Category Archives: Games

BoL Character: G’antonin Ancente Ecchius

Wherein your humble scribe presents yet another Barbarians of Lemuria character he put together as an NPC for use in his own (highly-derivative) Kaalmuria setting. More will follow at highly irregular intervals.

A priest of Sunere Luculum – an obscure Lirian deity opposed to the use of magic – G’antonin Ancente Ecchius acts as judge, jury and executioner in a never-ending battle against dark wizards and those who consort with demons. He mostly confines his activities to the city of Liria and its surrounding regions – both areas are all quite rich with sinners – but has been known to travel the width and breadth of Kaalmuria in pursuit of powerful sorcerers and witches. G’antonin is a man obsessed; stern, brooding, and hard to travel with. But when battle against the dark forces becomes inevitable, there are few men in all of Kaalmuria anyone would want at their side.

Essences
Lifeblood 11
Hero Points 5

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 2
Mind 2
Appeal -1

Combat
Brawl 0
Melee 3
Ranged 0
Defense 1

Careers
Priest 1
Assassin 1
Hunter 1
Torturer 1

Boons
Magic Resistance
Detect Deception
Nose for Magic

Flaws
Distrust of Sorcery
Taciturn

Languages
Lirian, Thaxian, Kellic

Equipment
Sword, d6+1
Dagger, d3+1 (or d3 thrown)
Light armor, d6-2

Ia! Ia! The Stars Are Almost Right!

In case you missed the news, Dan Proctor has announced on his blog that we may be seeing Realms of Crawling Chaos within the next several days. Now that’s more exciting that an internet brawl over the future of S&W WhiteBox, innit?

Already my brain is beginning to spin up a short campaign concept wherein the heroes are cast from the Lovecraftian character races listed in the Table of Contents as glimpsed (1/1d3 SAN) in the Labyrinth Lord Society members-only sneak preview of RoCC. What’s that? You haven’t seen the preview? That must be because you’re not a member of the LLS. You should probably rectify that, naughty person.

LL/AEC Deities: Daraith Aidhe, Mistress Of The Frost

DARAITH AIDHE Mistress of the Frost

Lesser goddess

ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVE: 180′ (60′)
HIT POINTS: 273
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 (axe & breath)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3d10 and 4d12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: none
SPECIAL DEFENSES: none
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%
SIZE: L (26′ tall)
ALIGNMENT: CN
WORSHIPPER’S ALIGN: Any
SPHERES OF INFLUENCE: Cold, Ice, Snow, History
SYMBOL: A white 8-pointed star against an ice blue field
TYPICAL WORSHIPERS: Barbarians, Frost Giants, White Dragons, and Scholars
CLERIC/DRUID: 9th level Cleric, 14th level Druid
FIGHTER: nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 10th level Illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 14th level Thief
MONK: nil
S:16 I:17 W:19 D:16 C:19 CH:16

Daraith Aidhe appears as an immensely tall alabaster-skinned woman with ice-blue hair worn in long braids. She wields an axe made of purest ice and can breathe a 90′ long, 40′ wide cone of cold air upon her enemies. She is a whimsical goddess, coming and going as she pleases, and just as likely to help as harm one who calls upon her. She holds great enmity towards creatures and deities of fire and flame and is in turn despised by aquatic, reptillian and insectoid gods.

Her position of power over recorded history is somewhat incongruous with the rest of her nature, but the scholars of Thos Nabura have ascribed this role to her because of the frozen nature of the past. She is mostly bemused by this “honor,” but takes her authority seriously and is quick to act against any who would challenge her mighty by attempting to alter the past, either via temporal magic or by distorting or denying historical events for their own purposes.

Stars Without Number: Characters & Not A Review

Wherein your humble scribe presents a group of characters for Stars Without Number. These characters are all 1st level, were granted maximum HP, and have a bare minimum of equipment. They were all created by the book, with 3d6 for stats, more often than not in order.

What do a mercenary, a con artist, and a psychic healer have in common? Wanderlust and an eye for adventure, that’s what! All natives of Bragan IX, this group of old friends have returned to their homeworld for a reunion of sorts, and thus reunited seek their fortunes in limitless space.

