On The Gaul (my replacement for halflings in this setting)

The Gaul used to be the dominant people here, until the Burgundian Court rose to power. They had vast agricultural and technical advancements that made them able to thrive. They ware also fearless. People don’t really remember them, or if they do, consider them “extinct”. This, however, is not the case. Seeing that they were outnumbered and outclassed by the Burgundians in the north, the Franks in the south and the Germans in the east, they went into hiding, living as hunter gatherers in the forests. They are hidden and don’t much care for what happens outside of their woods. They have their own language, which is a strange dialect mixing latin with germanic influences.

A Gallic Warrior

Life of the Gaul:

• They herd wild boar and even ride them, being significantly smaller than regular men.

• They are led by chiefs and druids, in small tribes, often limited to certain parts of the forest as defined by natural borders.


• They are very good at keeping hidden, having housing that is easily camouflaged as part of nature, or that is quickly and easily dismantled and hidden.

A Gallic Druid

Appearance of the Gaul:

• Men will sport long mustaches and long hair. The women also wear their hair long.

• They often wear torcs, and simple clothing, woven from nettle or other plant fibers.

• They are the size of human children around the age of 8-10.

Traditions of the Gaul:

• In war they will paint themselves with talcum powder, and some say they strike fear into their enemies by fighting completely nude, except for their torc. Fighting, in this society, is not just limited to men either.

• As a Gaul comes of age they have to go out and obtain some kind of metal, either through cunning or force, and bring it back It is then made into a torc and they are considered adult members of the community.

• Bravery is valued highly among these Gaul, and they will often greet each other with well-meant insults and taunts. They will also use this on their enemies, though less well intended, trying to goad them into rash and foolish decisions on the battlefield.

When you meet a Gaul in the wood, which is a rare thing, you might find them…


1. Herding boars. In this case it would only be one or two Gaul, but also a herd of wild boars.


2. Gathering plants, probably mainly women and children. Though it might just be a complete family affair.


3. Hunting in group. They might be going for a stag or try to kill a predator that has been bothering them.


4. Rough-housing. An insult match gone slightly out of control. They are not trying to hurt each other much, but they have lost sight of being low key. To those not familiar with their language and customs though, they seem to actually be fighting.


5. Courting, away from the tribe. Just a single couple, man and woman, being all lovey-dovey, or one unsuccessfully trying to woe the other.


6. Holding a ritual sacrifice at some standing stones, led by a druid. This will be a larger group, like a complete family, or a group of elders or even the entire village.

On Skeletons That Roam (And Their Motivations)

From a completely digitized manuscript called Danse Macabre.

From skeletons and zombies to ghost, phantoms and other, even more nefarious things like Vampires. These dead didn’t stay dead, for whatever reason. In fairytales, it’s often because of an unresolved thing that is so important that it keeps them from peacefully going on to the afterlife, be it for vengeance, love or some other powerful motivator, they keep alive.

Another is dark magic, either being animated by dark wizards or the devil himself, these dead are walking again. Perhaps they made a pact with the devil, not wanting to die or they or are called back and bound by a dark wizard. Perhaps the devil himself jumped back into the bones of these undead to find a way to move around. Many theories exist, some of them are bound to be true.

Skeletons

Skeletons are the bones of the long dead, generally humans, but they should not be limited to that. As the undead they have a reason to be. Depending on where we are, there are different reasons.

• They might have been summoned by a dark wizard or power. The one in control is not the original occupant, but a dark power, be it the mind of the wizard or it’s demonic minions. In this case, when defeated they stay dead until reanimated again. The link to the wizard is severed, or the demon is cast out, back into hell.

• They might also have some unresolved business and be moving about trying to resolve it. Depending on how old they are, their mind and awareness might already be slipping and their behavior might be hard to gauge. When defeated, as long as the business keeping them from dying is not resolved, they will re-assemble, or try as best they can. If unable to for some reason (because the bones cannot be reassembled or are completely destroyed, the spirit will still haunt and change tack and find another way to try and resolve their situation, for example by possession or some other measures.


• In the underworld, the realm of the dead, they just live and act as they might have had before. They are awaiting judgement at the end of days. Intrusions by the living might be seen as wrong and violently confronted.

When encountered in the wild, they are…


HP: 2 // ARM: 7 (typically)


1. A skeleton dressed up in tattered noble clothes, giving directions to six skeletons in tattered servant attire. “I will take my rightful place by my love’s side.” it whispers. It’s will animates himself and his servants to win the heart of their love. Their love is long dead though, as they are, but they might think one of the PC’s is them, or might think they are rival suitors. They will not realize they are dead, whatever is tried, but they might be convinced someone is their lover if they act the part, and find rest once their love is returned convincingly. This is a tricky thing to do.


2. Seven skeletons stumbling around, whisper-shouting a name. Two are adult sized, the others are varying child sized length. One of the adult ones is carrying a wooden doll wrapped in cloth. They are looking for their baby, stolen from its crib. They will not rest until they find it. The wolves that killed and ate them could not stop them years ago, nothing can.

