Post-Apocalyptic Cybernetics for DCC RPG

Stolen from Image Search

This post mentions the Umerican Survival Guide. It’s an excellent third party setting for Dungeon Crawl Classics.

The Umerican Survival Guide is the organized and edited setting book based on the zine, Crawling Under a Broken Moon.

Both of these are great resources for the DCC Judge who wants to add some post-apocalyptic flavor to their games.

Back in the day, I basically grew up playing Rifts and Ninjas & Superspies. Within those two games, cybernetics are featured very prominently. Even though there are classes in those games who specialize in having lots of cybernetic stuff, characters of any class can use cybernetics, albeit to a limited degree.

In a post-apocalyptic world where cybernetics are available, it would make sense for them to be available to everyone, for a price, and full-on cyborgs would be pretty rare (due to initial buy-in cost and then cost of maintenance on top of that).

So in my game, I’m ditching the Cyborg class completely, and making a list of cybernetics that are available to any character. These can be relics from the past found as loot or items that can be purchased and implanted for an expensive fee. Basically, cybernetics in my game are the same as magic items in a fantasy game. Some even have a limited number of ‘charges’ to use their effects before becoming useless. Some cybernetics are simply mimics of normal biological organs used for medical purposes. Others are tools and others are weapons.

Here is a short list of cybernetic parts organized by body location. I haven’t come up with pricing or availability yet. I think it would probably be better for the less complicated items to be used as loot from adventuring (a found pre-apocalypse medical storage facility or something) but I suppose loot could also come from carving stuff out of dead bodies of slain bad guys. It’s your group, man.

Eyes

Polarized vision
Thermo-Imaging
Telescopic
Video recording
Microscopic
Passive Nightvision
Panoramic vision
Full Spectrum

Arms

Multi-tool hand
Hydrolic extendable arm
Jackhammer arm
Sensor hand
Forearm computer
Climbing cord
garrote
Finger camera
Palm taser
Retractable razor nails
retractable wrist claws (like Wolverine)
Hydrolic and/or myomer musculature for increased strength

Legs

Hydrolic and/or myomer musculature for increased speed
Increased jumping ability
Hidden compartment
Tank treads instead of legs
Four legs instead of two
Extendable legs

Torso

Oxygen storage cell
toxin filter
Artificial organs
Hidden compartment

Regardless of how it is acquired, cybernetics must be installed, and to do that a trained medical technician is necessary. A perfect piece of cybernetics won’t work if it is installed incorrectly!

Scummy chop shop: Cheapest installation price, part works for d4 weeks, 65% chance of infection from non-sterile equipment.
Decent chop shop: a little more expensive, part works as it should, 50% chance of infection.
Professional facility: more expensive, parts works as it should, 15% chance of infection.
Super deluxe facility: very expensive, part works better than it should, no chance of infection

Maintenance costs would be 10 percent of the “cost” of the part, per week.

So a Wizard with a Microscope eye that has a cost of 1000gp, would have to spend 100gp per week to maintain the eye.

If the maintenance cost is not met, the part gradually loses its abilities. Use the following as a general guideline

All abilities of the part are reduced by 25% after the first week of no maintenance.
Reduce by 50% after the second week
The part is unusable after the third week

Some parts may not have abilities that track in a way that they can be reduced as above. In those cases, the part simply stops working altogether.

How to create a Giant Snail for Dungeon Crawl Classics part 2

Part 1 was explaining the problem; that is, there is no published giant snails for DCC RPG.

What the hell is that about?

Giant Snails should be a creature in every Monster Manual or Bestiary ever made, but no… no love for giant snails.

Anyway, I’m going to make one for you, right here, right now!

First, I’ll take from what I have already.

Flail Snail (ADnD)

AC:4, -8 to hit body due to it’s speed in retracting into the shell.
Move: 3″
HD: 4-6 (one HD per tentacle) Note: any hit to the body kills the creature.
No. of Attacks: 1 per tentacle
Damage per Attack: 1-8
Intelligence: low
Alignment: Neutral
Size: Large (8 feet high, shell weighs 250 lbs)
Special: Immune to fire (normal and magic) and poison. When target of a spell; 40% spell malfunction, 30% normal function, 20% spell failure, 10% reflected back at caster.

And

Slug, Underdark (DCC RPG)

Initiative: -6
Attack: Acidic Touch +3 melee (1d4 damage plus slime)
AC: 18
HD: 3d6
Move: 10′
Action dice: 1d20
Special: Slime
Saves: Fort +5, Ref -6, Will -2
Alignment: Chaotic

Well, shoot… these are very different! How will I ever work them together??? Oh woe is me!

Just kidding. Someone already thought of that shizz.

Using the DCC Monster Helper PDF from the above awesome site, I’m considering the Flail Snail to be of the Vermin persuasion. So that means…

Flail Snail

Initiative: +1
Attack: Smash +3 melee (d8 damage per tentacle)
AC: this is a judgement call, since the Monster Helper does zilch with Armor Class. I figure an 18 due to the shell is appropriate.
HD: 4-6, one per tentacle
Speed: This is tricky. I found this page that has a comparison chart. My math ain’t too good, but it seems like a Flail Snail would only move 3 feet per round. Which is really damn slow!
Action Dice: 4-6 d20 (hey, why not?)
Fortitude: +4
Reflex: +1
Will: +1
Special: Same as before. There really isn’t any thing to convert.

