The Delver's Field Guide II: Darwallian

 

Darwallian (High Kobold)

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Deep subterranean
FREQUENCY: Uncommon at depth, Very rare else
ORGANIZATION: Tribe
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivorous
INTELLIGENCE: High (13-14)
TREASURE: I, O+P
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 3d4, 3d% in lair
ARMOR CLASS: By armor type (10)
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 1+1
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: by weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M (6')
MORALE: Average (8-10)
XP VALUE: 45


Darwallians are very similar to their ubiquitous cousins, Kobolds, except for a few minor, but striking, differences.

Appearance: Darwallians are very lithe and twice the height of the common Kobold. They prefer to wear loose, comfortable clothing that can double as bedding if necessary.  To increase their speed when fleeing from predators, Darwallians have regained the ability to travel rapidly on all fours, and will do so if the need arises. Darwallians are blind to all wavelengths of light except infrared.

Combat: Darwallians are a peaceful, agrarian race. They will avoid combat unless their small nest-like homes are endangered. Still yet, Darwallians are skilled weapon-smiths and armorers. A typical traveling group will be unarmed except for dirks. In their den, however, all mature male Darwallians will have a stockpile of arms, typically shortswords and hide or scale armor. Most often, if confronted outside of their lair, Darwallians will flee through a series of warren-like tunnels designed to confuse predators.

Society: Darwallian life is focused around agriculture, horticulture, and art. When this isn't enough, groups of mature males will range 1d4 miles from the den, hunting small subterranean game. A Darwallian den is typically very clean and arranged geometrically in a rounded, spoke-like fashion. Nurseries and other more vulnerable nests will be located near the hub of the den; while more powerful nests, such as families with multiple mature males, will be arranged on the outermost edges of the den. Political power is derived from the potency of one's art as judged by a group of 6-12 elderly females called the Council of Mothers. As such, males are dissuaded from pursuing art. Their attention is guided toward the overall health of the den. Population apportionment: 30% mature female, 30% mature male, 30% immature male and female, 7% elderly female, 3% elderly male. Maximum life expectancy for female Darwallians is 110 years -- 95 for males.

Darwallians speak a complicated language. Syntax is reversed from common and the words are bastardizations of Goblin, Orc, and Duergar. Darwallians are, by their nature, very social creatures. If approached cautiously with gifts, Darwallians are happy to communicate and trade with any creature of a lawful alignment. Most Darwallians are calm and rational, with one exception -- They despise Kobolds and do not consider themselves related to Kobolds. In minor den disputes it's common to hear Darwallians trade racial slurs such as brother or lover of the Kobolds.

Special note on Darwallian art: The very best of the Darwallian arts, according to the Council of Mothers, is a balanced approach to three devotions: Heat, Scent, and Sound. A common Darwallian performance art piece will include painting walls with hot, aromatic liquids and crooning. This practice may have evolved from an elaborate camouflaging behavior useful in the black depths.

C. Aaron Aldridge 2013

A Campaign Pantheon

In my RPG group we have a very energetic and thoughtful player that has decided to play his first Cleric class PC. The player is new to tabletop RPGs, but he's picking it up like a skanker at a Madness concert. I've decided to create a personalized pantheon for our campaign setting to help him choose a Deity. Also, I'm hoping this will add a helpful dose of verisimilitude. If an NPC curses a god, the players will now have an actual chart to reference in order of alignment from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil. Next, I'll use these characters to draw up a creation myth.

PANTHEON

Ukko: AL:LG. Supreme god of the Sky and the Air. Responsible for all weather and protects all avian life. His symbol is the Falcon.

Yptus: AL:LN. Brother of Ukko. God of the forests and peaceful places. Responsible for all terrestrial life. His symbol is the Oak.

Ondina: AL:LE. Sister of Ukko. Goddess of the Deepest Waters. Responsible for the seas and all aquatic life. Her symbol is the Whale

Erasimo: AL: NG. God of Society and Government. Responsible for children and the structured growth of peaceful societies. His symbol is the Coin.

Braith: AL: N. Sister of Erasimo. Goddess of Druids and Bards. Responsible for balance in all things. Her symbol is the Open Hand.

Intillian: AL:NE. Sister of Erasimo. Goddess of Darkness and the Deepest Caves. Responsible for subterranean ecosystems. Her symbol is the Blackened Circle.

