the Skull Hawker

The call starts simple enough, piercing the eternal silence of the Dungeon: 

"HEY"

Echoing so close, it can easily be mistaken for something someone in the party said. A sudden outburst in a place like this is not unheard of, and no shame to all but the most hardened adventurer. There would be no judgement.

"HEY? HEY!" 

This time slightly further away. Or perhaps behind. Certainty, now, that it is not one of the party. Yet, no other light source burns in the immediate area. What poor soul could be trapped down here with no light source? Soon the answer becomes all too obvious.

"YOU WANNA BUY A SKULL?"

the Skull Hawker

     [Travel Event] 

S 0 | P 0 | C 0 | W 1
H/D 1/0
Likes: Skulls, Haggling
Hates: Bright light, Slime

Scuttling from the darkness and every tight space in the general area, 10 + [discard value] leathery cephalopods, knee high to the average human and wearing skulls for shells, swarm the player characters, babbling away as they do so. 

"BUY? SKULL? YOU BUY!"

These creatures wish no ill will to the PCs, the opposite actually. They wish to provide the adventurers with the highest quality skulls possible. For a price of course. 

Barking and babbling, they'll call out various prices while showing off the various skulls they carry with them, just in case of a sale. Trouble is, they neither understand currency nor haggling. They sure as hell love it though. To the point they'll even begin swapping between themselves and the players, should the bastards get their fervor up. Should the players seem not interested in buying, the Hawkers will naturally see if they're interested in selling. 

"SKULLS HERE. GET YA SKULLS. ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER! LIKE NEW!"

 Now, by themselves, they ain't much of a threat. They just want to buy and sell their skull collections. That's it. The problem comes with how damn loud they are, and the fact they refuse to take 'No' as an answer. Seemingly incapable of speaking quieter than a scream, they generate a huge racket, drawing the interest of any nearby dungeon horror. That, paired with encircling the players almost instantly, could spell trouble. 

"HEY BUDDY. I'LL GIVE YOU A GOLD FOR YOUR SKULL! YOU SELLING?"

Mechanically, this means that until the Skull Hawkers are convinced to go away, anything that would need peace and quiet, or extended concentration, automatically fails. Attempts at being stealthy are right out. When pulling from the Meatgrinder, pull twice, as both events happen at the same time. (Except for two instances of [Torches Gutter] being drawn at once. Just do it once.) 

"BUYING? BUY! SELL! 30 GOLD! YOU GIVE."

Now, why are they doing all this? It's sort of a cargo cult situation, really. Ever since their home, the Underworld, opened up to the surface, those damned surface dwellers have been coming down here to die. But why? The Hawkers are attempting to figure that out. Finding so many corpses of adventurers, the Hawkers' greatest minds examined them in detail, as they pulled on their beards and scratched their chins in deep thought. Eventually, a pattern was realized; there were almost always two things on the found bodies: coins and skulls. Surely these had to be related. Surely the surface dwellers valued these things. Why else would they bring them down here to be buried with? Thus, Hawker society suddenly formed a Merchant class, one that was immediately sent out to worship and barter with these Surfacers.

Continue Reading...

[HMtW] Cybernetics for the Worm

 
Some time ago I had been working on a cyberpunk hack of His Majesty the Worm I had been calling "A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE" - named after the page from the 1979 IBM training manual. My main motivation for it was the chance at releasing the hack before the actual game itself. Had years to work on it. But, like most poor decisions in my life, I was talked out of it and grew bored of the joke. 

I figured I may as well share the augments for it. 

"Where are the prices?" 

Never got that far. 

Changes to the Base System 
     The intention was to cut out the middle man of charging the Bonds and holding onto the points until a Camping phase, where they become Resolve. Instead, "Charging a Bond" automatically restores a point of Resolve. The hope here is that role play is brought to the forefront and used to power the augments repeatedly. The augments were then changed to not use Resolve, but I still liked the removal of the extra step.

Installation
     Capitalism forces the Worker to sell their body far below its value, then simply replaces them when said body begins to fail. With the invention of the cybernetic augmentations, the Capitalist is now able to sell replacement parts for the broken Worker, keeping them further in debt and producing surplus value they’ll never take part in. 

At first, the cybernetics were simply a prosthetic medical device, replacing lost limbs with neural feedback capable robotic replicas. With each additional iteration, however, came further and further functionality. Then, one day, it happened. A line was crossed: Someone took the leap of replacing perfectly functional organic parts with the newest in cybernetic. 

From there, it was a short matter of time until certain augments were required to stay a prospect in the job market. Or even functional in your day-to-day. Due to this, everyone is assumed to have had a Vivo/Silico  Interface modulation device (VSI) installed in their head during childhood, which is the time the organic neural network is still plastic enough to adapt to the presence of the VSI implant. The VSI comes with one external data port and is easily upgradeable to account for interfaced augments. 

