A couple fit this bill, but the ones starring at me, begging to be played, are both Age of Arthur / Chivilaric RPGs.
Pendragon and Chivalry & Sorcery.
Now I have played earlier editions of both of these, but these two have been sitting on my shelf all year and I want to do more with them both.
Both have been around forever it seems and both are in their Fifth (or so) Editions.
I really need to do a lot more with them both.
The exit from Room 24 takes the part to a side entrance of a long grand hallway.
The party's left (a bit of a diagonal) is the main entrance to this hall, not covered in rubble and no long accessible. To the right is the length of this ancient hall.
This hall is ancient, even by the standard the party is used to seeing. The architecture is dwarven, even the most causal dungeoneer can see that. At the end of this once great hall is a throne of Iron and on sits a figure.
As the party approaches they can see the figure is that of a dwarven skeleton in kingly garb. When the party reaches the dias the skeleton's eyes begin to glow and it raises a hand.
It speaks.
"Hail, brave and mighty adventurers. You have come so far and have more to go. But rest here and hear the tragedy of House Ironhammer."
If the party pauses to hear the dwarf king's tale they will find themselves healing of their wounds, even their gear that has been damaged begins to repair.
"Millennia ago, the Vampire Queen, Darlessa the First, sought out House Ironhammer in our mountain demesnes. She commanded that we build for her a temple and tomb out of the living rock of the mountain that was greater or equal to our own. We refused her, not wanting to serve any evil. Three times she came and three times we denied her. First my Grandsire said no. Then she returned and my sire said no. Then she returned again and I told her no. But in that time her powers had grown. She said that if we would build her a stronghold she would take ours!"
"We laughed at her and her rabble of conjures. No army had ever taken House Ironhammer! Not even the giant orcs of the Black Mountains whom all dwarves will speak of with revulsion, but also begrudging respect as an enemy."
"Sadly for my people we did not comprehend what she meant by 'take.'"
"Her conjurers gathered around. And the ensorcelled the mountain. The lifted it up by it's very roots and transported it to the seas where it was dropped onto a volcanic island. The mountain of Ironhammer stuck the Island of Necromancers like a hammer on an anvil. She destroyed their ancient towers and dropped our home into a vortex of magic. A few survivors soon killed by hordes of demons. I was kept alive along with a fraction of my enslaved people to dig out tunnels and new rooms and merge the mountain with the island. Many dwarves and many necromancers died that horrible night."
"It is to you I leave this challenge. Your wounds are healed, your gear is as new, your bellies are full. Seek out this undead tyrant and slay her for good. You have the blessings of House Ironhammer and the combined arcana of the Necromancers she killed that day. Please accept the last gifts of Sharis Val."
On the dias, there are weapons appropriate for every character here. They are all +3 weapons, +4 vs. undead, and demons.
Any Cleric or Magic-user can make an intelligence roll to know who Sharis Val was. He had been a Shadow Elf smith who had been adopted into a dwarf clan and became one of the greatest artificers and swordsmen the world has seen. His final fate was unknown till now.
Because there is always that "one guy," if there is a fighter in the group who is REALLY into swords, then allow them a roll as well. Sharis Val is essentially the Miyamoto Musashi of this world.
These weapons grant 2,500 xp each.
If instead, the party attacks the skeleton they get nothing. It is a normal skeleton with 1 hp.
I mentioned two weeks ago (already??) that I have been playing Baldur's Gate 3 with my kids via LAN and it has been FANTASTIC. We don't get much time to play D&D together anymore but this has been the next best thing. In fact it has been the best thing in it's own right.
But I am not here to talk about the gameplay. I am here to talk about an orphan. In particular this one.
This is Keller, the Wood-elf Monk. I know nothing about her.
One night my son and I were playing in his multiplayer room, but he didn't close it (he was the host) so this random character joined us. It was a wood elf paladin. Well, we didn't need a paladin; I was already playing Johan. So he locked the room, and we restarted.
The player, whoever it was, was gone. But Keller remained. She tagged along as another character my son could control. We tried everything to get rid of her. Nothing worked. We shut down for the night.
