Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The Alphabet of Outer Beings - U is for Unholy

Image Source: https://www.deviantart.com/chadmichaelward/art/Unholy-Trinity-106868752

U is for Unholy

The clerics of most deities have the ability to channel divine energies to rebuff, damage, and even destroy utterly, entities that their deity considers anathema. Deemed "unholy" by their mortal worshippers these abominations in the sight of the gods are often used as targets for questing knights of holy orders, and are often rare to find within the domains of followers of such deities. Deities often take offense to the existence of multiple creature types, but some may focus their enmity on fewer, or even single creature types. A cleric of such a deity will find their ability to "turn unholy" especially effective in such cases.

Table U1: Number of Unholy (roll 2d4)
  • 2: A single creature type is truly abhorrent to the deity to the exclusion of others. (skip Table U2
    • When turned, these unholy suffer a turn effect three steps/levels/results worse than the normal effect.
    • Roll 3 times on Table U3 and gain +3 for each benefit rolled.
  • 3: Roll 2+1d3 creature types on Table U2
    • When turned, these unholy suffer a turn effect one step/level/result worse than the normal effect.
    • Roll 2 times on Table U3 and gain +2 for each benefit rolled.
  • 4-6: Roll 5+1d3 creature types on Table U2
    • Turned as normal.
    • Roll once on Table U3 and gain +1 for the benefit rolled.
  • 7: Roll 2+1d3 creature types on Table U2
    • When turned, these unholy suffer a turn effect one step/level/result worse than the normal effect.
    • Roll 2 times on Table U3 and gain +2 for each benefit rolled.
  • 8: A single creature type is truly abhorrent to the deity to the exclusion of others. (skip Table U2
    • When turned, these unholy suffer a turn effect three steps/levels/results worse than the normal effect.
    • Roll 3 times on Table U3 and gain +3 for each benefit rolled.
Table U2: Types of Unholy Creatures (roll 1d12 as indicated by Table U1) 
In addition to the unholy rolled below, Lawful and Chaotic deities automatically gain all creatures of opposing alignment as unholy.
  1. Undead
  2. Demons and/or Devils 
  3. Magical Constructs (golems, homunculi, etc.)
  4. Unnatural Creatures (slimes, molds, gelatinous cubes, etc)
  5. Humanoids (roll 1d10 to determine species)
    1. Dwarfs
    2. Elfs
    3. Halflings
    4. Humans
    5. Goblins
    6. Orks
    7. Trolls
    8. Ogres
    9. Lizardmen
    10. Serpentfolk
  6. Natural Animals
  7. Dragons
  8. Hybrid Creatures (such a chimera, griffins, manticore, sphynx, etc.)
  9. Monsters (basilisks, phase creatures, hydra, etc.)
  10. Fae/Fairies
  11. Celestials/Angels
  12. Shapeshifters (lycanthropes, changelings, etc)
Table U3: Special Benefits Against Unholy (roll 1d8 as indicated in Table U1)
  1. Your deity's holy symbol repulses the Unholy and their powers passively; your bonus applies to all saving throws against Unholy powers. 
  2. Your training makes you especially adept at combat against the Unholy; your bonus applies to attack rolls against the Unholy creatures. 
  3. Your deity has bond with a key substance (such as water, oil, silver, etc.) that takes their blessing strongly and reacts to Unholy creatures; when using a blessed item of that substance against Unholy creatures your bonus increases the result of the blessing accordingly.
  4. Your faith acts as a symbol for those who follow you to rally around; your allies gain your bonus to their Will saves against the Unholy. 
  5. Your faith acts as a shield against the Unholy for those who follow you; your allies gain your bonus to their AC against the Unholy. 
  6. You faith strengthens your allies against the Unholy; your allies gain your bonus to their Fortitude saves against the Unholy. 
  7. Your deity's servants are especially quick to answer your pleas for aid against the Unholy; you gain your bonus for any attempts to summon such servants to aid you against the Unholy. 
  8. You deity's holy symbol burns the Unholy like a brand; you may wield your holy symbol as a weapon dealing 1d6 plus your bonus as damage. 

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

MCC - New Mutation - Machiavellian Mind


Machiavellian Mind

You see other residents of the world as pawns and possess the ability to convince, cajole, or intimidate them into doing what you want.

Type: Passive
Range: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Save: None

General:  The mutant is unnaturally persuasive.

Manifestation Roll 1d4: (1) The mutant’s eyes are deep set and piercing; (2) The mutant’s body tall and thin allowing them to look down on their peers; (3) The mutant’s hair is strangely wispy and looks like a dead animal sitting atop their head; (4) The mutant’s skin is a strange orange tone.

