Posts

  • Nov 2, 2026

    Urist Stortebeker, the Last Archivist

    An update to Urist Stortebeker, one of the player characters for my solo Hell’s Rebels campaign. His description and backstory remain the same as his starting version, and we discuss what changed here.

    I tried leading Urist in a “fightier” direction, as befits an axe-wielding dwarf, but my success was mixed here. He’s generally hard to hurt and his new armor should make him even more so, but he hasn’t been the most successful at hurting enemies. That said, his healing spells have been literal life-savers here, and his buff and utility magic has pulled its weight.

    He started at 250 points and is now at 294, with zero unspent points. This is a higher total than the others because I noticed I had too many disadvantages on his starting sheet and removed one. I don’t believe it will cause any imbalance.

    That said I did try to make him fightier. One level each in Axe/Mace, Shield, ST, and Higher Purpose (Slay Demons) make him hit better and harder, doubly so against demons. He can also wear heavier armor.

    He also improved or acquired several skills that help run the rebellion’s strategic layer. Magic-wise, we have a couple of levels of Energy Reserve to help with the casting, which is slightly better for that purpose than more Fatigue because it recovers in parallel.

    Character Sheet

    ST 13 {30}; DX 12 {40}; IQ 14 {80}; HT 12 {20};

    Damage 1d/2d-1; Basic Lift 16.9kg; HP 13; Will 14; Per 14; FP 14 {6}; Basic Speed 6; Basic Move 5 {-5};

    Advantages

    • Clerical Investment {5}
    • Detect Evil {18}
    • Energy Reserve (Divine) 2 {6}
    • Higher Purpose (Slay Demons) 1 {5}
    • Night Vision 5 {5}
    • Power Investiture 3 {30}
    • Reputation (All the time, everyone but Thrune supporters): +1 {3}
    • Resistant to Poison 6 {6}
    • Unfazeable {15}

    Features

    • Armor not interchangeable with that of humans

    Disadvantages

    • Charitable (12) {-15}
    • Compulsive Carousing (12) {-5}
    • Compulsive Generosity (12) {-5}
    • Feature: Armor not compatible with human armor {0}
    • Intolerance (Evil Religions) {-5}
    • Overconfidence (12) {-5}
    • Sense of Duty (Good Entities) {-10}

    Skills

    • Administration (A) IQ {2} - 14
    • Axe/Mace (A) DX+2 {12} - 15
    • Diagnosis (H) IQ-2 {1} - 12
    • Esoteric Medicine (Holy) (H) Per {4} - 14
    • Exorcism (H) Will {4} - 14
    • First Aid (E) IQ+1 {1}1 - 15
    • Gesture (E) IQ {1} - 14
    • Hidden Lore (Demons) (A) IQ {1}2 - 14
    • Hiking (A) HT-1 {1} - 11
    • Innate Attack (Projectile) (E) DX+2 {4} - 14
    • Meditation (H) Will-2 {1} - 12
    • Observation (A) Per {2} - 14
    • Occultism (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Physiology (Demons) (H) IQ {2}2 - 14
    • Public Speaking (A) IQ {2} - 14
    • Religious Ritual (H) IQ-1 {2} - 13
    • Research (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Savoir-Faire (E) IQ {1} - 14
    • Shield (E) DX+2 {8} - 15
    • Surgery (VH) IQ-2 {2} - 12
    • Teaching (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Theology (H) IQ-2 {1} - 12

    Spells

    All get +3 from Power Investiture

    • Affect Spirits (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Armor (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Breathe Water (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Cleansing (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Continual Light (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Cure Disease (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Glow (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Lend Energy (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Light (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Major Healing (VH) IQ {1} - 14
    • Minor Healing (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Recover Energy (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Resist Disease (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Resist Fire (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Resist Lightning (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Resist Poison (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • See Secrets (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Shield (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Sunbolt (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Sunlight (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15

    Loadout

    $13258.00, 25.615kg, Light Encumbrance.

