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Posts Tagged ‘mid-week’

I Like Elves

06 Feb
Tolkien Elves

I like the Dresdencodak take on the Middle-earth elves (dresdencodak.tumblr.com)

I like elves. Specifically, I like the elves of Middle-earth, and in particular I like the fact that they were truly immortal; even their deaths merely meant they would be reborn back into the elven race [if I remember the Silmarillion correctly).

Most RPGs have elves as a long-lived race, but rarely are they truly immortal. I can’t recall the maximum ages of all the elves I’ve come across, but I know that in ACKS they have a maximum of roughly 200 years or so; but I much prefer elves as being this immortal race, that reach certain adult perfection and then never age, and are immune to normal diseases, dying only as a result of their wounds, if such are inflicted. For my next campaign, whenever and wherever that is, I want elves to be an immortal race– or at least a race that used to be immortal– because that is much more fascinating and interesting that simply a race that lives a generation or two longer than humans.

Imagine what a race like that would be like. How would it affect their progress? Slow it down? Allow them to achieve great accomplishments because they have the time to discover new technologies, to indulge lengthy research and experimentation? Would such a race eventually become corrupt, their egos overinflated by their obvious superiority over short-lived races, and would they use their superiority and long lives to conqueror other races, perhaps mistakenly thinking that they are doing them a favour?

Would their cities expand until they enveloped wide regions, spanning continents, but built in harmony with the natural world?

I would also like to have elves less inclined to arcane power, and more linked to divine power. Clerics rather than mages. I’d argue that Tolkien’s elves would be better suited as clerics anyhow, since they are closer to the ‘gods’ and many dwelt with or close to them. At least that’s one way to look at them.

I also like the idea of the elven race being less ‘good-guys’ and more the ‘bad-guys’ of a story. The corrupted elves. Maybe cursed too, by the gods, by other races, by their own misused powers.

I have an idea of Blighted Elves, corrupted by too much power, mutated and warped in body and mind. Also, Burning or Shining Ones, an idea I keep coming back to, which would be elves that have consumed so much power that they are literally burning up from the inside, their life-spans drastically reduced as a result. Elves that once had a vast empire that has since fallen into ruin; elves that enslaved the other races, until those races broke free by rebelling and fighting back; elves that stole their power from the gods, reducing these divine beings to mortals– albeit powerful mortals– and trapping that power, tapping into it to fuel the elves own magic.

Elves that vanished. Elves that are coming back, and bringing an eternal winter with them. Why? No idea. It just sounds interesting.

Anyway, I like elves, and I want to use them in more interesting ways than I used to.

Next Time: I Like Halflings!

 

 
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Dynamic Lair: Dragon Turtle

07 Nov

“A dynamic lair is a small dungeon or lair, created in advance like a point of interest, which includes 1-3 encounters.” ACKS page 236.

 This week, a different sort of ‘dragon‘:

The Sea-Cave

A rock sticks out from the surface of a large body of water, and below the water-line is a submerged cave that leads into a cavern that is the lair of a mighty Dragon Turtle.

Dragon Turtle (1): AC 11, Move 30′ (10′) and swim 90′ (30′), HD 30, hps 120, #ATS 3 (2 claws, bite), Dmg 1d8/1d8/1d6 x 10, SV F14, ML +2, AL C, XP 9,500; ACKS page 166; breath 90′ long and 30′ wide blast of steam, 3/day, dealing 30d6 damage, save versus breath for half.

