Violence and Cyberpunk Double Feature

I don't have enough for a Grab Bag post and these two are not big enough for an individual post apiece.

Violence meets Eclipse Phase 2E

Why Eclipse Phase?

Eclipse Phase is a big and deep setting with a unique focus on body-hopping and a strong action/horror vibe.

Downside is it is mechanically fiddly for a D100 game.

Why 2E?

As it's simpler than 1E and has less fiddly parts for it's morphs. Though they still are pretty annoying to convert. I'm probably doing too much math compared to how Violence should be used, but this is what I have.

Converting a Morph

Cost: Starting characters get 1d6-2 Morph Points as in normal Eclipse Phase, as they are not supposed to be big heroes

Savings, insurance and political-actor backing means you can get MP Cost-1 back if your current morph ceases functioning

Avail: Roll d100 to see if it's avaliable in your area, subject to whatever extra Negative traits and gimmicks the GM feels like

WT: 6-WT = Reduction to Injury Check

DR: Represent being Downed, add 1 to th 16+ roll required per 5 points of DUR

Biomorph +2 per injury as normal, Synthmorphs +1 per injury

Pools: Give Adv per point for whatever the GM thinks that pool applis to. Flex is free for the players to spend on making their lives easier.

Movement Rate: Normal human is 4 for walking and 20 for running. Anything higher or lower is going to either catch them or not given enough time

Ware, Traits and Equipment do what they say in the Eclipse Phase book, but as this is Violence. They either dictate you can or cannot do something (mostly Ware and Equipment) or give a Violence Advantage or Disadvantage roll to doing a task. This is up to the GM to adjudicate as the players cannot inherently rely on knowing in Violence.

I might have Traits cut into the 6 skill totals as a balance thing or maybe not.

More likely the Traits and Ware lists should be kept seperate.

Two Common Morphs and how they function in Violence

Flat - Normal human not many of them left

Cost: 0 MP • Avail: 30

WT: 6 • DUR: 30 • DR: 45

Insight 0, Moxie 0, Vigor 0, Flex 0

Movement Rate: Walker 4/20

Common Extras: Many have the Genetic Defect trait

Exactly the same as normal Violence character

Only can find a spare human body 30% of the time

Case - The Clanking Masses, for the poor to be sleeved in

Cost: 0 MP • Avail: 100

WT: 5 • DUR: 25 • DR: 50

Insight 0, Moxie 0, Vigor 0, Flex 0

Movement Rate: Walker 4/12

Ware: Access Jacks, Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Lidar, Mesh Inserts, Mnemonics, Puppet Sock

Morph Traits: Exotic Morphology (Level 1), Inherent Flaws

Notes: Light Frame (Armor 6/4)

Synthmorph, so a whole range of extra traits the book only tells you in the generic description

Only adds +1 per Injury to Down roll

Everywhere in the Solar System, they will sell you a garbage body

Cases take +1 Injury Checks because they are cheap garbage and get Downed on a 15+

They can't run as fast as a normal human being

Lots of Ware to interact with the world

Have peanlties to adjusting to being sleeved in such garbage, has a 10% chance to automatically take a second Injury if a 20+ is rolled for recieving an Injury

Light Frame sounds like civilian armor, so it does bear out their total Injury check modifier is -1 (+1-2=-1).

The details of the Equipment itself is fairly pointless and with guns and melee weapons work like normal Violence. Anything labelled an X-Risk imposes a Save or Die roll.

Converting Silver Angel to Cyberpunk RED Waterdeep

So this is a Shadowrun 1E module being converted to Cyberpunk RED for use in a game whre the magic and setting is using a weird Forgottn Realms as it's background. It wasn't as hard as it sounded until I got to recreating the computer network for Cyberpunk RED. Every edition of Shadowrun and Cyberpunk have very different ideas about how to make a good network for players to netrun in.

As I may run this for my players, I'm going to just post rule changes. If you have a copy of Silver ANgel, you will know what I changed.

The NET Architecture and the NPC spells were the most difficult to do, just some gaps don't quite mesh, even though Callie did have vaguely enough spells to pretend she's a Lore Bard.

Shadowrun 1E Difficulty to Cyberpunk RED DV.

3 = 09

4 = 13

5 = 15

6 = 17

7 = 21

8 = 24

9 = 29

Barrier Rating x 5 = HP: 3 = 15 HP, 8 = 40 HP and 10 = 50 HP.

The payment

50,000NY up front 35,000NY on completion 15,000NY if silent for 100,000NY total

In Cyberpunk RED, a Moderate Mission pays 2,000eb per player in total, not just in cash but in loot as well.

So the new totals are:

1250eb up front 875eb on completion and 375eb if silent, per person.

Loot will make up what's probally lost from the unrelated alarm or loud approaches.

All bribes and Nuyen costs are /40, so the 2500NY bribe is 50eb

Winslow the Troll bouncer could be used to really hammer home the awfullness of Shadowrun's future. He's old enough to see his apparent humanity stripped away and repalced by something strange. And to watch the new generation devolve into medically-certifiable short-lived violent morons. Since Shadowrun was pretty clear the generation who underwent Goblinization retianed their intelligence and lifespans, but their descendents did not.

But as Waterdeep RED isn't using thoe themes, I replaced him with an Ogre to have the different theme that the modern/future world is always willing to employ a person who fits a mold.

Ogre Bouncer

4 REF 8 DEX 3 TECH 2 INT 3 COOL 3 WILL 8 BODY 3 EMP 6 MOVE

HP 40 SP 7

Darkvision 20 yards/metres

Skills +2

Combat Base +10

Greatclub (Big bat) M 4d6

8 Javelin (Melee or Ranged) 2d6

Security Forces are Security Operative Mooks

Guards inside facility have Assault Rifles in armoury

Have medium armour jackets they will try to put on as well, conveniently Shadowrun 1E and Cyberpunk both do 3 second rounds.

As I didn't want to build my own Net Architecture, I reused the structure from Interface V1 - small corp facility.

Executive system is sub-architeture that can be tied into the main one from the Computer Center (Room 18)

To be accessed from any terminal.

Or hacked directly for just the sub-architecture in the Computer Center (Room 18)

The old version:

SPU-1 Nothing

SPU-2 No Hellhound

SPU-3 No Hellhound No Node-File DV6

SPU-4 No Hellhound No Node-File DV6

SPU-5 Killer No Node-File DV6

SPU-6 Wisp No Node-File DV6

SPU-7 Hellhound Files DV6 Control Node DV6

SPU-8 Skunk No Node-File DV8

SPU-9 Kraken Control Nodes DV8 Self-Destruct DV10

SPU-10 Nothing

SPU-11 Nothing

SPU-12 Hellhound No Node-File DV8

Based on reading this review and conversion of the network to Shadowrun 3E
https://www.nullsheen.com/posts/silver-angel-review/

Normal Small Corp Facility Floors 1 to 3

No Demons, all Manual Activation

Password DV8

File DV 8

Black ICE: Raven DV 8

SPU A (Personal Terminals, Admins Terminals)

1A Password DV8

2A Black ICE: Skunk, Wisp

3A File per Terminal DV6

SPU B (Buildings Systems)

1B Password DV8

2B Black ICE: Hellhound

3B Control Node: Heating DV6

4B Control Node: Elevator DV6

5B Control Node: Power DV6

6B Control Node: Airlocks DV6

SPU C (Security)

1C Password DV10

2C Black ICE: Asp, Kraken

3C Control Node: Cameras (1/Floor) DV10

4C Control Node: ID Card Scanners DV10

5C Control Node: Maglock Controls DV10

SPU D (Executive Systems)

I presume the security of D has already been dealt with by the NPC runners who happen to be in the Computer Center at the same time.

1D Password DV8

2D Black ICE: Raven x 2

3D File: Silver Angel DV10

When security arrives from offsite, I would assume they are also just Security Operative Mooks with maybe a Lieutenant classed foe to lead them, one group has the following leading them.

Mage (Wage)

6 REF 6 DEX 7 TECH 7 INT 4 COOL 4 WILL 4 BODY 4 EMP 4 MOVE

HP 30 SP 11 (Mage Armour)

Equipment: Wand

Skills Magic +6/Base 11 History +6/Base 11 Perception +4/Base 11 Others +2

Multiattack. The mage makes three Arcane Burst attacks.

Arcane Burst. 1.5 yards/metres Range 40 y/m. Hit: 6d6 Force damage.

Spellcasting. The mage casts one of the following spells, INT casting DV to avoid effect 14

At will: Detect Magic, Light, Mage Armor (included in SP), Mage Hand, Prestidigitation

2/day each: Fireball (level 4 version), Invisibility

1/day each: Cone of Cold, Fly

Bonus Actions

Misty Step (3/Day). The mage casts Misty Step, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.

Reactions

Protective Magic (3/Day). The mage casts Counterspell or Shield in response to the spell's trigger, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.

See-Me-Not Spell

Modified Crown of Madness, Level 2 Enchantment

The NPC team is comprised of: White Tiger (Netrunner, RED CRB p.414)

Callie Firebird (Reclaimer Chief with no cybernetics and no Heavy Melee Weapon, Paramedic and Pick lock removed, replaced with Magic +10, RED CRB p.414)

Callie could even be upgraded to an Outrider  (RED CRB p.415)  with no cybernetics, Shotgun, Criminology and Land Vehicle Tech replaced with Magic +14 and Moto 4 replaced with Combat Awarenss 4.

- Callie is conducting a NPC-only Ritual to enforce the Crown of Maddness and Clairvoyance spells.

