Friday, June 29, 2007

Cloud Chariot and Cloud Fortress

Pioneered by the wizard Malthalious the Inquisitor, these spells create magical flying clouds that can transport multiple people discreetly and in comfort.

Could Chariot
Conjuration (creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Air 6
Components: V, S
Range: Short
Effect: Cloud Chariot, 5sq ft / two levels
Duration: 1 hour/level

This spell conjures a magical flying cloud chariot that can transport multiple people. It is under the mental control of the caster, and can fly 40 ft with average maneuverability, but can also hover. When used to travel long distances, it can cover 8 miles per hour. The cloud chariot can transport one medium sized creature for every two caster levels. The chariot is 5 square ft. for every person it can transport. While the caster is not on the chariot, or is not mentally directing it (a free action), the chariot simply hovers in place, and may be moved by strong winds.


Cloud Fortress
Could Chariot
Conjuration (creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Air 9
Components: V, S
Range: Personal
Effect: Cloud Fortress, up to three 10-ft. cubes/level (S)
Duration: 1 hour/level

This spell conjures a magical flying cloud fortress that can transport and house multiple people. It is under the mental control of the caster, and can fly 40 ft with average maneuverability, but can also hover. When used to travel long distances, it can cover 8 miles per hour. The cloud fortress can accommodate creatures based on it's layout (see below). While the caster is not on the fortress, or is not mentally directing it (a free action), the fortress simply hovers in place, and may be moved by strong winds.

The fortress may have any design the caster wishes, up to the limits of the spell's effect: three 10-ft cubes / caster level. The fortress is furnished and contains sufficient foodstuffs to serve a nine-course banquet to a dozen people per caster level. A staff of near-transparent servants (as many as two per caster level), liveried and obedient, wait upon all who enter. The servants function as unseen servant spells except that they are visible and can go anywhere in the fortress.

This spell can be made permanent with a Permanency spell at a cost of 5000 xp.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Phantasmal Pommel

Created by Terin Goldwrit the dwarven artifacer for the use of his companion Galenados the elven knight, this pommel summons a phontom steed for up to 9 hours a day. These hours do not have to be continuous, but it takes 10 minutes for the steed to coalesce out of slowly gathering mists. Once summoned, it is quite useful for a full day's travel or for riding into battle.

The ghostly horse has the following stats:
  • AC of 18 (-1 size, +4 natural armor, +5 Dex)
  • 16 hit points: If it loses all its hit points, the phantom steed disappears.
  • Speed of 180 feet. The mount can ride over sandy, muddy, or even swampy ground without difficulty or decrease in speed.
  • The horse cannot attack.
  • It can bear its rider’s weight plus up to 90 pounds
Moderate conjuration; craft wonderous item, phantom steed; CL 9th; 1 lbs, 9,720 gold

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Proppian World View

Today I announce a spinoff of CCB! I will still be posting a bunch here, as I steal away time during lunch and after work, so don't worry -- there's still plenty of CCB work left to do!

The spinoff is Proppian World View named in honor of Vladamir Propp, who published a text in I think 1948 that provided a morphology of fairy tales. This blog will detail the plotline (and some setting) of a medieval fairy-tale role-playing campaign which will be ongoing, starting in July 2007.

Happy reading! Oh, and order printable versions of CCB. They come out looking really nice. Great for the kids.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Magedust

The invention of Nazur Tscheryn, the original version of this spell component can be added to many spells to extend their duration. It can also have other, stranger, properties when used with certain spells, similar to wild effects. For the most part this has the effect of extending the spell cast as though the caster had used the Extend Spell feat, thereby doubling the duration of the spell cast.

When using magedust, spells take a full round to cast, unless the spell's casting time is longer than a standard action, in which case the spell's casting time is unchanged.

The idea of supplementing material components has spread throughout the arcane community, leading to much experimentation. For the original version, mages tend to mix magedust using equal parts saltpeter, magnesium, sulfurous ash, though there are countless variations, some of which have other metamagical effects, such as extending the range and area of effect.

For a gram of magedust, it usually costs 100 gold coins, or 50 gold coins to make it yourself, depending on the individual recipe. The search is on to find cheaper alternatives to bring about the same effects. In all cases, craft alchemy checks can be used to create magedust for half the market prices listed below.

