Bestiarum vocabulum – K’ell Hunter

No, this blog isn’t dead (but my free time surely is). Anyway, I’ve (finally!) managed to finish the wonderful Malazan Book of the Fallen decalogy just a few months ago. And yes, this fantasy series is amazing! (it also demands a lot of time, curiosity and patience). Erikson blended High Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery tropes in a unique way with various and interesting twists – like the amazing time scales, the anthropological approach and the total disregard for heroic/villainous convections…

SPOILER ALERT!!! [beginning]

…Actually, one can argue that Erikson both succeeds and fails dramatically (no pun intended) at the series’ climax. Generally, through the various novels, it’s hard to say that a certain character is evil or good. From the cruelest deities (like Soliel) to the most moral-driven characters (like Mappo), Erikson pulls amazing and unexpected perspectives (and let’s not even get into more complex things like Sandalath, Draconus etc.). In other words, I was a little disappointed with the Forkrul Assail at the end. While Erikson does gives us a good insight at their alien mindset in Reaper’s Gale, the Assails as shown in the 10th book are mostly your usual racist villainous bastards (even with monologues and doomsday-weapon schemes). I was expecting a little more (yeah, I’m spoiled… blame Erikson). However, you have to congratulate the man for the awesome and unique twist surrounding the Crippled God plot. After that, I’m must say that I couldn’t care less about the Assails’ characterization. What Erikson did was incredible. Think about it – it was like reading Lord of the Rings and learning, at the end, that Sauron was actually the victim and that the Fellowship’s mission was to redeem/save him! Oh, my campaigns will become really crazy now

SPOILER ALERT!!! [end]

I still intent to post stuff on this tower, however, due to my latest schedule I’ll probably post just once or (hopefully) twice per month. Although my blogging has been failing me, my games are still going strong, thanks Crom! (…and I must confess that between keeping a blog and gaming I much prefer the later, sorry). Our Curse of the Crimson Throne is reading to its long awaited end (we’re hopefully finishing Skeletons of Scarwall this weekend) and tomorrow I’m running my second Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (via Google Hangout). If things keep going this good, I’m hoping to play a little Numenera and to run a short FATE-powered Pacific Rim game in October.

Bestiarum vocabulum – K’ell Hunter 

“How to describe such a demonic entity? When upright, it would have balanced on two hugely muscled hind legs, reminiscent to that of a shaba, the flightless bird found on the isles of the Draconean Archipelago, yet in comparison much larger here. The hip level of the fiend, when standing, would have been at a man’s eye level. Long-tailed, the weight of the fiend’s torso evenly balanced by its hips, thrusting the long neck and head far forward, the spine made horizontal. Two long forelimbs, thickly bound in muscle and hardened scales providing natural armour, ended, not in grasping talons or hands, but enormous swords, iron-bladed, that seemed fused, metal to bone, with the wrists. The head was snouted, like that of a crocodile, such as those found in the mud of the southern shoreline of the Bluerose Sea, yet again, here much larger. Desiccation had peeled the lips back to reveal jagged rows of fangs, each one dagger-long. The eyes, clouded with approaching death, were nonetheless uncanny and alien to our senses. The Atri-Preda, bold as ever, strode forward to deliver the fiend from its suffering, with a sword thrust into the soft tissue of its throat. With this fatal wound, the fiend loosed a death cry that struck us with pain, for the sound it voiced was beyond our range of hearing, yet it burst in our skulls with such ferocity that blood was driven from our nostrils, eyes and ears".

- Factor Breneda Anict

(Expedition into the Wildland - Official Annals of Pufanan Ibyris)

K'ell Hunter by ~jeanfverreault

K’ell Hunter                                                              CR 9 (6,400 XP)
N Large Dragon (K’Chain Che’Malle)
Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, termorsense 30ft.; Perception +20

DEFENSE
AC 29, touch 17, flat-footed 21 (+8 adamantine fused-armor, +8 Dex, +4 natural, -1 size)
HD 96 (7d12+49)
Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +7 (+9)
Immune sleep, paralysis DR 3/-

OFFENSE
Speed 90 ft.
Melee 2 adamantine fused-swords +2 keen +15 (2d6+7 17-20/x2), bite +9 (1d8+5), 1 foreclaws (1d6+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attack Rake (2 fuse-swords, 3d6+9 and 1d6 bleed).