Alright. So now I have a Flail Snail and a creepy underdark slug, DCC ready, so lets get down to business!

Giant Snail (Wild)

Initiative: -6
Attack: none. Snails do not attack, even to defend themselves.
AC: 18
HD: 2
Speed: 5 feet
Action Dice: 1d20
Fortitude: +3
Reflex: -5
Willpower: -2

The average wild giant snail is more of a nuisance than a monster. It leaves a slime trail, but nothing special. But now that we have a base, we can do so much more!

Giant Snail (hauler)Initiative: -6
Attack: none
AC: 18
HD: 6
Speed: 5 feet
Action Die: d20
Fort: +4
Ref: -6
Will: -2

The Hauler is used by sentients as a beast of burden to haul cargo to and fro. It is much larger than the wild giant snail but maintains the same speed. A Hauler snail can carry half as much cargo as an ox, but has the advantages of a much smoother ride, much better ability to climb steep inclines, and they are far more docile and easy-going. Haulers leave a pretty wide and thick trail of slippery slime. Walking behind one will force a Reflex save of DC 15 to avoid slipping and falling comedically in snail slime. However, other snails following the slime trail of a Hauler will see their speed increase by 25%. A hauler’s slime trail will linger for up to 8 hours in ideal conditions (night time, high humidity), but will last only a half hour in daylight.

Giant Snail (Singer)Initiative: -3
Attack: none
AC: 15
HD: 1 (d6)
Speed: 10 ft
Action die: 1d20
Fort: +4
Ref: -3
Will: -1

The Singing giant snail is a popular household pet. Its shell comes in a wide variety of color combinations and breeders are always coming out with new colorations (that get more and more expensive). It gets its name because the snail sings when it is happy; sort of like how a cat purrs. Singers are the most intelligent of the snails, but that doesn’t mean much. They are also the least slimey and the most tolerant to lower humidity and dry places.

Giant Snail (Speeder)Initiative: 0
Attack: none
AC: 16
HD: 2
Speed: 20 ft
Action die: 1d20
Fort: +3
Ref: -2
Will: -2

Speeders are the fastest snails. They can not carry as much cargo as a Hauler, but are able to carry about 50 lbs of stuff strapped to their shells, and still travel nearly as fast as a human. For this reason they are most often employed by messenger services. Like their cousins, Speeders are docile, but eat far more vegetation than the other snails due to their higher metabolism. Speeders exude a thick slippery slime, similar to haulers, but their trail is much smaller and dries much more quickly (3 hours in ideal conditions, 10 minutes in daylight)

So there ya go. A Flail Snail, A wild snail, a labor snail, a pet snail, and a fast snail. Give me a shout if you use them and how they do in your game.

How to create a Giant Snail for Dungeon Crawl Classics part 1

For the setting I’m creating, giant snails are an important part of the ecology for one particular area. So, I opened up my DCC rulebook to the bestiary and… no giant snail. Okay, well I’ll just convert one from some other edition of DnD! Right?

ADnD Monster Manual? nope.
ADnD MM Two? nope.
ADnD Fiend Folio??? There is the Flail Snail but that’s not really a giant snail. It’s a magical goofy snail.
Critters, Creatures & Denizens by J.A. Rhodes-Gloor? no giant snails.
Palladium’s Monsters and Animals 2nd edition? No giant snails.
Basic Dungeons and Dragon’s Creature Catalogue? nothing
Castles and Crusades’ Monsters and Treasure? Nada
5th edition DnD Monster Manual??? Zero, zilch, zip.
TMNT After the Bomb: Mutants in Avalon? The only RPG I’ve found that uses giant snails, and is the actual inspiration for me wanting to use them in Strathos.

Apparently, Giant Snails are non-existent in a wide swath of tabletop RPGs over the last 50 years. What the hell???

So I’ve been researching snail ecology and behavior in order to create Giant Snails for my campaign.

I have some criteria I must meet that is more or less setting-specific

They must fit a niche within their natural habitat.
They must have abilities that make them desirable as beasts of burden over other choices of animal (like horses or oxen).

The campaign area these Giant Snails will call home is heavily forested with giant trees like Redwood’s. It would be considered a temperate rain forest. Essentially the Pacific Northwest of North America.

Giant snails have the ability to haul cargo strapped to their shells, and can move easily over the broken terrain of the forest floor. They can also climb vertically up the trunks of the trees – potentially to safety from dangers on the forest floor.

Giant Snails are docile and never attack, even in self-defense. Making them safe to have around children.

Snails come in a rather large variety. Some eat fungus, some eat decaying plant matter, some eat fresh vegetation, and some eat other snails! So, my giant snails should also share these aspects, as well as more fantastic attributes since this is a fantasy game;

Generic Wild snail – feeds on fungus, including intelligent fungoids
Cargo snail – for hauling cargo
Speed snail – faster than a cargo snail but can’t carry very much
War snail – might as well use the Flail Snail for this.
Singing snail – smallest of the giants, kept as a pet. Sings like a song bird. Wide variety of colorations.