Kara Starr / Human Warrior (Soldier/Mercenary) 1
STR 15 INT 9 WIS 12 DEX 14 CON 11 CHR 8
HP 8 AC 4 Credits 150
Business-0, Combat/Projectile Weapons-1, Combat/Unarmed-1, Culture/Bragan IX-0, Culture/Traveller-0, Tactics-1
Woven Body Armor, Revolver, SMG

Delfino Mars / Human Expert (Con Artist/Criminal) 1
STR 8 INT 14 WIS 12 DEX 13 CON 10 CHR 17
HP 6 AC 5 Credits 415
Business-0, Combat/Primitive-0, Culture/Criminal-1, Culture/Bragan IX-0, Gambling-0, Perception-0, Persuade-1, Security-0, Stealth-1
Woven Body Armor, Semi-Auto Pistol, Knife (2)

Vance Di Coromere / Human Psychic (Noble/Healer) 1
STR 6 INT 14 WIS 18 DEX 14 CON 14 CHR 13
HP 4 AC 4 Credits 325
Combat/Primitive-0, Culture/Bragan IX-0, Culture/Traveller-0, Leadership-0, Perception-0, Persuade-0, Tech/Psitech-0, Tech/Medical-0
Psychic Powers: Biopsionics-1 (Primary), Telepathy-1 (Secondary)
Psi Power Points: 3
Woven Body Armor, Sword, Knife, Lazarus Patch (5)

Definitely Not A Review

This is not a review of Stars Without Number, but I thought I’d make a few points.

  • Character creation is pretty darn fast in SWN, despite the handful of extra steps that it adds to the classic D&D-style process.
  • Character creation is decidedly not random, at least not in comparison to Traveller. You’re pretty much in control of who you’re going to play here. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on what you want from your RPG experience.
  • I’m not entirely sure why I’d play SWN instead of Traveller, but the game seems quite solid on my brief skimming of the rules.
  • That said, I find myself oddly ill-at-ease with the two distinct task resolution systems present in the game. I’m not a “one task system or die!” kind of guy, but having a d20 system for combat (and the similar, but not exactly so D&D-style saving throws) and a 2d6 system for skills – where both are modified by the same numbers (skill levels, attribute bonuses) feels off to me. I’m sure it works fine in play, but it’s not quite copacetic in my head. I really don’t know why this bothers me. It might just be something in the air.
  • I haven’t read the Faction rules yet, and those may well be the thing that makes SWN preferable to Traveller for some purposes and playstyles.
  • The plethora of random tables makes SWN worth downloading regardless of anything else.

In the end, Stars Without Number seems like an interesting blend of D&D and Traveller. And though in my mind it doesn’t replace Traveller, I can see where it would have significant appeal for anyone already familiar with old school D&D (or any of the retroclones thereof) who either didn’t have access to, or didn’t have interest in, the big daddy of scifi games. If that’s you, this may be the game for you. And if not, it’s still worth the bandwidth to download.

Mystery Men: Los Defensores De Monterrey

In case you missed the news, the beta of Mystery Men is now available. That means it’s time to whip up a few characters to see how the rules work. I opted to start these heroes with 40,000 XP for power building. That might be a bit high, but at least it’s not the planet buster/demigod level noted in the rules. And now, without further ado, let’s check out Mexico’s favorite crime-fighting trio, Los Defensores De Monterrey!

El Aguila Solar

One of the country’s earliest superheroes, El Aguila Solar represents the sun and its power and importance in Mexico. Crusading attorney general Hector Diaz y Montenegro is the third man to wear the mantle of El Aguila Solar, and was hand-chosen by the previous Aguila Solar. When not prosecuting criminal in accordance with the laws of Mexico, El Aguilar Solar serves the people by defending them from threats minor and cosmic.

