The Gongfarmer’s Almanac

2024
A free Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG zine
written, illustrated, edited, and produced
by the GFA Community.

This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game,
published by Goodman Games. Dungeon Crawl Classics and DCC RPG are
trademarks of Goodman Games. All rights reserved.

For additional GFA information, go to www.gongfarmersalmanac.com. For

additional DCC RPG information, go to www.goodman-games.com.

All published content belongs to its respective author or artist. If you would like to
include, copy or use a derivative of any published content, please contact the
original creator.
 CREDITS
ADMINS
Yamil Camacho, Matt Robertson, Shyloh Wideman

ASSISTANT ADMINS
Eddie Bartlett, Craig Langrall, John Rak, Aaron Wolk, Josh Yoder

AUTHORS
Eric Anderson, Eddie Bartlett, Daniel J. Bishop, Stella Condrey,
Justin Davis, Michael David Davis, Ed Jacobs, Kyle Jameson,
Stuart Killian, Erica King, Michael McKeown, Stephen Mitsch,
Max Moon, Marc Nocerino, Matt Pelfrey, James A. Pozenel, Jr.,
John Rak, Greg Setliff, JoanofArc DesTroyer, Chris Thomason,
Chris Volion, Shyloh Wideman, Aaron Wolk, Josh Yoder

ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOGRAPHERS

Cover Art: Doug Kovacs; Title Page Art: Mark Radle;
Interior Art & Cartography: András Baracskai, John Bilodeau,
bygrinstow, Sally Cantitino, Whitney Dalby, Andy Edmonds,
Ryan Kearins, Mike McKeown, Alexander Moore, Wulf Mungus,
Stefan Poag, Joe Porkio, Charles Reeder, Dan Smith, Chris Volion,
Jason Youngdale

EDITORS
Jonathan Kurts, Craig Langrall, Jonathan Nichol, John Rak,
Matt Robertson, Jesse Smith, Bryan Spellman, Stefan Surratt,
Dieter Zimmerman

LAYOUT ARTISTS
Andy Edmonds, Stella Condrey, Sean Rawley, Matt Robertson,
Shyloh Wideman, Jon Wilson

PROOFREADERS
Yamil Camacho, Matt Robertson, Shyloh Wideman

PRINT & PDF PRODUCTION

Shyloh Wideman
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOL. 1: SETTINGS, ITEMS & PATRONS
Florida Man Classics Primer: Funnel Quickstart by
Shyloh Wideman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Quantum Crawl Classics Primer: Funnel Quickstart by
Shyloh Wideman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
The Devastating Dagger of Outrageous Fortune by Eddie
Bartlett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
The Devil's Matchbox by Erica King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Lost Artifacts of a Drowned King by Josh Yoder . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Armor, Piecemeal by Stella Condrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
What's In That Hole? by Chris Volion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Mordiggian, the Charnel God by Marc Nocerino . . . . . . . . . . 1-30

VOL. 2: ADVENTURES & PATRONS

The Hanting of Low Bog: Down by the River by JoanofArc
DesTroyer (Shudder Mountains) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
The Inverted Pyramid by Ed Jacobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
The Kobold's Antidote by Jason Youngdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Ildavir, Goddess of Genesis by Michael David Davis . . . . . . . 2-36
New Patron Spell by Shyloh Wideman (template) . . . . . . . . . . 2-48

VOL. 3: ADVENTURES & PATRONS

Ballad 74 by Kyle Jameson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Revenge of the Dark River Witch by Stephen Mitsch . . . . . . 3-6
Savage Subterranean Slimers of Harrison Holler by
Michael McKeown (Umerica) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Prince Dikarya, Underlord of the Mycorrhizal Kingdom by
Marc Nocerino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Have Fun Coloring This Picture of Ildavir! by bygrinstow . . 3-32

VOL. 4: PATRONS & SPELLS

The Black Wind by Stella Condrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Spells of the Hyland by Stella Condrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Azhrarn, Night's Master by James A. Pozenel, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . 4-23
Ebinar's Tiny Cuts by Eric Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
VOL. 5: MONSTERS, CLASSES & RULES
Curse of the Chimeramen by Greg Setliff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Living Graffiti by Eric Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Adventurer Class by Max Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Investigator by Stuart Killian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Therapist by Matt Pelfrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Dark Inheritances: New Tommyknocker Character Class
Options for Weird Frontiers by Justin Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Empirical Consequences of Low Luck by Chris Thomason . . 5-38

VOL. 6: RULES, ITEMS, CLASSES &

ADVENTURES
Heroes, Zeros, and Dudes: Power Characters in the DCC
Funnel by John Rak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
The Tainted Scroll of Aranha by Daniel J. Bishop . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Three for the Price of One by Daniel J. Bishop . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
The Taurune by Aaron Wolk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
 FLORIDA MAN CLASSICS
PRIMER: FUNNEL
QUICKSTART
By Shyloh Wideman
Illustration by Joe Porkio

For further Florida Man Classics information and updates, or to

write for this expansion, please check out www.trustysword.com.

You’re no hero.

You’re a Florida Man:

a hurricane survivor,
an alligator wrestler,
a lawnmower-ridin’ badass,
a maker of headlines and urban legends.

You seek the truth behind the conspiracies,

and to stay ahead of the law,
as you risk it all, six-pack in hand, to make it through another day
in the Sunshine State.

There are rewards to be won and fame to be had, and your

exploits will be 6:00 news…

Florida Man Classics (FMC) is a rules hack for DCC RPG that
allows players to live their best life as a Florida Man (or any Florida
gender), drawing upon the powers of drugs, alcohol, and all things
Florida.

FMC draws inspiration from the constant stream of Florida Man

news articles and headlines. It would not be out of line for a Florida
Man to accidentally wander into a DCC/MCC/WF game while on a
bender or just hop online for five minutes. You’re sure to find
inspiration for a modern adventure if you search for “Florida Man”
news articles.

1-1
1-2
 CHARACTER CREATION
• Class: Characters are all human (and usually from Florida)
• Stats: Roll 3d6 in order, for stats (Strength, Agility, Stamina,
Intelligence, Personality, Luck)
• Birth Augur: Roll a d30 on the Birth Augur table
• Starting occupation: Roll a d30 on the Occupation table
• Starting equipment: Roll a d20 on the Equipment table
• Weapon training: Proficient in swords, clubs, firearms, and
your starting weapon
• Alignment: Chaotic
• Hit Points: 1d4, modified by Stamina
• Starting money: 1d20 dollars
• Armor Class: 10, modified by Agility
• Modifiers to saves: +0 to Willpower, Fortitude, Reflex saves
• Starting Crit die: d4
• Starting Fumble die: d4, use the Warriors crit table for weapon
and unarmed attacks

LUCK SCORE

d30 Birth Augur and Luck Roll

1 Alligator wrestler: Unarmed combat and grappling
2 Bad moon: Corruption rolls
3 Beach bum: Swim speed (each +1/-1 = +5’/-5’ speed)
4 Circus performer: Reflex saving throws
5 Conspiracy theorist: Detect lies and deception
6 Country living: Hit points (applies at each level)
7 Coyote: Gain Disguise self and Forge document as per
Thief
8 Cultist: Spell attacks
9 Dilated pupils: All attack rolls
10 Firebug: All rolls to ignite anything and to fire damage
inflicted (every +1/-1 = +1/-1 fire damage)
11 Fruit tree harvester: Gain Climb sheer surfaces as per
Thief
12 Ghost hunter: See invisible creatures
13 Grave digger: Attack rolls and damage to un-dead
14 Heatstroke survivor: Fire damage received
(every +1/-1 = -1/+1 fire damage)
1-3
15 Holy zealot: Turn unholy checks
16 Hot dog eating champion: Fortitude saving throws
17 Locksmith: Gain Pick lock and Find/disable traps as per
Thief
18 Mean streets: Gain Backstab and Pick pocket as per Thief
19 Nocturnal hunter: Can see in the dark up to 30’
20 Nope: Willpower saving throws
21 Paint huffer: Immune to gas effects (when desired)
22 Party animal: Fortitude and Reflex saving throws
23 Sketchy character: Gain Hide in shadows and Sneak
silently as per Thief
24 Snake handler: Saving throws against poison
25 Tanned hide: Armor class
26 Theme park trespasser: Find secret doors
27 Treasure diver: Hold breath for 3 minutes (every +1/-1 =
+1/-1 additional minute)
28 Uncanny speed: Initiative
29 Van by the river: Immune to fear effects
30 Wild child: Attack damage

OCCUPATION

d30 Occupation Trained Weapon Trade Goods

1 Activist Bolt cutters (as club) Pamphlets
2 Airboat captain Harpoon (as javelin) Map of the
Everglades
3 Alligator wrestler Alligator leg (as club) 50’ rope
4 Bartender Pool cue (as staff) Bottle of whiskey
5 Beach bum Knife (as dagger) Surfboard (as
shield)
6 Beachcomber Metal detector (as Metal bits and
staff) bobs
7 Bounty hunter Baseball bat (as club) Net
8 Drive-in Flashlight (as club) Bag of popcorn
theater staff
9 Fireworks 3d4 fireworks (as Box of 20
Dealer darts) matches
10 Fisherman Fillet knife (as dagger) Fishing pole
11 Flea market Scissors (as dagger) Sack of used
trader goods*
12 Handyman Hammer (as club) Box of nails
1-4
13 Haunted house Crutch (as staff) Zombie costume
actor
14 Hunter Shortbow Fresh meat
15 Jewelry maker Hammer (as club) Handcrafted
necklace
16 Karaoke DJ Microphone (as club) Songbook
17 Mechanic Wrench (as club) Gas can w/ gas
(1 gallon)
18 Motel clerk Baseball bat (as club) Continental
breakfast
19 Nightclub DJ 2d4 vinyl records (as Headphones
darts)
20 Pirate Cutlass (as Pirate hat
reenactor shortsword)
21 Retired circus 1d3 handaxes 1d20 deflated
clown balloons
22 Rock collector Pick (as club) Cloth bag of
geodes
23 Salvage diver Crowbar (as club) Flippers (x2 swim
speed)
24 Snake hunter Cleaver (as axe) Vial of venom
25 Standup Microphone (as club) Rubber chicken
comedian
26 Store mascot Foam sword Foam costume
(1 damage) (+1 AC, floats)
27 Street Pocket knife (as Guitar
musician dagger)
28 Swamp witch Staff Doll with pins in
it
29 Tiki bar server 1d4 tiki torches (as Skimpy outfit
clubs)
30 UFO enthusiast Flashlight (as club) Newspaper
clippings
*Roll 1d20 four times to determine what’s in the sack: 1= antique
straight razor, 2 = 1d6 art supplies, 3 = article of clothing, 4 = ball
of rubber bands, 5 = bad painting, 6 = 1d4 books, 7 = 1d4 canned
food missing the label, 8 = ceramic clown, 9 = children’s toy, 10 =
garden gnome, 11 = handheld tool, 12 = handmade soap, 13 =
kitchen utensil, 14 = padlock with 1d3 keys, 15 = 2d20 nails, 16 =
1d6 old postcards, 17 = salad spinner, 18 = umbrella, 19 = 1d4
vendor business cards, 20 = worn sheet set.
1-5
 EQUIPMENT

d20 Item
1 Backpack
2 Broken beer bottle
3 2d4 candy bars
4 1d6 cans of warm beer
5 Chain, 10’
6 Collapsed cardboard box
7 Crowbar
8 1d6 days of outlet store bread
9 Flask, 1d6 swigs of alcohol
10 Holy symbol
11 Inflatable pool float
12 Instrument: 1 = accordion, 2 = fiddle, 3 = harmonica, 4 =
kazoo, 5 = unbreakable comb and 1d6 feet of wax paper, 6
= washboard and metal spoon
13 Lawn chair
14 Loose change: 1d6 quarters, 1d10 dimes, 1d20 nickels, and
1d100 pennies
15 Matchbook with 2d10 matches
16 Milk jug, gallon, empty
17 Mirror, hand-sized
18 Pillow with pillowcase
19 Rope, 50’
20 Traffic sign: 1 = do not enter, 2 = railroad crossing, 3 =
speed limit, 4 = stop, 5 = turn only, 6 = yield

1-6
 QUANTUM CRAWL
CLASSICS PRIMER:
FUNNEL QUICKSTART
By Shyloh Wideman
Illustrations by Stefan Poag

For further Quantum Crawl Classics information and updates, or

to write for this expansion, please check out www.trustysword.com.

You’re no hero.

You’re a body-jumper:
a psychic,
a time traveler,
an interdimensional explorer,
a high-tech sleeper agent able to become anybody.

You seek power and immortality,

winning these through guile and assumed identities,
manipulating the future and past across multiple timelines.

There are lives to be lived, and you will live them all…

Quantum Crawl Classics (QCC) is a rules hack for DCC RPG that
allows players to play as themselves or their PCs, body-jumping
through the multiverse and time, inhabiting the bodies of various
characters (referred to as “hosts”). Whether you’re leaping through
dimensions, reliving your ancestors' lives, or playing in a “real
world” DCC RPG setting, the possibilities are endless!

QCC draws inspiration from the likes of Quantum Leap, Sliders,

Dollhouse, Westworld, Total Recall, Chuck, Freejack, A
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Invasion of the Body
Snatchers, Groundhog Day, How to Get Ahead in Advertising,
Being John Malkovich, Frankenstein, Big, Stranger Things, Stay
Tuned, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Upload, The Hidden,
Twilight Zone: The Trade-Ins, Twilight Zone: A Quality of Mercy,
Star Trek: The Enemy Within, and Firestorm from DC’s Legends of
Tomorrow.
1-7
1-8
 CHARACTER CREATION
CREATING THE 0-LEVEL “ME”
CHARACTER

This is “you as yourself,” allowing you to play “yourself” in any

DCC-compatible setting.
• Class: Characters are all human
• Stats: Based on your own strengths and weaknesses, assign all
your stats except Luck (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence,
Personality) to your GOBLS as follows: 1 to Great, 2 to Okay, 1
to Bad, and 1 to Sucks. Make sure this passes the “BS test” with
your Judge and other players! Then roll your GOBLS: 12 + 1d6
for Best, 9 + 1d6 for Okay, 12 - 1d6 for Bad, 3d6 for Luck, and
9 - 1d6 for Sucks.
• Birth Augur: Roll a d30 on the Birth Augur table
• Starting occupation: Your current occupation
• Starting equipment: What you are currently wearing and
carrying, what you own, and one other thing that is within a few
steps of the specific location you are jumping from. What you
own is only accessible when that would make sense, such as
when playing in a modern setting. If two players pick the same
nearby item, the player with the higher Luck score grabs it
before the other, leaving the player with the lower Luck score
without that item!
• Starting weapon: If the player does not have a weapon on
them, the “one other thing that is within a few steps of the
specific location you are jumping from” can be a weapon.
• Weapon training: Proficient in swords, clubs, firearms, and
your starting weapon
• Hit Points: 1d6, modified by Stamina
• Starting money: What you have in your pockets, bank,
retirement fund, crypto, etc.
• Starting language: Common and all languages you know
• Armor Class: 10, modified by Agility
• Modifiers to saves: +0 to Willpower, Fortitude, Reflex saves
• Starting Crit die: d4
• Starting Fumble die: d4

1-9
• Personal awareness: You retain all of your personal
knowledge, including anything you’ve ever seen, heard, read, or
otherwise experienced or been exposed to and remember.

CREATING THE 0-LEVEL “PC”

CHARACTER

This is “you as your PC,” allowing you to play as a body-jumping

PC.
• Use your PC’s character sheet, generated as per normal.
• Gain your PC’s starting equipment, starting weapon, and
personal awareness.

LUCK SCORE

d30 Birth Augur and Luck Roll

1 5-second rule: Fortitude saving throws
2 Animal magnetism: Magical healing (granted and
received)
3 Architectural tour: Find secret doors
4 Bad moon: Corruption rolls
5 Blackout: Can see in the dark up to 30’
6 Clean your plate: Hit points (applies at each level)
7 Corporate ladder: Gain Backstab as per Thief
8 Dance like no one’s watching: Reflex saving throws
9 Early bird’s worm: Initiative
10 Eclipse chaser: Immune to blindness
11 Fire survivor: Fire damage (every +1/-1 = +1/-1 fire
damage inflicted and -1/+1 fire damage received)
12 Flood survivor: Hold breath for 3 minutes (every +1/-1 =
+1/-1 additional minute)
13 Goth parent: Spell damage
14 Junkyard dog: Can find usable items in any pile of junk or
trash
15 Locksmith: Gain Pick lock and Find/disable traps as per
Thief
16 Lucky bastard: All saving throws
17 Mall rat: Find hidden objects and the best deals
18 Mark o’ polo: Mounted attack rolls
19 Otaku: Attack rolls to devils, demons, un-dead, and
creatures with tentacles
1 - 10
20 Natural skeptic: Immune to illusions
21 Pandemic survivor: Saving throws against poison and
disease
22 Physical comedian: Reflex saving throws and Fumbles
23 Righteous indignation: Turn unholy checks
24 School of hard knocks: Armor class and Willpower saving
throws
25 Sea legs: Swim speed (each +1/-1 = +5’/-5’ speed)
26 Sheer will: Willpower saving throws
27 Sports fan: All attack roles
28 Street fighter: Unarmed attack damage
29 Thick skin: Armor class
30 Young at heart: Skill checks (including thieves skills)

Illustration by Stefan Poag

1 - 11
 VARIANTS
The following rules override the rules above, tweaking it based on
the type of body-jump occurring.

EVIL KIRK

When you play an alternate version of yourself or your character,

such as from an alternate timeline, an alternate dimension, or as one
of your ancestors or descendants. (This is not body-jumping.)
• Use the host’s character sheet.

FRIGGIN’ FRIDAY!

You take full control, such as through a body/mind swap, astral

projection, or a full mind wipe and reprogramming.
• Use the host’s character sheet.
• Use your Intelligence and Luck.
• Gain your starting language and personal awareness.
• If a comedy setting (or the Judge hates you): you are
awkward and take a -4 modifier penalty to Agility and
Personality rolls (this penalty cannot push any modified roll
result below a 1).
• If a swap: the host also uses the Friggin’ Friday! rules but uses
your character sheet.

TWO MINDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

You share headspace with the host and work together to be the best
“you” you can be.
• Whenever a roll is required or a skill is used, use whichever
character sheet gives you a better advantage (such as to attack,
deal damage, sneak, hide, save, or use Luck).
• Whenever a roll is required, use the character sheet that gives
you a better advantage.
• Gain the benefits or penalties of both birth augers.
• Gain the host’s starting language and personal awareness.
• Use the host’s weapons, equipment, and money.
• On your next body-jump, the host personality remains and your
personality jumps.
1 - 12
 TWO MINDS FIGHTING FOR CONTROL

You share headspace with the host, who is fighting to regain

control.
• When they have control, use the host’s character sheet.
• When you have control, use Friggin’ Friday! rules.
• Roll 1d4 to determine how often there is a chance for a change
in which personality has control: 1 = every encounter, 2 = every
game session, 3 = every game day, 4 = every 1d7 game days
(roll after each jump to determine when the next jump will
occur).
• At the start of each time period that the personality could
change, roll 1d2 to determine who has control: 1 = host, 2 =
you.
• If a horror setting (or the Judge hates you): roll 1d2 to
determine if the passive personality knows what the active
personality is doing when they have control: 1 = no, 2 = yes.
• If the host would rather be the one who jumps (or your
Judge hates you): the next time you body-jump, roll 1d2 to
determine which personality jumps: 1= you, 2 = the host. If the
host’s personality jumps, roll 1d2 to determine which character
you play: 1 = yourself trapped in the host’s body, 2 = the host in
the new host’s body (or the Judge may assign which body you
end up in at their discretion).

PLOT HOOKS
1. As a time traveler, you face off against an organization bent on
changing the timeline. Every jump lands you in the middle of
the high-stakes conspiracy that spans centuries.
2. One moment you’re rolling dice around the game table, the next
you’re transported to a realm of swords and sorcery! Can you
survive long enough to get back home?
3. Relive the defining moments of your past and future lives by
inhabiting the bodies of your ancestors and descendants. Each
leap reveals hidden secrets and buried truths.
4. The Necronomicon is in your possession, granting you the
ability to traverse the multiverse. As you slip between worlds,
can you stave off the dark forces that seek its powers?

1 - 13
5. You’ve been murdered and now your ghost has taken over a
living person’s body. You have 24 hours to solve the case
before you are banished forever!
6. Each jump requires you to solve a problem for your host before
you can move on. Fail, and you’re stuck in their life forever!
7. You’ve swapped bodies with someone who is hellbent on
making sure you never get it back. It’s a case of kill or be killed!
8. A billionaire from a dystopian future seeks to upload their
consciousness into your body to cheat death. Can you escape
their clutches and save the future?
9. As a spy or assassin, advanced technology lets you inhabit
another’s body. With this, you can infiltrate and execute with no
one the wiser. Is it the technology or the host that allows the
infiltration and execution?
Time for your next mission!
10. You’re an ambassador on a distant planet being hosted in an
alien body, while your real body is kept safe at home.
Diplomatic tensions rise when a nearby star goes nova.
11. A voyeur of life, you have mastered the art of astral projection.
You take over the bodies of the sleeping, comatose, and weak-
minded to live out your wildest and darkest fantasies without
risk of personal harm.
12. Your mind has been uploaded to an android, granting you
immortality as long as you have access to a charging station. No
longer considered human, you must survive in a world that
hunts robots for sport.
13. Someone has been digging up graves and assembling a new
body. Your brain is the final piece! Are you still human, or are
you the monster they say you are?
14. You find yourself back in your childhood body. Relive your
youth and change the course of your life - if you can!
15. A curse has placed you in the body of your enemy, forcing you
to live their life and understand the consequences of your
actions. Relive past atrocities from your adversary's perspective!
16. You discover you are not alone in your head, struggling for
control as a potentially more dominant mind tries to subjugate
your own. Who will prevail?

1 - 14
MORE PLOT HOOKS

1 - 15
 THE DEVASTATING
DAGGER OF
OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE
By Eddie Bartlett

This item takes crit hits to the max. It's rather silly and only suitable
for the most gonzo and "rule of cool" games.

In the time before man, a temple dedicated to the Three Fates was
desecrated and despoiled. A foolish troll swallowed a shard from the
broken statue of the Three Fates. This stone sat brewing in stomach
acid until eventually being worn into the crude shape of a dull, stone
dagger. When the Fates decreed, this dagger was their instrument of
revenge, bursting forth from the troll, creating wounds that would
not heal. Adventurers later stumbled across this slowly dying troll
and claimed the prizes in its lair as well as this odd stone dagger.
Now the Three Fates have placed it along your path.

DEVASTATING DAGGER

Roll d3 and consult the table below, damage 1d3.

1: Clotho - The wheel of fate spins against you resulting in a

fumble.

2: Atropos - Fate is fickle and unbending towards your desire. A

miss is a miss is a miss.

3: Lachesis - Your fate is measured and smiled upon. You land a

mighty critical blow.

Rules as written: A non-twenty critical hit does not count as a hit.

In this case, we overrule that, due to the power of The Fates.
Consider a roll of 3 as an infinite plus to hit. Fate will not be denied.

1 - 16
 THE DEVILS MATCHBOX
By Erica King
Illustration by Andy Edmonds

Upon inspection this item looks like any ordinary matchbox that has
an advertisement for the 9th Circle Casino. The box is an ashen
gray, the advertisement front is deep red, and the tinder strip along
the right side is black and has a scaled texture to it. When opening
the box, the player will find a full set of twenty matches. The wood
of the matches is black, and the heads of the matches are white
phosphorus.

After acquiring this item, the character will have a hard time putting
it down and a great reluctance to give it away, requiring a DC20
Will check to do so. After failing the Will check, this item will
always stay with the character. If for any reason the owner should
lose this item (stolen or lost), it will return to their pocket a minute
later.

1 - 17
When the matchbox is in a character’s possession, they will always
feel the urge to smoke. Whenever a player considers smoking, a
cigar or cigarette will appear in a convenient pocket (assuming none
were there previously). To many, this may seem like a boon of free
tobacco.

When lighting a cigarette, the matchbox’s power is revealed. As the

character lights the cigar/cigarette, they will notice that they feel
luckier than usual, and the character gains 1 temporary Luck point
that lasts until it is used. Lighting additional matches will not
generate any additional Luck points until the current Luck point is
spent. Although the character will feel luckier, something about the
Luck feels wrong (like they are cheating). Other characters who use
the matchbox do not gain any bonus Luck while the matchbox is
“officially” in the possession of another character. Any match used
that does not generate a free Luck point (used for mundane tasks
such as lighting a lantern) reappears in the box a minute later.

Whenever a character who is smoking interacts with an NPC, they

will be able to add their alignment bonus to the check regardless of
which path they are on. (The damned can add to interactions with
the righteous and vice versa.) NPCs will often comment on this
during the conversation, “For a murdering, cheating highwayman,
you’re a pretty nice feller.”

Upon lighting the 13th match (gaining the 13th free Luck point)
time slows to a stop. At that moment the Devil (Old Scratch) comes
to collect. He appears in a puff of smoke (describe the Devil as GM
decides), “So, is it you who have been using my matches? I
wondered where they went. See here, you’ve been using the Devil’s
Own Luck, and I come to collect. Now we didn’t have a fair and
square contract, so you can choose to pay me back for the Luck you
used, or we can play a game and go double or nothing. If you win, I
will even give you a little something for the trouble, but if I win,
well, I’m going to take a little something from you for the trouble
you’ve put me through.”

If the player decides to just pay up, they must give back the
matchbox and lose 12 Luck points, although the Luck will return to
normal as time progresses. If they don’t have enough Luck to pay
up, they must play the Devil’s game. If their Luck stat should
1 - 18
become 3 or less, they will have the worst possible day, and
everything that is bad that can happen, will happen.

If the player decides to, or must play a game, the Devil manifests a
circular black mahogany playing table and asks them to choose a
game.

Regardless of the game chosen, the character's fate is determined by

a roll off. The character rolls 1d20 and adds their current Luck
modifier while the Devil rolls 1d20 and adds +3 the roll. (No Luck
may be spent on this roll). The player may decide if it’s a single roll
or a best of 3, 5 or 7 before the contest begins. If the player wins,
they gain +3 permanent Luck points or +2 to their choice of stats. If
the Devil wins, he takes 6 permanent Luck points and 1 point from
the character’s highest non-Luck statistic. If an unlikely tie should
occur, the Devil calls it a draw and takes his matchbox and leaves.

At the conclusion of the game the Devil gets up with a smile, grabs
his matchbox and says, “see you around kid!” and disappears. Time
returns to normal, and combat/noncombat returns to normal with
bonuses or penalties from the card game applied to the character
immediately. If a character should find themselves at zero Luck,
they die from a heart attack.

1 - 19
 LOST ARTIFACTS
OF A DROWNED KING
By Josh Yoder
Illustrations by Whitney Dalby

THE TALE OF THE MIGHTY KING

Before the blood-dimmed tide swallowed the great kingdom of

Atlantis beneath the Sea of Woe, a conqueror king ruled, one who
tamed the Saurian lands ruled by the twisted and cruel serpent men
from beyond the stars, many tales have been sung about this
legendary hero and, although his name has been lost to time, these
stories often tell of him bearing armor and a great sword made of
metal only found in moons that rest in the backless of the night sky.
If the armor and sword set are reunited, the great kingdom will
reveal itself to the wearer.

HELM OF THE DROWNED KING

This Star Metal Helmet

is adorned with two
large horns on each
side, and the brow of
the helm is fashioned
into a menacing sneer.
The strange metal of
this plate helm has a
bluish tint that seems
to glow green when
touched by sunlight.

+1 to AC

You are immune to any

spell that would cause
you to act against your
own free will.

1 - 20
CHEST PLATE OF THE DROWNED KING

This well-defined all-metal chest plate molds to the wearer's body,

offering comfort and mobility. In the center of the chest plate is an
ancient crest bearing what appears to be a lion’s head with a snake
in its mouth. The strange metal of this plate armor has a bluish tint
that seems to glow green when touched by sunlight.

+8 AC
Check Penalty: -2
Speed Penalty: none
Fumble Die: d8

1 - 21
SWORD OF THE DROWNED KING

This imposing longsword is made of

a strange bluish metal; the hilt
resembles snakes wrapped around
each other.

+1 Longsword, +3 VS Serpent Men

Returning:
Range - 30/60/90
Intelligence: 10
Alignment: Lawful
Communication: Empathy
The Sword glows a bright emerald
green when Serpentmen are nearby.

SET BONUS

Additional bonuses take effect when

all artifacts are worn together.
 Helm
 Chest plate
 Sword

+1d to deed die rolls

+1d vs spell saves
Visions of the Lost City:
Once per day, the wearer of this set
receives visions of the Lost Kingdom
of Atlantis. Make a Wisdom save DC
15. If successful, the wearer has
imprinted in their mind the location
of a portal that leads to the lost city.
If failed, the wearer is wrecked with
nightmares of creatures from beyond
time encircling an ancient land deep
beneath the sea trapped within a glass
dome and suffers +1d to all rolls on
the Fumble table for the next day.

1 - 22
 ARMOR, PIECEMEAL
By Stella Condrey
Illustrations by Ryan Kearins

A single piece of elven chainmail under the clothes of a halfling in

over their head. A half-naked gladiator with naught but a single
spiked pauldron wandering through a land with a darkened sun. An
armorer with nothing but a hammer and an iron helmet facing off
against the beastmen menace.

Maybe an adventurer in leather armor steals the gold encrusted

serpent helm from the high priestess and wishes to wear it as a
trophy. Maybe all they can afford are parts here and there. Maybe
that’s all they can scavenge. Whatever the case, the traditional
armor class system does not account for these situations.

If a judge wishes to add an extra layer of simulation to account for

partial armor while still maintaining the armor class system and not
implementing a hit location system, they might consider the rules
below. The system keeps full parity with core DCC. A full set of
armor with a helmet, chest piece, gauntlets and pauldrons on each
arm, and leg pieces for each leg will be mechanically identical

Armor points: For every 100 armor points a character has their AC
is increased by 1.

Penalty points: For every 100 penalty points a character increases

their Check Penalty by 1.

• At 100 penalty points the fumble die is increased to a d8.

• At 300 penalty points the fumble die is increased to a d12.
• At 400 penalty points the character suffers a -5’ movement
penalty.
• At 600 penalty points the fumble die is increased to a d16.
• At 700 penalty points the character suffers a -10’ movement
penalty.

1 - 23
Illustration by Ryan Kearins

1 - 24
 Armor
Material Item Points/ Cost
Penalty
Points
Chest Piece 25/0 125 cp
Gauntlet 8/0 5 sp
Padded Helmet 20/0 25 cp
Leg Piece 8/0 75 cp
Pauldron 8/0 5 sp
Chest Piece 50/25 5 gp
Gauntlet 23/25 2 gp
Leather Helmet 60/0 1 gp
Leg Piece 23/25 3 gp
Pauldron 75/50 11 gp
Chest Piece 75/50 11 gp
Gauntlet 23/38 45 cp
Studded
Helmet 60/0 2 gp
Leather
Leg Piece 25/25 67 sp
Pauldron 23/38 45 sp
Chest Piece 75/75 75 sp
Gauntlet 23/38 3 gp
Hide Helmet 60/0 15 sp
Leg Piece 38/38 45 sp
Pauldron 23/38 3 gp
Chest Piece 100/100 20 gp
Gauntlet 30/50 8 gp
Scale Mail Helmet 80/0 4 gp
Leg Piece 50/50 12 gp
Pauldron 30/50 8 gp
Chest Piece 125/125 38 gp
Gauntlet 38/63 15 gp
Chainmail Helmet 100/0 75 sp
Leg Piece 63/63 22 gp
Pauldron 38/63 15 gp
Chest Piece 150/150 63 gp
Gauntlet 45/75 25 gp
Banded Mail Helmet 120/0 12 gp
Leg Piece 75/75 37 gp
Pauldron 45/75 25 gp

1 - 25
 Armor
Material Item Points/ Cost
Penalty
Points
Chest Piece 200/200 300 gp
Gauntlet 60/100 120 gp
Plate Mail Helmet 160/160 60 gp
Leg Piece 100/100 180 gp
Pauldron 60/100 120 gp

EQUIPMENT CONVERSION MATRIX

If a judge is trying to adapt an armor set from another book use the
following guidelines to turn them into partial armor:

Chest Piece
• 25% cost and weight
• 25AP per +1 armor bonus
• 25 PP per -1 check penalty

Gauntlet
• 10% cost and weight
• 7.5AP per +1 full armor bonus
• 12.5 PP per -1 check penalty

Helmet
• 5% cost and weight
• 20AP per +1 full armor bonus
• 0 PP

Leg Piece
• 15% cost and weight
• 12.5AP per +1 full armor bonus
• 12.5 PP per -1 check penalty

Pauldron
• 10% cost and weight
• 7.5AP per +1 full armor bonus
• 12.5 PP per -1 check penalty

1 - 26
 WHAT’S IN THAT HOLE?
By Chris Volion
Illustrations by Chris Volion

There they go, a party of happy-go-lucky explorers seeking their

fortune. Suddenly, a hole! Is that a glimmer of treasure deep within
its recesses? Hm, there's a bend so they can't quite make out what's
in there. Luckily, it's wide enough for someone's arm! All they need
to do is reach in and the luscious treasure is all theirs! There's
certainly nothing that could go wrong!

Be it in a floor, beneath a cracked tile, in a wall, or in a tree, there's

nothing like a random hole to add flavor to the trek of your hapless
adventurers. Tell them there's a hole, roll d100 as appropriate, and
enjoy the encounter; you've earned this.

1 A handful of 2 A snakeskin 3 Snakes!

GONG!
4 Some small bones 5 A fledgling crow 6 A bone with
ribbon tied around it
7 An empty bottle 8 Some broken glass 9 An ancient coin

10 Prayer beads 11 A misspelled love 12 A juju/ talisman

letter
13 A blank scroll 14 A cameo 15 A ring missing its
necklace gemstone
16 A broken locket 17 A feather 18 A carved bone

19 A carved stone 20 A blood-crusted 21 A blood-crusted

knife straight-razor
22 A single d6 23 The floorplan of 24 An
an unknown building indecipherable map
25 Empty pouch 26 A pouch with 27 Wasps!
three silver coins

1 - 27
28 An unsettling 29 A kerchief 30 A functional
religious icon compass
31 A broken 32 A leather cord 33 A jar of ointment
compass
34 A pouch of 35 A handful of 36 A single playing
colored sand small, polished rocks card
37 An incomplete 38 A lute string 39 Centipedes!
deck of cards
40 An animal skull 41 An infant skull 42 A written riddle

43 A lock of hair 44 A half-full flask 45 An empty flask

of rotgut liquor
46 A single boot 47 A cord bracelet 48 A tuft of fur

49 A vial of ashes 50 Set of weighted 51 Insect larvae

knuckle bones
52 A lizard 53 A fake tooth 54 A gold tooth

55 A copper eye 56 A small hammer 57 A harmonica

58 A monocle 59 A cache of 60 Animal pellets

naughty engravings
61 A opossum’s paw 62 An unhatched 63 Eggshells
egg
64 A red button 65 Rusted lockpicks 66 A disintegrating
disguise kit
67 A velvet ribbon 68 A pouch of 69 A pouch of
moldy tobacco moldy seeds
70 An infant's rattle 71 Badgers! 72 A snake's rattle

1 - 28
73 A small, 74 A small pearl 75 A treasure map
decorated egg that leads to this hole
76 Note with a wish 77 Honeycomb with 78 A cache of nuts
written on it black honey
79 A disfigured doll 80 A disfigured sock 81 A dirty dress
puppet
82 Broken shackles 83 A pouch of dried 84 A paint set
beans
85 Stale biscuits 86 Five feet of string 87 Fire ants!

88 An origami bird 89 A used ritual 90 A green

candle tambourine
91 Indecipherable 92 A finger 93 Bees!
prayerbook
94 The hilt of a 95 Secret confession 96 A blood-crusted
broken sword of a local citizen hammer
97 Spiders! 98 Gemstone with 99 Five gold coins -
fire dancing in core clearly counterfeit
100 Bag of Holding containing six humanoid skeletons

Illustration by Chris Volion

1 - 29
 MORDIGGIAN,
THE CHARNEL GOD
By Marc Nocerino

Mordiggian, the Charnel God, is a powerful creature who exists

through time and across dimensions, harvesting the life essence of
beings as they die. His appetite is endless and luckily, he exists in
all realms simultaneously. For if his insatiable, insensate appetite
were confined to just one world he would devour it in an instant,
inhaling all life in a voracious vortex as his greed for life-essence
engulfed and consumed all living things.

On the rare occasions that he manifests physically (which almost

never happens except when summoned by a worshiper or group of
worshipers), he appears as a writhing black void with no fixed or
discernible shape. Tendrils of otherworldly darkness often lash out
blindly as Mordiggian uses these tentacles to “see” his surroundings
and any beings around him, much like a shark “sees” with its teeth
or a bat “sees” with echolocation. This is because Mordiggian is
effectively blind to anything which is not dead or on the verge of
death, and his only way of “seeing” the world around him is through
the touch of his tendrils. Unfortunately for those touched, this often
brings madness, pain, and even death as the extra-dimensional
necrotic energy is anathema to life.

Mordiggian is often revered by ghouls and other sentient un-dead --

or those who seek to harness undeath’s power for themselves. His
followers often provide living sacrifices in an attempt to please their
God and appease his boundless hunger, which Mordiggian
appreciates with zeal. Although he does not need these sacrifices,
they greatly amuse him and allow him to focus his energies
elsewhere to harvest souls across the multiverse.

Invoke Patron check results:

12-13 Mordiggian is annoyed by the intrusion and “gifts” the

caster and all nearby living creatures a glimpse of their own
mortality. Every living creature in a 50’ radius, including
the caster, must make a DC 10 Will save or be paralyzed
1 - 30
 with dread of their own inescapable mortality for 1d6
rounds. No actions may be taken while under this effect,
even if damage is received (DC 15 Fort save to allow action
after receiving damage). The vision is so disorienting that
even those who succeed on their initial Will save are
impacted such that all actions are at -1d for the next hour.
The caster knows not to bother Mordiggian again for aid
until the following day (effectively losing any further
castings of Invoke Patron he might have that day).

14-17 Mordiggian is being physically summoned elsewhere /

elsewhen by other faithful, and only gives the barest
glimmer of attention to the character. Waves of entropic
energy pour forth from the caster, causing 1d4 Stamina
damage to all living creatures (except the caster) in a 20’
radius (DC 10 Fort Save negates). The caster knows not to
bother Mordiggian again for aid until the following day
(effectively losing any further castings of Invoke Patron he
might have that day).

18-19 Mordiggian is busy answering prayers/granting spells to

many other faithful across the dimensions and has little
attention to give the caster. He grants the caster +1 to
Initiative and Spell Checks for the next 1d3 rounds.

20-23 The caster is filled with Necrotic energy and given a brief
glimpse into the immediate future of his/her Timeline. This
is represented by a +1 plus CL on unarmed/melee attacks
and any Necromantic spells, and +1 plus CL to initiative for
the next 1d5 rounds.

