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• Oct 25, 2016

  Blog or Treat: The Grim Reaper

  Welcome to our second Blog or Treat article! I wanted to do another scary monster during this week, and figured there was no reason think small. So in this post we’ll stat up Death.

  

  The Horror of Death

  In the previous article we launched right into the stats of the Snake-Maned Lion, but here let’s look at the historical and narrative concepts around the Grim Reaper first.

  According to the ever-helpful Wikipedia, many cultures and mythologies describe different personifications of death. It’s not considered a bad thing in all of them, which results in the messenger of death looking more like an angel who merely takes the departed to the afterlife. However, the version we’re interested in is the black-robed skeleton with the scythe, an invention of 14th-century Europe. The name “Grim Reaper” is more recent, having been first recorded in 1847.

  The mention of “14th-century Europe” might ring a bell. Indeed, that’s when the Black Death swept through the continent. It’s not a stretch to think that the skeleton-and-scythe imagery comes from it. It’s as much a personification of the fear of death as it is of death itself. The Reaper does not symbolize death as part of a cycle, or a gentle passing into some higher realm. A scythe is not a tool for gently picking individual wheat stalks. No, the Grim Reaper is the Death that does to humanity what a farmer does to a field come harvest time. It’s the Death that takes away your loved ones in the prime of their lives and then comes for you. You have as much defense against it as wheat does against the farmer.

  The monster and its variants statted up below draw inspiration from this imagery, and from a couple of other similar creatures I’ve run across in other games. It’s appropriate for Dungeon Fantasy or horror campaigns, being a much scarier threat in the latter.

  Grim Reaper

  Long thought just a legend or a metaphor for death, these beings turn out to be quite real. Most of what is known of them is pure speculation, as almost no one who got into a position to take a good look at them survived the encounter. Are they a form of spectral undead? A demon? Are they a species of monster, or is there just the one avatar of Death itself?

  It is known that Grim Reapers are floating figures wearing voluminous, tattered black robes and wielding large scythes. Beyond that, accounts vary. Some say they look skeletal, others see a demonic horned visage, and others report only darkness staring at them from beneath the hood. Some report it carring a lantern in addition to the scythe.

  One of the reasons it’s so hard to get a precise account of how their look is that these creatures inhabit a place between life and death. They are normally completely invisible to mortal eyes, and intangible to anything physical! They attack by reaching through this veil and pulling unwary mortals through. The closer they are to the reaper’s in-between home, the more than can interact with it… and once they are close enough, the monster cuts them down with its absurdly sharp scythe.

  No one has encountered more than one Grim Reaper at once… but they tend to hang out in places soaked in plague and/or evil, much like Snake-Maned Lions and other similar monsters, so it wouldn’t be implausible to encounter it alongside these other creatures.

  ST 18; DX 14; IQ 10; HT 12

  Dodge: 10; Parry: 14; DR: 4; SM 0

  HP 18; Will 12; Per: 12; FP 12

  Speed 7.5; Move 7

  • Pull Through the Veil (16): 1 point toxic, and the target becomes marked by the Reaper (see Notes, below). Reach C, 1. This is a Cosmic attack that ignores DR, and affects substantial targets.
  • Grim Scythe (18): 3d+3 cut or 3d+1 imp or 1d+1 cut (Hook). Reach 1. Often done as a Deceptive Attack. This is a Cosmic attack that ignores DR! See Notes, below, for which targets are valid.

  Traits: Astral Entity (p. B263); Dark Vision (with Color Vision); Fragile (Unnatural); Flight (max Move 7); Enhanced Parry 2 (Scythe); Indomitable; Immunity to Mind Control; Injury Tolerance (No Blood, No Brain, No Vitals, Unliving); Skinny; Temperature Tolerance 10; Unfazeable; Vaccum Support.

  Skills: Brawling-16; Two-Handed Axe/Mace-18; Observation-12;

  Class: Undead.

  Notes: When a target first becomes marked by the Reaper, they begin perceiving their surroundings as blurry and colorless (-1 to Per-based rolls to make out detail). Characters who have been marked once can see the Reaper in full detail; they can attack it for half damage, and it can attack them for half damage as well. Twice-Marked characters can interact with the Reaper as if it was fully substantial and vice-versa.

  These marks fade after a minute, returning the character to normal. The scythe disappears when the creature is slain.

  Fighting the Grim Reaper

  The Reaper attacks by invisibly approaching the most vulnerable-looking party member, marking them twice, and cutting them down. Its touch grants it the ability to isolate vulnerable adventurers without having to rely on terrain, as it remains invisible and insubstantial to the victim’s friends. It makes free use of tactics such as Deceptive, Defensive, Committed or All-Out Attacks to exploit holes in its opponent’s defenses.

