OSR Class: Mystic of the Lucre Uncounted

"Gold is no metal, it is life. Gold is food in people's bellies, the strength in a soldier's arm, the foundation of thrones and the slayer of kings. Gold, my flock, is power." - Theodric Kolemnos, High Usurer of the Gilded House

The Gilded House is an ancient cult in my Egradus campaign who provide banking services across the known world. Their order is small but it is tightly wound into the fabric of most societies. You can deposit money in one of their temples, travel to the other side of the world and withdraw it (minus their fee, of course) without issue. Cult priests are also known as reliable and dependable legal witnesses for outsiders, despite the cult's bribery-laden, Byzantine internal politics.

The majority of the initiated are kept into the dark as to the inner workings of the temples, but all of them are ancient structures often out of place with the newer buildings surrounding them. Several thieves claim to have pilfered from the Gilded Houses (which they say are filled with horrific traps, wards and arcane servants), but none have come close to even setting foot in the Vault - the monolithic seat of power of the High Usurer, who heads the cult.

The cult itself claims to have invented many things inspired by their divine patron. Among these are bribery, coins, luck, trade, locks, slavery, chains and numbers.

The Lucre Uncounted is often referred to as Auric, God of Coin, by those who are not initiated. To a Mystic it appears as a giant pair of balanced scales wrought from pure light - on one side is an infinite stack of skulls of both of known and unknown races, and on the other is an infinitely heavy gold coin. Wealth without measure falls from the sky around it.

Credit, Luke Valentine

Mystic: Lucre Uncounted

You are a disciple of Lucre Uncounted, your actions need no explanation.

Additional Starting Equipment: 1d6gp, light armour, shield.

Perk: You instantly know the market value of items you touch.

Drawback: You must Save when selling valuables or the Lucre Uncounted pilfers d100% of your share. You still gain the full amount of XP for selling treasure. This occurs even if party members or agents sell your share for you. All is held in account by the Lucre Uncounted.

Minor Miracles:

1. You can spend a full action to absorb one gold piece into your flesh and restore 1d6 HP.

2. You can fix the result of a coin toss with a glance.

3. You can read any language, so long as it is inscribed on a coin or statement of account.

Liturgies

The Liturgies of your faith are a contextual guide to the levels of power you can call upon. If you attempt to call upon a power of a higher level Liturgy then your Invocation roll is made with 2 Banes.

If you attempt to call upon the Liturgy of a power beyond your level then you must spend a number of Favour points equal to double the difference. These points cannot be used to reroll dice, you must spend additional points on top of this.

First Liturgy
In the order of controlling coins, detecting metals, secreting treasure, tarnishing lustre, collecting debts, affecting the perception of value.

Second Liturgy
In the order of placing minor wards, setting and breaking locks, comprehending languages, spiritual loans, taking and binding oaths.

Third Liturgy
In the order of shaping metal into new forms, manifesting an aspect of pure wealth, placing major wards, restraining thieves and debtors.

Fourth Liturgy
In the order of summoning an divine mantle of opulence, forming an impenetrable barrier.

Credit, watermother2004

Invocation

When you wish to Invoke a Miracle, declare the amount of Favour you are investing (if any) and roll 4d6. Each point of Favour allows you to reroll a die; you can reroll the same die multiple times and stop early, if you wish, but you must abide by the final result:

4d6	Invocation
18-24	Success.
15-17	Minor Devotion - the Invocation requires something immediately obvious that would please the Lucre Uncounted, or roll on the Minor Devotion table.
13-14	Major Pact - you must agree to undertake a quest for the Lucre Uncounted in order for the Invocation to succeed. If you have already agreed to one and it has not been fulfilled then the Invocation fails.
07-12	Inopportune Favour - you are honoured with a manifestation of the Lucre Uncounted's blessing, though the timing is poor. Roll on the Duration table, reducing the roll by 1 for each point of Favour spent. You gain d4 points of Favour.
04-06	Brilliant Manifestation of Divinity - your body twists into a terrible avatar of the Lucre Uncounted, under the GM's control. Roll on the Duration table. At the end, Save or be rendered irrevocably insane by the experience.

Favour

Gain Favour with the Lucre Uncounted by performing actions that please them. The following is a non-exhaustive guide:

1 Point

- Apprehend a debtor to the Gilded House.
- Sacrifice wealth to the Lucre Uncounted.
- Deliver fair judgement from a position of authority, or court bribes when adjudicating among the faithful.

5 Points

- Uncover a lost cache of great wealth.
- Gild a live sacrifice in sanctified gold and inscribe upon them runes of offering and benediction.
- Accrue wealth through a poorly worded contract or agreement.

15 Points

- Convince a treasure-hoarding creature to join the Gilded House as a willing convert.
- Uncover and restore a hidden or lost Gilded House.

Credit, Jonathan Carpenter

The Unknowable Mind of the Lucre Uncountable (d20)
The minds of the gods are unknowable to frail mortals. Roll here when instructed on the Benevolence table in the core Mystic class:

1. The ritual fails and the target's blood flares like molten metal, inflicting 1d4 damage.

2. The ritual succeeds, but the target's movements jingle loudly as if they were carrying sacks of treasure - roll on the Duration table.

3. The ritual fails, and the target's skin becomes silvery and reflective - roll on the Duration table. Any beneficial magic cast upon the target will be reflected upon a random target within 50'.

4. The ritual succeeds, but the Lucre Uncounted blesses the target and turns one of their arms into solid gold. It still functions as a normal arm but has all the advantages of being metal. It counts as an Encumbering item.

5. The ritual fails and the target's bones turn to lead – roll on Duration table. Their DEX is halved for the duration.

6. The ritual succeeds, but the target's irises are turned a deep copper. They can forever pick out currency as smouldering embers, even in complete darkness.

7. The ritual fails, and the target is struck by a torrential shower of assorted coinage, suffering d6 damage. The coinage disappears a few seconds after it has struck the target.

8. The ritual succeeds, but the target's feet are turned to lead. They are otherwise normal and the target suffers no ill effects from the material, but their Movement speed is halved and their feet count as Encumbering.

9. The ritual succeeds, but the Mystic suffers d6 damage as furious sparks of molten metal erupt from the target.

10. The ritual succeeds, but one of the target's fingers is transformed into an iron key. They may declare that it fits perfectly into a single lock - the key-finger will fit only that lock. They can attempt to file the key and make alterations, but must make a successful DEX check or suffer d6 damage.

11. The ritual fails, and the target continually utters random numerals – roll on the Duration table.

12. The ritual succeeds, but their limbs become weak and their strength is sapped - their STR is halved. Every night a burning figure holding a struggling, pale copy of the target appears before them, demanding payment of d100 x10gp. Once this is paid their STR is restored.

13. The ritual fails, and a pair of heavy black iron manacles seal themselves around the target's wrists. They suffer 2 Banes on all DEX rolls and any attempts to remove the manacles cause them to flare white hot and inflict 1d6 damage to anyone in contact.

14. The ritual succeeds, but countless tiny gems and metallic extrusions erupt through the subject's skin. Their Defence is improved by 2 due to the added durability, and whenever they are struck in combat there is a 2-in-6 chance of d20sp in valuable materials being chipped loose. Attempting to prise gems out willingly results in unimaginable pain.

15. The ritual fails, and the target is branded with a visible mark that all coins fear. The target must succeed on a DEX check whenever handling coins or any coins within 5' of them will begin to roll away, aiming for drains, small cracks and other nooks and crannies.

16. The ritual succeeds, but the target vomits up litres of molten slag. They must Save vs CON or suffer 1d4 damage - roll on the Duration table, with a new Save at each increment.

17. Everyone within 30' must Save or be bound by adamantine chains and dragged off through portals - roll on the Duration table. In their wake are slips of paper and parchment scratched in a harsh, infernal tongue confirming their status as indentured servants. No matter how long is rolled, those who failed their Save return feeling like they have spent several years away but cannot recall anything other than mere flashes.