(Design note: The VSI implant is manufactured by and purchased from one of the four major corporations: SWORDS Weapons Technologies; PENTACLES Biomedical; CUPS Research Limited; WANDS International Industries. The chosen brand would relate to the character's Path. Nothing of importance to Note here, just showing you what a clever boy I am.) 

The Augments
More would be needed for an actual game, but these are what I had listed out. 

Biomonitor Beacon - Not really useful for you, but anyone attempting First Aid on you, while using AR, receives Favor on their attempt. Also allows your teammates to see, and take In Character, your current Status. Not that anyone was terribly worried about that anyway. 

Boltagon Modulator - There's modulating your voice, then there's weaponizing it. Specialize audio equipment lodged in your throat allows you to spend a Resolve and play a card to Roughhouse (Deafen) a target, or Notch a target object. By yelling at it. 

Brain Box - Your skull has been encased in a titanium webbed mesh, embedded with a micro life support system, and an explosive ejection system at the base of your neck. Upon reaching (and marking) Death's Door, the Brain Box explodes from your body, rocketing off to a presumed 'safe' location, and begins emitting a locator beacon. The system contains power for 24 hours of operation once activated. The Deluxe version is gold plated and includes psychoactive chemicals and a solitaire program, to entertain the user until recovery. 

Bright Eyes - Overcharged LEDs are hidden among the VSI status lights in your irises. By spending a Resolve and playing a card on your action, you may Roughhouse (Blind) a target who you’re currently Engaged with.

Drone Control Unit - Shares a single, specially connected drone's sensory data with the user. Commands to the drone still require CUPS, but it can be done so without a remote or physically speaking. An additional unit(s) allows for an additional drone(s) to be controlled. 

Embedded Weapon - Box off an inventory slot and add a single handed weapon to it. This weapon is now jammed inside your forearm and immune to Disarming. The weapon does not need a hand to be “carried,” but it does need a hand to be “used.”

Extra Arm - You gain an extra hand slot, +50% to armor costs for the customization, and weird looks from people you meet on the street. 

Hand Grenade - Why yes, I am going to continue to make this joke. In a moment of desperation, or boredom, you may detach the hand and use it as a grenade (attacking everyone in the zone). Obviously, it's consumed on use and you're out of a hand slot until replaced.

Internal Communication Device - Modern day version of the phone. Installed in your head with a translucent display under a pupil, and an indicator light in your iris, you've but to concentrate on a contact and the device will dial their number, allowing for communication without speech. Additional user interface is provided through tongue gestures. 

Internal Gyroscope - You've got yourself a gyroscope jammed in your chest cavity. What's it doing in there? Spinning. Constantly. Keeping you upright. Gain the motif "Internally Gyroscoped." 

Knowing Port - Allows the use of Knowledge Chips (one per port) and making Lore bids against the subject contained on them. Usually installed just behind an ear, next to the data port.

Overclocked Muscles - Your muscle meat has been spliced with gorilla DNA, soaked in growth hormones, and bound by carbon fiber reinforced tendons, allowing you to perform incredible feats of strength. Gain the motif "Overclocked Muscles" and +50% armor price, as it now has to be tailored to fit over your massive muscles.

Speech Encryption - By two (or more) players spending Resolve, the characters may now speak in what any outside observer interrupts only as babble. To each other though, the speech is completely understandable and, through quantum bullshit, completely secure. Activation lasts an entire scene, and characters may slip in and out of the encryption when speaking to/around people without the augment. 

Sub-dermal Armor - Block off an inventory slot and mark it “Armor.” This inventory slot may now be wounded as if it was armor. Because it is, and must be Repaired in the same manner, though checking all the notches doesn't destroy it like normal armor. 

Continue Reading...

[HMtW] Ranged Weapons in HMtW

Josh R.R. Worm wanted to know my thoughts on firearms in His Majesty the Worm on the Discord. While I missed most of the discussion (I am bad at Discord), I figured I should get down the ideas I toyed with for a now abandoned cyberpunk hack. 

While not everything is a perfect representation of real life, that's honestly alright. His Majesty ain't a combat sim. A lead bullet gets inside steel plate armor, it's gonna bounce around inside, grinding up the meat into a big damn mess that's certainly more than "one damage." Armor is assumed to be at the 'tech level' due to this.

Antiquity

Alchemical Bomb - As the book (pg 235). They're basically single target grenades. 

Bow - As the book. Gain access to the Aim action. 

Crossbow - As the book. All attacks deal Piercing damage.

Greek Fire - Probably called something else in a setting without a Greece. The mysterious liquid within the fragile container sets the target on Fire and damages them every round unless they take time to Recover by putting out the flames. 