Nax: AL:CG. Imp-god of Pranks and Wine. Responsible for the unpredictable and associated with miracles. His symbol is the Torch.

Avan: AL:CN. Horned god of Streams, Brooks and Pure Chaos. Responsible for the insane and all shallow waters. His symbol is the Asterisk.

Antarkus: AL:CE. Father of Nax and Avan. Black dragon-god of Greed, Gluttony, Fire, and Death. Responsible for the all things foul, vile, and under-handed. Commonly associated with Monsters and Demons . His symbol is the Tusk.


Soon, I'll have the creation myth completed.

C. Aaron Aldridge 2013

The Delver's Field Guide I: Allen's Greater Wandering Rope

For years now The Delver's Field Guide By Ark Allen has been the go-to manual for adventurers with a flair for studying the ecology of creatures lurking in the deep places. Unfortunately, the Guide was published as an unfinished work due to Allen's untimely demise in the Lair of the Last Zelf.

Missing for decades, the final dozen or so of Allen's planned entries have been unearthed by John James and his Parlor Hounds, a group of delvers and fans of the Guide. J.J. & Co. followed Allen's path down the Miner's Trail into Silance, a poorly-mapped silver mine excavated during the Great Expansion of 3457. After a handful of bizarre events which are chronicled elsewhere, the Co. finally located the Lair of the Last Zelf. Finding the Zelf absent, the party began to comb the area. Ultimately, J.J. and his group returned the precious documents to Allen's original publisher.

We are printing them here with the publisher's consent.



Allen's Greater Wandering Rope

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Carnivore

INTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 4+3
THAC0: 15
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, See Below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See Below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (40'-50' Long, 1"-3" Wide)
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 1000xp base + DMs Discretion

Ropes are snake-like creatures that typically roam areas shrouded in perpetual night, such as caves, underground ruins, and mines.
     Unlike reptiles, Ropes are warm-blooded and require no heat source to maintain their body temperature. Ropes can, however, adjust their body temperature at will. Like reptiles, Ropes only need to feed when it's necessary. They have been known to hibernate for several years before returning to their active feeding cycle.
      A Rope's diet typically includes small to man-sized mammals, reptiles, insects, and amphibians. Ropes themselves often fall prey to the largest reptiles in the subterranean realms.
 
Combat: Over the eons, Ropes have evolved a chameleon-like ability to surprise their prey. When a Rope coils up for hibernation it has the ability to cause itself to resemble a hemp rope of the same proportions. Ropes will also use their chameleon ability while dangling loosely from high points in caverns. If alarmed, ropes will drop on their prey and constrict for 2d4 damage per round. A Rope's bite is non-venomous, but will cause 1d4 points of piercing damage.
     Any long (40'-50') hemp rope found abandoned in a suitable subterranean area has a 2% chance of being a Greater Wandering Rope. Ropes will often remain disguised for as many as 2d10 days before revealing themselves.

C. Aaron Aldridge 2013

Suspension of Disbelief Through Item Back Story Part 4

4. The item is riddled with notches of varying width and depth. (A successful INT check at a penalty of 8 will reveal the notches serve some purpose. Another successful INT check will reveal the notches are an intelligently designed code. 1 day spent researching in a library of significant size will reveal the message: 'Lank Wool has the object of our attention.')

For now I'm going to move on to some different subjects I want to tackle. When I get around to it, I'll add a few more entries to this table.

c. Aaron Aldridge 2013

Suspension of Disbelief Through Item Back Story Part 3

3. The item is lightly covered with a thick, sticky, brown goop. (33% chance the PCs will notice the goop if they are not actively checking for abnormalities. The substance is extremely viscous. If left to hang, it will only form droplets and release them once every 1d6 days. The goop smells of anise and some other exotic plant. A successful wisdom check will determine the scent is obscure and requires research. Any M/U above level 6 and adept in potioncraft will reveal the mysterious scent is released after the purification process of an ancient stimulant, Garnstalk. Garnstalk is cultivated above the cloud-line in the Northerly reaches of the DaggerSpine Mountains close to the fertile Korben District of Upper Hene.

