Ladies & Gentlemen! It’s taken me far too long to get this posted, but at long last I present to you the latest Barbarians of Lemuria adventure by Strange Stones stalwart G-Man!
The Skyward Citadel (16956 downloads ) is like if Ray Harryhausen worked on the film based on a 70s pinball game inspired by Robert E Howard. So download it already!
Wherein your humble scribe presents a couple of NPCs and a demon for BoL. These were written with his Nogoloth Lovecraftian/dark fantasy setting in mind, but could easily be used with any BoL fantasy setting. The demon was assembled using the demon rules posted on the BoL boards way back in the day.
“Why have you summoned us?” the creature’s three mouths spoke-sang in unison, its voices harmonizing in a perfect minor triad.
“I call you forth in the name of Zog-Thaloth! The Red King! The Pipes of Wisdom! The Song that Dwells in the Copper Halls of Ullaq!” Sharuthua responded, her tones rising and falling in the prescribed melody of the ritual as Naqugol beat the ceremonial drum in time with the lesser priestesses’ orgiastic dancing.
“You sing well… for having only one voice,” the demon mused. “But the rite is not complete until you reach the highest note, fleshling.”
“Your presence here is at my will! Your power serves my own! Your service shall be rewarded in blood! So I sing in the name of Zog-Thaaaaaaal-oooooooth!” the priestess concluded the summoning song, ascending the scale of Ullaq fully, her lungs afire with the raw power of the final note, so high and piercing that the cavern came alive with a host of Kral bats, their slumber broken by a tone unfamiliar even to their keen ears.
“Well done, savage bonesack. Well done indeed,” chuckled the being from beyond this world. “Phu’ghaq’ug approves of your performance and will gladly serve your will in humility and good faith. Tell us now your wishes, and do please provide us with something to soothe our throats. Travel from our far home is so… drying.”
Sharuthua / Lifeblood 8 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 14
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 1 Appeal 2
Combat Abilities: Brawl 1 Melee 1 Ranged 0 Defense 2
Careers: Priestess 2, Sorcerer 2, Warrior 0, Farmer 0
Boons: Magic of the Sorcerer Kings, Power of the Void
Flaws: Delicate, Poor Recovery
Languages: Nogolothian, Low Speech, Star Tongue of the Elds
Equipment: Dagger (d3), Staff (d6-1)
Naqugol / Lifeblood 14 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 10
Attributes: Strength 2 Agility 1 Mind 0 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 1 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Warrior 2, Priest 1, Hunter 1, Sorcerer 0
Boons: Quick Recovery, Hard to Kill
Flaws: Country Bumpkin
Languages: Nogolothian
Equipment: Spear (d6), Light Armor (d6-2)
Phu’ghaq’ug (Greater Demon) / Lifeblood 30
Attributes: Strength 3 Agility 1 Mind 4 Appeal 4
Combat Abilities: Brawl 4 Melee 2 Ranged 2 Defense 4
Demonic Powers: Speech, Sorcery (AP 20), Appeal, Telepathy
Attacks: +3 w/ strike (d6) or as weapon
Protection: 1d3 (iron-like hide)
Phu’ghaq’ug, called The Singer from Beyond, is a demon capable of living in – manipulating the arcane energies of – Nogoloth. Its normal appearance when summoned is of an attractive human man – typically in exceptionally fine clothing – with an effete affect. What marks Phu’ghaq’ug as otherworldly is the extra length of its otherwise human-like head, which accommodates the creature’s two additional mouths. Each mouth speaks with the same voice in a different register (bass, baritone, and tenor). The mouths typically speak in unison, though it is possible for them to communicate independently. Phu’ghaq’ug prefers not to do this, however, because it is deeply in love with the sound of its own voices
Phu’ghaq’ug is typically sought out by savage tribes and primitive sorcerers to serve as a weapon against the more civilized cultures. Whether its powers are employed in defense or aggression it cares not, so long as its taste for human blood is slaked.
Wherein your humble scribe presents three Barbarians of Lemuria characters and a monster he put together on a whim, for use in his own (highly-derivative) Kaalmuria setting.
The Zaaric enchantress lay nearly lifeless on the deck, her skin sickly green from the rolling of the ship upon the churning waters. The captain and his first mate discussed their situation, speaking in a language their were fairly confident the witchwoman did not comprehend.
“She’s already paid us half, and we’ve been at sea for three weeks with nothing else to show for it,” the Kellman said in his heavily accented Geiric. “I say we dump her over the side and sail on.”
“Are you mad?” asked the great northern barbarian. “I’ll not have my ship haunted by the ghost of a witch who was murdered at sea.”