- Callie casts with EMP + Magic if that is relevant

- Reactions

Protective Magic (3/Day). Callie casts Shield in response to the spell's trigger, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.

- Her spells are DV14 and are the following:

Cast at level 1:

Cure Wounds

Mage Hand

Magic Missile

Shield

2/Day, cast at level 2

Crown of Madness (Cast once already)

Invisibility (Cast once already)

1/Day, cast at level 3/4

Clairvoyance (Cast already)

Confusion (Cast already)

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 14

Day 185 (14^th of Ready'reat)

Between then and now, some people drew somethings to my attention. One, the heroes already make fires at night, so they wouldn’t have needed to scavenge a flint and steel from a dead bandit. Two, they would need light to see details for the material they find, as Dark Vision is for heat only. And lastly the official OSE Advanced edition changes have come out that address some of my general rule fudges and bring thing closer to AD&D. Which brings the game closer to the original vision I started with. For the first and second issues, let’s just draw a line over them. The availability of torches in the ToEE cover many omissions and no rules were used when they needed flint and steel. The later though creates new advantages and disadvantages. Actual Magic Item XP rules are good, though the XP gained is less than I calculated and the XP for selling them still has no base price anyway.

The improvement in Fighter HD to D10 is most welcome as it increases both heroes’ HP by 1 and their Fray to a 10% chance of doing 4 HD in damage per round. The addition of training time is a bit of a wash. Dounil has already spent months doing nothing of interest in the desert or over the water, and both gain XP at such a low rate that training time will hopefully, barely turn up.

Regardless, they come into town with the merchant caravan at 7:30 in the morning. They eat two of their three remaining rations and the last is split among the survivors and mixed with the caravan’s food supply, which is also shared as a thank you. Dounil and Celest slipping in as guards with Dounil dressed some of the dead men’s cloths from the ghoul storage. Hoping to be less obviously the man who slew many months prior.

There is much happiness even in this sordid town for the families of the saved, especially as Celest refuses payment for the deed. 2 x 13 + 3 x 12 + 16 + 4 x 14 = 134/16 = 8.375 x 1.1 or 1.05 = 9 FXP and 8 MUXP

She arranges to meet Dounil as he gets the horses stabled, letting Otis know with a subtle twitch of his peasant hood. Otis wisely keeps his snooping apprentice away as money is exchanged in silver pieces, 20sp for a day’s feed and a brush, another 20sp when they come back that night. Dounil then passes on the Mother Screng and Hruda, who is most impressed with his tales of daring in Nyrond and back into the temple. She casts Cure Light Wounds with a roll of 4+1, so Dounil heals 2 HP, HP 12-> 14.

Meanwhile, Celest tries to get some value out of their treasure, she has 591sp after the stable fee. The treasure that isn’t coinage is all too flashy to exchange in Nulb, she’ll need to do so in Hommlet. She leaves it with Mother Screng/Y’dey after carrying it under her cloak, trying to look like she is nursing a hurt arm. She removes the Scroll of protection from Undeath as she has no desire to meet with the ghouls again. With the copper pieces she buys a room for 1, hoping to sneak Douil in with the ring of invisibility to hide his identity. Whether he sleeps on the floor or finds an abandoned room or something is not her problem. It costs her 155cp for the night, dinner and breakfast tomorrow, paid in advance. She grumbles about banditry and tries to sound like a Woodwoman bumkin. The new proprietor is not yet an agent of the temple and merely shrugs.

At the Nulb Market (Building 4), she buys another 7 days of fresh rations -50sp.

XP from treasure is 221 + 326/100 + 899/10 + 71 x 5 + 47 x 10 = 1139.16 x 1.1 or 1.05 = 78FXP and 74MUXP. After spending: 171cp, 829sp, 221gp, 71ep and 47pp. Hidden by Y’dey in a place not even the heroes are aware of.

To be carried to Hommlet and exchanged for XP there: The 6-inch tall finely carved ivory statuette worth 85gp, a brooch with a carnelian stone with a cameo coat of arms (Veluna, quartered by the Knights of the Hart) worth 800gp, silver tube worth 35gp, gold chain worth 7,000gp, set with three small rubies worth 1,000gp each a ruby ring (worth 4,000gp) and a shield + 1.

Fortified, the heroes set off once again at [8:30], debating whether to keep going west to east or clear the ghoul from where Dounil recorded them on the eastern side. It will be [9:00] when they arrive. They meet and pass another merchant caravan coming into the village, trying to make it home before winter, they aren’t even pilgrims in disguise so there is no issue.

At [9:10] they enter the temple and again dismount the horses, NRE. The fact the bandits knew they were here yesterday means the area is not safe, but unless they stable the horses in a building, there is no place safer. They enter from the right vestibule, hoping to eliminate the ghast leadership and the chance of ghouls altogether. Fa chance as they are on the random table, but they shouldn’t know that. Might as well ask why evil men keep joining after losing tens of them repeatedly.

With the cloak and the ring, they should be advantaged against foes. They proceed at x3 speed, as Dounil has the map from his fist expedition, hoping to outpace the chance of an encounter. Tough! A random roll of 03, 4 gnolls joining the forces of the Earth temple. But as the heroes are invisible and the gnolls fail to hear Celest, surprise to the heroes.

Surprise round, the Frays kills one, Dounil misses and Celest’s attack kills another.

Round 1, heroes have rolled initiative, the Fray kills a third gnoll, the last is overkilled. Disappointingly they have only weapons.

At [9:25] they reach the entrance to the Room 103, and it is 1/6 in the dungeon. They reactivate the ring and recheck the cloak. They walk in and as expected the portcullis drops down. To ease the debate about if the harpies come back under the ghasts, I assume so. The harpies sing and the next round they flap about in confusion as they see nothing. Both heroes pass which was fortunate. Defying death is the number one source of lost HP so far after mud-tigers’ electric attack.

As the harpies swoop lower, Dounil and Celest strike. The surprise round is massive overkill, from the 4 HD damage from the 10 roll for Dounil’s Fray to the 8HD done with the swords. The next round is when the ghouls come.

Round 1, six ghouls rush forth due to the screams, but as a new combat has started, surprise is rolled and neither surprise. The heroes roll higher for round 1.

Round 1, 7HD of damage from the pair kill 3 ghouls and wounds another HD2 -> 1HD. The ghouls retaliate with 1 hitting Celest for 1 damage, she takes 1 more damage to Defy Death, HP 8 -> 6.

Round 2, Celest goes first then simultaneous hits. Celest misses but her Fray kills the wounded ghoul. Dounil kills the remaining ghouls with equal amounts of Fray and hitting them with his sword. But the ghouls hit him. He loses 4 HP; 2 from the claws and 2 from Defying Death to avoid being paralysed, HP 14 -> 10.

Keeping an eye on the north door where more lie in wait, they bandage, avoiding the harpy fecal matter and parts of undead. Let’s take the whole turn to round off time 2/6 [9:35], Celest’s HP goes 6 -> 8 and Dounil’s HP goes 10 -> 12.

Kicking down the door to Room 105, the 4 ghouls can hear them but did not expect them. The heroes expected them but could not see them. A roll determines no surprises.

Round 1, Celest, Dounil and then the ghouls. Celest kills 1 and wounds another, 2HD -> 1 HD. Dounil kills the rest with 6 HD of damage.

They push onward, the ghasts will face invisible foes. Still moving at x3 speed, they burst into the ghast room. They fail to spot Celest so the surprise roll will be good, but Celest is overcome by the stench and has that bad -2 to hit penalty. Neither are surprised (the ghasts could here the noise) but Dounil goes fist followed by simultaneous combat.

Round 1, 5HD of damage from Dounil destroys one ghast and wounds the other 4HD -> 3HD. Celest does 1 HD more 3HD -> 2HD. The ghast needs an 18 or better to hit Celest and only rolls some hits the heroes would (and will) kill to possess.

Round 2, the ghast goes first and splitting its attacks, misses with all of them. Dounil destroys it with 3HD of damage. The Undead presence on level one is gone (excluding random encounters) 3/6 [9:45].

Tossing each room takes two turns as they target the bedding in lieu of any chests or nooks. Resting in Room 106 again as they refuse to spend time in a room with ghast corpses [10:15]. I have decided that all gems, art objects and magical items have not been recollected, only coinage has come back with the encounters. By [10:55] and 4/6 turns until the next rest, they have found 295cp, 173sp, 98gp, 5ep and 7 pp. They split the money and are worried any more and they will get overburdened.

They move to the portcullis and raise it over 5 minutes because there is no point in them rolling. They can’t leave and no random encounter can get in. Resting again to prepare, they are wounded but hopefully the humanoids will be easier to deal with, NRE [11:10].

They know from Dounil’s maps that it’s about 200 feet to where they last left off yesterday (it’s actually 220). They intend to conduct their west to east sweep or adjust to go east to west if they encounter anything obvious. Donning the invisible items, they make it to 20 feet beyond the four-way junction, NRE 1/6 [11:20]. 20 feet later they see another corridor to the north, it’s only 40 feet long and there is wood along the sides, indicating doors. It’s off the path and would break the stay left ethos, so they press on only to fit a south (left) corridor, they advance 10 feet along that, NRE 2/6 [11:30]. Next round they advance into the opening of Room 108. It stinks of garbage here and nothing seems interesting. Rather than touch the stuff Dounil casts Detect Magic which comes up as nothing. Celest is annoyed and tells Dounil that now they will have to wait until tomorrow to sort any objects they find if the inhabitants here to take them back.

