New look, and a BFRPG house rule document

Yeah, so I got a bunch of complaints about my old color scheme, and that was kind of upsetting me, so in a display of atypical levels of cowardice, I'm bowing to peer pressure and going monochrome.

Actually, I'm doing this because the complaints inspired me to at least give it a look and I found that I like it in monochromatic. I think it's gone from Victorian-antique pretty to gothic-lolita-outfit pretty. But either way, they can only have the pretty when they pry it from my cold dead hands.

Also, I made a house rule document for Basic Fantasy RPG, which for all my flirting with ACKS and FH&W recently, is still a damned solid game, and which I'm thinking I may use if I want to get a game moving in time for the 40th anniversary of D&D's publication (which, if Playing At The World is to be believed, is sometime in the last week of January!) Check it out here and criticize my pathetic leniency at your earliest convenience!

In which the obvious alternative presents itself...

We OSR folks do quibble a lot about energy drain, don't we?

Well, just now something occurred to me that I don't think I've ever seen used before-- why not pass the mummy's rotting curse onto level-draining undead? I think it works, and I think it's decent genre emulation.

Sorry this is a really short post, but it was just a thought that I figured the world might like to hear.

OSR Christmas List Item #3: A Houserule (And my first bit of followup on 3e-isms)

My most excellent commenter ProfessorOats has asked for

Ooh, I know! I love reading other people's house rules (despite it being a cause of so much frustration), so maybe a list of some you've used in the past. I'd be especially interested to know how you modded 3E "back in the day"

Well, Professor, the fact is I didn't all that much. In those days I was just a dumb teenager scared to screw too much with the program. I first thought this post would instead deal with how I'd houserule 3.x to make it into something I'd willingly play, but the muse is a funny and fickle creature, so instead you're getting a little piece of the d20 (And 4e, and pathfinder, and surprisingly even 5e-- I'm nothing if not promiscuous with my blasphemy!) generation brought back to the OSR-- and my latest awful modern heresy.

Here's some skill rules I'd like to use in the future:

Every character begins with a number of trained skills equal to the number of skillpoints the corresponding 3.5 class receives per level or 4, whichever is higher, plus their Intelligence modifier. Humans are trained in one additional skill. They may choose from the skills available to their class in Pathfinder (which streamlines things somewhat and removes from its skill list the horrible evil that is Concentration), except for Craft and Profession, which are covered by the normal Secondary Skills chart (the one in the LL Advanced Edition Companion, for example). An untrained character may attempt to use a skill by rolling 1d20+the relevant modifier, a trained character adds half their level (rounded up) to the roll.

A character may train in additional skills, languages, secondary skills, weapons, or types of armor not otherwise available to them. To do so, they require 1d6+3 months time studying under a trained teacher, and they must devote at least four hours per day and five days per week to studying. Most teachers will expect a reasonable compensation, on the order of 2d6x10 GP per month. The maximum number of such extra proficiencies they are able to retain can be no more than the amount of skills they started with plus their Intelligence modifier.

All thieves (and other rogues, such as Bards and Assassins) must be either very lucky or very talented to progress in their chosen career. Choose two skills, plus a number of skills equal to your Intelligence modifier. When using those skills, you may roll twice and choose the better value. This is intended to replace the special advantage provided by the percentile thief skills (and Hear Noise), which are otherwise redundant in this system.

I think this is an interesting rule, so if you ever want to use skills in your old-school game in the future because you're crazy like me, and you elect not to use the LOTFP ones (which are also pretty nice, even if I think LOTFP itself relies too much on shock value), I hope you'll give this a try.

Edit: And here I am the very next day rethinking this rule... It's not that I'm fickle, you know, I just overthink things. One day I need to write a big post about designing like a Taoist.

Monster Lore

An adventurer that doesn't know the first thing about monsters isn't a very qualified adventurer. At the same time you don't want your players to have the ability to game the system with knowledge their character isn't likely to have. So here's a rule I propose:

Monster Knowledge: Upon encountering a monster for the first time, have each player roll a die... the exact size is up to you but I'd say that it oughta be at least a d6 and probably no more than a d10. They know a number of important facts about that monster equal to the number they rolled. Start with the players who rolled lowest (come up with your own method of breaking ties), then keep going until you reach the person who rolled highest. Everyone who rolled the same or higher has a 4 in 6 chance of already knowing the same fact. Important facts equal things like one special attack or defense ability (troll regeneration, for instance), the number of them that tend to group together, basically any statistical thing that can be rationalized in terms of actual in-character knowledge. Creatures that have a reason to be obscure (for instance because they're extraplanar, very rare, or newly created) might grant a penalty to the roll.

If a character has a particular reason to know a lot about a given creature you might give him a bonus to the roll. If he's intimately familiar you might even let him ignore the "common knowledge" roll. This way your players are unlikely to go into an encounter completely ignorant of what they're facing. I mean surely they're not complete newbies, right? They've heard the campfire stories or read a few bestiaries or something. If you like you can have a chance of them knowing something false or trivial, but I wouldn't make it too high of a chance, the whole point is that PCs are reasonably informed about their own world.

I had a plan to do a big post about my ideas for a Spirit World as an alternative to the usual cosmologies...

But I ran into a couple snags.

1. I was having an unusually hard time articulating what I was trying to say
2. Almost all my ideas hewed pretty close to the section of the same name in the 3.x Manual of the Planes's "Alternate Cosmologies" chapter. The only new things I had was the idea of the souls of the dead crossing a bridge in the ethereal plane which spanned the Abyss and maybe some vague beginnings of an idea about astral travel, and I only had a handful of mechanical differences in mind.

