Monday, June 24, 2024

Cut-me-own-purse Dibbler

CUTPURSE (#25/30, #177/365) [POT]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 5

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Dagger

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Dungeons, Ruins

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-3

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Unfriendly-Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: High

Similar to the Pickpocket, the Cutpurse is a street-thief specializing in absconding with the valuables of townsfolk as they amble about a settlement. Unlike Pickpockets, however, who favour their dextrous agility to remove individual gold pieces and other trinkets directly from the pockets and pouches of the unwary, the Cutpurse uses a dagger to swiftly cut a purse free from its strap, hence their name. They then make a fast getaway, but it is advised to be cautious in following the Cutpurse as they are equally happy turning on their pursuers to give a practical demonstration of their excellent knife skills with said dagger. They have little else in the way of possessions, other than the clothes they wear; any treasure they may have, has been likely taken from their last victim.

Cutpurses operate in cities and larger towns either individually or in a small team, with one as the cutter, one as the lookout, and any others as backup. These rolls may be varied to keep a team sharp, or chosen, or designated, based on skills and experience. The activities of a Cutpurse are almost always sanctioned under the auspices of the local Thieves' Guild; freelancers are given short and often violent shrift. In particular, the Cutpurse will target wealthy merchants and rich strangers, especially those without bodyguards or other protective measures. Note that this may include wandering adventurers, returning into town from a profitable expedition down the local dungeon, now heavily-laden with treasure and sundry sparkling objects - easy prey for a skilled team of Cutpurses!

Sunday, June 23, 2024

'Give good reason to intrude on the domain of Leesha, or die.'

Shield of the Skeleton Warrior (#24/30, #176/365) [EA:V2] (Enchanted Item) 

This is a Small Shield, made of iron and used by the Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Men that guard High Priestess Leesha who rules the Lost City of Vatos, among the dunes of the Desert of Skulls. The shield is circular in design, with an embossed central spike. Using the Shield of the Skeleton Warrior in combat gives the bearer a +1 SKILL bonus.

Unavailable to buy

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Who will screech at the Screecher?

SCREECHER (#23/30, #175/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 7

STAMINA: 8

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Screeching Wail (see below)

ARMOUR: Heavy

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Dungeons, Ruins, Caves

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2

TYPE: Magical Creature

REACTION: Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: Low

Thought to be some sort of twisted Earth Spirit, trapped here on Titan instead of back home on the Elemental Plane of Earth, the SCREECHER is a somewhat bizarre entity. Appearing as a motionless humanoid figure, made entirely of sand, rock, stone, mud, clay or other earthly material, the Screecher stands completely still, contemplating the minutiae of existence. If disturbed in any way however, the Screecher will begin to emit a strange wailing noise that gets louder and louder until it begins to numb peoples minds and reduce them to mush. 

The screeching howl reduces everyone's STAMINA by 2 every Attack Round, with no Armour Roll allowed, unless someone is wearing ear plugs, in which case they take no damage. The howling noise will stop once the Screecher is slain or calmed down, but any STAMINA losses incurred represent actual damage suffered and need to be healed in the normal way. The noise is also disorientating and again, anyone without ear plugs must reduce their Attack Strength or any Special Skill rolls by -2 until the sound stops. 

Screechers have been reported from the Maze of the Bogomils in the Khulian kingdom of Kazan, and various underground races such as Dwarfs, Dark Elves and Brain Slayers have all been known to use Screechers as a sort of subterranean alarm system on overwatch, instantly howling with screeching agony when irritated in any way. As to what the Screechers are actually thinking about, few know as communication is obviously difficult, but some say the Geomancers of Fangthane have gathered some lore on the issue.

Friday, June 21, 2024

Where the White Roses grow...

WHITE ROSE (#22/30, #174/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a twisted and overgrown rose bush, with light green leaves, a few small thorns, and large white flowers.

Distribution: Hills, forests and woods across Titan.
 
Effects: The White Rose is special to Usrel, the Goddess of Peace. A pure White Rose, that is completely white in colour, with no trace or hint of any other colours, is a sacred item, and there is a 1-in-6 chance that such a flower will be present on an encountered rose bush. This pure White Rose can be used to concoct a Potion of Stillness, along with a bunch of Purity Plant (see The Titan Herbal, p. 54) and a Silver-Bell flower (see The Titan Herbal, p. 59).
 