Name: El Aguila Solar
Secret Identity: Hector Diaz y Montenegro
Background: Attorney General
Class: Adventurer
Level: 8
XP: 10,200

Strength: 15 (+4)
Intelligence: 2 (+0)
Will: 5 (+1)
Dexterity: 3 (+0)
Constitution: 8 (+2)
Charisma: 11 (+3)

Attack Bonus: +6
Feat Bonus: +3
Hit Points: 64
Defense Class: 10 (14 w/ Shield)
Speed: 2

Money: $170,000
Equipment: –

Powers: Energy Blade [P], Energy Bolt [P], Flight [P], Light II [P], Shield [P], Strike Blind [L], Sunbeam [S]

El Misterio Verde

Bumbling stage magician Miguel Oroto – who performs under the name El Miraculo! – is the last person anyone would suspect of being the greatest sorcerer in all of Latin America. Which explains why no one quite knows where El Misterio Verde disappears to when he is not needed by the people of Monterrey. Yet when danger rears its terrible head the green wizard appears from nowhere to defend his city.

Name: El Misterio Verde
Secret Identity: Miguel Oroto
Background: Stage Magician
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 6
XP: 6,700

Strength: 6 (+1)
Intelligence: 6 (+1)
Will: 9 (+2)
Dexterity: 8 (+2)
Constitution: 6 (+1)
Charisma: 8 (+2)

Attack Bonus: +3
Feat Bonus: +2
Hit Points: 30
Defense Class: 12
Speed: 2

Money: $700
Equipment: –

Magic Pool: 15,000 XP
Powers: Hypnotic Pattern [P], Illusion III [P], Invisibility I [P], True Seeing [S], Zone of Truth [L]

Profesora Mañana

Daniela Campos, professor of science at Universidad de Monterrey, uses her keen intellect and astounding technical skills to fight the criminal element throughout Nuevo Leon. No challenge is beyond her capabilities and no villain has yet been able to stand against her amazing devices.

Name: Profesora Mañana
Secret Identity: Daniela Campos
Background: Science Professor
Class: Scientist
Level: 7
XP: 8,700

Strength: 4 (+0)
Intelligence: 15 (+4)
Will: 6 (+1)
Dexterity: 5 (+1)
Constitution: 4 (+0)
Charisma: 5 (+1)

Attack Bonus: +3
Feat Bonus: +3
Hit Points: 33
Defense Class: 11 (15 w/ Armor)
Speed: 2

Money: $8,000
Equipment: –

Invention Pool: 18,000
Powers: Analyze [S], Armor* [P], Entangle* [P], Heal Wounds II* [L], Hypercognition [S]

* Powers marked with an asterisk are object-based and therefore cost 1/2 as much

5 Room Dungeon Compilation PDF

Ok, so this went faster than I thought. It’s a long way from professional, but it at least gets the five 5 Room Dungeons for Mini Six/Open D6 into one location. It was also good practice for future compilation PDFs I’m hoping to do (hello, Demons of Adad Untash and Tlactoztlan). So, without further ado, here it is, your chance to…

Download the 5 Room Dungeon Compilation (17610 downloads )

If you print the cover separately and then duplex the rest you should be able to have a dandy little booklet, even. I failed to make it booklet-able without that step, though. Because I’m not really all that good at layout it seems. Enjoy it all the same!

5 Room Dungeon: The Fire Giant’s Forge

Fire GiantWherein your humble scribe presents a Five Room Dungeon for use with Mini Six, with some creation help from the random tables in D6 Fantasy Locations. This is, of course, largely compatible with D6 Fantasy as well.

The grim, human-hating Fire Giant Matulek has a new plan. With the help of a powerful kobold shaman he has summoned the demon Kuula Gaahal and bound it into the forge that stands within the walls of his castle. There, on the Island of Fire within the caldera of the volcano men call Mount Kurash, Matulek is producing demonic steel for the dark dwarves of Doborgajn to turn into weapons that will lay waste to mankind once and for all. King Borvalf of Tolvir has called upon the mightiest warriors of the land to storm the giant’s castle and destroy the forge lest Matulek’s evil plan come to fruition and darkness once again claim the lands of the north.

