Map of the week: a better roadside shrine

So now as you gaze into the face of this rather handsome statue...you feel the need to undertake a charisma check.

Mystara: The Guild town of Loen

More a village but this tiny wedge of land was leased by the Guild and has become a centre of Guild services (merchants, magicusers, thieves).

Captain America turns hydra: frankly meh.

There is nothing more terrifying and devisive in the brain of 'Americans' than an end of the united states of America as they know it. America has always been a 'little America'. The real America is all of it: From the Arctic circle to the Straits of Magellan. It hasnt been that America...ever.

Captain America 2016

Union at Last.

Mapping Mystara: The Duumtor

 You likely know of Fort Doom located in the far west of Karameikos...but the silent hill predates the vile Barony.
Now you can employ this blank poster map as the background for what ever you desire to put on or in the shadow of the duumtor.

Duumtor 2300BC: Boag's Ear

Boag's Ear is an iron age village located on the duumtor. Boag and his people live in fear of the horrors of the world. In the bog filled depression below the Duumtor the Witch, Black Anns harvests the poisonous Wolfsbane. Boag climbs down the cliff by hidden footholds a path only known to him when he desires the witch's advice. The witch dips a pointed stick in crushed wolfsbane as a weapon.

Wolfsbane
Effect: death in 1d4 +2 hours. No saving throw. Neutralize poison spell required within 2 hours to avoid death.

The Stone Circle
The trail east from Boag's Ear passes through a circle of large rough stones. Any undead passing through the stone circle will develop a blue aura (faerie fire).

Art Folio: A Halfling named Dav

Here is a nice bw portrait of Trampier's Halfling found in D&D expert manual (b/x). Mine looks a bit older and a nice scar adds something to his experiences.

 A bit of adjustment in the photo app gets us a halfling who is far more necrotic and bruised...and this provides a color palate we can go back to my black n white pen image with in ms paint.

And there we have our halfling in colour.





Dav T'rnip: Halfling; Level 2; 12hp; Lawful; AC6; Str (16), Int (11), Wis (8), Dex (18), Con (14), Cha (13); Shortsword+1, plain clothes, boots, belt, pouch, 20gp
Background: A Halfling Adventurer late of the Five Shires. The Scar he got the same time his human friend died defending Wereskalot from Human Raiders out of Fort Doom.

Kingdom of Karameikos: The Estat di Sulescu

 The most recent erection of the Sulescu Manor has reduced the dwelling to a few rooms occupied by Lord Zemiros Sulescu and his wayward sister Mirsa. The upper levels inaccessible by anything other than a hole in the ceiling of the central gallery by which both residents utilize levitation rings.

The cellars are from the previous structure laid bare by an attack by dwarves.

Agriculture
Sulescu is a major exporter of Garlic.
Each year an acre of garlic is produced. Garlic can be purchased in Specularum (Mirros) for 5gp per 1cn bulb.

Estate (25%): 1,000lb
Salt Tax (10%): 400lb
Church Tithe (17%): 680lb
Village Share (48%): 1,920lb

Garlic@Sulescu: 200gp per 40lb sack (10% market value).

Adventure Scenario
1. Lord Sulescu's Taxes
The adventurers are hired by Lord Sulescu to escort a cart of ten sacks of garlic (20,000gp market value) to King Stephan Karmeikos in Specularuam.

Golden Age: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

 I will tell you that Hayao Miyazaki created something wonderous and dark. It will suck the joy from you and leave you with no illusions.

 You might have seen the film...that covers about 1&1/2 graphic novels.
    beyond this line be horrors   

They are worth the read. The seven cost me twenty five dollars each and that was twenty years ago. They are a significant investment of funds you might prefer to spend on a sack of rice and roast vegetables. Go. Go feed your family and dare not venture beyond the edge of your valley. There is nothing there you want. Go back now.

Update: Would this War Story and Scifi make an excellent TV series like Game of Thrones? Yes. Though there is no sex and lots of violence. There are two major female characters.

• Princess Nausicca
• Princess Kushana

Male characters are secondary characters:

• Kurosawa (Kushana's Aide) is that Peasant risen through the ranks until he is sent to Kushana as her Aide (the previous dying regularly) who ultimately finds he cannot escape the two Princesses in his life.
• Yupa is a master swordsman and advisor to Nausicaa (and others). He sacrifices everything for peace.
• Mito is a gunship pilot from the valley of the wind following Nausicaa into war.
• Others.

