Who's Got The Cards?

 

Tired of politics being unfun?

Wondering what all these distractions are really about?

Replace the tension at the table with laughter!

Who's Got the Cards? is a fast game of political

manuvering for 2-5 players.

We may live in dark times, but that doesn't mean we can't play some fun games while Rome burns! 

My brother-in-law invented this fun cardgame, which will be going on a short kickstarter game soon. The cards have been designed, the rules are written, and this is as low-risk as crowdfunding gets.

More information here.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Lamia, Lammasu, Lamprey, Larva, Giant Leech, Leopard, Leprechaun, and Leucrotta

This post is a bit longer than the last one. Reaching “L” we are into some interesting, yet-to-be-done monsters again.

Today’s monsters are all classics, and most of them are ones I’ve used “back in the day”. The Monster Manual version of leprechauns in particular, though, was one that I never really cared for – it had too much in common with the game’s wargaming roots and not enough similarity to folklore.

The lammasu is Sumerian/Assyrian, and I will try to pull from mythology in my conversion. The mythological lamassu has a bull’s body (like the Monster Manual shedu), while the Monster Manual version has a lion’s body. It is, in fact, the same creature, so I will have some decisions to make when I reach “Shedu” in these conversions.

The leucrotta is similarly mythological, and described in old bestiaries. This should allow an interpretation which can be used later in my own monster book.

I already did a direct conversion of the Monster Manual lamia for this post, and it is here that we begin….

Lamia: Init +5; Atk Dagger +4 melee (1d4+2) or touch +2 melee (1d3 Personality drain); AC 17; HD 7d8; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP Spellcasting (+7 spell check: charm person, ESP, and forget), Personality drain; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6; AL C.

Lamias prefer to dwell in deserts — in ruined cities, caves, or the like. Their upper torso, arms, and head resemble a human female, while their lower body is that of a beast. They are able to cast spells like a wizard, and typically use these to lure victims to them. The lamia’s touch (in combat or otherwise) drains 1d3 Personality (Will DC 15 to negate; 1 point is permanent on a natural 1). If a victim’s Personality falls to 3 or lower, they willingly do whatever the lamia tells them to do.

Lamias first drain their prey of blood and then feast upon their flesh.

An alternative version of the lamia, more in tune with Greek myth, occurred here, and is reproduced below for your reference:

Lamia: Init +2; Atk tail grapple +4 melee (1d6+2); AC 14; HD 6d8; hp 30; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP Charming gaze, constrict, kiss, death throes; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4; AL C.

A beautiful woman from the waist upwards, and an enormous serpent from the waist down, Lamia was transformed by the jealous goddess Thera to her present state after Lamia bore the hero Aclueus by the goddess’s husband, Xanxes. Lamia was forced to devour her mortal children, and cursed with a great craving for the lives of the young. It is also her desire to inflict revenge upon all men, and especially upon Xanxes and Thera, their priests, and their followers.

Lamia can charm another with her gaze, using an Action Die. Her victim must succeed in a Will save (DC 12) or do nothing on his next initiative except move in a straight line towards Lamia at his best speed. Lamia cannot charm adult women, although she can charm girls below the age of 10, and males of all ages.

When Lamia makes a successful grapple with her tail, she thereafter constricts for 1d6+2 damage each round thereafter until either she or her victim are dead, or her victim succeeds in a DC 15 Strength check. Lamia can kiss a willing victim automatically, or a grappled victim with a successful attack roll. Each kiss causes 1d3 points of Strength damage.

When Lamia is reduced to 0 hp, a swarm of venomous serpents issues forth from her wounds, and forms from her spilled blood. These serpents attack everyone in a 20’ radius for 1d3+1 rounds, and then the swarm disperses. Each remaining hit point the swarm possess when dispersed indicates a surviving serpent, and each of these serpents becomes a member of the Brood of Lamia.

Venomous serpent swarm: Init +4; Atk swarming bite +3 melee (1d3 plus poison); AC 12; HD 6d8; MV 30’; Act special; SP swarm traits, poison, transformation; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +0; AL C.

The poison of these serpents does 1d3 damage, with a Fort save (DC 10) to avoid 1d3 Strength damage as well. Each of these serpents grows into a brood-born of Lamia over a period of 1d12 months.

