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Author Topic: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths  (Read 20336 times)

Snowman0147

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[Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« on: August 27, 2020, 07:52:12 PM »
Basically a dark fantasy human centric game where you play as prisoners magically bound to serve a mission in deadly forest that is haunted.

The interesting elements for the player is that they control a entire party of four at level five instead of one character at level one.  Trust me you need the numbers and HP as the forest is quite deadly.

Obviously there will be house rules as magic will be very different from normal D&D.  By the way if your wondering what book I am using it is Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy by Necrotic Gnome.  

If your interested stay alert as more information will be given once I have them written down.

JeStor

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2020, 08:01:26 PM »
I'd be interested.

Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2020, 10:26:31 PM »
I'd be interested.

Nice.  I wait for two more, but hold on as I have yet to complete homelands and factions.  Basically ten homelands and six factions.

JeStor

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2020, 09:19:57 PM »
No problem, I'll wait till you are ready to go.

Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2020, 06:00:01 PM »
Here are the homelands.

Barista, the Cruel Kingdom
    A kingdom under the cold iron grip of its cruel and ruthless aristocracy.  Here status is everything and will determine your fate for the rest of your life.  Wise freeman make themselves useful to the nobility, or avoid their presence entirely.  Many find the trenches in the blood fields, but the lucky few find very comfortable lives in the cities.  Though most people in Barista are serfs who are owned by their noble masters.
    Alignments: Neutral, but nobles lean towards Chaotic
          Abilities: +1 CON, -1 CHA


Demonia, the Wastes of Filth
    Dividing the deserts of Lambii to the east from the rest of the land to the west are mountainous badlands with deep canyons.  The land is rotten and vile for something is buried deep within the earth.  It crawls, it devours, and thank God it cannot tolerate any light so it will never bring itself to the surface.  It also produces powerful drugs and aphrodisiacs.  When fleeing exiles from Lambii had entered the land to escape the desert these powerful drugs split the people into two groups.  Those that resisted the drugs left the land to create the first city known as Ghadii.  Those that stayed became savage cultists who worship their false god in pleasure temples.  They are not above human sacrifice to feed that demon.
    Alignments: Chaotic
          Abilities: +1 CON, -1 WIS

Farlander
    People who are not from this region of the world are refered to as Farlanders.  They carry a exotic air and with them strange tales from their foreign lands.
    Alignments: Any
          Abilities: +1 ANY, -1 ANY

Ghadii, the Fortress City
    Long ago exiles from Lambii went through the wastes of Demonia.  The foul slouthful creature that crawls deep in the earth divided the people.  Those who were wise left the wastes for better land.  That land was the holy mountains where the first city was built.  Named after the hero of their people Ghadii still stand tall with its high walls and deep mines.  Unlike their degenerate kin to the north the people of Ghandii practice disciple and had defended the region from its enemies.  Those enemies are the degenerates to the north, Lambii raiders to the east, and Barista to the west.  Though thanks to joining the Three Kingdom Alliance tensions with Barista had lessened, but Ghadiians know better than to trust tyrants.  Though converting into the St. Hamel faith is controversial and brought unease in the city.
    Alignments: Lawful
          Abilities: +1 WIS, -1 DEX

Hol, the Iron Kingdom
    The good kingdom of Hol is known for being the fair handed swords of justice and creators of the Three Kingdom Alliance.  Its people are strong, independent, and free which is unheard of to the tyrannical kingdom south of them.  The people owe this to the divide of power between the royal family, nobles, elected representatives among the commoners, and the elected commoners who serve as judges.  Having a actual say in what goes on in their kingdom the people have higher morale and loyalty to their nation in comparison to others.
    Alignments: Neutral, but leaders lean towards Lawful
          Abilities: +1 CHA, -1 WIS

Jarrett, the Broken Kingdom
    A kingdom of too many problems, too many rivalries, and too many civil wars.  Here there is no king, but a number of lords who hold tight to their lands for as long as they can.  Things are so chaotic the wild folk had returned to reclaim their ancestral land from the Hamel worshippers.  If it wasn't for the few nobles that control the wall in the north the region would be taken over by Lambii.  Though these northerners are thinking of leaving the Three Kingdom Alliance.  For that matter form its own kingdom as most of Jarrett wages war on itself.  The pagans already divided the kingdom in half.
    Alignments: Neutral
          Abilities: +1 DEX, -1 INT

Lambii, the Desert Empire
    The empire of Lambii is so vast that it contains many lands and could be argued that it is a continent of its own.  One that is mostly barren desert where only the sands will shift.  So vast is the ocean of sand the Lambii crafted airships to speed up travel from one city to another.  Merchant princes rule the empire with silk gloves covering iron fists.  The people enjoy comfortable lives as the slave labor do most of the work.  That said some of those slaves have better lives than most free people of the empire.
    Alignments: Neutral
          Abilities: +1 CHA, -1 STR