    • Clothing: $0, 1kg
    • High Holy Symbol: +2 to Exorcism, Turning, and other appropriate rolls. 8 FP as a Power Item. $1000, 0.5kg.
    • Balanced Dwarven Mace: enchanted with Puissance 1. +1 to Skill, +1 to Damage. sw+4 cr, Reach 1, Parry 0. $5450, 2.5kg.
    • Small Shield: $40, 4kg
    • Small Knife [$30; 0.25 kg]
    • Suit of Armor: DR 6 on body, DR 2 on limbs and extremities, no helmet. Lighten 1 and Fortify 1. $4674, 11.7kg.
    • Backpack, small: Holds 20kg. $60, 1.5kg
      • First Aid Kit $50, 1kg;
      • Holy Symbol $50, 0.5kg;
      • 4 x Holy Water $15, 0.5kg;
    • Pouch $10; 0.1 kg;
      • Healing Potion, Minor: Heals 1d HP. $120, 0.25kg.
      • 2 x Universal Antidote: Instantly cures all poisons. $750, 0.25kg
      • Gold Coin (Halved) $200; 0.005 kg;
      • 2 x Silver Coin $20; 0.01 kg;
      • 4 x Copper Coin $1; 0.01 kg;

    Combat

    Assumes Light Encumbrance and a DB 1 shield.

    • Defenses
      • Dodge: 9
      • Parry: 11
      • DR: 2 on skull, 0 on eyes, 6 on body, 2 on limbs and extremities.
    • Attacks
      • Mace (15): 2d+3 cr, Reach 1.
      • Shield Bash (15): 1d cr, Reach 1.
      • Sunbolt (14): 1d to 9d burn, Acc 2, Range 75/150, costs 0 to 8 FP.

    1. Defaults from Esoteric Medicine (Holy) ↩

    2. +1 from Higher Purpose (Slay Demons) ↩ ↩2

  • Nov 1, 2026

    Let's Read DFRPG Exploits: Introduction

    Some of the covers fit together!

    If DFRPG: Adventurers was our “Player’s Handbook” with everything you need to create a character, then Expoits is our “Dungeon Master’s Guide” with everything you need to actually play the game, and everything your GM needs to challenge and reward you. Or, well, almost. There’s a separate book for spells and another one for monsters, and we’ll get to them in due time.

    Cover

    Its cover is the image to the right, above. I’m putting both of them here again because I like the effect they have when put side by side.

    Quick Rules Reference

    This sheet here can probably be printed to become a second panel in your GM’s screen. It has stuff that’s handy for GMs this time around. We start with a reference on Light and Vision, listing what penalties you get to see in various levels of illumination. Daylight is a 0, total darkness is a -10, and every number in-between is possible.

    Next is a list of light sources PCs are likely to carry into a dungeon, along with their areas of effect, which can either be a circular radius or a tight beam. They elimiate darkness penalties in this area, and reduce the penalty to -3 up to 3x that distance.

    Then you get quick tables to figure out falling damage based on how far you fall, how far you can throw heavy stuff based on your Basic Lift, and a complete table listing the damage modifiers for every damage type, hit location, and enemy “constitution” (Living, Unliving, or Homogenous). This will all make sense when we get to the combat chapters.

    The Actual Introduction

    Despite the comparison above, players are encouraged to read some of Exploits too, mainly the parts containing the basic rules of the game that explain how they can do stuff. The rest of the book is more useful to the GM when planning campaigns and adventures, but there’s no iron-clad Gygaxian prohibition against players reading that too.

    The page finishes with recommendations on where to get more material. There are several supplements for DFRPG specifically that came out after the core box, but even at the time of its release you could choose to branch out to “mainline GURPS” if you wished, and to the “sister line” of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy supplements.

    Impressions

    Not a lot to have impressions about, though I do like that the illumination rules get a bit of spotlight here. Those tend to be very important for any game that features lots of dungeon delving.

    We’ll, er, delve deeper into damage types in the Combat chapter, but I’ll say that having them here for several types of enemy physiology is a great help as well. Few genres feature more enemies with bizarre anatomies than dungeon fantasy.

  • Oct 31, 2026

    Let's Play Hell's Rebels: Rosalia Savory update 1

    An update to Rosalia, one of the player characters for my solo Hell’s Rebels game. Her description and backstory remains the same as her starting version, and we discuss what changed here.

    I’ve played Rosalia in three different occasions so far. Once in another solo game, once in a D&D 4 Zeitgeist play-by-post, and now. In the first one she was a gunslinger and also psychic. In the second, she was pretty good with a sword. I started out trying to make her a gunslinger again, but as mentioned in a recent post I decided to rewrite her to be an archer because there’s not going to be a lot of advanced guns in this game.