Brood-born of Lamia: Init +2; Atk tail grapple +2 melee (1d4+2) or spit venom +3 ranged (poison); AC 12; HD 2d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Spit venom, constrict, kiss, death throes, transformation; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2; AL C.

Any serpent that survives from the venomous serpent swarm becomes a brood-born of Lamia. This creature resembles her progenitor, but is clearly reptilian even in her upper extremities. Her scaled head is crowned with a frilled crest rather than hair, and her unblinking eyes are incapable of charming anyone. Like Lamia, though, the brood-born can constrict with a successful attack, doing automatic damage each round (Strength DC 12 escapes grapple).

The brood-born can also spit a stream of venom in a line up to 10’ long. Those who come into contact with this venom must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save or take 1d5 points of Strength damage (1 point on a successful save).

When a brood-born is slain, it loses all of its human features, becoming nothing more than an enormous frilled serpent. When only one brood-born remains, it goes through a transformation lasting 1d24 hours, during which it sheds its skin to become the reborn Lamia. During the transformation, the brood-born has only a 1d16 Action Die. Afterwards, it has the full powers, as well as all of the memories, of the original Lamia.

The only ways to truly end the threat of Lamia are to destroy all of the venomous serpents before they can transform into brood-born, or to destroy the last brood-born before she can become the reborn Lamia.

Lamassu: Init +4; Atk trample +4 melee (1d8+3) or spell; AC 16; HD 5d6+10; MV 40’ or fly 80’; Act 1d20; SP 30% magic resistance, spellcasting (+12 to spell check): spells (1st) blessing, comprehend languages, detect evil, detect magic, food of the gods, holy sanctuary, magic shield, protection from evil, second sight, sleep, (2nd) banish, neutralize poison or disease, and restore vitality; SV Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +18; AL L.

With human-like faces, the bodies of bulls, and giant eagle wings, the lamassu act as messengers for celestial gods. They sometimes protect travelers of good heart who wander in desert and broken lands. In places where lamassu are sometimes found, mortals often carve them on or around doorways for protection, and ritual castings of ward portal or holy sanctuary may include burying fired clay tablets bearing the lamassu’s image. The efficacy of such measures is up to the judge, but it is not unknown for lamassu to protect lawful temples in arid lands, or to come to the aid of the devout.

In addition to its formidable spell-casting abilities, spells and similar magics have a 30% chance of not affecting a lamassu at all (roll before any applicable save). This means lamassu can often ignore magical protections (including those which reduce damage done to foes) or even walk through walls of magical force. This chance is only rolled once per spell, rather than for each interaction with a persistent spell. Note that this resistance does not protect lamassu from secondary effects of spells, such as the attacks of summoned creatures or the collapse of a shattered wall.

Lamprey: See the Cyclopediaof Common Animals for both lamprey swarms and giant lampreys.

Larva: Init +0; Atk bite -1 melee (1d4+1); AC 13; HD 1d6; MV 10’; Act 1d20;; SV Fort +2, Ref -2, Will +0; AL C.

The most selfishly evil souls who sink to the infernal planes after death, larvae appear as human-sized sickly yellow worms with distorted human faces. Those who knew a larva in life can still recognize their features in death, although the larva itself frequently (60%) does not remember its mortal existence.

Larvae are a traded commodity on the Demon Worlds, Hell Planes, and other infernal regions. They are used to form various minor demons and devils, such as imps and quasits, and some liches employ their essence in order to retain their un-dead status and powers. Finally, larvae are sometimes used for nothing more glamorous than food.

Giant Leech: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for both leech swarms and giant leeches. See the core rulebook, page 420, for colossal leeches.

Leopard: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.  Also included are the clouded leopard and snow leopard.

Leprechaun: Init +6; Atk none; AC 15; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP invisible at will, illusions, bound to word, supernatural treasure; SV Fort +0; Ref +8; Will +10; AL C.

Solitary fey appearing no more than a foot high, leprechauns are often encountered as fairy cobblers, and they can make any sort of footwear quickly and well. At the judge’s discretion, they can make magical shoes and boots which can give bonuses to stealth, feather fall if needed, and so on, and a leprechaun who is friendly with a mortal may gift them with such accoutrements.

