Monday, November 26, 2012

More Pregenerated Characters

Some two years ago, I wrote up a post containing stats for first-level Skull & Bones characters, including the four classes from the core supplement along with the rogue and barbarian. Since then I've decided to include three other classes from the D&D Player's Handbook--the cleric, fighter and monk. The fighter is meant to be typical of most military forces, while the cleric represents an English minister and the monk is inspired by a Cimaroon trained in Capoeira.

-Nate



Cleric Archetype

Strength 12 (+1)
Dexterity 10 (+0)
Constitution 12 (+1)
Intelligence 10 (+0)
Wisdom 16 (+3)
Charisma 14 (+2)

Background: Religious

Class: Cleric
Level: 1
Special Abilities:
Turn or Rebuke Undead

Fortunes:
Code of Honor

Skills:
Concentration +5, Diplomacy +6, Heal +7, Knowledge (religion) +7

Languages Spoken:
English

Languages Read/Written:
English

Feats:
Combat Casting, Iron Will

Hit Points: 9
Armor Class: 13
(+3 pitch jacket)
Touch: 10
Flat-Footed: 14
Initiative: +0
(+0 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft

Base Attack Bonus: +0
Grapple +1
Attacks:
+1 (1d6+1, cudgel)

Saving Throws:
Fortitude +3
Reflex +0
Willpower +7

Equipment:
Simple clothing
Quarterstaff
Pitch jacket
Bible
171 pieces of eight



Fighter Archetype

Strength 14 (+2)
Dexterity 14 (+2)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 10 (+0)
Wisdom 12 (+1)
Charisma 12 (+1)

Background: Military

Class: Fighter
Level: 1
Special Abilities:
None

Fortunes:
Ally, Obligation

Skills:
Climb +6, Jump +6, Survival +3, Swim +6

Languages Spoken:
English

Languages Read/Written:
English

Feats:
Precise Shot, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (cutlass)

Hit Points: 12
Armor Class: 14
(+2 Dex, +3 pitch jacket)
Touch: 12
Flat-Footed: 13
Initiative: +2
(+2 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft

Base Attack Bonus: +1
Grapple +3
Attacks:
+4 (1d6+2, cutlass)
+3 (2d6, long musket)
+3 (2d4, pistol)

Saving Throws:
Fortitude +4
Reflex +2
Willpower +1

Equipment:
Pitch jacket
Tradesman's outfit and boots
Cutlass
Long musket
Pistol
Dozen powder and shot for each
158 pieces of eight


Monk Archetype

Strength 14 (+2)
Dexterity 14 (+2)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 10 (+0)
Wisdom 14 (+2)
Charisma 10 (+0)

Background: Slave

Class: Monk
Level: 1
Special Abilities:
Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike

Fortunes:
Cause, Enemy

Skills:
Balance +6, Bluff +2, Climb +6, Escape Artist +4, Jump +8, Perform (Dance) +4, Tumble +8

Languages Spoken:
English

Languages Read/Written:
English

Feats:
Acrobatic, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative

Hit Points: 10
Armor Class: 14
(+2 Dex, +2 Wis)
Touch: 14
Flat-Footed: 14
Initiative: +6
(+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft

Base Attack Bonus: +2
Grapple +6
Attacks:
+2 (1d6+2, grapple)

Saving Throws:
Fortitude +4
Reflex +4
Willpower +4

Equipment:
Simple clothing
16 pieces of eight

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Two Magical Items


Today I have two new magical items, one drawn from the history of the Spanish Main and the other taken from Homer's Odyssey.

-Nate


Cimaroon Scimitar
Although there were other freebooters who came before him, Sir Francis Drake was the first English sailor who really made a name for himself by raiding the settlements of the Spanish Main. In this he was of course assisted by his crewmen, but there were others who received less credit—the Cimaroons. They were escaped slaves who lived in small jungled communities, wilderness warriors who served as guides, porters and scouts for the Englishmen. It was through their aid that Drake and his forces managed to raid a caravan of mules carrying a fortune in gold and silver, a year's worth of profits being shipped back to Spain. Among the treasures claimed, the freebooters acquired a gilded scimitar covered in gilded engraving. This Drake presented to the leader of the Cimaroons as a token of his appreciation. In game terms, the sword functions as a scimitar +1, speed


Moly
This rare herb has the power to protect people who consume it from various kinds of sorcery. Its powers have been known for at least two and a half millennia, since it is mentioned in the Greek epic The Odyssey. In that tale, the messenger god Hermes delivers a sample of the herb to the hero Odysseus to help defend against the enchantments of the witch Circe, who had turned his crewmen into animals. With it Odysseus is able to overcome Circe's influence and eventually continue his journey homeward. The epic describes moly as having black roots and a white flower. Moreover, it is said to be dangerous for mortals to pick, but no such problem for the gods.

In game terms, harvesting and preparing a sprig of moly requires a Knowledge: nature check, with a synergy bonus for having at least five ranks in Knowledge: arcana. The result of the check determines the risk of being poisoned by the plant instead of gaining its beneficial effects, a +5 circumstance bonus to all saves made to risk magical effects for the next four hours. Once the herb has been harvested, it remains fresh for one day's time. After that it can be dried, but its effectiveness is reduced to a +2 bonus.

Result / Effects
0-9 / DC 21 Fortitude save; damage 1d6 Constitution initial and secondary
10-19 / DC 18 Fortitude save; damage 1d4 Constitution initial and secondary
20-29 / DC 15 Fortitude save; damage 1d2 Constitution initial and secondary
30+ / No risk of harm

Friday, November 9, 2012

New Interlude, Prestige Class and Optional Rule

Recently I've been reading a number of books that talk about salvage efforts on sunken Spanish galleons; this has inspired a new interlude, along with a new prestige class and an optional rule taken from another RPG.