STATISTICS
Str 21, Dex 27, Con 25, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 11
Base Atk +7; CMB +13; CMD 31
Feats Improved Initiative, Mobility (B), Spring Attack (B), Endurance, Weapon Focus (Fused-swords), Spirited Charge*
*K’ell Hunter can use this feat to deal double damage in a charge.
Skills Acrobatics +20, Intimidate +10, Linguistics +7, Perception +20, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +25, Survival +16, Swim +15, Use Magic Device +10.
Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +8 Perception, +8 Stealth
Languages Forkrul Assail, Aboleth, Aklo, Jaghut, Draconic
Special Qualities Camouflage, Darkvision, Evasion, Fused-Armoury, Low-light vision, Scent (double range), Sweat Magic, Tremorsense 30 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Sweat Magic: K’Chain Che’Malle dominates one of the oldest forms of dweomercraft – sweat magic. Through this esoteric pheromonic control, K’ell Hunters can accomplish the following supernal feats.
Pheromonic Telepathy (Su): K’Chain Che’Malle can communicate telepathically. Establishing the bond requires close proximity, but once linked the K’Chain can keep communication if within 100 miles of each other (stronger K’Chain can keep this rapport even through greater distances). K’Chain can extend this bond to other willing living creates, but this is extremely rare. A K’ell Hunter can use a standard action to share telepathically any of his senses.
Battle Senses (Su): while within 30 ft. of each other, no bonded K’ell Hunter can be flanked or be surprised unless all other bonded Hunters are also flanked/surprised.
Pheromonic Charms (Sp): the K’ell Hunter can, as full-round action, expand their pheromones to induce strong emotions on all living targets within 30 ft. This simulates the effects of one of the following spells: battle trance, calm emotions, crushing despair, fear, good hope, rage and remove fear. A K’ell Hunter can only keep one pheromonic charm in effect. If beneficial, the pheromone can affect other K’Chain. These spell-like abilities are based on Constitution and have a caster level equal to the K’Chain’s HD.
One Mind (Ex): While bonded with other K’Chain Che’Malle and within 30 ft. of each other, a K’ell Hunter gains a +2 racial bonus to Will saves.
No Scent (Ex): K’Chain Che’Malle can use this old magic to suppress their natural scent.
Predator’s Mark (Ex): K’Chain Che’Malle natural scent induces the panicked condition on all creatures of the animal type.
Camouflage (Ex): K’ell Hunters can change their scale’s color to better blend with their environment. They can use this ability to disappear even in wide plains and deserts. Through arcane methods still unknown to human alchemists, they can also camouflage their adamantine fused-armor. K’ell Hunters can hide in plain sight but they must remain still.
Fused-Armory (Ex): K’ell Hunter are equipped with alchemically and molecular fused adamantine blades and armor. These items are treated both as normal and natural weapons and armors for the purpose of spells and effects. They can’t be disarmed but are susceptible to sunder maneuvers. The adamantine plates don’t inflict armor penalty or reduce their wearers’ astonishing speed.

ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization triplet or army (50+)
Treasure none

DESCRIPTION

The Dragon’s Firtborn. The alien K’Chain Che’Malle claim to be the oldest civilization on many worlds, born from the primordial crucible of Dragonkind. True Dragons deny such claim, but remain skeptically silent on the matter. Although other Elder Races claim to be oldest, like the Aboleth, they also acknowledge that the K’Chain have reached astonishing levels of dweomercraft and science, specially through the arcane of lore of Kaschan. The few sages that are aware of the Elder Races argue that K’Chain probably came from another world in the Void or even from an alternate material plane.

