Category Archives: NPCs

BoL Character: Tor Carran

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

There is more to the simple-seeming Tor Carran than meets the eye. Nominally employed as part of the janitorial and maintenance staff of the Great University in Khaarm, Tor Carran is constantly reading and researching the “forbidden stacks” to which he has managed to “acquire” a key. Carran makes his home in a disused study off the main research room on the 3rd floor of the library. He is often disheveled and poorly-groomed, but keeps quiet and does quality work, so he escapes the watchful eyes of the administration. Tor Carran appears to have no specific motives other than the accumulation of knowledge.

Essences
Lifeblood 12
Arcane Power 13
Hero Points 5

Attributes
Strength 2
Agility 0
Mind 2
Appeal 0

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 1
Ranged 0
Defense 2

Careers
Scholar 1
Priest 1
Sorcerer 1
Worker 1

Boons
Learned: Legends
Power of the Void

Flaws
Combat Paralysis

Languages
Nogolothian, Sorceric, Ancient Khaarmish, Low Speech

Equipment
Staff, 1d6

Monsters! Monsters! II (or, Maybe There’s Someplace To The West?)

Wherein your humble scribe presents the other Monsters! Monsters! party he drew cards for when he did the first post on that august game.

Coming from the same dungeon as The Maroon Marauders of Marksdale on the Marshes, this group of monsters put those weenies to shame. Lead by Baron von Bloodensteinberghoff (real name, Schmendrick Schlemiel), the shortest, fattest vampire in the world, this group – who refuse to go in for anything so pedestrian as a name for their band – features some truly awesome firepower. There’s Zeev Ohn, the glasses-wearing gorilla, the mummy of Pharaoh Pe-Nut Bhut-Ah, and Maurice the transvestite Half-Jack. This colorful bunch of monsters aim to skip right over the easy pickings that is Marksdale and head straight for Majestrum, the capital city of the Monarchy. Those city-slickers don’t know the fun they’re in for. If the Baron can figure out a way to get there without having to cross the roaring river Rel, that is.

Baron von Bloodensteinberghoff / Vampire / 5′ 3″ / 280
Strength 28 Intelligence 22 Luck 16 Combat Adds 20
Constitution 11 Dexterity 11 Charisma 9 Speed Normal
Weight Possible 2800 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Fists (2-1/2d)
Armor: none
Languages: Vampire, Common, Mummy, Shadowjack, Gorilla, and a whole bunch more

Zeev Ohn / Gorilla / 6′ 4″ / 270
Strength 45 Intelligence 4 Luck 16 Combat Adds 36
Constitution 30 Dexterity 8 Charisma º Speed Fast
Weight Possible 45,000 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Fists (3d), Steel Key Ring (2d)
Armor: none
Languages: Gorilla

Pe-Nut Bhut-Ah / Mummy / 5′ 11″ / 170
Strength 30 Intelligence 42 Luck 10 Combat Adds 12
Constitution 33 Dexterity 3 Charisma º Speed Slow
Weight Possible 3,000 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Ankh Axe (4d+3)
Armor: none
Languages: Mummy, Vampire, Shadowjack, Gorilla, and a whole bunch more

Maurice / Shadowjack / 5′ 1″ / 85
Strength 8 Intelligence 15 Luck 6 Combat Adds −4
Constitution 10 Dexterity 11 Charisma 15 Speed Normal
Weight Possible 800 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Sabre (2d)
Armor: Leather Armor (2)
Languages: Shadowjack, Common, Gorilla, Mummy
Magic: none yet

Traveller: Baron Furnols’ Retinue

Wherein your humble scribe presents a group of characters for (classic) Traveller. All of these were rolled up by-the-book from Book 1: Characters And Combat and/or Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium.

