To open the month of December I’m again going to post one of Kristian’s beautiful maps. This seven room map will become the focus of an adventure for the Labyrinth Lord system called “Beneath the Ice”. The map is considered closed content but the adventure introduction is Open Game Content. Labyrinth Lord^tm is copyright and a trademark of Daniel Proctor.

Beneath the Ice

Beneath the Ice is a side-trek adventure for Labyrinth Lord fantasy roleplaying game created by Goblinoid Games. It is intended for 8th to 10th level characters. The adventure should be successfully played within a couple of hours.

The site of this adventure is buried deep beneath an ice field in the northern reaches of your campaign world. While the characters are on another quest of importance, such as freeing the southern lands of the Frost Giant King’s evil cyromancy, one of the characters stumbles (literally, and figuratively) upon a hidden outpost of a forgotten planar cult.

Background
In the time before recorded time, when intelligent things took not the form of man but instead some aberrant nature both to horrible to describe and remember, a cult of proto-humanoid elementals toiled within the northern lands to establish a permanent conduit between the prime material plane and the plane of ice. One of the wizards working on the conduit miscalculated the placement of several important sigils and cast the whole region into an icy grip. This killed many of the aberrant creatures, placed the proto-humanoid elemental into suspended animation and allowed mammalian life to take a more central role in the affairs of the surface world.

Into the Crevasse
As the PCs travel across the surface of the Crystalglare Icefield (or a similar glacier in your world), a crack forms in the surface sending one of the PCs sliding down into the interior of the glacier. He lands at the entrance to the cult’s temple and this intrusion of humanoid life begins to wake the creatures from their suspended hibernation. Go to room 1.

It has been a long month with a lot of varied content. To close off the month and fill in a gap from November 11th, I would like to present four additional magic items and a new spell. The following items are Open Game Content

New Magic Items

Tiger Claws
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 13,520 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Tiger claws are a paired set of +1 claw bracers created by the tiger clan. Once per day as a swift action the wearer of the tiger claws can transform into a tiger as if affected by the beast shape II spell. The wearer remains in animal form for 8 minutes.

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, beast shape II; Cost 7,920 gp/

Iron Flute of Irresistible Dancing
Aura strong enchantment; CL 18th
Slot none; Price 117,805 gp; Weight 1 lb.

The iron flute of irresistible dancing is a +1 iron flute that has even greater power. When played by a person who succeeds on a DC 22 Perform (wind instruments) check, creates a lively tune. Those within 30 feet who hear the tune must succeed on a DC 19 Will save or begin to dance as if affected by irresistible dance spell. This ability can be used three times per day.

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, irresistible dance; Cost 59, 055 gp

Slips of Skeleton Awakening
Aura faint necromancy; CL 5th
Slot none; Price 500 gp; Weight -

A slip of skeleton awakening is a small scroll of paper that when affixed to the skull of a skeleton causes it to animate as a burning skeleton for a period of five rounds. During that time it acts as you wish but immediately after crumbles into soot.

Requirement Craft Potion (Single-Use Item, awaken the dead II; Cost 125 gp.

Slips of Zombie Awakening
Aura faint necromancy; CL 5th
Slot none; Price 250 gp; Weight -

A slip of zombie awakening is a small scroll of paper that when affixed to the head of a corpse causes it to animate as a fast zombie for a period of five rounds. During that time it acts as you wish but immediately after crumbles into dust.

Requirement Craft Potion (Single-Use Item), awaken the dead I; Cost 125 gp.

New Spell

Brilliant Fang
School transmutation; Level shujenga 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target living creature touched
Duration 1 min/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

Brilliant fang gives one natural weapon or unarmed strike of the subject a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls and causes the subject to ignore non-living matter with this attack. While active this weapon cannot harm undead or constructs but ignores all armor and shield bonus on the opponent’s armor class.

Brilliant fang can be make permanent with a permanency spell.

A while back I picked up this graphic planning to use it for ninja month and yet at the month was coming to an end I still had not done anything with it. To rectify it that I’m going to stat-up the treacherous and dangerous ninja-bots. The following is Open Game Content.

Modern²⁰: Ninja-bots

Created by Taigo-kama electronics the Ninja-bot^TM were originally intended for use in the television show Robot Battler Fight, Fight, Fight Extravaganza. It wasn’t long before the design was stolen and knock-offs were being sold in toy stores across the nation. Now students across the island run mock battles with their ninja-bot and bet on the battles in a series of clan-based tournaments.

Base Ninja-Bot (Speedfreak 1) HD 1d8+5; hp 9; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 class, +1 size); BAB +0; Melee +3 (1d6+1, wakazashi); SQ Need for Speed, Robot Physiology; AL owner; SV Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1, Rec +0; Rep NA; Str 10, Dex 17, Con -, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills; Perks Athletics 4 (+4), Perception 4 (+5), Stealth 4 (+11), Unarmed 4 (+4), Weapons 4 (+4); Power Punch (Unarmed), Reactive Stance (Weapons)
Feats Robot Frame, Robot Physiology, Size Decrease (Small), Weapon Finesse (wakazashi)
Description The simplest model of the Ninja-bot is designed in white and red colouring. The base model wields only a wakazashi, though a ninja-bot^TM katana can be purchased separately.

Titan Ninja-Bot (Speedfreak 1/Tank 4) HD 1d8+4d12+10; hp 40; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 18, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +4 class, +1 size); BAB +3; Melee +6 (1d6+2, wakazashi); SQ DR 2/slashing, Need for Speed, Robot Physiology; AL owner; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, Rec +4; Rep NA; Str 10, Dex 17, Con -, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills; Perks Athletics 8 (+8), Perception 8 (+9), Stealth 8 (+15), Unarmed 8 (+8), Weapons 8 (+8); Power Punch (Unarmed), Reactive Stance (Weapons)
Feats Natural Armor (slashing), Robot Frame (2), Robot Physiology, Size Decrease (Small), Weapon Finesse (wakazashi), Unstoppable 1, Unstoppable 2
Description Some owners of the ninja-bots^tm have begun to modify their ninja-bots. Giving them more tenacious fighting programming and heavier a chassis. The Titan Ninja-bot is a customization that has been detailed online on the ninjabot.wikidot.com site for avid ninja-bot battlers.

Assassin Ninja-Bot (Speedfreak 6) HD 6d8+10; hp 37; Spd 35 ft.; Defense 20, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +7 class, +1 size); BAB +4; Melee +7 (1d6+2, wakazashi), Ranged +7 (1d2, blowgun plus poison); SQ Need for Speed, Robot Physiology; Al Asilis Corporation; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +3, Rec +2; Rep NA; Str 10, Dex 17, Con -, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills; PerksAcrobatics 9 (+12), Athletics 9 (+9), Crime 9 (+12), Perception 9 (+10), Stealth 9 (+16), Unarmed 9 (+9), Weapons 9 (+9); Security Systems (Crime), Two-Weapon Fighting (Weapons)
Feats Fast Mover, Hit and Run, Move-By Action, Robot Frame (2), Robot Physiology, Size Decrease (Small), Weapon Finesse (katana, wakazashi)
Description The Asilis Corporation began sponsoring a team of robot battlers in 2007. This public sponsorship is just a cover for their true interest in the small robots. Studied, disassembled, reassembled and reprogrammed the Asilis Corporation now employs a number of assassin ninja-bot to perform acts of corporate sabotage, theft and assassination.

New Feats

Robot Frame
You are crafted from enhanced materials.
Prerequisite Robot Physiology
Effect You gain +5 hit points do to reinforcements on your chassis.
Special You may select this feat more than once and its effects stack.

Robot Physiology
Though it may seem strange, robots have a physiology that defines their “life” functions.
Effect You are considered a robot for any ability that lists robot in its description (such as Robot Frame). Your Constitution score is reduced to 0 but you suffer no penalty to hit points from this. You do not heal naturally but a robot mechanic with skill in Engineering may use First Aid or Long Term care as described under the Medicine skill on you (provided they have the perks). Any ability that heals a living target has no effect on you.You also gain complete immunity to poison, disease, any attack that requires a Fortitude saving throw as well as fatigue and exhaustion. You do not need to eat, breathe or sleep and are ageless.

I think it is totally 4 Wind Fantasy Publishing’s fault for this entry. The appearance of the Voyager in Paths of Power made me think that there is definitely not enough Canadian content. In response to that I’m adding the Canadiana column to the DM Sketchpad. The following statistics are Open Game Content while the concept is clearly someone else’s work.

Canadiana: Hobo²⁰

Hobo (Speedfreak 2/Empath 1): HD 3d8+6; HP 19; Init +3; Spd 50; Defense 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 Def); BAB +1; Atk +3 melee (1d4+2); AL none; SQ Neeed for Speed; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +4, Rec +3; Rep +1; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills Athletics 1 (+3), Crime 0 (-4/+2 steal), Outdoorsman 1 (+3), Perception 1 (+5), Unarmed 4 (+6)
Feats Awareness, Improved Initiative, Natural Weapons (piercing), Night Vision, Runner, Specialist (Crime – steal)
Character Disadvantages: Serious Disability (difficulty manipulating objects)
Description: Hobo is a German Shepherd who travels the countryside helping those in need. Though many have tried to adopt him, Hobo will have no master and travels onward. Maybe tomorrow he’ll want to settle down.

On November 27th, I checked my email before school as always and found a coupon code for 4 Winds Fantasy Publishing’s newest book Paths of Power. I think besides finding comments about the Grand OGL Wiki/DM Sketchpad or having submissions appear for the sketchpad, the next best thing is free stuff from publishers [Precis Intermedia recently sent me A Fistfull of Miniatures as well which I will review in December]. On top of that the Paths of Power book has a Samurai core class in it so it provides me this opportunity to provide you with yet another 1st level hero for the DM Sketchpad. The following entry is Open Game Content.

1st Level Characters: The Samurai

Aranosi has been a loyal retainer of Lord Hakabishi for seven years. Though many human’s distrust the covetous nature or the tengu. It is this reputation that Habakishi knew would allow his agent to move amongst others without suspicious on being under the Lord’s control. Aranosi is loyal to Hakabishi and has never taken advantage of his privileged relationship though he is quite proud of it.

Aranosi, Loyal Retainer of Lord Hakabishi
Male tengu samurai 1
CR ½; XP200
LN Medium humanoid (tengu)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3

AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex)
hp 11 (1d10+1)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3

Spd 30 ft.
Melee +4 punching dagger (1d4+3, x3)
Ranged yumi +4 (1d8, x3); 23 arrows

Str 16, Dex 16, Con** 10, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Muscles^PoP
Skills ; Racial Modifiers +4 Linguist, +2 Perception, +2 Stealth
SQ gifted linguist, swordtrained
Gear 38 gp of gear

Meditation Aranois has a complete recovery from the fatigued condition in just two hours of meditation, the ability to move from the exhausted condition to the fatigued condition in just 30 minutes, and the equivalent of a full night’s sleep in only 6 hours.

Other Classes

If you are looking for additional core classes there are anti-paladins, elemental wizard (could perhaps be convert to cover the shugenja role), gladiator, samurai, voyager and witch in Paths of Power. There are also more NPC classes and three prestige classes. I especially like the look of the voyager because it looks to be a fantasy interpretation of the forest runners who help explore and settle western Canada. There is even a coureur de bois feat which means forest runner.

Continuing the theme of epic dragons, and really which dragons are not, Shane has sent over a Superior Half-Dragon template. With this template you can make characters and npcs who had one parent as an epic dragon. The following material is Open Game Content

SUPERIOR HALF-DRAGON

Common dragons are well-known for their fecundity, siring half-breed offspring with myriad creatures. What few sages realize is that higher-order dragons share this trait; however, such half-draconic offspring are much rarer due to both the scarcity of their draconic parents, and because few beings can successfully couple with such powerful creatures. The spawn of such unions, however, are superior half-dragons (the term is used collectively for all half-epic, half-adamic, and half-nehaschimic dragons) and can become multiversal movers and shakers in their own right. Oddly, some of these dragons should not be able to have children at all (such as void dragons), but rare instances of creatures having the traits of such creatures indicate that such a thing is somehow possible.

SAMPLE SUPERIOR HALF-DRAGON

A dark figure seems to melt out of the shadows. Dressed in nondescript black clothing, the creature is unremarkable save for two notable features. The first is the pair of large, black wings unfurling behind it, their color slowly lightening to a bloody red. The second is how above the creature’s large, toothy grin, there are no discernable features. Raising a dagger in its hand, the thing’s rictus smile widens as it lunges at you.

This example uses a gloom as the base creature, with the half-polychromatic dragon template.

Garistus
Medium Dragon (Augmented Monstrous Humanoid)
Hit Dice: 25d20+450 (950 hp)
Initiative: +24 (+16 Dex, +8 Superior Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (good)
AC: 61 (+16 Dex, +12 insight, +17 natural, +6 deflection), touch 44, flat-footed 45
Base Attack/Grapple: +25/+42
Attack: +20 0.003% orichalcum keen universal energy blast dagger of human dread +63 melee (2d4+37 plus 3d6 acid plus 3d6 cold plus 3d6 electricity plus 3d6 fire plus 3d6 sonic/17-20) or claw +42 melee (1d8+27)
Full Attack: +20 0.003% orichalcum keen universal energy blast dagger of human dread +63/+58/+53/+48 melee (2d4+37 plus 3d6 acid plus 3d6 cold plus 3d6 electricity plus 3d6 fire plus 3d6 sonic/17-20) and claw +37 melee (1d8+8) and 2 wing buffets +37 melee (1d6+8) and bite +37 melee (2d6+8)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, fear gaze, legendary wings sneak attack +13d6
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., immunities, keen senses, maven, opportunist, quiescence, spell-like abilities, SR 55, DR 10/epic
Saves: Fort +28, Ref +30, Will +23
Abilities: Str 44, Dex 42, Con 47, Int 36, Wis 25, Cha 40
Skills: Appraise +13, Balance +20, Bluff +43, Climb +45, Concentration +18, Craft (all) +13, Diplomacy +19, Disguise +15 (+19 to act in character), Escape Artist +16, Forgery +13, Gather Information +15, Heal +7, Hide +44, Intimidate +47, Jump +49, Listen +35, Move Silently +64, Perform (all) +15, Ride +16, Search +13, Sense Motive +7, Spot +35, Survival +35, Swim +17, Tumble +48, Use Rope +16
Feats: Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (dagger)
Epic Feats: Sneak Attack of Opportunity, Superior Initiative
Challenge Rating: 45
Treasure: Nonstandard (just his dagger)
Alignment: Lawful evil

Garistus is the son of Tiamat, and serves as one of her most favored assassins. When there’s a being she wants dead, Garistus is the one Tiamat dispatches, and thus far he has never let her down. Like most of her spawn, he tends to compete with his brothers and sisters for his mother’s attention, and to that end he has started plotting on his own to kill several of Bahamut’s children, without his mother’s knowledge or approval.

While few know this, Garistus’s mood can be surmised from what color his wings are at the time. He turns them black when hunting a target (anticipation), red when engaged in combat (joy), blue if brought down to one-third hit points or less (fear), white if retreating (anger), and green if not currently on a mission (boredom). He has a variety of remaining colors that telegraph his other moods, but those five are the most frequent.

In the hand of any other creature than Garistus, the dagger is a +6 0.003% orichalcum keen dagger. His natural weapons and any melee weapons he wields are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

COMBAT

Garistus always tries to position himself to be able to sneak attack in melee. He’ll usually use his legendary wings power to use summon monster IX, summoning a group of elemental creatures purely to set him up for flanking attacks. Only if fighting a large group will he use the power of his wings to attack directly.

Breath Weapon (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, Garistus is able to breathe a cone of energy that deals 25d6 points of damage (DC 40 Reflex save for half damage). He may choose the type of energy: acid, cold, electricity, or fire, each time he uses his breath weapon. The DC is Constitution-based.

Fear Gaze (Su): Viewing the gloom’s face inspires terror. Creatures that meet the gloom’s gaze must succeed at a Will save (DC 37) or suffer the effects of a fear spell as cast by a 20th-level caster. The DC is Charisma-based.

Immunities (Ex): Garistus is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, and death from massive damage. He is also immune to one type of energy (acid, cold, electricity, or fire) chosen each round on his turn.

Keen Senses (Ex): Garistus sees eight times better than a human in shadowy illumination, four times better than a human in normal light, and has 120 ft. darkvision.

Legendary Wings (Su): Garistus is able to change the color of his wings at will (though not the pattern). Since his wings are strongly aligned with elemental energy, on his turn he can duplicate any spell with an energy descriptor of up to level 9 (caster level 25th). This ability can also duplicate any epic spells with a Spellcraft DC of 20 or less that also has an energy descriptor.

Maven (Ex): Garistus has maximum ranks in all the skills he knows.

Opportunist (Ex): This ability functions like the rogue class feature of the same name.

Sneak Attack (Ex): Garistus is able to sneak attack as a 25th-level rogue, dealing 13d6 extra damage.

Quiescence (Su): Garistus is constantly silent, as per the silence spell, although the area does not extend beyond him. This quality gives him a +20 racial bonus on Move Silently checks (it is still possible him to create noise, such as by bumping into something that scrapes on the floor or by sounding a chime). Garistus can lower this effect at will.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—shadow walk; 3/day—true strike. Caster level 20th; save DC 25 + spell level. The DC is Charisma-based.

Creating a Superior Half-Dragon

"Superior half-dragon" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with 20 natural Hit Dice (for epic dragons), 60 natural Hit Dice (for adamic dragons), or 120 natural Hit Dice (for nehaschimic dragons), referred to hereafter as the base creature.

Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to dragon, and it gains the augmented subtype. Size is unchanged. Do not recalculate base attack bonus or saves.

Hit Dice
Increase the base creature’s natural Hit Dice as follows: d20 for half-epic dragons and d100 for half-adamic and half-nehaschimic dragons. Superior half-dragons always gain maximum hit points per die (half-nehaschimic dragons gain double maximum hit points per die).

Speed
A superior half-dragon has wings, and may fly at three times their base land speed with good maneuverability, or as the base creature, whichever is better.

Armor Class
A superior half-dragon gains a natural armor bonus of +12 (epic dragon), +36 (adamic dragon), or +108 (nehaschimic dragon), which stacks with the base creature’s natural armor. It also gains a deflection bonus from its wings (see below) which does not stack with any other deflection bonus.

Attack
A superior half-dragon has two claw attacks, two wing buffet attacks, and a bite attack, and the claws are the primary natural weapon. If the base creature can use weapons, the superior half-dragon retains this ability. A superior half-dragon fighting without weapons uses a claw when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.

Full Attack
A superior half-dragon fighting without weapons uses both claws, both wings, and its bite when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and its wings and bite as natural secondary attacks. If it has a hand free, it uses a claw as an additional natural secondary attack.

Damage
Superior half-dragons have wing, bite and claw attacks, with damage as listed on Table 1-8: Universal Base Damage by Size in The Immortal’s Handbook Epic Bestiary Vol. 1. Remember that these values may be modified if the superior half-dragon has any virtual size categories. A superior half-dragon’s natural weapons, and all melee weapons wielded, are treated as being epic for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Special Attacks
A superior half-dragon has all the special attacks of the base creature, as well as the following.

Breath Weapon (Su): A superior half-dragon is able to use a breath weapon, the exact type and damage of which is determined by what kind of superior half-dragon it is. Epic half-dragons can use their breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds, adamic half-dragons can use their breath weapon once every 1d3 rounds, and nehaschimic half-dragons can use their breath weapon once every 1d2 rounds. The save DC is 10 + ½ the superior half-dragon’s natural Hit Dice + the superior half-dragon’s Con modifier.