Now that I’ve determined what I want with the Giant Snail, and how it fits into the game world, the next step is to figure out stats for it. That will be in part 2.

Magical Mutant Ape Men!!!!

I’ve been workin’ out the kinks of a race-as-class for a while now. It’s become an obsession.

First, I wanted to build it for Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Then, a heavily house-modified version of LotFP. Now, I am using Dungeon Crawl Classics.

These Ape Men (Women, People, whichever you prefer) were normal run-of-the-mill ape creatures that were suddenly and recently uplifted by some unknown magical means.

While this is specifically written for DCC, it can easily be modified for any early edition DnD type game.

Yon, the Magical Mutant Ape People

You are a mystically mutated primate with human intelligence and speech! At some point in the near past, your entire species was rapidly evolved to its present state by unknown means. You are a second generation Yon, and you and your people have no real culture of your own. You pick the appealing parts from other cultures to adopt.

You are of a size in between dwarf and human. And you have a vestigial tail that is effectively useless and about half as long as the rest of your body. The exact details of how you look are up to you, the player. Keep in mind though, that based on your character’s visual looks, all other low level Yon will look like you.

Here are some of the things you can do

You receive d6 Hit Points at every level! This is in addition to the hit points you had at Zero level.

You’re trained in the use of the Battleaxe, Club, Dart, Javelin, Spear, Staff, Two-handed club, and Warhammer.

You have big sharp teeth that causes a nasty bite. You can bite as an extra attack when in melee combat! (ATK: d14, DMG: d3+Strength Modifier)

Your feet can grab and hold things. They aren’t nimble enough to be of any use in combat or to juggle, but they can hold your body weight by holding onto something. The big toe is used as a primitive thumb. You tend to walk and run on all fours.

Unlike other classes, Yon gain random mutations as they are exposed to magic. Roll on the Magical Mutation Table once every time you are affected by a magical effect that alters you in some way (fail a save vs Magic). Examples include; Failing a save against a spell, or drinking a magical potion that requires a saving throw.

Cleric or Deific magic does not have this effect.

Luck Modifier does apply; higher your Luck mod, the more likely you’ll have a beneficial mutation.

Level	Attack Bonus	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice	Reflex	Fortitude	Willpower
1	+1	D6/III	1d20	+1	+1	+0
2	+1	D6/III	1d20	+1	+1	+1
3	+1	D6/III	1d20	+1	+2	+1
4	+1	D6/III	1d20	+2	+3	+2
5	+1	D6/III	1d20+1d14	+2	+4	+2
6	+1	D6/III	1d20+1d16	+2	+4	+2
7	+1	D6/III	1d20+1d20	+3	+4	+3
8	+1	D6/III	1d20+1d20	+3	+5	+3
9	+1	D6/III	1d20+1d20	+4	+5	+4
10	+1	D6/III	1d20+1d20+1d14	+4	+6	+4

Yon Titles

As Yon don’t have a culture or society to call their own, they don’t have level based titles. Yon typically take the titles of other classes that they look up to and want to emulate.

