It is well known among the sages that in ancient times the giants ruled great kingdoms and empires. Even now, millennia after their fall there are countless remains and ruins to be found all across the world.
The Anakim Giants see themselves as the noble last remnants of these ancient empires. They are a warlike and proud folk, they see the idea of farming or crafting beneath them and prefer to instead raid nearby people for food, weapons and riches. Anakim Giants will seek to conquer and exploit smaller races whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Anakim Giants are proud of their great strength and martial skills. They are universally skilled in the use of armor and weapons, and often train as fighters or monks. Their preferred clothes and equipment consists of expensive armor and weapons, decorated with gold and gems. Accented with stately jewelry.
Dire Lions are tamed and trained for war by the Anakim, though they are just as valued for their regal associations.
CR: 5
NE Large Monstrous Humanoid (giant)
Combat Role: Brute
Anakim Giants are basically large sized fighters, their martial training special quality allows them to treat their total HD as fighter levels for the purpose of fulfilling feat prerequisites (this means other class levels count as fighter levels as well).
Monsters of Porphyra 3, 98
Fearsome rumors are coming from the borderlands in the south. Stories tell of a great giant conqueror called Kna’aldaan who has gathered an army and is subduing the petty kingdoms of the Al’Barerra savannas. Even more fearful are the rumors of a coven of giant witches who serve the queen in her conquests.
The Schalick river basin is a blighted and barren land. It is a place cursed by the gods for the crimes of an ancient empire that once ruled the entire basin. This is only made clearer by the sudden and devastating floods that strike any attempt to settle the normally arid area.
The Bronze Citadel stands in the confluence of three great rivers. A great light at the top of the citadel serves as a lighthouse for the many trade ships that travel the area. The giant scaled citadel houses more mysteries than that alone. Adventuring parties regularly enter the fortress, and sometimes they even leave.
Friday, 31 July 2020
Tuesday, 28 July 2020
Adaptation – Alter Flow
Scripts are the spells equivalent used by archivists, most of them are adaptations of existing spells, though scripts are often more versatile due to the runic charge system:
Whenever a script is cast the caster retains a runic charge of the same type as the design (school) of the script. When casting a script the caster can choose to overload it up using all the charges they have. Depending on the amount of charges used and their design, the script is then improved in various ways.
I will note for every script how runic charges are used, as that is the most notable difference to common spells.
Overloading the script allows targeting additional targets. Additionally creation charges protect against dangerous features of the environment. Invocation allows the targets to move through non-magical undergrowth and revelation charges add low-light vision and darkvision 60 feet.
Design alteration; Level 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw none;
Path of Iron, 117
Design creation [force]; Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless);
Path of Iron, 117
Overloading the script both allows the targeting additional of creatures and increases the bonus/penalty
Design manipulation [time]; Level 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target up to three creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless);
Path of Iron, 117
Banners of the Guarded Phalanx Are powerful magical items that can shield an entire army in magical armor. Some canny dungeon builders have taken to placing one of these items into their dungeons as a way to armor even the most unusual defenders.
Routes of the Warded Traveler are the collective name for roads enchanted to allow safe passage through dangerous terrain. The form these roads take are a varied as the terrain they cross, from stone paths through deserts so hot wooden carts spontaneously ignite to canopy bridges that ward away poisonous briar. Routes are often vital trade routes, and attract both trades and bandits alike.
CrackleTocks are the smallest examples of a kind of constructs called Timeburners, that use time as fuel. In battle they latch onto larger creatures and slow them down, often allowing allies an opportunity to strike. The crafting of these constructs is often forbidden, for when massed Timeburner constructs have strange and unpredictable effects on local time.
Whenever a script is cast the caster retains a runic charge of the same type as the design (school) of the script. When casting a script the caster can choose to overload it up using all the charges they have. Depending on the amount of charges used and their design, the script is then improved in various ways.
I will note for every script how runic charges are used, as that is the most notable difference to common spells.
Adaptation
The adaptation script is used to allow the caster and their allies to adapt to virtually any hostile environment. The script adapts the caster to their current environment, allowing them to breath and preventing damage taken simply from being in the environment.Overloading the script allows targeting additional targets. Additionally creation charges protect against dangerous features of the environment. Invocation allows the targets to move through non-magical undergrowth and revelation charges add low-light vision and darkvision 60 feet.
Design alteration; Level 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw none;
Path of Iron, 117
Aegis
This script is a combination of mage armor and shield, giving a +2 bonus to AC and blocking magic missile spells. Overloading adds +1 AC per runic charge.Design creation [force]; Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless);
Path of Iron, 117
Alter Flow
This script allows the caster to alter the flow of time around a target, either speeding it up, or slowing it down. Functions as either haste or slow except the target does not take either a bonus nor penalty to attack rolls.Overloading the script both allows the targeting additional of creatures and increases the bonus/penalty
Design manipulation [time]; Level 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target up to three creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless);
Path of Iron, 117
Banners of the Guarded Phalanx Are powerful magical items that can shield an entire army in magical armor. Some canny dungeon builders have taken to placing one of these items into their dungeons as a way to armor even the most unusual defenders.
Routes of the Warded Traveler are the collective name for roads enchanted to allow safe passage through dangerous terrain. The form these roads take are a varied as the terrain they cross, from stone paths through deserts so hot wooden carts spontaneously ignite to canopy bridges that ward away poisonous briar. Routes are often vital trade routes, and attract both trades and bandits alike.
CrackleTocks are the smallest examples of a kind of constructs called Timeburners, that use time as fuel. In battle they latch onto larger creatures and slow them down, often allowing allies an opportunity to strike. The crafting of these constructs is often forbidden, for when massed Timeburner constructs have strange and unpredictable effects on local time.
Saturday, 25 July 2020
Ability Augmentation – Armor Empowerment
The vanguard’s companion has the unique ability to share the power of it’s augmentations with nearby allies. Most of these are straightforward buffs, adding additional defenses.
While definitely useful for the companion, the resonance is rather less useful, as any character who benefits most from it more than likely already has an equal or greater enhancement bonus to that ability score.
Ability Augmentation
This basic augmentation improves a single ability score (except Constitution) of the construct companion by +2, becoming +4 at level 15. The resonance effect provides this same bonus to allies as an enchantment bonus.While definitely useful for the companion, the resonance is rather less useful, as any character who benefits most from it more than likely already has an equal or greater enhancement bonus to that ability score.
Path of Iron, 28
The ablative shielding is pretty cool, it effectively provides regenerating health to the construct companion, as well as providing a useful ace in the hole for when the party is heavily pressured.
Ablative Shielding
A magical barrier of force surrounds the companion with this augmentation. This provides the construct with temporary hit points equal to 3 times its HD. The barrier restores 5 temporary hot points per round when below the maximum. When the resonance is activated the barrier is supercharged, increasing the temporary hit point to twice its usual maximum. In addition it extends around nearby allies, redirecting half of the hit point damage they take to the barrier instead.The ablative shielding is pretty cool, it effectively provides regenerating health to the construct companion, as well as providing a useful ace in the hole for when the party is heavily pressured.
Path of Iron, 28
Armor empowerment is probably the most straightforward augmentation in the list. The increase in AC is typeless, so it is useful for anyone who is near the companion.
Armor Empowerment
Whether armored with thick plates, hardening magics or predictive algorithms, this augmentation increases the AC of the construct companion. When the augmentation’s resonance is activated it further shares a part of the defense with nearby allies.Armor empowerment is probably the most straightforward augmentation in the list. The increase in AC is typeless, so it is useful for anyone who is near the companion.
Path of Iron, 29
The adamantine walls of Acanopolis, the City in the center of all roads, are known not just for their great size. They share their unbreakable strength with the soldiers who man them. During the Volcano Siege the besieging fire giants threw thousands of stones without ever striking a single defender from the walls.
Intruders into the Unseen Tomb of the Bursar should be careful about striking the walls. For while they are made of ablative force, many serve more functions than to delay interlopers. Breaching though the wrong walls may set off all manner of traps, monsters or worse.
The diplomat corps of the ancient Minrean thalassocracy were famously skilled in opening up ports and striking advantageous trade deals. While much of their success comes from the Minrean inclusive culture and extensive training, the advantage afforded by their magical pendants can not be underestimated. To this day any such pendants found by adventurers find eager buyers among the world’s aristocrats, merchants and even today, diplomats.
The adamantine walls of Acanopolis, the City in the center of all roads, are known not just for their great size. They share their unbreakable strength with the soldiers who man them. During the Volcano Siege the besieging fire giants threw thousands of stones without ever striking a single defender from the walls.
Intruders into the Unseen Tomb of the Bursar should be careful about striking the walls. For while they are made of ablative force, many serve more functions than to delay interlopers. Breaching though the wrong walls may set off all manner of traps, monsters or worse.
The diplomat corps of the ancient Minrean thalassocracy were famously skilled in opening up ports and striking advantageous trade deals. While much of their success comes from the Minrean inclusive culture and extensive training, the advantage afforded by their magical pendants can not be underestimated. To this day any such pendants found by adventurers find eager buyers among the world’s aristocrats, merchants and even today, diplomats.
Thursday, 23 July 2020
Warden Class Features
The warden is a powerful warrior who is granted magical powers by nature itself. In battle they are consummate defenders who seek to protect both nature and their allies.Their primary tool to this goal is the ward.
A ward is a 10 foot radius emanation that is placed within close range (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels) that the warden can see and has line of effect to. Once placed the ward is stationary but permanent until another ward is placed.
The warden and any of his allies within the ward are protected from extreme temperatures, as if under the effects of an endure elements spell. Allies within the ward are also shielded from harm, gaining an insight bonus to their AC equal to the warden’s verdant bonus. The verdant bonus represents the warden’s connection to the natural world and increases from +1 to +6 at level 20.
As the warden’s central class feature the ward improves in various ways as the warden levels up. At 9th level up to two wards can be active, the radius improves to 15 feet, and they can be maintained within medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). At 15th level this further improves to 3 wards, 20 feet and long range (400 ft. + 40 ft./level). Wards cannot overlap.
The warden can also apply a single facet of their natural power to a ward, this adds various abilities and bonuses to the imbued ward. The warden can access all facets, with the lesser version becoming available at level 3, greater versions at level 9 and grand facets at 15. The facets do have to be prepared like a wizard’s spells, and the lesser version has to be prepared before a greater version can be. This means that at level 17 when a warden can prepare 9 facets he can only prepare 3 grand facets and their prerequisites.
The facets are varied and generally useful for different play styles and situations, so much like a wizard the warden should be careful to prepare for the day ahead.
At second level a warden gains remedy, the ability to infuse living creatures (either himself or others) with health, granting scaling fast healing for 1 minute. This ability can be used a number of times each day equal to 1/2 his warden level + his Wis modifier. If a nearby ally is within the warden’s ward they can also be healed at range.
Much like the paladin’s lay on hands, the warden’s remedy can be improved. In their case via secrets. These are the warden’s talents, granting various abilities and improvements to different class features.
The warden’s smaller class features are divided between defensive and nature powers. First is insightful defense that allows wardens to allow the warden to add his Wis mod instead of Dex mod to AC and CMD when not wearing heavy armor. At level 4 their Wis mod is added to initiative checks n top of the Dex bonus and the warden can always act in a surprise round.
At level 12 the warden gains stalwart, which is the Fortitude and Will save equivalent of evasion. The warden’s penultimate class feature, sentinel causes his initiative roll to be treated as a 20 and completely prevents the warden from being surprised by combat.
At first level the warden gets a bonus on all Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks equal to 1/2 his warden level. At 3rd level the warden becomes immune to diseases, with immunity to poison gained at level 7.
Wild step, gained at level 13 allows the warden to teleport up to twice his normal movement distance into one of his wards. At level 16 the warden’s connection to nature is so strong that animal or plant creatures will never attack him first unless magically compelled.
Bonus combat feats are gained at level 2 and every 4 levels thereafter.
When a warden reaches the very pinnacle of their power they become on the very spirits of nature that have empowered him all this time. He becomes an outsider and stops aging, resurrecting automatically 24 hours if he is ever killed.
Trlissilia the Scaledbranch is a guardian naga who lairs in a dark and dangerous woodland. Those intruders who are not discouraged by the giant bramble-like trees are hunted down and driven of by the naga who is driven to protect something deep in the forest.
The Flame Gorges are a truely magnificent landscape, the craggy terrain is split by countless rifts that continually leak deep red flames. While most would expect such a place to be utterly barren, in truth the area is overgrown with flowering vines and palms that have adapted to feed of the flame. A mighty phoenix living among the Gorges is said to grant supplicants the power to fly on flaming wings.
Erzerum is a druidic empire that is steadily expanding across Anadedu. Their dervishes are mystical warrior who serve as the elite of the army, but who are also responsible for the rituals that transform newly conquered land to resemble the Erzerumic homeland.
A ward is a 10 foot radius emanation that is placed within close range (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels) that the warden can see and has line of effect to. Once placed the ward is stationary but permanent until another ward is placed.
The warden and any of his allies within the ward are protected from extreme temperatures, as if under the effects of an endure elements spell. Allies within the ward are also shielded from harm, gaining an insight bonus to their AC equal to the warden’s verdant bonus. The verdant bonus represents the warden’s connection to the natural world and increases from +1 to +6 at level 20.
As the warden’s central class feature the ward improves in various ways as the warden levels up. At 9th level up to two wards can be active, the radius improves to 15 feet, and they can be maintained within medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). At 15th level this further improves to 3 wards, 20 feet and long range (400 ft. + 40 ft./level). Wards cannot overlap.
The warden can also apply a single facet of their natural power to a ward, this adds various abilities and bonuses to the imbued ward. The warden can access all facets, with the lesser version becoming available at level 3, greater versions at level 9 and grand facets at 15. The facets do have to be prepared like a wizard’s spells, and the lesser version has to be prepared before a greater version can be. This means that at level 17 when a warden can prepare 9 facets he can only prepare 3 grand facets and their prerequisites.
The facets are varied and generally useful for different play styles and situations, so much like a wizard the warden should be careful to prepare for the day ahead.
At second level a warden gains remedy, the ability to infuse living creatures (either himself or others) with health, granting scaling fast healing for 1 minute. This ability can be used a number of times each day equal to 1/2 his warden level + his Wis modifier. If a nearby ally is within the warden’s ward they can also be healed at range.
Much like the paladin’s lay on hands, the warden’s remedy can be improved. In their case via secrets. These are the warden’s talents, granting various abilities and improvements to different class features.
The warden’s smaller class features are divided between defensive and nature powers. First is insightful defense that allows wardens to allow the warden to add his Wis mod instead of Dex mod to AC and CMD when not wearing heavy armor. At level 4 their Wis mod is added to initiative checks n top of the Dex bonus and the warden can always act in a surprise round.