Room One: Entrance and Guardian(s)

A single stone-and-mithril bridge spans the lava moat the surrounds the Island of Fire. Its gatehouse is guarded by two dim-witted hill giants, Mrog and Urr’m, and a lone, lazy Hell Hound who answers to the name of Vorom. The guards have been ordered to kill any humans who approach, as well as any non-humans traveling in the company of the hated race. Mrog and Urr’m, sadly, have never seen a human and aren’t entirely sure what they are supposed to be looking for. Vorom knows the smell of humans, but has found it nearly impossible to communicate with the two stupid giants. He can only hope to lead by example.

Mrog & Urr’m, Hill Giant Guards (Scale +2D)
Might 5D+1 Agility 2D+2 Wit 1D+1 Charm 1D+2
Skills: Brawling 6D+1, Club 7D, Intimidation 5D+1
Gear: Furs & Skins (+3), Big Club (+2D)
Static: Dodge 8, Block 19, Parry 21, Soak 16 (3)

Vorom, Hell Hound (Scale 0)
Might 4D Agility 6D Wit 2D Charm 2D
Skills: Brawling 6D (claws 5D damage), Spew Flame 6D (damage = 8D – Dodge Roll, once per three rounds)
Static: Dodge 18, Block 12, Soak 12

Room Two: Puzzle or Roleplaying Challenge

The bridge across the moat of lava is wide and sturdy, expertly crafted of starrock and mithril by the dark dwarves of Doborgajn. There is, however, more to this bridge than meets the eye. During its construction more than a few of the dark dwarves perished, and their spirits haunt the pathway that leads to Matulek’s castle. These ghosts are malign and must be appeased or else they will utilize their limited powers over the physical world to kill anyone attempting to cross the bridge by summoning up a terrible wind to push the travelers over the edge and into the moat of lava below.

The one sure way to appease the prideful dwarf ghosts is to praise their workmanship, as well as that of their ancestors and descendants, sufficiently. These spirits are susceptible to flattery but have a keen ear for insincerity and will react poorly if they sense that the speaker(s) are false in their words. A Lore check vs TN 18 should provide enough information about the dark dwarves of Doborgajn to allow substantial yet sincere flattery.

Room Three: Trick or Setback

The great gate of Matulek’s castle stands shut at the end of the bridge. Only the mightiest of creatures (or, perhaps, a number of less mighty creatures working in concert) can hope to push the towering brass doors open. To accomplish this herculean task a Lift check against TN 23 must be made. Further, the doors themselves are filled with molten lava, which makes handling them a sure way to suffer terrible burns. Each attempt to open the doors much be accompanied by a Stamina check against TN 13. Failure on this check results in 5D damage. Success yields only 2D damage. No damage is delivered to individuals who are resistant to fire damage (such as, perhaps, a recipient of the Resist Elements spell).

Room Four: Climax, Big Battle, or Conflict

In the heart of the castle stands the Fire Giant’s Forge. Matulek works tirelessly, day and night, turning raw ore into pure demonic steel with the aid of the captive demon Kuula Gaahal. Matulek will immediately attack any who dare to enter and will defend his castle and forge to the death. Kuula Gaahal, whose essence is imprisoned within the forge itself, cannot affect the battle (and wouldn’t if it could).

If Matulek is defeated Kuula Gaahal will begin reaching out to the heroes telepathically, begging for them to destroy the forge. If they do, Kuula Gaahal will be freed and will instantly return to its home plane. Thus freed, the demon will think kindly on its rescuers and may one day return the favor. If, however, the heroes refuse to destroy the forge and leave Kuula Gaahal trapped, it will hold an eternal grudge against the party and, if it ever manages to escape, will most certainly have its vengeance.

Matulek, Fire Giant (Scale +4D)
Might 7D Agility 2D Wit 3D Charm 3D
Skills: Brawling 7D+2, Sword 8D+1, Throwing 5D, Intimidation 7D
Gear: Bronze Armor (+6), Demonic Steel Flamesword (+3D+2), Thrown Boulder 8D
Static: Dodge 6, Block 23, Parry 25, Soak 21 (6)

Room Five: Reward, Revelation, Or Plot Twist

Deeper within the castle is Matulek’s treasury. Here the fire giant keeps a large hoard, and a sizable fortune in gold and platinum coins can be hauled away.