With that in mind it might just be logical to share the relevant page (because that's all the description takes up) of that book. Surely slightly less than one page is little enough to amount to fair use.

THE REMAINDER OF THIS POST IS NOT OPEN CONTENT, BUT AN EXCERPT FROM MANUAL OF THE PLANES (c) WIZARDS OF THE COAST, PROTECTED UNDER FAIR USE

SPIRIT WORLD
The Spirit World is a realm brought into sharp focus. Colors are brighter, sounds more distinct, and every sense is more keenly aware of its surroundings. Some of its denizens say that the Material Plane is just a pale reflection of the Spirit World’s vibrancy. It is a dimension of ultimates.
The Spirit World is part of a cosmology radically different from the Great Wheel. In this cosmology, there are spirits for everything, from the greatest mountain to the smallest flower, as well as spirits of ancestors and objects long passed into history. The Spirit World is the plane where the spirits of all things, living and unliving, make their homes.
The Spirit World is a Transitive Plane that replaces the Astral Plane of the D&D cosmology. Unlike that plane, the Spirit World is both coexistent with and coterminous to the Material Plane, matching its terrain. A valley in the Spirit World corresponds to a valley on the Material Plane, and where there is a waterfall in one, there is a waterfall in the other. In the case of the Spirit World, however, the waterfall is higher, its water more pure, and its sound more pleasing than that of its equivalent on the Material Plane. The Spirit World’s waterfall would likely be the home of a water elemental that serves as the spirit of the waterfall.
Living creatures and their structures, from beaver dams to palaces, do not necessarily have direct analogs. However, where a citadel stands on the Material Plane, a similar citadel (though greater and stronger) may stand in the Spirit World, occupied by the spirits of revered ancestors of the Material Plane citadel’s ruler.
SPIRIT WORLD TRAITS
The Spirit World has the following traits:
• Normal Gravity.
• Timeless: In the Spirit World, creatures do not hunger, age, or thirst. Days and nights pass within the Spirit World as they do on the Material Plane. However, the nights are ebony black and set with brilliant stars, while great clouds arching across a sky of purest
blue dominate the days.
• Infinite Size: Unless the Material Plane has the finite size trait, in which case the Spirit World does too.
• Alterable Morphic: Changing things in the Spirit World does not directly affect the Material Plane, and changes on the Material Plane aren’t necessarily reflected in the Spirit World right away.
• No Elemental or Energy Traits: However, particular locations within the plane may have those traits. A smith’s forge on the Material Plane, for example may have an equivalent in the Spirit World with the fire-dominant trait.
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Specific locations may have other alignments; the Spirit World equivalent of a haunted graveyard might be mildly evil-aligned, for example.
• Enhanced Magic: All divine spells are extended and empowered on the Spirit World. Arcane magic, which comes from knowledge as opposed to proper veneration,
is unaffected.

SPIRIT WORLD LINKSThe Spirit World is coexistent with the Material Plane, and movement on one is equal to movement on the other. A traveler who enters the Spirit World, walks three miles north, and then returns to the Material Plane is three miles north of the walk’s starting point.
Travelers reach the Spirit World through the Ethereal Plane, which forms a border region between the Material Plane and the Spirit World. A character on the Ethereal Plane can see onto both the Material Plane and the Spirit World: the Material Plane clearly and the Spirit
World as a faint echo. By concentrating on the echo, a traveler can move to the far side of the Ethereal Plane and enter the Spirit World.
Because the Spirit World replaces the Astral Plane, spells that allow access to the Astral Plane use the Spirit World instead.
The Plane of Shadow does not connect to the Spirit World, so spells that use the Plane of Shadow do not function in the Spirit World.
The Spirit World leads to other planes, in particular the homes of whatever great powers oversee the operation of the known universe. A traveler through the Spirit World finds portals to the great palaces of these deities, as well as unique heavens and hells. A traveler seeking the Duke of Storms, for example, would find a portal to his palace occupying the same general location as storm-wracked peaks on the Material Plane.
SPIRIT WORLD INHABITANTS
The Spirit World is home to a variety of creatures, including fey, elementals, undead, outsiders, and dragons. Those with access to the plane shift spell visit the Material Plane under their own power, and spellcasters use summoning spells to bring other Spirit World creatures to the Material Plane. Still other Spirit World creatures find natural portals between the planes.
FEATURES OF THE SPIRIT WORLD
Settled areas of the Material Plane are particularly dangerous in the Spirit World, because these places are where the spirits of ancestors dwell. These spirits are extremely protective of their descendants; an assassin who pops into the Spirit World to infiltrate a local duke’s reception hall will be confronted by one or more ghosts of the duke’s predecessors. This is one reason that rulers live in the same palace for generations: They enjoy the protection of their ancestors.

My big stupid houserule post

These are probably not all the houserules I'm going to be using, but I'm tired of working on this-- I started on July 1st and it's the wee hours of July 5th now.

My usual ruleset is ACKS so these are written with that in mind.

Classes: The following classes are always appropriate for any campaign I run: Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Thief, Assassin, Bard, Explorer, Dwarven Vaultguard, Dwarven Craftpriest, Elven Spellsword, Elven Nightblade, Anti-Paladin, Barbarian, Dwarven Delver, Dwarven Fury, Elven Courtier, Elven Enchanter, Elven Ranger, Mystic, Paladin, Shaman, Warlock, Witch. The remaining classes sort of depend on the campaign-- ask me if you're not sure.

