Zatanna: Hellish Elementals

A couple of weeks back I put up a post about Zatanna vs Demons.

I wanted to come back to these monsters for the May Monster Madness.

In truth Zee doesn't fight a lot of monsters.  Bad guys, demons and arch fiends sure, but not your garden variety monsters.

The closest were a trio of demonic elementals that she fights in issues #4 and #5 of the recent Paul Dini run of Zatanna.

These creatures took the shape of old women, but underneath were hellish fire elementals in the shape of young women.

Zatanna wa able to defeat them by redirecting a swimming pool that had been blessed into holy water into her hotel room.

Hellions
Basic Era D&D / The Witch (because I can)

Armor Class:  3 [16]
Hit Dice: 6d8+4* (30 hp)
No. of Attacks: 2 claws /  breath weapon
Damage: 1d4+2 / 1d4+2 / 1d8 (fire)
Special: fear, flame body, ignite. Double Damage from Holy Water
Movement: 90’
No. Appearing: 1-3
Saves As: Fighter 6
Morale: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Evil
XP: 300

Hellions cause fear as per the spell (Save vs. Paralysis to negate).  They also breathe out a lick of flame while attacking, save vs Breath Weapon for half-damge.
Their bodies are made of flame, but they are not fire elementals in the strictest since. They are demonic spirits and thus unlike elemental they are intelligent and have individuality.  They can disguise themselves as human by finding a human and burning them from the inside out.  They then can crawl into their skin and use that as a suit.


Hellion
Ghosts of Albion, Unisystem

Creature Type: Demon
Life Points: 30
Drama Points: 1

Attributes
Str: 3
Dex: 3
Con: 4
Int: 3
Per: 4
Will: 5

Ability Scores
Muscle: 12, Combat: 12, Brains: 10
Special Abilities: Demon, Fear, Hard to Kill, Lesser Sensing, Water Vulnerability, Breathe Fire, Resistance (Fire).

Anyone seeing a Hellion for the first time must make a Fear check (Willpower x2).
Hellions do not take damage from fire but take double damage from water based attacks (treat water splash as acid).

Manoeuvres
Name Score Damage Notes
Claw x2 +12 6 bash + fire*
Fire Breath +12 12 fire* (extra fire damage based on SL)
Deflect +11 - Magic defence action; deflects spell 45˚

Blogfest: Ray Harryhausen Aprreciation

Today is a celebration of the work of Ray Harryhausen and is hosted by +R.J. Thompson at Gamers & Grognards.  Like many gamers my age I saw Clash of the Titans and IMMEDIATELY grabbed everything in it for D&D (yes. even that owl).  But that is not what I want to talk about today.

No, my favorite Ray Harryhausen movie is "The First Men in the Moon".

I am not sure exactly when I first saw this movie, but I am sure it was on WGN's Family Classics movies on Saturday Afternoon. (or was is Sunday) and it was the same time I was really into gaming. Anyway, the movie was a great distillation of all my interests at the time; sci-fi, horror, fantasy, Victorian England.  It was a heady brew to be sure.

Plus those aliens.  The stop motion was glorious for the time and those monsters were just so creepy.

I remember spending sometime trying to figure out how to get these creatures into my games, or at least some of these ideas.  There is though some obvious homages to this movie to be found in Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits.

The most obvious "child" though of this movie (and the H.G. Wells book) is Space: 1899. The game even features Selenites and an adventure on the moon.

For the longest time I wanted bugs on the moon because of this film.

Selenite
Selenites are a race native to Earth's Moon.  They are named after the Greek Goddess of the Moon, Selene.
They are smaller than humans, 4'6" to 5'3" tall, they are of a slight build and not very strong.  They appear to be some form of humanoid insect. They are hairless and large compound eyes.  They do require oxygen to breathe, but not as much as a human.  Most Selenites are members of a working caste.  They work on the Selenite cities and help harvest the great moon cows that they use for food. The Selenites psychology and behavior was very much like that of ants or other social insects. (creatures in the book had wings and could fly, I don't remember if they flew in the movie) When not needed a Selenite can go into a self-imposed coma-like suspended animation.
Selenite cities and machines are all solar powered. They were able to keep their cities lit and oxygenated, but during solar-earth eclipses all non essential machines shut down.  The Selenites would also use  this time to enter a rest phase of their own.
The leader of the Selenites is the Grand Lunar.  This being is smaller in size but commands a keen intellect.

