Rusty - Tortoise Rust Monster.

I started with a tortoise and I ended up with a rust monster:

Greater Flamingo Staff

Speed drawing from this morning.

Following the trail of random encounters.

During a hex-crawl, make it easy for the group to track or follow the trail of random encounters. This turn random encounters into potential opportunities. (If you have tracking specialists, don't ask for tests to see if they are able to follow the trail. Instead make them roll to see if they gain a advantage over their target or give them extra info or some other edge).

Use this table if the group track, trail or pursuit who or what they have encountered.

The trail lead them to (roll a d20):

1. a secondary group of the pursued waiting in ambush (1-4 smaller size, 5 same size, 6 larger size). 
2. a secondary group of the pursued needing help (1-2 individual, 3-4 smaller size, 5 same size, 6 larger size). 
3. a secondary group of the pursued busy doing something (1-3 smaller size, 4-5 same size, 6 larger size).  
4. a former prey or victim of the pursued. (1 trapped or impaired, 2 wounded, 3 left for dead, 4-5 dead, 6 dead & looted or worse).  
5. potential allies against the pursued. (1 a individual, 2-4 a group, 5-6 a camp) 
6. a bigger predator that will attack both the pursued and the pursuers. 
7. a potential ally of the pursued or of the pursuers (can go both ways), (1 a individual, 2-4 a group, 5-6 a camp). 
8. allies of the pursued. (1 a individual, 2-4 a group, 5 a camp, 6 their lair or base camp) 
9. a trap that the pursued know about.  
10. a obstacle that the pursued can easily bypass (they may have some devices or constructions to help them), (or if no obstacle fit, the pursued group split in two directions). 
11. a cache left behind or that the pursued want to empty before the group reach them.
12. a small camp or hideout. There is a 2 chances on a d6 that some guards were left behind.
13. a important camp or watch post. There is a 4 chances on a d6 that some guards were left behind. 
14. a natural defensive position or landmark or abandoned refuge. (there is a 1 chance on a d6 that the place is not really abandoned). 
15. a forbidden place that the pursued wont enter. 
16. mystery/special. Something weird here, the pursued mysteriously died or vanished (or other weird things have happened to them).
17. the entry of a micro-dungeon. (a place potentially dangerous for both the pursued and the pursuer), (maybe the micro-dungeon link to the pursued lair).
18. a backdoor or a secret entry that lead to the pursued main lair or base camp (or to a established dungeon). 
19. the pursued lair, home or base camp. (But something is happening: 1 festivities, 2 visitors, 3 constructions or busy work, 4 internal strife, 5 a siege, 6 a calamity afflict the lair). 
20. the pursued lair, home or base camp. (A lot more of them are resting here).

When the result don't seem to be the final destination of the pursued, simply roll again on the table if the group continue to trail them. Add 3 to the result each time you roll.

If after reaching a destination that seem final, the group want to continue to look for the home of the pursued, reset the d20 modificator to zero. But the trail can be harder to follow from here.

Note that your can use the same table for when the group is fleeing from a encounter (just inverse pursued and pursuer).

Works in progress

My list of works in progress (and potential vaporwares).

• Our Iron Lady of Seven Pains. A giant iron maiden that contain martyrs, modrons and roses. (I completed multiples illustration, got my dungeon frame and most of my rooms descriptions)
• Flying Saucer of the Grey Elves. (Got the dungeon frame and most of my rooms descriptions)
• Demon Horse Tower. (Got many notes from G+ discussions, need to write the rooms descriptions). 
• Domovye Village. A wood structure that the domovye have build over a entire village. (One of my old dungeon for my LL Northern Marches campaign, need some rework and upgrading. I also want to redo the map). 
• Vermilion Forest. A mythic wilderness dungeon. (Got many encounters descriptions done, some parts of the dungeon frame, still need a lot of work)  
• Werewolf Mill. (Got the dungeon frame, need to write the rooms descriptions). 
• Moon's Demons. A dungeon set on a demon-moon. (Got some illustration and some part of the dungeon frame, need a lot of work)

Monks of the Holyphant Hanging Monastery

I started by working on a Iron Maiden themed dungeon (featurung modrons!) for the Doom Cave of the Crystal Headed Contest. But I made too much illustrations and I was not able to complete them in time. So instead of rushing my Iron Maiden dungeon I decided to switch to plan B. Then I decided to switch to plan C.

