Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Pit of Nefius

First foremost I use donjon.bin.sh for the maps. I may rotate w/ them in paint but nothing fancy.  All that I add is the content and if you want donjon will do that for you too.  Bottom line donjon is dope, check it out and use it!


Click here to download a free pdf of this dungeon!
TO RECREATE THIS MAP
· Due to an unfortunate copy/paste fail on our part, the specific seed information was lost for this week. Sorry about that!!!

BASIC INFO
· One square is 5'x5'
· Sq Size 5'
· Ceilings 10'
· Entrance hall is 6' ceiling, sloping downward its entire length
· All doors 6' x 4' unless otherwise noted

 
The place now known as "The Pit of Nefius" was once a beautiful dwarven country home hidden in a mountainside. It is now a place of black magic where Nefius Solinkas trains aspiring necromancers in the dark arts.

Once an acolyte is accepted into the fold, it is unlikely that they will ever see the light of day again. While Nefius appears to tutor his apprentices in necromancy, the spells and incantations they practice are actually preparing them for sacrifice to dark and unknown gods. After completing their training, the acolytes tell their peers they are leaving The Pit to spread their magic, but in actuality, Nefius spreads their blood upon an altar in secret.

An apprentice named Nidia Via has recently begun to suspect something is not right. She is well liked by her peers and as she nears the completion of her training, instead of saying telling them she will be leaving, she has publicly told them all that she will stay to help tutor them all. Nefius, worried his secret may be revealed, is frantically seeking a solution to his problem. His arrogance with his acolytes, compared to Nidia's charm has not left him in a good position....

Friday, June 29, 2012

D&D Next and Filth

I finally got a chance to sit down and play a game of D&D Next. Things started out simple enough with some lord approaching our merry band of companions and requesting that we try and rescue his son, who had last been seen being kidnapped by bandits.

No one (players or DM) realized we were actually in a John Waters movie.

Before leaving town, the Cleric of Pelor bought a costume and dressed as a noblewoman with a large hoop skirt.

Throughout most of our adventure through The Caves of Chaos, the halfling rogue Bobo, hid beneath the cleric's skirt. The Cleric would then enter the room, fire a Radiant Lance with one hand and lift his skirt with the other, unleashing the halfling.

Our group's first encounter was with a sleeping ogre. Things were going rather well for us and then the halfling ended up in front of the ogre and hit a string of high rolls. The ogre being quite tall, the halfling being quite short, and the rogue's player calling out his actions through a haze of Bud Light Lime, led to the ogre's penis being cut off.

Since the ogre's junk weighed less than ten pounds, the wizard promptly picked it up with a Mage Hand and imbued it with a Light spell. We named it Mortimer.

Not reading the rules carefully, Mortimer was kept floating near the ceiling to provide excellent illumination as we traveled through the goblin caves, killing, looting, and burning.

Los Tiburon


Thursday, June 28, 2012

Telecanter Thursdays

All items listed below were dreamed up using Telecanter's Epic Table of Spell Like Effects.

The Staff of Telos Petri Kosovich (TPK Staff) - 007 

AOE - Utility, Utility - 60 - Permanent - Alter - Humanoid
Link: Frédéric Michel
The Staff of Telos Petri Kosovich looks to have once been a shepherd's crook, but a fist sized diamond, held by three cords made of white gold, has been added to the center of the crook. The wood of the staff appears rotten, but is fantastically durable, and the suspended diamond glows a soft white.

The TPK staff has two powers.  

Conjure Flesh Golem  - Turns all living tissue with a 60' diameter circle into one structurally humanoid mass of barely intelligent life. The golem follows the basic commands of its creator until it is physically destroyed. The staff absorbs any souls of creatures transformed in this way.

Polymorph Other - Turns all living creatures within a 60' diameter circle into a random, small or medium sized farm animal (pig, goat, chicken, dog, pony, cat, mouse, etc). The transformation is complete in the sense that all creatures souls are absorbed by the TPK staff, and the animals behave and think as animals, not as shape shifted adventurers. This change is permanent.

Each use of the TPK staff requires one full week to process its absorbed souls and recharge. If creatures containing souls are killed by the staff it will take a full month before the staff can be used again. If a soul is extracted from the staff before the week is up it can be used for resurrection/re-purposing. Any souls not extracted before the week is up are permanently gone.

The Platinum Coin of Multitasking - 008

Wielder - Utility - 70 - 6 turns - Conjure - Human
Link: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Platinum Coin of Multitasking is a 2" solid platinum coin with a ridged edge. Each side of the coin shows a profile of the person currently holding it. When not in the possession of anyone the coin shows its weight and measurements on each side. Its magical effects can only be used by full blooded humans.