At level 12 the warden gains stalwart, which is the Fortitude and Will save equivalent of evasion. The warden’s penultimate class feature, sentinel causes his initiative roll to be treated as a 20 and completely prevents the warden from being surprised by combat.
At first level the warden gets a bonus on all Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks equal to 1/2 his warden level. At 3rd level the warden becomes immune to diseases, with immunity to poison gained at level 7.
Wild step, gained at level 13 allows the warden to teleport up to twice his normal movement distance into one of his wards. At level 16 the warden’s connection to nature is so strong that animal or plant creatures will never attack him first unless magically compelled.
Bonus combat feats are gained at level 2 and every 4 levels thereafter.
When a warden reaches the very pinnacle of their power they become on the very spirits of nature that have empowered him all this time. He becomes an outsider and stops aging, resurrecting automatically 24 hours if he is ever killed.
Trlissilia the Scaledbranch is a guardian naga who lairs in a dark and dangerous woodland. Those intruders who are not discouraged by the giant bramble-like trees are hunted down and driven of by the naga who is driven to protect something deep in the forest.
The Flame Gorges are a truely magnificent landscape, the craggy terrain is split by countless rifts that continually leak deep red flames. While most would expect such a place to be utterly barren, in truth the area is overgrown with flowering vines and palms that have adapted to feed of the flame. A mighty phoenix living among the Gorges is said to grant supplicants the power to fly on flaming wings.
Erzerum is a druidic empire that is steadily expanding across Anadedu. Their dervishes are mystical warrior who serve as the elite of the army, but who are also responsible for the rituals that transform newly conquered land to resemble the Erzerumic homeland.
Saturday, 18 July 2020
Warden Intro
Protects the natural world from anything that would harm it. Empowered by the natural world.
The natural world exists in a delicate balance, a balance that is constantly being shifted and threatened by forces both within and without.
But as many as the dangers to nature are, there are just as many who would rise up to defend it. The greatest and most dedicated of these defenders are the wardens, and in return nature itself seeks to defend its defender.
The primary use of the natural magic they are gifted is to channel prepared Aspects of nature into protective fields called Wards. The basic effects of a ward are to protect the warden and his allies from extremes of temperature and deflect physical attacks, but an aspect of nature can be channeled into the ward to add additional effects. The warden has to attune himself to an aspect of nature before he can use it, and he can only be attuned to a limited number of aspects at a time.
The warden’s natural power can also be infused into allied, gradually healing their wounds.
Even separate from their nature granted powers a warden is a skilled woodsmen and canny fighter. While most fighters defend themselves from attack the warden is so in tune with his surroundings he can defend himself with wise perception alone.
In their heart every warden is a defender, he seeks to protect nature first and foremost. How they go about it and why they want to are important aspects of your character. Other questions to ask are:
While the warden’s fluff is heavily connected to nature and defending it, your warden could easily be a magus like fighter trained in a defensive form of martial magic or a more common warrior who was blessed by a fey lover.
The warden’s ward can be placed as a swift action from the very first level, this makes it easy to multiclass or gestalt with other more active classes. Martial classes like the fighter can also be useful to enhance your offensive abilities, but martial magical classes might have less overlap in basic stats. Or go for another buffing class to truly power up your allies, though that would be a waste of your high HD and BAB.
HD: 10
BAB: full
High Saves: Fort, Will
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 4 + int mod
The warden is a potent fighter with excellent defenses and hit points. The warden’s ward is a potent and versatile defensive option for both the warden and his allies, made all the better by its unlimited use and quick activation. Add in a lay on hands-like ability to bestow fast healing and the warden is clearly a great boon to any party, especially one that likes to go into the thick of things.
Stone Guards what Darkness Hides is the guardian of a great fungal forest in the underdark. The spirit is revered by the inhabitants for protecting them from the ravages of drow and mindflayer slavers.
As revered as wardens are, so despised are their fallen counterparts the despoilers. These fallen wardens have turned to exploiting nature rather than protecting it, and their stolen powers in turn are used to harm and deface rather than protect and nurture.
Thirty years ago an army of demons invaded the once lush jungles of Calorhyl. Since then the land has been reduced to a barren wasteland. Rumors of the jungle regrowing have been circulating of late however, and it appears that a mighty champion is destroying any demons seeking to end the new growth.
The natural world exists in a delicate balance, a balance that is constantly being shifted and threatened by forces both within and without.
But as many as the dangers to nature are, there are just as many who would rise up to defend it. The greatest and most dedicated of these defenders are the wardens, and in return nature itself seeks to defend its defender.
The primary use of the natural magic they are gifted is to channel prepared Aspects of nature into protective fields called Wards. The basic effects of a ward are to protect the warden and his allies from extremes of temperature and deflect physical attacks, but an aspect of nature can be channeled into the ward to add additional effects. The warden has to attune himself to an aspect of nature before he can use it, and he can only be attuned to a limited number of aspects at a time.
The warden’s natural power can also be infused into allied, gradually healing their wounds.
Even separate from their nature granted powers a warden is a skilled woodsmen and canny fighter. While most fighters defend themselves from attack the warden is so in tune with his surroundings he can defend himself with wise perception alone.
In their heart every warden is a defender, he seeks to protect nature first and foremost. How they go about it and why they want to are important aspects of your character. Other questions to ask are:
- Why is the warden so devoted to defending nature?
- Is there a specific part of nature he wands to defend, or are there things besides nature he seeks to protect?
- Where does he hail from and what are his favored aspect and are these connected?
- Would he prefer to stay in one place and is he forced go on an adventure to eliminate a growing threat, or is he enthusiastic about traveling from one threatened place to another like a kind of knight errand?
- Is he gifted by nature as an impersonal and omnipresent force, or does he have a particular patron?
The warden’s ward can be placed as a swift action from the very first level, this makes it easy to multiclass or gestalt with other more active classes. Martial classes like the fighter can also be useful to enhance your offensive abilities, but martial magical classes might have less overlap in basic stats. Or go for another buffing class to truly power up your allies, though that would be a waste of your high HD and BAB.
HD: 10
BAB: full
High Saves: Fort, Will
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 4 + int mod
The warden is a potent fighter with excellent defenses and hit points. The warden’s ward is a potent and versatile defensive option for both the warden and his allies, made all the better by its unlimited use and quick activation. Add in a lay on hands-like ability to bestow fast healing and the warden is clearly a great boon to any party, especially one that likes to go into the thick of things.
Stone Guards what Darkness Hides is the guardian of a great fungal forest in the underdark. The spirit is revered by the inhabitants for protecting them from the ravages of drow and mindflayer slavers.
As revered as wardens are, so despised are their fallen counterparts the despoilers. These fallen wardens have turned to exploiting nature rather than protecting it, and their stolen powers in turn are used to harm and deface rather than protect and nurture.
Thirty years ago an army of demons invaded the once lush jungles of Calorhyl. Since then the land has been reduced to a barren wasteland. Rumors of the jungle regrowing have been circulating of late however, and it appears that a mighty champion is destroying any demons seeking to end the new growth.
Thursday, 16 July 2020
My second blog
I have just launched a second Pathfinder blog. It will hold information about my homebrew setting meant to contain my own homebrew creations and adventures, as well as anything and everything that has ever been published for Pathfinder 1e and Starfinder.
I hope to see you there..
Wednesday, 15 July 2020
Amortortok
Amortortoks are large and muscular native outsiders who look like bestial blue-skinned gorilla’s with four arms. They are native to the cold and dark north, and easily capable of withstanding even the most harsh environments.
They are infused with negative energy and shadow, their claws inflict negative levels and they are concealed by even the slightest shadows. Despite this they are still often sought out, for the amorortok has divinatory power, able to cry and discern the location of any being or object they wish.
Do take note that despite their use of negative energy and shadows Amortortoks are not inherently evil, and are often seen as dangerous but wise being by those native to their lands. It is easy for these being to gather followers and use their assistance against disrespectful intruders.
CR: 7
N Large Outsider (native)
Combat Role: Ambusher, Debuffer
Amortortoks are deadly with their 4 claws, adding rend and energy drain to their damage. The darkness and snow of the northern winter are no obstacle to them either, using their spell-like abilities an Amortortok can always find those who enter his territory and meet them on the ground of his choosing.
The feat selection is focused entirely on survivability and skills: Altitude Affinity, Endurance, Rugged Northerner, Skill Focus (Perception, Stealth). Any of these can be replaced with others if you need a more combat focused monster, or you can lean into the divination with feats like Diviner's Delving.
The party has chased a kenku thief into the heights of a shadow-clouded mountain chain. When inquiring about the whereabouts of the thief they are told about ‘a pale shadow that can find all things’ said to life on the highest peaks.
A group of explorers are stuck on the ice after their ship has frozen in place. The plan is to wait until summer, but this soon proves untenable when strange shapes are seen beneath the ice and sailors start disappearing, leaving only strange runes carved in the ice.
The party is hired to defend a caravan moving parts for a large new mine being build in the Frozen Grass Plains. The reason for the high pay are soon made clear when the shadows themselves start stalking the caravan.
Monsters of Porphyra 2, 12
They are infused with negative energy and shadow, their claws inflict negative levels and they are concealed by even the slightest shadows. Despite this they are still often sought out, for the amorortok has divinatory power, able to cry and discern the location of any being or object they wish.
Do take note that despite their use of negative energy and shadows Amortortoks are not inherently evil, and are often seen as dangerous but wise being by those native to their lands. It is easy for these being to gather followers and use their assistance against disrespectful intruders.
CR: 7
N Large Outsider (native)
Combat Role: Ambusher, Debuffer
Amortortoks are deadly with their 4 claws, adding rend and energy drain to their damage. The darkness and snow of the northern winter are no obstacle to them either, using their spell-like abilities an Amortortok can always find those who enter his territory and meet them on the ground of his choosing.
The feat selection is focused entirely on survivability and skills: Altitude Affinity, Endurance, Rugged Northerner, Skill Focus (Perception, Stealth). Any of these can be replaced with others if you need a more combat focused monster, or you can lean into the divination with feats like Diviner's Delving.
The party has chased a kenku thief into the heights of a shadow-clouded mountain chain. When inquiring about the whereabouts of the thief they are told about ‘a pale shadow that can find all things’ said to life on the highest peaks.
A group of explorers are stuck on the ice after their ship has frozen in place. The plan is to wait until summer, but this soon proves untenable when strange shapes are seen beneath the ice and sailors start disappearing, leaving only strange runes carved in the ice.
The party is hired to defend a caravan moving parts for a large new mine being build in the Frozen Grass Plains. The reason for the high pay are soon made clear when the shadows themselves start stalking the caravan.
Monsters of Porphyra 2, 12
Monday, 13 July 2020
Admirality Parade Kit - Altar of Binding
Admirality Parade Kit
Martial skill upon the battlefield has always been a mark of nobility, from the king leading the knight’s charge to the general directing his troops with cunning and courage. So it is not strange that the wealthy classes seek to enhance their prestige upon the battlefield in any way possible. The admiralty parade kit is a magical item meant to do just that.This magical item grants the wearer poise and authority on the ship, granting a +2 competence bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks and the ability to cast bless thrice per day. When the wearer is upon a ship or in an aquatic environment the and has the challenge, judgment, quarry, or smite evil ability (or similar) these abilities are treated as is the wearer was two levels higher while a bless spell lasts.
Slot body; cl 3th
Price 9,000 gp
Pirate Campaign Compendium, 53
Alabaster Icons of Bast
Virtually every known society has their own choice in pets and companions and their owners will often seek to maintain the companionship into the afterlife. Many magical items were created or inspired by the resulting practices. One of these is the alabaster icons of Bast, which is a set of hollow alabaster sculptures with a stopper carved in the shape of a cat’s head. As part of the crafting process the ashes of a beloved cat companion are added and the jars are sealed.The icons can only be activated if all three of them are within 30 feet of eachother. And each of the differently sized statues can be activated to provide their own magical effect:
The largest statue, called the guardian cat creates a mage’s faithful hound effect, looking like a large cat instead of a dog. The purring cat statue emits a soothing purr that functions as nap stack. The last and smallest statue is called the mewling cat, and when activated emits a charming mewl that functions as either reckless infatuation or miserable pity.
When used together the alabaster icons of Bast can be used to summon three celestial, entropic, fiendish, or resolute leopards or cheetahs.
Slot none; cl 9th
Price 24,000 gp
Treasury of the Pharaoh, 12
Altar of Binding
One of the greatest achievements of a powerful spellcaster is the calling upon and commanding of powerful outsiders. But this great achievement comes with dangers as great as its rewards. Especially casters calling upon the inhabitants of lower planes must place their very for their sanity, life and even soul at risk. And compelling the services even well meaning outsiders comes with great monetary costs.Of course the very casters who seek to control these dangerous beings are the very people who have the ability to counter these dangers.
Besides an inward facing magic circle against [alignment] the altar of binding is one of the most common tools for improving the results of planar ally and planar binding spells.
When placed within 5 feet of the caster grants a variety of advantages. First, any payment requested by the outsider for its services is decreased by 50%. In addition, the caster receives a +4 competence bonus to any Knowledge (planes) or Linguistics checks to determine the outsider’s true name, if it has one.
Slot none; cl 10th
Price 120,000 gp
Legendary Villains - Evil Clerics, 28
Maximillian von Harsburg is the noble commander of the airship Righteous Winds, and hero of a dozen battles. These days his name is cursed rather than praised however, for the last four years after his mutiny he has become the scourge of traders throughout the flying desert. The bounty for is head is high, but what the Enlightening Empire truly wants is to know is the reason for his mutiny.
While cats can be loyal and beloved companions, they can also be the bane of one’s existence, and the cursed version of the Alabaster Icons of Bast shows this clearly. Randomly when activated the cursed statuettes will produce detrimental effects:
The invisible defender summoned by the Guardian Cat will be to busy with grooming itself to warn its master of any intrusion. The Purring cat will instead produce a loud yowling prefenting anyone from sleeping for an hour, and the mewling cat will produce the intended effect, but also break a small item in the owner’s possession.
As they are packing up their camp, the players are approached by a Silvanshee. The little outsider is the familiar of a wizard who has been captured by agents of a tyrannical baron. Unbeknownst to anyone, the baron is a summoner who has bargained for the service of several hellcats.
Friday, 10 July 2020
Protean, Amalgessi
The chaotic realm of Limbo is a place without constants or certainties, strange and overwhelming to all who are not native to its shifting tides. It does however have certain tendencies, and one of them are that large parts of Limbo take the form of roiling elemental storms, with waves, avalanches, inferno’s and tornado's mingling and crashing into one another.
To some this is the whole of Limbo, often called the Elemental Chaos, to the Amalgessi however, it is their home and birthplace.