A Sheltering Fire: Project Silver Arrow concept art

Project Silver Arrow was seen As a cultural Seeding mechanism. Waiting for the colonists in the Proxima system is the discarded drive to the probe and its tokamak toroidal fusion reactor. The drive section was discarded in a long orbit on the edge of the system. Its payload is now circling the Proxima star collecting stellar hydrogen. The protons feeding into the three dee printer as it creates replica objects of human cultural significance.

Useful Skills: charcoal Making

You never know why you might need charcoal. Perhaps you want carbon to add to your whitewash, art supplies and dont want to buy them, or want charcoal for generic pot plants or improving your vegetable garden. Dig a hole, lay in wood tightly with minimal distance, light the fire and seal over with dirt or heavy cover. Let burn for a few hours (2-3) and hopefuly you get charcoal. Larger quantities take longer.

Space Opera: A Million Voices RPG

Setting Background
The human race expanded out across the universe carving out the Terran Federation. The epic distances were overcome by the development of the Manifold though the tyranny of time required something a little more daring.
The Federation expanded but humanity never encountered intelligent alien life. So they made their own.

Alien Assault
Alien Assault TM became the ultimate holiday destination. Children could create their own Aliens and shoot it out with the ultimate predator or explore an alien civilization.

The Manifold
A gate which combines with the singularity transit vessel allows a ship to enter the manifold while the STV is pulling space-time aside and then exit after a short voyage when the STV has reached its destination manifold and pulled aside space-time allowing the traveller to exit while the STV has taken the long way around.
Some travellers reported seeing unfamiliar ships and structures in Manifold Space.

Colony Collapse
The colossal amount of time required to use the Manifold to transit from one colony to another resulted in colonies collapsing and rising and collapsing in the milennia it took to Transit. A solution to colonies collapsing involved the deliberate transfer of technology filled databases to colonies on a regular basis to ensure that loss was quickly overcome.

The Fall of Humanity
About a million years ago humanity Vanished. Teeming with Genetically Modified Organisms and Droids, the Federation continued on...droids feeding the Genetically Modified Pets of humanity and collecting the mail.

A Gift
Things would have continued on undisturbed until about a thousand years ago when an STV arrived from beyond the galactic edge unleashing a technology download that turned the droids sentient. Realizing that humanity had been gone a million years the 5G-YY droids established a guild giving themselves control over forgotten technology and a declining Terran Federation populated by man-made aliens and robots. They began rebuilding though they have noticed there are obviously large tracts of the Terran Federation missing from the records including the cradle of humanity.

Player Characters

Human isnt available as a character race.

Genetically Modified Organism
Size: small (3' tall)
Primary Ability: Dexterity.

Description: Thanks to the genetic tinkering of the human race the previously feral Wombat is now a bipedal sentient race pursuing its own destiny as a technologically savvy species.

Level: 1 - 2 - 3
Exp: 1200 - 2400 - 4800
HD: 1d4 - 2d4 - 3d4

Tech skills by Wombat Caste:
Marine: Killshot, engineering (weapons)
Healer: Neutralize Poison, Engineering (Droids)
Diplomat: Killshot, Negotiate
Junker: Pilot, Engineering (starships)

Skills

• Tech Skill Slot (1): 15% - 20% - 25%
• Tech Skill Slot (2): 10% - 15% - 20%
• Paralyzing Claw Pinch: 20% - 25% - 30%
• Move Silently: 20% - 25% - 30%
• Climb: 87% - 88% - 89%
• Hide: 10% - 15% - 20%
• Detect Noise: 33% - 33% - 50%

5G-YY Guildbot
Size: medium (5' tall)
Primary Ability:
Dexterity

Description: The SEGWAY 5G-YY is the last droid ever created by the SEGWAY Robotics Corporation before the Fall. Recently they achieved sentience.

Level: 1 - 2 - 3
Exp: 1200 - 2400 - 4800
HD: 1d4 - 2d4 - 3d4
Skills

• Hack Encryption: 15% - 20% - 25%
• Detect/Disarm Device: 10% - 15% - 20%
• Delicate Surgery: 20% - 25% - 30%
• Move Quietly: 20% - 25% - 30%
• Climb: 87% - 88% - 89%
• Hide: 10% - 15% - 20%
• Detect Noise: 33% - 33% - 50%

Star Trek: The TV promo hit...