The next day, Liam had told me he tried even more things, and nothing worked. So finally, he just paid the gold to have her retrain as a monk. One holy warrior to next? Ok, I am cool with that.
We still can't get rid of her. More to the point, since the program does not control her, we can't tell her to stay in the camp either. She can't even talk unless my son takes control of her (like the in the screenshot above), so we decided to roll with it.
MINOR SPOILERS for Baldur's Gate 3 follow. Well, so minor that if you play the game up till character creation, this is old news.
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| My son and I collect stupid hats in the game. It also looks like my eyes are closed. |
Keller is a wood-elf monk. I figure she is one of the Siswa from the adventure B7 Rahasia.
She, like the playable characters and companions in the game, was taken by the Mind Flayer Nautilus ship. But unlike the characters, she was not in Baldur's Gate then. She and her kin were in their homes where Queen Rahasia ruled. The ship attacked, and the elves fought back and lost. Keller was one of the survivors taken on to the ship. She was there when it came to Baldur's Gate. (Yes. I am saying Rahasia lived. I am not going to do the Hickmans wrong like that.)
As one of the survivors, she feels guilt that she lived when so many of her brothers and sisters died. So, she has taken a vow of silence. Since she is also essentially uncontrolled (and therefore can't be romanced), she has also taken a vow of solitude. She will not break these vows until the threat of these mind flayers is gone from Faerûn. She will not become attached to anyone else who might die.
In truth, she is kind of a badass. There have been a few situations in the last couple of sessions where her combat prowess essentially saved our asses.
So. If you are Keller's original player. I am sorry you stumbled into our room just to be kicked. I am sorry you lost your character, too. But we will take care of her and make sure she sees the vengeance she so rightly deserves.
Maybe she can also get a stupid hat.
Complex and Simple RPGs. Ok.
Playing wise (even it I haven't done much with the first one) I would say the most complex RPG I have is the Fifth Edition of Chivalry and Sorcery. I like the game, quite a lot, but it is a mountain to climb and character generation is not a fast process. Still it is a gorgeous game and I have such fond memories of earlier editions.
Simple of course goes to the classic B/X D&D, something I can more or less run on a dime.
Past the secret door is a small flight of stairs going up. There is an open archway that leads into another room. Inside this room are seven statues of demons.
Of the seven statues, four of them are Rock Living Statues.
Behind one of the normal statues is an exit.
In addition to August being #RPGaDay2023 it is also #30yearsofMage. I knew Mage was going to come into this at some point and today is that day!
Mage the Ascension, especially in it's 20th Anniversary Edition format is one of the coolest-looking RPGs ever.
From its leather cover, to full-color art, to the ribbon bookmark (I am a sucker for a ribbon bookmark) and gilded edges it is one hell of an attractive book.
Not to be ignored is one of my personal favorite versions of Mage, Mage for the Victorian Era.
Additionally, all the Mage books I own (all Mage: The Ascension, I unloaded Mage: The Awakening years ago) are not just fantastic to look at, they are great games too.
I do wish I could play it more often.
Going back to Room 19 and taking the last passageway again leads the party up and out of the water.
This room is large and circular, with a high ceiling. The walls are made of rough, black stone. The floor is covered in a thin layer of water. On the ceiling of this room is a glowing green portal where occasionally a frog will drop down and land in the pool below.
There is a 25% chance that a Hydrodæmon will fall per 10 mins of entering this room.
Like many of the portals here, this one is one-way. Demons come in, but can't get back out.
One of the lanterns is the trigger for a secret door.
This one I had to think about this one for a bit. I have found so many great deals over the years that it was hard to choose just one really. But in the end I think I figured it out.
The Dark Eye
I have known about this game for a while, both The Dark Eye and the original German Das Schwarze Auge. I always wanted to own the original German, having taken German in both high school and college, but not using a language for, well, longer than I care to admit, you lose it. Das tut mir leid.
The Dark Eye always attracted me as a sort of darker fantasy RPG. A game where Mirkwood is replaced by the Black Forest.
