War Cry

Re: Failed PS: Artist Roll? As a player, yes. I like rolling dice. Whether or not I succeed, well, that's the GM's call. As a GM, my approach takes the middle ground. I let the players make the roll, but I don't tell them if there are any modifiers to the roll, whether they may be positive or negative. Keeps them hopeful, and maintains some tension.

Re: How do you use Surbrook's Stuff? Its certainly a cool and useful site. I plan on swiping the Skull Island info wholesale and tranposing it to a fantasy setting. I've always wanted to run a few scenarios on an island full of carnivorous beasties. I have copied several of the mythological critter write-ups into my own beastiary (tazelwurm, lindworm, and a few others). My preferences run towards fantasy, but I have seen other things with lots of potential. The high powered characters aren't a lot of help to me as I prefer running things on the low end, but that isn't anything a little work on my end can't take care of if needed. Mostly, I just look for background info, motivation, and personality of the characters rather than the actual power level - and that you do pretty well.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Wow. I have your wiki bookmarked. Kinda weird seeing some of my stuff there now. I am truly flattered that you think its worthy. OT, I really like the work on the runes. It has been a very big help in getting my campaign and magic fleshed out. I stole, er, borrowed, the entire document unchanged as a possible player handout for runic magic - it was exactly what I was looking for. Hope thats ok. If not, let me know.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Hey Enforcer 84! Those are two awesome characters. Once I get my game up and running, I am sooooo stealing the "innocent" hottie. she won't exaxtly fit in my game world as is, but I can work her in - if you're kewl with it, of course. Archie rawks too. Isn't it odd how players dig the focus and attention, even if it is someone out to get them? Thanx for the contributions.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Grub and Stinky – peas in a pod Probably the most loved - and comical - NPCs from this campaign. The game was getting dark and depressing, so I interjected these two clowns to lighten the mood. They were a pair of goblins who were the best of friends. They were so inseparable that when one rose to power, the other only naturally followed suit. Their names pretty much were their defining features. Grub was always digging under rocks or pulling a worm out of his “yum-yum” pouch and Stinky, well, you had to make some rolls to stay in his presence for longer than 5 minutes, he was that ripe. Both of them always carried a sack of “Magic Sleeping Powder” (salt). Mentally, the two of them combined had the IQ of a gnat, and a dead one at that. I just ran them with an innocent and childlike mentality with a very dangerous bit of cunning thrown in. The first encounter with the dastardly duo was at the ruins of an old and abandoned fortress, the last remnants of a ruined city from ages past. The PCs were following some leads and believed the ruins to hold a vast amount of treasure buried deep within its vaults, full of magical weapons, armor, and various other weapons. A nasty storm hurried the group on their way, and they were soon sheltering in the ruined gatehouse. Enter the “Greatest Mostest Sneakum Goblin Scout Bashiest Warrior Guys”, Grub and Stinky. Turning themselves invisible by covering their eyes with their hands, the two crept up to the party; counting aloud how many steps it would take to reach them. “One, eleventeen, six, rook to b-4, seven! ‘Kay Stinky, I’m gonna chop of pointy man’s head! Um, scuse me, can I have that?” Grub is pointing at the sword in the warrior’s hand. Needless to say, their plan did not work. They were further disappointed when the PCs would not let them stay and eat, er, guard the horses. Throwing salt on the pack animals while singing "Go to sleep, horsey, go to sleep" didn't help their argument much. The two soon had the bright idea of introducing the group to King Grobbo, Lord of the Refuse. The PCs began the dangerous quest into the bowels of the ruins to retrieve the great treasure and slay a mighty monster the goblins called “The Evil Snuffawhump”, with Grub and Stinky being their guides, as these two are obviously the greatest scouts and warriors in all of goblinkind. The two little buggers led continual chants of “Chief Grobbo Great! Chief Grobbo Great!” every five minutes, making stealth impossible. The fight with the Snuffawhump was an embarrassment to the PCs and they left the ruined fortress vowing revenge. It did not take long. A few weeks after this debacle they met up with a young dragon, Puck, who was searching for a hoard of his own. The sly PCs gave Puck directions to the lair of the goblins, planning to return and slay Puck after he had killed all the goblins and amassed the treasure in a central location. Grub and Stinky greeted Puck, and the duo immediately saw an opportunity. Flattering Puck as the “Great Dragon Sky God”, they led him to their king, chanting “Chief Grobbo Tastes Great! Chief Grobbo Tastes Great!” And so began their meteoric rise to power, backed by a juvenile dragon. Yup, I'm an a$$. The final encounter with these two was at the Last Battle. The Dead Gods had besieged the last refuge of good, and taken the outer defenses. As they were preparing for their final assault, a vast army crested the ridge. Thousands upon thousands of goblins had shown up under the banner of Chief Grub and Magic Guy Stinky, all now worshippers of the Great Dragon Sky God, Puck. With the aid of their “god”, the goblin host was able to fight its way to the dwarven fortress. With more pressing matters at hand, the dwarves set aside their age-old grudge. Besides, the goblin army was armed with magical weapons, armor, and devices from the hoard of their dragon-god, not to mention numbered in the thousands. Armed now with the Flying Chopping Thingy, Grub was a minor force to be reckoned with. The sword was animate and intelligent, whizzing about the battlefield separating heads from their shoulders, with a poor goblin clutching the hilt for dear life and screaming like a little girl. Armed with the powerful Boom Stick, Stinky was chucking lightning bolts left and right, cackling like a little kid with a bucket of high explosives. He had been denied the opportunity to make the gates bigger with his Boom Stick, so this was make-up fun for him. Grub would fall in battle, and his death so enraged Puck that the dragon slew one of the Dead Gods before he himself fell. Through tears and sobs, Stinky leveled the Dead God Limbhacker’s entire army. With his bestest friend and god gone, Stinky led the Goblin host away as quickly as they has come, marching over the corpses of the army they had just slaughtered.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Narglok the Black, Orc Warlord A fun villain NPC for as long as he lasted. Narglok the Black was a captain of the Dead God Bonecrusher, charged with eliminating the meddlesome PC’s. Big, strong, and with an intelligence on par with many great generals, Narglok was a force to be reckoned with. It’s amazing what you can do with a basic orc write-up just by adding a little bit to intelligence, a decent tactics roll and loyal followers. He was the first major villain they encountered, leading the assault on a city in the first adventure of the campaign. Tired of watching countless orcs die in frontal assaults that lasted for over a day, he casually killed the army general and took command. Within hours the walls were breached and the orcs were taking the city. His own orders were to retrieve an artifact, and so he led his personal bodyguard through the city with singular determination, bent on his goal, which he achieved. His exit from the city was somewhat hampered by the PC’s, and he lost an eye. The PCs would later make a risky and daring raid and steal this artifact from the orcs, and so would begin the pursuit of Narglok. With only a dozen warriors at his side, this was one bad orc. His second was a wiry orc warrior with a few martial arts and his advisor was a shaman, the rest were plain old as-is orcs. The first fight with Narglok and his war band scared the PC’s senseless. Coordinating the orcs in his command, Narglok stomped the group into the ground with brutal efficiency, leaving one of the PC’s dead, two NPCs dead, and the rest either unconscious or so beat