  To effectively fight a Reaper, the PCs should have access to magic that allows them to see and affect invisible and insubstantial creatures. Being undead, it’s also vulnerable to some Cleric and Holy Warrior powers. Lacking either of those, they might contrive to get marked by the monster and fight it that way, though that’s pretty risky as it’s a superb melee combatant. Its multiple injury tolerances and high HT mean it might only die when it hits -36 HP, and it’s smart enough to fly away and try again when the marks have worn off.

  Even a single Grim Reaper can pose a significant challenge to a whole delver party.

  Variant Reapers

  Plenty of variance is possible here by changing the answers to the questions at the beginning of the monster’s description.

  Different Class: This variant is not undead, but is either a Demon or a Divine Servitor. This either makes it vulnerable to a different set of Holy powers, or not particularly vulnerable to any of them.

  Greater: This large variant carries an oversized scythe. It might well be the Grim Reaper! Change ST and HP to 27; change SM to +1; change scythe damage to 5d+5 cutting or 5d+2 imp or 3d-2 cutting (Hook); change scythe range to 1-2.

  Lantern-Bearing: This variant carries a skull-shaped lantern in addition to its scythe. The lantern can cast Mass Sleep at power 15 and has a 30-point Energy Reserve. Particularly cruel GMs can have the Mass Sleep be cast at power 20 instead. The lantern also disappears if the creature is slain.

  Materialized: While still a spirit, this variant exists closer to the world of the living than to the world of the dead. It’s visible and almost solid, but still difficult to hurt. Remove Astral Entity and the Pull Through the Veil attack and replace Injury Tolerance (Unliving) with Injury Tolerance (Diffuse).

  Incidentally, one of the inspirations for this monster is Dragon’s Dogma, which features a Greater, Materialized, Lantern-Bearing Grim Reaper in its most dangerous dungeon.

• Oct 24, 2016

  Blog or Treat: The Snake-Maned Lion

  Welcome to Blog or Treat, a Halloween Special conspiracy concocted by a secretive cabal of GURPS bloggers. Here at Octopus Carnival, I will present to you two particularly scary monsters! One you see below, the other will grace your screen tomorrow.

  

  The Snake-Maned Lion

  This horrible beast is a nightmare made flesh, a huge lion with a dozen venomous snakes growing out of its black mane. Some sages proclaim it comes from the darkest faerie realms, while others ascribe an infernal origin to it. What they do agree on is that he creature makes its home in places haunted by evil. It hunts at night, drawn to the scent of fresh blood, the cries of small and helpless things, or any light sources.

  The snake-maned lion possesses animal intelligence, but it’s clever enough to adapt its tactics to the strength of its potential prey. When faced with a weak or helpless victim, it delights in striding boldly into view and letting out an intimidating roar followed by a frontal attack. When faced with a group of more capable opposition, it will attempt to strike from ambush, targetting isolated stragglers and using its roar to drive others away before dragging its victim off. In either case, it prefers to attack by biting and hanging on, letting the snakes finish the job and helping them along with its claws.

  The monster is solitary in that it’s rarely seen together with others of its kind, but its choice of hunting ground means it’s often encountered alongside a group of undead or demonic creatures. It seems to have a natural tendency to leave these monster types alone, and they in turn don’t bother it. Sometimes, a more powerful villain such as a lich, dark fey lord, or demon will manage to tame one of these beasts.

  ST 20; DX 13; IQ 5; HT 12

  Dodge 10; DR 1 (Tough Skin); SM +1

  Will 10; Per 12; HP 20; FP 12

  Speed 6.25; Move 6.

  • Terrifying Roar (-) : Anyone who hears it must make a Fright Check at -2. Usable once per fight.
  • Bite (15): 2d cutting. Reach C. May grapple the target on a hit. Parried as a weapon.
  • Talons (15): 2d cutting. Reach C, 1. Parried as a weapon.
  • Serpent Mane (18) (x4): 2 points impaling + follow-up 1d toxic (HT-1, plus -1 per additional bite, to resist; 5 cycles; 1 minute per cycle). Often aimed at the face (-5) or neck (-5) if those are unarmored.
  • A Thousand Bites (-): A Bite aimed at the torso followed by four Serpent Mane attacks aimed at the grappled target’s torso, face, or head.
  • Horrid Onslaught (-): A Rapid Strike combining a Talons attack and a Bite aimed at the torso, followed by four Serpent Mane attacks aimed at the grappled target’s torso, face or head.