Cost: City 10gp, Town 14gp, Village 16gp (per pure flower)
 
Availability: Very Rare.
 
Further Notes: Sophia Whiterose was a famous adventurer who fell on hard times, and was buried in the graveyard at her home village of Coven. Other types of Rose from Titan include the Black Rose (see The Titan Herbal, p. 22), the Bloodfire Rose (see The Titan Herbal, p. 24), the Ilithorn Rose (see The Titan Herbal, p. 41), the Jade Rose (see The Titan Herbal Addendum, p. XX), the Magenta Rose (see The Titan Herbal, p. 46), and the Rejuvenation Rose (see The Titan Herbal, p. 57).

Purple Puffball Placeholder

Purple Puffball (#21/30, #173/365) [EA:V2] (Trinket) 

This is a preserved example of the Purple Puffball fungi (see The Titan Herbal Addendum, p. XX), being a big puffball with a hard chitinous exterior whose colour varies from lilac to violet. A Purple Puffball can be thrown as an improvised weapon. Upon impact it will explode into a large cloud of purple 'smoke' - actually thousands of microscopic spores. These are harmless to inhale, but act equivalent to a Darkness spell, centred around the point of impact.

35gp

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

The Missing Link

CAVEMAN (#20/30, #172/365) [POT]

SKILL: 7

STAMINA: 7

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Club or Wooden Spear (as per Javelin)

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Caves, Hills, Mountains, Wilderness, Volcanic areas

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-3 or 6-36

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: Low

"Related to Neanderthals, CAVEMEN are primitive semi-humans who live in rocky regions. Their caves are often joined together by passages to create whole villages cut into the rocky hillsides. They dress in the furs of animals, typically bearskins. Cavemen will usually be carrying stone clubs or flint-headed spears that can be used as hand weapons or thrown at enemies like a javelin.

Cavemen are very unintelligent, and communicate only in animal-like grunts. They will attack all other large beings, either for food or because they seem like a threat to them. Cavemen are surly, aggressive beings, and they tend to fight among themselves. There is almost always a war going on between two or more tribes, usually over some very trivial matter.

 The caves of these beings are nauseously filthy, scattered with rotting food, old furs and discarded straw bedding. They will usually contain nothing of any worth to an adventurer."

- Out of the Pit, Marc Gascoigne (1985), p. 26 (Also known as the Red Bestiary (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 50), or Gascon's Bestiary of North-West Allansia.

When encountered, Cavemen will typically be in small bands of 1-3 hunters, or a tribe living in a cave-village settlement of 6-36 creatures. Cavemen worship anything more powerful than them, but each tribe will usually dedicate themselves to one major deity. Roll on the following table to determine the deity and their particular sphere of influence:

3 Glantanka (Sun)

4 Titan (Sky-Father)

5 Sukh (Storms)

6 Rogaar (Cave Lions)

7 Lorodil (Volcanoes)

8 Magir (Sabre-Toothed Tigers)

9 Throff (Earth-Mother)

10 Almor (Wolves)

11 Filash (Fire)

12 Gurrang (Cave Bears)

13 Daktili (Caves, the Underworld, and Darkness)

14 Skitta (Moose, Elk, Deer)

15 Farigiss (Ice, Cold and Winter)

16 Sku-Rachi (Panthers)

17 Lunara (Moon)

18 Zygolophaunt (Mammmoths)

Each tribe will be led by one powerful individual with unique skills. Roll on the table below to determine who and what this individual is:

1 Great Hunter: This mighty champion has +2 SKILL, +2 STAMINA, +1 to the Damage Roll, a Bone Battleaxe, a Bone Horn (summons 2-7 Cavemen), Bone Armour (as per Breastplate), 1-3 flint-tipped Javelins, and a leather bag with 1-6 sharpened throwing Rocks.

2 Shaman: This shaman has +2 STAMINA, DEVOTION 8, and Priestly Powers appropriate to the tribe's main deity as determined by the table above. They also have a Staff and a Holy Symbol (again, of the appropriate deity).