Slings - Two cords attached to a pouch, used for slinging small almond shaped stones called bullets (12 bullets to a pouch/slot; sling and bullets take up one slot together).  Due to the construction of the sling, it may be used as a melee weapon for any target engaged with the slinger, but suffers a notch each time and you're still considered 'unarmed'. Bullets can be restored via the Fletch Arrows camp action.

Industrial

While the conversation moved on, hours before I showed up, rules for powdered weapons over at Pastel Dungeon were shared.  I tell ya, they're pretty solid, and I will be stealing borrowing a few. In pirate themed dice based games, I always had the flintlocks do a huge amount of damage, but take so long to reload that doing so in combat wasn't worth it. This led to the good image of the pirates wearing bandoleers of pistols, each firing a single shot and dropping it, until it was time for swords. (Buying multiple pistols also ate through their gold, another plus.)

Usage of powder weapons requires powder (usually stored in a horn) and a shot bag (12 shots per bag, to keep the count constant). OR these are required to generate paper cartridges during the Fletch Arrows camp action, which in turn are used as ammo. Either way, if the powder gets wet it's useless. If the powder catches on fire, it explodes. Additionally, the quickest (practiced, well trained) reload of a powdered weapon is about 20 seconds, or roughly 3 rounds. It's a damn stretch your little dude could do it, but if you're so insistent, I'll not stop you: Reloading takes 3 rounds of miscellaneous actions, you masochist.

Musket - All attacks do Piercing damage AND you gain access to the Aim action. Takes up 2 slots. 

Pistol - All attacks do Piercing damage. Unlike most missile weapons, they do not offer attackers Favor against you in melee combat. Requires 3 rounds to reload - but again, why bother? 2 pistols can be stacked into 1 slot (it's called a Brace). 

Powder Grenade - Iron spheres packed with powder and fitted with slow burning fuses. While the lit bomb doesn't go off until the next round, it Attacks every target in the Zone. (Place the card as you would a Riposte or Dodge, but face up) Consumed on use, obviously.

Modern

This is where most of my thinking set, given the cyberpunk nonsense I go on about. A major difference is that given the improvements in modern armor, guns lose their Piercing properties. Though, each one does gain the Aim action, and, typically, reloading is a Miscellaneous action after 12 shots (just to keep that number consistent.) Note: I'm still measuring things in HMtW Zones here, but would advise using meters should a cyberpunk hack actually be wanted.

Flame Thrower - One of the most horrific things mankind has created. Belches out a flame so hot that it not only ignites the target, doing damage to them until they Recover, but also heating up their bones enough that they continue to cook after the flames are gone (does 1 more damage the round after Recovery). On the other hand, you are wearing a tank full of combustible gas: Should the flamethrower suffer 2 notches, the tank explodes, taking you with it. Takes up 2 slots, requires 2 hands. 

Grenades - Each attacks everyone in the Zone and is consumed on use. ("But Wayspell, ain't the effective casualty radius of a grenade around 15 meters? What if the Zone is smaller than that?" Welcome to shrinkflation, I guess. Seems not even the weapons industry is immune to it.) Does not gain the Aim action, but does go off this round, unlike the Powder Grenade. 

Pistols - Using your free hand to steady your shooting hand, modern pistols qualify for the Two-Handed Focus. Also, does not allow melee attacks against you to take Favor. 1 slot each. 

• Gunkata Pistol - I know you were thinking it; I certainly was. Look, despite the name, regular pistols aren't made for pistol whipping. It fucks 'em up. Now _these_ special pistols have been reinforced to withstand improper usage, as well as contain hidden metal prongs in the grips, for when you really need to club the shit out of someone. With a gun.

Rifles - Where the bow allows you to attack 2 zones over, the improved accuracy of rifles increases this range to 3 zones. Additionally, a standardized rail integration system allows for attachments, adding various options to your weapon. 2 slots, 2 hands.

• Chainsaw - Hell yeah brother, let's fucking goooooo. You Notch anything you jam this bad boy into. 
• Bayonet - You now have a Dagger on the end of your rifle, with all that that implies.
• Flamer - It's a mini flamethrower, though it needs to be reloaded with a new canister after every usage.
• Flashlight - Makes light, allowing you to shine it on things. 
• Net Launcher - Launches a net that Roots the target. 

Shotguns - Why aim when you can just pull the trigger? Provides Favor when shooting at a target within your zone. (If you're using meters, rather than zones, "Attacks two adjacent targets at the same time" would also be an acceptable ability) An idea is stirring that there might be enough tactical difference with a Sawed Off, but my brain is too sleepy at the moment. I'll let you make it. 2 slots, 2 hands.

Future

Oh, boy, that's a huge can o' worms, ain't it? It really depends on what sort of future you're going for. The 2179 of Star Trek looks a hell of a lot different than the 2179 of Alien. Adding magic in there? Even more different. What's listed is applied to Modern weapons (mainly Pistols and Rifles) and include the traits inherited from them.

