PARS FORTUNA Preview – Weapons and Armor

Here are the pages I’m using to illustrate the basic weapon and armor types in PARS FORTUNA. Telecanter is doing something very similar on his blog.

 

 

Today I’m adding a few more monsters to PARS, working on the mini-sandbox and level 1 dungeon that are included with the rules, writing more encounters for Western Venatia (I’ll probably post a few tonight) and getting some work done on Hexcrawl Classics #2 – The As-Yet Unnamed Region that Might End Up Having “Badger” Somewhere in the Title. It feels good to be productive.

Deviant Friday – Mike Faille Edition

Sorry this post is a bit late today – too much going on. Mike Faille (aka Buck Ruckus) primarily draws for modern Dungeons and Dragons (okay, calm down, take your medicine, breath). I love the use of color and the very clean style. You can find more of his work at his website.

 

First illustration of Mike’s that I looked at, and still one of my favorites. I think it would make a great cover for an Asian-themed game. Hmmm …

Where is Your Gamma World?

Gamma World, and post-apocalyptic settings in general, are a frequent topic in the RPG blogosphere. Heck I follow more than a few sites dedicated to nothing else. Most are set in a Mad Maxian future, but when my friend Josh and I played Gamma World back in the day, we had something slightly different in mind, thanks to this …

Rock and Rule! I still have a soft spot in my heart for this little gem. Come on, admit it – Angel is the hottest mutant to ever grace the silver screen. So, where is your Gamma World?

Western Venatia – Shark!

A few more encounters for Western Venatia. You’ll have to use the tags at the bottom to navigate to the other Venatia entries because, frankly, I’m pooped!

1206. A massive carcharadon patrols these waters, always watchful for a foundering cog or lazy galley slung low in the water.

| Carcharadon: HD 8 (40 hp); AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 bite (1d8+4); Move (Swim 24); Save 8; CL/XP 8/800; Special: Feeding frenzy.

1209. On a lonely hill overlooking a quiet meadow of purple cone flowers and alyssum there are the remains of a villa. The villa belonged to Calyn, a well-respected soldier of Nomo, adopted human son of a noble elf family. All that remains of the villa is a cobbled court-yard and a single stone wall. The wall carries the faded remains of a fine mosaic showing children at play and stately men and women watching them and drinking from black, horn-shaped cups. In the center of the courtyard there is a fountain carved from rugged limestone with fittings of green copper. Should one sit on the side of the fountain and ask a question, the fountain will respond by singing an ancient legend (per the spell Legend Lore) in a fine tenor.

1219. An old chimae lives in a cave overlooking a boulder-stewn plain. The chimae has the body of a giant goat, the head of a lion and a serpent tail and answers to the name Chalos. Chalos often comes to the river to hunt.

Treasure: 1,890 sp, 1,500 gp, brass collar worth 300 gp and hepatizon and turquoise pendant worth 1,000 gp.

| Lion Chimae: HD 9 (34 hp); AC 3 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d10) and 1 stinger (1d6); Move 12 (Climb 9); Save 6; CL/XP 10/1400; Special: Poison sting causes paralysis.

1222. By the side of the imperial road you spot a fawn sitting next to a gnarled, old stump. From the way its swaying, the fawn looks as though its been injured. A close inspection reveals that the creature is, in fact, a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing, a sort of wilderness mimic.

| Wolf-in-Sheep’s Clothing: HD 9 (35 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 3 tentacles (1d4); Move 1; Save 6; CL/XP 10/1400; Special: Grab, surprise on 1-4 on d6.

1239. One might stumble across the body of a wolf, freshly killed, it seems, with a hand axe that still sticks in the creature’s side. If the axe is removed, the wolf’s skin leaps from the body and glides into the woods. For one week thereafter, the adventurer’s hear the howls and footfalls of a wolf pack, but encounter no random monsters in the woods.