3 Stone Shaper: As per a normal Caveman, but has the following skill: Crafting (Stones) 2, and 2-7 special stones (Roll: 1 Glowstones, 2 Energy Crystals, 3 polished stones, 4 flint Throwing Daggers, 5 Fire Rocks, 6 Regeneration Crystals).

4 Cave Painter: This is the tribe's story-teller and legend-interpreter. They have the following skills: Entertaining (Art) 2 and Entertaining (Story-Telling) 2. There is a 1 in 6 chance they also have MAGIC 4, Magic-Minor Magic 1, and 3 cantrips that they use to embellish their stories and tales.

5 Fire Keeper: As per a normal Caveman, but has the following skills: Crafting (Fire) 2, Entertaining (Firebreathing) 2, a flaming Torch, flint-and-tinder, a small fire housed in a carrying gourd that must be maintained with fuel at all times, and 1-3 special items (Roll: 1-2: 1-6 extra Torches, 3-4: 1-6 Fire Rocks, 5-6: 1-6 gourds of flammable Pitch - equivalent to thrown Grenades if set alight).

6 Weapon Maker: As per a normal Caveman, but has the following skills: Crafting (Weapons) 2, and 1-3 special weapons (Roll: 1-2: 1-6 sharpened throwing Rocks, 3-4: 1-6 flint Throwing Daggers, 5-6: a Bone Battleaxe).

Treasure from another world!

The Banner of Titans (#19/30, #171/365) [EA:V2] (Artefact) 

"The Banner of Titans has been the battleflag of Amarillia since the reign of the son of Braxus. It was found in one of the giant caves in the Blackstone Hills, and was believed to have been the banner of a long extinct race of Titans. The strange thing about the banner was that it had not faded or frayed with the passage of time, and looked as though it had just been woven.

Its real benefit, however, was not discovered until after a border skirmish with a band of Orcs. A general, and good friend of the king, had been struck down by an arrow from one Orc's bow. When the king went to his side, he saw that there was little hope. He took the Banner of Titans and spread it over his friend, to comfort him. In less than a minute, the general's wounds were healed and he was able to rejoin his soldiers.

 Although only used on rare occasions, the healing powers of the Banner saved the lives of two kings in later years."

- Casket of Souls by Ian Livingstone (1987), p. 28

This is a brown flag of unknown fabric, untouched by time, and decorated with a simple silver and gold runic inscription. It is stretched across a wooden frame and attached to a carved wooden pole, to be used as a battleflag by the Amarillian army. The flag itself has two major properties:

- If removed and wrapped around a sick or injured person, it will cure them instantly of all wounds, diseases or poisons, and restore their STAMINA to its starting score. It will not cure insanity, raise the dead, prevent someone dying of old age, or cause limbs or organs to regenerate. This power works once per day.

- The runes on the flag radiate a spell that melts the putrid flesh of the Undead. Any Undead within five metres of the flag loses 1-3 STAMINA per Attack Round until either dead or fleeing beyond the artefact's range of effect. This power is always on.

In later years the Banner of Titans was converted into a tablecloth of sorts by someone unacquainted with its history, but its magic still worked as Prince Tallis and Princess Tasha, along with their guardian Lorenzo used it to escape Kraal's castle on Lizard Island when it was attacked by an army of Zombies. Since then it has disappeared and it is actively sought by not-so extinct Titans from the sister-world of Allansia who would like their great treasure returned. Some say it was stolen by Garjana Grimgaze the Gorgon Queen and spirited off to the Plane of Rust, in the Demonic Pit, but these are idle speculations at best, to be sure.

Not available to buy

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Cast pearls before Zwinians?

ZWINIAN (#18/30, #170/365) [OOTP IV]

            Normal   Champion
SKILL:       8             9

STAMINA:  8            13

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Sword or Spear

ARMOUR: Light

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Forests, Plains, Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Hills, Wilderness

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-6

TYPE: Animal/Humanoid

REACTION: Unfriendly-Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: High

Thought to be related to the more primitive Tusker, and, like them, worshippers of Grush the God of Swine, the ZWINIAN is a horrible muscular boar-headed humanoid, and almost always up to no good. Smart, devious, and usually armed with a sword or spear, plus scraps of light armour, the Zwinian is a strong, tricky fighter, quick to anger and take offense. They are bloodthirsty creatures too, and in combat prefer to spare no survivors or those foolish enough to attempt a surrender. With this kind of outlook, it is perhaps no wonder that Zwinians tend to operate as lone warriors or in small bands of irregulars; if six Zwinians are found, one will be a ZWINIAN CHAMPION with the scores listed above. 