Advancing back up the corridor at x3 speed and slowing down for the other 40 feet (2/3rds of the remaining movement into the unknown), they come to a Y-junction. They see a gnoll and the gnoll fails to see them or hear them, 3/6 thankfully NRE [11:40].

They advance up the corridor in combat rounds now; 1/10 this turn and the gnoll fails to notice them creep forward to 20/50 feet. Round 2, the gnoll hears their footsteps and they unleash the magic Fray. The gnoll dies and surprise is over.

Round 1, Celest, the gnolls and Dounil in that order. Celest advances 20 feet and let’s loose with her magical Fray, doing 1 HD damage to one of the three remaining gnolls, 2 HD -> 1 HD. The gnolls retreat to the north-west corner and equip spears. One also readies an action to drop the net trap on the foes coming up. Rooms 121 and 1d4 (2) of the guards from Room 123 will appear next round. Dounil advances 20 feet and fires off his spell Fray, but that bounces off with a roll of 1.

Round 2, Celest goes first, then Dounil and the 4 gnolls from Room 121 simultaneously, then the 2 gnolls from Room 123 and finally the gnolls already present. Celest casts her spell fray and kills the wounded gnoll. But as she enters, she is caught by the gnoll’s ready action, and the net trap falls on her. She cannot move and loses her Dex AC bonus and shield AC. Dounil rushes forward, he cannot get into range, so he uses spell Fray but rolls a 1 as his spell fizzles. The gnolls from Room 121 advance and use their throwing axes on them. Only Celest’s armour keeps her from harm. The 2 gnolls from Room 123 use their throwing spears, Celest is hit by the one aimed at her, HP 8 -> 7.

Finally, the surviving 3 gnolls cast their throwing spears at Celest, 2 hits doing 3 HP damage, HP 7 -> 4.

Round 3, initiative goes: the 121 gnolls, the heroes, the 123 gnolls and the 122 gnolls. The four gnolls from 121 attack Dounil as he’s still up and dangerous, all attacks bounce off his armour, even with gnoll strength. Celest can still cast spell Fray, she wounds one of the 3 gnolls who trapped her 2HD -> 1 HD. Dounil rolls 8 HD of Fray and sword damage. He sends the Fray towards the 122 gnolls, killing two and leaving one at 1 HD and kills two of the 121 gnolls fighting himself.

The two gnolls from 123 take their morning stars and lay into the trapped Celest, neither roll a 15 to hit as Celest desperately uses her sword blade and rim of shield to deflect. The last 122 gnoll continues the process by throwing a flask of oil at Celest, splashing the thick stuff all over her.

Round 4, Celest goes first, then the 121 and 123 gnolls, then Dounil then the surviving 122 gnoll going for the fire box. Despite the morning stars, Celest has a target for her Fray, zapping the last 122 gnoll dead. The two 121 gnolls try to overpower Dounil, a bastard sword slips under and does 1 damage to him, HP 12 -> 11. The two with morning stars keep wailing at Celest, angry at the failure to connect with a satisfying crunch, 2 damage is HP 4 -> 2. Dounil does 8 more HD, I then change dice rolling surfaces to ensure that the dice are not sliding. As they are very regular. But he slays all the rest. Celest and Dounil now are uninterrupted to cut her free and bandage. Celest’s HP 4 -> 6 and Dounil’s HP 11 -> 12 [12:00] and they need to rest for the 6^th turn, NRE [12:10].

Peeking into 121 shows nothing of interest and otherwise they toss the shelf and bodies. Finding four jars of oil (useful when there would be trolls or pursuers), a silver chain with a roughly polish orange gem (carnelian, total value they cannot appraise at 125gp), 8sp, 9gp and 38ep. There is an unanswered comment about why electrum pieces more than others?

Is Celest willing to go into the next room? She says she has too otherwise they are leaving with enemies at their backs. She’ll use her spells more. They kick down the door to Room 123 as invisible as they can. A surprise roll as neither side were sure if there were enemies or they all perished in the fighting, but no surprise.

Round 1, Celest then the monsters then Dounil. She sees 3 gnolls and two hobgoblins, so she casts Light on the eyes of one gnoll and Frays against the two hobgoblins, she only kills 1. The blinded gnoll lumbers at her as the vengeful hobgoblin aims his composite bow. The other two gnolls concentrate on Dounil with throwing axes. None hit. Dounil does 6 HD and kills the 3 gnolls.

Round 2, Celest goes first again and kills the remaining hobgoblin.

Looking about carpets and tapestries, there is a lot about the earth temple here. Celest notes they all wear brown robes, Dounil might have a set. It takes 2 turns to toss the bedding and Celest tips over the brazier onto the stone floor due to the present of goblinoids 2/6 [12:30]. There is 16sp, 10gp, 11ep and 27pp in the brazier coals as expected. The beer was ignored like all other food down here.

Loaded down with treasure, at an apparent dead end and badly hurt. The pair debate their options. They have to get out but Dounil is intrigued by the corridors they passed to get here, and they still don’t know how these room connect to where they were yesterday. Celest want to take down the tapestries in case they are valuable, but they are of foul scenes and poorly maintained by the gnolls and hobgoblins. They agree to take down and heck for moth holes then if there is nothing, they will explore some more. Another turn to pull them all down, each as disappointing as the last, 3/6 NRE [12:40].

They backtrack to the Y-Junction and keep going. They come up to a new corridor to the south. Dounil checks the map and said these rooms do not enter onto the long corridor or the junction they went to yesterday, 4/6 NRE [12:50].

As the tapestries were a bust, they go down there. One turn is enough movement to reach the end and open both doors, revealing nothing except stress and disappointment in Room 110 and Room 111 They have to rest among the musty, if normal smells of Room 110, 6/6 NRE x 2 [13:10].

Another turn takes them to almost the four-way crossing they know and pass the door Dounil thinks was where the southern gnolls with the bastard swords came from, 1/6 NRE [13:20].

The next turn is at x 3 speed and takes them up and out of the temple underground. Then it’s time to saddle the horses and get out, this might be the last time they can use the temple as a stabling ground now they have assaulted humanoids who can give and take orders. It’s [14:00] when they get back to Nulb.

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 13

Still Day 184

After discussion with others, I decided to implement XP for Magic Items, after the characters barely made any experience progress after A0 but AD&D handing out magical items quite freely. Dolmenwood said XP is one-fifth the GP value. Checking the Ring of Invisibility in Dolmenwood and in AD&D, they have the same sell price and XP. But I’ll double-check as I go to make sure this isn’t a coincidence.

So Dounil gets XP for: +1 sword (400), +2 shield (1000), +1 plate (1000), 8 x +1 arrows (120x8/5 = 192) and ring of invisibility (1500)

562 FXP and 537 MUXP

Celest has: +1 sword (400), +1 shield (500), +2 chainmail (1500), cloak of elvenkind (1200)

495 FXP and 472 MUXP

I’m not the counting spent arrow, potions or the magical dagger because they drank them all or gave away prior to the decision. That added effectively another A0’s worth of XP (minus what they skipped over giving to the prisoners).

The pair debate what to do, especially now the foes know to watch this tunnel and Dounil still needs a day to heal. Or they could visit Mother Screng/Canoness Y’dey for the last HP needed by Dounil and return. They decide to risk it and sneak into Nulb when it’s dark, so Dounil’s Ring of Invisibility works more efficiently at hiding him.

At [8:30] they have finished feeding and exercising the horses and themselves, with 3 days of rations left. They don’t renter the tunnel but ride for the temple itself, hoping to repeat Dounil’s initial foray style. Going overland imposes 1 encounter roll which is No Encounter, lucky for a 7 out of 12 chances of one. Skirting the wall, they arrive at the door at [10:30]. There are no random encounters. I realise the I should have made the antipathy roll for the main door, not just the interior slope. But as Dounil failed that roll, it is immaterial. I’ll just ay Dounil hewed one of the side doors open retroactively. Though that begs the question of how the monsters get in when the main doors are still barred and remained barred. They can’t all fit through the secret tunnel that is hidden inside a well.

Letting the horses loose in the vestibule and central altar. Celest asks how they can be sure the monsters won’t come up and eat them? Dounil replies that the entire room was sealed, no one knew his horse was here and the dungeon stone is too thick. It was before he left a trail up and down the staircase but it’s not clear how to stable them elsewhere.

 As Dounil entered from the right staircase last time, they head for the left. Celest said this place was as disturbing as she had heard. Dounil said he found a bunch of robes here to disguise himself, but after dragging them across the desert and general storage for a month, he wasn’t sure what state they would be to wear or what they were for. They descend to Room 109a with Dounil in the front to act as the front line and Celest supporting him from the back or alongside depending on the danger of the foes. One turn to creep to the bottom of the staircase, Dounil with his ring active and Celest with her cloak. Dounil remembers much blood being spilt transversing the other staircase. The next hour is quite boring, with no random encounters as they reach the four-way junction and go south to confirm if the layout mirrors the other side, going each at the T-intersection. They go to Room 112; see it’s ransacked and turn around to go to Room 113 and repeat the process. They must rest about 10 feet from the T-junction at [11:45].

They follow the corridor east, as Dounil wants to confirm his map and mark off the shape. It takes 2 turns to reach Room 109 and the stop to look at the immense cold bronze doors with their Darkvision, as the entrance to Room 201. Approaching and return is another turn and the doors don’t glow but it’s clearly too big to move on their own. They go back to the four-way junction and head north, the remaining way, stopping to est about 20 feet from the next junction with no random encounters [12:45].