Enough magedust to extend up to a 3rd level spell costs 100 gold to buy. To extend up to a 6th level spell, 250 gold worth of mage dust must be used. And to extend up to a ninth level spell, 500 gold worth of magedust must be used.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Blades of Glass

Researched for years by Malthalious the Inquisitive in an attempt to craft the ultimate weapon, eventually he invented a difficult and costly alchemical process through which an amalgam of diamond and adamantium is created. When used for the blade of a weapon, this material holds an edge keener than any other. Additionally the blades have a transparent quality: they appear to be made from glass or crystal of some type, with wide variations in hue and clarity depending on the quality of the work and imperfections in the materials.

Properties of weapons with Blades of Glass
  • Have the Keen property, though they are not magical
  • Must be masterwork, and cost an additional 5,000 gold to produce
  • Have a hardness of 3, much lower than steel or wood, and so are vulnerable to being sundered. Blades of Glass have 20 HP per inch of thickness, so a light blade has 1 HP, a one-handed blade has 3 HP, and a two-handed blade has 6 HP.
  • A DC 40 craft: metalworking and spellcraft check is required to produce the material

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Aeonados Dy'rashe

One of a clutch of 5 offspring to a silver dragon, and her lover, a powerful elven druid in the northern reaches beyond the danor mountains. Aeonados has fine, tough silver scales covering his body, vestigial wings, a short tail, and an impressive frill running from his forehead and down his neck. He and his siblings were pushed out of the nest at a young age (60 or so), as is typical for dragons. In the fifty years since he has wandered the wild lands on the north shore of the soral sea, until meeting and becoming fast friends with Winnie (as she fled the law), who he is teaching about the ways of the wild lands, as he knows nothing of the cities.

Aeonados Dy'rashe, half silver dragon/half elf ranger 2
NG Medium-Size dragon
Init +4

AC 25 (touch 15, flat-foot 21 )
HP 17 (HD 2d8+2)
Immunities: cold, sleep and paralysis
Resistances: +2 vs enchantment or charm
SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2

Spd 30 ft
Attack: mw. greatsword +7 (2d6+6) or longbow +7 (1d8+5)
Attack Options: point blank shot(+1/+1 at less than 30'), breath weapon (30' cone of cold, 6d8, reflex DC 11 half)
Space / Reach: 5ft. / 5ft.
Base Attack: +2 Grapple: +6

Abilities: Str 18, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14.

Skills: sp:30 +4 handle animal, +3 heal, knowledge +1 dungeoneering, +1 geography, +2 nature, +8 listen, +8 spot, +4 search, +8 survival, +6 swim, common, elven, draconic,
Feats: Track, Point Blank Shot, (Rapid Shot).

Special Qualities: Immune to cold, sleep and paralysis, +2 vs enchantment or charm, low-light vision, favored enemy (magical beast), wild empathy, breath weapon (30' cone of cold, 6d8, reflex DC 11 half), darkvision 60', archery combat style.

Possessions: +1 mighty (+4 str) composite longbow, 20 arrows, +2 chain shirt, masterwork greatsword, 3 potions cure light wounds, potion of sanctuary, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, 845 gp, backpack, bedroll, waterskin, 5 days ratons.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Mage Hand of Athenetos

This hand belonged to Athenetos of the Spider-Priests, a drow wizard of great power. When he was slain by Barael his daemonic familiar whisked his corpse to safety and eventually sold it to Oxceros, an yugoloth arcanaloth. Oxceros pried all the secrets he could from the body via necromantic magic, and then used the left hand to create this Mage Hand. He used it for some time before trading it to Belo Adukar, a dwarven mage along with knowledge of some powerful spells in exchange for a pledge of service and devotion. On Belo's death it passed out of history into the mortal world. DC 40 knowledge arcana, history or planes reveals this history.

The mage hand is in a glass and crystal requilary, which is inscribed with the name Athenetos. When held it functions as a rod of maxamizing metamagic allowing the wielder to spontaneously maximize up to three spells of up to sixth level each day. Additionally it can be used to cast spectral hand 1/day and a maximized touch of idiocy 3 / day. These effects are at caster level 17, 3 and 9 respectively.