Leprechauns are best known, perhaps, as the keepers of fairy gold, and often (75%) know the location of a hidden cache worth 1d4 x 100 gp. Such fairy gold cannot be found without the leprechaun’s help – even the sensitive noses of dwarves cannot sniff it out – but a captured leprechaun is bound by his word, so that hopeful treasure-seekers may seek to capture these fey in order to gain their gold. A leprechaun is tricky, however, and can create illusions at will, which seem real until interacted with. A would-be treasure hunter who learns a leprechaun’s treasure is buried under a tree in a field may return to discover a thousand identical trees.

Leucrotta: Init +4; Atk bite +4 melee (1d6 plus grip and drag); AC 15; HD 5d8; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP mimic, eerie knowledge, grip and drag, stealth +6; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +6; AL C.

This large carnivore is similar to a hyena, but it is as large as a small horse and has human intelligence and cunning. A leucrotta can mimic humanoid voices perfectly, and is able to sound like specific individuals. It calls potential victims by name to lure them away from the safety of walls or campfire. In fact, leucrottas possess eerie knowledge allowing them to know the names of their desired victims, as well as the details needed to lure them into danger.

If a leucrotta succeeds in a bite attack, it does not let go, but instead pulls its victim off to kill and devour at its leisure. It requires a DC 19 Strength check to prevent the creature from pulling its victim away, and a DC 24 Strength check to actually get free from the locked jaws.

Leucrottas can not only mimic voices, but they can mimic sounds, such as a baby crying or gold coins clinking together. They can use this power to speak with other beings if they so choose, and the creatures know all mortal languages. If a deal can be struck, a wizard may gain information from a leucrotta’s eerie knowledge, but the price is often higher than the wizard desires to pay, for leucrottas are cunning and know what any would-be bargainer can afford to pay. The creatures seem to live to cause chaos and pain; any bargain they make will be for this purpose.

A dead leucrotta’s eyes are as hard as gemstones, appearing like striped cat’s eye gemstones and worth 1d20+15 gp each. If consumed when casting a divinatory spell, such as second sight, each eye grants a +2 bonus to the spell check. This destroys the eye gems, and may be the source of the leucrotta’s eerie knowledge when alive.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Jackal, Jackalwere, Jaguar, Ki-rin, and Kobold

This post is short, but it covers both “J” and “K”. It is short because, where the Cyclopedia of Common Animals didn’t cover an entry, the core rulebook did, with only one exception. If that makes this seem like one giant advertisement for the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, I guess that, in a way, it is. With over 500 statblocks, that book is obviously going to cover a lot of ground,

The Cyclopedia of Common Animals and the Cyclopedia Domestica are supposed to be complimentary works. 

The Cyclopedia Domestica contains information on various domesticated animals in a small zine-sized booklet, suitable for use at the gaming table. It contains most of the animals your PCs are likely to gain from their occupations or own during their adventuring careers, assuming a vaguely Western European setting. If you need quick stats for a goat, or pig, or hen, this book covers you. It includes over a dozen breeds of dogs, info for falcons, and so on.

The Cyclopedia of Common Animals reproduces the information found in the Cyclopedia Domestica, but it adds many more animals, as well as a lot of suggestions for using them. While it is primarily a judge-facing work focused on world-building and adventure design, it is also a godsend if your wizard or elf winds up with animal summoning. Importantly, permission is granted to use up to 20 (!) of these creatures in any product approved to use the Goodman Games DCC compatibility logo. Which means, you don't need to figure out how to stat up a giant gila monster, reindeer, conger eel, or hippopotamus if you don't want to. 

Jackal: See the Cyclopediaof Common Animals.

Jackalwere: The chaos jackal in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals provides options to replace this creature.

Jaguar: See the Cyclopediaof Common Animals.

Ki-rin: Init +6; Atk tail hoof +7 melee (1d4+4) or horn +5 melee (3d6) or spell; AC 25; HD 12d8; MV 60’ or fly 120’; Act 3d20; SP telepathy 240’, 90% magic resistance, planar travel, spellcasting (as 7th level cleric, +10 to spell checks); SV Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +14; AL L.