Blaster - Fires a bolt of particle beam energy, doing Piercing damage in the process. Powered by power packs, kept 2 to a slot. 

Dissolvo Ray - Shoots out a green laser beam while going 'whom whom whom whom.' Bestows 2 Notches objects hit by it. 

Grenades - Paired with a targeting headset (worn on the Helm slot), the grenades automatically teleport from your inventory to the designated location, detonating upon arrival. 

Magneto - The gun has two buttons: "Attract" which Disarms targets of anything metal, and "Repel" which fires a chaotic mass of assorted metal objects at a target that's about to have a really bad day.

Neural Disruptor - Overloads the target's brain meat for a moment, leaving them Stunned and draining a point of Lore. 

Phaser - Generates a harmful beam of light, but is adjustable between 2 settings: Stun and Combat, the later doing normal damage. 

All the Damn Grenades I Came Up With

At one point I had these listed with the grenade sections, but that was getting too specific for HMtW's weapon categories. But I liked them. So they're here now. 

• Anti-Magic - This game is magical after all. Must remember that. The grenade fills the Zone with iron particles, enough that breathing hurts and magic is disrupted. 
• Expanding Foam - Used in riot control situations. Roots the target(s) in an expanding and rapidly hardening foam.  
• Flash Bang - Both Blinds and Deafens the target(s).
• Knockout Gas - I'm sure you can guess.
• Light - Golden egg looking thing with the words "Pick Me Up" embossed on the side. Once armed, anyone picking it up is Destroyed.
• Micro Black Hole - Look, my cyberpunk gets weird occasionally. Trips the target(s) as they're dragged towards the quickly evaporating gravitational anomaly. 
• Micro White Hole - Displaces the target(s) out of the Zone as they're repealed by the quickly evaporating theoretical gravitational anomaly.
• Quantum Maleficence - Probability weaponized and canned. On detonation, it briefly opens a portal to a Far Realm, flooding the area with Maleficence. 
• Silence - More of an aggressive noise cancelling speaker, generating the counter wave to whatever noise it detects. Effectively, and awkwardly, Silences the area. 
• Stun - A lower strength (and cheaper) version of the Flash Bang. Stuns the target(s).
• Tear Gas - Technically a war crime. One that the American police force has no problem committing against the population, all the while collecting overtime. Shrouds the target(s), but anyone starting their turn in the cloud of gas is Exhausted.

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[HMtW] Using Divination to Generate a Character

 

In His Majesty the Worm, character creation is simple enough: 5 multi-stepped steps for, if you've a character in mind, quickly getting up and going. 

But, what if you've no specific character in mind? Well, the game uses tarot cards. Just divine a character using said cards. Here's how!

Using Divination to Generate a Character

The idea is fairly straight forward: instead of using your brain meat to come up with a character, layout eleven cards from the players deck in the pattern shown below, then consult the charts. It can be further expanded to include random gear generation, but it'll need some adjusting and additional gear descriptions to make the math work. Basically, it'll take longer than I was looking to on this thing. I'll circle back to it.

The Spread

1. This is your Kith (Human, Fay, Underworld, Orc)
2. This is your Kin, basically for selecting a subtype of Kith. For humans, it doesn't matter, but regions have been provided for role playing purposes. 
3. This is your major attribute. The suit of the card determines which attribute a 4 is placed to.
4. This is your secondary attribute. The suit of the card determines which attribute a 3 is placed to. If the suit of the card is already in use, then look at the value. If even, move to the Right along the chain (Swords-Pentacles-Cups-Wands) until an unused suit is found. If odd, move to the Left.
5. This is your minor attribute. It determines your weakest attribute, in which you'll place a 1. I'm going to leave you guessing as to where to put the 2. Think as hard as you can. You got this.
6. This is your first motif. Card A represents the descriptor, and Card B represents the profession.
7. This is your second motif. Card A represents the descriptor, and Card B represents the profession.

8. This is your third motif. Card A represents the descriptor, and Card B represents the profession.

Kith and Kin

Motifs

Example

In case you can't read off my poorly lit floor: 

1. 3 of Swords              6.A 8 of Cups                       8.A 4 of Wands

2. 6 of Cups                 6.B 6 of Pentacles                8.B 9 of Cups

3. Ace of Cups             7.A Knight of Pentacles

4. 10 of Swords           7.B 10 of Pentacles

5. Ace of Swords         

1. Taking a Kith and Kin of Swords/Cups, we see this is a Human from the East. 

2. With Cups being the Major attribute, it gets assigned a 4 and becomes the adventurer's Path

3. Swords gets assigned a 3. A book nerd with a pension for violence.

4. With Swords already in use, and the card here being odd (Ace = 1), we shift suits to the Left, bringing us to Wands. With a Wands of 1, this person isn't terribly magically inclined. 