This mage hand is worth 104,760 gold. It and it's box weigh 8 pounds.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Issue 7 -- June 2007

Today we announce the completion of Issue 7, with many thanks to Joe Calkins, who has helped unify our look and feel. The rest of the content kudos are split between Priest of Doom and Howling Mime.

This issue of Claw/Claw/Bite! includes

  • Seven new creatures, Including the new True Dragon: the Aquamarine Dragon, also known as the River Dragon!
  • A new campaign location
  • A new playable race: Naahaogo, the Mountain Goat People
  • 5 new magic items, and a new type of weapon: the Overclaw Guantlet
  • Four new spells
  • Two new counterspelling feats
  • Four new NPCs: from escaped slaves to twin water priestesses!
For a free preview, click here.

Get it HERE now!

And you can check out other issues of Claw/Claw/Bite! HERE

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Zombie (Ettin)

In the ettin lands to the south of the Ettal Valley, a deep shadow glides down from the mountain. It is said that in this shadow, the bodies of fallen ettin rise up in the night and drag their feet across the hills.

These zombie ettin have been reanimated by ettin priests. They like "ettin' brains," but don't find that the least bit funny.

Zombie (Ettin)
Size/Type: Large Giant
Hit Dice: 14d12 (110 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +5 natural, +3 hide), touch 6, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+17
Attack: Morningstar +12 melee (2d6+6) or javelin +5 ranged (1d8+6) or slam +12 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 morningstars +12/+7 melee (2d6+6) or 2 javelins +5 ranged (1d8+6) or 2 slams +12 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: single actions only (per living head), darkvision 60', superior two-weapon fighting, DR 5/slashing, undead traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +9
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: Listen +10, Spot +10
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Power Attack
Environment: Cold hills
Organization: Any
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: +5

As undead, these ettins have the following features:
- No constitution; uses charisma for constitution checks
- Darkvision to 60'
- Immunity to all mind-affecting effects
- Immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects
- Not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage
- Cannot heal damage on its own
- Immunity to all effects that require a Fortitude save
- Do not breathe, eat, or sleep

Zombie ettins are two-headed giants that stand 12 feet tall with a slight hunch to their backs and weigh three to four thousand pounds. In their living lives, they live about 75 years. In zombie form they go on indefinitely, their reanimated bodies wandering the night until they can be freed through destruction.

Ettin have no language of their own but speak a pidgin of Orc, Goblin, and Giant. Creatures that can speak any of these languages must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence check to communicate with an ettin. In this zombie form, the pidgin is even more pronounced, making them harder to understand than in living form. Check once for each bit of information: If the other creature speaks two of these languages, the DC is 15, and for someone who speaks all three, the DC is 10.

Combat

Zombie ettin prefer to ambush their victims rather than charge into a straight fight, but once the battle has started, an ettin usually fights furiously until all enemies are dead.

Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): Most zombie ettin fight unarmed, groping their prey with their sharp claws and mangy giant arms, though some fight with a morningstar or javelin in each hand. Because each of its two heads controls an arm, the ettin does not take a penalty on attack or damage rolls for attacking with two weapons, or one hand unarmed.

Damage Reduction (Ex): An ettin zombie has damage reduction 5/slashing. Zombies are lumbering masses of flesh.

Skills

An ettin's two heads give it a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks.

Image by Joe Calkins.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Jana Telani

Jana has spent much time in the mountains around the Ettal Valley, making him perhaps the authority on the land. He knows just about every nook and cranny of the natural environs from Harlsbridge on the west to the end of the valley in the east, north into the Jaeruel, and even parts of the Ettin Lands (upcoming post) to the south. Jana trained in Kloster Finch and then set off to find adventure in the wilds. His training includes winemaking (vintner profession), as well as multiple weapon proficiencies, though he prefers unarmed combat. He has recently acquired a sling of outrageous fortune which he uses to hunt rabbit and other small game in the mountains.

He has contact with other mountain wyndm folk strewn about the mountains in hidden caves, and could offer various services if the need arises.