up they couldn’t fight any more, at the cost of only two of his orcs. Narglok took back the item stolen from him, stopping long enough to sneer over the bloody PC’s. “Heroes? The halfling I had for lunch yesterday put up a better fight than this. You are not worthy of a sword arm.” CHOP! And off comes a characters hand. They would tangle again, and most of those fights would end as draws that would cost the PCs horses, gear, and other things. It was a small war of attrition, Naglok wearing them down and costing them both valuable time and equipment, always lamenting the fact that he was charged with dealing with a bunch of second-rate wannabe heroes, when he could be engaged in glorious warfare, burning cities and slaughtering hundreds of the soft manlings. The table was turned on Naglok, one night however, when one of his ambushes went horribly wrong and the party was able to capitalize on the orc warlord’s misfortune. Another PC was slain as was another NPC, but most of the orcs were cut down. With his back against the wall and his two lieutenants dead, Narglok issued a challenge to the paladin. Both sides backed off as the two squared off. The dice were not kind to the paladin and very hot for the orc, and though both were beat up pretty bad, the PC was soon on the ground, bleeding profusely from numerous wounds. Raising his mace to deliver the deathblow, Narglok jerked and looked down to see a sword point sticking out of his chest. The character that had lost a hand earlier had buried his sword in the orc warlord’s back. Cursing them roundly for their lack of honor by interfering in a duel, Narglok perished. And he would return as a wraith, his spirit bent on vengeance. They were terrified of this guy alive, I just had to see how they would react if I brought him back as the undead.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Headley Bumbleweed – the wizard that wasn’t A strange NPC that grew out of absolutely nothing into something, well, not much really. Somewhere along the line, a couple of PCs ending up getting tossed in jail/dungeon overnight for a minor infraction. Not content with letting it go, the group dwelt on the incarcerated pair and I had to ad-lib. I threw some nobody in the cell with them, also for a minor offense. Tall, gangly, with long hair held back by a headband and a patch of scrubby stubble on the chin in a poor attempt to grow a proper beard, Headly Bumbleweed was introduced to the game. Inept does not describe this guy well enough. He had zilch for skills and I ran him as a brain dead stoner, even went so far as to actually make him one. Poor Headley Bumbleweed was a wizard, or I should say, an Illusionist, but with a slight problem. He was addicted to his spell ingredients. When the duo was released, so was Headley, and they invited him to tag along because they could “always use another powerful spellcaster”. Hoo boy. The misadventures with this schmuck were numerous. He poisoned the entire group one night when they let him tend the cooking pot. Always in an experimental mood, Headley dropped some ‘shrooms into the stew. “But, they were like, such a groovy purple, man.” Every time something important (or even unimportant) came up, Headley would chime in with his own such experience. “Like, Wow man. This reminds me of the time I had to fight some midget orcs over at Sword’s Point. Man, that was sooooo bogus. I turned ‘em into flying pigs, though. That was totally groovy, man”. His magic was completely unreliable, but potent if he hadn’t already consumed the needed spell components. “Like you know, man, I could so totally own that dragon right now. I’ve got a groovy spell that can kick his blue and yellow butt.” “Headley, he’s red. And it’s not a dragon. It’s a salamander.” “Oh. Right. Yeah man! I can so totally own his furry butt!” “Headley, its – by the gods! You’re wasted! Um, what about a spell right now?” “Sorry man. I smoked it last night.” Typical exchange with Headley when a fight was about to go down. Totally useless, but rather entertaining, for me at least.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Tarkan the butcher A fun NPC who was made out to be more than he really was. According to the history that the players had, Tarkan Dar’Arvudius was a dark elf noble whose propensity for cruelty and evil knew no bounds. He led the Dark Elves to war on the Flatlanders over 500 years ago, laying waste to entire towns and populations. He was fickle, sparing one town because of the majestic beauty of the red banners flying over the buildings and slaughtering every man, woman, child, and beast in another and burning it to the ground because it blocked his view of a sunset. He was unpredictable, at best. He earned the title “The Butcher of Green Fields” after his army thoroughly defeated a host twice the size of his own. Disappointed at such a lopsided victory, he ordered the execution of every third man in his own army – including his eldest son and youngest daughter – and left those corpses to rot on the fields alongside the enemy. This proved to be the undoing of the historical Tarkan, as the dwarves had heard of his vile deeds and amassed an army of their own to meet him. Tarkan’s army was crushed and the general himself captured. Enter the PCs 500 years later as travelers and guest of the dwarven north kingdom. They had been led to believe that in his conquest of the northlands centuries ago, Tarkan had captured a relic of the Dead Gods and secreted it away before his own capture. Their intent was to negotiate with the dwarven king for some time to talk with Tarkan in the dungeons in an effort to learn his secret. Things did not go as planned, as the PC’s soon found themselves embroiled in a murder mystery that involved a number of dwarves going insane. A major blunder by a PC ended up getting the poor character tossed in the dungeons, in the same cell as Tarkan – now himself nothing more than crazy nutjob from centuries of isolation. The rest of the PCs manage to rescue their comrade and escape with Tarkan in tow. Only it wasn’t Tarkan. He had been dead for over 200 years and the poor sap they were dragging along with them was a crazy mage who was locked up in the cell next to the “original”. This guy was so far gone that he honestly believed he was Tarkan the Butcher, and did weird and crazy things to prove it. During the escape from the dwarven dungeons, he stopped long enough to attempt to eat an unconscious dwarf. (He was stopped). The PC’s learned very quickly that “Tarkan” needed to be restrained, as on more than one occasion he had tried to stab someone with a knife he had stolen or would go “Hannibal Lectre” on them. IIRC, a PC lost an ear to this. He would often ramble about his glorious past and grand conquests, saying the most bizarre and cryptic things I could imagine, and the players would sit there, scribbling notes furiously, hoping not to miss any clues. Somehow they managed to find the artifact (giving credit to their clever interpretation of the imposter’s clues). It was at this point that someone finally noticed that the Tarkan they had been dragging along for days wasn’t the real thing – he wasn’t even an elf, but a human. The poor lunatic was killed in the night by a PC assassin and the body buried. What followed was one of those “Huh?” moments. For some reason, the PC panicked and tried to cover his deed – by stealing a plow from a nearby farm (they were in a village) and plowing the ground where he hid the corpse. Hearing the noise, some of the other PCs woke up and went to investigate. I couldn’t have planned for what happened next, only roll with it. The assassin then cooks up some story about this area being an ancient battlefield and that the bodies had been left here, still clad in their armor and valuables and he was using the plow in an attempt to turn up bodies so he could find any magical items or weapons that had been left. They bought it. Now I had a bunch of PCs going around the village, waking up farmers and giving them gold to borrow their horses and plows. The ENTIRE party was now plowing the area looking for treasure. Hell, I might as well go with it. The farmers were only too happy to let the PCs plow the fields, providing they didn’t damage any already existing crops. This craziness went on for two weeks. I had some pity on them (or maybe I threw a few more logs on the fire) and let them find a handful of minor valuables, but nothing magical. Hey, they so wanted an ancient battlefield; I finally caved and played along.