Cleric Weapons: Clerics can choose to use either their usual weapon selection or that of shamans (Club, dagger, hand-axe, short sword, staff, spear). Other narrow weapon selections, within reason, are also okay.

Turn Undead: A cleric can turn any evil creature as if it were an undead of comparable hit dice. For purposes of this spell, evil creatures include inherently evil creatures such as undead and summoned creatures of Chaotic alignment.

Cleric Spell List: Clerics make the following changes to their spell list:

• 3rd level: Feign Death no longer exists, Prayer takes its place.
• 4th level: Sticks to Snakes is not on the Cleric list, Death Ward takes its place. (My grievances with this spell are well-known. I don't mind Shamans having it, but I don't have a ready explanation for why.)

Warlocks: Warlocks do not gain a familiar by default. In its stead they gain the Death Healing power of the Zaharan Ruinguard (Warlocks use the Mage attack progression and therefore can't cleave, but any time they drop an opponent they can use this ability). Warlocks add Familiar to the list of proficiencies they may choose from. This may be waived according to player preference.

Additional Spells: If a character can cast spells and has a prime requisite of at least 13, they gain the ability to cast an extra first-level spell per day at the time of character creation. If a character can cast spells and has a prime requisite of at least 16, they gain they gain the ability to cast an extra second-level spell per day as soon as they gain the ability to cast second-level spells. If a character can cast spells and has a prime requisite of 18, they gain they gain the ability to cast an extra third-level spell per day as soon as they gain the ability to cast second-level spells.

Unusual Equipment: If you want to buy something out of the ordinary (ie not elsewhere listed in the rulebook or by me), Zak's Penny, Nickel, Dime, Quarter, Dollar rule is in effect.

Dullness/Fastness:  Sharpness and Slipperiness are both reversible spells. The effects of Dullness should be obvious (-1 to attacks with the weapon, but it still becomes magical). The effects of Fastness are thus:

When cast on a character, the recipient cannot be restrained or grabbed,wrapped in the grip of constrictor snakes, or otherwise be subject to any other grasping attacks, including binding ropes, chains, or cuffs, magical or otherwise. Simply put, nothing can get a grip on a character affected by slipperiness. The spell can also be cast on objects. A single casting is sufficient to affect 20 arrows, 2 one-handed weapons, 1 two-handed weapon, or one 10' x 10' patch of floor. Any object subject to the spell is virtually impossible to grasp, and characters must make an attack throw versus Armor Class 10 each round to let go of or throw such objects. The object can instead be used to bind two objects together. A proficiency throw of 20+ is necessary to pull them apart. Any individual moving or even standing on an affected area of floor must make a proficiency throw of 20+ each round or remain rooted to the spot.

Climbing Huge Opponents: If a combatant is significantly smaller than her opponent it may be possible for her to climb onto her opponent to find a better point to attack from. To climb an opponent, a combatant must succeed on a melee attack throw with a -4 penalty. The opponent must then make a saving throw versus Paralysis. If the opponent succeeds on his saving throw, he has shrugged off the combatant. If he fails, the combatant has climbed on. A combatant who is climbing an opponent may perform a brawl or regular attack at a +2 bonus so long as she stays on. The climbed-upon opponent may make another saving throw versus Paralysis each round to attempt to shake off the opponent, or may attempt to wrestle it. A combatant capable of backstabbing may backstab a creature she has climbed. A combatant capable of climbing walls may make a proficiency throw to hang on or avoid a wrestling attempt from a opponent she has climbed. Any bonus that affects attempts to wrestle also affects attempts to climb an opponent.

Shields Shall Be Splintered: A shield can be sacrificed to nullify all damage from a single attack, however if the attack does at least 6 damage in a single attack, the defender takes 1 point of damage reflecting the smash being hard enough to hurt their arm. Magical shields can absorb one additional blow per day per point of additional protection. Magical shields can also deflect spells of a level no higher than their enchantment bonus that specifically target their wielder once per day in place of an attack, or any spell a single time, but so doing breaks the enchantment on them and instantly destroys them. (Yes this makes magical shields really awesome-- that's sort of the idea)

The Life-Drinkers: Creatures that drain levels... don't. I've never liked this mechanic, even in old school games where it's that much less involved. Instead I've given them a suite of additional abilities along the lines of what Dyson recommended as follows chosen to use the following rules

Energy Drain: An attack that would ordinarily drain a character's level instead deals 1d6 damage and imposes a cumulative -1 penalty on all attack, saving, and proficiency/ability throws. If the penalty exceeds the character's level, she dies. 1 point of energy drained is recovered every L days where L is equal to the hit dice of the monster that drained the energy level.

Vampiric Bite: If a vampire Charms a living creature, the creature is willing, or the vampire successfully grapples the creature, it may bite. The bite deals 1d3 damage and drains 1d3 points of Constitution per round much as a Shadow does strength (for creatures without constitution scores treat its HD as equivalent to its constitution score). The vampire heals 1d6 damage for each round it drinks of the blood, but while it is so occupied all attacks against it are made as if the vampire were surprised.