24-27 The area surrounding the caster is awash in Necrotic

energy. The caster is affected as in the previous result, but
all results are +2 plus CL. In addition, all living creatures
must succeed a Fort save or suffer a -1 to all actions for the
next 1d5 rounds as the waves of fear and entropy slow their
reactions and dull their senses.

28-29 As above, but all results are +1d3 plus CL, and at this level
of success the caster may implore Mordiggian to only affect
his enemies (Judge decides whether that request is granted).
1 - 31
30-31 As above, but all results are +2d4 plus CL, and at this level
of success Mordiggian is pleased enough that he will only
affect the caster’s enemies.

32+ Treat this result as a successful Divine Aid request (as

Mordiggian is a God after all), provided the Aid requested
ties directly into Mordiggian’s sphere of influence (death,
timeline manipulation, or extra-dimensional travel). This
means the caster can ask anything of Mordiggian, and the
Judge will adjudicate as they see fit. Alternately, this can be
used to attempt to summon Mordiggian onto the material
plane, although He WILL require sacrifices before
manifesting.

PATRON SPELLS: MORDIGGIAN

WRITHING TENDRIL

Level: 1

The caster can summon one or more small tendrils from the nether
void, like the tendrils that lash out blindly when Mordiggian
manifests on a material plane. This spell requires something
recently dead as a focus point for the tendril’s manifestation;
specifically, the tendril channels through the life essence from the
corpse. A sacrificed animal, a fallen foe (or friend), even a fresh
corpse (no more than a few hours dead) could work.

1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 One small tendril erupts from the corpse, lashing out and
striking the nearest living creature within 5’ for 1d3 damage
before disappearing. The caster may not direct the attack,
and it is as likely to hit foe or friend if in range. This
consumes the life essence of the corpse, and it may not be
used as the focus for any further spells, nor may it be raised
by any means short of a Divine Intervention, although the
corpse remains behind.

1 - 32
14-17 As above, but larger tendrils and more of them. 1d3 tendrils
appear, and each strike for 1d4+CL damage in a 10’ radius
before disappearing. Each tendril may strike the same or
different targets, determined randomly by the judge. This
consumes the life essence of the corpse, and it may not be
used as the focus for any further spells, nor may it be raised
by any means short of a Divine Intervention, although the
corpse remains behind.

18-19 The caster can summon 1d4+CL tendrils from the corpse,
which strike out as above (1d4+CL damage, 10’ radius), but
they stay and continue thrashing for 1d3+CL rounds. This
consumes the life essence of the corpse, and it may not be
used as the focus for any further spells, nor may it be raised
by any means short of a Divine Intervention, although the
corpse remains behind.

20-23 The caster can summon 1d4+CL tendrils from the corpse,
which lash out for 1d6+CL damage in a 15’ radius and
inflict 1d3 Stamina damage on a failed Fort save. Any
living creatures reduced to 0 Stamina in this fashion fall
dead and sprout 1d2 tendrils of their own. This consumes
the life essence of the original host but does not consume
the life essence of any corpses created in this fashion, which
may be used for further spells.

24-27 At this level of success, the caster calls forth the tendrils as
on the previous result, but they also inflict 1d3 Personality
damage on a failed Will save. They are fully under the
control of the caster and will only attack as directed. Any
living creatures reduced to 0 Stamina or Personality in this
fashion fall dead and sprout 1d2+CL tendrils of their own.
This consumes the life essence of the original host but does
not consume the life essence of any corpses created in this
fashion, which may be used for further spells.

28-29 As the prior entry, but 1d6+CL tendrils appear, and corpses
created by ability damage sprout 1d4+CL new tendrils of
their own. The corpse is utterly consumed by this magic,
ripped to shreds, leaving behind only pools of blood and
gore, along with clothing and belongings.
1 - 33
30-31 As the prior entry, but 1d10+CL tendrils appear and strike
for 1d8+CL damage, 1d5 Stamina and 1d5 Personality
damage.

32+ The tendrils are the very stuff of the darkest of legends. As
above, but 1d12+CL tendrils are summoned; each hit for
1d8+CL damage to hit points, Stamina, and Personality,
and there is NO SAVE against the ability damage.

VISIONS FROM ACROSS THE TIMELINE

Level: 2

As Mordiggian is a creature existing across time, he can give his

faithful glimpses into different areas of their timelines. If asking
about the future, this essentially functions the same as the Cleric
spell second sight (DCC RPG, p. 267). If asking about the past, the
spell functions the same as the Wizard spell consult spirit (DCC
RPG, p. 204), except that the spirit is Mordiggian, who is
omniscient and bonded to the caster either as Patron or Deity;
therefore, the answers will always be true – though they may be
subjectively slanted to what Mordiggian desires, rather than being
absolute truth.

Judge’s Note: see noted spells for success results and modify
accordingly.

ANIMATE DEAD

Level: 3

As the Cleric spell of the same name (DCC RPG, p. 285) except that
Mordiggian requires a bit of the caster’s own life force to power the
spell. For each 2 HD of un-dead created by this spell, the caster
must spellburn one point of ability score (rounded down, minimum
of one). These ability scores recover per the normal spellburn rules
with the following change: one ability point must remain “burned”
for each 4 HD of un-dead created (rounded down, minimum of one)
until the un-dead servants are no longer animated. If the caster finds
willing partners to help in the casting, then spellburn can be shared
among those partners in a ritualized version of this spell.
1 - 34
The long-term spellburned ability scores can be from those willing
participants; however, at least one point of the overall spellburn
must be from the caster. These additional participants need not be
Wizards, but they do need to be followers of Mordiggian. This is
not the same as circle magic (DCC RPG, p. 124). Note that people
who are magically charmed (i.e., under the effects of a charm spell,
hypnotized by some potion or creature ability, etc.) are not
considered “willing participants” for the purposes of this spell, and
any attempt to recruit a person who is charmed will result in an
immediate Will save for the person to break the effects of the charm
they are under.

SPELLBURN: MORDIGGIAN

Roll Spellburn Result

1 If the target of the spell is Lawful, or dedicated to

life/healing in some way, the value of Spellburn is doubled.
If they are Chaotic or dedicated to the worship of death, the
Spellburn is halved (rounded down, minimum of 0).

2 You scream Mordiggian’s name so loudly that you shred

your own vocal cords in the process. Burn an extra point of
Stamina but add 2 points of Spellburn for it. You can’t
speak above a whisper until you get some good rest.

3 Mordiggian is so pleased by your sacrifice that he wraps

one of his tendrils around you. This immediately does 1d3
damage to you but adds +5 to your AC for the remainder of
the scene, at which time the tendril dissipates back into
whatever realm it came from. There is a 50% chance it will
randomly lash out at the nearest living creature when it
does, inflicting 1d4 damage as it goes.

4 Your sacrifice is but a pale shadow of the actual sacrifices

that Mordiggian usually claims; you must swear to sacrifice
1HD of creatures for each point of ability that you Spellburn
with this casting. Failure to make the sacrifices within one-
week, results in DOUBLE the ability point loss and a roll
on the Patron Taint table.

1 - 35
 PATRON TAINT: MORDIGGIAN

Roll Result

1 Death Sight - The devotee’s continued dealings with

Mordiggian have granted them the ability to see death’s
touch upon living creatures, allowing them to see how
living creatures would appear in a more advanced state of
age. This occurs as a hallucination of the creature aging
before the caster’s very eyes and has a disorienting effect on
the caster and their ability to concentrate. Mechanically, this
is represented by a -1 on all attacks or spell checks that
target a single, living creature.

If this result is rolled a second time, the disorientation

increases to a -2 on all attacks and spell checks directed
toward any single living creature or number of creatures,
and a -1 on all other rolls.

If this result is rolled a third time, the caster’s disorientation

is so severe that she must succeed on a DC13 Will save
every morning upon awakening or suffer -3d2 on all rolls of
any kind. On a successful save, she still suffers a -2 to ALL
rolls for the rest of the day.

2 Expedited Entropy - The caster ages unnaturally quickly as

echoes of Mordiggian’s entropic power affect the caster.
The first time this is rolled, the caster ages by roughly 25%
of her total life expectancy, roughly 15 years for human
characters. There is no impact to abilities, but the caster
visibly looks older (skin loses elasticity, hair lightens in
color, etc.).

The second time this is rolled, the caster ages a further 25%,
and this results in -1d3 to all physical attributes, but +1d2 to
all mental attributes. Luck remains unchanged. The physical
changes are much more obvious at this point, and the
character appears to be in the autumn of her life.

If this is rolled a third time, the character ages a further 25%

and appears to be on Death’s Door. She permanently loses
1 - 36
 50% of their HP, a further 1d4+CL to all physical attributes,
and gain 1d2+CL to mental attributes. Her hair falls out
altogether or just remains in scraggly white patches, her
skin splotches and thins, veins darken and become more
pronounced, and she looks to be deep in the twilight of their
lives. Additionally, the character must make a DC 13 Will
save every day she awakens and every time she sees her
reflection, or she suffers -1d to all actions (including
spellcasting) as her impending mortality consumes all of her
thoughts.

3 Slipping in the Space/Time Continuum - Just as Mordiggian

traverses time and space to harvest life essence from the
dying, so too does the caster begin to lose her anchor on the
plane where she exists. The first time this result is rolled,
the caster gains a +1d to all spells which channel energy
from other realms (including invoke patron), but
permanently loses one point of Strength or Stamina (Judge’s
choice) as her connection to the material plane weakens.
This physically manifests as subtle flickering around the
caster’s outline when viewed in a reflective surface or when
caught out of the corner of the eye. It is disconcerting, but
nothing more.

If this is rolled a second time, the caster begins showing

further signs of incorporeality as she slips into the
past/future/adjacent slipstream. The flickering becomes
more pronounced and is noticeable even when viewed
directly. This results in a further permanent loss of 1 STR
and 1 STA but adds +3 AC due to the semi-corporeality of
the caster. Further, the caster can, once per day, receive a +4
bonus To Hit with any attack or targeted spell by
concentrating for a fraction of a second (move action) to
peer forward into the time stream.

If this result is rolled a third time, 1d10 small holes (~1”

diameter each) appear in the caster, at random places on her
body (roll d10 for each hole: 1-2: arms, 3: hands, 5-6: torso,
7-8: legs, 9: feet, 10: head/face). These are clean boreholes
right through the caster, as if she just did not exist in those
particular areas. This is, in fact, true, as Mordiggian has
1 - 37
 claimed these little bits for Himself. The caster suffers -5 to
all PER rolls related to any form of negotiation or
interpersonal communication if the holes are visible.
Additionally, the caster must succeed on a DC 13 Will save
daily or gain 1d2 more holes. Lastly, all spell misfires result
in 1d12 new holes, and unless the caster makes a DC15 Will
save, she will also permanently lose one point each of
Strength and Stamina as their body continues to fray out of
material existence. If the caster is reduced to 0 in Strength
or Stamina in this fashion, Mordiggian immediately
manifests and pulls the caster into His swirling nothingness,
along with an attempt to grapple all living creatures (up to
1d8 total) in a 30’ radius with His tentacles as He leaves this
plane with His prize.

4 Charnel Stench - Eons of death, both past and future, feed

Mordiggian’s endless hunger. The effluvium of rot hangs
heavy upon Mordiggian, and that charnel stench can infect
His faithful. The first time this is rolled, a subtle stink of
decay and rotten meat exudes from the caster. It is
unsettling but only noticeable at close quarters; only those
within 5’ of the caster will notice it, but, when they do, the
source is unmistakable. The stench does not have any
specific mechanical effect, but the Judge is encouraged to
roleplay the queasiness and discomfort it causes to those in
close proximity to the caster.

The second time this result is rolled, the smell emanates to a

great distance, up to 100’ away. This makes it off-putting to
some (-1d4 to rolls involving Personality checks with other
living creatures), downright appealing to others (+30%
chance that predators and scavengers will prioritize the
caster as a target), and distracting to the caster (-1 on all
rolls requiring concentration).

If this result is rolled a third time, the reek of putrefaction is

so overpowering that the caster must succeed on a DC 13
Will save daily to overcome her revulsion toward herself or
suffer -1d to all actions that day and incur the immediate
ire/revulsion/horror of any person she comes near. The
caster also becomes a beacon of deliciousness to all
1 - 38
 predators and scavengers within sniffing distance (specifics
for both effects are left to the Judge’s discretion).

5 Aura of Death - The caster is clearly marked as a harbinger

of Death’s Harvester, and her mere presence speeds up the
death of small living things nearby. All insects and any
animals smaller than the average toad in the caster’s
proximity begin to age and will rapidly die within 1d5
rounds if they remain within 50’ of the caster. There is no
save against this effect, and it only works on non-magical
animals with Intelligence of 3 or below (no monsters or
sentient creatures are affected – only mundane
animals/insects).

If this is rolled a second time, it affects all mundane living

creatures up to the size of an average herding dog. This
includes sentient creatures up to Intelligence of 7, though
they are allowed a DC 7 Will save each round to avoid the
effects. Monsters and humanoids are not affected.

If this is rolled a third time, the caster becomes an avatar of

death itself and is considered a pariah by most living things.
Mundane creatures up to man-sized are affected as above
(DC 7 Will save each round to negate). This includes
monsters, sentient creatures of all intelligence levels, and
even the caster’s friends and party members. Additionally,
the caster must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or seek to
either hide away from living things or, depending on her
alignment, seek to spread her dread aura by seeking out
populous areas to the exclusion of all other goals for the
remainder of that day.

6 Necrotic Aspect - The caster begins taking on some of the

characteristics of Mordiggian’s manifestations. The first
time this is rolled, the caster’s skin takes on the appearance
of tanned leather, her face takes on minor canine
characteristics, and her teeth and nails lengthen (à la a
Lovecraftian ghoul). Mechanically, these show up as a -1 to
Personality and a -1 to any rolls requiring fine manipulation.
Additionally, the sharp nails cause an extra 1d2 damage on
a successful unarmed melee attack.
1 - 39
If rolled a second time, the caster’s face becomes much
more canine, giving the caster the appearance of not being
totally human. Also, one arm is replaced by a tendril. This
makes it impossible to hold or manipulate anything with
that hand, but it can still be used for spellcasting and
anything that doesn’t require an opposable thumb.
Mechanically, these show up as a further -2 to Personality
and a -1d to any rolls requiring using both hands or fine
manipulation (climbing, swimming, etc.). The tendril can be
infused with necrotic energy, able to deliver blows causing
1d6 damage to any living creature touched. The lengthening
of the teeth can also be used to inflict a Bite attack, causing
1d4 damage.

If this is rolled a third time, the character’s other arm is

replaced by another tendril and her other features become
fully ghoulish. The character cannot hold anything or
perform any acts of fine manipulation with either tendril
(can’t turn a doorknob, or write, or unfurl a scroll, etc.), but
she can use the tendrils to push/batter things clumsily. The
tendrils each do 1d6 necrotic damage to any living creature
touched, and the caster can attack twice per round (once
with each tendril) if she so chooses. Spells can still be cast.
Additionally, the caster looks fully monstrous and is treated
as such by all who come in contact with her (with the
possible exception of those who already know her). Finally,
the caster loses an additional 1d6 Personality and has
difficulty speaking Common with her newly formed
ghoulish features.

1 - 40
 THE HANTING OF LOW
BOG: DOWN BY THE RIVER
A Shudder Mountains-inspired encounter
for The Wild Woods

By JoanofArc DesTroyer

BACKGROUND

Ancient ages ago, Lewizy Leroy Clem with his mule Louise fell
into the river down in the valley of the Wild Wood. The story of
Lewizy Leroy Clem and Louise began with what the Shudfolk call
the Haunting of Low Bog near the confluence of Smitegone river.

At the fork where the creeks come together to form Smitegone,

there lies a bog. The Shudfolks know it as Low Bog. Low Bog is a
burn spoil. The Shudder Mountains are filled with areas of spoils,
and the Shudfolk fear them. You will hear the Shudfolk tell you that
the spoils are to be avoided at all cost, if you know what you are
looking for.

The Shudfolk tell the stories of Lewizy and his mule Louise, who
roamed the areas around and in he Wild Woods. They say that
Lewizy found him a spoil within the Low Bog at the confluence of
the creeks leading into Smitegone river.

Down by the river, the Low Bog sits blacker than a Shudfolk
Mountain night. When Lewizy found it, though, it was a pristine
clear pond, ripe and beautiful, with a bottom speckled of gold. He
and his mule Louise could not seem to leave the area around Low
Bog. “Well,” as the Shudfolk would say, “Lewizy had found him a
Mother Load of wealth. But it did him no good, as he and his mule
slowly done turned to black.”

Despite the strange sense the area gave Lewizy, and the reaction
made by his mule Louise, Lewizy was so enamored by the
twinkling of gold on the bottom of the pond that he disregarded the
sensation of dread and the baying of his mule Louise. After a matter
of weeks, possibly days – no Shud really knows for sure – Lewizy
and Louise succumbed to the spoil of Low Bog.
2-1
The stories of Lewizy Leroy Clem and his mule Louise tell of their
uncommon trails through the Black Mountains of Appalachia.
Lewizy was known to carry the only gun within a hundred miles (if
only the Shudfolks knew that many miles). It may be possible that
the player characters find his spoiled gun at the bottom of Low Bog.

ENCOUNTER

Your travels from holler to holler have led you to the west of The
Wild Wood in the southeast parts of the Shudder Mountains. You
were told by the nearest Shudfolk of the Haunting of Low Bog at the
confluence of Smitegone River. The tale included the finding of a
Mother Load of gold along the banks of the creeks that come
together to form the beginning of the river. Standing here you can
see the crystal clear water of the creeks flowing into the river.
Just north of the fork created by the creeks flowing into the river is
a low area. It is pitch black at the bottom, and from it comes a mist.

As the PCs approach this area, they need to make a DC 16 Will

Save or be drawn to the creek.

You are drawn to the bank of the creek with the allure of what
sparkles within the pebbled bottom. You can’t wait to bend down to
pick up as much as you can and place it into your pockets.

Ask those PCs who made their Will Save what they are doing as the
others gather glittering gold. Once the players have said what they
are doing, have all players make another DC 16 Will Save.

With each round, the PCs need to make a Will Save DC 16 or

continue to gather the glittering gold.

Once all PCs have made three successful saves, the adventurers
have gathered enough gold pieces, 1d24 GP each.

As the PCs are dividing up the sparkly gold, Lewizy and his mule
Louise’ hants rise from Low Bog. They are not going to allow the
player characters to steal the gold, as it belongs to them.

2-2
Lewizy Leroy Clem & Louise (“Hants”) - (2): Init +2; Atk touch
+6 melee (1d6 plus frigid touch) or poltergeist gun +4 ranged (1d8);
AC 10; HD 2d12; hp 11 each; MV fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP frigid
touch, immune to non-magical weapons, un-dead traits; SV Fort +2,
Ref +4, Will +6; AL C.

Frigid touch: If the hant lands a touch attack, the target must
succeed on a DC 10 Fort save or suffer 1d3 damage to a physical
ability score of the target’s choice.

Lewizy’s Gun: Affected by the burn spoil of Low Bog. The gun is
animated as per the breathe life spell. Determine spell check result
using d10+20 for burn spoils.

Keep track of Rounds, as this will determine the Spoil Effects on the
PCs and their weapons. (See Spoil Effects table on page 25 of The
Chained Coffin by Michael Curtis). Any living creature exposed to
a burn spoil for more than one minute must make a DC 15 Fortitude
save or suffer 2d6 points of damage and be affected by the burn
spoil.

2-3
THE INVERTED PYRAMID
BY J. Edwards Jacobs
Illustrated by Wulf Mungus

2-4
 INTRODUCTION

The Inverted Pyramid is an adventure written for 4 – 6 Level

5 Characters. I’m also hot garbage at game balance so I make you
no promises on that statement’s accuracy. The adventure assumes a
balanced party, elves and thieves are recommended for finding
secret doors and avoiding traps. A wizard probably wouldn’t go
amiss either. This adventure was deeply inspired by Gary Gygax’s
seminal classic, Tomb of Horrors, so enter forewarned. The Inverted
Pyramid is a death trap dungeon, made to be a little unfair and very
deadly. I hope you have as much fun running it and running through
it as I had writing it.

Judge’s Note: This adventure uses the following notation to refer to

locations elsewhere in the dungeon: L#R#, where L# is the Level
Number and R# is the Room number. Example: L2R4 is Level 2
Room 4. If no L# is shown, the room is on the same level.

BACKGROUND

When the land of Bastion was young and the gods warred, they
made the mortal races to fill their armies. Millennia upon millennia
the Gods War raged on battlefields littered with the bodies of
mortals. The mortal races, realizing that the immortal gods would
wage their war without end, devised a magical weapon that would
drive the gods out and bring peace to their home. The magical
energy released from this weapon left the land surrounding it a
barren desert. Realizing that this device, the Finideus Rod, should
never be used again, the leaders of the now freed mortals
constructed a tomb from which this rod should never be removed.

Word of the weapon was scrubbed from every history, and its name
has become legend. But one mage may have found the truth. And
now he needs a party of adventurers to retrieve it.

General Features: The air in the dungeon is dry and dusty. The
walls are 8 feet tall and are constructed of large blocks. Closer
inspection reveals that the walls and floor are held together with a
strange sandstone mortar. There are no light sources unless noted.

2-5
 LEVEL 1

When the PCs approach the site of the Inverted Pyramid, they
discover only an empty sandy desert. Divination magic tells them
that the rod is somewhere beneath them. A DC 25 knowledge check
reveals a corner or a flat stretch of worked stone (Roll 1d5, 1: NW
Corner, 2: NE Corner, 3: SW Corner, 4: SW Corner, 5 Flat stretch
of stonework). Judge’s should consider PC’s search locations and
decisions when determining which entrance the PCs find. Possible
entrances are R4, 11, 13, 15, or 16. Each entrance from the top
appears the same. A 5x5 block of stone with an iron rod handhold
crossing an indentation on each of the 4 corners. A combined DC 40
Strength Check is required. 4 PCs may combine their STR checks,
one at each corner.

2-6
1. A perfectly square room, a single door on all four sides. A stone
bollard is mounted next to a missing block in the floor at the center
of the room.

The stairs in this room lead to L2R1.

2. A rectangular room, with doors to the west and east.

This room appears to be empty as the PC’s traverse it. Searching for
secret doors (DC 10 Int) reveals a crystal shaped indentation on the
wall south. The gargoyle's crystal (R8) fits this indentation and will
open the door.

3. Frescos of various types cover the walls in this room. Paintings

of battles during the Gods War, the formation of the Rod of Seven
Realms, and the formation of the Veil. Over each of the events flies
three crows. At the midpoint of the Eastern wall is a painting of two
hooded clerics with crow’s heads. Between them they hold a box.

Close examination of the box reveals a seam around it, separate

from the wall. If a PC pries or pushes on the box it pulls out from
the wall 4”. The lid is removable and inside is a lever. The lever is a
trap, a needle shoots out from next to the handle and strikes the PC
in the hand, dealing 1d3 damage. The needle is poisoned, requiring
a Fort Save DC 15 or dealing an additional 1d10 damage.

On the western wall, obscured by a fresco of the Hidden One

battling Daenthar is a secret door (DC 20 to notice) to R1. The door
is sealed and mortared and must be chiseled open.

4. When the PCs enter the hallway from above, they see a message
written four times on the east wall, once in Elven, once in Common,
once in Dwarven, and once in Halfling. “This is not a place of
honor. No highly esteemed deed is commemorated here. What is
here is dangerous and must never be removed. Defenses have been
placed to ensure the safety of all mortals. Do not continue. You will
be killed. You have been warned.”

The hallway is otherwise unadorned, sandstone floors and walls,

ceiling 10 ft above and four doors leading out from the hallway. The

2-7
secret door on the east wall (DC 15 INT to find) is sealed shut with
mortar and must be chiseled open.

5. As the torchlight hits the floor of this chamber, thousands upon

thousands of scarab beetles scurry away to holes in the walls. Even
as the adventurers traverse the room, they can hear the skittering of
tiny legs through the walls.

6. A chapel, sealed off for many years. The pews are filled with
skeletons contorted in positions of agony. Several of the pews have
large green liquid stains on them. At the far end of the room is an
altar engraved with ravens on the front. A chalice filled with a
green viscous liquid sits in the center of the altar. To the East of the
altar is an empty archway with stone raven statues perched on the
top corners.

The chalice is the Cup of Agony. The liquid in the cup is a poison.
Any character who ingests or is injected with the poison must make
a DC 20 Fort save or take 1d10 damage. After failing the Fort check
the victim must make a DC 20 Will save or lose all actions for that
round as they writhe in pain prone. As an action, a character in
possession of the Cup may fill it with one dose of poison. A Handle
Poison action must be used to apply the poison.

7. A room is filled with eight pillars, holding the weight of

the sand and stone above. Exits are to the East and west.

As the PC’s lamp or torch light moves through the room, they
may see a flitter of movement on the edges of the light (Int DC 12
to notice). As the PCs pass into the center of the room, they are
beset by 4 Shadows, creatures of darkness that attempt to kill
them.

A hidden door is plastered into the north wall of the room (DC
20 INT to find).

Shadow: Init +8; Atk Strength Drain +7 (1d8) DC 15 Fort save or

1d4 STA Damage; AC 18; HP 15 (3d6); MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP
Undead, immune to critical hits, immune to mind affecting spells,
1/2 damage from non-magical weapons. SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will
+2; AL C.
2-8
8. At the back of this empty room is a 10’ tall four-armed gargoyle.
In one of its hands, it holds a large blue crystal.

Any attempt to take the crystal or touch the Gargoyle wakes the
creature who immediately attacks.

Gargoyle: Init +0; Atk claw +5 melee (1d6); AC 21; HD 2d8 (12);
MV 30’ or fly 30’; Act 3d20; SP resistant to non- magical weapons,
stand still; SV Fort +8, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.

9. This small out of the way hall is attended by 3 wandering Wights.

Their eternal hunger has been unsated for centuries and they now
turn their eyes towards the Adventurers.

Wight: Init +4; Atk Necrotic claw +8 melee (1d8) DC 15

Fort save or 1d4 XP Damage; AC 17; HD 30 (4d8+6); MV
40’; Act 2d20; SP Undead, immune to critical hits, immune to
mind-affecting spells, vulnerable to fire. SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will
+6; AL C.

10. This room appears to be a sort of mausoleum. Inside the room

are ten sealed clay jars. The wax seal on the top is ancient, partly
cracked.

Inside each of the jars is a morass of noxious green/black sludge.

PCs who open them and any within 5’ must make a Fort save DC 10
or immediately vomit. Anyone able to stomach down the liquid
takes saves as though they drank the poison from the Cup of Agony.

11. Below the large stone block is a large square room. Statues
surrounding the room depict cloaked figures, long swords held
point down in their folded hands. Over the only door leaving the
room to the east is carved three crows that seem to follow the
Adventurers as they traverse the room.

12. Eight sarcophagi, four per side, line the north and south walls of
this room. Each coffin is marked with the sign of the Crow. Clerics
recognize the symbol as the sign of Malotoch, Lord of Crows.

If any PCs touch any sarcophagus all of the lids fall off and
skeletons of Clerics long dead crawl from them and attack the PCs.
2-9
Skeleton Cleric: Init +0; Atk claw +8 melee (1d6) DC15
Fort save or 1d10 Necrotic Damage; AC 17; HD 30 (4d8+6); MV
40’; Act 2d20; SP Undead, immune to critical hits, immune to
mind-affecting spells, vulnerable to fire; Resistant to Slashing and
Piercing weapons, May cast Paralyze as a SC 15 roll. SV Fort +10,
Ref +2, Will +2; AL C.

13. A long hallway opens to the North of the entrance. Colorful

murals on the walls depict the different gods; Justicia, Pelagia,
Ildavir, The Hidden One, and many others that had participated in
the Gods War.

PCs that search for a secret door find one at the mural of Malotoch,
(DC 14 Int).

14. No light can be seen beyond the door of this room. Torchlight
stops less than 5 feet beyond the threshold.

The room is magically dark; torchlight only penetrates 5’ beyond

the torchbearer. All PCs who enter the room must make a luck
check +1d. PCs who pass the check feel a dart fly past them, those
who fail take 1d4 damage and must make a DC 20 Fort save or
suffer 1d10 poison damage. PCs who continue through the hall must
make a Luck check every 10 feet as above. Reaching the back wall
requires 4 checks, the back wall is a solid stone wall. Luck checks
are repeated on the return trip.

15. The walls of this room are covered in gold, reflecting any light
that enters the room into every corner. A door on the north wall
depicts Malotoch with her arms open, her hood pulled back to
reveal her face.

The door is locked if any PCs check. After the door lock is picked
(DC 10 Lock Pick check), when opened, all the PCs see is a flat,
grey stone wall. The PCs hear a click and the ceiling collapses in on
them. PCs in the room take 2d10 damage, (DC 15 Ref for 1/2
damage). PCs above the room fall as well taking 1d10 damage (DC
15 Ref to avoid).

2 - 10
16. A plain stone hallway with sandstone floor and walls extends in
front of the PCs. Three doors line the north wall, each labeled with
a number 1 through 3 left to right.

17. Each room contains a number of enemies equal to the number

on the door. Door 1 contains one Wight, Door 2 contains 2 Skeleton
Knights, and door 3 contains 3 Skeleton Clerics. The rooms are
otherwise empty.

Skeleton Knight: Init +0; Atk Sword +10 melee (1d8); AC 20; HD
29 (4d8+6); MV 40’; Act 2d20; SP Undead, immune to critical hits,
immune to mind-affecting spells, vulnerable to fire; Resistant to
Slashing and Piercing weapons, May cast Paralyze as a SC 15 roll;
SV Fort +10, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C.

LEVEL 2

2 - 11
1. There is a hole in the ceiling of this hallway leading to the level
above. A long hallway extends north and south. Doors open to the
east and west. At the south end of the hallway, a yawning crow’s
head as big as a portal stands. The mouth of the crow is empty, but
infinitely black. Light sources dipped into the mouth are
extinguished.

The hole in the ceiling of this room leads to L1R1.

2. As the PCs enter the room, the sandstone floor seems to shift and
slide. Their feet touch the floor, which appears to be quicksand!

The quicksand floor immediately tries to pull the PCs under. Each
round in the sand requires a DC 12 Ref save or the PC is dragged
1d5 feet into the sand. The entrances to the room are 30’ apart and
the room halves all movement. Rope or a pole may be used to
retrieve PCs from the sand on a Str check DC 10 + the number of
feet that the victim has sunken. PCs who are completely submerged
begin to drown in the sand, forcing a Fort Save DC 20. Failure
results in a loss of 1d5 temporary Stamina.

3. The walls of this room are adorned with statues of Malotoch,

hood down, sword in her hands. A skeleton sits with his back
against the East door, a long-rusted sword at his side and his hands
clutching a green tarnished chalice. The very bottom of the chalice
and a channel running up to the sipping lip of the cup are bright
brass.

4. Along the walls of this room are six mirrors, three each along the
north and south walls. On the east wall is a fresco of Malotoch, her
arms open as wings and her hood pulled low on her face. Torchlight
is reflected off the mirrors onto the floor and ceiling creating a
crisscross of light across the sandstone surfaces.

Any PC who gazes into a mirror is grabbed and pulled in (Str Check
DC 16 to resist). PCs who are grabbed in this way wake up in
complete darkness in R11. A luck check is made for Weapons,
Armor, Gold, and any magic item in their possession. Any item
which fails the luck check is teleported to L5R1.

2 - 12
5. This appears to be some sort of storage room. The sides of the
room are filled to the ceiling with sealed clay jars.

Removing one from the top level requires a Str Check DC12. Inside
the jars is a noxious green/black viscous liquid. PCs who open them
and any within 5’ must make a Fort save DC10 or immediately
vomit. Anyone able to stomach down the liquid takes saves as
though they drank the poison from the Cup of Agony.

6. The Adventurers enter a room, seemingly adorned with sable

brown curtains. A table is set up in the center of the room. Four
chairs sit around it, and a small lockbox sits on the table.

As soon as any PC touches the curtains or the lockbox, the curtains

reveal themselves to be enormous slimes. A large slime blocks the
door and three other slimes fall down from the walls, hungrily
engaging the PCs.

Curtain Slime: Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4);

AC 10; HD 26 (5d8); MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 1d20 per 5’ square; SP
half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, Metal Digestive;
SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N.

Metal digestive: Any metal weapon in contact with the slime is

rendered useless. Metal armor suffers -1 AC per round of contact.
Magic items receive a save against DC 12 (to hit bonus as modifier).

7. There is a mural on the East wall depicting an elephant charging

through a rank of soldiers. Over the soldiers three crows fly.

As the last member of the party enters the hallway (pause for
dramatic effect if necessary) a billowing blue smoke fills the
chamber. PCs must make a DC15 Fort save or be immediately
knocked unconscious. The PCs who remain awake hear a
thunderous boom as a stone juggernaut rolls down the hallway. PCs
will roll init against the Juggernaut (Juggernaut Init is +0) Any PCs
still in the hallway when the juggernaut reaches its initiative take
2d10 damage (Ref Save DC 17 for 1/2). Unconscious PCs get a
reroll of their Fort save on their turn, but automatically fail the Dax
save on the Juggernauts turn.

2 - 13
8. Three skeletons sit with their backs against the North and east
walls. A chalice sits on the ground between them, the stone floor at
the mouth of the chalice is pocked and eaten partly away.

9. A small, 15x15 room. The floor tiles are marked with different
symbols.

Lawful Clerics see Infernal writing, Chaotic Clerics see Angelic

writing. Neutral Clerics see gibberish. The symbols have no
meaning and any attempt to translate them fails. If any PC steps on
any block, it immediately falls into L3R6, taking the PC with it
unless they make a Ref Save DC 17. The PCs may proceed by
stepping between the blocks and not on top of them which only
requires a DC 12 Ref save. 3 Checks are required to cross the room,
but after one PC passes the blocks remain dropped.

10. A stone bollard is mounted next to a missing block in the floor at

the south end of the room. The West wall of the room is lined with 5
sarcophagi.

When the PCs enter the room, the sarcophagi lids fall to the floor, as
4 wights and a skeletal knight attack.

The hole created by the missing block leads to L3R1.

11. Darkness, unending and impenetrable, fills this room from

ceiling to floor. Torches and lanterns are extinguished and
impossible to relight.

The room is magically dark, torches cannot penetrate the darkness,

even PCs in the room cannot see each other. Characters teleported
here from R4 are facing north and if they walk forward will find the
opening that leads to R1.

2 - 14
 LEVEL 3

1. A relief portraying a humanoid crow holding a stone disc

inscribed with a spiral dominates the eastern wall. The air is thick
with dust, kicked up as the Adventurer’s feet slide across the
sandstone floors.

There is a missing block in the ceiling of this room which leads to

L2R10.

2. The walls of this room are covered with frescos detailing the
creation of a mummy. Organs removed, vile potions poured into the
body, all while three crows fly over the bodies displayed in the
paintings.

While the PCs take this splendor in, the floor opens up, revealing a
mummy who attacks the PCs.

2 - 15
Mummy: Init +0; Atk choke +5 melee (1d4 / 2d4 / 3d4 / etc.) or
club +3 melee (1d6+2); AC 16; HD 68 (8d12+8); MV 20’; Act
1d20; SP damage reduction 5, mummy rot, vulnerable to fire, un-
dead traits; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +10; AL C.

Any creature that takes damage from a mummy may contract

mummy rot (DC 12 Fort save). Mummy rot causes the victim’s
body to slowly shrivel and desiccate. Affected creatures take 1
Stamina damage each day and are constantly thirsty. The Stamina
damage will not heal naturally until the rot is arrested by magic.

3. The Adventurers enter a room with hundreds of holes on the east

and west walls. The sound of skittering and creeping can be heard
from the surrounding walls.

As the PCs walk into the room, scarab beetles start to crawl out of
the walls, a few dozen at first, then hundreds. Flooding the floor the
scarab beetles rush for the PCs. PCs carrying a torch and any
withing 5’ of them are safe from scarab attack. Other PCs, including
PCs with a lantern, are not safe. PCs being attacked by the scarab
beetles must make a Ref save DC 15 to keep the scarab beetles from
burrowing under their skin. Scarabs the burrow into a PC do 1d6
damage/round until someone (the PC themselves or someone else)
makes a DC 18 Agi check to remove the scarab from them.

A secret door is plastered into the northern most end of the western
wall (DC 20 to find).

4. The floor is covered in arcane symbols and wards that glow in

the darkness. Purple and green shadows crisscross the room. There
are a dozen or so holes in the floor and ceiling.

The first PC to enter the room feels a tile shift under their feet and a
loud sound of machinery gears turning fills the room. All rolls to
find traps in this room fail. There are no traps in this room.

2 - 16
5. There are 4 bodies lying on the floor, hoods covering their faces,
flesh barely hanging on to bones.

If the PCs approach, the bodies rise and engage the PCs, attacking
with claws and teeth. Unbeknownst to the PCs, above them 3
Vombis leeches lay in wait for them to engage the Vombis Zombis.
PCs looking for traps can detect the Vombis Leeches on a DC 18
Check (Int or Find Traps). If they are not seen, the Vombis Leeches
drop down on the unsuspecting PCs after the first round of combat
with a +4 bonus to hit.

Vombis leech: Init -1; Atk bite +0 melee (0); AC 10; HP 5 (1d6+1);
MV 15’; Act 1d20; SP cranium bore; SV Fort +1, Ref -2, Will
Immune; AL N.

Cranium bore: The round after a sucesssful attack the vombis leech
begins eating though the skull of the victim, inflicting 1d8 damage
per round unless removed. After 4 rounds they break through to the
brain turning them into a vombis vombie.

Vombis zombie: Init +1; Atk unarmed strike +1 melee (1d6+2); AC

13; HP 12 (2d8+1); MV 40’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will
Immune; AL N.

Destroying a zombie does not slay the affixed leech. The leech’s
unknowable intelligence renders the zombie immune to attacks with
Will effects

6. The room is empty save for a shallow pit in the middle of the
room. The pit has an engraving of three crows at the bottom and is
large enough to hold one human sized being or 2 smaller ones.

The doors to the North and South slam shut as the PCs enter the
middle of the room. Spikes protrude from the ceiling that slowly
begins to lower. Nothing can stop the ceiling from lowering or open
the doors. The ceiling stops dropping as the spikes are about 10”
from the floor. A single spike then drives into the pit in the center of
the room, dealing 2d6 damage to anyone in it. The ceiling retracts
and the doors open.

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7. The room is empty, sandstone walls extend smoothly from ceiling
to floor. The floor shifts as soon as an Adventurer steps into it,
runes on the walls start to glow, revealing writing in all four
languages, reading, “You Were Warned”.

8. The Door on the north end of the room is locked, DC 20

Pick Lock check to open. The ceiling above is covered with spikes.
Next to the door is a lever in the neutral position, between up and
down. PCs who press the lever UP reverse the gravity of the room
and sends them flying into the spikes, doing 1d6 falling damage. A
DC 12 Reflex Save is required to miss the spikes, which do an
additional 1d6 damage if the PCs fail. Pressing the lever down
causes the ceiling to come slamming down on the PCs, requiring a
DC 16 Ref save to avoid 2d6 damage from the spikes.

