Category Archives: Games

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Demon Emperor Ashur-eb Asa

Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.

Ashur-eb Asa (Demon Lord)
No. Enc.: 1 (Unique)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 180′ (60′)
Armor Class: −5
Hit Dice: 141 hp (24 HD)
Attacks: 2 (weapons)
Damage: 2d12/3d8
Save: F24
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: VIII, IX, XXII
XP: 28,000

Demon Emperor Ashur-eb Asa is the vain and prideful ruler of the demons who serve the dark god Nergal, and he presides with an iron fist over the denizens of the Halls of Dust and Darkness. Ashur-eb Asa is preoccupied with his own standing in the eyes of his master and seeks by any and all means available to retain his throne even as his own influence over the spirit and mortal worlds is waning. Intensely jealous and cowardly at his core, Ashur-eb Asa constantly strives to maintain his position of elevation by keeping those beneath him oppressed, squabbling amongst themselves, and in the dark regarding Nergal’s ultimate plans. A master manipulator, Ashur-eb Asa succeeds at these machinations more often than not.

Ashur-eb Asa manifests as a 19 foot tall muscular human man with deeply bronzed skin and the head of a blood-red ram. Though his powers over reality are such that he could easily alter this appearance, his vanity and pride prevent him from doing so except in the most severe of circumstances. The lord of all demons wears a crown of stone inlaid with living, blinking eyes that weep rubies when he is angry and diamonds on the rare occasions when he is filled with mirth. His retinue consists of nine [link id=’1102′ text=’Iszirisur’] polymorphed into miniature (9′ tall) versions of himself. He will readily engage any who dare to challenge his domain, wrathfully wielding his Axe of Dust and Sword of Darkness with no penalties for using both in combat simultaneously. Wounds from both weapons cannot be healed naturally nor by any form of magic short of a Restoration spell.

Ashur-eb Asa has the following spell-like abilities, useable at will (unless noted otherwise): Amnesia, Animate Objects, Blink, Cause Blindness, Cause Fear, Charm Monster, Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, Darkness (10′ Radius), Death Spell (1/Day), Destruction, Detect Invisible, Detect Magic, Dispel Magic, Drain Energy, Earthquake, Fire Storm, Flame Strike, Gaseous Form, Haste (2/Day), Hypnotism, Polymorph Other, Polymorph Self, Read Languages, Read Magic, Repulsion, Silence (15′ Radius), Speak with Dead

Additionally, Ashur-eb Asa possesses all of the abilities of a typical Demon Lord:

Infravision (90′)
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
Teleport without error

Ashur-eb Asa can only be damaged by +3 or better weapons, though he is susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. He may Gate (85% probability of success) 5d4 [link id=’368′ text=’Barbu Dnin Kur’].

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Ashur-eb Asa is a paranoid manipulator whose power over the weaker aspects of men is inescapable by all but the strongest of mortals.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Demon Queen Shalma Shalmallah

Shalma Shalmallah (Demon Lord)
No. Enc.: 1 (Unique)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 60′ (20′)
Armor Class: −3
Hit Dice: 96 hp (22 HD)
Attacks: 3 (2 fists, 1 bite)
Damage: 1d4/1d4/1d12
Save: F22
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: IX (x2), X
XP: 21,250

Shalma Shalmallah, the Demon Empress, wife to Demon Lord Ashur-eb Asa and mother to Demon Princes [link id=’1336′ text=’Tusag-eb Alm’] and [link id=’1335′ text=’Ehur-eb Alm’], is an indolent, gluttonous and slovenly thing. She would readily abandon her station, children, husband and any other responsibilities she has in exchange for a life of ease and gratification if offered. Of course, gratification for a creature such as Shalma Shalmallah takes many dark and dubious forms.

Shalma Shalmallah’s physical form is that of a 9′ tall, filth-covered and corpulent pig-headed human woman. She is capable of altering her appearance, but seldom chooses to expend the effort to do so. Her eyes are vacant and staring like those of an drugged cow. She lolls about listlessly in her chambers in the Halls of Dust and Darkness, where she is constantly attended by sixteen [link id=’675′ text=’Banzu Mugaam’]. Only a direct threat to her life or those of her children will move her to engage in combat.