Magical Mutation Table

Magical Vulnerability! You take a -1 penalty to all magical saves.
Big giant head! Your skull, specifically your brain case and brain, grows disproportionately larger than the rest of your body. You can Mind Blast everyone (friend or foe) in a 5 foot radius for d3 damage on a failed Will save of DC 10+your Willpower or Luck modifier. They are -1 to all rolls for d4 rounds. You can do this once per day, for every time you roll this mutation result. Further, the damage increases by one die step, the DC increases by +1, the range increases by 5 feet, and the penalty for all rolls decreases -1. Using this power is painful and causes a piercing headache that forces a penalty of d3 to all your rolls for one Turn. Every time this is rolled, the penalty to all die rolls is made worse by one die step.
Skin toughens! Bonus to Armor Class: +1 every time this is rolled. This is not in addition to worn armor. There is no penalty the first time you roll this result, however, subsequent rolls of this result incur the following; reduce movement to the point that you move and function as if you were one Encumbrance step higher than you would normally be.
Intimidate! To intimidate a creature, you beat your chest and growl and roar and pound the ground. They must make an opposed DC 10 Will save if intelligent, or a DC 5 Will save if of animal level intelligence. Failure means they cower or flee. Undead, golems, automatons, and the like are not affected. Add your Personality OR Strength modifier (whichever is higher) to make the DC more difficult. Roll this again and you get the bonus from Personality AND Strength modifiers. Subsequent rolls net you a +1 bonus.
Howler! make loud howls heard for miles. Rolled again and those in close vicinity must make a Fortitude save or go temporarily deaf for d4 hours. Roll this any more times and they suffer a -1 to their save attempt and the length of deafness increases by a die step in hours.
Prehensile tail! your tail can grab things. It’s not very strong though, 1/4 your Strength ability. Rolling this again increases it’s strength to 1/2, then 3/4, then full strength. With each growth step, your tail lengthens 12 inches. On the other hand, your size decreases by 6 inches each time this is rolled.
Bite! Your bite damage increases to d4 damage. Roll this again and it increases to d5, then d6, then d7 and so on. As your teeth enlarge, so does your jaw, and your overall features become more menacing; -1 to any Personality based check every time this result is rolled.
Hyper-intelligence! Choose a new skill to be trained in; roll randomly on the Background Profession table to determine this. Choose a new skill every time this is rolled. This focus is offset by a penalty of -1 to any and all untrained skill attempts. This penalty is cumulative every time this result is rolled.
Brute strength! add a D3 to any strength check or strength based action, including melee damage. Roll again and it becomes a d4, then d5, and so on. Your Crit Die also increases by one step!The massive increase in muscle mass causes a loss of dexterity, though; suffer a penalty of -1 to Reflex saves, and dexterity based actions.
Size increase! You are a foot taller, a bit meatier, and your hit die increases to d8 per level. Roll again and you grow another foot and hit die becomes a d10. Another foot and a D12, another foot and a d14, lastly another foot and a d20. After that, every increase is another foot +1 HP. Also, your Crit Table increases to Table IV, then Table V, then the Giant table. Unfortunately, your tail decreases in length by one foot, and you become incrementally less capable of thoughtful action. Every time you roll this, you suffer a permanent -1 penalty whenever you attempt a skill, and a -1 penalty to Intelligence and Personality checks, as well as Willpower saves. Whenever you take damage in combat, you must make a Willpower save or else fly into a berserk rage; attacking any foes within sight without regard for strategy, tactics, or the well being of yourself or other party members.
Prehensile feet! Your feet become more dexterous and useful. They can be used attack with a weapon and use a d10 as an Action Die. Each time this is rolled, the Action Die increases a die step. After reaching d20, you get a +1 to hit with your feet every time this is rolled. Agility and Strength bonuses do not apply to feet attacks.
Hand-eye coordination! You get a +1 to hit in combat, and your Crit Die increases by one step.
Magical Resistance! You gain a +1 to s ave against Magic every time you roll this result.
Color Change! Your skin and hair change colors. These can be whatever colors you wish, or you can roll on a random table to determine color.
Hair falls out! All your body hair falls out. Re-roll this and it grows back. Re-roll again and it falls out again.
Magic Spell! You learn a random wizard magic spell! This spell is determined randomly; roll a d3 for the spell’s level, then roll on that level’s spell list to determine the exact spell. Casting this spell is the same as if you were a wizard, and uses your Action Die to roll the spell check. All consequences for failure (corruption, misfire, etc) also are the same as per the Wizard. Any effect this spell may have on you does not cause another roll on this Magical Mutation table.

Playable Species: Goblins for LotFP

Goblins

Goblins are tiny, crazed, insane, chaotic, murdering, backstabbing, comical, curious, silly, monstrous, evil, cute, criminal, cowardly, conniving, deadly, sneaky, scheming, little people who have few friends but are sometimes generally loyal to those friends for at least some of the time.

Goblins are considered a plague by most other sentient species, much like locusts, but this mostly unfair propaganda and hearsay.

Goblins are a type of Faerie, and as such, tend to be treated as “special” cousins to other faerie folk. While goblins may be invited to faerie parties as individuals, faeries will always politely decline invitations to goblin parties. They are more tied to this world than most other faerie, and so do not have the innate magical powers enjoyed by most other types of faerie.

Goblins will eat just about anything, having stomachs capable of breaking down the most rotten and vile organic matter. They are also often the carriers of disease, due to their scavenging and lack of hygiene habits.

Goblins procreate at every given opportunity, and female gestation periods are very short; only a few months, and they usually produce d4 children at a time.

Goblins aren’t particularly interested in building things, unless they directly help the goblin achieve an immediate goal. Like, goblins won’t build catapults to defend their villages from possible future attack, but will build them to launch themselves over fortifications that get in their way.

Lastly, goblins are mostly nocturnal creatures, who live in the darkest forests and in natural cave systems, or mines they’ve taken over from other beings.

Hit Die: d6

Alignment: Chaotic (while most non-magical sentients are Neutral in alignment, goblins exist

Saves: Fortitude: 16, Reflex: 15, Willpower: 18, and these decrease by 2 every four levels. Or use the saves as an LotFP Specialist.

Abilities: +1 To Hit at first level. Can see in the dark, but is -1 on all rolls in daylight.

