Jkeown

Re: Automatons...

Here we go... I got really sick of drawing after only 2 pix, but I'll do the rest if there's demand.

I think maybe these are really good starts on ideas like this, but who knows? The way I describe them, they should have tactics maybe... dunno.

http://www.geocities.com/jephkay@sbcglobal.net/ceramites.htm

It is not linked from my main page because my players will see it waaay to easily. They don't really read these forums much...

Re: Automatons...

I play them as standard Auto's... my PCs are used to scaring or cowing NPCs (they are, it should be noted, bad asses, the lot of em...) .

Not so with these new ones, they'll be tough and attack en masse.

I'll have them on my page in a hour or so... gotta get home first.

Re: More Automatons . . .

Excellent Suggestion!

Does anyone make extensive use of Automatons in their FH game? I was looking over a Final Fantasy Website last night and saw "Magic Pots" that could only be written as Automatons...

Anyway... I ran with the idea, and if anyone wants to see them, I'll post em later... with pix!

Pot, Jar, Kettle, Mug, Cannister... Urn?

Caleon is cool

The Mecha are all stompy

What more could I ask?

Check out my page for some Steampunk Mecha. Please, comment on them, I think the DEF is too low. This is temporary. Anybody know about tanks and their Damage/DEF ratio? How thick should it be?

http://www.geocities.com/jephkay@sbcglobal.net

Re: How to get them off d20

I (almost literally) said "I quit" and they followed along. It was fairly easy. Some of my players are hard core HEROphiles, so it made the transistion less noisy.

Re: In my campaign this week...

Of Course!

The PCs:

Dag Kulane: Former regent of the Rumallan Empire. When his young charge abdicated the thone 15 years ago, he forsook politics and became a wandering swordmaster. In that time, he has come to love his empire more and more, and hate politics in proportion. He uses a K'Dag, a two-handed sword, the Meteoric K'Dag of Thunder.

Dunsto Parhoon: Distant relative of the Yamtussel clan and an exiled member of the Parhoon (a powerful military wizard family specializing in Battlecraft) He bears the Sword of Strife. A weapon that brings war hard upon it's wielder. He does not use it, preferring instead to let his spells speak for him.

Daphne Yamtussel: Imperial Clerk and Sage. She works in the Inquisition Office in the vast port City of Chalkcliff. He interest in all this is academic, but a recent edict from Her Majesty forces her to find a weaponmaster. Conveniently, Dag Kulane is seeking a new apprentice.

Spicket. In his own words, he is "just a Goblin" but word around town is that he is the Envoy from the Goblin Nation. Who is he, really? Other than a little green pest with powerful spells, no clues are forthcoming.

Kia Rashon, the 15th wife of the TrollFather Scabrog Y'Za, a shrewish, dangerous she-troll, beautiful and scheming. Her plans include de-throning the inexperienced girl who now calls herself Empress and placing herself there instead.

Huon Karn, nephew of the departed Emperor Djarka Karn and claimant to the throne. Also, a street thief and common thug. He seems to hate magic and wizards.

Eragoni: Rumallan Disputer and Publisher. Having written a number of salient papers on Imperial politics and social behavior, she finds herself inside another huge political mess. Will her pen prove mightier than the swords of her enemies? Her new-found magical power may sway the tide of the coming conflict...

What conflict? Stay Tuned... Next Post: NPCs!

Or should I say, the last two? Perhaps folks can draw inspiration or nick ideas from the goings-on in Caleon...

Location: City of Chalkcliff, Chalasan Region, Province of Blasarka...

Dag Kulane and Dunsto Parhoon continue their investigation of the strange, chimerical animals that Leddoon has plagued the city with. Along for the ride is Spicket, a goblin wizard of considerable ability. Meanwhile, Kia Rashon, the Troll Princess, arrives in town with goals of her own, goals that might include the Imperial Throne itself! Huon Karn awakes to discover a large, magically altered Sea-Going Rammerhorn charging down the street toward his tenement. Choosing not to fight the great beast, he runs like mad as his home is destroyed. Daphne Yamtussel, meanwhile, has been assigned a similar job, investigate Lord Ridley, the foreigner who operates the Zoological Gardens across the river. His animals have been used in the attacks, perhaps he's the key to it all.