So now I have two unfinished dungeons to finish thanks to Metal vs Skin (a good thing!)

So here is plan C. (Also unfinished, I wanted to describe the monastery and it monks, but I am already late for the deadline).

Updated: Rumors! (d20)

1. The Holyphant is a heavenly creature walking on earth. It can speak through dreams and can grant clerical spells like a deity. 
2. The Holyphant is the last of it kind. It can’t die until it find the Holyphant graveyard that surround the gates of heavens.
3. But beware there is also a undead Unholyphant that track the Holyphant. The Unholyphant is full of undead monks. 
4. The Holyphant is just a dumb beast, it not holy, bandits massacred the monks and took over the monastery. They use it to raid villages.  
5. The monks breed and train giant wasps that nest in the fur of the Holyphant. They create a special honey that can give you a glimpse of the Heavens. Some of the monks fight with a staff that end with a hanging wasp nest. They are experts at throwing darts. They have special holy darts that send you into a blissful state. 
6. The monks died a long time ago, killed by the parasites that breed in the fur of the Holyphant.
7. A kengu demon took over the monastery and turned the monks into a band of were-ravens bandits. But some rebels monks resist the kengu influence and hide in the Holyphant fur. 
8. When the Holyphant will reach the Imperial City, the Emperor will repent from his sins and step down from his throne. 
9. No doors can resist a battering ram sculpted from the defenses of a Holyphant. Not even the gates of Heavens. Many generals dream of having such a relic. 
10. The exiled Empress is condemned to wander the world forever. The Holyphant is her prison, she live in the monastery and is faithfully guarded by the monks. Some say the Empress is a sorceress, some say she have become of holy woman. Over the years she have received many gift from many nobles who remained loyal to her.    
11. The monks trained monkey companions. When the last monk died, the monkeys took over and became monks. 
12. The monks can speak with animals and are incredible climbers and acrobats. They make magic ropes by weaving the wool of the Holyphant. Each monk wear a magic rope and is trained to fight with it. 
13. If a monk fall from the Holyphant, he or she can’t climb back and is exiled forever. (And become a adventurer)
14. The wandering monks protect a powerful and cursed relic that most never rest in the same place. If the relic ever stop travelling, it would unleash it curse on the land. The relic is massive and can’t be transported by a single man. Some say that the monks succumbed to the power of the evil relic and killed each others a long time ago. They also say that the monastery is haunted and that the ghosts of the monks still protect the unholy relic. 
15. If the Holyphant is slain, demons and monsters will spawn from it blood and ravage the land. It will be the first sign of the end of times. The monks protect the Holyphant so that this will never happen. 
16. If the Holyphant die by violence a vengeful god will emerge from it corpse but if the Holyphant die of old age, a savior will emerge. 
17. The heavenly milk of the Holyphant give supernatural power to the monks. But they must never stop drinking it. 
18. The only inhabitant of the monastery is a gender-switching elephant-headed hermit. He and sometime She is a prophet but also a formidable martial artist. He or She sometime accept students to train them in the elephant-style martial arts and to teach them the secrets of prophecy and gender switching. 
19. The white wool of the Holyphant can be used by alchemists to turn metal into platinum or to summon angels and other heavenly creatures. A powerful sorcerer took over the monastery to work on his alchemical experiences. 
20. The wandering monastery is in fact a prison. The monks guard the worst criminals of the realm. Some of them are not even humans. Some prisoners hear the dreams of the holyphant, repent their sins and become monks. Many monks are former criminals. 

Githyanki Blade Sorceress

The less a Blade Sorceress is free to move, the more powerful is her telekinetic powers. 

This is why they wear clothing and ornaments that reduce their mobility. 

Githyanki Blade Sorceress

• Requirements: INT 12, DEX 10
• Prime Requisite: INT
• Hit Dice: 1d4
• To hit: as mage.
• Saves: as mage.
• Level and XP: as mage.