• Spectres: 
• Paralyzing Strike: a spectre's touch paralyzes as a ghoul's.
• Terrible Aura: The palpable aura of fear freezes all those who see a spectre. Save versus paralysis when first encountering the undead or be paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds.
• Possess: a spectre can possess any corpse. While so doing, the spectre cannot be harmed until the corpse is destroyed. It fights as a zombified version of whatever it was in life.
• Vampires:
• Vampiric Bite: If a vampire Charms a living creature, the creature is willing, or the vampire successfully grapples the creature, it may bite. The bite deals 1d3 damage and drains 1d3 points of Constitution per round much as a Shadow does strength (for creatures without constitution scores treat its HD as equivalent to its constitution score). The vampire heals 1d6 damage for each round it drinks of the blood, but while it is so occupied all attacks against it are made as if the vampire were surprised.
• Wight:
• Putrefying Aura: The wight is a creature of decay and death. In its presence milk curdles, bread moulders, meat rots, water turns brackish and swampy, and wine sours to vinegar. Any food or drink that comes within 20 feet of a wight spoils immediately and must be treated with Purify Food and Drink before it can be safely consumed.
• Withering Touch: The claws of a wight spread its decay. Any normal plantlife touched or trod on by a wight dies. Magical plants and living creatures take 2d4 damage and seem unnaturally aged until they heal.
• Wraith:
• Cursed Wound: The blows of a wight inflict a terrible pestilence. They do not heal for a year and a day unless Remove Curse is cast upon the victim. Even then the scars will always ache on the anniversary of the day they were inflicted.
• Creature of Darkness: Wraiths can cast Darkness at will.
• Soulbound: Wraiths are born when a mortal succumbs to the corrupting influence of an evil magic item-- most often a cursed weapon, suit of armor, or ring-- which will always be present among their treasure in addition to whatever else of value they have. Whatever the item, it is sentient in the manner of certain magic weapons, is chaotic in alignment, and can only be disposed of via a Remove Curse spell. If the item's new owner dies while under the influence of the item, he rises as a wraith in 24 hours.

The Petrifiers: Petrification, except via the Flesh to Stone spell, is not an instantaneous process. When you fail your save, roll 1d6 for the number of rounds you have left to fight, strike a cool pose, or whatever. You are slowed during that time, and during the final round you are outright paralyzed. Any creature naturally capable of turning a creature to stone also knows how to turn a petrified creature back with a touch. Medusae cure petrification with their hands, basilisks with a slap of their tail, and cockatrices with a bite. A creature that has been restored from petrification is paralyzed until such time as healing magic is used to cure its paralysis. Normally they use this ability in order to restore their prey to an edible state, however intelligent ones such as medusae can sometimes be bribed or persuaded into doing it in exchange for mercy if subdued or in exchange for favors (usually involving undertaking a quest).

Golem Spell Immunity: Golems aren't completely immune to magic, however they are highly resistant to it. Unless a spell is specifically or implicitly named in their description, if it has a save they automatically succeed at that save. If it doesn't normally have a save, it does when used against a golem. (I don't think the golems in ACKS core actually have spell immunity, but I use the standard AD&D ones and that's the rule I use for them too)

Wraith Hoards: Wraiths are born when a mortal succumbs to the corrupting influence of an evil magic item-- most often a cursed weapon, suit of armor, or ring-- which will always be present among their treasure in addition to whatever else of value they have. Whatever the item, it is sentient in the manner of certain magic weapons, it is chaotic in alignment, and it can only be disposed of via a Remove Curse spell. If the item's new owner dies while under the influence of the item, he rises as a wraith in 24 hours.

Clerical Orders of the Majestic Wilderlands (wip)

Of late, I've tended to favor the Wilderlands pantheon in my homebrews, instead of the 4e pantheon, which had previously been my go-to-- though don't get me wrong I don't mind using that and might even do so in the future. (I think I owe a bit of my fondness of it to the Raven Queen-- come-on, a non-evil death goddess with a raven motif? I was bound to imagine her as Neil Gaiman's Death, and thus to fall madly in love.)

To that end, and also because I like the idea of clerics being a little different for different gods, and because this is supported by ACKS's rules... well, here's some work on my part. Credit for the descriptions of the gods themselves goes to Rob Conley, from whom I cribbed them here, and I think ultimately to some combination of Bob Bledsaw, Robert E. Howard, and ancient people who actually worshiped about half of these bad boys.

Oh, and we should get this out of the way-- by default clerics IMC can always use spears, daggers, and crossbows in addition to the usual blunt fare-- I always thought the "no edged weapons because blood" thing was really, really stupid.

DANNU (DAN-NU) - The Mother of Mercy, Lady of the Green Earth, the Hearth Mother

Dannu is the goddess of mercy, love, home, and fields. Dannu is worshipped by peasants thourghout the Majestic Wilderlands. The church of Dannu works to bring aid and relief to the peasant when they suffer. The church of Dannu has special relationship with the church of Mitra . Together the two churches work to bring justice and peace to the Wilderlands. Also the church of Silvanus and Dannu cooperate on many matters.
SYMBOL: A Sheaf of Wheat on a Green Circle

In place of Turn Undead Dannu's clerics have the following powers:

Purify Food and Drink as the spell of the same name at will, taking 1 turn to take effect.

Blessed Feast: Once per day a cleric of Dannu can imbue a meal for a number of people equal to her level with her blessing. All who partake of the meal are affected as if by a Bless spell.