Advancing again to the junction, they go left to clear the outer edge. As they creep as silently as two armoured people can manage, they come to a door in the left side, it’s well used but locked. They want the area cleared first so they advance to further door to the east [12:55].

Activating the ring and hastening the cloak, they push the door open and confront a room of 6 ghouls. The ghouls are aware of those who do not try and be quiet I would assume but they can see nobody with a roll for the cloak being unsuccessful. Equal chance of surprise and initiative.

The teams roll and the ghouls are surprised. The heroes must act fast as they are facing 12 attacks per round and they are no immune to paralysis. Sword and spell Fray destroy 1 and wounds another HD2 -> 1. Their swords do 6 HD more, destroying 3 more, leaving 1 wounded and 1 fine.

Round 1, the heroes win initiative by 1. The ghouls don’t have a chance to run for help in room 116 before being destroyed. While good, their hiding magic won’t charge this turn. They press on, but which door?

They question is answered as 5 ghouls burst through the door from Room 116, the 6^th having gone to Room 117 to get the ghasts. New rolling. Dounil and Celest are surprised (very bad). Only one claw attack strikes Dounil but that’s enough for a saving throw, he also loses 1 HP, HP 17 -> 16. He fails the roll but Defies Death to pass, rolling 2 HP loss on 3 dice, HP 16 -> 14.

Round 1, ghouls go again first, Dounil is clawed again but he saves, HP 14 -> 13. They do 11 HD of damage in retaliation due to the magic swords pushing their attack bonuses by 1. That fortunately destroys the ghouls.

Round 2, new fight as the ghasts and remaining ghoul come through the door. The ghasts pause at the sight of 11 ghouls dismembered on the floor. But there are only two foes. No surprise and the undead have initiative. The ghast flee but are forced back by the leading ghasts in Room 118 as there are only two foes. Leaving the remaining ghoul to slow down the heroes. It attacks, misses and is destroyed.

Round 2, four ghasts, one at +1 to hit and damage advance, thinking to smash the heroes down. Due to the stench Celest takes a -2 to hit. But the heroes win initiative this round. Swords and spell Fray do 6 HD even with Celest just hitting, one ghast is destroyed and another goes 4HD -> 2HD.

Dounil is hit and must Defy Death, taking a total of 3 HP from the whole ordeal from random ones rolled during the process, HP 13 -> 10. Celest is clawed and must Defy Death for the first time to not being paralysed, HP 8 -> 6.

Round 3, Dounil is clawed again for 1 HP, HP 10 -> 9, but passes the saving throw. Heros do 8 HD in retaliation, destroying 2 of the ghasts, including the leader and leaving only the wounded one.

Round 4, the heroes go first and though Celest misses with her sword and Dounil rolls a fizzle with his spell Fray, the ghast is very overkilled.

After bandaging, Celest HP 6 -> 8 and Dounil HP 9 -> 11 take stock, the time is with rounding [13:05].

Disinterring the ghouls and ghasts from the treasure is a tedious task. Room 115 has a hideous bas relief of a head surrounded by prancing forces of evil, 6 cloth bedding that stinks in a way indescribable to those not familiar with ghouls and a box. Inside: an old cloak described as having no value, 263 cp, and a “6 inch tall finely carved ivory statuette” (85gp). The larger ghast has a gold chain with rubies (7,000 + 3 x 1,000gp) the other leader ghast is tossed carefully and I rolled a 6 to cover for the fact the idea of having 6 to 8 characters individually searching a ghast’s left hand specifically to see if a ring wasn’t just a bony growth or extra knuckle was stupid. They find the 4,000gp ruby ring. This takes 1 turn, 1/6 [13:15].

Going into Room 116, they see lots of cloth bedding, a barrel and a sack. On the second turn of searching out of three. They hear the slurping noise and see a flowing grey form, like the floor has come alive slip behind them, having sensed living flesh over the ghoul carcasses.

Neither the heroes nor the Grey Ooze are surprised, Heroes gain the first round. Round 1, the grey ooze dies.

The next turn as they reach the last section of the ghouls’ room, eight brigands and a F2 leader arrive to check the trail of ghoul bodies. The brigands are surprised and that is their doom. The heroes do 6 HD in the surprise round, killing the leader and half the brigands. And then the heroes win initiative for round 1 and despite horrible rolls, the heroes do 5 HD of damage to 4 HD of brigands.

The heroes finally search the last 2 x 10-foot squares leaving them with, at 4/6 [13:45]:

92sp and 47ep in a hole under a barrel, 54gp from the brigands and a sack with 13 sets of clothes.

Another turn of searching Room 117 clears the bedding of treasure, evidently the resting undead don’t leave non-edibles there. The stench is so foul and the need to rest so great the heroes willingly move into the corridor outside of Room 114 rather than spend more time among the quiet dead, using their hidden abilities to try and keep safe.

Pity 2 ghouls coming back from their patrol interrupt them. No one is surprised but the heroes not only go second, but they have -1 to attacks due to no rest. Luckily the ghouls miss but only the Fray retaliates to destroy one and do 1 HD to the other, 2HD -> 1 HD. Round 2, only the negative AC saves Celest from a hit, they destroy the ghoul in return. The ghouls had 9gp on them. They have to rest again but are no interrupted [14:15].

Back to Room 117, they only need two turns, one for the 2 x 10-foot squares containing bedding and one to realise the ironbound chest is padlocked 2/6 [14:35]. Another turn search Room 118 as it’s a small trophy room, nothing but a dirty shield on the wall. Mindful of the candelabra enchanted with light and the magic swords, the pair debate how to find magic items. They resolve to drag all loose weapons and items into a pile and Dounil will cast Detect Magic at once. Another turn to heave the chest and shield back to Room 115 3/6 [14:45]. Moving along the outer door they come to Room 119. Entering and resting in Room 119, a banquet hall destroyed by a skirmish and the detritus left, including dead warriors. Mindful of treasure, they spend a turn searching, finding a shortsword and a battleaxe but nothing else useful 1/6 [15:25]. Moving on, it takes another couple of turns of creeping to move beyond the hall and take an eastern turn into a disused kitchen. Besides the large oven, skeletons and mysterious doors, there is nothing but detritus 3/6 [15:45]. No random encounters throughout.

Then the giant snake strikes but roll above 50%, meaning it fails to surprise and the heroes have the initiative with another good roll. The snake dies. The pair take 3 turns and a turn of rest to search what turns out to be a ruined kitchen with a few skeletons inside it 2/6 [16:55]. This extra added turn is because they were interrupted mid-rest by 7 brigands and a F2 leader trying to figure out the event of the last two days.

Neither are surprised. For round 1, Celest goes first then the brigands then Dounil. Celest kills 5 HD, leaving 4 brigands. Those brigands pass morale but miss all attacks despite rolling a 19, as Celest’s negative AC provides the edge. Though Dounil misses, his Fray kills 2 more.

Round 2, same order. Celest kills the remainder. Now they complete their rest and have 39gp more. Dounil remarks his education was greatly funded by fighting random gnoll and bugbear patrols beneath the moathouse.

Most notably, one skeleton is an ogre who has a short sword as its “dagger” and dried pout leather sack (I would assume to be openable) containing 84gp. The side storage rooms are looked at and ignored.

Peeking from Room 120 down the corridor shows they are at the terminus. With another door ahead 60 feet and to their left (eastward). Advancing to it and opening it as silently as they can, they see another passage heading north-east and NRE, 3/6 [17:05]. Celest asks if this is on his maps and Dounil says no and they shouldn’t go down it until they have cleared everything “behind” them (the connected western rooms).

Advancing another 10 feet and 10 again takes them to an open corridor slanting north-west and a locked door. Dounil’s secondary skill being a mapmaker, he tells Celest that these seem to connect to the rooms they cleared. Another 30 feet has an open eastern passage. Again, the bypass it for later. And 10 feet later they encounter an ogre looking for somewhere quiet to deal with indigestion before they can end their turn 4/6 [17:15].

The heroes are surprised, though luckily the ogre fails to hit Dounil.

Round 1, Celest goes before a simultaneous round. Only her magic Fray can hit and does hit, so the ogre goes 4HD -> 3HD. Dounil does 2HD, so 3HD -> 1HD. The ogre rolls a 1, which is just a miss in these rules.

Round 2, Celest, the ogre and Dounil is the order. Only Celest’s magical Fray hits but it kills. The ogre has no treasure.

Another turn of movement brings them back to the four-way junction that led to the undead, having explored all but 3 one branch, they turn right to go west to Room 114, the locked room and stop outside for their rest turn, becoming aware of faint noises inside, NRE 6/6 [17:35].

Unable to open the door with a lockpick or magic, they bust it down by carefully applying their never-dulling magic blades and the battle-axe they found for general violence. No one can be alerted and checking the description of two attacks per person for a total of 4d8, it takes 3 rounds to hack the door down. Which does make it an extra 3 minutes, but since things generally aren’t measured in minutes outside of combat, I’ll just say 5 minutes and round the time to [17:40] for ease of writing.