Treasure in Lair

  • 1,000 Electrum
  • 2,000 Gold
  • 1,000 Platinum
  • 1 crates of monster parts, worth 300gp each (5 stone each)
  • 1 crates of armor and weapons, worth 225gp each (10 stone each)
  • 4 barrels of fine spirits or liquor, worth 200gp each (16 stone each)
  • 1 crates of monster parts, worth 300gp each (5 stone each)
  • 34 pieces of ivory (1 stone per 100gp value), each worth 38gp
  • 17 pieces of ivory (1 stone per 100gp value), each worth 50gp
  • 500 monster feathers (1 stone per 25 feathers), each worth 3gp
  • 1 sets of engraved teeth (1 stone per 100 sets), worth 50gp
  • 1 spinel (250 gp)
  • 1 wrought gold jewelry (600 gp)
  • Potion of Animal Control
  • Treasure Map (to 5d6x1000gp, 5d6 gems)
  • 61 4HD monster horns (1 stone per 20 HD), each worth 2gp per HD
  • 33 typical fur capes, worth 100gp each (1 stone each)
  • 2 platinum reliquaries with crystal panes, each worth 8,000gp
  • Potion of Human Control
  • Potion of Delusion
  • Potion of Dragon Control
  • Potion of Fire Resistance
  • Scroll of Arcane Spells (Written in Classical Auran): Knock (2nd lvl)
  • Scroll of Arcane Spells (Written in Ancient Zaharan): Magic Mouth (1st lvl), Hold Person (3rd lvl), Light* (1st lvl)
  • Scroll of Divine Spells (Written in Elven): Remove Curse* (3rd lvl), Smite Undead* (4th lvl), Detect Magic (1st lvl), Cure Light Wounds* (1st lvl), Sanctuary (1st lvl)
  • Scroll of Ward against Lycanthropes
  • Scroll of Divine Spells (Written in Draconic): Delay Poison (2nd lvl), Dispel Magic (4th lvl)
  • Treasure Map (to 5d6x1000gp, 5d6 gems)
  • Scroll of Ward against Undead
  • Scroll of Arcane Spells (Written in Classical Auran): Transmute Rock to Mud* (5th lvl), Contact Other Plane (5th lvl)
  • Ring of Telekinesis
  • Wand of Fire Balls
  • Staff of the Serpent
  • Wand of Fire Balls
  • Elven Boots
  • Decanter of Endless Water
  • Sword +2, Charm Person
  • Axe +1
  • Spear +1
  • Dagger +1
  • Plate Armor +1 and Shield +1
  • Plate Armor +2 and Shield +1
 
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Posted in ACKS, Monsters

 

Dynamic Lair: Dragon

31 Oct

“A dynamic lair is a small dungeon or lair, created in advance like a point of interest, which includes 1-3 encounters.” ACKS page 236.

Last week was the shapeshifting doppelganger; today, a mighty dragon!

The Mountain Lair of the Great Dragons

map of a dragon's lair

This network of caverns is the lair of a pair of mated dragons:

Dragon (2): AC 7, Move 90′ (30′) or fly 240′ (80′), HD 10, hps 51, 50, #ATs 3 (2 claws, bite), Dmg 2d3/2d3/2d10, SV F10, ML +1, AL N, XP 2,950 each; ACKS page 163-165; breath weapon 3/day, 100′ long & 5′ wide lightning bolt (10d6); 40% of being found asleep; 1 special ability each:

  1. male “Cryx”: decapitating bite (on a natural roll of 19-20 kill opponent unless a save versus death is made, even then, take 8d10 damage);
  2. female “Hevex”: poisonous blood (if wounded, attacker must save versus poison or be splashed by the blood and die).

The huge bed of treasure consists of the following loose coins, miscellaneous items, and piles of gems as well as various magical items:

