Limitless Worlds

Limitless Worlds

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Changing Eladrin

Lord Icehand, Arcana of Justice
Formerly the chaotic good outsiders of 2e, now eladrin are a seperate race of fey that live in the Feywild as of 4e. However, in B&T they are back to basics, though they are called "celestial fey."

These guys actually didn't require too much work, and I took a cue from John Stater about the whole thing; he describes one of the celestial fey (I think the ghaele) as being a dwarf. Normally, all eladrins are elf-like, but I liked the idea of them being the different 7 major races. So that's what I did.

The coure are now the cestre, which are designed as halflings. The firre are now the flamre, and they retained their half-elf shape. The noviere are now the oceanire, which are celestial gnomes. The shiere are now the batere, and they are celestial half-orcs. Finally, the tulani are the voneli, and they can take any form but prefer to look like humans.

I also changed around the Court of Stars. Now called the Arcana, it's based on tarot cards, with their being 22 major lords and ladies, one of each based on a certain tarot card. The leader is the World card, and the current one is Lady Astra.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Psionics of Lore is here!

BOOM!
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?5sk49jhpnxdvnsm

Enjoy it in all its illustrated and mind-bending glory. I'd like to thank John Stater for laying out this book and my last two B&T supplements, as well as providing secondary editing. I hope you all enjoy! This had a bajillion hours of work put in, and I hope you love it.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Changing Guardinals

A majestic leonal. Image from Wizards of the Coast
In the upcoming bestiary (or perhaps planar supplement), I decided to add in a few things. One example is the rest of the guardinals, called the kherubim in B&T. These guys are the neutral good outsiders; they take the form of wise humanoid animals, and I've always found them to be quite cool.

Of course, I can't infringe on copyright, so they had to be modified. Here is what happened.

The cervidal, which was once basically a celestial satyr, is still the cervidal. However, my cervidal is more based on a moose than a satyr. Cervidae is, after all, the family that moose belong under. Also, goats are more related to cows than deer, so perhaps a better name for the original would be a caprinal. Oh well.

The equinal is now the bovinal, who, instead of having horse features, has features of an ox. Oxen are pretty terrifying actually, but I hope I am not intruding on minotaur territory. I've always thought of minotaurs being more like a cow than an ox, though.

The lupinal is now the crocinal, which is a humanoid crocodile. My university's mascot is an alligator, so this one kind of holds a soft spot for me. Also, I thought I'd throw in a reptile into the overwhelmingly mammalian party. My other possibility was a dolphinal, which would have been orca-like.

Finally, the ursinal is now the pachinal, who is a Ganesha-like elephant being. Bears are wise, elephants are wise, so the path was easy to follow. Besides, the Warden Archons are already bear enough. Two bear celestials? Come on.


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Changing Daemons

Image from Ye Olde Gaming Companye
Daemons have had a weird place in D&D and its ilk for a while. While demons are seen as ravagers, often based on classic ideals of mariliths and red devils, and devils are the scheming satans, daemons have just been there to fill a void, really. Their position in the Blood War is boring at best, and even their home of Gehenna has something to be desired.

Pathfinder does daemons better, in that they are instead embodiments of death. Literally, the hydrodaemon is the physical representation of death by drowning. Cool, but I of course can not harp on their design.

Instead, I'm going to make daemons into embodiments of sin. Gluttony, Lust, Anger and so on, with the Oinodaemon embodying ultimate sin. Of course, numerous smaller sins can be made into lesser daemons, but these ones will be the big seven. Here is the first, known as an Aviritia


Avaritias

Medium Outsider, Chaotic (NE), Super Intelligence; Solitary

HD      12
AC      23 (+3)
ATK    2 claws (1d4) and bite (2d6)
MV      30 (Fly 40)
SV
XP

Avaritias are the record keepers of the daemons, often dressed in resplendent robes of crimson. They are the embodiment of greed, forever searching for new knowledge, recruits or riches. They look like muscular humans with the head of a jackal, and their eyes shine like diamonds. They are probably the most civilized of the daemons, but that is difficult to say. Avaritias can read and write all languages.

The claws of an avaritia can target nerves easily, giving anyone hit by them a -1 penalty to attack rolls until healed by a spell such as bless. If not healed, the effect is permanent.

Once a day, an arcanodaemon can summon 1d6 mezzodaemons or 1d2 derghodaemons

Special Qualities: immune to acid, fire and poison, spell resistance 60%, vulnerable to cold

Spells: At will – alter self, animate dead, cause disease, charm person, produce flame, teleport without error, darkness, fly, heat metal, invisibility, magic missile, shape change, telekinesis, warp wood; 1/day – fear

Monday, April 29, 2013

Blood & Treasure Templates - Let's See How Crazy We Can Get

One of the parts I love about B&T is the templates, which are a really cool way to spice up some monsters. However, I'm sure you can perform some overkill by smashing them all on there. So let's do that.