9. A stone bollard is mounted next to a missing block in the floor in

the middle of the room.

The hole created by the missing block leads to L4R1.

A secret door is plastered into the eastern wall (DC 20 to find).

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 LEVEL 4

1. A hole in the ceiling leads to the level above. Doors obvious

doors lead out north and south.

The hole in the ceiling leads to L3R9.

A hidden door to the east is plastered into the wall. (INT DC 20 to

reveal).

2. Ovens and cabinets line the walls, tables for cooking food
dominate the center of the room. Adventurers who enter can clearly
hear the sounds of revelry and celebration from the door to the
Southwest.

3. The air in this room is stale and stagnant. The walls are adorned
with frescos of the inverted pyramid.

PCs who examine it and pass a DC 15 Int check are shown where
the secret doors in the Pyramid are. DC to find the
doors in those rooms are reduced to DC 10.

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4. A golden cushion sits atop a pedestal, atop which sits a pure
white diamond rod. It radiates a slight magical aura.

The diamond gives a slight electric shock when touched. It is worth

500 GP Nothing happens if the PCs take this.

5. The hallway ahead is clear, the dust on the floor covered in dark
red spots that appear to be blood.

The doors to this room slam shut as soon as any PC crosses the
midpoint of the room. A booming voice echoes off the sandstone,
“One must die to leave this room! One Soul to retrieve the Finideus
Rod!” If a PC is killed, the voice says, “That one was not worthy!
Another sacrifice is required!” This message repeats for every PC
killed. The doors are not locked in place and may be lifted with a
DC 30 Str Check. 3 PC may help.

6. Three Crows are engraved over the door to the east, the other
two doors are unadorned.

7. A stone bollard is mounted next to a missing block in the floor in

the middle of the room.

The hole created by the missing block leads to L5R1.

A secret door is plastered into the western wall (DC 20 to find).

8. The sounds of celebration and revelry emanate from the door to

the south of this hallway.

If the PCs continue down the hallway, once more than half of them
are past the midway point (approx. 10 ft) the floor starts to slant
down towards the south end of the hallway. If the PCs don’t
immediately start to move back towards the north door, all
remaining PCs must make a DC 17 Reflex save or be slid down
towards the bottom of the tunnel slide, that ends in a massive
burning furnace which does 2d10 fire damage/round. If there are no
PCs on the slide, it returns to its normal position, trapping any PCs
in the furnace.

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 LEVEL 5

1. Each of the four walls in this room have the same message
written in each of the four languages as in entrance to the pyramid;
“You were warned”. At the center of the room is a giant hourglass,
half embedded into the ceiling filled with sand. The Finideus Rod is
embedded in the neck of the hourglass, preventing the sand from
falling.

The rod has claw like appendages on its ends, making it impossible
to remove the rod without damaging the hourglass. Next to the
hourglass sits a skull, adorned with jewels for its teeth and eyes.

Once the rod has been pulled from the hourglass, the PCs have 15
out of game minutes (10 if they significantly damage the hourglass)
to escape the temple. Each room requires a DC 10 Reflex save to
move on as the temple collapses around them. Untripped traps will
activate as normal. Undestroyed enemies will attack. If the PCs do
not escape by the timer’s end, they are buried in the temple and die.

THE INVERTED PYRAMID ADVENTURE

NOTES

Thus ends the Inverted Pyramid. As I said, Deadly and Unfair. I’d
like to extend special thanks to my group, the Gongfarmers Local
3106 Gobotron Located in Gig Harbor, WA and my close friend and
fellow Game Master Josh Maddox who helped me come up with the
most devious of this dungeon’s traps. I hope you enjoyed the
adventure.

2 - 21
THE KOBOLD’S ANTIDOTE

A LEVEL 2 DCC ADVENTURE FOR 4-5 PLAYER

By Jason Youngdale
Illustrated by Dan Smith

BACKGROUND

The village of Silverbrook lies nestled in the foothills near Mt.

Bane. Recently, a mysterious virus has plagued the villagers,
causing fever, weakness, and hallucinations. Desperate for a cure,
the village council has turned to an old legend: the kobolds who
inhabit the nearby caverns possess an ancient antidote. The
adventurers are tasked with retrieving it to save the village. But
beware, the kobolds there seem way too organized for their kind!

OVERVIEW

Setting: The twisting tunnels of the Kobold Warrens beneath Mt.

Bane.

Objective: Retrieve the antidote from the kobold chieftain Snik.

Challenges: Kobold traps, puzzles, and combat encounters.

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 SNIK’S VENDETTA

Snik’s hatred for the village runs deep—a grudge etched into his
scaled heart. Long ago, the villagers drove his tribe from their
ancestral home, burning their warrens and stealing their treasures.
Snik’s family perished in the flames, and he vowed revenge.

Now, as chieftain, he plots retribution. The virus afflicting the

villagers? His doing—a curse woven into the very air they breathe.
The antidote? A cruel twist of fate. It lies within their grasp, yet they
must beg the kobolds for salvation.

Snik relishes their suffering. He watches from the shadows,

savoring their desperation. The antidote is his bargaining chip— a
weapon to wield against those who once scorned him.

But perhaps redemption awaits. Will the adventurers break the

cycle? Can they convince Snik that vengeance won’t heal old
wounds? Or will they become pawns in a kobold’s tragic tale?

The caverns echo with secrets, and Snik’s vendetta burns brighter
than ever.

THE PROPHECY OF THE SHIMMERING

VIAL

"When shadows stretch and hope wanes low, seek the caverns
where kobolds sow. Their chieftain’s greed, a serpent’s pact, holds
the cure— the antidote’s exact.

Three trials await, the brave shall face, in darkness’ grip, their fate
embrace. From fungus blooms to crystal’s gleam, the path unfolds—
a twisted dream.

First, the centipede guards the key, its venom hides the remedy.
Next, the bridge of fraying thread, where archers’ arrows seek your
head.

In the puzzle’s heart, riddles lie, unlock the door to realms awry.
Alchemy’s secrets, scroll unfurled, Reveal the path to heal the
world.
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Crystal guardian, silent sentinel, defeat or bypass, choose well. And
in the nursery, pups at play, the vial awaits, concealed away.
Finally, the chieftain’s lair, Snik awaits, his cunning rare. Will you
bargain, fight, or flee? The prophecy unfolds—choose wisely."

SILVERBROOK

Silverbrook is a melting pot of races: 41% Humans, 29% Elves ,

12% Half-elves , 10% Dwarves , 6% Halflings, 2% Gnomes.

1. Bakery: A cozy stone building with a thatched roof, emitting the

warm scent of freshly baked bread. The baker, a portly gnome
named Elowyn, greets all with a flour-dusted apron. The chocolate
cakes here are to die for!

2. Blacksmith: A sturdy forge where sparks fly as the burly dwarf

blacksmith, Thrain Ironhammer, hammers out swords, horseshoes,
and armor. His loyal dog, Ember, snoozes nearby. Thrain used to
work at the Dwarven strongholds to the south.

3. The Tipsy Griffin Tavern: A lively wooden structure with a

swinging sign depicting—you guessed it—a tipsy griffin. Inside,
patrons gather around rough-hewn tables, swapping tales of dragon-
slaying and lost treasure. The innkeeper, Hilda, serves frothy mugs
of ale.

4. The Shadowed Dagger: A discreet hideout tucked behind a

narrow alley. The entrance is marked with the dagger-shaped
emblem of the local thieve’s guild etched into the cobblestones.
Clandestine deals unfold within.

5. Arcane Spire: A spiraling tower of gray stone, its pinnacle lost

in the clouds. Inside Alaric Stormweaver experiments, surrounded
by dusty tomes and glowing crystals. Beware the enchanted garden
on the tower’s rooftop!

6. Silverwood Manor House: A grand estate with ivy-clad walls

and stained-glass windows. Lord Cedric Silverwood resides here,
hosting lavish soirées and overseeing the village affairs. His
daughter, Lady Isolde, dreams of distant adventure.

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7. Cobble & Stitch: A quaint shop filled with rows of leather boots,
colorful slippers, and patched shoes. Old Mrs. Thistlefoot, the
cobbler, hobbles about, muttering to herself as she repairs worn
soles. Some of these shoes seem magical.

8. Wick & Whimsy: A charming little cottage adorned with

hanging lanterns. The eccentric gnome chandler, Lumina
Brightspark, crafts magical candles that tell different stories when
lit.

9. Various Houses: Scattered throughout the village, these homes

range from cozy cottages to timber-framed dwellings. Each has its
own story—a retired adventurer, a reclusive herbalist, a family of
halfling farmers, a grumpy dwarf, and more.

THE SUBTERRANEAN RIVER:

SILVERFLOW

Deep within the kobold warrens, flowing underneath most of the

dungeon, lies the Silverflow River. Its waters flow silently,
reflecting the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi. The river’s origin
remains a mystery—some say it springs from the heart of the earth
itself.

The kobolds believe that the Silverflow River is a gift from their
ancient dragon deity. They perform rituals at its banks in the
Nursery (Area 9), seeking blessings and guidance.

Features
• Crystal Pools: Along its course, the Silverflow widens into
crystal-clear pools. These pools hold magical properties:
drinking from them grants temporary resistance to poison.
• Whispering Currents: The river murmurs secrets— ancient
tales of lost civilizations, forbidden spells, and forgotten gods.
Those who listen closely might gain insight or madness.
Merfolk and Sirens may be the source.
• Bioluminescent Fish: Fish dart through the water, their scales
shimmering like tiny stars. They are prized by alchemists for
their healing properties.
• Guardian Nymph: At the heart of the Silverflow (not shown),
resides Lysandra the Water Nymph. She guards the river’s
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 source—a hidden chamber where the antidote blooms in liquid
form. She is a powerful spellcaster.
• Perilous Rapids: Downstream, the river narrows, forming
treacherous rapids. Kobolds use these rapids to dispose of
unwanted intruders.

THE KOBOLD WARRENS

1. Entrance Chamber: The adventurers descend into the damp,

torch-lit cavern. The air smells of earth and mildew. A narrow
tunnel leads deeper into the warrens.

2. Trapped Corridor: A pressure plate triggers a dart trap. The

adventurers must disarm it (DC 10) or dodge the poisoned darts
(Reflex save vs. DC 12). The darts do 1d6 damage plus tarantula
poison (see DCC RPG, p. 450).

3. Fungus Garden: Bioluminescent mushrooms illuminate this

chamber. A giant centipede guards a patch of rare healing fungi.
The fungi will heal 1d4 Hit Points if eaten.
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4. Kobold Barracks: There are 1d6+4 Kobold warriors sleeping
here. They’re led by Snik, the cunning chieftain (who is currently in
his lair). A Minor Healing Potion is hidden in a locked chest (heals
1d6+1 Hit Points one time).

5. Chasm Bridge: A rickety rope bridge spans a dark chasm. 1d6+4

Kobold archers attack from the other side. The Silverflow River is
at the bottom of the chasm, but the fall is 60 feet.

6. Puzzle Room: A locked stone door blocks the way. Solve the
riddle carved in a wooden sign on the door (“What has keys but
can’t open locks?”) to proceed (ANSWER: dead jailer or piano).
Saying the answer out loud unlocks the door. Runes are also carved
into the floor, but they do nothing.

7. Alchemical Workshop: There are 1d6+2 Kobold alchemists

brewing potions in here. The antidote recipe lies on a dusty scroll
and is written in Draconic. 1d6 other potions are here, roll on the
Random Potion Table.

Antidote Haiku
In vial’s shimmering,
Hope blooms—a cure for the ill,
Life’s fragile balance.

8. Crystal Cavern: Glowing crystals light this chamber. A crystal

golem guards the exit. The golem is activated once the last
adventurer has entered the room.

Crystal Golem: Init +4; Atk Slam +8 melee (1d8+2) or Grapple +4

(opposed grapple check to break free); AC 16; HD 3d6+6 (14 hp);
MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP The Golem is immune mundane weapons
(unless made of adamantine), The Golem is immune to mind
altering effects and poisons, Fire Absorption: fiery damage repairs
The Golem instead of damaging it, Immutable Form: The golem is
immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form, Darkvision
120 ft; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +5; AL N.

9. Kobold Nursery: 2d6 Kobold pups are playing here. The

antidote vial is hidden among their toys. The pups are cute and will
not attack unless provoked.
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10. Chieftain’s Lair: Snik their leader awaits. Negotiate or fight. If
defeated, he reveals the antidote’s location (if the adventurers have
not found it already). If he learns that any of the pups have been
harmed he will attack at once.

Appearance: Snik is a wiry figure with a whip-like tail, mottled

scales, and a perpetual sneer. His beady eyes dart around, always
assessing threats and opportunities. He stands at a mere three feet
tall, but his presence fills the room. His scales are a mix of green
and brown, camouflaging him in the cavern shadows.

He wears a tattered black cloak made from stitched-together bat

wings. The cloak is magical and provides +1 protection to Armor
Class (AC).

Personality: Cunning and opportunistic, Snik thrives on deception.

He is a master of traps, ambushes, and misdirection. In a previous
life he was a thief.

He despises direct combat, preferring to manipulate others into

doing his bidding. His silver tongue can convince even the most
skeptical adventurers.

Leadership: Snik rules the kobolds with an iron claw. His word is
law, and disobedience is punished swiftly.

He maintains a delicate balance between appeasing the ancient

spirits (who demand tribute) and keeping his tribe loyal.

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Secrets and Ambitions: Snik knows more than he lets on. He
possesses forbidden knowledge about the antidote’s true origins and
its side effects.

His ultimate goal? Ascend to become a dragon—perhaps by

consuming the antidote himself during a dark ritual performed by
the kobold shamans.

Allies and Enemies: Snik’s secret alliance with the Quetzalcoatl (a

feathered serpent) grants him magical insights. He feeds the serpent
with stolen treasures.

His enemies include rival kobold factions, meddling adventurers,

and any who threaten his rule. Rangers local to the area know of
him and his tribe.

Remember, Snik’s true motivations remain shrouded in mystery.

Approach him with caution— the cunning chieftain always has a

hidden card to play.

Snik, the Cunning Kobold Chieftain: Init +2; Atk +1 Dagger +1

melee (1d4+1) or Sling +2 missile (1d4+2); AC 16; HD 2d8+14
(26); MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Infravision 100’, +5 Backstab and
Sneak Silently, Str 10, Agi 16, Sta 14, Per 12, Luck 10, Int 16,
knows common, dragon, goblin, and orc; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will
+4; AL C.

Equipment: Dagger +1, sling, Tattered Bat Cloak +1 AC, stolen

trinkets, 10 Gold Pieces.

11. Fake Antidote Chamber: A stone pedestal holds a vial of

shimmering blue liquid—but it is not the antidote! Beware: a
Guardian Spirit protects it! Roll on the Random Potion Table to find
out the effects of the blue liquid.

Guardian Spirit: Init +3; +6 melee (1d6+1); AC 15; HD 2d6+4;

MV fly 30’; Act 1d20; SP undead traits; SV Fort +5, Reft +8, Will
+9; AL N.

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12. Secret Kitchen and Forge: There is a secret door on the west
wall to enter this room from the Fungus Garden. The air here smells
of burnt meat and stale ale. Wooden tables bear the scars of
countless meals.

Chef Roargnar, a rotund kobold, tends to a bubbling cauldron. He

stirs it with a ladle made from a giant rat’s femur. He is grumpy and
underpaid.

Nearby, Smithy Rrargrin, a wiry kobold blacksmith, hammers away

at a makeshift anvil. Various kobold weapons in different stages of
construction are laying about.

The treasures here are humble but practical:

• Barbequed Erudite: A charred delicacy, its origin best left

unquestioned.
• Large Empty Crate: waiting to be filled with stolen goods and
wine.
• Ye Old Ball Peen Hammer: its handle wrapped in frayed cow
leather.

13. Kobold Treasure Room: This small room is where the good
stuff is kept for Snik and Rrargrin to use. The treasures scattered
about this room:

• Etched Chitin Shield: Round shield adorned with ancient runes

(but non-magical)
• Helm of Ridossan: A relic from forgotten battles, when worn
adds 1 to two random stats.
• Violet Flame Lantern: its eerie glow revealing hidden alcoves.
The user’s touch ignites violet flames. Usable for four hours
each day and only at night or underground.
• Midnight Sea Mail Coat: woven from elusive sea serpent
scales. Grants +2 to Armor Class.
• Uliorn’s Fishing Pole: enchanted to lure spectral fish and
Underdark fish.
• Soiled Evoker’s Robe: stained with forbidden spells and
spilled food from lunch. Allows the wearer to cast a random
Level 1 Wizard Spell once a day (see DCC RPG, p. 129-161).

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• Moe’s Cast Iron Stein: warm to the touch, whispering secrets
(recipes for mixed alcoholic drinks). When tapped, it produces a
random beverage. Usable three times a day.

14. Secret Teleportation Room: This room resonates with

energy—an intricate web of ley lines converging at this point. The
room is accessible via a secret door in the south wall that leads to
the Puzzle Room. Misstep during teleportation, and you might
emerge halfway into a wall or a raging river. The kobold shamans’
ambition grows—they dream of teleporting an entire kobold army to
conquer distant lands.

The Teleportation Nexus: The back of the room is carved from

ancient stone, its walls etched with glowing runes. A circular dais
dominates the center, surrounded by flickering torches.

Kobold Shamans , their scales adorned with bone talismans, gather

here. Their eyes gleam with malevolence and forbidden knowledge.
There will be 1d6+3 of them here, and not happy to see visitors.

Teleportation Circles (usable only by Kobolds): The dais bears

concentric circles, each inscribed with symbols representing distant
locations. The shamans manipulate these glyphs to bend space. By
chanting incantations and sacrificing rare herbs, they activate the
circles. The air shimmers, and the kobolds vanish, reappearing
elsewhere.

Worldly Connections: The kobold shamans teleport to various

places:

• Nuzdar: The city of escaped criminals and orcs mainly (with

goblins as their servants).
• Qaxta’ul: Swampy jungles, where they forge alliances with
lizardfolk and merfolk.
• Ruins of Raj: Ancient ruins on Exile Isle, where they seek
forbidden knowledge. Lots of fun undead (and plague rats) to
interact with there as well.

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Summoning Minor Demons (usable only by Kobolds): The
shamans also use the nexus to summon minor demons— imps,
quasits, or dretches. These fiends serve as spies, fetching forbidden
scrolls or tormenting captured adventurers. The kobolds offer blood
sacrifices, inscribing demonic sigils on the floor to bind the
creatures. The ritual to summon a demon is long, so the Kobold
Shamans do not have enough time to summon one if the player
characters find them in this room.

RANDOM DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS

Within the kobold warrens, aside from the kobolds themselves, one
might encounter:

1. Giant Centipedes: These venomous insects infest the damp

tunnels, guarding patches of rare healing fungi.
2. Crystal Golems: Animated constructs made of glowing
crystals. They protect certain areas within the caverns.
3. Bioluminescent Mushrooms: These fungi light up the Fungus
Garden, creating an eerie glow.
4. Guardian Spirits: The Fake Antidote Chamber is protected by
a spectral entity that ensures the safety of the precious antidote.
It is considered undead.

Remember to tread carefully— these creatures will not take kindly

to intruders.

CONCLUSION

The adventurers return to Silverbrook, where the village healer

administers the antidote. The villagers recover, and the adventurers
are hailed as heroes. However, after several months the people who
took the antidote start to exhibit kobold-like looks and behaviors.

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 APPENDIX A: ALLEGIANCES

The kobolds have formed secret alliances with other creatures.

Coatl
• The kobolds believe they worship a dragon, but it is actually a
Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent deity. This once Lawful
ancient being has been warped by their rituals into a Chaotic
guardian of the antidote.
• The Quetzalcoatl guides the kobolds, granting them knowledge
of traps, alchemy, and old magic. In return, they protect its lair
and perform rituals to sustain its power.

Mischievous House Spirits

• Kobolds, being enigmatic creatures, might form bonds with
specific humans or places. They have secretly allied with
brownies, spirits that dwell in woods or mines.
• Brownies aid the kobolds by sabotaging intruders, creating
illusions, and ensuring the safety of their lair. In return, the
kobolds offer them shiny trinkets and stolen treasures. The
brownies will not travel past the Entrance Chamber.

Forced Alliances
• The kobolds may manipulate their foes into conflict. For
instance, they lay traps that force intruders to face giant spiders,
cave trolls, or swamp hags (creatures they’d rather avoid).

APPENDIX O:
RANDOM OVERLAND ENCOUNTERS

1. A group of Goblins led by a Bugbear raid the party’s camp at

night.
2. A roving band of Gnolls, led by a ferocious pack lord, attacks.
3. A Shambling Mound of animated vegetation emerges from the
swamp.
4. A Ghostly apparition appears, seeking revenge for an ancient
betrayal.
5. A swarm of Stirges descends upon the party, hungry for blood.
6. A young Green Dragon lands in the clearing, demanding tribute
or a fight.

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7. A lone Medusa lurks in the ruins nearby, her gaze turning
adventurers to stone.
8. A pack of hungry Wolves ambushes the party while they are
marching to the dungeon.
9. A Rust Monster gnaws on the party’s weapons and armor at
night.
10. A Hag shuffles into camp offering a dark bargain: a powerful
curse in exchange for a favor. She is not a fan of the Kobolds or
the adventuring party.
11. A pair of Ogres argue over a stolen treasure, oblivious to the
party’s presence.
12. An ancient Treant awakens, mistaking the adventurers for
loggers.

Mount Bane: the largest and most active volcano on this continent.
Giants, ogres, and trolls inhabit the area. Numerous skirmishes have
taken place in the hills southwest of the volcano.

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Khirn Lodhir: one of two major strongholds for the dwarves of this
continent. A large bustling city surrounds the main castle, and all
manner of guilds can be found here. The best dwarven weapons and
armor are made here. The best metalsmiths learn their trade here.

Mugfaldir: the other major dwarf stronghold on this

continent. A small town surrounds the stronghold, and
the major trade out of this place is gems. There are many dwarven
mines in the mountains north of Mugfaldir. Dwarven warbands
patrol the surrounding area and Lake Iron.

APPENDIX P:
RANDOM POTION EFFECTS

1. Causes uncontrollable laughter for 10 minutes.

2. Causes the drinker to hiccup uncontrollably for 1d4 hours.
3. Turns skin bright blue for 24 hours and drinker can breathe
underwater for that time.
4. Temporarily swaps the drinker’s gender and ages them 10 years.
Lasts 24 hours.
5. Grants the ability to be immune to effects of non- magical fire
for 1 hour.
6. Induces vivid and prophetic dreams for 8 hours.
7. Invisibility for 1 hour but does not work during combat.
8. Grows an extra arm (temporary) and thus an extra attack with a
melee weapon in combat.
9. Turns the drinker’s hair into living snakes for 1 hour. The
snakes won’t attack drinker.
10. Induces temporary amnesia – drinker forgets the events of the
last 24 hours.
11. Grants the ability to speak and understand any language for 1d4
hours.
12. Causes the drinker to float gently in the air for 1d4 hours. A
whimsical way to bypass low obstacles.

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 ILDAVIR, GODDESS OF
GENESIS
By Michael David Davies

Ildavir, Giver of Form, manifests to mortals as a towering warrior

with skin of verdant bark and a mane of branches and leaves. Her
power thrums in the root of every tree and the heart of all wild
creatures. Ildavir’s love of nature’s untamed majesty surpasses all
others, her compassion should never be confused for weakness. Her
weapons, born from living wood, thirst to be watered in the blood of
those who disrespect the natural order of growth and decay.
Scholars believe her to be the vengeful mother of Yddgrrl, the
World Root.

Invoke Patron check results:

12-13 The caster gains the ability to see auras that reveal others’
true intentions. Colors align with a creature's alignment:
green (lawful), yellow (neutral), red (chaotic). This sense is
limited to 30’ at first, but the range could increase with
repeat uses (judge’s discretion). The effect lasts for 1d3
rounds, successfully stacked up to 1d3 turns.

14-17 The caster can perceive traces left by the auras of those who
have passed through an area. Paths appear faintly on the
ground, colored by alignment as above, indicating direction
of travel. This could become more detailed with further use
(discerning number of individuals, vague impressions of
events). The effect lasts 1d3 rounds, successfully stacked up
to 1d3 turns.

18-19 The caster will understand subtle messages carried by the

elements. The rustling of leaves might translate into
warnings, the patterns in dirt may reveal hidden pathways,
and the wind may carry fragmented voices. This effect lasts
for 1d6 rounds.

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20-23 The caster perceives a potential future event through a
sudden, potent natural phenomenon. This could be a flock
of birds taking an unusual flight path, a particular tree
blooming out of season, or stones suddenly shifting to
reveal a pattern. Highly symbolic and open to interpretation.

24-27 The caster can subtly manipulate a small aspect of nature

within 30’, such as causing rapid plant growth to create a
temporary barrier, calming a small stream to allow safe
passage, subtly shifting wind to carry a whispered message.
The effect lasts 1d6 turns.

28-29 The caster can influence a larger area up to 60’, altering the
natural environment to a significant degree for 1d7 rounds.
They might call forth a sudden downpour to mask activity,
bend trees to create a natural shelter, or stir up a dust storm
to disorient foes.

30-31 The caster communes with Ildavir to receive a vision of the

future. This could be highly symbolic; a major event
foreshadowed by a storm, a flowering amidst winter, or an
earthquake. The caster may partially change the outcome
through decisive action. Judge’s discretion.

32+ The caster calls upon Ildavir to unleash immense power. For
1d8 rounds, the caster gains limited control over a specific
storm type of increasing intensity: rainstorm, blizzard,
sandstorm, localized earthquake, etc. The higher their
patron taint, the more precise their control and the larger the
area affected. Each level of taint covers half a mile of land.

2 - 37
 PATRON TAINT: ILDAVIR

Ildavir appreciates being called upon to bring natural balance to

civilized areas. She looks forward to using the caster as a weapon of
nature. When patron taint is indicated for Ildavir, roll 1d6 on the
table below. When a caster has acquired all six taints at all levels of
effect, there is no need to continue rolling any more.

Roll Result
1 The caster pangs for the minerals of the earth and will
absentmindedly pick up small pebbles and lick them or
express a fondness for unwashed root vegetables. If this
result is rolled a second time, the caster actively seeks out
and consumes small amounts of dirt or clay, finding comfort
in the taste.. If the result is rolled a third time, the caster
develops a compulsion to consume significant quantities of
dirt and clay, often forgoing normal food altogether. They
might even start digging holes to access the delicious earth
beneath the crust.

2 Ildavir demands the caster must plant a potent seed imbued

with her essence in a place of decay. The caster is guided by
visions and subtle signs to a nearby location tainted by
minor desecration or neglect. They might encounter minor
obstacles or guardians, but the journey will be relatively
brief and safe. The seed, once planted, erupts with explosive
plant growth, returning the area to a wild state. If the result
is rolled a second time, the caster is drawn to a more distant
location marred by rot or destructive magic. This journey
will be arduous, filled with perilous encounters and tests of
their resolve. If the result is rolled a third time, the caster is
compelled to seek out a place of profound desecration,
perhaps a battlefield soaked in blood or a site of ancient
evil. The journey is ripe with danger, requiring them to
overcome powerful guardians and face their deepest fears.
The caster will have a permanent connection to this
transformed location.

3 The caster is inclined to protect a creature relatively

common within the local ecosystem, e.g., a deer fawn, a
rare songbird, a den of foxes. If the result is rolled a second
2 - 38
 time, the caster is inclined to seek out an injustice of less
common species, e.g., a wolf pack, a nesting pair of eagles,
a rare medicinal herb, and disrupt the system harming them
to protect the species. If the result is rolled a third time, the
caster must take up arms to relentlessly protect an entire
species or a creature of immense power and significance to
the natural balance, e.g., a migrating herd of caribou, a
legendary guardian spirit of a forest, a keystone species vital
to the ecosystem. This could involve slaying poachers,
disrupting an entire industry harmful to the creature, or even
relocating the creature to a safe haven, regardless of the
complications or dangers involved.

4 The caster must spend 1d7 days in total isolation within a

wild place. A successful DC 15 INT check reveals a vision
related to their future. If the result is rolled a second time,
the caster must spend 3d20 days in total isolation. If any roll
is a 1, the caster loses the ability to speak for an amount of
days equal to the total roll amount once they return from
isolation. If the result is rolled a third time, the caster must
spend 1d30 years in isolation. Once they return, they are
mute but have a profound sense of connection to nature
(open to judge’s interpretation) and can create rare healing
potions for any ailment.

5 The caster’s body begins to sprout patches of moss, lichen,

or small flowers. Their fingernails and toenails thicken and
harden, resembling claws. Their teeth might become
slightly sharper. They feel a sense of peace and tranquility
when surrounded by nature. If the result is rolled a second
time, the plant growth becomes more pronounced, covering
larger areas of their body. They might find it difficult to
wear clothing or armor and laws become more pronounced,
and their teeth become noticeably longer and more pointed.
Their voice might take on a gravelly quality. They
experience discomfort in human civilizations. If the result is
rolled a third time, the caster undergoes a complete
transformation, becoming a hybrid creature of flesh and
flora. They lose their individual identity and become a
vessel for Ildavir's will, driven to protect the natural world
at any cost.
2 - 39
6 The caster’s senses sharpen, particularly their sense of smell
and hearing. They might startle easily and become
increasingly sensitive to loud noises and bright lights. If the
result is rolled a second time, their senses become even
more acute, bordering on animalistic. They can track scents
over long distances and hear the slightest rustle in the
undergrowth. They develop an aversion to fire and metal. If
the result is rolled a third time, the caster’s senses become
overwhelmed, making them hyper-aware of their
surroundings to the point of distraction. They struggle to
function in crowded or noisy environments and become
increasingly withdrawn. They are blinded permanently -2
attack and loss of hearing for 2d4 days. When in nature,
they are able to commune freely with Ildavir for 1d4 days
and permanently learn to communicate with a particular
species of animal (judge’s discretion of species language
learned).

PATRON SPELLS: ILDAVIR

Those serene enough to follow of the path of Ildavir eventually

learn three unique spells, as follows:

Level 1: Wind Whispers

Level 2: Grasping Vines Level
Level 3: Call of the Wild

SPELLBURN: ILDAVIR

Ildavir, the Giver of Form, harbors a simmering disdain for

humanity, witnessing their insatiable consumption of the world's
resources. She views their presence as a blight, a cancer upon the
natural order. Yet, in her wisdom, she recognizes their potential for
manipulation. She accepts the unwavering loyalty of any human,
knowing their devotion is but a fleeting prelude to their inevitable
assimilation into the cycle of life and death. When a caster dares to
invoke spellburn, they gamble not only with their power but also
with their very essence.

2 - 40
Roll 1d4 and consult the table below, or draw inspiration from these
suggestions to craft a chilling consequence tailored to your
campaign's unique tapestry.

Roll Spellburn Result

1 Raw, untamed natural energy courses through the caster.
The immediate spell is amplified +10 at the cost of an
additional -5 (expressed as Stamina, Strength, or Agility
loss) to the caster, triggering additional unpredictable
manifestations of natural power in the area. The caster's
connection to Ildavir surges wildly.

2 Rather than respond directly, Ildavir imposes a sudden,

overwhelming quest through a cryptic vision. She reveals to
the caster a threat to a natural place, an item related to her
mythos that must be found, or a dire situation that requires
the caster's attention. Refusal severs the caster’s bond with
Ildavir forever, leaving them with a permanent -5 INT.

3 A mass of creatures, such as butterflies, locusts, or birds

converge upon the caster until they coalesce into a chilling
apparition—the visage of Ildavir herself. The face speaks to
the caster through the rhythmic fluttering of wings. With a
DC 15 INT check the caster will receive arcane knowledge
and gain +1 to all attacks for 1d6 rounds in their next
encounter. Upon failure, the caster loses spellburned stats
and fails the spell. The next spell attempt results with a -5
for 1d6 days.

4 Ildavir's essence flows through the caster with

overwhelming intensity. They become a conduit of nature’s
wrath for 1d4 rounds. This grants the ability to unleash
nature-based spells of unparalleled magnitude (+5 to DMG)
but leaves the caster dazed (-2d dice chain) for 2d6 rounds
afterwards. The caster will suffer patron taint. Any
constructed buildings of natural material will be destroyed.

2 - 41
 WIND WHISPERS
Level: 1 (Ildavir) Range: Varies
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 round Save: None
General: Followers of Ildavir are attuned to nature and have learned
to listen to the wind of the wilderness around them. Generally, this
spell can only be used in the wilderness. By listening to the voices
of nature carried by the wind, the caster can glean information about
the environment.
Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) a small whirlwind envelops the casters
hands; (2) the caster’s ears double in size after each cast for 1d4
days; (3) the caster’s eyes become milky gray-white as an overcast
day for 1d4 days; (4) their movement speed is doubled and nearly
silent for 1d4 days.
Roll Result
1 Lost, Failure. Patron taint.

2-11 Lost, Failure.

12-13 The wind carries a cryptic fragment of knowledge the caster

seeks. This could be a single word, a symbolic image, or a
feeling hinting at a specific direction.

14-17 The caster can temporarily understand the chirping of birds,

rustling leaves, or other similar natural sounds, gleaning
fragments of recent events that occurred nearby.

18-19 The caster can infuse a short message into the wind. It will
be carried to a specific individual known to the caster, who
will hear it as a faint whisper the next time a strong breeze
blows past them.

20-23 A focused burst of wind is unleashed from the caster's hand.

It can extinguish small flames, send loose papers flying, or
force open an unlatched door or window.

24-27 The caster's vision is carried through the air on a twisting

path. They gain glimpses of a nearby area as if blown on the
wind, including fragments of what lies around corners or
behind obstructions.

2 - 42
28-29 The wind carries faint echoes of past events that transpired
in a location. The caster experiences a jumble of voices,
sounds, and strong sensory impressions from a moment in
the past, potentially revealing important clues.

30-31 The caster is surrounded by a swirling aura of wind that

deflects ranged attacks aimed at them, excludes magical
attacks, causing them to veer off target for 1d6 rounds.

32+ The sky transforms into a swirling mass of dark clouds, a

deep indigo hue pressing down on the land. Distant rumbles
grow into a roar as hurricane-force winds tear through the
landscape, uprooting trees and sending carts and anything
not firmly attached spiraling through the air for 4d6 rounds.
The ground trembles under the relentless assault of the
storm, leaving a wake of destruction in its path. Anything in
its path will be swept up, including party members; must
pass a DC 15 save to survive each round. All PCs and NPCs
have a -10 AC if passed saving throw and items in storm
have a +5 to hit and ATK against them. Roll 1d30 to
determine mile radius size of the storm.

2 - 43
 GRASPING VINES
Level: 2 (Ildavir) Range: Self
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 round
Save: Sometimes (Reflex; see below)
General: Followers of Ildavir are allowed to ask the vines of the
wilderness around them to assist and protect them. This spell can
only be used outdoors without hinderance as vines are readily
available. If used indoors or places where vines may not naturally
occur, there is a -2d dice chain penalty to cast.
Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) the caster’s veins become more
prominent as they twist and gnarl around their body; (2) any water
near the caster is absorbed through their skin restoring +1 to health;
(3) any hair on the caster’s body falls out in place of feathery bark;
(4) the caster has the ability to grab onto anything and their fingers,
toes arms and legs will vine out and assist with grabbing, climbing,
etc.
Roll Result
1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost, Failure.

12-13 Caster can direct visible vines to ensnare a target for 1d4
rounds, target must DC 7 Ref save to avoid. Target is
immobile with -2 to AC and +2 to DMG from attacks.

14-17 Vines ensnare 1D4 target(s) up to 60' and a lingering mark

of Ildavir's influence remains on the area, causing nearby
plants to grow thorns or become unnaturally aggressive to
the environment. Any PCs and NPCs must make a DC 7
Ref saving throw to prevent from being snared. Area of
impact 1d4 x 15' radius.

18-19 Vines hold 1D4 target(s) firmly, dealing 1d4 damage each
1d4 round due to their thorns.

20-23 The vines erupt with additional force, entangling 1d6 targets
and dealing 2d4 damage each round.

24-27 Any natural fibrous material may be controlled by caster as

vines to pull the target prone or limit their movement speed
by half for 1d6 rounds.
2 - 44
28-29 Both vines and natural fibers grow rapidly, extending up to
120' feet and entangle any targets within reach for 1d6
rounds, PCs/NPCs do not need to make a saving throw as
caster has full control.

30-31 As above(120' and 1d6 rounds), vines and natural fibers surge
with a life of their own, dealing 3d4 damage each round and
potentially dragging the target into the ground to be
consumed.

32+ Thick, gnarled vines, both visible and unseen burst forth
from the terra and surge upwards with unnatural speed.
They writhe and coil like serpents, ensnaring any
unfortunate souls within 4d6 x 25' radius. With a sickening
crack, the ground beneath all targets gives way. The vines
empowered by Ildavir’s energy, rip through the terra,
pulling those caught in their grasp into yawning chasms
200' down. The screams of the victims are quickly muffled
as the earth closes over them, leaving behind a scene of
devastation and an ominous silence. PCs and NPCs must
make a DC 15 Ref saving throw or be out of range to escape
the vines. Those consumed by the ground are encased and
will be crushed as the terra closes back up. A PC may
attempt a DC 18 Str check to pull a target out of the vine’s
grasp. With a successful check the PC must still avoid all
other vines during their movement speed until outside the
impacted radius.

2 - 45
 CALL OF THE WILD
Level: 3 (Ildavir) Range: Varies
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 round Save: None
General: Followers of Ildavir are allowed to enlist the wilderness
creatures around them. This spell can be used outdoors and indoors
with equal regal. The caster must mimic bird chirping, animal calls,
or guttural thrashings. Only living beings of the natural world order
respond to the caster.
Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) when casting, any visible animals will
come running towards the caster out of instinct, any foes or friends
must make a DC 5 saving throw to prevent from being hit by an
animal; (2) the caster is only able to make sounds like the last
animal seen for 1 day; (3) any visible flesh will harden like leather
+2 to AC for 2 rounds; (4) a mischief of rats come out of the
ground, walls and sewers to parade behind you for 1d4 days.
Roll Result
1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost, Failure.

12-13 The caster's eyes become more animalistic, taking on the

characteristics of a predator's gaze. They can see in non-
magical darkness up to 120' for 1d4 turns.

14-17 Caster can ask one visible small animal to do a task lasting
1D6 turn(s), though the animal can resist with a DC 10 Will
save at the end of each turn."

18-19 Caster can summon 1d4 small creatures (e.g., rodents,

domesticated animals 50 pounds or less) for 1d4 turn(s) but
their presence leaves the area subtly altered, with signs of
animal habitation or foraging.

20-23 A diverse group of 1d8 medium sized wild animals arrives

(e.g., deer, ostrich, alligator or larger domesticated animals
like ox, horses, etc.) offering distractions, information, or
major assistance (such as carrying objects, bringing foraged
food, scouring buildings for armament) for 1D6 turns.
Animals roll a DC 10 Will save each turn, on success they
go back to what they did before.