Bored to tears in the Claybourne Subsector, Baron Ignasi Ot Furnols and his latest group of playthings, er, friends, have found themselves on Albian with little to do but wait for the next liner headed somewhere interesting. But wait! It turns out there’s a branch of the Psionics Institute operating here, and on a whim the Baron himself funds everyone’s training. This should make life a but more interesting for those who come into contact with this particular entourage…

Baron Ignasi Ot Furnols
7A77AC Age 30 3 Terms (Service: Nobles, Final Rank: Baron)
Bribery-1, Foil-1, Brawling-1
Psionic Strength: 8
Psionic Talents: Telekinesis-1, Telepathy-1
Cr250,000

Florian Krusinski
78B656 Age 26 2 Term (Service: Army, Final Rank: Captain)
Rifle-1, SMG-1, Gambling-1, Bayonet-1, Tactics-1
Psionic Strength: 5
Psionic Talents: Telekinesis-1, Telepathy-1
Cr15,000

Bernadette Piper
AA6884 Age 26 2 Terms (Service: Merchants, Final Rank: 3rd Officer)
Jack of All Trades-1, Air/Raft-1, Streetwise-1, Mechanical-1, Pilot-1
Psionic Strength: 9
Psionic Talents: Telepathy-1, Teleportation-1
Cr20,000

Masumi Sandoval
6C8397 Age 22 1 Terms (Service: Army, Final Rank: Captain)
Rifle-1, SMG-1, Mechanical-2, Tactics-1, Medical-1
Psionic Strength: 10
Psionic Talents: Clairvoyance-1, Telekinesis-1, Telepathy 1
Cr20,000

Monsters! Monsters! (or, Two Orcs, A Gremlin, And A Ghost walk into a tavern…)

So, inspired by the recent posts by Jeff Rients on his experiences with Monsters! Monsters! I finally snagged the PDF from RPGNow (it’s on sale for half-off the list price as I type this).

Monsters! Monsters! is a game that I’ve been passingly interested in for years, but just never managed to get my hands on before. I won’t bore you with the details of the game other than to say it’s essentially early Tunnels & Trolls but with the twist that the players are monsters who are sick of having their dungeon raided and have decided to take the fight to the humans and such outside the dungeon. It’s a cute conceit, and one that nicely illustrates the boundaries already being pushed in 1976.

Anyway, here I present my very first (and totally random, as is the nature of M!M!) monster party. It’s a fairly tame collection, featuring the two Orcs, one Gremlin, and one Ghost noted in the title of this post. That’s what simulating drawing playing cards at random got me. A second round of drawing yielded a group consisting of a Gorilla (think Grodd), a Mummy, a Shadowjack (think corrupt, shadow-dwelling wizard), and a Vampire (think D&D-style, not sparkly). That’s a much nastier crew indeed! We’ll see if they turn up for your entertainment eventually. For now, though, we’ll stick with the simpler bunch.

I had a few of moments of uncertainty when handling the Ghost. First, do Ghosts get Combat Adds? And if so, do they suffer penalties for having nulls in Strength and Dexterity? And if yes to that, should the penalties be −9 per stat actually being zero? I opted for yes on all counts. I was looking at this as some kind of poltergeisty telekinesis thing, or perhaps some kind of psychic damage. But I can certainly see choosing to go a different route. The second significant concern with the Ghost was that spells (which, barring my TK decision above, are the only way for Ghosts to affect combat) are supposed to cost Strength to cast, but Ghosts have no Strength value. Thirdly, spells have a minimum Dexterity required to learn and Ghosts have no Dexterity value. So I winged it and just figured I’d use Intelligence as the all-purpose stat for Ghosts’ magic use. Basically, in drawing a Ghost I appear to have found what might be the biggest hole in the entire game. Yay me!

And now… without further ado… here are… the Maroon Marauders of Marksdale on the Marshes (And Municipalities More Metropolitan)! Lead by the big honkin’ mace of Luranng and steered by the clever machinations of the sinisterly smart Turunng, the Maroon Marauders are ready to make a name for themselves. Well aware that more than just steel will win the day, the Orcs have rounded out their warband with a couple of magical creatures: Grey Marjorie (the Ghost of the Princess Who Wasn’t Rescued) and Nynchitter Nast, the reasonably charming Gremlin with connections.