Experience: As LotFP Halfling

Level Up: Roll once on the table at first level and every level afterwards. Young, inexperienced goblins tend to be more level-headed and easier to get along with than older goblins. This table is based on the work of Joseph Manola and his blog post:

http://udan-adan.blogspot.com/2016/03/new-bx-class-goblin.html

Tinkerer: You love fiddling with things, especially when you have a specific goal in mind. Whether it is deactivating a trap, cracking a safe, designing a hot air balloon made from hundreds of giant spider bladders… you get a +1 to Tinker skill.
Beast Affinity: Pick one of the following creatures: giant bat, giant rat, giant spider, or wolf. You have an intuitive rapport with such creatures, and they won’t attack you except in self-defence or when really, really hungry. If you encounter such a creature with a number of hit dice equal to or less than your own, you can try to press it into service as a mount by spending 1d6 hours ‘taming’ it and making a Charisma roll. If you succeed, it will let you ride it for as long as you keep it well fed, but if you fail then it attacks you once and then runs off. Receive a +1 to your Charisma Mod useable only for this ability, when this is re-rolled.
Biter: All those hours spent filing your teeth has finally paid off! You have a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, which you can use to chew through wood, ropes, etc. Instead of making a weapon attack, you can bite for 1d4 damage. Add a +1 to bite damage when this is re-rolled.
Bouncer: You can jump a distance equal to your full height straight up from a standing start. You take half damage from falling. Add a foot to jump height whenever this is re-rolled.
Coward: You know how to serpentine. You gain a +1 bonus to AC and whilst running away screaming.
Crazy Reflexes: Your body constantly jerks around in unpredictable ways, giving you a +1 AC bonus.
Filth Eater: You can survive on a diet of just about any kind of organic matter. You gain a +1 bonus to saves against poison and disease.
Survivalist: Having spent so much time in the wilderness, you have developed a certain awareness and knowledge of the wild. You know which worms are safe to eat, and which tracks belong to scary monsters you don’t want to cross paths with. +1 to Bushcraft skill.
Hyperactivity: Once per day you can go completely hyper for 1d6 rounds, moving at twice your normal speed and attacking twice per round. However, you are -1 To Hit.
Lunatic: Your mind is so warped that it’s very difficult for other people to control. You gain a +1 bonus to saves against mind-affecting powers and spells. Also you are crazy, but frankly you were probably crazy already.
Mimic: You can perfectly mimic the voice of anyone you have heard in the last 24 hours, but can only maintain this mimicry for a maximum of 1d6 rounds before breaking down into fits of hysterical giggling. Add 1 round every time this is rolled again.
Mushroom Mystic: Pick one first-level Magic-User or Cleric spell. You can cast this spell once per day, but only while feeling the effects of a hallucinogenic drug. Rolling this result again allows you to pick a second first-level spell.
Poison Spit: Your saliva is so bacteria-laden that you can envenom any edged weapon by licking the blade. The next person stabbed with it must save vs. poison or suffer 1d6 days of horrible, incapacitating sickness, which begins 1d3 hours after they are stabbed. Rolling this again makes the victim -1 to save.
Rat Head: You’re a rubbery little freak, and as long as you’re not wearing inflexible armour you can squeeze your whole body through a the width of your own head.
Sneak: As long as you’re not heavily burdened, you can move as soundlessly as a cat. Receive a +1 to Stealth skill. When this is re-rolled, you keep getting a +1 to Stealth, until you have 6 points in the skill. After that, you get a +1 to Sneak Attack.
Spider Climb: You are a nimble climber, able to scale surfaces and angles that seem impossible to others. +1 to your Climb skill.
Desecration: You love to smash things and smear your own feces all over other people’s stuff. Given 1 turn, you can permanently lower the value of everything in a 10ft square area by 10%. Rolling this again means 20%, then 30%, etc.
Swarm King: You have a swarm of pet vermin of some kind (rats, spiders, centipedes, etc), which either follow you around or are carried with you in a sack. On your command they can be ordered to swarm people, who then suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls, damage, and AC for as long as they’re covered in swarming vermin. (They don’t get a save against this, but the effect ends if they find a way of getting the swarm off them: jumping in water, for example.) You can also use them for anything else you think a swarm of vermin would be useful for, but you can’t give them any command more complex than ‘go over there’ and ‘come back’. Your swarm is big enough to engulf up to one person per level. If this is rolled again, then re-roll for a different result.
Twitchy: You only sleep 1d4 hours per night, but never seem to suffer any ill effects as a result. Because of this, you are only surprised on a 1 in 6, and receive a +1 bonus to Reflex saves.
Stab Frenzy: When you successfully hit someone in melee with a small or tiny weapon, you may immediately attempt to stab them again, with a -1 penalty to hit and damage; if you hit then you may attack a third time (with an additional -1 to hit and damage, for -2 total), and so on until you either miss, hit but inflict 0 damage, or kill them. You can only use this ability while screaming and gibbering incoherently. If this is rolled again, then re-roll for a different result.

Class: Yon Ape People v3

Yon Ape People

The Yon are a species of highly intelligent ape. Their society is very close-knit and orderly, with each village based around two industries; cultivating the flowering fruits their diet is based on, and tending the giant honeybee hives that form the center of each village. As village populations grow, members take a queen bee and hive materials and set out to create a new village and hive complex.

Every member of Yon society reveres bees, in fact, they worship them. The huge hive at the center of the village is also a temple where the Yon gather to pray, exchange news, and organize for work projects. The hum of the giant bees in and around the hive is soothing to the Yon and gives them a clear-headed that can’t be found away from the hive. Tending and protecting the hive, and glorifying the queen, gives the Yon purpose. It is everything to them.

But not all of them.