Victims of Shalma Shalmallah’s bite must save vs. Poison or acquire a rotting disease that will prove fatal within 2d10 days. This disease cannot be cured by anything other than a Cure Disease spell. Damage done by her claws never heals and results in a permanent loss of hit points.

Shalma Shalmallah has the following spell-like abilities, useable at will (unless noted otherwise): Animal Growth , Blindness, Cause Fear, Create Food & Water, Curse, Death Spell (2/Day), Dispel Magic, Drain Energy, Hold Person, Insect Plague, Mind Blank, Polymorph Self, Sleep (1/Day), Speak with Animals, Speak with Plants, Telekinesis (1,000 lbs.)

Additionally, Shalma Shalmallah possesses all of the abilities of a typical Demon Lord:

Infravision (90′)
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
Teleport without error

Shalma Shalmallah can only be damaged by +2 or better weapons, though she is susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. She may Gate (80% probability of success) 2d6 [link id=’1101′ text=’Dgaan’].

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Shalma Shalmallah is an indolent creature that may be bribed to cease tormenting them with an offering of the blood of a dozen infants served in the skulls of their mothers.

Happy Blogday, Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets!

It seems impossible to me that anyone who willingly wastes their time reading this blog (and thank you for doing so!) wouldn’t already be familiar with Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets, by everyone’s favorite flying mammal, the man called bat. But if by some chance you aren’t (or are, but don’t read it regularly), go there now!

bat’s been doing daily posts of high quality spells, magic items, monsters and other yummy goodness for Labyrinth Lord for two years as of today. And there’s great flavor with these delicious tidbits, too, which is all the more impressive.

Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets was one of the key inspirations that got me off my tail and putting out what little content I (by comparison) have given to the world. The creativity and quality we get – for free, no less – from bat’s efforts should be trumpeted from the rooftops and embraced by every single person who is even remotely interested in RPGs of a certain vintage (and all the others, too!). Publishers who put out a fraction of the material (and charge good money for it, no less) should be downright ashamed in the face of the awesome that bat brings. Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets just plain rocks, people!

So let’s all have a piece of imaginary internet geek cake in honor of this grand anniversary. Three cheers for Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets and the man who brings them to us daily!

Nogoloth: The Iron Line

Wherein your humble scribe presents a couple of monsters and an artifact (in Barbarians of Lemuria format) that he whipped up for his nascent Lovecraftian Fantasy setting, Nogoloth, as he continues to dither on which system to use for such things.

The pampered academics at the Great University in Khaarm espouse countless theories about the nature, history, and ultimate destination of the Iron Line. The earthier scholars of Canton-on-Imisk have different opinions; some have even followed the Line deep into the windswept mountains of the north in search of hard, scientific truth. But even the hardiest investigators have been forced to turn back well before reaching the Line’s terminus. It seems that each of the several expeditions sent to identify the source of the Line has been driven back – smaller than it was when it embarked, as is grimly expected by the professors and administrators – due to some singular concatenation of events and circumstances or another, all of which seem natural and plausible enough to the casual observer. But that nineteen souls have perished in the pursuit of something as simple as what lies at the other end of a 3′ wide ribbon of iron that is sunken so throughly within the bones of the earth – extending no less than 10 feet deep, even in the hardest of bedrock – has brought something of a sense of doom to the Iron Line and its mystery.

The course of the Iron Line, which has been mapped thoroughly within the areas settled by man, runs from the edge of the cliff that rises above the port of Pnikigystros in the south and winds its way across much of the civilized regions of Nogoloth – passing as it does within no less than 1/2 mile of each of the other major cities, and sometimes through them – before taking its turn into the northern mountains. At any given moment the Iron Line may feel incredibly warm or icy cold to the touch, often radiating significantly different levels of heat a mere handspan apart. Some dedicated observers of the Iron Line report that under certain conditions (time of year, weather, and other factors contribute) the Line seems to sing (very softly) a complex, undulating melody that stirs melancholy and dread within the audience. That some people appear utterly unable to hear this song even as those next to them are able to describe what they are hearing with exquisite detail only furthers the mystery of this Nogolothian oddity.

