Other Sources: An idea for a gnome weapon

This is a king DICK adjustable calipers/shifter. For antique bicycles. Yes I know, 'dick' being the only visible word on the 'measuring tool'...stay focused.
So gnomes are tool makers. Now consider the fact that the bit with the thread on the end could just as well be a swapable blade.

Gnomish Adjustable Tool: 1d6 (short sword/small hammer), 50gp.
Gat for short...an almost gangsterish term for a weapon.

Dungeon Mastery: economic stuff

A woodsman fells an acre of light forest in a day. Thats 20,000lb of timber/firewood. At 20lb/cp in the village marketplace thats 10gp, he splits that with the guy who owns the cart who must make ten round trips and load and unload. That means less than half hour travel distance is required between village and wood source or more wagons and drivers. So if woodsman sells his wood to the guy on the wagon for 5sp a load getting 5gp a day and the wagon driver adds 5sp per load for his own wages, haul distances longer than a half hour are economically prohibitive to the wagon driver he can have an income inversely proportional to distance between 5sp and 5gp.

The richest wagon driver is travelling the shortest distance. At 8 miles a day thats no further than half a mile. Thats not only distance between village and woodsman, it will apply to the movement of freight in cities where a city larger than a half a mile is going to cost the wagon master income. You will therefor pay the wagon master based on distance. At 1gp/mile a trip of a hundred miles from one end of the Kingdom to another will be a hundred gold pieces and take two weeks. Thats a long way to go just to sell firewood to the capital.

Isle of Dread: Witchdoctor Spells

Spells for the Witch-doctor

Grave Guide (1st level)

Range: 0 (Caster only)

Duration: special*

Effect: The caster summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor for guidance.

The witchdoctor summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor from their grave to locate a missing person. 

Spirit summoned

01-25 summoned specific Ancestor.

26-100 other spirit makes contact.*

In either case the dungeon master should decide the spirit's cooperation. *a spirit making contact will determine spell duration. Otherwise the specific Ancestor will ask around about the missing person (1d20 hours for reply).

Ancestor's Embrace (1st level)

Range: touch

Duration: 1 round per level of caster

Effect: The caster summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor to provide healing.

The witchdoctor summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor to heal the recipient of the spell. 

Spirit summoned

01-25 summoned specific Ancestor.

26-100 summoned other spirit.

In either case the dungeon master should decide the spirit's cooperation. Healing can involve a life transfer from spirit to recipient (or lifedrain).

Grave Advice (2nd level)

Range: 0 (Caster only)

Duration: special

Effect: The caster summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor for guidance.

The witchdoctor summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor from their grave to determine the source of ill luck that has befallen a particular person.

Spirit summoned

01-35 summoned specific Ancestor.

36-100 other spirit makes contact.

In either case the dungeon master should decide the spirit's cooperation.

Guardian Ancestor (2nd level)

Range:  graveyard

Duration: special

Effect: The caster summons the skeleton of a deceased ancestor to attack a target. 

The witchdoctor summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor from their grave to attack an enemy. The spirit will Animate their skeleton until the spell caster breaks concentration (or is killed).

Spirit summoned

01-35 summoned specific Ancestor.

36-100 other spirit makes contact.

In either case the dungeon master should decide the spirit's cooperation.

Grave Illness (3rd level)

Range: 0 (Caster only)

Duration: 1-10 turns

Effect: The caster summons a spirit of a deceased ancestor to bring a sickness to the witchdoctor. 

The witchdoctor summons the spirit of a deceased ancestor from their grave to impart a disease that the witchdoctor can spread by touch. The witch doctor must save vs disease or fall victim to their own disease.

Spirit summoned

01-45 summoned specific Ancestor.

46-100 other spirit makes contact.

In either case the dungeon master should decide the spirit's cooperation. A disease might be mild or it might be terrible.

Summon Old One (4th level)

Range: sacred tree or water

Duration: special

Effect: The caster summons an old one.

The witchdoctor summons an ancestor who has been deceased so long they are without name. The spirit will take the form of an elemental or treant. 

In either case the dungeon master should decide the spirit's cooperation.

Karameikos: The Residence of Baron Vorloi

The Baron has a rather nice residence in the Town of Vorloi. Far from the maddening crowd. This isnt it. This is his town house. So now as the adventurers investigate the Veiled Society they will stumble across a murder. Lucia Vorloi, daughter of Fortunato Vorloi (Brother to the Baron). Her body secretly being removed through tunnels dug into the cellar.

Reference: The Veiled Society.

Map of the week: The Salt Mines

Now your adventurers can start out in a salt mine...and burn down a church.

Year of Chaos: week ten

NYCCC: Vin Diesel hasnt rolled a D20 in over a Decade

Folks at the New York City Comic Convention were horrified to learn that Vin Diesel hasnt rolled a D20 in over ten years. More than Ten years. For gods sake someone get the guy a d20. Maybe he can then feel happy enough to star in and direct the next Dungeons & Dragons movie.

I mean really, Who wouldnt want to see Vin Diesel as the elusive Bandit Chief (and shape changing Brown Dragon) of the brutal Red Scimitars laying Siege to the Empire of Thyatis?