• Cometary (adamic): A half-cometary dragon can breathe a cone of temporal stasis, affecting everyone in range for 1d3 rounds if they fail a Reflex save. Opponents frozen in this manner can be attacked normally by the half-cometary dragon, but cannot be affected again by its breath weapon until the effect wears off.
• Firmament (nehaschimic): A half-firmament dragon breathes a line of quarks (sub-atomic particles) that rend asunder the target’s physical being. Creatures hit by this take 1d6 points of permanent damage per 4 natural Hit Dice of the half-dragon (half damage on a successful Fortitude save). Permanent damage cannot be healed, except by a limited wish (which restores 1 hit point) or wish (which restores 1 hit point per caster level).
• Force (epic): A half-force dragon breathes a cone of pure force, dealing 1d4 points of force damage per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon (no save).
• Nexus (nehaschimic): A half-nexus dragon can breathe a cone that has a 33% chance (roll once per individual) of shunting those within it into another universe, erasing them from every having existed at all in their native universe. Those affected by the same use of this breath weapon might be shunted into the same alternate universe.
• Platinum (epic): A half-platinum dragon has two breath weapons. The first is a cone of sonic energy that deals 1d6 damage per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon (half damage on a successful Reflex save). The other is a cone of healing vapors that heals 5 points of damage per natural Hit Die (this harms undead creatures, who may make a Reflex save for half damage). The half-platinum dragon may inhale the latter breath weapon if it chooses, affecting only itself.
• Polychromatic (epic): A half-polychromatic dragon breathes a cone of energy that deals 1d6 points of damage per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon (half damage on a successful Reflex save). It may choose the type of energy: acid, cold, electricity, or fire, each time it uses its breath weapon.
• Prismatic (epic): A half-prismatic dragon has a prismatic spray breath weapon. The breath weapon’s cone is of the size indicated by Table D-13: Breath Weapon Size in The Immortal’s Handbook Epic Bestiary Vol. 1, not the normal cone for the spell.
• Starshadow (adamic): A half-starshadow dragon breaths a line of energy that does 1d20 points of damage per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon (half damage on a successful Reflex save). The type of energy adapts itself as the most damaging type for each target struck (e.g. a creature with the cold subtype would take fire damage from this breath weapon). If a creature has no particular energy vulnerability, then this is treated as being force damage. Regardless of energy type, this breath weapon ignores any miss chance a target might have for being incorporeal.
• Timber (epic): A half-timber dragon breathes a cone of death energy, dealing 1d8 points of damage per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon to living creatures (half damage on a successful Fortitude save). This deals d12 points of damage per natural Hit Dice to creatures of the plant type, or water subtype. It deals no damage to constructs and the undead.
• Titanium (epic): A half-titanium dragon breathes a line of telluric force (which appears as a green lightning) dealing 1d10 points of damage per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon (half damage on a successful Reflex save). Targets struck by a consecutive use of the breath weapon take double the normal damage (2d10 per natural Hit Die of the half-dragon) so long as the next use occurs within 24 hours.
• Void (adamic): A half-void dragon breathes a cone of annihilation, causing living beings who fail a Reflex save to lose 1 level/Hit Die per 4 natural Hit Dice of the half-dragon (this is treated as though they had failed a Fort save to remove a negative level), those who make their save suffer no damage. Creatures immune to energy drain still take half damage from this effect (no damage on a successful save).

Special Qualities
Superior half-dragons have all the special qualities of the base creature, as well as the following.

Adaptation (Ex): Half-adamic and half-nehaschimic dragons take no damage from any natural environment; they are capable of existing anywhere.

Immunities (Ex): All superior half-dragons are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, and death from massive damage. They also have additional immunities based on type.

• Cometary (adamic): Half-cometary dragons are immune to cold damage, and are healed instead of harmed by fire damage.
• Firmament (nehaschimic): Half-firmament dragons are immune to sonic damage, are healed instead of harmed by fire damage, and reflect all cold-based attacks. Further, they cannot be harmed by sub-epic spells.
• Force (epic): Half-force dragons are immune to all force effects.
• Nexus (nehaschimic): Half-nexus dragons are immune to cold damage, are healed instead of harmed by electricity damage, and reflect all sonic-based attacks. Further, they cannot be harmed by sub-epic spells.
• Platinum (epic): Half-platinum dragons are immune to cold damage.
• Polychromatic (epic): Half-polychromatic dragons are immune to one type of energy (acid, cold, electricity, or fire) chosen each round on their turn.
• Prismatic (epic): Half-prismatic dragons cannot be harmed by any light, including Evocation [Light] spells, searing light, and the various prismatic (sphere, spray, wall) spells. In addition, they are immune to any spell or effect that causes blindness.
• Starshadow (adamic): Half-starshadow dragons are immune to electricity damage, and are healed instead of harmed by sonic damage.
• Timber (epic): Half-timber dragons are immune to negative energy and necromantic effects.
• Titanium (epic): //Half-titanium dragons are immune to sonic damage.
• Void (adamic):// Half-void dragons are immune to cold damage, and are healed instead of harmed by acid damage.

Keen Senses (Ex): Superior half-dragons have heightened senses, as follows: half-epic dragons see eight times as well as a human in shadowy illumination, four times as well in normal light, and have 120 ft. darkvision. Half-adamic dragons see twenty times as well in shadowy illumination, ten times as well in normal light, and have 600 ft. darkvision. Half-nehaschimic dragons have sight that extends infinitely, though not to other planes, and see in the dark as well as they do in the light.

Legendary Wings (Su): While all superior half-dragons have features that are indicative of their draconic parent, all have wings that are completely identical to what their dragon progenitor would have (replacing any wings the base creature would otherwise have). They are able to use these wings to protect themselves, wrapping them around their bodies protectively, granting them a deflection bonus equal to ¼ their natural Hit Dice (for half-epic dragons), ½ their natural Hit Dice (for half-adamic dragons) or equal to their natural Hit Dice (for half-nehaschimic dragons); this does not stack with any deflection bonus the base creature may have. Additionally, each variety of superior half-dragon is able to, as a standard action unless otherwise noted (no AoO), use their wings to gain a different effect (none of which interferes with their ability to fly).

• Cometary (adamic): A half-cometary dragon’s wings are grey and very translucent, being made of compressed time. By enfolding itself within its wings, a half-cometary dragon may place a safe time (as the epic spell) effect on itself. This lasts for as long as the half-cometary dragon wishes; it is aware of the passage of normal time, though time ceases to pass for it, and it may not take any actions except to move back into normal time on a subsequent round (which is a free action).
• Firmament (nehaschimic): The wings of a half-firmament dragon seem to be made of light. On its turn it may choose a being within reach to become immune to. Thereafter, that creature is unable to affect the half-firmament dragon at all; its attacks, spells, actions, etc. do no damage to and have no effect on the half-firmament dragon. A half-firmament dragon may change this designation as often as it likes, but it may only ever be immune to a single being (eternals and higher beings are not subject to this power). When using this power, a half-firmament dragon seems to wave its wings through a creature, attuning itself to that creature’s existence totally.
• Force (epic): A half-force dragon’s wings are completely invisible, through still tangible. On its turn a half-force dragon is able to negate all force effects within 100 ft. of it. This functions like a successful dispel magic used against all force-related spells and magic items (e.g. a wall of force would immediately cease to exist, bracers of armor would be nonfunctional for 1d4 rounds, etc).
• Nexus (nehaschimic): The wings of a half-nexus dragon are composed of light, though they shine less brightly than those of a half-firmament dragon’s. By using their wings, they may “attack” the laws of physics, denying an effect from happening despite it having the requisite cause. As an immediate action, a half-nexus dragon can cause someone within 100 ft. to lose a standard action from their turn (e.g. the victim may only take a move action this turn, unless they somehow have more actions). Eternals and higher beings are not subject to this power.
• Platinum (epic): A half-platinum dragon’s wings are a beautiful silvery-white, and are incredibly strong. When fighting defensively, a half-platinum dragon can use one wing as an extremely potent bastion, gaining damage reduction 25/-. When using a total defense action, it uses both wings, raising the damage reduction to 50/-.
• Polychromatic (epic): A half-polychromatic dragon is able to change the color of its wings at will (though not the pattern). Since its wings are strongly aligned with elemental energy, on its turn it can duplicate any spell with an energy descriptor of a level equal to 9 + number of automatic metamagic capacity feats (caster level equal to its natural Hit Dice). This ability can also duplicate any epic spells with a Spellcraft DC equal to the half-polychromatic dragon’s spellcraft check +20 and an energy descriptor.
• Prismatic (epic): The wings of a half-prismatic dragon constantly sparkle and shift colors. A creature hit by a half-prismatic dragon’s wing buffet has the light around it solidified; it is trapped inside a prismatic sphere of a single color (roll 1d8 to determine the color, re-rolling any result of 8) that takes up just that creature’s space.
• Starshadow (adamic): A half-starshadow dragon’s wings are a black film, with white spots on them that make it seem as though the wings are windows into deep space. Because a half-starshadow dragon’s wings naturally aggregate magic, any opponent it hits with a wing buffet loses all magical ability for 1 round, as though that creature were in an antimagic field that only affects their items and abilities. This ability does not work on sidereals or higher beings.
• Timber (epic): A half-timber dragon’s wings seem to have their bones made from wood, with the membranes being leaves. As its wings are incarnations of nature, they offer the half-timber dragon great defensive power from unnatural things. While fighting defensively, a half-timber dragon takes the minimum possible damage from manufactured weapons (e.g. a +7 longsword wielded by someone with Str 26 would only do 16 points of damage). Unarmed strikes and natural weapons continue to inflict normal damage.
• Titanium (epic): The wings of a half-titanium dragon are composed of a dark bluish metal, and seem to almost be manufactured rather than grown. Strongly resistant to magic, a half-titanium dragon that takes a total defense action wraps its wings around itself, and is treated as having unbeatable spell resistance so long as it maintains a total defense. This does not function against sidereals and higher beings.
• Void (adamic): A half-void dragon’s wings are utterly black, being wing-shaped holes in the fabric of reality. A half-void dragon’s wing buffet attacks are always touch attacks, and ignore all hardness and damage reduction. Moreover, they deal permanent damage. Permanent damage cannot be healed, except by a limited wish (which restores 1 hit point) or wish (which restores 1 hit point per caster level).

Maven (Ex): Superior half-dragons have maximum ranks in all skills they know.

Omnicompetent (Ex): Half-adamic and half-nehaschimic dragons know all skills.

Spell Resistance (Ex): A superior half-dragon has spell resistance equal to its Challenge Rating +10 (half-epic dragons), +15 (half-adamic dragons), or +20 (half-nehaschimic dragons).

Abilities
Superior half-dragons gain ability increases as follows.

Half-epic dragons: Str +12, Con +10, Int +10, Cha +10.

Half-adamic dragons: Str +30, Con +24, Int +24, Cha +24.

Half-nehaschimic dragons: Str +72, Con +50, Int +50, Cha +50.

Challenge Rating
As base creature +20 (half-epic), +36 (half-adamic), or +70 (half-nehaschimic)

Alignment
As base creature or dragon variety.

Level Adjustment
As base creature +30 (half-epic), +54 (half-adamic), or +105 (half-nehaschimic)

The following material is Open Game Content.

Starshadow Dragon

Dark Matter Dragon
Dragon (Extraplanar, Incorporeal)
Environment: Any (usually deep space)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: Wyrmling 68; Very Young 80; Young 92; Juvenile 104; Young Adult 116; Adult 128; Mature Adult 140; Old 152; Very Old 164; Ancient 176; Wyrm 188; Great Wyrm 200
Treasure: Triple Standard
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: Wyrmling 69-79 HD (Titanic); Very Young 81-91 HD (Titanic); Young 93-103 HD (Titanic); Juvenile 105-115 HD (Titanic); Young Adult 117-127 HD (Titanic); Adult 129-139 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Mature Adult 141-151 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Old 153-163 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Very Old 165-175 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Ancient 177-187 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Wyrm 189-199 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Great Wyrm 201-211 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine]); Great-Great Wyrm 212-223 HD (Immense [Macro-Fine])
Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +34; Very Young +40; Young +46; Juvenile +52; Young Adult +58; Adult +64; Mature Adult +70; Old +76; Very Old +82; Ancient +88; Wyrm +94; Great Wyrm +100

//(normally not visible at all- but assuming the characters can see it, …) At first just an apparent distortion in the void before you, the creature gradually becomes discernible as an enormous draconic shape, with five slender heads topping sinuous necks rising from the serpentine body. Barely distinguishable from the sky behind it, its translucent scales seem to impart a sense of iridescently shimmering color to the space it occupies without truly doing so in terms of the light reaching your eyes [the particular color depends on the dragon's age, see below]. Its wings, somehow seeming to encompass the whole sky, fade into filmy nothingness towards their edges, as though they are even less real than the dragon's body itself. Although more a perception than a reality, the creature nevertheless returns your stare, leveling a gaze of astonishing shrewdness and calculation at you with one head even as the others continue to look elsewhere. //

Combat

It is a rare opponent that can significantly harm a Starshadow Dragon, with their natural invisibility, incorporeality, and permanent Shadow Selves (see below). They therefore prefer to spend the first round or two of any combat simply defending themselves, taking the measure of the opposition and countering whatever actions their foes take so that when they do finally make a real attack it is guided with surgical precision for maximum hurt. Often, a Starshadow Dragon will simply open a battle with its breath weapon, to test the opposition's vulnerabilities; with five heads it takes a large group of opponents to prevent it from being able to aim the breath attacks so as to hit all of its would-be foes. the dragon then attacks its enemies in the manner that is most hurtful to them, whatever that may be; lightly-armored foes are attacked by the dragon's natural weapons via Instant Manifestation, so as to get the maximum damage; heavily-armored foes, by contrast, are attacked without manifesting so as to get the ability of the incorporeal touch to ignore the armor. Enemies displaying low or no Spell Resistance are attacked with magic, preferably quickened spells so the dragon can use its normal actions to ready responses to whatever the opponent does, and spellcasters often find their spells assaulted with countermagic before they can even finish.

Apocrypha (Ex): A Starshadow Dragon is extremely difficult to scry, or target with any Divination effect. It gets a +50 bonus on any saving throw it makes against such effects.

Breath Weapon (Su): The breath weapon of a Starshadow Dragon is a line of "Dark Energy," a form of energy related to the mysterious substance from which the dragon itself is made. This energy deals d100 points of damage per hit die of the dragon to any target struck, half of which is divine damage and half of which is whatever energy type the opponent is weakest against (that is, if the opponent is vulnerable to Fire then the Dark Energy will deal Fire damage; if the opponent is immune to all energy types except Cold, then it deals Cold, etc.). If the opponent is immune to all energy types, then the Dark Energy simply strikes it as magical Force. Regardless of the energy form it assumes, however, this Dark Energy breath weapon always ignores any miss chance due to being incorporeal or ethereal, just as magical Force normally does.

Distort Reality (Su): Starshadow Dragons have an ability to change the reality around them that is unmatched by any other Adamic dragon type, and almost matches the power and flexibility of the Alter Reality ability of Elder Ones and higher cosmic beings. Through this constant alteration of the reality around themselves, Starshadow Dragons gain a circumstance bonus applied to armor class, attack rolls, checks (ability checks, caster level checks, skill checks, and turning checks), difficulty class (for any special abilities, spell-like abilities, or spells), initiative, saving throws, and Spell Resistance. This bonus is equal to 12 + 4 per age category of the dragon. Furthermore, this power grants a Starshadow Dragon an insight bonus to armor class, equal to its number of hit dice minus one- thus, although Starshadow Dragons have no natural armor due to being incorporeal, they can avoid attacks with incredible agility and do not miss having such armor. Finally, this ability is fundamentally what grants the dragon its Instant Manifestation ability (see below).

Greater Invisibility (Ex): A Starshadow Dragon is naturally and constantly invisible, and remains so even when it attacks. This ability cannot be dispelled, and is not subject to Invisibility Purge or anti-magic, though other means of seeing invisible things will allow a creature to see the dragon. This ability does not even fade after the dragon's death; it is a natural property of the "dark matter" the dragon is made of.

Energy Absorption (Ex): Starshadow Dragons are healed by Sonic-based attacks.

Energy Immunity (Ex): Starshadow Dragons are immune to Electricity effects.

Instant Manifestation (Su): Being incorporeal, Starshadow Dragons do not naturally have STR scores or the ability to make grapple checks. However, by carefully manipulating magical Force fields around their bodies, Starshadow Dragons can treat corporeal objects as if they themselves were corporeal, whenever it is convenient for them to do so. A Starshadow Dragon thus essentially has a sort of natural Ghost Touch ability, applied to its entire body; it is able to treat any part of itself as corporeal or incorporeal, whichever happens to be more convenient at the time. A Wyrmling Sharshadow Dragon has an effective STR score (using this ability) of 61, and this effective STR score goes up as the dragon ages. In the age-based ability tables above, the dragon's effective STR score when using Instant Manifestation is given in parentheses in the STR column, and parentheses are similarly used to denote the dragon's grapple bonus and attack bonus when attacking with this ability. Note that a Starshadow Dragon gets no bonus on its damage rolls when attacking with its natural weapons, unless it uses this ability to make those weapons effectively corporeal; however, by doing so, the dragon renders the affected natural weapon incapable of passing through armor and natural armor the way incorporeal attacks normally do.

Overwhelming Presence (Ex): A Starshadow Dragon's terrifying presence extends to 640 feet per age category of the dragon. Creatures within this radius failing their Will saves against the listed DC immediately die of fright. Those who successfully save are instead Shaken (with a -4 penalty instead of -2) unless they are totally immune to fear.

Shadow Self (Su): All Starshadow Dragons naturally produce illusory copies of themselves that mimic their every movement, so that creatures which can see through their natural invisibility must still contend with finding out which dragon is real in any round during which they try to attack. these Shadow Selves are essentially the same as the figments created by a Mirror Image spell, except that they are constant, cannot be dispelled, and reappear the round after being destroyed if struck. Even True Seeing cannot discern which image is illusion and which is real, unless used by a being with more hit dice than the dragon. Each Starshadow Dragon produces one Shadow Self per age category, so a Wyrmling only has one constant copy, while a Wyrm has eleven.

True Seeing (Su): Starshadow Dragons have constant True Seeing as the spell, though this ability cannot be dispelled.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At Will: Astral Projection, Etherealness, Greater Teleport, Plane Shift, Shades, Shapechange, Weird. 3/day: Epic Counterspell, Hellball, Soul Scry, Spell Worm.

On Saturday morning, I checked my email and found that I had two DM Sketchpad entries by Brian Waak. I don’t believe I’ve every spoken to Brian before or had him send content to the Sketchpad but I was happy as always to get it. The entries he sent over which will be dated Nov 25th and Nov 26th are both epic dragons. Now you may be concerned about some of the terminology here but that is because they are built using the immortal rules created by Craig Cochrane for The Immortal Handbook: Epic Bestiary – Volume 1 and The Immortal Handbook: Ascension which are both excellent expansions upon the core rules. Thanks also to Shane O’Connor who I understand had a hand in nudging Brian to send this. The following material is Open Game Content.

Firmament Dragon

Brane Dragon
Humongous [Macro-Tiny] Dragon (Extraplanar)
Environment: Any (usually deep space)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: Wyrmling 745; Very Young 779; Young 824; Juvenile 859; Young Adult 913; Adult 948; Mature Adult 1008; Old 1042; Very Old 1110; Ancient 1144; Wyrm 1228; Great Wyrm 1330
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: Wyrmling 609-631 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Very Young 633-655 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Young 657-679 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Juvenile 681-703 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Young Adult 705-727 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Adult 729-751 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Mature Adult 753-775 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Old 777-799 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Very Old 801-823 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Ancient 825-847 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Wyrm 849-871 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Great Wyrm 873-895 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny]); Great-Great Wyrm 897-919 HD (Humongous [Macro-Tiny])
Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +510; Very Young +537; Young +581; Juvenile +609; Young Adult +666; Adult +694; Mature Adult +760; Old +787; Very Old +865; Ancient +893; Wyrm +995; Great Wyrm +1123

The space before you fills with a presence, at once majestic and terrible. It is only barely visible, as a distortion of the space it occupies into a serpentine, even draconic shape- but you cannot be certain whether the space is distorting or whether there is a real creature there that is simply camoflaged so exactly like the vista behind it. Then it unfurls six vast wings, each revealing an impossible vista like a negative of the proper sky, brilliant white with specks of darkness spread within- and opens an enormous maw to reveal yet a third vista within some space that should not be there- and you realize abruptly in a mad moment that your space is the distortion, and this creature the reality.