 Clerics of Dannu use the following spell list:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Command Word	Bless*	Continual Light*
2	Cure Light Wounds*	Calm Emotions	Cure Blindness
3	Detect Evil	Charm Animal	Cure Disease*
4	Detect Magic	Delay Poison	Detect Curse
5	Fellowship*	Divine Grace	Glyph of Warding
6	Light*	Find Traps	Growth of Animals
7	Protection from Evil	Holy Chant	Locate Object
8	Remove Fear*	Resist Fire	Prayer
9	Resist Cold	Silence, 15' Radius	Protection fr. Normal Missiles
10	Sanctuary	Speak With Animals	Remove Curse*

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Create Water	Atonement
2	Cure Serious Wounds	Command Plants
3	Dispel Magic	Commune
4	Divination	Create Food
5	Fate	Dispel Evil
6	Growth of Plants	Insect Plague
7	Neutralize Poison	Quest*
8	Protection From Evil (sustained)	Restore Life and Limb*
9	Speak with Plants	Strength of Mind*
10	Vigor	Summon Weather

HAMAKHIS (HA-MA-KISS) - The Deathlord, Lord of Undeath, The Final Judge

He is the god of death and judgement. All who die come to Hamakhis were they judged; those who fail dwell forever in the City of Bones and the rest proceed to their god. Hamakhis is also able to grant to undeath to his followers.
Hamakhis has two types of sects; the first believing that if one make the proper sacrifices to Hamakhis and glorify his name, they will be granted the state of undeath, the second preachs about Hamakhis the Final Judge and warns people to be ready for him.
SYMBOL: A White Skull

Depending on their sect, some clerics of Hamakhis command undead instead of turning them.

Clerics of Hamakhis use the following spells

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cause Fear*	Augury	Continual Darkness
2	Command Word	Bless*	Cure Blindness
3	Cure Light Wounds	Choking Grip	Cure Disease
4	Deathwatch	Deathknell	Detect Invisible
5	Detect Evil	Delay Poison	ESP
6	Detect Magic	Find Traps	Feign Death
7	Detect Undead	Hold Person	Glyph of Warding
8	Light*	Obscuring Cloud	Necromantic Potence
9	Protection From Evil*	Silence, 15' Radius	Remove Curse
10	Read Languages	Sleep	Speak With Dead

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Cure Serious Wounds*	Atonement
2	Death Ward	Commune
3	Dispel Magic	Cone of Paralysis
4	Divination	Control Undead
5	Dismember	Fear
6	Enervate	Finger of Death
7	Infravision	Insect Plague
8	Neutralize Poison*	Quest*
9	Protection fr. Evil, Sustained*	Strength of Mind
10	Smite Undead*	True Seeing

KALI (KAA-LEE) - The Black Mother, The Death Crone, Lady of Illusions

Kali is the goddess of murder, hatred, and lust. Her goals directly conflict with those of the goddess Dannu. She revels in death and destruction. She sunders man and wife, takes the newborn from their mother, and brings famine and plague to the Wilderlands. Her followers are secreted in obsure caves, little alleys, and hidden valleys. The Claws of Kali are the most feared killers in the Majestic Wilderlands. The Claws support the main temples of Kali. Also in many lands where temples are not able to be estabilshed, Kali is served by her Blood Childern, the Vampires and Werewolves. The Power of Blood makes them fearsome creatures of the night.
SYMBOL: The Kris Knife (Wavy Bladed Dagger)

Kali's holy orders also include plenty of assassins and mystics. Some of her clerics fight as Bladedancers instead. In place of Turn Undead, Kali's clerics have the following powers:

Bloodlust: Clerics of Kali gain the Zaharan Ruinguard's Death Healing ability for free.

Incite Rage: Once per day, clerics of Kali can cause a creature to enter a berserker rage by touch. The rage lasts a number of rounds equal to the cleric's level.

Clerics of Kali receive the following spells

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cause Fear	Bane	Alter Self
2	Command Word	Choking Grip	Cause Disease
3	Detect Good	Deathknell	Charm Person
4	Detect Magic	Enthrall	Curse
5	Hemorrhage	Hold Person	Feign Death
6	Light*	Holy Chant	Glyph of Warding
7	Protection from Good	Resist Fire	Invisibility
8	Sharpness	Righteous Wrath	Invulnerability to Good
9	Trance	Spiritual Weapon	Levitate
10	Wall of Smoke	Swift Sword	Striking

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Dismember	Commune
2	Dispel Magic	Confusion
3	Divination	Fear
4	Enervate	Finger of Death
5	Inflict Serious Wounds	Flame Strike
6	Nondetection	Insect Plague
7	Poison	Phantasmal Killer
8	Protection fr. Good, Sustained	Quest
9	Raise Dead	Scry
10	Vigor	Sword of Fire

MITRA (MI-TRA) -The Red Maiden, The Lady of the White Hand, Lady of Paladins

Mitra is the goddess of justice, war, and paladins. Mitra defends the helpless, and protects the weak from those who desire to prey on them. There is great enmity between the church of Mitra and the church of Set. The Church of Mitra has a special relationship with the church of Dannu. Together the three churches work to bring justice to the Wilderlands.
SYMBOL: The White Hand on a Red Circle, The White Lion

Mitra's Clerics tend to be female slightly more often than not. Some have Turn Undead, but others have the Paladin's Aura of Protection and Lay on Hands abilities instead. Many clerics of Mitra fight as bladedancers. Her holy orders are the most likely to produce paladins.

Clerics of Mitra use the Bladedancer spell list.

NEPHTHYS (Nep-thee-is) - The Bargainer, The Golden Lady, The Queen of Opalescence

She is the goddess of wealth and pleasure; she is widely worshipped thorughout the Majestic WIlderlands by merchants. Nephthy's followers believe that if one honors the Bargainer and indulges her pleasure, one will succed in commerce. Her worship invariably involves orgies and sexual rites.
SYMBOL: Three Golden Coins

Instead of Turn Undead, Clerics of Nephthys have the Elven Enchanter's Glamorous Aura and gain the Magical Music proficiency for free.