Luranng / Orc / 5′ 11″ / 200
Strength 16 Intelligence 7 Luck 14 Combat Adds 5
Constitution 11 Dexterity 8 Charisma ° Speed Normal
Weight Possible 1,300 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Mace (4+2)
Armor: Chainmail (5) & Viking Spiked Shield (2)
Languages: Orcish

Turunng / Orc / 5′ 1″ / 180
Strength 10 Intelligence 16 Luck 10 Combat Adds 2
Constitution 10 Dexterity 14 Charisma ° Speed Normal
Weight Possible 1,200 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Scimitar (2)
Armor: Scale Armor (4) & Viking Spiked Shield (2)
Languages: Orcish, Goblin, Common, Hobbit, Gremlin

Grey Marjorie / Ghost / 5′ 3″ / —
Strength — Intelligence 15 Luck 30 Combat Adds 12
Constitution 11 Dexterity — Charisma ! Speed Normal
Weight Possible — Weight Carried — Experience Points 0
Weapons: None
Armor: None
Languages: Common, Orc, Gremlin, Troll
Magic: Knock-knock, Take That, You Foe!, Oh-go-away

Nynchitter Nast / Gremlin / 4′ 3″ / 90
Strength 4 Intelligence 16 Luck 23 Combat Adds 6
Constitution 5 Dexterity 10 Charisma ? Speed Normal
Weight Possible 400 Weight Carried Minimal Experience Points 0
Weapons: Dirk (1d3+1) – Poisoned w/ Dragon Venom for a total of 2d+1
Armor: Steel Cap (1)
Languages: Gremlin, Common, Orc, Dragon, Troll
Magic: Brimstone Blip, Finagle’s Demons, Hidey Hole

Hey, What’s With These Guys’ Weird Charisma Scores?

In case you don’t happen to have a copy of M!M! handy (and you really should – did I mention it was on sale?) you probably don’t know that many monsters don’t get numerical Charisma scores. Instead they get these symbols that indicate the general reaction of humans. A question mark indicates contempt, disgust or disbelief. A degree symbol means “some” fear. And an exclamation point represents outright terror. There’s also a plus sign used to indicate “awe or liking.” But I didn’t wind up with any of those types this go round.

My first reaction, were I actually going to run M!M!, was to give the monsters some kind of Charisma score at least relative to other monsters. But then I thought better of it. If the game is effectively willing to do away with Charisma, why not let the players handle all of that stuff completely freeform? I mean, I absolutely despise the concept of “social mechanics” in games anyway. But that’s a different topic for a different day. And probably a different blog and blogger, too, since I’m not inclined to get into RPG theory 🙂

Nogoloth: The Drakemorton Hole

Wherein your humble scribe presents a couple of Mini Six characters (and their attendant flavor) that he whipped up for his nascent Lovecraftian Fantasy setting, Nogoloth. Consider these a test to see just how well Mini Six produces characters appropriate to such a milieu.

On the outer fringes of the city of Oustminnish stands the decayed and crumbling Drakemorton estate. Once a grand and bustling manor built by Captain Dominic Drakemorton more than a century ago, the estate has fallen further and further into disrepair – and disrepute – as the old Captain’s heirs have grown decadent and squandered the fortune Dominic amassed throughout his storied career. Bereft of its army of servants and caretakers, the family’s holdings rest now in the distracted hands of the last surviving Drakemorton scions: the mad Benicia and her unsettling twin brother Felix.

Behind the manor house itself there are several outbuildings including a mausoleum and disused crematorium. Within the weathered marble burial chamber there is a strange, heavy slab – cemented in place for three generations – that has recently been chiseled free and cast aside as through by an inhumanly powerful hand. Exposed beneath where the slab once lay is a large hexagonal hole down which well-secured iron rungs descend at slightly more than comfortable intervals. The hole itself is smooth and regular, as though bored by some impossibly gigantic machine of a sort that has never been seen in Nogoloth.