Like all (or most) Proteans Amagessi take a anguine form. The core of their body are a writhing mass of serpent coils, with three heads and a long tail coming out of it at ever-shifting angles.
Shifting elemental energies flicker around an Amalgessi, and their bites and tail carry it onto their victims. The power carried by their tail slap in particular can blasts to all creatures close to their target and remains harmful for several rounds.
These proteans are also capable of moving though the ethereal realm, both for dimension door at will and ethereal jaunt once per day.
Amalgessi are every bit as unpredictable as any protean, but their behavior towards elemental beings is particularly baffling. They treats such beings with either unwavering hostility or servile friendliness, seemingly independent of earlier interactions or the manner of meeting.
CR: 8
CN Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, protean, shapechanger)
Combat Role: Flanker
With their varied movement options it should be easy for an Amalgessi to get to the party’s casters to deal some damage. A lone amalgessi can also serve as an excellent ambusher.
While they are usually produce a steady source of both rare and common ores, lately the rumbling pits in and around the Towering Plains have been getting more and more unreliable. The new flares of burning and freezing magic are a serious hazard to the lives of the rumbleminers, though the most daring ones are making good profits of the newly occurring elementally infused ores.
After an experiment on the intercohesion of space and intraplanar coordination went horribly awry, and a large number of elementally aspected proteans have now infested the south-tidal wing of the local magical university. Adventurers are needed not only to root out the outsiders, but also to retrieve the Adamantive Jounal of Nine from the area.
Idelixar Vivo, an evolutionary thaumaturgist is hiring experienced planar travelers for a journey to study rare kinds of proteans.
To some this is the whole of Limbo, often called the Elemental Chaos, to the Amalgessi however, it is their home and birthplace.
Like all (or most) Proteans Amagessi take a anguine form. The core of their body are a writhing mass of serpent coils, with three heads and a long tail coming out of it at ever-shifting angles.
Shifting elemental energies flicker around an Amalgessi, and their bites and tail carry it onto their victims. The power carried by their tail slap in particular can blasts to all creatures close to their target and remains harmful for several rounds.
These proteans are also capable of moving though the ethereal realm, both for dimension door at will and ethereal jaunt once per day.
Amalgessi are every bit as unpredictable as any protean, but their behavior towards elemental beings is particularly baffling. They treats such beings with either unwavering hostility or servile friendliness, seemingly independent of earlier interactions or the manner of meeting.
CR: 8
CN Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, protean, shapechanger)
Combat Role: Flanker
With their varied movement options it should be easy for an Amalgessi to get to the party’s casters to deal some damage. A lone amalgessi can also serve as an excellent ambusher.
While they are usually produce a steady source of both rare and common ores, lately the rumbling pits in and around the Towering Plains have been getting more and more unreliable. The new flares of burning and freezing magic are a serious hazard to the lives of the rumbleminers, though the most daring ones are making good profits of the newly occurring elementally infused ores.
After an experiment on the intercohesion of space and intraplanar coordination went horribly awry, and a large number of elementally aspected proteans have now infested the south-tidal wing of the local magical university. Adventurers are needed not only to root out the outsiders, but also to retrieve the Adamantive Jounal of Nine from the area.
Idelixar Vivo, an evolutionary thaumaturgist is hiring experienced planar travelers for a journey to study rare kinds of proteans.
Monsters of Porphyra, 159
Wednesday, 8 July 2020
Vanguard Construct Companion
The vanguard’s construct companion is their most notable class ability, a powerful and versatile ally on the field of battle. Depending on the base form and augmentations chosen it can be a front line fighter, a spellcaster or flanking buddy, in addition to buffing nearby allies using its resonances.
A construct companion has an Intelligence score, and as such has access to feats and skill points.
All companions have the following skills as class skills: Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), and Perception (Wis).
Every companion is build from one of three base forms, the base form determines the base stats, additional class skills and gives a scaling bonus to two primary ability scores and a third secondary ability score.
The Combat Form is intended for front line combat, with a +4 armor bonus to AC and Strength and Dexterity as the highest ability scores, with Wisdom secondary. It does have only four class skills however: Climb (Str),Intimidate (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
The Eldritch Form is intended for use with the various eldritch augmentations that give spellcasting ability. Intelligence and Charisma are its primary abilities, with Dexterity secondary. Knowledge
(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha) are the class skills.
The Scouting Form has a 40 ft. movement speed, and a +2 armor bonus. Dexterity and Intelligence are the primary ability scores with Charisma being secondary. With Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis) as class skills it is the most mobile base form.
The construct companion is not animated like a normal construct, instead it is in many ways similar to a wizard’s familiar. The vanguard shares a portion of his own magic and soul with the companion he builds. This creates a bond that allows communication and the sharing off spells in the same way as a familiar, as well as endowing the construct with intelligence.
This link does force the vanguard and companion to stay close together to keep the companion functioning, and the construct’s intelligence makes it vulnerable to mind-affecting effects.
The various augmentations that the vanguard can add range from ability score improvements, to temporary hit points to spellcasting and adding energy damage to attacks, and those are just the first two pages of four. I will be going over these in later posts.
When the party search the remains of a destroyed golem they find a strange apparatus. Closer examination reveals that it is a mechanical treasure map. As they follow the map’s trail they find instructions on the operation of the map, which in turn reveals clues and hints on the obstacles and riddles in their path.
In the Jiengian religion the handling of humanoid corpses is considered impure, as such bone golems are used to collect and bury the deceased. The bones for the golems are athered from those who directed the burial golems in life.
The players come across a temple of foreign design deep within the woods. A Knowledge (geography) check reveals that the temple is made of a kind of stone not found in the area. When they investigate inside the disassembled pieces of thousands of different constructs are found to litter the inside of the structure.
A construct companion has an Intelligence score, and as such has access to feats and skill points.
All companions have the following skills as class skills: Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), and Perception (Wis).
Every companion is build from one of three base forms, the base form determines the base stats, additional class skills and gives a scaling bonus to two primary ability scores and a third secondary ability score.
The Combat Form is intended for front line combat, with a +4 armor bonus to AC and Strength and Dexterity as the highest ability scores, with Wisdom secondary. It does have only four class skills however: Climb (Str),Intimidate (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
The Eldritch Form is intended for use with the various eldritch augmentations that give spellcasting ability. Intelligence and Charisma are its primary abilities, with Dexterity secondary. Knowledge
(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha) are the class skills.
The Scouting Form has a 40 ft. movement speed, and a +2 armor bonus. Dexterity and Intelligence are the primary ability scores with Charisma being secondary. With Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis) as class skills it is the most mobile base form.
The construct companion is not animated like a normal construct, instead it is in many ways similar to a wizard’s familiar. The vanguard shares a portion of his own magic and soul with the companion he builds. This creates a bond that allows communication and the sharing off spells in the same way as a familiar, as well as endowing the construct with intelligence.
This link does force the vanguard and companion to stay close together to keep the companion functioning, and the construct’s intelligence makes it vulnerable to mind-affecting effects.
The various augmentations that the vanguard can add range from ability score improvements, to temporary hit points to spellcasting and adding energy damage to attacks, and those are just the first two pages of four. I will be going over these in later posts.
When the party search the remains of a destroyed golem they find a strange apparatus. Closer examination reveals that it is a mechanical treasure map. As they follow the map’s trail they find instructions on the operation of the map, which in turn reveals clues and hints on the obstacles and riddles in their path.
In the Jiengian religion the handling of humanoid corpses is considered impure, as such bone golems are used to collect and bury the deceased. The bones for the golems are athered from those who directed the burial golems in life.
The players come across a temple of foreign design deep within the woods. A Knowledge (geography) check reveals that the temple is made of a kind of stone not found in the area. When they investigate inside the disassembled pieces of thousands of different constructs are found to litter the inside of the structure.
Path of Iron, 26
Monday, 6 July 2020
Vanguard Class Features
The vanguard is capable of both ranged and melee combat, but their class features are focused primarily on spellcasting and the construct companion.
A vanguard casts spells from their own spell list, which primarily consists of damaging and support spells, as well as crafting and repair related spells. The spells are cast spontaneously using Charisma.
At level 2 the vanguard’s skill in crafting magical items shows itself in their ability to imbue either weapons or themselves/their companion with their spells. These spells will then remain dormant until a specific condition occurs, much like a contingency. One spell can be imbued at a time, and it lasts until 24 hours pass or the vanguard refreshes his spells.
At higher level more and higher level spells can be imbued, and more spells to be used for imbuing are learned.
The construct companion is the most defining ability of the vanguard. They start the game with a magically animated construct of their own design. The companion is customized using augmentations, starting with mending touch and one additional customization, with one additional customization every 3 levels after.
Every customization not only enhances the companion but can also has its own associated resonance. Only one resonance can be active at a time, and the class feature can be used 1/2 lvel + cha mod times per day.
Most of the resonances emanate from the construct companion and enhance their allies with bonuses to defense, attack and spellcasting among other things. At level 20 one of the resonances can be chosen to be active for the whole day.
Lastly the vanguard gets one bonus crafting or teamwork feat every 3 levels, as well as a bonus on Craft, Disable Device, and Knowledge (engineering) checks equal to 1/2 his vanguard level at level 2 as well as speeding up the crafting of items at level 14.
Arris Boekbinder is an archivist and bookbinder who travels with their book golem in search of information about long lost brine giant languages.
Thaola Ililar is a naturalist who got tired of lugging her giant carnivorous plant around. Instead she has planted it into a clay golem of her own creation.
Verrevarous is a stocky sylph with exceptional skills in the manipulation of air, winds and lightning. His skill is such that he has created a golem out of solidified clouds and gas.
A vanguard casts spells from their own spell list, which primarily consists of damaging and support spells, as well as crafting and repair related spells. The spells are cast spontaneously using Charisma.
At level 2 the vanguard’s skill in crafting magical items shows itself in their ability to imbue either weapons or themselves/their companion with their spells. These spells will then remain dormant until a specific condition occurs, much like a contingency. One spell can be imbued at a time, and it lasts until 24 hours pass or the vanguard refreshes his spells.
At higher level more and higher level spells can be imbued, and more spells to be used for imbuing are learned.
The construct companion is the most defining ability of the vanguard. They start the game with a magically animated construct of their own design. The companion is customized using augmentations, starting with mending touch and one additional customization, with one additional customization every 3 levels after.
Every customization not only enhances the companion but can also has its own associated resonance. Only one resonance can be active at a time, and the class feature can be used 1/2 lvel + cha mod times per day.
Most of the resonances emanate from the construct companion and enhance their allies with bonuses to defense, attack and spellcasting among other things. At level 20 one of the resonances can be chosen to be active for the whole day.
Lastly the vanguard gets one bonus crafting or teamwork feat every 3 levels, as well as a bonus on Craft, Disable Device, and Knowledge (engineering) checks equal to 1/2 his vanguard level at level 2 as well as speeding up the crafting of items at level 14.
Arris Boekbinder is an archivist and bookbinder who travels with their book golem in search of information about long lost brine giant languages.
Thaola Ililar is a naturalist who got tired of lugging her giant carnivorous plant around. Instead she has planted it into a clay golem of her own creation.
Verrevarous is a stocky sylph with exceptional skills in the manipulation of air, winds and lightning. His skill is such that he has created a golem out of solidified clouds and gas.
Path of Iron, 22
Saturday, 4 July 2020
Vanguard Introduction
Two can do more than one, and anyone who has ever entered a dungeon knows the value of a trustworthy companion. The problem here is that many companions are far from trustworthy.
So what is an adventurer to do? Get your own personal ally, from the ranger’s animal companion to the otherwordly eidolons called forth by the summoner. From the dragonrider’s scaly steed to the mechanical bodyguard crafted by the skilled craftsman. The options for acquiring a trustworthy companion are countless.
There are plenty of third party classes that allow for building your own customized construct companion. Interjection Games’ Tinker creates legions of temporary ones, much like the drones created using the new technology sphere, and Thunderscape’s mechamage makes its own construct companion.
The vanguard’s unique selling point is a form of cooperation between vanguard and companion called resonance. Each of the augmentations build into the companion can be activated by the vanguard for a more powerful magical effect called a resonance.
With their d8 Hit Die and medium armor the vanguard can survive on the front line, but their magic and firearm proficiency allows for support from the back. The vanguard is also a charisma based caster with his own spell list up to 6th level. These spells can also be imbued into the vanguard or the companion to be automatically activated under specific circumstances.
Role: Vanguards will send their companions forward to bash heads and expose their enemies to whichever resonance is most useful at the time. They can support their allies with magic and ranged attacks or join
Morabund’s Auditorium of Gears, Bells and Whistles is a small college in the ship city of Steamdepths. It famously boasts that every graduate can craft their own golem, though critics say this has less to do with the quality of the curriculum and more with the auditorium’s insistence that all textbooks be printed on bound copper sheets.
When they first encounter him the players may be forgiven for thinking Lawtrance is an unfortunate tinker forced by the raiders to build war constructs. But in truth he is seeking to spread more and more constructs into the lawless lands until he has enough to take over and establish an empire of his own.
The gnomish mining villages in the Short-Spires are a frequent target for raiders and bandits. After losing his parents Sagwau Gearspinner build a mighty construct and swore to defend the local villages from more such tragedies.
So what is an adventurer to do? Get your own personal ally, from the ranger’s animal companion to the otherwordly eidolons called forth by the summoner. From the dragonrider’s scaly steed to the mechanical bodyguard crafted by the skilled craftsman. The options for acquiring a trustworthy companion are countless.
There are plenty of third party classes that allow for building your own customized construct companion. Interjection Games’ Tinker creates legions of temporary ones, much like the drones created using the new technology sphere, and Thunderscape’s mechamage makes its own construct companion.
The vanguard’s unique selling point is a form of cooperation between vanguard and companion called resonance. Each of the augmentations build into the companion can be activated by the vanguard for a more powerful magical effect called a resonance.
With their d8 Hit Die and medium armor the vanguard can survive on the front line, but their magic and firearm proficiency allows for support from the back. The vanguard is also a charisma based caster with his own spell list up to 6th level. These spells can also be imbued into the vanguard or the companion to be automatically activated under specific circumstances.
Role: Vanguards will send their companions forward to bash heads and expose their enemies to whichever resonance is most useful at the time. They can support their allies with magic and ranged attacks or join
HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Fort, Will
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 4 + int mod
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Fort, Will
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 4 + int mod
Morabund’s Auditorium of Gears, Bells and Whistles is a small college in the ship city of Steamdepths. It famously boasts that every graduate can craft their own golem, though critics say this has less to do with the quality of the curriculum and more with the auditorium’s insistence that all textbooks be printed on bound copper sheets.
When they first encounter him the players may be forgiven for thinking Lawtrance is an unfortunate tinker forced by the raiders to build war constructs. But in truth he is seeking to spread more and more constructs into the lawless lands until he has enough to take over and establish an empire of his own.