“You don’t understand how much trouble this one is, Lorm. You don’t speak her language. She’s constantly going on about how she’ll sail to the ends of the earth to find this Askerion fellow. She’s not going to give up, and thus we’re going to be stuck with her for a very long time. Her contract is ironclad. The ship is hers until we find whatever it is she’s looking for. Or until she dissolves the contract. Or dies.”
“You’re the one who didn’t catch that particular hook, Olbraigh. This is your fault, not mine. And it’s my ship, and it will not be haunted by a witch’s soul!”
Sandris / Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 12
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 2 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 0 Melee 0 Ranged 2 Defense 2
Careers: Sorcerer 2 Scholar 2 Artificer 0 Merchant 0
Boons: Learned (Flora & Fauna), Sling Master
Flaws: Landlubber
Languages: Zaaric, Kellic, Lirian, Thaxian
Equipment: Zaaric Mace (d6), Zaaric Sling (d6-2)
Lorm / Lifeblood 13 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 3 Agility 0 Mind 0 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 1 Melee 3 Ranged 0 Defense 0
Careers: Barbarian 1 Pirate 3 Thief 0 Soldier 0
Boons: Spear Fighter, Thick Skin
Flaws: Distrust of Sorcery
Languages: Geiric
Equipment: Geirbjornhaller Great Spear (d6+2), Axe (d6), Very Light Armor (d3-1)
Olbraigh / Lifeblood 11 / Hero Points 6
Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 2 Mind 1 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Brawl 0 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 2
Careers: Thief 2 Pirate 2 Scholar 0 Physician 0
Boons: Carouser, Marked by the Gods
Flaws: Poor Eyesight
Languages: Kellic, Zaaric, Geiric
Equipment: Kellic Broadsword (d6), Light Armor (d6-2), Shield (+1)
The Clockwork Turtle of Askerion / Lifeblood 40
Attributes: Strength 5 Agility -1 Mind -2
Combat Abilities: Defense -1 Protection 1d6+2
Attack with Bite +1; 2d6
Wherein your humble scribe presents a randomly rolled party for the freshly released PDF of Moldvay Basic D&D. They were all created with 3d6 for stats, more often than not in order. And, just because I’m loathe to give it up, they all have some snappy headgear. Will any of these brave adventurers survive their expedition In Search of the Unknown?
Brother Valdoric / Cleric 1 L
Headgear: Bishop’s Mitre
STR 14 INT 9 WIS 16 DEX 15 CON 12 CHR 10
HP 6 AC 3 Gold 20
Chain Mail, Shield, Mace, Holy Symbol
Cleric Spells: None
Skarl Stoneaxe / Dwarf 1 L
Headgear: Forest Green Bedouin Wrap
STR 18 INT 9 WIS 10 DEX 6 CON 10 CHR 7
HP 8 AC 5 Gold 16
Chain Mail, Shield, Hand Axe
Ikaria The Brash/ Elf 1 N
Headgear: Open-faced Plain Helm
STR 16 INT 13 WIS 7 DEX 16 CON 14 CHR 3
HP 7 AC 2 Gold 12
Chain Mail, Shield, Sword, Dagger, Long Bow, 20 Arrows
Elf Spells: Charm Person
Rolf Orlsson / Fighter 1 C
Headgear: Classic Viking-Style Helm
STR 15 INT 6 WIS 13 DEX 10 CON 13 CHR 14
HP 9 AC 2 Gold 17
Plate Mail, Shield, Sword, Dagger, Crossbow, 30 Quarrels
Dinty Dalgimmins / Halfling 1 N
Headgear: Bare, Showing His Mohawk
STR 11 INT 14 WIS 12 DEX 16 CON 11 CHR 12
HP 6 AC 5 Gold 10
Leather Armor, Short Sword, Dagger, Short Bow, 20 Arrows
Sareetha The Medium / Magic-User 1 N
Headgear: Bare, Showing Her Short, Stylish Haircut
STR 8 INT 16 WIS 9 DEX 9 CON 5 CHR 13
HP 2 AC 9 Gold 30
2 Silver Daggers
Magic-User Spells: Floating Disk
Gentleman Pete / Thief 1 C
Headgear: Fancy Top Hat
STR 8 INT 12 WIS 8 DEX 17 CON 14 CHR 12
HP 5 AC 5 Gold 29
Leather Armor, Sword, 2 Daggers, Silver Dagger, Short Bow, 20 Arrows, 2 Silver Arrows, Thieves’ Tools
Wherein your humble scribe mentions a Kickstarer and presents a couple of characters and a monster for T&T 7.5.