Some Yon do not hear the call of the bee queen. They find the hum of the hive distracting. They may have an uncharacteristic fondness for violence. They may discover that other people value gold and jewels and money, and with those things, they can become powerful in their own right. They think they’re crazy, or maybe everyone else is crazy. Either way, they leave their village as an outcast. An outcast free to adventure and make their fortune in the world. Many find quick work as warriors for hire due to their great strength and intimidating visage.

Yon Ape Adventurer

Hit Die: d8

Bonuses: +1 melee damage, +1 To Hit. Open Doors, Bushcraft, and Climb skills start at 2 in 6.

Saves: Fortitude: 16, Reflex: 17, Willpower: 16. At levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 all saves receive a +2 bonus. If using the regular LotFP saves, then the Yon saves as a Fighter.

Experience: As Dwarf

Level Up: Roll once on the following table every level after 1^st.

No need for armor: You have a +1 to AC in melee when you are not wearing armor, other than a helmet and/or shield.
Favored Enemy: Choose an animal, monster, or sentient species. You get a +1 to hit and +1 to damage against that specific type of creature, every time this is rolled. You are also -2 on Reaction rolls with creatures of that type. You can pick anything from mosquitoes to bears to dragons to humans.
Intimidate: +1 to Charisma checks to instill fear against others. Opposed check: your Charisma mod + d20 vs their Wisdom mod + d20. High roll wins. If they lose, they are immediately put in a defensive stance for d4 rounds. If they lose by 10 or more, they immediately flee.
Save Bonus: +1 to all saves.
Attribute Bonus: +1 to any attribute.
Bonus of +1 to a skill.
To Hit bonus: +1.
Use two-handed weapon one handed. If re-rolled, you can wield a two-handed weapon in your off hand, as well.
Defensive Stance: +1 to Armor Class, -2 to hit.
Offensive Stance: +1 to hit, -2 AC.

Yon Ape Men Update and Addtitional Material

This is not only a revision of the previous post about the Yon Gorilla People, but has added content in the form of NPC stats, and a separate sub-class of cleric, exclusive to the species.

Yon, or Ape-men, are a species who have created their own civilization in the vast forest that bears their name, the Yonwood.

The yon live on platforms built high up in the trees; trees that grow 100+ feet high with trunks a dozen feet thick.

Physically, they are slightly larger on average than humans, with longer arms than legs, and a fur covered body. Some tribes shave parts of their body and put on body paint, some shave and cover their skin in tattoos. Generally, only warriors shave, and then only shave the parts that would be covered by armor.

Yon wear armor made of giant insect shells; namely beetles and mantis. Full suits of armor are too restrictive, hot, and unwieldy for the furred, tree dwelling species, so armor consists of breastplates, helms, bracers, and wooden shields. These are considered half-suits from the armor rules here.

Their largest export to human realms is honey cultivated from the hives of Giant Bees. Yon beekeepers are able to produce honey with incredible properties. The knowledge to do this is considered a gift from the Yon god, Oogam. Yon beekeepers are shamans with limited cleric powers.

The Yon worship, or at least recognize, a single god who they call Oogam. Oogam is benevelent and provided the Yon with gifts of knowledge and civilization. Oogam has a malevolent counterpart called Boogab, who is the god of the Carnivorous Apes – uncivilized, evil creatures who constantly war with the Yon.

Forged metal items are greatly prized, as the Yonwood is devoid of mines and forges. Favorite weapons are clubs, spears, and blowguns with poisoned darts.

Yon Player Characters use the following:

Warrior

Hit Points: d10 + Constitution modifier.
Encumbrance as Dwarf: five additional slots before taking an encumbrance point.
Combat Options: Same as Fighter.
Skill bonuses: +1 to Open Doors and Bushcraft, +2 Climb. An additional +1 to these three skills at levels 4, 8, 12, and 16.
Damage bonus: Yon are stronger than humans and in addition to their bonus to Open Doors, they have a +1 to melee damage.
Can wield giant-sized weapons two-handed, and Great Weapons one handed.
Saves as Fighter
Experience Points and leveling up are the same as Dwarf.
Alignment: Yon Warriors are Neutral

Shaman

Hit Points: d6 + Constitution
Encumbrance is standard.
Combat Options are standard for non-fighters.
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bushcraft, +2 Climb. Additional +1 at levels 4, 8, 12, and 16
Saves as Cleric
Choose or roll 3 level one spells from the Yon Spell list. Choose one additional spell every level of experience. Spells available are 1/2 the level of the Shaman, rounding up.
Spells cost 2 HP per level of the spell.
Wield giant-sized weapons two-handed, and Great Weapons one-handed.
Experience Points as Elf
Alignment: Yon Shamans are Lawful.

Non-Player Characters

Yon NPCs who follow Oogam use the following:

Armor Class: as leather with shield
Hit Dice/Hit Points: d8
Saves as 0 level Fighter
Number of Attacks: 1 with weapon
Combat bonus: +1 to hit, +1 damage in melee
Size: Large (8ft tall)
Weapons: Great Club, Spear, Blowgun with Poison dart (1 HP dart, save vs petrification)
For every 8 Yon warriors, there will be a Captain of 3 HD.
For every 36 Yon warriors, there will be a Shaman of 4 HD (d6) with 4 spells from the Yon Shaman spell list.