The gnomish mining villages in the Short-Spires are a frequent target for raiders and bandits. After losing his parents Sagwau Gearspinner build a mighty construct and swore to defend the local villages from more such tragedies.
Path of Iron, 22
Sunday, 28 June 2020
Accursed Monolith & Eldritch Monolith
Eldritch Monolith
With this illusion spell a caster can create an illusory but tactile facsimile of any building she has a proper focus for. The illusion must fit within one 10-foot square cube per caster level, and can be scaled down if needed. The focus required is a piece of rubble that is at least a thousand years old.While it is often used by seers to create an image of long lost ruins, the spell also allows the caster to recreate partial or composite images created from her own imagination. Some madmen use this to create labyrinthine or impossible structures from nowhere, and it is ffor this use that the spell is named.
Another frequent use is the rapid construction of fortifications and strongholds, for while the structure is in truth an illusion for those who believe it to be real it is as hard as stone.
One major limitation of the spell is that it cannot recreate the interior of the structure, and someone knowledgeable in engineering, architecture or history can often discern the imperfections in the illusion and realize it is a fake.
School illusion (shadow)
Level cleric 5, sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 5
Components V, S, F (a piece of rubble from a building at least 1000 years old)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one 10-foot cube/level (S)
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with);
Spell Resistance no
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 47
Some truly ancient and disturbing sources contain a version of this spell that can inflict stranger curses still to those who violate the created structure.
School illusion (curse, shadow) [mythos]
Level cleric 8, sorcerer/wizard 8, witch 8
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with) and Will negates
Accursed Monolith
This spell functions like eldritch monolith, but anyone who touches the illusory structure is affected as per bestow curse, even if he recognizes the illusion for what it is.Some truly ancient and disturbing sources contain a version of this spell that can inflict stranger curses still to those who violate the created structure.
School illusion (curse, shadow) [mythos]
Level cleric 8, sorcerer/wizard 8, witch 8
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with) and Will negates
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 40
These are the origins of [mythos] spells. Spells with this have a mythos variant that can be learned form strange entities or disturbing tomes, and when cast gnaw at the sanity of the caster. Mythos spells feature strange results and often require disturbing and self-destructive acts as part of the casting.
But for some the power granted is available to all, even if the caster follows a different tradition or is indeed incapable of common spells at all. Under these conditions the casting requires a long and involved ritual, but does not expend spell slots.
Mythos Spells
For many the pursuit of knowledge and magical power is an all-consuming obsession. In pursuit of their goals they will walk paths and go to lengths a wiser man would avoid. And when obsession inevitably gives way to madness and death the remnants of their craft and knowledge are dangerous and disturbing things.These are the origins of [mythos] spells. Spells with this have a mythos variant that can be learned form strange entities or disturbing tomes, and when cast gnaw at the sanity of the caster. Mythos spells feature strange results and often require disturbing and self-destructive acts as part of the casting.
But for some the power granted is available to all, even if the caster follows a different tradition or is indeed incapable of common spells at all. Under these conditions the casting requires a long and involved ritual, but does not expend spell slots.
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 145
When the players enter the dungeon they find a miniature copy of the structure in the first room. It is readily apparent that some parts of the miniature can be manipulated and that these actions will be reflected in the greater dungeon.
When the players enter the dungeon they find a miniature copy of the structure in the first room. It is readily apparent that some parts of the miniature can be manipulated and that these actions will be reflected in the greater dungeon.
(For extra fun rule that the dungeon blocks communication spells between the controller and the rest of the party, forcing the controller to deduce actions he needs to take based on the little representations of his friends.)
According to legends the Black Monastery is a ruin that appears every 100 years upon the Hill of Mornay, said to be filled with treasures. Rumors circulate that the monastery has been appearing more often, and that several parties have already entered its depths.
The Venerable Repository of Ancient Masonry is a popular dwarven museum. Its most famous exhibit is a collection of pieces of ancient buildings, fortresses and temples. A part of this collection has recently been stolen however, and the curators are desperate for help in getting the burgled pieces back.
According to legends the Black Monastery is a ruin that appears every 100 years upon the Hill of Mornay, said to be filled with treasures. Rumors circulate that the monastery has been appearing more often, and that several parties have already entered its depths.
The Venerable Repository of Ancient Masonry is a popular dwarven museum. Its most famous exhibit is a collection of pieces of ancient buildings, fortresses and temples. A part of this collection has recently been stolen however, and the curators are desperate for help in getting the burgled pieces back.
Friday, 26 June 2020
Amalgam
The elemental planes are the homes of the very substances from which the world is composed. And while the elements may seem steady and predictable on the material plane, in its native plane these common materials can be much more. There it forms everything from sentient beings to plants and strange weather.
When planar energies from these planes leak into the material plane they bring this strangeness with them. When animating energies from the plane of earth infuse collections of loose rock it can create an amalgam. These huge masses of loose rocks form into a roughly humanoid form that are often fiercely defensive of their territory.
In battle amalgams focus in throwing around all of their considerable weight around. Their massive stone fists can deliver crushing blows that can kill instantly and they are strong enough to throw great boulders at those who wisely stay away. They can throw their loose towards their enemies in a massive rock slide or create a vortex or rocks and stone to smash all who come nearby.
CR: 16
N Huge Outsider (earth, elemental, native)
Combat Role: Brute, Area Control
The amalgam is primarily a direct melee fighter, place one in front of a thing or creature you want defended and be done with it. In addition the Rock Slide and Stone Vortex abilities add area damage to plough through an entire army.
In addition an amalgam is capable of shaping rock using its spell like abilities, with unlimited stone shape and spike stones and wall of stone 3/day any battlefield of the amalgam’s choosing can be shaped to block ranged attacks and force opponents close.
The way to create an amalgam is fairly straightforward. Any skilled wizard, cleric, druid or other magic user with some control over earth can pull power from the elemental plane of earth and slowly push it into a pile of rocks. Far harder is controlling the resulting giant of living rock, and most of the creators simply rely on the natural territorial instincts of an amalgam to guard remote places.
In one of the deepest valleys of the Gosper Mountains stands a great temple of of a forgotten god of gems and magic. The temple to this day holds a great fortune in gems and magical artifacts, and it continues to hold them, for the site is guarded by exceptionally massive amalgams that can use the magic gems in their form to cast powerful spells.
When stones from the material plane fall though rifts into the plane of earth they can form into amalgams as well, but with the greater amount of energy available can power the creation of truly titanic amalgams.
One such titan is Avalanche Crushes Storm, which has been created by a Shaitan kaiser who build a city among its stones and now leads an invasion of the plane of air itself.
When planar energies from these planes leak into the material plane they bring this strangeness with them. When animating energies from the plane of earth infuse collections of loose rock it can create an amalgam. These huge masses of loose rocks form into a roughly humanoid form that are often fiercely defensive of their territory.
In battle amalgams focus in throwing around all of their considerable weight around. Their massive stone fists can deliver crushing blows that can kill instantly and they are strong enough to throw great boulders at those who wisely stay away. They can throw their loose towards their enemies in a massive rock slide or create a vortex or rocks and stone to smash all who come nearby.
CR: 16
N Huge Outsider (earth, elemental, native)
Combat Role: Brute, Area Control
The amalgam is primarily a direct melee fighter, place one in front of a thing or creature you want defended and be done with it. In addition the Rock Slide and Stone Vortex abilities add area damage to plough through an entire army.
In addition an amalgam is capable of shaping rock using its spell like abilities, with unlimited stone shape and spike stones and wall of stone 3/day any battlefield of the amalgam’s choosing can be shaped to block ranged attacks and force opponents close.
The way to create an amalgam is fairly straightforward. Any skilled wizard, cleric, druid or other magic user with some control over earth can pull power from the elemental plane of earth and slowly push it into a pile of rocks. Far harder is controlling the resulting giant of living rock, and most of the creators simply rely on the natural territorial instincts of an amalgam to guard remote places.
In one of the deepest valleys of the Gosper Mountains stands a great temple of of a forgotten god of gems and magic. The temple to this day holds a great fortune in gems and magical artifacts, and it continues to hold them, for the site is guarded by exceptionally massive amalgams that can use the magic gems in their form to cast powerful spells.
When stones from the material plane fall though rifts into the plane of earth they can form into amalgams as well, but with the greater amount of energy available can power the creation of truly titanic amalgams.
One such titan is Avalanche Crushes Storm, which has been created by a Shaitan kaiser who build a city among its stones and now leads an invasion of the plane of air itself.
Monster of Porphyra 2, 11
Thursday, 25 June 2020
Abyssal Carcass & Adaptive Unholy Symbol
Abyssal Carcass
This powerful magical armor looks like it was assembled from the bloody remains of tortured bodies. Its blood red plates are shaped to resemble exposed muscle, the lower breastplate showing disemboweled guts and trims with the color of bones.Yet despite its looks and name the abyssal carcass is not an unholy item, rather it is intended to warn all who see it of the danger and cruelty of demonkind while guarding the wearer against the same.
The wearer gains spell and damage resistance against attacks from demons. Whenever the wearer is damaged by a demon’s attack despite these protections the armor stores some of the corruption carried by the attack as 1 charge of taint. These charges can be expended to power various abilities inspired by demons, like darkvision, enlarge person and energy resistances.
While channeling demonic corruption to empower yourself may sound like, and in fact is a terrible idea the armor is specifically enchanted to prevent the corruption from affecting the wearer. This protection and the armor’s appearance makes makes it excellent for long term infiltration of demonic territory.
+3 full plate armor
Slot armor; cl 16th
Price 126,150 gp
Treasury of the Crusades, 6
Adaptive Unholy Symbol
This is a generic unholy symbol etched with profane scripture. Once per day the user can exchange one of their domains for another one in their deity’s portfolio for an hour.Slot none; cl 7th
Price 5,040 gp
Legendary Villains - Evil Clerics
The Bloodsun Defenders are a group of elite demon hunters who infiltrate lands corrupted by demons to disrupt their operations and kill their leaders.
eslhi u ijnyl is a god of utter randomness. Its clerics cannot choose from a defined set of domains, but instead are randomly granted a random domain.
While dangerous many demon-corrupted lands contain useful magical ingredients and materials. One such place is the Hellfume Castle, an ancient cloud giant holdfast that has been taken over by a balor. The foul clouds around the castle contain magical gasses useful for the creation of acidic weapons.
eslhi u ijnyl is a god of utter randomness. Its clerics cannot choose from a defined set of domains, but instead are randomly granted a random domain.
While dangerous many demon-corrupted lands contain useful magical ingredients and materials. One such place is the Hellfume Castle, an ancient cloud giant holdfast that has been taken over by a balor. The foul clouds around the castle contain magical gasses useful for the creation of acidic weapons.
Monday, 22 June 2020
Absorb Violent Energies – Aegis of Brick and Glass
Absorb Violent Energies
From the awesome thunder of the storm to a burning conflagration there are many destructive powers in the world. With this feat your character carries some of this destructive power within themselves.When you take the feat you can choose gain either fire, electricity or sonic resistance 5 or DR 1/-. When you resist damage through one of these resistances you are treated as if you have used the kineticist’s gather power class feature.
This feat can be taken from level 1, and this makes it useful for integrating into your backstory, maybe your kineticist gained their power from exposure to a destructive natural phenomenon and now has to regularly absorb such energies to keep their power.
A kineticist with this feat can directly benefit from being in the area of an allies evocation spells as easily as that from an enemy. Be careful about abusing this with things like cantrips that can be negated entirely.
Corrupted Classes, 17
Abyssal Shinobi
Antipaladins are notorious enemies of good, always seeking to destroy the powers of light, law and good. They make enemies freely wherever they go.Some antipaladins however prefer to stay hidden, becoming a blade in the dark to slay those who would stand shining in the light. With this multiclass feat for antipaladin/ninja these villains can use their touch of corruption to power their ninja tricks in place of ki and vice versa. In addition they learn to let their malevolence guide their blade, adding half their antipaladin level to their ninja level for deter- mining sneak attack damage whenever they smite good.
This feat is the first of the Cruel feats provided in Legendary Villains – Antipaladins. Antipaladins can exchange one of their cruelties to take one of these feats.
Legendary Villains – Antipaladins, 13
Aegis of Brick and Glass
Many think that the city is the antithesis of nature, a place where life withers. In fact even many druids make this mistake. In truth countless animals and plants make their home in city and house, from crows to pigs to grass growing between the cobbles, life is abundant in the city even if you ignore the many people who made the city in the first place.If your druid makes the city their home this feat allows you to shape the city like other druids shape wood and stone. You can spontaneously cast stone shield, stone shape, wall of stone, rampart and quickened wall of stone. In addition these and other spells like them matches the urban environment they are cast in, blending to the architecture to the point most cannot tell them apart. Your stone shield can additionally shape manufactured or constructed items and structures.
Intrigue Archetypes, 20
Not all druids disdain the alleys and houses of civilized folk. To some, like Joyous Song (Faun Cityscape Hierophant Druid), cities are a new place for nature to thrive. She lives in the forgotten parts of the city, which she subtly shapes with her magic to provide for the animals that live there. She enjoys the products of the local breweries and those willing to drink with her can find her a vast friend.
Ernestal’s Drift is a large city that floats upon the eternal storm that flows out of a rift to the The Everstorm Eye. The powerful magical energies that flow to the city have granted many of the local bird flocks elemental forms, and the inhabitants the ability to absorb and control lightning.
The desert is an empty and forbidding place, even so trade flows though it in caravans. The largest of these caravans are mobile cities in their own right, touching many nations and peoples on their route. This makes these great caravans useful vectors for fiendish cults to hide and spread their corruption. And in turn paladins like Aasim hide within the caravans to hunt them.
Thursday, 18 June 2020
Am-Ren
To many mortals death only truly comes when even one’s name is forgotten. When tombs are forgotten, cities crumble and writing has faded. It is from this death that Am-Ren spring.
It is from this origin that Am-Ren have gained the power to steal and devour the names of their victims. They live in desolate places, filled with the lost names of the dead, tombs, necropoli and ruins are their most common dwellings.
These native outsiders appear as muscular yet starving humanoids with hide like cracked red stone. The flesh around it’s mouth and eyes is torn, showing bloody flesh around gnashing teeth and eyeless sockets.
An Am-Ren cannot devour the name of a being whose name it does not know, as such they will often shadow intruders to learn more of them, and if pressed in combat before then will try to trick their opponents into revealing their names.
A being whose name is stolen loses all sense of identity and is confused for six rounds. If the Am-Ren is then given the time it can devour the name permanently, leaving it’s victim a wretched wreck forever.