  Traits: Combat Reflexes; Extra Attack 4 (Serpent Mane only); Fearlessness 5; Night Vision 7; Penetrating Voice; Quadruped; Restricted Diet (Fresh Meat); Sadism (9); Wild Animal; Terror 2 (Roar).

  Skills: Brawling-15; Stealth-15; Wrestling-15;

  Class: Hybrid.

  Notes: Animal spells which affect hybrids work on the lion.

  Fighting the Snake-Maned Lion

  As you can see from its stats, getting into melee combat with the snake-maned lion is a very bad idea. Through a combination of high skill, Rapid Strikes and Extra Attacks it has a very good chance of damaging its chosen victim at least once per turn.

  The beast should be fought at a distance, with ranged weapons or magic. Of course, it will try its hardest to force a melee confrontation by sneaking in close before its initial pounce, and it might disrupt the efforts of any ranged attackers with its roar. If keeping away is not an option, distracting it with numbers and flanking it is the next best bet.

  The sound of the lion’s roar is audible over a mile away, so unless the PCs take precautions like plugging their ears in advance, they will be inside its area of effect at the ranges in which the monster likes to use it.

  Variant Lions

  The Snake-Maned Lion has some similarities to mythological beasts such as the Chimera or the Manticore, and might fulfill similar narrative roles. According to this Wikipedia article on the Chimera, chimerical figures appear in medieval art as deceptive or even satanic embodiments or raw nature.

  The base creature above is well-suited to this, but if you don’t think it’s scary enough you can try these variants:

  Armored: This variant is covered in reptilian scales instead of leonine hide. Raise DR to 4 and remove the Tough Skin limitation.

  Intelligent: This variant is smart enough to understand speech and come up with really clever ambush setups. It’s also no longer affected by Animal spells, requiring Mind Control magic instead. Raise IQ to 8, Will to 12, and remove Wild Animal.

  Demonic: A materialized spirit from hell set loose in our plane! Change its class to Demon and add Injury Tolerance (Homogenous), which makes it a lot more resistant to most ranged weapons.

  These variants can stack with each other and with any of the generic monster prefixes from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 1.

• Oct 23, 2016

  Pathfinder Iconics in Dungeon Fantasy: Lini

  Update: This is the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy version of the character. If you want to see a version for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG, click here.

  Welcome back to our series of conversions of Pathfinder’s Iconic Characters to GURPS Dungeon Fantasy! This is the fourth post in the series. Previous entriers can be found here:

  • Amiri the Barbarian
  • Lem the Bard
  • Kyra the Cleric

  Today’s template is the Druid, which means today’s star is Lini. Here she is:

  

  You can find her full bio here, and her original Pathfinder stats here. From looking at these, we see the following:

  • Lini is a Golarion gnome, which is different from the Dungeon Fantasy gnome.

  • She is a druid and hails from the Land of the Linnorm Kings, home of the Not-Vikings. She was always good with animals, and left the place shortly after meeting her snow leopard animal companion.

  • She wields a sickle and a sling, but prefers to send her animal companion to fight for her. Her magic is more or less even mix of terrain-affecting, support and attack spells. She is also described as having a knack for handling animals, particularly large mammals.

  Template-wise, the default Druid will be appropriate here, as Pathfinder druids draw their power directly from nature. The biggest difficulty will be Lini’s racial template, as gnomes from Golarion (Pathfinder’s setting) are different from those presented in DF. So the first order of business here is creating a racial template for the Golarion Gnome.

  From the point of view of Dungeon Fantasy, the gnomes of Golarion are more like slightly larger leprechauns than the gadget-oriented folk you see in DF 3. They’re about the size of halflings, and while the original system does give them a small bonus to crafting skills, their innate magic and faerie heritage are more emphasized. I also want to keep the template cost at or under 20 points, since that’s what DF gnomes cost. Putting all of that together we have something like this:

  Golarion Gnomes (0 points)

  Attribute Modifiers: ST-3 {-30}; HT+2 {20}.

  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -2; HP+1 {2}; Will+1 {5}; Per +1 {5}; Basic Move -1 {-5}.

  Advantages: Magery 0 {5}; Night Vision 5 {5};

  Perks: Leprechaun Charms (x3)¹ {3}

  Disadvantages: Impulsiveness (12) {-10}

  And now that we have all we need, here’s today’s character! Her spell repertoire is a bit lighter on direct buffs than in Pathfinder, but still strikes the same balance.