Re: Trollblood package deal Well, it's not so much that the trollblood can't see as well as I'm trying to reflect the idea that sunlight causes pain. (A trollblood, does in fact, have a troll somewhere in his ancenstry) I went with a -2 to skill rolls as very simple means of reflecting the extra difficulty one has when attempting to do anything during the day. It might not be the best solution, but I liked more than the other more bizarre and complicated methods I tried. If someone buys blindfighting to offset the -2 for combat, oh well, I won't panic as it will still have an affect in other areas. Thanx for the feedback, something to think on.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Yes. Yes I do. I've already seen a couple ideas in here that I would have never thought of on my own. It would be cool to see what other people have done. Side Note - Is that your Western Shore campaign in the Hero-Wiki? I really dig the Norse angle.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Bartamus – enchanter of the 4th circle Bartamus was introduced as an “info dump”, an NPC with knowledge about certain people and events that could prove beneficial to the group. The NPC itself was rather useless as far as skills go. He was an enchanter, but a weak one. His specialty however, did put him in a position of relative power. His job was to repair and keep the golems that guarded the Wizard’s Isle in working order, particularly the iron golems. As these were hollow, Bartamus would work his magic on the inside of the magical machines so as to better preserve and protect the arcane inscriptions that made these beings possible. He had the fortune/misfortune of being inside model Obsidian 16 when the Archmage Kalifirius assassinated the wizard’s council and proceeded to purge the islands of those who had not sworn themselves to him and his cause. Staying inside the golem and desperately clutching the “owners manual” Bartamus made good his escape from the island. Bartamus had spent most of his life on the island, working on his charges, so had little experience or contact with the outside world. He was very short, often mistaken for a gnome, bespectacled, and bald save for a wispy ring of white hair and a short beard. He was always very cheerful, polite, and just a little bit intimidated by others. Whenever he saw someone whom he recognized and had shown him some kindness (all you had to do was talk to him) he would frantically wave and jump up and down until he got their attention. He would then walk up, shake hands, say “HI!” and walk away about his business. One would think that walking around inside a huge iron golem with arms that terminated in massive maces would make him formidable in a fight. Not so. Bartamus couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn, and on those rare occasions where a blow did land (only two or three times), he would flip open the golem’s faceplate, poke his head out, and apologize profusely and once even went so far as to try to render first aid to the dark elf he had just pulverized – while everyone around him was fighting for their life. He was one of the NPCs who happened to be the target of the affections of Pagan Oldcastle, and when he returned to the PCs he was nothing but bruises and smiles. Hey, he was an 80-year-old virgin until then.