Selenite (Ghosts of Albion)
Motivation: Serve the Colony
Critter Type: Alien
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Constitution 1, Intelligence 3, Perception 4, Willpower 3
Ability Scores: Muscle 8, Combat 7, Brains 9
Life Points: 30
Drama Points: 1
Qualities: Acute Senses (sight)
Drawbacks: Attractiveness -2
Skills: Armed Mayhem 1

Combat Maneuvers
Name Score Damage Notes
claw(x2) 7 4 bash
stun gun 7 6 +Con check stun

Selenite (OSR/Basic/S&W/D&D)
Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class: 8 [11]
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4) or solar gun (1d6 + stun, save vs. Paralysis)
Move: 18'
Save: F2
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge/XP: 2/200

The Grand Lunar has no move, lesser strength (1 and 5) but very high intelligence (7 and 20).
If you game uses psionics then there is a chance "he" has them.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else does!

I am also participating in the May Monster Madness.  So today is my first post for that.
http://www.anniewalls.com/2013/04/may-monster-madness-sign-up-linky-list.html

WIP it Good!

Ok so sue me.  I am participating in another blogfest.


The WIP It Good Blogfest
http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-wip-it-good-blogfest.html

I am going to be talking about Eldritch Witchery!

I know, I have been talking about EW since before The Witch came out.
But on May 31st I am also going to do my new cover reveal! I got a new cover that I am just dying to share.

May is another busy month here.

White Dwarf Wednesday #63

White Dwarf Wednesday is back!  Ok, I only took a week off, but hey.
We are up to issue 63 now which is from March 1985. So let's put on some old Cult, grab a New Coke jump into our Deloreans and have a go. The cover takes me back to some of the older WDs. Some orcs attacking courtesy of Gino D'Achille.

Ian Livingstone covers a lot of ground in his editorial on licenses and licensing.  The gist I get from it all. D&D is more or less a "brand" at this point (look at today in fact with Warner buying the D&D rights for a new film).

First up an article on Traveller vehicles, a follow-up to an article all the way back from Issue 43.

Open Box comes next with reviews of The Runemagic series, a game I have never heard of (there is an Obscure RPG!) from a company I have never heard of, Triffid Software Research.  Mike White gives it 8/10 but for the life of me I can't see why.  Not that the game sounds bad, it reads like RuneQuest Lite, but I can't figure out what the game is about beyond that.  This is followed by the classic Toon from Steve Jackson Games.  Interestingly enough the first RPG I ever knew about that did not have character death. Cause as we all know, cartoons can't die.  Stephen Kyle gives it a deserved 9/10 (10/10 for enjoyment).
We also get a couple of Starfleet Battles books (Star Trek III 8/10 and SFB Vol. II 7/10) and some D&D modules, B6 (9/10) and XL1 (4/10).  Graham Staplehurst saying the module XL1 is like everyone's first dungeon and this one seems to want to sell toys to you.

Part 5 of Eye of Newt is next. More on magic item creation for AD&D. This one focusing on Miscellanea.  I like this idea, but it also robs magic items a bit of their mystery.  Maybe the secret to crafting a Wand of Wonder is lost.
Part 3 of The Dark Usurper is after some ads.

The best entry in the issue is "Draw the Blinds on Yesterday" a Call of Cthuhlu adventure. A nice little adventure that draws together some neat ideas from the 1920s COC and modern age.

Tabletop Heroes covers doing settings for your minis.
Fiend Factory has some mountain encounters, only 4 creatures.
Starbase introduces "Imperial Trooper" to Traveller.
And Treasure Chest has some advice for the travelling Halfling in AD&D/D&D.

With the exception of the Call of Cthulhu adventure this was only a so-so issue. If you were not following some of the past issues then this one of Part 5s and Part3s would be lost on you.

Plays Well With Others: Amazing Adventures + Codex Celtarum

I am working on my review for the Castles & Crusades book Codex Celtarum (short version, I love it, I am so jealous I can't see straight, it is that brilliant!).  So I have been reading it and re-reading a bunch of my C&C books.  And it dawned on me.

Codex Celtarum is a "world book" so to speak for the C&C world.  It ads a Celt flavor to things, but most importantly it has rules for playing in a Fae inspired world.

Amazing Adventures is a Pulp Earth turned up to 11.

Since both are based on C&C they are 100% (or 95%) compatible with each other.  Here I thought I was going to gear up to play an awesome Celtic-infused game of Castles & Crusades, but I think now what would be 10x cooler is a Celtic/Fae soaked Amazing Adventures game!

Steal some ideas from Guardians of Order's Dreaming Cities and have a world where magic is real and everyone knows it and there are fae all over the place!

Yeah. This would be cool in the extreme.
Stay tuned for more on this.

Catgirls for Old Scool Games

Here is a version of the Catgirl for "Race as a Class" flavors of Old School Games.