2 - 46
24-27 More aggressive creatures answer the caster’s call,
including wolves, boars, or even bears. They act defensively
but can be directed to attack 1d6 rounds. The caster may
call one of these animals to aid them by intervening
between oncoming attacks, granting the caster +5 AC. If
asked to attack friendly targets, the creatures may resist with
a DC 5 Will save each round

28-29 As above, but the summoned creatures exhibit a heightened

intelligence and loyalty, understanding complex commands
and acting with exceptional coordination. A hive mind of
loyalty for 1D4 turns. No Will save necessary as the
creatures are willing to assist.

30-31 A truly diverse array of creatures arrives, including insects,

birds, and mammals of all sizes. This creates a chaotic
swarm that overwhelms 1D8 targets for 1d8 rounds. Targets
are distracted and PC’s attacks will be at surprise advantage.

32+ An ethereal guardian of the world tree, Ratatoskr, manifests

to fights on behalf of the caster. It moves on the caster’s
initiative and the caster can perform other actions while
directing them. Ratotskr remains for 1d4+CL rounds.

Ratatoskr: Init +2; Atk bite melee (1d8+3) or claw +2

melee (1d6+3) or tail sweep +2 melee (1d4+1); Crit V/d10;
AC 15; HD 5d12 (hp 47); MV 50'; Act 2d20; SP tail sweep,
jump; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1; AL N.

Ratatoskr is a giant squirrel who uses their tail sweep to

knock targets down, targets must make a DC 10 Ref save to
avoid. They can jump 120' and use jump with an Atk for +2
dmg.

2 - 47
NEW PATRON SPELL:

Level: Range:
Duration: Casting Time:
Save:
General:

Manifestation:

Roll Result
1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.
2-11 Lost. Failure.
12-13

14-17

18-19

20-23

24-27

28-29

30-31

32+

2 - 48
 Ballad 74
by Kyle Jameson
Lady Margaret Illustration by Sally Cantitino

Background
The Child Ballads are a collection of English and Scottish folk ballads
compiled by Francis James Child in the late 19th century. Some songs date
from as early as the 1200s and many from the 1600s. One unique feature of
the ballads in Child’s collection are the dark themes explored in these
songs, including but not limited to: romance, enchantment, obsession,
jealousy, forbidden love, insanity, half-human creatures, family strife,
outlawry, abuse of authority, lust, death, punishment, sin, morality, vanity,
dignity, nobility, honor, loyalty, omens, fate, deception, revenge, violence,
murder, dueling, courage, and exile.
Upon this backdrop, there is plenty of material to mine for adventures
and roadside encounters. This adventure is based on Ballad 74, an English
ballad also known as “Fair Margaret and Sweet William”. The long and
short versions performed by Noel’le Longhaul and Sheila Kay Adams,
respectively, are recommended listening.

Introduction
Ballad 74 is designed as a one-off encounter between larger adventures.
The party arrives at a small, insular village the morning after a wedding
has taken place. Flower garlands still crisscross between the roofs, and
drifts of flower petals line the street. It seems that the entire town is out in
the street. Some townsfolk are still making their way home after a night of
revelry, disheveled as they stagger through the town. In and amongst the
shamblers, small groups of people stand in clusters shouting at other
groups; sometimes fights even break out between groups before they are
quickly quelled.
These agitated groups have been terrorized all
night by herds of wild boars stampeding through
their homes, and some even report supernatural
illustration by bygrinstow

occurrences. The loudest of all the groups is the

wedding party. The groom is missing! The party
has stumbled into a town on the verge of a witch
hunt. It is up to the party to find the missing
groom, William, before it’s too late. Alternatively,
there is an inn with a small stable where the party
can stay out of the way until this all blows over.

3-1
Talking to the villagers will reveal the following information:
1. William’s family lives up on the manor on the hill. It is their duty to
throw an epic party every so often.
2. William arrived with his bride-to-be in the morning, two days ago.
3. There was some disturbance around Lady Margaret’s home after
William arrived with his bride-to-be and her family, but it has been
quiet since then.
4. Lady Margaret’s family did not go to the wedding. There are
numerous theories why not.
5. Many people swear they saw Margaret at the wedding, and the
celebration after. She was dressed in white, but no one spoke to her.
6. William was rumored to be in an entanglement with Margaret.
7. William’s mother arranged a marriage with a merchant’s daughter
from the previous village the party passed through.
8. The whole village lives in fear of William’s mother, but none more so
than William.
9. The boars have caused great damage to the homes and gardens of the
villagers. Boars have never been an issue in the village before now.
10. The boars were probably sent by the other village as revenge for
taking the merchant’s daughter.
11. Some of the groomsmen are covered in blood. They report that they
awoke to a flood of blood surging down the stairs from the master’s suite.
12. The blood-drenched bride is currently locked in the master suite, the
groom’s men believe she is a powerful sorceress responsible for all of
this commotion.
13. The bride is demanding to return with her family, declaring that the
village and its inhabitants are cursed.
14. William was last seen by a stable boy early this morning. He looked
half mad, and rode off in a rush.

William’s Manor
As the party approaches the manor on the hill they will notice several
things. The front door sits askew, half off its hinges. The ground is all
churned up by hoof prints that fan out from the front door of the house, and
wind throughout the village. From inside, there is a slow viscous trickle of
blood leaking out of the doorway and spreading onto the ground, filling the
hoof prints nearest the door. Inside the manor there is a knuckle-deep layer
of blood covering the front rooms, as more blood slowly navigates down
the stairs.
Several voices rise together shouting over each other from inside the
manor. In the parlor, William’s mother is standing on a chair to avoid the
blood, looming over the bride’s family. They are demanding her release,
while the matriarch insists that the marriage is final, and the bride now
belongs to her – well, in a familial sense anyway. Both sides are set in their
positions and the standoff will continue indefinitely, neither side having
enough of an advantage to overpower the other.

3-2
 Sweet William's family believes something supernatural has happened.
In their manor house last night, before William was discovered missing,
there were several unexplainable events:

1. Wild boars running through the house;

2. Everyone in the house waking to beds saturated with blood, dripping
onto the floor;
3. Spectral figures dressed in white roaming the halls;
4. The strong scent of roses.

Behind the house in the stable, the stable boy is shoveling out the
stalls; it seems like that’s all he ever does. He will tell the party that his last
encounter with William was just like all the other times he would sneak out
early in the morning to visit Lady Margaret, though this time he did not
seem very happy about it.

Lady Margaret’s Home

Outside of town there is another manor house – while smaller than that of
William’s family estate, they are both alike in dignity. Unlike the upheaval
at the former manor, this one is as still and quiet as a tomb. The players
may not have noticed it coming into town; it is often overlooked, with the
manor on the hill drawing the attention of travelers.
This manor house is overgrown with vines and appears to be
abandoned. Players may notice that while the house is overgrown, the
landscape and barn have been well maintained. In fact, the house is the
only thing that is untended.

3-3
 Investigating the grounds, players will discover the animals in the barn
are growing restless and will bolt out if the door is opened. A reflex save is
required to avoid being trampled by the animals within. The barn’s
inhabitants are determined as follows: roll 1d6 and consult the chart below
(option 7 is available for emergency use; Judges may use the Deep Ones
stat block from the DCC RPG Rule Book). The reflex save DC is listed
after the animal, and the damage suffered from failure is listed after that.

1. Rabbits - DC 3; 1d1
2. Chickens - DC 6; 1d2
3. Sheep - DC 11; 1d3
4. Pigs - DC 14; 1d4
5. Cows - DC 17; 1d5
6. Horses - DC 20; 1d6
7. Horrible frog men drawn from across the tides of time and space
toward the magic outpouring coming from within the house, that must
be fought immediately.

The front door to the house is shut but unlocked. Inside the house is
dark and still. Vines grow and trail along the walls, climbing throughout
the house. There are people sitting in the parlor and standing in the
hallways, seemingly frozen in place. All of them are dressed in black, and
the women’s faces are covered in long black veils.
The mourners are not enchanted, will respond to the players by
moving away, and will only respond to questions with grief-stricken wails.
If the party can manage to communicate with them, Margaret's family
reports that she has died two days ago, either by her own hand or of a
broken heart, when Sweet William brought his new bride-to-be to town to
prepare for the wedding. If asked about the whereabouts of Lady Margaret
and William, they will point toward the back of the house.
In exploring the home and gardens, the party will find that Margaret is
in fact dead and that Sweet William visited last night, after the wedding.
He told Margaret's brother that he would have rather married Margaret but
could not. While searching the home, players may find an ivory comb.
Characters with the ivory comb get +1d attack bonus vs all hair-based
enemies, including Lady Margaret herself.
In the back of the house, the thorny vines grow thick. The party must
hack and slash their way to the source of the vines: Lady Margaret’s coffin.
If the party checks Margaret’s coffin, they find it wrapped with thorns
and roses. Inside William and Margaret are embracing. Both of them are
dead. Did Margaret force him into the coffin?
Opening the coffin requires a DC 14 Fortitude save vs poison. Upon
failure, the character realizes their shot at true love has passed them by. In
1d7 nights they are visited by an apparition that looks like the farmer's kid
who they grew up with and was always sweet on them. Their former
beauty, eaten away by a pox, they attempt to drag the character away so
that the two can be together forever. They grasp with stinging thorns that
emerge by bursting through sores on their corpselike form.

3-4
 Characters who make the save vs poison dream of their hometown
sweetheart for the next 1d7 nights. If they succeed on a luck check, their
luck score increases by one, and, when they are within 5 feet of roses, luck
checks are made at +1d.
There is great power released in the last embrace of true love. Bards,
skalds, and minstrels from every land sing of it. The most common sign is
the true love’s knot of roses and briar. To pick it is risky.
Players may pick roses from the coffin; these roses are supernaturally
long-lasting and resilient. Giving one of these roses to another allows the
giver to cast charm person on the recipient at 1d20+2.
If the coffin is disturbed, Lady Margaret stirs. Margaret's long yellow
hair is now full of thorns and is used to entangle enemies. As the vines
slowly snake out to entangle the characters, Lady Margaret (or whatever is
moving her body) professes its love for the characters. Characters who
return the sentiment are wrapped in the vines and drawn into the coffin,
never to be seen again. Characters who resist its advances are attacked by
the creature.

“Lady Margaret”: Init +0; Atk thorn vines +2 melee (1d4+1); Crit M/d8;
AC 14; HD 1d4+1; (hp 15); MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Love Will Tear Us
Apart; SV Fort +2, Ref - 1, Will +2; AL C.

Love Will Tear Us Apart: On a hit from Lady Margaret’s thorn vines, the
character loses their choice of 1d4 hit points or 1d4 Personality and must
make a DC 12 Willpower save vs the creature's declaration of love. If they
fail, the character is wrapped in the vines and drawn into the coffin, as above.

At the conclusion of the encounter, it should be clear to the characters

that this village kind of has a lot going on at the moment, and it would be
best for them to seek lodging elsewhere.

3-5
 by Stephen Mitsch
Illustration by Ryan Kearins

3-6
Background
The town of Oichita at the mouth of Dark River is rife with tales of a
foul witch, Zemkarth, rumored to be living in the abandoned stilt houses
upriver. Having been banished from town for using foul magic on the
banks of Dark River, she took shelter with the river goblins and studied
their dark magic. The Witch plots to ruin all towns and cities on the river
for her vengeance. Zemkarth moves up and down Dark River, strangling
cities with her fell witchery and goblin attacks until the inhabitants, having
suffered enough, leave to find peace in new lands. Her incessant raids have
left a trail of empty and forgotten towns littering the banks of Dark River.
Her most recent conquest is the once bustling nearby stilt house city,
Ugdahl.
Zemkarth has turned her gaze to Oichita, the town in which the party
has stopped. Saliva drips from Zemkarth’s sharp pointed teeth as she
watches the town, plotting its downfall from a crumbling stilt house in
Ugdahl.
Boats shipping supplies downriver have been found sundered and
broken on the banks. River sailors have returned unable to speak, wide-
eyed and suicidal. Even the animals seem to have abandoned the river,
except for the insects. Where before the squawking, chirping, and moaning
of various river creatures could be heard, there remains only the incessant
buzzing of mosquitoes and flies.
The witch is using runaways and missing persons as fodder for her
dark rituals. Feeding Oichita townsfolk to the cauldron or using their meat
to feed the goblins. This town has lost enough citizens to the witch. It is
time for retribution.

Player Start
You stand on the banks of the river before the deserted city of Ugdahl. A
ruin full of fat buzzing flies, where it is rumored that a witch has claimed
the abandoned stilt houses as her own. The witch is believed to be the
source of the accidents and abductions of late.
Seven stilt houses stand before you. Each atop four slender poles 20’ off the
ground. One stilt house has fallen from its poles and lies crumbled on a
large mound of mud on the bank of Dark River.

Upon inspection, the standing stilt houses cannot be reached by climbing

the slimy mossy poles. Players slide right down. The crumbled stilt house
lies in pieces on a large mound of mud on the bank of the river. A cursory
inspection results in players finding holes in the muddy mound. One for
each player. If players decide to reach into the holes, they must succeed on
a DC15 reflex save or their arm is stuck in the hole for 1d4 rounds. Upon a
successful save, the player rolls a D6 on the following table:

3-7
1. Pull a large boot from the hole.
2. Pull a long silver chain with a locket containing a picture of a dashing
young man worth 6 sp.
3. Pull an ornately decorated mask from the hole. When worn, the
character will appear as if they are finely dressed for a royal party no
matter what they are wearing, worth 25 gp.
4. Pull a short sword from the hole.
5. Pull a shivering and frightened white rabbit from the hole.
6. Pull a rotting hand from the hole.

Once a player is stuck, read or paraphrase the following:

You feel sharp teeth sink into your arm and pull you into the hole up to
your shoulder. As you writhe in pain, you hear seven scratchy voices hiss,
“SACRIFICE, SACRIFICE, SACRIFICE!” And the seven stilt houses
begin to sink into the mud slowly. You see that when the houses reach the
ground you will be trapped. The river at your back, and seven sinking stilt
houses at your front.

Players not trapped in a hole can take only one action or move before the
stilt houses reach the ground. Once they reach the ground, seven river
goblins burst out. They do not fight to kill, but to subdue players to use for
the witch’s dark rituals or to fatten up for meat. Any character reaching
zero HP is subdued by a goblin, and must await their fate at the hands of
Zemkarth.

River Goblins (7): Init -1; Atk bite -1 melee (1d3) or as weapon -1 melee;
AC 10; HD 1d6-1; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP infra vision 60’; SV Fort -2, Ref
+1, Will -2; AL C.

At the end of the 1d4 rounds resulting from the trapped players roll, read or
paraphrase the following:

The muddy mound that holds you begins to shake and you rise up as the
hole pulls you into the air. Out of the mud lifts the huge catfish-like head of
the Dark River Witch as she stands up. You hang dangling from her wide
mouth.

The witch bites down hard. Any trapped characters must succeed on a
DC15 Strength check to resist her bite. Upon success, they push apart the
witch’s jaws and escape. Failure results in the witch biting down on the
trapped characters arm. Roll a D5 on the following table, modified by the
character's Strength.

Nat 1. Character’s arm is bitten off at the shoulder.

1 or less. Character’s arm is bitten off at the elbow.

3-8
2-3 Character must roll a D5, they lose that many fingers on the
trapped hand.
4 Player’s pinky is bitten off.
5 Player’s pinky is bitten off but Zemkarth chokes on the digit.
She must spend the next round hacking it up.

Zemkarth: Init -2; Atk bite -2 melee (1d6-1) or curse (DC16 Will Save) or
spell; AC 12; HD 4d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP familiar (toad), curse, spell
casting (+8 spell check); SV Fort +4, R ef +0, Will +8; AL C.

Now the players must deal with any remaining goblins and Zemkarth.
Dealing 35 HP damage to Zemkarth kills her. If any goblins survive the
witch, they no longer have the will to fight and dive into the river and
swim away.
Players approaching the witch’s dead body are attacked one last time.
The witch uses the last of her energy to try and bite the character that
struck the fatal blow, upon success or failure, the witch dies for good. A
ring with 2 green glowing gems is on her finger. Characters brave enough
to reach into the witch’s wide catfish like mouth after she dies will find a
jeweler’s pouch covered in stomach acids with the jeweler’s severed hand
still clutching the pouch. The pouch contains 1d10 precious stones per
player character and a jeweler’s loupe. Around the witch’s neck hangs a
necklace of small fish skulls with the chaos rune burned into them. Any
dead goblins have 1d4 cp in their pockets.

Ring of the River Witch: players wearing this ring can command any
goblins once per day, up to seven goblins. Worth 75 gp.

Necklace of the Dark River Witch: Chaotic wizards wearing the necklace
gain +1 to spell checks. Worth 125 gp.

After the last of the players take what they will from Zemkarth read or
paraphrase the following,

A loud scream assaults your ears. Three dark figures are seen emerging
from the fog across the river. The first has the glistening purple body of a
beetle. Six chitinous arms scuttle beneath her as she turns her deformed
head towards the party. Two mandibles jut out from her jaw as she screams
in agony towards the fell witch. The second to emerge is huge. With coarse
dark hair covering her gigantic biceps, shoulders, and neck. Two vicious
tusks project from her severe underbite. She issues a guttural snort of
agreement. The third scuttles on her belly in the mud quickly around the
other two. Staying low to the ground. She unhinges her wide jaw as her
lizard shaped head rises. Fire spews from her throat before she snaps her
wide jaws shut again. The first screams, “I, Croleoptra, sister to Zemkarth
vow REVENGE! And curse her killers!” The second, “Susscrofa will crush
your bones! REVENGE for my sister! Curses for the murderers!” The third
hisses, “Remember the name Samimandra, for I will roast and eat all of

3-9
you to AVENGE ZEMKARTH! Curse on all who touch her!” As the last
echo of their screams fades into an uncanny silence, the three forms drift in
three different directions across the river.

At the judges discretion, the three sisters will visit their wrath upon the
party at random times throughout their campaign. Surprising the party
when they least expect it with a curse and a battle. All three are powerful
witches, so the judge should feel free to disguise them through any means
that allows them to get close to the party. They lost their sister, and they
now focus all their dark energies on visiting peril upon her killers. All
curses must be removed by a powerful deity or continue throughout the
campaign.

Croleoptra: Init -1; Atk bite -1 melee (1d6-1) or curse (DC16 Will Save)
or spell; AC 12; HD 4d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP familiar (Cat sized
Beetle), SP - choice to hold PC on successful melee, next round she brings
them to her maw and gnaws on their limbs causing permanent loss of
fingers/toes, curse, spell casting (+8 spell check); SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will
+7; AL C.

Curse of Croleoptra: a swarm of insects randomly infests the party in 1d4

days after every rest. Rolled by the judge, hidden from the players.

Susscrofa: Init -3; Atk bite +1 melee (1d6+1) or curse (DC16 Will Save)
or spell; AC 12; HD 4d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP familiar (Boar), SP - Rush
and gore with her tusks causing 1d4 bleeding damage in addition to melee
damage, curse, spell casting (+8 spell check); SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +8;
AL C.

Curse of Susscrofa: Cursed player rolls D3 after every rest: 1) PC’s nose
turns into a pig snout (re-roll if PC has snout already), 2) PC grows coarse
stinking hair all over their torso (re-roll if PC has hair already), 3) PC rolls
1D6 after every long rest, on a result of a 1, they can only speak in porcine
oinks until the next long rest.

Samimandra: Init +1; Atk bite -2 melee (1d6-1) or curse (DC16 Will
Save) or spell; AC 12; HD 4d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP familiar (Fire
Salamander), SP - unhinges jaw and spews a cone of fire causing 2D4 fire
damage (half damage for successful DC 15 Ref save), curse, spell casting
(+8 spell check); SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +3; AL C.

Curse of Samimandra: Cursed player has a 50/50 chance of growing a tiny

salamander from their head after every rest until all their hair is replaced by
salamanders permanently. Judge flips a coin, player calls it.

3-10
savage sub Terranean
SLiMERs OF
HARRISoN
HOLLER
An Umerica-inspired Funnel Adventure

Written, Cartographized, and Illustrated by Mike McKeown

Umerica © Shield of Faith Studios.

USG = Umerican Survival Guide

BACKGROUND
In the hills of Tucky, a group of small humanoid miners found a stash of
Slime-0 toys from before the Great Cataclysm. The strange magics of the
Cataclysm warped the toys and the greenish slime mutated all it touched.
The miners became dedicated to Chaos from the old stash of Slime-O toys
and rarely traveled to the surface. The strange magic has also warped
several creatures in the area. The miners wanted additional help for the
mine so they’ve started raiding the surface.
They’ve also captured a female band member from a popular group
from a cavern deep underneath the mine and are holding her ransom.

3-11
INTRODUCTION
In the wide rocky hills of eastern Tucky, on the banks of the Tugg Farkk
River, you found a place to lay your head or heads, after a long journey.
That night you found tasty food and banjo music in the tavern next to the
old Harrison motel where you and your friends found rooms. Outside, the
constant clicking of a passing train quietly echoes then quickly passes. You
get a restful sleep, not worrying about the tiny radioactive roach in the
worn blue bathtub, but then are suddenly awoken by a fat Fossorian in a
flannel shirt and orange overalls. You recognize him as Bart, the clerk at
the motel front desk. Behind him stand two other townsfolk. A mutant
woman with orange hair and a man dressed in dirty olive overalls.

The three explain that a group of children were taken in the night by
raiders from an old, abandoned mine. They say that four children were
taken by short humanoids. They weren’t sure what direction the raiders
were headed. If the characters search the area for tracks have them make a
DC 15 Intelligence check, if successful they locate the tracks of a group of
eight small humanoids. Some of the tracks are child sized. They tell the
party that they've heard rumors of the raiders striking other villages in the
area but not theirs.
Characters can purchase standard equipment (under 75 gp) in the
town, if needed.

A-1 Mine Opening

Following the tracks, they lead to the side of a mountain. A dark tunnel
descends into the side of the mountain. An old set of metal rails line the
center of the tunnel. Wooden beams support the ceiling. A rusted metal sign
hangs above the entrance depicting a guitar. It reads “Rock and Coal
Mine”

The inside of the mine is dark and requires light or infravision to see
beyond 5 feet. The walls are black. A set of mine car tracks runs down the
tunnel.
If the characters examine the sides of the tunnel have them make a DC
8 Intelligence check, if successful they notice that the tracks continue down
the tunnel.

A-2 Guard Room

Continuing down the tunnel, a dank chalky smell hangs in the air. The
tunnel seems to continue onward for a great length and opens into a room.

Four subterranean slimers sit around an old wooden table in metal chairs. A
poster hangs on the wall . It reads “Live from Menzzo-Bra-Soom – The
Spider Princesses.” It depicts four coal black skinned women with pointed
plastic ears wearing goth gear holding instruments. A painting of the god
Kizz stands in the background.

3-12
 With their superior senses, unless the players state they are attempting
to be quiet, the slimers will act first and attack.

Slimers (4): Init +1 Atk hooked sword +1 melee (1d6+1) or bite +1 melee
(1d6+1) or javelin +1 missile fire (1d6); AC 13; HD 1d6, hp 4; MV 30';
climb 20'; Act 1d20 SP immune to poison, infravision 60', vulnerable to
bright light (-2 penalty to attack rolls and Ref saves that rely on sight when
in bright light, spellcasting (+2 spell check), toxic slime trail; Spells (1st)
chill touch, Fort +0, Ref +3, Will -2, AL C Crit III/d6.

If the party searches the room, a succesful DC 8 Luck check locates a CD

player. The player contains a goth metal CD from the Spider Princesses. If
sold the player and CD are worth 75 gp or gas notes.
There’s also a blue paper sign with white letters that hangs on the
opposite wall that reads:
Safety First!
XX
Days Without
A Lost-Time Accident

A-3 Pit Trap

This area is covered in a pit trap. If the character steps into the trap, they
must make a DC 10 Reflex save or fall and take 2d6 damage. The trap can
be located with a DC 8 Intelligence check, and disarmed with a DC 10
Disable traps check.

3-13
A-4 Chasm
The judge should ask about the party’s light sources as the party moves
down the corridor.

As you travel further into the mine you spot a short chasm splitting the
floor of the tunnel. The tunnel continues onward past the chasm.

The chasm is 10 ‘feet wide. It takes a DC 8 Agility or Strength to jump

across, if the character fails they take 3d6 damage. If the party lacks an
adequate light source, they might stumble into the chasm.
The slimers have hidden a switch in the side of the wall. If pulled the
switch drops a bridge down that covers the chasm. A DC 20 Intelligence or
Find Traps locates the switch.

A-5 Barracks
Inside this room are six metal bunks. Dirty blankets and an old sleeping
bag cover the bunks. At the foot of each bunk sits a small chest. On the
wall hang belts and a cloth banner. Dirty used Buddy O’Burger wrappers
line the center of the room. The smell of old gym clothes floats in the air.

There are no creatures currently in the room. Each chest contains old
clothes. Dirty clothes lie underneath the bunks. One of the chests is trapped
with giant ant poison. (Determine randomly) If the character opens the
chest they must make a successful DC 16 Fortitude save or take 2d4
Stamina damage. A DC 15 Intelligence or Find Traps check locates the
trap. Inside the chest are 50 gp, a 9mm pistol, 30 9mm rounds, 50’ of rope,
a grappling hook, a dagger and a back pack.
The cloth banner reads “Tucky Wild Cats.” It depicts a puma holding a ball.

A-6 Burrower Pen

A fetid odor wafts from the room. Two furry strange dog sized creatures
stand inside. Dirty hay and waste line the floor.

The slimers keep two mole-like creatures as pets. The Spiny Burrowers
will attack any non-slimer creature that opens the door.

This strange mole-like creature is the size of a large dog, but its thick,
barrel-shaped body looks as heavy as a full-grown dwarf and bug like eyes.
A ring of tentacles sprouts above a mouth dominated by spade-like
incisors. It has no visible ears and possesses only tiny, cataract-filled eyes,
but it seems to sense its environment nonetheless. It has thick black spines
on it’s back and a horses leg sticking out of it’s belly.

If the spiny burrower draws blood from a worm like creature, it goes mad
and gains a +2 to attack and damage, 2 extra hit points per hit dice but a -2
to AC. The madness lasts for 2 rounds.

3-141592653
Spiny Burrowers (2): Init +4 Atk bite +4 melee (1d6+2) or kick +1 melee
(1d4+2) or claw -1 melee (1d4+2); AC 16; Armor die: 1d3; HD 3d8+6, hp
19; MV 30'; burrow 10 ft, swim 10 ft; Act 1d20/1d14; SP blindsight 30 ft.,
scent, spiny ridges, worm rage; Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +2, AL N Crit M p
392/1d6.

(From Maximum Mutagensis)

- New Body (x2) Insect eyes horses leg
- Spiny Ridges - The creature’s body is covered in thorns that inflict 1d3
points of damage to anyone attempting to hold or grapple it. The creature
also gains +1d to all grapple attacks.

3-15
A-7 Magic Phone on Wall
Hung on the wall next to a door marked “Store room” is an old style
wooden hand cranked phone. Off to the front and side, two human miners
dressed in gray coveralls and yellow plastic hats work to extract coal. One
of the humans smiles and whistles a song.

The shaman cast charm person on the

miners and the slimers have kept them
prisoner here and forced them to exact
coal. They don’t threaten them and
treat them civilly and recast the spell as
needed
If a character cranks the side handle,
they’ll hear a dial tone. After the dial

illustration by bygrinstow
tone, an operator with a different voice
answers the phone. The operator is the
powerful servant of a god. The operator
says “Office of (blank god) and asks
how can I help you?” The operator
won’t give specifics but says “Do you
want help?” If the player answers
“Yes”, have the player roll percentile
dice. If they are respectful the servant/
operator grants them the following, (See
below) if the character is rude then the
operator hangs up and the character
can’t make another call.
If the character is a cleric of the god,
then after the item appears the servant
asks if they’ll undertake a quest in the gods name then the servant says that
they will gain an additional 250 gp if they agree to undertake the quest
(GM discretion)

01 Curse — the operator is the servant of an angry god. The servant

will curse the player with a permanent -1 to the character’s lowest
stat. A DC 19 Will save resists the curse.
02-05 Totally random NPC no gain
06-12 $ — the character finds 3 gp notes in their pocket.
13-19 Buddy O Burger — a carefully wrapped fleshy meat sandwich
with cheese, ketchup, and tomato appears in the characters hand.
If the character eats it, the sandwich reappears the following day
and serves as a full single meal
20-26 Elmos — a magenta cloth puppet of a furry humanoid appears in
the characters hand, what effect it might otherwise have is left up
to the GM. The puppet does not tarnish or tear.

3-16
27-33 Grokk — if the character is neutral a wooden club in great
condition appears in the characters hand, it does +1 extra damage
vs undead, otherwise it’s a regular wooden club.
34-40 Santa — one piece of random equipment pg 50 if they are lawful,
otherwise a lup of coal.
41-47 Petrolex — a pint of gasoline appears in their hands, it refills
each day. It does 1d6 fire damage if lit. f they are neutral
otherwise the character takes 1 point of fire damage, DC 8 Reflex
save prevents the damage.
48-54 Kizz — a small (2’ long) guitar appears in the characters hands if
they are neutral otherwise nothing.
62-68 Ra, Lawful Egyptian god of the Sun — if the character is lawful
a flashlight in good condition appear in their hands, the light
shines for 70’ and the battery recharges after 2 days. The light
lasts a full day then is down for 2 days. Otherwise the character
finds 1 gp in their pocket.
69-75 Thor — if the character is Lawful a metal hammer in good condition
appears in their hands. Can be used as a weapon for 1d5 damage, it
does +1 damage versus giants, otherwise it’s a regular hammer.
76-82 Technois Discos — if the character is chaotic then they receive a
CD with music from the god, the CD lights up and acts as a
flashlight when it plays. If the character is Lawful then they must
make a DC 8 Fort Save or take 1 point of damage from loud
music. If they are neutral they find 1 gp in their pocket.
83-89 Poseidon, Greek god of the Sea — if the character is neutral they
receive a potion of water breathing DCC rpg Table 3-4 otherwise 1 gp.
90-96 Whaaar! — a serrated dagger that does +1 extra damage to
herbivores, Lawful Ref Save DC 8 or take 1 point of damage.
97-99 3 pieces of random equipment DCC Core Rulebook, Table 3-4.
00 If the player rolls a 100, the servant will grant them +1 permanent
increase to the character’s highest stat.

Each character can gain only one item/call, if the player presses for anther
call, the operator hangs up and no dial tone is present on the next time the
player dials the phone.

A-8 Store Room Near the Phone

On the opposite side of the wall near the phone stands a gray metal door.
There’s a sign on the door that reads “Storage Room - but I lost the Key.”

The door is solid metal. It’s locked and cannot be opened or broken down.
Have each player make a DC 12 Luck check, if successful they notice a
small door on the opposite wall that says “Lost and Found” If opened they
find a key to the storage room inside.

3-17
 On a successful Luck check (DC 8) a character searching the room
interior finds an item. The player searching can roll 5d12 twice for each
item they find, pg 50 USG.
Also inside the store room is a speaker hanging from the wall playing
music over and over. “Welcome to Rock and Coal Mine Radio… One…
Two… Three Let’s Go!” it says. If a character concentrates on the music
they must make a DC 12 Willpower save or become distracted by the
music. If they fail, they suffer a -1d penalty to all rolls for the duration of
the adventure.
The speaker is made of indestructible fake wood and cannot be
damaged. There’s no wires or power source visible.

A-9 Tunnel Hall

Three subterranean Slimer Guards stand watch in the corridor and watch
the human miners. The guards will hear characters using the phone unless
they specifically make arrangements to keep quiet or if the party makes
noise as they head down the corridor.

Subterranean Slimers (3): Init +1 Atk hooked sword +1 melee (1d6+1) or

bite +1 melee (1d6+1) or javelin +1 missile fire (1d6); AC 13; HD 1d6, hp
4; MV 30'; climb 20'; Act 1d20 SP immune to poison, infravision 60',
vulnerable to bright light (-2 penalty to attack rolls and Ref saves that rely
on sight when in bright light, spellcasting (+2 spell check), toxic slime
trail; Spells (1st) chill touch, Fort +0, Ref +3, Will -2, AL C Crit III/d6.

The slimers have 10 sp on them.

A-10 Large Cavern

Dominating this large high room is a large can of Slime-O. The can is
roughly 20 feet high. Four small statues depicting men with beards on their
chins, round noses, green coats and red hats. of the same type sit at the
sides of the room. The ceiling rises several feet above the top of the can. An
eerie red light flows off it’s pale body enveloping it’s length. At the foot of
the can stand six small warriors, behind them sit four children with their
mouths gagged and arms and legs bound.

Subterranean Slimers (4): Init +1 Atk hooked sword +1 melee (1d6+1) or

bite +1 melee (1d6+1) or javelin +1 missile fire (1d6); AC 13; HD 1d6, hp
4; MV 30'; climb 20'; Act 1d20 SP immune to poison, infravision 60',
vulnerable to bright light (-2 penalty to attack rolls and Ref saves that rely
on sight when in bright light, spellcasting (+2 spell check), toxic slime
trail; Spells (1st) chill touch, Fort +0, Ref +3, Will -2, AL C Crit III/d6.

If the players make a DC 10 Intelligence check, they realize that

Slime-O is an old Urth toy.
The children are scared and it takes a DC 10 Personality check to calm
them down. The can is is the source of the eerie magic that has changed the

3-18
gnomes. It’s takes a DC 22 Strength check to topple it. Any character near
it must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be splashed with the slime. If
splashed with the slime, the character must make a Fortitude save, or suffer
1 point of temporary Stamina damage.
After the children calm down, they are insistent that they don’t want to
leave. They whine and complain that their parents are too strict and won’t
let them eat Buddy O’Burger and make them eat more healthy food. A DC
15 Personality check convinces them to return home.
A coal black skinned woman with pointed plastic ears wearing goth
gear sits behind the statue. Her hands and feet are bound and her mouth
gagged. If rescued, she’s thankful and offers the party free tickets to her
band’s next show and retrieves her belongings and gives each party
member a CD of their last album. She introduces herself has Shimyra
Kilrae, She says the name of her band is the Spider Truckers. If pressed,
she says that the slimers and her people are rivals and they kidnapped her
hoping for a ransom. But her people don’t like her band’s music anymore
and have turned to Kizz so they didn’t provide the reward. But she says
that her band loves Kizz but just adopts a different style when playing the
music. If the GM wishes to expand the adventure, Shimyra might ask the
characters to escort her home as there are bandits, giant mutant lizards and
strange magic fungi along the way. There’s also rumored to be a hidden
shrine of fish men.

A-11 Spider Lair

The tunnel comes to an end as purple webs seem to drop in front of your face.
A small cocoon hangs off to one side, green ooze dripping from its side.

Two orange skinned mutated creatures make their home at the end of the
tunnel. They will attack the party on sight.

Irradiated Arachnids (2): Init +3, Atk bite +1 (1d4, poison) or web +2
ranged; AC 12; HD 1d8+1; HP 6; MV 30’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP
poison (DC 11 Fort save for 2 Stamina else 1d4 Stamina), web ; SV Fort
+1, Ref +2, Will -2; AL N.

If the party cuts down the corpse they find the dried body of a Gray
(USG pg 66). If they search the body, with a successful Luck check they find
50 gp and a laser pistol (USG pg 122) with power remaining for six shots.
The slimers try to leave the spiders alone and avoid this area.

A-12 Mutated Rat Lair

The passageway seems to come to an end as the mine car tracks are buried
underneath a wall of black rubble. The air is dank and stale. Bits of coal
lie at the bottom.

If the characters start digging into the pile of rubble, a Toothy Thaumaturge
emerges.

3-19
This rat like creature has large teeth and an intelligent glint in it’s fly like
eyes and an orange glow surrounds it’s hairy body. Black ooze cover’s it’s
huge incisors.

Toothy Thaumaturge: Init +4; Atk bite +2 melee (1d8+1 plus disease);
AC 13; HD 1d6+2; hp 5; MV 30’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP anti-magic
field, disease (DC 7 Fort save or additional 1d6 damage); SV Fort +4, Ref
+2, Will +1; AL N.

(From Maximum Mutagensis)

Insect Eyes

Gnashing Teeth - If the creature does not normally have a bite attack, it
gains one, inflicting 1d6 damage. If it already has a bite attack, the damage
is increased by +2d.

Anti-magic Field - This creature’s body pulses with strange energies that
disrupt spell energies. Any attempts to cast a spell within 100’ of the
creature suffer a -10 to the casting roll. Casters within this area of effect are
somewhat conscious of this affliction.

A-13
This area is left blank in case the judge wishes to expand the adventure.

A-14 Shaman’s Office

A rusted metal desk and a metal chair stand in the middle of this room. A
yellowed paper map hangs on the wall to the left. A Mutant a Day calendar
with a large green thumb tack is stuck to the wall behind the desk. Paper
and old pens cover the desk next to an old computer.

Inside this room is the slimers' shaman. He sits behind a desk and will
attack the party as they enter. The map displays a picture of mine. As a
possible plot hook, the GM might wish to add new layers to the mine to
expand the adventure. The characters can use the map to explore other areas.

Subterranean Slimer Shaman: Init +1 Atk hooked sword +1 melee

(1d6+1) or bite +1 melee (1d6+1) or javelin +1 missile fire (1d6); AC 13;
HD 2d6, hp 8; MV 30'; climb 20'; Act 1d20 SP immune to poison,
infravision 60', vulnerable to bright light (-2 penalty to attack rolls and Ref
saves that rely on sight when in bright light, spellcasting (+2 spell check);
Spells (1st) cantrip, charm person, chill touch, magic shield, trick die 1d3,
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +1, AL C, Crit III/d6, Base Stock: based on gnome
from GFA 2021.

The desk has an old laptop on it with ancient MacroHard 98 software. It

takes a DC 18 Intelligence check to get the lap top to work. If the party
searches the desk, inside are a big red stapler in great condition, 50 gp, a

3-20
zero-gravity pen, a sharp steel letter opener (as dagger) and a scroll of
magic shield. The stapler is magic, if a character ever loses the stapler it
returns to the owner the next day. It also has damage resistance 3.

3-21
CREATURES
Subterranean Slimer
Base Stock: based on gnome from GFA 2021
Init +1 Atk hooked sword +1 melee (1d6+1) or bite +1 melee (1d6+1) or
javelin +1 missile fire (1d6); AC 13; HD 1d6, hp 4; MV 30'; climb 20'; Act
1d20 SP immune to poison, infravision 60', vulnerable to bright light (-2
penalty to attack rolls and Ref saves that rely on sight when in bright light,
spellcasting (+2 spell check), toxic slime trail; Spells (1st) chill touch, Fort
+0, Ref +3, Will -2, AL C Crit III/d6.

(From Maximum Mutagensis)

The slimer gains a +1d6 to all attempts to track any prey it can hear.