Occasionally, under the leadership of such a champion, enough Zwinians will gather to overcome a small border fort or outpost settlement. Such a congregation will have 5-30 Zwinians, and half that number as captives from other humanoids who dwell in the same terrain. 2-12 Zwinians will be comprise cavalry patrols, mounted on Giant Running Lizards (equivalent to an Adult DROMAEOSAURUS (see Beyond the Pit, pp. 40-41). 

One of the most infamous of such hideouts was a Zwinian-occupied fortress on the eastern flanks of the Mountains of the Giants, close to the entrance to Anvil Pass. The leadership struggle for ownership swung back and forth between two Zwinian Champions - Frampa, the legitimate Lord of the Citadel, and the rogue would-be usurper Barogkaz the Enchanter - and also drew in the well-known harpist Cerod the Minstrel and a nameless adventurer, but the state of the current stalemate is unknown at this time.

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Black Pine if you please

BLACK PINE (#17/30, #169/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a large-sized coniferous pine tree, whose twisting branches grow up and out to over forty metres tall. The wood is black and lustrous in colour, while the leaves form clusters of dark green brush-like pine needles.

Distribution: Mountains, forests and woods across northern Allansia.
 
Effects: The wood of the Black Pine is one of the strongest and rarest kind of timber in Allansia, and is used for constructing ships, fortifications, siege engines and the like. Anything made from Black Pine wood can add an extra +2 to its BATTLE or SHIP STAMINA. It can also be used for crafting weapons. A quarterstaff made from the wood of the Black Pine will never break in combat, such as on a double Fumble roll or other events. Such items are still flammable as per more normal types of wood and timber though.
 
Cost: City 10gp, Town 8gp, Village 6gp (per staff)
 
Availability: Very Rare.
 
Further Notes: The Riddling Reaver's flying ship, the Twice Shy, was made of Black Pine wood.

Psionic Youth

PSIONICIST (#16/30, #168/365) [POT]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 10

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: See below

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Forests, Mountains, Deserts, Hills, Wilderness

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: See below

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: High

Although possibly not suitable for every campaign, Psionics can be a key element of many, being the use of the mind itself with which to manipulate the world at large and can be a fantastic aid to the Heroes. It can also be a dangerous threat if a Psionic enemy challenges them. A psionicist will belong to one (and only one) psionic Tradition. These psionic Traditions are:

  • Academic Psionicist
  • Dark Power 
  • Mental Healer
  • Physical Adept
  • Wild Psionics.

A Tradition defines both how the psionics abilities are learned and what the abilities can do. To determine a psionicist's type of Tradition, roll on the table below:

Die Roll Psionicist Type 

1 Dark Power

2 Physical Adept

3-4 Academic Psionicist

5 Mental Healer

6 Wild Psionics

Psionicists tend to live more on the margins as outsiders, and thus carry little in the way of possessions. However, what they do carry may be valuable, so roll on the Rich Humanoid column of the Creature Treasure table (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 30). Other than that, the psionicist will just have the clothes on their back and a backpack with 1-6 Provisions. For determining the psionicist's weapon, roll on the table below:

Die Roll Weapon Type

1-2 Dagger

3-4 Staff

5-6 Unarmed (Human Fist)

To determine the number and nature of psionicists that have been encountered, roll on the following table:

Die Roll Encounter Type

1 A Novice (The average Novice has a PSIONICS score of 1-3, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 1-2, with 4-10 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition)

2-3 An Adept (The average Adept has a PSIONICS score of 6-8, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 2-4, with 16-24 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition)

4 An Adept (The average Adept has a PSIONICS score of 6-8, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 2-4, with 16-24 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition) and 1-6 Followers (The average Follower has a PSIONICS score of 1-3, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 1-2, with 4-10 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition). All will follow the same Tradition.

