Magical Cloaks

Some Magical Cloaks:

Cloak of Cartography: once a day, carefully put your cloak on a floor and after d6 turns a map of the area will draw itself inside your cloak. 

Cloak of the Seamstress: magically repair itself, it can also project a swarm of sewing needles that can fix any clothes and can once by encounter inflict d6 damage to a target and hinder it by wrapping and sewing threads on it (-4 to all actions). 

Cloak of the Smith: give + 4 to save against fire. The cloak accumulate heat while working in the forge, afterward it can be used to cast heat metal affecting one target per two hours of uninterrupted work. (Exp.: working 12h in the forge enable you to affect 6 targets) 

Cloak of Dreams: make your dreams vivid. Each morning tell us about what you dreamed, you can later summon a element of your dream as a illusion that last 2d6 turns. If you ever physically travel in the Dreamworld it become a cloak of protection +2.

Cloak of the Librarian: the cloak work as a bag of holding for books, upon request a skeletal hand emerge from the cloak, d6 rounds later, with the appropriate book. When asking for a book that was never put into the cloak, there is 2 chance on a d6 that the cloak already have that book. (-1 for rare ones, +1 for common ones). Books must be returned 2 weeks later or the cloak will refuse to give out any more books. The cloak give +2 reactions when asking someone to be quiet. 

Cloak of the Cat: there is a strange cat that live (well more exactly sleep) in that cloak, the cat look different for each person who wear the cloak. Once per day you can ask the cat for a service, roll a reaction roll, the result will tell you how well the cat accomplish or sabotage your request. Complex and difficult tasks may impose a reaction penalty of dramatic proportion. A dirty or wet cloak also impose severe penalties. When asked to fight, on a very good reaction the cat can turn into a panther. If killed, the cat will respawn in the cloak d6 nights later. Asking for tasks impossible for a cat (like dethroning the king) make the cat yawn and sleep for an hour, dreaming it is accomplishing the task.

Random cults of Orcus

Some variant cults of the Demon Prince Orcus rolled created using this blog post of mine: Use Super Heroes gimmicks to create Cults.

Undead: this cult venerate a undead version of their deity. Some believe that the original deity came back from the dead, some believe in a undead double that oppose the original deity. 

Cult of Rotting Orcus: this secret cult believe that Orcus physical form was slain in the material plane and that while Orcus' demonic essence reformed in the abyss, his carcass gained a will of it own and is trying to craft it own scepter out of undead tissues. The cult believe that their necromantic art will enable them to control this manifestation of Orcus as it raise in power.   

Usurper: this cult believe that a other deity stole the powers or the name of their original deity. Some hope for the return of the original deity, some work against it. 

Cult of Orcus Executioner: the cult believe that when Orcus physical form was slain, one of his generals took over his scepter to avenge him while his essence reform in the Abyss. This new Orcus appear as a Balor demon wearing a executioner hood adorned with a ram's skull. Some believe that the Executioner should replace Orcus and are rising hooded undead warriors in his honor.  A secret splinter believe that the Executioner went too far and should return Orcus's scepter so that his demonic essence reform faster in the Abyss. 

Pet: this cult believe that the deity have a pet with a similar set of power. They believe that this pet is the herald of their deity and that it can intercede for them. They also believe that sometime divine pets work together to secretly protect humankind. 

Cult of the Carrion Ram: this cult worship a undead ram that is said to whisper to Orcus the prayers of those who wish for unlife. They also believe that making of blood offerings of horned animals to the Ram can protect them against undead. Some even believe that the Carrion Ram sometimes become a undead white ram, know as Ghost Ram, that join force with other divine pets to defend humanity against invasions from titanic extra planar animal monsters.     

Gender switched alternate: this cult believe in a gender switched alternate version of their deity that replace the original deity. (Or that their deity actually changed gender or was actually of a other gender). 

Cult of Orcusrella: this cult worship Orcusrella (also know as Orcella), the cruel daughter of Orcus, queen of vampires. Orcella is often called upon by undead women as a spirit of vengeance. She is in favor of The Executioner cult, hoping that he will defy her father when he will return. She wield her own scepter of dead that was crafted for her as a gift by undead dwarfs women. 

Divine Spouse: this cult worship the divine spouse of their deity. Those cults are often alternate or lost continuity cults. Some wish that the divine spouse would lead his or her own pantheon. 

Cult of the Mourning Mother. Wearing a funeral veil and often accompanied by the Carrion Ram, the Mourning Mother is a mortal woman that married Orcus after refusing his gift of unlife. She throne beside him in the Abyss and gave birth to Orcella with a drop of Orcus blood. She feel a lot of compassion toward undead and lost souls. The cult think that the Mourning Mother and her daughter come from a reality rift that opened in the Abyss when Orcus was slain in the material plane. They hope that their worship will anchor her existence and make Orcus remember her when his essence will reform in the Abyss.    

Noble Alien Paragon: this cult worship a utterly alien but noble version of the original deity who is often a legacy upholder or a temporary holder of power. 

Cult of Orcellion. Orcellion appear as a muscular ram headed androgynous humanoid, they have three eyes and wield a scepter adorned with a alien skull. Orcellion is the defender of people who became undead to pursue heroic goals. Their body formed in the Abyss when the Mourning Mother's reality rift closed down. Orcellion remember Orcus as a comrade of arms and don't understand why demons are chaotic evil or the concept of alignments. 