5. At first they were a Silent Friar. There's that book learning during quiet contemplation.

6. Then they made their way as a Numb Hunter. Looks like there was trouble at the monastery. 

7. But now wander as a Twisted Raider

Meet Licinius, a human from the eastern lands (Swords 3 | Pentacles 2 | Cups 4 | Wands 1). They were, once, long ago, a Friar bound by a vow of silence, who spent their time learning and reflecting on the creations of Mithras. That was until the Orc raiders came, and sacked the monastery for its idols and shiny bits. Being the only survivor, they attempted to hunt down the twisted Orc raiders for revenge, becoming what they hated in the process. Rumor has it the leader of the Orc raiders has taken the monastery's prized marble Mithras statue as a trophy, deep within the Underworld. Are you a bad enough dude to retrieve the statue?

Make up a House name and words, pick a mastered skill, and grab some gear. Simple. 

The longest part of the process was finding my tarot deck and trying to figure out how to take a decent picture. I failed at both, but the task still got done.  

Continue Reading...

His Majesty the Barkeep

Been radio silent for a bit. Just ain't nothing catching my interest, paired with the business of life. You know how it is. 

Anyway, to start easing back into things, I took apart in the Barkeep on the Borderlands jam and produced a little entry entitled "One More Round," a collection of four additional locations to use in the setting. 

Well then, this comment was posted and that started moving the old brain wheel again. 

So here I am, ruining two perfectly good games by jamming them together: His Majesty the Worm and Barkeep on the Borderlands. It needs a little hammering out, but I reckon it's a good start, and I should be able to get it prettified before the end of the Worm Jam. A large chunk of this is taken from the Barkeep on the Borderlands Third Party License and SRD 

Why post these first, instead of straight to the jam? I don't know. I've been inside my own head too much lately. Maybe just wanting for a chance at feedback.

New Effects

Sober

Sober creatures have no alcohol or other intoxicants in their system. Really, it’s the absence of an effect, as characters are assumed to be Sober by default. 

Tipsy

Tipsy creatures are within the early stages of intoxication. Characters have Favor on all Wands tests, but also have specific results in failing a test of Fate in relation to Sobriety. See below. 

Drunk

Drunk creatures have entered an advanced stage of intoxication. A character has Disfavor on all tests except those involving Wands. Additionally, they have specific results in failing a test of Fate in relation to Sobriety. See below.

Blackout

Blackout creatures are deep within the throes of being intoxicated. Characters have Disfavor on all saves and tests and are no longer exclusively played by their player.

Hungover

Hungover creatures have expelled the alcohol within their system and are no longer intoxicated. They are, however, Exhausted and may be Stunned by loud noises.

Pubcrawl Pointcrawl Procedure

The pubcrawl proceeds in Turns. Each Turn represents an abstract and indeterminate length of time necessary to complete a simple activity, such as ordering drinks, flirting, brawling, bumming smokes or something similarly time-consuming. 

At the start of each Turn, the referee describes what is happening and any changes since the last Turn. The players may ask any questions of the referee, which they will answer according to what the characters would know. If the characters would not reasonably know the answer, the referee may tell them how they could find it out.

Each Turn, the jolly crew takes one action, individually or collectively, and each jolly crewmate tests their Fate. Moving between pubs may take a few Turns, as shown on the map.

After the jolly crew resolves their action(s), the referee draws a card from the Major Arcana and consults the Meatgrinder to determine what else happens during that Turn. 

CARD	MEATGRINDER EVENT
I-VII	Setback
VIII-XIV	Drinks Gutter
XV-XXI	Mark Time

Interpreting the Meatgrinder

Setback.

If the jolly crew is inside a pub, read from the Situation table of the pub they are in. If the jolly crew is outside a pub (such as when traveling between pubs), read from the Sidetrack table for the destination pub. Both tables use the value of the drawn card to determine the resulting Setback.

Draw for an initial Situation for a pub when the jolly crew first enters it. If a Situation refers to a character who isn’t present at the pub, they arrive when it is drawn. The referee may also begin a Setback as they deem appropriate.   

When consulting tables ment for 2d6, simply use the first seven entries to determine Situations, with the remaining five serving as backup Situations, replacing any previously drawn results.

Drinks Gutter.

Each character checks their drink, and marks a Gulp. Short drinks have one gulp, tall drinks have two. Cocktails are typically short. Shots are consumed instantly. When a drink is out of Gulps, the character will need to buy a new one to continue drinking. Each character also Tests their Fate an extra time that Turn, moving forward on the Sobriety chain on failure. Characters who have been drinking water instead of alcohol may sober up instead, moving backward on the Sobriety chain.

Mark Time.