Q’agpthah

Resembling a hideous and eldritch amalgam of insect, ape and lizard, Q’agpthah live in the caves that dot the high passes of the northern mountains. These beasts possess a cunning, if rudimentary, intelligence and have displayed an aggressive nature that makes them a significant threat to any who seek to travel through the mountains – whether attempting to follow the Iron Line or pursuing other business. Those who have risked their lives to observe these beings’ society – such as it is – report that the Q’agpthah appear to worship regularly at a hieroglyphic-covered altar deep within their mountain caves that clearly could not have been produced by their limited culture. According to the hastily written notes in the field journal of a researcher who has since taken his own life, the Q’agpthah also possess several similarly-inscribed tablets from which they appear to read, though this is doubtless a case of the creatures imitating human behavior rather than observing a true liturgy.

Attributes
Strength 3
Agility 1
Mind 0

Combat Abilities
Attack with Two Claws +1 each; d6+2 damage each
Defense: 0
Protection: d3 (thick fur, chitin, and scales)
Lifeblood: 15

The Tablets of L’thuggothaaa

Within the dark and twisting caves of the Q’agpthah there lies a large chamber – clearly hewn from the rock by some intelligent hand – which serves as the creatures’ Cathedral. An iron altar – stamped and etched with hieroglyphs of a language unrecognizable even to scholars steeped in the deepest mysteries of Nogolothian lore. Atop this altar rest the Tablets of L’thuggothaaa, a pair of ancient stone tablets inscribed with blasphemies so mind-shattering that they have destroyed the minds of all who have read them – including the entire race of alien beings now called “Q’agpthah” by the men of Nogoloth. These tablets, unlike the altar upon which they rest, are written in a language similar to the Star Tongue of the Elds and may potentially be deciphered by any who have studied that damnable tongue.

Game Information: A person who acquires and deciphers the Tablets of L’thuggothaaa – neither of these is an easy task – will immediately be granted the Power of the Void and Magic of the Sorcerer Kings boons. The unfortunate soul who read these words will also be burdened with terrible knowledge that will manifest itself in the form of the Unsettling and Morgazzon’s Curse flaws. As is always the case with Morgazzon’s Curse, the exact nature of the flaw is left to the GM.

Ilthoth-eg

Small, grey-furred cat-like beasts that inhabit the caves deep within the northern mountains of Nogoloth, Ilthoth-eg are set apart from the “normal” wildcats of the region by their abundance of eyes. A typical Ilthoth-eg possesses somewhere between 7 and 11 eyes arrayed across their bodies. Though not truly intelligent, these animals chitter and whisper their previous victims’ words as they stalk their prey through the darkness of the caves.

Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 4
Mind −1

Combat Abilities
Attack with Bite +4; d6-1
Defense: 5
Protection: d3-1 (light fur)
Lifeblood: 8

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Demon Queen Jebel Jebelah

Jebel Jebelah (Demon Lord)
No. Enc.: 1 (Unique)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: −4
Hit Dice: 103 hp (23 HD)
Attacks: 5 (5 bites)
Damage: 3d4 each
Save: F23
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: VIII, IX, XV
XP: 23,500

Jebel Jebelah, the Queen of Lust, is the Demon Emperor’s official Concubine, though as much as he lacks any loyalty to her, she possesses even less for him. She will slake her unquenchable desire with any creature she chooses and not even the Dark God Nergal himself dare interfere. As the mother of the [link id=’1334′ text=’Bastard Prince Durruk-eb Bel’], Jebel Jebelah works to further her son’s influence within the structure – such as it is – of the Demons who are described in the Tablets of Adad Untash. She knows that she herself will never supplant the Demon Queen, but if her son were to be elevated to Emperor, her own power would be nearly unrivaled. Never one to play only one side of the field, Jebel Jebelah is also engaged in an affair with [link id=’1336′ text=’Prince Tusag-eb Alm’], thereby assuring her position regardless of what transpires.