The Drakemorton Hole cuts deep into the earth, an eerie and stygian blackness closing quickly about any who attempt to plumb its depths. Whether the shaft itself is truly as extensive as it seems or the way down only feels excruciatingly long due to the preternatural gloom and dampness that attend its descent is impossible to say without further detailed, scientific exploration. What the urchins of Oustminnish – who have endeavored to seek the bottom of the cavity at my own request – have reported is that a growing sense of doom began to wash over them after little more than ten minutes’ descent, resulting in a retreat to the relative comfort of the surface.

These same somewhat unreliable sources further claim that dropping a stone down the shaft produces no sound of impact even after several long minutes of waiting. It is most unfortunate that young Jabben Scarth, the boldest of the children, has failed to return from his third excursion to the Drakemorton Hole. As an orphan with none to mourn him, his disappearance has gone largely unreported. For my own part, I feel some small sense of guilt at seeming to have sent the child to an unfortunate fate. But there are none for me to recompense, so I content myself with having lit a candle to the boy at the altar of Ste. Rixende.

Of the Drakemorton clan, little more than rumor an innuendo is readily available to the casual inquirer. It is said, though, that Benicia is quite insane due to her never-ending quest for arcane knowledge and the blasphemies she has surely read in the accursed tomes that line her library walls. Felix, though he is more immediately accessible and outwardly sane, is known to have begun showing the first hints of the Oustminnish Look within the past few years and is no longer seen at the society functions he used to attend with regularity.

Neither Drakemorton heir has ever married and neither has produced issue – a small mercy for which the more sanguine people of Oustminnish thank Ulris, Ursanne and all their sainted sons and daughters.

Benicia Drakemorton
Might 1D+2 Agility 3D
Wit 4D Charm 3D+1
Skills: Crafts 4D, Occult 6D, Language:Star Tongue Of The Elds 5D
Perks: Aristocrat, Sorcerer
Complications: Quite Insane, Really
Gear: Grimoires & Artifacts
Static: Dodge 9, Block 5, Parry 5
Body Points: 26
Armor: none

Felix Drakemorton
Might 4D Agility 2D+1
Wit 2D Charm 3D+2
Skills: Sword 5D, Stamina 5D, Lift 5D, Dodge 3D+1, Stealth 3D+1, Business 4D+2, Society 4D+2
Perks: Aristocrat
Complications: The Outsminnish Look
Gear: Pearl-Handled Sword Cane (+1D)
Static: Dodge 10, Block 12, Parry 15
Body Points: 36
Armor: none

BoL Foes: Cuachicqueh – The Shorn Ones

Wherein your humble scribe presents a set of opponents for his Mesoamerican themed setting for Barbarians of Lemuria.

Cuachicqueh – whose appellation translates as “The Shorn Ones” – are the ultimate Tlactozotl warriors; feared by king, priest, soldier and peasant. No fiercer breed of man exists within the lost valley. These elite fighters take their name from their custom of shaving their heads completely but for a single braid that extends over their left ear. They are also known to paint their faces and heads, normally half red and half blue, though other color schemes have been seen. Prior to entering battle, each Cuachicqueh swears a blood oath never to retreat even a single step. Violation of this oath results in death.

Rumors persist that Cuachicqueh cannot truly be killed by an opponent in battle and that if slain their bodies arise anew, powered by some strange magic or perhaps by the will of the gods themselves. Regardless of the veracity of these legends, one is strongly advised not to engage with Cuachicqueh who are charged with the protection of a temple, as these warriors are known to continue fighting through injuries that would kill a lesser man.

Essences
Lifeblood 13

Attributes
Strength 3
Agility 1
Mind 0
Appeal 0

Combat Abilities
Brawl 0
Melee 3
Ranged 1
Defense 0

Career
Warrior 2
Soldier 2

Protection: 1d6-1 (quilted cotton armor & shield)
Weapons: Macuahuitl (obsidian-toothed wooden swords) 1d6+4 (-1 to hit)
Atlatl (dart thrower) 1d6+2

BRP Character: Nishikado Tomohiro

Wherein your humble scribe presents an NPC for use with Basic RolePlaying.

Lieutenant Nishikado Tomohiro is a laser tank commander in the Earth Defense Force’s 2nd Armored Division, tasked with protecting the planet from the waves of alien invaders that plague life in the 22nd Century.