18. The ritual succeeds, but the target notices a patch of golden skin on the back of their hand which ever so slowly spreads. The target must Save vs CON every day to prevent their skin from changing further, failure imposes a cumulative -2 DEX penalty as their skin and joints begin to harden. To completely recover they must Save 3 times in a row, with a failure returning them to their initial condition. If they fail 3 times in a row then they are immobilised as a solid gold statue, still living on the inside. Any healing from a Mystic of the Lucre Uncounted during this time will actually progress the condition.

19. The ritual fails, and the Mystic must Save or suffer 1d10 damage as a burning lash scourges them to the bone.

20. The ritual succeeds, but the target must Save the when sleeping for the next night. If they fail then the party awakens to find the target's belongings neatly organised with a concise statement of accounts concerning their soul resting on top.

OSR Class: Mystic of the Eightfold Weaver

"Lay your web and cast it wide, leave them nowhere they can hide, lay them low with one swift bite, hold them close in endless night." - Sendarian children's rhyme.

One of my players made a pact with an atavistic spider deity. What better test case for a Mystic class? As you can probably guess, this one is going to be quite spider-y. See my previous post for Mystic base rules.

Credit, Max Duran

Mystic: Eightfold Weaver

You are a disciple of the Eightfold Weaver, your actions need no explanation.

Additional Starting Equipment: 50' of rope.

Perk: You Save vs poison with 2 Boons.

Drawback: You can only eat arthropods.

Minor Miracles:
1. You can speak to spiders. They'll remember mundane things, i.e. prey items, temperature changes, airflow and other things that a spider might generally notice. This doesn't mean they're friendly.
2. You can make 50' of held rope or chain as durable as spider-silk for a number of minutes equal to your level. You must hold the rope/chain and concentrate.
3. You can sense all but the lightest tremors and vibrations within 50'.

Liturgies

The Liturgies of your faith are a contextual guide to the levels of power you can call upon. If you attempt to call upon a power of a higher level Liturgy then your Invocation roll is made with 2 Banes.

If you attempt to call upon the Liturgy of a power beyond your level then you must spend a number of Favour points equal to double the difference. These points cannot be used to reroll dice, you must spend additional points on top of this.

First Liturgy
In the order of convincing nearby arachnids to your cause, moving with great speed, bestowing a minor arachnid aspect, trickery and deception.

Second Liturgy
In the order of envenoming, climbing and leaping great heights, hunting, the bestowal of a major arachnid aspect.

Third Liturgy
In the order of trapping and binding, possessing a fearful visage, true sight, complete arachnid transformation.

Fourth Liturgy
In the order of summoning a divine arachnid servant, accessing the hidden paths between places.

Credit, Diana Franco

Invocation

When you wish to Invoke a Miracle, declare the amount of Favour you are investing (if any) and roll 4d6. Each point of Favour allows you to reroll a die; you can reroll the same die multiple times and stop early, if you wish, but you must abide by the final result:

4d6	Invocation
18-24	Success.
15-17	Minor Devotion - the Invocation requires something immediately obvious that would please the Eightfold Weaver, or roll on the Minor Devotion table.
13-14	Major Pact - you must agree to undertake a quest for the Eightfold Weaver in order for the Invocation to succeed. If you have already agreed to one and it has not been fulfilled then the Invocation fails.
07-12	Inopportune Favour - you are honoured with a manifestation of the Eightfold Weaver's blessing, though the timing is poor. Roll on the Duration table, reducing the roll by 1 for each point of Favour spent. You gain d4 points of Favour.
04-06	Brilliant Manifestation of Divinity - your body twists into a terrible avatar of the Eightfold Weaver, under the GM's control. Roll on the Duration table. At the end, Save or be rendered irrevocably insane by the experience.

Favour

Gain Favour with the Eightfold Weaver by performing actions that please them. The following is a non-exhaustive guide:

1 Point

- Assist spiders in need.

- Induct an initiate into the cult.

- Secrete a piece of knowledge where no-one else will find it.

5 Points

- Weave a conspiracy of lies and deceit.

- Poison the servants of an Insect God.

- Restrain and ritually exsanguinate a sacrifice.

15 Points

- Found a new temple for the cult.

- Ritually cocoon oneself for a week in intoxicated delirium.

Credit, Ryan Van Dongen

The Unknowable Mind of the Eightfold Weaver (d20)
The minds of the gods are unknowable to frail mortals. Roll here when instructed on the Benevolence table in the core Mystic class:

1. The ritual fails and the target's blood burns with black venom, inflicting 1d4 damage.

2. The ritual succeeds, but the target moves as if they were trapped in a web (half Movement) - roll on the Duration table.

3. The ritual fails and a bloated huntsman spider emerges painlessly from the target's skin bearing an egg sac. The eggs hatch a short while after - roll on the Duration table - and d100 solid silver spiders worth 1sp each clatter motionlessly to the floor. Any healing magic will accelerate the hatching but not benefit the target. The spider has 1HD and if it is killed the eggs hatch into mobile spiders with hallucinogenic venom (Save or madness - roll on the Duration table).

4. The ritual succeeds, but the Eightfold Weaver blesses the target with a crown of black eyes on the forehead and brow which can see perfectly in low-light conditions.

5. The ritual fails and the target is crippled with pain as if every inch of their body was being bitten – roll on Duration table. They take 1 Bane on all rolls for the duration.

6. The ritual succeeds, but the target's knees crack and contort backwards. Their new form allows them to leap and jump twice as far.

7. The ritual fails, and the target contorts in on themselves, suffering d6 damage as their muscles knot and skin tears.

8. The ritual succeeds, but wriggling egg sacs emerge from their back and disgorge spiders on a monthly basis. They cannot wear medium or heavy armour or fit into tight spaces.

9. The ritual succeeds, but the Mystic suffers d6 damage as burning bristles launch from the target and pepper their skin with bloody welts.

10. The ritual succeeds, but an extra limb emerges from the target. Roll 1d4: 1-2 - arm, 3-4 - leg. If the target has 8 limbs then treat as if a 20 was rolled.

11. The ritual fails, and the target finds themselves on their hands and knees coughing up spools of silken thread – roll on the Duration table.

12. The ritual succeeds, but the mere thought of eating anything other than live insects causes the target to vomit copiously. Each time they eat live insects they feel a bit better, but it will take d20 meals to get them back to normal.

13. The ritual fails, and a bloated redback spider can be seen splayed out under the target's chest. It sinks its fangs into the target's sternum and exudes a weak but constant flow of venom, reducing their CON by 2.

14. The ritual succeeds, but d6 hooked arachnid limbs burst from the target's body and their abdomen swells until rounded and dark. They don't have the dexterity of human hands, but they can stick to surfaces like a spider's limbs. The target cannot wear medium and heavy armour.

15. The ritual fails, but chelicerae explode from the target's mouthparts. They can still speak but must eat liquid food. Their bite deals 1d6 damage and can inject poison once per day.

16. The ritual succeeds, but the target writhes as their blood burns in their veins. They must Save vs CON or suffer 1d4 damage - roll on Duration table, with a new Save at each increment.

17. Everyone within 30' must Save or vomit up a torrent of venomous spiders. Unless they take special precautions and meticulously clean out their gear they will suffer a poisonous bite the next time they reach for a stowed item.

18. The ritual succeeds, but the target's feels something growing within them. Occasionally they vomit up a silken ball. The target must Save vs CON every day to prevent the thing from growing within them, taking 1 Bane for each progression of their condition. To completely recover they must Save 3 times in a row, with a failure returning them to their initial condition. If they fail 3 times in a row, a grotesque spider-hybrid bursts their skin like wet paper and streaks off to the nearest shadowy location, hissing and chittering. It will stalk the party from then on. Any healing from a Mystic of the Eightfold Weaver during this time will actually progress the condition.

19. The ritual fails, and the Mystic must Save or suffer 1d10 damage as silver silk extrudes from their fingertips and toes and pulls taut against the nearest surfaces, stretching their muscles and bones to breaking point.

20. The ritual succeeds, but the target must Save the when sleeping for the next night. If they fail then the party awakens to find a partially opened silken cocoon and the dried husk of their former comrade.

OSR Class: Mystic

"I hear the song of the celestial heavens, and the music is cacophonous. It is strange but I find comfort in its dissonance..." - Farseer Taldeer, Dawn of War: Dark Crusade.

