DCCRPG: Elven Corruption tables!

I love DCCRPG's Corruptions rules. However, like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) before that, I always felt that Elves deserved their own rules and tables. In my previous WFRP, I always liked to think that other races acquired corruption and mutations... but not Elves, these become more unearthly and daemon-like with every spell. I took a similar approach to DCCPRG and I hope you like it.

All DCCRPG's Corruption rules work as normal, except that you roll on the following tables:

Elven Minor Corruption

1 or lower - Sundered Spirit. If the character sees their reflection, they must pass a Luck check or lose their “elvenness”. They become mortal-like, losing Infravision and Heightened Senses (and being terribly mocked by other elves). If they fumble their Luck check, they become bent and monstrous, with coarse hair, mottled skin, sickly yellow eyes, and spindly limbs (yes, goblin- or orc-like). Either way, the condition lasts for one day.

2 - Oathbound. If the character breaks a promise or lies, they suffer 1 point of damage, and their discomfort and pain are visible to all witnesses.

3 - New vulnerability. Roll 1d4: (1) silver; (2) dead wood; (3) holy water and holy symbols (icon magic cast on the character always causes 1 point of damage); (4) hyperallergic to iron, suffering 1 point of damage per round of contact (but they can feel the presence of iron objects within 10 feet of them).

4 - The character’s shadow acts independently of their current physical form, often hinting at intentions the character harbours secretly in their heart.

5 - Magic Eater: the character must feed on magic to survive. They must eat the flesh of a magical creature or a magic-touched plant or lose 1d3 Stamina. They can also drain one charge from a magical item they currently hold, drink a potion (without gaining its benefits), or even “devour” one of their spells (the spell becomes Lost). Magical creatures feel the character’s hunger and are usually hostile to the elf.

6 - Vulnerable to the Grotesque: if the character must interact (talk, touch, etc.) with the ugly, the monstrous, or the infirm (Judge’s call), they suffer 1 point of damage per minute. Attacking and killing such “unfortunate creatures” is OK.

7 - Voice affected. Roll 1d6: (1) voice sounds like one or more people talking at the same time; (2) clearly demonic-like, scaring small animals and children; (3) sounds like the last intelligent being the character killed (yes, it changes); (4) comes from a random place within 1d6 ft. of the character (if necessarily rolls 1d12 to ascertain direction); (5) unearthly beautiful, draws attention from other intelligent creatures when spoken; (6) character can only speak in whispers.

8 - Skin affected. Roll 1d5: (1) deadly cold and often with a white or bluish hue, will cause frostbite if touching another living creature for 1 minute or more (character gains +1 bonus against cold); (2) feverish hot with a red hue, often releasing tiny bits of steam when the character is nervous or tired; (3) vividly green, with the occasional vine or leaf growing on it; (4) bone white; (5) obsidian-like or purple.

9 - Hair affected. Roll 1d4: (1) hair turns bone white; (2) animates and moves on it own; (3) hair falls out completely; (4) grows as long as the character is tall and remains at that length even if cut (any hair cut quickly rots, turn to dust, evaporates into smoke etc.)

10+ - Character passes out. He is unconscious for 1d6 hours or until awakened by vigorous means.

Elven Major Corruption

1 or lower - Addicted to Magic. The character always awakes looking like an old, hollowed marionette or wooden sculpture, as if they were never alive. Their skin is cracked and dry, their movements are spasmodic and erratic, and their voice echoes as if nothing was inside them. They have a -4 penalty to Strength, Agility, and Personality. This situation remains until they cast their first spell. Each successful cast spell reduces that penalty by 1 (and can, actually, become a bonus, to a maximum of +2). The bonus lasts until the character rests, which then resets the original penalty.

2 - Prideful Magic. The character leeks power and magic around them. If they stay for more than one hour in the same area, things start to change to appear like the character. Usually this affects inanimate structures, like the floor and the walls. The first signs shows up in the floor, the wall, or ceiling. They look like an outline of character’s face or appearance. If the character sleeps or spend around 8 hours in the same area, their distorted will now shapes almost an entire duplicate of them somewhere. In a cave, this could result in a rough sculpture of the character growing out of a stalactite; in a forest this could be on the ground, in a tree, or even as ripples in a lake. The character leaves their mark where they pass. If they spend an entire day in roughly the same area, there is a 50% chance that a random elemental (DCCRPG p. 411) will appear with their appearance. Pride does not accept equality. The elemental will try to kill their “copy” (i.e., the character).