CR: 3
CE Medium Outsider (chaotic, evil, native)
Combat Role: Melee, Debuff
An Am-Ren is a capable melee fighter but it is their ability to steal and eat names that is most interesting. Make certain that the name theft ability is able to affect the PCs at least somewhat reliably.
Keep track of what character names it may have heard and try to goad them into revealing more of them if possible. The Am-Ren’s default feats are combat focused, so if the player’s Will saves are to high you can replace one of them with Ability Focus (Name Theft) to keep it threatening.
Many curses are targeted using the victim’s true name. Though dangerous, the name eating power of an Am-Ren can be used as a cure for some of these curses.
Am-Hen the Silent is a notorious assassin who does not kill his marks, but rather leaves them as nameless madmen. He is skilled in the manipulation of shadows and darkness, often tormenting his targets for weeks before finally devouring their names.
The wealthy trader’s city of Ljice sees itself as refined and civilized. The burgers of the Waterfall Republic disdain executions or banishment, instead the losers of the cutthroat politics have their very names taken and destroyed.
It is from this origin that Am-Ren have gained the power to steal and devour the names of their victims. They live in desolate places, filled with the lost names of the dead, tombs, necropoli and ruins are their most common dwellings.
These native outsiders appear as muscular yet starving humanoids with hide like cracked red stone. The flesh around it’s mouth and eyes is torn, showing bloody flesh around gnashing teeth and eyeless sockets.
An Am-Ren cannot devour the name of a being whose name it does not know, as such they will often shadow intruders to learn more of them, and if pressed in combat before then will try to trick their opponents into revealing their names.
A being whose name is stolen loses all sense of identity and is confused for six rounds. If the Am-Ren is then given the time it can devour the name permanently, leaving it’s victim a wretched wreck forever.
CR: 3
CE Medium Outsider (chaotic, evil, native)
Combat Role: Melee, Debuff
An Am-Ren is a capable melee fighter but it is their ability to steal and eat names that is most interesting. Make certain that the name theft ability is able to affect the PCs at least somewhat reliably.
Keep track of what character names it may have heard and try to goad them into revealing more of them if possible. The Am-Ren’s default feats are combat focused, so if the player’s Will saves are to high you can replace one of them with Ability Focus (Name Theft) to keep it threatening.
Many curses are targeted using the victim’s true name. Though dangerous, the name eating power of an Am-Ren can be used as a cure for some of these curses.
Am-Hen the Silent is a notorious assassin who does not kill his marks, but rather leaves them as nameless madmen. He is skilled in the manipulation of shadows and darkness, often tormenting his targets for weeks before finally devouring their names.
The wealthy trader’s city of Ljice sees itself as refined and civilized. The burgers of the Waterfall Republic disdain executions or banishment, instead the losers of the cutthroat politics have their very names taken and destroyed.
Monsters of Porphyra 2, 10
Tuesday, 16 June 2020
Aberrant Mutagen & Aquatic Mutagen
The alchemist is one of the most versatile classes in Pathfinder, it has a lot of different class features that can be taken in many different directions. The discoveries I’ll be talking about today examplify this part of the class. They both alter the mutagen in different ways. The aquatic mutagen and deep diver discoveries in particular appear in both the Gothic Campaign Compendium, which is all about horror and eldritch dangers, and the Pirate Campaign Compendium, which is about swashbuckling adventures on the high seas.
The greater aberrant mutagen extends the reach of your tentacles and provides critical hit negation chance that stacks with similar abilities.
The deep diver discovery requires aquatic mutagen but is permanently active. It expands the alchemist’s ability to explore underwater by granting darkvision which doubles underwater, tremorsense, cold resistance 10 and immunity to crushing damage from the deep and damage reduction 10/- against grappling, constriction and other such crushing damage.
Together these option are excellent for anyone who wants to explore underwater, though the waterbreathing from a mutagen is probably to short to use outside of a fight.
When your alchemist uses a variant mutagen think about how that particular mutagen is made and what it ingredients go in. A pirate alchemist might end up with aquatic mutagen simply because he has to use fish for his craft on the ship. And the less said of what kind of ingredients are needed for an aberrant mutagen the better…
Though an aberrant mutagen could also be the result of an unstable or experimental mutagen made by a beginner.
Crazed mutated lifestock have been attacking people. Suspision quickly falls upon the local alchemist's guild who have been buying large amounts of suspect reagents. The actual perpetrators however are a group of atomie alchemists who believe they are bringing domesticated animals back to nature.
Yanni Chaconakis travels the Scattered Isles with her cheerful crew of salvagers. They use alchemical technologies to salvage sunken ships and ancient treasures of the many drowned civilizations that have inhabited the rising and sinking islands.
Paroziar Albezzor is an excentric alchemist who has a brilliant business idea! Selling walking airbreathing fish and octupi to wealthy dilettantes. It cannot possibly fail!
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 20
Pirate Campaign Compendium, 14
Aberrant Mutagen
The alchemist is no stranger to body horror, the basic mutagen can already be described that way. This mutagen variant takes it a step further, causing the imbiber to grow additional eyes and transforming arms into tentacles. This grants all around vision and primary tentacle attacks.The greater aberrant mutagen extends the reach of your tentacles and provides critical hit negation chance that stacks with similar abilities.
Aquatic Mutagen
This mutagen gives the alchemist scales, fins and fangs. While the mutagen is active you have a bite attack, swim speed, underwater darkvision, waterbreathing and the ability to tolerate cold temperatures as if using endure elements.The deep diver discovery requires aquatic mutagen but is permanently active. It expands the alchemist’s ability to explore underwater by granting darkvision which doubles underwater, tremorsense, cold resistance 10 and immunity to crushing damage from the deep and damage reduction 10/- against grappling, constriction and other such crushing damage.
Together these option are excellent for anyone who wants to explore underwater, though the waterbreathing from a mutagen is probably to short to use outside of a fight.
When your alchemist uses a variant mutagen think about how that particular mutagen is made and what it ingredients go in. A pirate alchemist might end up with aquatic mutagen simply because he has to use fish for his craft on the ship. And the less said of what kind of ingredients are needed for an aberrant mutagen the better…
Though an aberrant mutagen could also be the result of an unstable or experimental mutagen made by a beginner.
Crazed mutated lifestock have been attacking people. Suspision quickly falls upon the local alchemist's guild who have been buying large amounts of suspect reagents. The actual perpetrators however are a group of atomie alchemists who believe they are bringing domesticated animals back to nature.
Yanni Chaconakis travels the Scattered Isles with her cheerful crew of salvagers. They use alchemical technologies to salvage sunken ships and ancient treasures of the many drowned civilizations that have inhabited the rising and sinking islands.
Paroziar Albezzor is an excentric alchemist who has a brilliant business idea! Selling walking airbreathing fish and octupi to wealthy dilettantes. It cannot possibly fail!
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 20
Pirate Campaign Compendium, 14
Monday, 15 June 2020
Saboteur Class Features
Saboteur traps are a variation of common spellcasting, instead of memorizing and casting spells a saboteur prepares magical traps and sets these assemblies in a specific square. When someone enters the square the trap is set of and automatically targets the one who set it of, for AoE efects like lines and cones it will orient itself to target as many as possible. This will happen even if the saboteur is nowhere near.
If the saboteur is nearby however they can make all decisions about the spell as it is set of, as well as set it off prematurely with a move action.
At higher levels the saboteur learns to combine slots to create higher level slots, this is at level 7. From level 11 assemblies can be set up to 30 feet away. From level 15 traps onward last longer once set, from 10 minutes per level to 1 hour per level.
A saboteur can mark a visible target with one of four different marks as a move action. One target can be marked at once, an the target remains marked up to 24 hours. The ability is improved at level 9, at which point up to 2 targets can be marked at a time, and both marking and changing the mark of a target taking a swift action. At level 17 greater mark imroves this further, the saboteur can now mark eiter a single target with two different marks, or mark 3 target with a single mark as a swift action.
The available marks are:
At every even level the saboteur learns a saboteur’s trick, these talents are often supernatural and give a wide variety of new abilities, spell-like abilities and other such clever tricks.
For her capstone the level 20 saboteur can select from a list of master’s tricks. These abilities range from permanent extraordinary freedom of movement and once per day breaking out of any hindering effect, never triggering traps and passing through walls at will, to inflicting debilitating effects when marking a target.
Yes, these are proper capstones you’ll want to work towards.
The city states of the Gemtree jungles are ruled by despotic green dragons. The dragons have ruled unopposed for since they conquered the cities collectively 70 years ago. Recently however a mysterious saboteur has been robbing their hoards. This and the resulting harsh reprisals has been inspiring the people of the jungle to resist the dragons.
The proprietor of a small shop has vanished. When the shop is searched it is clear the place is trashed and floor of the shop looks like it was broken through from below. A room with trapmaker's tools is found below.
Halflings in general are notorious gossips, but even among them Gilda Sweetleaf is a particularly skilled gossip. Even though she travels widely and regularly she always seems to know everything about everyone.
If the saboteur is nearby however they can make all decisions about the spell as it is set of, as well as set it off prematurely with a move action.
At higher levels the saboteur learns to combine slots to create higher level slots, this is at level 7. From level 11 assemblies can be set up to 30 feet away. From level 15 traps onward last longer once set, from 10 minutes per level to 1 hour per level.
A saboteur can mark a visible target with one of four different marks as a move action. One target can be marked at once, an the target remains marked up to 24 hours. The ability is improved at level 9, at which point up to 2 targets can be marked at a time, and both marking and changing the mark of a target taking a swift action. At level 17 greater mark imroves this further, the saboteur can now mark eiter a single target with two different marks, or mark 3 target with a single mark as a swift action.
The available marks are:
- Assassin’s mark gives a bonus to damage.
- Charlatan’s mark gives a bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks against the target and on Bluff and Disguise checks to pass herself as the marked target.
- Duelist’s mark gives a bonus on attack rolls.
- Informant’s mark gives a bonus on Knowledge, Sense Motive, and Perception checks made against or concerning the marked target.
At every even level the saboteur learns a saboteur’s trick, these talents are often supernatural and give a wide variety of new abilities, spell-like abilities and other such clever tricks.
For her capstone the level 20 saboteur can select from a list of master’s tricks. These abilities range from permanent extraordinary freedom of movement and once per day breaking out of any hindering effect, never triggering traps and passing through walls at will, to inflicting debilitating effects when marking a target.
Yes, these are proper capstones you’ll want to work towards.
The city states of the Gemtree jungles are ruled by despotic green dragons. The dragons have ruled unopposed for since they conquered the cities collectively 70 years ago. Recently however a mysterious saboteur has been robbing their hoards. This and the resulting harsh reprisals has been inspiring the people of the jungle to resist the dragons.
The proprietor of a small shop has vanished. When the shop is searched it is clear the place is trashed and floor of the shop looks like it was broken through from below. A room with trapmaker's tools is found below.
Halflings in general are notorious gossips, but even among them Gilda Sweetleaf is a particularly skilled gossip. Even though she travels widely and regularly she always seems to know everything about everyone.
Saturday, 13 June 2020
Saboteur Intro
The saboteur is basically a variant to the rogue. It is a skill-monkey class with a wide variety is tricks up it’s sleeve. Where the rogue is a damage dealer, the saboteur has a wider variety of in and out of combat tricks.
The saboteur has a variant form of spellcasting that allows them to place magical traps, these are essentially spells that are placed ahead of time on a specific square, and are triggered either by the saboteur as a move action (one allowed per round) or upon a creature that walks upon that square.
The spells, or rather assemblies as they are called are prepared in slots, but this preparation takes only 1 minute per slot.
Multiple traps can be placed, up to her Intelligence modifier. This allows a saboteur to prepare a deadly battlefield is she has the time and knows where a battle will be fought. However someone skilled in disabling traps, like another saboteur for example, can disable and remove such placed assemblies.
The second major class feature is the ability to mark targets, this extraordinary ability allows the saboteur to choose a target and gain a variety of bonuses against them. Depending on the mark chosen this can be additional damage, a bonus on thieves skills, an attack bonus or a bonus on information gathering.
These two abilities, combined with an extensive list of talents allow a saboteur to prepare for and execute almost any kind of caper or infiltration.
Role: Saboteurs are skill-monkeys and problem solvers. They excel particularly if they have time to prepare for a battle. They are also excellent at solving various non-combat problems. The charlatan’s mark is useful both for diplomacy and theft, while the informant’s mark makes information gathering easy.
HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Ref, Will
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 6 + int mod
The Roots in the Stones are an order of druid saboteurs who seek to prevent the encroachment of civilization upon the wolds. The often spend years infiltrating and disrupt cities and towns. The Roots use seeds that rapidly grow into magical plants for their traps.
The mysterious Towers of Al-harshun stand lonely in the desert. Little is known about the towers as they are filled with deadly traps, but it is known that the highest floors contain many magical treasures. Those who seek to plunder or research the towers would do well to learn how to disable their traps.
The priests of the local temple of god of wealth and greed are in an uproar. Several important treasures have been taken from the vaults of several other temples. Now the priests have hurriedly started hiring aid to defend their vault from being next.
The saboteur has a variant form of spellcasting that allows them to place magical traps, these are essentially spells that are placed ahead of time on a specific square, and are triggered either by the saboteur as a move action (one allowed per round) or upon a creature that walks upon that square.
The spells, or rather assemblies as they are called are prepared in slots, but this preparation takes only 1 minute per slot.
Multiple traps can be placed, up to her Intelligence modifier. This allows a saboteur to prepare a deadly battlefield is she has the time and knows where a battle will be fought. However someone skilled in disabling traps, like another saboteur for example, can disable and remove such placed assemblies.
The second major class feature is the ability to mark targets, this extraordinary ability allows the saboteur to choose a target and gain a variety of bonuses against them. Depending on the mark chosen this can be additional damage, a bonus on thieves skills, an attack bonus or a bonus on information gathering.
These two abilities, combined with an extensive list of talents allow a saboteur to prepare for and execute almost any kind of caper or infiltration.
Role: Saboteurs are skill-monkeys and problem solvers. They excel particularly if they have time to prepare for a battle. They are also excellent at solving various non-combat problems. The charlatan’s mark is useful both for diplomacy and theft, while the informant’s mark makes information gathering easy.
HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Ref, Will
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 6 + int mod
The Roots in the Stones are an order of druid saboteurs who seek to prevent the encroachment of civilization upon the wolds. The often spend years infiltrating and disrupt cities and towns. The Roots use seeds that rapidly grow into magical plants for their traps.
The mysterious Towers of Al-harshun stand lonely in the desert. Little is known about the towers as they are filled with deadly traps, but it is known that the highest floors contain many magical treasures. Those who seek to plunder or research the towers would do well to learn how to disable their traps.