    Despite this, most of her contributions in combat have happened with her sword, and with her Song of Humiliation. Outside of that she and Jania make an excellent loot-selling team, and her interpersonal skills also make her an awesome rebellion official.

    There’s a lot of cool utility in her spells that I have been lax in using, perhaps that will change later. Her new fancy bow-harp and cornucopia should make it easier for her to fulfill her new role, though I really should increase her Bow skill and get her Fast-Draw (Arrow) as well.

    Character Sheet

    ST 10 {0}; DX 13 {60}; IQ 14 {80}; HT 11 {10}

    Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 10kg; HP 10; Will 14; Per 14; FP 13 {6}; Basic Speed 6.00; Basic Move 6;

    Advantages

    • Bardic Talent 3 {30}
    • Charisma 2 {10}
    • Danger Sense {15}
    • Heroic Archer {20}
    • Reputation (All the time, everyone but Thrune supporters): +1 {3}
    • Song of Echoes {14}
    • Song of Humiliation {4}
    • Voice {10}

    Disadvantages

    • Chummy {-5}
    • Code of Honor (Outlaw’s) {-5}
    • Compulsive Carousing (12) {-5}
    • Curious (12) {-5}
    • Gluttony (12) {-5}
    • Impulsiveness (12) {-10}
    • Secret (Mysterious Satirist) {-10}
    • Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) {-5}

    Skils

    • Acrobatics (H) DX-2 {1} - 11
    • Acting (A) IQ {2} - 14
    • Area Knowledge (Kintargo) (E) IQ+2 {4} - 16
    • Bow (A) DX+3 {12} - 16
    • Carousing (E) HT+1 {2} - 12
    • Connoisseur (Art) (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Current Affairs (E) IQ {1} - 14
    • Dancing (A) DX-1 {1} - 12
    • Detect Lies (H) Per-2 {1} - 12
    • Diplomacy (H) IQ {1}1 - 14
    • Disguise (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Fast-Draw (Sword) (E) DX {1} - 13
    • Fast-Talk (A) IQ+1 {1}1 - 15
    • Fencing (A) DX+2 {8} - 15
    • Heraldry (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Interrogation (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Intimidation (A) Will-1 {1} - 13
    • Leadership (A) IQ+1 {1}2 - 15
    • Merchant (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Musical Composition (H) IQ+1 {1}3 - 15
    • Musical Instrument (Guitar) (H) IQ+2 {2}3 - 16
    • Performance (A) IQ+1 {1}1 - 15
    • Poetry (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Propaganda (A) IQ {2} - 14
    • Public Speaking (A) IQ+3 {1}12 - 17
    • Savoir-Faire (E) IQ {1} - 14
    • Singing (E) HT+7 {4}13 - 18
    • Sleight of Hand (H) DX-2 {1} - 11
    • Stealth (A) DX-1 {1} - 12
    • Streetwise (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Writing (A) IQ-1 {1} - 13

    Spells

    All get a +3 from Bardic Talent. Page reference is from DF Spells.

    • Bravery (p. 53) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Daze (p. 54) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Fascinate (p. 54) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Fear (p. 54) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Foolishness (p. 54) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Hush (p.56) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Loyalty (p. 55) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Sense Emotion (p. 26) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Sense Evil (p. 26) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Sense Foes (p. 26) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Silence (p. 67) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Sound (p. 67) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Thunderclap (p. 67) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Voices (p. 68) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Wall of Silence (p. 68) (H) IQ+1 {1} - 15

    Loadout

    Total $8394.00, 9.62kg. No Encumbrance.

    • Clothing: $0, 1kg.
    • Pouch: Holds 1.5kg. $10, 0.1kg.
      • Healing Potion, Minor: Heals 1d HP. $120, 0.25kg.
      • Coins:
        • 6 x silver $20, 0.01kg
        • 6 x copper $1, 0.01kg
      • Visibility Dust: $50, 0.5kg.
    • Armor:
      • Light Cloth Body Armor: $53, 3.15kg.
      • Light Cloth Sleeves: $25, 1.5kg.
    • Saber: $700, 1kg.
    • Allegretto: Balanced Elven Short Bow-Harp. thr imp, Acc 2, Range x10/x15. ST 10 but user fires as ST 12. 9 FP as a power item. $1300, 1.5kg.
    • Fine Cornucopia Quiver: Produces Fine arrows. $6010, 0.5kg.