K’Chain Che’Malle are a caste-based draconian Elder Race whose main civilization fell millennia before the first hominids begin walking over the Material Plane. Their control over the most ancient forms of dweomercraft, alchemly, science and physics are still unsuppressed and enabled the Elder Race to once cover most continents and many planets in large stone and mechanical metropolis. The K’Chain lore – Kaschan – is still erroneously called “sorcery” by the Younger Race. It actually works a lot more like an advance and extremely arcane form of science. K’Chain Che’Malle cities are usually vertical constructs of titanic proportions (built in the form of their dragon gods) and filled with extensive machinery, complex alchemical vats and pipelines, old pheromonic protocols and arcane dimensional principles. The fundamental forces of the planes were easily manipulated by the K’Chain, enabling the constructing of portals, flying citadels, voidships and many others wonders. Their notion of science, however, is closer to the Aboleth’s and the Mi-Go’s view of the cosmos. A primitive younger culture, trying to explain Kaschan, came with this superstition view of one of their greatest feats:

‘Kaschan sorcery is born of sounds our ears cannot hear, formed into words that loosen the bindings that hold all matter together, that hold it to the ground. Sounds that bend and stretch light, as a tidal inflow up a river is drawn apart at the moment of turning. With this sorcery, they fashioned fortresses of stone that rode the sky like clouds. With this sorcery, they turned Darkness in upon itself with a hunger none who came too close could defy, an all devouring hunger that fed first and foremost upon itself.’

The K’Chain are ruled by Matrons, ancient draconic hive queens, with potent mental abilities and unfathomable intellects, who pass their accumulated knowledge and experiences genetically. During the zenith of their rule, the Matrons could create new castes whenever necessary. Ancient texts suggests the following base castes: the machinery-fixing drones, the heavy legions of the Ve’Gath soldiers, the towering J’an Sentinels (the Matron’s bodyguards) and the terrible Shi’Gal Assassins, capable of bringing down dragons (and mortal armies). 

K'ell hunters form the K'Chain Che'Malle light infantary and perform scout service to their Matrons and Nests. They look like large bipedal lizards, whose forearms terminate in enormous blades. Their height is twice that of a man. Their lifespan is approximately 1,000 years, although they appear to be able to hibernate for longer periods. A sleeping K’Chain Che’Malle nest is a menace to an entire continent (or world), although the Elder Race is just alien, not necessarily evil.

Like the Aboleth, the K’Chain Che’Malle find the concept of worship and religion strange. However, they somehow venerate or pay intellectual respect to their dragon forebearers. In fact, the last bastions of K’Chain in the world are heavily debating if religion is the reason why the Younger Races are rising. A few (deranged) Matrons are even kidnapping those in touch with divine forces, in order to better “investigate” the matter.

New (weird) kids on the block.

One car say (generalizing a lot) that Tiste Andii are what would happen with Tolkien immortal elves driving mad – as a culture – by ennui. Jaghut (depending on who’s talking) are either the most amazing (and cool) ogre magi reskinning or a twist of Melnibonean’s proportions of the orc archetype. Forkrul Assails are – as already mentioned –Neutral-obsessed genocidal racists ready to be used in any D&D game as villains. However, the K’Chain Che’Malle are really their own things. Erikson outdid himself with these guys. After all, you get a lot of them: original lizardmen or workable “dragonmen” race, caste-based, sweat magic, a hivemind that plays with genetics on a fantasy level, giant vertical Dragon-cities, flying mountains and non-Euclidian (a.k.a. Lovecraftian) magic and technology. How about that?

Using “Yes, but…” and “No, but…” in Pathfinder

One design aspect of games like Apocalypse World, Warhammer 3^rd and FU: the Free, Universal Roleplaying Game that I find amazingly cool are the non-binary results. Besides with the traditional success/failure (or critical success/success/failure/critical failure), you now have the “Yes, but…” and the “No, but…” results.

Basically, a “Yes, but…” result is a success with a cost. For example, if you’re attacking the ogre, you manage to hit it, but your sword is now stuck. If attempting to persuade an NPC, he agrees to help you but only if you do a favor to him before.

A “No, but…” is still a failure, but one that gives you some kind of compensation. For example, you spear charge fails but the target loses his balance (he can either become flat-footed for 1 round or be forced to spend a move action to prepare his weapon). In a diplomatic meeting, you fail to convince the king to help your cause, but one of his hot-headed generals will help you clandestinely (good luck leaving the palace with the troops without be seen). “No, but…” results open new directions/goals. You still fail, but you get new opportunities to win instead of just failing.