Nishi, as his friends and crew-mates call him, is a true soldier who takes his role as a defender of humanity very seriously. He is constantly thinking about how best to approach the challenges of fending off the threat of attack from space. He is also mildly obsessed with the mystery of the strange spacecraft that occasionally pass by to observe the status of the invasion. Nishi is certain that the unknown beings in these ships hold the key to vitory in this endless war. Lt. Tomohiro spends the precious few moments of downtime engaged in a recurring poker game with the men of his platoon.

Nishikado Tomohiro, Laser Tank Commander

STR 10 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 15 POW 12 DEX 17 APP 14
Hit Points 12 Major Wound 6 Power Points 12

Damage Bonus: none
Weapons: Laser Rifle 55%, 2d8
Laser Pistol 55%, 1d8
Armor: Adaptive Mesh, 1d4+2
Skills: Artillery: Laser Turret 60%, Brawl 50%, Climb 65%, Command 55%, Dodge 60%, Energy Weapon: Laser Pistol 55%,, Energy Weapon: Laser Rifle 55%,First Aid 55%, Gaming 39%, Heavy Machine: Laser Tank 56%, Knowledge: Space Invaders 20%, Repair: Mechanical 30%, Repair: Electronic 30%, Spot 50%, Strategy 55%, Technical Skill: Sensor Systems 45%

CoC Character: Sean Patrick McGuinness

Wherein your humble scribe, being in a Lovecraftian frame of mind of late, presents an NPC for use with Call of Cthulhu (Sixth Edition).

Sean Patrick McGuinness is a 28-year-old, second-generation Irish-American from the Vinegar Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Like his father before him, Sean made his living as a sandhog on subterranean projects throughout New York. But after the Holland Tunnel Incident of October 27, 1924, McGuinness’ career beneath the earth came to an abrupt end.

The official version of that dark day’s events involves a tunnel blowout, the deaths of nineteen men, and the amazing survival of one incredibly lucky sandhog who was actually drawn into the blowout, forced through the mud of the river-bottom and delivered to the surface alive. McGuinness, though, has quite a different story to tell, though he seldom shares it anymore.

Friends and relations chalk up his fanciful talk of Shoggoths and Ubbo-Sathla and other such nonsense to the confusion and hallucinations caused by Bends, which he surely must have suffered as a result of the intense pressure changes he endured. Former coworkers and casual acquaintances have been known to mock McGuinness openly for his bizarre words and strange behavior ever since the event. Meanwhile, odd academics from strange universities occasionally seek him out and listen intently to every word this former teetotaler has to tell though his now permanent whiskey haze.

No matter what truly happened down in the tunnel, two things are certain: first, McGuiness is absolutely terrified of setting foot below ground to the point where he won’t even enter a basement, let alone travel by subway; second, there has not been a night in the past three years when McGuiness has not woken, drenched in sweat, from an intense, thrashing nightmare crying “Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!” at the top of his lungs.

Sean Patrick McGuinness, Lucky Former Sandhog

STR 16 CON 16 SIZ 9 INT 13 POW 17 DEX 13 APP 10 EDU 10
Hit Points 13 Major Wound 7 Power Points 17 SAN 65

Damage Bonus: +1d4
Weapons: Sledgehammer 60%, 2d6+2 + 1d4
Armor: none
Skills: Bargain 20%, Craft: Mining 35%, Cthulhu Mythos 5%, Dodge 50%, Electrical Repair 45%, Fast Talk 25%, First Aid 30%, Fist/Punch 60%, Geology 10%, Grapple 45%, Headbutt 20%, Kick 35%, Listen 35%, Locksmith 14%, Mechanical Repair 45%, Occult 9%, Operate Heavy Machine 45%, Own Language: English 50%, Sledgehammer 60%

BoL Character: Derl Gethau

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

Once considered a leading thinker at Canton-on-Imisk University, Derl Gethau fell out of favor for his “reenvisionings” and “interpretations” of some of the traditional myth cycles of Nogoloth and was drummed out of academia entirely. To this day he remains a suspect figure in certain circles and an outright pariah in others. This episode only served to remind Derl of his disdain for those who hide within the cities of Nogoloth and seldom if ever venture out into the world itself. Now firmly established as a fearless tracker and guide – one who knows enough to get you from here to there safely and even somewhat wiser for the trip – Derl seldom thinks of this old life and its decadent decay. He is still known to dabble in the arcane arts, happily digesting any new wisdom he might acquire in the wilds.