Toxic Slimetrail: As this creature moves, it constantly deposits a copious

amount of viscous ooze in its wake. Anyone coming in contact with this
slimetrail must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) each round or suffer 1 point
of temporary Stamina damage. The required saves continue even after
contact with the slime is broken until either three saves are passed or the
victim dies. The slimetrail will remain potent for 2d3 days.

3-22
3-23
PRINCE DIKARYA
Underlord of the Mycorrhizal Kingdom
Written by Marc Nocerino

rince Dikarya is a Neutral fungal entity who forms and oversees the
fungal network which connects all forms of higher mycelial “life”,
both on Aereth and across dimensions. The Mycorrhizal Kingdom
exists underground in the interconnected roots of various fungi, and in
extraplanar space as it connects fungi from multiple realms to the central
Realm of Myconia, an extra-dimensional plane that acts as the root of all
planet-based fungi across the multi-verses.
Prince Dikarya often takes the form of a bipedal humanoid mushroom
with arms and legs and a face under the cap, looking much like an
anthropomorphic Psilocybe Cubensis or Fly Agaric, though he can take the
form of any fungus (puffball, slime mold, etc.) with or without
anthropomorphic qualities. His followers tend to be Neutral, and often
Elves, though Prince Dikarya will also answer the call of Lawful Elves and
Wizards. He rarely sponsors Chaotic spellcasters, although it is not wholly
unheard of.

Invoke Patron check results

12-13 Prince Dikarya is busy elsewhere but feels the supplicant’s pull
along his mycorrhizal network of fungal roots. He only spares the
barest glimmer of attention to the character. A puff of fungal spores
erupts from the ground around the caster (or walls/ceiling if
indoors), causing 1d2 Stamina damage to all living creatures,
except the caster, in a 20’ radius (DC 10 Fort save negates). The
caster knows not to bother Prince Dikarya again for aid until the
following day (effectively losing any further castings of invoke
patron they might have that day).

14-17 Prince Dikarya is busy answering prayers/granting spells to many

other faithful across the dimensions and has little attention to give
the caster. He grants the caster +1 to Initiative and Spell Checks for
the next 1d3 rounds. The caster knows not to bother Prince
Dikarya again for aid until the following day (effectively losing
any further castings of invoke patron they might have that day).

18-19 Prince Dikarya hears the caster’s call for attention but is not
inclined to offer much, being involved in other matters of greater
import at the moment. Prince Dikarya gifts the caster with 1d3+CL
mushrooms, which are psychoactive; each grants the caster a +1 to
Spell Checks for 1d3 rounds when consumed. Each mushroom also

3-24
 causes 1 hp of damage when eaten, and they disintegrate into
unusable microscopic spore dust if not used within 24 hours. Any
number of mushrooms can be eaten at one time, which takes a full
round. If anyone other than the caster consumes these mushrooms,
they take the damage but do not gain any positive effects unless
they also worship (or are Patron-bound to) Prince Dikarya.

20-23 The caster is connected to the Mycorrhizal Network and given a

brief glimpse into the immediate future. This is represented by a
+1+CL on Spell Checks and +1+CL to initiative for the next 1d5
rounds.

24-27 A puffball mushroom appears at the caster’s feet and immediately

explodes, saturating a 10’x10’ area with fungal spores. The caster
is affected as in the previous result, but all results are +2 plus CL.
In addition, all living creatures must succeed on a DC 15 Fort save
or take a -1 to all actions for the next 1d3 rounds as the mind-
altering effects of the spores slow their reactions and dull their
senses. Plant creatures are only affected by half (round down), as
they know of the symbiotic nature of fungal growth. The spores
vanish after 1 round; no one entering the area after that first round
will be affected.

28-29 As above, but all results are +1d3 plus CL and last for 1d6 rounds.
At this level of success the caster may implore Prince Dikarya to
only affect their enemies (Judge decides whether or not that
request is granted).

30-31 As above, but all results are +2d2 plus CL, and the spores linger in
the air and cling to nearby surfaces for 2d4 rounds, affecting all
who enter the space. At this level of success, Prince Dikarya is
pleased enough that he will only affect the caster’s enemies.

32+ Prince Dikarya decides that you should be the tool of his
magnificence on this world and temporarily grants the caster
access to a Magic Staff made of a tough, wood-like mushroom. It
will remain in existence for 24 hours, at which time it will
dematerialize in a puff of hallucinogenic spores (as result 24-27,
above). The staff confers a +1 to all melee attacks, does 1d6
damage, and any living creature hit must make a DC 15 Fort save
or suffer a -1DC to all actions for 1d4 rounds as they are
overwhelmed by the noxious spores it releases on a successful hit.
More importantly to most casters, however, is that the staff also
bestows a +CL bonus to all spell checks, while held. Additionally,
the staff also grants one extra daily casting of the Patron Spell
Spore Cloud (see below) with a +5 bonus to the result. The staff
only works for the caster; it is considered a normal, non-magical
staff for anyone else who attempts to wield it.

3-25
Patron Spells
Spore Cloud
Level: 1 Range:Varies Duration: Varies Casting time: 1 action Save: Varies

This spell calls forth a cloud of fungal spores, with a variety of effects. The
caster can always choose an effect lower than their roll, if that better suits
their needs.

1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less)

corruption + misfire + patron taint; (1) corruption; (2-3) patron
taint; (4+) misfire. In any event, Prince Dikarya is displeased by
the caster’s ineptitude and will not answer any other requests until
the next day (effectively losing any other Patron Spells they might
have for that day and any further castings of Invoke Patron they
might have that day).

2-11 Lost. Failure. Prince Dikarya is displeased, as above.

12-13 One designated target is engulfed in a puff of mildly toxic spores,

which hamper vision and cause minor irritation. This effect lasts
1d4 rounds, and the target suffers a -1 penalty to all rolls (including
attacks, damage, skills, and saves). If the target fails a DC 10 Fort
save, the length of the effect is doubled. The spore cloud follows
the target; it cannot escape.

14-17 As above, but larger and more of them. 1d3+CL targets can be
designated by the caster, with effects the same as above.

18-19 As above, but the spores are psychoactive. All effects are doubled
(penalties, length, etc.), and creatures affected by the spore cloud
take an additional 1d4 Personality and Intelligence damage, lasting
3d4 minutes.

20-23 The caster is able to summon an enormous cloud of psychoactive

spores, enough to fill a 5x5 area. The caster is no longer able to
designate targets, as all within the area will be affected. In addition
to the effects in 18-19, some of the spores will settle to the ground
and, in 1d3 rounds, create a Faerie Ring which lulls all within the
circle to a magical slumber. On a failed DC 12 Will save, a creature
will fall into an enchanted sleep lasting 1d3+CL rounds, at which
time the Ring disintegrates and all within are free of its effects.

24-28 At this level of success, the caster calls forth a Faerie Ring of huge
proportions, easily filling a 10x10 area with all the effects
described above. Further, the caster can designate allies within the
area. These allies are not immune to the effects, but they do get to
add double the caster’s level to their Will save to avoid the effects.

3-26
29-31 The Faerie Ring grows to 20’x20’, and the caster can designate
allies who are wholly unaffected. All other effects are as 24-28.

32+ Prince Dikarya sends an avatar of himself, which scowls its

disapproval of the caster’s enemies before exploding in a giant
cloud of noxious, hallucinogenic spores which fill a 30x30 area
and linger for 1d3+CL rounds before dissipating. These spores
cause all enemies who fail a DC 15 Fort save to suffer intense
nausea and hallucinations, which manifest as a -3 to all rolls while
the spore cloud is actively lingering in the air. Once the spore cloud
expires, it creates a Faerie Ring exactly as in 29-31, but which is
30’x30’ in size. These effects are sequential, not cumulative.

Spellburn
1. If the target of the spell is Neutral or somehow dedicated to nature, and
it is a beneficial spell, then the spellburn cost is halved (rounded down,
minimum of 0). If the target is Chaotic, and it is a harmful spell, then
the spellburn cost is halved (rounded down, minimum of 0).

2. Roll 1d3 + Luck modifier. Prince Dikarya accepts the caster’s sacrifice
and: [1] “gifts” you with a level of Patron Taint but halves the spellburn
cost (rounded down, minimum of 1); [2] doubles the spellburn cost
(rounded down); or [3+] has no extra effects beyond the normals
Spellburn cost.

3. Prince Dikarya is so pleased by the caster’s sacrifice that he grants

them a covering of mushrooms all over their body. They temporarily
gain +2AC as their skin is covered with a layer of thick, scaly
mushrooms that absorb some impact of incoming damage, and they
temporarily have a -2d to all social interaction checks because they
look like, well, a mushroom monster. These mushrooms only last for 24
hours, at which time they dissipate in a puff of spores which seed the
surrounding area and increase Prince Dikarya’s mycorrhizal network in
the area.

4. The caster’s sacrifice is only marginally accepted. Spellburn as normal,

but Prince Dikarya demands that, within one week’s time, the caster
must perform some specific service for him (check with your Judge for
details). Failure to meet these demands will result in a -1d to all spell
shecks until the task is complete. This penalty worsens by an additional
1d each month. If the caster does not complete the task within 6
months, Prince Dikarya deems them unworthy of his patronage and
sends a group of fungal minions to end their life.

3-27
Patron Taint
Those who are bound to Prince Dikarya often begin to adopt mycelial
features or invoke fungal infestations in their locales. Roll 1d4 to
determine Patron Taint when indicated.

1. Mushroomial Magic — Mercurial Magic effect for the spell that

triggered the Patron Taint is replaced by a new effect. Each time this
spell is cast, a musty odor fills the air as millions of invisible
(technically, microscopic) spores are released in the vicinity where the
spell effect occurred. All living creatures within 5’ must make a DC 5
Fort save or be distracted by the odor and effect of the spores on their
Central Nervous System (-1 to all rolls for 1d2 rounds). If this result is
rolled a second time, the Mercurial Magic effect intensifies. The spore
cloud is larger and more potent: all living creatures within 20’ must
make a DC 10 Fort save or be overcome by the odor and effect of the
spores (-1d to all rolls for 1d5 minutes). If this result is rolled a third
time, the spore cloud is highly toxic and all living creatures within 30’
must make a DC15 Fort save or fall unconscious while the spores infest
their bodies. Any creature knocked unconscious in this manner can roll
a new Fort save each round, DC equal to 15+the number of rounds
they’ve been unconscious (so, it gets progressively more difficult).
After 10 rounds, any creatures unable to shake off the effects through a
successful Fort save are irrevocably overwhelmed by the fungal
infestation and die where they lay, sprouting the fruiting bodies of the
fungus which has overtaken them. These mushrooms release spores at
the same level, and the area should be avoided lest more lose their lives.

2. Bed of Spores — Every time the caster sleeps for at least 4 hours,
mushrooms sprout along the silhouette of his body. These remain (and
can be easily detected by anyone searching or tracking) unless
harvested. Roll 1d6 to determine the type each time this Taint is rolled:
i. Basic “normal” mushroom with stem and cap, no special properties
ii. Same as i
iii. Slime mold, no special properties
iv. Same as iii
v. Hallucinogenic psilocybes (if harvested and consumed, DC 15 Fort
save or hallucinations [-1d to all physical actions, +1d4 temporary
Personality].
vi. Toxic slime mold (if harvested, add 1d3 poison [DC 10 Fort save] to
any coated weapon)

3. Sporeovore — The caster’s connection to the mycelial nature of their

Patron begins to change their digestive processes. The caster becomes
increasingly dependent on mushrooms for sustenance. The first time
this Taint is rolled, the caster must consume a mushroom of any sort
within 30 days or suffer a -1 to all rolls. This penalty increases by -1
each 7 days until they are able to consume a mushroom. The second

3-28
 time this is rolled is similar to the first time, except it becomes a
lifelong condition — they must consume at least one mushroom every
month or suffer the weekly-compounding ill effects of not doing so.
The third time this Taint is rolled, they becomes wholly dependent on
mushrooms for sustenance and must consume at least one mushroom
daily or be unable to properly digest other foods, causing a -1 to all
rolls and an additional -1 to Stamina for each day they do not consume
at least one mushroom. The effects at this level are cumulative, and the
caster will die if their Stamina reaches 0. All mushrooms consumed at
all levels of this Taint must be naturally occurring or farmed;
mushrooms created by spells and spell-related effects (such as spellburn
or other Patron Taint effects) are not sufficient to nourish the caster.

4. Deepened Connection — The inter-dimensional Fungal Network

begins to infest the caster, who becomes increasingly nocturnal with
future rolls of this same Taint. They also become more connected to
Prince Dikarya through the fibers of the network.
i. +1 Personality or Intelligence (50/50 chance for either) and must
make a DC10 Fort save daily or suffer -1 to all rolls in direct sunlight.
ii. +1d3 Intelligence, -2 Personality and -3 to all rolls in direct sunlight.
iii. +1d4 Intelligence, -4 Personality and -8 to all rolls in direct sunlight.
iv. If the caster rolls this result a fourth time, they become a fungus.
Game over.

3-29
NOTES FOR PLANNING YOUR ARTICLES FOR NEXT YEAR'S

GONGFARMER'S
ALMANAC:

3-30
3-31
HAVE FUN COLORING IN THIS IMAGE OF ILDAVIR!

illustration by bygrinstow

3-32
 THE BLACK WIND
By Stella Condrey
Illustrated by Jason Youngdale

The Black Wind is not invoked lightly. The scorned and furious
never mean to reach out to It. Yet It finds a way into their ears.
Its songs enthrall as they rise from the cold stone of the earth.
Very few contacted by The Black Wind ever turn it down.

INVOKE PATRON
SPELL CHECK RESULTS
Upon a successful casting, the wizard may choose to invoke a spell
check result equal to or less than their spell check result.

12-13 Command of the Wind. The caster can create gusts of

wind capable of lifting objects up to 400 lbs. in weight for
CL Minutes.

14-17 Salted Wounds. The caster targets a creature within 60'

must make a Fort Save against the Spell Check result. For
the following day any time they suffer damage they suffer
an additional 1d5+CL damage.

18-19 Crown of The Black Wind. A shadowy crown materializes

upon the caster’s head. They gain 20 of movement and can
walk across shadows as if they were solid.

20-23 Venomous Heart. For the following day the caster’s spit is
venomous. The venom can be applied to weapons one lick at
a time or used with a direct bite. The venom causes perma-
nent blindness and slows down the movement of the crea-
ture by 15' for the next day on a failed save, and blindness
for a minute on a successful save.
(Fort Save vs Spell Check result)

4-1
 “How sweet the revenge will be. Oh how sweet,
and all you need do is give in and embrace your true desires.
I can give you everything you ever wanted if you swear by me.”

—The Black Wind

4-2
24-27 Zephyric Weapon. The caster can summon any weapon
they are trained in the use of out of thin air. The weapon
remains in the casters possession for CL turns. The weapon
deals +1d more than a mundane version of the weapon
normally would, and caster adds half their CL rounded up
to their Attack Rolls. If the caster crits with the weapon the
target is suspended in the air unable to move in addition to
any other result that may happen.

28-29 Darkness Manifest. For the next hour the caster becomes
invisible when not in direct sunlight.

30-31 Hunter’s Knowledge. The caster knows the exact location

of a creature that slighted them, across every planet in the
crystal sphere, in any dimension. This persists for a month.

31+ Unending Hatred. For a moment every creature that can

see the target feels what the caster feels towards the target.
For the next turn they attempt to attack the target even if
they are allies.

PATRON TAINT:
THE BLACK WIND
When patron taint is indicated for The Black Wind, roll 1d6 on the
table below. When a caster has acquired all six taints at all levels of
effect, there is no need to continue rolling any more.

1 When the caster is silent faint murmurs can be heard around

them. If this result is rolled a second time whenever the caster
yells a small chorus can be heard yelling with them. If this
result is rolled a third time whenever the caster makes eye
contact with a person for the first time they are haunted by the
sounds of unintelligible bellowing for an hour.

4-3
2 The caster’s quest for revenge becomes more cemented in their
mind, they suffer a -1 penalty to Personality check cumulatively
for each spell they cast so far that day. If this result is rolled
a second time the penalty is increased to -1d. If the result is
rolled a third time they suffer 1 Personality damage every time
they cast a spell.

3 The caster becomes bitter and bileful, becoming more prone to

holding grudges. If the result is rolled a second time the caster
wishes to take immediate action in face of any perceived slight.
If the result is rolled a third time the caster loses the concept or
appropriate response, swearing generational blood feuds over
the merest slight.

4 The caster’s eyes take on an amber tint. If this result is rolled

a second time their eyes begin to glow slightly and can always
be spotted in the dark. If the result is rolled a third time the
caster’s eyes burn with an orange fire, if the caster becomes
enraged the fire illuminates 15' in front of them.

5 A gust always follows the caster, even in places that normally

do not receive a wind. If the result is rolled a second time the
air around the caster (100') becomes turbulent, inflicting a -3
penalty to all missile attacks. If the result is rolled a third time
the caster’s anger carries on the wind, anyone versed in matters
of revenge can tell they are coming days in advance.

6 Undead with unsettled grudges will begin flocking to the caster,

hoping the caster will finish their business for them. If this
result is rolled a second time then intelligent undead are always
aware of where the caster is. If the result is rolled a third time
then the purposeless unintelligent undead will begin to manifest
in any location the caster remains in for more than a week.

4-4
 PATRON SPELLS:
THE BLACK WIND
The Black Wind grants three unique spells, as follows:

Level 1: Sympathetic Wounds

Level 2: Resist Extremes
Level 3: The Black Storm

SPELLBURN:
THE BLACK WIND
All The Black Wind wants you to do is give in a little more, embrace
it just a bit more, It is glad to reward whatever you are willing to do
to further your vengeance. When a caster utilizes spellburn, roll 1d4
on the table below or build off the suggestions to create an event
specific to your home campaign.

The caster’s mind is focused on what set them down the road of
revenge in the first place, it dominates their mind and fuels their
hatred. The caster becomes single minded, and dour (expressed as
Personality loss).

The caster is lifted up into a dark whirlwind, they can spellburn

ability scores from allies in the area but are not totally in control.
Instead of burning a single point the caster burns their allies
attributes by 1d3. If the caster does not take from others then they
instead automatically must burn at least 6 points of attributes.

The caster’s form fades slightly, and begins to emanate shadows.

This metamorphosis lasts only a second but is tiring. The caster
can spellburn freely and suffer no attribute loss but cannot heal by
means mundane or magical for that many days afterward.

The caster flies into a rage, their body pushing past barriers they did
not know they had. For the following hour they will never surrender,
and will give no quarter. After the hour is over the caster crashes
(expressed as Stamina loss).

4-5
 SYMPATHETIC WOUNDS
Level 1 (The Black Wind) Range: 50'
Duration: CL+1 rounds Casting Time: 1 action
Save: Will

General: The caster can inflict the wounds they suffer onto those
who have slighted them. All wounds that appear on the caster for the
duration of the spell appear on the target simultaneously. The target
must make a Will Save against the Spell Check. If the creature has
physically harmed the caster before, the caster receives a +2 bonus.

Manifestations: See Below

1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 Until the spell ends, all damage suffered is also suffered by
the target in equal measure.

14-17 Until the spell ends, all damage suffered or status inflicted
is suffered by the target. (eg if the caster’s arm is broken the
target’s arm will also break)

18-19 Until the spell ends the target suffers damage equal to the
amount the caster suffered that round +1d4. All status
inflicted are shared between the two.

20-23 As above but the wounds inflict an additional +1d6

24-27 Until the spell ends the caster can suffer no more than 12
damage per round, but the target suffers the full brunt of the
injuries suffered by the caster +1d6 damage. Any statuses
inflicted upon the caster are suffered by the target.

28-29 As above but the additional damage suffered is +1d8.

30-31 Until the spell ends the caster can suffer no more than 10
damage per round, but the target will suffer double the
damage as the caster. Any statuses inflicted upon the caster
are suffered by the target.

4-6
32+ Until the spell ends the caster will suffer no more than 5
damage per round, but the target suffers four times the
damage inflicted upon the caster. Any statuses that would be
inflicted upon the caster only affect the target. Anything that
would normally kill the caster will not kill them but instead
instantly kill the target.

RESIST EXTREMES
Level 2 (The Black Wind) Range: Self
Duration: 1 Hour Casting Time: 1 action
Save: None

General: The caster protects themselves from extreme environments.

A successful casting strengthens the aura making it so it can resist
all results equal to or less than the spell check result. The caster
receives a +3 bonus to cast the spell if they are in direct pursuit of
something they have sworn vengeance against.

Manifestations: Roll 1d3: (1) An invisible current of air wraps

around the caster, insulating them; (2) The caster turns into a
shadow with piecing flaming eyes; (3) Pulses of darkness emanate
off of the caster.

1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 Failure, but spell is not lost.

14-15 The Biting Cold. The caster is kept warm

even in polar chills.

16-19 The Scalding Heat. The caster is kept cool

even in desert heats.

20-21 Suffocating Water. The caster is able to breathe underwater.

22-25 Hungry Fire. The caster is not harmed by flames or lava.

4-7
26-29 Uncaring Cold. The caster suffers no ill effect from being
frozen solid.

30-31 Toxic Clouds. All air the caster breathes is purified, negating
any poison or disease.

32-33 The Abyssal Depths. The caster can withstand crushing

pressures that would normally jellify creatures like them.

34+ The Void of Space. The caster can survive in the void of
space, and can breathe freely.

THE BLACK STORM

Level 3 (The Black Wind) Range: 100'
Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 1 action
Save: Varies

General: The caster creates a connection between the plane they are
on and The Black Storm, the home realm of The Black Wind, and
the source of all vengeful thoughts.

Manifestation: See Below

1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-15 Failure, but spell is not lost.

16-17 A black shimmering portal opens up, everything within

30' of the portal is sucked 10' closer to the portal. If any
creature comes in contact with the portal they cease to exist
for 1 turn.

18-21 A black shimmering portal appears, everything within

40' of the portal is sucked 15' closer to the portal. If a
creature comes in contact with the portal they cease to
exist for 1 turn.

4-8
22-23 A black gate opens, everything within 70' of the gate is
violently sucked 50' towards the portal. If a creature makes
contact with the gate they vanish for 1 hour. Any creature
that is sucked towards the gate but does not touch it suffers
2d6 damage, a roll of a 6 on either damage die indicates a
broken bone.

24-26 A black gate opens, a howl drowns out all other sounds;
everything within 70' of the gate is sucked into it instantly.
All creatures are trapped in another dimension for an hour.

27-31 A featureless void appears for 1d3 rounds, any creature of 3

HD or lower is compelled to throw themselves into it. Any
creature of 4 HD or higher can make a will save to resist.
Any creature less than or equal 3 HD is never seen again if
they come into contact with the portal. Any other creature is
banished for 1 hour..

32-33 The caster banishes a creature to the Realm of the Black

Wind. If the creature is less than or equal to 5 HD it can
never escape. If it has 5 or more HD the creature can escape
but only by means of dimensional teleportation.

34-35 The caster must banish 1d6 creatures of any HD in range

to the realm of The Black Wind. If they fail to banish that
the amount demanded by The Black Wind, a portal opens
up, sucking everything within 100' closer at a rate of 10' per
round, lasting for 1d3 turns.

36+ The caster instantly banishes up to 6 creatures of any HD

in range to The Black Wind’s home realm. They are
trapped there permanently in a sunless land with perpetual
howling winds.

4-9
SPELLS OF THE
HYLANDS
By Stella Condrey
Illustrated by Ryan Kearins

4-10
 WIZARD SPELLS

CHANNEL MALICE
Level: 2 Range: Varies
Duration: From instantaneous to permanent
Casting Time: 1 Action Save: Varies

General: The caster draws upon the lingering hatred of the world
and turns it physical. On a successful casting, the caster may choose
to invoke an effect of lesser power than their spell check roll to
produce a weaker but potentially more useful result.

Only strength may be spellburned to cast this spell. This spell

counts as a necromancy spell for the sake of arcane affinity.

Manifestation Roll 1d3: (1) The caster’s hands begin to pulse with
red light before the malice instantly forms; (2) a black fog begins to
bellow around the target, before coalescing into pulsing red sludge;
(3) waves of billowing red and black liquid pour out from the
caster’s mouth.

Corruption: Roll 1d7: (1) the caster’s skin becomes translucent

white, their blood visible pulsing through their skin, sunburns
become extreme; (2) the caster’s blood takes on a deep purple
red color, anything coming on contact with their blood suffers CL
damage; (3) the caster begins to emanate noxious black clouds,
all living creatures within 5' of the caster suffer a -1 penalty to all
actions; (4) the caster begins to glow a faint purple red, making
them always somewhat visible in the dark; (5-6) major; (7) greater.

Misfire Roll 1d3: (1) The caster is able to summon the malice
but cannot successfully move it away from them, having a result
of 14-15 self inflicted; (2) the spell lies dormant within the caster,
next time they suffer damage the spell automatically casts, with no
ability to choose to the result; (3) malice forms a veil over the eyes
of the cast, blinding them for 1d6 rounds.

4-11
1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or
less) corruption + patron taint + misfire; (1-2) corruption; (3)
patron taint; (4+) misfire.

2-11 Lost. Failure

12-13 Failure, but spell is not lost.

14-15 Malice unerringly strikes at a target, inflicting 1d8+CL

damage. For every 10 damage dealt by the spell the caster
gains +1 HP, they cannot exceed their maximum HP.

16-19 The caster issue’s forth a cone of pure hatred, 40' long 50'
wide. Those within the cone must make a will save or suffer
a -1d4 penalty to their next damage roll as they are sapped
of their energy. For every point of penalty applied to the
damage roll the victims suffer the caster gains that much as a
bonus to their next damage roll.

20-21 The caster is able to wreath up to CL creatures in malice

for 1d4 rounds, unable to move. A creature may attempt to
break out early by making a Strength check against the Spell
check. While trapped the creature suffers 1d5+CL damage
each round.

22-25 A wave of malice rushes outwards from the caster in a

15' line in front of them. The wave is 10' thick and travels
forward at a rate of 30' per round for CL rounds. Anything
caught within the wave suffers 2d16+CL damage.

26-29 The caster can create a webbing of malice that can prevent
passage through an opening up to 10 x CL' wide. Anything
touching the webbing suffers 1d6+CL damage. The webbing
can only be destroyed if 20+ damage is dealt to it in a single
blow, it is immune to elemental sources of damage.

4-12
30-31 The caster creates a massive ball of liquid malice centered
within 100' of the caster. This ball splashes down and
solidifies, coating everything within 30'. everything caught
within the diameter of the splash suffers 1d10+CL damage
and must make a DC 18 Ref save to remove the malice from
them. While the malice still says on the victims they suffer
1d7+CL damage.

32-33 The caster assails a single victim with concentrated hatred,

sapping them of 1d3 HD; on a failed Will save this effect
is permanent, otherwise the creature regains 1 HD per day.
This effect may lower the creature’s fighting capability at the
judge’s discretion. If a creature is reduced to 0 HD by this
spell the caster permanently gains +1HP.

34+ The caster creates a mass of pure malice, covering

everything within 100' of the caster in it. Anything that
comes in contact with the malice suffers 1d6 damage per
round and can only move at half their normal speed. The
caster is immune to this malice. For everything that dies in
the malice the caster gains +1 strength for the remainder of
the day, the caster may not go above 30 Strength.

MAGNESIS
Level: 1 Range: Varies | 200'
Duration: Instantaneous | Varies Casting Time: 1 Action
Save: Ref | None

General: The wizard begins to manipulate the power of iron and

other ferrous metals and can move magnetic objects with their mind
alone.

There are two primary ways to use the spell: first offensively, taking
many small metallic objects and turning them into projectiles, or as
a utility mainly focused on the movement of large objects. Upon
learning the spell they may choose one version, the other version
counts as a reverse version of the spell.
4-13
This spell counts as a fulmination spell for the sake of arcane
affinities. Elves suffer a -1d penalty to cast this spell.

Manifestation Roll 1d4: (1) One of the caster’s eyes glows a bright
blue, the other red; (2) a bright blue glowing horse shoe appears
above the head of the caster; (3) beams of light burst forth from the
caster’s hands towards the metal objects a deep purple near the caster
and a bright orange where it touches the metal; (4) the metal object
glows with a soft yellow light as it moves.

Corruption Roll 1d10: (1) 1d6 of the casters fingertips turn to iron*;
(2) The caster becomes enticing to lightning, all lightning damage
taken is increased by +1d; (3) the caster’s hands begin to repel each
other, any Agility check requiring hands to be close together is made
at a -2 penalty; (4) The caster becomes ever so slightly magnetic,
missile weapon attacks with iron (arrow heads, ect.) do not suffer a
penalty to hit the caster at long range; (5-8) minor; (9-10) major.

Misfire Roll 1d4: (1) the nearest small magnetic object is drawn
to the caster with great speed: if that object is a weapon it inflicts
damage as normal, otherwise this collision only suffers 1d4 damage;
(2) the caster is drawn to the nearest large magnetic object, becoming
stuck to it until they make a successful DC 15 Strength check; (3) All
magnetic objects within 20' of the caster buckle and bend; swords
are rendered useless, chainmail unlinks, anyone inside of platemail
is crushed for 1d12 damage; (4) All magnetic items within 20' are
pushed away from the cast 1d10' with a DC 15 Strength check to
keep held items in hand.

1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or

less) corruption + patron taint + misfire; (1-2) corruption; (3)
patron taint (or corruption if no patron); (4+) misfire.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 Offensive: The caster whips forth a single small metal piece
at a target within 20', inflicting 1d6 damage on a failed
reflex save. Utility: The caster may move a magnetic item
weighing up to 10 pounds at a rate of 10' per round for a
minute.

4-14
14-17 Offensive: As above but the missile inflicts 1d6+CL damage.
Utility: As above but the caster maintains the ability to move
magnetic items for CL minutes.

18-19 Offensive: Unleashing a barrage of magnetic missiles the

caster may inflict 1d12 damage with a single projectile or
1d3+CL damage per projectile with up to three projectiles.
Utility: The magnetic force ripples out from the caster,
allowing them to move one 50 pound object 10' per round
for 5+CL minutes.

20-23 Offensive: The caster may hurl 3d3 projectiles at as many

targets as they want. Each missile inflicts 1d6+CL damage.
Utility: The caster may lift any magnetic object that is no
larger than 10' in any dimension and move it at a rate of 10'
per round for 5+CL minutes, the object can withhold the
weight of a single person at a time.

24-27 Offensive: As above but victims wearing metal armor

apply their armor check penalty to their reflex save to avoid
the damage. Utility: As above but the object is capable of
holding CL people at once.

28-29 Offensive: The caster can shoot forth two missiles, one
missile inflicting 2d12+CL damage and the other 1d12+CL
damage. Victims wearing metal armor apply their armor
check penalty to their reflex save to avoid the damage.
Utility: As above by the object must be bound within 25' in
any dimension.

30-31 Offensive: Ten magnetic missiles whip through the air

causing a sonic boom with every shot, each inflicting
1d5+CL damage. Victims wearing metal armor apply their
armor check penalty to their reflex save to avoid the damage.
Utility: For 2 turns the caster may move a magnetic object
that is no larger than 50' in any dimension and move it at a
range of 30' per round. Any number of creatures can stand
on the object.

* Elves suffer damage, as contact with iron normally does,

unless the fingertip is removed.
4-15
32+ Offensive: The magnosphere quakes under the control of
the caster, the caster may break apart a single piece of metal
into 4d24+CL pieces and fire each piece at a creature for 1
damage each, the caster may divide any of these pieces as
they deem fit to any creature within 200'. Victims wearing
metal armor apply their armor check penalty to their reflex
save to avoid the damage. Utility: The caster can move
a metallic object of any size they desire, up to 50' per
round, they may manipulate the magnetic items for 2 turns.
Additionally the caster may choose to permanently affix the
item into the magnosphere, making it unmovable unless a
successful Strength check against the Spell check is made.

PROTECTIVE RICHES
Level: 1 Range: Touch
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Action
Save: None

General: The wizard creates a magical barrier that protects them

from incoming damage by sacrificing their own wealth. If the target
runs out of money while under the effect of the spell they can only
move at half speed. A caster may end the spell early with the use of
an action die.

Manifestation: Roll 1d3: (1) Purple light swirls around the caster;
(2) ghostly golden armor appears around the caster; (3) an owl mask
with a flowing white mane appears on the caster’s head.

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1-4) minor; (5-7) major; (8) greater,

Misfire: Roll 1d3: (1) 1d100 GP vanish from the caster’s

possession; (2) the nearest enemy is protected instead with a result
of 14-17; (3) The caster’s feet become encased in gold, making
them move at half speed and rendering them unable to swim for
1d10 rounds.

4-16
1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or
less) corruption + misfire; (1-2) corruption; (3+) misfire.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 The target begins losing 3 GP per minute as the magic

shield protects them for 1d6+CL minutes. While protected
the caster may spend GP to reduce damage taken at a
1 for 1 basis.

14-17 As above but the cast may reduce incoming damage by

1d3+1 per GP spent.

18-19 The target shimmers, as the are protected for 2d4 +CL
minutes. While protected the target may reduce incoming
damage by 1d3+CL, consuming gold at a rate of 4 GP
per minute.

20-23 The power of gold protects the target, providing a +2 AC

bonus and allowing the caster to reduce incoming damage by
1d6+CL per GP spent. The protection lasts 2d7+CL minutes,
consuming 5 GP per minute.

24-27 As above but the target receives a +3 AC bonus.

28-29 Prosperity is the shield, the target is protected for 2d10+CL

minutes. While protected the target gains a +3 bonus to AC
and may reduce incoming damage by 1d16+CL per GP spent,
burning through GP at a rate of 7 GP per minute.

30-31 As above but the caster may protect 1d3 people.

32+ Wealth flows through the caster, protecting up to 4 allies for

1d6+CL Turns. While protected they gain a +5 bonus to AC
and may reduce incoming damage by 2d10+CL per GP spent,
burning through GP at a rate of 3 GP per minute.

4-17
4 - 18
 CLERIC SPELLS

ALDIN'S FIRE
Level: 2 Range: Varies
Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 1 Action
Save: Ref, Varies

General: The cleric calls upon the fiery vigor of the goddess
Aldin, igniting everything around them. At lower levels this merely
singes living creatures but as it gains more power it sets them
aflame. The DC to “stop drop and roll” to put out the fire is equal
to the spell check. Once ignited the victim suffers damage as listed
with the spell results each round, the fire goes out after the damage
die rolls a 1.

Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) The cleric begins to breathe fire that
spirals out of their mouth (2) The cleric begins to glow a bright red,
the air around them shimmers with supernatural heat (3) Ethereal
magma begins to pour out from where the cleric stands, dissipating
as quickly as it appeared (4) flames bellow forth from the caster in
one big burst.

1-13 Failure.

14-15 All creatures within 15' of the caster are struck for 1d4+cl
damage. All flammable items are ignited within range.

16-19 All creatures within 15' of the caster are struck for 1d6+cl
damage and ignited with a 1d6 damage die. All flammable
items are ignited within range.

20-21 The cleric is able to make a cone of concentrated divine fire,

60' long and CL x 5' wide. Everything within the cone suffers
2d5 damage, and is ignited with 2d5 damage die.

22-25 All creatures within 40' of the caster are struck with 1d8+cl
damage and are ignited with a 1d14 damage die.

4-19
26-29 As above but the cleric can choose up to CL creatures to be
unharmed by the flames.

30-31 A wave of hot death emerges from the cleric, all within 50'
suffer 1d16+CL damage and are ignited with 2d14 damage
die. The cleric may maintain the spell’s casting for multiple
rounds if they maintain concentration, the spell check is
treated as 1d5 lower each round. If this results in the spell
being a failure the cleric gains disapproval as normal.

32-33 As above but the initial burst inflicts 1d20+CL damage and
targets are ignited with a 1d24 damage die.

34+ Everything within 200' is engulfed in divine flame.

Everything is conflagrated for 3d30 damage, and ignited with
2d24 damage dice. The fire burns with holy strength, not
even water can put it out. The cleric may maintain the spell’s
casting for multiple rounds if they maintain concentration,
the spell check is treated as 1d4 lower each round. If this
results in the spell being a failure the cleric gains disapproval
as normal.

LENAYU'S LOVE
Level: 3 Range: 10' Per CL
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round
Save: None

General: The cleric calls upon the love of the goddess Lenayu,
preventing either themselves or others from suffering harm.

If the spell is cast on someone other than themselves the cleric

gains a +1 bonus for the amount of years they have known the other
character up to a maximum of 5.

At lower levels the spell only protects from attacks but at higher
levels of casting it begins protecting from other sources of damage.

Manifestation: Roll 1d3: (1) the skin of the target gently pulses
with blue light every few seconds (2) the target becomes encased in
a field of translucent energy in the shape of an octahedron (3) water
4-20
materializes in front of any source of damage stopping it right
before it would have landed.

1-15 Failure

16-17 Requiring concentration from the caster, a single target

suffers no damage from attacks for 1d4+CL rounds.

18-21 As above but the spell can last up to CL+6 rounds.

22-23 A single target suffers no damage from attacks

for CL minutes.

24-26 A single target is protected for 1 turn. While protected they

suffer no damage from attacks, and damage from natural
sources (eg falling) is halved.

27-31 As above but the protection may be split amongst two

targets for five minutes.

32-33 As 24-26 but the protection lasts up to an hour.

34-35 The caster gains 1d16+CL hours of protection that may be

distributed to any number of creatures up to their caster
level. While protected all Luck checks are made with a d16.

36+ As above but if the cleric is casting the spell on a single

target other than themselves they may spellburn all of their
ability score points to guarantee that the target will always
be protected and is only capable of dying of old age.

THEROR'S WIND
Level: 2 Range: Up to 1000 miles
Duration: 1d6+CL Hours Casting Time: 1 Round
Save: None

General: The cleric summons forth the guiding winds of the

goddess Theror, creating a point where the cleric can teleport to
for a short period of time. This warping can only happen once per
cast, and must happen before the spell’s duration ends. The warping
brings with it all the carried equipment of the target.
4-21
Manifestations: Roll 1d3: (1) a whirlwind consumes the targets;
(2) a pillar of green light bursts from the floor around the feet of the
targets; (3) each target begins to glow with a pure green light, bit by
bit small particles shoot off from their body.

1-13 Failure.

14-15 The cleric can warp to their determined point if they are
within 5 miles of the location. Warping requires the use
of 1 action die.

16-19 The cleric can warp to their determined point if they are
within 10 miles of the location. Warping requires the use
of 1 action die.

20-21 As above but the cleric may warp up one ally they are in
contact with as well.

22-25 The cleric can warp to their determined point if they are
within 50 miles of it, bringing along with them up to CL
allies that are all in contact with each other. Warping requires
the use of 1 action die.

26-29 The cleric is able to warp up to CL allies within sight to their

determined point if they are within 200 miles of it. This may
be done at will.

30-31 With the power of the goddess flowing through them the
cleric is able to warp 1d4+CL allies they can see to their
determined point at will, if they are within 300 miles of it. If
the point is beyond 300 miles only the cleric may warp.

32-33 As above but the range is 500 miles.

34+ The cleric can teleport any number of allies to their

determined point up to 1000 miles away at will. Additionally
they can bring with them vehicles such as ships, wagons,
and other similarly sized things. If this location is within
a holy sanctuary then the cleric may warp back and forth
freely between this point and wherever they last were for the
duration of the spell.