  • 2,000 Silver
  • 1,000 electrum
  • 3,000 gold
  • 3 crates of terra-cotta pottery, worth 100gp each (5 stone each)
  • 15 bottles of fine wine, worth 5gp each (1 stone per 5 bottles)
  • 1 jars of dyes and pigments, worth 50gp each (5 stone each)
  • 2 bags of loose tea, worth 75gp each (5 stone each)
  • 2 sets of engraved teeth (1 stone per 100 sets), each worth 110gp
  • 1 rich fur coat (1 stone each), worth 1,000gp
  • 32 bottles of fine wine, worth 5gp each (1 stone per 5 bottles)
  • 6 jars of lamp oil, worth 20gp each (6 stone per jar)
  • 2 barrels of fine spirits or liquor, worth 200gp each (16 stone each)
  • 3 vials of rare perfume (1 stone per 100 vials), each worth 75gp
  • 1 sets of engraved teeth (1 stone per 100 sets), worth 50gp
  • 1 sets of engraved teeth (1 stone per 100 sets), worth 70gp
  • 20 pieces of ivory (1 stone per 100gp value), each worth 84gp
  • 4 crates of fine porcelain, worth 500gp each (2 stone each)
  • 3 8HD monster carcasses (1 stone per HD), each worth 80gp per HD
  • 4 opal cameo portraits and intaglio erotic tableaux,each worth 800gp
  • 250 monster feathers (1 stone per 25 feathers), each worth 6gp
  • 2 bundles of rare fur pelts (such as ermine, mink, or sable), worth 500gp each (5 stone each)
  • 1 rolls of silk, worth 400gp each (4 stone each)
  • 2 jars of spices, worth 800gp each (1 stone each)
  • 3 statuettes (1 stone per 1d3 statuettes), each worth 800gp
  • 4 crates of fine porcelain, worth 500gp each (2 stone each)
  • 1 pearl (250 gp)
  • 1 chalcedony (75 gp)
  • 1 alexandrite (500 gp)
  • 1 tourmaline (100 gp)
  • 1 silver studded with turquoise jewelry (1,000 gp)
  • 1 moonstone (50 gp)
  • 1 porcelain jewelry (500 gp)
  • 1 shells jewelry (130 gp)
  • 1 Facet cut imperial topaz (4,000 gp)
  • 1 alexandrite (500 gp)
  • 1 Fine wood jewelry (400 gp)
  • 1 Alabaster jewelry (1,200 gp)
  • 1 opal jewelry (3,000 gp)
  • Scroll of Ward against Undead
  • Scroll of Ward against Lycanthropes
  • Scroll of Ward against Magic
  • Scroll of Ward against Undead
  • Cursed Scroll (Inflicting: One random ability score suffers a -4 penalty)
  • Potion of Oil of Sharpness
  • Potion of Polymorph
  • Potion of Undead Control
  • Potion of Philter of Love
  • Potion of Diminution
  • Potion of Flying
  • Ring of Weakness
  • Sword +1, +3 versus summoned creatures
  • Shield -2 (cursed)
  • 2 x Treasure Map (to 1 magic item)
  • Treasure Map (to 1d4x1000gp)
 
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Posted in ACKS, Monsters

 

Dynamic Lairs: Doppelgänger

24 Oct

“A dynamic lair is a small dungeon or lair, created in advance like a point of interest, which includes 1-3 encounters.” ACKS page 236.

Continuing my series of dynamic lairs. This week, doppelgängers.

The Travelling Carnival

Disguised as a travelling carnival of jugglers and acrobats, with a sword-swallowing act and a knife-thrower, five doppelgängers use a pair of colourfully painted covered wagons as their lair, and hire act as spies and assassins for the highest bidder.

Doppelgängers (5): AC 4, Move 90′ (30′), HD 4, hps 20, 19, 24, 13, 17, #ATS 1, DMG 1d12, SV F10, ML +2, AL C, XP 135; shape-shift into any humanoid form, immune to charm & sleep magic.

Treasure (in wagons):

  • 1,000 Silver;
  • 1 vials of rare perfume (1 stone per 100 vials), worth 50gp;
  • 3 vials of rare perfume (1 stone per 100 vials), each worth 25gp;
  • 1 vials of rare perfume (1 stone per 100 vials), worth 100gp;
  • 3 sets of engraved teeth (1 stone per 100 sets), each worth 100gp;
  • 1 amethyst (100 gp);
  • 1 obsidian (10 gp);
  • Sword +1 (or some alternative).
 
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Posted in ACKS, RPG

 

Dynamic Lairs: Dogs, Hunting & War

17 Oct

“A dynamic lair is a small dungeon or lair, created in advance like a point of interest, which includes 1-3 encounters.” ACKS page 236.

Continuing my series of dynamic lairs. This week, dogs.

Abandoned Shack

A pack of wild hunting dogs, who were let loose by a hunter’s wife who wanted him to change his career, have made a den in an abandoned shack in a woodland once owned by the local king and now left to grow wild.

Hunting Dogs (8): AC 2, Move 180′ (60′), HD 2+1, hps 14, 8, 6, 6, 9, 11, 7, 8, #Ats 1 (bite), Dmg 1d4, SV F1, ML 0, AL N, XP 15; tracking.

Battlefield

A pair of masterless war dogs have set-up a den amidst a field that was, until recently, a battlefield and which is now scattered with lopped off limbs, corpses, and discarded weapons.

War Dogs (2): AC 3, Move 150′ (50′), HD 2+2, hps 14, 14, #Ats 1 (bite), Dmg 1d6, SV F1, ML +2, AL N, XP 35.

 
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Posted in ACKS, Monsters

 
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