When she appears to the people of Umaab, Jebel Jebelah manifests as a stunningly beautiful woman of perfect proportions whose skin, hair and eye color match the colors most desired by each of those who view her. She is the most active of the Demon Lords of Adad Untash with regard to attempting to corrupt humanity, whom she views as a readily available resource to be used towards her own ends. In this form, Jebel Jebelah avoids direct combat whenever possible, relying upon her hellish magical abilities to deal with any threats to her person.

If pressed into combat, she will revert to her true form – a writing mound of hair, flesh and sex organs, covered in biting mouths and standing 20′ high. Those bitten by one of her mouths must save vs. Spells or be subject to one of the following spell-like effects, rolled at random:

1. Feeblemind
2. Sleep
3. Blindness
4. Confusion
5. Hold Person/Monster
6. Irresistible Dance
7. Amnesia
8. Deafness

These effects are not cumulative and may be replaced by a new effect upon a subsequent bite from the Queen of Lust.

Jebel Jebelah has the following spell-like abilities, useable at will (unless noted otherwise): Cause Fear, Charm Monster, Cone of Cold, Darkness (10′ Radius), Detect Invisible, Dimension Door, Dispel Magic, Limited Wish, Magic Jar (1/Day), Mass Charm, Maze (1/Day), Mirror Image (2/Day), Passwall, Polymorph Other, Polymorph Self, Sleep (3/Day), Slow (1/Day), Spectral Force (Permanent), Suggestion (2/Day), Symbol of Conflict, Symbol of Pain, Wall of Ice.

Additionally, Jebel Jebelah possesses all of the abilities of a typical Demon Lord:

Infravision (90’)
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
Teleport without error

Jebel Jebelah can only be damaged by +2 or better weapons, though she is susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. She may Gate (75% probability of success) 3d8 [link id=’296′ text=’Uszu Anang Kal’] or 1d6 [link id=’1102′ text=’Iszirisur’].

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Jebel Jebelah is a sinful and wicked thing whose lust can never be sated and whose dominion over the weak and foolish of the world can never be truly defeated.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Demon Prince Tusag-eb Alm

Tusag-eb Alm (Demon Lord)
No. Enc.: 1 (Unique)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 150′ (50′)
Armor Class: −4
Hit Dice: 138 hp (24 HD)
Attacks: 2 (weapon)
Damage: 2d10/2d10
Save: F24
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: XXII
XP: 23,500

The firstborn son of Demon Emperor Ashur-eb Asa and Queen Shalma Shalmallah, Prince Tusag-eb Alm enjoys the favor of his father, endures the saccharine and ultimately artificial affections of his mother, and is amused by the jealousy and hatred he engenders in his brothers Ehur-eb Alm and Durruk-eb Bel. More than anything, though, he delights in his “special” relationship with his father’s concubine, Jebel Jebelah. The one thing that the powerful and dangerous Prince does not know – though he would relish it if he did – is that he is not the Emperor’s true son. He is, in fact, the product of his mother’s rape at the hands of the dark god Nergal himself.

Like his father, Tusag-eb Alm is far too vain ever to appear in any form other than his own natural one, which resembles a 17′ tall, well-muscled human male with the head of a horned viper. Tusag-eb Alm is never seen in a state of repose, and always goes about armed with his giant flaming sickle-sword – with which he can make two attacks per round – and wearing the armored cloak and bone crown of his station. He shuns attendants and will only call upon others for assistance in the most dire of circumstances.

Tusag-eb Alm has the following spell-like abilities, useable at will (unless noted otherwise): Animate Dead, Cause Fear, Charm Person (saves at −2), Cloudkill, Detect Magic, Feeblemind, Haste (1/Day), Hypnotism, Levitate, Limited Wish (1/Day), Mass Charm, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph Self, Power Word: Kill, Produce Flame, Read Magic, Slow (1/Day), Speak with Animals, Speak with Dead, Suggestion (1/Day), Symbol of Insanity, Symbol of Pain , Telekinesis (900 lbs.), Wall of Fire

Additionally, Tusag-eb Alm possesses all of the abilities of a typical Demon Lord:

Infravision (90’)
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
Teleport without error

Tusag-eb Alm can only be damaged by +2 or better weapons, though he is susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. He may Gate (70% probability of success) 2d6 [link id=’779′ text=’Agara Muun’].