Special abilities

You get one telekinetic focus by level. (it nice to use small tokens to represent them)

You get 1 extra focus by point of restrictive clothing. Each point of restrictive clothing give you 1 level of extra encumberance and reduce your DEX modifier by 1. If you get to the overencumbered level you can still move 2 yard by round (but only if this is due to restrictive clothing). If you are totally restrained (like being tied up), this count as a extra level beyond overencumbered.

You can have up to 1 point of restrictive clothing that you can tie or untie at the start or at the end of a encounter. Any other additional points of restrictive clothing take you 1 turn to remove or to put on.

Exp: So if you have 3 points of restrictive clothing you get 3 extra foci, 3 levels of extra encumbrance and -3 to your DEX modifier. You can quickly tie or untie 1 level of restrictive clothing, but you need 2 turns to put on or to remove the other 2 points.  

You can activate 1 telekinetic power by round (except for deflect attacks).

The foci you spend on a power can be maintained for a number of rounds equal to your INT + your level (or for a entire encounter if you don't like counting rounds). While maintained, those foci are not available to activate other powers.  

You regain 1 focus by level of restrictive clothing by turn of rest (while being totally immobile).

Your telekinetic range is equal to your INT + your level in yards.

Telekinetic powers:

Control blades (can be maintained)

-Effect: each focus you spend give you control over 1 bladed weapon (that do up to a d6 damage). You get 1 attack by round for each weapon you control. You can control a maximum of 1 weapon by level.

-Extra focus: you can control a d8 weapon with 2 foci or a d10 weapon with 3 foci.

You can also spend extra foci to better control a weapon. While doing so you get +1 to hit for each extra focus spend (up to your INT modifier). If you control multiples weapons you must control every weapon with the same amount of foci (so with 4 foci you can control two blades with 2 foci each).

Note: while you maintain your power, your blades float passively around you while you use a different power (instead of dropping to the ground).
Note: you can try to take control of the blades of your your enemies but they get a saving throw to resist.

Project small blades

-Effect: each focus you spend let you throw 1 dagger sized blade up to it normal throwing range + your telekinetic range. You can recall all of your blades for 1 focus.

-Extra focus: you can spend 1 extra focus by blades to get +1 damage (but you can not spend more than 1 focus by blades).

Project enemy

-Effect: you can project 1 enemy up to 10 yards. If they hit a wall, they take d4 of damage.

This damage can be resisted with a saving throw. Enemies that fail their save fall prone.

-Extra focus: You can spend extra foci to throw extra enemies (1 focus by enemy).

You can also spend extra foci to throw them harder (+5 to projected distance by focus). A target will take 1 extra point of damage for each extra 10 yards of projection distance.  

Telekinetic manipulation (can be maintained)

-Effect: you can use your INT as your STR score to manipulate a object.

-Extra focus: +1 object / +1 yards by focus / +1 “STR” by focus.
Note: if you affect multiple objects, you need to split your "STR" between them.

Deflect attacks (you can activate this power with a other one)

-Effect: each focus give +2 AC vs one attack. You can distribute your focuses between different attacks. You can protect other characters.

Blades Barrier (can be maintained)

-Effect: this power require 2 foci and at least 2 blades. Any enemy that attack you in melee must make a saving throw to avoid taking d6 of damage. The enemy get a negative modifier to hit equal to the damage taken (for this attack).

-Extra focus: each 2 extra focus give a -1 to the enemy saving throws and require 2 extra blades.

Notes: a barrier of daggers do d4 damage.

Levitate (can be maintained)

-Effect: each focus spend let you levitate 2 yards away from the ground (or a ledge) at the speed of 2 yards by round.  

Pseudo Dragon Familiar

Sprore Walker

Another take on the Psychomycosis Megaspores.

Mixing liquid from the orcs spawning pools with healing potions.

Remember the pool of spawning pig-orc ooze?

-Benjamin B:
Can you carry that stuff in a bottle?  Distilled alchemical essence of pig-orc.  Making it is... gruesome.  But it is ever so useful for the morally flexible wizard on the go. 

-Evlyn:
But dont mix your orcs spawning bottles with your healing potions.  