As you can see, these “half-results” are lot more interesting than just a simple success or failure, especially from a narrative point of view, because they force the players to make choices at every turn (and the Gamemasters to think out of the box). They also present a solution to break the boring routine of “I hit”, “I miss”, “I hit” etc during combats.

Actually, as many other narrative tools, they aren’t strictly necessary. In fact, many Gamemasters already use these techniques ad hoc, by “eye-balling” the dice results. If a target succeeds a difficult 15 check by getting a 15 or 16, maybe that is a “Yes, but…” result. If he fails by rolling a 14 that could be a “No, but…” result. The Gamemaster’s style, the adventure’s circumstances and the campaign’s tone usually will dictate if these things will come or not. Some Gamemaster use “No, but…” for checks were it just doesn’t make sense for the PC to completely fail.

Now, a cool aspect of some modern RPGs is that they place the choice of accepting these “half-results” at the hand of the players.

An actual play example (from my friend Kazê, a Pathfinder GM): When one of his players fails a check but he believes that success is still an option (or its just more interesting), he offers that player a “Yes, but…” result. If the player accepts, his check is a success, but he must drawn from the Critical Fumble Deck and suffer its effects. The choice itself lends tension and fun to the game.

If you want this kind of complication there’re lots of ways of implementing it.

You could define that a positive margin of success of 1-3 is a “Yes, but…” result, while a negative margin is a “No, but…” effect. These margins could be bigger (-5 to +5) or could be somehow affected by a PC’s Charisma modifier. Or maybe the PCs could have a number of daily Luck (positive Charisma) and Complication (negative Charisma) points. Spending a Luck Point allows you to turn a failure into a “No, but…”, while Complication Points would be used by the Gamemaster to trigger “Yes, but…” results.

You can easily change the above “currency” to Hero or Action Points. You could allow players to spend a Hero/Action point to change failures to “No, but…” and offer such points in exchange for “Yes, but…” results (almost like the game economy of FATE).

Or just let things run random. For example, roll a 1d4 with each check. A “4” indicates a “half-result”. Or use Fudge Dices, Warhammer Dices etc.

You could even use these “half-results” as a sort of modifier. If things seen messy or very confused, don’t inflict a check penalty (the universal -2 modifier), but declare a margin of complication (like a critical threat range). Any success or failure by that margin generates a “Yes, but…” or “No, but…” result.

Finally, you can go further and establish that certain classes like Rogues (maybe through Talents) and Bards (alternate class features) can activate/ignore “half-results” a few times per session (or daily). It can also be used to represent skill mastery. Maybe such character simply can’t fail at a check (unless impossible) and the worst he gets is a “No, but…” (it’s a more interesting option than giving PCs bigger mathematical bonuses).

A Pathfinder interlude (or a “System Matters Post”)

 

Let me share my random thought of the month.

Does the rules system used at your table matters?

This discussion must be as old as our hobby (probably older due to wargames). In 80’s, with AD&D 1^st, Rolemaster, Champions, GURPS etc. one could say that system was all that mattered. In the 90’s, ruled by White Wolf’s Golden Rule, system didn’t mattered. The only thing that mattered was the story, the characters, the drama… blablabla. Then we got the 2000s (and the Forge) and system matters (again).

So, what is the verdict? Does system matters?

I don’t know.

In my gaming experience I saw Gamemasters doing awesome stuff without any notion regarding the system they’re using. I also played in games where the rules system gave us great moments of fun.

However, it’s hard to deny the fact that – as a player – I would rather have a great Gamemaster with a lousy system than the opposite (and yes, the perfect scenario is a great GM and a great system, but I can count in one hand how many times that did happen in my life).

But I’m digressing and this post isn’t about that discussion (so lower the pitchforks and dump your torches). This post is about a Pathfinder interlude.

You see, the catch for me is that even if system doesn’t matter, it does impact (a lot) on the way we interact and “feel” the imaginary world of our campaigns/games. Its, after all, our interface with the setting/adventure. A good GM can cheat through that interface, of course, but things feel a lot more fun and “organic” if everything in the adventure happens due to the player’s choices and interaction with the rules system. That’s the feeling that I get when I had a great game and the GM rolled all dice in our sight (the now famous Burning Wheel rule of “Let the dice fall where they may!”)