5 A Cabal comprising 2-4 Adepts (The average Adept has a PSIONICS score of 6-8, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 2-4, with 16-24 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition) and 2-7 Followers (The average Follower has a PSIONICS score of 1-3, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 1-2, with 4-10 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition). All will follow the same Tradition

6 A Tainted One (The average Tainted One has a PSIONICS score of 7-9, and a Magic-Psionics Magic Special Skill of 3-5, with 20-28 Psy Points worth of Psionics powers for their Tradition)

The Tradition of a psionicist also tends to define their background to some extent. An Academic Tradition psionicist will learn their abilities at a Magical College or University, though there are few of these on Titan. The various schools of magic in cities such as Royal Lendle, Chalannabrad, Salamonis, Kaynlesh-Ma, and Ximoran are probably the only places offering such opportunities. The abilities taught at these colleges tend to be “classic” abilities such as telepathy and precognition.

A Mental Healer may have learnt their psionic abilities in the same way, or they may have been instructed by a village wise-woman, or even self-taught. Conversely, the use of the Dark Power Tradition usually indicates Chaos mutation or possession by demonic or Undead spirits. It unfortunately is also practiced actively by some races such as Brain Slayers, or much-feared magical orders like the Mindbenders, who are identified by their purple headbands and long purple gowns with raised collars.

A Physical Adept may belong to a mystical sect who dwell in isolation, or a hermit who has honed their mind and body to their fullest potential. Wild Psionics, however, are normally self-taught and are generally destructive and unfocused abilities. 

It is down to the Director to decide which Traditions are available in their setting. Some campaigns might have a single Tradition while others might have two or even three different Traditions, which may coexist peacefully or be rivals.

Friday, June 14, 2024

Holy Swords of the Holy

Holy Sword (#15/30, #167/365) [EA:V2] (Artefact) 

This is a glimmering broad-bladed two-handed sword with many magical powers, that only work if the Holy Sword is wielded by the hands of a Good Hero: 

  • It glows with a white radiance, as per the Glimmer cantrip, in the presence of Evil
  • Adds +1 SKILL combat
  • Heals +6 STAMINA once per day
  • Flames with burning white fire and adds +1 to the Damage Roll versus Demons, Undead or Chaos creatures.
Holy Swords are typically wielded by Crusaders, Paladins and Templars, such as the White Knights of the Twisted Bridge in northern Allansia, or the Templars of Ruddlestone. Perhaps the most famous example in recent history was the Paladin Ueganon Silverblade of Shabak's fabled Holy Defenders, who used his Holy Sword to defeat the Chaos Champion Agissius the Unclean, wielder of an evil Sword of the Iron Demon (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 149), atop the walls of Bakulan. Ueganon survived the siege and was entombed several peaceful decades later with his Holy Sword, though some claim it is but a copy, and the real blade lies hidden elsewhere.

Not available to buy

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Beware the Tower of the Cheetah in Zagoula...

CHEETAH (#14/30, #166/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 5

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Small Bite

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Plains, Wilderness, Desert

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-3

TYPE: Animal

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: Low

The CHEETAH is a fast predatory cat with a spotted pelt that pursues its prey at speed over open ground. It is also known as the Hunting Leopard (although it is not related to Leopards and is actually more closely related to the Puma), as people from places like Shabak and Lendleland like to keep Cheetahs to hunt gazelle and antelope. In the wild, the Cheetah lives either alone or in small family packs on the hot southern plains and savannahs, where it hunts herds of grazing animals. They are considered to be an aspect of the panther god Sku-Rachi, and are worshipped as such at the Tower of the Cheetah in the ancient and decadent city of Zagoula.

The Duskflame Trees of Yore

DUSKFLAME TREE (#13/30, #165/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a medium-sized tree with a light brown trunk, famed for its wide branches covered in green fern-like leaves and spectacular orange or violet flowers.

Distribution: Forests and woods across Allansia.
 
Effects: The flower of the Duskflame Tree is noted for its light-producing properties. As soon as the sun sets, the flower will produce a dim glow, the equivalent of that given out by the embers of a dying fire, and will illuminate an area enough to see large shapes in the gloom. These effects last for 2D6 minutes, and a picked flower will retain these properties for 2D6 days after it has been picked. The flowers of the Duskflame Tree are thus used by Yorefolk and others who dwell within the forest, such as Woodlings and Gnomes, as natural lanterns to use at night when navigating the paths through the woods.
 