Dag, Dunsto and Spicket travel north to Cold Crossing, discovering a cult of nature-worshippers who've gone bad, led by a nymph and Leddoon, they intend to destroy the city and allow nature to return to the area. Leddoon escapes via gate to the Lunching Wyvern, a tavern just outside Chalkcliff. Dag and Dunsto give chase, returning to the city when the crew at the Wyvern offer no help in finding the runaway wizard. Their questioning of the populace suggest that Lord Ridley might be of assistance. They arrive at Ridley's residence to discover Daphne Yamtussel already enjoying dinner with Lord and Lady Ridley. Outside, the wind blows with sudden ferocity, as a great oak animates in the garden. Dunsto jumps to the garden door, calling down essence from the Imperial Flow and charging up an immense fireball spell. He lets the magical holocaust consume Ridley's garden. The Lady faints.

Kia settles into the city meeting up with a man claiming to be Lord-Captain Tenebar Kaloosa. He wants raw materials and is prepared to pay for them. She contacts Glaurig, her husband's quartermaster. Arranging the delivery of a third of the promised shipment to Kaloosa's men at the port. On her way back to the tavern to talk further with Kaloosa, she can't help but notice the blast from across the river. Curious, she heads that way...

Shall I continue?

Re: My Magic Item System...

I do not do this for "rep." While its nice to get recognition, I really just wanna share the stuff I've written. I know I've nicked enough advice and power constructs and other stuff from you folks over the years. It's time to give a little back.

...is at http://www.geocities.com/jephkay@sbcglobal.net/magical_gear.htm

And you (yes, you) should have a look at it.

Violently prone to abuse and awfully slanted toward OCV bonus and Killing dice, it's what I call a "Good Start."

Re: Summonings....

How geeky is this, posting in my own thread?

Anyhow...on the matter of these Dream Calls... I think "Not Being Real" has got to translate to Damage Reduction, Energy, Physical and Mental. This makes them very hard to kill. It will be a frustrating hard fought victory for most characters, certainly longer than most battles where such abilities aren't in play.

Let's focus (and I can focus, having only had 1 Coke all day, caffiene really degrades my HEROability) on a single creature. Something fun. There is a Sleeping God in Caleon who is known as Evosheanous. He sleeps in a pit in Distant Zzan, the South Polar Region. While his spirit roams the stars, his body lay frozen and dreaming. This suggests that his dreams are cold and dark; nightmarish beasts that control ice and push away comforting light. They strike quickly, leaving icy corpses, even in desert regions.

Beginning to sound like a Metallica song, isn't it? Let's give him the standard Dream Summons power: Unreal.

Unreal: (Total: 90 Active Cost, 90 Real Cost) Mental Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (Real Cost: 30) plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (Real Cost: 30) plus Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (Real Cost: 30)

So, he's tough to wound... Especially when all that flash-frozen water vapor builds up on his inky black skin.

Ice Armor: Armor (4 PD/3 ED)

If I know my Armor/DR interaction... an 8 pt HKA only does 2 pts to this bastard, right? Let's hope the party brought hench-things.

His other abilities stack up pretty quickly:

Intense Cold: Change Environment 8" radius, -2" of any one mode of Movement, -4 Temperature Level Adjustment, Multiple Combat Effects

Just before his Darkness hits, frost, then ice, creeps across the walls and floor... perhaps heralding his arrival?

Icy Body: EB 5d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Damage Shield (+1/2) (62 Active Points)

Ever licked a flagpole in winter?

The Dark Between the Stars: Darkness to Sight Group 2" radius

Shining with pinpricks of light and drifting nebulae from afar, and just plain dark inside, the creature cannot be seen. Now, if your narrative is up to it, this can be very creepy indeed.