Anyway, what I mean is that the best way (for me) to get a “fresh” game experience without hassle is to invite my group to play in their most beloved settings, but using a different rules system.  I’ve played Forgotten Realms using AD&D 2^nd and GURPS and they were remarkably different (and exciting) experiences. I also have run the Realms with other systems, like Savage Worlds and FATE, and I was surprised to see my players doing things that they would never try in Pathfinder. 

Use this to your advantage. Really, do this. Forget your pet system, or wonderful house system that you’ve been running for decades. Try something different, just to light things up a little. To get a different perspective, both as a GM and as a player. But keep your preferred setting.

Some of my best game experiences were due to one-shots (or mini-campaigns) where I run well known campaign settings with different rules systems. These games not only were a good change of pace, but also (re)awakened my players’ interest to new rules, tactics and roleplaying opportunities. Yes, roleplaying. When you see your old setting through new lenses, you’re motivated to try new approaches (like playing with that concept/race/class that you would never had dare in Pathfinder).

A few examples: Savage World is a rules system perfect for parties filled with hirelings, cohorts and allies. It also has a rules light mass combat system. When I run a D&D setting with Savage Worlds, I always give tons of NPCs to my players. Savage also has rules that clearly distinguish between heavy armored and swashbuckling types of fighters. It’s not just AC. [Bizarrely, Savage Worlds also is – so far for me – the best system to simulate “D&D fiction”. If, for example, I wanted to run I game where Drizzt and Artemis would clash, I would use Savage. Those fights with tons of strikes and parries, feints and acrobatic stuff, are the norm for Savage. Maybe because of the system clear Pulp-y roots.]

Now, if I wanted to run a social-heavy D&D adventure (like intrigue among Harpers or the divine-blooded nobles of Birthright), where the social aspects were supported by mechanics, I would use FATE. FATE is excellent for games where you want an open approach to magic (like the Arcana Age of Forgotten Realms or the weird magic of Glantri). Games about mystic quests, enlightenment and esoteric goals also are great for FATE – like Planescape entire cosmology of “Belief shapes the Multiverse”. An adventure among Sigils’ Factions using FATE is awesome.

If I really wanted a low-magic or gritty approach to some D&D settings I would use BRP, GURPS or HARP/Rolemaster. This works greatly for a “grunt view” of the world (I remember writing a one-shot where the PCs were soldiers in a famous NPC army or lowly hirelings of an adventure party). I can’t say why but I always felt that the Greyhawk Wars would be a great setting for these systems. These systems also do wonders for a horror-inspired setting, like Ravenloft (also Lankamar).

Changing systems may open your eyes to adventure/story opportunities that you’d never have dared with d20. Of course, you can always customize the various d20 systems to your needs, but sometimes I prefer to try something really different.

Finally, I also believe that there’re things for which D&D is just perfect. I can’t imagine, for example, running Mystara without the Rules Cyclopedia, or Dark Sun without AD&D 2^nd Edition. I know that there’re good alternatives out there (I heard really good things about an AGE conversion for Mystara and D&D 4^th version of Athas).

So, try to mix things. Do crazy shit with your settings and rules. Hell, mix rules systems. Steal Aspects from FATE, Krâsses dice from DK², Bonds from Dungeon World, the Stunt Die from AGE, or even the entire Vampire the Masquerade Kindred for your D&D games (an old brazilian RPG magazine did this last one and it was a lot of fun).

Make stuff and see what happens.

Have great games! 

Edit: Another idea that came to my mind. Want to play deities in D&D but don’t want to use the Deities & Demigods messy stats (or the cool rules from Immortals boxed set of Basic D&D)? Try Heroquest.

Bestiarum vocabulum - Drake (New Race)

While I’m busy with a thousand things (mostly study, job, raising my little goblin, more study etc.) here’s a new race for Pathfinder, based on the drakes from the awesome Fantasy Craft d20 game (another inspiration was, I guess, Castle Falkenstein). This is just a (very) rough draft. After all, playing with dragons is cool.

