Stuff and Stuff

As some of you are aware, I broke my wrist, which has seriously hampered my output. That wasn't the only thing hampering my output; I haven't been firing on all cylinders for months before that. Things take their toll. I was just getting my mojo on when life stepped in....or, more accurately, when I slipped on the ice and fell.

On the Other Hand....

(....which would be my left....)

My mojo doesn't seem to have suffered from the break. Just my typing!

Goodman Games has a kickstarter for The Monster Alphabet by the Amazing Jobe Bitman (with Manly Michael Curtis). You will note the new printing of GM Gems as part of the kickstarter, with DCC rules conversion by Yours Truly.

Likewise, this Con season, if you happen to play in The Hypercube of Myt, I was given a chance to work on this super-funnel, and I hope you like it. The other creators are a whose-who of cool in the DCC world!

If you haven't picked up The Portsmouth Mermaid from Purple Duck Games yet, you should. I have a related creature submitted to Crawl #11, which I hope will make it into that issue. Also, I sent a critter to Crawling Under a Broken Moon which might find some use in your game. I devised it to help bridge The Mall Maul in CUaBM #3 with Anomalous Subsurface Environment.

Likewise, The Treasure Vaults of Zadabad is well worth the purchase. Wrath of the Frost Queen is a bit pricier as a pdf, but I enjoyed the adventure and had the opportunity to give the writer a small amount of input on presentation. Hopefully, at some point, Frost Queen will be available as a POD product, with a discount for those who already bought the pdf.

Oh, and for the sake of Mitra, pick up Mark Knights' free DCC adventure, The Serpent People of Skitterborne Swamp.

Now that my mojo is back, and I am typing slowly but steadily......

My goal is to make 2015 outperform 2013 for DCC content. Outperforming 2014 seems to easy a goal.

Your Reward for Reading Through This Maundering....

Unique Centaurs from the Aeliusian City-States:

Asbolus:  Init +3; Atk hooves +2 melee (1d4+1) and sword +4 melee (1d8+1) or bow +5 missile fire (1d6+1) or other weapon; AC 14; HD 4d8; hp 20; MV 50’; Act 2d20; SP poisonous blood, foresee future, curse, death throes; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5; AL N.

Asbolus is a centaur gifted with the powers of prophesy. Most often, he divines portents through the flight of birds, but he will also cast stones or use the entrails of animals. When consulted, he may demand the body of a specific animal to answer a specific question, or to read a difficult future. He does not otherwise demand payment, although he only grants interviews to those he deems worthy – those who have achieved something of note, or who are at least 3^rd level.

Absolus’s blood is poisonous. He can dip his own arrows into his flesh (causing himself 1 point of damage per arrow) to create poisoned arrows (Fort DC 15, 1d5 Stamina damage, 1 point is permanent on a failed save). Contact with his blood is likewise hazardous, though the Fort save in this case is only DC 5 to avoid 1d3 Stamina damage. A Reflex save is needed to avoid splashed blood when making a successful melee attack (DC 10 + damage done). All in melee with Absolus must make this save, although anyone other than the attacker gains a +2 bonus on this save.

Asbolus can cast curse once per day, with a +6 spell check bonus.

If reduced to 0 hp, Asbolus does not immediately die, but can take any remaining actions in the current round, and then gains 1d5 d24 Action Dice on the next round, to use for attacks or to curse his slayer.

Aspect of Chiron:  Init +5; Atk hooves +4 melee (1d4+2) and sword +6 melee (1d8+2) or bow +7 missile fire (1d6+1) or other weapon; AC 16; HD 8d8; hp 40; MV 60’; Act 3d20; SP poisonous blood, spell use, curse, death throes, immortal; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8; AL L.

Known the oldest of the primordial centaurs, Chiron remembers many things from past ages of the Ancient Earth, but has little special knowledge of the current era. He is a clone-thing, grown in vats in the ruins of Daedalus, which somehow always comes to lair in the same spot. Each Aspect of Chiron only knows what he was born knowing, plus his own experiences, so that when one Aspect is slain, the next knows nothing of his predecessor’s life beyond the ruins or eventual death. Yet, if one Aspect is slain, another will arise in 1d5 months, making Chiron effectively immortal so long as the Vats of Daedalus endure.

Chiron is renowned as a healer, as a teacher of heroes, and as a magician. He can heal up to 3 HD each day, cure poison at will, allow any creature a Fort save to throw off a disease each day (DC 5 to 15, depending upon the disease), set bones so that the heal without ability score loss, and brew 1d7 potions of healing (1 HD) each month. A Lawful warrior or dwarf who studies with Chiron for three months can gain a one step increase in his Deed Die with a successful Luck check (one time only).

He can cast the following spells once per day, with no chance of disapproval, misfire, or corruption (+6 spell check):  animal summoning, comprehend languages, detect magic, read magic, locate object, consult spirit, blessing, second sight, banish, remove curse, and speak with the dead. in addition, Chiron can cast curse once per day, with a +10 bonus to the spell check.

Chiron’s blood is poisonous. He can dip his own arrows into his flesh (causing himself 1 point of damage per arrow) to create poisoned arrows (Fort DC 18, 1d7 Stamina damage, 1 point is permanent on a failed save). Contact with his blood is likewise hazardous, though the Fort save in this case is only DC 8 to avoid 1d5 Stamina damage. A Reflex save is needed to avoid splashed blood when making a successful melee attack (DC 10 + damage done). All in melee with Chiron must make this save, although anyone other than the attacker gains a +2 bonus on this save.

If reduced to 0 hp, Chiron does not immediately die, but can take any remaining actions in the current round, and then gains 1d5 d24 Action Dice on the next round, to use for attacks or to curse his slayer.