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Tusag-eb Alm is an extraordinarily cruel being who, once loosed upon Umaab, can only be returned to his hellish domain by the slaughter of all male children in the largest city of the world.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Demon Prince Ehur-eb Alm

Ehur-eb Alm (Demon Lord)
No. Enc.: 1 (Unique)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 30′ (10′)
Fly: 90′ (30′)
Armor Class: −4
Hit Dice: 123 hp (21 HD)
Attacks: 1 (energy bolt)
Damage: 3d8
Save: F21
Morale: 11
Hoard Class: XIII, XIX
XP: 19,000

The second son of Demon Emperor Ashur-eb Asa and Queen Shalma Shalmallah, Prince Ehur-eb Alm seethes with jealousy towards his older brother, Tusag-eb Alm, who is clearly his father’s favored son. Ehur-eb Alm is dimwitted, shortsighted, and incapable of playing the political games required to rule the Halls of Dust and Darkness in any but the most inefficient and, ultimately, failing fashion. He is despised by the Demon Emperor, who is convinced that this disappointment of an heir cannot possibly be his son – so much so that he secretly believes the Prince to be the result of a dalliance between some arrogant and overreaching [link id=’832′ text=’Harra Lal’] and his bloated and useless wife. Shalma Shalmallah, however, knows the truth: Ehur-eb Alm is in fact the Emperor’s son while firstborn and favored Tusag-eb Alm is not. It is for this reason that Ehur-eb Alm’s mother loves him better than she does her other offspring, since Ehur-eb Alm represents the only productive union between her and her beloved husband.

Ehur-eb Alm’s only physical form is that of a large (10′ per side) pyramid of necrotic flesh, each face of which shows a twisted, screaming visage: an infant, a child, an adult, an elder. Ehur-eb Alm’s faces – which are of the same person at various stages in their lives – are always those of the most beloved person of the individual(s) who encounter him. The demon prince fights by blasting his foes with an beam of concentrated sorrow so intense that it mortifies flesh, crumbles stone, and rusts metal. Further, living creatures damaged by this attack must save vs. Death (at −3) or lose 1 energy level.

Because he literally possesses eyes that face in each direction, Ehur-eb Alm may not be surprised in combat, nor is he subject to the increased damage from a thief’s backstab ability.

Ehur-eb Alm has the following spell-like abilities, useable at will (unless noted otherwise): Animal Growth, Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, Darkness (10′ Radius), Death Spell (1/Day), Detect Magic, Mirror Image (2/Day), Plant Growth, Pyrotechnics, Read Languages, Read Magic, Sleep (3/Day), Symbol of Despair, Ventriloquism

Additionally, Ehur-eb Alm possesses all of the abilities of a typical Demon Lord:

Infravision (90’)
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
Teleport without error

Ehur-eb Alm can only be damaged by +3 or better weapons, though he is susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. He may Gate (66% probability of success) 4d4 [link id=’684′ text=’Turul Dgag’].

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Ehur-eb Alm is a gullible and guileless demon who can be driven from the world by a chorus of 10,000 prayers delivered beneath a solar eclipse.

The Demons Of Adad Untash: Demon Prince Durruk-eb Bel

Durruk-eb Bel (Demon Lord)
No. Enc.: 1 (Unique)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 120′ (40′)
Armor Class: −2
Hit Dice: 136 hp (22 HD)
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 2d6
Save: F22
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: XV, XX
XP: 21,250

Durruk-eb Bel, the Bastard Prince, is the son of Demon Emperor Ashur-eb Asa and his royal concubine Jebel Jebelah, the Queen of Lust. As such, he possesses no firm claim to the throne of the Emperor of the Halls of Dust and Darkness, but a niggling little detail like that is unlikely to hold this ambitious demon back. He plots with his mother – whom he despises, but who is his only influential friend in the upper echelons of power – to lead an uprising of Higher and Standard Order Demons to depose his father and the “legitimate” sons born to the cow called Shalma Shalmallah. Durruk-eb Bel is eager to begin his revolution, but his mother maddens him with her continual cautions to bide his time and wait for the truly opportune moment to strike. In the meantime, the Bastard Prince busies himself with his work tormenting the people of Umaab much the way a bored and sociopathic child tortures ants, flies, and other lesser forms of life.