Essences
Lifeblood 11
Arcane Power 10
Hero Points 5

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 1
Mind 2
Appeal 0

Combat
Brawl 0
Melee 1
Ranged 1
Defense 2

Careers
Scholar 2
Hunter 1
Poet 1
Sorcerer 0

Boons
Learned (Flora & Fauna)
Learned (Legends)

Flaws
Discredited Scholar (roll an extra d6 in dealings with scholars, scribes, academics, etc.)

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

Equipment
Sword, d6+1
Dagger, d3+1
Light Armor & Shield (d6-1)
Bow, d6

LL/RoCC Antagonist: Othoghu, The Knife Of Shub-Niggurath

Wherein your humble scribe presents an antagonist for use with Labyrinth Lord and the brand new Realms of Crawling Chaos. Three appropriately Lovecraftian artifacts are included below. Each is the result of rolling on the Random Artifact Tables contained within RoCC, which I believe is OGC.

Once a devout priest called Simon Aldurn, the man now known as Othoghu, The Knife Of Shub-Niggurath, willingly fell from grace at the urgings of Stelaugha, an uncommonly alluring Young of Shub-Niggurath. Othoghu makes his home in Canton-on-Imisk, where he serves the Black Goat of the Woods as a spy.

Othoghu longs for the day when Shub-Niggurath chooses him as a mate and will stop at nothing to please the Old One. Any who pass through Canton-on-Imisk with ill intentions towards the Black Goat of the Woods or who are in possession of items her cult might desire are certain to be subject to Othoghu’s evil.

Othoghu is currently in possession of three eldritch artifacts that he will employ as needed in his efforts to please and serve Shub-Niggurath. These are detailed below.

Othoghu / Human Cleric/Assassin 4/5 Neutral Evil
STR 14 INT 12 WIS 18 DEX 13 CON 10 CHR 13
HP 36 AC 5 Gold 3,571
+2 Mace, Bracers of Armor (AC 6), Silver Holy Symbol, The Key Of Haathoa, Idol Of Mmnao, The Eye Of Eiculura
Cleric Spells:
1st Level (5) Command, Darkness, Detect Magic, Fear, Sanctuary
2nd Level (4) Hold Person, Silence 15′ Radius, Snake Charm, Spiritual Weapon

The Key Of Haathoa

Carved from a bizarre, ancient stone, in which fossils of creatures never seen by human eyes are occasionally exposed, this key is able to summon a Night Beast to serve the possessor. The Night Beast will faithfully obey every command for 3d12 turns before returning whence it came. The Key of Haathoa can only be used once per day. Additional attempts to use it will result in the appearance of 2d4 hostile, hungry Night Beasts that will seek out the holder of the key.

Idol Of Mmnao

Crafted from a strange green soapstone in the image of a sitting siamese cat, this statue marks its owner as a friend of cats. Any felines who interact with the owner of the Idol of Mmnao are subject to a −2 reaction modifier and will only willingly attack the Idol’s holder in self-defense or to protect their young.

The Eye Of Eiculura

This large gem, which has been heavily etched with tentacle-, or perhaps root-like patterns, can be used to animate 1d3 nearby trees, which will uproot themselves to serve the Eye Of Eiculura’s owner. Treat these animated trees as chaotic treants that do not possess the ability to animate additional trees. Trees found in and near graveyards become particularly fearsome when affected by the magic of this artifact due to their roots having fed on fetid corpses over the ages. Such trees receive a +2 bonus to their Hit Dice. The Eye Of Eiculura can only be used 10 times before it crumbles into dust.

Strange Stones

a nerdy rpg blog