These unicorn-like creatures dwell amongst the clouds and behind the winds, with their hooves seldom touching the Fields We Know. Although they will sometimes aid good-hearted humanoids if the need to combat evil is great. They can travel the planes at will, and are sometimes encountered wandering the ether or phlogiston. There is a 90% chance of any magic targeting or touched by a ki-rin failing, and this chance is rolled before any applicable saving throws.

The coat of a ki-rin is luminous gold, much as a sunrise on a clear day. Its mane and tail are darker gold. Its horn and hooves are golden pink. Its eyes are violet. The skin of this creature is worth 25,000 gp if it is perfectly intact.

Kobold: See the core rulebook, page 419.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Imp, Intellect Devourer, Invisible Stalker, Irish Deer, and Ixitxachitl

It takes a bit of hubris to come up with DCC stats for imps, as an imp was included in the initial printing of the core rulebook, but not as part of the Cyclopedia of Creatures Monstrous and Mundane. It appeared instead in The Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the Mad by Harley Stroh, which has since been replaced in later printings. This same imp has been the basis for every other Goodman Games DCC imp, whether for a new adventure or for a conversion.

On the other hand, not all judges have the resources (i.e., the stupidly large library of adventures coupled with knowing which adventures include which monsters) to simply look these up. So I am going to create a usable imp without referencing the existing work, but I will also urge you to consider this as a secondary statblock at best. On the other hand, “Make Monsters Mysterious” allows you to use both!

In Ye Olden Days, when I just had the Dungeon Master’s Guide to reference, and the Monster Manual was still on my wish list, I had a very different idea of what an “invisible stalker” was. The invisible companion spell covers the Monster Manual version very well. What you are getting here is, to the best of my memory, what I envisioned.

Imp: Init +3; Atk tail sting +2 melee (1d4 plus venom); AC 18; HD 2d12; MV 20’ or fly 60’; Act 1d20; SP venom (1d4 Stamina damage plus DC 13 Fort or 3d6 damage), alternate shape, regenerate 1/round, detect magic 120’, invisible at will, familiar; SV Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4; AL L.

These devilkin are found in the Hells, but are occasionally sent to the Lands We Know in order to spread evil among mortal beings. In its own form, an imp appears as a winged diabolical humanoid, about two feet tall, with a venomous sting on its tail, but each imp can also take on 1d3 of the following shapes, using appropriate AC, attacks, and saves when in that shape: (1) large spider, (2) raven, (3) giant rat, or (4) goat.

Regardless of form, an imp regenerates 1 hit point per round (but is dispelled and return to Hell at 0 hp), can become invisible at will, and detects magic at a range of 120’. An imp can bond with a cleric, wizard, or elf in a manner similar to a diabolic familiar, and with the exception of the statistics above is otherwise treated as such once bonded. No find familiar spell is required, jus an agreement between the two parties which consigns the master’s soul to Hell upon their death.

Intellect Devourer: Init +2; Atk claw +3 melee (1d4) or psychic attack; AC 16; HD 6d8; MV 40’; Act 4d20; SP psychic attack (1d4 Intelligence and Personality damage, Will DC 16 negates), consume thoughts, sense psychic energy 60’, possession, stealth +14, immunity to most weapons and physical magic, electrical vulnerability, light vulnerability, planar awareness and travel; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8; AL C.

These horrid creatures are little more than human-sized brains which have four clawed appendages for locomotion. They subsist off of the psychic emanations of their prey, either through psychic attacks or by consuming the dying thoughts of opponents reduced to 0 hp. Because they consume thoughts, any creature brought to 0 hp by an intellect devourer which survives has its Intelligence and Personality lowered to 3 (this heals normally as the mind recovers). An intellect devourer may only make a single psychic attack against any given creature once each round.

Worse, intellect devourers are immune to most weapons and magical attacks. Magical weapons do their bonus damage only (i.e., a +3 weapon does 3 hp damage) plus any damage from Mighty Deeds or critical hits. Magic normally causing physical damage sloughs off intellect devourers without effect, save electricity-based spells or attack, which cause only the minimum possible damage. Magic which affects the mind (including protection from evil) affects intellect devourers normally.