Give this 223 points to any critter you fancy... like a tiger, or ape, as a template. Just tack it on like some kinda psychotic version of Eyeor's tail... Then hand it to your favorite Evil Channeller... Priest, Ilzaru... then keep him alive long enough to summon this beast. This is why I am a GM. The unbridled creative moment... it's better than any powertrip I could embark on.

Your players will remember this encounter. If Dark and Cold doesn't bring up some moment of Racial Memory... the fear, the remembrance of our race's time in the freezing cold of the Wisconsonian Glaciation... nothing will.

Re: Summonings....

I have an idea for a second class of summonings, that are more... complex in a way. See, these same gods' physical forms are sleeping. Sleeping creatures dream. Dreams of gods are powerful. How about a class of ilzaru channeller/summoner/dreamcaller that can take the dieties' dreams and mold real creatures of them?

They would have a vast array of forms, but certain abilities, powers, immunities and a definate lack of "realness" Thus, they could violate biology and physics in ways "normal" demons and the like cannot.

(In Caleon, Demons are simply the inhabitants of other Spheres, not necessarily fire-belching winged dreadnaughts, though we have those, too!)

I'm at work, so I can't elaborate too far... but I'll post this evening... comments will be folded into the final product with credit intact...

Discuss!

A hero appeared during the period immediately prior to the Wars of The Constitution. He was ZoDuun, a Rasha of immense size and possessed of skills unheard of. This giant man was often mistaken for a Jhuniz or smaller Gogoza, but no giant was this, he was "all Zo, more man than had ever occupied one body before," as the Dagaa Zobedd remarked. The villains of his tale were the Vug, huge, vile creatures with evil hearts and small minds. They ravaged the towns huddled on the Rumallan side of the Razor Peaks and the ZoKing NoBuuran, warred with them in person.

NoBuuran lost his life in single combat with the TrollFather Yaakull Nisha. When ZoDuun heard of his ZoKing's death, he left his band of Rasha during a full?moon night at the ZoWall and walked a day and night across the valley to where he knew Yaakull and his foul company waited. At the first light of dawn, ZoDuun awoke the encamped trolls with a mighty howl and slew all that dared set upon him.

The light of that morning shone upon one of Caleon's greatest heroes, it blessed him and the ZoGods themselves caused the earth to quake in approval of the roaring giant that ravaged the Vug that day. Strange energies coursed around ZoDuun as he lay about himself, and the axe in his hand, a gift from his father, began to sing. All the troll blood spilled that morning soaked into the metal of the weapon, and as each one died his soul was dragged screaming down into the blade.

Ignoring his wounds, ZoDuun at last saw Yaakull, a thirteen foot tall Trollfather, bloated with power and wearing the Rings of Nisha that granted him magics beyond the minds of men.

He was the only thing Zoduun saw, as he strode over the broken rocks and twisted bodies of the fallen. Zoduun, looking into the eyes of his prey, spoke slowly.

"I shall give this axe to the Zo that come after me. It sings the death song of trolls everywhere."

"What magics are these that your axe sings? Shall I add them to my own, I wonder? Your skull shall adorn my belt." said Yaakull, for that is the way trolls talk.

These were the last words of the warriors, and neither man marked the fall of the other. It is enough that they died and were lost to history, heroes both in their own way.

That axe was recovered, and even today, it is singing and bleeding at the approach of trolls, weeping the magic blood of the Fallen. It is the Blade of the Harvest, all Zo bow to the power it wields, and trolls fear it and shrink away or grow mad in its presence.

ZoDunn's Axe: (Total: 133 Active Cost, 33 Real Cost) Healing 3 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (45 Active Points); Independent (-2), Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), OAF (-1) (Real Cost: 8) plus Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Minimum (-1/2), Required Hands One-And-A-Half-Handed (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 15) plus +3 with HTH Combat (15 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF (-1) (Real Cost: 4) plus Dispel Trollish Regeneration Powers 4d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (18 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF (-1), No Range (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 4) plus +10 PRE (10 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF (-1) (Real Cost: 2)

Re: new thing over at Caleon HQ

That's cuz I've been writing it for 20 years. I know Caleon (and Exodus and Skylands, the two branching paths of its future) like the back of my hand.