Clerics annoy me. The GLOG has essentially solved same-y wizards given how easy it is to build a host of different magic schools each with their own cantrips, perks and drawbacks, but clerics remain annoyingly bland. Skerples has posted on how stock D&D clerics are Sunday School miracle workers and this sums up my dislike of clerics - there's no variety between the devotees of different gods and they all play pretty much identically. In addition, Vancian magic being what it is, a cleric simply gets an allotted amount of spells per day and that's that. The rules don't feature anything about clerics being penalised or rewarded for following or going against the tenets of their faith. This leads to PCs for whom religion should feature heavily just playing as a slightly less tank-y fighter with healing powers. In addition, I dislike the stock D&D concept of multiple temples/churches having holy warriors, literally imbued with divine power, scattered about like confetti - they should be similar to wizards, by which I mean comparatively rare total weirdos risking terrible dangers while potentially not even understanding exactly how their powers work.

Logan Knight, of the Last Gasp Grimoire, has some excellent rules for running clerics (or Mystics) in his games and it is this that has spurred me into making a GLOG-based cleric/Mystic class. This class will be similar to a GLOG wizard in that it will have a base class featuring the central class components and then a number of traditions/schools that are then added to the base class in order to represent different holy traditions or cults. The gods worshipped here are barely comprehensible by human standards (and vice versa) - holy traditions are cargo-cult dogma designed to rationalise the actions of beings beyond mortal understanding - and mortal minds are imperfect at channelling their power or communicating the nature of our reality. Thus a Mystic's powers can be extremely dangerous to use.

This isn't a Pike & Shotte class (I want to keep pseudo-17th century Europe free of direct godly influence outside of a hedonistic and divided church) but I've included elements of a nascent setting I've had swirling around in my head. I'll also be using this in my Egradus campaign to replace clerics.

Loose Setting Details

The Divine created the world, because a god needs something to do. Things were good and people were happy, building loads of nice stuff and generally being cool. Over time, the Divine allotted some of His power to chosen followers for embodying His ideals. They inevitably became leaders. Eventually at least one of them became jealous and devised a plan to invade Heaven and seize the Divine's secrets of creation for themselves. This went poorly. The Divine was killed and Heaven ruined. The backlash tainted the world and twisted pristine life into beastly, foul forms. Madness and chaos reigned as magical energy poured from the broken firmament. Sorcerer-kings, magical beasts and the first daemons ran amok. Eventually the Long Night passed and some semblance of normality resumed, but the broken Heavens have cursed the land and those living upon it. The Divine no longer answers prayers but fragments of the dead god still dream, and the astral carrion-eaters that feast upon its corpse gains power all of their own.

Credit, Gonzo Apestegui

NOTE: This is a template class and will not be complete without an associated Sacred Tradition. In addition, there are some tangential tables mentioned below that I have compiled at the bottom of this post.

Class: Mystic

Starting Equipment: Small weapon, holy symbol, book of scripture/philosophical texts/insane ramblings.

A: Favour, Miracles, Sacred Tradition, First Liturgy

B: Benevolence, Second Liturgy

C: Third Liturgy

D: Fourth Liturgy

You gain +1 HP and +1 to Saves vs Mind-Altering Effects for each Mystic template you possess.

Favour

Your entreaties to your god are nothing if they do not value you. Favour is a currency, of sorts, exchanged between you and your deity. You may spend Favour before invoking Miracles, or as otherwise detailed in your abilities. Spending Favour prior to invocation allows you to reroll a number of dice on the Invocation roll equivalent to the Favour spent. You can stop at any time but must keep the final result. You can gain and lose Favour by performing actions according to your Sacred Tradition.

Miracles

Your connection to your god allows you to channel their power in the form of Miracles. You do not cast spells like a wizard, instead you call upon your god to grant you power. State what you want to happen (the Liturgies of your Sacred Tradition will provide a rough guide to what actions and power level your deity would support), determine how much Favour you are spending, and roll 4d6. If you are attempting something that your deity wouldn't logically support, you make the invocation roll with 2 Banes. If your Miracle has an ongoing effect, roll on the Duration table to determine it's length.

4d6	Invocation
18-24	Success.
15-17	Minor Devotion - the Invocation requires something immediately obvious that would please your god, or roll on the Minor Devotion table.
13-14	Major Pact - you must agree to undertake a quest for your god in order for the Invocation to succeed. If you have already agreed to one and it has not been fulfilled then the Invocation fails.
07-12	Inopportune Favour - you are honoured with a manifestation of your god's blessing, though the timing is poor. Roll on the Duration table, reducing the roll by 1 for each point of Favour spent. You gain d4 points of Favour.
04-06	Brilliant Manifestation of Divinity - your body twists into a terrible avatar of your god, under the GM's control. Roll on the Duration table. At the end, Save or be rendered irrevocably insane by the experience.

Sacred Tradition

When you select your first Mystic template you must select the Sacred Tradition of your god, which grants you perks and drawbacks, as well as cantrips that are available to you. It also determines how you gain Favour and how it can all go horribly wrong. You cannot change to a new Sacred Tradition without an extremely good reason.

Liturgies

Liturgies are referred to in your Sacred Tradition and give a rough guide as to the measure of divine power that you can invoke in your Miracles. If you attempt to invoke a Miracle that is in line with a higher Liturgy than you have access to then you must spend Favour equal to double the level difference, e.g. if you possessed the Second Liturgy but attempted to channel a Miracle in line with the Fourth Liturgy you would need to spend 4 Favour to do so. This Favour does not allow you to reroll - you must spend additional Favour to do so.

Benevolence
You can invoke your powers to heal wounds (d6 + level HP), cure sicknesses and break curses. You can only attempt this once for a given condition, or once per person's wounds until they are fully healed.

You may use Favour for this in the same manner as Invocation.

4d6	Benevolence
18-24	Success.
15-17	Success/Bestowed Mark - the influence of your Sacred Tradition manifests as a mutation or stigmata on the target's flesh. Roll on the Duration table unless you used Favour for the roll, in which case it is permanent.
13-14	Bestowed Mark - as above, but the target does not gain the benefit of your Invocation.
07-12	Unknowable Minds - the minds of gods are not those of mortals. Roll on the Unknowable Minds table (this will vary according to your Sacred Tradition).
04-06	Brilliant Manifestation of Divinity - the target's body twists into a terrible avatar of your god, under the GM's control. Roll on the Duration table. At the end the target must Save or be rendered irrevocably insane by the experience.

Credit, Lena Richards

Assorted Tables

Minor Devotion (d6)
1. Promise of a pleasing offering.
2. Short-term abstinence or indulgence.
3. Manifest something holy from your flesh.
4. Perform a sacred ritual.
5. Recount your holy deeds (offer d4 Favour points or suffer a Mishap).
6. Religious fever (roll on Duration table).

Duration (d12)
01-09: d6 Rounds

10-11: d6 Turns
12: d6 Days

Unknowable Minds Template (d20)
The minds of the gods are unknowable to frail mortals:

1. Target takes light damage.
2. Ritual succeeds, but target is subject to an temporary debilitation - roll on Duration table.
3. Target is subject to an ongoing effect or alteration, no mystical healing or cures until it ends – roll on Duration table.
4. Ritual succeeds, but target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
5. Target is subject to an temporary debilitation – roll on Duration table.
6. Ritual succeeds, but target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
7. Target takes moderate damage.
8. Ritual succeeds, but target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
9. The ritual succeeds, but the Mystic takes moderate damage.
10. Ritual succeeds, but target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
11. Target is subject to an temporary effect or alteration – roll on Duration table.
12. Ritual succeeds, but target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration until they perform a task to remove it.
13. Major mishap involving detrimental alteration, loss of HP or stats, etc.
14. Target is subject to a major permanent effect or alteration.
15. Target is subject to a permanent effect or alteration.
16. Target is takes ongoing damage - roll on Duration table.
17. Area affect that everyone within 30' must make a save to avoid.
18. The ritual succeeds, but the target is subject to a progressing condition. The target must Save every day to prevent the condition progressing, taking a penalty to physical rolls for every stage it advances. To completely recover, the target must make 3 saves in a row, if they fail a save it regresses to its initial condition, and if they fail 3 times in a row the condition results in their spectacular death. Any healing from a Mystic of the same religion during this time will actually progress the condition.
19. Mystic must Save or suffer massive damage.
20. The ritual succeeds, but the target must Save the next night or die.