-Nate


Interlude 28: The Shipwreck 2
A previous interlude introduced a shipwreck, a vessel that sunk but was mostly intact. This interlude involves a more complicated salvage operation, one in which the vessel in question broke up as it sank, leaving wreckage and valuable goods scattered across the bottom of the sea. Because of this, recovering the lucre is much more difficult.

Background
Even before the PC's undertake a salvage operation, it's important to figure out some details for the wreck in question. From where was it sailing, and to where? Who was the captain, and what other passengers of note traveled aboard it? What kind of cargo was it carrying? Not only do these details impact what the heroes might find during the business, but can provide hooks for other adventures in the future.

Introduction
The PC's could learn of this opportunity in a variety of ways. In the aftermath of a big storm, rumors might start to spread of a ship that didn't reach its destination. This could lead to a race against rivals, with everyone outfitting ships and gathering crew members as quickly as possible in order to find the most loot. Alternately, a concerned relative or business partner might seek out the PC's and ask them to go looking for the lost ship.
Once it comes time to outfit, the PC's need to lay in the appropriate supplies and hire personnel. In addition to extra rope, empty barrels for use as buoys are especially useful. It could also be good to hire some divers, requiring negotiations for payment and other concerns.

Finding the Site
Locating the wreck requires a few different steps. The first requires some information gathering, and then plotting the intended course of the ship in question. After that they can set out to follow that path. This should require use of Knowledge: navigation, followed by Search or Spot checks to find some of the debris. At that point additional checks, perhaps by teams in longboats, to trace the path of destruction.

Diving
Eventually it is necessary for someone to go into the water. The PC's could hire divers, or do it themselves. Historically, native people were the most skilled, able to stay down longer and thus find more goods. Depending on the weather, this requires Swim checks to reach the wreckage, and then Search or Spot checks to find items of value. Coinage and smaller items can be loaded into baskets, and larger loads could require a Strength check to be lifted.
There is also the possibility that sharks are attracted to the site. This should provide some excitement; keep in mind that the rules for fighting underwater make it much tougher for landlubbers to battle creatures of the sea.

Hauling Up the Goods
While smaller items can be lifted manually, larger things like cannons and treasure chests need to have ropes tied to them so that they can be raised by the crew. One good option is to run a line from the capstan, through a block and tackle hanging from one of the spars, and then down into the water. In that way one character can make the Strength check, while up to five others can make checks to assist. Detailed below are check DC's for different types of cannon. Of course, it is also necessary for someone to tie a line to the cannon underwater, requiring a Use Rope check with a DC five less than that of the Strength check.

Cannon / DC
Demi-Culverin / 18
Culverin / 21
Demi-Cannon / 24
Cannon / 27

Interlopers
There's an old saying that “Treasure is trouble.” This proves true when other interested parties show up with hopes of taking some of the lucre for themselves. It is up to the GM here to decide on the appropriate level of challenge for the PC's, but other interludes and adventures provide plenty of options for sample crews and captains.

Rules for Complex Actions
First and foremost, it should be acknowledged that these rules are inspired by the Cortex rules system from Margaret Weis Productions.

To represent the extended time it takes to perform certain tasks, such as plumbing the depths to remove lucre from a shipwreck, the GM should set a DC higher than is normal—for example, 250. Each day's work allows one check, with subsequent results being cumulative toward that total DC. What is more, the GM can add various stipulations to the results. For example, characters involved in salvage might recover 1000 p.o.e. x the daily result, up to a given maximum. There could also be a time limit, such as a storm arriving or an enemy showing up after ten days' time.

Complex actions can be used in a number of other situations as well. For example, the PC's could be caught when the entrance to the tunnels they're exploring collapses; it takes a complex Strength check to remove enough of the debris so that they can escape, with the risk of suffocating from lack of air after a certain amount of time. Alternately, the PC's might be forced to seek a safe harbor after a battle, with a complex Craft: shipbuilding check to make repairs before their enemies find them to continue the fight.

The Diver Prestige Class
Some people in this world take to the water as if they were born with gills and webbed feet. Where others feel uncomfortable in an environment where they can’t breathe, the Diver becomes just as comfortable as if she were on the land.

Requirements
Swim +6

Game Rule Information
Divers have the following game statistics.

Hit Die
Divers gain 1d8 hit points per level.

Class Skills
Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Special Abilities
Iron Lungs: At 1st level the Diver automatically gains the feat Iron Lungs. If she already possesses that feat, she may select a different one from the list below.

Fast Swimmer: The Diver is so much at home in the water that she can swim almost as well as a marine animal. Instead of covering one-quarter her speed as a move action and half her speed as a full-round action, she covers half her speed as a move action and her full speed as a full-round action.

Underwater Combatant: Because of her familiarity with the marine environment, the Diver no longer suffers all of the penalties that hinder others. For her, the usual –2 penalties on Reflex saves, attack and damage rolls are reduced to –1; the –4 penalty for wielding bludgeoning weapons is reduced to –2.

Bonus Feats: Divers may select their bonus feats from the following list: Alertness, Dodge, Extraordinary Ability, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes.

Deep Diver: A Diver becomes accustomed to working at extreme depths. While she still has her ability to hold her breath decreased, the penalties for her are reduced.

Depth: Duration
0-30 feet: Normal
31-60 feet: Normal
61-120 feet: 2/3
121-250 feet: 1/2
251-500 feet: 1/3