Renata’s Robbers

Posted on 28-Jul-17 by K-Slacker

Bandits_96965

Last session the PCs came across a band of brigands in the Barrowmaze. It turns out that they were the remnants of Renata’s Robbers. The group had heard rumours about them earlier – that they were camped in the woods near the barrow mounds and were charging a “toll” for adventuring groups returning to Prigwort.

However, they have fallen on hard times since the Acolytes of Orcus consolidated their control over the Barrowmaze. Late one night – after some particularly drunken revelry – their camp was suddenly attacked by Orcus-worshipping Goatmen mounted on Night Goats. During the assault, Renata (their leader) and Violet (daughter of Lady Harrowmoor) were dragged screaming by the Goatmen into a barrow mound.

The surviving Robbers ventured into the dungeon in an attempt to rescue Renata and Violet. However, without leadership they have been struggling…

…At least until the PCs arrived. Parley ensued and the two groups decided to combine forces. Now the Robbers have regained their focus and are determined to rescue Renata.

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DolmenBarrow Equipment Quick-Start

Posted on 22-Apr-17 by K-Slacker

In an attempt to speed up character creation, we’ll do randomized equipment selection. These tables are based Gavin Norman’s Dolmenwood House Rules.

Armour

Fighters (& subclasses) roll 1d6 twice and pick the best result; clerics (& subclasses) and non-humans roll 1d4; thieves get leather; magic-users get no armour.

  1. Leather Armour (AC 7)
  2. Leather Armour + Shield (AC 6)
  3. Studded Leather (AC 6)
  4. Studded Leather + Shield (AC 5)
  5. Chainmail (AC 5)
  6. Chainmail + Shield (AC 4)

(Moss dwarfs get cork armour instead of leather, and pinecone armour instead studded.)

Weapons

Fighters roll 1d12 twice; clerics roll 1d4 twice; thieves and non-humans roll 1d8 twice; magic-users get a dagger.

  1. Club (1d4 dmg)
  2. Quarterstaff (1d6 dmg, 2 hands)
  3. Mace (1d6 dmg)
  4. Sling + 20 Bullets (1d4 dmg)
  5. 3 Daggers (1d4 dmg)
  6. Hand Axe (1d6 dmg)
  7. Shortsword (1d6 dmg)
  8. Shortbow + 20 Arrows (1d6 dmg)
  9. Spear (1d6 dmg, or 1d8 dmg with 2 hands)
  10. Woodsman’s Axe (1d8 dmg, 2 hands)
  11. Longsword (1d8 dmg)
  12. Heavy Crossbow + 20 Quarrels (1d8 dmg)

(Moss dwarfs can swap metal weapons for a wooden cudgel [1d6 dmg].)

Class-Specific Equipment

  • Fighters who rolled crappy armour and weapons (referee’s discretion) get an extra piece of adventuring gear.
  • Clerics get a wooden holy symbol.
  • Thieves get thieves’ tools.
  • Magic-users get a spellbook with one spell selected by player plus 1d4 random spells.

General Adventuring Gear

All characters start play with a backpack, a tinderbox, 5 torches, 1d12gp, and 1d4 items rolled from the list below:

  1. Crowbar
  2. Hammer
  3. 10 iron spikes
  4. Sledgehammer
  5. 5 days’ rations
  6. Waterskin
  7. 50′ hempen rope
  8. Bedroll
  9. Lantern and 3 flasks of oil
  10. Ink, quill, and 5 sheets of parchment
  11. 10 sticks of chalk
  12. Small sack

And each character also starts with gold pieces equal to their Charisma score.

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The Friar (Cleric Variant)

Posted on 21-Apr-17 by K-Slacker

(I’m adding the friar a PC class option in my DolmenBarrow campaign. It’s adapted from the Fantastic Heroes & Witchery RPG by Dominique Crouzet.)

Friars are wandering preachers and simple parish priests, whose religious ideal is to serve their communities in the name of their faith. While still servants of the One True God, many friars propitiate obscure saints or local petty gods as well. (Their loose interpretation of the faith and recognition of other deities does not seem to affect any of their class abilities.)

Friars are actually more common than clerics in Dolmenwood – and more popular among its inhabitants.

Game Rules:

As per Friar class from FH&W, with the following clarifications and adjustments:

  • Experience requirements, attack progression, and saving throws are as per cleric.
  • Bludgeoning weapons only, as per cleric.
  • Armour is restricted to studded leather (AC 6) or lighter; shields permitted.
  • For the Community Ear class ability, use a “Hear Noise” check (with chances as per thief of equal level).

Friars are also attuned to the Petty Gods who dwell in Dolmenwood. Pick or roll an appropriate petty god (Mespilus is a good one); the friar knows how to propitiate this entity and is generally favoured by them. He gets a “friendly” reaction result when encountering the petty god and may even receive a blessing or other benefit from them.