Combat

Firmament Dragons take maximum advantage of their Thelemic Damage Reduction and Cosmic Inspiration abilities, usually setting Cosmic Inspiration to Abrogate at the start of combat to nullify the opposition's most desirable powers. In later rounds it may use the "Inspiration" defensively as another Thelemic Damage Reduction to force opponents to guess at its vulnerability period rather than being predictable, Learned Ability Immunity to stop an effect that worried it during a previous period of vulnerability, Quixotic to increase its offensive chances by re-rolling all of its dice whenever it needs to, Elusion to avoid any attacks that get through its Thelemic Damage Reduction, or even as Cosmic Firmament to gain a hit point boost. If the dragon has the advantage, by contrast, it may use the slot offensively with such powers as Assimilate (if an opponent is about to die, or otherwise be defeated), a "Daunting" ability to force a penalty to its opponents' rolls, Dominance against clearly-outclassed foes, or even Divine Presence to boost any summoned minions.

It balances all of these options against multiple simultaneous magical and physical assaults launched using its formidable Alter Reality ability and other inborn powers (particularly its breath weapon, which it tries to use every round whenever practical). In the end, a Firmament Dragon will typically rely on fighting as a delaying tactic until its Extra-Dimensional ability grants it enough Virtual Size Categories to render the opposition irrelevant.

Alter Reality (Su): Firmament Dragons tear at the fabric of any reality they touch. Once per round, as a free action, a Firmament Dragon can duplicate any spell of a level equal to 9 + its number of Automatic Metamagic Capacity feats. This ability even allows it to duplicate Epic spells with a DC equal to or less than the dragon's Spellcraft modifier + 20.

Breath Weapon (Su): A Firmament Dragon's breath weapon is a line of quark-gluon plasma and inflationary cosmic energy. This destroys part of a foe by causing that portion to revert to a period just after the birth of its universe, essentially turning the affected portion of the target into a miniature Big Bang. This annihilates a percentage of the target's hit points, 1d6% per age category of the dragon; furthermore, this hit point loss is permanent. Permanent damage can only be cured by means of a Limited Wish (which heals 1 point per casting), Miracle, or Wish (both of which heal one point per caster level, per casting). Furthermore, exposure to the explosively expanding time within the false Big Bang ages the target, by an amount shown in the table above. Finally, this breath weapon destroys part of the life energy of the target (essentially, using it to help fuel the false Big Bang), destroying a number of experience points and quintessence as shown in the table above.

Cosmic Inspiration: Firmament Dragons are intimately tied to the universes they create, even the sub-universes growing within their bellies which they eat to nourish. By interacting with these sub-realities, a Firmament Dragon can gain any one Cosmic ability it desires, and can even change this ability once per round as a free action. However, if the dragon has any lasting effects (i.e. effects with a duration other than Instantaneous) in play, then it cannot change the Cosmic ability unless and until it somehow removes those lasting effects. Note that abilities granting constant bonuses do not count as having a duration at all, and thus do not force the dragon to retain the chosen ability.

Divine Bonus (Su): Firmament Dragons are tied to the birth of universes, and therefore gain bonuses tied to the energy of the universes they have created. A Firmament Dragon gains a divine bonus to: armor class, attack rolls, checks (ability checks, caster level checks, skill checks, turning checks), difficulty class (for any special abilities, spell-like abilities, or spells), initiative, saving throws, and Spell Resistance. The value of this bonus is equal to 48 + 16/age category of the dragon.

Extra-Dimensional (Ex): Starting after the first round it is encountered, a Firmament Dragon begins to expand to fill its opponents' perception of their universe. This bestows an additional Virtual Size Category each round on the dragon.

Energy Absorption (Ex): Firmament Dragons are healed by Fire-based attacks.

Energy Immunity (Ex): Firmament Dragons are immune to Sonic effects.

Energy Reflection (Ex): Firmament Dragons reflect Cold-based attacks.

Mind Warp (Ex): The Firmament Dragon's extrauniversal presence extends to 2560 feet per age category of the dragon. Creatures within this radius failing their Will saves against the listed DC go permanently insane, as their minds no longer understand which reality they're in.

Thelemic Damage Reduction (Su): A Firmament Dragon is, by its very nature, able to enter and leave universes at will. By using this ability carefully, it may thus avoid all attacks directed at it in a round by simply not being there when the attack arrives; however, it may only use this ability a certain number of rounds in a row before it tires and must remain within a single universe for a round. A Firmament Dragon may use this ability up to 1 round/age category before it must spend one round recharging the ability; thus, a Wyrmling Firmament Dragon can avoid all attacks in every other round, whereas a Mature Adult can avoid all attacks except in every 8th round.

Transmortality (Su): A Firmament Dragon exists beyond universes, and therefore cannot be permanently destroyed, even by beings of higher divine rank than its divine bonus. A Firmament Dragon which is apparently killed is instead merely forced out of the universe it was just in, or (if attacked in higher dimensions) sent into a comatose slumber while it recovers (it regains 1 hit die per day and wakes up when it once again reaches its original total).

Universal Insight (Ex): Firmament Dragons, as custodians of multiple realities and sub-realities, have an incredibly rich and deep understanding of universal laws. A Firmament Dragon gains an insight bonus to: armor class, attack rolls, checks (ability checks, caster level checks, skill checks, turning checks), difficulty class (for any special abilities, spell-like abilities, or spells), initiative, saving throws, and Spell Resistance. The value of this bonus is equal to 48 + 16/age category of the dragon.

Below is a template NPC created from material on the DM Sketchpad and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The following NPC is considered open game content

NPC Profile: Kiknonfa

Kiknofa was consumed with hatred toward his former mating pack for ejecting him. This rage attracted the notice of a Chi No Oni who was able to work its way into the heart and mind of the young ortege. Once possessed by the evil spirit, Kiknonfa has spread pain and suffering throughout the land, burning innocents and killing who cross his path.

Kiknofa, Chi No Oni-Possessed
CR 5; XP 1,600
Male Ortege Fighter 4
CE Medium humanoid (chaotic, evil, fire)
Init +3; Senses Perception +10

AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +1 chain shirt, +1 dodge)
hp 34 (4d10+12)
Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2 (+3 fear); +2 vs. enchantments
DR 10/jade; Immune fire, poison
Weakness cold, spell vulnerability (dispel evil, negates template for CL rounds).

Spd 40 ft.
Melee +1 greataxe +11 (1d12+10, x3)
Ranged longbow +7 (1d8, x3)
Special Attacks hatred (divine), +1d6 profane vs. good-aligned
Spell-like Abilities (CL 4th)
1/day - disrupt the aura, shroud of flame
3/day - burn the mind, burning hands, inferno’s touch
At will – call fire, flaring speed

Str 20, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 23
Feats Dodge, Enlarge Spell-Like Ability^B, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Greataxe), Weapon Specialization (Greataxe)
Skills Acrobatics +9, Climb +12, Perception +10
SQ animalistic nature, armor training I, savage arms
Gear 200 gp of additional gear

Here is a new template that has been extrapolated from existing work. It does not provide option for all the different oni because it would need to go on and on and on. This is a sample of the idea that is very easy to expand on. I have not provided information on the spells or on Taint as they are available in a number of open game content sources. The following template is open game content

The Oni-Possessed Template

Oni are terrible creatures of folklore. In myth they are described as demons, devils, ogres, trolls or even evil spirits. They are powerful outsiders that take on the role of demon or devil in oriental-themed games. They are destroyers, beguilers and avatars of evil that seek to undermine the good that is being done in the world. Recently, powerful warlords have demonstrated amazing abilities that could only be attributed to the corrupting influence of powerful oni.

“Oni-possesed” is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature that falls victim to an oni’s possession.

All oni-possesed creatures gain the following adjustments under this template followed by adjustments according to specis of oni.

DR 10/jade; Immune poison
Special Attacks profane +1d6 vs. good-aligned
Weakness spell vulnerability (dispel evil, negates template for CL rounds).

Chi No Oni
CR +2
Alignment chaotic evil
Subtype gains the chaotic, evil and fire subtypes
Weakness cold
Spell-like Abilities At will – call fire, flaring speed; 3/day - burn the mind, burning hands, inferno’s touch; 1/day - disrupt the aura, shroud of flame
Abilities Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int +4, Wis +0, Cha +2
Feats Enlarge Spell-Like Ability
Skills +4 profane bonus to Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility), Spellcraft

Chizaro No Oni
CR +2
Alignment chaotic evil
Subtype gains the chaotic and evil subtype
Special Attacks A chizaro no oni possessed creature gains two special attacks described below. Save DC’s are equal to 10 + ½ the creature’s HD + Cha modifier.
Fear Aura (Su): Creatures within 30 ft. must succeed a Will save or become panicked for one round per the possessed creature’s Hit Dice. If the save is successful the target is still shaken for one round. Once affected, a target is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
Tainted Touch: All natural attacks of the possessed creatures force their opponent to make a Fortitude save or take one point of Taint.
Abilities Str +2, Con +2, Int -2, Wis +2, Cha -2
Feats Improved Inititative
Skills +4 profane bonus to Acrobatics and Perception.

Doro No Oni
CR +1
Alignment chaotic evil
Subtype gains the chaotic and evil subtype
Senses blindsight 60 ft.
Melee Attack A doro no oni-possessed creature has a slam attack with an additional 5 ft. reach that it can use once per round as a natural attack. For a medium creature this attack deals (1d8 + 1 ½ Str, grab) damage. When attacking with this natural weapon the possessed creature’s arm turns into stretching ooze.
Abilities Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Wis +2, Cha +2
Feats Improved Grapple
Skills +4 profane bonus to Perception, Stealth and Survival

On November 2nd, I posted Kristian’s current Map of the Month. Instead of doing my usual poor attempt to build an adventure for that setting, it was suggested that I could try to provide character profiles instead. So below are a couple of characters for the Temple of Omalous. The following characters are considered Open Game Content.

NPC Profiles: The Temple of Omalous

The Temple of Omalous has stood in the city of Fairfield for generation upon generation. Although not the oldest faith in the region it has grown to a respectable size due to the forgiving nature of its message and the belief that everyone can be better than they were yesterday. Three of the church’s most well known figures are detailed below.

Canon Stormgate recently transferred to the community of Fairfield from the Adamantine Peaks. He is a dedicated follower of The Reflective Thought and takes no actions without considering the possible reprocussions of his actions. He is somewhat reluctant to make use of Arnia’s services as the church’s excommunicator. As a newcomer to the faithful of Fairfield, he has leaned on the advice of lay clergy within the faith to provide guidance for proselytizing to the faithful.

In the future, he hopes to expand the church to provide an open space on the east side for a reflective garden and training grounds. He is skilled in the sliding rock form of martial arts that is taught amongst the Adamantine Peaks and is eager to pass along the teachings of this reflective martial art to the faithful of Fairfield. Having limited exposure to elves, he is sometime unnecessary gruff or rushed when dealing with elven members of the faithful.

To the majority of the faithful Arnia Sail is a pious scribe in the employ of the Temple of Omalous. She is a chaste and private girl that many of the young menfolk have dubbed Acolyte What-a-waste. In true, she is an excommunicator who removes obstacles from the path of The Inward Eye. She is skilled in the use of weapon and poisons and has secretly eliminated many of the church’s rivals. She is a devout follower of Omalous’s scripture which she knows by rout from spending endless hours copying the religious texts.

Arnia lives in the temple in room 7. She has little in personal belongings beyond her weapons and her faith. Beneath the temple, she has a training room and alchemical lab for the preparation of toxins. Her preference is to use angel kiss poison administers by a simple poison ring or from poisoned parchment. Arnia was raised by the church as an orphan and now at the age of 23 there is nothing that she would rather do then spread the teachings of Omalous while killing off detractors of the faith.

Garinefel is an elven knight errant who serves the church. He stationed in Fairfield as part of a treaty the community has with made with the elves of the Brightwood. Garinefel has grown accustomed to living amongst humans and embraced the faith of Omalous, however he is having difficulty with the new Canon Everest Stormgate. Regardless of what Garinefel does, there seems to be no pleasing the rude and pushy little dwarf.

On a pilgrimage to one of Omalous’s most holy of sites, Garinefel was gifted with a vision of true perfection. Taking up the mantle of Omalous’s avatar he has begun on his journey to bring wisdom to the whole of the world (even pushy and rude dwarves). At times Garinefel and Everest disagree sharply about the message of the church but always present a united front among the faithful.

Last year, Dreamscarred Press released the first psionics-only setting under the open game license called “The Third Dawn Campaign Setting”. At that time I reviewed it for the Game Cryer website and had a number of criticisms of it. It has been a while and Jeremy contacted me about looking at the revised “The Third Dawn”. Here is my revised review of the pre-release revised Third Dawn Campaign setting.

Review: Third Dawn Campaign Setting

The Third Dawn Campaign Setting is a psionics-themed game setting for the OGL system, available in PDF from Dreamscarred Press. Written by Andreas Rönnqvist and Jeremy Smith, the architects of Dreamscarred Press craft a world that lost its magic in a terrible cataclysm only to have the world reshaped into one with the power of the mind. All the typical elements of fantasy roleplaying games have been preserved, while magical elements have been replaced with psionic ones.
I preordered Third Dawn Campaign Setting from the Dreamscarred Press website a number of months before its release and had waited eagerly for its release. This is a product that I wanted to love when I received it, but in the end I felt mixed about the content it provides. I wrote a review of that product for the Gamecryer.com website and Jeremy and Andreas responded and have made some revisions to essentially fix all of my complaints.

The Third Dawn Campaign Setting presents a rich new world to adventure in that extends naturally from the other work of Dreamscarred Press. The first third of the product deals with the character options for new players. Being a completely psionics-based setting, there are many changes to the world of Ksaren. Over three thousand years ago, Sorcerer-Kings of old caused a comet to crash into Ksaren, severing magic from the world, removing the gods, and cutting off all access to planar worlds. In that time, concepts and adventurers known as Bards, Clerics, Druids, Wizards, Sorcerers and Rangers have all been lost or changed. Many of the typical fantasy races have been lost or modified by the cataclysm as well.

The product includes five base classes: a revised Ranger, a variant Soulknife, the Thoughtsinger, a variant Wilder class and the Worldthought Medic. The Thoughtsinger is a psionic-flavored bard and the Worldthought Medic fills the role of the absent cleric – both are essential additions to the world of Ksaren. The Soulknife and Wilder are included, according to the authors, to smooth out those classes from their original presentations in the Expanded Psionic Handbook. However, there are other classes mentioned but not included, such as the Society Mind, Enlightened Monk, Halo Knight, Marksman, and Morphean. These classes are not necessary for play but to increase the variety of options available to psionics characters… and the Halo Knight and Marksman are great classes.

All of the materials in the character option sections are definitely keyed to the world of Ksaren. All the +0 races typical to fantasy settings have been given a slight power boost to make them on par with their +1 psionic brethren. Most of the races have been reworked in flavor somewhat to make them fit more with the setting. For instance, Half-elves have been replaced with psionically neutral half-breeds called Chirmerans, and the Half-giants from the Expanded Psionic Handbook are reenvisioned as a former slave race known as Jettur. They have also introduced an Ophiduan as a new serpentine psionic race. All of the six prestige classes included have a direct role in the life of the campaign world or cultural background, compared to the more generic ones from the DMG.

There are a number of new cultural feats to provide your character with background features from their culture, much like the character traits from the recent Pathfinder campaign paths. Originally the book was devoid of material regarding the psionics nodes associated with the godminds of Ksaren but the revised version of the product has addressed that concern and provided a more complete description of these feats and the powers associated with them.

Most of the book’s strength comes from the last two thirds of the book, focusing on the cosmology, philosophy, geography and organizations common on the world of Ksaren.
Ksaren’s history is filled with slavery, struggle and discovery. Dromites, Maenads and Jettur have escaped from the slavery of other races, all nations struggle for stability and dominion, and the world is filled with lost and unexplored places from before the cataclysm (known as the Impact). The world of Ksaren has two continents, a great ocean and series of islands created in the Impact. For many years there has been relative peace, but as nations grow, borders will be tested and the world may soon be plunged into chaos again. From an ecology standpoint, many of the typical monsters of fantasy, such as dragons, have been changed, while others such as demons and angels are gone completely due to Ksaren being cut-off from the other planes. With the loss of gods, powerful psionic entities know as the godminds provide a philosophical framework by which the people of Ksaren can model their behavior.

One of the reasons I liked the geography section so much was that each major nation gets a couple pages of detail. From demographics, culture and geographic features to its military, regional history and important people, each section provides you with a good look at each power base. But more important than those features, every section has three or more rumors that can serve as adventure ideas or hooks to kick off your campaign in the world of Ksaren. Outside of the Maenad and the Elans, most of the races have some good degree of racial integration, making mixed parties of adventurers reasonable throughout the world.

Rounding out the book, authors Jeremy and Andreas provide us with a look at over a dozen organizations that may shape the future of the world of Ksaren. These organizations, for the most part, are not linked to any prestige class, but instead help support the story of Ksaren. Of particular note are the Crimson Knights and the Cult of the Broken Staff who are adherents to the old ways, that of magic and faith, who work to return the old magic to the world or still wait for their returning god.

The Third Dawn Campaign Setting is 163 page bookmarked pdf. I do not know if the final release will have a map of Ksaren or an index but I hope both will be included. The guys are Dreamscarred Press have done a good job of cross-referencing material from other DSP supplements so if you are looking for additional material you should be able to know where to go.
Ultimately, I think the Third Dawn Campaign Setting is a very interesting psionics campaign. If you have been an avid collector of Dreamscarred Press’s other psionics supplements then you probably have all the additional pieces to begin your adventures in Ksaren. If you are new to Dreamscarred Press, then the Third Dawn Campaign Setting should provide you with a solid psionics-based campaign setting, but you will probably need to pick up a couple more supplements to fully realize its true potential.

December belongs to the Frozen North

I thought I would take a moment (while I'm catching up) to announce that December is From the Frozen North month. Please send in your best winter, cold or far north entries. I'll be digging out my black ice reavers and maybe a Pleistocene mammal or two. If you have entries for December send them to moc.liamg|mkadeg#moc.liamg|mkadeg.

To further add to his Kitsune entry, Stefen sent over the following NPC using his kitsune race and my ninja class. The following NPC is Open Game Content

NPC: Lady Jade, Kitsune Ninja

Lady Jade, so called because her eyes are a deep emerald green, fell in love with a monk. Although he could not return her affection, she watched over his temple, and kept at bay the minor demons that try to tempt monks into violating their vows.

Unfortunately, she was powerless to oppose the warlord’s men who slew the monk and looted the temple for its gold bell and other treasures. Swearing vengeance, Lady Jade has spent a decade training with a mountain-warrior clan, developing her skills as a ninja to finally have revenge.

Lady Jade CR 7 (Human Form)
XP 3,200
CG Medium fey ninja 7/sorcerer (fey) 1
Init +5; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
[Defense]
AC 24, touch 20, flat-footed 16 (+5 Dex, +4 armor, +2 deflection, +3 dodge); improved uncanny dodge
hp 38 (7d8 plus 1d6)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +9; +2 vs. illusions
[Offense]
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 short sword +10 (1d6)
Ranged masterwork dart +10 (1d3-1)
Special Attacks laughing touch, sneak attack (+4d6)
Spells Known (1st)
1st (4/day) – mage armor, magic weapon
[Statistics]
Str 8, Dex 20 (18), Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +5; CMB +4; CMD 23
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +7, Climb +9, Disable Device +11, Escape Artist +15, Knowledge (aracana) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Sleight of Hand +15 Perception +12, Stealth +15
Languages Common, Sylvan
SQ accelerated climbing, bloodline arcane, fast stealth, needle strike
Equipment masterwork short sword, 4 masterwork darts, +2 ring of protection, +2 amulet of dexterity

Lady Jade CR 7 (Kitsune Form)
XP 3,200
CG Small fey ninja 7/sorcerer (fey) 1
Init +5; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
[Defense]
AC 25, touch 21, flat-footed 17 (+5 Dex, +4 armor, +2 deflection, +3 dodge, +1 size); improved uncanny dodge
hp 38 (7d8 plus 1d6)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +9; +2 vs. illusions
[Offense]
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d3-2)
Special Attacks laughing touch, sneak attack (+4d6)
Spells Known (1st)
1st (4/day) – mage armor, magic weapon
[Statistics]
Str 6, Dex 20 (18), Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +5; CMB +2; CMD 22
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +7, Climb +9, Disable Device +11, Escape Artist +15, Knowledge (aracana) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Sleight of Hand +15 Perception +12, Stealth +19
Languages Common, Sylvan
SQ accelerated climbing, bloodline arcane, fast stealth, needle strike
Equipment +2 ring of protection, +2 amulet of dexterity

Stefen has jumped into the Ninja month providing us with a new race for the Pathfinder roleplaying. Below is the Kitsune, this race is considered open game content

New Race: Kitsune

Kitsune are fey creatures that normally appear as foxes. Humans fascinate them, and kitsune spend most of their life observing and watching people go about their daily lives. Occasionally, a kitsune falls in love with a human who possesses a trait or personality they find attractive, such as generosity or a noble heart. Such relationships are doomed for the kitsune always hides its true nature from his or her lover in fear the person will reject them. The deception eventually makes their partner suspicious, and leads them to discover the kitsune’s true nature. Most humans reject the kitsune’s advances afterwards.