Here also is the stash of demonic steel that has been forged so far. There is enough demonic steel for two score man-sized weapons. This material, which is essentially priceless – at least to those who are not bothered by its nature – can be liberated with relative ease.

Weapons made of demonic steel grant a +1D damage bonus. Further, all damage done by such a weapon is much harder to heal. Spellcasters face a −2D penalty when attempting to cast healing on such a wound and the Might check for natural healing of such a wound incurs a −1D penalty.

Being in possession of a demonic steel weapon lends a distinctly evil cast to the wielder, imposing a −2D penalty to all “positive” Charm rolls (i.e., Command or Diplomacy, but not Intimidation).

Most “civilized” weapon makers will either refuse to work with the material or will charge hefty “My soul is imperiled just handling this stuff” fees if they are willing to work the stuff.

Vikings & Valkyries – M&M With Horned Helmets!

My old pal Olivier Legrand, the mastermind behind Mazes & Minotaurs, has finally released the long-awaited Vikings & Valkyries! But rather than paraphrase, I’ll just quote:

VIKINGS & VALKYRIES

Well, the title says it all, doesn’t it? Mazes & Minotaurs goes Norse with this 100% new and 100% free supplement detailing the alternate game setting of Midgard – a whole new world of adventure to explore, conquer and plunder!

This 50-page, fully illustrated and bookmarked PDF book includes:

  • Rules for creating Norse adventurers, including the new Viking class and rules for playing Elves, Dwarves and (yes!) Half-Giants – as well as simple conversions of existing M&M classes into Valkyries, Berserkers, Princes and other archetypes of Norse legends
  • New combat options – including rules for going berserk, breaking shields and maiming opponents!
  • Rules for drinking contests and other manly Viking games!
  • Rules for Ice Elementalism!
  • An overview of the new world of Midgard (including an original map) and its otherworldly surrounding realms, from Asgard to Jotunheim!
  • Many new creatures – including several types of Giants and Trolls!
  • A collection of typical Norse mythic items – including Mjolnir!
  • The usual M&M mix of faux retro pastiche, kitsch homage and old school goodness!

So by Odin, what are you waiting for? Put on your horned helmet, swing your battle axe at those pesky historians who insist on telling you that horned helmets never existed and go get your free PDF of Vikings & Valkyries from the regular Revised Mazes & Minotaurs website:

http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/revised.html

Or directly from the following webpage:

http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/VIK.html

Vikings & Valkyries: a whole new world of adventure!

So what are you waiting for? Get to downloading already!

5 Room Dungeon: Into Yamahari Forest

Mischievous TenguWherein your humble scribe presents a Five Room Dungeon for use with Mini Six, with some creation help from the random tables in D6 Fantasy Locations. This is, of course, largely compatible with D6 Fantasy as well.

War is coming to Okibu Province! The forces of the Nakayama Clan are gathering near the borders and Daimyo Nakayama Yosuke has his eyes on the throne of Watanabe Castle. Lady Watanabe Euiko has requested that you take the daisho of retired samurai Murakami Shoichi, once the master strategist of Lord Watanabe’s army, to his hermitage deep within the high forest and convince him to return and lead the Watanabe forces as they seek to defend their Daimyo’s lands (and daughter) against the depredations of the Nakayama barbarians.

Room One: Entrance and Guardian(s)
Yamahari Forest, and the mountains that surround it, are the territory of a pair of mischievous Tengu named Hito and Jito. These two crow-like humanoids are ferocious combatants if angered, but are far more inclined to play tricks on travelers – at least those who show the proper respect to the forest and its masters.

A favorite of these tricks is to have Hito shape change into the form of a Buddhist monk and pretend to be dead, lying in the path of a group passing through Yamahari Forest. Jito will then circle the area, using his illusion powers to create a tableau of Bakemono stomping though the trees. Once the travelers have been tricked into paying attention to the outside threat, Hito will rise up, scare the group, and fly away cackling.

