Druids

Just in time for Halloween, here's an article that presents Druids for use in Savage Worlds adventures and campaigns. 

-Nate

Druids PDF

Background

Centuries ago, before the soldiers of the Roman Empire or the idea of Christianity had touched the British Isles, there flourished in that isolated region a religion that revered the forces of nature and called on them to provide food for the people and strength in battle. While they did not leaving behind much in the way of written doctrine, what is known about their ways was reported by Roman soldiers who visited the area. They were regarded as being the holy ministers to a savage people, especially when it came to their practice of human sacrifice (see below).

Druidism

Edge: Arcane Background (Druidism)

Requirements: Wild Card, Novice, Druidism d6+, Spirit d6+.

Arcane Skill: Druidism (Spirit).

Power Points: 10

Starting Powers: 2

Backlash: When a druid rolls a critical failure, double 1s, on his Druidism roll, he is automatically Shaken. This can cause a wound if he is already Shaken.

Trappings: Powers used by druids are invoked through ritualistic chanting and the brandishing of some natural talisman, often a sprig from a sacred tree.

Available Powers: Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Deflection, Dispel, Divination, Elemental Manipulation, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Protection, Smite, Warrior's Gift.

Druid Archetypes

Presented here are stats for typical practitioners of this faith.

Aspirant (Novice)

Those individuals who show some affinity for the ways of the Druids must seek out an existing member, demonstrate one's potential, and then seek further instruction.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Druidism d8, Fighting d6, Healing d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4, Survival d8

Pace: 6”, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6

Edges: Arcane Background (Druidism), Beast Bond

Hindrances: All Thumbs

Special Abilities

• Powers: Beast Friend, Environmental Protection; Power Points: 10

Gear: Clothing, silver sickle (Damage Str + d6), sacred sprig.

Initiate (Seasoned)

Those who learn well from tutelage become assistants to the druids who lead their independent faith communities.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Druidism d10, Fighting d6, Healing d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4, Survival d8

Pace: 6”, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6

Edges: Arcane Background (Druidism), Beast Bond, Beast Master, New Power, Power Points; Power Points: 15

Hindrances: All Thumbs

Special Abilities

• Powers: Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Divination, Environmental Protection

Gear: Clothing, silver sickle (Damage Str + d6), sacred sprig.

Druid (Veteran)

Once they've proven themselves, full druids eventually set out to become leaders of their own new faith communities.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Druidism d12, Fighting d6, Healing d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4, Survival d8

Pace: 6”, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6

Edges: Arcane Background (Druidism), Beast Bond, Beast Master, Channeling, New Power x2, Power Points x2, Woodsman

Hindrances: All Thumbs

Special Abilities

• Powers: Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Deflection, Dispel, Divination, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Smite; Power Points: 20

Gear: Clothing, silver sickle (Damage Str + d6), sacred sprig.

Archdruid

The leader of all the druids in a particular region is this powerful individual. Each Archdruid can choose to retire from active leadership, becoming part of the group known as Hierophants (see below).

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Druidism d12+1, Fighting d6, Healing d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4, Survival d8

Pace: 6”, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6

Edges: Arcane Background (Druidism), Beast Bond, Beast Master, Channeling, New Power x3, Power Points x3, Power Surge,Woodsman

Hindrances: All Thumbs

Special Abilities

• Powers: Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Deflection, Dispel, Divination, Environmental Protection, Protection, Smite; Power Points: 25

Gear: Clothing, silver sickle (Damage Str + d6), sacred sprig.

Hierophant

Those Archdruids who have served their time as leaders in their regions can give up the mantle of power and choose to serve on this shadowy council, which provides guidance to the other Druids in times of need.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Druidism d12+2, Fighting d6, Healing d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4, Survival d8

Pace: 6”, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6

Edges: Arcane Background (Druidism), Beast Bond, Beast Master, Channeling, New Power x4, Power Points x4, Power Surge,Soul Drain, Woodsman

Hindrances: All Thumbs

Special Abilities

• Powers: Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Deflection, Dispel, Divination, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Protection, Smite, Warrior's Gift; Power Points: 20

Gear: Clothing, silver sickle (Damage Str + d6), sacred sprig.