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Half-Goats in DolmenBarrow

Posted on 19-Apr-17 by K-Slacker

Requirements: CON 9
Ability Modifiers: CON +1, INT -1, CHA -2
Ability Min/Max: STR 6/18, DEX 3/17, CON 9/19, INT 3/15, WIS 3/14, CHA 3/12

Half-Goat with skillfully-concealed horn nubs (Credit: Charles LeBrun)

Half-goats result from matings between humans and goatfolk. The majority of these cross-breeds are moronic half-wits; player character half-goats are assumed to be within the rare 10% of goatman hybrids of near-normal intellect.

Each half-goat possesses a few goatish features – such as a goatee beard (even on goat-women), goat eyes, goats hooves in place of feet, or a rudimentary tail ending in a tuft of coarse hair. They also have small nub-horns, no longer than an inch, atop their heads. Their butt attack is thus not particularly to be feared, although their thick, bony skull can still deliver a blow of some force (1d6 damage). Those who have goat eyes (2-in-6 chance) will possess infravision which functions up to 30′ distance.

Half-goats speak Woldish (common) and Caprice.

HALF-GOAT SAVING THROWS:

Half-goats are hardy beings, resistant to magic and poison, and receive the following saving throw bonuses:

  • +2 save versus breath attacks
  • +4 save versus poison
  • +1 save versus petrify or paralyze
  • +1 save versus wands
  • +2 save versus spells or spell-like devices

GOAT-MAN CLASSES AVAILABLE:

Assassin 10
Bard 4
Cleric 4
Druid 4
Hunter 6
Fighter 12
Friar 4
Magic-User 4
Mountebank 6
Thief 12
Witch 6

HALF-GOAT THIEF SKILL ADJUSTMENTS:

Pick Locks -7%
Find and Remove Traps -5%
Pick Pockets -5%
Climb Walls +10%
Hear Noise +1*

* Half-goats receive a better dice range for hearing noises. For example, 1st level half-goat thieves hear noises on a 1-3, and at 9th level it is 1-5. Hear noise may never be better than 1-5.

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Lumpen-Ones in DolmenBarrow

Posted on 18-Apr-17 by K-Slacker

(I don’t like Halflings, so I’m swiping this as a “compensation class” for anyone who rolls crap for stats. Lumpen-Ones were originally created by Jack Shear for Devilmount, and also featured in Crumbling Epoch by Fictive Fantasies.)

Lumpen-One.png

Requirements: 12 or less in all scores
Prime Requisite: None
Hit Dice: 1d6
Maximum Level: 8

Stubby, nude, misshapen grotesqueries, these sludgy grumps resent their world-mates and specialize in underground skirmishing and sniping. They rarely wear clothes (but may be persuaded to wear leather armour and use shields).

Lumpen-Ones are child-sized and may not use large and two-handed weapons, but can use any other weapon. Because they are so small, creatures larger than human-sized suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls against Lumpen-Ones.

Lumpen-Ones can see in the dark with infravision up to 30 feet. They get a bonus of +1 to initiative rolls when alone or in a party composed only of Lumpen-Ones, and a +1 bonus on any missile attacks (they like to throw rocks at people). They are also dirty fighters and can Backstab as a Thief.

Lumpen-Ones are considered beneath notice. They tend to be ignored by others and make natural petty thieves. They may Pick Pockets, Move Silently, and Hide in Shadows as a Thief of one-half their level (round up); adding the appropriate Lumpen-One Thief Skill Adjustments (below) to these odds.

Lumpen-Ones speak Woldish (common) and Lumpen. They do not have a prime requisite and do not get experience bonuses (or penalties).

“Race-as-class” Lumpen-Ones use the Thief table for XP requirements (maximum 8th lvl) and the Halfling saving throw table. “Race + Class” Lumpen-Ones have infravision and saving throw bonuses but must abide the limitation to weapon size; they do not get bonuses to AC, initiative, or missile attacks.

LUMPEN-ONE SAVING THROWS:

Lumpen-Ones with AEC-style classes receive the following saving throw bonuses:

  • +2 save versus breath attacks
  • +4 save versus poison
  • +4 save versus petrify or paralyze
  • +3 save versus wands
  • +4 save versus spells or spell-like devices

LUMPEN-ONE CLASSES AVAILABLE:

Assassin 8
Fighter 6
Mountebank 4
Thief 10

LUMPEN-ONE THIEF SKILL ADJUSTMENTS:

Pick Locks +5%
Find and Remove Traps +5%
Pick Pockets +5%
Move Silently +10%
Climb Walls -15%
Hide in Shadows +10%

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