Troll Blood Trollbloods were tall ugly men with hair that turned wolf-grey while they were still young. They could see as well by night as by day, just like a wolf. And when they fought, their strength increased after sunset. In the northlands, the winter sun sets only an hour or so after noon, and rises only an hour or so before noon, while the summer sun sets an hour before and after midnight. It wasn’t an insult to call a man “trollblood”. Some of these men even had nicknames like Halftroll or Wolf. Trollblooded package deal Sveldigs consider anyone particularly tall, ugly, or magically inclined to be associated with trolls. Spellcasters are called the trollwise. The tall and ugly warriors are called trollblooded and often their hair has gone prematurely gray. While they are often regarded with some fear and suspicion, most Sveldigs also attribute special powers to those they see as cursed as such. Among the abilities said to be possessed by trollblooded individuals are the ability to see in the dark, great strength at night, immunity to the heat and cold and edged weapons. Must take a minimum of three abilities to be considered truly trollblooded 5pts) +10 str, only at night 5pts) str min 30, only at night 5pts) night vision 2pts) immune intense heat and cold 6pts) 8rpd only vs. edged/iron weapons Dist features: tall, ugly, and gray haired concealable with effort -10 physical limitation: limited effectiveness in daylight (-2 to all rolls during the day) –10 More of an add-on package that can have appeal to berzerker characters. Biggest concern is the physical limitation - are the negatives too severe, or too light and reflected accurately by the cost? The descriptive text is taken from ICE Hero/rolemaster Vikings supplement. The package is also in the same book, only updated for 5th. Not my own work.

Bear shirt Berserks drank blood and ate meat raw; to give themselves courage, berserks ate the hearts of the monsters and beasts they had slain. They went into a frenzy at the prospect of a fight, howling like wolves and biting the edges of their shields. Once a berserker entered the frenzy, he would attack his enemies despite any wounds he would receive, until he was dead or had killed all of his foes. Berserks did not attack people who had not threatened or insulted them. They were never afraid of anything they could fight, whether it was another berserker, wild animals or monsters, or even aftergangers. As long as the battle frenzy lasted, he was immune to fire and edged weapons of iron, his strength was a great as that of a bear, and he could ignore any injury or pain. Afterwards, if he had survived, he was at minimal strength for a full day. Some were honored housecarls at the royal courts of jarls and great kings. Others were greedy bullies who went around the countryside challenging one farmer after another to a formal duel for their property and womenfolk, amassing considerable wealth. Still others were outlaws who lived in the wilderness, preying on travelers and farmers as common bandits and thieves. Many were simply Sveldig warriors who had dedicated themselves to what they saw as a higher cause and the honor of fighting in the final battle of Ragnarok. A berserk’s power came from a divine patron in return for his promise to serve his god in this mortal life and in his chosen patron’s army at the final battle at the end of the world. Once the berserker had attained his greatest potential and began to bore his gods, the divine favor was withdrawn and the valkyries sped down to claim his soul as he fell in battle. To become a berserk, the warrior was first dedicated to the god Ulfgar, then led into a cave to fight a hibernating bear with nothing but his bare hands. Afterwards, if he had survived, he would eat the bear’s heart and drink its blood. To leave the cave, he had to run across a blazing fire, to show that it could not harm him. The berserker’s place in society is limited by the terror and violence that is associated with berzerkergang. As superb and fearless warriors, they are due admiration. However, their tendency to go into the frenzy goes squarely against the heroic ethic, which demands loyalty, fidelity, and self control. The berserker skirts the classification of niddering. The primary role of the berserker is as the shock troops in a chieftain or king’s army. Aside from their military value, the berserker’s ties to Ulfgar are welcome in a royal army, since Ulfgar has dominion over the realms of rulership and battle. In addition to their warlike activities, berserks are also well known for their sexual excesses, carrying off the wives, daughters, and betrothed maids of their enemies. Those berserks who form the core of an army’s shock troops form into gangs numbering twelve. Many have elaborate rites of passage and rituals that initiates must go through to become a member of one of these elite warrior societies. Most such ceremonies involve wearing animal skins and masks, dancing under a full moon, and the symbolic slaying of a terrible monster. The leader of such a band will have Bjorn as his name, at least in part. The appearance of a berserker is crafted to invoke feelings of dread and terror in their enemies. Each berserk may take a different approach to this, but some of the many methods include terrifying tattoos, ritual scarring, self-mutilation, wild and unkempt hair and beard, and the application of body paint. Some wear necklaces, armbands, and bracelets made from the claws and teeth of fearsome beasts and monsters. A rare few use skulls as helms. Many go into battle naked, save for a bearskin kilt and headdress, their terribly decorated bodies on display for their foes. Berserker Package Deal 81pts 10 +5 STR - costed at 2 for 1 15 +3 DEX 10 +5 CON 5 +5 PRE 8 combat/penalty skill levels 2 KS: Ulfgar’s religious doctrines 4 WF: common melee/common missile Berserker’s blessings 1 +15 strength, 1 phase activation, only in combat, 1 charge for 5 minute, normal strength reduced to 0 for 1 full day after, 1 Immune: intense heat, only when berserk, linked 5 8 rpd armor, hardened, only vs. edged/iron weapons, only when berserk, linked 5 +15 presence, fear only, only when berserk (howling and shield biting), linked 4 8red armor, only vs. fire and/or heat, only when berserk, linked 5 25% damage reduction (normal), only when berserk, linked 6 cannot be stunned, only when berserk, linked Disadvantages: Distinctive features: Berserker (easily concealable, noticed, major reaction - 10 Reputation: Berserker warrior (frequent, extreme reaction) - 15 Psychological limitation: fearless (common, total) - 20 Psychological limitation: devoted to Ulfgar (common, total) - 20 Recommended skills: Analyze, armorsmith, climbing, combat skill levels, penalty skill levels, stealth, tactics, trading, tracking, weapon familiarities, weapon smith, armor familiarities, shield familiarity, fast draw, defense maneuver, rapid attack, two weapon fighting Optional abilities: Berserkers should focus on talents and abilities that enhance their chances to deal or receive great blows, paying particular attention to those that make use of his STR or CON. In addition, due to their fierce nature and reputation, abilities that make use of their PRE is also recommended. It would be a good idea to round out the character’s skills and combat abilities to keep him competent when not in his berserk fury. Another package for my viking game. Basically, a combination of the fighter and paladin packages from FH. I'm not 100% sure on the berserker blessings, 5 minutes may not be long enough if in a battle, but that's why I've posted this. Hopefully, to get a few more ideas to flesh it out a touch more. I am considering an optional multiform ability that lets a berzerk shapeshift into a bear, probably only at night. Not sure yet. I don't want to raise the strength any higher because of another package deal that can be combined with the berserker - not keen on any STR over 35 at this point. Note: Most of the descriptive text is not my own work. I have gleaned the info from various sources, most notable ICE's Vikings supplement (first 5 paragraphs) and various websites (all the rest but the last paragraph).