Mystery Men! on Kickstarter – Final

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1931648155/mystery-men-a-rules-lite-comic-book-hero-game/widget/card.js

Yes – the Kickstarter patronage project for Mystery Men! is finito! It’s been a fun experience running this, and I must say that Kickstarter is a really well organized, easy to use system for this kind of thing. So, today is the last chance to be involved at the $10 Silver Age level or $20 Golden Age level. Thanks again to everyone who has checked it out, and especially to everyone who has joined in. I can’t wait to commission the art!

By the by – I’ll be posting some new Western Venatia stuff tonight (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! NOD #5 Now Available

Just got NOD #5 up and available on Lulu.com.

In this issue of NOD: Vampires from around the world, Ibis – City of Sorcerers, The Illusionist, Medieval Mining, Level 2 of Izrigul’s Pleasure Palace, Mystery Men! – converting your fantasy RPG into a comic book RPG and the continuation of George MacDonald’s classic story “Phantastes”. 84 pages.

$9.00 for the book, $3.50 for the e-book.

NOD #6 is scheduled for December, and in the spirit of the season will be another free download (something I hope to make a NOD tradition, assuming I can keep this thing going long enough for anything to count as a tradition).

For 2011, I’m exploring the idea of doing free downloads and just selling advertisement space – $5 full page, $3 half-page, $2 quarter page. If you’re interested, let me know – in terms of circulation, NOD #1, my other free download, has been downloaded almost 670 times.

Mystery Men! Update – The Final Countdown

 

The last year has been a fun one for me, filled with new experiences – blogging, publishing, being published and running a patronage project. Well, the last of those experiences is in its final hours – 33 hours as I write this. I again want to thank everyone who has signed on as a Silver Age or Golden Age patron, including our three newest Golden Agers, Doc Grognard, Brian Blakley and Johnny Splendor. The project is now funded up to $290, which should net us some nice art for Mystery Men! I’m also happy to announce that Pierre Villeneuve, who draws golden age heroes for the Flashback Universe, has opened his library to the project as well. Of course, if you’d like to slip into the project under the wire, you can still go HERE to become a patron.

Once the Kickstarter project is officially closed tomorrow I will be sending out ballots on which heroes are to be illustrated by Joel Carroll (that’s one of his pieces at the top of the post). When all the ballots are in and the money is sent to me (Kickstarter says that the money transfer takes a couple weeks) I will make the official commission with Joel and then dive head first into the Mystery Men! rules.

For the last update, I now give you the final batch of heroes seeking an illustration. I call this final batch “Everybody Else”, because it includes, well, everybody who didn’t fit into a category I already posted but was so awesome (read “bizarre”) that I had to post them.

 

Okay, I love the Venture Brothers and Tick franchises, and definitely have a soft spot for goofy hero concepts and names. Barry Kuda takes the cake! Honestly, he’s Aquaman with a sillier name, and for this, I love him.

 

Carol is orphaned after an attack on her parents. An eagle carries her to the Dawn Land, where she is raised by wolves and eventually becomes the leader of the pack.

 

Mekano is a robot invented by young scientist Bill Foster. He is stolen by the Nazis, but beats the crap out of them and returns to his creator to be used a tool of justice. Every comic book game needs at least one kick-ass robot.

 

Minimidget and his sidekick and girlfriend, Ritty, are the victim of a shrink ray. They fight crime using miniature cars and airplanes, and Minimidget uses a tiny sword and rides a rabbit named Bucky. The toy line just creates itself!

 

Brett Carson has super strength and two sidekicks, Kid Muscles and Miss Muscles, and frankly was just so creepy I had to put him in the mix.

 

I think part of the beauty of the Golden Age of comics is that it was a Golden Age – there was so much demand for comic books that just about any idea, no matter how odd, might make it into print. Hence – the Purple Zombie, controlled by one of his creators, Dr. Hale, he is used to fight crime.

 

The Red Panther protects the people of Africa (a large area to protect) from those who would prey on them. Getting his costume from a tribal chief, it is the skin of a mythical red panther, and by wearing it he becomes the panther’s representative on Earth.