The coin can be activated once per day and doing so will conjure a perfect replica of the user that will last for one hour. The replica and the user have shared consciousness, senses, and stats. It is 100% the same mind, body, personality, ethics etc as the user and would be virtually impossible to distinguish from the "real" version. The replica cannot be dominated, but it could be susceptible to charms and suggestions in the same way the user could be.


When the replica is conjured, the health pool of the user is effectively doubled (e.g., a warrior with 10hp is now two warriors sharing a pool of 20hp). If the health pool is completely depleted both the replica and the user collapse to the ground either dead or unconscious.


The Shadowsmith's Lantern - 009


AOE - Utility, Utility - 60 - 1 turn - Delude - Shadow
Link: The Allyn House
It is said that a powerful court wizard created this lantern as a gift for a thief that saved his son. The lantern can be used as a standard hooded lantern but it never runs out of fuel. By manipulating the hood of the lantern, the user can also produce two magical effects.

Shadow: Activating the shadow setting allows the user to see in total darkness and move through shadows as if invisible.

Light: The lantern begins to produce a bright, bluish/grey light that prevents all objects within 60' of it from casting a shadow.

Only one of these effects can be active at a time. When activated it takes one turn for the effect to kick in, and the lantern must be turned off completely for one full turn between each use.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Stoic Does It Right





Stoic Studios is a testament to how things should be done. Their concept is solid, their art is mind blowing, and their choices in collaborators is exceptional.

But most importantly, their communication is transparent and beyond phenomenal.

We're living in such an awesome time! Long live the independent.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Shadow's Hand Assassin's Guild


Click to download a free pdf of The Shadow's Hand

The Oath of the Shadow's Hand
Through black and red
Past gold and death
The Hand comes before all (Trust no one)

The job is all
I won't get caught
Or sleep within the ground (Trust no one)

Betray the Hand
Betray myself
And in the ground I'll sleep (Trust no one)

Speak of us not
And do not sleep
Or wear the Crown of Death (Trust no one)

My wits mean life
My drink means death
And safety is a lie (Trust no one)

And now I swear
That I defy
The ones that I once knew (Trust no one)

Now I drink deep
From this black cup
And walk the shadow path (Trust no one)

Now I drink deep
From this black cup
And with it dies my trust (Trust no one)

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Waterfalls

004 - Bryan Olesen - Ash Cave - Hocking Hills Ohio

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Taxman's Clearing

First foremost I use donjon.bin.sh for the maps. I may rotate w/ them in paint but nothing fancy.  All that I add is the content and if you want donjon will do that for you too.  Bottom line donjon is dope, check it out and use it!

The Taxman's Clearing

Click to download a free PDF of the Taxman's Clearing!
TO RECREATE THIS MAP
·          http://donjon.bin.sh/d20/dungeon/
·          Random Seed: 1339751266
·          Layout: Cavernous
·          Size: Tiny
·          Egress: Multiple

BASIC INFO
·          One square is 5'x5'
·          Tileset used to help make this map look more like a forest clearing and less like a cave came from tekepon.net.

Twenty years ago the clearing was just a forest. A young adventurer named Irwin Sanders, with few scruples and a recently fattened coin purse, decided to become a bandit and start his own gang. Knowing he would need some help, Irwin enlisted a local bandit named Hollis Craig to help get things set up. Hollis jumped at the chance and within a month a crew was cutting down trees to form, what was then called, The Raven's Roost. From this clearing "The Ravens" would sweep the nearby road, relieving any travelers of their valuables. An unfortunate accident left Irwin dead on the road when attempting to rob two men. Hollis Craig took over the gang, changed its name to The Taxmen, and increased profits immediately.

As the Taxman, Hollis hires only young thieves with little experience so he can train them to steal his way. He spends as much time with his gang as possible, and makes it a point to constantly lecture them on the finer points of thievery. He will never raise their wages and openly encourages them to leave one day for greener pastures. This level of transparency is appreciated by most, and Hollis will often guide those leaving to contacts he had made over his years of taxing the public. Anyone who doesn't appreciate the transparency, or the system, is swiftly dispatched by one of Hollis' most trusted men, Jacob Crew.

Friday, June 22, 2012

That Guy


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Telecanter Thursdays

All items listed below were dreamed up using Telecanter's Epic Table of Spell Like Effects.


Ichabod's Ruby - 004

Touch - Defense - 10 - 1 day - Compel - Dead
Photo: Giazotto Collection - 1481
This large, uncut, ruby appears to be lit from the inside with a hateful glow.

Once per day, the gem can be placed in the eye socket of a completely clean skull (bone/teeth only). The eye sockets of the skull will begin to glow a bright red and the skull will begin to float in a circle around the user of the gem. The circling skull will absorb the next X points of damage (depending on skull type) before falling to the ground, lifeless once more.