3 - Unmoored from Time. Crucial moments in the character’s life create time echoes or duplicates, showing other fates that the character might have attempted. These copies are ghost-like and ephemeral, usually disappearing in mere seconds, but they leave the character open to paradoxes. Every time the character spends Luck, they generate 1d3 time echoes. These copies don’t interfere with reality at all, disappearing in one round. However, if they are hit, attacked, or grappled (same AC as the character), the character suffers the same fate.

4 - Naturebound. The character only benefits from rest if touching “living” natural land. They will not recover damage, fatigue, or spells if within constructions or any kind of worked material (such as stone or wood).

5 - Aspected. The character’s general appearance, including skin tone, hair, and eyes, or maybe even clothes, crackle with energy of a type associated with the spells he most commonly casts. The energy could manifest as flames, lightning, cold waves etc. Even their other spells start to look like this main aspect.

6 - Fading. The character becomes bizarrely thin, tall (around 7 ft.), and frail. Their weight doesn’t change and may diminish a bit. The character seems “stretched” and unreal, as something that is slowly fading. Most Referee characters will forget about the character after they are gone or remember the encounter vaguely. The character gains +1 Die Step bonus for stealth checks but must spend 1 Luck point to be remembered by a Referee character.

7 - Demonic taint. Roll 1d3: (1) The character’s fingers elongate into claws, and he gains an attack for 1d6 damage; (2) the character’s feet transform into cloven hoofs; (3) the character’s legs become goat-like.

8 - The character’s skin constantly emits a silvery glow, as if reflecting strong moonlight. The character emits light in a 6 ft. radius. Stealth is hard for them (unless completely covered). The bonus is that any invisible creature within their aura is outlined. The character cannot become invisible.

9 - Horns grow on the character’s forehead. Roll 1d7: (1) goat-like; (2) bull-like; (3) antlers; (4) living wood, with thorns and vines; (5) small mithril horns (the character’s skeleton is now of mithril, granting them a +2 permanent bonus to Fort saves but making them a tempting target); (6) an alicorn grows on their forehead (it is valuable in many rituals but its removal will kill the character); (7) clearly demonic, glowing with runes (but might help the character get along with demons and cultists).

10+ - The character acquires a strong smell that can be easily identified within 30 ft. of them (but cannot be used to pinpoint their location). Roll 1d5: (1) cinnamon; (2) sulphur; (3) myrrh; (4) wet earth and rain; (5) the smell associated with the most tragic moment of a creature’s life. The character acquires empathic sensitivities and can “smell” the strongest emotion in a scene with a Luck check (if they fail, they also lose 1 Luck point).

Elven Greater Corruption

1 or lower - Soulless: The character is a mockery of an elf, with a dark void where their spirit should be. They exude an aura of wrongness that can chill the bones of the darkest assassin. They must always save to resist icon magic (even if beneficial). They are instantly taken by a Chaos or Daemonic Power (in the most spectacular faction) when either their hit points or Luck reach 0 (with as much collateral damage as the Judge likes). They can always use one of their Action Die to inflict a supernatural dread upon a target that can see them (Will save DC 15). Frightened creatures run away for one hour and if cornered fight at a -4 attack penalty. A target can only be affected once and this ability won’t work in demons, dragons, or the un-dead.

2 - Fated to Elfland. The character starts losing 1 permanent point of Luck per month. Once it reaches Luck 0, they can no longer resist the lure of Elfland and disappear from the world. A pact with a demon might save them from that (if that is worth it). While fated to Elfland, the character becomes immune to charms or illusions.

3 - Doomed. The character is considered to have Luck 0 for all purposes. If they want to use their Luck points, they must first Invoke Patron and ask for such (temporary) boon, after negotiating with their patron. Usually, a good pact would give them access to Luck points for 1d6 nights. On the bright side, they are immune to curses.

4 - Bestial Mien. The character gains canines, small claws, and their voice carries a growl. They scare animals as if they were predators. Divide the character’s hit points into 4 equal parts (any leftovers can go into the 4th part). When they reach ¾ of their total hit points, the character becomes visibly more bestial, gaining either scales or fur and acquiring a bent posture. They gain a bite natural attack of 1d10 and can track by smell. If they fall below ½ their total hit points, they gain claw attacks for 1d8 of damage (and one extra 1d14 Action Die to use only for one of such attacks) and +2 to AC. They cannot grasp normal weapons or manipulate objects. Their speech is barely intelligible and magic that requires verbal components has a 25% of fumble. If they fall to their last ¼ total hit points, they enter into a bestial fury, gaining +5 hit points and a +2 to all attacks, damage, and saving throws while in combat. They must succeed at a Will DC 10 to stop attacking and will attack allies if nothing else remains.

