Fantasy Heartbreak Workshop

I've been thinking a bit about the idea of counterspells over the years, probably since reading a brief example of it in Weis and Hickman's Deathgate Cycle years back. And none of the iterations I've seen of it quite sit right. In my mind: There should be some chance of failure. This is something done on the fly, so it doesn't always work. It should have some price. You can't just try it against every spell thrown against you. It should not be just one spell or power that everyone needs to take (taking up a slot). It should be a bit more reflective of the breadth of a magician's understanding. But I hadn't really thought through all the specifics of what that would entail until reading The Robgoblin's post on Beyond Vancian Magic . I still am not fully onboard with his thoughts for this particular talent. But reading it lead me to more thoroughly consider the details of how to write this up for the Ancient Red Wyrm advanced edition. Other notes: The te...

Automata are thinking machines and other constructs made of metal, wood or similar non-living substances. An automata may be powered by magic, bottled lightning, animating spirits, self-winding spring systems, arcanotech, or other odd methods. A character of this type often looks completely artificial. But even those who appear uncannily human, tend to trigger some intuition in others who instinctively know something isn’t right. Though designed to mimic the sophont mind, automata don’t always completely get the weird motives of living creatures. Automata can shut down for a preset period but don’t truly sleep or dream. Stats below are intended for use with the Ancient Red Wyrm system . But it should be possible to adapt them to other OSR and newer school fantasy role-playing games with little effort. Ability Score Adjustments (Heavy Automata): +4 STR, +2 CON, -2 WIS, -4 CHA Ability Score Adjustments (Light Automata): +4 INT, +2 DEX, -2 WIS, -4 CHA Self Repair: An autom...

Old fat spider spinning in a tree! Old fat spider can’t see me! Attercop! Attercop! Won’t you stop, Stop your spinning and look for me!    - The Hobbit , J R R Tolkien Attercops are a smaller, typically social species of humanoid arachnids, closely related to the more solitary and feral Ettercap. They drink blood and the internal organs of living creatures. Attercops had historically been subsistence hunters, working in teams to deal with larger prey and hold their own against more voracious predators. However, after the advent of livestock farming, many have adopted a more sedentary lifestyle, becoming eager participants in community life. Stats below are intended for use with the Ancient Red Wyrm system . But it should be possible to adapt them to other OSR and newer school fantasy role-playing games with little effort. Ability Score Adjustments:  +2 DEX, +2 WIS, -2 STR, -2 CHA Cobweb: Each round an attercop may produce about 1 square yard of weak, gauzy webbin...

 The following items are condensed from dreams, impressions, and tales drifting through the Feywild, or in similar fairy or dream realms. While items with similar effects may be created by mortal magicians, there is no known way to create these specific items. They must be found among fey and dreams, or obtained from another owner. Within a fey realm, the Wings of Thistledown and Wand of Whimsy are often found as part of a stereotypical fairy costume for dolls.  But, since they are normally found in the toy chests of fey giants, the magical items in question will be scaled to work well for most small and medium creatures. Wings of Thistledown These are small, costume wings which go on a character's back. The wings may be made of nearly any lightweight material including starched fabric, stiff paper, feathers, wire and gauze, or tufts of cotton. They may attach via separate straps, or be sewn into an outfit of particolored leotard and crinoline tutu.  When the wings are ...

Anne's been running us through some pretty great sessions using Arnold K.'s GLOG rules and Skerples Many Rats on Sticks variant.  And I'm really digging both the lightness of the system and the magic rules. But as much fun as it is, I can never leave well enough alone. For one thing, no matter how much I love the old school DIY  just cobble it together and make it work nature of games like this, I'll always miss the newer roll-high type systems.  So this, and a bunch of other little fussy preferences, are what gave rise to SKROP : the Standard Kobald Rules of Play . SKROP v1  - PDF | DOCX 12/9/2021 - Edited to note: A newer version of this document edited, significantly expanded and altered, should be out in the next few months.  The name is being changed to simply "KROP" (Kobold Rules of Play).

This was originally in response to the question: What are some villainous factions for a D&D campaign? Below you'll find just a bunch of well meaning folks who believe they're on the right side of history. The Trans-Planar Liberation Front (a.k.a. “The Egg Breakers”) Slogan: Crack the shell and let all fly free! The Trans-Planar Liberation Front has one goal: Break down the barriers which separate the prime material plane from all the others and set all those who live here free to wander among the planes as they will. They view the mortal realms as a prison, or at best a creche where overprotective parents have kept their children cooped up too long. This isn’t how souls of sapient creatures were meant to live! Surely everyone longs for the wild lands beyond this existence. If this was a personal goal of the members, things might be fine. But the TPLF view all mortals inhabiting the material plane as prisoners, even if they don’t realize it yet. So members s...

A Quora user asked the question: In DND, can a Tiefling be born from two human parents? My answer to any question along these lines is almost always going to be: Yes! (setting norms permitting) To find out why mummy and daddy are human and you're not, pick or roll 1d20: Thauma-genetic manipulation at the fertility clinic. Surrogate birth. Cuckoo demon left an extra bun in their oven while no one was looking. Your twin sibling looks perfectly human though. Parents made a pact with the Infernal powers, dedicating their next child to the Grand & Decadent Cause. (ANGSTY TEEN TIEFLING: Jeez! Lay off mom and dad! I don't wanna do your stupid dark destiny plans!) One of your parents used to be an infernal pact warlock before you were born. They turned from that path a long time ago, repented, and tried to make amends for the things they did during those times. But a part of the pact they'd overlooked ensured their first born would be a Tiefling. So here you are...

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Starship Yesterday I finally got around to running a session of John Stater's Tales of the Space Princess for my wife, daughter (10) and son (8). Although my son lost interest about a third of the way through (sitting still was not going well), in other regards it was probably among the best games I'd ever run. My wife laughed probably the hardest I've heard in a quite awhile. Player characters had been generated months in advance.  They included: Chedna   a Human Psychic (Wife) Star Llama a Llamoid Alien Scoundrel (Daughter) Fire the Freeze or Freeze the Fire  a sentient,  chair-sized,  burning block of ice, also a Star Warrior (Son) The scenario itself was created as an afterthought to a pirate base raid adventure I'd written notes for earlier.  But after detailing how the pirate scenario would run, I realized it might be best to have an earlier scenario to establish some key setting details and ...