OSR: Character Races

Having chatted with my players, we've made the collective decision to GLOG-ify my Egradus setting. The Pike & Shotte classes I've been working on have been designed to work with the generally Early Modern-ish setting - firearms, blackpowder and other such things - but I've needed to get a set of races sorted to satisfy my players' demands for weird and wonderful things to choose from (before they inevitably choose humans anyway, the sods). Skerples has made an excellent table of d50 OSR Races and has nailed the format for presenting them. Mine will be done in much the same fashion - flavourful perks and drawbacks, and a choice of stat to reroll.

The existing choices in my Lamentations of the Flame Princess-based game are: human, elf, dwarf, halfling, orc, and beast-man. The majority of the races presented below will be beast-man types (similar to Skerples' -lings). Beast-man forms are generally humanoid with animal features, but this may vary depending on what my players feel like or what I think is appropriate to the setting.

Credit, Mirko Failoni

Character Races

d100	Race	Stat Reroll	Perk	Drawback
1-20	Human	Any	1 Boon to benefits from beneficial magic	1 Bane on Saves vs mutation
21-30	Elf	CHA	Can tell if an item is magical on sight	Save when using magic items or drain 1d6 charges
31-40	Dwarf	STR	1 Boon on Saves vs magic	Save or be transfixed by the full moon
41-50	Halfling	DEX	Eat half as many rations	-2 Inventory Slots
51-60	Orc	CON	Add character level to all healing	Save or half effect from beneficial magic
61	Boar-man	CON	Can smell food within 200'	Eat twice as many rations
62	Deer-man	CHA	Leave no tracks in wilderness	Save or flee (1d4 Rounds) if surprised
63	Goat-man	DEX	Movement unaffected in rough terrain	1 Bane on all Stealth rolls due to pervasive goat-odour
64	Horse-man	STR	+2 Inventory Slots	Save or suffer 1d4 damage when incurring Fatigue
65	Badger-man	WIS	Can excavate twice as much with your paws	Poor vision beyond 50'.
66	Cat-man	DEX	Night vision	Save or toy with wounded enemies (reduce to 1hp if damage is lethal)
67	Hound-man	CON	Can track targets by scent	Save vs commands from legitimate authority figures
68	Ox-man	STR	Horns - 1d6 damage natural weapon + Save or stunned for 1 Round	Hungry enemies attack you first
69	Crow-man	INT	Can sense spirits of the dead	Save or devour carrion
70	Otter-man	INT	Can hold breath for 8 minutes	Oily skin makes it easier to slip (1 Bane when climbing, balancing etc.)
71	Fish-man	WIS	Can swim at double Movement	Drink twice as much liquid
72	Bear-man	STR	Claws - 1d6 natural weapons	Can't fit in tight spaces, armour is 50% more expensive
73	Rat-man	INT	1 Boon to Saves vs Disease	1 Bane on Saves vs Fear
74	Owl-man	WIS	1 extra Boon to Stealth at night	Can only eat raw meat
75	Snake-man	INT	Poisonous bite - 1d6 + poison	Movement halved and all rolls made with 1 Bane when cold
76	Peacock-man	CHA	Can dazzle enemies in combat as an action (Save or 1 Bane on attacks)	Take 1 Bane on all rolls if soiled/dirty
77	Gull-man	INT	Can eat anything organic	Incapable of being quiet - 1 Bane on all Stealth rolls
78	Songbird-man*	CHA	1 Boon on social interactions after singing	Save or be distracted by food
79	Mole-man	WIS	Can burrow beneath the ground as a movement action	Vision limited to 10'
80	Spider-man	DEX	1 Boon on all climbing rolls	Cannot eat solid food
81	Sheep-man	CON	1 Boon to resist poor weather and cold	Save or flee (1d4 Rounds) if surprised
82	Lizard-man	CON	Eat half as many rations	Movement halved and all rolls made with 1 Bane when cold
83	Hawk-man	DEX	20/5 vision	If an attack does max damage, Save or boast for 1 Round
84	Slug-man**	INT	Sticky foot can adhere to walls/ceiling	Salt does 1d6 damage
85	Crab-man**	STR	Claws - 2d8 natural weapons	Mouthparts can't speak humanoid languages
86	Mouse-man	DEX	Can detect incredibly quiet sounds	Save or freeze (1d4 Rounds) if surprised
87	Moth-man	DEX	Can shed a dust cloud	Save or attracted to lights when in darkness
88	Locust-man	STR	Can leap 100'	Eat twice as many rations
89	Wasp-man	INT	Sugary food counts as double rations	Save or go beserk when damaged
90	Frog-man	STR	Sticky tongue can grab objects 20' away	Drink twice as much liquid
91	Stoat-man	STR	1 Boon on all combat manoeuvres	Can only eat raw meat
92	Rabbit-man	CHA	Can jump twice as high	Save or flee (1d4 Rounds) if surprised
93	Heron-man	WIS	Beak - extra attack with natural weapon as dagger	Can only eat raw fish
94	Beetle-man	STR	Can lift objects twice heavier than the regular weight limit	1 Bane to all Movement rolls
95	Ant-man	STR	+2 Inventory Slots	Save if attempting to go against tradition or fall catatonic for 1 Turn
96	Pheasant-man	CHA	1 Boon on Movement when sprinting	Save or dash for cover if surprised
97	Monkey-man	INT	Prehensile tail	Save or tinker with mechanical objects
98	Fox-man	CHA	1 Boon to Stealth when thieving/deceiving	Save or kill prisoners after battle
99	Hare-man	DEX	Gain 1 Boon on all Movement checks	Solitary - gain no benefit from assistance
100	Worm-man	WIS	Can move through cracks a few inches wide (without equipment)	-2 Inventory Slots

* This covers small-medium songbirds like sparrows, tits, starlings etc.
** Yoon-Suin is a visit-able location in my game so these have been made with that in mind. Crab-men in Yoon-Suin are slaves.

OSR: IT Monsters & Magic, Part 2

In my previous post I wrote up a few IT-inspired things that I'd come up with. Here's a bit more of that!

Credit, Robin Weatherall

Particle Ghost (Backup)

The Central Processor of a techno-dungeon resembles a gestalt consciousness more than a distinct entity. While it is capable of acting with a single purpose, Central Processing is the sum of a vast number of interconnected, specialised systems. Each of these systems is vital to the functioning of the whole, and specialised Code Servitors are constantly error-checking and backing up its core components in case disaster recovery is required. Such backups don't always run correctly.

The PCs may catch a glimpse of something insubstantial following them through the steel halls of the techno-dungeon. A faint static charge causes their hair to stand on end, and any electrical equipment experiences occasional glitches. A particle ghost is close.

Spawned from corrupted backup routines, these entities move through the integrated circuitry of a techno-dungeon attempting to fulfil their intended functions. They are easily distracted from their attempts. Upon finding a band of intruders, they materialise into a ghoulish, sparking humanoid form writhing with streams of corrupted data.

AC: 16*, HD: 4, Attacks: +2 to hit & special (see below), Move: Fly 30', Save As: 4th level Magic-User, Morale: 10.

SPECIAL

A particle ghost exists mostly in an incorporeal state and can only be harmed by magic or magic weapons while in this state. They must materialise to attack and are vulnerable to regular damage when they do so. Given 24 hours they will regenerate all damage dealt to them.

Roll on the table below to see the process that the particle ghost was spawned from:

1. Environmental - Oxygen levels are drained when the particle ghost attacks. Target must Save vs Breath or suffer 1d6 damage. A character who fails this save twice in a row falls unconscious.

2. Security - Target suffers 1d6 damage and is suffers -2 STR drain (this is cumulative).

3. Data Compilation - Target loses one random possession. If the lair of the particle ghost is found, it contains a large number of items that have been meticulously arranged in neat sets.

4. Memory Management - Target loses 1d4 x 100xp as their memories and experiences are drained.

5. Power Generation - Target takes 1d8 electric damage and must Save vs Paralysis or be paralysed for 1d6 rounds. Any electrical equipment they are carrying is destroyed.

