rhythm of a heartbeat, the warmth of the body itself. Mindless undead will recognize the wearer as one of their own, and even the thinking ones could potentially be fooled by such a disguise. Naturally, most would assume someone wearing armor made of mors to be a graverobber, and treat them accordingly.

While it is not impossible to work mors into different shapes, attempts at refining and otherwise repairing items made of mors reduce them into uselessness. Instead, mors is reinforced by further deterioration, as the buildup of rust itself mends the cracks and notches in the metal, twisting its appearance even further. As folklore goes, the easiest way to repair something made of mors is to throw it to the bottom of a deep well or bury it in graveyard soil for a month and a day.

Rust monsters despise mors and will never interact with it willingly. To them, mors is poison.

With proper reagents, a master blacksmith or alchemist may attempt to purify mors. If all preparations are right, most of the metal will crumble into black dust, revealing the pale white core underneath. This is how albin is made.

Aleksander Rostov

Albin 

Albin is the purest of all metals. Also known as Truesilver (for surpassing mundane silver in all its qualities), and often mistakenly called Alabaster, it lacks the expected metallic sheen of its less pure siblings, more resembling white, slightly transparent ceramic.

Albin never rusts, and never tarnishes. Being synonymous with purity, it has the unusual property of staving off decay and bestowing that same purity onto anything it comes in contact with, although prolonged contact is often required for the effect to take place. 

If filled with stagnant water, an albin flask will purify its contents and make them safe to drink in about an hour, but most instead choose to put a (much cheaper) small albin tablet into a flask, which achieves a similar result over the course of eight hours. Similarly, albin kitchenware could be used to neutralize poison, akin to a unicorn horn carved into a goblet, although taking effect nowhere near as fast.

Weapons made of albin can hurt anything a silver weapon could, and it is impossible to fumble with one, even if wielded by inexperienced hands. Wounds left by albin never fester: they are always sterile and heal exceedingly quickly, making an albin scalpel any surgeon's prized possession.

Gleaming porcelain-like plates of albin armor are a mark of exceeding wealth, never showing signs of wear or needing to be polished. Although it does not offer more protection than mundane armor, it has the side-effect of making any toxin or disease plaguing the wearer run its course twice as fast.

Under the right circumstances and the careful direction of a master astronomer or glassmaker, albin may be exposed to concentrated sunlight, awakening its own inner radiance and transforming into xanth.

 

GOJUKU

Xanth

The glow of luminous Xanth, also known as Sunsteel, is bound to the procession of the sun. 

As the daystar reaches its zenith, so does the inner light of the metal intensify, shining as brightly as a torch. Once nightfall comes, the glow dims to the light of a candle, but never goes out entirely. This solar connection knows no bounds, and the light endures if brought deep below the earth, allowing one to unerringly track the time of day as surely as beneath the open sky. 

Partially composed of the sun's own radiance, xanth is not fully solid. Items made of it are imbued with unexpected lightness, weighing as if they were one size smaller. A sword made of xanth feels as light as a dagger, while a xanthine chainmail burdens the wearer no more than leather armor.

Functionally, the light emitted by xanth is no different from direct sunlight. Vampires and other such creatures of darkness suffer double damage from xanthine weapons, while shades and grues are destroyed outright. A blade of xanth may cut through magical darkness as if it were solid matter. 

A metal of exquisite rarity and splendor, xanth has served as the ultimate symbol of rulership and authority throughout known history, earning itself the moniker of Sovereign Gold. The provenance of most xanthine objects leads back to the great rulers and high priests of ages past, and the metal is often found incorporated into ancient relics such as scepters, crowns, and holy symbols. To own and display xanth openly is to assert your own authority, and to accept the risk such ownership carries.

A master artificer or enchanter familiar with the more forbidden aspects of their craft may attempt to fulminate xanth, a process both dangerous and volatile. When the smoke clears, only red and raw rubricum remains.

 

Ami Thompson

Rubricum 

Unceasing Rubricum never stops moving. It has no other names besides its own.

It is as much metal as it is boiling liquid trapped in place, as it is ever-expanding gas forced into a singular shape. It moves as if it were living (perhaps it is), contracting and sputtering and twisting in on itself. It is red, and raw, and looking at it is like looking into a pool of blood, and you swear you can see something moving under the surface.

If you touch it, it's warm as a living body, and you can feel the thousands of microscopic movements on its surface through your fingertips. In the presence of other living warmth, you swear you can feel it move even more.

You have a feeling it's aware of the shape it's forced in, perhaps even understanding its expected function, and it begrudgingly accepts both. Tools made of rubricum strain towards their purpose with uncanny intent: a rubricum lockpick will seek the tumblers on its own, a rubricum needle will thread itself and guide the hand of the wielder with unsettling accuracy. When the exact effect is unclear, treat it as granting Advantage to rolls related to their use. 

Even then, only in the heat of battle may rubricum truly sing.

On successful attacks, rubricum weapons roll double the damage dice and take both, adding them together. If doubles are rolled, another die of the same size is rolled and added to the total, and another if the rolled value matches the previous two, and so on and so forth. When this happens, the weapon twists outside its own forged bounds, leaping and turning as it slices and smashes and pierces through matter with ease.

Whenever an attack trying to strike someone wearing rubricum armor fumbles, the weapon shatters into pieces, persuaded by the armor's constant maddening reverberations. If the wearer is willing to let rubricum armor touch their bare flesh, the armor shall forever fuse with their body, becoming as weightless and unrestrictive as a second skin, which it might as well be.

As far as most people are concerned, rubricum doesn't exist. Even those that have heard of it treat it as nothing but a myth. There are no records, no histories, no names attached to rubricum, only hints in chicken-scratch notes in the margins of an occasional dusty tome.

Pray that rubricum never falls in the hands of a master fleshcrafter or boneturner.

 

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. 

*** 

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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.