-Benjamin B:
Hmmm... or perhaps you'd want to do that.  Mix up a little healing and orc, to make a shapechange cocktail. "It tastes terrible, so I added a shot of dwarven brandy.""Dwarven brandy tastes terrible by itself!""That's why I didn't waste the Elven mead on it.  Drink up buddy." 

Bottles of alchemical essence of pig-orc:
You can fill a bottle with enough essence to maybe spawn a small misshapen pig-orc.
Just throw the bottle like a flask of oil (to check if it break) and roll a d6 to see what you have spawned:

1. a splash of pig-orc organs and blinking eyes.
2. a splash of squealing pig snouts that attract monsters like shrieking fungus. 
3. a d3 orc hands holding oozing orc's weapons that will solidify in a round or two.   
4. a kobold stated misshapen pig-orc, probably only a head with feet or arms. 
5. a goblin stated misshapen pig-orc that miss some anatomical features. 
6. a pig-orc who have -1 on it hp, if it get 0 hp, it die after trashing around a bit.   
7. a fully grow and armed pig-orc ready for battle.
8. a fully grown pig-orc and roll a d4 for the left-overs.  

If you use more than one bottle in the same spot, add +1 to the roll for each additional bottles.

(Exp.: If you throw 3 bottles in a corner, roll a d6+2) 

You can dilute the pig-orc essence with ordinary oil to roll a d4 instead of a d6.

Note that you don't control the pig-orcs, if you don't charm them they will probably attack you like any other orcs.

Mixing essence of pig-orc with healing potion!

If you mix 1 dose of orc essence with 1 dose of potion you get 2 doses of healing orc essence.
2 doses of orc esssence with a dose of healing potion give you 3 doses of healing orc essence -1
1 doses of orc essence with 2 doses of healing potion give you 3 doses of healing orc essence +1
The +1 or -1 help or hinder you saving throw when you drink the cocktail.
Adding more doses of essence or of healing potion give you a additional dose and a additional -1 or +1

Drinking pure pig-orc essence: -3 to your saving throw, you don't get the d6 healing effect but you get the regeneration effect and the side effects. On a failed save you get d6 side effects instead of only a d3.

Drinking the mix:
You heal a d6 hp and you regenerate 1 hp by round for 2d6 rounds + your CON bonus.
But you also need to make a saving throw VS poison (or polymorph):

• On a successful save: you get 1 random pig-orc polymorphing effect that last for 2d6 days.  
• On a failed save: you get d3 permanent pig-orc polymorphing effects. One effect will trigger each time you get wounded. The good news is that you will also trigger the regeneration effect of the potion each time you trigger a polymorphing effect.

Mixing the nasty stuff with alcoholic beverages:

• Adding dwarven brandy: add a d10 to the result of the pig-orc polymorphing effect roll
• Adding elven mead: remove a d10 from the result of the pig-orc polymorphing effect roll. 
• Adding other interesting alcoholic beverages: before drinking, you choose if this beverage add or remove a d6. (can add up with other drinks)

Pig-Orc Polymorphing Effects (roll 4d10): 