NPCs who follow Boogab have the following changes

Patrols are a mixture of Yon Warriors and Carnivorous Apes in an equal ratio.
For every 8 Warriors/Apes, there will be one Shaman of 3 HD with 3 spells.
For every 36 Warriors/Apes, there will be one Shaman of 5 HD with 5 spells.
For every 64 Warriors/Apes, there will be one Shaman of 7 HD with 7 spells.

Spells of the Yon Gorilla People

Yon player characters have limited access to magic spells. These spells reflect their culture, religion, and environment.

Yon are gifted a single spell every level of experience from their god, Oogam. The exact spell is rolled randomly or chosen, but the maximum level of the spell is half the level of the caster, rounding up.

Yon magic costs 2 Hit Points per level of the spell. Magic is draining and tiring to the caster. A level 1 spell will cost 2 hit points, a level 2 spell will cost 4 hit points, and level 3 will cost 6 hit points, and so on. There is no limit to the number of times a day spells can be cast, other than hit points.

The following list contains the spells available to the Yon character. Spells with descriptions are new, spells without description are from the LotFP Rules & Magic book (Grindhouse edition). Yon have a close relationship with Giant Bees, using honey and wax for a variety of uses.

Spell Level One

Melt Bee’s Wax: Range: Touch. Duration: Instant. The caster can instantly melt bee’s wax in their hand, or within a hand held container.
Bee’s Wax Glue: Range: Touch. Duration: Instant. Turns bee’s wax into a powerful adhesive and sealant, able to glue together most types of material.
Bless
Detect Evil/Good
Protection from Evil/Good
Purify/Spoil Food and Drink
Light
Comprehend Languages
Feather Fall
Mending
Message
Sleep

Spell Level Two

Friend of Bees: Range: Self. Duration: One ten minute Turn per level of the caster. Bees of all types (but not wasps or other stinging insects) regard the caster as a friend and will not attack. They will allow the caster access to their hive and to remove wax and honey.
Create Candy: Range: Touch. Duration: Permanent. Caster can create hardened candy out of honey. Great for sore throats and a variety of other common ailments. Can turn up to one pound of honey into candy per level of experience.
Cure Light Wounds
Delay Poison
Heroism
Resist Cold
Silence
Detect Invisible
Force of Forbidment
Speak With Animals
Wall of Fog
Wizard Lock – uses bee’s wax as a component.

Spell Level Three

Bless Food: Range: 10 feet. Duration: Permanent. Blessed food is impervious to spoiling magic and doubles the length of time that the food would spoil normally.
Seal Wound: Range: Touch. Duration: Instant. The caster uses melted bee’s wax to seal open wounds. This will stop bleeding and stabilize a wounded individual. The wounded person also heals an additional hit point every 24 hours.
Dispel Magic
Magic Vestment
Remove Curse
Sacrifice
Army of One
Gust of Wind
Light, Continual
Locate Object
Speak With the Dead
Turn Undead

Spell Level Four

Honey Medicine: Range: Touch. Duration: Permanent. Turns honey candy (level 2 spell) into medicinal lozenges. Works the same as Cure Disease and heals d6 Hit Points.
Detect Lie
Divination
Neutralize Poison
Protection from Evil, 10ft radius
Spell Immunity
Charm Monster
Protection from Normal Missiles

Spell Level Five

Commune
Cure Serious Wounds
Dispel Evil
Insect Plague
True Seeing
Hold Animal/Monster/Person

Spell Level Six

Find/Lose the Path
Heal
Word of Recall
Legend Lore
Holy Word
Control Weather

Art by Kolsga

Yon: New Race/Species LotFP

Yon, or Ape-men, are a species who have created their own civilization in the vast forest that bears their name, the Yonwood.

The yon live on platforms built high up in the trees; trees that grow 100+ feet high with trunks a dozen feet thick.

Yon wear armor made of giant insect shells. Full suits of armor are too restrictive, hot, and unwieldy for the furred, tree dwelling species, so armor consists of breastplates, helms, bracers, and wooden shields.

The Yon worship, or at least recognize, a single god who they call Oogam. Oogam is benevelent and provided the Yon with gifts of knowledge and civilization. Oogam has a malevolent counterpart called Oogab, who is the god of the Carnivorous Apes – uncivilized, evil creatures who constantly war with the Yon.

Forged metal items are greatly prized, as the Yonwood is devoid of mines and forges. Favorite weapons are clubs, spears, and blowguns with poisoned darts.