When the skull falls to the ground there is a 20% chance the ruby will crack and become useless. In combat the skull always appears to be making direct eye contact with all attackers (simultaneously) and certain skulls may even inspire fear (dragon, cyclops, demon, child, etc).

Devon's Shield of Defending - 005

Touch - Transport (x3) - Sight - 1 round - Shield - Demi-human
Photo: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Devon was a paladin that died defending his party from the last three blows of an ancient red dragon.

When activated, the wielder of this shield will automatically block the next three attacks against members of his party that occur that round (as long as he can see them). The attack is physically blocked by the shield, and the wielder of the shield is automatically teleported around the battlefield to accomplish these blocks.

After blocking three attacks the wielder is placed back in the exact same spot where he began and must save or be disoriented for the next round.







Archimedes' Drawbridge - 006

Distance - Utility - 50 - 2 hours - Conjure - Infernal
Photo: Alexander Buschorn
A large stone column covered in strange glowing runes stands at the edge of a giant chasm. The runes light up in a fiery orange pattern making which causes the column to appear cloaked in flame.

Touching the column summons a Large Pit Fiend.

After being summoned, the Pit Fiend spends approximately five minutes staring angrily at the individual, or group, that summoned him. Will not speak during this time.

After this period of intense intimidation the Pit Fiend begins casting an elaborate spell, in total silence, while making direct eye contact with the person that summoned him. At the conclusion of the spell, jets of infernal green flame shoot from the Pit Fiend's hand and create a bridge of fire across the chasm.

The Pit Fiend then sits down (dejectedly) and waits for the party to cross the bridge. The flame does not harm anyone walking across the bridge, it just looks "Brütal". Should anyone in the group that summoned the Pit Fiend fall from the bridge, or come into combat while on the bridge, the Pit Fiend will immediately come to their aid.

The bridge lasts for 2 hours, and the Pit Fiend will remain on this plane until the party has completely crossed the bridge, or the two hours have elapsed. The Pit Fiend was tricked by a mortal wizard to create this bridge and does not like to talk about what actually happened.

Should the Pit Fiend be summoned and then killed he cannot be summoned again for 1d6 weeks.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Smith's Protection Service

Click to download a printable PDF and 79 guild member hierarchy
Group Name: Smith's Protection Service

A.K.A.: SPS/The Bashers

Group Mark: Three crossed maces in white on a blue field

Group Colors/Livery: Most wear a blue sash around their head, arm, or waist. While some believe the placement of the sash denotes rank, this is not the case.

Goals: Serve as the land's premiere bodyguard service for all who seek protection.

Leader's Goals: Byron Smith seeks to make enough money to retire and live like a king for the rest of his days.

Objectives and Objections: SPS seeks to become the most trusted name in protection. They actively oppose most thieves guilds and often work in concert with local authorities to ensure the security of their clients and cargo.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

Castles

The Painted Monastery of Bucovina - Romania
Attribution: Gary Cook

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Nargad's Hideout



First foremost I use donjon.bin.sh for the maps. I may rotate w/ them in paint but nothing fancy.  All that I add is the content and if you want donjon will do that for you too.  Bottom line donjon is dope, check it out and use it!

Howdy, I'm Wintergreen and Pandesmos puts a gun to my head every week to get you some RPG resources.  I will focus on small dungeons, lairs, camps, etc.  Nothing that will take games to plow through,  hopefully something that can be used on numerous levels and above all else please CHANGE ANYTHING you want, after all it is your game. I wont be specifying any systems or stats and may do a highwayman's camps one week then a space station the next, no promises.  




NARGAD'S HIDEOUT

Nargad's Hideout
ZOMG CLICK ME!
TO RECREATE THIS MAP
  • Random Seed: 1339101483
  • Layout: Cavernous
  • Size: Tiny

 BASIC INFO
  • One square is 10'x10'
  • The cavern was dug out of a hill and through numerous large boulders
  • Most rooms are little more than dirt, stones and roots, but a few areas were sloppily hewn through boulders too large to move or dig around
  • In weaker areas, wooden beams or crude stone walls help hold the ceilings



Thirty years ago the Yellow Tooth goblin clan dug out a home in the stony hills overlooking the Western Trade Way. The nearby townsfolk, weary of goblin raids, enlisted the aid of a paladin and his adventurer friends to clean out the caves and end the attacks for good. The clan was annihilated and the adventurers were planning to collapse the cave until their paladin leader (who the locals now call Softy McSquish) saw the big teary eyes of 25 recently orphaned goblin children. Praying profusely, the paladin led his group back to town and declared the goblin threat at an end.