Ogham

While the Druids were not known to have kept records in book form, it is believed that they sometimes did use marks engraved on sticks to communicate—the language known as Ogham. This had the advantage of using materials that were readily available, even in a wild setting, and they could be destroyed without attracting much suspicion by simply casting them into the fire.

 

Burial Mounds

Important places of worship for the Druids were those locations where they buried their dead. A famous example of this is Newgrange, which hearkens back to the Stone Age. It consists of a long entrance tunnel with a low ceiling that leads to three interior chambers, each of which functioned as a tomb or ossuary. Some legends maintain that burial mounds such as this could be gateways between this world and whatever lies beyond it.

Plot Hooks

Suggested here are a few of the ways in which Druids can be involved in Savage Worlds adventures and campaigns.

• Given their long conflict with the various denominations of Christianity, Druids tend to keep their activities secret.
• Common places of worship for them are rings of standing stones and burial mounds.
• The wave of migration that occurred in the United States after the Civil War, combined with the settlement of the vast western frontier, provided many opportunities for Druids to create new communities.
• Given their reverence for nature and ability to influence animals, this made these newcomers ideally suited to the professions of farming and ranching.
• For the Druids the two main holidays are Samhain, which marks the transition into winter, and Beltain, which is observed as spring is leading back into summer. These have been co-opted by the Christian traditions of All Hallows' Eve/All Saints' Day and May Day.
• It has frequently been claimed that the Druids practiced blood sacrifice in order to appease the forces of nature, thereby gaining fertility for the livestock and crops as well as strength for the warriors who protected them.
• Indeed, no less than Julius Caesar himself described how they sometimes built human-shaped structures out of wicker-like material, which they then filled with human victims and then burned in colossal, fiery sacrifices.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition Review

Late in September I picked up a hardcover copy of the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition RPG; I've finally finished reading it and am ready to write a review.

-Nate

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition Review

Last month I finally picked up a hardcover copy of this new RPG, and wanted to share my thoughts about it.

• I like the size of the book. As a graphic-novel-sized hardcover, it matches my book for The Sixth Gun campaign setting.
• The added comments, by a GM and the players Emily and Nate, are a fun touch.
• The Skills section did a nice job of cleaning up some overlap, especially with the Knowledge skills. Also, the fact that all characters start with d4 in Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion and Stealth opens up points for other choices.
• There are some interesting new Edges, too, and the use of the social ones seems clearer than it was in the previous edition.
• I like the flexibility that's encouraged for character advancement, with suggestions for faster or slower character development.
• The same goes for the use of Bennies to affect the story.
• The Power modifiers provide a good means of letting characters with arcane backgrounds adapt the Powers they invoke for specific situations.
• As before, the Game Mastering section provides a solid overview of how to plan and run adventures and campaigns using these rules.

All in all, this is a solid, compact game that I would recommend for all manner of campaign settings and styles.

Small Raven's Flock

This post presents the ghost of Small Raven and how he has taken to living in the Winding Way.

-Nate

Small Raven's Flock

Background

It's no secret that life is hard on the western frontier in the United States of America, but it can also be a place of almost unlimited opportunity. Few know this better than a Native American boy named Small Raven. After seeing many of his fellows give up their traditional lifestyle—along with important artifacts—while signing a treaty at Fort Arneson, he decided to steal back the items and flee the area. Unfortunately, he was wounded during the attempt and ended up in Smith's Crossing, a settlement under the sway of powerful occultists, Dr. and Mrs. Smith. The bad doctor murdered the boy and cut off his right hand, knowing that he could use it to create a Hand of Glory. The rest of Small Raven's body was buried in the cemetery by the local church and, as a result, his spirit was unable to find the eternal rest of the afterlife. 

That wasn't the end of Small Raven's story, however. Possessing a normal raven, the boy began to search for his missing hand. That brought him into contact with a band of adventurers, ones who led him down beneath Fort Arneson and into that realm between different places, times and possibilities, the Winding Way. Realizing that he could acquire knowledge and influence beyond any past imagining, Small Raven decided to establish himself in that location, gathering a flock of other birds around himself who could act as guides and protectors for other travelers.