If a creature uses psychic energy within 60’ of an intellect devourer (which includes mind-affecting spells, psionic powers, and mental mutations) the monster awakens from its semi-dormant state and begins to stalk its victim. An intellect devourer seeks to get its victim alone, and, if it manages to reduce the victim’s Intelligence or Personality to 0, it can possess its victim’s body. It then pretends to be its original victim, and seeks new victims. No matter how far an intellect devourer is from its original body it can return with one round of concentration, leaving its victim permanently impaired unless magic is used to restore the lost Intelligence and Personality.

(If a victim is reduced to 0 Intelligence or Personality, and an intellect devourer is prevented from possessing it, the attribute damage heals normally. Once possession has occurred, it is permanent.)

Bright light causes intellect devourers intense pain, although they are not hurt from it, and the creatures flee from light sources brighter than a lantern. Magic which could not otherwise hurt an intellect devourer but which causes bright light (such as color spray or fireball) forced the monster to succeed in a morale check or flee. An aversion to bright light remains in possessed victims, which sometimes gives an intellect devourer away.

Because of this aversion, intellect devourers are only found dwelling deep beneath the ground or in dark and dismal lairs in the wilderness. Their awareness extends to the astral and ethereal planes, and intellect devourers often roam these places in search of prey.

Invisible Stalker: Init +4; Atk bite +2 melee (4d4); AC 17; HD 4d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP invisible, +10 stealth, 30% magic resistance, death throes; SV Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3; AL N.

This terrible creature is sometimes found lairing in dungeons or ruins, but those misfortunate enough to encounter it seldom know for certain what it is they encountered. For those who can see it, this creature looks like a great cat, 8 feet long, with an oversized maw.

Invisible stalkers are often unaffected by magic (roll this chance before any applicable saving throw), allowing them to potentially ignore spells (including detect invisible and similar spells) and pass through magical barriers with ease. Because of their stealth and their invisibility, they can often gain a surprise round, and enjoy toying with their prey by attacking and withdrawing, much as a cat might allow a mouse some temporary reprieve.

When an invisible stalker is slain, its body evaporates into the ether, leaving nothing behind to hint at its physical form.

Irish Deer: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Ixitxachitl: See the entry for manta rays in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for a substitute for this monster.

Print versions of the Cyclopedia of Common Animals

Well, I finally got my proofs and approved them. For those who are interested, print versions are now available.

Both softcover and hardcover versions are ready. If you need stats for anything from an aardvark to a zebu, this is your chance. 

With over 500 statblocks, rules for rabies and malaria, and such animals as the sun bear, caimen, galapagos tortoise, and shrew (to pick a few at random), this work is sure to contain something for everyone!

Get It Here!

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: What the H?!? Halfling, Harpy, Hell Hound, Herd Animal, Hippocampus, Hippogriff, Hippopotamus, Hobgoblin, Homonculous, Horse, Hydra, and Hyena

While this is a bit larger than the average post in this series, a plethora of these entries can be found in the core rulebook, the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, or (in one case) both. The homunculus is covered to some degree by the find familiar spell, but I have decided to include a separate version anyway, which you may use as a familiar for enemy spellcasters. As the core rulebook says, these beings may have powers unavailable to the PCs, and that is completely okay.  I have corrected the spelling from the Monster Manual.

Halflings are, of course, a character class in the core rulebook, and I am again doing a “Men & Magicians” style series of statblocks for common halflings your PCs might meet. Because halflings are a pastoral people, this is a fairly short entry (pun intended).

Halfling Farmer: Init +0; Atk club +0 melee (1d4) or pitchfork +0 melee (1d8); AC 10; HD 1d4; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL L.

Halfling Mayor: Init +0; Atk dagger +0 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 3d4; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2; AL L.

Halfling Sheriff: Init +2; Atk staff +1 melee (1d4); AC 12; HD 2d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1; AL L.

Halfling Deputy: Init +0; Atk staff +1 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +1; AL L.

Halfling Boundary Warden: Init +2; Atk staff +2 melee (1d4) or short bow +4 ranged (1d6); AC 12; HD 3d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP 30’ infravision, +3 stealth; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; AL L.

Halflings live fairly pastoral existences, and this is reflected in their statistics. Halfling sheriffs keep the peace within their own communities, which seldom requires much overt action. Boundary wardens, on the other hand, patrol the borders of halfing communities to keep the riffraff out, and are more used to armed conflict.