Drakes

+2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, –2 Dexterity, –2 Wisdom: Drakes are strong and keen of intellect, but clumsy and arrogant.

Draconic beast. Drakes are creatures of the Dragon type. Because of their anatomy, drakes aren’t tool users. They can use their wing claws to hold 2 items like a Small creature or their mouths to hold 1 item like a Medium creature. Any attempts to wield or manipulate tools/objects suffer a -4 penalty. Drakes can’t be trained or buy ranks in skills such Sleight of Hand unless they spend a feat to negate this racial penalty.

Large size. Drakes get bigger with age.

Speed: 20 feet, fly 60 feet (poor).

Fang and Talon: Drakes deal 1d8 points of damage with their bites. They can spend two secondary natural attacks with their claws (1d4 each) and one tail slap (1d6). They can buy Monster feats to improve their natural attacks.

Scales: +4 natural armor.

Draconic Girth: due to their size and mass, drakes gain double their hit dice (but not their Con modifier) at 1st level. Drakes can’t be trained or buy ranks at Acrobatics, unless they spend a feat to negate this racial penalty.

Brutal: drakes melee attacks receive a +2 racial damage bonus.

Monstrous Nature: drakes suffer a -4 penalty in Diplomacy check against humanoids, monstrous humanoids and intelligent magical beasts. These creatures start with an unfriendly reaction. Drakes have a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks against them. Animals and unintelligent magical beasts are scared by drakes and usually flee or attack them on sight. True dragons consider drakes their slaves and servants and treat them likewise.

Voracious: drakes must eat three times more than a normal medium humanoid. However, they don’t need to eat and are never thirsty.

Old Scar: drakes are slow healers. Their natural healing works on weeks, not days. Healing spells work with half their potency on drakes.

Dragon Senses: drakes have a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Greed: drakes receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of goods or to determine if a particular item is magical.

Mimicry (Ex): A drake can perfectly mimic familiar sounds, voices and accents. This ability does not enable the drake to speak languages they can’t normally speak. To duplicate a specific individual’s voice, a drake makes a Character level check + their Int. modifier; a listener familiar with the voice being imitated must succeed on an opposed Sense Motive check to discern that the voice isn’t genuine.

Languages: Common and Draconic.

Favored Class: Sorcerer.

Drakes and initial Weapon/Armor Proficiencies.

At 1^st level, a drake can replace can replace their proficiency with Light and Medium Armor to improve their natural armor bonus to +6; if they have access to Heavy Armor, they can replace all their Armor Proficiencies to improve their natural armor bonus to +8.

Drakes can’t acquire any Armor or Shield Proficiencies, unless they learn first to assume a humanoid shape.

A 1^st level drake spellcaster can replace all their Armor proficiencies for the Natural Spell feat (even if he doesn’t meet the normal requirements).

Want more dragon powers?

If you want more draconic traits to your Drake you have to buy Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline) levels. You follow all the class rules, except for Bloodline powers, which follow the rules below:

Claws (Su): you don’t gain this power. Instead of it you gain:

Draconic Senses (Ex): you gain Scent and the ability to roll Perception checks even if sleeping. At 7^th level you gain tremorsense 30 ft. At 11^th level you gain blindsense 30 ft.

Dragon Resistances (Su): as written.

Breath-weapon (Su): you gain this Bloodline power at 5^th level. You gain additional uses at 9^th, 17^th and 20^th level. You can suffer the Exhausted condition to increase by one step the damage dice of your breath (from d6s to d8s). While Exhausted you can’t flight.

Wings (Su): you don’t gain this power. Instead of it you gain:

Skymaster (Ex/Su): at 9^th level you gain average fly maneuverability and can keep flying indefinitely, without tiring, even while sleeping (usually by circling around an area). This last type of sustained flights allows you to rest on air and is a supernatural ability. At 15^th level, you can withdraw as a move action if you fly.

Power of Wyrms (Su): you don’t gain this power. Instead of it you gain:

Draconic Might (Ex): at 20^th level you become of Huge size. Your Strength increases by +6, your Constitution by +4 and your Natural Armor by +1.