6. Quantum Computation - An exact physical copy of the target is created 50' away, minus any equipment. Memorised spells and current hit points are transferred. The copy may attempt to deceive the party, but it is in fact irreversibly hostile towards them. The particle ghost can perform this four times, per target, per day, before their calculations become too unstable and must have the new copies factored in.

Credit, Dan Voinescu

Helmjack
The origin of these devices is shrouded in mystery, but they fit the average humanoid head. Though it outwardly resembles a smooth, chrome helmet, the inner surface of a helmjack is covered in an undulating layer of monofilament strands.

When a creature dons a helmjack the monofilaments infiltrate their skull and penetrate deep into their brain. The experience has been described as extremely unpleasant. Within moments the helmjack maps the wearers neural patterns with pinpoint accuracy and stores them in a dense latticework of integrated circuitry. The player should note down their current XP and non-physical stats - INT & WIS for definite and CHA depending on whether you consider it an expression of personality or physical attractiveness, I hold to the former. A light at the base of the helmjack will light up if there is an engram stored.

If a creature dons a helmjack that holds an engram then their consciousness will be swapped out with the engram-consciousness within. Likewise, if a vacant body (mind-blanked clone servitor, deactivated roboframe, corpse that has been physically healed etc.) can be found then an engram-consciousness can be activated. The experience of being forced into a body that their mind is not used to can be extremely traumatic.

OSR: IT Monsters & Magic

I work with computers, and that's why I drink. Working with technology on a daily basis means that a lot of my thoughts are taken up thinking about how to apply it to various aspects of my life (currently this consists of plans for a scratch-built pfSense router once house-buying is finalised), but until now my thoughts on RPGs + technology have been confined to sci-fi games like Stars Without Number and Eclipse Phase. Blogging and viewing the fantastic ideas that others in the OSR scene have come up with (special mention to Martin at Goodberry Monthly's horrifying protein monsters) has got me thinking about how IT features and concepts could be converted for use in gaming, especially about how many of them can be used to 'attack the sheet'.

Ideas below are rough and ready, refinements and additions will be made in subsequent posts as I think of them.

Concept art of the Sevastopol from Alien: Isolation, artist unknown

Techno-Dungeons

Ancient civilisations have left their mark on Egradus. The Ancients and Serpent-Men waged their terrible war in eons past and highly advanced orcish nations flourished until the cataclysmic arrival of humans, dwarves and halflings. While the Serpent-Men were more magically and biologically inclined, the Ancients and orcs had a close affinity with technology. In the process of their endeavours on Egradus they built structures and machines of immense complexity - the Ancients relied on vast AI-controlled terraforming facilities and laboratories to transform the planet in their image, while the orcs constructed tools of war, space travel and industry in their quest to reclaim the stars.

Such endeavours required huge amounts of processing power and computational ability. Thus were born the techno-dungeons: enormous hardened structures governed by AI that were designed around a single purpose. This could be anything from maintaining and running an automated singularity foundry to determining floating point spacetime co-ordinates for an experimental teleporter.

These facilities were designed to be run by the AI within with a singularity of purpose, free from external distractions save for minimal supervision. They would have their own maintenance subroutines and defences and the resources to self-sustain their operations. None of them survived the ravages of the years intact but there are many that are still in semi-operational condition. The power and wealth that lie within are immense, but so too are the dangers that still lurk in the forgotten metallic depths.

I'll be doing a separate post on techno-dungeons and will hopefully produce a working one for use sometime soon.

Credit, Andrew Fichthorn

Monsters

Mindcage (Ransomware)

Strange creatures spawned from intelligent beings' avarice that possess a pathological desire for wealth, which they can't bring themselves to spend.

Very few people have ever seen a mindcage in its true form, even when it attacks, as they are always disguised as something else. They generally disguise themselves as a container with something valuable within - when an unwitting person opens the container they leap out and force themselves into the victim's brain through the auditory organs. This process is painless and often unnoticed, but the victim soon finds their thoughts and memories rapidly disappearing and any attempts to communicate are emitted in a glossolalia gibberish.

Eventually the victim stands stock still in a catatonic state, demanding large amounts of treasure and valuables in a loud monotone. Once paid, the mindcage moves on but their victims remain in the same catatonic state for several weeks as they gradually recover from the experience. A mindcage's true form resembles a small, hunched humanoid figure with sallow pale skin, a distended toothless mouth and fingers that trail off into fractal filaments.

AC: 14, HD: 3, Attacks: special, Move: 30', Save As: 3rd level Magic-User, Morale: 7

SPECIAL

A mindcage can become incorporeal as a full-round action. It can only be seen or harmed by magic or magic items.

Instead of attacking, a mindcage attempts to enter a target's brain. It must be in ethereal form to do so. The target must Save vs Magic to resist, failure means that the mindcage successfully takes up residence in their brain. Success alerts the target to this attempt. Once inside the target's brain, the mindcage drains 1 point of INT and WIS per round; the target loses the power to speak intelligibly once 5 or more rounds pass. The target becomes catatonic as soon as their INT or WIS reach 3.

Once these stats reach 0 the target doesn't die but begins to demand large amounts of treasure - it will demand a greater amount than what is currently available to the party. If paid then the mindcage will absorb the treasure into their incorporeal form and flee to their lair. The target is restored to 3 INT & WIS and is rendered unconscious until their stats are restored to normal, which recovers at the standard pace. If nothing is paid then the victim will eventually die of thirst or starve.

Magic can be used to attack a mindcage directly but the attacker must be able to see the creature in order to avoid damaging the host.

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Code Servitor (Daemon)

Techno-dungeons are elaborately maintained electrical ecosystems - temperature, humidity, atmospheric particulate levels and more must be kept at a precise equilibrium to avoid damage to the delicate machinery contained within. Code Servitors are slaved to perform one specific purpose - filter the air, lower the temperature, equalise static charges, remove intruders etc. - and will fulfil it with a single-minded determination. They are generally small in stature and their appearance is utilitarian - they are designed with a specific task in mind, not aesthetics. Most servitors are mass produced by central processing but some are custom made for specific, vital tasks. Interrupting their tasks can prove massively detrimental to the dungeon at large and also to an adventurer's health.

AC: 14, HD: 2, Attacks: 1 appendage for 1d6 damage/special (see below), Move: Fly 30', Save As: 2nd level Fighter, Morale: -

SPECIAL

Code Servitors never fail morale checks and are immune to fear effects from spells and abilities.

The special effects of Code Servitor attacks vary depending on the servitor's purpose. For example a temperature control servitor may set a their target aflame or freeze them, or a humidity controller might drain all of the liquids they are carrying and start desiccating them.

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Memetic Annelid (Worm)

Despite the efforts of the Code Servitors and heuristic intrusion countermeasure agents, life (of a sort) finds a way. Unauthorised lifeforms in a techno-dungeon survive through stealth, hiding in plain sight by deceiving the dungeon's guardians or secreting themselves in remote locations, or through rapid reproduction. Memetic annelids favour the latter method, dividing and splitting at the slightest provocation. The rich concentrations of resources held by living organisms and isolated machines provide tempting targets for them, and their prey's fate is as good as sealed as soon as an annelid manages to burrow inside.

AC: 12, HD: 1, Attacks: 1 bite + grab for 1d6 (Save vs Paralysis to avoid being grabbed) + special, Move: 30',  Save As: 1st level Fighter, Morale: 10 if targets are outnumbered, otherwise 7

SPECIAL

A memetic annelid can burrow into a target that it has grabbed. This is a full round action. The target takes 1d8 damage as the annelid burrows into them and takes 1d8 damage on each subsequent round. A target reduced to 0hp while an annelid has burrowed inside them explodes in a pile of gore and 1d4+1 annelids emerge from their remains, acting at the end of initiative order.

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Hostile-Key Isolators (Antivirus Quarantine)

While intruders are generally dealt with in a lethal fashion, central processing may choose to make an exception according to its arcane and ancient programming. While external entities may sometimes be tolerated, heuristic threat analysis is applied to their possessions and capabilities. Hostile-Key Isolators swarm subjects flagged as hazardous and strip them of anything deemed threatening, phase-shifting the offending articles to a quarantine zone.