An hour passes in the fiction, and the bell towers toll the current time. The referee tracks the current time. At 1:00 in the morning, it's last call for drinks, and at 2:00, it’s closing time.

Drinking Rules

Sobriety

Measures the current level of soberness of a character, from Sober to Blackout. Various effects are applied to said character as they make their way from left to right on the Sobriety Chain

Testing Sobriety

When there’s a call to test Sobriety, simply make a Test of Fate using your Swords attribute. Success means they may continue drinking unhindered. Failure moves the character down (to the right) the Sobriety Chain. In terms of Bound by Fate, a new drink is considered a significant change. 

Sobriety Chain

Sober → (Tipsy) → (Drunk) → Blackout

Drinking

When the Meatgrinder determines Drinks Gutter, each character tests their Sobriety (unless they did not have anything to drink). If they drank to excess that Turn, they test at a Disfavor.

Not Drinking

Not drinking alcohol while inside a pub will raise the eyebrows, then the hackles of the patrons. They will assume you are hiding something or you want to take advantage of their inebriation. 

Sobering Up & Hangovers

If a character spends a Turn drinking only water, they move back a step on the Sobriety Chain the next time the Risk Card shows Drinking, unless they are Blackout. A full night’s rest returns even a Blackout character to their original Sober state.

 

When the character returns to full Sobriety after being Drunk or Blackout, they are Hungover. Being Hungover causes exhaustion and headaches. Some magics can cure hangovers or accomplish sobriety quicker.

Being Tipsy

A Tipsy character has Favor on all Wands tests. When they fail their Sobriety test, consult the following table, based on the last card drawn.

CARD	RESULT
⚔, ⛧, 🥤, 🪄	Inebriation. Become Drunk.
⚔ [Reversed]	Gassy. Burp rudely or lose a Resolve.
⛧ [Reversed]	Dizzy. Disfavor on Pentacle saves and tests for next Turn.
🥤 [Reversed]	Forgetful. Lose an item in [value] slot.
🪄 [Reversed]	Vibing. Restore a Resolve.

Being Drunk

A Drunk character has Disfavor on all tests except those involving Wands. When they fail their Sobriety Test, consult the following table, based on the last card drawn.

CARD	RESULT
⚔, ⛧, 🥤	Inebriation. Become Blackout.
🪄	Sickened. Vomit or suffer a Wound. Vomiting has a 1-in-4 chance to reduce the character’s inebriation to Tipsy but has social drawbacks.

Being Blackout

When a character becomes Blackout, they have Disfavor on all saves and tests and are no longer exclusively played by their player. Instead, each Turn, their player draws a card to determine who will play their Blackout character, as shown below.

CARD	RESULT
⚔	The referee
⛧	Another player of the player’s choice
🥤, 🪄	The player

If a Blackout character is ever separated from the jolly crew, then the GM draws from the Hangover table (page 157) to determine the Blackout character’s fate. 

Continue Reading...

1d21 Hangover table

Why 1d21? I don't know. Maybe you're using those weird Zocchi dice. Maybe you're using a tarot deck for your homebrew heartbreaker where the GM uses the Major Arcana to determine the outcome. Ho ho ho, what a strangely specific example.

Either way, sometimes you go carousing, and sometimes it goes wrong; or at least, not according to plan.

Hangover Table
Sure, you've got a hangover, but what else?

Anything in brackets [] refers to the top card of the discard pile. 

1. You awaken with a salty and bitter taste in your mouth, and [value] new silver coins in your pocket. 
2. You awaken in the stocks, having been left there to sober up. A little bruised, but no worse for wear. 
3. A cow bell has been hung around your neck by a steel chain. The chain is too small to remove over your head, and you don't have the key to the lock. 
4. You awaken with a marriage ring on your finger, but no memory of who you married. 
5. You awaken in a strange room, with heavy pounding on the door. The people on the other side are very angrily demanding their money back. 
6. You awaken with a marriage ring on a finger. The finger isn't yours. 
7. Luckily, it only burns when you pass water. 
8. You awaken with a new tattoo on your: [swords] arm; [pentacles] leg; [cups] backside; [wands] face. It is [1-2] pretty sweet; [3-8] cringe and misspelled; [9-King] horribly offensive.
9. A letter is delivered to your room. It's from a local aristocrat and they have accepted your invitation to a duel. It is in [value] days. 
10. You don't remember exactly what you did, but by the Wanted posters lining the streets, you can guess it wasn't good. [swords] armed robbery; [pentacles] attempted pick pocketing; [cups] lewd acts; [wands] consorting with dark entities 
11. You back your way out of a blackout at the same time you're being dragged off a cart. "And stay out!" yell the guardsmen as they throw you out of the city. You are banned. 
12. You awaken in the muck of the Moat, wearing only your small clothes. All the other items you had on you are missing as well. 
13. You find in your pouch an invoice: "Sold: One (1) soul for one (1) beer." Your signature and an infernal symbol seal the contract. 
14. You awaken to the sounds of sobbing. There seems to be a nobleman hogtied and gagged on your floor. How strange. 
15. You awaken in an alley. [value] hobos around you seem to be wearing articles of your clothing/armor. But, you're wearing theirs, so, even trade? 
16. Why are you naked and wearing a fake bull's head? Why are you in a fine porcelain plate shop? Why does this shop have nothing but broken plates and smashed glass? Why are the shop keeper and constables so angry and yelling? Some things in life are mysteries. 
17. You back your way out of a blackout wrapped in warm snuggly robe standing in a candle lit room. It's nice. "The dark pact is complete," a deep baritone voice says, "Go forth, my brothers, and see that our lord's will be done." ...Wait, what?
18. You awaken next to a [even] High Priest [odd] High Priestess. They thank you for helping them break their vows, and showing them what it means to be happy.
19. Where the hells is your hand? Why can you feel it crawling?
20. You remember agreeing to a dare. It had something to do with a candle and flatulence. [swords] a city location is burnt down [pentacles] 3 adjacent locations are burnt down [cups] a city district is burnt down [wands] As cups and fire spirit is roaming the City, and the Wizards are pissed. 
21. Did you always have those circular puncture marks on your neck? I'm sure it'll be fiiiiiine. 