Cost: City 5gp, Town 6gp, Village 7gp (per flower)
 
Availability: Rare.
 
Further Notes: The Duskflame Tree is one of many rare types of tree found in the depths of the Forest of Yore. They are rumoured to cluster around the mystic Silver Pool, favoured haunt of the legendary Black Unicorn of Yore, or so it is said.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Use Your Illusionist

ILLUSIONIST (#12/30, #164/365) [POT]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 11

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Dagger

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Forests

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: High

Illusionism is another popular variant of Wizardry, and the art of casting convincing illusions and other magical mirages, with which to trick and deceive those who witness them. Illusionism is the magic of deception, the arcane art of making things appear differently to what they really are, and as an offshoot of Wizardry, it shares many similar spells.

The average Illusionist has a MAGIC score of 5-7, a Magic-Illusionism Magic Special Skill of 1-3 (with 12-20 Magic Points worth of Illusionist spells), and a Magic-Minor Magic Special Skill of 1-3 (with 3-9 cantrips). They are considered to be a Rich Humanoid on the Creature Treasure table (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 30), but will have little in the way of possessions other than their spellbook, robes, and a trusty sharp dagger hidden somewhere about their person.

There is lively debate as to Illusionism’s origins for Gnomes claim they created it, exposed as they were to the magnificence of Tela Oriens the Elven White Lord who dwelt at the heart of the One Forest. Others state it was properly developed by a companion (who the Gnomes claim was one of them working with older lore) of Erridansis Whitewolf, at his original School of Magic within the Forest of Yore.

Whichever of these tales is correct, it is certain that Gnomes do know some Illusionist magic, and what they know they are very proficient in. They will soon give a demonstration of it to anyone who approaches them aggressively, for they use it to ensure that they are not disturbed!

 

However, from the School of Magic of Erridansis Whitewolf, it spread widely, and Illusionism today can be found everywhere, though not always under the best of circumstances. For Illusionists seek to deceive, which is not always a positive thing, and its practice is often frowned upon by the general populace.

 

Senyakaz of Zagoula, hidden usurper of Neuberg is one such example of a nefarious Illusionist, while dread Mordraneth and his nascent Empire of Illusions is unfortunately another. Yet more troublemakers include Yorgar of the Crystal Caves, and the trickster Renfren of Kakhabad. There are Illusionist Heroes too however, probably the most famous of which are Elselvier Gringlewald (see Citadel of Chaos, pp. 119-120) and Jalen Umbersmoke of Kazan (see Heroes of Titan, p. 49).

Saturday, June 8, 2024

A selection of trinkets available for sale at the market in Rimon

Alabaster Scarab (#9/30, #161/365) [EA:V2] (Enchanted Item) 

This is an ornamental scarab amulet, carved from a lump of veined alabaster, and is actually an ancient lucky charm of the Djaratian beetle god Khepra Darkshell (see Rough Guide to the Pit, p. 44). Anyone who wears it may deduct one from the dice roll when they Test their Luck.

7gp

Crystal Pyramid (#10/30, #162/365) [EA:V2] (Trinket) 

This small pyramid has been carved out of a block of quartz crystal (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 81); it refracts the light from the sun inside it into a myriad colours. The ancient Djaratians of the Desert of Skulls built pyramid-shaped tombs to harness the power of pyramidal magic, unleashing latent energies of preservation and regeneration upon their contents, and the Crystal Pyramid acts as a adjunct and conduit to that power. Anyone bearing a Crystal Pyramid in such a chamber within a Djaratian ruin may add one to the below dice-roll to determine the extent of the pyramid's magical energies:

Dice Roll Result

1-2 Restore STAMINA to Initial score and add 1 LUCK point.

3-4 Restore SKILL and STAMINA to their Initial scores and regain 2 LUCK points.

5-6 Restore SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK to their Initial scores, and weapon is enchanted to add +1 to Attack Strength for the next battle only.