Clerics of Nephthys use the following spell list:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Command Word	Bless*	Alter Self
2	Cure Light Wounds*	Enthrall	Charm Person
3	Detect Evil*	Locate Object	Continual Light*
4	Detect Magic	Hold Person	Cure Blindness
5	Faerie Father	Holy Chant	Cure Disease*
6	Light*	Magic Mouth	Glyph of Warding
7	Protection from Evil*	Resist Fire	Hypnotic Pattern
8	Purify Food and Water	Righteous Wrath	Phantasmal Force
9	Remove Fear*	Silence, 15' Radius	Prayer
10	Salving Rest	Snake Charm	Remove Curse*

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Clairvoyance	Charm Monster
2	Create Water	Command Person
3	Cure Serious Wounds*	Commune
4	Dispel Magic	Create Food
5	Divination	Enchanted Container
6	Find Treasure	Flame Strike
7	Neutralize Poison*	Quest*
8	Protection fr. Evil, sustained	Restore Life and Limb*
9	Vigor	Scry
10	Tongues	Spectral Force

PTAH (TAH) - The Craftsman, The Star Lord, The Father of Multitudes

Ptah is the god of crafts, artifice, and of creation. He is revered by the Dwarves. He is claimed to be the eldest of the gods and the first to come to the Wilderlands. Ptah created the creatures of the earth and all of the childern races. He etabilshed the First Coveant by which the Childern Races were taught and brought to glory. Ptah also estabilshed the Second Coveant by which the surviving gods of the Uttermost War agreeded to rule the Wilderlands by.
SYMBOL: A silver chime with a golden hammer.

In addition to human Clerics, Ptah's faithful include the majority of Dwarven Craftpriests. Ptah hates undead and sees them as a perversion of the life he imbued mortals with, so his priests get Turn Undead as usual.

Clerics of Ptah use the normal Cleric spell list, except replace Sticks to Snakes with Create Objects because Sticks to Snakes is too fucking biblical (unless you give it to...)

SET (SET) - The Serpant Lord, The Dragon, the Night Hunter

Set is the god of war, night, and evil. He is the conquerer, the emperor, and the dragon. He teaches the one must strive for honor and glory. He also teaches that one must obey those above him and expect those below to obey.
SYMBOL: A serpant head on a black circle

Much as Mitra is the patron of most paladins, Set is the patron of most anti-paladins, especially the fearsome Myrmidons. Some of Set's priests fight as Shamans. Instead of Turn Undead, priests of Set get a Totem Animal and Shapechange as a Shaman does, however they must choose either a Cobra or a Python as their totem.

Clerics of Set use the following spell list:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cause Fear	Augury	Cause Disease
2	Command Word	Bane	Charm Person
3	Detect Good*	Chameleon	ESP
4	Detect Magic	Choking Grip	Glyph of Warding
5	Detect Poison	Enthrall	Hypnotic Pattern
6	Inflict Light Wounds	Hold Person	Invisibility
7	Light*	Silence, 15' Radius	Phantasmal Force
8	Protection from Good	Silent Step	Remove Curse*
9	Spider Climb	Snake Charm	Speak with Dead
10	Trance	Spiritual Weapon	Striking

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Chimerical Force	Call Dragon
2	Dismember	Cone of Paralysis
3	Dispel Magic	Fear
4	Enervate	Finger of Death
5	Inflict Serious Wounds	Insect Plague
6	Infravision	Polymorph Other
7	Poison	Polymorph Self
8	Protection from Good, sustained	Quest
9	Sticks to Snakes	Spectral Force
10	Telepathy	Strength of Mind

SILVANUS (SIL-VAN-US) - The Forest King, The Dreamlord

Silvanus is the god of dreams, magic, and the forest. Silvanus is especially revered by the Elves. His worship involves a lot of mysticism, simple but yet complex rituals, and magic. Among Humans his followers are known as Druids and the Rangers take Silvanus as their patron. Silvanus's followers work a lot with the church of Dannu.
SYMBOL: A Azure (Blue) Bowl

Silvanus's priests are by-the book Shamans, much as Ptah's are (virtually) by-the-book Clerics and many of Mitra's are by-the-book Bladedancers.

THOTH (THAWTH) - The Immortal Sage, The Bearer of the Lantern

Thoth is the god of knowledge. He is charged by Ptah with the keeping of the Second Coveant and the recording of all what transpire in the Wilderlands. His followers mainly follow the monastic life and collect books of lore. The church of Thoth also has an order that produces many fine jesters that entertain the courts of the Wilderlands.
SYMBOL: Lantern

Thoth has a great many orders of Mystics. In place of turning undead, Clerics of Thoth gain the Bard's Loremastery Ability and the Mystic's Probability Trance ability.

Clerics of Thoth use the following Spell List:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Command Word	Augury	Continual Light*
2	Cure Light Wounds	Bless*	Cure Blindness
3	Detect Evil*	Calm Emotions	Cure Disease*
4	Detect Magic	Delay Poison	Detect Curse
5	Light*	Find Traps	Detect Invisible
6	Predict Weather	Hold Person	Detect Secret Doors
7	Read Languages	Holy Chant	ESP
8	Sanctuary	Produce Fire	Locate Object
9	Trance	Silence 15' Radius	Remove Curse*
10	Wall of Smoke	Zone of Truth	Speak With Dead

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Clairaudience	Command Person
2	Clairvoyance	Commune
3	Create Water	Create Food
4	Cure Serious Wounds*	Feeblemind
5	Divination	Find Treasure
6	Fate	Quest*
7	Infravision	Restore Life and Limb
8	Neutralize Poison*	Scry
9	Telepathy	Strength of Mind*
10	Tongues*	True Seeing

THOR - The Lord of Icy Winds, Thunderer of the Gods.