    Other Gear

    Stored back at base.

    • Guitar: Two-handed instrument. $150, 2.5kg.

    Combat

    • Defenses
      • Dodge: 9
      • Parry (Saber): 10F
      • DR: 1 (torso and arms)
      • HP: 10
      • Control Maximum: 10
        • 1 to 5: -2
        • 6 to 10: -4
        • 11 to 15: -6
        • 16 to 20: -8
        • 21 or more: -12

    • Attacks

    • Saber (15): 1d-1 cut or imp, Reach 1.
    • Allegretto (16): 1d-1 imp, Acc 2, Range 120/180, Shots 1(3).

    Unspent Points: 3

    1. +2 for Voice ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

    2. +2 from Charisma ↩ ↩2

    3. +3 for Bardic Talent ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  • Oct 23, 2026

    Let's Play Hell's Rebels: Jania Moonshadow update 1

    I’ve been stressing out about real-life fascists these past few days, so I thought I’d destress a bit by publishing another post about people fighting fantasy fascists in my solo Hell’s Rebels campaign

    This is an update to Jania. Her description and backstory remain the same and can be see in the post for her starting version.

    After playing through Adventure 1 I can say Jania has been working pretty much as expected. A thiefy wizard, and a wizard thief. She has handled all the trap-finding and lock-opening that she needed to, and her spells have been occasionally useful as well. The standout here were the repeated uses of Glass Wall to help with the breaching-and-clearing of Hocum’s Phantasmagorium at the end of the adventure.

    I didn’t expect a lot out of her in combat since she’s a Thief-type, but she was surprisingly useful when she got to hit people in the skull with her cane while Art held them down. She’s switching to a smallsword now, so I wonder how that will change things. Her ranged combat on the other hand has been as disappointing as expected, since it takes a while to charge up an Ice Dagger and it often misses or gets dodged.

    Her advancement has been focusing more on utility spells and skills, particularly the ones needed to help run the rebellion. Like the rest of her companions, she started out with 250 points and currently sits at 289 with 0 unspent points. The biggest expenditure here was a much-needed improvement of Spell-Thief Expertise from 2 to 3.

    Character Sheet

    ST 10 {0}; DX 14 {80}; IQ 14 {80}; HT 11 {10};

    Damage 1d/1d-2; Basic Lift 10kg.; Will 14; Per 14; HP 10 FP 11; Basic Speed 6.25; Basic Move 6.

    Advantages

    • Flexibility {5}
    • High Manual Dexterity 1 {5}
    • Open Locks 2 {5}
    • Reputation (All the time, everyone but Thrune supporters): +1 {3}
    • Spell-Thief Experdise 3 {38}
    • Unusual Background (Spell-Thief) {5}

    Disadvantages

    • Bad Temper {-10}
    • Code of Honor (Outlaw’s) {-5}
    • Laziness {-10}
    • Overconfidence (12) {-5}
    • Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) {-5}
    • Weirdness Magnet {-15}

    Skills

    • Acrobatics DX-2 {1}-12
    • Admininstration (A) IQ+1 {4} - 15
    • Alchemy IQ-3 {1}-11
    • Brawling DX+0 {1}-14
    • Carousing HT+0 {1}-11
    • Climbing DX+2 {1}-16
    • Disguise IQ-1 {1}-13
    • Escape DX+3 {4}-17
    • Fast-Draw (Sword) DX+0 {1}-14
    • Fast-Talk IQ+0 {2}-14
    • Fencing DX+3 {12}-17
    • Filch DX+0 {2}-14
    • Hazardous Materials IQ-1 {1}-13
    • Hidden Lore (Magic Items) IQ+0 {2}-14
    • Holdout IQ+0 {2}-14
    • Innate Attack (Projectile) DX+1 {2}-15
    • Intelligence Analysis IQ+0 {4} - 14
    • Leadership IQ-1 {1} - 13
    • Lockpicking DX+2 {4}-16
    • Merchant (A) IQ-1 {1}-13
    • Observation (A) Per+1 {4} - 15
    • Occultism IQ+0 {2}-14
    • Pickpocket DX+0 {2}-14
    • Savoir-Faire IQ+0 {1}-14
    • Sleight of Hand DX-1 {1}-13
    • Stealth DX+1 {4}-15
    • Streetwise IQ+0 {2}-14
    • Thaumatology IQ-1 {1}-13
    • Traps IQ+1 {4}-15
    • Urban Survival Per+0 {2}-14