Magistra, the Esoteric City
    Between Hol and Barista there is a inner sea known as the Sea of Dreams.  Its high amounts of salt makes the sea inhospitable to most life, but made islands with bizarre wild life.  Magicians who wanted to be free from the feuding nations settled there and eventually built the city known as Magistra.  Here the University of Magistra teaches all would be magic-users in the three kingdoms.  In fact the University pretty much runs everything in the city with the only rival are the libraries in Ghadii.  Many designs for industrial machinery are made here as well many more usages of Azoth.  Speaking of Azoth the bottom of the sea is covered by minerals that can easily create the divine fire.  The city is very protective of this resource.
    Alignments: Lawful
          Abilities: +1 INT, -1 STR

Mirkshroud, the Black Swamps
    Also known as the frozen marshes, or the pagan woods.  It is bleak place where the strong and the crafty survives.  Tales say that wicked spirits dominate the land with their black feathers being the only sign of their passing.  The pagans and their witch priestesses worship them as guardian spirits.  Beyond horrific spirits the wild life is said to be quite deadly as well.  From giant swamp sloths, man eating cat fishes of various sizes, and to armies of ants known for using the bones of their victims to move around.  The pagans are just as deadly and numbers of them are moving out from the swamps to take land from Jarrett.
    Alignments: Neutral
          Abilities: +1 STR, -1 CHA

Silence, the Haunted Forest
    In the middle of the entire region is a forest with no name for no sane man will ever try to claim it.  Even the mad cultists of Demonia avoid this accursed forest for it is haunted.  Locals simply call it the Forest of a Thousand Deaths and officials labeled the place as Silence for none will speak word on it.  Though sightings had reported strange things that defy even the strange wonders found in Magistra and horrors far exceeding those that can be found in Demonia drug dens.  The rare few born in the forest are cursed to eventually return.  The forest always claim what it owns.
    Alignments: Any
          Abilities: +1 WIS, -1 CON

Alignment are the most common you should expect from the npcs in these land.
Abilities are adjusted when picking a homeland.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2020, 06:12:18 PM by Snowman0147 »

JeStor

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2020, 09:49:25 AM »
Interesting. I'm going Black Swamps...Mirkshroud has a nice bleak ring to it.

Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2020, 01:14:23 PM »
You can control a party of four.  Just saying if you want a mix group, or not.

Opaopajr

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2020, 12:55:52 AM »
 ;)  I'd be interested. Though I may have too much on my plate at the moment. /looks at my blood-red skies

Just make your fuckin' guy and roll the dice, you pricks. Focus on what's interesting, not what gives you the biggest randomly generated virtual penis.  -- J Arcane
 
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Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2020, 01:05:00 AM »
You are most certainly welcome to join.

JeStor

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2020, 12:21:41 AM »
You can control a party of four.  Just saying if you want a mix group, or not.


A mix sounds good, this too I will think about.

Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2020, 10:03:37 AM »
Here are factions.


Cult of Ecstasy
    When the exiles from Lambii entered the profane land of Demonia they made a horrific discovery that divided the people into two groups.  Those who did not succumb to the addiction of the mucus left to create their city on the mountain.  Those that stayed became the savage degenerate cultists you see today.
    Members of the faction had created drug dens in various cities in the region which are constantly rooted out to spread the influence of the mucus.  Though nothing compared to the few temple cities in Demonia where sadistic human sacrifices are done, massive orgies are done daily, and horrific mutants are spawn from the monster beneath the earth.
    Not surprisingly the cult has no allies.  In fact every other faction would had joined forces to eradicate the cult once and for all if it wasn't two things.  The cult keeps Lambii out of the region if the empire tries to attack through the badlands of Demonia.  So tolerating the cult's existence is a tradeoff so as long as they continue being the sacrificial lambs to the Lambii lion.  The second being the spawns of that sickening beast.  A rare few have the courage to face those in combat.
    Homelands: Demonia, Jarrett, Silence
      Alignment: Chaotic
               Faith: The Crawling One (no clerics as the Crawling One isn't a god)
             Magic: Vials of Mucus