In general kitsune are gentle, peaceful creatures. They do possess a mischievous streak and often play tricks on humans. These tricks sometimes border on the cruel.

If the kitsune possess a religion it is one of nature worship. Kitsune are very close to the natural world and recognize the animating spirits in all living things and natural phenomena.

Kitsune favor the ninja, rogue, shugenja, and sorcerer classes.

Kitsune Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength: Kitsune are nimble and strong-willed, but their fox shape makes them weak.
Small: Kistune are foxes and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Fast Speed: Kitsune have a base speed of 40 ft.
Bite: In fox form the kitsune can deliver a bite attack that deals 1d3 points of damage.
Fey Heritage: Kitsune are considered fey for any effect related to race.
Fox Form: In their fox form a kitsune can not hold or use items that require hands.
Illusion Resistance: Kitsune get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells or effects.
Keen Senses: Kitsune receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Low-light vision: Kitsune can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Scent: As fox creatures, kitsune gain the scent ability
Shape-shifter: The kitsune can take the shape of a comely man or woman of Medium size as per the alter self spell. The kitsune can remain in this form for twenty-one hours a day, at which time it reverts back to its original fox form. On the night of the full moon the kitsune can not use this ability.
Languages: Kitsune begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Kitsune with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: aklo, auran, draconic, giant, and goblin.

So I’m actually writing this on November 22nd but I’m still hoping to get caught up again. Today we are trying to normalize our household. Last week, a stray dog appeared at our house and we have temporarily adopted her while we try to locate her owners. It has been awkward having a 3rd dog in the house, especially with our two older dogs being less than welcoming. As such it has been a little wild around here. As such I will provide this new race as open game content.

Ortege

Ortege were a clan of humans who were cursed by the Kami for their trafficking and dealings with the Oni of the outer realms. When the Oni made war upon the land, the Ortege clan provided the oni with knowledge and supplies in exchange for the extermination a competing clan. Disgusted by the bestial behaviour of the Ortege, Amaterasu Omikami reshaped the ortege to have their outward form reflect their inner savagery. Season upon season, year upon year has passed and the ortege live outside of most cultures, shunned for their savagery and bestial appearance.

Physical Appearance Generally shorter than humans, ortege are heavily-muscled beings with pointed teeth and tightly curled hair. The edge of their faces is spotted like that of a leopard. They skin is pale and their eyes are often black, showing no different between iris and pupil.

Society The original ortege clan collapsed upon their curse. The ortege now survive in small mating packs or tribes of no more than a dozen. There society is bestial and has a distinct pecking order. The runts of the society are often killed or driven from the tribe to prevent weakness from spreading. Strangely, it is these cast-off that most often become adventurers, enter other societies and most successfully integrate with the larger more civilized world.

Relations It would be a lie to say that ortege work well with other races. Their animal natures and baser desires often prevent them from forming meaningful bounds with others. Ortege are not stupid beings but often let their emotions get the better of them. There are a few documented instances of ortege forming lasting partnerships with half-orc and on one or two occasions with dwarves who treat them with respect. They are often dismissed by elves and feared by gnomes and halflings.

Alignment and Religion Ortege tend to be chaotic in nature. They worry about themselves first and foremost and all others after that if others deserve worry at all. Since coming under the curse of Amaterasu Omikami, ortege have been shunned by other Kami, however over time some ortege have begun to work their way into the good graces of the more chaotic, savage or animalistic of divinities. Some could even be considered followers of Susanoo-no-mikota or Amatsu-Mikaboshi.

Adventurers Ortege adventure out of necessity. Ortege outside of their mating group are typically cast-offs and rejects who must fight to survive. They excel in classes and roles that emphasis strength of body over strength of mind or personality.

Names Names among the ortege are simple, single syllable sounds followed by a rank within their mating group. An cast-off or reject carries the suffix of –nonfa.

Ortege Racial Traits

+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma Ortege are physically strong and in tune with their environment, but are aggressive in attitude and off-putting.
Medium Ortege are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Fast Speed Ortege have a base speed of 40 feet.
Hatred Ortege receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures who work in the service of Kami, such a shugenja, monks and sohei.
Enchantment Resistance Ortege receive a +2 racial bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Savage Arms Ortege are considered armed even when unarmed. The bite of an ortege deals 1d3 points of damage.
Animalistic Nature Ortege gain a +2 racial bonus to two of the following skills chosen at character creation: Acrobatics, Climb, Perception, Stealth or Swim.

So I’m actually writing this on November 22nd but I’m hoping to get caught up again. Whenever I get behind here, it usually means that I’m up to date at my day job so I guess that is a good thing. My wife suggested that I could do a series of magical weapons for an oriental themed campaign. Previously I did a few [[oamagicitems|magic items]] with an oriental theme but here are three more weapons to add to your collection. The following material is open game content

War Fan of Splendour
Aura moderate abjuration; CL 10th
Slot none; Price 9,300 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
[Description]
This +1 defending war fan is painted with a series of clashing colours. Three times per day, when the wielder of the war fan of splendour commits the enhancement bonus to defence and is targeted by a melee attack that misses, the fan will target the attacker (and those in a 15 ft. cone) as a free action with a colour spray effect (as the spell, Will negates DC 11).
[Construction]
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, colour spray, shield; Cost 4800 gp

Quick Answer
Aura moderate evocation; CL 11th
Slot none; Price 18,315 gp; Weight3 lbs.
[Description]
This +1 ninja-to is painted a flat-black colour. Once per round, when the wielder of the quick answer is struck in melee combat, he can immediately make an attack of opportunity against the opponent that struck him.
[Construction]
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, opportunist as a class ability; Cost 9,315 gp

Stunning Kusari-Gama
Aura moderate enchantment; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 10,312 gp; Weight 4 lbs.
[Description]
This +1/+1 kusari-gama carries a powerful enchantment on the lead weighted end. It allows the wielder to use a daze monster effect (as the spell, Will negates save DC 13) upon a creatures struck by the lead weight three times per day. The wielder can decide to use the power after he has struck. Doing so is a free action, but the daze monster effect must be invoked in the same round that the lead weight strikes.
[Construction]
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, daze monster; Cost 5,312 gp

Charles sent over a new Pathfinder character class today. Below is the animist. The following class is open game content.

ANIMIST

ALIGNMENT
Animists may be of any alignment.

CLASS SKILLS
The animists class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha),
Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Cha), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier

CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the animist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Animists are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor,
medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Nature Sense (Ex): The animist gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Nature) and Survival checks.

Percipience (Su): Animists can see and hear nature spirits otherwise imperceptible to mortals (unless a spirit wishes to show itself). The character finds this ability disconcerting at first, because it makes her realize how pervasive spirits are; they are everywhere, all the time – although only rarely do they pay attention to the actions of mortals. Animists that are alerted to danger due to upset or absent nature spirits cannot be caught flat-footed.

Orisons: Animists can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on the class table shown above under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Spells: Animists cast divine spells which are drawn from the Animist and Animist spell lists. Animists must choose and prepare her spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, the animist must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an animist's spell is 10 + the spell level + the animist's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an animist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is shown on the above class table. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table 1-3 in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook).

Animists must meditate for their spells and must choose a time when she is to spend 1 hour of each day to regain her daily allotment of spells. The animist may prepare and cast any spell on the Cleric and Druid spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Touch of Life (Su): At 2nd level the animist can heal someone that is wounded with a touch. Each day she can cure a total number of hit points equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) times her level. The animist can cure herself. She may choose to divide this curing among multiple recipients and doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using this ability is a standard action. Since it involves positive energy, the animist can use this ability to damage undead for as many points as she normally would heal a living creature.

Wild Empathy (Ex): The animist can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The animist rolls 1d20 and adds her class level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the animist and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

The animist can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Gaia’s Grace (Su): At 3rd level the animist gains a bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) on all saving throws.

Spirit Shield (Su): At 3rd level the animist is able to call froth a shield formed from her own soul to protect her a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. The spirit functions exactly like a shield of faith.

Elemental Invocation (Su): At 4th level the animist is able to invoke the spell-like granted powers from the Air, Earth, Fire & Water Cleric domains a total number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier +3. The animist can freely choose which domain spell-like granted power to invoke when using this class feature.

At 6th level and every three levels thereafter, the animist gains one additional daily use of this class ability per day.

Craft Wicker Totem (Ex): At 7th level the animist is able to create a wicker totem by taking the hair clippings and the blood of a willing person. The hair and blood is mixed with straw and the animist creates a wicker totem in a process taking 8 hours to complete. The totem can then be used as a focus in the animists spells, allowing her to use spells with a range of touch on the person without actually having to make physical contact with them.

The animist can only have a number of wicker totems that she is able to use equal to one-quarter her class level +1. Any new wicker totems she creates replace older wicker totems.

Elemental Resistance (Ex): Whenever the animist is the target of any spell with the acid, cold, electricity, fire, force or sonic descriptors she gains a +2 resistance bonus on her saving throw against it. This bonus increases by +2 at 8th level and every three levels thereafter, to a maximum of +10 at 17th level.

Spiritform (Su): At 13th level the animist is able to assume spiritform allowing her to become incorporeal for one round per class level. This ability is usable a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier +3.

Speak to the Soul (Su): At 19th level the animist is able to understand whatever people say to hear no matter which language they speak it in. In addition when the animist speaks, the listener always knows exactly what the animist is saying no matter which language the animist speaks in. The animist is able to even able to speak with and comprehend undead, so long as its soul is still bound to its body.

Spiritual Transcendence (Su): At 20th level, the animist becomes ascends to a higher state and becomes a magical creature. She is forevermore treated as an outsider with the native subtype rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the animist’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magic effects. In addition, her transcended state grants her immunity to spells and spell-like abilities that utilize negative energy.

If there is one area that the Grand OGL Wiki is clearly negligent it is in the area of providing new spells. As this is ninja month, I thought it would be appropriate to expand the repertoire of the Shugenja a bit. The shugenja are elemental mages who focus on one form of elemental magic. The following spells are Open Game Content (some are new and some are conversions).

New Shugenja Spells

Flock of Doves
School Illusion (figment) [air]; Level shugenja 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect visual figment of two doves/level
Duration 5 hours
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with); Spell Resistance no

High society adores exotic and beautiful birds. This spell conjures figment doves out of nothingness to beautify the area. They will not engage in combat, and will fly away at the first sign of hostilities. If left to their own devices, the doves fly in aesthetically pleasing patterns in the sky. They are often thought to bring luck to social gatherings.

Preserving Wind
School Transmutation [air]; Level shugenja 0
Casting Time 1 swift action
Components S, DF
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 5 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

You imbue the subject with the vibrancy of an air kami. It grants you a +2 bonus on Constitution checks to resist drowning.

Stir No Ripple
School Abjuration [water]; Level shugenja 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 minute
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

When the subject enters water it is always considered calmer around him. He reduces the DC for swimming by 5 to a minimum of 10.

Oni Stomp
School Evocation [earth]; Level shugenja 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range 20 ft.
Effect cone-shaped burst
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance no

You stomp your foot to the ground like a great and powerful oni sending a wave of force out from you in a cone. Any creatures standing on the ground within the spells effect must make a Reflex save or be knocked prone and suffer 1d4 points of nonlethal damage.

It appears that the playtest document for the first two new classes from Paizo is available for download at their site. This of course provides me with an opportunity to stat out these new, playtest classes as 1st Level Heroes. The following material is Open Game Content

1st Level Heroes: Cavalier and Oracle Playtest

The Cavalier

Lord Brunok CR ½
Male dwarf cavalier 1 (order of the stars)
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 10 (+6 chainmail)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +0; +2 poison, spells and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities defensive training

Spd 20 ft.
Melee flail +3 (1d8+2, disarm, trip)
Special Attacks challenge +1d6

Str 15, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 13 (+7 bull rush, trip)
Feat Weapon Focus (flail)
Skills Appraise +1, Craft (weapons) +5, Handle Animals +4, Knowledge (religion) +5, Ride +4, Perception +0, Sense Motive +4; +2 Appraise magical goods, +2 Perception to notice unusual stonework.
Languages Common, Dwarven, Terran
SQ mount (boar), oath of greed
Equipment backpack, 10 iron spikes, hammer, wineskin, favourite beer stein.

Lord Brunok is an honourable member of the Order of Star. Hailing from the dwarven metropolis of Ironfold he is a dedicated follower of Artefaitus and does whatever he can to protect the followers of the civilization builder and his grand plan.

The Oracle

Flini CR ½
Female gnome oracle 1 (waves)
N Female humanoid (gnome)
Init -2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +2 (fails hearing checks, -4 on opposed Perception checks)

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 leather, +1 size)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2; +2 vs. illusion
Defensive Abilities defensive training

Spd 20 ft.
Melee heavy mace -1 (1d6-2)
Ranged sling +3 (1d3); 20 stones
Special Attacks hatred (reptilian, goblinoid)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st)
1/day - dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals
Spells Known** (CL1st); All spells silent at no cost.
1st (4/day) - //cure light wounds, spirit guide^BODM
Oth (at-will) - bleed, detect poison, ray of light^BODM, sea spray^BODM

Str 6, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 9 (13 disarm, trip, overrun)
Feats Agile Maneuvers
Skills Acrobatics +6, Craft (alchemy) +7, Escape Artist +6, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +2, Swim +2 ;Racial Modifiers +2 Craft, +2 Perception
LanguagesCommon, Gnome, Signing, Sylvan
SQ oracle curse (deaf), revelation (fluid nature)
Equipment 50 gp of gear

Flini was always special. Born deaf she had a remarkable sense of the world around her. Overtime this sense of the world extending into the shaping of illusions and later the control of magic. At first she used her power immaturely to hurt other but overtime has found peace within herself and her life.

Continuing on the theme of Oriental Adventures I’m adding the Sun, Moon and Sea deities of Japanese mythology to our Gods of the Grand OGL Wiki feature. These are of course my misinterpretations and should not be considered a reflection of the actual source material. The following is Open Game Content

Kami of the Grand OGL Wiki

Amaterasu Omikami
That Which Illuminates Heaven, Light-Bringer, Daughter of Dawn
Goddess of the sun, empires, farming and weaving
Alignment LG
Domains Community, Glory, Good, Law, Nobility, Sun
Favoured Weapon Unarmed strike

That Which Illuminates Heaven makes the following demands of her followers:

• To light a lantern or candle each night to never let her light disappear from the world again.
• To respect the laws of your rulers as all emperors are descendents of divinity.
• To love your siblings regardless of their behaviour.

Tsukiyomi-no-Mikota
The Moonlit Night, The Lonely Walker, The Reflected Majesty
God of the moon, travellers and lost siblings
Alignment NG
Domains Dream, Darkness, Knowledge, Travel
Favoured Weapon Naginata

The Moonlit Night makes the following demands of his followers:

• Carry a white copper mirror in remembrance of the Moonlit Nights birth and to reflect upon their own divinity.
• Always travel with the company of friends or comrades.
• Maintain a journal of your dreams, through this window The Moonlit Night grants wisdom and inspiration.

Susanoo-no-Mikota
The Summer Storm, Darkness Bringer, The Reconciler
God of the sea, storms, rage and reconciliation.
Alignment CN
Domain Chaos, Darkness, Ocean, Weather
Favoured Weapon Katana

The Summer Storm makes the following demands of his followers:

• To never wield magic that calms or dissipates stormy weather.
• To provide shelter to friend and enemy from unpredictable weather.
• Let no rash action prevent you from apologizing to your silblings.

Today I’ll post the mechanics for the common weapons of the ninja. The following material is Open Game Content.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:Ninja are proficient with daggers, darts, shuriken, katana, ninja-to, kusari-gama, and blowguns. They are not proficient in any armor or shields.

Katana The katana is the symbol of the samurai; a blade for a noble warrior. Anyone not of noble caste seen wielding a katana would be executed on sight. Samurai meeting in honourable duel always wield katana.
The katana is considered a martial weapon when wielded as a two-handed weapon. It can be wielded with a single hand if the wielder possesses the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat for the katana. All katana are masterwork weapons.

Kusari-Gama The kusari-gama is a combination weapon consisting of a kama attached to a length of chain that ends in a heavy lead weight. The chain of the kurari-gama can be used to trip and disarm opponents. Weapon damage is listed for kama then lead weight.

Ninja-to The ninja-to is a shortsword crafted for use by ninja. The blade is blackened and straight; it has a square guard. They can only be procured by ninja at their dojos as no reputable smith would craft such a foul weapon.

Weapon Classifications in an Oriental Setting

The other listed weapons appear in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Regards,
Walt

Okay, it has to be done. Here is my Pathfinder version of the Ninja base class. The following material is open game content

Ninja

Alignment: Any
Hit Dice d8

Class Skills

The ninja’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Dex), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Linguistics (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex).
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Abilities

The following are class features of the ninja.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:Ninja are proficient with daggers, darts, shuriken, katanna, ninja-to, kusari-gama, and blowguns. They are not proficient in any armor or shields.

Sneak Attack: If a ninja can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The ninja's attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the ninja flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two ninja levels thereafter. Should the ninja score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like an unarmed strike), a ninja can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.
The ninja must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A ninja cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Dodge: The ninja gains a dodge bonus to AC and CMD as indicated by the table above. The ninja does not gain this bonus if they are wearing armor that has an armor check penalty. This class ability meets the Feat requirement of Dodge for higher level feats.

Poison Use: Ninjas are trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Ninja Talent As a ninja gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and disable his enemies. Starting at 2nd level, a ninja gains one ninja talent. He gains an additional ninja talent for every 2 levels of ninja attained after 2nd level. A ninja cannot select an individual talent more than once.

Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a ninja’s sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.

• Accelerated Climbing (Ex): This ability allows a ninja to move at one-half speed using the Climb skill without penalty. In addition, a ninja with this talent is not flat-footed when climbing.
• Combat Trick (Ex): A ninja that select this feat gains a bonus combat feat.
• Dark Guardian (Ex): At the start of combat, select one creature within 30 ft. So long as you are not flat-footed or flanked, the target is not considered flat-footed or flanked either.
• Fast Stealth (Ex): This ability allows a ninja to move at full speed using the Stealth skill at full speed without penalty.
• Ledge Walker (Ex): This ability allows a ninja to move along narrow surfaces at full speed using the Acrobatics skill without penalty. In addition, a ninja with this talent is not flat-footed when using Acrobatics to move along narrow surfaces.

Minor Magic (Sp): A ninja with this talent gains the ability to cast a 0-level spell from the shugenja spell list. This spell can be cast three times a day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability is equal to the ninja's level. The save DC for this spell is 10 + the ninja's Intelligence modifier. The ninja must have an Intelligence of at least 10 to select this talent.