Thor is the god of the wind, thunder, and war. He is the ultimate warrior, and the best at battle. His followers live for battle, and continually strive to improve their skills and do great deeds. They believe that to die in battle is the only way to die properly.
SYMBOL: Hammer

Besidrs Clerics, Thor also produces plenty of Paladins and a few Dwarven Craftpriests. In place of Turn Undead, Thor's Clerics gain the benefits of the Goblin-slaying proficiency for free and the ability to Inspire Courage as a bard.

Clerics of Thor use the following spell list.

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cure Light Wounds*	Bless*	Call Lightning
2	Detect Evil*	Divine Grace	Continual Light*
3	Detect Magic	Hold Person	Cure Blindness
4	Fellowship	Obscuring Cloud	Cure Disease
5	Light*	Ogre Power	Eyes of the Eagle
6	Predict Weather	Resist Fire	Glyph of Warding
7	Protection from Evil*	Righteous Wrath	Protection fr. Normal Missiles
8	Remove Fear*	Spiritual Weapon	Remove Curse*
9	Resist Cold	Summon Hero	Striking
10	Summon Berserkers	Swift Sword	Summon Winged Steed

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Create Water	Atonement
2	Cure Serious Wounds*	Control Winds
3	Dispel Magic	Create Food*
4	Fly	Dispel Evil*
5	Giant Strength	Growth
6	Gust of Wind	Hold Monster
7	Hold Giant	Quest*
8	Neutralize Poison*	Restore Life and Limb*
9	Protection fr. Evil, Sustained	Summon Weather
10	Vigor	Thunder Strike

New Spells:

Calm Emotions Range: 60 ft
Divine 2 (Cleric) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round per level
This spell calms emotionally-agitated creatures. You have no control over the emotions of the creatures within the area of effect, but being calmed stops hostile creatures from attacking or joyous ones from reveling. Any aggressive action against or damage dealt to a calmed creature immediately breaks the spell on all calmed creatures.
This spell automatically suppresses (but does not dispel) any bonuses granted by spells such as bless, as well as negating such effects as a bard’s ability to inspire courage or a berserker rage. It also suppresses any magical fear and the effects of a Confusion spell. While the spell lasts, a suppressed spell or effect has no effect. When the calm emotions spell ends, the original spell or effect takes hold of the creature again, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime.

Deathwatch Range: 60 ft
Divine 1 Duration: Concentration
This spell allows you to tell by sight if a creature is alive, near death (alive with fewer hit points than the number of HD it has), dead, or neither alive nor dead (such as a construct or automaton). This spell sees through any spell or ability that allows a creature to feign death.

Deathknell Range: 60 ft
Divine 2 Duration: Instantaneous
This spell, with the sound of an iron bell, causes a single creature in range that is at or below 0 HP but not yet dead to save vs. death or immediately lose its grip on life. If it dies, you regain hit points equal to its level or the number of HD it had.

Hemmorrhage Range: 30 ft
Divine 1 Duration: Special
This spell causes one creature to begin bleeding profusely. Unless the affected creature makes a succesful saving throw vs. death, the bleeding will be so severe and painful that it cannot act, and loses 1d3 HP per round. A healing spell restores the damage but does not immediately stop the bleeding. The target of the spell receives a new saving throw each round. The spell lasts until either the targeted creature makes a saving throw or the caster stops concentrating.

Hold Giant Range: 180'
Divine 4 Duration: 2d8 turns
This spell functions like hold person, except that it affects any giant humanoid of larger than ogre size that fails its save versus Paralysis.

Invulnerability to Good Range: self
Divine 3 Duration: 1 turn
This spell is essentially the reversed version of Invulnerability to Evil, and as such, it protects the caster from normal, non-magical attacks by “good" creatures. Magic or silver weapons can harm the character, but any number of normal swords, arrows, clubs, or natural weapons wielded by an evil creature will be fended off.
Evil monsters which themselves can only be affected by silver or magical weapons can still harm the subject, and evil monsters with 5 HD or more are able to affect the subject through natural ferocity. For purposes of this spell, evil creatures include hostile creatures of an alignment other than the caster’s alignment, and inherently good creatures such as summoned creatures of Lawful alignment.

Thunder Strike Range: 60'
Divine 5 Duration: instantaneous
A thunder strike produces a vertical column of divine lightning 30' high and 10' in diameter that roars downward on a target. The spell deals 6d8 points of damage. A successful saving throw versus Spells reduces the damage to 3d8. The only way this spell differs from Flame Strike is that it is Air-elemental rather than Fire, because Thor is a thunder-god.

Please don't hesitate to bug me if my math is off or anything like that, or if you have a cool idea for other gods or pantheons or whatever to do.

So I started to work my mojo, to counter their mojo; we got cross-mojulation, and their heads started exploding.

Okay so for those of you that don't know XCrawl... what the fuck, man.