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This One Goes Out to the One I Love

His Majesty the Worm NPC Generator 

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10 Maleficence Effects Based on the Plagues of Egypt

"But it's just another bug." What? No. Stop.

Focus. Think.

1. Water into blood (דָם): Ex. 7:14–24

The misaligned arcane energy crashes back onto you, transforming all water based objects in your inventory into blood. This undeniably ruins them. Water skin? Full of blood. Alchemical potion? Just a vial of blood. Bottle of wine? Nope, grape flavored blood. The water in your eyes keeping them moist? Blood. Any vampire in the area can smell this sudden concentration of blood, and they wish to meet you.

2. Frogs (צְּפַרְדֵּעַ): Ex. 7:25–8:15

It's Wednesday, my dudes.

Unbeknownst to you, you begin to produce frog pheromones, and begin to attract all the frogs in the area to you. Now, I worry you read that as "a lot of frogs." No, no. ALL the frogs, as well as the stink, noise, and muck that come with them. The area you're in, there are frogs there, trust me. You're never more than eight feet from a frog. 

More into body horror flavor? That's good, cause you also begin to take on physical features of a frog. Your skin grows slimy and wort covered. Your eyes bulge, your back hunches, your mouth grows ever too wide, your tongue ever too long. Hair falls out, fingers grow webbed, throat grows pouchy, throat pouch fills with squirming tadpoles. These tadpoles live and grow for a few days until you vomit forth your babies (and they ARE your babies), only to have your throat refill with tadpoles. 

3. Gnats (כִּנִּים): Ex. 8:16–19

The word kinim could translate to lice, gnats, or fleas. But that is unimportant. What is important is the red rash beginning to spread across your skin. It itches like a sonofabitch. No soothing balm helps, only scratching. However, scratching also spreads it. You can imagine how stressful this is. 

Either way, the real trouble beings during the camping phase or city action, when the rash subsides and the sneezing begins. With every sternutation clouds of lice and fleas rush from the victim and into the surrounding area, infecting those around them.

4. Mixture of wild animals or flies (עָרוֹב): Ex. 8:20–32

Christian interpreters understand this as a swarm of flies. Ignore this. Jewish interpreters take to this as meaning a swarm of scorpions, venomous snakes, venomous arthropods, and reptiles. So much poison. 

The caster's hair (all of it) turns to snakes, their moles sprout tiny scorpion stingers, their saliva occasionally congeals into centipedes. While the social stigmata is obvious, whenever a court card is played at the table these new body mates become enraged at the host and biting viciously, poisoning them. 

5. Diseased livestock (דֶּבֶר): Ex. 9:1–7

Witches curse livestock; this fact is well known and widely believed. Sometimes, however, the magic backfires and curses the caster instead. When this occurs, the caster begins to sprout patches of musty fur, prone to matting and knotting, and your tongue bloats and grows too big for your mouth. While this may be enough for some, upon encounter an animal (any and all animals), they'll grow immediately aggressive to you. Doesn't matter what sort of animal: cow, chicken, cockatrice, kelpie; all hate you and will try as best as they can to show you. Usually though biting. 

6. Boils (שְׁחִין): Ex. 9:8–12

Exactly what it says on the tin: Painful boils dot the caster's skin. However, when struck by a blow strong enough to burst one (i.e. taking a wound), the boils do indeed burst, but cry out the victim's darkest secret or gravest sin as they do. 