Tallfellows and stouts are not differentiated enough to require separate statblocks, but if the judge wishes to do so, tallfellows are large enough to ride ponies and may be better armed, while stouts tend toward better armor.

Harpy: See core rulebook, page 417.

Hell Hound: See core rulebook, page 417.

Herd Animal: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals for many examples of herd animals.

Hippocampus: Init +1; Atk bite +5 melee (1d5+1); AC 14; HD 4d8; MV 60’ or swim 100’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2; AL N.

Hippocampi are oceanic horses with fish-like tails and fins instead of hooves.

These statistics came from this post. Interested parties may also find this post to be of some interest.

Hippogriff: Init +1; Atk beak +7 melee (1d8+3) or hoof +5 melee (1d4+3); AC 14; HD 3d8; MV 40’ or fly 120’; Act 2d20; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; AL N.

Winged horses with eagle-like heads and forelimbs, hippogriffs are proud and willful. They avoid humanoid contact, although they can sometimes be trained as mounts if raised from the egg. They nest in high, hard-to-reach locations, usually far from civilized lands, and defend their nests with their lives. A viable hippogriff egg may fetch 1d4+1 x 100 gp if a buyer can be found.

Exceptional individuals may gain the trust and affection of an adult hippogriff, which will then allow itself to be ridden, but such cases are rare indeed.

Hippopotamus: See the Cyclopedia of Common Animals.

Hobgoblin: See core rulebook, page 417.

Homunculus: Init +3; Atk bite +0 melee (1d3 plus sleep); AC 14; HD 2d6+2; MV 20’ or fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP sleep (5d6 minutes, DC 14 Fort negates), familiar connection; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2; AL variable.

Winged humanoids a foot and a half high, a homunculus is created through an alchemical ritual requiring an expenditure of at least 5d4 weeks, 5d6 x 20 gp in materials, and the casting of a find familiar spell. The resultant being cannot speak, and has the statistics above, but in all other ways is treated like a normal familiar – and may be of any type. See the core rulebook, pages 316-317 for details. A homunculus’s extra hit points may be a great boon to its master, but allowing the creature to die has a rather deleterious effect.

Homunculi of this type can cause victims to fall into a deep sleep which cannot be ended by normal means, but this ability is magical and cannot be extracted as a poison.

Horse: See core rulebook, page 418, or the Cyclopediaof Common Animals for expanded options.

Hydra: See core rulebook, page 418.

Hyena: See the Cyclopediaof Common Animals for both normal and giant (hyaenadon) varieties.

The Rules

Shanthopal Multi-Player Online Game

1.       Characters

a.       Players may have any number of active characters, but all active characters must be posted in the “character-sheets” channel.

b.      Characters starting at level 1 are made in the usual way, but can have no more than 20 gp in coinage remaining when they first enter play.

c.       Base Luck is the Luck rolled at level 0, or when the character was first created, which is considered the character’s Luck for thing like Lucky Weapon, Lucky Spell, and so on. Thieves and halflings naturally regain Luck to this baseline.

d.      Characters used in other games are considered “clones”, and nothing which occurs in those games – XP, treasure, character death, etc. – affect the character in the Shanthopal game.

e.      There is hope to eventually publish the setting with a “Rogues Gallery” of PCs, and playing is taken as permission to use your characters (with proper credit) for this purpose. Make them interesting, treating them like protagonists of your own Appendix N novels. Quest For It is your friend; no character needs to be generic.

f.        Class-Specific:

                                                               i.      Clerics: The setting uses unique gods, and clerics must adhere to those gods. There is a growing document in my Patreon covering the specifics of those gods, and, in at least one case (Fortuna) an entirely new class. If you want a cleric where the specifics are not yet generated, I will move that god up the queue. All gods have unique tables for generating spells for their clerics.

                                                             ii.      Wizards:

1.       Wizards must learn spells, and do not automatically know their randomly generated spells. You may reserve slots for spells you want, and seek them out. If you are truly daring, you may forego level 1 spells altogether and try to survive long enough to learn higher-level spells.

2.       Shanthopal uses unique patrons in addition to those of the core rulebook and the Angels, Daemons, & Beings Between volumes.

                                                            iii.      Elves: Elves must have a patron to cast spells, and do not need to learn patron bond. Shanthopal uses unique patrons in addition to those of the core rulebook and the Angels, Daemons, & Beings Between volumes.