  Lini, Gnome Druid

  ST 8 {10}²; DX 12 {40}; IQ 15 {100}; HT 13 {10}²

  Damage 1d-3/1d-2; BL 6.4kg; HP 9²; Will 16²; Per 16²; FP 13; Basic Speed 6.00 {-5}; Basic Move 5².

  Advantages

  • Animal Friend 2 {10}
  • Druidic Ally: Snow Leopard (as Panther in DF 5 p. 7, available on 15 or less) {18}
  • Golarion Gnome {0} (Charms: Light, Sound and Apportation)
  • Green Thumb 1 {5}
  • Power Investiture (Druidic) 4 {40}

  Disadvantages

  • Chummy {-5}
  • Curious (12) {-5}
  • Impulsiveness (12) {0}²
  • Odious Personal Habit (“Dirty Hippy”) {-5}
  • Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) {-5}
  • Vow (Never Sleep Indoors) {-10}
  • Weirdness Magnet {-15}

  Skills

  • Animal Handling (Big Cats) (A) IQ+1 {1}³ - 16
  • Axe/Mace (A) DX+2 {8}- 14
  • Camouflage (E) IQ {1} - 15
  • Climbing (A) DX {2} - 12
  • Diagnosis (H) IQ-2 {1} - 13
  • Disguise (Animals) (A) IQ-1 {1} - 14
  • Esoteric Medicine (Druidic) (H) Per {4} - 16
  • First Aid (E) IQ {1} - 15
  • Herb Lore (VH) IQ {4}⁴ - 15
  • Hidden Lore (Faeries) (A) IQ-1 {1} - 14
  • Hidden Lore (Nature Spirits) (A) IQ-1 {1} - 14
  • Hiking (A) HT-1 {1} - 12
  • Mimicry (Animal Sounds) (H) IQ-2 {1} - 13
  • Naturalist (H) IQ {2}⁴ - 15
  • Observation (A) Per-1 {1} - 15
  • Pharmacy (Herbal) (H) IQ-2 {1} - 13
  • Riding (Big Cat) (A) DX-1 {1} - 11
  • Religious Ritual (Druidic) (H) IQ-2 {1} - 13
  • Shield (E) DX+2 {4} - 14
  • Sling (H) DX {4} - 12
  • Stealth (A) DX {2} - 12
  • Survival (Forest) (A) Per-1 {1} - 15
  • Theology (Druidic) (H) IQ-2 {1} - 13
  • Veterinary (H) IQ-2 {1} - 13
  • Weather Sense (A) IQ-1 {1} - 14

  Spells

  • Beast Soother (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Beast Speech (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Beast-Rouser (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Cure Disease (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Frostbite (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Hail (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Instant Neutralize Poison (VH) IQ+2 {1} - 16
  • Lightning (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Mammal Control (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Master (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Pathfinder (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Plant Growth (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Protect Animal (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Recover Energy (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Resist Cold (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Resist Lightning (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Seek Food (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Shape Plant (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Tangle Growth (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17
  • Walk Through Plants (H) IQ+2 {1} - 17

  Equipment

  $223.0, 4.5kg. No encumbrance!

  • Enchanted Ordinary Clothes [Torso, Limbs]: DR 1*. $50, 0.2kg.
  • Faerie Sickle [Belt or Back]: As small axe. Damage sw cut. $40, 0.66kg.
  • Small Shield [Torso]: DB 1. $16, 1.33kg.
  • Sling [Torso]: Acc 0; Range 24/80; sw-2 pi; $6, 0.1kg.
  • Small Pouch [Torso]: Holds 0.5kg. $3, neg.
  • 10 x Sling Bullets [Pouch]: $1, 0.25kg.
  • Backpack, Small [Torso]: Holds 7kg of gear. $20, 0.5kg.
  • Glow Vial x2 [Backpack]: Sheds light in a 1m radius for 12 hours. $60, 0.5kg.
  • Wineskin [Backpack]: Holds 4L of liquid. $10, 0.13kg.
  • Blanket [Backpack]: $7, 0.33kg
  • 2 x Rations [Backpack]: $10, 0.5kg.

  1. See DF 3, p. 9. Typically used for Light, Sound, and Apportation. Changing this selection requires GM approval. ↩

  2. Part of or modified by Golarion Gnome racial template. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

  3. Includes +2 from Animal Friend. ↩

  4. Includes +1 from Green Thumb ↩ ↩²

• Oct 21, 2016

  Dragon's Dogma: Character Races

  

  After covering occupational templates in some detail, it’s time to look at racial templates. What options do players have for creating non-human characters?