A horrible sight and smell assault them. Naked and chained (the men) human (by default) prisoners are trapped here, two women among them. They beg for help, saying ghouls captured them and they have taken away others to a no-doubt gruesome fate. The heroes realise the clothe sin the ghoul’s lair were taken from these people and as Dounil hacks away at the chains, Celest goes to fetch them. I’m going to rule this takes the rest of the current turn and the turn after, NRE x 2, 2/6 [18:00]. The women are family to a Nulb merchant (though the text does not say if it is one of the two other merchants held captive). The sailor was brought here by Dick Rentsch for making a pass a Dala. But Dounil killed Dala and Dick months ago before I read this section. We can say it was the pirate tavern or leave it ambiguous. Dounil and Celest were not feeling quite like they could tackle another area, but no they have an excuse to escort these folk back to Nulb, where they all hail from. The fact the region is generally Neutral Evil only applies to a Paladin, if this was even thought of at the time of writing. This is also a great excuse for the heroes (Celest) to make some goodwill in a village where they are not trusted. As they dress, the heroes tell them they have one last task to do. They take the random weapons and shield and throw them on the pile, then Dounil casts Detect Magic.

The Shield is revealed to be a +1 Shield, which neither have need of (but is valuable). OSE said that magical items for sale are double the cost of creation. Some quick back of the envelope math tells me the general cost of making a new magical weapon is x 20 the base cost. So, a Shield +1 is 100 x 40 = 4,000gp. Lucrative if they can find a buyer to earn them that 250 XP. The chest also has a magical scroll inside, a Protection from Undeath, but nothing else. The heroes spend another tow turns bashing that chest open while the freed prisoners cower inside the door, ruining the battleaxe and one of the short swords they found, luckily NRE x 2, 4/6 [18:20]. Inside is a silver scroll tube they know contains the magic scroll, 611sp and a brooch with a carnelian stone with a cameo coat of arms. General knowledge tells them part of it is for Veluna but neither took heraldry for their secondary skill and don’t know they what it has been quartered with. Getting weighed down, even with the treasure distributed between two. They give a man at arms the last short sword and tell them to follow between them, and they will get them back to Nulb.

The people are injured and it is dark, but no one is moving at the slower exploratory speed, so I’ll judge them going at still 60 feet a turn. I assume that though Dounil and Celest are half-elves and so do not need external lights, the rescued people do. Luckily, they killed some brigands, who do need light and so I rule they can find a flint and steel on them as a matter of course. Lighting one of the many unburned torches from the corridor description.

They rest once more to refresh the turn rate [18:30] and it takes 3 more turns to escort everyone up to the ruins of the temple on the surface 3/6 [19:00].

On the stairs themselves, they encounter 9 brigands and a F2 leader, who like he last two groups, have explored the death and destruction wrecked by the heroes on the Broken Tower brigands and the chaos downstairs, found the horses and are sweep the area. None of the three groups have killed the horses because horses are valuable and useful for humans. Monsters would though. Only Dounil can engage with melee, the prisoners block Celest. The brigands are surprised though.

Surprise round, it turns out a roll of 9 is enough to hit the AC7 brigands. Two 8s from sword and spell kill the leader and 2 more, leaving 7 left. Celest pushes up the stairs, using her spell Fray to kill another.

Round 1, Celest goes first then the brigands then Dounil, who is quite tired from the day’s exertions and wounds. Celest’s spell Fray kills another; she’ll get to the frontlines next round. No brigands hit Dounil, who returns with 4 HD of damage, killing all but 2 brigands.

Round 2, brigands go last, so Celest’s sword Fray kills one and Dounil overkills the rest. They redistribute the swords to the survivors of the cell and pocket the 42gp.

On the surface, they see faint moonlight as it is 7pm on the 13^th of Ready'reat, the last season of autumn. It appears my detour to A0 probably was a bit extreme considering how long my original character spent walking about in the desert and on boats.

They extinguish the torch and tell the survivors they will escort them by moonlight, though there is much fear among them. No encounter getting them out of the temple grounds. It is an hour on foot, but I’ll say two for the weakened state of the survivors.

Two random encounters which for time I am writing this, I will turn into one encounter. 15 brigands lead by a 4^th level leader and a merchant caravan (rolled not evil pilgrims). The caravan failed to make it to Nulb before sundown and the brigands are having a go at them. It’s up to the heroes to save the evening.

100 yards distance between them. The brigands are surprised. The pair will use their surprise round to ride forth on horseback to 20 yards distance and dismount, as the horses are not battle-trained.

Round 1, The heroes go first, they charge forth into combat with swords, 4 brigands die from sword Fray. Celest doesn’t hit any though with her main attack and Dounil only does 2 HD to the leader, 4HD -> 2HD. Fortunately the rolls for the brigands were all awful and only Celest was in danger if the attack roll had been 20, but it was 19 instead.

Round 2, Dounil fights 6 brigands and the leader, Celest fights 5. Heroes go first. Dounil kills the leader and 2 more brigands. Clest kills 2 more as well. The 7 surviving brigands fail morale and flee.

Round 3, though they are far slower with their equipment alone, the heroes cast spell Fray after them. Killing 2 more. I realise I never accounted for the caravan guards and roll 2d6 to see if the guards did HD damage, they did slay the remainder with crossbows and so the heroes don’t get XP for the remaining 5 0-level brigands.

The party ask if they can spend the night with the caravan, as they have too many people to safely escort back in the dead of night. The caravan agrees and says it would be good for them too, as the heroes were mighty and noble. The bodies were dumped some distance for the wolves and there is not any description of treasure, so none. This is a great chance to tally XP and finish the session.

XP from monsters alone: 34 level 0 brigands, 1 level 4 Fighter, 3 level 2 Fighters, 1 ogre, 1 giant snake, 1 grey ooze, 12 ghouls and 4 ghasts. IN OSE XP that is 5 x 34 + 75 + 3 x 20 + 125 + 200 + 4 x 175 = 1330/16 = 83 x 1.1 or 1.05 = 91 FXP or 87 MUXP.

5.5E to Cyberpunk RED Species Part 2 - The Supplements to Date

 Very importantly here, I am only doing the 5.5E supplements and not including Lorwyn: First Light. As that as originally concieved for the Planeshift extra line for 5E and secondly because it's not very good. With non-functioning mechanics, obtuse wording and generally horribly sanded-down content from what was a very thematically strong and and dual-focused set.

In 5.5E, skill and tool proficiencies are a binary thing. You either have it or you don't while RED is more about the skill point totals. So whenever a species description said to add proficiencies, I interpreted that as adding to a skill twhen in 5E it would be flipping a switch from equal to none.

Changeling

Creature Type: Fey

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Changeling Instincts. Thanks to your connection to the fey realm, add extra skill points equal to half your LUCK stat to two of the following skills of your choice: Acting, Dance, Human Perception, Interrogation, Persuasion, Play Instrument or Singing.

Change Shape-Shifter. As an action, you can shape-shift to change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight and can change your size between Medium (4-7 feet tall) and Small (2-4 feet tall). You can make yourself appear as a member of another playable species, though none of your game statistics change. You can't duplicate the appearance of an individual you've never seen, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs that you have. This trait doesn't change your clothing and equipment.

While shape-shifted with this trait, you have Advantage on EMP checks.

You stay in the new form until you take an action to revert to your true form.

Dhampir

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Your MOVE increase by 1

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Spider Climb. You may climb equal to your MOVE. When you reach LUCK 6, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and along ceilings while leaving your hands free.

Trace of Undeath. You have Resistance to Necrotic damage.

Change Vampiric Bite. When you use Brawling or unarmed Martial Arts and deal damage, you can choose to bite with your fangs. You deal Piercing damage equal to 2 plus half your BODY stat.

In addition, when you deal this damage to a creature that isn't a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways:

Drain. You regain Hit Points equal to the Piercing damage dealt.

Strengthen. You gain a bonus to the next stat check or attack roll you make within the next minute/20 turns; the bonus is equal to the Piercing damage dealt.

You can empower yourself with this trait a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Hexblood

Creature Type: Fey

About 4-7 feet tall) or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Eerie Token. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you can create a magical token by harmlessly removing a lock of hair, detaching a nail, or using some other method. While the token exists, you gain the following benefits:

Distant Message. As an action, you can send a telepathic message of 25 words or fewer to a creature holding or carrying the token, as long as you are within 10 miles/16 kilometres of it.

Remote Viewing. If you are within 10 miles/16 kilometres of the token, you can take an action to extend your senses through the token for 1 minute/20 turns, until you have the Incapacitated condition, or until you end this state (no action required). During this state, you can see and hear from the token as if you were located where it is. When this state ends, the token is harmlessly destroyed. Unless the token is destroyed early, it lasts until you finish a Long Rest. Once you create a token using this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Hex Magic. You always have the Disguise Self and Hex spells prepared. You can cast each spell once and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select this species).

Kalashtar

Creature Type: Aberration

About 6–7 feet tall

Dual Mind. You have Advantage on WILL + Concentration and EMP + Concentration rolls.

Mental Discipline. You have Resistance to Psychic damage.

Mind Link. You have telepathy with a range in feet equal to 5 times your LUCK stat. When you're using this trait to speak telepathically to a creature, you can take an action to give that creature the ability to speak telepathically with you for 1 hour or until you take another action to end this effect.

Severed from Dreams. You can't be the target of the Dream spell. In addition, when you finish a Long Rest, you add half your LUCK stat to a non-weapon skill. This proficiency lasts until you finish another Long Rest.

Khoravar

About 4-6 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Fey Ancestry. You have Advantage on rolls you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Change Fey Gift. You know the Friends cantrip. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace that cantrip with a different cantrip from the Cleric, Druid, or Wizard spell list. INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for it (choose the ability when you select this species).

Change Lethargy Resilience. When you fail a roll to avoid or end the Unconscious condition, you can succeed instead. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish 1d6-2 (minimum 1) Long Rests.

Skill Versatility. You can add half your LUCK stat to one non-weapon skill. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace it with another skill.