The priests of the local temple of god of wealth and greed are in an uproar. Several important treasures have been taken from the vaults of several other temples. Now the priests have hurriedly started hiring aid to defend their vault from being next.
Friday, 12 June 2020
Aberrant Form
Aberrants are the most diverse and unusual class of beings in the world, almost more a classification for being that fit in no other group than anything else. This makes the idea of spells that allow one to take the form of any and all aberrations a great achievement for any transmuter.
The aberrant form I to aberrant form III spells allow casters to do just that. Just like beast form, form of the dragon and other such spells these spells allow you to choose an aberration of the allowed size and take their form, as well their natural attacks as well some of it’s abilities.
When taking the form of an aberration you get a scaling bonus to Constitution ans natural armor, depending on the size of the aberration. You also get a bonus to Strength and penalty to Dexterity for large forms and the reverse for smaller forms. Aberrant form II and aberrant form III also give a weaker version of the aberration’s energy resistances and damage reductions, though at the cost of copying vulnerabilities as well.
The biggest draw of the spells is the list of monster abilities that can be copied if the selected aberration has that ability. In keeping with the varied forms the spell copies ti is a pretty long list, containing among others: all-around vision, amorphous, climb, disease, engulf, fly, mucus cloud, poison, rend, sneak attack, swim, telepathy and web.
The last spell of the list can potentially grant immunity to mind-affecting effects.
School transmutation (polymorph) [mythos]
Level sorcerer/wizard 4/6/7
Components V, S, M (a piece of the creature whose form you wish to assume)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level
These spells are excellent both as buff spells and for problem solving, as the wide array of available forms and abilities can solve almost any problem. Mimics can be used for hiding and infiltrating enemy strongholds, Ghorazaghs can both fly and drain blood and Chuuls give access to both grappling claws and paralytic tentacles.
One downside of the spell is that even with the long list of available abilities it is still to short. Aberrations are often build around a unique ability or set of abilities and those are often missing from the list.
The Forest Kingdom Compendium has a similar set of spells Faerie Form I to IV that allow taking the form of fey. If you are interesting in playing an aberration full-time you can take a look at In the Company of Aberrations by Rite Publishing
The Followers of the Crooked Glyph are often credited as the original inventors of these spells. They are a collection of strange spellcasters who study the strange powers of aberrations to create new arcane magics.
Als'hk'aLaeer Whose Blessing Spreads Far is an Aboleth ethermagus whose mucus curses those transformed by it with not only with amphibic traits but also various aberrant traits. She uses this to empower her enslaved servants. She is currently working to take control of the underwater cave city of Coralscreep, intent on reacquiring an artifact held by the merfolk necromancers of that city.
Warping Folds are leaks from the Far Realm leak into the Material Plane. They are difficult to see but the keen-eyed can see the multicoloured light glowing around a corner hanging in the middle of the sky.
Living creatures exposed to these energies must make a Fort Save or be affected by an aberrant form spell and take 1d6 points of wisdom damage.
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 39
The aberrant form I to aberrant form III spells allow casters to do just that. Just like beast form, form of the dragon and other such spells these spells allow you to choose an aberration of the allowed size and take their form, as well their natural attacks as well some of it’s abilities.
When taking the form of an aberration you get a scaling bonus to Constitution ans natural armor, depending on the size of the aberration. You also get a bonus to Strength and penalty to Dexterity for large forms and the reverse for smaller forms. Aberrant form II and aberrant form III also give a weaker version of the aberration’s energy resistances and damage reductions, though at the cost of copying vulnerabilities as well.
The biggest draw of the spells is the list of monster abilities that can be copied if the selected aberration has that ability. In keeping with the varied forms the spell copies ti is a pretty long list, containing among others: all-around vision, amorphous, climb, disease, engulf, fly, mucus cloud, poison, rend, sneak attack, swim, telepathy and web.
The last spell of the list can potentially grant immunity to mind-affecting effects.
School transmutation (polymorph) [mythos]
Level sorcerer/wizard 4/6/7
Components V, S, M (a piece of the creature whose form you wish to assume)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level
These spells are excellent both as buff spells and for problem solving, as the wide array of available forms and abilities can solve almost any problem. Mimics can be used for hiding and infiltrating enemy strongholds, Ghorazaghs can both fly and drain blood and Chuuls give access to both grappling claws and paralytic tentacles.
One downside of the spell is that even with the long list of available abilities it is still to short. Aberrations are often build around a unique ability or set of abilities and those are often missing from the list.
The Forest Kingdom Compendium has a similar set of spells Faerie Form I to IV that allow taking the form of fey. If you are interesting in playing an aberration full-time you can take a look at In the Company of Aberrations by Rite Publishing
The Followers of the Crooked Glyph are often credited as the original inventors of these spells. They are a collection of strange spellcasters who study the strange powers of aberrations to create new arcane magics.
Als'hk'aLaeer Whose Blessing Spreads Far is an Aboleth ethermagus whose mucus curses those transformed by it with not only with amphibic traits but also various aberrant traits. She uses this to empower her enslaved servants. She is currently working to take control of the underwater cave city of Coralscreep, intent on reacquiring an artifact held by the merfolk necromancers of that city.
Warping Folds are leaks from the Far Realm leak into the Material Plane. They are difficult to see but the keen-eyed can see the multicoloured light glowing around a corner hanging in the middle of the sky.
Living creatures exposed to these energies must make a Fort Save or be affected by an aberrant form spell and take 1d6 points of wisdom damage.
Gothic Campaign Compendium, 39
Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Abyssal Tyrant Fiendfused
Fiendfused are the rare result of fiendish possession gone wrong. When the soul of a possessed mortal is destroyed or destructively removed the possessing fiend sometimes takes its place. As an outsider’s soul is the same as its body this causes the body of the mortal to take on aspects of the fused fiend.
In rarer cases a black-hearted and willful mortal can take control of the power of a possessing fiend, fusing that power into their body, or when a ressurrection in a deeply corrupted place drags a fiend in along with the mortal soul.
No matter how a fiendfused is created it is a messy and imperfect process. Usually most of both participant’s memories and personality are damaged or destroyed, with the remains fusing into a new being.
Abyssal tyrants are the result of the fusing of a mortal humanoid and a balor demon. As balor are the most powerful of the common demons they only rarely stoop to possessing mortals, only taking those mortals of great power and evil. This makes the differences between the two parties of the fusing, reducing the difficulty of the process significantly.
The few abyssal tyrants who exist are among the most dangerous and evil beings on the material planes. They almost universally rule large empires with heavy hand and brutal fear. They use their armies to spread violence and destruction, creating a reflection of the abyss upon the material plane.
CR 18
CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Combat Role: Brute
The abyssal tyrant has powerful melee attacks. Their ensnaring blades ensnare the victims in nets of force, forcing them to remain in reach of the tyrant’s attacks. The tyrant’s attacks are additionally filled with unholy damage, on top of that when a tyrant is struck by a critical attack a gout of hellfire lashes out at the assailant.
Agrador Flamefist was the dwarven ruler of one of the most feared and ruthless empires of history. He ruled for centuries with utter terror and ruthlessness. The greatest weapons of the empire were great rolling siege engines each powered by a captive balor demon. Many of these siege engines were build and still remain, as Agrador seemed to have known the true name of many balors.
A new villain has been striking out against the PCs. They have never seen the fiendish enemy before, but he looks strangely similar to a dead friend, and he seems to know things about them only their friends should know.
As the PCs act against a powerful tyrant they come across evidence that their enemy is preparing a mighty ritual. What is the purpose of the ritual, and can they stop it in time?
Malevolent Medium Monsters, 16
In rarer cases a black-hearted and willful mortal can take control of the power of a possessing fiend, fusing that power into their body, or when a ressurrection in a deeply corrupted place drags a fiend in along with the mortal soul.
No matter how a fiendfused is created it is a messy and imperfect process. Usually most of both participant’s memories and personality are damaged or destroyed, with the remains fusing into a new being.
Abyssal tyrants are the result of the fusing of a mortal humanoid and a balor demon. As balor are the most powerful of the common demons they only rarely stoop to possessing mortals, only taking those mortals of great power and evil. This makes the differences between the two parties of the fusing, reducing the difficulty of the process significantly.
The few abyssal tyrants who exist are among the most dangerous and evil beings on the material planes. They almost universally rule large empires with heavy hand and brutal fear. They use their armies to spread violence and destruction, creating a reflection of the abyss upon the material plane.
CR 18
CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Combat Role: Brute
The abyssal tyrant has powerful melee attacks. Their ensnaring blades ensnare the victims in nets of force, forcing them to remain in reach of the tyrant’s attacks. The tyrant’s attacks are additionally filled with unholy damage, on top of that when a tyrant is struck by a critical attack a gout of hellfire lashes out at the assailant.
Agrador Flamefist was the dwarven ruler of one of the most feared and ruthless empires of history. He ruled for centuries with utter terror and ruthlessness. The greatest weapons of the empire were great rolling siege engines each powered by a captive balor demon. Many of these siege engines were build and still remain, as Agrador seemed to have known the true name of many balors.
A new villain has been striking out against the PCs. They have never seen the fiendish enemy before, but he looks strangely similar to a dead friend, and he seems to know things about them only their friends should know.
As the PCs act against a powerful tyrant they come across evidence that their enemy is preparing a mighty ritual. What is the purpose of the ritual, and can they stop it in time?
Malevolent Medium Monsters, 16
Tuesday, 9 June 2020
Legendary Games's Adventure Path Plug-Ins
This is the third set of books I will be going through. I have chosen these book because of the varied content and generally high quality of Legendary Games products.
As the name implies these books are intended to add additional options for both game masters and players who are playing Paizo's adventure paths. While some of the add-ons are extra adventures that can be slotted into the adventure path, most of them add additional character options and thematic new rules and systems.
The added content is as varied as the adventure path themselves, so you never know what is coming next!
Monday, 8 June 2020
Almagam Creature
Many of the strangest creatures in D&D have been explained as the result of mad wizards experimenting on life. Often these are hybrid animals like owlbears or vizzerdrix, but many stranger combinations exist as well.
The amalgam creature template is a tool for the dm to make their owl bizarre hybrid to populate the tower of the latest mad wizard.
The template allows you to take any creature and combine it with any other creature. This involves taking the best of both creatures and adding a third of the HD of the weaker base creature on top of the HD of the stronger creature. Obviously this is a very complex process, and the CR of the resulting monster will have to be assessed manually, but the unpredictable result is often worth it, as this template can help even more than most with surprising even the most knowledgeable player.
The ways hybrids can be created is as varied as the results. Some are created by skilled craftsman with clarity of purpose, while others are the result of madmen playing with forces they barely understand. Natural and unnatural processes can also create mad results, from collapsing planes dumping mutated and merged survivors on the material plane, to the children of powerful magical being carrying traits of both parents.
In other cases the monsters created with this templates are not hybrids but entirely their own, simply another strange creature in the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.
The idea of hybrid creatures is nothing new, and of course there are other ways to create hybrids of various kinds. Bloodforge from Dreamscarred press has a large collection of hybrid player races, as well as several half-something templates. The old 3.0e sourcebook Savage Species has a selection of templates, including the Tauric Creature template that lets you stick a humanoid on a larger creature. The Complete book of Eldrich Might has a spell that allows creating temporary almagams, including a lot of variance depending on which of the two targets fail their Fortitude or Will saves.
And a favorite of mine is Crossbreeding: Flesh and Blood from the Encyclopedia Arcane line. This is an entire book about the subject, including rules for players to be the mad wizard for once.
Adamāra (Bunyip/Wyvern) are deadly predators that hunt in both the Ocean Below and the Seas Above of Mar-Samadura.
The Magocratic citystate of Achen’Daroth is widely known and feared for the great magical wonders its rulers have created over the centuries. It is the latest magitech factory that has their neighbors watching fearfully, for in that new complex of spell engines, ritual chambers and ley conductors massive numbers of hybrid soldiers are being created.
One of the greatest feats of alchemy is the ability to distill the essence of a creature into a potion that can temporarily grant the abilities of that creature to the drinker. These potions are lesser artifacts on the level of the Alchemist’s Stone or the Sun Orchid Elixir.
Monsters of Porphyra, 6
The amalgam creature template is a tool for the dm to make their owl bizarre hybrid to populate the tower of the latest mad wizard.
The template allows you to take any creature and combine it with any other creature. This involves taking the best of both creatures and adding a third of the HD of the weaker base creature on top of the HD of the stronger creature. Obviously this is a very complex process, and the CR of the resulting monster will have to be assessed manually, but the unpredictable result is often worth it, as this template can help even more than most with surprising even the most knowledgeable player.
The ways hybrids can be created is as varied as the results. Some are created by skilled craftsman with clarity of purpose, while others are the result of madmen playing with forces they barely understand. Natural and unnatural processes can also create mad results, from collapsing planes dumping mutated and merged survivors on the material plane, to the children of powerful magical being carrying traits of both parents.
In other cases the monsters created with this templates are not hybrids but entirely their own, simply another strange creature in the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons.
The idea of hybrid creatures is nothing new, and of course there are other ways to create hybrids of various kinds. Bloodforge from Dreamscarred press has a large collection of hybrid player races, as well as several half-something templates. The old 3.0e sourcebook Savage Species has a selection of templates, including the Tauric Creature template that lets you stick a humanoid on a larger creature. The Complete book of Eldrich Might has a spell that allows creating temporary almagams, including a lot of variance depending on which of the two targets fail their Fortitude or Will saves.
And a favorite of mine is Crossbreeding: Flesh and Blood from the Encyclopedia Arcane line. This is an entire book about the subject, including rules for players to be the mad wizard for once.
Adamāra (Bunyip/Wyvern) are deadly predators that hunt in both the Ocean Below and the Seas Above of Mar-Samadura.
The Magocratic citystate of Achen’Daroth is widely known and feared for the great magical wonders its rulers have created over the centuries. It is the latest magitech factory that has their neighbors watching fearfully, for in that new complex of spell engines, ritual chambers and ley conductors massive numbers of hybrid soldiers are being created.
One of the greatest feats of alchemy is the ability to distill the essence of a creature into a potion that can temporarily grant the abilities of that creature to the drinker. These potions are lesser artifacts on the level of the Alchemist’s Stone or the Sun Orchid Elixir.
Monsters of Porphyra, 6
Friday, 5 June 2020
Alticorn of Idumea
The gods of good are frequently underestimated, where evil gods stomp around destroying all before them or brew evil schemes that reach across the planes their opposites much less dangerous. To think so is of course a foolish mistake.
The alticorn of Idumea is a living example that even the patience of the good gods has limits. It looks like a giant unicorn whose coat is red as blood. The gods call forth the alticirn when evil is entrenched behind great walls and within the strongest of fortresses, for the alticorn is a living siege engine who can tear apart these fortifications with ease.