I picked the 2nd Printing of the English edition at my local game auction. I grabbed the core rules and a bunch of add-ons that I suspect came from Kickstarter. There is a lot, and it all looks so good. There is even a basic QuickStart.
I played around with it for a bit, did some characters, and did a review. I enjoyed it so much I picked the special edition leather cover as well.
But it is a really great game, and I really enjoy it. I also wish I could play more of it than I do.
A secret door in Room 21 leads to Room 22. This room opens to a small circular area where a luminescent pool of water has collected in the lower part of the room.
The water is fresh and clear. Drinking it removed your thirst for a day (the water can be bottled and taken with without loss of properties).
Bathing in the water removes diseases and heals 4d6 hp of damage. For the next hour anyone that does this also has 1d6 + their CON bonus of additional hp.
Akelarre is a demon that has kinda always been with me in one form or another. He has had a variety of names over the years, but in all cases, he has been a large goat-headed demon whose main reason for being is to corrupt witches. He is based on the various Demon-Goat creatures, mostly featured in the witch sabbat paintings of Francisco Goya.
Akelarre is the Basque word (where Goya is from) for a Witches' Sabbath. The name of both of these paintings from Goya is "Akelarre."
I wanted a new demon lord, one associated with evil witches. The role in my games in the past has largely been filled by Graz'zt and others. But I wanted someone I had more creative control over. I also wanted someone that was also like Éliphas Lévi's Baphomet. He will serve as the witches' "Dark Man" as mentioned in many witchcraft trials. In Europe that was always considered to be the Devil or a at the very least a high-level demon.
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| My print of Alelarre with Larina for scale |
Akelarre, Demon Prince
Huge Demon (Evil, demon)
Str: 18 (+3) Dex: 16 (+2) Con: 22 (+4) Int: 20 (+4) Wis: 15 (+1) Cha: 20 (+4)
Akelarre appears as a large goat-headed humanoid. On his brow is a burning crown. His heavily muscled form is covered in dark gray fur. His hands end in vicious-looking claws, and his feet are cloven hooves made of gold. He smells of animals and brimstone. His voice is high but melodious and comforting.
This demon avoids interactions with other demons and instead focuses on growing his cult on the Material Plane. He is known as the Demon of the Witches' Sabbat and he eitehr attends himself or via proxy when he can. Here, once per year, he gathers his witches for revels of feasting, sacrifices, and all sorts of debaucheries. He flies to these via magic once the sun has set. It is claimed that it is impossible to know if it is genuinely Akelarre at a sabbat, a high priest, or even a goat he has possessed for the night, save for when the sun rises. The true Akelarre will flee before the sun, a possessed man or goat will revert in the morning light.
Akelarre can fight, though he prefers not to do so. He can attack with bite and claw or a weapon. Most often, he prefers to cast spells. He can cast any Magic-User spell and has the casting ability of an 18th-level caster. He can also breathe fire 3 times per night, doing 6d8 hp of damage, save vs. Breath Weapons for half. He has a Charm gaze that can Charm Person at will, save vs. spells to negate. He can also use this power to charm animals with no save granted. Magic is needed to hit Akelarre, whether by spell or by weapons. A +2 weapon is needed. Like many demons, he is immune to mundane fire and mind-affecting magic. He takes half damage from magic or dragon fire, cold, electricity, or gas-based attacks.
As the Demon Prince of Witches, Akelarre teaches witches of the demonic traditions of their craft. He sends out demon familiars in the form of normal but evil and lascivious in nature. Offspring of these familiars and normal animals tend to be more wild and prone to attacking humans. His court comprises satyrs of the more feral natures, succubi, warlocks, and witches. He has no dealings with the undead.
Akelarre is a highly charismatic demon, and his honeyed words sound like the voice of a friend or lover promising you everything you desire and more. There is a great rivalry between the demon Akelarre and the devil Abraxas. Each seeks to find more magical tomes than the other, and they instruct their respective warlocks to do the same.