Lupin

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Feral Pounce. Damage from your Brawling attacks halves armour SP. In addition, once per turn, when you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike as part of the Attack action on your turn, the creature must make a DEX + Athletics or DEX + Dodge/Evasion roll (their choice) to avoid being pushed 1.5 yards/metres.

Change Howl. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you let out an unearthly howl. Each creature of your choice within 5 yards/metres of you must succeed on a WILL + Concentration against a DV of 11 + BODY or have Disadvantage on rolls until the start of your next turn.

You can use this trait a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Werewolf Instincts. You add half your LUCK stat to the Perception, Stealth, or Wilderness Survival skill.

Reborn

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Escaped Death. You have Advantage on Death Saves.

Change Everlasting. You are immune to the effects of Fatigue, Drowning and Asphyxiation, dehydration or malnutrition. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.

Change Knowledge from a Past Life. You add half your LUCK stat to one non-weapon skill of your choice.

In addition, you can temporarily peer into the past to aid you in the present. When you fail an ability check, you can roll 1d6 and add the number rolled to the result, potentially turning the failure into a success. You can do this a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Strange Endurance. You have Resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: Cold, Necrotic, or Poison and toxins.

Shifter

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Bestial Instincts. Channeling the beast within, you add half your LUCK stat to one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Contortionist, Interrogation, or Wilderness Survival.

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Shifting. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you can shape-shift to assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute/20 turns or until you revert to your normal appearance, in addition to any actions taken that turn. When you shift, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your LUCK stat. You can shift a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Whenever you shift, you gain the benefit of one of the following options (choose when you select this species)

Beasthide. You gain 1d6 additional Temporary Hit Points. While shifted, you have a natural 5 SP to all locations.

Longtooth. When you shift and on your other turns while shifted, once per turn, in addition to any actions taken that turn. You can use your elongated fangs as part of a Brawling or Martial Arts attack. If you hit with this attack and deal damage, you halve the SP and do 1d6 plus half your BODY stat, instead of the normal damage.

Swiftstride. While you are shifted, your MOVE increases by 2. Additionally, once per turn, you can immediately move up to 1.5 yards/metres when a creature ends its turn within 1 yards/metres of you.

Wildhunt. While shifted, you have Advantage on WILL + Concentration rolls. Additionally, no creature within 10 yards/metres of you can have Advantage on an attack roll against you unless you have the Incapacitated condition.

 

Warforged

Creature Type: Construct

About 6-8 feet tall or about 3-4 feet tall

Change Construct Resilience. You have Resistance to Poison and toxin damage. You also have Advantage on rolls to avoid or end the Poisoned condition.

Change Integrated Protection. You have a natural 5 SP on all locations. In addition, armor you have donned can't be removed against your will while you're alive.

Sentry's Rest. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 6 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state. During this time, you appear inert but remain conscious.

Change Specialized Design. You add half your LUCK stat to two non-weapon skills, one of which must be a TECH skill.

Change Tireless. You are immune to the effects of Fatigue, Drowning and Asphyxiation, dehydration or malnutrition.

And as an extra because someone asked to play one in the game:

Eladrin

(Interesting to see if this ever gets readapted between 5E and 5.5E).

Choose your eladrin's season: autumn, winter, spring, or summer. When finishing a long rest, you can change your season.

You are also considered an elf for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be an elf.

Change Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 20 yards/metres of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colours in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Change Fey Ancestry. You have Advantage on rolls you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Change Fey Step. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you can magically teleport up to 10 yards/metres to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this trait a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

When you reach LUCK 6, your Fey Step gain an additional effect based on your season; if the effect imposes a roll, the DV is 11 + your INT, WILL, or EMP modifier (choose when you select this race):

Autumn. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, up to two creatures of your choice that you can see within 3 yards/metres feet of you must succeed on a WILL + Concentration roll or be charmed by you for 1 minute/20 turns, or until you or your companions deal any damage to the creatures.

Winter. When you use your Fey Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 2 yards/metres of you before you teleport must succeed on a WILL + Concentration roll saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Spring. When you use your Fey Step, you can touch one willing creature within 1.5 yards/metres of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10 yards/metres of you.

Summer. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 1.5 yards/metres of you takes fire damage equal to half your LUCK stat.

Change Keen Senses. Add half your LUCK stat to your Perception skill.

Change Trance. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.

Whenever you finish this trance, you can change your season, and you can add half your LUCK stat to two TECH, REF or DEX skills, so long as the skill involves using a hand tool. You mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish your next long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.

5.5E to Cyberpunk RED Species Part 1 - The Players Handbook

 My holiday interrupt the tedious process of preparing for my next camapign, so I own everyone two weeks of Cyberpunk RED meets 5.5E D&D crossover fun.

Species is a stupid thing to call what was previously races, kin and ancestry would be better. Not to mention getting rid of half-Elves and half-orcs only to start trickling them back in via setting-specific supplments. It's just the equivalent of weasel words in that case. Especially as it cuts all of Greenwood and other FR author's specific Half-Elf and Half-Orc cultures out because of course FR has to be bog standard, depsite getting Greyhawk back for 5.5E, this is how they got in this mess to begin with.

5.5E really front loads the species.

For people who use metric, assume the small categories are 0.61-1.22 metres and Medium ranges up to 2.44 metres.

Aaismar

About 4-7 feet tall or 2-4 feet tall

Change Celestial Resistance. You take half damage from Necrotic damage and Radiant damage.

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Healing Hands. Healing is a number of d6 equal to Half your LUCK score.

Change Light Bearer. Casting this cantrip requires a EMP + Magic roll.

Change Celestial Revelation. If your LUCK is 6 or higher you can transform once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn using one of the options below (choose the option each time you transform). The transformation lasts for 1 minute (20 turns) or until you end it (no action required). Once you transform, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Once on each of your turns before the transformation ends, you can deal extra damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra damage equals your half your LUCK stat, and the extra damage's type is either Necrotic for Necrotic Shroud or Radiant for Heavenly Wings and Inner Radiance.

Here are the transformation options:

Change Inner Radiance. Searing light temporarily radiates from your eyes and mouth. For the duration, you shed Bright Light in a 3 yards/metres radius and Dim Light for an additional 3 yards/metres, and at the end of each of your turns, each creature within 3 yards/metres of you takes Radiant damage equal to half your LUCK.

Change Necrotic Shroud. Your eyes briefly become pools of darkness, and flightless wings sprout from your back temporarily. Creatures other than your allies within 3 yards/metres of you must succeed on a D10 + EMP + Concentration roll vs a DV of 11+ EMP or have the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn.

Dragonborn

About 5-7 feet tall

Change Breath Weapon. When you take an Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in either a 5 yards/metres Cone or a 10 yards/metres Line that is 1.5 yards/metres or 1 Square wide (choose the shape each time). Each creature in that area must make a D10 + DEX + Dodge/Evasion roll vs a DV of 11 + BODY. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d6 damage of the type determined by your Draconic Ancestry trait. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage. If your LUCK is 8, the damage is increased to 6d6. You can use this Breath Weapon a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Change Damage Resistance. You take half damage to the damage type determined by your Draconic Ancestry trait.

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Draconic Flight. If your LUCK is 8, you can channel draconic magic to give yourself temporary flight. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you sprout spectral wings on your back that last for 10 minutes or until you retract the wings (no action required) or have the Incapacitated condition. During that time, you have Flight equal to your MOVE. Your wings appear to be made of the same energy as your Breath Weapon. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Dwarf

About 4-5 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 40 yards/metres.

Change Dwarven Resilience. You take half damage to Poison and toxin damage. You also have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Poisoned condition.

Change Dwarven Toughness. Your Hit Point increases by 5.

Change Stonecunning. Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you gain Tremorsense with a range of 20 yards/metres for 10 minutes. You must be on a stone surface or touching a stone surface to use this Tremorsense. The stone can be natural or worked. You can use this a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Elf

About 5-6 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Elven Lineage. You are part of a lineage that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a lineage from the Elven Lineages table. You gain the Luck 2 benefit of that lineage.

When you reach LUCK 6 and LUCK 8, you learn a higher-level spell, as shown on the table. You always have that spell prepared. You regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest.

INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage).

Elven Lineages

Drow

LUCK 2 - The range of your Darkvision increases to 40 yards/metres. You also know the Dancing Lights cantrip.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Faerie Fire cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Darkness cantrip.

High Elf

LUCK 2 - You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace that cantrip with a different cantrip from the Wizard spell list.

LUCK 6 - You also know the Detect Magic cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Misty Step cantrip.

Wood Elf

LUCK 2 - Your MOVE increase by 1. You also know the Druidcraft cantrip.

LUCK 6 – You also know the Longstrider cantrip.

LUCK 8 - You also know the Pass without Trace cantrip.

Change Fey Ancestry. You have Advantage on rolls you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Change Keen Senses. You add half your LUCK stat to one of the following skills : Human Perception, Perception, or Wilderness Survival skill

Trance. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.

Gnome

About 3-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Gnomish Cunning. You have Advantage on WILL + Concentration and EMP + Concentration rolls.

Change Gnomish Lineage. You are part of a lineage that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose one of the following options; whichever one you choose, INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage):

Forest Gnome. You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. You also always have the Speak with Animals spell prepared. You can cast a number of times equal to half you LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Rock Gnome. You know the Mending and Prestidigitation cantrips. In addition, you can spend 10 minutes casting Prestidigitation to create a Tiny clockwork device (1 HP), such as a toy, fire starter, or music box. When you create the device, you determine its function by choosing one effect from Prestidigitation; the device produces that effect whenever you or another creature activate it with a touch once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn. If the chosen effect has options within it, you choose one of those options for the device when you create it. For example, if you choose the spell's ignite-extinguish effect, you determine whether the device ignites or extinguishes fire; the device doesn't do both. You can have three such devices in existence at a time, and each falls apart 8 hours after its creation or when you dismantle it with a touch as an action.

