Two Lesser Artifacts (For Jeff Rients)

Jeff Rients put out a call for some lesser artifacts in the AD&D/OD&D style towards the end of last week. I’m a little late to the party, but the following are my two contributions.

Vikram’s Shield

by The Venomous Pao


Forged by the mad gods of the eastern sea, and once wielded by the legendary hero Vikram, this large verdigrised copper shield shield bears a raised scallop shell device of pure alabaster. The shield was lost when Vikram was slain while attempting to defend the Imperial Armada from a bale of enslaved Dragon Turtles.

In addition to the unique powers listed below, this item functions as a +1 shield, +2 against attacks by aquatic creatures. Three times per day, when the command word is spoken, the shield radiates a shimmering blue light that illuminates as a torch. This illumination lasts for 1d4 hours each time it is used.



3 x I _____ _____ _____
1 x III _____


The Clockwork Bird Of Muzza’im

by The Venomous Pao



Created by the powerful artificer-mage Muzza’im in the time before the Dukes’ War, this odd mechanical device has the shape and size of a Sumichrast’s Wren. The clockwork bird is wound with one of two keys – a silver key found beneath the item’s left wing and a gold key found beneath its right wing.

When wound with the silver key, the Clockwork Bird of Muzza’im sings a beautiful melody that calms listeners, bringing a temporary break to hostilities (1d6 rounds) during which negotiation may be possible.

When the bird is wound with the gold key, one of the following effects (determined at random by rolling 1d4) is triggered. The bird sings a different melody for each of these effects.



2 x I _____ _____
1 x II _____
1 x IV _____

BoL Character: Grigas Son Of Zoryn

Wherein your humble scribe presents a Barbarians of Lemuria system character inspired by the “rebirth” of Mythic Russia.

A stubborn, argumentative, and altogether unattractive Zemaitijan from the west of Lithuania, Grigas Son Of Zoryn has left his home in the deep woods and traveled to the east to try to find his father, who was, his mother tells him, a dashing Cossak with a smile that would cause fish to jump into his net. The legendary Zoryn, she has said, has the number three as a birthmark on his left cheek, does not leave tracks in the snow, and is as tall as wheat can grow in a good season. Sadly, few people who hear this description of the legendary Zoryn believe that one such as Grigas could truly spring from such loins.

Could it be that Grigas is an ugly duckling just waiting to unlock the secrets of his lineage? Or is it more likely that his mother has her own secrets she does not wish to share? One thing is certain, the boy has a gift for magic that even he doesn’t know about just yet.

Essences
Lifeblood 13
Hero Points 5
Arcane Power 12

Attributes
Strength 3
Agility 1
Mind 1
Appeal -1

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 2
Ranged 0
Defense 1

Careers
Soldier 1
Farmer 3
Healer 0
Sorcerer 0

Boons
War Cry
Swamp Tracker
Power Of The Void

Flaws
Taciturn
Country Bumpkin

Languages
Lithuanian, Russian

Equipment
Saber 1d6 (+3)
Dagger 1d3 (+3)
Medium armor (mail shirt) & Shield, 1d6

Welcome To StrangeStones.com

Howdy! After a nice long run as a hosted site at WordPress.com I’ve struck out on my own and now will be running the blog here, on my self-hosted site at StrangeStones.com.

All of the content you loved at the old site, plus everything else I’ll be producing, can be found here now. Please update your links and RSS feeds and such when you get a chance.

And now, it’s time to sleep. But the good news is that there’s fresh content a’comin’ soon. Including some long-awaited Higher Order Demons of Adad Untash! Stay tuned!

BRP Character: Zoria Lee Dabney

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

Known throughout the territories by several different aliases (including Daisy Lee Zeider, Miss Dinah, and “The Preacher’s Daughter”), Zoria Lee Dabney is a card sharp and confidence trickster of the highest order. She’s equally at home bilking drunken farmers out of a portion of their crop’s profits as she is drawing to an inside straight. She has very few scruples and will happily lie, cheat and steal her way through every town she rides into. And if she gets caught, well, may the good Lord protect the ears of the well-meaning sheriff who locks this filly up – she cusses like no sailor ever dreamed of cussing.