4-22
 AZHRARN,
NIGHTS MASTER
By James A. Pozenel, Jr.
Illustrated by Jason Youngdale

Azhrarn, Night’s Master, one of the five Lords of Darkness, is

known by many names: Prince of Demons, Lord of Wickedness,
Lord of Shadows, Lord of Terror, Bringer of Anguish, Father of All
Curses, and many others besides. Azhrarn is, at turns, unyielding
and loving, cruel and kind, contemptuous and caring. He is an
unspeakably handsome man (often called Azhrarn the Beautiful)
with pale white skin, blue-black hair, eyes like black suns, and
always dressed in light-absorbing black. He is a storm of
conflicting emotions, quick to anger and eternally embittered at
the gods of Upperearth that created and grew to regard humanity
as a boorish mistake.

At night, he often visits the Flat Earth astride a demon mount of

blue smoke and darkness or flies the skies as a great black eagle
or wanders as a huge black wolf. If no pressing matters concern
him, he enters the cities of men and amuses himself with capricious,
childish acts of wickedness designed to punish those mortals foolish
enough to think themselves better than gods, demons, or even other
men. For all the bloody torment and cruel amusement worked by
Azhrarn upon the mortal world, he still harbors a love for mankind
and ultimately craves their curses and reverence. A poet once
remarked that a world without foible-prone humans is the most
terrifying of nightmares for the Lord of Fear.

It must be remembered that The Prince of Night, Azhrarn, does not

answer pleas from bonded casters while the sun still hangs in the
sky. If the sun has not set, a drin (one of the lowest sorts of
demons serving Azhrarn) works from shadows on the caster’s
behalf. As a result, the invoke patron spell check suffers a -2 to the
attempt. Additionally, if the caster entreats Azhrarn while the sun
shines and fails (i.e., on a roll of 1-11), Azhrarn curses them, and
the caster immediately suffers patron taint that cannot be avoided
by spending Luck.

4-23
 INVOKE PATRON
CHECK RESULTS:
12-13 The Dark Lord does not deign to directly answer the
petitioner’s pleas. One of his unspeaking Eshva appears
and grants a +2 bonus or a -2 penalty to one of the caster’s
physical ability scores (the blessing or curse occurs with
equal chance). Azhrarn will no longer entertain additional
requests for aid until the next sunrise when the effect ends.

4-24
14-17 Azhrarn touches the caster with his pearl ring. For the next
24 hours, the caster understands the speech of dwarves, elves,
halflings, and gnomes. Dialects or distinct native human
languages other than Common and the jargon and slang of
all alignment tongues are also understood during this time.

18-19 With a touch of Azhrarn’s jade ring, the caster understands

the speech of angels, demons and elementals for the next
24 hours.

20-23 Azhrarn sends his love of the hunt along the banks of the
River of Sleep in a wisp of smoke that enters the caster’s
mouth. The caster may shoot any bow 50% further than
normal. While using a bow, the caster gains the mighty
deed of arms class ability as if they were a warrior of the
same level. The gift lasts for a number of turns equal to
their caster level.

24-27 Black flames momentarily ignite from the caster’s arms.

For the next turn the caster fights as though they possess ten
arms. After a successful melee attack, the caster may attempt
an additional attack at -1d. They may continue attacking,
each time one die step lower, until they miss.

28-29 The caster may create a wall of blue fire up to 60' away.
The wall is 20' high and 15' long per caster level or
ring-shaped with a radius of 10' plus 5' per caster level.
Creatures within 10' of the wall suffer damage equal to
1d6+CL. Creatures passing through the wall suffer damage
equal to 4d6+CL. The wall stands for as long as the caster
concentrates or 1 round per level if the caster chooses not to
maintain the barrier.

30-31 The caster may transform into a creature with Hit Dice less
than or equal to one and a half times their level (rounded
up). Some aspect of the assumed form (clothing, eye color,
etc.) must be black, in reverence to the Lord of Shadows.
In addition, the caster can use one of the creature’s racial
powers or abilities. The change lasts 1 hour per level.

4-25
32+ Azhrarn appears as a great sable eagle and transforms the
caster and their party into black feathers. As he swoops
past, the feathers tumble into the air and attach themselves
to Azhrarn’s wings. After some time, the passenger plumes
detach and slowly fall to the ground. Whether Azhrarn
provides the party with salvation or leaves them in a new
predicament is subject to his whim.

PATRON TAINT:
AZHRARN
When patron taint is indicated for Azhrarn roll 1d6 on the table
below. When a caster has acquired all six taints at all levels of effect,
there is no need to continue rolling any more.

1 Azhrarn decides the moment is ripe for a lesson in humility. For

the next 3 days, any attempts to invoke Azhrarn or access one
of his spells permitted in lieu of an invoke patron attempt will
fail no matter the spell check. The second time this result is
rolled, the period of patron-initiated ostracism lasts 7 days, and
Azhrarn curses the caster with an additional patron taint. The
third time this result is rolled, Azhrarn appears and plucks a
treasured magic item from the caster. He asks if the caster has
not grown overly reliant on the item and then spits on it. Silver
flame springs up from his spittle and the item grows white-hot
and shivers into pieces.

2 The caster develops a strong dislike of gold and will not possess
the metal if at all possible. The second time this result is rolled,
all the caster’s magic is reduced in functionality while a target
is physically in contact with gold or a golden item is a subject
of the spell. Spells are cast with a -2 penalty on the spell check.
Variable spell effects such as damage or duration are reduced
by -1d. The third time this result is rolled, the caster becomes
extremely sensitive to the touch of gold and develops the same
vulnerabilities to the metal as an elf experiences with iron (see
the DCC RPG rulebook, p. 57).

4-26
3 The caster begins to adopt the nocturnal habits of the
Underearth’s demons and grows to dislike sunlight. The caster
suffers a -1 penalty to all attacks while outside during the day.
The second time this result is rolled, the caster genuinely hates
seeing the sun and its ugly daytime. While in the rainbow-
colored land of day, all their actions suffer a -1d penalty.
The third time this result is rolled, the caster becomes truly
nocturnal. They sleep during the day and only venture out after
the sun has set. If forced into action during the day, the caster is
violently ill and has a -2d penalty on all rolls.

4 Due to differing perceptions of time, there is a 5% chance that

Azhrarn has forgotten about the caster and fails to respond to
the caster’s invoke patron attempts. Hereafter, any time the
caster contracts a patron taint other than this result, this patron
taint is removed and reset as the bungled attempt re-awakens
Azhrarn’s interest. The second time this result is rolled in a row,
the chance that the caster is forgotten is raised to 15%. Each
subsequent time this result is rolled in a row, the chance that the
caster is forgotten is raised to 25%.

4-27
5 Frequent contact with Azhrarn has made the caster more glib
of tongue and quick of wit. The caster’s Personality score is
permanently raised by 1. The second time this result is rolled,
Azhrarn amuses himself by cursing the caster with an aura of
desire, discord, and jealousy that extends from the caster in a
30 ft. radius. Anyone of the caster’s own race has a desire to
please the caster in any manner they are capable. If more than
two members of the caster’s own race are within the area of
effect, they fall into bickering and infighting. Depending on the
circumstances, violence and rioting may also occur. Prolonged
contact with the caster of a week or more diminishes the
compulsion. The malediction is considered major for purposes
of removing with magic; however, doing so will anger Azhrarn.
The third time this result is rolled, Azhrarn appears to the caster
smiling yet glaring stonily; he enunciates the caster’s failures,
perceived slights, and faithlessness. As he promises vengeance,
the caster’s bond with Azhrarn is broken and Azhrarn works
towards the downfall and death of the caster.

6 Azhrarn delights in humbling the arrogant and proud. The caster

must undertake a mission to humiliate a crooked bureaucrat
or a haughty priest. The second time this result is rolled, the
caster must steal a fortune (either in goods or money) from a
debauched merchant or an avaricious bishop. The third time
this result is rolled, the caster must work the downfall of a
tyrannical ruler or a high-minded high priest.

PATRON SPELLS:
AZHRARN
Azhrarn grants access to the following spells, as follow:

Level 1: Smoke steed

Level 2: Shadow form
Level 3: Kiss from before time

4-28
 SPELLBURN:
AZHRARN
When a caster utilizes spellburn, roll 1d4 on the table below when a
request is made.

1 The caster joins Azhrarn on a hunting trip along the shores of

Sleep River. They must manage the hunting party’s blood-red
hounds that find and flush out the souls of sleeping men hidden
amongst the white flax growing near the river’s banks. The
summons takes no time in the caster’s realm, yet they return
weary from the experience (expressed as Strength, Agility or
Stamina loss).

2 Azhrarn weighs the caster’s request and smiles. “Let us duel

for this power you seek,” he says. “Counter me or ensorcel
me but once and I will grant your request. You may choose
who goes first.” The caster must commit to a spell duel with
Azhrarn. Azhrarn only brings spells to the duel that the caster
knows. He resolves all spell checks with the same action die
as the caster (i.e. - if the caster uses a d24 for a spell, so does
Azhrarn) and adds +15 to his spell checks. Time stops for all
other individuals in the vicinity, but any effects or phlogiston
disturbances of the spell duel may affect them. If Azharan rolls
a natural 1 on any spells checks, he yawns, grants the requested
spellburn, and tells the caster he has grown weary of the game.
If the caster is able to land a spell or counter, Azhrarn grants
double the amount of spellburn requested. If the caster refuses
the duel or the caster succumbs to his patron’s onslaught or
Azhrarn is unmolested, he heals the caster of any wounds
suffered (any ability score points spent are still lost) and departs
without granting the request.

3 Scarlet flames erupt from Azhrarn the Unspeakable’s eyes

as he demands a sacrifice of double the amount requested. If
the caster refuses the request, Azhraran laughs and takes the
originally proffered amount without providing a benefit.

4-29
4 Azhrarn, Master of Night, appears and lightly caresses the caster,
extracting the promised vitality. The touch feels as if a spear
has been thrust through them, yet, at the same time, a sense of
elation passes over the caster. Until the ability score damage
is healed, the caster is in constant pain (all attacks at -1d) but
oddly happy and joyous (+1d on all saves).

SMOKE STEED
Level: 1 (Azhrarn) Range: Self
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 round
Save: N/A

General: Azhrarn grants access to his stable of demonic steeds. If

the summoned mount is directly exposed to the sun, it unravels into
wisps of smoke before disappearing entirely.

Smoke Steed: Init +2; Atk hoof +6 melee (1d8+2); AC 15; HD

6d8; MV 60', fly 60'; Act 2d20; SP walk on water, immune to fear,
immune to non-magical weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2; AL
C.

Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) smoke billows from a spot near the
caster coalescing into the demonic mount; (2) a small blue light
rushes from a point on the horizon to the caster shifting into a
physical form as it nears; (3) the earth bursts open near the caster
and the steed appears; (4) a pillar of smoke whirls into being before
the caster – a moment later the pillar resolves into a smoky horse.

1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 The summoned mount will convey the caster for an hour.
The caster cannot directly harm the smoke steed nor may
they give it any commands other than direction and speed
of travel. It will neither engage in combat nor take flight
(except in circumstances where it might avoid danger).

4-30
14-17 The summoned mount will convey the caster for eight hours.
The caster cannot directly harm the smoke steed nor may
they give it any commands other than direction and speed
of travel. It will neither engage in combat nor take flight
(except in circumstances where it might avoid danger).

18-19 The summoned mount will convey the caster for eight hours.
The caster cannot directly harm the smoke steed nor may
they give it any commands other than direction and speed
of travel. It will not take flight (except in circumstances
where it might avoid danger). If engaged in combat, it will
primarily act in self-defense with little care for the rider.
During each round of combat, the caster must make a skill
check to remain in the saddle as if the mount was spooked
(see Mounted Combat in the DCC RPG rulebook, pg. 87).

20-23 The summoned mount will convey the caster while night is
upon the land. The caster has full command of the demonic
mount and may command it to fly or direct it in combat as
long as the commands do not directly harm the smoke steed.

24-27 The caster summons a number of smoke steeds equal to

1d3+CL. The summoned mounts will convey the caster and
their allies while night is upon the land. The riders have full
command of the demonic mounts and may command them to
fly or direct them in combat as long as the commands do not
directly harm the smoke steeds.

28-29 The caster summons a number of smoke steeds equal to

1d6+CL. The summoned mounts will convey the caster
and their allies anywhere while night is upon the land. The
riders have full command of the demonic mounts and may
command them to fly or direct them in combat as long as the
commands do not directly harm the smoke steeds.

4-31
30-31 The caster summons a number of smoke steeds equal to
2d4+CL. The summoned mounts have extraordinary speed
(+10' on land, +20' flying ) and will convey the caster and
their allies anywhere while night is upon the land. The
riders have full command of the demonic mounts and may
command them to fly or direct them in combat as long as the
commands do not directly harm the smoke steeds.

32+ The caster summons a number of smoke steeds equal to

2d6+CL. The summoned mounts have extraordinary speed
(+20' on land, +40' flying ) and will convey the caster and
their allies anywhere while night is upon the land. The
riders have full command of the demonic mounts and may
command them to fly or direct them in combat as long as the
commands do not directly harm the smoke steeds.

SHADOW FORM
Level: 2 (Azhrarn) Range: Touch
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 action
Save: N/A; Will vs spell check

General: The caster is granted the power to transform into a

shadowy cloud. While in this form the caster is immune to non-
magical weapons and attacks. However magical weapons and spells
still affect the subjects of the transformation. Additionally magical
light of any kind (from a magical staff or sword or as part of a
spell’s manifestation) automatically deals 1d6 per round with no
save (if part of a spell’s manifestation the effect deals 1d6 per level
of the spell cast).

Manifestation: Roll 1d3: (1) a flash of black lightning transforms

the target(s); (2) dark splotches appear on the target(s) and grow
until they are consumed; (3) acrid black smoke springs from the
ground and encircles the target(s) .

4-32
1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-13 Failure, but spell is not lost.

14-15 For a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level, they

and all their equipment become an incorporeal black mass.
The caster may not move while in this form but may still
cast spells.

16-19 For the next turn, the caster becomes an inky billowing
cloud. All their equipment is left behind during the
transformation, but they acquire the ability to fly 40' and
may flow through small cracks and holes. Due to their
shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move silently
and gain a +5 on all hide checks.

20-21 For the next 1d6+CL turns, the caster becomes an inky
billowing cloud. All their equipment is left behind during
the transformation, but they acquire the ability to fly 40' per
round and may flow through small cracks and holes. Due to
their shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move silently
and gain a +10 on all hide checks.

22-25 For the next 1d6+CL turns, the caster becomes an inky
billowing cloud. They acquire the ability to fly 40' per round
and may flow through small cracks and holes. Due to their
shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move silently and
gain a +10 on all hide checks.

26-29 For the next hour, the caster becomes an inky billowing
cloud. They acquire the ability to fly 60' per round and may
flow through small cracks and holes. Due to their shadowy,
incorporeal nature they always move silently and gain a +10
on all hide checks.

4-33
30-31 For the next 1d6+CL hours, the caster becomes an inky
billowing cloud. They acquire the ability to fly 60' per round
and may flow through small cracks and holes. Due to their
shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move silently and
gain a +10 on all hide checks.

32-33 For the next 1d6+CL hours, the caster and one other ally
become inky billowing clouds. They acquire the ability to fly
60' per round and may flow through small cracks and holes.
Due to their shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move
silently and gain a +10 on all hide checks.

32-33 For the next 1d6+CL hours, the caster and one other ally
become inky billowing clouds. They acquire the ability to fly
60' per round and may flow through small cracks and holes.
Due to their shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move
silently and gain a +10 on all hide checks.

34+ For the next 2d6+CL hours, the caster and 1d6+CL allies
become inky billowing clouds. They acquire the ability to fly
60' per round and may flow through small cracks and holes.
Due to their shadowy, incorporeal nature they always move
silently and gain a +10 on all hide checks.

KISS FROM BEFORE TIME

Level: 3 (Azhrarn) Range: Touch
Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 round
Save: N/A

General: Azhrarn purports this spell is older than the Flat Earth
itself. As such, the gods that created the earth might be its source.
Whether true or not, the spell provides powerful protections to
anyone placed under its aegis. It must be noted that the spell has
no power over water nor creatures from the sea. The rulers of the
chaotic ocean do not recognize the eldritch power of those who
created the land of the Flat Earth.

4-34
Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) a nimbus of white light grows then
fades from the point of touch; (2) the imprint of the caster’s lips
glows momentarily and then fades; (3) a sheathe of pink light grows
from the point of contact and covers the target’s body completely
before fading; (4) both caster and target experience an intense bout
of goosebumps.

1 Lost, failure, and patron taint.

2-11 Lost. Failure.

12-15 Failure, but spell is not lost.

16-17 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage

resistance of 3 versus any non-magical weapon, fire, stone,
wood, iron, or steel for the next turn. The target resists the
first 3 points of damage from any of the above sources
caused by any strike. Additionally, the target is immune to
any mundane poison.

18-21 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage

resistance of 5 versus any non-magical weapon, fire, stone,
wood, iron, or steel for the next turn. The target resists the
first 5 points of damage from any of the above sources
caused by any strike. Additionally, the target is immune to
any mundane poison.

22-23 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage

resistance of 5 versus any magical & non-magical weapon,
fire, stone, wood, iron, or steel for the next hour. The target
resists the first 5 points of damage from any of the above
sources caused by any strike. Additionally, the target is
immune to any mundane poison.

24-26 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage

resistance of 5 versus any magical & non-magical weapon,
fire, stone, wood, iron, or steel for the next hour. The target
resists the first 5 points of damage from any of the above
sources caused by any strike. Additionally, the target is
immune to any mundane poison.

4-35
27-31 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage
resistance of 8 versus any magical & non-magical weapon,
fire, stone, wood, iron, or steel for the next 8 hours. The
target resists the first 8 points of damage from any of the
above sources caused by any strike. Additionally, the target
is immune to any mundane or magical poison.

32-33 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage

resistance of 8 versus any magical & non-magical weapon,
fire, stone, wood, iron, or steel for the next 8 hours. The
target resists the first 8 points of damage from any of the
above sources caused by any strike. Additionally, the target
is immune to any mundane or magical poison.

34-35 With a kiss on the brow, the target is granted damage

resistance of 20 versus any magical & non-magical weapon,
fire, stone, wood, iron, or steel for the next 12 hours. The
target resists the first 20 points of damage from any of the
above sources caused by any strike. Additionally, the target
is immune to any mundane or magical poison.

36+ With a kiss on the brow, the target is immune damage

resistance from any magical & non-magical weapon, fire,
stone, wood, iron, or steel for the next 24 hours.
Additionally, the target is immune to any mundane or
magical poison and disease.

Author’s Note: Tanith Lee’s Tales of the Flat Earth series of books
are an absolute treasure. I’ll be bold enough to declare that’s not an
opinion, it is a fact. I am overjoyed with the thought of translating
her works into DCC RPG and producing them in print. My only
wish is to bring you one of the most interesting patrons your table
may ever know. Night’s Master is the starting place for further
reading and understanding of Azhrarn. I recommend it and all the
other books in the series.

4-36
 EBINAR'S TINY CUTS
A spell for XCC
by Eric Anderson
Illustrated by Andras Baracskai

Level: 2 (Blaster) Range: 25' per CL

Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 round
Save: Varies

General: Ebinar Usadel, one of the original self-proclaimed

“techno-mages” created this spell to slow down a mass of his
enemies. This spell causes minor damage to a group of enemies via
hundreds of tiny cuts in their flesh.

Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) The caster makes “cutting scissor”

motions with their hands and faint slicing sounds are heard within
100' of the caster; (2) A small swarm of translucent metallic gnats
appear in the target area; (3) A spectral whirling knife appears from
the hand of the cast and flies to the center of the target area; (4) All
of the targets within area hear the words “snickety snack” whispered
in their ears.

Corruption: Roll 1d6: (1) The caster’s hands open up in tiny cuts,
they have -1 to all missile attacks; (2) The caster’s face opens up in
tiny cuts, the caster loses 1D3 points of Personality; (3) The caster’s
arms open up in tiny cuts, the caster is at -1D to use any melee
weapon; (4) The caster’s tongue opens up in tiny cuts, the caster is
now mute; (5) The caster’s legs open up in tiny cuts, the caster has a
-5 to his movement rate; (6) The caster’s neither region opens up in
tiny cuts, the caster is loses 1D3 points of Stamina.

Misfire: Roll 1d4: (1) The spell is cast on the caster at DC 12; (2)
The spell is cast on a random creature within 30' of the caster (not
including the caster); (3) The spell is cast on all creatures within 30'
of the caster (not including the caster); (4) The spell is cast on all
creatures within 50' of the caster (including the caster).

4-37
1 Loss, Failure, and (1d6, modified by Luck): (0 or less)
Corruption + Misfire; (1-2) Corruption; (3+) Misfire.

2-11 Loss. Failure.

12-13 A single target of the caster’s choice, that they can see
within range, gets 1d6 lacerations and suffers a -1D to any
action this round. Each laceration does 1 point of damage.
A successful saving throw means that the target feels the
lacerations but takes no damage but suffers a -1D to any
action this round.

4-38
14-17 A single target of the caster’s choice, that they can see
within range, gets 2d4 lacerations and suffers a -1D to any
action this round. Each laceration does 1 point of damage.
A successful saving throw means that the target feels the
lacerations but only takes half damage (rounding down) but
still suffers a -1D to any action this round.

18-19 1d3+1 targets of the caster’s choice, that they can see
within range, gets 2d4 lacerations and suffers a -1D to any
action this round. Each laceration does 1 point of damage.
A successful saving throw means that the target feels the
lacerations but only takes half damage (rounding down) but
still suffers a -1D to any action this round.

20-23 2d3 targets of the caster’s choice, that they can see within
range, gets 2d4 lacerations and suffers a -2D to any action
this round. Each laceration does 1 point of damage. A
successful saving throw means that the target feels the
lacerations but only takes half damage (rounding down) but
still suffers a -2D to any action this round.

24-27 2d6 targets of the caster’s choice, that they can see within
range, gets 2d4 lacerations and suffers a -2D to any action
this round. Each laceration does 1 point of damage. A
successful saving throw means that the target feels the
lacerations but only takes half damage (rounding down) but
still suffers a -2D to any action this roun

28-29 As above except each target receives 2d10 lacerations.

30-31 As above except each target receives 2d24 lacerations.

32+ As above except each target receives 2d100 lacerations.

4-39
MANIFESTATION & CORRUPTION
SKETCHES

4 - 40
 CURSE OF THE
CHIMERAMEN
By Greg Setliff : Bug Professor
Illustrations by Joe Porkio

INTRODUCTION
Chimeramen are magical hybrids combining the most fearsome
traits of the legendary chimera with human intelligence, personality,
and abilities. They are terrifying adversaries on the battlefield who
loyally serve as champions and elite foot soldiers in the beastman
armies of their makers.

However, not all chimeramen are deemed worthy to serve at their

masters’ side and are instead shunned due to some imperfection
resulting from a flaw in their transmutation ritual. Discarded and
unwanted, these errant chimeramen search for acceptance in a world
that fears and hates them and seek revenge upon their cruel creators.

Use the tables below to create a variety of unique chimeric monsters

for your campaign or create playable chimeraman player characters
using the rules for the race. Check out the ready-to-use stat blocks for
the perfected chimeraman champion and chimeraman foot soldier
as shining examples of the most powerful variants of this enigmatic
race.

BACKGROUND
The sorcerer Mixelblez set his great and powerful mind to raising an
army to aid him in winning the wizard wars off in another dimension.
Dedicating considerable resources and time, he acquired and
eventually mastered the secret rituals and forbidden alchemy used to
create the chimeras of old. Never satisfied with simply fielding wild
and undisciplined chimeras, and most eager to display his wizarding
acumen, Mixelblez used this stolen knowledge to create the first
chimeric-human hybrids. By melding the best traits of the chimera
(strength of the lion, venom of the serpent, fortitude of the ram, and
fire of the dragon) with human intelligence and the ability to follow
orders and wield a sword, he would finally have the forces he needed
to defeat his pompous magical rivals.

5-1
Mixelblez’s chimeric masterpieces became the captains of his army.
His mighty chimeraman champions have the arms and torso of
a well-formed human soldier crowned by three heads of chimeric
origin: lion, ram, and dragon. They also bear a serpent-headed tail, a
pair of powerful dragon wings, and the ram’s faun-like hindquarters.
Chimeraman foot soldiers lack dragon wings and serpent-headed
tails, and in place of a dragon’s head they sport a venomous serpent’s
head. They otherwise resemble the champions of their race and are
no less fierce in battle. Typically, there is 1 chimeraman champion for
every 10 chimeraman foot soldiers. There is a 40% chance that each
chimeraman company includes 15–30 rank-and-file beastmen and a
30% chance they are accompanied by 1d3 chimera.

Prior to his departure from the world, Mixelblez’s army comprised

168 chimeraman companies. Most marched with him to war through
the ninth shimmering portal and were never seen again.

Chimeraman Champion: Init +6; Atk battering horns +4 melee

(2d4+4), breathe fire +6 missile fire (1d6 plus ignite), lion maw +4
melee (2d6+4 plus grapple), venomous fangs +4 melee (1d6 plus
poison), or sword +4 melee (1d8+4); Crit III/d10 for sword or M/
d10 for chimeric head attack; AC 18; HD 5d8+8; MV 30’ or fly 30’;
Act 3d20; SP breathe fire 3/day, infravision 60’, surefooted, serpent-
headed tail; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4; AL C.

Battering horns: The curled horns of the ram head cause 2d4 damage
and knock the opponent prone; a DC 15 Reflex save negates being
knocked prone. The DC decreases to 10 if the opponent is larger than
the chimeraman champion.

Breathe fire: Three times per day, a chimeraman champion can

breathe a gout of flame from its dragon head. All targets in a line
10’ wide and 20’ in length must make a Reflex save versus the attack
roll or take 1d6 damage and catch fire. Targets take half damage on a
successful save. Each round thereafter, the target automatically takes
additional damage until they make a successful DC 15 reflex save to
extinguish the fire. Flammable objects have a 75% chance of igniting.

Lion maw: The vice-like grip of the lion’s jaws causes 2d6 damage
and forces an opposing Strength check or the opponent is grappled.

5-3
Serpent-headed tail: Chimeramen champions with a serpent tail
cannot be surprised from behind and can attack opponents behind
them with their venomous fangs attack.

Surefooted: Chimeraman champions ignore movement penalties

from difficult terrain or climatic conditions and have a +8 bonus to
climb sheer surfaces checks.

Venomous fangs: The lightning-quick strike of the serpent’s bite

causes 1d6 damage, plus the target must make a DC16 Fortitude save,
temporarily losing 1d4 stamina on a successful save or 2d4 stamina
on a failed save. Stamina lost this way heals at a rate of 1 point of
stamina per day.

Chimeraman Foot Soldier: Init +5; Atk battering horns +3 melee

(2d3+3), lion maw +4 melee (2d4+3 plus grapple), venomous fangs
+3 melee (1d4 plus poison), or sword +3 melee (1d8+3); Crit III/d10
for sword or M/d10 for chimeric head attack; AC 16; HD 4d8+4; MV
30’; Act 2d20; SP infravision 60’, surefooted; SV Fort +3, Ref +5,
Will +3; AL C.

Battering horns: The curled horns of the ram head cause 2d3
damage and knock the opponent prone; a DC 13 Reflex save negates
being knocked prone. The DC decreases to 8 if the opponent is larger
than the chimeraman foot soldier.

Lion maw: The vice-like grip of the lion’s jaw causes 2d4 damage
and an opposing Strength check or the opponent is grappled.

Surefooted: Chimeraman foot soldiers ignore movement penalties

from difficult terrain or climatic conditions and have a +6 bonus to
climb sheer surfaces checks.

Venomous fangs: The lightning-quick strike of the serpent’s bite

causes 1d4 damage, plus the target must make a DC14 Fortitude save,
temporarily losing 1d3 stamina on a successful save or 2d3 stamina
on a failed save. Stamina lost this way heals at a rate of 1 point of
stamina per day.

5-4
 CHIMERAMAN
A playable race for DCC RPG

You’re no hero.
You’re a monster:
a chimeric henchman,
an abomination hated by all,
a mistake in the grand machinations of your maker.

You seek a new life,

winning it by tooth, horn, and claw,
caked in the blood of zealots,
the servants of so-called balance, and the sorcerers who created you
There is revenge to be had, and you shall take it!

The magic required to create a chimeraman is difficult to master and

fickle in its application. Even the slightest variation in the incantation
or alchemical mixture results in a random reallocation of traits in the
resulting hybrid creature. For every perfected chimeric champion,
there are at least 100 flawed combinations of human and beast, all of
whom are inadequate in the eyes of their creator.

During your creation, a fly flew into the transmutation vat ruining
the entire batch of amalgamates. Thus, you possess only a subset of
the desired characteristics of the chimera and are cursed with several
less-desirable traits.

Deemed unfit to serve in the glorious war for wizardly dominance,

you were instead sent to work in the kitchens and clean the filth from
the barracks of your perfected kin. When Mixelblez finally led his
magnificent army through the ninth shimmering portal, you and your
fellow flawed chimeramen were left behind.

To create a level-0 chimeraman, follow the general character creation

rules for a human starting on page 16 of the DCC RPG Rulebook.
Your character possesses the usual human anatomy modified by the
tables below. To generate the PC’s unique chimeric traits, roll 1d3
for central head, 1d4 for left head, 1d5 for right head, and 1d14 for
body modification. Be sure to add the PC’s Luck modifier to each roll
before consulting the corresponding tables below and applying the
changes, in order, to your brand-new chimeric player character.

5-6
 The following chimeraman character creation tables can also
be used to create a plethora of highly variable, interesting, and
unusual chimeric adversaries. Simply use the base stats and
special ability descriptions that accompany the chimeraman
foot soldier or champion above and have fun rolling up
modifications to your heart’s content.

1d3+Luck Central head Traits and Special Abilities

1 or less goat head battering horns, +2 to Will saves
2 lion head lion maw, +2 Str
3+ dragon head breathe fire, +2 Fort saves

1d4+Luck Left head Traits and Special Abilities

1 or less human head no additional benefit
2 fly head 360° vision, +2 Initiative
3 serpent head venomous fangs
4+ roll on central head no additional benefit for duplicate head
table

1d5+Luck Right head Traits and Special Abilities

1 or less one fewer head right head missing (too bad)
2 human head no additional benefit
3 fly head 360° vision, +2 Initiative
4 serpent head venomous fangs
5+ roll on central head no additional benefit for duplicate
table head, however, if this result is rolled a
second time the three heads merge into a
horrifying mass of bulging eyes and twisted
mouths, -5 Pers

5-7
1d14+Luck Body modification Traits and Special Abilities†
1 or less No arms (serpent cannot use standard weapons, armor,
style!) shields, or equipment*
2 6 fly legs replacing cannot use standard weapons, armor,
arms and legs shields, or other equipment*, but can
climb walls (roll of 12 on spider climb,
see DCC RPG p. 156)
3 goat arms and legs surefooted, cannot use standard
ending in hooves weapons, armor, shields, or equipment*
4 lion tail no additional benefit
5 serpent hindquarters in slither on serpentine belly, +10’ Move
place of legs
6 lion arms ending in 1d6 + Str claw attack, but cannot use
clawed paws standard weapons, armor, shields, or
equipment*
7 fly wings at shoulders able to slow descent, but cannot fly
8 dragon wings replacing fly 30’, but cannot use standard
arms weapons, armor, shields, or handheld
equipment*
9 goat head in place of battering horns, cannot be surprised
tail from behind
10 2 serpent-like arms venomous fangs, but cannot use
ending in snake heads standard weapons, armor, shields, or
replacing the arms and equipment*
hands
11 goat’s faun-like surefooted +2 Ref save
hindquarters
12 serpent-head tail serpent tail
13 dragon wings at fly 30’ +1 Agi
shoulders
14+ roll twice on this table consult with the judge to resolve any
conflicts arising from this result

* Custom equipment, weapons, and armor can be used, but must be

specially made at 10x the usual cost.
† No additional benefit for duplicate features.

5-8
 Special Abilities

A chimeraman is never considered unarmed. Depending on their

chimeric features, they may possess 1 or more of the following
special abilities:

Battering horns: The curled horns of the ram head cause 2d3
damage and knock the opponent prone; a DC 13 Reflex save negates
being knocked prone. The DC decreases to 8 if the opponent is larger
than the chimeraman. At level 4 this attack’s damage increases to
2d4 and the DC increases to 15 and DC 10 for larger opponents.

Breathe fire: Three times per day, a chimeraman with a dragon

head can breathe a gout of flame. All targets in a line 10’ wide and
20’ in length must make a Reflex save versus the attack roll or take
1d4 damage and catch fire. Targets take half damage on a successful
save. Each round thereafter the target automatically takes additional
damage until they make a successful DC 15 reflex save to extinguish
the fire. Flammable objects have a 75% chance of igniting.

Lion maw: The vice-like grip of the lion’s jaw causes 2d4 damage
and an opposing Strength check or the opponent is grappled. At level
4 this attack’s damage increases to 2d6.

Surefooted: Chimeraman champions ignore movement penalties

from terrain or climate and have a +6 bonus to climb sheer surfaces
checks. At level 4 this ability modifier increases to +8.

Venomous fangs: The lightning quick strike of the serpent’s bite

causes 1d4 damage, plus the target must make a DC14 Fortitude save,
temporarily losing 1d3 stamina on a successful save or 2d3 stamina
on a failed save. Stamina lost this way heals at a rate of 1 point of
stamina per day. At level 4 this attack’s stamina drain increases
to 1d4 on a successful save and 2d4 on a failed save, and the DC
increases to 16.

5-9
Hit points: A chimeraman gains 1d10 hit points at each level.

Weapon training: Chimeramen are trained in the use of battleaxe,

club, crossbow, dagger, dart, handaxe, javelin, longbow, longsword,
mace, polearm, shortbow, short sword, sling, spear, staff, two-handed
sword, and warhammer. Chimeramen may wear any armor they can
afford as long as it fits. Because of their transmuted anatomy, many
chimeramen are unable to use standard weapons, shields, and armor.
Custom equipment can be specially made at 10x the usual price.

Alignment: Perhaps more than any other race, chimeramen are the
living embodiment of chaos, thus they lean toward that alignment.
Their chimeric nature makes them targets for fearmongering and
disdain from virtually all other races. The gods of neutrality and
their adherents particularly despise chimeramen, considering them
gross perversions of nature, deserving only death. The neutral god’s
vitriolic prejudice against them means that chimeramen never receive
magical healing from neutral clerics, even when the administering
cleric is willing to risk their god’s immediate disapproval. Any such
healing instead inflicts the same amount of damage to the afflicted
chimeraman. Understandably, chimeramen are rarely if ever neutral.
Though rare, lawful chimeramen make natural leaders due to their
varied abilities, strong personalities, and predilection for strategy and
martial organization.

Luck: At first level, a chimeraman’s Luck modifier applies to attack

rolls for a specific chimeric head attack. The attack and modifier
are fixed at first level and does not change over the course of the
chimeraman’s career.

Languages: Chimeramen can speak common and communicate

with any animal or chimeric monster with which they share a hybrid
genetic connection, e.g., cats, goats, dragons, serpents, sphinxes,
and chimera. A chimeraman knows one additional language for
every point of Int modifier, as described in Appendix 1 of the DCC
Rulebook.

5 - 10
Action dice: As they level up, chimeramen gain a second action die
sooner than other races and classes. At level 1, a chimeraman can
take one action with 1d20 action die, e.g., attack with a weapon or
bite with serpent-head tail but not both. Starting at level 2, they gain
a second d14 action die that can only be used for a chimeric head
action, i.e., breathe fire, battering horns, lion maw, or venomous fang.
Action dice progression due to level advancement is shown in the
table below.

Secondary Class: Starting at third level, the chimeraman has finally

come to terms with their hybrid nature and accepts their humanity.
They may begin a career as a first level thief, warrior, wizard, or
cleric (sworn to a deity of law or chaos). They gain all the traits of
their chosen class except where those traits conflict with any already
prescribed by their race, e.g., a chimeraman warrior cannot apply
their luck bonus to a favored weapon at level 1 because it is already
restricted to a chimeric-head attack by their race. Level advancement
in their secondary (2nd) class is shown in the table below.

Level Attack Crit Die/ Action Dice Ref Fort Will Max 2nd
Table* Class Level
1 +1 1d8/M or III 1d20 +1 +1 +1 0
2 +1 1d10/M or III 1d20+1d14† +1 +1 +1 0
3 +2 1d12/M or III 1d20+1d14† +2 +2 +2 1
4 +2 1d14/M or IV 1d20+1d16† +2 +2 +2 1
5 +3 1d16/M or IV 1d20+1d16† +3 +2 +2 2
6 +3 1d20/M or V 1d20+1d20† +3 +2 +2 2
7 +4 1d24/M or V 1d20+1d20† +4 +3 +3 3
8 +4 1d30/M or V 1d20+1d20† +4 +3 +3 3
9 +5 2d20/M or V 1d20+1d20† +5 +3 +3 4
10 +6 2d20/M or V 1d20+1d20+ +5 +4 +4 5
1d14†

* Crit table M is used for chimeric-head attacks only.

† Second action die can only be used for a chimeric-head attack.
EPILOGUE

5 - 11
Word of Mixelblez’s departure from the realm spread quickly, and
no less than a week had passed since he abandoned you in his manse
before another magician and his minions laid claim to your valuable
parcel of magical real estate. The new owner’s house staff decided
that you were too weird to eat and too untrustworthy to properly
serve their master, and so you and your kin were unceremoniously
evicted from the only home you have ever known.

To make matters worse, a band of do-gooder adventures, led by

an overzealous cleric, has made it their mission to hunt down and
exterminate your kind. They have already staked the heads of three
of your batch-brothers and sisters to the palisade walls in the nearby
village.

Will you stand against those who took your home and harass your
kind, or will you pass through the ninth shimmering portal, leaving
this world forever to seek revenge on your maker in a strange new
land? Whatever road you choose, you must steel your courage,
trust your strength, and gather your companions, for the life of a
chimeraman knows no peace!

5 - 12
 LIVING GRAFFITI
By Eric Anderson
Illustration by András Baracskai

The origins and nature of Living Graffiti remain shrouded in mystery.

What is known, however, is that these enigmatic beings are favored
by crawlers, DJs, and Patrons alike—especially Blasters—as both
guardians and alarm systems. When deployed in groups of five or
more, they serve as formidable protectors, while smaller numbers of
one to four are used as alert systems. They have been found to exist
in a cluster of up to two dozen.

In their resting state, Living Graffiti appear as flat, chalk or painted

figures on walls, ceilings, or stone pathways. Their loyalty is tied
directly to their sustenance: chalk drawings of food. The more
realistic the depiction, the more faithful the Living Graffiti become
to their benefactor. Those who rely on these creatures for defense
often employ artists-in-residence to create the necessary drawings.