Goliath

About 7-8 feet tall

Your MOVE increase by 1

Change Giant Ancestry. You can use the chosen benefit a number of times equal to half your LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest:

Cloud's Jaunt (Cloud Giant). Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, you magically teleport up to 10 yards/metres to an unoccupied space you can see.

Fire's Burn (Fire Giant). When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 3d6 Fire damage to that target.

Frost's Chill (Frost Giant). When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 1d6 Cold damage to that target and reduce its MOVE by 2 until the start of your next turn.

Hill's Tumble (Hill Giant). When you hit a Large or smaller creature with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can give that target the Prone condition.

Stone's Endurance (Stone Giant). When you take damage, you can roll once per turn to immediately to roll 1d10+BODY. Reduce the damage by that total.

Storm's Thunder (Storm Giant). When you take damage from a creature within 20 yards/metres of you, you can once per turn, immediately deal 2d6 Thunder/Sonic damage to that creature.

Change Large Form. Starting at LUCK 8, you can change your size to Large Once per turn, in addition to any actions taken this turn, if you're in a big enough space. This transformation lasts for 10 minutes or until you end it (no action required). For that duration, you have Advantage on DEX + Athletics checks, and your MOVE increased by 2. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Powerful Build. You have Advantage on any ability check you make to end the Grappled condition. You also count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity.

Halfling

About 2-3 feet tall

Brave. You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Frightened condition.

Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is a size larger than you, but you can't stop in the same space.

Change Luck. When you roll a 1 on the d10 of a Skill Check Resolution (Critical Failure), you can reroll the die, and you must use the new roll.

Change Naturally Stealthy. You can take an action to hide with a Stealth roll even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Human

About 4-7 feet tall or about 2-4 feet tall

Change Resourceful. You may reroll one dice result per 24 hours, whenever you finish a Long Rest.

Change Skillful. You add half your LUCK score to your starting Skill Points.

Change Versatile. You start with 1 extra Role Rank of your choice. This can include specialities within the current role.

Orc

About 6-7 feet tall

Change Adrenaline Rush. You may choose to double MOVE stat when moving. When you do so, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to half LUCK stat. These do not stack with other subsequent Temporary Hit Points and disappear after being depleted or a Long Rest.

You can use this trait a number of times equal to half LUCK stat, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 40 yards/metres.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 Hit Point instead. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Tiefling

About 4-7 feet tall or about 3-4 feet tall

Change Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 20 yards/metres.

Change Fiendish Legacy. You are the recipient of a legacy that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a legacy from the Fiendish Legacies table.

When you reach character LUCK 6 and LUCK 8, you learn a higher-level spell, as shown on the table. You always have that spell prepared. You regain the ability to cast it when you finish a Long Rest.

INT, WILL, or EMP is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage).

Fiendish Legacies

Abyssal

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Poison or toxin damage. You also know the Poison Spray cantrip.

LUCK 6 - Ray of Sickness

LUCK 8 - Hold Person

Chthonic

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Necrotic damage. You also know the Chill Touch cantrip.

LUCK 6 - False Life

LUCK 8 - Ray of Enfeeblement

Infernal

LUCK 2 - You have Resistance to Fire damage. You also know the Fire Bolt cantrip.

LUCK 6 - Hellish Rebuke

LUCK 8 - Darkness

Otherworldly Presence. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. When you cast it with this trait, the spell uses the same spellcasting ability you use for your Fiendish Legacy Trait.

AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 12

Still Day 161

Riding horses go at 45 miles a day I decided. So, they cross one and a half flat 30-mile hexes per day. On the Darlene map I would have them ride for Narwell then across the lower part of the Gnarley Forest, then turn north from Hommlet. But Anna Meyer’s more detailed map shows they should turn off prior to Narwell or make a big detour from arriving in Narwell then pass through some small woodland settlements on the High Road. To be consistent with both, they will make time across the flatlands of the Wild Coast and go north to the High Road from Narwell. They reach the bend in the Selintan where One Ford and Crossford are. But as they are not on the map, nor is there a mention of a bridge, they ford it the next morning. No random encounters, not lost on signposted roads.

Day 162

Rations 12/14, they ford the Selintan, which takes them half a day and so they can only move to the edge of the hex. As they are camping now, there is a night encounter roll as well, but neither have an encounter. Not lost now they are beyond civilisation.

Day 163

Rations 10/14, no encounters in the day or night and not lost.

Day 164

Rations 8/14, only 15 miles to Narwell now. They will stop there for the night. However, that day they unfortunately come across one of the many hazards of the Wild Coast, a lair of four trolls. But they are not lost.

Neither are surprised so the encounter starts 160 yards away.

Round 1, the trolls win initiative and charge from their ill-concealed stinking hollow, moving 120 yards forward. The pair decide to trust fate and steel and swing down from the panicking horses, drawing swords and firing spell bolts into the front. First troll HD 6->4.

Round 2, equal initiative and a meeting in the middle of claws, teeth and swords. 9 HD of damage dealt to the trolls, they deal 2 HP damage to Dounil and 5 HP to Celest. First troll HD 4->0 (for now), 2^nd troll HD 6->4, Dounil HP 18->16 and Celest HP 7->2.

Round 3, The heroes win initiative by 1, Dounil tells Celest to get back after her attack. Fray defeats the wounded troll, no swords hit. Troll 1 - 1/3 till it starts healing, troll 2 – 0/3. Trolls bite once and claw for 5 HP damage to Dounil, HP 16->11.

Round 4, heroes win initiative, both swords land and do 6 HD, disabling another troll but remaining one does 3 damage to Dounil, HP 11->8. Troll 1 - 2/3 till it starts healing, troll 2 – 1/3 and troll 3 – 0/3.

Round 5, troll wins initiative, does 2 damage to Dounil HP 8-> 6. 6 HD in return disables the last one. Now they lack oil to burn the bodies, so they are forced to grab their frightened horses and flee. Bandaging around the campfire, Dounil HP 6->8 and Celest HP 2-> 4. No XP can be awarded as the trolls were merely inconvenienced and no treasure could be taken from their lair.

It is further tragic they encounter something again at night. 12 Wolves who smell blood and are probably part dog considering how long civilisation has endured in Grayhawk. And so are unafraid of people. They surprise the party at 10 yards. There is one advantage, the reaction roll is 10 Indifferent, may negotiate. How to negotiate with a wolf?

Dump all the rations far away with a well-aimed throw and move the horses to the fire. Cast light on the fire so it glows like day. That’s enough to sacrifice to keep the wolves at bay for a sleepless and sore night.

Day 165

0/14 rations, not even iron rations. It’s a hungry and tired set of riders who stagger into Narwell. They pay 1sp to enter and another for the horses, they take a shared room with food and pay for 2gp a night another 4gp for the stabling. 62sp just to get somewhere safe, let alone recoup. Now they have 1402sp. To rest 10 days more will cost them 600sp, they won’t get another chance, but Celest is most unhappy.

Day 176

They set off again with 2 weeks of fresh rations 14/14, costing Celest another 100sp for 702sp remaining. The horse fodder has been eaten during stabling, but now they are fine to graze them. If not, they will just turn them loose. They only make it to the edge of the wooded hex with the forest slowing them. Luckily there are no encounters, nor are they lost.

Day 177

Rations 12/14, neither lost nor encounter anything in the day or night.

Day 178

They begin rising into the wood hills now, fortunately not imposing any additional penalties in OSE. Rations 10/14, neither lost nor encounter anything in the day or night.

Day 179

Rations 8/14. They are lost but fortunately are going where they thought they were going, that does means as the wander off the High Road, they encounter something during the day. 100 elves and their leaders, arrayed for patrol emerge from the woods where their clan hall lies. Dounil and Celest being half-elves, hail them in Elvish. That raises their reaction from 5 to 7, making them uncertain about wander strangers. Dounil and Celest quickly relate their tale. The elves do remember defeating the temple forces at the Battle of Emridy Meadows some 7 years ago. They redirect them back to the road.

Day 180

Rations 6/14. They repeat the same mistake and wander off the road but still in the right direction, leading to another day encounter. This time it’s a tribe of Woodmen in their long hall and palisade. While neutral in alignment and indifferent in rection once they hear the friendly Elvish greeting. They hold no love for the Temple and its humanoids, and once again direct the pair on the High Road.

Day 181

Rations 4/14. They are lost again and wander south. Dounil is sure they should be at the abandoned farmstead by now and they make camp, only to encounter something in the dark. It said to use the standard encounter table, so I will assume it being forest overrides the green hill icon. They are not surprised by the approach of 3 huge spiders at 120 yards through the undergrowth.

Round 1, the spiders move first, advancing 180 yards to attack, no hit. Dounil’s Fray kills one and his sword kills another. Celest is suffering from still being level 1. The spider just passes morale and keeps at it, not yet processing its companions’ deaths.

Round 2, The spider is hacked to bits by the pair with great vigour.

Day 182

Rations 2/14. They figure out their location and become unlost, they are still 1 hex away from their destination, so they can make it today. No encounter that day or in the night. They reach the abandoned farm and barn as night closes. They put the horses in the barn and settle down within some crumbling walls.