STR 11 CON 15 SIZ 9 INT 13 POW 13 DEX 16 APP 16
Hit Points 12 Major Wound 6 Power Points 13

Damage Bonus: none
Weapons: Derringer 55%, damage 1d8
Knife 65%, damage 1d3+1
Armor: none
Skills: Bargain 30%, Brawl 50%, Dodge 60%, Fast Talk 75%, Gaming 75%, Insight 45%, Knowledge (Religion) 25%, Sleight of Hand 55%, Perform: Acting 55%, Ride: Horse 55%, Spot 50%

LL/AEC Rogues Gallery: The Company of the Crow

Wherein your humble scribe presents another entry in an irregular series of Adventuring Parties for Labyrinth Lord/Advanced Edition Companion. These characters are all 1st level, were granted maximum HP (Advanced Style), and have a bare minimum of equipment. They were all created with 3d6 for stats, more often than not in order.

Calling themselves The Company of the Crow, this group of adventurers has yet to make a name for themselves beyond the tavern where they met. And the jail where they spent the next week. And the stables where they were forced to clean up after the horses they attempted to steal. They are a rowdy bunch, but deep down inside most of them mean well. Who knows what adventures await them? One thing is certain, though: they have snappy head gear.

Dai / Half-Elf Fighter/Magic-User/Cleric 1/1/1 NG
Head Gear: A samurai helmet with a crow-faced mask
STR 14 INT 16 WIS 15 DEX 10 CON 11 CHR 10
HP 7 AC 4 Gold 5
Spear, Hand Axe, Light Crossbow & 10 quarrels, Chain Mail, Shield, Wooden Holy Symbol, Spell Book
Cleric Spells: Cure Light Wounds, Resist Cold, Sanctuary
Magic-User Spells: Magic Missile, Message, Shocking Grasp

Halima / Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/1 CG
Head Gear: A tall conical hat that spirals as it climbs
STR 5 INT 17 WIS 8 DEX 13 CON 16 CHR 8
HP 7 AC 7 Gold 96
Long Sword, Dagger, Short Bow & 20 Arrows, Leather Armor, Thieves’ Tools, Spell Book
Magic-User Spells: Floating Disc, Magic Aura, Magic Missile

Urdis / Human Fighter 1 NG
Head Gear: None save his amazing curly mane
STR 16 INT 10 WIS 10 DEX 11 CON 13 CHR 9
HP 11 AC 5 Gold 10
Bastard Sword, Chain Mail

Raelah / Human Cleric 1 LN
Head Gear: An open-faced helm adorned w/ antlers
STR 10 INT 13 WIS 16 DEX 9 CON 10 CHR 10
HP 8 AC 4 Gold 13
Morningstar, Sling & 10 bullets, Chain Mail, Shield, Silver Holy Symbol, 1 flask of Holy Water
Cleric Spells: Command, Cure Light Wounds, Light

Jundomek / Dwarf Fighter/Thief 1/1 NG
Head Gear: A conical helm topped with a crimson tassel
STR 14 INT 12 WIS 6 DEX 13 CON 16 CHR 12
HP 10 AC 7 Gold 73
Hand Axe, Short Sword, Dagger, Leather Armor, Thieves’ Tools

BoL Character: Tov Reuel

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.

Tov Reuel is an itinerant, muscle-bound seller of religious tokens and artifacts from the plains of Zaar. He has traveled far and wide across the face of Kaalmuria, and learned many things – not least which is that he is somewhat less than graceful and possesses no skill with ranged weaponry.

Tov has a distinct weakness for the ladies and will happily spend nearly every Sha’im he has on a chance to revel in their affections. Further, though he has precious little skill at creating poetry, he is entirely unashamed of his meager abilities and will happily make up whatever doggerel he can think of and apply it to any circumstance he faces.

Essences
Lifeblood 13
Hero Points 5

Attributes
Strength 3
Agility -1
Mind 1
Appeal 1

Combat
Brawl 1
Melee 2
Ranged -1
Defense 2

Careers
Merchant 2
Scholar 1
Priest 1
Rogue 0

Boons
Mace Fighter
Learned: Legends

Flaws
Landlubber

Languages
Zaaric, Thaxian, Lyrian, Common

Equipment
Zaaric Mace, d6+3
Light Armor, d6-2

The Mob Rules

Good lord this screams gaming to me. Probably because it’s on the Heavy Metal soundtrack, which I listened to an awful lot when I was a young geek.

Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’m posting things like this over at Tumblr, partly as an experiment and partly because I like the interface over there.

In any case, the main content will continue to live here, so you don’t need to worry that I’ll wind up abandoning this site. Tumblr is good for short posts on things that aren’t fully-developed. This site is much better for actual content.

BotA Character: Lodan Triplex Marveen Dodd

Wherein your humble scribe presents a Barbarians of the Aftermath character he put together as an NPC for use in his own Narakam setting. More will follow at highly irregular intervals.

Born to a non-mutant Pariah family in the Wilds of Narakam, Lodan Triplex Marveen Dodd nevertheless displayed a number of… genetic drifts, which lead his father to accuse his mother of being unfaithful. Though the family unit held together in the end, Lodan Tiplex Marveen Dodd never felt like he belonged and left his village as soon as he was old enough to survive on his own. He has traveled far and wide, learning as much as his quick mind would absorb. Because of its detriment to himself, he keeps his mutant healing ability under wraps in almost all circumstances.

Genotype
Mutant

Essences
Lifeblood 10
Hero Points 5
Psychokinetic Power 12

Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 2
Appeal 1

Combat
Brawl 0
Melee 0
Ranged 1
Defense 3

Careers
Mutant 2
Scavenger 1
Wise One 1
Mek 0

Boons
Sneaky Git
Bottom-Feeding Git

Flaws
Mutation Flaw (self-damaging healing, see below)

Mutations
Physical: Possesses a 3rd arm, growing from below “normal” left arm
Offensive: Ranged “green light blast” from hand on 3rd arm, d6 damage (as Light Pistol)
Mental: Warped Appeal: Extreme Reactions: Adroit +1 (big watery eyes that make people go “Awwww”)
Psychic Ability: Pink Healing Light from hand on 3rd arm (equivalent to First Magnitude) – costs himself 1d3 LB & reduces Defense to 0 when used

Languages
Pariah, Varna, Naga

Equipment
Knife, d3
Shield, 1 pt armor

BoL Character: Creus Orsellios

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.

Hailing from proud Thaxos, Creus Orsellios is as at home on the sea as he is in the laboratory. Once known for his uncanny prowess as a ship’s lookout, Creus lost his left eye in a fight against a group of pirates and hopes someday to discover a means of replacing its function alchemically. Still, the man known as “The Hawk” manages to spot things even those with two eyes miss.

Creus has developed an alchemical admixture that allows even a novice sailor to retain his footing on deck in even the roughest of seas. Some captains have paid him handsomely to provide them with this “Deck Gum” when they are setting out on a voyage to the northlands, where the storms are strong and unpredictable. And when he himself sails, Creus always takes least enough of this material to last a full week.

Essences
Lifeblood 11
Hero Points 3

Attributes
Strength 1
Agility 1
Mind 2
Appeal 0

Combat
Brawl 0
Melee 2
Ranged 0
Defense 2

Careers
Mariner 2
Scholar 0
Alchemist 2
Metalsmith 0

Boons
Axe Fighter
Learned: Geography
Keen Eyesight

Flaws
Missing Eye

Languages
Thaxian, Lirian, Common

Equipment
Double-headed Thaxoan Axe 1d6+3
Light armor (d6-2)
Alchemical “Deck Gum”

BotA Hardback In My Hands

In ironic honor of today’s significance in history (and with absolutely zero disrespect intended) look at what I just picked up from the local gaming store… It’s the absolutely gorgeous full-color hardback of Barbarians of the Aftermath!

The pictures don’t really do this baby justice. It’s pricey, to be sure, but it seems to be every bit as good quality as any other hardback RPG and the full-color art is sharp as can be.

I do wish the full BoL rules could have been worked into this somehow, because it would be awfully nice to have everything in one book. But that aside, I’ve got no complaints. Well, other than the fact that, as previously noted, my players just aren’t ready to go for a system as light as BoL/BotA. But I’ll get them there eventually. Narakam awaits, after all.