The stooped and grizzled adherents of Silas, ugliest of the seven sons of Ukko and Demi-god of Shelter and Health, maintain a monastery in the area where Garnstalk grows. Even with the devotion of the Silan Monks, the plant remains very fickle during the growing season. It's just as likely to lie down and become mulch for its neighbor as it is to yield the single seed used to produce the stimulant.

After harvest, the seeds are shipped down the mountain by an interconnected set of hand-driven gondolas. In certain areas, the seeds drop in elevation as much 1000 ft./minute. At each landing point the seeds are removed from the first gondola, counted, and placed in the second for the next trip down towards the purification houses in the foothills.

Once the seed reaches its final destination, it is alchemically purified and enhanced until it reaches its usable, syrupy form. Then, it is shipped to the local municipalities that house and distribute it to dealers in foreign lands.

Colloquial names 1d6:
1. Daughter of Garn
2. Garn's Window
3. The Sin of Ukko
4. Wee Mind
5. Dal's Better Days
6. Noose

The stimulant is most potent if consumed, but some users also burn the stimulant and inhale the fumes. Each one gram dose lends the imbiber a +1 bonus to STR and DEX checks -1 penalty to INT and WIS checks, and a +2 bonus to initiative and reaction adjustments. At the DMs discretion, each dose has a 2% cumulative chance of causing physically dependency. Combined with a depressant such as wine or ale, the stimulant causes an intensely euphoric and hypnotic state referred to as Endrin's Sleep by the addicts who crave the mixture.


C. Aaron Aldridge 2013

Suspension of Disbelief Through Item Back Story Part 2

Map 2.1:

2. A greenish-blue dweomer surrounds the item. (PCs with an INT above 16 who remain within 5' of the item for more than 10 rounds will become obsessed with the item. Obsessed PCs will attempt to gain control of the item, but will not act out of accordance with their alignment. If an obsessed PC maintains control of the item for 4 days, that PC will begin to have choppy, achronological visions consisting of the following information. See Background 2.2. The visions will continue for as long as the PC maintains control of the item. 

Background 2.2:

Me-Shel Al-Shakir stands on the lee side of a giant, rippling dune. Behind him, tracks in the sand lead backward to the summit of the dune and beyond. Al-Shakir holds a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the raging sun. A dry wind moves up the dune knocking sand into Al-Shakir's grim, sun-hardened face. He pulls the loose end of his turban across his mouth and secures it under a fold of fabric. White robes billowing, Al-Shakir begins to descend the dune. 

Al-Shakir moves cautiously through the deserted streets of San Marcos. Until recently, San Marcos was the last Ukkan-held oasis on the desert trade route from San Fernando to Al-Saharwi, a lesser-populated city on the outskirts of the Medianic Kingdom. Out of habit, Al-Shakir glances upward occasionally to navigate by the stars. Tonight he only notices the heat crawling off the low, white buildings. Just beyond the shoulder of a massive, carved-stone likeness of Ukko, the moon dances a slow waltz in the rising heat. Al-Shakir touches a toe on the colossus and a hidden man-sized entrance is revealed. Al-Shakir looks over his shoulder one last time and enters the passageway.

The stink of carrion is enough to make Al-Shakir wretch as he reaches into the recently spilled guts of a desert dwelling basilisk-kin. The torchlight flickers. Al-Shakir leans in close to peer at the contents of the slain reptile's oozing paunch. Soon, he finds his prize among the other odd, undigested items hiding there. PCs will recognize this as the dweomered item they have found. At this point, though, the item does not cast a noticeable aura. Al-Shakir crouches and studies the item for a few moments. Torchlight glints on his finely-honed scimitar as he disappears into the darkness surrounding the area.

Blood runs freely from the outer corners of Al-Shakir's eyes. His mouth is frozen in a silent howl of pain. The front of Al-Shakir's robes are stained crimson. Small pools of blood collect on the agate-decorated floor. Four, giant, desiccated humanoids help Al-Shakir move to a kneeling position. Al-Shakir raises the item above his bowed head in a horrific act of supplication. Suddenly the humanoids' dried, paper-like skin is shredded and blown outwards as a deafening boom fills the area. The bones of the humanoids pile around Al-Shakir. Al-Shakir falls prone on the floor and the item clatters and rolls away from his hemorrhaging head. Al-Shakir looks at the item with bulging eyes. A thread of greenish-blue mist trails from Al-Shakir's mouth to the item.