A package for my work-in-progress viking campaign. The Valkyrie Sveldigs strongly believe that a valkyrie is chosen at birth by the gods. Whenever a female child is born under unusual circumstances or unique and potent omens, she is dedicated to the gods and fed her first solid meal off from the tip of her father’s sword. Once the baby has grown and learned to walk and talk, she is sent away to Varjheim, the Longhouse of the Swan. It is here that she will grow into adulthood, receiving both religious and martial instruction from her foster mothers. Among the peoples of Sveldland and Sveldlaenga, the valkyrie is a holy warrior, ordained by the gods to carry out their will among the fighting men and women of their society. These warrior women practice a fighting style that is very offensive oriented, wielding their spears and axes as the “fires of the gods”. This combat doctrine, known among them as the Saga of the Swan Dancer, is believed to have been taught to Svena Berthordottir, the first mortal valkyrie. Though they are not as prevalent as the other fighting classes of their people, they are perhaps the most respected. Berserks especially seem to have a special place in their hearts for the valkarja, as it is believed that when a berserker dies, his soul is carried up to the halls of the gods by the valkyries of his patron deity. To see a mortal Swan Dancer before his death is a particularly good omen among these fierce warriors. Valkyries serve as housecarls in the courts of the jarls and kings, a spiritual link between his fighting men and the gods who watch over them. A rare few walk the earth alone, perhaps on some divine missive from their gods or as ambassadors or liaisons for their rulers. In deference to their status of holy warrior, the valkyrie is by law exempt from the political and often violent court intrigues of the housecarls. She, in return, will only take the lower middle seat of her lord’s table, placing herself neither at the top nor bottom of the social pecking order among the members of the household. A valkyrie’s appearance is a strange and exotic mix of the artistic and functional.The motif of the swan plays heavily among their imagery, the pommels of weapons, and the paintings on shields, and crests of helms often decorated with such designs. Some wear cloaks or capes made from the feathers of swans and boots whose high tops are lined with the same. However, the dress of the valkyrie is as varied as the women themselves. Some go into battle clad in chain mail with sword and shield, others fight naked save for their spear or axe. The religious code of the Sveldig valkyrie is said to have been passed down from Berthora to her half mortal daughter Svena over 1000 years ago, after Svena had passed through the Maw of Gruamveig to retrieve the soul of her berserker father. Among the tenants of her faith are mostly rites and rituals concerning battle and the care of the dead. The hair of the valkyrie is worn loose as that of an unmarried girl, for she can take no man as a husband. Instead, she is to wear a single braid in her hair to show her status as being “wed to the gods, handmaiden of Ulfgar”. Before a raid or battle, the valkyrie is expected to pray for the souls of her fellow warriors. Some she will bless, some she will fate to die, but all will be consecrated to the halls of the brave. She will sing songs as she goes into battle, her voice a source of encouragement for her friends and allies and a bane to the gathered enemy. It is said that as long as the Swan song is sung, victory is assured. A valkyrie is expected to be in the thick of the fiercest fighting, taking on the strongest of their enemies or combating numerous foes alone. After a battle is fought, it is a valkarja’s duty to attend those who have fallen. If a warrior is deemed beyond the help of a leech and death is imminent, it is her duty to deliver the deathblow and commend his soul to the gods. She is to be present at the funerals of those who have fallen in battle. Before the warrior is laid to his final rest, she must kiss him on the lips, her breath a guide through the afterlife and underworld to the halls of the brave. It is the duty of the valkyrie to prepare the aerthrallja, the slave who is to accompany a warrior in death. She is to wait on the chosen female as a thrall, bathing her and preparing her meals for nine days. On the ninth day she must stab the aerthrallja to death with nine blows, clean and dress the body, and lay her to rest beside the fallen warrior. When her lord dies, she is expected to accompany him on his passage to the afterlife. Her master will receive the usual death rites, such as the final deathblow and kiss if necessary. In addition, she will sing a final song of safe passage for her lord as she boards his funeral longship, her voice heard above the roaring flames as they consume both the ship and passengers. Valkyrie package deal 84pts 6 +3 STR - str is costed at 2 for 1 24 +8 DEX 6 +3 CON 10 +1 SPD 3 acrobatics 3 breakfall 4 WF: common melee/common missile 10 Combat/penalty skill levels 10 Martial arts 2 KS: religious doctrine of Gurnhilde 3 Faith 3 Fringe benefit: religious rank Recommended skills: Climbing, combat/penalty skill levels, defense maneuver, fast draw, healing, persuasion, oratory, stealth, rapid attack, two weapon fighting, survival, tracking, tactics, trading, weapon familiarities, armor familiarities, shield familiarity, weapon smith, armor smith, martial arts Disadvantages: Social limitation: subject to ruler (common, strong) -15 Psychological limitation: devoted to Gurnhilde (very common, total) - 25 Distinctive features: Valkyrie (easily concealable, noticed, major reaction) - 10 Optional abilities: 6 Valkarja’s Prayer: 1d6 luck, usable against others, 3 charges, only before battle, only vs. friends and allies who are lucky, concentrate 0 dcv, extra time 1 turn, incantations; plus 1d6 unluck, usable against others, 3 charges, only before battle, only vs. friends and allies who are unlucky, concentrate 0 dcv, extra time 1 turn, incantations, linked to luck 13 Battle Song of Ulfgar: 1d6 presence aid, AOE 16” radius, selective, continuous, 1 charge, incantations throughout, only in battle, requires a skill roll, linked to drain;plus 1d6 presence drain, AOE 16” radius, selective, continuous, 1 charge, incantations throughout, only in battle, requires a skill roll 12 Battle Song of Gurnhilde: +1 OCV, usable by others, AOE 16” radius, selective, continuous, 1 charge, incantations throughout, only in battle, requires a skill roll, linked; plus -1 OVC, usable against others, AOE 16” radius, selective, continuous, 1 charge, incantations throughout, only in battle, requires a skill roll 11 Chosen to Die: 5d6 eb, nnd, limited range 10”, only to determine if con stunned, only vs. living sentient beings, incant throughout, must know targets name The package is nothing more than the martial artist package from FH slightly modified. The Valkyries prayer has the potential to be ugly when used. One of the campaign requirements is that every character must have some level of either luck or unluck. There's a good chance the two battle songs may not work as intended, but it's still a rough draft. The Chosen to Die skill is intended to reflect a target being paralyzed by fear as the Valkyrie chants his name and recites a death song as she fights him. As always, any feedback, critiques, and suggestions are welcome. Thanks again.