AC: 14, HD: 1, Attacks: special, Move: Fly 30', Save As: 1st level Fighter, Morale: 12

SPECIAL

Roll below to see what has triggered the hostile response:

1. Weapons
2. Light sources
3. External bio-contaminants (food, water & animal products)
4. Aetheric disturbances (magic items, scrolls and potions)
5. Unauthorised visual recordings (eyes)
6. Prohibited auditory sensors (ears)
7. Magnetic anomalies (metal objects)
8. Suspicious containers (backpacks & sacks)

A successful hit requires the target to Save vs Magic Device. On a failure the hostile-key isolator phase-shifts the offending article to quarantine and withdraws from the target. Every isolator carries a private key with which to access the quarantine zones if required.

Credit, John F Stifter

Other

Magic Smoke

This wispy purple-ish smoke smells of ozone and burned plastic. It is intelligent and benign, and is capable of providing power to electrical devices. It can be bottled and if poured over a damaged electrical device it has a 2-in-6 chance of restoring normal function for 1d6 Turns. Pouring it onto a working machine will boost its functions for 1d6 Turns but runs a 3-in-6 chance of overloading it once this time has elapsed. Magic smoke will refuse to re-enter a machine from which it has escaped, for reasons it refuses to elaborate on.

OSR: Goblins

I warn you in advance that this post is fucking stupid.

I've previously written about how goblins are fungal spores from space who do little but adapt almost perfectly to their environment only to get let down by their own lethal combination of curiosity and stupidity, and I promised that I'd add some mechanical features to my previous lore-bollocks. As it's nearly 6 months later I thought I'd go right ahead and get on that.

Credit, I Van

Goblins are weird spore creatures whose only purpose is to adapt to their environment and spread. They do this by gathering up biomass in the local area and chucking it into a foul-smelling spawning pool filled with acid, proteins and goblin base cells that breaks the biomass down and incorporates genetic traits from local flora and fauna into new goblins. The goblins go about their merry business until they collectively realise that there's a fuck ton of goblins in the area and the excess are 'convinced' to leave.

I'd intended for goblins to be more indicators of the general state of the environment than player characters due to goblins being despised as mischief-causing, occasionally murderous pests. Also their general mental state generally swings between being either intensely curious or rabidly vicious (insert comment about the average adventurer here). However, I did make a promise so here are some (LotFP-compatible) rules for goblins as a racial choice if anyone wanted to give them a try:

GOBLIN

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ABILITIES
Goblins roll 4d4 for their abilities instead of 3d6.

SAVES

As Halflings (goblins are pretty resilient creatures).

HIT DICE
1d4.

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SKILLS
None (goblins are useless, but see below).

CLASS RESTRICTIONS*
Goblins can be Goblins.

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SPECIAL
Goblins start with no possessions unless otherwise specified. All goblins have the following abilities/features:

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Extremely Omnivorous
Pretty much anything organic counts as rations for goblins.

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Spawning
Roll randomly to determine the environment in which your goblin spawned. You don't know how you ended up here.

1. Forest - Gain the Climb skill at 3-in-6 and a long prehensile tail that is capable of carrying a minor weapon, and can support your weight. You start play with a leather sling and 5 bullets.

2. Desert - Gain the Bushcraft skill at 3-in-6 when in desert terrain. You require water once per week and can dig yourself into sand with only your nose poking out. You start play with your favourite pointy digging stick (minor weapon).

3. Mountains - You are hirsute and insulated against the cold, your natural AC is that of leather armour. You begin play with a tattered rope that you stole from a climber you pushed off a cliff, and your favourite bashing rock (improvised weapon).

4. Plains - You are taller than most goblins and can pass as an ugly halfling if you dress right and stay quiet. You start with a dagger (actual metal!) and 1sp.

5. Jungle - Your striped hide is well camouflaged against the verdant background; you gain the Stealth skill at 5-in-6 when in the wilderness. You begin with a blowpipe and 10 dung-tipped darts.

6. Marsh - Ain't nothing can poison you. Your Save vs Poison is 5 at level 1. You start play with a fishing pole, a club and a dead fish. Delicious.

7. Ocean - Yes, goblins can and do live in the sea. You start play with webbed appendages and gills. You can't breathe out of the water. You start with a bucket of seawater and a net.

8. Mage-blighted - Your hide is silvered and oddly reflective. Any spell cast upon you has a 50% chance of rebounding at the user. You start with a robe that is far too long for you, a scroll containing a level 1 arcane spell and a magic wand (in reality it's just a particularly knobbly stick).

9. Divine - A goblin threw a vial of holy water or a cleric or something into your spawning pool and now nothing works quite right. You look like a cherub that was fed through a mangle and thrown out of a tree, but you are able to project your voice with semi-angelic force once per day per level - all who hear you when you do so must Save vs Magic or be stunned for 1d4 rounds and take 1d6 damage. You start with a ragged loincloth and don't know why you wear it, and a crude holy symbol.

10. Volcano - You're pretty much fireproof, but don't go jumping into lava. You start with a macuahuitl of volcanic glass and petrified wood.

11. Arctic - Your body keeps working even in freezing conditions and you can dig down to permafrost with only your hands when conditions get too extreme. You are able to excavate three times as much earth when digging compared to a normal adventurer and do not suffer from freezing conditions, even when naked (which is most of the time). You start with a bone harpoon and some seal jerky.

12. Moon - You don't require oxygen, but you do need plenty of sun. You are very, very confused as to how you ended up here. You can reverse your relative gravity once per day per level, which lasts for a maximum of 1 hour per level. Start play with a moon rock (It hums! It glows! It floats! It's wytchfire! It might explode!).

Credit, Vaska Tsiolkovsky

Advancement
Goblins advance as halflings, but their unique biology grants them extra abilities when they level up if they've consumed enough organic matter from their local environment. This is down to GM discretion but I'd say eating something the size of a dog, bones and all, is good enough. The ability gained should be discussed with the GM.

Upon reaching level 5 the goblin must Save vs Magic. Success means nothing happens. If the save is failed then the goblin's urge to spawn becomes too great and they flee the party, becoming an NPC. After gorging themselves on local biomass and finding a safe location, the goblin bloats and explodes into an acidic soup that begins to spawn smaller goblins. This save must be made withe cumulative -2 penalty at every subsequent level. Anyone in the vicinity of an exploding goblin take 1d8 acid damage, Save vs Breath for half damage.

OSR: Tent Fairs & Inhabi-tents

My players have been voyaging beyond the confines of Shaxecan city in search of a mysterious temple adorned with the images of snakes and recently stumbled across a sprawling, semi-permanent encampment around a junction on the imperial highway. This tent fair has a constantly shifting population as merchants, pilgrims and travellers pass through and something changes every time they visit. I use the system below to determine the rough number of camps, what proportion have something interesting to find and what the rough layout of the fair is at any given time. I have a vague plan to expand this into a neighbourhood system for the city that exists at the centre of all realities.

Any numbers below are, as is usually the case, pulled out of my arse.

Credit, Philip V.

POPULATION
Roll 1d100+25 for the overall number of encampments.

Take the result and divide it by 10 - this is the number of oddities, specialist merchants, mercenaries and other parties that have things the players might reasonably be interested in, as opposed to regular travellers and merchants. It can be assumed that there are any numbers of tinkers and poorer merchants who can sell basic goods.