Like any manifestation of the wrath of the gods the alticorn is frequently imprecise and heedless of collateral damage. As its mighty hoofs and horn tear apart the hiding places of tyrants all to often the oppressed are in just as much danger.
CR: 14
CG Gargantuan outsider
Combat Role: Bruiser, Charger
The alticorn of Idumea is more likely to function as a dangerous ally than as an enemy, though if you are playing an evil campaign the appearance of the alticorn can signify they have entered the big leagues, as a minor rebellion suddenly becomes a real threat to them.
The alticorn is probably best used when the players are still low level, making the great creature almost as awe-inspiring and dangerous to them as it is to their enemies. For high level parties however the alticorn can function as an ally or as a way into places they cannot otherwise get into.
Mythic Alticorns of Idumea are called upon when the greatest holdfasts of evil must be torn down. Their size is even greater and they can use mythic power to use mythic dispel magic on the target of their Wall Piercer ability before rolling for the attack.
The alticorn of Idumea can be summoned to do battle against evil with an occult ritual. This ritual requires several successful Knowledge (planes) and Knowledge (religion), as well as the cornestone of a destroyed caste of an evil lord. The summoner should beware though, for if summoned without just cause the wrath of the alticorn may fall upon them instead.
The PCs are sneaking into a city ruled by the villain when the alticorn of Idumea suddenly appears and starts tearing the city apart. The PCs now have to get innocents out of the way while also completing their original mission.
Monsters of Porphyra 1, 4
The alticorn of Idumea is a living example that even the patience of the good gods has limits. It looks like a giant unicorn whose coat is red as blood. The gods call forth the alticirn when evil is entrenched behind great walls and within the strongest of fortresses, for the alticorn is a living siege engine who can tear apart these fortifications with ease.
Like any manifestation of the wrath of the gods the alticorn is frequently imprecise and heedless of collateral damage. As its mighty hoofs and horn tear apart the hiding places of tyrants all to often the oppressed are in just as much danger.
CR: 14
CG Gargantuan outsider
Combat Role: Bruiser, Charger
The alticorn of Idumea is more likely to function as a dangerous ally than as an enemy, though if you are playing an evil campaign the appearance of the alticorn can signify they have entered the big leagues, as a minor rebellion suddenly becomes a real threat to them.
The alticorn is probably best used when the players are still low level, making the great creature almost as awe-inspiring and dangerous to them as it is to their enemies. For high level parties however the alticorn can function as an ally or as a way into places they cannot otherwise get into.
Mythic Alticorns of Idumea are called upon when the greatest holdfasts of evil must be torn down. Their size is even greater and they can use mythic power to use mythic dispel magic on the target of their Wall Piercer ability before rolling for the attack.
The alticorn of Idumea can be summoned to do battle against evil with an occult ritual. This ritual requires several successful Knowledge (planes) and Knowledge (religion), as well as the cornestone of a destroyed caste of an evil lord. The summoner should beware though, for if summoned without just cause the wrath of the alticorn may fall upon them instead.
The PCs are sneaking into a city ruled by the villain when the alticorn of Idumea suddenly appears and starts tearing the city apart. The PCs now have to get innocents out of the way while also completing their original mission.
Monsters of Porphyra 1, 4
Wednesday, 3 June 2020
Alley Hag
Hags are widely known to be evil and hideous monsters who lair in remote and foreboding wilderness. They are deadly and the villain in many a fairytale, but civilized folk need not worry about encountering them.
It is exactly this preconception that the alley hag makes good use of.
Alley hags look like ugly elderly women, with broken tile and scrap metal and unusually large and snaggle-toothed jaws. They hide amidst the urban poor where they delight in petty evil, using nasty rumor and nasty pranks to set people against one another. Nothing delights these creatures more than to drive neighbors to murder while they cackle in the shadows.
If possible they will try to set themselves up as a sort of local wise women, feared but neccesary for the poor. Visiting bad luck and cruelty upon those who fail to heed her words.
Their powers are limited to the most minor of curses, disguising themselves and infusing stones with harmful magic. Their most versatile and potent ability is their control over the vermin that infests the cities they call home, usually rats and . These vermin minions are compelled to swarm their enemies in battle, and used as spies and messengers. This combined with minor divinations give the average alley hag impressive knowledge of the cities they reside in.
Alley hags often use occult rituals or deals with evil powers to augment their minor magical talent, and the lost children of the street are their favorite sacrifices for such magics
The least among the hags, alley hags are not very powerful combatants, they lack powerful spells and have decidedly average stats. They do make for interesting and capable low-level plot drivers though. Between disguise self, good social skills and vermin minions a coven can serve as excellent bad guys for a starting urban adventure against 1st or 2nd level party.
Alley hags are deeply familiar with the slums they live in, and will always try to move the fight to favorable terrain or use others to do their dirty work.
CR: 3
NE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Combat Role: All-rounder
In contrast to most hags alley hags are poor spellcasters, their only combat spells are doom and magic stone. Their close combat ability is also decidedly average. Their only interesting option in a fight is the ability to summon a 5 HD or lower swarm, which should be done at the very start of the fight at the earliest. Then magic stone can be used to deal ranged damage before going melee.
The PCs need information about someone or something hidden in a large city. All the beggars and slumdwellers point them to an old woman, living alone in a rat infested shack. None of them are willing to introduce them to her however.
The cliff-cities of the Sigessua lizardfolk have few rats, pidgeons and other such common vermin. Instead a hardy desert lizard called craggthoots are the most common pests. The Sigessua will exterminate these creatures whenever found, for they believe that they attract dangerous hags when allowed to gather in numbers.
Kassei is the trusted advisor of Lochter, a famously brutal gangleader. The foul hag uses vermin to gather information and as watch-outs. She also haruspicy, her favored subjects for this are young children, whose skulls she keeps as keepsakes.
It is exactly this preconception that the alley hag makes good use of.
Alley hags look like ugly elderly women, with broken tile and scrap metal and unusually large and snaggle-toothed jaws. They hide amidst the urban poor where they delight in petty evil, using nasty rumor and nasty pranks to set people against one another. Nothing delights these creatures more than to drive neighbors to murder while they cackle in the shadows.
If possible they will try to set themselves up as a sort of local wise women, feared but neccesary for the poor. Visiting bad luck and cruelty upon those who fail to heed her words.
Their powers are limited to the most minor of curses, disguising themselves and infusing stones with harmful magic. Their most versatile and potent ability is their control over the vermin that infests the cities they call home, usually rats and . These vermin minions are compelled to swarm their enemies in battle, and used as spies and messengers. This combined with minor divinations give the average alley hag impressive knowledge of the cities they reside in.
Alley hags often use occult rituals or deals with evil powers to augment their minor magical talent, and the lost children of the street are their favorite sacrifices for such magics
The least among the hags, alley hags are not very powerful combatants, they lack powerful spells and have decidedly average stats. They do make for interesting and capable low-level plot drivers though. Between disguise self, good social skills and vermin minions a coven can serve as excellent bad guys for a starting urban adventure against 1st or 2nd level party.
Alley hags are deeply familiar with the slums they live in, and will always try to move the fight to favorable terrain or use others to do their dirty work.
CR: 3
NE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Combat Role: All-rounder
In contrast to most hags alley hags are poor spellcasters, their only combat spells are doom and magic stone. Their close combat ability is also decidedly average. Their only interesting option in a fight is the ability to summon a 5 HD or lower swarm, which should be done at the very start of the fight at the earliest. Then magic stone can be used to deal ranged damage before going melee.
The PCs need information about someone or something hidden in a large city. All the beggars and slumdwellers point them to an old woman, living alone in a rat infested shack. None of them are willing to introduce them to her however.
The cliff-cities of the Sigessua lizardfolk have few rats, pidgeons and other such common vermin. Instead a hardy desert lizard called craggthoots are the most common pests. The Sigessua will exterminate these creatures whenever found, for they believe that they attract dangerous hags when allowed to gather in numbers.
Kassei is the trusted advisor of Lochter, a famously brutal gangleader. The foul hag uses vermin to gather information and as watch-outs. She also haruspicy, her favored subjects for this are young children, whose skulls she keeps as keepsakes.
Monsters of Porphyra 2 p. 112
Monday, 1 June 2020
Alchemist's Hound
The alchemist’s hound is a relatively simple clockwork construct that has been augmented with alchemical engines. These are used to pick up the slack for the simple clockwork apparatuses, and most importantly power the alchemist’s cannon that is an alchemist’s hound’s primary armament.
Unfortunately the alchemical devices incorporated in the constructs are rather unstable, and any damage an alchemist’s hound takes is often exacerbated by it’s internal workings exploding, harming both the construct and any nearby people.
Alchemist’s hounds are commonly shaped like wolves, with some examples even build with real wolf pelt covering the internal gears, pistons and bubbling beakers. In combat the constructs behave similarly to wolves, being deployed in packs and capable of dragging targets to the ground. In addition the alchemist’s cannon can spew a blast of fire or acid a few times per day.
CR: 3
N Medium Construct (clockwork)
Combat Role: Close Combat, Area Control
Alchemist’s hounds are pretty useful monsters. Their low CR makes them available earlier than most constructs, and allows you to use multiple of them at later levels as flanking and front line units.
The clockwork subtype adds Lightning Reflexes and Improved Initiative, this combines with the trip bonus to keep the players close by.
The heavy clockwork knights of the World’s Clock are supported in war by packs of alchemist’s hounds build en mass by the Clockhearts.
The Jammed Wastes are filled with broken clockwork and great broken apparatuses. For the skilled and resourceful however these are exceptional resources for powerful and highly customized companions.
The cheap basic construction of alchemist’s hounds has given rise to a vast variety of specialized models. Smaller alchemist’s hounds with proper disguises are sometimes used as a sort of bodyguard by ladies of high class. Groups of hounds are sometimes build with aetheric fluid resonators to create deadly hunting packs.
Monsters of Porphyra 2 p. 9
Unfortunately the alchemical devices incorporated in the constructs are rather unstable, and any damage an alchemist’s hound takes is often exacerbated by it’s internal workings exploding, harming both the construct and any nearby people.
Alchemist’s hounds are commonly shaped like wolves, with some examples even build with real wolf pelt covering the internal gears, pistons and bubbling beakers. In combat the constructs behave similarly to wolves, being deployed in packs and capable of dragging targets to the ground. In addition the alchemist’s cannon can spew a blast of fire or acid a few times per day.
CR: 3
N Medium Construct (clockwork)
Combat Role: Close Combat, Area Control
Alchemist’s hounds are pretty useful monsters. Their low CR makes them available earlier than most constructs, and allows you to use multiple of them at later levels as flanking and front line units.
The clockwork subtype adds Lightning Reflexes and Improved Initiative, this combines with the trip bonus to keep the players close by.
The heavy clockwork knights of the World’s Clock are supported in war by packs of alchemist’s hounds build en mass by the Clockhearts.
The Jammed Wastes are filled with broken clockwork and great broken apparatuses. For the skilled and resourceful however these are exceptional resources for powerful and highly customized companions.
The cheap basic construction of alchemist’s hounds has given rise to a vast variety of specialized models. Smaller alchemist’s hounds with proper disguises are sometimes used as a sort of bodyguard by ladies of high class. Groups of hounds are sometimes build with aetheric fluid resonators to create deadly hunting packs.
Monsters of Porphyra 2 p. 9
Sunday, 31 May 2020
Alcestus
The natural world faces many dangers, from the axes of humanoids, to rampaging outsiders. Fortunately for all there are just as many defenders who rise to defend the wilds. Alcesti are one example of such.
These defenders are formed from large herbivores with celestial ancestry. They keep their form, but with wings and large antlers.
In combat an Alcestus strikes telling blows with hoofs and antlers. Beams of force strike form their antlers, both defending from arrows and striking unerringly at enemies.
They usually live among herds of their kind, but when their environment is in danger they move to strike against it. Both this and the value of their antlers for the creation of magical items lead them to be hunted by many.
For those living peacefully in or near the roaming grounds of alcesti often see them as messagers of the gods, and on occasion alcesti do indeed serve as such.
Thunder Rolling Along the Plains is the great horse spirit who guards the vast savannas in the center of Behisris. His hoofsoldiers are celestial horses with wings of grass and antlers of wood.
The Count of South-Belgrad has invited nobles from far and white for a great hunt. The greatest prize is a large hind with golden antlers that has been spotted in the count’s lands. In truth however the count uses the hunt as a way to get rid of the Alcestus that has been blocking his attempts to turn an ancient forest into farmlands.
As the party is traveling through dense woodlands they see a strange animal. It looks a bit like a brown horse or deer, but with striped legs and crystalline antlers. They keep seeing the animal, and it looks like it wants to lead them somewhere.
These defenders are formed from large herbivores with celestial ancestry. They keep their form, but with wings and large antlers.
In combat an Alcestus strikes telling blows with hoofs and antlers. Beams of force strike form their antlers, both defending from arrows and striking unerringly at enemies.
They usually live among herds of their kind, but when their environment is in danger they move to strike against it. Both this and the value of their antlers for the creation of magical items lead them to be hunted by many.
For those living peacefully in or near the roaming grounds of alcesti often see them as messagers of the gods, and on occasion alcesti do indeed serve as such.
It is said that great champions of nature are at times presented an alcestus as companion and mount.
CR: 5
NG Large Magical Beast
Combat Role: All-rounder, ally
CR: 5
NG Large Magical Beast
Combat Role: All-rounder, ally
Thunder Rolling Along the Plains is the great horse spirit who guards the vast savannas in the center of Behisris. His hoofsoldiers are celestial horses with wings of grass and antlers of wood.
The Count of South-Belgrad has invited nobles from far and white for a great hunt. The greatest prize is a large hind with golden antlers that has been spotted in the count’s lands. In truth however the count uses the hunt as a way to get rid of the Alcestus that has been blocking his attempts to turn an ancient forest into farmlands.
As the party is traveling through dense woodlands they see a strange animal. It looks a bit like a brown horse or deer, but with striped legs and crystalline antlers. They keep seeing the animal, and it looks like it wants to lead them somewhere.
Monsters of Porphyra 3 p. 18
Saturday, 30 May 2020
Nightblade GM’s Notes
The major advantage of using 3PP material as dm is that players are likely to be less familiar with it. This allows you to surprise them with unusual and unexpected opponents and problems.
The great versatility of the nightblade means you can create an entire group of nightblades that are clearly different while still being similar. Or create faraway places or planes where there are no rogues, magi or sorcerers, only nightblades with different paths.
Along a rarely used trade road, in the shadow of a lonely mountain stands a small inn. While The Shadowed Rest seems ordinary at first glance anyone who stays the night soon notices that the place has two entrances. The second entrance opens to an open field along a remote road, and though always dark there are no stars there.