• Needle Strike* (Ex): When making a sneak attack, the threat range on the weapon is doubled for that attack.
• Ninja Crawl (Ex): While prone, a ninja with this ability can move at half speed. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. A ninja with this talent can take a 5-foot step while crawling.
• Rooftop Runner (Ex): A ninja with ability is skilled at moving quickly over uneven rooftops. You gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics and Climb while moving along rooftops. Additional, you always reduce the damage from falling by one die, as if you had fallen 10 less feet.
• Silencing Strike* (Ex): Opponents struck by the ninja’s sneak attack cannot speak for 1 round.
• Stand Up (Ex): A ninja with this ability can stand up from a prone position as a free action. This still provokes attacks of opportunity for standing up while threatened by a foe.
• Surprise Attack (Ex): During the surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed to a ninja with this ability, even if they have already acted.
• Weapon Skill (Ex): The ninja gains proficiency in three simple weapons, two martial weapons or one exotic weapon.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a ninja can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A ninja with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action (see Combat) against him.
If a ninja already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Speed of Darkness (Ex) The strength of the ninja’s attack lies in his ability to strike quickly at exposed areas and fade away. At 4th level a ninja adds their Int modifier to his initiative roll.

Shadow Run (Ex) The ninja gains a bonus to his speed as indicated on the table when moving at night.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A ninja of 6th level or higher can no longer be flanked.
This defense denies another ninjas the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more ninja levels than the target does.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum ninja level required to flank the character.

Advanced Talents: At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a ninja can choose one of the following advanced talents in place of a ninja talent.

• Confusing Strike* (Ex): A ninja with this ability can sneak attack opponents with such precision that her blows cause confusion and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of his sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Wisdom damage.
• Delayed Sneak Attack* (Ex): When using this talent, you opponent suffers no damage from your attack or sneak attack for 3d6 rounds. Many ninja use this to strike and escape allowing the victim to die after the ninja is gone.
• Effective Poisoner* (Ex): When delivering poison via a sneak attack, the DC of the poison is increased by +4 because the ninja is able to target areas more sensitive to the poison.
• Lightning Stealth (Ex): You can run or charge with a -10 penalty to your Stealth skill. A ninja must have the Fast Stealth talent to take this talent.
• Skill Mastery: The ninja becomes so confident in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. Upon gaining this ability, he selects a number of skills equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. A ninja may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for skill mastery to apply to each time.
• Staggering Attack (Ex): A ninja with this ability can sneak attack opponents in a way to partially disable them for a short period of time. An opponent damage by one of his sneak attacks is also staggered for a number of rounds equal to the ninja’s level/5 (minimum 2 rounds).
• Wolf Strike* (Ex): When using a sneak attack, you can force your opponent to make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ ninja class level + # of sneak attack dice). If the target fails the save they are also knocked prone by the attack.
• Feat: A rogue may gain any feat that she qualifies for in place of a rogue talent.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At night, a ninja of 12th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

Master of Darkness (Ex) Upon reaching 20th level, a ninja becomes an avatar of darkness and death. During the night the ninja is always considered to possess concealment from ranged and melee attacks as he seemingly carries an aura of darkness with him. Additional, he suffered no penalties to Perception checks due to darkness and can make ranged sneak attacks to a range of 60 ft.

Shane sent by his submission for Ninja Month. I hope others will also contribute oriental or ninja-based content this month. The following is open game content..

Ninja Feat

Historical ninjas were spies and assassins, blending in until they were able to steal sensitive information or move in for a silent kill. But the ninjas in popular culture move beyond such mundane activities, giving them the ability to move faster than the eye can see, detect their enemies by presence alone, and even use supernatural powers…all of which fit perfectly in a fantasy role-playing game. Here then are six new feats that grant ninja-like powers to your Pathfinder character.

Body-Switching Technique
You can instantly vanish, leaving behind a decoy, and reappear at another point.
Prerequisites: Flash Step, Stealth 10 ranks, Dexterity 17.
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to one-half your Dexterity bonus, when you are targeted, either individually or as part of an area effect, by an attack, spell, or effect, you may as an immediate action vanish – leaving behind an inanimate wooden log that takes the attack instead – and reappear up to 30 ft. away. The space you reappear in must be one that is unoccupied, and that you could reach via normal movement.
You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed to use this feat. This is not a teleportation effect; you simply move without being seen.

Flash Step
You can move too fast for most eyes to follow.
Prerequisites: Stealth 6 ranks, Dexterity 15.
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to your Dexterity bonus, you may take a free move action, during which you must move at least 10 feet. Creatures whose Hit Dice are less than yours by 5 or more are unable to follow you during this movement, and are flat-footed against your attacks for the remainder of the round. You may take only one free move action per round.
Creatures that use non-visual means of detecting you, such as tremorsense, can always follow your movement.
Using this feat counts as successfully creating a diversion against creatures who cannot follow your movement, allowing you to use Stealth to hide from them.

Improved Passionate Combatant (Combat)
You become truly fired up when in battle!
Prerequisites: Passionate Combatant, base attack bonus +6, Constitution 17.
Benefit: The bonus you gain from the Passionate Combatant feat increases by +1.

One Last Blast
Your corpse explodes when you die.
Prerequisite: 5 Hit Dice/levels.
Benefit: When you die, your body immediately explodes, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per Hit Die/level to all creatures within 20 ft. A Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ your Hit Dice/levels + your Constitution modifier) is allowed for half damage.
Alternately, you may choose to explode as a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, instantly dying as a result.
Because this feat destroys your corpse, you can only be brought back to life with true resurrection, wish, miracle, or similar magic.
Special: This feat’s power is a supernatural ability; it does not function in an antimagic field.

Passionate Combatant (Combat)
You do not grow tired as a fight wears on; rather, you’re energized by it!
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +4, Constitution 15.
Benefit: After five consecutive rounds of combat, you may choose to gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill and ability checks for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. You may only activate this feat once per day.

Sense Killer Intent
You can feel the murderous desires of unseen foes.
Prerequisite: Sense Motive 1 rank.
Benefit: You may use Sense Motive instead of Perception to oppose enemies’ Stealth checks. This only functions against creatures that are intent on attacking for lethal damage within the next few rounds (GM’s discretion).

So I think it is once again time to work on the Otyughnomicon. Pathfinder is out and hugely popular, but I have a minor problem. There otyugh, is still an aberration, instead a magical beast like my revised otyugh. Should I use the pathfinder otyugh as my base creature? Or just pathfinderize my magical beast otyugh? I guess for now I’ll build on the Pathfinder guy with this idtyugh. The following is Open Game Content.

Otyughnomicon: Id Otyugh

An idtyugh is a specialized otyugh that has surrendered to its inner desires for physical pleasure. They are stronger, faster and more savage than their peers. They are remarkable combatants and powerful personality that manifests psionic potential

IDTYUGH
This heavily muscled, three-legged freak is mostly mouth. Three powerful tentacles, two tipped with spiked barbs and one with eyes, extend from its sides.
ID TYUGH CR 6
XP 2,400
N Large magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +15

AC 24, touch 11, flat-footed — (+2 Dex, +13 natural, –1 size)
hp 51 (6d8+24)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +8
Immune disease

Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d8+9 plus disease), 2 tentacles +5 (1d6+6 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks constrict (tentacle, 1d6+6)
Psi-like Abilities (ML 3rd)
1/day - biofeedback, vigor

Str 22, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 3, Wis 17, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +11 (+15 grapple); CMD 23 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Alertness, Toughness, Weapon Focus (tentacle)
Skills Perception +15, Stealth +8 (+12 in lair); Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth (+8 Stealth in lair)
Languages Common

Disease (Ex) Filth fever: Bite—injury; save Fortitude DC 16; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Idstrike (Ps) The idtyugh swells with additional strength that is draw from its base desires for pleasure. All attacks of the idtyugh deal one additional point of damage per hit dice.

Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, or cluster (3–4)
Treasure standard

Wow, we are six days in and I have wrote an entry yet. Thanks to Nathan, Chris, and Kristian for providing me with some content while I got my act together this week. I figure the first ninja based entry I should put up for ninja month is a 1st level hero. I’m currently unaware of a Pathfinder compatible ninja so I’m going to use AEG’s ninja class from their Rokugan supplement. I expect that will Pathfinderize (which seems to be the common term for updating material to Pathfinder) this sometime in the month as well to provide greater choice but I think it provides me with a good basis for a 1st level character. The following character is Open Game Content.

1st Level Heroes: The Ninja

Okasawa was an orphan that was raised and trained in ninjutsu by the Burning Darkness clan. From the shadows this organization hopes to shine a brilliant light upon the corruption and betrayer that rots the Empire from within. Okasawa is just finished his training and has been told that he must experience more of the world and adopt a second profession as cover before he can be sent on missions for the clan.

Okasawa, Member of the Burning Darkness CR ½
Male human ninja 1
NG Humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +1

AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3

Spd 30 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +1 (1d3+1)
Ranged shuriken +3 (1d2)
Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6

Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +0; CMB +1, CMD 13
Feats Improved Unarmed Strike, Stealthy
Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +3, Climb +5, Craft (alchemy) +6, Escape Artist +9, Perception +5, Stealth +9
Gear backpack, waterskin, blowgun, 10 darts, 5 shuriken, dagger

Dodge When unarmored, a ninja gains a dodge bonus to his armor class dependent on his class level.
Sneak Attack as rogue

Today I thought I would return to the concept of harmonic aspects and write up a couple with more of an oriental flavour. The following material is Open Game Content.

Harmonic Aspects – Oriental Forms

Aspect of the Silent Killer
The aspect of the silent killer was first unlocked by members Shadow Clan of Eastern Hirotia. They secret was discovered by the other ninja clans and now most ninja clans have members that demonstrate this harmonic aspect. Characters exemplifying this aspect are able to move more quickly and ignore obstacles, which allows them to move into position to kill more easily.

Required Equipment: +1 slayer blowgun, writ of the night’s cloak, // feet of the kitsune// (142, 677 gp)
Attunement Time 22 days

Additional Abilities

• Fleet While attuned to this aspect you gain access to this feat as a bonus feet.
• Earthbound Freedom (Ex) You may move up trees and walls using your normal movement speed without having to make Climb checks. You are not hindered by difficult terrain and obstacles only cost one square to move through.

Aspect of the Honor
The aspect of honor was perfected by samurai of the Monkey Clan. Their professional warriors perfected this aspect in the war with the Wyvern Clan of the northern islands. This aspect preserves them from dishonest attacks and makes them better able to resist charms and compulsions.

Required Equipment: +1 honorable katanna, +1 light fortification great armor, jade pendant (68,335 gp)
Attunement Time 20 days

Additional Abilities

• Defense Against Dishonourable Strikes (Ex) Under this aspect you may ignore +1d6 points of sneak attack damage for every four character levels you have attained (minimum +1d6).
• None May Sway Me (Su) You gain a +4 bonus to Will saves against charms and compulsions. Any action that would make you against your honor or alignment allows you to make another save.

Nathan sent this guy over after hearing about our dog’s injury (she’s doing better). The following monster appear to be 3.0 or a variant thereof and is open game content.

Harrow Hound

Large Magical Beast (Sonic)
Hit Dice 8d10 + 32 (76 hp)
Magic Rating 2
Initiative +2 (+2 dexterity)
Speed 50 feet
AC 15 (-1 size, +2 dexterity, +4 natural)
Attacks two bites +15 melee (1d8+10) (-1 size, +8 base, +7 strength, +1 weapon focus)
Attack Score Two bites 26
Face/Reach 5 ft. x 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks Trip, Bark
Special Qualities Darkvision 90 ft., Scent, Sonic Immunity
Saves Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +2
Save Scores Fort 21, Ref 19, Will 13
Abilities Str 25, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 5, Wis 10, Chr 14
Skills Hide +5, Listen +8, Move Silently +5, Search -3, Spot +8*, Wilderness Lore +0*
Feats Alertness, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment Any land and underground.
Frequency Rare
Organization Solitary or pack (2-8)
CR/XP 6 / 2,400
Treasure Standard
Alignment Usually evil
Advancement 9-12 HD (Large), 13-18 HD (Huge)

Harrow hounds are large, two-headed dogs with a thunderous bark. They stand five feet tall at the shoulder, with massive heads the size of barrels. They have shaggy, dark fur, bent ears, and jowls. They are domesticable when very young, but strong-willed once mature. They willingly serve evil masters if given a large measure of freedom and food.

COMBAT

Trip: A harrow hound that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip an opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. It the attack fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the harrow hound.

Bark (Su): The harrow hound’s thunderous bark can stun or deafen opponents. All creatures within a 30’ burst must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 16) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The harrow hound can bark once per round per head, in place of biting with that head. If both heads bark at once, victims make only a single save, but the DC increases to 18 (10 + ½ HD + Chr mod x 2).

Sonic Immunity (Ex): Harrow hounds are immune to non-damage effects of sonic attacks, and have sonic resistance 20 to damage effects.

Skills: Harrow hounds receive a +3 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. *They also receive a +10 racial bonus to Spot checks and Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent, due to their double noses and keen sense of smell.

IN THE SHADOWEND

Harrow hounds are bred and trained by the forces of evil. They can be taught to work with hell hounds, howlers, shadow mastiffs, and yeth hounds. They form wild packs in the northern reaches of the Shadowend Forest and the Honduar, but are traded far into the south.

A new class for Eric Provost’s Redbox Hack 2.

Check it out for free download on the blog or read it in wiki form.

The Seraph is my fourth attempt at creating interesting warrior classes for RBH 2. She’s an avenger of the Authority, the bureaucracy of angels that govern Heaven. Please download a nicely-formatted PDF of the class.

The Seraph

Seraphs are dark-skinned and bright-eyed avengers of the Authority, the hierarchy of angels that governs Paradise. Born under an eclipse to human parents, Seraphs are spirited away by the Church and trained as philosopher-knights.

Limitation: Ruthlessness

Seraphs are sworn to take the fight to evil, and in doing so you can be self-righteous, vengeful and prepared to make any sacrifice to meet your ends. Some Seraphs are so corrupted they cease to serve Good. Some never served Good.

Talents

A Sword Unbroken

Your sword can slice through any substance as if it were air. It holds straight under any pressure, and if hammered into stone it remains there, quivering, until a Seraph draws it free. In combat, you can skewer a foe to the ground, a wall or a tree. As long as you do not leave the arena or make another Attack, the foe cannot move or Attack.

Where Angels Fear to Tread

By uttering a snarl or a word of power, you frighten others away or draw them towards you. This does not allow you to control them, but you can leave powerful impressions on their mind. In combat, you can spend an awesome point to stop someone from entering your arena or force them to enter your arena.

Whirling Dervish

When you successfully Show Off, you may immediately make a free Attack. If you miss, you lose all your awesome tokens.

Dust Storm

Where there is sand, dust or dirt you can call upon the spirits of the Lower Air to fight and feud. This clogs the air with grit, creating a new arena type: Clouded. Here, the advantage goes to those wielding melee weapons, whatever the size.

In and Out

Once a combat you may act at the beginning and end of a turn.

On the Head of a Pin

You are familiar with the Church’s vast library of alchemical and theological texts. You recognise magic and foreign technology and can interpret alchemical instructions. By spending a few hours in research and with the right reagents at your disposal you can create an alchemical device. When you do so, name a condition. When that condition is met, it grants you a pre-determined free action.

My dog has lost part of his tail today. The bandage the vet put one at 3:30 was off by the time we got home. Since that time we have been wrestling and rebandaging the dog and cleaning up blood. There will be no update today.

Today I'm posting Kristian's new map for the DM Sketchpad. Unlike other maps this one is not specifically an adventure location but instead a temple. The following map is not open game content.

Temple of Omalous

By Chris Sakkas.

A new class for Eric Provost’s Redbox Hack 2.

Check it out for free download on the blog or read it in wiki form.

The Moon is my third attempt at creating interesting warrior classes for RBH 2. She’s a serene martial artist who descended from the heavens to search for her missing husband, the Sun. Please download a nicely-formatted PDF of the class.

The Moon

Continuing the Redbox tradition of naming classes after the things they vaguely resemble, Moons are white-skinned, rabbit-eared bounders. Masters of unarmed combat and the empty body, Moons are immortal but cannot bear children while their husbands the Suns are lost from the world.

Limitation: Lament

Moons are haunted by the slow death of their people. When faced by suffering or entropy, they must do whatever they can to alleviate it – whether it afflicts a dear friend or a hated enemy.

Talents

Gesture Without Motion

Should an enemy attempt to Show Off and fail, you may Show Off as a free action. If an enemy tries to Push you and fails, you may Push him or her as a free action. Should an enemy try to Assist an ally and fail, you may Attack him or her as a free action.

Written in the Heavens

By stargazing, you can determine what the future will hold for anyone but yourself or another Moon. The prophesy is general and limited, but accurate.

One Small Step

A Moon can fall into the earth, leaving her robe behind. She appears anywhere she chooses, provided the Moon is visible from where she left and where she arrives. She can only step back to where her robe is, and should someone take possession of it while she is gone she falls under their power.

Candle Touch

A Moon can strike the air and extinguish a candle on the other side of the room. This feat is less impressive beside a magus who extinguishes candles by accident. Moons can make melee attacks against creatures in a different arena to the one they are in, though they gain no arena type bonus on their attack.

On the Treetop

During the night, Moons can gaze down upon the land as if they looked upon it from a vantage point. Their night vision is keen while they remain in this trance, and they can see anywhere that moonlight touches.

Moonfall

You can cause an area near you to shift and change until its terrain matches a place you are familiar with on the moon. In combat, this allows you to change the type of an arena.

Happy Halloween! The Crypt of the Sand King concludes today. The following is Open Game Content.

Room 2: The Chamber of Second Thoughts (CR 10, 19,200 XP)

This large room is cut with deep lines that criss-cross and slither through the ceiling, floor and roof. The chamber is lit by four glowing yellow lights that float, rotate and spin about the room. The lines on the walls, ceiling and floor appear to be some sort of script but what was once pristine white marble is stained with blood

The chamber of second thoughts is a large elaborate trap. The walls are covered with a celestial script that warms of the dangers of the Sand King reawakening as well as a command word to disable the mechanical trap. The walls, floor and ceiling is criss-cross with many deep groves through with the blades of the trap can spring. In the center of the room is a locked chest (DC 30). Inside the chest is sandstone block with a celestial script upon its surface. This is one of the four stones needed to unlock room 6. The remaining stones are in rooms 1, 3 and 5.

The trap is a Chamber of Blades as described in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, except that it can be disabled by a verbal command word and it has an automatic reset that takes 3 rounds. It is identical in all other ways.

This adventure will be concluded in the Sept/Oct Compilation expected to be sent to subscribers on November 12th.

For this month’s Map of Mystery, I’m planning on an adventure for 10th level characters called Crypt of the Sand King. The following entry is Open Game Content.

Crypt of the Sand King (For 10th level characters)

The Sand King was once a primitive human called Dzon Olkman. This savage barbarian terrorized the southern wastes and would have been only remembered as a local warlord until he freed the Bringer of Curses. Upon forging a covenant with this dread power Dzon began along the path of immortality. His ascension would have been assured had Dzon not grown greedy for power and struck a deal with Salurna, the Lich Queen.

Determined to punish his supplicant the Bringer of Curses weaked Dzon’s body and allowed his opponents to kill him. They took his body and sealed it in a crypt filled with guardians and traps. Salurna whispered to the men still loyal to Dzon, telling them that the Sand King had been reborn but was trapped. They tried to free him but have always been repulsed by the guardians of the tomb. So they came up with a new plan. Con some tomb raiders or adventurers to set him free. They will attempt to do this by:

A) Spreading rumours of great magical treasures hidden within the crypt

Or

B) Spin a tale of the evil Sand King rising from the dead and opening a portal to the Negative plane to pull undead legions from the Boneyard.

Room 1: Guardians of Stone (EL 9)
The entrance to the crypt is overgrown by bunches of creosote bush that struggle to conceal and clog the entrance to this mound. Sand from the desert pools inward onto the red and orange stone floor, and the hallway is unadorned except for two large columns along the west well. These towering supports are made from white and green stone and are beautifully sculpted to have the impression of a muscular, bald, and tall humanoid with two pairs of shining, white-feathered wings embossed within it and wielding longswords.