January 2017 for cbs viewers...but The rest of the world will need to buy the series on DVD. Given game of thrones, April 2019 for Season 1.

Pew! Pew!
"We may not be in our own Galaxy, but those photon torpedoes will alert any technologically advanced civilization that we are in distress!" 

Dungeon Mastery: Aboriginal Tribes & Clans

Last year I discussed Aboriginal names and how that divides into three migration origin groups (ul, dj, and ng).
This time its Tribe and Clan Names.

UL
Alyuwara
Wolmamba
Anyula
Alawa
Nalakan
Andiljaygwa
Balumumu
Moil
Malak-Malak
Wailbri
Gajalivia
Maiali


DJ
Luridja
Djauan
Djinba
Iwaidja
Gunavidji


NG
Warramunga
Lunga
Nginning
Malngin
Mariung
Naringman
Nungali
Gajarung
Binbinga
Wandarang
Mangarai
Yangman
Ngalkbun
Ngandi
Nungubuju
Ridarrungu
Rembarrnga
Gungora-goni
Walang
Maung
Gunwinngu
Nangomeri
Gobaboingo
Maranunggu
Tjingal


OTHER
Pitjanjatjara
Pindubi
Aranda
Anmatjira
Kaitij
Wanjira
Guri-unji
Mudbura
Wadaman
Wogai-a
Wombei-a
Wanji
Garawa
Wodidi
Mara
Dagaman
Dai
Burera
Nakara
Amurag
Warrgu
Tunara
Warrai
Wagaman
Brinkin
Wagait
Larakia
Tiwi

For the Dungeon Master: so plenty of tribes for your Walara D&D adventures if you play in Mystara. Gajalivia is related to the european name Olivia. They likely have a common ancestor.

Poster Action: A DM Screen for your enjoyment

Feel free to erase the text on the left and use it as you like.

Dungeon Mastery: The village of Wiansfield

So with the throw of a few dice on a piece of paper we have the Village of Wiansfield (pop. 48). The ideal gaming product is to create a miniatures scale map, NPC cards for the villagers, and eventually build a set of fourty eight miniatures to represent the villagers. The end result would be a boxed set that can be added to any D&D game.

Tip of the sword: what is going to happen in Game of Thrones?

First off, have not read the books. Havnt seen season six and dont want to spoil DVD night for when I watch it in 2017. Lets talk forward projections.

The Ten things I want to See in future Game of Thrones
1. Tyrion fly a Dragon to Kings Landing, smash through the glass window of the throne room, cook everyone, and carry off the Iron Throne to Mereen as a present to his Queen.

2. Exploration of Valyria. With Jorra infected he should have no fear of exploring the ancient ruins and come out with enough valyrian steel to buy the debt of the seven kingdoms.

3. I want to see Jon Snow, Jamie Lannister, Jorran Mormont, and Tyrion Lannister go all 'dragonlance' knight on the back of a dragon.

4. Cersei is going to do a lot of 'two thumbs down' voting in Kings Landing. I assume that giant in the armour is going to go all 'game of thrones' (its a thing) on the clergy and peasants in the street...specially the one who spat on cersei.

5. I assume the wildling who had sex with greyjoy (before the most hated actor in the world cut off his man-bits) will show up with an heir to the iron islands.

6. when the white walkers reach the wall we need to find that the wall is thousands of years of millions of dead frozen in the ice wall. So some idiot like Alister will be up the top saying 'what can they do from down there' when corpses errupt from beneath him.

7. Dragon Glass. Tyrion will spearhead the mass production of dragonglass weapons and flood the seven kingdoms with them.

8. I want to see that little princess of Barathyon crawl out of the bloody ashes of her bonfire like a certain queen of dragons and preferably not as part of the undead army.

9. Sam Makes Gillyflower Queen of Kings Landing. And her Queen's Guard, the Giant Lady Knight agrees. First Royal Decree... rooftop flower gardens in the old city so the city develops a certain pleasant odour. Gillyflower polen will cure the stone disease...good news for Jorran Mormont. And then Sansa Stark shows up and says some mean things...