Check Results
  • 1 Failure, mutation replaced by defect.
  • 2-11 Failure, mutation results in cosmetic change only; the mutant steeples their fingers when they think.
  • 12-13 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +1.
  • 14-17 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +2.
  • 18-19 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +3.
  • 20-23 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +4; the mutant may roll an additional 1d3 when attempting to convince or persuade another sentient, including non-Patron Artificial Intelligences (includes AI Recognition rolls).  
  • 24-27 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +6; the mutant may roll an additional 1d5 when attempting to convince or persuade another sentient, including non-Patron Artificial Intelligences (includes AI Recognition rolls).  
  • 28-29 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +7; the mutant may roll an additional 1d6 when attempting to convince or persuade another sentient, including non-Patron Artificial Intelligences (includes AI Recognition rolls).  
  • 30-31 The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +8; the mutant may roll an additional 1d7 when attempting to convince or persuade another sentient, including all Artificial Intelligences and Patron AI (includes AI Recognition rolls).  
  • 32+ The mutant’s Personality score is increased by +9; the mutant may roll an additional 1d8 when attempting to convince or persuade another sentient, including all Artificial Intelligences and Patron AI (includes AI Recognition rolls).  

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

The Alphabet of Outer Beings - Y is for Yeoman


Author's Note: When I started this project on somewhat of an unplanned whim earlier this year I created a list of topic ideas and was able to get about 25 of the letters. Y, was the holdout. I wracked my brain, and even talked with a bunch of folks at Gary Con about what a good "Y is for..." would be that wouldn't also get overly specific (such as Yog-sothoth, or Yellow Sign). Ultimately I figured "That's December Marc's problem," since I had a whole lot of other letters, all with good ideas already lined up. As the letters tick-tocked by and this became less a "that could be fun" and more a "I can really do something cool if I finish this" I started to sweat that maybe "Y is for..." would be my downfall. I'm therefore doubly pleased to not only have a great idea for Y but to present it early to you all (strike while the iron is hot and all that), and let some other letter be the final post of this series. 

Y is for Yeoman

Yeoman are the servants and attendants of clergy, wizards, nobles, and kings. They are the faithful servants who go nearly unseen, and often unrecognized. Some may be born into their station, others sold into it, and still others chosen for the great honor of service. Regardless these men, women, and children are often in the room when great and powerful people do important things, but their names are seldom recorded for posterity.

Table Y1: Yeoman Origins (roll 1d6)
Yeoman are brought into their service in a number of ways and often their origins are very specific to the station they serve.
  1. Orphans - The yeoman are ophans, taken from the local orphanages between a certain age (often 10-12 years old) to serve. They may or may not considered slaves.
  2. Volunteers - The yeoman are volunteers who serve at thier will, often for defined terms of 1, 3, 5, or 10 years at a time.
  3. Slaves - The yeoman are simple slaves, bought into service with their freedom revoked. 
  4. Chosen - The yeoman are chosen to serve, with service often being considered a great honor. Unlike volunteers, above, the yeoman are chosen from the population, and may not wish to serve.
  5. Tithed - The yeoman are part of a tithe owed to the church or patron, chosen by the people, and given, either as slaves or as defined term laborers, to the service of the clergy or wizards.
  6. Matrons (only post-menopausal women may serve)
Table Y2: Yeoman Requirements (roll 1d10)
Not all yeoman are created the same. Many religions or wizardly patrons require that only a certain type of individual serve as yeoman. 
  1. Virgins (often also a specific sex)
  2. Eunuchs 
  3. Children (not older than post-pubescent, once yeoman age out of service they often join the ranks of the clergy or sorcerous acolytes)
  4. Blind (or blinded after being brought into service) 
  5. Mute (or rendered mute after being brought into service)
  6. Deaf (or rendered deaf after being brought into service)
  7. Specific Sex (male, female, intersex, etc)
  8. Physical Appearance (eye color, hair color, subjective attractiveness, etc) (often also a specific sex)
  9. Natural Ability (intellect, psionic power, physical fitness, etc)
  10. Roll again twice and combine
Table Y3: Yeoman Duties (roll 2d4)
Yeoman are sometimes given to a particular service, apart from the general housekeeping and other such work executed by more common servants.
  • 2: Sexual Services (the yeomen are required to perform sexual services in addition to, or in place of, other work)
  • 3: Inner Circle (the yeomen are the sole servants of the highest ranking clergy or wizards only)
  • 4-6: Standard duties, the yeomen act as general purpose servants for their masters.
  • 7: Translators (yeoman is fluent in at least 1d4 additional spoken languages)
  • 8: Scribes (yeoman is literate in at least 1d4 languages)