It's this third-party D&D setting from about 10 years ago that is like a cross between regular D&D, pro wrestling, and the movie version of The Running Man. It's bizarre, the art is hideous, and it's about the funniest thing in the world. And a new edition for Pathfinder is coming out pretty soon. But I'm not here to shill that.

I'm here to talk about the one cool mechanic from it, one I don't mind including in my other games on a regular: The Mojo pool.

Basically the way it works is it represents the party's teamwork and exhortations bringing the best out in each other. At the start of the session everyone rolls 1d6 and add up the total, which can never be more than 12. At any time one player can grant another as big of a mojo bonus as she likes to any attack, save, or skill roll, with no limitation other than the amount presently in the pool. There's just one catch: You're not allowed to ask a fellow player for a mojo bonus, they have to offer it to you themselves. If you roll a natural 20 the mojo they offered is not subtracted from the pool, instead you add an extra point of it, but if you roll a natural 1, two extra points are deducted from the pool. Also, particularly well-coordinated groups of NPCs or monsters can also have their own mojo pools.

House Rule: Inscribe Magic

Vaguely inspired by Talysman's recent thoughts on the Read Magic spell.

The reverse of Read Magic, known as Inscribe Magic allows the caster to inscribe a mark, pictogram, or message of up to six words or symbols in length plus the character level of the caster making the mark. If the caster wishes, she may make the mark unintelligible or even invisible except to readers whom she specifically designates. An invisible mark can be seen, but not understood, by use of a Detect Magic or See Invisible spell. Only a Read Magic or True Seeing spell will make the writing legible to someone who the caster does not wish to read the mark. Inscribe Magic may also be used to mark a living or undead creature, in which case it will fade after a number of weeks equal to the caster's level.

Halflings for B/X

Because shut up, Tavis and Alex, Halflings are awesome. =P

Like most of my content this has not been playtested... yet.

The following is a General proficiency, but is only available to human classes that do not cast Arcane spells. Unlike most proficiencies it can only be taken at first level, and requires two proficiency slots.

Halfling: The character is a Halfling, a tiny relative of Dwarves and Humans. His lifespan is half again as long as members of his race, and he enjoys a +2 bonus to AC against creatures of man size or larger. Additionally, halflings, like Dwarves, are Hardy People so the target value for their saves vs. Blast/Breath are reduced by 3, and the target values of all other saves are reduced by 4. However, halflings are very small in size and are subject to the following additional restrictions:

• The maximum weight a halfling can carry is equal to 15 stone, plus his strength adjustment.
• A halfling cannnot use longbows, arbalests, or melee weapons that require two hands to use, and never uses the increased damage value for using battle axes, flails, maces, warhammers, spears, or swords two-handed.
• A halfling does not begin play with the Adventuring proficiency.

ETA 5/4/2013: At the suggestion of Doctor Pete from the Autarch forums I've altered it a little bit.

Differentiating humanoids

Okay, so, as those of you who know me are aware once upon a time your Auntie Rachel was a 4e player with the best of them. There are plenty of fine reasons I left it behind, but there were definitely elements of it that I like. One of the things I liked best from 4e (Heresy!) is that different humanoid monsters had traits or powers that helped to mechanically differentiate the tactics they used in a fight. I've never been the most tactical of minds so having these was useful to me because it gave me a clearly understandable reason to change up how I had groups of humanoids fight. To that end, I've tried to do something similar for each of them. They aren't strict conversions, but they mostly take inspiration from the ones in 4e 'cause I was satisfied with those. These are, of course, completely unplaytested. Bugbear Bugbears love nothing more than isolating their enemies to increase their fear. A bugbear gets a +4 bonus to attack rolls against an opponent that cannot see any allies or is separated from them by more than 10 feet. Giant A giant can grab a horse-sized or smaller opponent and squeeze or throw it. Squeezing works identically to a python's constriction. The giant can throw an opponent as far as he could a rock, dealing damage equal to the rock throw if he hits a hard surface, or half damage if he hits a soft surface. The giant can even throw an opponent at another opponent, dealing half damage to both. If you use a save for reducing falling damage, it applies to being thrown as well. Gnoll Gnolls are vicious pack fighters. Should a gnoll hit with a melee attack, it deals extra damage equal to the number of other gnolls within melee range of its target, to a maximum of +5. Goblin Goblins are cowards with only the barest concept of loyalty. A goblin can make a fighting withdrawal at full speed as long as its opponent is within melee range of at least one other hostile creature. Hobgoblins Hobgoblins are as disciplined as Goblins are cowardly. A hobgoblin gains a +1 bonus to AC for every hobgoblin that stands within 5 feet of it, to a maximum of +4. Kobold Kobolds always know when they're outmatched. If a melee attack misses a kobold, it can safely retreat at full speed. Lizardfolk and Troglodyte At least in BFRPG (I'd have to check others to be sure), there's already mechanical support for Lizardfolk and Troglodytes as ambush predators, because they surprise on 1-4 in 1d6 if they can hide in water or underground, respectively. I might expand that to sand as well in the case of lizardfolk, because I've had desert lizardfolk from time to time. Ogre An ogre's strength is such that it can sacrifice its +3 damage bonus in order to push a man-sized or smaller opponent 10 feet away or knock it prone. If the force of the blow results in an opponent being dashed against a hard surface (but not the floor), it deals 1d2 additional damage and the opponent must save vs. paralysis or be dazed and unable to act for one round. Orc Orcs are ferocious to the last. Upon being reduced to 0 HP, an orc can make one last attack before falling. These are just sort of me rolling ideas around in my head, I don't know if they're quite perfect yet.