Day 183

Rations 0/14, Celest is told who to contact in Nulb to assure people they have returned and are going to tear into the temple. She also needs to buy another week of supplies. Dounil will scout the tunnel. It is [8:00].

Celest rides to Nulb and finds it as bad as described. She stables her horse with Otis and tells him she is friends with the blonde half-elf. Otis tells her it’s good, the temple is back up from whatever blow that was dealt, and not to breathe who her friend is here. Mother Scragg is please and let’s her know she can get healing if she does well. Celest buys 1 week of rations for 7 days, trying to keep that fact she has 50sp on her to a minimum. She says she is a woodsman looking for a lost family member who joined a bandit group a year ago.

Dounil searches out the tunnel. He cannot find the bandit leader’s body, which would be normal in an active woodland after 121 days. But not even gear. Entering the tunnel, he does not spend 20 turns moving and resting but 5 turns of movement, 1 turns of rest and 1 more turn to reach the trapdoor at [9:10], which is shut. Activating the mechanism, he finds the formerly rich bedroom in the tower stripped bare.

Here I must digress a bit from the narrative. The temple is an active site, and the rules are clear that no only are foes replenished if not killed fast enough and their leader still lives. But the numbers grow beyond the listed of appearing. But that is listed after the section where Dounil first entered the tower and left for his extended detour. And I am inclined for purposes of keeping the game manageable, that merely all encounters (bar the harpies/ghouls/ghasts) have replenished.

Dounil can hear with a heavy heart the sound of rancorous men below. The brigands have reoccupied the tower. He makes a strategic retreat, the tunnel is not safe, and neither is the cottage. At [10:30], ten minutes after returning, Celest appears and Dounil discusses the problem. Celest’s opinion: sharpen by delays, near-death and costs; is that if Dounil did them in last time, he can do them in again.

OK, follow behind and this time they’ll split the loot evenly. Accompanying Dounil, Celest makes good time, she questions why they don’t camp in this cave instead once, they clear the brigands and Dounil said he doesn’t know what lives there. Celest said they can double-check it later. At [11:40], they are peaking through the trapdoor and entering the old bedroom. Dounil will turn invisible and begin to kill, Celest will wear her Elven Cloak and shoot with the bow to take out any crossbowmen first. The door opens and another tower of slaughter begins.

The brigands fail to see through Celest and they really fail to see Dounil, who might not have surprise but cannot be seen. For convenience of the module increasing the danger of foes after the initial encounter, I will assume everyone is already armed and assembled in Room 1, the Main Room or their watchposts.

Surprise round, Dounil rolls a 1 on the attack, as his go wide charging down the stairs. He kills a guard though with his Fray. Celest’s arrow may have failed to penetrate, but these crossbowmen are level 0 and so her Fray chops down 2 of the 4.

Round 1, the brigands rally and attack, going first. A crossbowman firing point blank hits Celest without off her magic shield. Doing 2 damage, HP 7->5. No spears and bows down in the room, just maces and swords and they try to beat Dounil to death and stab what is left. 3 men on each side for 12 attacks against him, 8 footmen, 2 sergeants and 2 lieutenants.

They roll a 19 and three 18s, but it’s not enough to penetrate the magic armour and shield. The other 12 wait to see. Dounil slashes and Frays and 4 footmen die. Celest kills the remaining Crossbowmen and is ready to fire into the crowd below.

Round 2, equal initiative. Dounil will kill a lieutenant and another footman. The footmen, sergeants and lieutenants will be unable to penetrate. The four dead footmen will be filled with the 4 surviving guards, one who hits Dounil for 2 damage, HP 18->16. Celest will pick at the leader hanging back and fire Spell Fray at him too, doing 2 HD of damage, HD6->4. He directs the 4 archers to fire at Celest, who of course cannot have her +2 shield out, so she merely has an AC of 1. All miss.

Round 3, the heroes go first and Dounil kills the other lieutenant and a sergeant. Celest shoots at the archers, killing all 4. The remaining brigands pile into Dounil, the leader hoping his 6H means he can hit Dounil well, he can but he lacks the multiple attacks that make ghouls and trolls so frightful. No one hits Dounil.

Round 4, equal initiative, Dounil has a bad round, missing and rolling a 1 on his Fray, his aim is getting worse as the blood and tumult grows. A guard and footman do 1 damage apiece with short and longsword, HP 16->14. Celest misses the leader but her magical Fray does 1 HD damage, HD4->3.

Round 5, equal initiative again, Dounil kills the leader and the other sergeant. Celest kills 3 footmen.

Round 6, the brigands finally get a go, the 5 surviving brigands fail morale and move to open the door and escape into the courtyard. Dounil gives chase and kills 2, Celest fires from the arrow slits and kills 1 more.

Round 7, the brigands are faster, but Dounil and Celest can cast magic. Their Fray finish off the last 2. Not great though for the Giant Ravens know who their friends are and are coming to attack Dounil. He is not surprised for the roll means he remembered the ravens have an optical illusion.

Round 8, there are 16 giant ravens, each with 3 HD. Fortunately Celest is inside the tower, but random encounters for the daytime will be rolled as the fighting goes on. Luckily the heroes roll 1 more than the ravens for initiative. As the ravens come in to peck and claw, Dounil does 3 HD and kills one. Celest fires arrow and spell but is running out of arrows, she’ll need to take a round to scavenge some from downstairs and another to return up. She does 2 HD, Giant Raven 3->1.

A vertical square is still a square, so 3 raven attack, doing 1 damage, HP 16->15.

Round 9, Ravens go first and none hit, Dounil kills 1 and the wounded one. Celest scavenges.

Round 10, Dounil kills 2 more Ravens. Celest returns to the firing position, a whole turn has passed so I roll for a random encounter. Nothing. No ravens hit. Dounil cannot take much more, he will retreat next turn.

Round 11, Raven goes first and do 2 damage to Dounil, HP 15->13. Dounil makes a fighting retreat to the doorway, killing 1 and wounding another HD 3->2. Celest only hits it with magic, HD 2->1.

Inside, things are grim. Everyone will know they are here, they can’t assault the temple now and the brigands will easily be able to put together how they got in. They bandage, HP 13->15 and HP 5->7.

Celest says they have one option, kill the ravens and stop the noise, then ambush whoever comes out of the tunnel when they go looking for them. It’s a plan but Dounil is incredibly tired. But this is D&D not GURPS, so he’ll just have to bear the fatigue.

He opens the door again and faces the ravens cawing on the ground for their dead kin.

Round 1, Dounil charges forth and does 5 HD of damage, killing one, killing the wounded one and doing 1 HD damage to one more, HD 3->2. Celest fires from the doorway, killing the newly wounded one. Also 60 giant rats are approaching across the ground from 130 yards away.

But now 3 ravens can attack on the ground, 3 in the air and the rest from the sides. Dounil takes 1 HP damage, HP 15->14.

I then realise Celest has a maximum HP of 8 and so she should have had 1 more from Darkshelf onwards, this is corrected, she has 8 HP now.

Round 2, The giant ravens attack and do 3 HP damage, HP 14->11. The rats are almost to the carcasses. Only Celest manages to hit anything with her magical Fray, doing 1 HD to a raven, HD 3->2.

Round 3, Dounil and Celest go first, the sword killing 2 raven and the range killing another. Rats begin to swarm the carcasses for a round, forcing the 3 ravens on the ground to lift off. Dounil backs towards the door. The ravens dive bomb doing 3 damage to Dounil, HP 11->8

Round 4, The heroes kill another and wound 1, HD 3->2. Dounil shuts the door. Preventing the rats from entering.

As they bandage, they take stock. HP 8->10 and remains at 8. They need to kill the giant ravens but are prevented by the rats. The decide to go and search the brigand’s materials. Looking at the torches, Dounil thinks he can levitate up there and ignite the nests. But how would he get down?
Celest would provide covering fire for him. It’s crazy but it might work as it will last 90 minutes for him.

After an hour [12:00], the rats look like they have subsided.

Round 1, Opening the door, Dounil rises at a rate of 20 feet per round, he seems to shrink though he is nearly at the top of a 25 foot tower.

Round 2, Dounil is now level with the top and he sees the giant ravens nest in the timbers caused by the collapse of the thid story into the second. He throws the torch and the 3 remaining ravens take off the strike him out of the air. They do no damage.

Round 3, Dounil descends to 5 feet above the ground, he cannot hit nor does his Fray have any effect, Celest misses too but her spell hurts the injured one, HD 2->1.

Round 4, Celest kills the wounded one and wounds another, HD 3->1, it is finished off by Dounil’s Fray as he touches down. The remaining giant raven divebombs Celest but misses.

Round 5, Celest’s arrow and Dounil’s Fray kill the last. That took way too long for everyone.

There is a deeper problem, if the tower was reinforced, then they knew about the tunnel and the old farmhouse. It was probably only logistics that prevented brigand horses being present when the pair arrived. That means their sleeping area isn’t safe and if there was an affray such as what has happened here, they would check there and Nulb. Which is what sending Celest only was supposed to prevent. They are stuck, unless they can ambush the person who checks the farm.

Scavenging the bodies gets them: 63cp, 96sp, 24ep, 35gp, 47pp and the XP is 92 FXP and 87 MUXP.

Celest rests in preparation for that night. Dounil takes the horses some several miles away and makes a cold camp while Celest hides in a tree with a view of the well with her cloak of Elvenkind.

She sees nothing all night.

Day 184

The next morning, Celest rolls her find secret doors roll and sees footprints around the well. Someone who they couldn’t see was here, but could that person see them while hidden?