Mechanically important information:

Hit Points: d10 + Constitution modifier.
Encumbrance as Dwarf: five additional slots before taking an encumbrance point.
Combat Options: Just standard attack, no others.
Skill bonuses: +1 to Open Doors and Bushcraft, +2 Climb. An additional +1 to these three skills at levels 4, 8, 12, and 16.
One first level spell. Yon are shamanistic and learn an additional spells as they grow in experience. They cannot be taught spells or learn them through research. These are considered gifts from Oogam. Every new level of experience, the Yon character learns a single spell of level equal to or less than their current level minus one. This spell can be randomly determined (yay) or chosen by the player (boo). Yon have their own spell list to choose from.
Damage bonus: Yon are stronger than humans and in addition to their bonus to Open Doors, they have a +1 to melee damage.
Can wield giant-sized weapons two-handed, and Great Weapons one handed.
Saves as Fighter
Experience Points and leveling up are the same as Elves.
Alignment: Yon are considered Lawful for alignment purposes.

Here is a picture of a Yon with a human magic user.


art by Brom

Goblinoid Races

In the previous post I mentioned that I had to create several new playable races for Castles and Crusades. Well, here they are if anyone wants to use them.

As I said before, the race descriptions are based off of those from Palladium Fantasy.

Roll the standard 3D6 for attributes. I always let my players reroll ones.

Goblin
Modifiers: +1 Dexterity, -1 Strength
Racial Traits and Abilities:
Animal Empathy: Goblins can read the emotions of animals. They can not conversate with them, though.
Combat Expertise: When fighting against Gnomes and Halflings, Goblins enjoy a bonus of +1 to hit against AC.
Dark Vision: 120 feet – can see in total darkness, but needs 1 round for eyes to adjust.
Hearing: Goblins receive a bonus of +1 to listening based checks.
Size: Height is 3 feet plus D12 inches, Weight is 60 + 5D8 pounds

Goblins are short and skinny with spindly arms and legs, pencil necks, skin colors that range from yellow and light green to brown and dark green, and hair that is either black, dark brown, or deep red. Eyes are large and ears are pointed. Teeth are sharp and pointy.

Kobold
Modifiers: +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity
Racial Traits and Abilities:
Racial Animosity: -2 on Charisma checks when dealing with Humans, Elves, Halflings, and Gnomes.
Darkvision: 120 feet – can see in total darkness, but needs 1 round for eyes to adjust.
Underground Direction: Can sense approximate depth underground without needing an attribute check.
Fearless: +2 to savings throws vs Fear.
Resistant to Poison (Constitution) +2 to savings throws vs Poison.
Movement: 20 feet per round
Size: Height is 3 feet plus D12 inches, Weight is 70 + 5D8 pounds

Kobolds are short, thin, with leathery skin that is dark muddy brown or red. They often go bald on the top of their heads and do not grow facial or body hair. What hair they do have is white. Their eyes are yellow or red, and their teeth are sharp and pointed.

Orc
Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -1 Charisma
Racial Traits and Abilities:
Twilight Vision: Able to see clearly and in color for 1 mile under starlight or moonlight.
Sense of Smell: Detect the presence (but not location) of creatures within 30 feet, or 60 feet if upwind. Strong scents can be picked up at twice that range, and Exceptionally strong scents at three times the range. Provides a bonus of +2 to Track if a Ranger.
Martial Prowess: +2 to AC when not wearing armor. The Orc does not receive this bonus if wearing armor of any kind.
Resistance to Disease: +2 to save vs Disease
Size: Height is 5 feet plus D20 inches, Weight is 130 + D100 pounds

Orcs are broad shouldered, muscular, with sharp teeth and small tusks coming up from the lower jaw. Their noses are flat and pig-like, with long tongues used to wet the nose to improve their sense of smell. Skin colors range from dark green and dark brown to black, with thick black hair.

Troglodyte
Modifiers: +1 Charisma, -1 Wisdom
Racial Traits and Abilities:
Fearless: Troglodytes are naturally inquisitive and confident. +2 vs Fear.
Twilight Vision: Able to see clearly and in color for 1 mile under starlight or moonlight.
Resistant: +1 to all Constitution-based Savings throws.
Spot Hidden Doors: Troglodytes natural curiousity gives them a +1 bonus to find hidden doors.
Empathy: Troglodytes are the most liked of the Goblinoid races, and receive a +1 to Charisma checks when dealing with Goblinoids, and no negative modifier when dealing with other races.
Size: Height is 4 feet plus D12 inches, Weight is 130 + D100 pounds

Troglodytes are broad shouldered, with pale waxy skin, large dark brown eyes, flabby bodies and heads that vaguely resemble Salamanders or Newts. They are generally friendly, trusting, and curious. They like to eat well and party hard.

Hobgoblin
Modifiers: +2 Wisdom, -1 Charisma, -1 Constitution
Racial Traits and Abilities:
Enhanced Senses: Vision is exceptional, and large ears provide a +2 bonus to checks involving listening and sound.
Twilight Vision: Able to see clearly and in color for 1 mile under starlight or moonlight.
Charm Resistance: Hobgoblins are resistant to spells that Charm or cause Sleep: +10 to save
Spot Hidden Doors: Hobgoblins receive a +2 bonus when searching for hidden doors/compartments.
Movement: 30 feet per round
Size: Height is 4 feet plus D12 inches, Weight is 90 + 6D10 pounds

Hobgoblins resemble their goblin cousins, but are taller and have comically over-sized ears. Hobgoblins are notoriously hard to get along with; gruff, arrogant, pompous.