Re: Single Green Superhero seeks.... (personels for your characters) WarCry SWMA (single white male alien) looking for a playa! Let me tell ya ‘bout myself. I’ve kicked Mechanon’s a$$ mano-a-mano and I pimp slapped Dr D – twice. I am the five time reigning Bandarian Kickboxing Champion. Firewing ain’t got nuthin’ on me, YO! I’m strong, I’m fast, and I kick a$$! That’s right baby, I’m WarCry, the greatest superhero on earth. I like strip clubs, mad parties, streaking through the city, and porn. I have the complete Vesuvian Slime Vixens collection and Vol I-XXXI of Bandarian Breast-a-thon hardwired. Looking for a female - mutant, alien, whatever- with large gazongas (preferably more than two), loose temper, and even looser morals to rock my world. Prefer martial artist and bricks with a mean streak. NO MENTALIST. But hey, if you’re hot, I’ll do ya. If you can repair an Interstellar Mark VII Bandarian Patrol Cruiser so I can get off of this Class M dust ball, I’ll love ya forever – cuz I’m Immortal too! BOOYA BABY! Um, yeah, that's a bit wierd.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Spittlefang, the filth assassin - hunted Spittlefang was the collaboration of myself and the player who had him as his hunted. He was a skaven (ratman) assassin who had been sent out to murder one of his own, the PC Slashtooth, a skaven assassin who was fascinated by the man-things and their world above the skaven Under Empire and trying to fit in to this “new” world. Clad in tattered and dirty rags over which he wore a billowing and ragged cloak, Spittlefang was a grotesque creature with matted brown fur and broken yellow fangs bared in a perpetual sneer. He was vile and evil to the extreme, killing randomly to spread fear and terror wherever he went. He had numerous blades hidden about himself and many were poisoned. His favorite weapon was a short sword he had taken off a mighty hero he had slain some years before and this was his only possession that was kept immaculate. It was not enough for Spittlefang to just kill his target. He had to let his victims know who was coming after them and that death would be slow and painful. It was important for him to taunt and instill fear before he attacked. Something as simple as a visit in the dead of night and a softly spoken “I smell your fear” was enough to get the message across. His favorite trick was to kill and eat a human child and leave the corpse where the group could find it – an omen that he was about to strike. He was fully capable of taking on the entire group, but only did so once to illustrate the point that there was little they could do to stop him. He carved them up pretty bad using hit and run tactics, leaving all but Slashtooth a bloody mess in dire need of a cure for the poison running through their veins. This left Slashtooth with the fun choice of fighting Spittlefang or letting his nemesis go so he could get help for his friends. There were numerous fights between the two ratman and all were awesome to play and watch. The drama and hatred between these two characters was enjoyable for the whole group. Most of the fights had both Slashtooth and Spittlefang beaten to a bloody pulp, with Spittlefang holding the advantage. Usually the timely arrival of the rest of the party saved Slashtooth’s life. The two combats that did go heavily in favor of Slashtooth, Spittlefang managed to escape with the use of magic, creating a cloud of smoke to facilitate his getaway. The facial expressions on the players’ faces were priceless when they knew Slashtooth was involved in a scenario. Eyes would pop out of skulls, jaws would drop, and sweat would bead up on their foreheads as they furiously planned on how to deal with him. I must be sadistic, cuz I loved seeing them like that. Most of the time, he never made a direct appearance, only leaving a token of his presence to remind them that he was always nearby. Usually these tokens were a mutilated animal left in the path, one of his numerous poisoned daggers stuck in a tree, or a whisper in the night – “I own the dark”. Spittlefang however, was finally slain by Slashtooth in one of the most exciting one-on-one fights I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. The fight raged back and forth as the two traded blows, pulling out all the stops. Both made maximum use of their surroundings, employing furniture, tapestries, and mundane pieces of equipment as impromptu distractions and weapons. Broken and bloody, Slashtooth was finally knocked to the ground and disarmed by his hated foe. Sensing victory, Spittlefang wound up for a haymaker to cleave Slashtooth’s head from his shoulders. Here the player pulled his final trick, using his tail to draw a sword he never used but kept hidden under his cloak and strapped to his back. With one blow, Spittlefang was dropped, his severed head still cackling with mad laughter at the anticipation of a blow that would never land.