Once you've found the number of interesting parties, roll on the table below and note the results:

D50 Roll	Interesting Campsites
1	A scholar of the arcane covered in shifting, swirling tattoos sits before a campfire that burns with emerald flames. Glyphs shimmer in the air around them.
2	A pair of masked elves spit into an empty cauldron and read fortunes in the wisps of steam that rise from it.
3	A band of 1d20+5 wild-haired warriors drink and boast loudly of their conquests. Their armour is decorated with the bones of their enemies.
4	A lord dressed in finery lounges in an immaculate pavilion, surrounded by his retinue of 3d10+5 servants and men-at-arms. They jealously guard their lord's space.
5	A soot-stained apothecary mixes vials of smoking liquids as their tent emits billowing clouds of noxious fumes.
6	A troupe of circus performers have pitched their tents and are practising fire breathing, acrobatics and pickpocketing.
7	A train of heavy wagons carrying hissing, caged beasts have drawn up in a laager. The silvered cages hold the magical ones.
8	What appear to be three goblins sitting on each other's shoulders in a long robe have pitched a miserable attempt at a tent.
9	A small gathering of pilgrims crowd around a wagon-borne idol of a deity of travellers. Priests burn incense and offerings on mobile braziers.
10	A simple tent holds a furiously scribbling monastic scholar laden with books, paper, spare quills and other trappings of the scrivener's trade.
11	A white tent decorated with twisting serpents is home to a group of mendicant healers who are tending to the sick and wounded.
12	A tightly regimented group of 2d20+10 pikemen in gleaming armour have pitched their tents in orderly lines.
13	An armoured cleric offers benedictions and blessings from the entrance of their simple tent.
14	A richly decorated canopy covers a vintner bearing exotic liqueurs who looks to make some money on the side.
15	A soft-voiced merchant hawks intoxicants both somniferous and stimulating from the shadowy depths of their tent. Sweet vapours wisp from the entrance.
16	A band of 1d20+5 crossbowmen from afar, dressed in extravagantly bright clothing, are busy training with some rough targets.
17	A knight from foreign lands with a bizarre steed, polishing a strange weapon, has unfurled their bedroll beneath the open sky.
18	A musclebound smith hammers at the anvil of their mobile forge that unfolds from the side of their wagon. Weapons and armour of masterful quality gleam in the forge-light.
19	A robed mage speaks with the many songbirds that have landed on their tent and guyropes.
20	A handler in thick canvas coveralls carefully arranges sturdy glass jars beneath their wagon's awning. On closer inspection wriggling slimes can be seen inside the jars.
21	A veiled traveller sits beneath a dark awning, tending to a collection of curios and oddities.
22	A gang of 1d8+2 bravos have attracted a small crowd who watch in astonishment as they duel with each other in a flowing, graceful bout.
23	A large pavilion holds a number of leashed animals. They're well trained, and several are performing tricks for onlookers.
24	A group of skeletons dance in a ring around an old, tattered tent. No one knows where they came from and no one wants to get too close.
25	A beautiful, imperious elf oversees the erection of their tent by the help. They've been at it for hours and have had to disassemble and reassemble it several times because it's not quite right.
26	A trio of blindfolded figures chant in a sonorous tongue. The air around their campsite chills to the bone.
27	A thin, wiry gardener tends to a bountiful patch of various fungi. Their small tent is covered in lichen and moss.
28	A travelling brewer has pitched a large pavilion and opened it to travellers, forming a makeshift ale house. It's packed with people.
29	A group of 1d10 armed and armoured figures have secured a prisoner to a stake with a chained collar.
30	A caravan of slavers has stopped to resupply. There are 1d10+5 slaves being watched by a quarter as many guards, plus the caravan master.
31	A series of lifelike statues inhabit a quiet patch of tents. Some of them are discoloured and weathered with age.
32	A particularly zealous pilgrim has erected a rickety platform atop a wooden pillar some 10' in the air. They rant and rave about the evils that plague their land, beseeching all who pass for aid.
33	A band of 1d20+3 horsemen have erected a picket and are re-shoeing their horses. They have been entertaining travellers with their skill at horseback archery.
34	A travelling wizard has erected suitably flashy tent. It is much bigger on the inside and they claim to have magical wares for sale.
35	Several tents are floating roughly 20' in the air, their inhabitants nowhere to be found. No one remembers them arriving.
36	A traveller from afar has set up a small camp filled with peculiar brass devices that play a pleasant, resonant music.
37	It just so happens that [NPC the party was looking for] has set up a camp here!
38	A tattooist has erected a wide awning covered in intricate designs and pictures. Rumour says that their tattoos have magical powers...
39	A caravan of the king's tax collectors has stopped to make camp. They're laden with gold!
40	A small hut sits in a clearing, wicker wooden legs curled up beneath it. Sometimes an old witch comes out of the forest to trade...
41	A haunch of exotic meat spits and sizzles over a roaring fire next to a merchant's wagon. They say it'll fill you with power!
42	A fighting pit has been set up in the middle of a circle of wagons. It's attracted quite a crowd, and bets are flying as thick and fast as the fists.
43	A cloaked and hooded figure has set up a secluded tent away from the others. Rumour has it that they deal in poisons and venom.
44	A finely dressed scholar sits in a luxurious pavilion, carefully marking a sheet of parchment. Their pavilion has maps and keys stitched into the patterning of the fabric.
45	A group of 1d20+5 mercenary sappers have formed a tight-knit encampment, keeping their supplies of blasting powder under close watch.
46	A brightly painted wagon adorned with fluttering pennants. The vexillographer within enchants the images they embroider onto the fabric so that the shimmer and dance.
47	A barber surgeon sits in a red and white tent, sharpening their instruments.
48	A tottering wagon full to the brim with books and scrolls. An elderly collector is searching for more, and is quite knowledgeable about local lore.
49	A silver tent stands alone. The glittering of light reflected by many mirrors can be seen from the open flap.
50	A travelling artist is displaying their latest paintings. The landscapes are of vivid, alien places and the portraits move about.

Once you've noted the results down, you'll need a bit of scrap paper. Note the general terrain features down, i.e. rivers, roads, nearby forests etc., and take a d4 for each result you rolled above. Chuck the dice on sheet and note where they land and the result of the roll - this is how many 'connections' there are to the nearest interesting points or landmark features. I find it easiest to connect them from the closest tips of the d4s, branching off as many times as feels appropriate. See the example below:

Behold, my artistic talent.

I'm rolling up results for a tent fair at a branch in a highway. I rolled a result of 35 on a d100, adding 25 for a total of 60. Divide this by 10 and you end up with 6 interesting sites. Six rolls on the table later and I've got 12 (pikemen), 22 (bravos), 37 (an NPC the party was looking for), 45 (sappers), 48 (wagon of books), and 50 (a travelling artist with moving pictures). Rolling 6d4 on the map I've drawn leads to the above - each site is connected to the nearest other site at least once and I've connected one of them to the main road twice to represent a particularly busy area.

Then I decide where to place the results from the table into the available sites. I don't have a hard and fast rule for this, just whatever feels appropriate - the results from the table should give an idea of which results are more reclusive and which are more popular.

Finally I roll d6 for each of the gaps in between the sites to fill them out with other travellers, using the below:

1-2. Commoners - peasants, farmers, hunters and other travellers.
3-4. Merchants - tinkers and poorer traders.
5-6. Pilgrims - zealots, poor priests and the humble faithful.

And there you have the finished result:

Red = commoners, yellow = merchants, purple = pilgrims.

I've only had a chance to use this system a few times but it's already proven to be handy at creating a changing environment for the PCs to return to with some new hooks for them each time. I'll hopefully be adding some more results to the d50 table above - any suggestions are welcome!

OSR Class: Serpent Chirurgeon

My party recently took a mauling at the combined hands/fangs of an animated statue and reanimated giant spider, and decided that a little bit of time off to heal up was needed. They had recently come across a permanent but ever changing tent fair on the highway near to the forest they were exploring and decided to head through there to see if there was anyone who could help. As luck happens, they came across a group of monastic healers from the Serpent Lodge, who are skilled in the medicinal arts both in a material and supernatural sense. I came up with the idea on the fly and though that it might make a good class.

While Magic-Users gain a broad spectrum of powers from the Abyss that underpins reality through wild experimentation and a slight hint of madness, Serpent Chirurgeons are members of monastic lodges that venerate the aspect of the serpent. Through stoic meditation and secretive teachings, they harness their powers in order to gain closer communion to their sacred ideals.

Credit, Raphael Lacoste

SERPENT CHIRURGEON

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SAVES
As Cleric (see below).

HIT DICE
As Cleric.

ADVANCES
As Cleric.

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SKILLS
A Serpent Chirurgeon starts with a Medicine skill of 3-in-6.

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SPECIAL
Serpent Chirurgeons are not, strictly speaking, Clerics. They are not chosen by Ilan Magir and it is somewhat indifferent to their presence. All Serpent Chirurgeons have the following abilities and powers.