Hito and Jito will only engage travelers in combat if the group is particularly hostile or threatening towards the Tengu themselves or anyone else within Yamahari Forest.

Hito and Jito, Tengu (Scale 0)
Might 4D+1 Agility 4D+2 Wit 4D+2 Charm 4D+1
Skills: Sword 5D+1, Dodge 5D+2, Magic 6D+2
Perks: Sorcerer, Flying
Gear: Fine Katana (+3D), Leather Armor (+2)
Spells: Charm, Control Weather, Illusion, Invisibility, Shape Change, Teleport
Static: Dodge 17, Block 13, Parry 16, Soak 13 (2)

Room Two: Puzzle or Roleplaying Challenge

The narrow path through Yamahari Forest occasionally widens to accommodate a shrine to one of the 10,000 gods of Akashima. At a shrine dedicated to Kanzeon the group encounters the old (but still spry and stunningly beautiful, of course) Jen-Mai, a tea trader. Jen-Mai frequently passes through Yamahari Forest and knows much of its inhabitants. She can, if flattered and treated well, give the seekers great insight into both the Tengu who protect the forest as well as any other subject relating to the area.

Jen-Mai is also more than a little familiar with the subject of Murakami Shoichi, having been quite infatuated with him when they were both much younger. She is aware that he makes his home nearby, but she has never approached him because of the difficulty in reaching his high cave, which is located on the southern face of the 2nd tallest hill within Yamahari Forest. Jen-Mai also knows that Shoichi’s favorite tea is Gyokuro, an expensive and rare delight that she just happens to have in stock. Perhaps the old man will be more favorably inclined to listen to the group if they present him with a gift?

Jen-Mai poses no danger to anyone, and will only fall to the ground weeping if threatened. If anyone should press their attack further, Hito and Jito will come to her defense. They will not be pleased with the situation and will deal harshly with anyone so crass as to take advantage of an honorable and respectful little old lady like Jen-Mai.

Room Three: Trick or Setback

The southern slope of the hill atop which Murakami Shoichi resides is a steep climb, rocky and difficult to ascend. A Climbing check against TN 18 is necessary to make any significant headway, and should be repeated a total of three times to see if the rise can be crested. Further, Shoichi has carefully concealed a couple of traps along the way, all the more to discourage unwanted visitors. These traps take the form of loosened rocks that are otherwise ideal handholds for climbing. A Traps roll vs TN 18 (better than a 21 on the Climbing roll immediately preceding the trap) will successfully avoid “triggering” the traps. There is one trap immediately after the first Climbing roll and another immediately after the last Climbing roll. In both instances, a person triggering the trap will tumble the full distance back down to the bottom of the hill, losing all progress gained. A person falling from the 1st trap site will suffer 2D damage. A person falling from the 2nd trap site will suffer 5D damage.

Room Four: Climax, Big Battle, or Conflict
A group of a dozen or so soldiers of Clan Nakayama are gathered around the outside of Murakami Shoichi’s cave. They were sent by Lord Nakayama himself to abduct the old samurai to force him into service against his old master. They must have approached from the north and worked their way around. They now find themselves on the receiving end of the great warrior’s wrath. At present he is firing arrows at them from within his cave even as they prepare to rush in and overwhelm him with their superior numbers.

Nakayama Soldiers (Scale 0)
Might 3D Agility 2D+1 Wit 2D Charm 1D+2
Skills: Naginata 3D or Sword 3D+1 or Spear 4D, Dodge 3D+1
Gear: Naginata (+3D) or Katana (+2D+2) or Yari (+2D), Ashigaru Armor (+5)
Static: Dodge 10, Block 9, Parry 9/10/12, Soak 9 (5)

Room Five: Reward, Revelation, Or Plot Twist

Helping chase away the Nakayama soldiers and presenting him with his old daisho will do much to open Murakami Shoichi’s eyes and soften his heart to the seekers’ entreaties on behalf of Lady Euiko. However, Shoichi remains reluctant to leave his hermitage and return to the ways of war. He can be convinced, but good roleplaying should be required here. Successfully convincing Murakami Shoichi is a significant challenge, but the GM should not stonewall the players. Appeals to his honor, or to his duty to the Watanabe family, or indictments of the Nakayama “barbarians” will eventually get to the old man. They will do so much sooner if he is able to enjoy a nice pot of Gyokuro tea while listening to them.