Jana Telani
Medium-size Male Wyndm
Druid5 Monk1

Hit Dice: (5d8)+(1d8)+6
Hit Points: 45
Initiative: +3
Speed: Walk 20 ft.
AC: 18 (flatfooted 15, touch 13)
Attacks: Shortspear +4;Shortspear (Thrown) +6;*Flurry of Blows +2/+2;*Sling of Outrageous Fortune +8; ;
Damage: Shortspear 1d6+1;Shortspear (Thrown) 1d6;*Flurry of Blows 1d6+1;*Sling of Outrageous Fortune 1d4+3; ;
Vision:
Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Animal Companion (Ex), Flurry of Blows (Ex), Nature Sense (Ex), Resist Nature's Lure (Ex), Trackless Step (Ex), Wild Empathy (Ex) +8, Wild Shape (Su) 1/day for 5 hours, Woodland Stride (Ex)
Saves: Fortitude: +7, Reflex: +6, Will: +9
Abilities: STR 13 (+1), DEX 16 (+3), CON 13 (+1), INT 15 (+2), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 12 (+1)
Skills: Appraise 2; Balance 1; Bluff 1; Climb -2; Concentration 10; Craft (Untrained) 2; Diplomacy 3; Disguise 1; Escape Artist 1; Forgery 2; Gather Information 1; Handle Animal 10; Heal 7; Hide 5; Intimidate 1; Jump -4; Knowledge (Nature) 13; Listen 9; Move Silently 0; Profession (Vintner) 4; Ride 6; Search 2; Sense Motive 3; Spellcraft 9; Spot 8; Survival 10; Survival (Natural environments) 12; Swim -5; Tumble 1;
Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Natural Spell, Point Blank Shot, Shield Proficiency
Challenge Rating: 8
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Possessions: Boots (BOOT); Shortspear; Bullets, Sling (50); Cloak of Elvenkind; Rhino Hide; Flurry of Blows; Sling of Outrageous Fortune;

Spells:
Spells per Day: (5/4/3/2/0/0/0/0/0/ DC:13+spell level)
Druid - Known:
Level 0: Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Deep Breath, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Dim, Dim Illumination, Ember, Flare, Guidance, Know Direction, Light, Light My Fire, Mending, Night-Vision, Puff of Wind, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Shovel, Signal Fire, Virtue
Level 1: Calm Animals, Charm Animal, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Snares and Pits, Endure Elements, Entangle, Extinguish, Faerie Fire, Goodberry, Hide from Animals, Ice Patch, Jump, Longstrider, Magic Fang, Magic Stone, Bellamy's Monstrous Musk, Obscuring Mist, Pass without Trace, Produce Flame, Scree, Shillelagh, Solid Footing, Speak with Animals, Summon Nature's Ally I, Swim
Level 2: Animal Messenger, Animal Trance, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Chill Metal, Delay Poison, Fire Trap, Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Fog Cloud, Glass Shape, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Hold Animal, Owl's Wisdom, Purge Inner Darkness, Reduce Animal, Resist Energy, Restoration, Lesser, Reveal Tracks, Share Feeding, Soften Earth and Stone, Spider Climb, Stabilize, Summon Nature's Ally II, Summon Swarm, Tree Shape, Warp Wood, Weaken Stone, Wood Shape
Level 3: Acid Spit, Call Lightning, Clinging Steam, Contagion, Cure Moderate Wounds, Daylight, Diminish Plants, Dominate Animal, Gas Mask, Magic Fang, Greater, Meld into Stone, Neutralize Poison, Plant Growth, Poison, Protection from Energy, Quench, Remove Disease, Sleet Storm, Snare, Speak with Plants, Spike Growth, Stone Shape, Summon Nature's Ally III, Water Breathing, Wind Wall

Jana's wyndm-wolf companion Mana is always by his side.

Mana
Medium-size Male Wyndm-Wolf
Animal4

Hit Dice: (4d8)+8
Hit Points: 30
Initiative: +6
Speed: Walk 50 ft.
AC: 16 (flatfooted 14, touch 12)
Attacks: ;
Damage: ;
Vision: Low-light
Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Animal Traits, Evasion (Ex), Link (Ex), Scent (Ex), Share Spells (Ex), Trip (Ex)
Saves: Fortitude: +6, Reflex: +8, Will: +2
Abilities: STR 13 (+1), DEX 15 (+2), CON 14 (+2), INT 2 (-4), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 6 (-2)
Skills: Appraise -4; Balance 2; Bluff -2; Climb 1; Concentration 2; Craft (Untrained) -4; Diplomacy -2; Disguise -2; Escape Artist 2; Forgery -4; Gather Information -2; Heal 1; Hide 3; Intimidate -2; Jump 9; Listen 1; Move Silently 5; Ride 2; Search -4; Sense Motive 1; Spot 3; Survival 2; Swim 1;
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Track
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Loxodon

Deep in the jungles of the Wastaru (see upcoming post), paths wind to and from under the tall canopies. On the floor walk the loxodon single-file from destination to destination in their constant migration cycle.