    Spells

    • Apportation IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Aura IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Blur IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Climbing IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Continual Light IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Create Water IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Darkness IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Detect Magic IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Freeze IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Glass Wall IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Grease IQ+2 {2} - 16
    • Great Haste IQ {2} - 15
    • Haste IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Ice Dagger IQ+2 {2} - 16
    • Ice Sphere IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Icy Weapon IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Infravision IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Invisibility IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Levitation IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Light IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Lockmaster IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Locksmith IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Magelock IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Mage Sight IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Night Vision IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Purify Water IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • See Invisible IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Seeker IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Seek Food IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Seek Water IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • See Secrets IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Shape Water IQ+1 {1} - 15
    • Trace IQ+1 {1} - 15

    Loadout

    Total: $9984.00, 9.5825kg. No Encumbrance.

    • Clothing; $0, 1kg.
    • Armor:
      • Body: Enchanted Silk Undershirt. Forfity 1, DR 1. $470, 0.2kg.
    • Ninja Slippers: +1 to Stealth. $100, 0.25 kg.
    • The Needle: Fine, Balanced smallsword enchanted with Puissance 1. 14 FP as a Power Item. $8200, 0.75kg.
    • Backpack, Small; $60, 1.5 kg.
      • Personal Basics; $5, 0.5 kg.
      • Trap-Finder’s Kit, Good; $250, 1 kg.
      • Spy’s Horn; $100, 1 kg.
      • Canteen; $10, 0.5kg.
        • Water (1 Quart); $0, 1 kg.
    • Scroll Belt: 10 waterproof compartments for scrolls. $60, 0.5kg.
    • Pouch; $10, 0.1 kg.
      • Hand Mirror: $15, 0.5kg.
      • Lockpicks; $50, 0.05 kg.
      • 2 x Nageteppo, Flash; $40, 0.1 kg.
      • 2 x Nageteppo, Smoke; $40, 0.1 kg.
      • Coins:
        • 1 x Gold Coin, Quartered. $100, 0.0025kg.
        • 19 x silver coin: $20, 0.01kg.
        • 14 x copper coin: $1, 0.01kg.

    Combat

    • Defenses
      • Dodge: 9
      • Parry: 11F
      • DR: 1 (torso), 0 (elsewhere)
      • Control Maximum: 10
        • 1 to 5: -2
        • 6 to 10: -4
        • 11 to 15: -6
        • 16 to 20: -8
        • 21 or more: -12
      • FP: 7/11
      • HP: 10/10
    • Attacks
      • The Needle (17): 1d+1 imp (thrust). Reach 1.
      • Ice Dagger (15): 1d-1 imp/point, Acc 3, Range 30/60. -1 to final cost.
      • Ice Sphere (15): 1d cr/point, Acc 2, Range 40/80.
  • Oct 20, 2026

    Let's Read DFRPG Adventurers: Appendices

    Chapter 7 was the last proper chapter in the book but we still have a bit to go through. The first thing here are a pair of sample characters, each taking up a page.

    We have Grükuk Kzaash, a Half-Orc Knight. Personality-wise, she’s a honorable mercenary, if more than a bit short-tempered. Mechanically, she goes for breadth over depth, taking Extra Attack 1 instead of Weapon Master and carrying both a shield and a brace of weapons fit for all occasions. She has a Dwarven flail, a kukri for enemies who are resistant to crushing damage, and a pair of silver-coated brass knuckles for enemies who are vulnerable to that. No swords, though, as she thinks they’re overrated.

    The other one is Francesco Zombani, who already knows all the zombie jokes related to his name and asks that you don’t make any. He’s a former cloistered monk who decided to travel the world on a quest to atone for a grave sin. What sin is that? He’s not actually sure. He’s the robe-and-staff kind of cleric, a poor combatant but an excellent spellcaster.

    After these two we get to the book’s Index, and if you never beheld the index of a GURPS book you don’t know what joy is. This is a match for any textbook index, and leaps and bounds above almost anything else you might find in RPG books. There are also separate indexes for Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills.

    We end the book with a one-page ad for Ogre 6th Edition, and a four-page character sheet that has enough space to hold almost everything you need in play. Including that price list for magical healing in town I mentioned in the gear chapter.

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