I'm a mess otherwise.

I just uploaded an old article, Dungeons of Caleon.

http://www.geocities.com/jephkay@sbcglobal.net/dungeons.html

It's kinda cool, and has some generic application. Feel free to use what you can of any Caleon material.

So long as you praise me unendingly.

Re: Summonings....

Bumped for edit! They are now more inspiring...

Re: Summonings....

I shoulda known KS would have beaten me to the idea... he's my hero.

How're these? I've thought about it. I think instead of having the Celestial Glee Club here show up and miss the attacks, I think GMs should roll the attacks, determine if the effect will, in fact, happen before describing the event. I think it detracts terribly to have Zooti show up, do her fashion model strut to the target only to miss the target, don't you agree? I mean, these particular characters are ancient and awful... they don't miss. Fail to hit, and they don't even show up.

Azdrekas, the Sword of Solann: RKA 3d6, Area Of Effect (5" Radius; +1), Selective (+1/4) (101 Active Points); 1 Charge which Recovers every 1 Month (-3), OAF (Ilzaru Callingstone; -1), Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)

Notes: Summons the Sword of Solann, an ancient-appearing man nine feet tall, wearing every scar earned in battle everywhere, sufferer of every torture, to instruct the enemies of the cult in the ways of pain and death.

Illashardros, the Shining One: Darkness to Sight, Mental and Hearing Groups 6" radius, MegaScale (1" = 10 km; +1/2) (105 Active Points); 1 Charge which Recovers every 1 Month (-3), OAF (Ilzaru Callingstone; -1), Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)

Notes: At first a single point of light, it grows to fill your vision, it is Illashardros, Herald of Imnestros. The brilliance collapses into a seething, cloying absence of light. For miles around, nothing is seen, heard... or felt....

Zootiakka, the Touch of Aboleann: Drain BODY 5d6, NND (Soulless; +1) (100 Active Points); 1 Charge which Recovers every 1 Month (-3), Gradual Effect (1 Month; -2 1/4), OAF (Ilzaru Callingstone; -1), Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)

Notes: Zootiakka arrives amid black flurrying snowfall. Her rune-carved ebon armor making no sound. Scrolls cling like desperate lovers to her metal-clad form, each one a terrible prophesy. Her withering gaze falls on the target, the slightest of smiles on her full, black lips. She touches the target with a delicate, well-manicured finger. Despite her vanishing back to the Sphere Unspeakable, her touch slowly, over a month's time, drains his soul.

Somewhat Interesting Caleon Trivia: Zootiakka used to be an NPC, albeit an unearthly lovely one, until the forces of Chaos sacrificed her to Aboleann. So taken were the Chaos Lords that they did not consume her soul but made of her a demon. Now, she feeds on souls, transferring the energy to her Lord.

Relgos, the Gate of Evosheanous: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Single Dimension), Usable As Attack (+1) (40 Active Points); 1 Charge which Recovers every 1 Month (-3), OAF (Ilzaru Callingstone; -1), Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)

Notes: Arriving in a storm of mental static is Relgos. His massively muscled, amber colored body is clad in chains, at the end of each hangs a key. He howls with despair for the target. His face, appearing unfinished and simple, is expressive nonetheless. His gaze is almost thoughtful and sorrowful. Then, remembering his duty, and moreso, his master's earth-shaking wrath, flings the victim into the Sphere Unspeakable.

Kuon, Reaver of Magic: Dispel All Magic 25d6, Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), MegaScale (1" = 10 km; +1/2) (150 Active Points); 1 Charge which Recovers every 6 Months(-4), OAF (Ilzaru Callingstone; -1), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)

Notes: Suddenly, all is silence on the battlefield. Then you mark a single clear tone. It is the sound made by Kuon's scythe, you turn to see him pull the blade from the ground. As the point clears the earth, a pulse goes out, delivering a killing blow to all magic for miles around. The wind has died, and his pale robes are undisturbed. His thin face is unemotional, for what Kyeen has given, Kuon must take away. With a thought, he vanishes.