1. You become a sublime human sow hybrid. +1 CON, +1 CHA, reroll your hit dice for the best. And you can choose one other polymorphing effect between 3 to 20. After this, any new polymorphing side effects will be temporary. 
2. You become a sublime human sow hybrid. +1 CON, +1 CHA, reroll your hit dice for the best. 
3. You become pregnant with 2d6 orcs. You will give birth in 2d6 days. You will smell like the great Sow-Orc-Mother for those orcs. If you are male, it ok, you will vomit blood as the ooze will regenerate your organs into the organs needed to give birth and to feed the squealing orklings.  
4. You vomit a +1 oozing orc shield that will solidify in d6 days. If it take it 6 days to solidify you end up with a magnificent shield ornamented with beautiful heraldry representing sows that give +3AC to defend pig-like creatures and +2AC against orcs and ogres (and their cousins). 
5. You develop d4 new pair of breasts. If something suck on them for 1 turn, they heal 1hp. If you feed orklings they +1 to their maximum HP. 
6. d6 orcs spawn from your flesh. You take d2 dmg for each orc that you spawn. 
7. You turn into a healthy sow in 2d6 painful rounds. (use d8 to reroll your HD). After 2d6 days you learn back how to walk on 2 legs and to hold weapons. 
8. Healing factor: you regen 1 hp by hour. 
9. You smell like the great Sow-Orc-Mother. Orcs want to protect you: +2 steps on reaction test results with orcs.
10. Vomit d6 orc foetus. Each have 1 on a d6 chance to remain alive. They grow fast! They will be able to attack you in 2d6 turns.  
11. You gain a few extra pounds and get rounder shapes: +1 CON.
12. You vomit a oozing orc shield that will solidify in d6 rounds. 
13. Heal a other d6 HP, get cramps and throw up for as many rounds (-2 all actions).
14. You grow a pig tail and smell sexy: +2 for carousing. 
15. You grow a soft pig duvet. +1 saving throw against cold.    
16. Hungry, you need to eat three time more food to sustain yourself. The good new is that you can now eat nearly anything. 
17. Vomit black ooze, roll a d6 on the table for throwing bottles of pig-orc essence. 
18. Vomit d6 doses of black ooze that ca be bottled, take 1 damage for each dose you vomit.
19. Regen for a extra d6 rounds. 
20. Orcs like your smell: add a bonus point to your reaction test with them. 
21. Heal a extra d6 hp instead of regenerating.  
22. You tend to squeal a lot and you can now speak orc. 
23. Your eyes transform into orc’s eyes and your gain infravision. Sometime you see weird orcish things. 
24. You can’t stop squealing for 2d6 rounds and attract monsters.
25. While you regenerate, your flesh bubble with pig snouts and eyes: -2 for all actions. 
26. You grow a pig snout and pig ears: -1 CHA, you can easily sniff out food. 
27. It hard to think, your mind become duller: -1 INT
28. You become selfish and coward: -1 WIS
29. Your arms turn into strong pig like arms: +1 STR -2 DEX 
30. You grow boar teeth & defenses. (gain a tusk attack) 
31. You grow a additional orc’s arm. 
32. You vomit a set of orc armor that will solidify in d6 rounds.
33. You vomit d6 oozing orcs weapons that will solidify in d3 rounds. 
34. You smell stronger and grow one size bigger: gain a orc hit dice. It harder to surprise monsters with a good sense of smell. 
35. You get overall very hairy and stronger: gain +1 STR
36. You get hungry for orc flesh. If you feast on a orc for a whole turn, roll it HD to heal you.
37. You can smell orcs like a bloodhound, this get you bloodthirsty: +1 to hit & damage & surprise rolls against them. -2 step to reaction test result when dealing with them. 
38. You feel the rage taking over you: you enter into frenzy for 3d6 rounds. (+1 step of STR, fight in negative hp and make WIS test at -2 to avoid attacking your friends). 
39. You smell like the great Hog-Orc-Father. Orcs will fear you. +2 step to reaction test result to intimidate orcs. 
40. You become chaotic. If you are already chaotic, you turn mad and think that you are a orc. 
41. Each time you are wounded for at least 2 damage in a fight, your blood have 1 on a d6 chance of acting like a bottle of pig-orc essence. 
42. When you die, your body spawn a d6 combat ready orcs. 
43. You turn into a wild board in 2d6 painful rounds. (use d8 to reroll your HD).  After 2d6 days you learn back how to walk on 2 legs and to hold weapons. 
44. Like a satire, your lower half turn into the lower half of a wild boar. You get horny and run faster. You will sire half-orcs.
45. You grow a pig head with large boar’s defenses and can only speak orc: +1 tusk attack, +1 hp, -2 CHA.
46. You vomit a +1 oozing orc weapon that will solidify in d6 days. If it take it 6 days to solidify you end up with a pig headed mace that give +2 while allied with orcs or to fight against them.    
47. You turn into a half-orc. 
48. You turn into a burly orc. Reroll your hp for the better. 
49. You become a mighty were-boar. Getting wounded and receiving magic healing trigger the change. 
50. You become a mighty were-boar. Getting wounded and receiving magic healing trigger the change.  And you can choose one other polymorphing effect between 21 to 48. After this, any new polymorphing side effects will be temporary.