This room is the first line of defence to prevent intruders from waking the Sand King and bringing his evil back into the world. The two statues are large caryatid columns (CR 7 each) carved to appear as planetars (Knowledge (planes) DC 17 to recognize the form). The caryatid columns are instructed to attack anyone that enters the room that is not carrying the Mark of a Southern Defender and to prevent strangers from entering room 2.

The caryatid columns have no treasure. There is one exit south that leads outside and one west that leads to the chamber of second thoughts.

The Gazetter of the Known World is the main setting book for the World of Arkara series and provides an overview of the setting including the Gods of Arkara, overview of the continents and islands, character options and flavor, character titles, crime and punishment. One of the things that I typically like about Charles Rice's work is that usually it is very straightforward and well-balanced or crunchy. So it seemed strange to me initially that he was interested in writing a fantasy campaign setting, which I always think need to be a fluffier sort of product. I think I came to this reivew with a bit of bias; I was not really sold on the World of Arkara Gazetteer, but I also was not sold on the Greyhawk Gazetteer when it came out. I think the problem for me is that a world gazetteer of this nature typically needs to touch upon so many things than nothing really gets the depth that it deserves. If you plan to use Arkarra for an OSRIC setting (which I would think would be the reason to by it) then it is absolutely essential to pick up because of the OSRIC rule-specific content added. Such items include the new and alternate classes like crusader, bounty hunter and anti-paladin. While the description of the lands of Arkara are interesting, they are too short to provide much of a starting point for adventure. The Gods of Arkara are very mechanical, and I sort of wanted more detail on the gods goals or expections of their followers sort of like what One Bad Egg did in their Gods of the Shroud release. There are also a couple editing issues in this product that aren't present in the second product. Hmmm, it seems I mostly beat up on the first book, thankfully it gets better from here on in.

The Gazetter of the Canterbury Isles is the second product in this series and I think it is the one that I prefer the most. I think the writing is stronger in this product because it is more focused on one region of the world. The Canterbury Isles has about fourteen or fifteen locations for adventures to explore. The area of the Canterbury Isles is a powderkeg of racial conflict. Each of the regions has background informations as well as one or two adventure hooks for bringing the characters into this region and how they can help the region's inhabitants. There is also a fully developed city included so that DMs have a location for urban adventures. The descriptive section also includes a number of adventure hooks to get your campaign off the ground. In the second half of the book, the major NPCs are detailed with several paragraphs of description, motivation and tactics. Additionally their OSRIC stats are provided but if you aren't using OSRIC and are instead maybe using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game it wouldn't be a ton of work to translate a Half-Orc Fighter 5/Assassin 5 into say a Half-Orc Fighter 5/Assassin 5, though it may be a bit more work if you want to go to another retro-clone system like Labyrinth Lord. The book closes with two alternate character classes—the guardsman and the cloistered cleric. This book is packed with ideas and is easily adaptable to other DnDish systems.

If you are looking for a new setting for the Osric ruleset, these two supplements are a cheap way to get into a new world. If you are looking for a new setting and don't plan to use OSRIC as your rule set, I think you could skip the Gazetteer of the Known World and pick up the Gazetteer of the Canterbury Isles instead. It has lots of ideas and is easily adaptable to any DnDish type ruleset.

Stefen took a break from his freelancing duties to send over another Fighting Mage. This one again features one of the sin bloodlines he created for Sorcerer Bloodlines and also includes the arusties devil I created for the DM Sketchpad. The following entry is Open Game Content.

FIGHTING MAGES: SERAFINA AND ZZYK

SERAFINA CR 5 (1,600 XP)

CE Medium female human aristocrat 1 / sorcerer 1/ barbarian 4 (humanoid)
Init +8; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15; uncanny dodge
(+4 armor, +4 Dex, +2 deflection, +1 dodge, +1 natural, -2 rage)
hp 56 (1d6+3 plus 1d8+3 plus 4d12+12)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +6
OFFENSE
Spd 40 ft.
Melee +1 rapier +9 (1d6+4/19-20)
Spells Known (CL 1st)
1st (4/day)—charm person (DC 13), true strike
0 – arcane mark, bleed, daze, resistance
STATISTICS
Str 16 (12), Dex 18, Con 17 (13), Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +11, Diplomacy+8, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Perception +7, Ride +11, Stealth +11
Languages Common
SQ bloodline arcana, fast movement, guarded stance, hoard spell, intimidating glare, rage (11 rounds/day), sorcerer bloodline (greed), trap sense +1
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds
Other Gear +1 rapier, +2 ring of protection, +1 amulet of natural armor
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bloodline Arcana (Su) Whenever Serafina casts a spell with the range of “personal,” she gains a +2 bonus to Strength, Constitution or Dexterity for a number of rounds equal to the spell’s level.
Hoard Spell (Sp) When Serafina casts a spell she can immediately decide she wants to hoard it and gain the use of the spell one additional time that same day. Serafina must decide this before the spell’s effects are resolved. This ability can be used once per day.
Skills Serafina’s status as a cosmopolitan aristocrat allows her to replace the barbarian’s Knowledge (nature) class skill with Knowledge (nobility).

ZZYK CR 5 (1,600 XP)

Advanced arusties sorcerer (infernal) 4
LE Small Outsider (devil, evil, Extraplanar, lawful)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 17; (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 45 (2d10+1 plus 4d6+4)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +7 (+2 vs. poison)
Immune fire
OFFENSE
Spd 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +6 (1d3) or +1 dagger +7 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks corrupting touch (7/day)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st)
At willgiggle (DC 14)
1/dayfriendly face (DC 15), hot foot
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 4th)
2nd (4/day) – daze monster (DC 18)
1st (7/day)— charm person (DC 17), mage armor, magic missile, protection from good
0—acid splash, dancing lights, daze (DC 16), ghost sound, prestidigitation, resistance
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 18
Base Atk +4; CMB +2; CMD 15
Feats Dodge, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +7, Appraise +6, Bluff +9, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +9, Perform (Dance) +8, Stealth +13
Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
SQ bloodline (infernal), bloodline arcana, infernal resistances
Combat Gear +1 dagger, wand of false life (10 charges)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Draw Essence (Su) Once per day, an arusities can draw the essence from one evil, living creature. This deals 1d3 Charisma damage.
Inert (Ex) An arusities can become inert and appear as a simple doll. When inert, she does not radiate an aura of evil and an observer must succeed on a DC 20 Perception check to notice that the doll-like demon is actually alive.

Serafina was born to immense wealth, but no matter how much her parents spoiled her it was never enough. Her childish greed attracted the attention of Zzyx, who realized Serafina would be a perfect tool to inflict evil and pain on the world. Under Zzyk’s encouragement, Serafina murdered her parents to inherit their estate. She now uses charm, beauty and fear (as well as Zzyk’s aid) to acquire more and more, be it gold jewelry, slaves or lovers.

Most people assume Serafina is simply a spoiled young woman with an eccentric attachment to a creepy, childhood doll. The two are almost never apart. Serafina even demands her servants set a place for Zzyk at the dinner table.

However, when Serafina does not get what she wants, she flies into a murderous rage and attempts to kill those who thwart her desires. Zzyk also demands an offering every now and then for its help. This usually means a blood sacrifice. Although Serafina has a few hired thugs carry out the deed, she’s not above watching the event or even delivering the final coup de grace.

Serafina prepares for combat by casting true strike on herself. She does this just before combat to bump up her Dexterity by 2 points (as per her bloodline arcane). Once Zzyk casts mage armor on her she goes into a rage and attacks. Both rage and mage armor are reflected in her stats.

For its part Zzyk tries to remain inconspicuous and away from melee.

Zzyk hangs back and covers Serafina with daze monster and magic missile. When in melee Serafina uses intimidating glare to demoralize any opponents not affected by Zzyk.

A new class for Eric Provost’s Redbox Hack 2.

Check it out for free download on the blog or read it in wiki form.

The Grim is my second attempt at creating an interesting warrior class for RBH 2. He’s a stern and battered mercenary who has seen too many battles and ambushes to hold much hope for mankind. Please download a nicely-formatted PDF of the class.

The Grim

You are either still serving or recently retired from the mercenary company the Grim Patrol. During your time with them you have looted haunted temples, slaughtered knights and orcs, seduced barmaids and learned the world is a grimy and unpleasant place.

Limitation: Embittered

You are a simple soul who wants to settle down in the countryside with a homely, loving wife. You prefer simple plans to complicated ones and pragmatism to enthusiasm and are reluctant to get caught up in grand projects or righteous quests.

Talents

Rain of Blows

Once in a combat, you can make an attack against every creature in one arena.

Battle Stories

You can regal your traveling companions with stories of past victories and defeats. This allows you to Show Off out of combat, keeping the awesome points until you next enter combat. Whether you Showing Off was successful or unsuccessful, you cannot use Battle Stories again until after the next combat.

Trophy

When you face and triumph over a danger, you may keep a trophy to remind you of it. You may carry up to three trophies. When you choose, you may discard the trophy to get a +2 bonus to your next roll.

The Smell of Magic

Though never formally educated, you have over the years become accustomed to sorcery and strange sights. You have experience with magical beasts, eldritch phenomenon and magic items – experience which tells you to avoid these things like the plague. When magic is being done, you can smell and taste it on the air.

Lusty Lover

If you are a man, women are drawn to your lattice of scars, broken nose and eyepatch. If a woman, men are equally engrossed by your peg-leg, scarred lip and missing ear. Members of the opposite sex will be happy to ignore the incriminating blood on your hands, let you into the wine cellar or serve as your henchmen when you next dungeoncrawl.

Tactics

If you were an officer in the Grim Patrol, you are well acquainted with warcraft. If you were a soldier, you know the best tactic is to do whatever your officer wouldn’t have done. You can Show Off by giving orders. The awesome points you get can be spent to swap the positions of two characters (allies or enemies) in adjacent arenas, to allow one ally late in the initiative order to act at the same time as another ally or to allow an ally to reroll his or her latest roll.

Shane sent over this clown as an entry for our Halloween theme on the DM Sketchpad. This clown originally appeared in Octavirate Game’s Lethal Lexicon – Volume 1 but Shane has upgraded it to the pathfinder ruleset for us all. It also makes me think that a clown-based serial killer would be an awesome Modern^20 opponent (maybe tomorrow night).

PFRPG: Evil Clown

Evil Clown CR 6

XP 2,400
NE Medium Outsider (Extraplanar, Evil)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +1 Dodge, +5 natural); Mobility
hp 66 (7d10+28 HD)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +6
DR 10/cold iron or good; Immune fear, poison; Resist acid 15, fire 15; SR 17

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +10 (1d4+3), bite +10 (1d6+3)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th)
At will – dancing lights, detect thoughts (DC 16), ghost sound (DC 14), prestidigitation, scare (DC 16), shrink item (DC 17)
3/day – hideous laughter (DC 16), major image (DC 17)
1/day – summon (level 3, 1 clown 40%), undetectable alignment (DC 16)

STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 19
Base Atk +7; CMB +10; CMD 24
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills Acrobatics +20 (+24 when jumping), Bluff +13, Disguise +13, Escape Artist +9, Perception +10, Perform (any two) +13, Sleight of Hand +13, Stealth +20, Use Magic Device +9; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +8 Stealth
Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal, any two others
SQ collapsible, teleport

ECOLOGY

Environment any land, underground, or evil-aligned plane
Organization Solitary, crew (3–6) or circus (6-24 plus 1 leader of 4th level per 4 clowns, 3-12 freaks (malformed half-fiendish humanoids of various types), 2-12 curiosities (fiendish or half-fiendish magical beasts or aberrations of various sizes and kinds), 6-24 fiendish animals (usually bears, elephants, horses and lions) one rakshasa barker per 6 freaks or curiosities and 1 ringmaster (typically a 5th level or greater clown, though other high-level fiends can serve this function as well)
Treasure clown equipment

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Clown Equipment: The average clown carries a number of items on its person at all times which it can seemingly produce from nowhere thanks to its shrink item ability. Any given clown will carry at least 2d4 of these objects and will acquire any similar object if the opportunity presents itself. Typical items include: Oversized mallets (treat as a medium-sized warhammer), acid-filled seltzer bottles, (ranged touch attack, 1d6 points of acid damage, 5 ft. range increment, 3 shots per flask), juggling implements (lit torches, daggers, clubs, full bottles of alchemist’s fire), caltrops, marbles (thrown, they cover a 10 ft. square area, those running through the marbles may fall as though a grease spell (Caster level 1st) were cast on the area in question), dead chickens (used primarily to horrify victims or as makeshift clubs (1d4-1 damage)), an undersized tricycle (a clown can ride the tricycle to gain a +10 speed bonus), flowers, hands (both false and those taken from previous victims), ventriloquist dummies (5% chance per that such is also imbued with evil, treat as a small animated object), and so forth.
Collapsible (Su): A clown can squeeze into any container of tiny or larger size, regardless of the size of the opening or the container in question in 1 round. Moreover, the space taken up by the clown does not prevent another clown from squeezing into the same container. Theoretically, an infinite number of clowns could crawl into a single container regardless of the container’s size. Only one clown can exit such a container at a time and exiting the container, like entering it, is a full-round action. A clown is powerless to free himself from a container locked from the outside.
For some unknown reason a clown cannot use this ability to squeeze through narrow openings in doors or other barriers.
Teleport (Su): A clown can teleport to any location it has seen within 1 mile as a standard action. It can only do so as long as no living creature is viewing it or the location it teleports to. If the location it is attempting to move to is observed it will appear in the nearest unoccupied, unobserved space. A clown can utilize this ability so long as it has complete cover.

A clown prefers to prey on weak, innocent victims but will not hesitate to deal with more powerful beings if they threaten its plans. They use the common belief that they are human performers to confuse and misdirect opponents before beginning a campaign of terror and confusion designed to instill panic in its prey. A clown will often stalk its enemies noticeably, using its ability to teleport to keep one step ahead of them at all times. They give chase on foot only to terrify their victims.

A clown may torment a single party for days or even weeks, picking off the weak and slowly moving up to stronger members. Those that speak delight in taunting and tormenting their prey verbally as well as physically. When its prey’s fear is at its height, the clown moves in for the kill, using hideous laughter to incapacitate its enemies.

Those performers who dress as clowns unknowingly invite the creatures to steal them away and replace them in the night.

I want more clowns!

The actually is not much of a problem. If you are looking for more evil clowns there is always the Club, Coin, Cup, Joker and Sword Facada, Red Jester, Factured Jester PRC, Demon Jester and Iain Fyffe’s Jester Core Class. I think the Book of Hell had Devil Clowns in it as well but we haven’t got that uploaded yet.

Well, it looks like the Pathfinder Bestiary is finally on its way to me and my download is firmly in my virtual hands. One of things that I noticed about the bestiary (besides the inclusion of key monsters such as vegepymies and cave fishers) is that dragon ages have been modified to make the creation of an aged dragon easier. Basically now you have a base dragon model and apply modifiers based on age. The Grand OGL Wiki has also joined the Role Play Media site please check it out and add us as a friend. I’m going to introduce my own Psionic dragon for Pathfinder. This psionics dragon type favours nomad powers including new ones introduced in Dreamscarred Press’s Untapped Potential. The following monster is Open Game Content

Mineral Dragon, Charoite

This dragons scales are a mix of iridescent purples, whites and pink. Its body is long and back with spines.

Charoite Dragon
NE dragon (earth, psionic)

CR 4; Size Small; Hit Dice 5d12
Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Natural Armour +4; Breath Weapon line, 2d6 piercing
Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 12

Environment temperate desert
Organization solitary
Treasure triple

Call Earth Brothers (Su) A great wyrm charoite dragon can call upon the earth to aid him in times of need. A great wyrm can summon two xorn a round as a standard action. It can control up to six xorn a day for a period of one hour.
Earth Discorporation (Ex) An old or older charoite dragon is very difficult to kill if they are in contact with the ground. If reduced to 0 hp while in contact with the ground, they may make a Will save (DC 5 + damage dealt). If successful, the charoite dragon crumbles into dust, sand and rock. One day late this earth reconstitutes itself into the charoite dragon.
Earth Glide (Ex) A burrowing charoite dragon can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water and it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing charoite dragon flings the dragon back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
Elude Touch (Ex) A very young charoite dragon’s intuition supersedes his intellect, alerting him to danger from touch attacks (including rays). He gains a bonus to Armour class equal to his Charisma modifier.
Psi-like Abilities (PS) A charoite dragon gains the following psi-like abilities, usable at-will upon reaching the listed age category. Young-burst; Juvenile-trick shot; Adult-dimension swap; Old-temporal dissociation; Ancient-baleful teleport; Great Wyrm-teleport trigger.
Volatile Mind (Ex) As a charoite dragon enters the adult age category, his mind becomes so powerful that it begins to interfere with telepathy powers. When any telepathy power of 5th level or higher is targeted on the charoite dragon, the manifester must pay the additional cost indicated.

Crazdack, Juvenile Charoite Dragon CR 9
XP 6,400
NE Large dragon (earth, psionic)
Init +3; Senses dragon senses; Perception +20
Aura Frightful presence (120 ft., DC 17)

AC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 24 (+3 Dex, +13 natural, +2 Cha, -1 size)
hp 115 (11d12 + 44)
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +9
Immune fire, paralysis, sleep

Spd 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor) [earth glide]
Melee bite +19 (2d6+7), 2 claws +18 (1d8+7), 2 wings +13 (1d6+3), tail +13 (1d8+10)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks breath weapon (80 ft., DC 19, 8d6 piercing [spray of silica]), evil attack
Psi-like Abilities (ML 11th)
At-will - burst, trick shot
Powers Known (ML 1st; 5 PP; as wilder)
1st — deceleration

Str 24, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +11; CMB +18; CMD +33
Feats Alertness, Aligned Attack, Lunge, Psionic Aptitude, Psionic Talent, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Autohypnosis +16 [11], Fly +11 [11], Intimidate +16 [11], Knowledge (psionics) +16 [11], Perception +20 [11], Psicraft +20 [11], Sense Motive +20 [11], Use Psionic Devices +20 [11]
Languages Common, Draconic, Terran
SQ earth glide, elude touch

Well final exams are over for my students and on Monday we begin block two. This block I’ll be teaching Law and Biology. It has been a long day and I don’t think I have a lot of time left before I crash so I thought I would just add another character for my (incredibly juvenile) Modern²⁰ setting called Tough Chicks With Firearms²⁰. Again Modern²⁰ is owned by RpgObjects and no challenge to their copyright is intended… I just like using this system for my modern games. The following character is Open Game Content.

TCWF²⁰: Stefi Thunderwolf (Empath 5)

Stefi was raised on the Standing Rock Reserve in what was once southern Manitoba. Before the “incident” that wiped out most of the male population, Stefi hoped to be a dentist or a hairdresser. After the incident, she saw the suffering in her community and apprenticed to become a medicine woman. In the wilds of southern Manitoba, Stefi provides spiritual and medical aid to the surviving members of her tribe.

Stefi Thunderwolf (Empath 5): HD 5d8; HP 22; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (-1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +3; Atk +5 melee (1d6+3, hatchet); SQ resolute; AL Standing Rock Reserve; SV Fort +4, Ref +3,Will +6, Rec +3; Rep +4, Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 13
Background Reserve
Occupation Medicine Woman (Magic [four spells])
Hobby Weapons
Skills Academics (First Nations Culture) +10 [8], Academics (Literature) +10 [8], Art (dance)+9 [8], Athletics +10 [8], Business +9 [8], Influence +15[10], Magic +11 [10], Medicine+12 [10], Perception +10 [8], Speak Language [4, Cree, Saulteaux, Mischif, French], Weapons +9 [8]
Feats Animal Empathy, Attractive (x2), Career Advancement (x2), Contemplative Master, Look Good In Uniform^TCWF, Pray Like Hell^TCWF
Access/Contacts/Followers Two first level followers (apprentice medicine women)
Wealth 7
Spells bless, cure light wounds, sanctuary, shield of faith
Possessions hatchet, cell phone, 10,557 friends on Twitter, ceremonial head dress, medicine pouch

New Background

Reserve
You grew up on a reserve in rural Canada
Skills (Four of the following):Academics (First Nations Culture), Art, Athletics, Outdoorsman, Speak Language
Base Wealth 0

New Occupations

Medicine Woman
On your reserve you are treated with reverence and respect for embracing the traditional teachings lost to many of today’s young First Nations.
Professional Skills Influence, Magic, Medicine
Improved Feats Animal Empathy: you gain a +4 bonus to influence animals; Awareness: your Will save is increased by +2 for this feat; Expert in Your Field (Magic): your Reputation modifier is treated as +2 higher for purposes of this feat; Healer: you heal an additional +4 points of damage.