Here, I present the Legacy of Kur!

Our monster of choice will be a lizardman named Kur. Proud, feral and somewhat adorable. He's a medium humanoid with average intelligence, 2 HD, 13 AC and a bite attack.

For the first template, Kur ran into a bit of trouble and got himself turned into a zombie. He loses his ability to use a weapon, and instead gains a 1d6 damage slam. His speed goes down to 20, but he does become resistant to blunt weapons!

Next, Kur stumbles into some radioactive waste, making him grow in size! We are gonna throw the giant template on him, but with only one size increase. So he is now up to 4 HD, and both his bite and slam increase to 1d8 damage.

Next, he catches the eye of an evil god, who instills him with fiendish power to become a half-fiend! He becomes an outsider and sprouts serpentine wings, allowing him a movement of Fly 40. His armor class goes, which dropped to 12 on account of him losing his ability to use a shield when he became a zombie, goes back up to 13. He also gets an additional claw attack at 1d8 (rules are a bit unclear here, so I'm just giving him that). He also gets about 4 (!) special abilities, which include: a tail whip that deals 1d4 damage and inflicts type 2 poison, telepathy and the ability to use tongues, a 30-ft. aura of fear and the ability to cast one 2nd level cleric spell at will, which will be sound burst.

Then, unable to catch a break, our giant half-fiend zombie lizardmen encounters strange magics and becomes elemental! Fire elemental, to be exact. His attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage, his can breathe a 20-ft. cone of fire three times a day that deals 3d6 damage, and he is immune to fire.

Eventually, this uber being now contacts Cthulhu and gains psionic powers, which eventually make him powerful enough to be worshiped as a god in his culture. His intelligence changes to high, can use precognition three times a day, can use shield once per day, can use empty mind three times a day and can use mind thrust three times a day.

Thus, here is our final bastard:

Kur, the Fire Elemental Half-Fiend Psionic Giant Zombie Lizardman

Large Outsider, Chaotic (CE), High Intelligence; Solitary

HD  4
AC  14
MV  20 (Swim 20, Fly 40)
ATK 2 claws (1d8 + 1d6 fire) and bite (1d8 + 1d6 fire), or tail whip (1d4 + poison II)
SV  F10, R13, W12
XP 2000 (CL 7)

An unlucky average lizardman, Kur is now being worshiped as the god of misfortune by the local lizardman tribe. Standing almost 15 feet tall, his skin is decaying and looks charred, with licks of flame coming off of it. Demonic horns sprout from his head and four draconic wings sprout from his shoulders. Psionic runes also permanently circle around his head. Kur is satisfied to be worshiped as a living god after all he has been through, having his choice of food, wine and women, while also satisfying his blood lust through constant warring with humans.

Kur projects an aura of fear out to 30 feet, and can breathe a 20-ft. cone of fire three times a day that deals 3d6 damage (reflex save for half). He can also let out a mighty roar at will, identical to the sound burst spell.

Special Qualities: Weapon resistance (blunt weapons), immune to fire

Spells: Always on - tongues; At-will - sound burst; 3/day - precognition, empty mind, mind thrust; 1/day - shield

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Setting Sunday (Saturday) - Classes in Astoria

I decided to write up what the core classes, including psionic classes, are often doing in my Astoria setting. There are a few mentions of organizations and factions, as well as some locations such as the Warpits.

Assassins - In the relative peace of Astoria, assassins are no longer needed to eliminate nobles or kings. However, that does not mean they are useless. Church infighting can cause a high-ranking priest or two to end up dead, and there is always money in private contracting and gang activities. Many assassins are associated with, either directly or indirectly, with Arbum's Hand, an elite assassin's guild that disguises itself as a cult of the death god.

Barbarian - Large tracks of land remain unexplored and wild after the Shattering, and many towns that have been cut off from trade routes have reverted to hunter-gatherer instincts. Barbarians are the warriors of these proto-tribes, and most dwell either in the harsh Wraithlands of the Sapphire Bastion or the thick, steaming jungles of the Primal Forest in the Alexandrite Bastion. There has also been a recent influx of pirate raiders along the Amber Coast, pillaging in their wooden ships with dragon prows.

Bards - Cities are spread apart in Astoria, often built in or around the ruins of the Elder Civilizations. Someone needs to ferry news between them, and the Bard is the perfect candidate. The bard's stories of adventure, court intrigue and danger are always welcome in any mead hall, inn or town square throughout the country. Many are members of the Venture Guild, hoping to go on dangerous quests to add to their repertoire of songs and tales.

Cleric - Gods are all too real in Astoria, though they have remained relatively distant since they formed the world. A major shrine, church or temple to one gods exists in almost every city and town, and each is attended by one or more clerics. The main church, called the Church of the High Lords, is less of a real church and more of a demilitarized zone for opposing priests. Even the demoniac cultists of Karamog can find a warm bed and meal in one of the Tetradecons that the Church operates out of.