[Correction – I originally thought he was the son of a tribal chief, and thus an African hero. From looking at a couple comics, it now appears he is a white guy doing the Tarzan bit. Somewhat disappointing, but I think he could easily be re-created as an African hero).

 

A taxi driver (real name unknown), he gains the power of the Silver Streak after being hypnotized by a swami who is into building race cars. Oh yeah, he also has a secret fluid in his blood that lets him defy gravity. The Venture Bros. have nothing on the Golden Age of comics.

 

 

Jon Dart, newspaper editor, fights crime as Swiftarrow. I like this guys dark look and the fact that he uses a crossbow instead of the traditional bow.

The Traveler

An astounding array of creatures passes through the Land of Nod, from elves to native-born humans to  ambulatory fungi and floating brains. But among the more interesting are the so-called Travelers. Travelers are human beings, often from our own waking world, who navigate the Land of Nod with the power of their dreaming mind. Although seemingly awake and aware, all travelers actually exist in a state of semi-consciousness, living out their fancies thanks to the shaky fabric of reality that makes up the nonsensical tapestry called Nod. Travelers are adventurers first and foremost, with a thirst for new and strange vistas. Travelers are imaginative and creative and often impulsive, for they are used to reality shifting to please them and sometimes taken back when events do not comply with their wishes.

PRIME REQUISITES: Charisma and Wisdom
 
HIT DICE: 1d6+1 (+2 hit points per level after 9th)
 
WEAPONS PERMITTED: Any.
 
ARMOR PERMITTED: Leather, ring, chainmail, shields.
 
FOCUS: To use his special abilities, a traveler must possess a focus object and must be holding it in his hand. To use his abilities, the traveler must activate them with a successful saving throw. He must then remain in a somewhat calm reverie; emotional and physical disruptions can stop the traveler in his tracks and necessitate further saving throws to maintain the reverie.
 
From 1st to 4th level, a traveler can impose his will upon his immediate surroundings. To use these abilities, he must be grasping a walking stick with a silver tip. Such a stick can be obtained for 30 gp, and can be used as a club in combat.
 
From 5th to 8th level, a traveler can use his powers to explore on a global scale. To use abilities gained from 4th to 6th level, the traveler must possess a golden compass. Such a compass can be constructed by an expert jeweler at a cost of 500 gp.
 
From 9th on, the traveler learns to pierce the veil of time itself. In order to use his new abilities, he must possess a pocket watch made of gold and studded with diamonds. Such a device can be constructed by an expert jeweler at a cost of 3,000 gp.
 
Creatures wishing to accompany the traveler on his extra-dimensional trips must take care. The traveler can travel with one person per two levels. These hangers-on must keep their eyes closed tight while traveling or go mad. Even with their eyes closed, they are ripped from their own sense of dimension and time, and thus must pass a saving throw or become nauseous for 1d4 rounds after they finish their trip.
 
SLEEP RESISTANCE: Although not immune to sleep, travelers enjoy a +2 bonus to save against sleep spells and effects. Strangely, when knocked into unconsciousness by a sleep spell a traveler still perceives the world around him, and can act on it by animating inanimate objects. The traveler can animate one small object at 1st level, one man-sized object at 4th level and one large object at 7th level. The object acts with the traveler’s will. If destroyed in combat, the traveler loses 1d6 hit points for a small object, 2d6 for a man-sized object and 3d6 for a large object.
 
ECCENTRICITIES: The traveler’s ability to perceive the spaces between dimensions gives them a slightly alien mindset that reveals itself in their eccentricities. At each level beyond 1st, a traveler must roll on the following table. The term “unnerved” indicates that the traveler suffers a -1 penalty to all d20 rolls while in the presence of the thing that unnerves him. Rolling an eccentricity a second time makes it more intense (i.e. being unnerved imposes a -2 penalty, etc).
 