I've just finished creating my Creative Writing final exam. I think it should be a really good evaluation of my student's progress. But it is very late and I haven't written anything for the DM Sketchpad. Luckily, new reader and writer Chris Sakkas sent over the following new character class for Redbox Hack 2. The following item is open game content

Redbox Hack 2

Eric Provost wanted to hack the Redbox version of Dungeons & Dragons into a game he felt more comfortable running and planning. Over the course of two editions and considerable fan insight, the result was an indie game which bore only a passing resemblance to D&D. It preserves races-as-classes, the ‘kill things and grow rich’ attitude and the balance between exploration and mayhem that made redbox D&D such a success three decades ago.

Check it out for free download on the blog or read it in wiki form.

Redbox Hack 2: The Haunt (By Chris Sakkas.)

A new class for Eric Provost’s Redbox Hack 2.

Replacing the Warrior

The warrior of Redbox Hack 2 is a disappointment. Its companion, the stealthy longrunner, is a fresh take on the scoundrel archetype – skipping across the seas, drawing doorways with chalk and with a contact in every city. The warrior is just a warrior, what we have come to expect from thirty years of fantasy heartbreakers.

I’ve attempted to fix this by writing up a set of new warrior-like classes. Each – hopefully – has a compelling hook in the setting and out-of-combat powers that create and solve problems.

The Haunt is my first attempt. He’s a dabbler in ghosts and spectres, someone who dwells in dark fens and swamps. Please download a nicely-formatted PDF of the class.

The Haunt

You are a swamp dweller, a vagrant or a tramp who can speak with and summon the spirits of the dead and the damned.

Limitation: Heart of Gold

Despite your heretical activities and your macabre appearance, you are a kindly soul. When confronted by injustice or hurt, like a lost child or a wounded animal, you must assist them.

Talents

Jack O’Lantern

With a wicker basket, you have no need for light from a Jack O’Lantern. Instead, the pumpkin-headed and candle-eyed scarecrow is a sentry, spy and messenger who communicates with you by whispering messages on the wind. Some Jack O’Lanterns are granted movement by their creator; they have an unfortunate habit of becoming distracted by beautiful maidens, frightening travelers and hunting for buried treasure. A Jack O’Lantern whose Haunt has died may sometimes pull itself up from the ground and bestow movement upon itself as it hops down the road.

Wicker Basket

You can trap the souls of the dying in a wicker basket you carry on your belt or at the end of a walking stick. Only three souls will remain in the basket at one time and they sometimes fight or connive depending on their personalities. They will answer questions if threatened by cats – which all ghosts hate – or the smell of burning witchwood. If the wicker basket is shaped as a lantern, they souls release witchlight which reveals that which is hidden

The Gravedigger’s Pet

You summon a child who died before his or her time to walk as a ghost by your side. The child has no material form, but may choose to Assist you in combat (essentially a free action rolling your Stubbornness rather than your Alertness). It is your responsibility to care for the child and bring him or her to peace.

Hunter’s Look

An animal that or person who meets your gaze cannot move or look away until you close or the gaze is broken.

Sandman’s Burden

You bring with you a feeling of somnolence and languidness that lures others into a false sense of security. Where it is obvious from the fiction that you have surprised your foes, you automatically win Initiative. If it is not obvious, you still get a +5 bonus to your Alertness roll to determine initiative. Out of combat, you can sprinkle sand into a creature's eyes to put it into a deep sleep.

Strike the Shadow

If your opponent casts a shadow, you can scuff it with your boot or pull parts of it away. Your attack treats your enemy as unarmoured but you must attack unarmed. Out of combat, you can read people based on the body language of their shadow, a being that cannot lie.

The following material is open game content.

Practical Adventuring I: Tools of the Trade

As adventurers grow in skill and fame, they tend to acquire an ever-growing collection of paraphernalia. While they usually focus mostly on their “golf bags” of magic items or cache of gold pieces and gems, it’s inevitable that a lot of other junk gets picked up and then promptly forgotten. That is, until there comes a time when they can’t use their usual items, due to them being stolen, sundered, or simply not on hand at the moment. In such instances, the canny adventurer has nothing to fall back on but his wits and a collection of “junk” that just might make the difference between life and death. Five such items are presented below.

Ten-foot pole

A classic adventuring tool, the ten-foot pole is usually used to measure distances and prod objects without getting near them. When using the ten-foot pole to press things perpendicular to the pole's orientation (e.g. pressing its end against the floor while holding it horizontally), the pole can exert a maximum of 10% of the wielder's total weight (e.g. a 200 lbs. man using the pole to test for pressure plate traps can press the pole against the ground with a maximum of 20 lbs. worth of weight in an attempt to trigger traps). A ten-foot pole can be used for combat, but is not balanced correctly, and counts as an improvised two-handed weapon (thus imparting a -4 nonproficiency penalty to attack rolls), and cannot be used to attack adjacent creatures. It is otherwise the same as a quarterstaff (including being usable as a special monk weapon), save that it cannot be wielded in one hand. A ten-foot pole weights 8 lbs., has 5 hardness and 10 hit points, and costs 2 sp.

Flour

Usually used in cooking, flour has often been put to other uses by enterprising adventurers, to the point where it is now on the standard list of adventuring equipment. Sold in 1-pound bags for 1 cp each, a bag of flour can be spread over a 10 foot square area; doing so makes the area count as very soft ground for the purposes of following tracks (see the Track feat). Enterprising adventurers may also use a bag of flour in response to invisible creatures, either by dumping it into an adjacent square (treat this as a melee attack against the square, which has AC 5; success automatically affects any creatures there) or by throwing it as a splash weapon. A creature hit by the bag of flour or its splash effect takes no damage, but invisible creatures are outlined, causing them to have concealment, rather than total concealment. Flour may be washed off as a full-round action (that provokes an attack of opportunity) with a gallon of water or some other liquid.

Marbles

Small iron balls, a bag of marbles weighs 2 lbs. and costs 2 gp. Marbles may be spread over a 5 foot square to attempt to cause someone to fall. Anyone moving through a space with marbles must make a DC 15 Balance check, or fall prone; falling this way also ends a creature's move for their turn. A character that is running when moving through a square with marbles takes a -4 penalty to this check. Standing back up in a space with marbles requires a successful DC 15 Balance check, or the character remains prone. A character may move safely through a square with marbles, but doing so requires them to move at half movement.

Glass shards

Glass shards can be used as makeshift caltrops; in this case, they function only against creatures which are barefoot (or in slippers or similar light footwear) and have a natural armor bonus of +1 or less. A character may make a DC 12 Listen check to hear someone stepping on glass shards. A typical broken bottle provides enough glass shards to cover one 5 foot square.

Iron Spikes

Iron spikes are typically driven into the ground in front of a door to keep it in an open or closed position. Doing so is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. A "spiked door" cannot be opened or closed normally, though it may still be broken down or destroyed. Spiking a door defeats an open/close spell, but not a knock or arcane lock spell, which uproot the iron spike as part of their effects. Removing an iron spike takes 1 full round, and provokes an attack of opportunity. Iron spikes may be used as improvised light weapons, doing 1d4 damage. An iron spike weighs 1 lb., has 10 hardness and 30 hit points, and costs 5 sp.

Is it already the 20th of October? Where has this month gone? This is the last week of my first block of classes at school so I’m spending much of my time correcting assignments and preparing final exams and reviews. However, I think it is important to squeeze in a little reckless creativeness and do up some more material for the Sketchpad. I spoke with James “Grim” Desborough of Post Mortem Studios and he’s agreed to have me post the OGC from his mass combat system Feast of Crows on the GOW. Hopefully it will be up next week. In the meantime, I think we need to look back at Dzon Olkman and the strange urn. The following entry is Open Game Content.

BBEG: The Evolution Continues

What Dzon first believed was a simple urn was in reality a magical prison. As Dzon cracked the seal on the urn a column of roiling earth spilled out of the arcane prison and took the from a powerful man, standing nine feet tall with reddish brown skin and draped in swirling silks. At first Dzon didn’t know what to think of this strange apparition but sensed about him and otherworldly power. The being spoke directly to Dzon’s mind and identified himself as the Bringer of Curses. Unimpressed Dzon sought to strike the strange man down but was suddenly held by two quakefathers who appeared to save the Dao.

Feeling some affection from Dzon, despite his stupidity, the Bringer of Curses forged a covenant with the savage. Within the covenant with the Bringer of Curses, Dzon made the following oath.

I, Dzon Olkman, in accordance with ancient laws, swear service to the Bringer of Curses and Lord of the Earth. I place myself and my power at his disposal, my life laid down to answer his need. From him I take the strength to do the tasks he gives me and the will to do what must be done.

At this point Dzon became an aspirant on the path to immortality under the Bringer of Curses’s guidance. Even though he pledge his life and purpose to the Dao, the Dao simply wanted him to continue to spread chaos, fear and death throughout the region. Feeling a still closer natural connection Dzon began to adopt the path of the druid.

PFRPG Note: As an aspirant both Channel and Infuse (immortal skills) are considered class skills for Dzon. Advancement along the path to immortality is tracked by victories.

Dzon Olkman, Savageman of the Wastes CR 8
6,400 XP
Male mahrog barbarian 9/desert druid 3 (1 victory)
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +3

AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+2 natural, +3 armor)
hp 110 (9d12+27 plus 3d8+6)
Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +11 (+1 bonus to resist heat)
Defensive Abilities improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +3; DR 1/-
Spell-like Abilties acid dart +11 rta (1d6+2 acid, 5/day)
**Druid’s Spells Prepared (CL 3rd)
2nd- bear’s endurance, soften earth and stone^D, summon swarm
1st – endure elements, magic stone^D, produce flame, speak with animals
0th - blowing dust^BoDM, know direction, light, resistance

Spd 40 ft.
Melee +1 mighty cleaving greatclub +17/+12/+7 (2d8+6)
Ranged mwk spear +16 (2d6+4) or javelin of lightning (5d6 electricity, Ref DC 14 half)
Special Attacks rage (22 rounds; intimidating glare, roused anger, scent, unexpected strike)

Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +11; CMB +15; CMD25
Feats Beastial Defense^Mahrog, Club and Spear^Mahrog, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Improved Weapon Mastery (B), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatclub)
SkillsChannel +12(6), Climb +13(9), Intimidate +10(9), Survival +8(5)
Languages Ancient, Common, Draconic
SQ Mahrog traits, nature bond (earth domain), water retention, water sense, wild empathy +4
Gear +1 light fortification leather armor, cloak of resistance +2, horn of fog, 2 potions of cure critical wounds, backpack and other gear (500 gp)

Immortal Powers Dzon has one victory in the domain of elemental earth. As such he has an Aura of 1. This makes him a very weak fledgling immortal. To further complicate things he has not learned to channel the aura into specific gifts but instead infuses his own power into the earth around him. At present he can reaffirm the faith of stone

Water Retention Dzon has adapted to the harsh nature of the desert. He adds his druid level to his Constitution score to determine how long he can go without water and may make a Fortitude save instead of a Constitution check to ward off the effects of thirst.
Water Sense Dzon is able to automatically sense water within 100 ft of his location. Additionally as a full round action he may make a Perception check (DC 20) to instinctively know in which direction the nearest water lies.

Stefen sent over this otyugh fighting-mage as a contribution to the DM Sketchpad. Stefen has been very busy lately and hasn’t had a lot of time to do freebie work like this what with his work on Sorcerer Bloodlines, Fell Beasts V.1, Fell Beasts V.2, or Behind the Monsters: Roper. The following entry is Open Game Content,

Fighting Mage: The Great Maw

Rapacious even for an otyugh, the Great Maw’s appetite spawns from the very power embodied in the sin of gluttony. Years ago it even dared feast on another of its kind. The act imbued it with powers based on the consumption of other otyugh. Unfortunately, the Great Maw can only be sated by eating otyugh flesh, but can eat anything. It is always hungry and always eating. All living creatures are threatened when it is present.

Legends say years ago when the Great Maw was younger and smaller it cut a deal with a city’s mayor to keep the sewers free of other otyugh and nastier things. Once it grew too large for the confines of the sewer it moved into the swampy countryside where it now preys on lone villagers, passing caravans and the herds of the area’s cattle farmers. It is rumored it also maintains a pen of young otyugh that are eaten to quell its incessant hunger.

The Great Maw prepares for combat by casting false life, chill touch, mage armor, protection from energy (fire), and extended haste on itself. (These are reflected in its stats.) It then uses enervation or ray of enfeeblement to weaken opponents so they are easy to swallow, and sprints into combat. When chill touch is used up, it either casts vampiric touch for the extra hit points or quickened burning hands. It attempts to bite and consume as many opponents at one time as possible.

The last adventurer it consumed carried a +2 ring of protection and a +4 amulet of mighty fists. Both are lodged in its gullet, but still provide the Great Maw with bonuses.

Its bite attack is very dangerous. Not only does it have a x3 critical multiplier, but it gets a +4 to confirm critical hits, deals an extra 2d6 bleed damage and is almost assured of swallowing the opponent. It’s hunger is so great it fights to the death.

THE GREAT MAW CR 17 (102,400 XP)
NE Huge advanced ravenous otyugh sorcerer 15 (aberration)
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, darvkision 60 ft., scent; Perception +14

DEFENSE

AC 32, touch 12, flat-footed 30; (-2 size, +4 armor, +2 deflection, +1 Dex, +1 dodge, +16 natural)
hp 287 (10d8+70+15d6+105+15); fast healing 10
Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +14 (+4 vs. poison)
Immune fire (protection from energy)
DR 5/—

OFFENSE

Spd 50 ft., sprint
Melee 2 tentacles +25 (1d8+11 plus 1d6 plus 1 Str) plus grab and constrict and bite (magic) +24 (3d8+11/19-20x3 plus 2d6 bleed) plus disease and swallow (or bite +17 [2d8+7/19-20 plus 2d6 bleed] plus disease and swallow)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (25 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks bite, constrict 1d8+11, disease (filth fever, DC 13), hungry, swallow (2d8+7 plus 1d8 acid)
Spells Known (CL 15th)
1st (7/day)— burning hands, chill touch (B) (DC 13), expeditious retreat, mage armor, ray of enfeeblement (DC 13), true strike
2nd (7/day) – blindness (DC 14), bull’s strength, false life (B), ghoul touch (DC 14), resist energy, summon swarm
3rd (6/day) – haste, protection from energy, ray of exhaustion (DC 15), stinking cloud (DC 15), vampiric touch
4th (6/day) – black tentacles, charm monster (DC 16), contagion (DC 16), enervation (B), extended haste, solid fog
5th (6/day) – blight, cone of cold (DC 17), hold monster (DC 17), magic jar (B) (DC 17), passwall, quickened burning hands

STATISTICS

Str 25, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 8, Wis 7, Cha 15
Base Atk +14; CMB +23; CMD 37
Feats Alertness, Bleeding Critical (bite), Blind-fight, Critical Focus, Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Greater Grapple, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Toughness, Weapon Focus (tentacle)
Skills Acrobatics +5, Climb +11, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +23, Jump +11, Knowledge (arcana) +3, Perception +14, Stealth -2, Survival +6, Use Magic Device +8
Languages Common
SQ sorcerer bloodline (gluttony), bloated resilience, corpulent fortitude, sprint
Other Gear +4 amulet of might fists, +2 ring of protection

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Ageless (Ex) The Great Maw does not age.
Bite (Ex) For 5 rounds per day the Great Maw can make a bite attack at its full base attack bonus. This bite is considered magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and its critical multiplier is x3. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Cannibalistic Healing (Ex) So long as the Great Maw has fed upon the flesh of other otyugh within the last 24 hours, it has fast healing 10. Feeding on an otyugh that was killed within the last hour heals all ability damage and ability drain the Great Maw has taken.
Favored Prey (Ex) The Great Maw gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls against aberrations and +2 bonus on Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive and Survival checks when using these skills against aberrations. Against otyugh, each of the bonuses increases to +4.
Hungry (Ex) Other otyugh take a -2 penalty on saving throws against the Great Maw’s spells and special attacks.
Ravenous Body (Su) The Great Maw can eat other food, but only the flesh of its own kind satiates its hunger.
Sprint (Ex) Once per hour, the Great Maw can move at ten times its normal speed when it makes a charge.
Swallow (Ex) On a successful bite attack the Great Maw can start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the grapple is successful it swallows the target. A swallowed creature takes 2d8 + Strength modifier bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 acid damage per round. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 20 points of damage to the Great Maw’s lining (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its way out. The Great Maw can hold in its stomach one Huge creature, two Large creature, four Medium creatures or eight Small creatures at one time.

I’m at the end of the semester here at my school. I have oodles to correct and finals to make so I’m unsure if I will be able to write every day this week or not. For today’s entry I found this piece of art and thought it would make an excellent Supers²⁰ villain. Super²⁰ was written by Charles Rice and published by RpgObjects – but you should already know that by now. Thank you David S. Gallant for the terrorist organization name. The following entry is open game content

Villain Profile: Echelon-X

David Wallis was an employee at the signals intelligence project where he was employed as data processer. He was based out of the unconfirmed facility at Canadian Forces Station Leitrim, Ontario. In 2007, terrorist agents of "Les Habitantes” detonated a dirty bomb at the site. The radiation caused an electrical cascade through the equipment that Wallis was using. The resulting electrical explosion erased David’s personality and memories like a degaussed video tape and infused him with new powers over electricity. Recovered by agents of “Les Habitantes”, David was rechristened as Echelon-X, a super-powered agent of terror.

Echelon-X (Brainiac 10)HD 10d8+10; HP 60; Init +1; Defense 17, flat-footed 16 (+1 Dex, +6); BAB +7; Atk +6 melee (10d4, electrical touch), or +8 ranged (8d4 electricity, energy blast); SQ thinker; AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +9, Rec +4; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 15/23, Wis 14, Cha 10
Background Academic
Occupation Superterrorist (blast, desolidification)
Hobby Crime
Skills Academics (Cryptography) (13), Academics (Canadian Culture) (13), Art (digital art) (12), Computers (13), Crime + (15), Engineering (13), Influence (13), Leadership + (15), Power Control (13), Psionics (13), Weapons + (15)
Feats Blast (Electricity, Line), Brains over Brawn, Control Electricity (Electrical Empathy, Wire Rider), Desolidification (Ghost in the Machine), Enemy (Alpha Squadron), Intimidating Presence, Power Level +8(5), Smart Defense, Superhuman Intelligence
Access/Contacts/Followers 5 points unspent
Wealth 19
Possessions Medium reflective cloth armor (DR 6)

Occupation: Super Terrorist

You are the super-powered agent of a terrorist organization.
Professional Skills Crime, Leadership, Weapons
Improved Feats Attack Focus: +2 to attack rolls; Dead Aim: you are not flat-footed when you use this feat, Enemy (rival agency): +3 damage; Intimidating Presence: this bonus is increased by +3.

Project Update

I’ve started to compile all of the Gods of the Grand OGL Wiki into a single supplement release. I plan to add additional text and more gods from the site to make an uber OGC pantheon.

Shane sent me an email that said:

I don't know if you're familiar with The Noble Wild, by Skirmisher Publishing. It's a sourcebook for playing a sentient animal PC in 3.5, and I really get a kick out of it. I was recently talking to a friend of mine about playing an animal PC, and he mused about the idea of playing a talking penguin; a species that isn't in The Noble Wild. Of course, I couldn't stand for that.

The following sentient animal race is Open Game Content

Noble Penguin

Best known for their cheerful disposition, noble penguins thrive in one of the bleakest environments in the world. Perhaps because living in such stark conditions requires an optimistic mindset for survival, noble penguins always find the bright side in any situation. This makes them among the most gregarious noble animals, able to get along with virtually anyone.