5 - Souldrinker. The character emanates a palpable aura of dread, the kind that kill plants and spoils food. They are considered unholy to Law and Neutral clerics. Every living creature that stays 1 minute or more within 6 ft. of them loses 1d4 hit points (and the character heals 1 hit point). Every time the character kills a living creature in melee they also heal 1 hit point. The character stops healing naturally.

6 - Corrupted Body. Odd or even: (Odd) your body is covered in bark or vines and you can sustain yourself with sunlight and water (but suffer double damage from fire); (Even) your body becomes cold and crystal-like, like ice, your face loses all features leaving only shinning cold eyes (you can still speak and hear normally), and your movements sound like crystal vibrating (you don’t need to eat anymore, is immune to cold, but suffer double damage from iron)

7 - Planar Instability. The character’s essence becomes alien to the material plane and they suffer planar instability, existing between here and there. If the character fumbles or rolls the best possible number in an Action Die, right after those consequences, they become incorporeal for 1d3 rounds. They can pass through walls and are vulnerable to magic attacks (and can affect corporeal targets with magic) but are otherwise impossible to affect the material plane. If they materialize inside anything solid, they must succeed at a Fort save DC 15 or suffer 6d6 points of damage (success means half damage).

8 - Obscure Geas. During your learnings, you might have committed yourself to unseen pacts and masters. Every time your cast Invoke Patron you must pass a Luck check. If you fail, you summon a random patron (Judges: use your favourite list, I know you have one). The entity briefly touches your mind and you must quickly negotiate some favour with it before rolling.

9 - Ironbound. Iron becomes a complete anathema to you. You suffer 1d6 points of damage by merely touching it. If you are hit by iron weapons increase the damage by 1d6. If you touch or were hit by iron you must spend 1 Luck or lose access to spellcasting for 1d3 rounds. Your magic can never affect iron. You can NEVER affect iron. For example, if something as small as an iron nail is placed over your palm, your hand instantly falls to the ground and you cannot move it (but you can cut your hand off to survive).

10+ - Servant of Chaos. The character’s forehead is branded with a symbol of Chaos, clearly marking their allegiance to the Eternal Struggle. Law and Neutral iconic magic used in the character is always considered a sinful use of divine power. Worse, the character is bound by old rules and cannot attack or otherwise hold a servant of Chaos unless they are attacked first.

Playing with Luck

One of the coolest rules of DCCRPG is, of course, Luck.

It is quite ironic that it was one of the first that I changed in my first long DCCRPG, which I ran for years, and I am tempted to return at some point. I loved how RPG campaigns become their own unique thing and that DCCPRG game is a fine example. By the end of it, we had played through a lot of modules, created our own adventures, and the party became considerably powerful, becoming movers and shakers in their little corner of the world (with the highest PCs around 5-6th level). By now I joke with the table that our game is “DCCRPG 2.5”. You can find a bit about those rules here and here (and yes, these are not the final rules, but they give you an idea of my insanity).

Alas, I digress (sorry, old habits… especially now that I am older). We are talking about Luck and love on how EASY it is hack rules and variants. DCC Lankhmar has some of my all-time favourites. Here are a few other ideas:

All or Nothing: one of my favourites. Once per game session, a PC can ask for “all or nothing” when burning Luck. Ask the player to choose heads or tails and toss a coin. If the PC wins, they gain double the amount of Luck burned. If they lose, the burned Luck goes to the Judge, and they don’t gain any benefit from it.

Bold Deeds: once per session, a PC can propose some wild stunt or deed. It must be something that excites everyone (particularly the Judge) and they CAN’T burn Luck on that action. It must be an action which requires one or more Action Dies to accomplish. It must have a serious consequence, complications, or a considerable DC (Judge’s call). It must follow the Rule of Cool. Each table will set its own rules. Personally, a warrior blindfolding themselves to fight a dragon sounds stupid to me, but the same warrior claiming that they will CLIMB the dragon and strike it in the head sounds AWESOME! (and deserves this rule). If they accomplish the action, grant them 1d3 Luck points.

Devil’s Bargain: when a PC fails a test, they can burn 1d3 points of Luck plus their character level to reroll the check. There is only one catch – if they miss the roll it is automatically considered a fumble (i.e. a natural 1). Each PC can only do this once per check. Yes, it isn’t worth it for high-level PCs.

Fighting in Spirit: totally stolen from 13th Age. If a PC is unconscious, paralyzed, or otherwise out of action, their player can still intervene in an encounter ONCE. Let them briefly narrate how the memory of their character or something that they did or said inspired one of their party allies to go beyond. The fallen PC can burn Luck to benefit their buddy, but they can only burn 1d7 points (to their limit of Luck). This helps players otherwise out of action keep their action in the game. Feel free to change the dice.