Akelarre as a Patron: Akelarre believes that the pleasures of the world are the best reward and the pleasures of the flesh most of all. He typically grants his witches and warlocks the ability to summon demonic spirits for their pleasures, the ability to conjure up feasts as needed, and of course, grants them gold on signing their pact. Witches and Warlocks of Akelarre gain a Charm Person and Glamour-like powers they can use once per day.
Licensed RPGs can either be really great or less so.
One of my favorites might sound self-serving, but it is my favorite.
I have to admit it is my favorite because everything I wanted is there somewhere. A system I love, in a time period I love and I got to work with some really great people too.
Going back to Room 19 and then to the central passageway takes the party up to a room similar to Room 20.
Inside this wet room is what appears to be a gargantuan frog. Its evil eyes though, betray its true origins.
Dæmon, Hydrodæmon
Armor Class: 2 [17]
Hit Dice: 9+36**** (76 hp)
Attacks: 2 fore claws (1d8 x2), 2 hind claws (1d4), 1 bite (1d10)
Special: Spittle, spells, only harmed by silver weapons, immunity to acid and poison, magic resistance (35%), telepathy 100 ft.
THAC0: 11 [+8]
Movement: 30' (10')
Swim: 240' (80')
Saving Throws: D8 W9 P10 B11 S12 SS 7 (9)
Morale: 10
Alignment: Neutral evil
XP: 3,607 (OSE) 2,300 (S&W) 3,800 (LL)
Number Appearing: 1d3 (1d6)
Treasure Type: I, Y
Hydrodæmon are frog-like daemons that swim the River Styx. They are the only known creatures in existence that can touch the waters of the Styx without suffering any ill effects.
Hydrodæmon are 10 feet tall and weight about 4,000 pounds. Large flaps of skin under their arms allow them to glide when leaping. The flesh of a hydrodæmon is warty and green. Its eyes are a sickly yellow in color.
Up to five times per day a hydrodæmon can expel a 20-foot long line of sputum that causes those hit to save vs. sleep (as the spell) for 6 rounds. Hydrodaemons can, at will, cast cause fear, darkness, detect magic, and dimension door. Once per day, they can summon an 8 HD water elemental.
They can communicate telepathically but have low intelligence.
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This hydrodæmon is awkward on land, and there is not enough room for it to glide. It has been trapped here since the necromancers controlled this place, and it is pissed off.
I would like to say yes to this. I'm in my 50s now. But my dad is going strong at 93 and his dad lives to his 90s. So in my 70s? Yeah. Let's do this!
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| By the way, my wife hates this picture. |
I kinda have a Larry Elmore thing going there! Besides that is about how long this will take me to get through all my games.
Taking the first exit on the left the corridor begins to rise up and out of the water. This leads to a circular room covered in slime (the ordinary kind).
There are several evil looking, but normal-sized toads in this room but nothing else.
I have a few, to be honest. Sometimes I run them as is, other times I alter them. But one of my all-time favorites has to be the original I6 Ravenloft.
I grew up on a steady stream of Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, and Dark Shadows. That's my Appendix N. So an adventure set in pretty much the Hammer Hamlet where I get strange locals and have to fight a vampire? Yeah, that is what D&D was to me.
Ravenloft was TSR's great experiment. Take the central monster and make him a fully realized character. Seems odd to ask to do this now, but back then, that was crazy talk. Gothic Horror in Heroic Fantasy? Crazy! But it worked. Sure, Strahd can be thought of as a poor man's Dracula, but he has since become his own monster.
I know some old gamers bemoan "The Hickman Revolution," as it it called, but I loved it. Ravenloft was a literal game-changer for me. Finally, an adversary worth fighting and a REAL vampire too, not the D&D one.
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| Original, 25th Anniversary Edition, Print on Demand |
I even got my original module from 1983 signed by Tracy Hickman.
I have run this one a lot and even in other game systems. It is a lot of fun.
The corridor continues on and opens up into a larger cave that is filled with water. Some areas are 3' deep and smaller characters need to be careful.
There are three exits from this room.