Re: Ancient Cultures Pretty cool concept. However, I have a few questions/suggestions/ideas to throw your way about these guys. If I'm reading this right, they built their own civilization, incuding a city, writing, weapons, and animal husbandry in ten years. This seems improbable to me. Maybe have it take a longer timespan or introduce a powerful and intelligent NPC as the "father" of the race. Maybe someone who was a mighty wizard or intellectual in life and because of the latent magic was able to retain memories and so guide the progress of his new people. I imagine the undead don't tire and can work non-stop so the process can still happen quite quickly. Another random thought, this time on reproduction. What if it required the sacrifice of a body part as a process to "birth" a new undead? What if it was kept normal per se and both a man and woman had to give up a part of themselves to create a new "unlife"? These two body parts could be fused by the magic of a priest to create an "infant" for the couple. It may be a great honor to cut off your arm to create a new member of the race, and the individual/s who gave up a part of themself would have the honor of "raising" the newborn in their society? Going further with this, what if the body parts sacrificed played a part in determining the final product? For example, one gives part of his brain and the other gives her arm, the new member of the race is predisposed to being intelligent and nimble. How does this culture handle emotions? They have felt fear and anger, now I'm curious as to their reaction when it comes to love, envy, lust, or any other powerful emotion. The whole undeath, cannibalism, and birth from the corpse would probably have a very strong cultural/religious overtone for these people. It may even be a strong driving force behind them. I can picture these people eating the bodies of their own kind when they perish, bestowing great honor upon the dinner corpse and those undead who partake in the funeral feast. Creation and destruction seen like reasonable forces that these people would have a very strong affinity for. After all, it is what made their existance possible. Just some rambling ideas I'd thougth I'd toss out there for you to mull over. There is so much potential in this race. Imagine what you can do with these guys. On the eating only meat bit - check out the Deadlands RPG. It has a really kewl take on the undead, what holds them to unlife, and their diet.