D20
Eccentricity
1
Unnerved by a certain color
2
Unnerved by small animals or children
3
Must stand next to the tallest or shortest or fattest or thinnest person in a room
4
Frightened by gourds and melons
5
Can only eat or never eat with his fingers
6
Accidentally reverses the meanings of words
7
Becomes unnerved, morose, angry or giddy when traveling in one of the cardinal directions
8
Suffers from agoraphobia
9
Stares at people and takes long pauses before he speaks
10
Will not drink water, only wine
11
Unnerved by sea creatures and seafood
12
Laughs at innapropriate moments
13
Unnerved (or even frightened) by an innocuous word or phrase
14
Never calls people by their names, only nicknames that change from day to day
15
Only walks backwards across bridges or under arches
16
Feels the need to touch people while talking to them
17
Unnatural fear of cabbages and other leafy vegetables – this becomes panic at the sight of leafy plant monsters
18
Will not willingly get on a boat – mumbles something about the stars when asked to
19
Talks to himself, often in the middle of the night, increasing the chance of wandering monsters by 1
20
Super fastidious and clean
 
NON-EUCLIDIAN PRINCIPALS: A 1st level traveler perceives that the shortest route between two points is a non-Euclidian curve and increases his speed by 3 (or by 30 ft in some system or 5 ft in others). To use these abilities, he must be grasping a walking stick with a silver tip. Such a stick can be obtained for 30 gp, and can be used as a club in combat.
 
MAKE HASTE: For exactly one minute per day, the 2nd level traveler can operate under the effects of a haste spell. The traveler must take care not to exceed one minute of hasted movement, for beyond this he begins aging 1 year for every minute of hasted activity.
 
BETWEEN DIMENSIONS: The 3rd level traveler’s inherent perception of the space between dimensions allows him to slide between them, duplicating the effects of the dimension door spell. He can do this once per day without incident, but additional uses carry with them an increasing chance of attracting the attention of an inter-dimensional being such as a demon or ethereal marauder. The second time in a day that a traveler uses dimension door carries a 1 in 6 chance of a weird encounter. Each additional use increases the chances by 1.
 
NORTH STAR: At 4th level, a traveler always knows which direction is north and can duplicate the effects of a Find the Path spell by making a successful saving throw. A failed saving throw gives the traveler false information, usually sending him in the opposite direction that he desired.
 
THROUGH THE SHADOWS: The 6th level traveler learns the true nature of shadows, and gains the ability to step into them and emerge many miles away as though using the spell teleport. The journey through the shadows seems to take a normal amount of time to the traveler (i.e. covering 6 miles on foot in 8 hours of travel), but in fact takes only 1 minute per mile traveled. The traveler suffers the same possibility of error while navigating the shadow realm, but does not run the risk of teleporting low or high, though their soul can be lost in the spaces between realities.
 
AMONG THE STARS: At 8th level, the traveler can fall into a deep sleep and travel in astral form, per the Astral Spell. If awakened while so travelling, the shock of returning to his senses robs the traveler of half his hit points (the heal naturally) and his bloodcurtling scream may attract wandering monsters.
 
PLANE SHIFT: The 10th level traveler can use his ability to slide between dimensions to visit other planes and realities. Traveling to another reality does not necessarily mean the traveler has the ability to survive in that reality, so care must be taken not to visit a place hostile to life.
 
FOURTH DIMENSIONAL THINKING: The 12th level traveler reaches the pinnacle of his art and learns to move frictionles between the falling sands of time, effectively stopping time around himself per the spell Time Stop.
 
Level
XP
HD
Attack
Save
Title
1
0
1
+0
15
Rover
2
1,500
2
+0
14
Wanderer
3
3,000
3
+1
13
Vagabond
4
6,000
4
+1
12
Navigator
5
12,000
5
+2
11
Explorer
6
30,000
6
+2
10
Discoverer
7
60,000
7
+3
9
Psychopomp
8
120,000
8
+3
8
Imaginant
9
175,000
9
+4
7
Traveler
10
230,000
+2
+5
6
Traveler
11
300,000
+4
+5
5
Traveler
12
370,000
+6
+6
5
Time Lord

+300,000 XP per level thereafter

Top illustration by Helsa Amadi
Bottom illustration by Winsor McCay