The retired samurai’s stats are presented below in case the seekers offend him or attempt to abduct him. If a fight breaks out between the seekers and Shoichi, Hito and Jito will arrive in 1D turns to aid their tenant.

Murakami Shoichi, Hermit Samurai (Scale 0)
Might 3D+1 Agility 3D+1 Wit 4D Charm 3D+1
Skills: Sword 5D+1, Naginata 5D+1, Dodge 5D+1, Bow 5D+1, Tactics 7D, Strategy 7D, Leadership 6D+1
Gear: Naginata (+3D), Katana (+2D+2), Heavy Furs (+2 armor)
Static: Dodge 16, Block 10, Parry 16, Soak 10 (2)

Once Shoichi has been convinced to return to Watanabe Castle, it can be safely assumed that he devises a brilliant defensive strategy and the Nakayama invasion is repelled. Those who returned the old man to assist his Lord are feted and rewarded appropriately. Or, if the GM desires, the entire campaign against the Nakayama could be played out. But that’s as far as this five room “dungeon” goes.

5 Room Dungeon: The Pyramid Of Kheptah Atemu

Wherein your humble scribe presents a Five Room Dungeon for use with Mini Six, with some creation help from the random tables in D6 Fantasy Locations. This is, of course, largely compatible with D6 Fantasy as well.

Deep within the scorched desert men call Behtep Seretu one will find the great pyramid of Kheptah Atemu, the long-dead Pharaoh of ancient Khemset. Legend tells of a great treasure that was entombed with the Pharaoh – an amulet in the likeness of a scarab, created by the god Khepri himself, that greatly extends the life of its wearer. Like all Pharaohs, Kheptah Atemu must also have been sent to the afterlife with countless artifacts and a kingdom’s worth of gold. True, the legend mentions some kind of curse as well, but those stories are just told to keep away the cowardly, aren’t they? And you, my bloodthirsty gang of tomb robbers, are anything but cowardly.

Room One: Entrance and Guardian(s)

Rising only half its height from the sands in which nine centuries’ worth of storms have buried it stands the great pyramid. A grand archway yawns blackly, inviting the would-be tomb robbers to enter. The climb to reach this doorway is child’s play for any skilled raider. Yet, as the entrance is approached, something strange happens. The faded hieroglyphics depicting the jackal-headed Children of Anubis standing guard on either side of the archway shimmer and begin to move. They detach themselves – paper thin, yet as real as thirst – from the stone walls and attack!

Children Of Anubis (Scale 0)
Might 4D Agility 3D Wit 1D Charm 1D
Skills: Sword 6D, Dodge 6D
Gear: Khopesh (+2D+2)
Static: Dodge 18, Block 12, Parry 18, Soak 12

Room Two: Puzzle or Roleplaying Challenge

The entrance of the pyramid is an enormous, hieroglyphic-covered hallway that descends at a gentle slope, switching back on itself often and abruptly. After a significant amount of this travel, the tomb robbers reach a large, spherical room, across which there is no bridge. A tall, wide spire rises from the center of floor of this room, and runs all the way to the ceiling. A doorway that matches the one the thieves are standing in lies directly across from where the party stands.

Surely there must be some kind of puzzle here, and indeed there is. A Lore check (TN 15) will allow the tomb robbers to recall that at every switchback they passed through on their way here there was a specific, distinctive hieroglyph that appeared nowhere else along the way. Each of these symbols marks an otherwise impossible to see pressure plate. If each plate is depressed in the order they are encountered from the entrance on down the spire will rotate within the circular room such that it will serve as a bridge across the room to the doorway on the other side.