By now you’ve undoubtedly heard about the Kickstarter for the new Deluxe Tunnels & Tolls. If not, click that link and learn all you could ever want to know about this project. There’s also more information available in this press release on the official dT&T blog.
It turns out that all of my dreams and plans for using any version of T&T last year fell through spectacularly (if by “fell through” I mean “I didn’t do jack to make them happen”), and I don’t imagine I’m going to do much with any version of T&T this year, either. But I am backing the Kickstarter because, well, I like T&T and enjoy the concept of seeing it live on – especially with the hand of Liz Danforth being involved once again.
So, being in a Trollish frame of mind at the moment, I thought I’d throw out a couple of T&T 7.5 characters and a monster for them to face off against. Go nuts with these if you have any inclination to do so. Otherwise, move along quietly and I promise to return this blog to its now expected, if still somewhat saddening, silence*.
Xal Balaq / Rogue / Elf / 2
STR 8 CON 5 DEX 14 SPD 18
INT 21 WIZ 8 LK 20 CHR 28
Height 6′ 4″ Weight 151 lbs.
Adventure Points 0
Combat Adds +15
Talents Roguery (+4)
Languages Elvish, Common, Dwarven, Hobb, Orc, Troll, and so on…
Spells Knock Knock
Cutlass (3+3), Kukri (2+5), Cuirboille (7)
Vorzt / Warrior / Human / 1
STR 16 CON 12 DEX 14 SPD 9
INT 7 WIZ 9 LK 11 CHR 13
Height 5′ 11″ Weight 170 lbs.
Adventure Points 0
Combat Adds +7
Talents Gambling (Luck +4)
Languages Common
War Hammer (5+1), Throwing Axe (3+2), Scale Mail (16), Kite Shield (12)
Plague Troll
Monster Rating: 60
Combat Dice: 7d6+30
Special Damage: 1/3 – Plague Trolls fight with a terrifying ferocity, doing 3 points of Spite damage per 6 rolled in combat; 6/Plague Infection – In rare cases, Plague Trolls can communicate their disease to non-trolls. Those who become infected suffer an immediate loss of 1/2 of their remaining CON. Plague victims take an additional 2 CON damage each hour (unless an L3SR on CON is made) until they expire. Natural healing does not replenish any CON lost to the disease. Only a casting of Healing Feeling will cure the Troll Plague.
Special Abilities: Plague Trolls are desiccated and lack significant meat on their bones – thus cutting, slashing and stabbing weapons are less effective against them. Treat Plague Trolls as having 4 points worth of armor against these types of weapons. Unlike healthy trolls, Plague Trolls do not regenerate damage – their regenerative properties are too busy keeping them alive to heal them of any damage within the timeframe of a combat.
Plague Trolls are trolls that have contracted a hideous wasting disease yet refuse to die. They look like regular trolls that have shriveled and shrunken away to nearly skeletal creatures. They are quite mad and easily enraged – the disease has accelerated their metabolisms, making them far quicker than healthy trolls – and are known to actively seek death.
*For those who care, I’m still not feeling the mad drive to create RPG stuff, though I am back on track with running my Dungeon Crawl Classics game. And the big Call of Cthulhu game I was in most of the past year and a half is starting back up shortly. And it looks like I’ll be joining up with what should be a long-term BRP fantasy game in the near future, too. So I’m gaming, just not writing.
Wherein your humble scribe presents a couple of pulpy characters and a deadly foe done up in Barbarians of Lemuria/Dicey Tales style.
“So tell me why we’re here again, Doc,” O’Meara shouted over the roar of the rain that beat heavily on the thick vegetation just outside of the small outcropping that sheltered the doctor and his retinue.
“My patient, Abigail Plume, suffers from an advanced case of Jakarta Plague,” Doctor Shaw replied. “Her father, the newspaper baron Arthur Prescott Plume, has funded this expedition because my research has uncovered evidence that there is a variety of Neomarica gracilis that grows only here on Boruna Kal that contains a compound that I might be able to use to save Miss…”
“Did you see that?” O’Meara asked abruptly, taking the pipe from his mouth and squinting into the deluge. The other crewmen of the Joan de Geneville could tell their first mate was clearly agitated.
“See what?” replied the physician, annoyed by the interruption of his exposition.
“Out there. In the jungle. Something… big… just streaked by us.”
“Nonsense. The largest native fauna on Boruna Kal is a relative of Tamandua tetradactyla, which typically only measures two to three feet in len…”
A deafening roar cut off Shaw’s nascent lecture, as an enormous cat-like beast burst through the tree line, its coat a deep crimson lined with black and a malign intelligence reflected in its amber eyes. Before O’Meara could level his rifle the tiger was upon them, a blurred mass of claws and fangs. Its first strike knocked the sailor back into the stone wall, the lit pipe dropping into the damp leaves.