Despite their mystical nature, Living Graffiti possesses only

low intelligence and can follow simple commands like: “attack
intruders”, “sound an alarm” or “come and get me”. While in their
two-dimensional form, they can sense any moving creature within
15 feet, though they are unable to see or interact with anything until
they awaken. Upon detaching from their surface, they shift into a
three-dimensional form, retaining the appearance they had while
flat but now with a six-inch width and often with transparent gaps
throughout their being. While in their three-dimensional form, they
cannot communicate in anything more than strange squeaky noises,
which can range from whispers to loud, almost siren-like noises.
They can communicate with each other using some sort of limited
telepathy.

The transformation from a resting two-dimensional state to a three-

dimensional form takes a full round. During this round, Living
Graffiti may be attacked, though they have an AC of 20 and cannot
take any actions. If appropriate, they roll initiative after completing
the conversion to three-dimensional space. They attack with whatever
weapons or claw they were drawn with.

5 - 13
While resting, Living Graffiti cannot be harmed. If the surface they
occupy is attacked, they will attempt to move across the surface if
possible. If unable to do so, they will leap off and assume their three-
dimensional form.

Once Living Graffiti is lowered to zero HP, they revert to chalk dust
that falls to the ground.

Living Graffiti: Init +2; Attack +2 melee (1d6+1); AC: 13; Crit:
M/1d4; HD 2d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP infravision 60’; SV Fort +4,
Ref +4, Will +0; AL N.

Telepathy: Living Graffiti can communicate with any other Living

Graffiti that they are in a cluster with. They are aware when each
other are attacked, or if a surface that one of them is resting on gets
attacked. This telepathy exists between them whether or not they are
resting or in three dimensional form.

5 - 14
 ADVENTURER CLASS
AN HOMAGE TO ADVENTURERS OF
APPENDIX N FICTION, ESPECIALLY L.
SPRAGUE DE CAMP'S JORIAN,
THE UNBEHEADED KING
By Max Moon

Whether raised as the offspring of a clockmaker, with fingers too large

to pursue the family trade, or having found oneself at once prisoner
and king, the adventurer’s life has chosen you. A true autodidact, you
are slightly skilled in all things, but having spread your knowledge
and training thin, you shall never find yourself an expert in any field.
Well-rounded is an understatement.

Adventurers have an innate sense of curiosity. When it comes to solving

problems, the trial and error method is instinctual. Studying books
is a familiar pastime. However, an adventurer’s path to knowledge is
much more likely found in the wake of a defeated enemy or behind
a trapped door. Rather than studying the moon, an adventurer seeks
to feel its surface beneath their feet. As opposed to martial training,
skill in combat typically develops (often via debauched fisticuffs) in
response to having repeatedly, narrowly, and quite fearfully faced
death. Bravery is for fools and filling graves.

An adventurer finds glory in experiencing the beautiful, the strange,

the terrible, and, above all else, the novelty. There is no need for
power or station, only to join in the chaotic rumble and to stand a
chance of surviving as the gods and elder-beings clash in the creation,
destruction, and re-creation of worlds.

Master of None: An adventurer embodies the concept of the “Master

of None.” Their advancement is up to the fates. Adventurers lose
interest after achieving basic proficiency in any domain of knowledge
or skill, quickly pursuing their next most immediate piqued interest.
For this reason, they do not advance beyond level 1 of any class,
though they still require the standard amount of XP progression.

5 - 15
Upon reaching level 2, and for each level beyond, an adventurer rolls
to randomly determine their next class, gaining the level 1 benefits
of that class. When gaining a class, an adventurer rolls 1d4 with the
following results: (1) Cleric, (2) Thief, (3) Warrior, (4) Wizard. For
each additional level, the die is reduced, and the results are adjusted
until only one class remains. An adventurer may not advance once all
available classes have been learned. If they earn enough XP to reach
level 6, they instead meet a mate, settle down, start a family, and the
character is retired.

Hit points: An adventurer gains 1d7 hit points at first level. An

adventurer’s hit die is always considered a d7 for purposes other than
level advancement. For level advancement, the adventurer always
rolls the die corresponding to the chosen class.

Weapon training: An adventurer is not trained in any weapons

beyond what may be reasonably assumed given their occupations.

Alignment: None. Adventurers behave as needed for the given

circumstance. They willingly pledge allegiance just as they willingly
renege on those pledges. An adventurer’s alignment is always treated
as adjacent for purposes such as Lay on Hands. Their ethics are so
hazy that they confuse even themselves, and their alignment is even
adjacent to self.

Past Lives: Some say the call to adventure comes from being
caught in the cosmic circle of life and rebirth. At each level gained,
an adventurer recalls memories of their past lives and rolls on
the occupation table a number of times equal to their intelligence
modifier. They do not obtain any items as a result of this roll; however,
as lost memories return, so do lost skills. In addition to occupation,
adventurers also gain a randomly rolled lucky sign at each level.

Adventurer’s Curse: Adventurers have an uncanny ability to lose

as much wealth as they discover. It seems that gold and glory are
constantly slipping through their fingers. Any time an adventurer
rests, all of their gold and valuable gems are lost. While this is often
due to being robbed, it is equally as likely they merely misplaced
their coin purse when enjoying a good meal.

5 - 16
Survivor: Adventurers gain +1 permanent luck per level. If their
luck score ever reaches 20 or higher, they are cursed by the gods,
struck by lightning dealing d100 damage, and their permanent luck
is reduced to 1.

LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
Level Attack Crit Die/ Action Ref Fort Will
Table Dice
1 +0 1d10/III 1d20 +0 +0 +0
2 Per Class Highest of 1d20 Per Class Per Class Per Class
relevant
classes
3 Per Class Highest of 1d20 Per Class Per Class Per Class
relevant
classes
4 Per Class Highest of 1d20 Per Class Per Class Per Class
relevant
classes
5 Per Class Highest of Per Class Per Class Per Class Per Class
relevant
classes
6 No No change No No No No
change change change change change
7 +2 1d12/As 1d20+ +2 +2 +2
Relevant 1d16
8 +3 1d12/As 1d20+ +3 +3 +3
Relevant 1d20
9 +3 1d14/As 1d20+ +3 +3 +3
Relevant 1d20
10 +4 1d14/As 1d20+ +4 +4 +4
Relevant 1d20

5 - 17
 THE INVESTIGATOR
A NEW CHARACTER CLASS
FOR DCC RPG
By Stuart C. Killian
Illustrations by Charles Reeder

Whether it’s an army on the battlefield, or an adventuring party near

a monster’s lair, information, or a “guy on the inside” can mean the
difference between glory and gold or a cold grave. As an Investigator,
you are a master of clandestine jobs requiring information gathering,
acquisition of key items, providing access, and disrupting your foe.
You put great effort into understanding people, natural laws, and
magical principles to understand and utilize them to achieve your and
your party’s goals and accomplish the near impossible. Some might
say you’re just a well-trained thief, but you’re more focused than that.
Thieves collect gold and jewels, you collect blackmail, connections,
intelligence and even the occasional body.

Investigators can hold their own in combat but try to rely on their
investigator tactics to gain an advantage before drawing blades.
Want to know how many foes are guarding the bridge? Want to know
what the leader of a rebel band looks like? Or, do you want to gather
evidence to prove the Crown Prince is actually a polymorphed toad?
Use your investigator.

Hit points: An investigator gains 1d7 hit points per level, modified
by their Stamina.

Weapon training: Discretion is a priority for an investigator, and

large, clunky weapons can get in the way of performing investigator
tactics. Therefore, an investigator is proficient with the blackjack,
blowgun, club, dagger, dart, garrote, handaxe, and shortsword.
Additionally, the investigator always deals the backstab damage of the
blackjack, blowgun, dagger and garrote. For example, an investigator
using a dagger inflicts 1d10 damage on any hit, but normal critical hit
rules apply. Unlike the Thief, the investigator has no backstab ability
(except for the Lights Out! Tier 2 tactic). The need for discretion and
successful performance of tactics also limits their armor choices as
well.

5 - 18
Tactical Roll: The dice roll for any investigator tactic (tactical roll,
or TR) is always Action Die + Expertise Die + Luck Modifier, unless
specifically mentioned in the tactic description. Some tactics may
have an armor check penalty and are identified in the Tactics Tables.
Failure may have direct consequences depending on the situation. A
tactic may only be used once per round.

Catastrophic Failure: If, on a tactical roll, the investigator rolls a

1 on the action die, the tactic fails catastrophically. The investigator
loses the tactic until the next game session. In addition, there may
be direct consequences from a catastrophic failure such as a trap
going off, being captured, losing allies, misunderstanding something
completely, or other awful outcomes. The Judge can determine these
additional outcomes based upon the scenario and the tactic being
used.

5 - 19
Investigator Tactics: An investigator is a jack of all trades who
learns about people, scientific laws, and magical principles as
they progress in their careers. Because of their large breadth of
knowledge, they develop abilities to be used to attain their objectives.
These tactics help the investigator manipulate people, understand
complex machinery, and even mimic thief skills and magical effects.
Experience in using their tactic is measured by an Expertise Die,
rolled when a tactic is attempted. The expertise die moves up the dice
chain as levels are gained. Investigators acquire tactics of varying
effectiveness as they progress in level. The investigator is required
to tell the Judge which tactic they are using and, depending on the
situation (as described in the tactics tables) the Judge will determine
the difficulty challenge. The Judge may also determine if a tactic is
not appropriate (such as trying to read lips on a slime horror with no
mouth). Investigators can use as many tactics per round as they have
action dice and may continue to use their tactics until they have a
catastrophic failure, explained below. Tactics mimicking thief skills
require the investigator to have a functioning set of thieves’ tools.
Other tactics may require unique components as well.

Alignment: Investigators can be of any alignment.

Lawful investigators act as scouts for military units, evidence

collectors to assist city watches, and inquisitors for temples rooting
out heresy. Those who choose a life of adventure strive to keep their
party safe and attempt to achieve the party’s goals without requiring
the chaos and ugliness of open battle.

Chaotic investigators cause disruption and sabotage. Their main

objective is to “keep things interesting” regardless of who suffers the
consequences. It isn’t unusual for a chaotic agent to pit two powers
against each other and perform tasks for both. Chaotic adventurers
are motivated by treasure, destruction, and humiliation of those who
have the nerve to cross them.

5 - 20
An investigator choosing neutrality can be counted on to perform
a job so long as they are shown respect, and the pay is acceptable.
They make useful informants, blackmail collectors and counter
spies. They rarely commit themselves to a cause and may complete
several tasks for a wealthy employer, then quit on a whim to avoid
getting too attached. A neutral adventurer is a problem solver who
makes a way when things seem insurmountable. After which, they
will more than likely remind the whole party what a mess they would
be in without them.

INVESTIGATOR
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Attack +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +5 +5 +6 +7 +8
Crit Die 1d8 1d10 1d12 1d14 1d16 1d20 1d14 1d16 1d20 1d14
/Table /II /II /II /II /II /II /III /III /III /IV
Action 1d20 1d20 1d20 1d20 1d20 1d20 1d20+ 1d20+ 1d20+ 1d20+
Dice 1d16 1d20 1d20 1d20
Ref +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5
Fort +0 +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4
Will +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4
Expertise 1d4 1d5 1d6 1d7 1d8 1d10 1d12 1d14 1d16 1d20
Die
1 3 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 11
by Tier
Tactics

2 - - 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 6
3 - - - - 1 1 2 2 3 4

TITLE BY ALIGNMENT
Level Lawful Chaotic Neutral
1 Scout Hound Informant
2 Sleuth Spy Watcher
3 Operative Mole Inspector
4 Detective Infiltrator Agent

5 - 21
 TIER 1 INVESTIGATOR TACTICS
Tactic Effect
1 Acquire* The investigator can pick pockets or covertly snatch an
object out in the open. The difficulty challenge can be
based upon the amount of people in the area and how
watchful they are.
2 Cornering The target is intimidated by an interrogation. They must
Conversation roll a Will save against the tactical roll or be forced to tell
the investigator the full truth of up to 1d3 questions.
3 Cover Tracks The investigator can help their party avoid pursuit and
remove evidence of their actions. The DC to track the
party or reveal their involvement is equal to the tactical
roll.
4 Disguise Similar to the Thief skill, the DC for disguising oneself is
Self* based upon the number of significant changes made to a
person’s physical appearance and mannerisms.
5 Enhanced By spending a turn surveying the area around them or
Memory studying a manuscript, investigators can map an area by
memory or recite text verbatim. The DC is based upon the
number of unique features or length of text to remember.
Text in a non-familiar language creates additional
difficulty.
6 Find/Disable Works the same as the Thief skills of the same name.
Trap*
7 Forge The difficulty of forging a document can vary based upon
Document* whether it is a standard document or if the document must
mimic a specific person’s handwriting and style.
8 Hide* Similar to the Thief skill. However, an investigator can use
other means to hide such as being lost in crowds.
9 Leverage The investigator can remember a little-known secret the
target does not want made public. The target must make
a Will save against the tactical roll or be cornered into
obeying the investigator’s orders. The investigator can
only order the victim to do one action and the action can
not be physically harmful to the target. They CAN be
leveraged to break the law.
10 Pick Lock* Works the same as the Thief skill of the same name.
11 Read the Spending a turn to survey a gathering of people or
Room intelligent creatures can yield insight on a target’s
intentions. For example: the investigator will be able to see
if someone or something is acting suspicious or planning
harm to someone.

5 - 23
 Tactic Effect
12 Shadow* The investigator zeroes in on a target and can follow them
undetected. The target can make an Intelligence check
against the tactical roll every 10 minutes to spot being
followed. The target may get a bonus if they are cautious
about being tracked.
13 Sneak Works in the same fashion as the Thief skill of the same
Silently* name.
14 Track Down Using conversation and public sources of information, the
investigator can find a specific target’s location, favorite
inn, home, place of business, or people they do business
and socialize with.

TIER 2 INVESTIGATOR TACTICS

Tactic Effect
1 Arcane Magic may seem mysterious and random, but it can have a
Intuition logic to it. The investigator can examine magical objects,
runes, fields and effects and know what type of magic is
being used. Exceptionally high tactical rolls may also reveal
how a magical effect can be avoided. DC is based upon spell
level.
2 Blend In It’s helpful to disguise yourself. It’s even better when you
can convince everyone around you that you’re one of them.
When an investigator attempts to mix in with a group of
foes, the targets of the deception are allowed an Intelligence
check per day against a tactical roll to spot the investigator
as an impostor.
3 Hyper Being acutely aware of their surroundings, the investigator
Vigilant* prevents their party from being surprised. Difficulty is
based on the measures taken by the aggressor. Exceptionally
high results can also negate surprise due to magical
intervention. An investigator can only be Hyper Vigilant for
one hour per day.
4 I’ve Seen A well-trained investigator knows when they’re trying to be
This All fooled. The tactical roll is used to help themselves or others
Before in their party dispel illusions or negate magical effects on
the mind such as the Charm Person Spell, hypnotism, and
the like.

5 - 24
 Tactic Effect
5 Lights Out! A non-lethal attack from behind. The target needs to be
unaware of the attack, so this tactic may be combined
with a Hide or Sneak Silently check. If the tactical roll
is higher than the target’s AC, and the target is twice
the investigator’s size or less, the blow knocks them
unconscious for 1d4 turns.
6 Operate Operating unfamiliar machinery can be difficult, but not
Mechanical impossible. The difficulty challenge to successfully operate
Device mechanical devices can depend on the number of controls
(buttons, levers, dials, cranks, etc), the device consists of.
Success allows you to employ the functions of a device.
7 Read Depending on the result of the tactical roll, the investigator
Languages may only have a vague understanding (TR10) basic details
(TR15) or a complete understanding of the text (TR20).
Some magical runes may also be able to be deciphered
(TR23+)
8 Read Lips The difficulty in understanding conversation from a
distance is based upon how many speakers you are
concentrating on, the distance you are from them, and the
number of potential disruptions (people moving about, etc.).
On a successful tactical roll, the words can be written down
or repeated exactly.
9 Set Trap* Every now and then, you just can’t get away from a
determined pursuer, or maybe you just want a full night’s
sleep for crying out loud. The tactical roll sets the DC for
your opponent to disable it.
10 Understand Sometimes it’s what they say, sometimes it’s how they say it,
Intent and sometimes it’s what they don’t say. If an investigator is
listening carefully to a speaker, they can make a tactical roll
against the speaker’s Intelligence check. If successful, the
investigator understands the full intent of the speaker and
whether or not they are trying to deceive.

5 - 25
 TIER 3 INVESTIGATOR TACTICS
Tactic Effect
1 Cast Spell Equal to the Thief ability. The investigator uses only their
From Scroll expertise die plus their luck modifier when casting from a scroll.
2 Charm Person While not magical, a smooth tongue and knowing the right thing
to say can have a profound effect on the listener. Use the Charm
Person spell table and the tactical roll to determine the effect.
3 Make Simple chemicals such as strong acids or mild poisons would
Alchemical have a low DC. Mixtures with specific effects such as paralysis,
Solution* black powder bombs, etc. make the DC much higher. Consider the
complexity of the effects and the materials needed.
4 Right in The investigator studies a creature for one round. They may take
the_ !! no action during that round including movement. On their next
turn, they understand what type of attack the creature is most
vulnerable to and all attacks the creature can take against allies.
This tactic requires no tactical roll and is only used once per day.
5 Sabotage You may not know exactly how a construct, attack or spell works,
Action* but you DO know what they don’t like. If the investigator’s
tactical roll exceeds the spell check, attack roll, or a difficulty
challenge based upon the complexity of the object, the effect is
sabotaged, and the action has no effect. This does NOT cause
spell loss, misfire, corruption, or destruction of an object.
6 Use Magical Unlocking the secrets of wands, rings, staves, and other magical
Device items that mimic spells requires studying the item for one week
times the spell effect level to understand its use. Just like the
Cast Spell From Scroll tactic, to use the item effectively, the
investigator uses their expertise die and adds their luck modifier.

* These tactics can be affected by an armor check penalty

5 - 26
 THERAPIST
A NEW CHARACTER CLASS
FOR DCC RPG
By Matt Pelfrey

In the blood-drenched world of dungeon delving, the wounds are

brutal and many. To this end, every party of explorers ensures they
have bandages, healing ointments, and hopefully a cleric to apply
divine powers to their battered bodies. But it’s the veteran warrior,
thief, and wizard who truly understands that sometimes the most
egregious of injuries mark not the flesh but the mind! And what
good is a priceless gem or magical weapon to the sole survivor of a
slaughtered party if they can’t get out of bed due to grief, anxiety, or
depression? To fill this obvious need, the profession of therapist came
into being.

Hit points: A therapist gains 1d6 hit points at each level.

Weapons training: While a therapist’s main weapon is their empathy

and insight into the humanoid mind, they are keenly aware of the
need to protect themselves so they may be of use to those in need. To
that end, therapists prepare for “field work” by becoming trained in
these weapons: dagger, longsword, short bow, and short sword.

Alignment: Therapists come in all alignments but tend towards

neutral.

Lawful therapist: The path of the healer

Lawful therapists are dedicated to helping fellow sentient creatures

heal mentally and emotionally from whatever past trauma plagues
them. They follow a rigorous personal code in how they behave
towards patients and truly have the best intentions behind their
actions.

5 - 27
Neutral therapist: The path of the success coach

Neutral therapists believe the mind of a sentient creature is the most

magical of machines and that they are the only mechanics capable
of making it run at the optimum level. They flock to the world of
the professional adventurer and see dungeon crawling (in all its
variations) as the ultimate laboratory to try out their techniques for
peak performance.

Chaotic therapist: The path of the cult leader

Chaotic therapists tend to pose as healers or success coaches, but

in reality, all they want is wealth and power, and use therapy as a
means to that end. They are charismatic but damaged and attract a
following by offering promises of quick results in exchange for blind
obedience to their methods. They often align themselves with thieves
and clerics and work in tandem toward a corrupt goal.

Technique die: The therapist receives a technique die at each level

like a warrior’s deed die. This die starts at the first level with a d3 and
rises along the dice chain with each level afterward.

THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES
All therapists have some ability in all skills but, based on their
alignment, have specific areas in which they excel. To use a
therapeutic technique, the player makes a therapy check by rolling
1d20 and adding their Personality modifier and the result of their
technique die roll. They must beat a DC assigned to the situation at
hand:

DC 5 Using a technique on a patient in a safe, relaxing location.

DC 10 Using a technique in a high-stress situation short of active combat.
DC 15 Using a technique during combat or as a life-or-death situation unfolds.
DC 20 Using a technique in a situation where failure equals certain death.

Below is a list of common therapeutic techniques and what can happen

when they succeed. As an emerging field, new techniques are being
developed regularly and will be added to the list once peer-reviewed
in The Karniveron Institute’s Journal of Humanoid Psychology.

5 - 28
Motivate: A successful therapy roll grants the patient a bonus on
their next skill check equal to the result on the technique die.

Tough love: Sometimes, a therapist needs results fast and under

pressure. This is when they turn to tough love. A therapist can push
a patient’s buttons to get quick results by exploiting information
gleaned through previous conversations. A therapist’s tough love roll
allows patients to add 1d6 to their next action die roll. Tough love
often leaves the patient shaken emotionally, and as a result, they must
make the following 1d4 rolls at a penalty equal to the bonus received.

Resist phobia: With a successful therapy check, the therapist can

add twice their level to a patient’s saving throw against any fear-
based attack or a physically risky non-combat ability check.

Group therapy: With a single group therapy check, therapists can

use the motivate, tough love, or resist phobia techniques on a number
of patients equal to their level. The bonuses received will be different
depending on the technique in question.

Dreamwork: Successful dream work results in patients receiving a

random skill or ability lasting 1d4 days. If the patient rolls a skill
or ability they already possess, they receive a bonus equal to the
therapist’s level or the same duration. Judges should design their own
table of skills and abilities that can be gained. Side note: Dreamwork
is also a great way to introduce adventure hooks into a campaign!

Influence others: A therapist can make characters see a situation

their way with a successful therapy check. Any character who is not
a patient currently working with the therapist receives a Willpower
save to resist (DC equal to the therapy check result).

Vision board: With a therapist’s guidance, a patient receives a +1d

bonus for every two levels of the therapist for any rolls needed when
the PC is within 100 yards of a specific, concrete goal depicted on the
patient’s vision board. Note: The therapist need not be near, as “the
work” has already been done by the patient. The player must make
an actual vision board! If they fail to make the board, or it sucks and
shows a lack of effort, the patient will find, instead, that all their
rolls are made at a -1d penalty for every two levels possessed by the
therapist. “You can’t take shortcuts to success!”

5 - 29
Success mantra: The therapist can help a patient develop a mantra
that grants a +1d bonus on any roll once per 24 hours for a number of
days equal to the therapist’s level.

Find buried memory: The therapist can hypnotize a patient and

unearth memories and observations they weren’t aware of. For
example, Did the patient miss spotting the secret door they walked
past? With a little hypnosis, the therapist can retrieve the subconscious
memory, and the party can get back on the path to glory!

Implant false memory: A therapist may implant a false memory to

influence or motivate a patient to do their bidding or to increase the
patient’s dependency on the therapist. This only works against an
active patient who receives a Willpower save to resist (DC equal to
the therapy check result).

Peak performance: With a successful check, a therapist can grant

a bonus equal to the result of their technique die roll to a class-
specific skill of the patient’s choice for a number of days equal to the
therapist’s level.

Cause/cure dependency: With a cause dependency roll, a therapist

may manipulate a patient by either feeding or undermining the PC’s
confidence, depending on the therapist’s whim. This means the
therapist can increase or decrease a patient’s bonus to rolls of their
choice while the PC is dependent. Additionally, if a dependent patient
is separated from their therapist for over an hour, they make all rolls
at a -1d penalty. This penalty increases by -1d per 24 hours apart.
Dependency lasts 24 hours per level of therapist.

Shame spiral: With a successful therapy check, a chaotic therapist

may induce a shame spiral in a patient they have treated for at least six
months. Suppose a therapist is successful when initiating the initial
shame spiral. In that case, a patient must make a DC 10 Will save to
do anything not sanctioned by the therapist at a penalty equal to the
therapist’s level. A patient must break free from the spiral twice in a
row to regain agency.
Elves are immune from all forms of therapy, as they lack introspection and
neurosis on the scale necessary.

5 - 30
 THERAPIST SKILLS BY LEVEL
AND ALIGNMENT
Bonus for LAWFUL Therapist
(Path of the Healer)
Skill 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Motivate +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13
Tough love +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Cure phobia +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Group therapy +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Dream work +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Vision board +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
Success mantra +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13
Find buried memory +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Peak performance +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13
Cure dependency +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15

Bonus for NEUTRAL Therapists

(Path of the Success Coach)
Skill 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Motivate +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Tough love +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13
Cure phobia +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Group therapy +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
Dream work +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
Vision board +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Success mantra +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Find buried memory +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
Peak performance +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Cure dependency +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13

5 - 31
 Bonus for CHAOTIC Therapist
(Path of the Cult Leader)
Skill 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Motivate +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Tough love +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Cure phobia +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13
Group therapy +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Dream work +1 +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13
Success mantra +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
Find buried memory +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Peak performance +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
Shame spiral* +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
Cure dependency +3 +5 +7 +8 +9 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15

*Chaotic therapists have Shame spiral, which replaces Vision board.

A BRIEF SET OF RULES FOR

PROCESSING POST-ADVENTURE
TRAUMA
The career of a dungeon delver in the DCC fantasy landscape or the
post-apocalyptic world of MCC is physically arduous and typically
lasts a few scant years before the ravages of battle, spell corruption,
or radiation poisoning force an early retirement, often in the form of
hideous death.

What follows are suggested starting points for acknowledging and

incorporating the emotional and mental impact of the wildly violent
and mind-scrambling events encountered by PCs in DCC and MCC.
More than anything, these rules should add new layers of depth to a
character’s inner life and rich opportunities for roleplaying.

Trauma will also serve as a character-based punishment for a PC who

strays from their stated alignment, supplying a negative impact to
acting outside their true nature.

5 - 32
The basic roll to successfully process events and avoid post-adventure
trauma is a DC 10 Will save. If the PC fails, the resulting trauma
is expressed as a -1d penalty on all relevant actions associated with
the trauma until the PC receives help from a therapist. Most post-
adventure Will saves will result from the following:

PC actions against others: This covers anything that can cause

someone to feel guilty due to their actions. These actions should either
be violations of the character’s alignment or actions that negatively
impact friends or associates.

Physical wounds: Being repeatedly stabbed by gibbering freaks

wearing loincloths made of human skin can take a mental toll on
even the most stoic of barbarians. For this reason, any character who
takes over 75% of their total hit points in one encounter must make a
DC 10 Will save or suffer trauma.

Psychic wounds: Seeing the Iron Mage turn the ground beneath
your feet into boiling water can mess with your sense of reality. Even
worse, how about a Shadow Hag who turns you into a wild boar for
two weeks?

Casualties: For every party member killed in battle, the post-

adventure trauma check DC increases by 1.

Example: Shock the Monkey, and his fellow seekers wandered into
dangerous ruins. Not only does Shock watch as his three friends are
eaten by a Colossal Lion-Fly (or Flyion, depending on your region of
Terra AD), but he also witnesses the Flyion regurgitate and then RE-
CONSUME his buddies. Trust me, that leaves an emotional bruise.
This event would require Shock to make a DC 13 Will save or suffer
trauma.

Loss of confidence: Any PC who rolls a 1 when attempting a skill

or ability check automatically results in a loss of confidence, and the
PC takes a -1d penalty the next time they try the same skill. If the
subsequent attempt is also a failure, the -1d penalty is permanent
until the issue is resolved with the help of a therapist. A roll of 2-4 on
a dice check requires the PC to make a DC 10 Will save or suffer a
loss of confidence.

5 - 33
 THERAPIST
Level Attack Crit Die/ Action Technique Ref Fort Will
Table Dice Die
1 +0 1d6/I 1d20 1d3 1 0 1
2 +1 1d6/I 1d20 1d4 1 0 1
3 +2 1d8/I 1d20 1d5 1 1 2
4 +2 1d8/I 1d20 1d6 2 1 2
5 +3 1d10/I 1d20 1d7 2 1 3
6 +3 1d10/I 1d20+ 1d8 2 2 4
1d14
7 +4 1d12/I 1d20+ 1d10+1 3 2 4
1d14
8 +4 1d12/I 1d20+ 1d10+2 3 2 5
1d16
9 +5 1d14/I 1d20+ 1d10+3 3 3 5
1d16
10 +6 1d14/I 1d20+ 1d10+4 4 3 6
1d20

TITLE BY ALIGNMENT
Level Lawful Chaotic Neutral
1 Analyst Shrink Coach
2 Clinician Guide Motivator
3 Councilor Mentor Trainer
4 Psychologist Master Teacher
5 Alienist Founder Success Coach

5 - 34
 DARK INHERITANCES
NEW TOMMYKNOCKER CHARACTER
CLASS OPTIONS FOR
WEIRD FRONTIERS RPG
By Justin Davis
Illustration by Andy Edmonds

5 - 35
 MUMMY
Power costs 1 point of Personality.

Kin-folk: Mummy

Duration: 1d3+CL rounds

Visage: The tommyknocker’s body desiccates, with skin tightening

and shriveling and height diminishing by six inches. Sinews pop
and joints grind with every movement. Attire becomes threadbare,
tattered, and drab.

Power: The tommyknocker’s jaws distend to disgorge frenzied bugs

(scorpions and centipedes if assuming the mien of an American
mummy, or scarabs and locusts if Egyptian, or crawdads and
dragonflies if bog variety) that swarm all targets in a 10’ cone. For
the duration, victims suffer 1d4+1 damage per round, and sentient
opponents lose 1d2+1 AC [only at the onset; not cumulative] as they
slap, hop, and spit in panic from the infestation. The tommyknocker’s
compadres are ordinarily unaffected if caught in the area of effect as
long as the tommyknocker maintains concentration.

Curse: The tommyknocker is overwhelmed by feelings of smug

superiority and contempt for the lesser beings that dare intrude in its
domain. They must make a Willpower save of DC 10 each round to
keep the swarming mass focused on enemies; failure means the bugs
attack both foes and friends alike.

5 - 36
 VAMPYIRE
Power costs 1 point of Personality.

Kin-folk: Vampyire

Duration: 1d3+CL rounds

Visage: The tommyknocker’s face becomes chiropteran, with

absurdly protruding ears, flattened upturned nose, and jutting
snaggle-toothed fangs. Their sunken eyes glow with unholy radiance,
and fingers, connected by webbed skin, sharpen to elongated points.
With mouths dripping spittle, speech is rendered nigh-unintelligible.
Attire becomes shrouded in cobwebs writhing with insects and
graveworms.

Power: The tommyknocker’s senses heighten to those of an apex

predator. They can see in abject darkness, and gain a +4 bonus
to all visual-, auditory-, olfactory-, and gustatory-related rolls.
Furthermore, the tommyknocker gains a wall-crawling climb speed
of 20’, and the ability to make standing leaps of 15’.

Curse: The tommyknocker becomes malevolently ravenous for the

life forces of the weak and infirm. They must make a Willpower save
of DC 10 each round to avoid assaulting the closest ally / friendliest
NPC with the lowest current Hit Point total. A successful attack
grapples the victim, doing 1d6 biting damage the first round and
1d4 exsanguination damage each subsequent round until the effect
ends. Living targets reduced to 0 Hit Points in this fashion awaken
as Vampires after three moonrises with a burning hatred for their
tommyknocker sire.

5 - 37
 EMPIRICAL
CONSEQUENCES OF
LOW LUCK
By Chris Thomason

I think we can all agree that the chef’s kiss of DCC is Luck. It
permeates nearly everything, and anything that it doesn’t, it probably
should. So it is my goal to always be working on new and interesting
ways to implement Luck into my games. I’ve only included my number
one use this year, but look forward to sharing other uses in the future.
Hopefully it will spark inspiration for new and interesting ways Luck
can be used throughout the game. Included is the commentary on the
creation of the “rule” below in hopes that it might help you unlock
your own mechanical creativity.

LUCK TO DETERMINE THE TARGET

Whenever you need to randomly determine the target of an attack,
or anytime it’s ambiguous who would be affected by a random event,
have each character roll the appropriate die from the chart below. The
character that rolls the lowest is the target. If there is a tie, consult the
character’s Luck score, and then roll off if still tied.

DIE BASED ON LUCK SCORE

3 4-5 6-8 9-12 13-15 16-17 18
d4 d6 d8 d10 d12 d14 d16

I know one of the hardest things for me when I was starting out in
TTRPGs was taking my ideas and figuring out how to implement
them in effective ways. While mechanics should always be an end to
means and the focus should be on getting the feeling right, each has
their place in creating an enjoyable time at the table. Executing on
them however, is easier said than done.

In all the games I had played before, I felt this burden of continually
having to decide who was to be the target of an attack. It always felt
arbitrary, and because I had nothing to support my arbitrary ruling,
I’d end up delivering the attack to the character with the most armor

5 - 38
and hit points in the interest of “fairness.” It never felt right to me
however. Yes, there should be some value and agency to the “tank”
charging headlong into the fray but there needs to be danger for the
rest of the group too.

How do I accomplish this when there is no narrative reason why

one would be attacked from another? Then the stars aligned when I
turned to p.361 (11th printing DCC RPG) “Whenever the characters
face opponents with little discretion in what they attack, such as
oozes or wild beasts, have those creatures always target the character
with the lowest Luck.” Eureka!!! Except that only got me part way
there. I mean if it’s always the character with the lowest luck, then it’s
the same as the character with the most armor and hit points, just in
reverse. So what can I do to find the right balance?

Whenever I’m coming up with a new “mechanic”, I always look

to Luck and The Dice Chain for answers. Since Luck was already
involved, on to The Dice Chain! To no surprise of my own, once
I consulted the two best unique factors to DCC, it just naturally
made sense how to solve my problem. I just needed that last piece to
determine what die a character would use.

A potentially underappreciated detail in DCC is the bell curve of

the stat modifiers of a character’s ability scores. Being that there is
only a 1/36 chance of having a stat of 3 or 18, and only those give a
-3 or +3 modifier appropriately. It largely keeps everyone on an even
plane and helps reinforce the narrative of the mundane peasant when
the game begins. This was exactly what I needed! It made sense that
those with a low Luck get attacked more often, but not always. Same
goes for that extremely lucky person. They shouldn’t get attacked
very often, but they shouldn’t be off the books either. Assigning the
die they use based on their Luck score works like a dream here.

I mulled it over a while and decided to use a collection of dice that

at each tier were all two numbers apart. Providing a linear benefit or
detriment of a character’s Luck. You could also change the dice used
at each tier which would open all kinds of statistical opportunities.
Maybe you want the players with lower Luck to have a closer to equal
chance of being the target as those with a higher Luck? This can be
achieved by changing the die used for a Luck score of 4-5 to a d5 and
the die used for a Luck score of 6-8 to a d7, etc. You could also really

5 - 39
lean into those with a high Luck having less chance of being targeted
by those with a Luck score of 16-17 use a d16 and those with a Luck
score of 18 use a d20. In fact, at this very moment while writing
this. I got the inspiration to use this potentially as a boon or bane at
the table. Maybe something incredible happens to a character and
now the die they use moves up or down the chain for this purpose?
Monkey around with it and figure out what suits your table best!

The true magic is how it all comes together quickly and elegantly
at the table. Just a simple “Roll you Luck die” instead of “Roll for
initiative.” The tension this change makes is magical. Not only do
the players have the same tension they would with a normal initiative
roll, but additionally there is this whole additional tension of, did they
roll high enough to be safe from attacks? Once the rolls have been
made I ask “Any 1’s…Any 2’s…Any 3’s…” until all the attacks have
been assigned. There’s this electric energy as everyone looks around
at each other as I begin to count up from one. The cheers and jeers in
this moment are like that of natural 20’s and 1’s. It truly is far more
exciting than it should be, and the impact it has at my table can’t be
understated. Along with the inspiration it can give to me as a Judge
on “Why is this creature attacking this character?” It can be worth its
weight in gold from time to time.

I hope this idea can bring half as much joy to your table as it does
mine. I truly hope the included commentary is helpful in inspiring
you to come up with your own rules, mechanics, etc. to take your
games to the next level and make sure you share them with me when
you do!

5 - 40
 HEROES, ZEROS,
AND DUDES:
POWER CHARACTERS IN
THE DCC FUNNEL
By John Rak

-Trigger warning for possible rules sacrilege-

The Dungeon Crawl Classics funnel adventure is arguably one of

the defining features of the game. It is deliriously fun and a fantastic
mechanic for getting players to leave their role playing comfort
zones. After the funnel, when the dust settles and the bodies have
been counted, the guy who loves to play sneaky, quick-footed
thieves may find himself with a plodding warrior; the gal that loves
tanky bruisers may end up with a wily wizard who couldn’t break a
pencil with both hands and a hatchet. Regardless, since that is their
plucky little villager that survived a blood-soaked dungeon, players
will be drawn to them nonetheless.

Comfort zones aside, many role players want characters who are, to
put it simply, stronger than they are. Tabletop roleplaying games
(TTRPG’s) can be a bit of a power fantasy for some folks,
particularly those coming to DCC from 5e and the like. They want
to be capable of great, heroic deeds, and to be, well, BADASS. I
have nothing but respect for the dedicated tabletop players who are
willing to play a character with terrible stats on paper, should that be
who survives the funnel, but not every player is wired that way. I
have run, and I am currently Judging, games made up entirely of
these power-oriented players (POPs), so I needed to devise a way to
keep them happy without spoiling the spirit of the funnel.

6-1
 WHAT’S A DUDE?

I break down 0-level characters into three classifications: heroes,

zeros, and dudes. These classifications should be kept secret, they
are for the Judge to use, and players have no idea these character
types exist.

Heroes are characters that would be comfortable adventuring in the

Forgotten Realms. They have multiple +1 stat rolls, probably even a
+2 or +3, and no negative modifiers. When POPs roll up a hero,
their eyes light up with thinly disguised glee; this is the character
they want to survive the funnel. Add up a 0-level’s positive
modifiers and subtract the negatives. If the final number is +3 or
higher, that’s a hero (if the character is a human, more on that in a
bit). Zeros are the exact opposite. They have no positive multipliers,
multiple negatives, and a backbreaking lucky sign (-2 to all attack
rolls or some such). They have combined modifier totals of zero or
below. These are the folks who will be opening all the doors and
drinking all the unlabeled potions during the funnel.

Dudes are the final character type – as I use it, the term is meant to
be gender neutral, it just fits the vibe really well. Dudes are not the
coolest people in the room, but they can still hang. They have a few
+1 stats, and maybe one negative, for a modifier total of +1 or +2. A
dude is not the POPs dream, but they won’t be entirely disappointed
if they end up with a dude PC – again, a dude is someone you can
hang with.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT

CHARACTER CREATION?

When it comes to character creation, I keep track of the stats my

players roll up and quickly rank each character in my head. If they
don’t end up with at least one hero or dude among their four to six
zero level characters, I let them throw out their least favorite and
roll another one. Again, I keep my classification method a secret.
“Wow, that’s a real bunch of stiffs you got there. You can drop one
of those losers and roll again if you like.”