  The default answer is “not many”. The original game started out with a more traditional fantasy setting containing all the races you’d expect, but was eventually developed into the setting we see when playing it. Humans make up the bulk of civilization in Gransys and the rest of the world. A minority of alien Pawns are the only non-humans who are also part of it.

  There are other non-human sapients around: Goblins and their Hobgoblin cousins clearly have a civilization of sorts, and the various species of Saurian (humanoid lizards) are fairly sophisticated tool-users. However, their views of humanity run between “fun to torment” and “tasty”, with humans holding an equivalent low opinion off them. Peaceful interaction between these species is vanishingly rare. Other sapient monsters (such as the Harpy and Dragon families) are even less appropriate as player characters! These will all be covered when we get to the monsters.

  Below you will find two racial lenses for the Arisen and the Pawns. These can be used as-is in the Dragon’s Dogma setting presented in this blog, or in a more traditional DF setting if the GM is willing to bring in the cosmic baggage that comes with them. In those settings, the lenses can be applied to members of any playable race, giving you characters such as elven Arisen or halfling Pawns.

  But first, let’s briefly discuss a setting element tied to both of these lenses:

  Setting Element: The Rift

  The world of Dragon’s Dogma is touched by the Rift, an interstitial realm that appears as a dimly lit, fog-covered plain. The Rift connects multiple worlds, and is the original home of the Pawns. The Dragon comes from somewhere beyond it. The points where it touches the world are marked by Riftstones, and the Arisen can use those to interact with the Rift.

  We’ll reveal much more about it in future posts, but for now it’s enough to know that the existence of the two racial lenses shown below in a setting also implies that it’s touched by the Rift and contains Riftstones. GMs using different settings that already possess similar “planar travel” elements might want to use those instead, or to integrate the Rift with them.

  The Arisen (10 points)

  

  The Arisen are those who dare stand against the Dragon when it first enters the world. For this, they are marked in a mystical ritual where the Dragon consumes their heart. The stolen heart still beats within the beast, and so the victim rises again compelled to confront it once more.

  Having no heart, the Arisen also have no pulse or heartbeat. The ritual also leaves a very large and distinctive scar in their chests, which is the same shape for all of them. This scar can be covered up fairly easily, but it sometimes glows through any clothing or armor when in proximity to a Pawn or a draconic being. The Arisen also have the ability to interact with the Rift by touching a Riftstone. By doing this they are able to draw forth specific Pawns from the Rift itself and the worlds beyond.

  They are widely respected in any society that is aware of their existence, but that comes at the cost of being expected to confront the Dragon. Jealous or snobbish nobles also like to impose “tests of skill” to Arisen characters so they might prove they are “worthy” of the station.

  The Arisen are portrayed as being unusually capable in the original games, though it is unclear if this comes from their condition or if they were chosen for being heroic in the first pĺace. Either way, Arisen PCs shouldn’t be built on less than 250 points.

  It’s worth noting that the ability to drawn Pawns forth from the Rift is a 0-point feature. At most it’s a way of acquiring an Ally (see Arisen Power-Ups below), but usually it’s just fancier dressing for the usual Search rolls to find and hire henchmen.

  Advantages: Injury Tolerance: No Vitals (Heart only, -50%) {3}¹; Hero 2 {10};

  Disadvantages: Unnatural Features (No heartbeat, occasionally glowing scar) {-3}²;

  Features: Unaging³; Can interact with the Rift through Riftstones.

  Arisen NPCs

  The Dragon usually only creates one Arisen per incursion, but it’s definitely possible for more than one to exist at the same time. Even if the party already includes an Arisen PC they might find others who are still hanging around from previous draconic invasions. Their attitudes towards a PC Arisen will vary greatly.

  Arisen PCs

  An Arisen PC will necessarily bring with it the narrative of the Dragon. It must be addressed, even if it’s just a sentence in the character’s back story explaining how they avoided the confrontation. If it’s publicly known that the character avoided their “fate”, the positive reputation implied by the Hero advantage can be replaced by a negative reputation for cowardice or laziness instead, giving everyone a -2 Reaction and worth -10 points. Simply removing the Hero advantage brings the cost of the lens down to 0 points. Adding the negative Reputation makes it cost -10 points in total.

  There’s nothing preventing multiple Arisen PCs from being on the same party! Some of them might be old Arisen created in a previous invasion, or the Dragon might just have decided to be more prolific this time around. It’s not like anyone can stop it from performing the ritual multiple times.