Unfortunately for the townsfolk, the Yellow Tooth clan prevented the incursion of the Venomous Raiders led by the Hobgoblin, Nargad. Nargad, lacking a susceptibility to moral dilemmas, quickly realized that the only thing between his gang and a spacious hideout in prime territory was a group of starving orphans. Small goblin skull shoulder guards now signify ranking members of the Venomous Raiders, and the Western Trade Way has never before seen such a high frequency of attacks.

Nargad and the Venomous Raiders have taken to sparing most merchants on the Trade Way, preferring taxes over death, and Nagrad's Hideout has slowly become a strange mix of road raiding bandit's den, black market, and haven for the unsavory.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Sir Bearington

Starting with a classic

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Telecanter Thursdays

All items listed below were dreamed up using Telecanter's Epic Table of Spell Like Effects.


The Gaudy Glove of Luther Fox - 001

AOE - Attack, Attack, Attack - 70 - 1 day - Delude - Metal
Photo: Michal Maňas
The Gaudy Glove of Luther Fox is made of bright purple crushed velvet, covered in a myriad of tiny reflective disks (sequins), and cinches tightly at the wrist. Across the top of the knuckles are three large red gems that the wearer can fire 70 feet as a normal projectile. When the fired gem hits an object it generates a sphere of magnetic magic 70 inches in diameter that lasts for 24 hours. Each gem has a different effect:
  1. All metal in the sphere and each piece that enters is randomly polarized to attract and repel
  2. All metal that enters the sphere is polarized in such a way that it will be forcefully attracted to every other piece of metal in the sphere
  3. All metal that enters the sphere is polarized in such a way that it will be forcefully repelled from every other piece of metal in the sphere
The gems are consumed on use and can only be replaced by red gems of at least 1000gp in value. When a new gem is added to the glove it takes 24 hours to charge before it can be fired. Whenever a fired gem strikes an object and activates a loud "BWAAAAAH" noise is made.

Hooray pseudo-science!

The Bronze Guardian - 002

AOE - Attack - Sight - Permanent - Divine - Space/Dimension
Photo: Steve Linster
A 10' tall bronze statue of a cloaked, seated figure rests in a T intersection at the end of a long hallway. As creatures walk down the hallway towards the statue its head slowly begins to rise and two points of light appear where eyes would be in the dark recesses of the hood.

Should the head lift fully and the eyes reach full brightness (approximately half way down the hall), any extra-planer creatures within its field of vision are immediately transported back to their home plane.

Each step taken towards the statue causes the head to lift slightly. If approaching creatures stop moving, the head stops. If they walk away/backwards, the head lowers.



Plato's Darling Disguise Kit - 003

AOE - Utility - 50 - 1-6 hours - Evoke - Monster
Photo: Agaric House Antiques
This ornate leather and brass box is a must have for lady adventurers on the go!

Once per day, if a female opens the box and speaks the power word, 4d6 small oozing creatures, wearing bows, manifest and await her orders. The creatures appear to be made of some sort of lotion and are constantly dripping and rubbing themselves to maintain their vaguely humanoid forms. No residue ever seems to actually drip off them however.

These creatures can create and use any type of mundane/sterile/non-toxic mud, paint, or powdered mineral blend to disguise or change the appearance of any mundane object or creature as directed by the user.

The creatures are able to move within 50' of the box, but if the box is closed or moved they vanish instantly. The creatures last for 1d6 hours and work tirelessly. They could completely change the appearance of a stolen carriage and six horses in ~2 hours. Disguises created by these creatures are done with the same level of proficiency as the master of a powerful thieves guild.


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Brainstorming moved to OneNote. Content moved to blog.

Originally this blog was supposed to be a neutral area where we could upload and reference our ideas for Swordfish Islands. As things progressed we decided that Microsoft OneNote fit this purpose better, and the blog has lapsed.

But no longer!

Beginning this Thursday (06-14-12) we'll be uploading content on the following schedule:

Telecanter Thursdays

We'll be posting three totally unbalanced magical items based on Telecanter's epic table of "Spell Like Effects" every Thursday.

4chan Fridays

Each Friday we'll post a gaming related story from 4chan's /tg/ board. Sure it's just copypasta, but now you can enjoy the flavor without needing to wade through the muck!

Wintergreen's Weekend Retreat Saturdays

Each Saturday our very own Wintergreen will post a system neutral, hideout, lair, clearing, or other small area you can just drop into your campaign as a new place for your party to find or explore.

Scenic Sundays

Looking for some inspiration? We'll be posting three desktop wallpapers, plucked from the bowels of the internets, to help give you a +2 vs campaign writers block.

The Diviner's New Guild Mondays

Every Monday our very own Diviner will post a system neutral guild/group you can just drop into your campaign. Need a ready made thieves guild? Want to add some structure to that group of merchants that keep getting their caravans robbed in your world? Need a quick hierarchy for your group of blind demonhunting monks? Our Diviner probably has you covered.