It is just a flesh wound: after suffering damage, if they are still alive, the PC can burn 1d3 Lucks to declare that the hit is a potential “flesh wound”. Ask the player to write down the amount of damage suffered. If they can catch their breath, even if just for one minute, half of the damage taken disappears (it was not serious, just bruises and cuts, etc.). Of course, if the damage was healed (such as by magic) before that then the Luck was spent for nothing. PCs can use this as often as they like, but each new attempt increases the cost of Luck points, following the Die Chain. Once everyone has an entire night of rest in a safe spot the Die Chain resets (this might be too much note-keeping for some tables).
Karma: the first time in an encounter that a PC fumbles or suffers a critical hit, if they survive, they regain 1 point of Luck. I like this rule because it means that even a failure has other interesting consequences.

The Eternal Struggle: this one highlights the eternal war between Law, Balance, and Chaos. The first time in an encounter that you kill a creature considered “unholy” to your alignment you regain 1 point of Luck (check DCCRPG p.32, “Unholy Creatures” in “The Gods of the Eternal Struggle” table). I think this brings the theme to the forefront, instead of just using Table 7-9 (DCCRPG p. 361).

KNOCK! Character Quirks

That KNOCK! is a great source of Old School material and an interesting curation of stuff otherwise available online is nothing new. However, what I never forget about KNOCK! was when I received my zine #2 in the mail and it came with a beautiful bookmark with a range of prebuilt OSE characters. That the art was great was also nothing new… however, each pre-build character came with a unique quirk or special power. The most fascinating bit about this is that – to the best of my limited knowledge – it was never explained or otherwise mentioned. I’m not sure if I ever saw another Merry Mushmen material with the same idea (although I don’t have everything they ever published, so I might be wrong here).

Anyway… what is so cool about those Quirks? Well, they are simple and IMHO very flavourful. Here is the list:

Back from the dead: ignored by undead with HD 1 or 2. Cannot be magically healed.
Berserker at will: +2 to hit , -2 penalty to AC until the end of the encounter. 1-in-6 per round he attacks his closest ally.
Changeling: can cast a random 1st-level M-U spell every day. Has a -2 penalty to saves vs spells.
Demon’s child: bat wings under his cape (as feather fall, at will). Must drink human blood before memorizing spells.
Shapechanger: the PC can polymorph into a small bird once per day. Loses 1d100 XP every time.
Warrior Lineage: can invoke ancestors in combat, +4 to hit and damage until the end of the fight. Loses 1 Wisdom point permanently every time.

As you can see they are not very systematic or even balanced against each other, but I JUST LOVE the flavour and many narrative implications (and in-game uses) that they offer.

Let’s try to create a few more (as neutral as possible so they can be used with any class.. yes, I know they are not as cool as the original ones):

7^th Son of a 7^th son (or 7^th Daughter of a 7^th daughter): you can resist lycanthrope. If ever inflicted with lycanthropy, won’t become a referee character. You only transform into a were-creature under a full night moon (if you are outside), with a 1-in-6 per round chance of keeping control. Otherwise, you are a normal character.

Gold Nose: you can smell gold and gems within 30 feet. Can’t pinpoint it but can guess the volume. You usually have a prominent or big nose.

Identical Twins: you are actually two identical people. You share the same pool of HPs, spells, and any class ability (you have the same class). If you fall to 0 hit points or less, both twins die. You can only ever cast a spell or use a magical ability once per round. If you are separated from your twin for 1 turn or more, both of you roll with disadvantage on all dice. You need +25% XP to level up.

Loved by the moon: you are loved by the moon. Moonlight automatically causes you to levitate (like a potion of levitation). 

Made of wood or clay: you are some kind of golem or manikin shaped like a humanoid. You look like a normal person until you fall below half your full hit points, then you scare most people on reaction rolls. You don’t need to eat or to sleep (but still must rest) – pick one. You take double fire damage.  

Polymorphed animal: you can speak the tongue of birds, mammals, reptiles, or fish (pick one) and can try to avoid combats with their original type of animal. You have a tell-tale mark of your animal origin. In areas where magic doesn’t work or is cancelled, you revert back to their animal forms (equipment and clothes fall off) but you keep your intellect.

Sin-Eater: after 1 turn touching a living creature you can transfer 1d6 hit points of damage from them to you. Get weird flashes or fragments of a random sin committed by the target (the target knows this).

Sold your soul: you are immune to energy drain and charm. Cannot be raised from dead and must roll a saving throw to negate magical healing. Can be turned by clerics as if undead. Scares animals and children.