The obsessed PC will soon begin to see detailed points on a map. See Map 2.1. The map is of a fortified town located well to the north of the Mid-World Sea. Ultimately, the PC will be become aware of a temple in the city at area C3 on the map. The temple houses the other three items of a set that includes the found item. After this point the visions cease and the PC will no longer be obsessed with the item.)

More table items to come!

C. Aaron Aldridge 2013

Suspension of Disbelief Through Item Back Story

The PCs locate a well-worn pair of leather boots lying near a small opening in the west wall of the cavern. Arlen, the party's 3rd level thief, finds the boots to be quite comfortable and, strangely, relaxing. He chucks his old pair in roughly the same spot. The party finishes searching the area and moves to the next room.

Even something as relatively mundane as the basic treasure horde can add to the verisimilitude of  an adventure or a campaign setting. How did the boots get there? Who was the previous owner? Was he wealthy or poor? Does he have any family? Was he a victim of the Will o' the Wisps the PCs recently encountered? Do the boots have any properties unknown to the party? If so, how were they imbued with these properties?

Below is a table listing a number of reasons an item came to rest where the party found it. Of course, the DM will be required to make these listings item-specific to their campaign. Items in parentheses are intended for the DM only.

How did that get there? 

1. The item is branded with the initials WJS. The elegant monogram is set off with six stars of various sizes.. (The PCs may be aware that the pattern of six stars is used as an identifying insignia by the Society of Known Adventurers, a loosely organized delving guild based out of Lux, a small mining town. SKA also serves as an erstwhile courier group and mercenary pool --  taking on jobs as necessary to fill the guild's coffers when delving yields grim returns. The guild's clientele are of a darker sort, typically lesser nobles and the like, looking to cover up some "indiscretion" from their past.  

Some members of SKA have become quite famous in the area. Others continue to languish in the lower echelons of the guild. If the party pursues the origin of the monogram, they will find that WJS are the initials of "Wicked" Joaquim Summers, a lesser-to-middling member of the guild. Joaquim has made a minor name for himself as one who "makes information irrelevant." As such, any mention of his name in Lux will more than likely be greeted with vitriolic, but harmless, scowls and jeers.

 A strong and heavy-handed investigation will reveal several details about Joaquim's most recent endeavor.  Joaquim has taken on a contract to create a series of damning rumors about a local noble who was attempting to blackmail a well-liked tavern-keep in Lux. The noble, Tick Candelabrum, recently stumbled into a private party held by Cortheart Wire at the The Bald Opposum, one of several taverns Cortheart owns in the area. Cortheart was hosting a particularly disreputable clan of gnomish miners, The Clan of The Four Winds Under Mountain. The festivities had grown ribald after hours of drunken feasting. Accordingly, Tick was able to slip out unnoticed. 

Very few of the human inhabitants of Lux care for the gnomish clans that inhabit the deepest reaches of the mines in Lux. If it was made known that Cortheart had allowed the Four Winds clan to occupy one of his taverns, Cortheart's business would surely suffer. Consequently, Cortheart decided to hire Joaquim to spread malicious lies about Tick and destroy Tick's reputation.

No one seems to know how Joaquim lost his item. Furthermore, no one seems to know Joaquim's current location. The town guard suggests he may have used the north road. Generally, only miners and others with business at the mine use the south road.)

Tick Candelabrum
3rd Level Human Court Thief

STR: 9, DEX: 9, INT: 13, WIS: 11, CHA: 13
THAC0: 19, HP: 8 AC: 5 (Leather+Shield), Rapier (1d6dmg)

Cortheart Wire
4th Level Human Fighter
STR: 15, DEX: 14, INT: 9, WIS: 8, CHA: 13
THAC0: 16, HP: 24, AC: 9 (Keep's Leather Apron), Great Club (1d8+1dmg), Speed: Slow (2 attacks/ 3 rounds)

"Wicked" Joaquim Summers
6th Level Human Thief
STR: 15, DEX: 15, INT: 13, WIS: 14, CHA: 14
THAC0: 18, HP: 16, AC: 5 (Leather+Shield), Short Sword (1d6dmg)



I've decided to cut this table up into several posts. When I complete the table, I'll modify this post to reflect the number of items in the table.

C. Aaron Aldridge 2013