5gp

Carved Bone Horn (#11/30, #163/365) [EA:V2] (Enchanted Item) 

This is a large horn carved from a single piece of bone, usually from a Desert Bison. It is well-made but otherwise unremarkable. Such horns are used by Xoroa warriors to summon reinforcements when in trouble. Blowing such a horn in an area inhabited by the Xoroa will summon 2-7 Xoroa warriors who will arrive as quickly as they can. Blowing it right next to a Xoroa hive will summon 4-24 Xoroa warriors instantly. The Xoroa will attack the bearer of the horn unless they are a Xoroa or can communicate in their click-based language. If communication is possible the Xoroa may be persuaded, through usual Social Special Skill rolls, to help the horn-bearer, such as join their side in a fight, or give directions to a nearby cave or ruin.

4gp 

Leopard-skin Potion-Box Hat

LEOPARD (#8/30, #160/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 7

STAMINA: 7

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Large Bite or Large Claws

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Jungles, Hills, Plains, Wilderness, Mountains, Deserts

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2

TYPE: Animal

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: Low

The LEOPARD is a large predatory cat with a spotted pelt, related to the similar Jaguar (see Out of the Pit, p. 71), although not quite as heavily built, and also several types of Panther (see Beyond the Pit, pp. 100-101). The difference between the pelage of several similar cat-like creatures is to know that the Leopard's spots are typically roseate without a central spot, the Jaguar's spots are roseate with a central spot, and the Cheetah is simply covered in a lot of individual spots. The range of the Leopard spans many different habitats, from lush jungles to barren deserts, and within this terrain they actively hunt anything their size or smaller that they can drag up a tree and feast upon, whether it be gazelle, antelope, deer or human being. 

Leopards are hunted for their pelts, which command good prices at the market, and are especially valued by Centaur warriors as an accoutrement that denotes strength and heroism. They are also raised as pets or hunting beasts, but are less-suited to domestication than Pumas or Forest Panthers. In the southern lands of Allansia are rumoured to exist secretive leopard cults to Sku-Rachi the Panther God, and claim magical leopard-like powers in that god's name.

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Dragon Lord, Slight Return

DRAGON LORD (#7/30, #159/365) [POT]

SKILL: 10

STAMINA: 16

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Sword

ARMOUR: Plate Armour and Large Shield

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: 

Sea Dragon Lord - Sea, Sea-shore, Rivers, Lakes

Pit Dragon Lord - Magical Planes, Dungeons, Ruins, Caves 

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1 + steed

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: High

Such powerful and potent figures as Dragon Lords are not restricted to the continents of Titan alone. Elsewhere, they glide atop scaly wings (or fins), in such diverse localities as the following two:

SEA DRAGON LORD

This Dragon Lord roams the marine environment of Titan, the twelve seas and four oceans. Roll on the following two tables to determine the race of the Dragon Lord and their type of steed (a paucity of marine dragon types dictates that many underwater Dragon Lords do not actually ride Dragons but other lesser though no less spectacular pelagic predators).

Die Roll Race

1 Sea Elf

2 Merfolk

3 Shark-Kin

4 Sea Troll (Deep One or Sharadrin)

5 Fish Person

6 Pelagine or Pelaginette

Die Roll Steed

1 Sea Hydra

2 Greel

3-4 young Sea Dragon

5 Great Eel

6 Sea Serpent

PIT DRAGON LORD

This is a Dragon Lord from the demonic Pit, though they may also be encountered upon Titan, or beneath it, in the Down Below. Such a Dragon Lord has a highly diverse potentiality of origins, rolling on the below table for a combined race/Archetype result (and roll on the regular Archetype table if you think your Dragon Lord require further detail):

Dice Roll Type of Dragon Lord

2 Lich-Lord or Liche Queen

3 Master of Hellfire

4 Shrouded Wanderer

5 Brain Slayer

6 Dark Elf

7 Chaos Warrior

8 Caarth

9 Lizard Man

10 Tantaflex

11 Demon (Roll: 1 Fire 2 Ice 3 Hell 4 Horned 5 Acid 6 Spike)

12 Vampire

To determine the Pit Dragon Lord's steed, roll on the below table for different steed types:

Dice Roll Steed Type

1 a HELL DRAGON

2 a WRAITH DRAGON

3 a SHADOW DRAGON

4 a CHAOS DRAGON (Roll for colour: 1-2 Yellow, 3-4 Orange, 5-6 Purple)

5 a SKELETAL DRAGON

6 a KRAGON

The Reaction type of Pit Dragon Lords is generally Unfriendly-Hostile.