Catgirl spotted at Gen Con 2009

Nekojin
Requirements: DEX 9
Prime Requisite: DEX and CHA
Hit Dice: 1d6
Maximum Level: 9
Weapons: Any (must be modified)
Armor: none or leather only
Poison/Oil/HolyWater: Yes to all

Nekojin, aka Catgirls/Catboys, are a humanoid race that have prominent cat-like features.  These include furry cat ears on the the top of their head, cat eyes, canine ..feline teeth and whiskers. Their pupils are slits like that of a cat. They also have long cat tails and their hands and feet resemble a cross between cat paws and humanoid hands and feet.  Their nails are in fact retractable claws.   They typically weigh about 110 pounds and are between 5 and 5½ feet tall. Their human-ish faces give them the look of kittens. This, in addition their size, often lead non-Nekojin to treat them as if they were younger than they truly are.

The typical nekojin can live to about 50 years of age. They reach maturity by age 7 and will begin adventuring between  ages 6 and 8. Nekojin have their own language, but they can also learn the language of humans (Common) and Elves (Sylvan).

Nekojin can use any weapon that has been modified for their hands (increased cost +25%), but they avoid armor except for leather.   A nekojin  must have at least 12 in both prime requisites in order to get the +5% to experience. They must also have a DEX of 16 and a CHA of 13 to get the +10% bonus.

Nekojin see very well int eh dark and they have ultravision out 120'.  This combined with their sense of smell and superior hearing means a nekojin is only surprised on a roll of 1 on a 1d6.  Nekojin though can not see in color.  They gain a bonus when facing illusions, adding a +1 bonus to any save on illusion or phantasm based magic.  Due their sight nekojin can also detect an invisible creature when actively looking on a 1-2 on a 1d6. This includes creatures such as ghosts that might be ethereal rather than just invisible.

Nekojin also have the following thief skills of thief of the same level: Move Silently, Climb Walls, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise.  The nekojin can add +1 point of damage per level (max +9) to any sneak attack.

Falling: A nekojin can reduce falling damage by twisting and landing on her feet.  For each level of experience or HD she can ignore 10 feet worth of falling damage.  So a 7th level nekojin can fall 70 feet with no damage. At 100 ft she would only take damage as if she fell 30 feet.  This ability is partially due to her agility and biology, but many scholars also feel it is supernatural in nature.

Nekojin have a maximum level of 9th.  At 9th level they they may settle down to form a small Pride.

Table 1: Nekojin Advancement and Saving Throws

Nekojin		HD	Saves
Level	XP Required	1d6	Death	Wands	Paralysis	Dragon Breath	Spells
1	0	1d6	12	14	12	16	15
2	2,000	2d6	12	14	12	16	15
3	4,000	3d6	12	14	12	16	15
4	8,000	4d6	10	12	11	14	13
5	16,000	5d6	10	12	11	14	13
6	32,000	6d6	10	12	11	14	13
7	64,000	7d6	8	10	9	12	11
8	128,000	8d6	8	10	9	12	11
9	256,000	9d6	8	10	9	12	11

Table 2: Nekojin to Hit vs. AC

To Hit
Level	-4	-3	-2	-1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7
2	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7
3	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6
4	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6
5	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5
6	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5
7	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4
8	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4
9	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3

OGL Section 15
"Nekojin for Basic Era Games" Copyright 2013 Timothy S. Brannan
All text is released as Open under the Open Game License.

ETA: Thanks to +Benjamin Baugh for reminding me of falling.

Review: Tacky, Tawdry and Tasteless: the Reality Show RPG

I have been neglecting my reviews.
So I am going to feature some games I have bought in the last few months.

Tacky, Tawdry and Tasteless: the Reality Show RPG
From Spectrum Games

A great game that comes in at just under 10 pages. Spectrum Games has made a name for themselves in Genre Emulation.  Since Reality TV is often criticized as not needing any writers, the game brilliantly is equally as brief.  Foregoing the typical "this is an RPG" section, the game gets right into the various types of reality TV shows are discussed.  Once your group decides what sort of game they are going to do (or maybe your Director has decided for you) and then you go!
You then need to make your character. You figure out your name and stereotype then roll your stats. Figure out your positive and negative qualities and you are good to go!  Like other Spectrum Games these qualities are not listed; instead you decide what they need to be.  Typically these are needed to point out some character flaw your character has.
For rules, the only checks are ability checks (roll under, apply qualities as needed) and dramatic checks.
You also get "Edit Tokens" which work a lot like Drama Points.  Tokens are awarded for good roleplaying and Sticking to Genre.  You can also spend your tokens to change what is going on; such a "Oh No You Dit'unt!" and "I Ain't Goin' Nowhere!".
The basic structure of a game is also laid out, including Commercial Breaks.  These can affect the Shows "Popularity" this can affect the amount of Edit Tokens the players can get.

The game is fast and is great for a like minded group. Given the nature of reality TV you could have enough material here for several "episodes" of material.

Personally I'd like to try it out sometime with people bringing in characters from any game and do a reality "TV Show" where all these characters have to live together in a house in between their normal adventures.