Druid - Druids play a major role in the untracked wildernesses, and even more so with races such as the elves or lizardfolk. They operate in circles, one for each major wilderness in Astoria, but there is no Grand Druid or discernible organization amongst them. Druids make it there mission to tend to the wilds of the country, while keeping people safe from its dangers.

Duelist - Roguish bandits and fighters, duelists are only slightly more tolerated than thieves. Many make their living as corsairs or mercenaries, as few would want a duelist in a town guard or army. Many join up with the Cobalt Blades, the best mercenary league around. There they will find coin, drink and women to meet their fill

Fighter - Fighters are the most diverse lot throughout the bastions. They may be a Hold Guard, a gladiator in the Warpits of the Grand Maw, a mercenary for the Cobalt Blades, the leader of an army or a simple adventurer. Wherever you go, you will find fighters willing to lend a blade and their bravery

Magic-User - Magic is everywhere in Astoria, with the inherent energy of the crysts helping it along. Magic-users are alchemists, artificers who study monoliths, elementalists, wild mages or just pure magicians who focus on scholarly pursuits. Almost all magic-users learned their craft from the Scholia Arcana, a network of magic schools dotted around the country, with the enormous main campus being located in the heart of Phalanx. Magic is mysterious, but few people fear it anymore.

Psion - Crysts are not only magical, but psionic in nature. Thus, the psion can thrive throughout the lands, and they are often accepted just as well as magic-users are. Despite this, very few psions exist, mostly because the art of psionic powers is much more difficult to manifest than learning magic. Those that do usually work for the Observers of the Veil, where they are officially registered as mandated psions. Those who are not registered are known as "rogues" and are looked down upon by their brethren as being wild and dangerous.

Monks - At least one major monk school exists in each Bastion, though the training and mental preparation often leaves many initiates in the lurch. The absurd focus and tenacity of the monk leaves people to believe they may be marginally psychic, which would not be too surprising. Still, these bare handed brawlers are often more independent than fighters, usually choosing to wander the world in order to find their personal enlightenment.

Paladins - Paladins often find their living as defenders of noble houses, or even the active military of some influential gods. Some simply wander the land, dispensing justice and smiting the wicked. Others head armies, and it is not strange to see a platoon of paladins on any major battlefield.

Ranger - Rangers are pretty well off in Astoria, plunging through its deserts, swamps, forests and arctic wastes. They make their living as hunters and trappers, or maybe pathfinders or caravan defenders. Some are simply scouts, and some have made it their mission to not just live in the wilderness, but to protect it, much like a druid.

Sorcerer - Unlike magic-users, very few sorcerers are part of the Scholia Arcana. Their magic is seen as strange, and perhaps even demonic and untamed. Regardless, some of the most praised magicians in Astorian history were sorcerers. Sorcerers are often more prone to adventuring and exploring than their magic-user cousins, always looking for a new spell, magic item or monolith to claim.

Soulknife - Soulknives rarely associate with the Observers of the Veil, and when they do it is usually only to slay aberrations. Soulknives often find better coin in assassin or military missions, so quite a few are present in both the Cobalt Blades and Arbum's Hand. Many soulknives dream of planar traveling, trying to eliminate the threat the Veil of Darkness constantly poses to the multiverse.

Thief - Thieves are both the most mistrusted and the most important people in the country. While often seen as common pickpockets, murderers and con artists, few go into the numerous ruins of Astoria without a trusty thief to navigate them around traps and locks. Some thieves align themselves with the House of Daggers, an organization that focuses more on Robin Hood heroics than the banditry commonly associated with the scoundrels.

Wilder - Like how the druid is a primal priest, and the sorcerer a primal mage, so the wilder is the primal psionicist. Most wilders discover their powers naturally, often to damaging or dangerous effects. Many are outcasts from their homes, seen as freaks or possessed. Some wander, some become mercenaries and some join the Observers. The life of a wilder is often lonely and full of hardship

Warminds - Warminds are quite versatile characters, often sharing the same kind of professions available to any other fighter. Many join the Cobalt Blades or the Observers, while a select few, called the Wanderers, travel the countryside looking for hopeful students to train in the way of psionics.

Psionics of Lore Preview

Sorry for the lack of Setting Saturday, didn't really have too much to write about. However, I know present you with a grand list of everything in Psionics of Lore, which is about 1 edit away from being finished
  • 3 New Races
  • 4 New Classes
  • 20 New Class Variants
  • 20 New Feats
  • 267 New Powers
  • 19 New Monsters, including Lovecraftian ones!
  • 19 New Psionic Armor/Shield Abilities
  • 17 New Psionic Weapon Abilities
  • Cognizance Crystals, Dorjes, Power Stones, Psionic Tattoos and 9 Psicrowns
  • 24 New Varieties of Universal Items
  • 4 New Cursed Items
  • 3 New Artifacts
This thing is packed to the gills!