Though he may take nearly any form, Durruk-eb Bel frequently chooses to appear to the people of Umaab as a humble beggar wearing a tattered red robe and a cracked and chipped crown of clay. He wanders the breadth of Umaab disguised this way at the urgings of his mother, who insists that he will find useful assistance amongst the pathetic creatures who dwell there. The Bastard Prince favors this form even when traversing the Halls of Dust and Darkness – though he will rise up to his true height of 13′ in that hateful realm, as a way of maintaining close to even footing with his relatives.

Durruk-eb Bel wields a copper-bladed axe that carries with it the sting of all of the scorpions of the desert. Anyone wounded by this dread weapon must save vs. Poison at −8 or die instantly.

Durruk-eb Bel has the following spell-like abilities, useable at will (unless noted otherwise): Animate Dead, Animate Objects, Blink, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Create Food & Water, Darkness (5′ Radius), Detect Magic, Fly (240′ per round), Gaseous Form, Haste (2/day), Hypnotism, Magic Jar (2/Day), Power Word: Kill (1/day), Project Image, Snake Charm, Speak with Dead, Sticks to Snakes, Telekinesis (800 pounds), Time Stop

Additionally, Durruk-eb Bel possesses all of the abilities of a typical Demon Lord:

Infravision (90’)
Half damage from cold-based attacks
Half damage from electrical-based attacks
Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
Half damage from gas-type attacks
Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
Teleport without error

Durruk-eb Bel can only be damaged by +2 or better weapons, though he is susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. He may Gate (66% probability of success) 3d6 [link id=’206′ text=’Tummahu Anang Gar’].

The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Durruk-eb Bel is a rash and foolish demon who will gamble nearly anything on the outcome of a sporting event or other game of chance.

Traveller: The Professional Athlete Career (And Some Barnstorming Ceroballers)

It’s spring, or close to it, and that means that The Venomous Pao’s fancy turns to baseball. He can’t help it. And though that may make him a little odd for a raging geek blogger, that’s just who he is. On the plus side, he’s channeled this quirk into the creation of a new prior career for his favoritest old school SciFI game – Classic Traveller. And now… without further ado… here’s the Professional Athlete career (eer-eer-eer)!

Professional Athlete
Enlistment 9+
DM of +1 if STR or DEX 9+
DM of +2 if END 10+

Survival^* 6+
DM +2 if END 9+

Position 8+
DM +1 if INT 9+

Promotion 9+
DM +1 if STR or DEX 11+

Re-enlist (4+terms served)+

^*Failing a survival roll for a Professional Athlete seldom results in death. Instead, this result typically indicates a career ending injury or, less frequently, a scandal that forces the player out of the sport. On a failed survival roll, throw 10+ for a scandal-based end to the career (which reduces the character’s SOC by 1D). Otherwise a CEI reduces all physical attributes by 1D each. Only on a throw of 2 is character death indicated.

Ranks
Rank 0 Minor Leaguer (Scrub)
Rank 1 Journeyman
Rank 2 Regular
Rank 3 Star
Rank 4 All-Star
Rank 5 Superstar
Rank 6 Legend

Material Benefits
1 Low Psg
2 Mid Psg
3 High Psg
4 +1 Soc
5 +1 Int
6 Travellers’
7 Sponsorship Deal
Characters of Rank 5 or 6 are allowed a DM of +1 on this table.

Cash Benefits
1 1,000
2 5,000
3 10,000
4 20,000
5 50,000
6 100,000
7 200,000

Characters with Gambling or who have retired are allowed a DM of +1 on this table.