  Arisen Power-Ups

  Most Arisen tend to acquire the company of an extremely loyal Pawn shortly after being marked, known as their Main Pawn. If this Pawn is an NPC, then it can be bought as an Ally (100% of points, Available Constantly) {20}.

  And while not technically a “power-up”, killing the Dragon removes the Arisen lens from all of the Arisen it ever created, returning the hearts it retains to their owners. Such characters retain the loyalty of their Main Pawns and the respect of the rest of the Legion, but become normal members of their base races and immediately age to their natural age. This can cause an ancient Arisen to crumble to dust on the spot, and it’s the main reason why these might be hostile towards their younger “siblings”.

  Pawns (-15 points)

  

  Any world subject to the cycle of draconic invasion is riddled with rifts that open to a foggy place beyond it. From these rifts comes the Pawn Legion, familiar yet alien.

  Pawns, also known as “Myrmidons”, have no childhood, and no parents. They spring fully grown from the stuff of the Rift. Some are created by an Arisen, others seem to be spontaneously generated, and some are brought over from other worlds. Despite this artificial origin, they are very similar to humans physiologically and still need to eat, drink and sleep as normal. All have a “birthmark” of sorts in the palm of their right hands, shaped like an Arisen’s scar and known as the “pawnprint”. This mark sometimes glows when in the presence of an Arisen.

  The main difference between a human and a Myrmidon is psychological. From a human’s point of view, Pawns have a cold and detached demeanor that makes them hard to relate to. They do have emotions and the ability to display them, but the way they do so feels “off” in way that’s hard to describe. They also seem to have a problem displaying significant personal initiative, which is why most of them make a living as errant mercenaries, singly or in small groups. Unlike most standard fantasy races, the average Myrmidon is an adventurer. It’s the “civilians” who are the rare exceptions. Regardless of their profession, all Pawns consider themselves to be members of the “Pawn Legion”, and never fight each other.

  Pawns directly created by an Arisen are unflinchingly loyal to their creator, and all Pawns are predisposed to respect any Arisen they meet. They are unaging and have very long memories. Those who feel particularly well-disposed towards their master or employer might offer a constant stream of advice drawn from these memories in an attempt to be more helpful. Fortunately, they can learn to tone it down.

  When a Pawn is killed, their body dematerializes. They can be drawn back to life from the Rift by an Arisen. This weakens the Pawn’s metaphysical cohesion, so it can only be done a limited number of times before that individual is lost forever.

  Advantages: Eidetic Memory {5}; Extra Life (Requires an Arisen and a Riftstone, -40%) {15}.

  Disadvantages: Hidebound {-5}; Low Empathy {-20}; Social Stigma (Minority Group) {-10}.

  Features: Unaging³; Reacts at +2 to Arisen; Cannot be resurrected by any other means.

  Pawn NPCs

  In the original game, all Pawns are AI-controlled characters, and their psychological traits as described above are a justification for their in-game behavior. It’s similarly easy to make them NPCs in a tabletop campaign: any sufficiently-sized city will have a small contingent of Pawns ready to act as hirelings for an adventuring party. They’re a little cheaper than equivalent human help, which compensates for the increased supervision their lack of flexibility requires. Like any hireling, they will refuse to work for a party who purposefully endangers or mistreats them! Word gets around, even among Pawns.

  Pawn PCs

  PCs can choose to play a Pawn as well. In that case, simply use the racial template above with the same type of template used by the other PCs in the campaign. If another PC is an Arisen, then the Pawn PC will likely be their Main Pawn, and should have a Sense of Duty towards the PC.

  If no other PC is an Arisen but someone still wants to play a Pawn, it’s recommended that the GM either change the limitations on the character’s Extra Life or include an NPC Arisen who might perform the service of restoring the dead Pawn. If neither appeal, feel free to delete this advantage and the resurrection-related feature from the racial lens, making it worth -30 points.

  Pawn Power-Ups

  Pawns who serve an Arisen for a long time or who develop strong relationships with other non-Pawns might find their own souls strengthened by these bonds. They may buy more instances of Extra Life for 15 points each, and Special Rapport with their Arisen creator for 5 points. Additionally, they may buy off the Low Empathy and Hidebound disadvantages from the lens. Extraordinary circumstances might allow a Myrmidon to buy off the entire lens and become a full member of their base race.

  1. When struck on the vitals from the front, roll 1d. On a 1-2, treat it as a normal torso hit. ↩

  2. Gives +3 to any roll to identify you as Arisen. Identification is automatic when the scar glows! ↩

  3. Not worth points in a Dungeon Fantasy game. ↩ ↩²

• Oct 20, 2016

  Dragon's Dogma: Mystic Knight

  

  This is the second of the two Dragon’s Dogma-specific character templates I promised. Like the Magic Archer, it’s a 250-point template suitable for a Dungeon Fantasy campaign, with additional notes on how they fit into the Dragon’s Dogma campaign setting.