Re: NPC's - one free in every box

Re: NPC's - one free in every box Tulio – lost and confused I honestly don’t see the appeal of this NPC, but for some odd reason the group latched on to him. Lowlife and all around scumbag, Tulio would gladly sell out anyone for enough money to cover his next fix – and he often did. First encounter with Tulio was less than pleasant for the PC’s as he was the one who had sold them out to a bunch of lunatic murderous cultist – after he had been hired by the PC’s as a guide through the seedier parts of town. The Pc’s manage to defeat the cultists, escape, and do a little digging on their own, learning some info that leads them back to Tulio. Bent on vengeance, they seek him out, corner him, and then LISTEN to his pathetic sob story. Yup, they not only let him live, but pretty much drafted him into their fold, reasoning that he has good street skills and useful contacts. Tulio was only too eager and agreed to help (after all, they didn’t make good on their threats to kill him) and became their street level informant and guide. Off course, Tulio certainly did not reform, and sold out his “friends” on several more occasions. Some of it was pretty obvious, but no one did anything about it. And to make it worse (or IMO, humorous) Tulio would often ask for and receive payment from the same PC’s he betrayed on a regular basis for his “leads” and “bailing them out” of trouble. He couldn’t keep any of the gold or silver he bilked the Pc’s out of, spending all of his cash on drugs and women. And when Tulio was wasted, he often slipped up and talked freely of his misdeeds at the PC’s expense. His street skills and contacts were non-existent. He had a reputation as a snitch and sellout and that is what led to all the PC’s troubles. Bad Guy “Hey, Tulio is it? I hear ya hang with a one-eyed dwarf and his friends. Arrange for them to be at the Dusky Duck Inn by the riverfront at sunset and this purse of silver is yours.” Tulio “Sure, man. No problem” And from here Tulio would make up a story, telling the PC’s what they wanted to hear. Rinse and repeat. He would meet an unfortunate end at the hands of a crime lord (his disads finally caught up to him). This NPC really had no redeeming qualities and was supposed to be a throwaway for a one shot, but because of the players, he stayed around far longer than he should have. Give a GM enough rope, he’s gonna use it.

Re: Orcs as Druidic/Celtic analogs? Dear Lord, I really like this idea. I've used the Celtic slant for wood elves, but applying it to orks is just one awesome idea. The limed hair, paint, running around in battle naked/half-naked, and all the other "classic" trappings make a pretty good and kewl fit, IMO. I've lost all the links I used to write-up my wood elfs, but if you want to take a look at my wood elf/Celtic document, I'd be happy to send it to you. Oh, and I am so stealing this for my current project.

Re: WWYCD - unpowered normal facing imminent death Ahhhhhh...I see says the blind man. OK, with the above info in hand, I'll take a stab at this. 1st -As this is posted in the fantasy forum, I'll go with a fantasy character. I don't like incompetent bafoons for characters, and I have a tendency for ranger/warrior type characters, so it's safe to say I'll have a few survival skills at hand. 2nd - The Event. How about the Evil All Conquering Wizard With a Powerful Artifact of Doom and Destruction backed up with an army of countless, mindless warriors? Laying waste to entire regions, cities, and nations, they are now advancing on my home. Refugees from fallen kingdoms and the tell tale fire and smoke on the horizon would be a pretty good indicator that Something BAD This Way Comes. Let's say I have about 1 day to react. 3rd - WWYCD? First and Foremost - personal survival. Gather whatever tools, food, and equipment that are essential to living through this mess and do it ASAP. Round up a small group of people with useful skills, that are healthy, and level headed. Make sure to include a couple of females, but no children. Next, get the hell out of Dodge. Assuming the Bad Guys are coming from the north, the safety of the capital city is to the south, traditional enemy nation to the east, and inhospitable haunted mountains to the west, I take my small group west and we hide out in the hills, living off the land. Some will live, some will die, but hiding and retreating appear to be the best options. Now, let's say the Evil Wizard uses his magic Doom Device and levels the kingdom. If my character dies, hey, I did what I thought I could to make it. If he lives and is imbued with magical energy from the magic Doom Device, he returns to the world he fled, bent on revenge and making sure such a thing does not happen again. I'm operating here on a few assumptions that I think are reasonable. If the character lives, the GM has a game and I as a player have a powerful motivation. If my character dies, who's running what game next week?

Re: WWYCD - unpowered normal facing imminent death WWYCD? Howabout WTHDIFM? = What the hell does it freakin matter? Seriously, why would anyone step into a game that they KNOW will end in the inescapable death of their character? For that matter, who would stay in a game with such a grim and IMO, preposterous no-escape event looming on the horizon? Really, you're only going to get variants of three possible answers - wait to die, fight till I die, and quit the game. The thread title says imminent death while the question confuses the matter with a catastrophic event that grants powers. Which is it? Do I die or become superhuman? I dunno man. To me, the post comes off as confrontational, especially with the bolded part and, IMO, the juvenile declaration of "THERE". It's as if you're saying "Take that! NYAH NYAH NYAH!":eek: If you want positive answers, you might want to clarify or re-word your premise. Otherwise, what Von D Man said. Note - the liberal dispersion of smileys hopefully conveys the fact that I am not angry - just very flabbergasted and confused by the whole idea.

Re: On Arcanomechanical Beings (long!) Wow, just.......wow. I've never put that much work into golems, and now, I don't have to.

Re: Ever do this? That is pretty kewl. I did something similar years ago. The PC's were trying to track down and find an artifact of power before the bad guys did. They eventually met up with an old witch who told them where it could be found - the lair of Lord Tiberius of the Many Colors, father of all dragons. I turned off all the lights, lit a candle, and told them how their NPC ancestors were the first great heroes to confront the greatest dragon the world had ever seen. After I told them the story, I blew out the candle, turned on the lights, packed up my stuff and went home without saying another word. The next week I handed them the character sheets for their great-great-great-great grandparents and let them pick up the story where the witch let off with the telling.

Re: World. A lesson in delegation Very kewl idea. I almost wish I was a part of this game. (I found a Baal Predator in your links - WOOHOO! That would be ultra kewl as an AI, or Mephiston, or, well any of the BA models really. Nope, I don't play WH40K. No sir, I'm not a BA playa;) ) Question - Would you allow a player to use a mini out of his own collection if it fit the feel and theme of the game?