The Tree and Nest

Small Raven's nest is located in a tree that forms part of a grove surrounding a strange old manor house inside the Winding Way. That house stands in the middle of a steeply walled canyon, one that is surrounded by sheer rock walls and has four tunnels leading out of it. Those tunnels lead to the passages under Fort Arneson (A), the cistern beneath a stronghold of the Knights of Solomon (B), a wardrobe in the underground level of the New Globe Theater in London (C), and an area that has not yet been explored. 

The nest is made from sticks, bits of string, and other materials. It sits amid the outstretched limbs of the tree, which hold it almost like a skeletal hand. Said tree is devoid of leaves, but is decorated by various baubles hanging from its branches; these are shiny trinkets collected by Small Raven and his flock. Those, combined with the numerous black birds that sit on its branches, make for an impressive sight. 

Small Raven and his fellow birds can act as guides for those who travel the Winding Way, as long as they provide suitable gifts. They are most fond of shiny baubles, with which they decorate their nest and the rest of the tree, or relatively fresh meat for them to eat. In the latter case, the birds save the eyes of any given creature for their leader to devour. As long as they are satisfied with a visitor's offerings, the birds share what they know and even lead parties through the hazards of this strange and otherworldly realm.

Connections Refer to the following articles and adventures for more information about this location. The manor house: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2019/04/unfettered.html. Small Raven's story: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-dead-mans-hand.html. More about that story: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2018/07/this-scenario-builds-upon-events-in.html. Perils of the Winding Way: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2019/01/beyond-veil.html. Fort Arneson: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2017/12/frontier-fort.html. The Knights of Solomon: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-knights-of-solomon.html. The New Globe Theater: https://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2019/09/diablerie-revisited.html.

Small Raven

Use the stats for a Haint, from pages 75-6 of the Sixth Gun RPG, but add the following abilities: Arcane Background (Shamanism), with powers deflect, dispel and speak language, and 15 Power Points.

The Flock—When pressed, the birds can attack as a swarm (refer to page 189 of the Savage Worlds Adventure Editionbook for stats).

Plot Hooks

Here are just a few ways in which Small Raven and his flock can be used in adventures and campaigns.

• As mentioned above, Small Raven needs to recover his right hand—which has been made into a hand of glory—in order to find eternal rest.
• He would also like to retrieve the artifacts given up by members of his tribe, which would require raiding the exhibition put on by Miles Jameson.
• The flock has acquired numerous items left behind by groups of travelers who met untimely ends in the Winding Way, which might include items of monetary value or ones that contain important information.
• Any power who gained the cooperation of the flock—such as the Cabal, Black Stars, Knights of Solomon, Invisible College or others—would benefit from a powerful ally.
• The birds are natural foes of the wolf raptors (see page 31 of The Winding Way for stats), who prey upon them. 
• During interactions with travelers, Small Raven's spirit, as a haint, can try to take over the body of a new host, if the situation requires it. 

Lairs

This post presents three locations for use in Savage Worlds games in general, and in particular those that use the settings of The Sixth Gun and Shadow Roads.

-Nate

Lairs PDF

Vodyanoi Lair

This underwater lair can only be accessed by swimming into its lower level through a narrow entrance (1). Beyond that is a series of twisting passages (2) that can confuse those who dare enter. Only one of the tunnels has a hole in the ceiling that leads into the upper chamber (3), where the vodyanoi live. Holes in the coral allow them to watch their surroundings, but don't admit any creature larger than size -2 (Small).

Refer to the supplement “Fey Creatures” to find more information about the vodyanoi. 

Old Mine

An open shaft leads down into this location (1); it still has a winch built above it for lowering in supplies and personnel. It leads into a broad, open chamber (2), from which numerous smaller side passages (3) lead further into the earth. In general, the height of any given passage is equal to its width at that point. 

This old mine could be home to Will-o'-the-Wisp (see page 31 of The Winding Way for stats), or even a ghost (pages 75-6 of The Sixth Gun RPG). 

Thunderbird's Aerie

This nest sits atop a towering pillar of stone located in the middle of the western desert. Climb checks, or the ability to fly, are needed to reach its pinnacle. The spire rises one hundred feet into the air, and is topped by a mix of branches, bones, and other materials—with any number of valuable items strewn in their midst.