Chris O’Meara / Lifeblood 13 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 3 Agility 1 Mind 1 Appeal -1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 3 Melee 0 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Sailor 2, Mechanic 1, Soldier 1, Merchant 0
Boons: Born Sailor, Fist-Fighter
Flaws: Superstitious
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Irish Gaelic
Equipment: M1 Garand (D6+2)
Dr. Ryan Shawn, MD / Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 0 Mind 3 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Brawl 0 Melee 0 Ranged 1 Defense 3
Careers: Physician 3, Researcher 1, Socialite 0, Academic 0
Boons: Great Wealth, Well-Dressed, Natural Leader
Flaws: City Boy, Vain
Languages: English, Latin, French, German, Greek, Italian
Equipment: .32 Revolver (D6-1)
The Blood Tiger Of Boruna Kal / Lifeblood 25
Attributes: Strength 3 Agility 3 Mind 0
Combat Abilities: Defense 3 Protection 2 (tough hide)
Attack with bite +4; d6+3
Attack with 2 claws, +3 each; d6+1
(Attack with all three attacks at +2 each)
The Blood Tiger of Boruna Kal is tremendously large, twice again the size of the largest (non-extinct) big cat known to man. The Blood Tiger is a fearless combatant and is known to swim long distances, visiting different islands in the South Pacific in search of prey. The animal is profoundly averse to fire and will flee from any blaze larger than a torch or small campfire.
Wherein your humble scribe presents an NPC for Anglia – the 100 Years War/Dark Fairy Tale England setting that occupied his fancy for a while, and is threatening to again. This character was built using straight the Mini Six rules, but if this ever winds up going anywhere I’m quite sure I’ll be building out a system that’s slightly more involved than Mini Six (but less so than full-on Open D6) from the various parts I have on hand. But that’s a topic for another day.
Countless messengers died to insure that word reached the Archbishop of Baile Átha Cliath that all was not right with the continental Church. Ever since the ascension of Pope Lucius IV – after the tragic (and suspicious) death of Pope Urban VI in 1378 – many questionable actions and decisions had come from the heart of Lucania. When the local Master of the Chandler’s Guild reported, in 1379, that orders from the continental Church’s representatives called for a drop of goat’s blood be added to each candle as it was being poured, the Archibishop began making his plans. And when news of the Gaulish invasion of Albion (at the urgings of Pope Lucius) arrived, that plan went into action. Stout-hearted monks from all corners of Hibernia were dispatched, in discreet numbers, to Albion and the continent. These pure souls were commanded to do what they could to uncover whatever dark secrets were driving this decidedly unchristian behavior and to assist those who resisted the disquieting papal decrees.
Brother Gregorius Moghan O’Seachnasaigh
Itinerant monk from an unnamed Hibernian monastery
Might 2D+2 Agility 2D+1 Wit 3D Charm 4D
Skills: Shillelagh 3D, Stealth 2D+2, Dodge 2D+2, History 3D+1, Language: Latin 3D+1, Magic 4D, Persuasion 4D+2, Diplomacy 4D+1, Streetwise 4D+1
Perks: Sorcerer
Complications: Personal Code (Servant of the Church)
Gear: Shillelagh 2D+1
Static: Dodge 8, Block 8, Parry 9
Strength Damage: 1D
Body Points: 27
Armor: Leather (2)
Spells: Bless, Heal
Wherein your humble scribe, flying in the face of his current obsession with scifi settings, presents a couple of Vikingesque characters for BRP.
Olvir the Owl and his belovéd, the witch called Runa Foglsdottir, set sail in a longship with two dozen of the Jarl’s finest warriors with the twin goals of conquest and plunder. The sea, it seems, had other plans. Now only the pair remain, shipwrecked on unknown shores. As the storm clouds recede and night begins to fall, strange cries and howls can be heard from within the dense forest just beyond the shore. Runa recalls tales of a land walked by men who become beasts when the sun sets and the air is fresh with rain and the rocks sated with the blood of the drowned. But surely such things are only the mad dreams of feverish sailors. Surely.