10. Gendry shows up with the rowboat at the very end of the Series and offer Arya Stark a lift. Gendry and Arya row off together happily ever after.

So...there are my ten GoT events that need to happen. There is an Eleventh:

11. That whole 'we all live in the eye of a Giant named Macumber'...should turn out to be some sort of scifi world-ship...travelling the stars...and everyone is in a virtual reality game...just to screw with the readers.

Bablefish: An Earpiece that Translates what you hear

Waverly Labs is producing an earpiece to translate what you hear straight into your ear.

The tyranny of language is comming to an end...

Creature Catalogue: E is for...

 EXTRATERRESTRIAL
Armour Class: 5
Hit Dice: 4*
Move: 90’(30’)
Attacks:  1 Weapon
Damage: As Weapon
No. Appearing:  1-6 (1-6)
Save As: Fighter: L8
Morale:  8
Alignment:  Chaotic
Intelligence: 19
Treasure Type:  E
XP Value:  125
Description: This insidious alien makes your brain see an alternate version of reality as opposed to the actual one – where it is a nasty Extraterrestrial who can read and write your brain.

 EYE-STALKER Armour Class: 9
Hit Dice: 1hp eyestalk
Move: 0’
Attacks:  Nil
Damage: See description
No. Appearing:  1
Save As: Normal Human
Morale:  12
Alignment:  Neutral
Intelligence: 1
Treasure Type:  Nil
XP Value:  6
Description: These fungi are parasitic in nature and will infect any open wound as spores growing into a mature eyestalk at the rate of one per week connecting into a host’s neural network and functioning as an actual eye. The host will eventually die after a number of eyestalks equal to his/her/its hit-points have grown to maturity. The infestation can be removed by fire and remove disease and remove curse though it will leave the victim blinded for many days until the brain gets used to decreased neural transmitter activity. This particular fungus is capable of functioning with the Oozers as their ‘eyes’.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Armour Class: 9
Hit Dice: 1hp*
Move: 3’(1’)
Attacks:  Disease
Damage: See description
No. Appearing:  2 (as a pair)
Save As: Fighter: L1
Morale:  12
Alignment:  Neutral
Intelligence: 10
Treasure Type:  Nil
XP Value:  6
Description: The spore of this fungus causes the eyes to fall out (save vs. Disease to avoid) and continue to live on as fungi stalks rupture from the eyeballs and cause the eye to swell and bloat to a huge size. The fungus stalks become eye stalks as the eye becomes a beholder. Consequently when an adult Beholder dies it will eventually dry out and become a ball of spores that will explode and disperse. It takes a while for the ability to fly to kick in – they are unable to do so until they become beholders after a year rolling about.

Something I found drawn in my father's schoolbook: Captain Conquest

Found Captain Conquest here drawn in my father's school book from his childhood (early 1950's) so I guess he qualifies as public domain these days.

Enjoy. ;-)

Childrens Book: Ardora

For those of you who dont know of Ardora...she was a space princess from a now public domain comic released back in 'the olden days'. I decided to do a childrens book. So eventually you will get to read it to the little 'uns.

The original 'Red Shirt' of science fiction...

Updated: fixed her eyes.

Thinking a Ballad with pictures...

'Ten million people maybe more,
watched the battle skyward rage.'

Free stuff: your own franchise

 Your own franchise...

Map Oddities: the borneo supervolcano

The variations in green plant type, soil moisture holding, soil minerals (all factors in crop marks), add the remnant mountain ranges. Its a giant volcano. Or was...

Information theory: aliens know...

 You likely enjoyed the previous blog post on information theory and that whole accuracy of information the villagers of such and such have about what goes on in the capital city of some place...but lets give this some scifi relevence. If we truly reside on an information mesh then we must assume that mesh extends beyond our ball of planety stuff (lets call it stuff we found in our naval). Our glorious capital city of earth with seven billion people can be discerned to exist (100%) by any species with sufficient technological capacity determined by this variation our little formula:

Distance=^0.4root((7000000^0.87)/(100%/0.24))

The distance we can be identified as 100% being 'here' is 90.8 light years. How significant is this? There are estimated to be 448 G-type (yellow-orange) stars within a 50-100 light year range and 512 such stars at a 100 ly limit.

Roll Call: Assorted character sheets with character art