                                                           iv.      Other Classes: Open source classes, such as the faerie animal in the Cyclopedia of Common Animals, are fair game, subject to the judge’s approval.

2.       Adventures:

a.       Apart from 0-level funnels, each player may only play one character during any given session. This can be any character available in their “stable” of characters.

b.      It is up to players to determine who comprises a party for each game session, what the party intends to do, and when you would like to play. There is an “expedition-planning” channel for this purpose, but you can use any means you like. The party spokesman then contacts me (DM or email is best) with this information and, if I am available, we play at that time. Please allow me some time to prep.

c.       An expedition must always include at least one PC who has played in the campaign previously. I.e., the first post-funnel game must include at least one funnel survivor, but characters introduced in that game can then plan expeditions of their own.

d.      Opportunities Arise: I will occasionally create events which represent some time-sensitive game events or opportunities. Play in them or not as you like.

e.      It is up to you whether or not to share the unique things you learn in each game session with those who were not present.

f.        Because note-taking is no longer easy for me, I record sessions for later review. These recordings are not shared with anyone else.

g.       PVP is allowed, and to the extent that it enriches the game, even encouraged. Just remember that the goal is to make the game fun for all, and you may find yourself no longer invited on expeditions if you take it too far. It is up to the players, not the judge, to make this determination and plan their expeditions accordingly.

3.       Between Adventures:

a.       As of 1 October 2025, time between adventures passes on a 1:1 scale. Upkeep rules will be available before this time and, yes, living in squalor may adversely affect your PCs. The goal, of course, is to give PCs motives to earn and spend more treasure, as well as to provide a level of verisimilitude and give my cholera rules a workout.

b.      Shanthopal will eventually have its own rules for regaining Luck between outings. In the meanwhile, each session will open with a chance to use the DCC Lankhmar carousing rules, so long as the PCs are in an area where that makes sense.

c.       If a session ends mid-expedition, time freezes for those characters until they are played again. If the circumstances in other expeditions intersect with the frozen characters, then something else has happened to them (per judge). It is unreasonable to assume that PCs will always return to a place of safety before a session ends in an exploration-based game.

Let’s Convert the Monster Manual: Finishing the “G”s: Grey Ooze, Green Slime, Griffon, and Groaning Spirit

I admit to never having used a groaning spirit when I was DMing AD&D 1e, but I have used many a grey ooze to good effect. Of all the oozes, slimes, and jellies, I think that the grey ooze has always been my favorite. One of my most memorable ooze encounters was with a tiny grey ooze within a humanoid skull. When the skull was picked up, the ooze attacked through the eye socket. The “tiny grey ooze” stats herein are included you to reproduce this incident in your home games.

In the case of these statistics, the core rulebook’s entries for primeval slimes and ghosts are the basis for my conversions.

Grey Ooze: Init +4; Atk pseudopod +4 melee (2d4); AC 10; HD 1d8; MV 10’, climb 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, metal digestive, immunities (magic, heat, and cold), half damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Tiny Grey Ooze: Init +4; Atk pseudopod +1 melee (1d4); AC 14; HD 1d3; MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, metal digestive, immunities (magic, heat, and cold), half damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +3, Ref -5, Will -6; AL N.

Large Grey Ooze: Init +2; Atk pseudopod +5 melee (3d4); AC 10; HD 3d8; MV 10’, climb 10’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, metal digestive, immunities (magic, heat, and cold), half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, psionic potential; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Grey oozes appear to be nothing more than wet stone until they move. They move with snake-like undulations, making them faster than most primeval slimes, and their pseudopod strikes are also serpentine in nature.

Grey oozes corrode metal on touch. Metal weapons are rendered useless after one touch (including a successful attack against the creature) and metal armor loses one point of Armor Class bonus for every round of contact or successful attack from the ooze. Magic items receive a special save against DC 12 for a normal or large grey ooze and DC 7 against a tiny one. This save is made by adding the weapon’s attack bonus to a d20 roll. The wielder may spend Luck on this save.