Room Three: Trick or Setback
Deeper within the hallways of the pyramid the raiders encounter a “wall” of fist-sized stone scarabs that continuously rain down from the ceiling and vanish through a narrow drain in the floor. The scarabs fall with alarming velocity, doing 9D damage to anyone who sticks an appendage into the curtain of rain. Any weapon, pole, or other item inserted into the falling scarabs will quickly be battered beyond use. Light and a continuation of the hallway can be occasionally glimpsed through brief gaps in the rain of scarabs.
Upon further inspection it can be noted that a very narrow path may be navigated through the falling scarab stones. To do so requires a series of three Contortion checks against a TN of 15+ the number of dice the character has in Might. Failure results in 3D damage and a retreat by one step, such that the number of Contortion checks needed returns to its previous value.

Once a character has made it through this obstacle and reached the other side, a row of three levers can be seen further down the hallway. When set to the proper sequence (Up/Down/Up) the rain of scarabs will cease for a brief period during which two people may cross the “wall.” A third person attempting to cross must make an Agility check vs TN 13 or be caught in the restarted rain of scarabs, taking 3D damage. Fourth and subsequent individuals may not cross (without taking the 9D damage, that is) until the levers have been set to turn the rain off again.

Room Four: Climax, Big Battle, or Conflict

The burial chamber of Kheptah Atemu is large and airy. Sunlight fills the room, streaming in from carefully crafted shafts built into the pyramid itself. The room is also completely silent – having been enchanted to eliminate all sound. In addition to making communication between tomb robbers quite difficult, this divine silence prevents the casting of any spells within the confines of this room.

These serene beauty of the scene is marred by jarring evidence of a long-passed massacre. Multiple skeletons, some dressed in the garb of burial attendants, some seeming to have been royalty as indicated by their accoutrements, lie strewn about the room, their bones shattered, their skulls fractured, and so on.

A beautiful lapis and gold sarcophagus decorated with numerous scarab designs stands at the center of this room. A Lore check (TN 12) reveals that the ancient Khemseti held the scarab to be a sign of rebirth. Those opening the sarcophagus (Lift check TN 30 – up to 4 characters may add their Lift rolls together to remove the heavy golden lid) will soon discover just how real the belief in rebirth can be, as the mummified body within the sarcophagus returns to life and attacks the thieves.

Kheptah Atemu, Mummified Pharaoh (Scale 0)
Might 5D Agility 1D Wit 1D Charm 1D
Skills: Brawling 7D, Dodge 2D
Gear: Scarab Amulet Of Khepri (+6 armor, allows wearer to regenerate)
Static: Dodge 6, Block 21, Parry 15, Soak 15 (6)

The Scarab Amulet, worn by the mummified Kheptah Atemu, provides divine armor and allows its wearer to regenerate, but it does so at a great cost. Whosoever wears this amulet cannot remove it and will return from death each time he dies with a permanent, cumulative 1D reduction to all Attributes. Only when all Attributes have reached 0D will the wearer truly die. So deceased, the wearer will become a mummy (as the one above) bereft of free will and incapable of any action other than horrific, unstoppable violence directed towards any and all – friend or foe. In this state only can the wearer be killed and the Amulet removed.

Room Five: Reward, Revelation, Or Plot Twist

It is true that Kheptah Atemu was buried with a kingdom’s worth of gold. Numerous golden idols, statues, and trinkets are kept within a secret room located just off the main burial chamber. This room can be found with a Search check against TN 20. In addition to the valuable treasure – which is too much for any small group to carry easily or far in the Behtep Seretu desert – a papyrus scroll is found that, if it can be deciphered (Lore check, TN 25), tells the story of the Amulet of Khepri and what befell Kheptah Atemu as he wore it.

This room has been trapped to release a dehydrating dust upon all who enter it. The trap may be discovered and disarmed with a Traps roll against TN 22. If not disarmed, it will activate and each person exposed to the dust must succeed in a Stamina check against TN 20 or become afflicted with an unslakable thirst. Afflicted thieves will immediately become Wounded and will continue to decline along the Wound Level track one step per hour until they perish unless they can consume 5 gallons of water within 5 hours – a difficult proposition this deep in the desert. A more disturbing cure is to consume 1 gallon of fresh human blood, which those afflicted will actively thirst for.