Feathers of the Black Harpies
    The last remaining pagans in the region and a vicious lot at that.  The people are used to hardship thanks to the cold marshes they call home.  They are highly territorial of what land they claim so powerful warriors are expected. 
    Their priests are shaman healers and their magic-users are horrific witches.  Still all magic require on the good will of the totems and wandering spirits.  Though they say a few fighters are chosen as mates to the harpy spirits that protect the people.  Every year local tribes will find orphan infant boys with features similar to that of the local champions.  The tribes are quick to adopt these boys unless they want to upset the harpies.
    The faction doesn't have many friends, but other than Jarrett it doesn't have any enemies either.  For the most part they have been focus on their own matters without much interruptions.  One day this will change as the faction takes advantage of Jarrett's broken state as the Three Kingdom Alliance will support its members.  They just hope that Barista can destroy the alliance from within.
    Homelands: Hol, Demonia, Jarrett, Mirkshroud, and Silence
      Alignment: Neutral
               Faith: Local Spirits
             Magic: Nature

Lambii Empire
    Once the empire was almost a size of a continent, but those were glorious days of myth.  Thanks to the ancient crusade the empire was pushed back to the desert.  The empire is now trying to recover what was once lost.
    The method of taking control of regions is done through manipulation and control of the flow of money.  Once a faction is weaken the merchant princes can decided to either take over the region by force, or come in to save the faction while attaining more authority over that faction.  It depends on the timing.
    That said the Three Kingdom Alliance were too quick to figure out Lambii scemes.  Spies also tell that attacking will be too costly.  The princes are sending in spies to find any weakness to be exploited, or a good reason to leave the region alone for at least a few generations.
    Homelands: Lambii
      Alignment: Neutral
               Faith: Lambii
             Magic: Azoth

Sable Crusade
    In ancient times the people who landed on the new world soon wage holy war against all manner threats to humanity.  Demonic false gods who used humanity as their play things were to be sent back to the dark void once they came.  The crusade was almost victorious, but the bishops of the first city ordered bombs to be dropped.  The azoth sent the demons back into darkness, but the cost was the crusaders who suffered the effects of azoth mutation.  Their hearts stopped beating, but they still walk with new found hunger for blood.  Many marched to the first city begging for a cure to this curse, but the Bishops open fire which resulted in the creation of this dark age.
    The long war, this Sable Crusade, had changed the world.  The ancient clan founders send their armies of the undead to wage war against the the Theocracy of St. Hamel for countless centuries.  Among them are a few living souls cursed with that sickness.  Upon death they will slumber till the hunger brings them back to feed on those traitors.
    Mortals that live under the vampires's reign live quiet and peaceful lives.  Each village, or hamlet is guarded by holy man who is refered to as a shepherd.  Shepherds keep the wards up to keep out the non-sentient undead at bay.  Magic users learn to not only use azoth, but can use the ashes that were made from azoth to pull off necromancy.  Though their vampiric masters retain the secrets of blood magic till one of his students joined the damned in which the true teaching begins.
    Homelands: Farlander
      Alignment: Too Massive to Say
               Faith: St. Hamel (clerics stay with their communities to keep up the wards)
             Magic: Azoth

Theoarchy of St. Hamel
    After escaping the old world from the demonic hordes in the sky ships the first government became the Theoarchy.  They ruled with benevolence and wisdom as the sky ships of legend travel between the stars in the ever darkening void.  Eventually they made it to the new world and made the first cities.  To their amazement they discovered other humans and troublesome enough their demonic masters.  Thus the creation of crusade to weed out the threats to mankind.  Sadly as generations of war continued the benevolent bishops passed on to a ever increasing selfish inheritors.  When the decision to drop the bombs was made these corrupt priests didn't care about what would happen the crusaders.  This careless act woul eventually draw the world into its current dark ages.
    Today there are two Theoarchies.  One that fools its citizens into complacency and to follow orders while the secret other does the gruesome work to keep things going.  One dirty trick is to take in a willing, but unwitting pilgrim  to the foundry.  There the pilgrim goes through the process to being unmade to become azoth to be used in the war effort to battle the vampires.  Not surprisingly there are no true clerics of St. Hamel that knows about this.  The Theoarchy cannot risk another uprising and has plenty of assassins to keep people quiet.
    The average people live in structured lives built on the indoctrination of the Theoarchy.  Most will just work in factories, farms, or other places of labor with what few technologies they have.  Those who show promise as fighters are sent to the army.  Charismatic thieves will eventually join the clergy and climb up the political ladder.  Useful thieves will work for the Theoarchy while the foolish will be cheaper labor in prisons.  Magic users are sent to Universities to study azoth and the Theoarchy will decide if the student is trusted enough to work in the foundries, or the student should be kept in the dark.  Clerics...  Those are always the problem.  They are simply too good for this world.
    Homelands: Farlander
      Alignment: Too Massive to Say
               Faith: St. Hamel (clerics eventually start rebellions, or flee to other factions)
             Magic: Azoth