... so I have this idea, it involves not having summoners call up animals and monsters (though they could) so much as, say... A killing attack described as a one-horned chocobo-like beastie that runs into the scene and gigs their opponent.

Final Fantasy -ish, right?

Or is the prefered method to complicate things further by adding one more combatant to an already crowded scene? How do ya'll do it?

I thought it might be fun to have summoner powers stem from ancient contracts with powerful beings, call them...oh... The Ilzar Isharri... the Sleeping Gods.

These Ilzar, and their chosen, the Ilzaru, can call upon the gods' servants, each one a unique creature of power. He/she/it pops in, does ONE THING, pops out. Maybe making some cryptic remark about future events... just for my enjoyment.

So, the summons are unique, flavorful and world-building critters all by themselves. And they reflect the nature of their boss/creator/whatever by the nature of their special effects.

Discuss.

Re: Paying for Items, yes/no?

It often seems as if the cost of things is never on the mind of my players. They spend and spend, one flipped a gold imperial at a goblin torchbearer so he'd go away. It costs 1 copper to to have one of the little bastards walk you home, and she gave him a gold peice so he'd not do it. There is an open sewer grate (and several d6 of falling and breaking damage) in her future.

This extends to magic items. On my homepage, I have the magic item system. PCs do not pay for them at start up. They get ONE. After that, what you finds is what you keeps. And you don't pay points for those either.

It's not about balance... this is, after all... HERO! It's about the story!

Re: Here's something...

Yeah... Sorry about that. It's a set of powers you could use to "plug into" compound power constructs. I got very frustrated after trying to post the list for non-HD folks. Why is my HTML code OFF and how can I turn it on?

"Prefix-Item-Suffix" style as in Diablo or World of Warcraft.

Like "Tawny Breastplate of the Giant" would be a slight DEF bonus to a breastplate that gave a Strength bonus.

Try this. I've tried posting the darn thing 5 times now...

http://qzil.com/kingdom/

is the online version of that article by S. John Ross that I adapted for Caleon.

Less than 4 minutes... Wow.

Re: Cities of Caleon! Free to Adapt!

There is a scripted form somewhere... it's called the Domesday Book. Which is the source of most Medieval Demographics studied these days.

You'll get a lot of hits, but maybe its worth the sifting. If I find it before I leave work, I'll post the address.

If we were to do some Drugs as Powers... Oops...

If we were to write up some Drugs as Powers... (That's better). We would need Gradual Effect, Charges, NND... what else? I have no experience at all with Recreational Pharmaceuticals... I've been drunk exactly ... 3 times? Never smoked anything or taken pills. But PCs might encounter folks who have.

Never seen the point, really... too messed up as it is.

Fantasy Drugs would be even more bizarre than their real world counterparts, and I've great ideas... but where to start?

Maybe some Images for Hallucinogenics, Aid for some drugs, side effect Killing Attacks, Drains... Long Term Suppress Effects. Should they also be Independent? I suppose they're like potions in a way. Here's one... Chew some Uralaac Root for a Strength Boost followed by crippling cell damage and maybe death.

Uralaac Root: Uralaac Root: (Total: 75 Active Cost, 11 Real Cost) Aid STR 3d6 (30 Active Points); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), OAF (Uralaac Root; -1) (Real Cost: 5) plus HKA 3d6 (45 Active Points); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), Gradual Effect (6 Hours; -1 1/2), OAF (Uralaac Root; -1), No STR Bonus (-1/2) (Real Cost: 6)Total Real Cost: 11

What Fantasy Drugs do you use...Oops... What Drugs are used by folks in your campaign?

Re: Herophile Fantasy art

The Throne Room is always lit up like that. I mentioned it a game about 12 years ago and had to make up an explanation on the spot. I guess with that pic I was trying to contrast her mood to the lighting. However, in art, Lighting IS Mood often enough, right? In her own room, it's probably dark as pitch.