The PCs are asked for help by a small trading company. Their main trading partner has recently fallen silent, and they need help in figuring out what happened. They should prepare for a difficult adventure, for the Sunlit World is a dangerous place for natives of The Shadow Realm.
A shadowy figure is seen outside the PCs camp several nights in a row. The figure follows them wherever they go, and tries to communicate in cryptic ways.
The great versatility of the nightblade means you can create an entire group of nightblades that are clearly different while still being similar. Or create faraway places or planes where there are no rogues, magi or sorcerers, only nightblades with different paths.
Along a rarely used trade road, in the shadow of a lonely mountain stands a small inn. While The Shadowed Rest seems ordinary at first glance anyone who stays the night soon notices that the place has two entrances. The second entrance opens to an open field along a remote road, and though always dark there are no stars there.
The PCs are asked for help by a small trading company. Their main trading partner has recently fallen silent, and they need help in figuring out what happened. They should prepare for a difficult adventure, for the Sunlit World is a dangerous place for natives of The Shadow Realm.
A shadowy figure is seen outside the PCs camp several nights in a row. The figure follows them wherever they go, and tries to communicate in cryptic ways.
Thursday, 28 May 2020
Nightblade Player’s Notes
The nightblade is a versatile class, each of the paths gives another specialization in playstyles. All nightblades are fundamentally rogues with some spellcasting however. The lack of sneak attack or a similar class feature means that you need to make good use of the spells and path power to be a useful member of the party.
When it comes to multiclassing or gestalt sneaky classes like rogue have a lot of overlap, so look at improving either spellcasting or martial abilities. Charisma based casters are always useful. On the martial side there are plenty of classes who also make good use of charisma, like the swashbuckler.
There are a lot of shadow based 3pp classes, mostly because Paizo never made their own. Interjection Games made Ultimate Antipodism that holds several light and dark based classes. The Shadow Weaver is a shadow caster. If you want to make a darkness based wizard or sorcerer take a look at 101 Shadow and Darkness Spells.
The dread is a similar class that uses psionics instead of darkness.
Most who wield the magic of shadow seek to remain hidden. Not so for Duke Ezravor al’ Argentange! He is a widely renowned knave, womanizer and master of the rapier! He is the greatest symbol of hope for those suffering under the tyranny of Governor of La Barajah.
Dreadful Shadows
You know well how to use your enemies fear of darkness against them.
Prerequisites: Devastating Touch, Shadow Surge
Benefit: You can expend a shadow surge part the same action as using your devastating touch. If you do so can can use your devastating touch as a ranged touch attack with 60 ft. range.
Bugbears are known for being surprisingly stealthy. The bugbears in the icy forest realm of Snowbough in particular are talented at disappearing into the shadows.
When it comes to multiclassing or gestalt sneaky classes like rogue have a lot of overlap, so look at improving either spellcasting or martial abilities. Charisma based casters are always useful. On the martial side there are plenty of classes who also make good use of charisma, like the swashbuckler.
There are a lot of shadow based 3pp classes, mostly because Paizo never made their own. Interjection Games made Ultimate Antipodism that holds several light and dark based classes. The Shadow Weaver is a shadow caster. If you want to make a darkness based wizard or sorcerer take a look at 101 Shadow and Darkness Spells.
The dread is a similar class that uses psionics instead of darkness.
Most who wield the magic of shadow seek to remain hidden. Not so for Duke Ezravor al’ Argentange! He is a widely renowned knave, womanizer and master of the rapier! He is the greatest symbol of hope for those suffering under the tyranny of Governor of La Barajah.
Dreadful Shadows
You know well how to use your enemies fear of darkness against them.
Prerequisites: Devastating Touch, Shadow Surge
Benefit: You can expend a shadow surge part the same action as using your devastating touch. If you do so can can use your devastating touch as a ranged touch attack with 60 ft. range.
Bugbears are known for being surprisingly stealthy. The bugbears in the icy forest realm of Snowbough in particular are talented at disappearing into the shadows.
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Nightblade Class Features
The nightblade can best be summed up as a rogue with shadow magic. They are proficient in the use of simple weapons and a limited selection of martial weapons, and the spiked chain. They are also proficient in light armor and can cast their spells in such armor.
Nightblade spells range from level 1 to 6, including cantrips and use the same progression as that of the bard. The strength of the nightblade’s spells and powers depend on their force of personality.
At level one a path is selected, each path gives it’s own path power, a way to use the shadow surge, path techniques at levels 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20, as well as access to a few nightblade arts. The chosen path has a major effect on how the class plays.
The five paths are:
A second and third surge can be stored at level 8 and 17.
At third level and every three levels thereafter a nightblade arts can be chosen, amongst other things these give new ways to use shadow surges. Nightblade arts can also be exchanged for rogue talents and combats feats.
At the same time nightblades learn to see in the dark, gaining darkvision 30 and Blind-Fight from level 3. This is improved to darkvision 60 at level 9. At level 14 the ability to see perfectly in both natural and magical darkness.
At eighth level hide in plain sight is gained.
Experienced Nightblades can shadow shift, this allows teleportation like dimension door up to 30 feet per level per day. This counts as the ability to use dimension door for feats like Dimensional Agility.
The penultimate class feature is shadowy realism, which ads 20% reality to shadow spells, though this sadly does not stack with other such abilities.
Finally the capstone is gained from the nightblade’s path.
The Diarchs of the sun and the moon prefer honesty and openness in their dealings. But for those times where subterfuge and even a blade in the dark is truly needed the shadowbolts are called upon. These operatives are personally blessed by the diarch of to moon with great powers over shadows and darkness.
Kress Frestings believes that if she kills and devours enough of the living she can return to life herself. For this purpose she as been stalking and devouring the life of people in the city. After decades of of murders she is becoming impatient, and now she seeks to create a cult dedicated to a diety of disease and release a plague to create thousands of dead to feast upon.
Deepshadow Gates, or their natural occuring counterparts Deepshadow Caves allow practitioners of shadow magic to travel rapidly between them. A rare ritual allows one to temporarily destroy these places of power to gain the ability to shadow shift yourself.
Nightblade spells range from level 1 to 6, including cantrips and use the same progression as that of the bard. The strength of the nightblade’s spells and powers depend on their force of personality.
At level one a path is selected, each path gives it’s own path power, a way to use the shadow surge, path techniques at levels 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20, as well as access to a few nightblade arts. The chosen path has a major effect on how the class plays.
The five paths are:
- The Path of the Bloodied Chain, which creates areas filled with shadowy chains that hinder and frighten all who are caught within.
- The Path of the Darkened Fortress, nightblades who follow this path learn to create weapons, items, an arcane bond and even a dark citadel in their own corner of the shadow plane.
- Path of the Eternal Night, these nightblades create a shoud of negative energy around themselves. They devour the life force of dying enemies to empower themselves.
- Path of the Ravaging Void, whose specialization lies in shadow evocations. Any evocation spell can be cast using half-real shadowstuff.
- Path of the Twilight Veil, those who follow this path use shadow magic to deceive their enemies with the unreal. Their illusions can hide the nighblade and her allies, or leave her opponents sick disoriented and lost.
A second and third surge can be stored at level 8 and 17.
At third level and every three levels thereafter a nightblade arts can be chosen, amongst other things these give new ways to use shadow surges. Nightblade arts can also be exchanged for rogue talents and combats feats.
At the same time nightblades learn to see in the dark, gaining darkvision 30 and Blind-Fight from level 3. This is improved to darkvision 60 at level 9. At level 14 the ability to see perfectly in both natural and magical darkness.
At eighth level hide in plain sight is gained.
Experienced Nightblades can shadow shift, this allows teleportation like dimension door up to 30 feet per level per day. This counts as the ability to use dimension door for feats like Dimensional Agility.
The penultimate class feature is shadowy realism, which ads 20% reality to shadow spells, though this sadly does not stack with other such abilities.
Finally the capstone is gained from the nightblade’s path.
The Diarchs of the sun and the moon prefer honesty and openness in their dealings. But for those times where subterfuge and even a blade in the dark is truly needed the shadowbolts are called upon. These operatives are personally blessed by the diarch of to moon with great powers over shadows and darkness.
Kress Frestings believes that if she kills and devours enough of the living she can return to life herself. For this purpose she as been stalking and devouring the life of people in the city. After decades of of murders she is becoming impatient, and now she seeks to create a cult dedicated to a diety of disease and release a plague to create thousands of dead to feast upon.
Deepshadow Gates, or their natural occuring counterparts Deepshadow Caves allow practitioners of shadow magic to travel rapidly between them. A rare ritual allows one to temporarily destroy these places of power to gain the ability to shadow shift yourself.
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Alaihar
While these creatures look like majestic and colorful birds, they are in fact an offshoot of true dragons. Alaihars show their ancestry in their fiery breath weapon, scintillating feathers and great mastery of magic.
An alaihar is capable of casting spells as an eighth level sorcerer, but also treats cleric spells as arcane and can learn spells from that list in addition to wizard/sorcerer spells.
The habit of young alaihars to seek battle against evil leads many of these proud dragons to die young. In contrast the calmer and wiser elders prefer to act as mentors and advisers to young heroes.
CR 10
LG Small Dragon
Combat Role: Spellcaster, Hit and Run
According to dragon legends an ancient red dragon who bested his golden rival sought to humiliate his enemy yet further by transforming him into a mere bird. The power of the golden dragon could not be unmade so easily however, and the descendants of the dragon showed much of the powers of true dragons.
The falling gardens of Attylon are famed above all for the countless birds of paradise that make their homes there. But only the priest-emperor himself knows of the Alaihar who are his foremost advisors.
An evil abjurer seeks the last ingredient he needs to close a city of from the gods themselves. The living heart of an 800 years old Alaihar.
An alaihar is capable of casting spells as an eighth level sorcerer, but also treats cleric spells as arcane and can learn spells from that list in addition to wizard/sorcerer spells.
The habit of young alaihars to seek battle against evil leads many of these proud dragons to die young. In contrast the calmer and wiser elders prefer to act as mentors and advisers to young heroes.
CR 10
LG Small Dragon
Combat Role: Spellcaster, Hit and Run
According to dragon legends an ancient red dragon who bested his golden rival sought to humiliate his enemy yet further by transforming him into a mere bird. The power of the golden dragon could not be unmade so easily however, and the descendants of the dragon showed much of the powers of true dragons.
The falling gardens of Attylon are famed above all for the countless birds of paradise that make their homes there. But only the priest-emperor himself knows of the Alaihar who are his foremost advisors.
An evil abjurer seeks the last ingredient he needs to close a city of from the gods themselves. The living heart of an 800 years old Alaihar.
Monsters of Porphyra, page 3
Monday, 25 May 2020
Nightblade Intro
For most adventurers darkness is an enemy. In the dark dungeons and shadowed ruins they most commonly explore it is ever-present, hiding trap and enemy alike. Their enemies on the other hand can almost universally see in the dark, making being detected and ambushed almost unavoidable.
It is hardly strange that players have wanted to wield the darkness for themselves. Since the very first editions of D&D the Thief and Assassin have skulked in the darkness, and already in AD&D the wizard could take the Shadow Mage kit to use darkness based magic.
The Nightblade is the centerpiece class of The Book of Shadows. It uses the basic chassis of the rogue, with shadow magic instead of sneak attacking. Their spellcasting follows the bard’s progression, with Charisma as their spellcasting modifier. The spell list is varied, with mostly utility and evocations. It obviously contains a large number of shadow and darkness spells.
The class is impressively customizable. Every nightblade must select a specialization called a path at level 1. A path provides a series of unique powers and abilities with a central theme spread out over the nightblade’s levels, as well as access to several distinct nightblade arts. Nightblade Arts are the talents of the class, and among other things allow the nightblade to expand upon their class features and can be exchanged one to one for combat feats or rogue talents.
Role: Nightblades are skill monkeys and stealth specialists. Their shadow spells add versatility both in and out of combat. Their chosen Path and nightblade arts determine their exact role in combat, but their place is always on the side of the battle.
HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Ref, Will
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (planes), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 6 + int mod
When the denizens of Calignos first fled underground to escape the Earthfall the local thieves guild fled with them. These assassins and thieves were the most eager students of the Forsaken, and when the owbs first showed themselves to the Dark Folk they hid themselves away from these new overlords. To this day their decedents worship the Forsaken on the edges of Dark Folk society, stealing away and training any Caligni throwbacks they can take.
A dwarven hold in in turmoil since the leader of the mining guild has been found assassinated in his private office. In the weeks since more high ranked miners have been found muredered in ever more guarded rooms. Rumors say a shadowy figure has been seen moving through stone walls, and that the murders are connected to a large new mining operation that was being planned.
Yami stalks the Chasm to Shadow, preferring to take the fight to the enemies of life over playing the guiding role his fellow manasaputras favor. He has learned to wield the shadows he casts as a deadly weapon.
It is hardly strange that players have wanted to wield the darkness for themselves. Since the very first editions of D&D the Thief and Assassin have skulked in the darkness, and already in AD&D the wizard could take the Shadow Mage kit to use darkness based magic.
The Nightblade is the centerpiece class of The Book of Shadows. It uses the basic chassis of the rogue, with shadow magic instead of sneak attacking. Their spellcasting follows the bard’s progression, with Charisma as their spellcasting modifier. The spell list is varied, with mostly utility and evocations. It obviously contains a large number of shadow and darkness spells.
The class is impressively customizable. Every nightblade must select a specialization called a path at level 1. A path provides a series of unique powers and abilities with a central theme spread out over the nightblade’s levels, as well as access to several distinct nightblade arts. Nightblade Arts are the talents of the class, and among other things allow the nightblade to expand upon their class features and can be exchanged one to one for combat feats or rogue talents.
Role: Nightblades are skill monkeys and stealth specialists. Their shadow spells add versatility both in and out of combat. Their chosen Path and nightblade arts determine their exact role in combat, but their place is always on the side of the battle.
HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Ref, Will
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (planes), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 6 + int mod
When the denizens of Calignos first fled underground to escape the Earthfall the local thieves guild fled with them. These assassins and thieves were the most eager students of the Forsaken, and when the owbs first showed themselves to the Dark Folk they hid themselves away from these new overlords. To this day their decedents worship the Forsaken on the edges of Dark Folk society, stealing away and training any Caligni throwbacks they can take.
A dwarven hold in in turmoil since the leader of the mining guild has been found assassinated in his private office. In the weeks since more high ranked miners have been found muredered in ever more guarded rooms. Rumors say a shadowy figure has been seen moving through stone walls, and that the murders are connected to a large new mining operation that was being planned.
Yami stalks the Chasm to Shadow, preferring to take the fight to the enemies of life over playing the guiding role his fellow manasaputras favor. He has learned to wield the shadows he casts as a deadly weapon.
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