Three Kingdom Alliance
    The second largest local power in the region and a faction that seen better days.  It is a creation of the kingdom of Hol in order to end wars among the three kingdoms and to defend each other from outside threats.  Now it seems only Hol has the intentions to maintain the Alliance.  Oh Magistra and Ghandii had made great strides in their efforts.  That said city states can only do so much in comparison to kingdoms.
    If Jarrett knew how bad Hol's problems are it might unite the kingdom...  Might being the key word.  No Jarrett has too many problems that it doesn't even notice the coming dangers from the west.  This ignorance is creating resentment as the broken kingdom inaccurately views Hol holding out on its obligations.  Pagans are taking over the south, the north is thinking of leaving the Alliance, and the rest of Jarrett is in civil war.  Then to pissed off the north even more Hol invited in Ghadii.  Doesn't matter if they are exiled a Lambii is still a Lambii.  What is next?  You invite the pagans of Mirkshroud too?
    Of course Barista sits off in a distance and watches the chaos unfold.  In secret they are fanning the flames and weakening the Alliance to make Hol look incompetent in its duties.  Once Jarrett has enough it will be Barista to "save" the Alliance and become the new defacto leader.  Only then will the chaos in Jarrett will end.
    Homelands: Barista, Ghadii, Hol, Jarrett, Magistra, and Silence
      Alignment: Lawful
               Faith: St. Hamel (Ghadii flip coin. Head St. Hamel, tails Lambii)
             Magic: Azoth

You must have the correct homeland to take up the faction.  You can go factionless, but it will be a disadvantage to your pc.

Alignment represents the viewpoints of most members in the faction and is not a requirement.

Faith is the common religion people follow and will determine what cleric your pc is.

Magic determines your magic users magical fuel.

Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2020, 10:36:06 AM »
Making up the magic systems, but also introducing elite units.  Elite units take up two slots, have higher hp, two actions per turn, and you can only have one of these per player.  So if you go elite your party drops from four to three.

JeStor

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2020, 10:00:15 PM »
I'll go with the Feathers, who doesn't love harpies!


Opaopajr

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2020, 12:43:14 AM »
 :D  Homeland: Silence. Faction: Feathers. Doomed heathens returning to their accursèd forest as an enslaved unit.  8)  Poetic fate.
Just make your fuckin' guy and roll the dice, you pricks. Focus on what's interesting, not what gives you the biggest randomly generated virtual penis.  -- J Arcane
 
You know, people keep comparing non-TSR D&D to deck-building in Magic: the Gathering. But maybe it's more like Katamari Damacy. You keep sticking shit on your characters until they are big enough to be a star.
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Snowman0147

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Re: [Interest] B/X in a Haunted Forest of a Thousand Deaths
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2020, 07:47:33 PM »
Sorry for being slow in making mechanics.  I am thinking of cheat.


Clerics must follow St. Hamel, or Lambii.  Shamans and witch doctors follow something different.


In short they both follow the cleric and have the class features expect no turning undead.  Instead they get a miracle chance that starts at 0%.  You gain percentage by helping out your followers and following the tenets of your faith.  Any time you want to use a miracle it basically works like a level 6 spell if your percentage roll is successful.  Once used successfully the percentage goes back to 0%. 


Cleric spells are different too.  Mostly that you are allowed one spell per spell level so at most Clerics only have six spells.  That said they cast it any time and can change them per level.  You cannot use spells that instant damage, instant heal, and bring about the dead.  Lambii can select spells from the magic user, druid, and illusionist lists to represent their polytheistic faith.  All clerics have access to any weapons.


St. Hamel is basically Eastern Orthodox Christianity till you go towards the Theoarchy of St. Hamel which is more like Roman Catholic.  Tenents demand lawful behavior and ethics.  In short be a good charitable person who believes in the Holy Trinity that is God.


Lambii follows many gods and their faith is more like gods found in the Mediterranean.  The ancient Greek, Mesopotamia, and ancient Eygptian gods are a good reference.  Tenets are basically be really good at your chosen gods professions so you can honor them correctly, honor your family, and further the goals of Ghandii or Lambii.  Each god can only grant on spell so clerics of the Lambii faith make up to six different prayers per day.


Shamans and their darker counterpart follow different mechanics.  First off they lack any armor and shield as they do rituals to appease the spirits.  They gather resources which can be just about anything.  So much that I simply call it RP (resource points) which the more powerful the spell the more resources must be used for spell casting.  Basically it cost 6 RP to cast a level six spell.  So the shaman can cast a lot of spells if he has like 50 RP.  The have access to every spell lists, but cannot cast any instant spell nor bring back the dead.


Last shamans don't get turn undead.  Instead they can offer themselves, or others to the spirits.  In which case the PC's hp count as RP.  Trust me there is a reason why witches go skyclad during rituals, own slaves, and the rest of the villagers avoid them.  The rites can get very weird and the spirits may want more than just burning herbs.