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Serpent Tongue
A Serpent Chirurgeon can understand and speak with snakes, taking +2 to reaction rolls with them. They can communicate with other serpentine and reptilian creatures but this is subject to a successful language roll, the difficulty of which will vary depending on how closely related the subject is to a snake and other factors (like whether the creature is magical or not) as determined by the GM.

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Coldblood
A Serpent Chirurgeon's connection to Ilan Magir affords them a measure of protection against poison and venom. Their Save vs Poison is rolled with advantage.

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Healing Arts
A Serpent Chirurgeon automatically passes Medicine skill rolls when tending to a wounded character who is resting in a safe, comfortable location for a full day.

Credit, Irina Ivanova

Powers
A Serpent Chirurgeon can safely use their powers a number of times per day equal to their level (like Magic-Users in the Vaginas are Magic supplement for LotFP). They can attempt to use their powers past their normal limits but must Save vs Magic when doing and they run the risk of displeasing Ilan Magir.

A Serpent Chirurgeon begins play with 2 of the below powers, roll 1d12 twice to determine them. Upon levelling up they must suffer a venomous snake bite and commune with Ilan Magir in a feverish trance - they may choose from a power below but suffer -2 to total HP, otherwise they roll randomly. Duplicate results may be rerolled.

1. Draw Venom - The Serpent Chirurgeon draws the poison out of an afflicted target with a touch. The target of this power instantly recovers from any poison or venom (not disease). The Serpent Chirurgeon must Save vs Poison as the venom is drawn into their blood, if they fail they fall unconscious for 1d6 hours.

2. Gift of Ilan Magir - The Serpent Chirurgeon lays their hands on the target and heals 1d8+1hp.

3. Naja's Maw - The Serpent Chirurgeon spits caustic venom at a sighted target within 50'. The target takes 1d4 damage and must Save vs Poison or be blinded for 1d6 Turns.

4. Trust in Me - The Serpent Chirurgeon sways and sings to a target within 60' in a lilting, hissing voice. The target must Save vs Magic or fall under the total control of the Serpent Chirurgeon for 1d6 rounds.

5. Constriction - Invisible bands of force wrap around a target within 60', who takes 1d4 crushing damage per caster level. The target must Save vs Paralysis or be locked in place for 1d6+1 rounds.

6. Serpent Eye - The Serpent Chirurgeon's eyes roll back in their head. When they roll back they bear the slitted pupils of a snake. The Serpent Chirurgeon can see infrared emissions in total darkness for a number of minutes equal to twice their level. This is not true night vision.

7. Great Shedding - The Serpent Chirurgeon meditates on an image for an hour after which their skin sloughs and peels off, leaving the Serpent Chirurgeon as an identical copy. The effect lasts for a number of hours equal to the Serpent Chirurgeon's level, although during the last 20 minutes their skin will start to peel and flake. This power does not affect size or body shape.

8. Distension - With a sickening crack and wet tearing, the Serpent Chirurgeon's jaw, intestinal cavity and oesophagus distend far beyond their normal limits. While this power is active, the Serpent Chirurgeon gains an extra 3 encumbrance slots - items stored in them do not count as encumbering. It takes a full Round to ingest or excrete an object. This power lasts for 24 hours - anything still inside will be violently ejected when it ends, potentially causing massive damage. Small enemies can be devoured whole if suitably restrained or overpowered. The Serpent Chirurgeon is visibly distended when carrying items inside them.

9. Split Tongue - The Serpent Chirurgeon's tongue elongates and splits clean in two. For the duration of this power they can determine truth from falsehoods provided that they taste the air around a speaker. This power lasts for a number of minutes equal to twice the Serpent Chirurgeon's level.

10. Bed of Sand - As the snakes of the desert bury themselves beneath the sands to hide from predators and prey, so too does the Serpent Chirurgeon blend into the environment around them. This power allows the Serpent Chirurgeon's appearance to take on the colour and texture of a nearby surface and conceals them from view. They can still be detected by magic, thorough investigation or someone bumping into them. This power lasts as long as the Serpent Chirurgeon concentrates.

11. Serpentine Dart - The Serpent Chirurgeon hurls a stick at an opponent within 50'. Mid-flight, the stick transforms into a snake that will latch on to the target and pump it full of a lethal venom. The target takes 1d6 damage and must Save vs Poison with disadvantage or suffer an additional 1d8 damage.

12. Scaleskin - The Serpent Chirurgeon touches the target and hard, metallic scales sprout from their skin. The target's AC is increased by 2 for as many Rounds as the Serpent Chirurgeon has levels.

Credit, Jack Rothwell

ILAN MAGIR'S DISPLEASURE
Roll 1d10 when the Serpent Chirurgeon attempts to exceed their daily limit and fails their Save vs Magic. Unless otherwise stated, the effects last until the next day.

1. "Cursed above all cattle..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon's legs are fused together, reducing their movement speed to 10'.

2. "Blood so febrile..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon is reduced to a maximum of 1hp as their blood roils and burns within them.

3. "Turned from the path..." - 1d8 venomous serpents materialise within 50' and attack. Their poison is lethal (Save vs Poison or die).

4. "Run little prey..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon's soul is pulled from their body and cast into a twisting labyrinth where they are pursued by a terrifying force. Their body lies in a catatonic state, occasionally a small snake wriggles out of their clothes.

5. "Rattle rattle rattle..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon's every step is echoed with a hissing rattle. Stealth is impossible and random encounters occur on a 3-in-6.

6. "Caught in my grasp..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon's torso is held in an iron grip, allowing only shallow breaths. They must Save vs Paralysis at the slightest exertion or pass out for 1d4 minutes.

7. "Sluggish and cold..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon suffers a -4 DEX penalty until they are heated for an hour. The penalty will return if they get cold again, which will happen naturally after 30 minutes away from an adequate heat source. Torches and lanterns don't count, but a campfire does.

8. "Misguided and foolish..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon's WIS and INT suffer a -4 penalty.

9. "Unseeing and lost..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon is struck blind.

10. "Unloved and unwanted..." - the Serpent Chirurgeon takes a -4 CHA penalty and all party reaction rolls suffer a -2 penalty.

Credit, Christian Benavides

IN YOUR GAME
This class has a direct link to some sort of supernatural entity that grants them power - in my games it happens to be a serpent but the class abilities can be reskinned with relative ease to suit whatever aspect you decide is appropriate. What is relatively concrete is the class' skill at healing - they are designed to provide the party with a reliable and ongoing source of care when healing up after battles.

In mechanical terms this class has some handy tricks to alleviate poison damage and even provide some (rare) magical healing, while also having some decent direct damage and utility in stealth and social situations (if such situations involve snakes).

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IN EGRADUS
The mountain valleys of Solum Ven provide a cool respite from the burning desert. Small cities and settlements dot the mountainsides and bask in the cool air. Though they are far from the life-giving waters of the sacred river Ven and the majesty of Oso Didan, the valleys hold their own wonders. Chief among these are the Serpent Lodges, hermetic societies of healers who straddle the boundaries between life and death.

While the snake is feared and hated by many cultures on Izoa, the valley polities hold it in high regard as a being of wisdom and truth. Its venomous bite means that the snake holds the power to bestow death as it wills, but rarely does it do so. This demonstrates wise and fair judgement and renders serpents worthy of veneration. The valley polities idolise the snake as the Ilan Magir and fattened, drowsy serpents line the steps and halls of their marble temples.

The Serpent Lodges, led by the Insan Magirs, venerate these aspects of the snake - regarding it as a creature of healing and rebirth. The ouroboros is their symbol, the eternal serpent representing the continuity of life. The Serpent Lodges devote their dispensation of sage counsel, stoic advice and acts of healing to their serpentine god. Their reputation as counsellors and healers does not mean that the Serpent Chirurgeons, as they are known, are weak and toothless - as the snake strikes swiftly and without mercy, so do they have the power to eliminate those who would do them harm with ruthless, cold-blooded efficiency. There are many ways to cure ills, sometimes with tender words and healing poultices, and sometimes with a sharpened blade.

EDIT: Wording and missing text for Great Shedding.