Olvir The Owl
STR 16 CON 12 SIZ 17 DEX 15 INT 13 POW 13 APP 8 HP 15 MW 8 DB +1d6
Weapons: Battle Axe 75% (1d8+2 +1d6), Spiked Shield 45% (1d3 +1d6)
Armor: Chain (1d8-1)
Skills: Brawl 45%, Climb 70%, Craft: Shipbuilding 15%, Dodge 50%, Grapple 45%, Insight 35%, Jump 45%, Knowledge: Natural World 31%, Language: Gaelic 21%, Language: Norse 75%, Melee Weapon: Axe 75%, Melee Weapon: Spear 45%, Navigate 50%, *Persuade 35%, Pilot: Boat 61%, Research 45%, Sense 30%, Shield 45%, Spot 55%, Stealth 30%, Swim 75%, Throw 25%
Runa Foglsdottir
STR 9 CON 14 SIZ 13 DEX 15 INT 17 POW 18 APP 14 HP 14 MW 7 DB none
Weapons: Short Spear 55% (1d6+1), Spiked Shield 45% (1d3)
Armor: Ring Mail (1d6)
Skills: Appraise 35%, Bargain 25%, Disguise 21%, Dodge 40%, Fast Talk 35%, First Aid 37%, Insight 45%, Knowledge: History 51%, Knowledge: Occult 61%, Knowledge: Natural World 41%, Language: Norse 95%, Listen 45%, Melee Weapon: Spear 55%, Perform: Rituals 45%, Perform: Singing 35%, Persuade 45%, Research 45%, Sense 30%, Shield 35%, Spot 45%, Stealth 30%, Technical: Traps 21%
Spells: Bird’s Vision, Breath of Life, Heal, Make Fast, Make Whole, Moonrise, Muddle, Rat’s Vision
Hey folks! The incorrigible-yet-awesome G-Man (an unrepentant Jupiter lover, but that’s a topic for a different discussion) has done it again! Behold (by which I mean “download”) the majesty that is his latest Hyborian adventure for Barbarians of Lemuria: Ghosts of Acheron (17033 downloads ) !
First, you pissed off the Picts. Next, you made friends (or perhaps enemies) with a strange sorcerer. Now you’re at the bottom of a burial pit and facing the unknown. Who do you think you are? Some dude who’s destined to be King of Aquilonia? Well, whoever you are, picture your story being illustrated by John Buscema in a late 70s issue of Savage Sword as you play through this adventure.
In addition to the adventure itself, G-Man provides us with some nifty treasures in Appendix B and a complete party of pregenerated characters in Appendix C, to help you dive right in to the action.
So what are you waiting for, people? Download Ghosts of Acheron (17033 downloads ) now!
Wherein your humble scribe presents a BRP character for a still non-existent 60s/70s style scifi setting. The Psychic Powers system from the Big Gold Book were used in the creation of this character.
Report On Psientific Findings Of Gate Survey C24359/D
I knelt for three days in fasting supplication before the ikon of the Grand Lexicographer, praying for her echoes to help me unravel the meaning of the pictographs our expedition captured holographically from the ruins on Khandax IV. The emanations from the toppled monoliths hinted at sickness and loss. A plague would explain the scenes evident within the ruins themselves, but the bi/psi scans reveal no trace of malignant organisms in the air, soil, or water of the planet. To be sure, if a virus was involved there is little reason to expect even a single specimen to have survived after having decimated its hosts so thoroughly. Yet even extinct microbes leave traces that can be observed by our instruments.
(General Koz, predictably, remains steadfast in his insistence that violence played no small part in the termination of the Khandaxian civilization. There is no evidence to support this belief, but that has never prevented military minds from seeing sentient hostility where none exists. Their belief blinds them; it shows them ghosts of war where none stand.)
I find that my core temperature has become elevated throughout my study of the pictographs and wonder if there is something to be discovered deep within the interplay of the writings and my biospionic feedback. There is no logical connection to be found in any of the artifacts or recordings that were brought back through the gate. Still somehow I feel in my feverish tissues that the answer lies within these images and items. Is it possible that travel through the gate has somehow erased a critical clue? I shall transmit these notes and the expedition’s data to the labs at Central University in advance of my own trip through to feelsee Khandax firsthand.
Djeyn Lar, Ailing Psientist
STR 10 CON 9 SIZ 11 DEX 12 INT 16 POW 18 APP 12 HP 10 MW 5 PP 18 DB none
Weapons: PsiPistol 30% (2d8)
Armor: PsiShield (10) *Requires POW vs Damage Total resistance roll to activate
Skills: Craft: Weaving 15%, Dodge 24%, Persuade 35%, Research 35%, Technical: Psitronic Computing Devices 25%, Knowledge: Anthropology 55%, Knowledge: Archaeology 55%, Science: Biology 55%, Science: Linguistics 45%, Science: Psychology 25%
Powers: Divination 38%, Eidetic Memory 38%, Psychometry 48%, Sensitivity 48%