  Note that this is not the same as the template presented in Pyramid #3/13, despite having the same name. As explained earlier, I’m staying away from Imbuements in this setting. Of course, if you like the Pyramid Mystic Knight better, don’t hesitate to use it instead! And if you want to use both templates in the same game, please feel free to rename this one.

  The Mystic Knight

  You are a master of war, equally versed in the arts of melee combat and battlefield magic. Unlike the Magic Archer you like to be right in the middle of the fight, though you prefer to make the enemy come to you rather than charge blindly into the fray. You fight like a knight (DF 1, p. 10) but can also handle trickier foes with your wizardly spells.

  Attributes: ST 13 {30}; DX 13 {60}; IQ 12 {40}; HT 13 {30}.

  Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 16.9kg (17 lbs); HP 13; Will 12; Per 12; FP 13; Basic Speed 6.00 {-10}; Basic Move 6 {0}.

  Advantages: Born War Leader 1 {5}; Magery 3 {35}; Weapon Channeling {1}. • A further 20 points chosen from Archmagic abilities or ST +1 or +2 {10/level}, DX +1 {20}, IQ +1 {20}, HT +1 or +2 {10 or 20}, HP +1 to +3 {2/level}, FP +1 to +5 {3/level}; Born War-Leader 2-4 {5/level}, Combat Reflexes {15}, Enhanced Block 1 {5}, Enhanced Parry 1 (One Melee Weapon skill) {5}, Fearlessness {2/level}, Hard to Kill {2/level}, Hard to Subdue {2/level}, High Pain Threshold {10}, Luck {15}, Magery 3-4 {10/level}, Mind Shield {4/level}, Rapid Healing {5}, Recovery {10}, Signature Gear {Varies}, Striking ST 1 or 2 {5/level}, or Weapon Bond {1}.

  Disadvantages: -20 points chosen from among Bad Temper {-10¹}, Bloodlust {-10¹}, Code of Honor (Pirate’s, Soldier’s or Chivalry) {-5, -10, -15}, Curious {-5¹}, Frightens Animals {-10}, Obsession (Slay a specific type of monster) {-5¹}, Pyromania {-5¹}, Unnatural Features 1-5 {-1/level}, or Weirdness Magnet {-15}. • Another -20 points chosen from the previous list or Bully {-10¹}, Compulsive Carousing {-5¹}, Greed {-15¹}, Honesty {-10¹}, Overconfidence {-5¹}, Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions or Nation) {-5 or -10}, Social Stigma (Excommunicated) {-5²}, Stubbornness {-5}, or Wounded {-5}.

  Primary Skills: Hidden Lore (Demons, Magical Items, Magical Writings, Spirits or Undead) and Occultism, both (A) IQ {2}-12; Thaumathology (VH) IQ+1 {1}³-12. •One of Crossbow or Thrown Weapon (Axe/Mace or Spear), all (E) DX+2 {4}-15; or Throwing (A) DX+1 {4}-14. • One of these three melee skills packages:

  1. One of Axe/Mace, Broadsword, or Spear, all (A) DX+4 {16}-17 and Shield (E) DX+3 {8}-16.
  2. Flail (H) DX+2 {16}-16 and Shield (E) DX+3 {8}-16.
  3. One of Polearm, Spear, or Two-Handed Sword, all (A) DX+5 {24}-19.

  Secondary Skills: Armoury (Body Armor or Melee Weapons) and Connoisseur (Weapons), both (A) IQ+1 {4}-13; Brawling (E) DX+1 {2}-14; Wrestling (A) DX+1 {4}-14; Leadership (A) IQ {1}⁴-12; and Strategy and Tactics, both (H) IQ+1 {2}⁴-13.

  Background Skills: Seven of Forced Entry or Fast-Draw (any), both (E) DX {1}-13; Climbing, Lance, Riding (Horse), or Stealth, all (A) DX-1 {1}-12; First Aid, Gesture, or Savoir-Faire (High Society), all (E) IQ {1}-13; Gambling, Heraldry, Streetwise, Interrogation, or additional Hidden Lore specialties, all (A) IQ-1 {1}-12; Diplomacy (H) IQ-2 {1}-11; Hiking (A) HT-1 {1}-12; or Observation (A) Per-1 {1}-11.