Refer to pages 79-80 of The Sixth Gun RPG to find stats for these monsters. Given the truly daunting nature of these creatures, it seems more likely that the PCs might come here while the thunderbird is not present. They would most likely come seeking the remains of this creature's previous victims, such as those of an expedition that was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

The Ship in the Ice

This old-fashioned wooden sailing ship clearly ran into some kind of trouble, and in a cold environment; it has now become stuck in a floating mass of ice. Two masts still rise up from it, but the sails have long since fallen into tatters. The ship has a raised sterncastle (1) and forecastle (2), both of which can be reached by stairways from the main deck (3). In the stern, a narrow passageway (4) leads to two aft cabins (5 and 6). One was used by the captain, while the other was reserved for important passengers. Toward the bow is a cabin for other officers (7). A hatch opens into the vessel's cargo hold (8), and stairs lead down to the crew quarters (9) and mess (10). 

The ship in the ice could easily be inhabited by ghouls, a ghost, or even a plague spawn demon, trapped because it killed off the other passengers and crew. 

Reaching the ship, however, requires climbing over the surrounding mass of ice, which rises as high as thirty feet. 

Plot Hooks for the Lairs

Detailed below are just a few of the ways in which these locations might be used in adventures and campaigns.

• The thunderbird has claimed many victims during its hunting, and there's a good chance that its aerie contains valuable items among their bones and rotting or rusted equipment.
• Something lives in the old mine and enjoys luring victims into it so that it may feed. If it is a ghost, then there's a story behind why that unhappy spirit has not been able to move beyond this earth and into the next realm.
• In addition to the items that they've scavenged for themselves, the vodyanoi know the location of every sunken vessel through their territory. They might be willing to trade that knowledge for some kind of service involving land dwellers who are harming the water.
• The ship in the ice likely contains some old and potentially important cargo, along with the remains of the passengers and crew.
• It's possible that all four of these areas are somehow connected, and that a group must visit all four, deal with their inhabitants, and recover some kind of materials in order discover that secret.

The Hotel

Due to my recent retconning of the Diablerie supplement, I decided to create a new article detailing a hotel for use in The Sixth Gun campaign setting.

-Nate

The Hotel

Hotel

At some point the PCs are likely to be in a relatively populated area when they need to rest following previous business. This location is just the place—but that doesn't mean their stay is going to be uneventful. 

The hotel is two stories in height. The first floor has a broad main room (1) filled with tables and chairs, and with a bar along the inside wall. Behind the bar a door leads to the kitchen (2), and further back to the pantry (3). There are also two small rooms (4) available for gatherings that require a little more privacy. 

 Two stairways lead from the main room to the upper floor (5). Most of the rooms there (6) are furnished with a bed, a wardrobe and a small desk. There are also some rooms with two beds (7) for families. 

Expenses Refer to pages 17-19 in the Sixth Gun RPG supplement to find costs for lodging here, along with other possible services; these rooms should be considered “Low Class” for pricing, even if they are clean and comfortable.

Typical Hotel Employees

The people who work here are aware of their surroundings and open to potential opportunities, but otherwise fairly mundane.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Knowledge (Area) d4, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Stealth d4, Streetwise d6

Charisma: --, Pace: 6”, Parry: 2, Toughness: 5

Edges: Alertness

Hindrances: Curious

Gear: Comfortable clothing, miscellaneous personal items.

Plot Hooks

All kinds of complications could arise while the PCs are resting and recovering at these lodgings, including the following possibilities.

• This is, of course, a great opportunity for the GM to introduce NPCs and plot hooks for future adventures via chance encounters.
• One or more thieves could prowl around this establishment, adding a complication to whatever business the PCs had when they arrive here.
• Taking that possibility a step further, a murder occurs while the PCs are staying here; everyone in the hotel is detained as a suspect, and they might need to help solve the case in order to clear their own names.
• Time spent resting, recovering and relaxing is also a chance for the PCs to tell their own stories, in the form of an Interlude.
• Just like with the Silver Palace in Brimstone, New Mexico, this establishment could be the base of operations for a powerful individual who's engaged in nefarious business. If such a person learned the nature of the PCs' business, then this could create a major complication as he or she tries to take it from them.
• It's always possible that enemies track the PCs here, leading to a fight in which innocent bystanders—including newly found friends—are put at risk.
• Really unscrupulous foes might set fire to the place and then wait in ambush outside as the PCs—and anyone they choose to help—tries to escape.