7. Thunderstorm of hail and fire (בָּרָד): Ex. 9:13–35

You know in cartoons when a rain cloud forms above a victims head and rains upon them in a comedic fashion? This is something like that, only with fiery hail and brimstone, instead of rain. And also room/area sized. The shattered hail makes traversal of  the area difficult, the burning sulfur makes breathing painful, and the flames, if left unattended, will start fires. 

8. Locusts (אַרְבֶּה): Ex. 10:1–20

A cloud of biting flies rushes forth from the caster's mouth, filling the room and biting everyone within. They will probe at any potential opening and cavity. Always hungry, always biting. Rations too are in danger, as the flies will consume them rapidly and producing more of themselves at a sickening and alarming rate. They continue until visibility and mobility are zero, at which point, should no food be left, they begin to consume themselves.  

9. Darkness for three days (חוֹשֶך): Ex. 10:21–29

The caster becomes entrapped in eternal midnight. No matter the local time, time within (card*10) meters of the caster is always midnight. Should you be on the surface, a shaft of darkness towers into the sky, with the moon and stars clearly visible. Clocks within the circumference always show midnight, returning to current time once out of range. In the Underworld the world around you is just a bit darker; light sources work at half strength, creatures of darkness are embolden. 

10. Death of firstborn (מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת): Ex. 11:1–12:36

The person you cherish the most appears on the scene and is fated to, before the end of the scene, perish. This person can be anyone: firstborn child, mother, sister, cousin - whom ever is the closest to your heart. The person came here for no other reason but to see you, and developed the urge long enough ago to appropriately travel to your location, suffering similar trials and tribulations along the way.

Their death may be violent (as is likely in combat) or sudden (such as a heart attack). Healing automatically fails against them. No matter the actions, they WILL die before the scene is ended.

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Taverns and Inns built in a Dungeon

A 1d6 list of Taverns and Inns built into the Dungeon for Katabasis. Or where ever. 

The Bearded Wench: While not exactly "dwarf only" the physical structure of the place makes anyone taller than a dwarf uncomfortable, as they must bend or squat to fit. Rooms are tight and small, just the way Dwarves like them. The Inn also offers equipment repair services. The cook is famed for his Rat Bisque. 

McCarlin's Hearth: Built in the upper level of a dungeon, the interior has been completely remodeled from the former vile temple it once was. Stone floors have been refitted with hardwood floors and thick rugs. The sacrificial alter is now the bar. The blood pit has been reworked into a large, welcoming Hearth in the common room. Guests are waited on hand and foot by the fancified staff, and the rooms are plush and impeccable. This is, of course, reflected in the bill. 

Trouble is, the cult that ran the temple never actually left. They just became wait staff. Sacrifices of blood are made over the bar, guests are kidnapped from their rooms in the night via secret passage, and old chants are given to pacify old, insane gods. That delicious three course meal you just had? Was probably a person at one time. Although, no one knows this. Yet. 

The Accords: Largely a "self service" establishment. Numbered room keys are given with little more than a grunt from the keeper. The bartendress pours and serves drinks at the bar, refusing to carry a tray. "If you're too lazy to get up and get it yourself," the Keeper points out, "you're free to leave." Despite the gruff exterior, the staff are friendly enough, to the Usuals at least. While mage folk are the primary customers, magic is frowned upon (or rather sneered at) with the walls of the inn, and the layout and furnishings reflect this. Thirteen tables fill the tavern, as nine stools line the bar, each lined and decorated with iron. Doors, as well, are banded and knobbed with iron. Also of note is the room-sized, silver summon circle in the common room. No one is sure which accords the inn is named after.

The Malicious Mallard: A foul stank hole of a place, built in the old prison area. The walls are damp, cold, and grow strange mushrooms. Rented rooms are old cells, separated only by prison bars. The drinks are swill (but cheap!) and brewed in jugs that have never known cleaning. The staff are just as likely to cut your purse as the patrons are. Bar fights are often and, should they become lethal, the bodies are dumped in a "bottomless" pit under the trap door behind the bar before they rise again. Yes, that does mean there's a room full of wraiths somewhere. A secret switch in the backroom leads to the Thieves Guild lounge.

The Gilded Pentacle: Built in the ruins of a long abandoned vault, the inn also offers secure storage in addition to room and board. Also uniquely, the guards of the City tend to drink in the bar once off duty. The interior is as gilded as promised, including a bartop inlaid with gold. Some of the more illiterate of the City come to the Gilded Pentacle looking for a guild to apply for. 

The White Hart: Built in the remains of a long ago looted library, the inn caters to a more scholarly crowd. Large shelves that once held uncountable scrolls containing long forgotten lore, now hold codecs of various topics. Guests are encouraged to share their knowledge through impromptu lectures around the fire.  Most rations available are melted cheese based. For some reason. 

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