The loxodon is like an elephant, except in the place of the enormous ears, the loxodon has small ears which are hidden by the enormous locks of hair that descend in dreads from upon their heads. They are not as large as their cousins, but usually travel in larger packs, making them more dangerous.

Loxodon
Size/Type: Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 10d8+55 (98 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-2 size, +7 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+26
Attack: Gore +14 melee (2d8+14)
Full Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+10) and 2 stamps +10 melee (2d6+5);
or gore +16 melee (2d8+15)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Trample 2d8+15
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +6
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Spot)
Environment: Tropical jungles
Organization: Solitary or herd (15-40)
Challenge Rating: 7
Advancement: 11-18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Massive herbivores of tropical lands, loxodon are unpredictable creatures that have never been tamed by humans.

Combat

Loxodons tend to charge single-file at threatening creatures, smashing into them one-by-one right after one-another. Think of smashing headlong into a locomotive.

Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 25. The save DC is Strength-based.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Ettin Lands

At the southern end of the Cyrűk mountains, a strain of ettin have made their home for multiple generations. These two-faced creatures often end up meeting their fate when one of their brethren challenges them to a duel to the death over some misunderstanding.

The Ettin Lands are a series of three tall hills surrounded by the neighboring peaks. Within these borders, ettin law reign supreme, that of might makes right. This way of life has been passed down through ettin culture, a mismatch of orc, giant, and various other mythologies and beliefs. It seems they are continually confused, perhaps due to their multiple heads, which often do not agree. Ettin (especially from this isolated region) have been known to argue with their own heads, sometimes leading to the two halves of the body pummeling the other to the ground. What is strange is watching them go at it -- the right head controls the left side of the body, and vice versa, so the opposing blows must cross one-another in order to contact the intended targets.

Occasionally an ettin will travel outside of these borders into lands inhabited by humans or others of their ilk, but they have largely stuck to this region because of the plentiful supply of large game to hunt. In the neighboring Ettal valley, the meat is much leaner and quicker, making for too challenging a hunt, a major deterrent to this lazy species.

Still, they have been known to hunt men for sport. That is, when they can get along long enough to keep organized.

Recently, the ettin have been haunted by their own zombies, who roam the mountainsides at night in search of brains... ettin technically have two per body, making them even tastier prey to these zombies.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Ettal Valley

Located in the heart of the Cyrűk Mountains, the Ettal Valley stretches east where the Ettal River joins the Swift River four miles northeast of Castle Stieglitz. Where the tributary meets the white water of the raging river, the thirty-year-old Harlsbridge provides across the span. A road heads east along the north edge of the river, paralleling the river on the floor of the valley for 12 miles, where the town of Garlston rests at the base of a cliff beneath Kloster Fint, home of about 20 monks who scribe tomes and work as vintners. A mountain stream falls over 400 feet from the steep wine fields down to the town, where it powers mills before joining the Ettal River. Garlsbridge crosses the Ettal and the road continues east on the south side of the river.

Over the mountains to the south of the Ettal Valley, lie the Ettin homelands. Their chants can be heard late at night in the valley. They can be occasionally encountered, but it is rare. Other encounters include natural creatures and others as per the random encounter chart for mountain valleys.

The relatively sparse humanoid traffic allows the natural creatures in the valley including wolves, foxes, and deer, to trive. The valley's foliage is mostly conifers which cover the mountains up to the tree line a few hundred feet from their summits, though some deciduous trees (maple, oak, dogwood) grow in dense clusters along the river. Snow caps many of the mountains for much of the year.

Some Wyndm folk live in small communities in the trees halfway up the mountains on the north edge of the valley. With their natural lifestyle, they maintain a small ecological footprint.