Sponsorship Deal: The character – so long as he or she maintains a professional public reputation – earns money from his or her sponsorship of various businesses and their goods. Characters of Rank 5 earn Cr 20,000 annually and those of Rank 6 earn Cr 50,000 per year.

Rank And Service Skills
Minor Leaguer: Athletics-1
Journeyman: Sport-1
Superstar: +1 Soc

Acquired Skills Table

Personal Development Table
1 +1 Stren
2 +1 Dext
3 +1 Endur
4 +1 Intel
5 Athletics
6 Brawling

Service Skills Table
1 Athletics
2 Carousing
3 Sport
4 Sport
5 Gambling
6 Streetwise

Advanced Education Table
1 Vehicle
2 Liaison
3 Recruiting
4 +1 Educ
5 Gun Cbt
6 Bribery

Advanced Education Table (EDU 8+ Only)
1 Medical
2 Instruction
3 Jack-o-T
4 Forgery
5 Admin
6 Pilot

Athletics: The individual is a trained athlete. This skill should be used as a favorable DM in situations that test athletic ability.

Sport: The individual is skilled in the rules and performance of a specific sport, which must be specified immediately upon receipt of this skill. DMs based on specific situations should be generated, and Sport skill should be used as a favorable DM. This skill may also prove useful for certain jobs.

The New Chuzaen Traveling Knights

Below are a few key players on the New Chuzaen Traveling Knights – a team of retired Ceroball Players who are barnstorming through the the Claybourne Subsector rather than growing up and getting “real” jobs now that their pro days are over. There’s no telling what kind of trouble a group like this can get into while traveling between systems. And sometimes they might even need to book passage with a scurvy crew of ex-Scouts, Marines, and the like.

#29 Sir Edward “Eddie Knightblade” Falshine IV
8AC97A Age 22 1 Term (Service: Professional Athlete, Final Rank: Minor Leaguer)
Athletics-3, Liaison-1
Cr100,000

#6 Frederick “Flexi” Fogel
898458 Age 26 2 Term (Service: Professional Athlete, Final Rank: Regular)
Athletics-1, Brawling-1, Ceroball-3, Carousing-1, Ground Car-1
Cr2,000

#18 Marion “Ox” Kozloski
B7A954 Age 38 5 Term (Service: Professional Athlete, Final Rank: All-Star)
Athletics-2, Ceroball-3, Liaison-1, Bribery-1, Gambling-1, Recruiting-1
Cr120,000

#44 Genero “Dash” Di Miasi
8A9786 Age 30 3 Term (Service: Professional Athlete, Final Rank: Regular)
Athletics-2, Ceroball-2, Recruiting-1, Instruction-1, Admin-1
Cr60,000

BoL Character: Professor Milam Ryde

Wherein your humble scribe presents a Barbarians of Lemuria character he put together as an NPC in his slowly-developing Lovecraftian fantasy setting, Nogoloth.

A professor at Canton-on-Imisk University, Milam Ryde is a fearless explorer and talented cartographer. Professor Ryde has made the study of the lesser-known regions of Nogoloth (and the uninhabited islands nearby) his academic focus. He has led several expeditions into the unknown and has brought back numerous strange artifacts and bizarre biological samples many of which are on display in CU’s Dhawd Museum. That he frequently returns with fewer companions than he set out with is well-known. Some of the less scrupulous faculty occasionally encourage their more intellectually advanced students to join on with Ryde’s expeditions. That these academics then publish papers based on their vanished charges’ research is something of an open secret.

Essences
Lifeblood 11
Hero Points 3

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 1
Mind 1
Appeal 1

Combat
Brawl 0
Melee 2
Ranged 0
Defense 2

Careers
Scholar 2
Alchemist 1
Sailor 1
Physician 0

Boons
Learned: Geography
Born Sailor
Attractive

Flaws
Feels the Cold

Languages
Nogolothian, Ancient Khaarmish, Low Speech, Star Tongue Of The Elds

Equipment
Axe, 1d6+1
Very Light Armor (d3-1)

Strange Stones

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