  Spells: Spend 20 points on wizardly spells, which start at either (H) IQ+1 {1}-13 or (VH) IQ {1}-12 with the +3 from Magery. Alternatively, spend some of those points in additional Archmagic abilities.

  Customization Notes.

  Much of the variation in this template comes from weapon and spell choice. All Mystic Knights favor either spells that enhance their own abilities and weapons (such as Flaming Weapon and Flaming Armor), deliver DR-ignoring damage that they can channel through their weapons or shields (such as Shocking Touch or Death Touch), or cause damage over an area that doesn’t depend on resistance rolls. Spells such as Affect Spirits also come in handy for insubstantial foes.

  Mystic Knights who favor their spells should increase either IQ or Magery with discretionary advantage points. They might also wish to spend 10 of their points reserved for spells in an additional level of Magery. Adding an Energy Reserve or extra FP is always useful, as well. Those who wish to emphasize their martial side should increase DX or ST, or perhaps invest in more Born War Leader talent. And in all cases, spending some of the points earned from quirks in extra starting cash for armor and weapons is advisable.

  Beyond that they can be knightly paragons (Honesty, Sense of Duty), dastardly brigands (Greed, Callous, Bully), slightly odd from their study of magic (Unnatural Features, Pyromania, Weirdness Magnet), or a combination of these.

  Mystic Knight Power-Ups

  Mystic Knights may spend extra points in spells and in anything on their template, plus these options:

  • Magery up to 6 {10/level}.
  • Born War Leader up to 6 {5/level}.
  • Any Archmagic abilities.
  • Enhanced Block up to 2 {5/level}.
  • Enhanced Parry (one Melee Weapon skill) up to 2 {5/level}.
  • Extra Attack 1 {25}.
  • The Armor Mastery and Shield Mastery power-ups found in DF 11 p. 29.
  • Weapon Master (Single Weapon) or Weapon Master (Weapon and Shield) {20 or 25}.

  As their base skill level with wizardly spells is kind of low compared to that of a full caster, all Mystic Knights can benefit from more Magery, from an Energy Reserve, or increased FP (which also helps with combat maneuvers).

  Mystic Knights in Gransys

  Mystic Knights are more common in Gransys and neighboring nations than Magic Archers, especially among actual knights, as the physical component of their fighting style is already popular with that crowd. They remain relatively rare when compared to their non-magical cousins, though.

  Like pure Knights, they have access to Status 1 or 2 in campaigns where that matters. And since all magic in Gransys is wizardly in nature the Social Stigma (Excommunicated) advantage is worth only -5 points.

  New Perks

  Weapon Channeling

  Normally, the Staff enchantment doesn’t work if applied to something other than a wand or staff. With this perk, available only to Mystic Knights, you become able to use melee weapons and shields with the enchantment! You must still buy or find items so enchanted. They can still be used to deliver touch and Melee spells like standard Staffs. A block with a shield won’t trigger a held Melee spell, but a shield bash or Beat with the shield will.

  New Spells

  One of the signature Mystic Knight abilities in the original game is the power to enchant all the party’s weapons with a given element at once, which saves a lot of time when that element turns out to be required in the middle of a fight. This is something can try replicating here by introducing a few new spells.

  These spells can be learned by any wizardly caster who meets the prerequisites. They’re an efficient choice when the party is composed of two or more adventurers who have the chance to cluster inside the affected area. GMs worried about having their PCs waltzing into every fight with elementally-charged weapons should disallow them!

  Flame Trance (Area)

  Adds the effect of either Flaming Weapon or Flaming Missiles on the melee and missile weapons held by every person in the affected area.

  • Duration: 1 minute.
  • Base Cost: 5. Cannot be maintained.
  • Time to Cast: 2 seconds.
  • Prerequisites: Magery 3 and Flaming Missiles.

  Frost Trance (Area)

  Like Flame Trance, but adds the effects of Icy Weapon and Icy Missiles as appropriate.

  • Duration: 1 minute.
  • Base Cost: 4. Cannot be maintained.
  • Time to Cast: 2 seconds.
  • Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Icy Missiles.

  Lightning Trance (Area)

  Like Flame Trance, but adds the effects of Lightning Weapon or Lightning Missiles as appropriate.

  • Duration: 1 minute.
  • Base Cost: 5. Cannot be maintained.
  • Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
  • Prerequisites: Magery 3 and Lightning Missiles.

  1. Multiplied by self-control number; see p. B120. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

  2. Or -10 in generic Dungeon Fantasy. ↩

  3. +3 from Magery. ↩

  4. +1 from Born War Leader. ↩ ↩²

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