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

When an author creates the same thing twice, with just one letter different.

ALAMANCE (#6/30, #158/365) [TTHA] 

Appearance: This is a pungent, sweet-smelling herb, with round green leaves and tiny yellow flowers.

Distribution: Forests and woods across Allansia.
 
Effects: Eating Alamance guards against disease for one day. If exposed to a disease the person may deduct 2 from the dice roll when Testing their Luck to see if they catch the disease or not.
 
Cost: City 5sp, Town 1gp, Village 15sp (per bunch)
 
Availability: Uncommon.
 
Further Notes: Alamance is one of many rare types of herb found in the depths of the Forest of Yore. It is the Allansian equivalent of Aramance (see The Titan Herbal, p. 20), but slightly more powerful in effect.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Step (or rather fly) forward, the Dragon Lord...

DRAGON LORD (#5/30, #157/365) [POT]

SKILL: 10

STAMINA: 16

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Sword

ARMOUR: Plate Armour and Large Shield

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Ruins, Dungeons, Towns, Mountains, Wilderness, Hills

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1 + steed

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: High

The Dragon Lord (or Dragon Rider) is a mighty personage who has acquired, through various means, the command of a type of Dragon or other draconic creature that is their own flying steed. Dragon Lords are rare but powerful and hail from a variety of potential backgrounds. To determine the specific details of an encountered Dragon Lord, roll on the following tables to determine their race, archetype, steed, and reason for Dragon command:

Dice Roll Race

1 High Elf

2 Man-Orc

3 Human

4 Black Elf

5 Lizard Man

6 Caarth

Dice Roll Archetype

2 Bard

3 Beastmaster (chosen animal is Dragon)

4 Barbarian

5 Amazon

6 Noble

7 Priest of Kilanirax

8 Mercenary

9 Trapper 

10 Adventurer  

11 Knight 

12 Crusader

Dice Roll Steed

1 Young RED DRAGON

2 WYVERN

3 Young WAR DRAGON

4 FIRE DRAKE

5 ICE DRAKE

6 Young WHITE DRAGON

Note: A Dragon Rider encountered on the island of Mishna will always have a TREE DRAGON as a steed (see Creatures of Mishna, pp. 15-16).

Dice Roll Reason for Command

1 The Dragon Lord has the Animalfriend Talent, and the steed is a long-time boon companion.

2 The Dragon Lord has the Familiar Talent, in which case roll for the steed's Familiar Power: 1 Spell Store, 2 Mind Meld, 3-4 Normal, 5 Lucky, 6 Magic Store (see Return to the Pit, p. 69).

3 The steed is magically controlled by the Dragon Lord through the use of an enchanted Artefact or magic spell. They may or may not be attempting to resist the effects of the magic control.

4 The steed is currently physically restrained by the Dragon Lord with chains and manacles and is actively seeking to break free.

5 The steed has agreed to serve the Dragon Lord as payment for a past deed or exploit.

6 The steed has been summoned by the Dragon Lord through the use of an enchanted Artefact or magic spell.

The powerful presence of a Dragon Lord and their steed demands respect, and explains their often haughty and condescending manner towards others. However, some of these others, such as a vain ruling-prince or a weak local despot, are envious of the Dragon Lord's potent capability, and may desire to either control or destroy this possible asset or even rival. 

Known Dragon Riders and Lords from Titan include Kuperan, Fire Giant Monarch of the Sands in central Khul, who rides an enormous Blue Dragon. Meanwhile, in Allansia, there is the Black Elf warrior Dhelzar of the Dead Tree and their Fire Drake steed 'Moonflame' or the legendary Unmou, a Goblin who rose to great heights as part of a Wvyern-riding unit in the army of Agglax the Shadow Demon, in his second incarnation upon Titan as he attempted to attack the city of Zengis.

Whether they are aspiring to the mystic heights of Dragon Masterhood status and wear a sacred silver Dragon Amulet of the Masters (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 139),  or simply a roving adventurer with a friendly flying companion, the Dragon Lord is an awe-inspiring sight as they soar up through the clouds above, born aloft and into the sky by the steady beating of their mount's large leathery wings...