In the choice between serving or challenging humanoids, noble penguins near-universally choose to serve. Or rather, they would, but they rarely find themselves in a position to do so, simply because most humanoids don’t live in the climes that penguins call home. For those who brave the cold though, there is no truer friend than a noble penguin.

Noble Animal Species Traits

• +2 Charisma; penguins are very outgoing and friendly.
• Small.
• Base Speed: 20 ft., Swim: 40 ft.
• Natural Weapons: bite (1d3).
• Low-Light Vision (Ex).
• Retain Warmth (Ex): Noble penguins naturally resist frigid temperatures, taking no damage or penalties from non-magical cold (such as arctic environments). They gain a +1 bonus on saves vs. magical cold.
• +8 racial bonus to Swim checks.
• Avian.
• Automatic Languages: High Fauna and Raptor. Bonus Languages: Bat, Crocodilian, Herdspeak, Songbird, Ursine, Whale.
• Favored Class: Bard.
• Social Group: Colony.

I’m at a total loss of what to write tonight. It is 11:00 pm. I just got home from work at 9:00 and after supper and planning for classes tomorrow I am finally reading to put fingers to keyboard. Initially I thought I would introduce a racial template (a subrace if you will) for Pathfinder called the Godling. Basically the template would basically make your character the child of a god, complete with vengeful opponent god (Hera to Heracles). But rightly, Stefen pointed out a number of probably with it particularly the DM Fiat inherent to its nature that is inconsistent with more modern gaming. So I’ve had to back burner him for now. So, what to do, what to do…okay, I think it must be time for another entry in the Otyughnomicon.

Devourer in the Kingdom of Scalding Darkness

Deep within the eternal prison of the Burning King, a hapless otyugh wandered about searching for food. On his journey he ate many wonderful things like thoqqua and minor xorn and he grew fat and tall. One day he stumbled upon a large stone door bound with silver chains. Hearing the sounds of angry thrashing behind the door, he broke the silver chains and swung open the door looking for his next meal. His first life was ended in an instance as the binding was broken and the Burning King (Dread Wraith Efreeti) emerged and torn the otyugh’s soul from his body. The otyugh rose as a shadowy dread wraith moments later. This minor creature was beneath the Burning King’s contempt and released it. Evermore the Devourer wanders than halls of the Burning King’s kingdom looking for a fleshy meal.

Dread Wraith Sovereign Otyugh (Revised) CR 10 (9,600 XP)
LE Huge undead (augmented magical beast, incorporeal)
Init +13; Senses Darkvision 30 ft., lifesense 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +13
Aura unnatural 100 ft., unnatural chill (2d6 cold, 30 ft. plus Fort save DC 21 or paralyzed for 1 minute)

AC 22, touch 22, flat-footed — (-2 size, +5 deflection, +9 Dex)
hp 138 (12d12+60)
Fort +8, Ref +17, Will +11
Immune cold, fire; SR 24; Channel Resistance+4
Vulnerability sunlight powerlessness

Spd fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Melee 2 incorporeal slams +19 (2d8 plus 1d8 Con drain, Fort DC 21), incorporeal bite +19 (4d6 plus 1d8 Con drain, Fort DC 21)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles)
Special Attacks command wraiths 60 ft., create spawn (dread wraith)

Str —, Dex 28, Con —, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 20
Base Atk +12; CMB -Na-; CMD 29
Feats Alertness^B, Blind-Fight, Catch Off-Guard, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Stealth)
SkillsFly +13(0), Perception +19 (6), Sense Motive +7(0), Stealth +9/+17 in lair (6)
Language Common
SQ all-around vision, natural colouration

All-Around Vision (Ex) A dread wraith sovereign otyugh’s flexible eyestalk allows it to rapidly look in all directions. An otyugh is never flat‐footed and never flanked. It has a +4 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Natural Colouration (Ex) Due to its natural colouration, a dread wraith sovereign otyugh receives a +8 racial bonus to Stealth checks in its lair and in shadowy areas.

Constrict and Disease

As an incorporeal undead the otyugh loses the ability to grapple and constrict and probably doesn’t carry any disease. This really dimishes the otyughness of this template version. Perhaps a supernatural disease such as soul rot or ghost ache would be appropriate?

We are looking for your best Halloween themed opponent this month for any OGL system!

October 13th, 2009 (by Mark)

Sure, so I do an entry on Modern^20 vampires and 12 to Midnight’s Horror²⁰ is released the next day. Of well, I’ve picked it up and will need to get reading it to get me up to speed on this rule expansion. In the meantime I was sent a powerpoint today at school with strange rock formations. The image below is of a formation found in Turkey and it looks to me to be a place of power or a “wellspring” if you are using The Book of Immortals rules.

Are there other OGC sources for places of power?

The following entry is Open Game Content.

The Fairy Chimneys (A Wellspring)

The Fairy Chimneys
Maximum Victories 5, Limited
Primal Power Magic
Effects Portal to Many Worlds, Whispered Dreams (5 miles)

In the time before the history of man, and even before the time of elves, the fairy kingdoms covered much of the world. In that time, Caliarn, was the greatest of all fey with magical powers that are said to have rival that of the gods who shaped the world. Caliarn was respectful of the gods and their works but when he began to teach others the magic he had learn the gods cursed him, turning his body to stone and sinking it beneath the earth. He fought back, crawling his way to the surface but never manage to break more than a few fingers free of his earthen prison. The so-called fairy chimneys are the fingers of this cursed ancient fey.

The Fairy Chimney’s are rise from the ground like a ring of stone towers that rise 60 ft. into the air. The towers rise and fall slowly changing in height by three to five feet a day and can shift laterally up to five feet as the imprisoned fey struggles toward freedom. So powerful is the gods’ curse that the land around the Fairy Chimney never appears rippled or disturbed and if not for careful observation their movement may not have been noticed at all. On the fourth day or the fourth month, all magic of enchanment, illusion or transmutation schools is extended when cast from within the fairy chimneys.

Effects
Caliarn’s magic still resonates strongly with this site. Animals and magical beasts within 5 miles of this wellspring are able to cast on 0th level spell at-will of the enchantment, illusion or transmutation school. Additionally hidden amongst the many fingers is a simple wooden door that can lead a traveller to the Plane of Dreams or the Vault of Stars or the Questing Grounds.

It is October. To me that means Halloween and horror gaming. If you have a great idea for a Halloween-themed monster, trap, encounter, spell or anything else please send it by and help us fill up this sketchpad with ghoulish delights. For my first thematic entry I’m going to stat-up the following pair of vampires (The Newlydeads) for Modern²⁰. Modern^^20^^ is owned by RpgObjects and no challenge of their copyright is intended. The following material is Open Game Content.

Modern²⁰: The Newlydeads

Jackie Frost and Pauline Hudson were set to be married on October 11th, 2009. They have eloped to Las Vegas to escape the bickering of their parents and planned to be wed in a quiet little chapel at the edge of town. Jackie was a former track star who went into the business administration and Pauline was his high school sweetheart turned spokes model. They were ambushed by a vampire gang and killed. The next night they arose as vampires still dressed for their wedding. They operate out of Vegas, killing young couples and living the high life. Pauline is convinced that being undead will not hurt her career as a spokes model and wants to resume her career. Jackie is live of the blood and money of others but will follow Pauline anywhere.

Jackie, Vampire (Powerhouse 4th): HD 4d10+12; HP 36; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 14, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +4; Atk +9 melee (1d6+4, fangs); SQ blood drain, DR 8/wood or silver, immune to poison and disease, melee master, sunlight vulnerability; AL Pauline; SV Fort NA, Ref +2, Will +3, Rec NA; Str 19, Dex 12, Con 0, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 16
Background Athlete (Unarmed [fast punch], Influence [inspire ferocity], Professional Salary)
Hobby Business
Skills Athletics +11(7), Business +6(7), Computers +6(7), Perception +4(2), Unarmed +11(7), Vehicles +8(7)
Feats Attack Focus I (unarmed), Cleave I, Dedicated, Defensive Driving, Investment Portfolio, Melee Smash, Natural Weapons (fangs), Talented (Athletics, Unarmed), Undead Physiology
Access/Contacts/Followers 2 points
Wealth 16
Quote “Hey, baby, want to stop for a bite?”

Pauline, Vampire (Star 4th): HD 4d8+16; HP 37; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 19, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 class, +4 Banter); BAB +3; Atk +4 melee (1d4+1, fangs), +6 ranged (2d6+6, glock 20); SQ blood drain, DR 8/wood or silver, friends in high places, immune to poison and disease, sunlight vulnerability; AL Jackie; SV Fort NA, Ref +4, Will +7, Rec NA; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 0, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 19
Background Celebrity (Art [chameleon], Professional Salary, Psionics [precognition])
Hobby Unarmed
Skills Acrobatics +9(7), Art [acting] +11(7), Art [modelling] +11(7), Firearms +6(4), Influence +11(7), Leadership +11(7), Psionics +10(7), Unarmed +5(4)
Feats Attractive, Banter, Dedicated, Fascinate, Natural Weapons (fangs), Precise Shot, Speed Dial, Undead Physiology, Voice of Command I
Access/Contacts/Followers 4 points
Wealth14
Quote “Jackie baby, tear him apart will ya. I don’t like how he’s looking at me.”

Becoming a Vampire in Modern²⁰

There are currently no horror rules for Modern²⁰. In their stead, I’m using a hybrid of the Modern SRD with some of the rules from Fantasci: Creature Creator. This is what I’m using for a “vampire template”

Ability ScoresStr +4, Dex +2, Con 0, Wis +2, Cha +4; Vampires are stronger, faster, more observant and charming than regular humans. Vampires use Cha to determine bonus hit points instead of Constitution.
Feats Vampires gain the following bonus feats: Natural Weapons (fangs, Piercing), Undead Physiology (DR is negated by wood and silver).
SQ blood drain (any damage done by fangs heals vampire), sunlight vulnerability (1d6 damage/round).
All other typical vampire abilities must be taken as feats as the character continues to gain experience.
True Death When reduced to 0 hit points a vampire explodes into fiery ash. A bodies is never left behind.

What about professions, hobbies and occupations?

When creating monsters for the Modern²⁰ system you may forgo these three parts of character design. Since the newlydeads were human until their wedding night I’ve decided to build them with backgrounds and hobbies but not occupations.

For my next sketchpad entry I’m going to sketch-up the new heroine for 4C and Supers²⁰. This character is open game content.

Stardust Background

Aurelia Perez grew up in Rosario, Argentina as the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. She wanted for nothing growing up—personal tutors, gymnastics lessons, dance lessons. When she turned 16, her powers first manifested. She was able to move things with her mind, fly short distances and didn’t seem to get hurt as easily. She decided that she should try to help others because she had been blessed so much growing up and adopted the identity of Stardust to fight crime and try to make Rosario a better place for all people to live. Knowing that she would need a cover for her superhero activities, Aurelia completed teacher’s college and took casual work as a substitute teacher. She is well liked in her work, but is considered a bit flighty because she is often unavailable (as she is fighting crime).

For the 4C System (Stats)

Stardust
Aurelia Perez
Adventurer, Substitute Teacher

Body Armour (10) Stardust has toughened skin that makes her resistant to some attacks. She is by no means bulletproof though and is careful dodge bullets and other projectiles.

Flight (20) Stardust can fly through the air at five sectors per round. She wears black aviator goggles while flying to avoid getting bugs in her eyes.

Telekinesis (40) Stardust can move up to 10 tons with just the power of her mind. She is able to use this ability in place Coodination to hurl things at opponents. She is trying to focus the telekinesis to enhanced her strength so she can engage more opponents in melee but she is still working on it.

Acrobatics Aurelia studied gymnastics and dance growing up and has been able to add this agility to her combat style. She has a score of 40 when it comes to dodging.

Diplomacy Aurelia works as an elementary substitute teacher and her time in the classroom has given her a greater ability to work with other co-operatively. Her ability to negotiate with others has a base score of 30.

For Supers²⁰ (Stats)

Stardust (Empath 8) HD 8d8+16; HP 55; Init +8; Spd 30 ft; Defense 24, flatfooted 20 (+4 Dex, +6 Class, +4 Wis); BAB +6; Atk +12 melee (1d4, unarmed), or ranged (5d4, telekinetic thrust, DC 20 Fort ½); SQ resolute; AL none; SV Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +8, Rec +10; Rep +4; Str 10, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 19, Cha 14
Background Academic (Professional Reputation, Professional Salary)
Hobby Unarmed
Skills Academics [Early Education] +4(4), Acrobatics +15 (11), Art [Dance] +6(4), Athletics +11 (11), Influence +13 (11), Legal +2, Perception +15 (11), Power Control +13(11), Streetwise +15 (11), Unarmed +4 (4)
Feats Armor, Contemplative Master, Flight, Immunity (Concussion), Quick Change, Quick Wit, Poise, Power Level (x3, PL 5), Telekinesis
Access/Contacts/Followers Confidential Access, Police Powers (local), (7 unspent)
Wealth 14
Quote “It would be best for you to stand down, before I knock you down!”

Today I’m going to add the next set of gods for the Gods of the Grand OGL Wiki series. This completes the major gods of the Grand OGL Wiki. I’m thinking that I’d like to compile all the gods into a single document maybe with some holy symbols if I can find a volunteer to drawn them and make them available as a stand alone PDF. If you think a combined Gods of the Grand OGL Wiki mini-supplement would be a nice addition to have please drop me a line. The following material is open game content.

Gods of the Grand OGL Wiki

Terisal
The Youthful Muse, The Fair Maiden
Goddess of beauty, art, love, and music
Alignment: NG
Domains: Air, Charm, Good, Luck, Protection
Favored Weapon: Glaive

The Youthful Muse makes the following demands of her followers:

• to support the local arts through financial means or the creation of new beauty.
• to grant protection to those persecuted by others because of their forbidden love.
• to pilgrimage to the Lover’s Valley at the age of 17 to learn clues to whereabouts of their soulmate.

________
Kolock
The Bulwark, The Careful Planner
God of the forge, protection, strategy
Alignment: LG
Domains: Artifice, Earth, Good, Law, Protection
Favored Weapon: Warhammer

The Careful Planner makes the following demands of his followers:

• a forge is only as strong as its community, serve your local militia in times of need.
• construct one suit of masterwork armor, a masterwork shield, a steamwork or iron golem sometime in your lifetime.
• in times of war, take time to consider alternatives and select the most effective strategy that leads to the cleanest victory.

________
Salurna
The Lich Queen, The Corpulent Plague
Goddess of gluttony, disease, and undeath
Alignment: NE
Domains: Death, Evil, Magic, Strength, War
Favored Weapon: Scythe

The Lich Queen makes the following demands of her followers:

• to never produce medicine or succour to those that suffer.
• to never share a meal with those that suffer from hunger.
• to desecrate the bodies of their enemies so that their souls may not find rest and instead come into the lich queen’s service.

________
Logarin
The Flagellant, The Bringer of Loss
God of envy, pain, darkness, and loss
Alignment: LE
Domains: Darkness, Death, Destruction, Evil, Law
Favored Weapon: Spiked chain

The Flagellant makes the following demands of his followers:

• to shun the light of Gloriana, hold yourself or your motives to the darkness.
• to experience yourself or provide the embrace of pain to others at least once a day.
• to spread rumors of excess amongst those who struggle for the little they have.

I recently uploaded the OGC from Paizo’s Conquest of the Bloodsworn Vale and in it there was a magic item called the Staff of the Master (Necromancy). This entry will detail the staves for the other schools of magic. The following items are Open Game Content

New Magic Items

Staff of the Master (Abjuration)
Aura Faint abjuration; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of abjuration. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• shield (1 charge)
• resist energy (1 charge)
• dispel magic (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, dispel magic, resist energy, shield;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Conjuration)
Aura Faint conjuration; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of conjuration. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• summon monster I (1 charge)
• glitterdust (1 charge)
• stinking cloud (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, glitterdust, stinking cloud, summon monster I;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Divination)
Aura Faint divination; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of divination. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• identify (1 charge)
• detect thoughts (1 charge)
• arcane sight (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, arcane sight, detect thoughts, identify;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Enchantment)
Aura Faint enchantment; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of enchantment. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• charm person (1 charge)
• hideous laughter (1 charge)
• rage (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, charm person, hideous laughter, rage;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Evocation)
Aura Faint evocation; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of evocation. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• magic missile (1 charge)
• flaming sphere (1 charge)
• lightning bolt (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, flaming sphere, lightning bolt, magic missile;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Illusion)
Aura Faint illusion; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of illusion. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• colour spray (1 charge)
• blur (1 charge)
• major image (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, blur, colour spray, major image;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Illusion)
Aura Faint illusion; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of illusion. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• colour spray (1 charge)
• blur (1 charge)
• major image (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, blur, colour spray, major image;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

Staff of the Master (Transmutation)
Aura Faint transmutation; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 15,200 gp

Often given as gifts to apprentices upon reaching the rank of master, these staves come in eight different varieties, one each for every school of magic. This particular staff is for the school of illusion. Aside from acting as a +1/+1 quarterstaff , this the following spells:

• enlarge person (1 charge)
• spider climb (1 charge)
• beast shape I (2 charges)

In addition, this staff can be used to cast spells using any metamagic feats known by the wielder, without increasing the spell’s level. This consumes a number of charges equal to the number of spell levels increased by the feat. No more than one feat can be applied to a spell cast by the wielder in this way. Using the staff for this purpose does not increase the casting time of the spell.

Requirements Craft Staff, beast shape I, enlarge person, spider climb;
Cost 7,900 gp, 584 XP

What about Psicrowns!

Normally I’m a lover of all things psionics for D&D and it makes sense that you could would up six of psicrowns of mentorship, but the inclusion of psicrowns in the Expanded Psionics Handbook was a bad design choice. It made psionics more like magic. If psionics are there same as magic then there should be no need for psionics in the game. Psionic need to be different than magic or there is no point in having them. So there will be no psicrowns over here. :p

As I begin to work on the DM Sketchpad this month one of my natural concerns is going to be to make the map of mystery an interesting adventure encounter space. To that end I’m going to work through the creation of my BBEG villain for the set piece. The following material is Open Game Content.

BBEG: The Evolution of a Villain

Dzon came to the southern wastes by accident. He was originally captured by a southern trader who intended to sell him in the desert slave markets. His captivity was short-lived because on the second week of the journey across the desert, Dzon killed the trader and rallied the other slaves including two gnolls to his will. For fifteen years Dzon and the savage horde disrupted trade throughout the southern desert, destroyed cities and shires of the desertfolk and looted ancient burial chambers and crypts. Dzon’s fortunes shifted when he encountered a strange urn.

Dzon Olkman, Savageman of the Wastes CR 8
6,400 XP
Male mahrog barbarian 9
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +3

AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+2 natural, +3 armor)
hp 91 (9d12+27)
Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +7
Defensive Abilities improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +3; DR 1/-

Spd 40 ft.
Melee +1 greatclub +15/+10 (2d8+6)
Ranged mwk spear +14 (2d6+4) or javelin of lightning (5d6 electricity, Ref DC 14 half)
Special Attacks rage (22 rounds; intimidating glare, roused anger, scent, unexpected strike)

Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 16, Cha 12
Base Atk +9; CMB +13; CMD23
Feats Beastial Defense^Mahrog, Club and Spear^Mahrog, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Improved Weapon Mastery (B), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatclub)
SkillsClimb +13(9), Intimidate +10(9), Survival +8(5)
Languages Ancient, Common
SQ Mahrog traits
Gear +1 leather armor, cloak of resistance +1, horn of fog, 2 potions of cure critical wounds, backpack and other gear (500 gp)

Here is the newest Map of Mystery designed by Kristian. Kristian writes:

Here is the tomb/cairn/barrow-type map I had in mind for October (it’s a pretty stereotypical kind of thing).

Also, since I was in a map drawing mood this month, I’ve also drawn out a possible map for November - though this one isn’t a dungeon, but rather a fairly generic church/temple kind of thing. So I just thought I would get your opinion on something like that, to see if that would be something you could use (maybe to fill with NPC’s and the like, rather than monsters and traps).

There is no Open Game Content in this entry; Cartography is by Kristian Richards.

Let's get back to work.

- Mark

- Mark Gedak