6-2
 WAIT, WHAT WAS THAT
BIT ABOUT HUMANS?

Meta-humans cannot choose their class in standard ‘race as class’

DCC – they are locked into their class even at 0-level. As such, they
can only be considered heroes or dudes if their positive modifiers
are in their classes preferred stat abilities. For example, by the strict
definition above, a dwarf with a 9 strength, 8 stamina, 17
personality, 18 intelligence and 11s everywhere else would have a
modifier of +4, a total hero. But since a dwarf is essentially forced
into playing a sword and board tank, they are still functionally a
zero. Those bonuses will not help a dwarf in combat – you won’t be
able to swing an axe and bellow war cries in a charmingly
anachronistic Scottish brogue if you can’t lift that axe above your
head without passing out from over-exertion.

OK, SO WHAT CAN

WE DO ABOUT THAT?

A totally viable option is to do nothing at all. Meta-humans are

supposed to be rare in DCC which means adventuring meta-humans
are even more rare. That’s just how it is, so deal with it, Chester!
Count a net positive meta-human with points in the wrong stats as a
zero and drive on.

The problem with that is, by and large, POPs love playing meta-
humans. They are “cooler” than humans and have fun racial bonuses
to mess around with. And for me personally, I love judging games
with meta-humans in them. I am an old-school fantasy nerd to the
core: having halflings and elves prancing about just makes me
irrationally happy. In my campaigns, meta-humans are a little more
common which makes me AND my players happy.

Here is where I deviate from 3d6 down the line in order to make that
happen. I’ve done the following for two groups and Crom hasn’t
smote me with a lightning bolt yet, so I’m going to assume he
approves.

With meta-humans, I allow the players to swap their two best rolls
into the preferred stats for the race/class in the following orders:
strength then stamina for dwarves, intelligence then luck for elves,
6-3
luck then either agility or strength for halflings. I then treat them
going forward as I would any other zero, hero or dude.

At my table, this little stat chicanery is thematically sound. Meta-

humans are magical creatures, their skills and foibles predetermined
by whatever capricious god or ancient, omnipotently powerful
wizard created them. It is we lowly humans who have the gift, the
grand and terrible freedom of randomness. A dwarf must be a deep-
delving brawler with a nose for gold, an elf can only be a magical
thinker to whom iron is poison, a halfling is always a lucky
trickster. Humans, in contrast, have the boon, and bane, of choice.
That is why humans choose their classes after the funnel while
demi-humans do not.

GOING FORWARD YOU SAY?

Before the adventure starts, like many Judges who are running a
funnel, I roll up a bunch of back-up 0-Level PCs to introduce as
captured/lost fellow normies for if/when a player loses too many 0-
level characters. What I add to this process, is that I keep these
backups in two separate piles: dudes and zeros.

During character creation, I keep a list for each player’s PCs and
(unbeknownst to them of course – remember this is supposed to be
for the Judge only) whether those characters are a hero, a zero, or a
dude. I then cross out every PC that falls to the machinations of the
funnel. If we’re early in the adventure and a player is down to one
hero and one dude, I grab a random zero from the pile and that’s
who they pull out of the crudely constructed cage in the den of the
lizard people. That player will need someone expendable to touch
the eerily glowing skull in the next room. If they have only zeros
character types remaining, then instead the POP will end up cutting
a dude from the quivering, vaguely humanoid-shaped wad of giant
spider webbing to add to their group.

Here’s how I stay in Crom’s good graces: It’s always a random pull
and I NEVER give a player a replacement hero for a PC – dudes and
zeros only. If I roll up a total Chad for a backup I throw it away.
Only a player who was slinging dice hotter than a riverboat gambler
during character creation gets to have a hero for a 0-level PC. I’m
not handing heroes out like full-size candy bars on Halloween. DCC
6-4
isn’t that easy. The goal is not to completely stack the deck in the
player’s favor, the goal is to try our best to drag them to the end
with at least one PC they can have fun with.

WHAT’S THE MORAL OF THIS STORY?

Dungeon Crawl Classics is supposed to be fun, and there are players

who will not have any fun if their PC is an absolute cupcake. But it
is also a brutal, crazy and sometimes random game where regular
Joes and Janes rise up from their humble beginnings to take on the
challenges of an often-cruel fantasy world. All players, including
POPs, should appreciate that. This is a game where, even if they
make it to level 5, a warrior will probably have a hook for a hand, a
thief will be speaking in a whisper from a badly healed, near
decapitation, and a wizard will be walking around on man-sized
duck legs with a half-melted face. The first adventure sets the tone
for the campaign going forward. The methods described above have
allowed me to keep power-oriented players happy while still
preserving the random, no quarter asked or given feel of DCC, and
perhaps its greatest innovation and defining feature – the funnel.

6-5
 THE TAINTED SCROLL OF
ARANHA
By Daniel J. Bishop
Illustrations by Alexander Moore

“What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”

- Charles Addams

This is not exactly a traditional encounter, but rather a magic item

which carries within it the seeds of something diabolical. It begins
when the characters discover an ancient and fragmented wizard
scroll marked with the eight-legged rune of the Aranha, a cult
predating the sinking of Atlantis. Sooner or later, using the scroll
will lead to a deadly encounter.
6-6
This scroll contains the following spells:

Magic Missile: The spell manifests as a stream of tiny arachnids,

which swarm over targets as they take damage from thousands of
tiny bites (and their associated venom, where applicable). Caster
always gets the 18-19 result and does not need to make a spell
check. (Level 1 spell)

Monster Summoning: This spell can only summon arachnid

monsters. This can be discovered prior to casting by examining the
scroll and succeeding on a DC 12 Intelligence check. Any attempt
to summon non-arachnid monsters instead summons 1d5 giant
spiders which are not under the caster’s control, and which
immediately attack them (see below for statistics) with no spell
check required. The caster must otherwise make a normal spell
check. (Level 2 spell)

6-7
Giant spider: Init +5; Atk bite +2 melee (1d3 plus venom) or spider
web; Crit M/d8; AC 13; HD 3d8; MV 40’, climb 40’; Act 1d20; SP
venom (DC 16 Fortitude save, 1 Strength on success or 1d4
permanent Strength on failure), spider web (as spell result 14-15, p.
196); SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +0; AL C.

Paralysis: The manifestation for this spell is always venom from the
point of contact, which appears like a spider bite and makes affected
targets take on a livid green pallor. Caster always gets the 18-19
result and does not need to make a spell check. (Level 3 spell)

Scare: Manifestation is that the caster’s visage changes into that of a

humanoid arachnid, which is visible to all creatures (not just those
affected by the spell). The caster rolls their spell check result using
1d24+3 rather than their normal die and modifier. (Level 2 spell)

Spider Climb: Spell works as normal. The caster makes a normal

spell check with an additional +2 bonus. (Level 1 spell)

Spider Web: Spell works as normal, but with the Health Bane (04)
Mercurial Magic effect. The caster must make a normal spell check.
(Level 2 spell)

Each spell can be used any number of times, but the scroll is
fragmentary, so that an Intelligence check (DC 10 + spell level) is
required each time the scroll is used. The scroll still works as
normal on a failure, but there is an additional effect, as determined
by rolling on the chart below. The first time a caster rolls, they roll
1d3. Thereafter, they roll with a +1d on the dice chain for each
instance (e.g., 1d4, 1d5, 1d6, 1d7, etc).
6-8
1d14 Result
1 The caster has a horrible sensation, as of something
watching them from the shadows, which lasts but an instant
before it is gone.
2 At some point during the next 1d4 hours, chosen by the
judge for maximum effect, the caster gains a glimpse of an
ochre-colored face – like a cross between a man and a spider
– leering at them from the shadows with malevolent
intensity.
3 The caster has terrifying dreams each night that they are
shrunken and being pursued by, or caught in the webs of,
ordinary spiders. The caster only gains the benefits of rest
(healing and spell recovery) if they succeed in a DC 10
Willpower save. This condition lasts for 1d14 days (and
nights).
4 For the next 1d7 days, it seems as though every normal
spider the caster encounters are watching them. If the caster
understands the language of spiders, they can also hear the
spiders’ whispery voices discussing their imminent death.
5 The caster wakes up each morning covered in spider bites
and must make a DC 10 Fortitude save to avoid taking 1
point of Stamina damage. This condition lasts for 1d30 days.
6 For the next 1d3 hours, every step the caster takes seems to
lead them into cobwebs, even if they are following others.
Their Movement Speed is reduced by 5’, and they are
distracted, making them easier to surprise (as per judge).
Others may, or may not, see these cobwebs.
7 The caster hears scuttling in the shadows and has a sense of
motion just at the edge of sight, lasting 1d6 hours per spell
level. This distraction causes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, skill
checks, and spell checks so long as it lasts.
8 Over the next 1d3 days, any arachnid foe (e.g., spiders,
scorpions, etc.) attacks the caster in preference to all other
targets if they can.
9 The caster is bitten by a poisonous spider as the spell is cast
(1d4 damage plus DC 12 Fortitude save or suffer 1d3 points
of Strength damage).
10 A constant sense of something malevolent lurking in the
shadows just beyond sight unnerves the caster, so that they
have a permanent -1 penalty to all rolls so long as the
Tainted Scroll is within 10 miles of them. Even if it is
6-9
 removed, these penalties return if the caster comes within
this range of the scroll again – except that each time this
happens, the penalty doubles (-2, -4, -8, etc.). This is treated
as a major curse which does not allow a save.
11 A brief glimpse of the blasphemous secrets of the
antediluvian Cult of Aranha forces the caster to make a DC
12 Willpower save or permanently lose 1 point of
Personality. Attempting to recall what was glimpsed is never
successful, but immediately results in a DC 15 Willpower
save to avoid losing 1d3 Personality (which heals normally).
12 1d5-1 (minimum 0) devil scorpions appear and attempt to
slay the caster (see below for statistics). They then attempt
to slay all they can reach until they themselves perish.
13 1d3-1 (minimum 0) black pit spiders appear and attempt to
slay all the caster’s allies within 100’ before returning to
hell. The black pit spiders do not attack the caster, no matter
what the caster does to provoke them. See below for
statistics.
14+ A single man-spider demon appears and attempts to pull the
caster bodily to hell. See below for statistics.

Devil scorpion (type I demon of Aranha): Init +0; Atk pincer +3

melee (1d8+4) or sting +3 melee (1d6+4 plus venom); Crit DN/d3;
AC 10; HD 1d12; MV 30’, climb 10’; Act 2d20; SP demon traits,
elastic limbs, venom (1d4 Stamina, DC 16 Fortitude save negates),
death throes; SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0; AL C.

Demon traits (type I): Communication by speech (Infernal,

Common), half damage from non-magical weapons and fire, cannot
travel planes of own volition, infravision 120’, cast darkness (+4).

These least impressive of Aranha’s demons appear as six-foot-long

blood-red scorpions covered with scorpions of normal size (which
are, in fact, their young). Their limbs are elastic, allowing both
pincers and sting to reach targets up to 10’ away.

When a devil scorpion is killed, their young form a scorpion swarm

which lasts for 1d3 rounds before it – and its parent – disappear like
smoke.

6 - 10
Scorpion swarm: Init +2; Atk swarming sting +1 melee (1 plus
venom); AC 11; HD 4d8; MV 20’ or climb 10'; Act special; SP bite
all targets within 20’ x 20’ space, half damage from non-area
attacks, venom (DC 12 Fortitude save or 1 Stamina damage); SV
Fort +1, Ref +10, Will +0; AL C.

Black pit spider (type II demon of Aranha): Init +2; Atk bite +11
melee (1d6+2 plus venom); Crit DN/d6; AC 18; HD 6d12; MV 30’,
climb 20’, teleport; Act 1d20; SP demon traits, venom (1d6
Strength, DC 18 Fortitude save for half, rounded down), death
throes; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5; AL C.

Demon traits (type II): Communication by speech (Infernal,

Common) and ESP (read minds but not converse), immune to non-
magical weapons or natural attacks from creatures of 3 HD; half-
damage from fire, acid, cold, electricity, and gas, can teleport to
native plane as long as not bound or summoned, infravision 120’,
cast darkness (+8), crit threat range (19-20).

These spider demons are the size of a horse and so black that they
seem to drink the light. When a black pit spider is reduced to 0 hp, it
simply ceases to exist. The Lands We Know cannot long tolerate
their presence, and the being that administers the fatal blow gains
+1 point of Luck.
6 - 11
Man-Spider Demon (type III demon of Aranha): Init +4; Atk
claw +9 melee (1d6+4 plus grab) or bite +9 melee (1d6+4 plus
venom); Crit DN/d10; AC 18; HD 9d12; MV 40’, climb 20,
teleport; Act 2d20; SP demon traits, grab (opposed Strength check
vs. +6 or the demon maintains hold), venom (DC 20 Fortitude save
or be paralyzed 2d24 rounds); SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +9; AL C.

Demon traits (type III): Communication by speech and telepathy,

immune to weapons of less than +2 enchantment or natural attacks
from creatures of 5 HD; half-damage from fire, acid, cold,
electricity, and gas, can teleport to native plane as long as not bound
or summoned, infravision 120’, cast darkness (+12), crit threat
range (18-20).

Appearing like an ochre-colored cross between man and spider, this

8’ tall demon is hairless save for dark spider-like bristles. If it grabs
a target with at least two claws, or has hold of a paralyzed target, it
can bring another creature with it when teleporting.

Illustration by Alexander Moore

6 - 12
 THREE FOR THE
PRICE OF ONE
By Daniel J. Bishop
Illustrations by Alexander Moore

“How fondly swindlers coddle their dupes! No mother is as

caressing or thoughtful towards her adored child as a merchant
in hypocrisy toward his milch-cow.”
- Honore De Balzac

Delayed gratification is often the most gratifying, and this foray into
the art of the con artist will give you three encounters with the
Brothers Duff. Whether the PCs fall for any of these cons is (of
course) up to them. The judge should not push them one way or
another, except through NPCs. There is no flavor text because each
encounter should appear to be “off the cuff” rather than pre-scripted.

Con artists prey on the twin human weaknesses of greed or fear, and
sometimes both at once. The swindles presented herein are short
cons; longer cons often play on human vanity (greed) and insecurity
(fear) and are a lot more personal. The goal here is to allow the
players the opportunity to feel the sting of having fallen for one or
more cons, with the eventual pleasure of being able to pay back the
con artists. If there is an added bonus it is this – should they ever
run into any of these cons in real life, with luck, they will recognize
the set-up and avoid it!

THE BROTHERS DUFF

The Brothers Duff are two brothers and a sister who work together
to con marks. Having determined long ago that no one can actually
earn their way to enormous wealth, they set out to exploit the labor
and risks of others, fleecing them of their hard-earned coin
whenever it was both possible and safe to do so. Their primary
assets are a strong (almost intuitive) understanding of human nature,
glib tongues, loyalty to each other, cunning minds, and a sociopathic
willingness to make others their dupes.

6 - 13
Illustration by Alexander Moore

6 - 14
They are as follows:

Yakov Duff (Gambler and Swindler): Init +0; Atk dagger +0

melee (1d4 or 1d10 backstab); Crit II/d10; AC 10; HD 1d6+2; hp 6;
MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP 1st level thief skills, 1d3 Luck die; SV Fort
+1, Ref +1, Will +1; AL N; Str 10, Agi 12, Sta 9, Per 14 (+1), Int 13
(+1), Luck 12.

Thief Skills: Backstab +0, sneak silently +3, hide in shadows +1,
pick pocket +3, climb sheer surfaces +3, pick lock +1, find trap +2,
disable trap +1, forge document +3, disguise self +1, read languages
+1, handle poison +0, cast spell from scroll 1d12+1.

The eldest of the Brothers Duff, Yakov wears his hair wild and has
no beard (unless disguised). Intense, and somewhat given to
theatrics, Yakov is the only sibling willing to engage in violence.
Nominally the leader of the group, Yakov nonetheless listens to the
input of his sister, Dasha. He is very protective of his siblings.
Along with Dasha, he cheats Tomas of part of his spoils “for his
own good”, as Tomas spends his earnings nearly as fast as he makes
them. He is aware that Dasha is saving a part of her take, and he
approves. He deeply believes that he would never steal her nest egg
but is also deceiving himself.

Nicknames and Aliases: Yak, James Goodfellow, Ernesto Von

Carp.

Tomas Duff (Alchemist and Swindler): Init +0; Atk staff +0 melee
(1d4); Crit I/d4; AC 10; HD 1d4; hp 4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort
+0, Ref +0, Will +1; AL N; Str 9, Agi 10, Sta 12, Prs 15 (+1), Int
10, Luck 12.

The most innocent of the siblings, Tomas wears a bit of short beard
which he thinks makes him look dashing. He was apprenticed as an
alchemist, and still uses those skills to help his family, but was only
moderately successful. While he admires Dasha, he doesn’t realize
how much influence she has over Yakov. For the most part, he goes
along with their schemes, and does his part well, but is spendthrift
with his earnings. His siblings know this, and intentionally reduce
his take to about 20% (as opposed to a full third).
Nicknames and Aliases: Tom, Toma, Doctor Akto, Slim.
6 - 15
Dasha Duff (Cutpurse and Swindler): Init +1; Atk dagger +1
melee (1d4+1); Crit I/d4-1; AC 11; HD 1d4+2; hp 4; MV 30’; Act
1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +2; AL N; Str 15 (+1), Agi 13 (+1),
Sta 16 (+2), Prs 17 (+2), Int 13 (+1), Luck 6 (-1).

Intelligent and capable, Dasha Duff directly involves herself with

planning the sibling’s swindles, but is careful to avoid being an
obvious part of them. During most cons, she acts as a spy,
remaining in the room to avoid being linked to the Brothers Duff,
and listening to the fallout. She is not quite as clever as she thinks,
and some have noted that the new serving girl who appeared before
their card con has also gone away shortly afterwards – but, still,
suspicion and knowledge are two different things. Dasha is also
Yakov’s wild card should he and Tomas get captured – she can
work to release them from outside. To this end, if a brawl breaks
out, Dasha does not become involved unless one of her brothers is
about to be killed. Even then, she feigns ignorance or error if
possible.

Unlike her brothers, Dasha views scamming others as a temporary

means to an end. One day, she hopes to make them all respectable,
and has been hoarding part of her earnings to this end. If it is the
only way to save her brothers, she will bargain with this treasure: 85
gp, 617 sp, and an emerald worth 75 gp. She carries the emerald on
her; the remainder is hidden wherever she is staying. Yakov is
aware of this hoard, and Dasha suspects as much, and believes
(wrongly) that he is doing the same.

Nicknames and Aliases: Dash, Dot, Dorothea, Dodo.

SCAM THE FIRST:

A RING OF GREAT VALUE

This con is run in an area large enough to have multiple inns and/or
taverns, and where it is impossible for everyone to know everyone
else – a large town or greater settlement. The intended target is an
innkeeper or tavern owner. The PCs may become victims through
their own greed.

6 - 16
Setup: The Brothers Duff are staying at a different inn. Tomas,
wearing worn clothing indicating a fall from better fortunes,
establishes himself as a regular at the tavern or inn being marked.
He pays a fair amount of attention to a gold signet ring he wears,
ensuring that the serving folk and innkeeper have seen it.
Separately, Dasha also visits the same eatery from time to time, so
that she does not stand out on the day of the con.

On the day that the PCs are present, Yakov and Dasha are both in
the taproom, having arrived separately at different times. Tomas sets
up the con, Yakov plants the bait, and Dasha acts as an observer,
letting her brothers know if something goes seriously wrong.

The Sting: Tomas has a bit more expensive meal than usual. At the
end, he cannot pay – a cutpurse has relieved him of his coin! As the
innkeep glowers, Tomas points out that he has eaten here the last
two weeks and has always paid his fare. He will go to his rooms (at
another inn) now and return with coin. Reluctantly, he offers his
ring – which had been his father’s and his grandfather’s – as
collateral. As the ring is worth far more than the meal, the innkeeper
agrees, and Tomas leaves.

With Tomas out of the picture, the well-dressed Yakov (as James
Goodfellow) finishes his meal, rises to pay, and asks to see the ring.
Declaring himself a jeweler and a dealer in rare artifacts, Yakov
examines the ring minutely before declaring it to be the signet ring
of the lost Feodor dynasty – an item of incalculable value. Although
he must leave for another meeting, he begs the innkeeper to send
Tomas to his shop on the Street of Silver Eels, near the fountain of
Saint Bath (or some other place appropriate to this town), tipping
him a gold coin to do so. “I will gladly pay the man 500 gp for this
ring, so his fortune is assured! Tell him to keep it safe!”
6 - 17
Yakov leaves, and some time after Tomas returns to pay his fare.
Should the innkeeper prove to be an honest man, the swindlers are
out the cost of their meal and 1 gp. However, it is clear that there is
an opportunity to make a large amount of money here. The
innkeeper waives the cost of the meal, proclaiming it free because of
the man’s honesty, and offers to buy the ring for 75 gp. The PCs
may offer more if they so choose; the innkeeper cannot go higher
than 100 gp. Tomas acts reluctant to sell, and will try to get at least
200 gp.

Either way, Tomas then leaves. Dasha remains in the tavern for the
next hour (or longer) to hear the talk.

Note: If the PCs attempt the honorable thing, Tomas offers to sell
them the ring instead, as he must head south early in the morning.
Word has reached him of an ailing uncle.

Aftermath: Yakov, of course, has no shop in this town. It is fiction,

but he will choose an actual jeweler’s location if it is both possible
and reasonably distant from the target inn. The innkeeper (or the
PCs) has purchased a ring worth 50 gp for at least twice that value.

If the innkeeper was swindled, and the PCs intervened at all, the
innkeep blames the PCs. Indeed, they may even believe that the PCs
were in on the con and attempt to recoup their losses from the PCs.

In any event, the Brothers Duff are on the road that very night,
heading east.

SCAM THE SECOND:

UNLUCKY IN LOVE

After two or three adventures, the PCs have probably imagined that
they have seen the last of the swindlers. Not so!

This con is being run in a roadside tavern or a rural inn. The fewer
regulars, and the more foot traffic, the better for the con. Running
the actual swindle for more than a week requires making the
taverner into an accomplice and cutting them in on the proceeds.
The actual con had been running for only a few days when the PCs
arrive.
6 - 18
Setup: Just over a week ago, Dasha (using the alias of Dodo)
arrived at the sting location and obtained a job as a server. She spent
the rest of the time establishing that she flirted with young and
handsome customers, regardless of what they were doing. She has
also feigned ignorance about card games and let what few regulars
there are instruct her. These precautions help to bring local
defenders if she is caught.

The Sting: Yakov and Tomas arrive separately to the roadside inn.
Yakov (taking a corner seat) suggests cards to Tomas, and loses
badly. Dasha serves and flirts with Tomas. Others are invited to join
in the game, with Tomas played as the hustler. At first, the other
players seem to get at upper hand, but soon Yakov’s fortunes
reverse, and the Brothers Duff begin cleaning out the other players.

Dasha, of course, has the opportunity to see everyone’s hand by

Yakov’s. In her flirtations with Tomas (and other customers), she
speaks in a coded language that lets Yakov and Tomas know
roughly how strong everyone’s hand is.

It is at this point that the PCs enter the tavern. Dasha recognizes
them immediately, as does Yakov, but Tomas’ back is to the PCs.
The PCs may recognize Yakov with a DC 12 Intelligence check,
which elves gain automatically. If they interact with the group at all,
they will recognize Tomas as soon as they see his face. The judge
may rule it less likely that the group recognizes the brothers if they
did not get involved with the first swindle. Certainly, they will not
recognize Dasha.

Aftermath: This depends very much on what the PCs do. Yakov
immediately moves to end the card game; Tomas takes longer to
catch on that the PCs are there. Dasha simply stops playing the con
and starts working on serving the PCs – both to distract them from
her siblings and to alert Tomas to the PCs’ presence.

The Brothers Duff do their best to take any confrontation out of the
public eye, attempting to split the party if possible while Dasha/
Dodo asks some PCs what is going on… knowing what potential
marks/ authorities know about you is almost always worthwhile.
Dodo can volunteer that the good-looking one (Tomas) was talking
about a map.
6 - 19
And that is their cover. Tomas will mention the map (especially if
asked), and Yakov growls at him to shut up. It is only with great
reluctance that Yakov admits they are trying to raise money for an
expedition to recover a lost treasure… a fortune in gems. If pressed
to offer proof, Yakov says he saw Tomas give an emerald to that
barmaid. Tomas really doesn’t know what Yakov is talking about,
but Dasha is carrying her emerald. Even if forced to produce it,
Dasha insists that it was given to her, so it is hers. Should she have
to be robbed because someone else robbed you?

Yakov will try to sell the map to the PCs, declaring that they should
at least get something for their troubles, and begrudgingly accept
anything the PCs are willing to pay. The map shows a cave marked
about three day’s travel to the northeast. The brothers are unwilling
to go along, but, if pressured into do so, Dasha attempts to ingratiate
herself with the party and go as well. At this point, she shows
nothing but contempt for “the swine” (her brothers).

There is no cave at the marked location. Yakov, who created the

false map, knows this and makes a great noise about having been
robbed himself if he is forced along. If they must fight their way
free, they hope that having Dasha on their side will help. In fact, if
she gets the chance, she will see her brothers on their way while
remaining with the party, pretending that she is just as perplexed by
the conmen’s escape as the PCs are.

At the next convenient spot, she leaves the group and returns to the
roadside tavern, where she will rendezvous with her brothers.

If the judge desires, the false map may lead (or almost lead) to an
adventure location of their choosing. If this is the case, it is entirely
coincidental, and Dasha/Dodo shows no desire whatsoever to enter
a dangerous hole or ruin.

In addition to Dasha’s private funds, the Brothers Duff have 2d12

gp, 6d30 sp, and 4d100 cp to their name. Hard times, you will
understand.

6 - 20
 SCAM THE THIRD:
MIRACLES IN A BOTTLE

Three or four adventures later, in almost any urban setting from the
smallest village to the largest urban center, the PCs again encounter
the Brothers Duff.

Setup: Tomas has acquired a small cart. Under his persona as

Doctor Akto, he sells small vials of tonics and medicines. He has
created these using his alchemical knowledge, and, while they have
short-term benefits, they are not helpful at all.

The Sting: Simply selling vials of Doctor Akto’s Miracle Cure-All

for 5 sp each. The cart moves on every day, because after three days
the fact that the medicine is a scam is clear to all but the most
obtuse. Tomas wears robes and a long false beard to disguise
himself (DC 16 Intelligence check to see through this). He claims
that his medicine is infused with the essence of stars and heals folk
according to the purity of their souls.

Dasha and Yakov take turns being “healed” of crippling injuries to

showcase the virtues of the Miracle Cure-All. Tomas never gives
them anything but pure water, mixed with a little wine for color.
6 - 21
The actual Cure-All instantly restores 1d4 hp, 1d8 points of ability
score damage (affecting both temporary and permanent damage),
and halts the action of all diseases and poisons. 1d3 days later,
however, all “healed” ability damage returns to the victim, and all
diseases and poisons continue their course. In addition, the victim
becomes violently ill, taking 1d3 damage each to Strength, Agility,
and Stamina (this heals normally).

Aftermath: Tomas has 3d30 flasks of Cure-All available, and even

with the downside these might be of real value to adventurers. In
addition to Dasha’s treasure, the Brothers Duff have 5d12 gp, 8d30
sp, and 6d100 cp.

The siblings try to talk their way out of any justice the PCs might
wish to meet out. In this case, they begin by suggesting that the
Cure-All really does work. If this is insufficient, they suggest that
the PCs join them as they travel west, demonstrating the value of the
Cure-All and taking a cut of the proceeds. Yakov is aggressive
about limiting the PCs’ cut, but not so aggressive about it as to
provoke violence.

Given the opportunity, the siblings escape to the south while the
PCs suffer the negative effects of the Cure-All. Kind judges may
have the Brothers Duff show up yet again, to give the players yet
another chance at come-uppance. Less kind judges may allow the
Brothers Duff to disappear from the PCs’ vicinity entirely, unless
the PCs make special efforts to track them down. Perhaps they
might even encounter a vial or two of Miracle Cure-All in some
monster’s lair…

6 - 22
 THE TAURUNE
By Aaron Wolk
Illustrations by John Bilodeau

The Taurune are a bovinesque race of bipedal humanoids known for

proudly wearing the proof of their struggles and triumphs burned
into their living skin and bone.

This class is intended for players brave enough to walk the knife's
edge between order and chaos as they play a member of this noble
race in any DCC compatible campaign.

WEAVING TALES,
ORAL RECORD OF THE TAURUNE

“There is one story shared among the taleweavers. The first story we
learn. A story of us before we were.

We lived as children. Innocent. Free to roam the plains and

woodlands. Our people knew only the freedom of the endless
forever. Had we known there was any other way we would not have
chosen it. Yet in all great tales a choice is made. In this, our first
tale, the choice was made by others. We were herded like beasts into
a branching maze of pain and hope. Escaping this labyrinth meant
learning the ways of choice. We came to embrace the moment. The
torment and revelation at each branch became our existence. Those
moments became our power. Obsession bloomed with each path
taken. We had no word for religion until that first maze. The paths
we chose became our fate. Our flesh was marked by each choice.
We who survived the maze, became the maze. Mind, soul and body.
Our religion.

When we tell the tale we trace the scars and brands we blazed
through our flesh. We follow the paths our souls have wound
through our lives. Our innocence is lost, burned away in the endless
labyrinth of the only freedom we need. The freedom to choose our
fate.”
- Dinbray Taleweaver

6 - 23
6 - 24
Hit points: A taurune gains 1d12 hit points at each level.

Weapon training: Taurune pride themselves on mastering a wide

variety of weapons as well as their natural weapons. A taurune is
trained in the use of these melee weapons: battleaxe, club, dagger,
handaxe, longsword, mace, polearm, short sword, spear, two-handed
sword, and warhammer, and these ranged weapons: crossbow,
javelin, shortbow, and sling.

Leathery Hide: Taurune have thick, leathery skin equivalent to

leather armor. This only applies when the taurune is wearing no
other armor. Taurune can wear any armor and shields they can
acquire but their imposing size and skeletal structure necessitate
expensive customization. Armor fitted to a taurune costs twice as
much as conventional armor.

Alignment: Taurune can be any alignment, but distinctive visual

and behavioral differences mark those who lose their way and
embody chaos.

Traditional taurune culture embraces lawful alignment as the highest

and most beneficial path to serve their society. Taurune also
acknowledge the balance attained by the path of neutrality is
necessary to overcome the strict limitations of order and promote
creativity and growth.

Taurune show no tolerance, however, towards those members of

their race unwilling to control themselves during battle and unable
to walk back along the path to a balanced spirit. These chaotic
brutes are exiled from the companionship of the herd and must
make their way beyond the range as a mercenary or savage reaver.

Labyrinthine Cunning: The taurune obsession with mazes and

puzzles and endless meditations on the convolutions of their inner
spirit hones their perception and tempers their resolve. They receive
a bonus equal to their class level on all checks relating to mazes and
dungeons, and to detect depth, slanting passages, shifting walls, and
other features of natural and mortal construction.

Additionally, taurune rigorous mental discipline grants this bonus to

Willpower saves against fear.
6 - 25
Mighty Deed of Arms: Similar to the Warrior from the DCC RPG
core rulebook, taurune have a variable bonus to attack and damage
equal to their Deed Die and can perform Mighty Deeds. See the
DCC RPG core rulebook for more information.

Horned Fury: When a taurune makes a charge attack their speed

increases from 30’ to 40’ and if, after an attack, they still have
movement left they can continue moving to their maximum
movement, effectively withdrawing without allowing an enemy
time to attack. When a taurune charges, all Mighty Deed rolls are at
+1d and if not using another weapon the taurune’s horns inflict 1d8
damage and the target must make an opposed Strength check or be
hurled back 20’.

Bellows: As an action, a taurune can unleash a terrifying roar

affecting all enemies who can hear the roar. Affected enemies must
make a Willpower save (DC 10 + PC level) or suffer a -1d penalty
to attacks, skills, and saves for 1 round per PC level. This is a sonic,
mind-affecting, fear attack. Multiple bellow attacks do not stack but
do extend the highest duration by 1 round per failed save.

Infravision: Taurune have acclimated to life underground and can

see in the dark up to 30’.

Soulburn: Whenever a taurune successfully performs a Mighty

Deed, they are tempted with the choice to relax their rigorous
mental training and walk the path of savagery.

When a taurune chooses to soulburn they must temporarily expend

points of their Intelligence, Personality, and/or Luck score equal to
the result on the deed die. While a Mighty Deed only affects a
single attack roll, the effects of soulburn are more significant. For 1
round per level of the taurune they receive a bonus to all attack and
damage rolls equal to total ability points they soulburned.

A taurune whose psychic reserve is nearly exhausted and upon

rolling their deed die lacks sufficient ability points to burn equal to
the result can make the irrevocable choice to expend whatever they
have left and still receive the bonus as if they’d burned the required
amount. This choice comes with a terrible cost as their mental
techniques are permanently corrupted and they are left with a mind
6 - 26
and soul seething with chaos. (See below, Fell End). Taurune whose
mental reserves are utterly depleted are incapable of further
soulburn.

Normally, a character reduced to 0 Personality or Intelligence is a

confused, babbling wreck and someone reduced to 0 Luck suffers an
endless parade of bizarre mishaps that render any action an
invitation for hilarious doom. So potent is the taurune mental
conditioning, however, that they can safely channel their animalistic
nature and retain more of their faculties even while deep in the rush
of a soulburn. While hindered by severely reduced mental ability (a
score between 0-3 in any mental ability) a taurune is still functional,
albeit at the level of a snarling beast, incapable of language and
comprehension of any skill or motivation beyond that of an animal.
They still retain their memories and motivation, as well as the
ability to recognize friend or foe, but complex thought and reason
elude them.

Note: The ability to soulburn does not restrict a taurune from

expending Luck in traditional ways according to the DCC rules.
However, Luck consumed in that manner cannot be restored by the
taurune mental technique known as “building the path”.

BUILDING THE PATH

So long as a taurune hasn’t completely exhausted their psychic

reserves (Intelligence, Personality, and Luck all reduced to 0), their
training allows them to regain their psychic balance through a
personalized ritual meditation. A resting taurune enters a trance state
that heals their soul, slowly restoring soulburned ability points while
leaving behind complex tribal patterns marking the body of the
taurune with a permanent record of the psychic path the mind
burned through the soul to return to balance. These marks can take
many forms. Some taurune are marked with scars, brands, colorful
tattoos, even scrimshaw etched horns. The patterns are always
unique and distinctive to each taurune. The only constant is that the
markings are always interconnected in a maze-like structure around
the body. Taleweavers can read the paths marking each individual
like runes branded into the flesh.

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Taurune that are able to rest and meditate, regenerate expended
ability points at a rate of 1 point per PC level of each ability burned
for every night they spend building the path. These techniques
cannot take an ability score past its natural maximum.

Example: During a difficult series of battles a level 3 taurune

warrior was forced to soulburn his Intelligence and Personality 5
points each and his Luck for an additional 2 for a total of 12 points.
After an evening of rest and meditation he can restore 3 points to
each ability score, completely restoring his luck (the leftover point
is lost), and leaving his Intelligence and Personality slightly
impaired until he has time for another night of meditation.
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Fell End: Taurune who strain their souls beyond what their minds
can rebuild experience permanent psychic damage. Their mind and
body reflect their lost souls' struggles as their alignment changes
from Lawful or Neutral to Chaotic.

The chaos infusing their souls manifests physically to reflect the

spiritual damage they’ve internalized. Their complex runic brands,
scars and tattoos fade. The once clean, sharp symbols blur to faded
smears, reflecting the lost soul scrabbling just beneath the surface of
their thoughts.

Any taurune who experience this trauma are unable to rest in a

meditative trance. Their slumbering minds are tormented by
nightmare visions of endless broken paths and unknowable
corridors. Beings who once intuitively understood any maze or
branch in fate become plagued by doubt and uncertainty.

Despite being unable to enter a ritual trance, chaotic taurune retain

their capacity to soulburn and can slowly recover sacrificed ability
points through their tormented dreams and nightmare visions. A
chaotic taurune recovers at the same rate as a lawful or neutral
taurunehalf½ their level. The physical manifestations of this process
are not the clearly branded paths of a logical labyrinth; instead, their
flesh and horns are twisted and discolored as if by torture or disease.
Unable to disguise their physical and behavioral transformation,
chaotic taurune are cast out from their herds and exiled to the
unknowable outside world beyond the range.

Languages: At 1st level, a taurune automatically knows Common,

the taurune racial language (Minotaur), and one of the following:
Dwarf or Giant.

A taurune knows one additional language for every point of

Intelligence modifier, as described in Appendix L of the DCC RPG
core rulebook.

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 TABLE 1-1: TAURUNE

Level Attack Crit Die/Table Action Die Ref Fort Will

(Deed Die)

1 +1d3 1d8/III 1d20 +1 +1 +1

2 +1d4 1d10/III 1d20 +1 +2 +1
3 +1d4 1d12/III 1d20 +2 +2 +2
4 +1d5 1d14/IV 1d20 +2 +3 +2

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5 +1d5 1d16/IV 1d20+1d14 +3 +3 +2
6 +1d6 1d20/IV 1d20+1d16 +3 +4 +3
7 +1d6 1d24/V 1d20+1d20 +4 +4 +3
8 +1d6+1 1d30/V 1d20+1d20 +4 +5 +3
9 +1d6+2 2d20/V 1d20+1d20 +5 +5 +4
10 +1d6+3 2d20/V 1d20+1d20+1d14 +5 +6 +4
Creator notes: Taurune are proud people of nobility and reason.
Sadly, their nature has led to a history of violence and mistrust by
outsiders. Much of this mistrust grows from the horror stories of
encounters with savage outcasts from the taurune ranges. Tormented
by their choices and banished by their people, these monstrous
survivors are feared by all who encounter them.

Judges should discuss with players how they wish to proceed if a

taurune character reaches a Fell End. While the intention was that
chaotic taurune become an NPC under the judge’s control this is not
mandatory and some players might relish the opportunity to play a
tragic outcast, suspected and feared by family and foe alike.

TABLE 1-2: TAURUNE OCCUPATIONS

Roll Occupation Trained Trade Goods

Weapons
1-20 Forager Polearm Gleaners sack
21-35 Mercenary Longsword Shield
36-40 Mystic Dagger Herbs and oils
41-50 Orphan Darts (x3) Waterproof cloak
51-60 Rancher Crossbow Rope, 100ft
61-70 Ranger Shortbow Animal hide
71-75 Slave Club Chain, 10ft
76-85 Miner Pickaxe (1d8) Pouch of precious ores
86-90 Taleweaver Staff Scrolls of lore
91-100 Whaler Javelin Spyglass

TABLE 1-3: TAURUNE TITLES

Level Lawful Neutral Chaotic

1 Guardian Wanderer Outcast
2 Campaigner Pathfinder Savage
3 Veteran Quester Marauder
4 Hero Venture Captain Edgelord
5 Champion Commander Warlord

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TAURUNE NOTES

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