 

Video return on my Zine Quest experience

Video!! 😄

In English: https://youtu.be/0TpfX6d-TwQ

En Français: https://youtu.be/pIWljXQ5fB8

Setup of my new OSE campaign

I started a new Old School Essentials campaign, the campaign premise is something like: "what if Saruman had won and people now need to loot the dying forest of Lorien to survive?"

The Great Archwizard betrayed the elven alliance and took the throne of the Dark Lord. The elves are now gone and the Archwizard rule over the free world with his army of orcs and humans. His college of wizardry oversee cities, divine spellcasting is now forbidden. The eternal forest of the elves is slowly dying and is now in a state of eternal Autumn. Pushed by misery, desperate adventurers and renegades explore the forest in search of elven treasures and magical artefacts. 

I removed the elf class (to keep elven culture mysterious) and added some advanced classes like the druid and the ranger. I also included some classes that seem relevant to the premise like the half-elf and the half-orc. 

The Ruddy Dawn Forest

My goal is to run (and craft) a forest mega dungeon. the overland map is a point crawl but each points correspond to a geomorph tile when you zoom in. This way I get a series of interconnected dungeon crawl areas that contain a mix of empty and interactive "rooms" (clearings) and the feel of crawling through "corridors" (paths). 

This is the point crawl overland map I gave to the players, we are at the start of the campaign so the links are not revealed yet, my GM map naturally contain more information. The colors zones correspond to the "levels" of the dungeon, the deeper you venture into the forest the more dangerous are the encounters and the more wondrous are the treasures. 

The players can uncover new entry paths while exploring. To move between points the group must roll to see if they get lost (losing direction), if they do, I can augment the chance of the random encounter roll, make them arrive at a different point or advance time so that it get dark in the forest (I am tempted to let them choose the consequence). 

When the group arrive to a point we switch to dungeon crawling mode. To generate the forest map, I used caves geomorph and redrew the rock as forest, the tunnels and corridors as paths and the caves and rooms as clearings. 

The big difference compared to a dungeon is that there is less uses of torches but I established that the forest is very dense and that it get dark very early. Also the forest "walls" are porous, characters can move through the trees at half speed but this also mean that during random encounters, monsters can emerge through the walls. 

What else? 

I wrote four settlements for the adventurers to come from and to return to after their expeditions. The settlement they chose to rest in will influence the gear, services and retainers available. Also possibly different kinds of troubles. 

Grey Port (large port city)

• Afflicted by: unemployment and corruption 
• Occupied by the 4th Shadow Hand Legion 
• Wizard Tower (loyal to the ArchWizard) 
• House Silver-Mare (Lawful knights, secretly resist) 
• Black market, thief guilds 
• Great library (Engineer & Sage specialists) 
• Know for their candles that resist the sea breeze 
• Secretly worship the old gods in the sewers 

Wilder Town (trade post forest village)

• Afflicted by: famine and bandit raids 
• Trade with barbarian wildlings 
• Protected by House Willow-Spear (Neutral knights in exile) 
• Know for their wolf-dogs and archers 
• Specialists: Animals trainers 
• Worship the old gods in the forest 
• Druidic sect: the Mother

Gentle Anvil (small vale village)

• Afflicted by: poverty and taxation 
• Blacksmith and armorer specialists 
• Stone quarry 
• Dwarfs trading post 
• Know for their headstrong mules 
• Brave peasants and villagers 
• Proud torch makers, love bonfires 
• Secretly worship the old gods in their daily life 
• Druidic sect: the Maiden 

Castle Basilisk (swamp village protected by a fortress)

• Afflicted by sickness and scarcity 
• House Heron-claw (Chaotic knights, boldly defiant) 
• Harbor many renegades 
• Great healers and poisoners 
• Specialists: alchemists, spies and mercenaries 
• Boar hunters and great cooks 
• Openly worship the Old gods 
• Druidic sect: the Crone

I am tempted to enable the PCs to be able to spend their gold to try to help the settlements but I am not certain yet how to handle that. 

Last 24h for Where the Wheat Grows Tall!

Last 24 hours before the end of our Zine Quest KS for Where the Wheat Grows Tall. We are generously funded but I am still sharing for those who would want a printed copy.

Thanks again everyone for supporting our project, your encouragement mean a lot to us.

Seriously you have no idea how this give me and Camilla some hope. 💖

I can’t wait for everyone to have a copy in their hands. 😊

UPDATE:

500 backers!! Amazing!!

A big Thank You from Camilla and me!! 💜💜

Masha and the Barstukai are celebrating with make believe tea time!

#zinequest3 #ZineQuest

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/abandonfarmland/where-the-wheat-grows-tall

We launched our Zine Quest KS!!

We launched our Zine Quest KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/abandonfarmland/where-the-wheat-grows-tall

I can't wait for you to tell me about your group encounter Old Svarg! 

Where the Wheat Grows Tall

After a lot of anxiety, stress and work we were able to setup our Zine Quest Kick Starter page. We will probably launch this Monday.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/abandonfarmland/where-the-wheat-grows-tall

Tomb of the Butterflies

I drew a dungeon using Isometric Blanks, a small isometric maps zine that Geoff offer to print with Zine Quest 3. 

I will maybe try to describe the rooms more in details the next time I procrastinate. 

Doodle maps 2021 calendar

I made a 2021 calendar (thanks for Shel for hosting) 

You can get a copy here: https://gumroad.com/l/HgNdF