Normal grey oozes are about 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. Tiny grey oozed are only 1 foot long and six inches wide. Large grey oozes are 1d8+8 feet long and 1d3+2 feet wide. Large grey oozes have a 1 in 10 chance of developing an alien intelligence roughly equal to normal human intelligence (3d6). Intelligent grey oozes further have an INT% chance of developing 1d3 psionic abilities. Roll 1d5 for each ability:

1. Telepathy: The ooze can communicate telepathically in a 60’ range. If rolled again, increase range by 30’.

2. Psychic Defense: Each time this is rolled, the ooze gains a +4 bonus to its Will saves.

3. Psionic Attack: Once per turn, the ooze can cause 1d6 damage to all living creatures with a mind within 30’; Will DC 13 negates. If rolled again, roll 1d4: (1) increase damage by +1d6, (2) increase range by 20’, (3) increase Will save DC by +2, or (4) increase the times the ooze can use this attack by +1 per turn.

4. Illusion Generation: The ooze can create simple illusions within a 30’ radius with auditory, visual, or scent components. These illusions can one have one component at a time, and are automatically dispelled when interacted with. If rolled again, increase the number of components usable by the ooze.

5. Telekinesis. The ooze can move a single object weighing no more than 5 pounds within a 30’ radius. Each time this is rolled again, the number of objects, weight limit, and radius double.

Green Slime: Init –6; Atk Contact +0 melee (infection); AC 5; HD 1d8; MV 1’, climb 1’; Act 1d16; SP infection, metal digestive, only harmed by fire or cold; SV Fort +0, Ref –10, Will +0; AL N.

Green slime is a primeval ooze which moves slowly, digesting metal, animal tissue, and wood. When it comes into contact with metal, it eats through it quickly. Metal weapons are rendered useless after one touch and metal armor loses one point of Armor Class bonus for every round of contact or successful attack from the slime. Magic items receive a special save against DC 12, made by adding the weapon’s attack bonus to a d20 roll. The wielder may spend Luck on this save. If an attack made by green slime misses due to AC bonus from armor, the slime has come into contact with the armor.

Green slime typically is found in places where it can drip down on creatures passing below, but it is sometimes found in murky shallow water where creatures may accidently step on it (Luck check to avoid). In contact with living flesh, it infects the tissue over the next 1d4+1 rounds. During this time, it may be burnt, frozen, or scraped away (doing a minimum of 1 damage to the slime’s victim per round of contact) or neutralized as a disease. Failure to do so within this time frame means the victim dies and is turned into a new patch of green slime over the next 3d6 rounds. Anyone looting the body during this time must succeed in a Luck check to avoid coming into contact with green slime themselves.

Griffon: See core rulebook, page 417.

Groaning Spirit: Init +2; Atk incorporeal touch +6 melee (paralysis) or banshee scream; AC 10; HD 2d12; MV fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, incorporeal, immune to non-magical weapons, paralysis (1d4 hours, Fort DC 14 negates), banshee scream, future sight, family ties; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +6; AL C.

Believed by some to be the ghosts of evil elven women, groaning spirit can attack with a bone-chilling scream. Every living creature within 100’ automatically takes 1d4 sonic damage and is potentially deafened for 1d4 hours (DC 12 Fort save to resist). The ghost can issue this scream up to 3 times per hour. Dogs, horses, and other domesticated animals are automatically spooked by the scream.

Like all ghosts, something prevents a groaning spirit from resting in death, and resolving that wrong allows the ghost to depart forever. Groaning spirits are often harbingers of disaster, and many are tied to the fortunes of specific extended families, appearing only as a warning or a prelude to misfortune.

Any creature that gazes into a groaning spirit’s eyes receives a shocking glimpse of a possible future. A character attacking the ghost must make a DC 10 Reflex save or inadvertently gaze into the ghost’s eyes. This glimpse is always a potential death of the most disturbing fashion. The judge is encouraged to describe the vision as one associated with a potential future encounter in the current adventure, or one related to the looming disaster the groaning spirit heralds. When the character reaches that encounter or event, they suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls due to fright and fear of death. Paralyzed characters, of course, get no save.

Fortunately, groaning spirits seem to wish only to deliver their warnings before disappearing again, but victims of their scream may die from it, and paralyzed characters may find themselves facing predators drawn by the spirit’s wailing. If a character encounters a groaning spirit alone, and is paralyzed, this may well be the vision that the un-dead creature imparts.