3. Eight black-hearted skeletons cursed to roam the lands forever until they learn the meaning of compassion and charity. In life they were bandits who robbed and pillaged wherever they went. On one of their raids, they were cursed by an old lady before they stabbed her.


4. Six mercenary soldiers who have to save as many lives as they have taken before they can pass on. Any kill they make attempting to do this adds to the score they are trying to erase, but being soldiers in life, they only really know how to kill. It’s tragic. In trying to save lives, they often kill again.


5. One human skeleton and ten cat skeletons. The human skeleton is looking for ink and parchment. She needs to finish her tale before she can move on. The cats are faithful even into death. 


6. Eight animal skeletons, animated by dark magic, inhabited by evil spirits and let loose (or escaped) into the wild. Experiments of a dark sorcerer.

The Door At The End (an obstacle to overcome)

 The players in my game will be going through a secret passageway to the keep, hoping to gain access unnoticed. What they do not know is that someone in the new management of the keep has found it as well, being the curious wizard-type that he is, and installed a magic door to keep it safe. His magic wasn't entirely successful though, not he knows this, and this door gained a personality that can be played into to convince it to be opened up to the players. This is how The Door At The End's magical protection looks like.

A bas relief in Mechelen city that we found yesterday and took a picture of.

The Door At The End (of the secret tunnel)

At the end of the tunnel you find a door to the Keep's fountain. On the door is a bas relief of a lion with a ring in it's mouth through which some tassled ribbons are draped.

When you try to open it in any way, it will come alive and talk, unclearly as if the ring in its mouth is actually obstructing it.

1. Hewwo phewe. How are you phoing?

2. Ohohohhoho! Phtoooop! Phah Tickwleph!

3. Exphcuuphe me? Phwho awe you?

4. Unhand me at oneph! Phavageph!

5. Aaauw! PHTOP IT!

6. *eye roll* Wha' awe you doim?

It is recently installed and enchanted by Orion the Advisor, who found the passages. It can only allow those with the right key, but there is a flaw in it's design in that it has a bit of a personality, and it often feels lonely here. 

It might open for you if you...

1. Tell him a story. Either one he hasn't heard before, or a specific one that is his favorite.

2. Sing him a song. Either one he hasn't heard before, or a specific one that is his favorite.

3. Talk to him about the outside world. He wants to experience it through you. Does it line up with what he has heard before? How does this influence his decision on wether or not to open for you?

4. Teach him a sentence in a new language.

5. Make him pretty somehow. Paint, flowers, a ribbon ... Bonus if you can show him in a mirror.

6. Show him a dance, trick or other visual performance. 

So you found a secret passage to the Keep (encounter table)

 So you found a secret passage to the Keep

My adventurers know of a secret way into the Keep. Since due to recent events they feel they can not really trust people in the Keep with the evidence they are currently bringing into the Keep they decide to take this way into the Keep.

I found a certain map of cave systems where they will find the entrance to this secret passage. Following the passage should be interesting I feel, so I made an encounter table.

Illustration: Adam Simpson/Observer

Roll 2d6:

2. Signs of an ancient dragon. 

Giant claw marks.

If in danger, dragon cultists looking for ancient dragon bones. 

Don't like being spotted.

3. weird stuff: 

lost dwarves

if in danger, they fear you want to rob them and attack.

There is a mining shaft to the side (up, down, left or right) in this tunnel now.

4. weird stuff: 

Skeletons from a broken wall. The wall breached the catacombs below the Keep.

If in danger they have spotted you and attack

if not in danger they have not spotted you ... yet.

There is broken wall into a catacomb in the side (left or right) in this tunnel now.

5. weird sense of place: 

Green Slime.

If in danger, on ceiling, dropping down.

If not in danger, puddle on the ground as obstacle to overcome.

6. sense of place: 

Crumbling ceiling. 

If in danger: Not propped up, just a collapse when you pass under.

If not in danger: As obstacle, barely propped up by creaking wooden beams.

Danger Roll + DEX (or STR if you try to wether it) to not get pinned. 

If pinned, GM rolls an attack to see if you've got hurt.

7. recurring characters: 

Sleepwalking Shopkeep. (Miss Chloë)

If in danger, the person is in mortal danger.

8. sense of place: 

Bandit Camp spies.

If in danger, they attack immediately.

If not in danger, they try to see who they are dealing with.

9. weird sense of place: 

incursion of 1d8 Fire Beetles. 

If in danger: they attack. Roll for initiative.

There is a hole in a side of the tunnel. (left, right, up or down)

It leads to the underworld.

10. weird stuff: 

Ghostly image of Count Leopold.

If in danger, he tries to posses one of you to warn the Keep.

If not in danger he wails on how he is responsible for the creeping chaos and how he regrets it.

11. weird stuff: 

Kobolds

if in danger they try to harras, bully and hurt you

if not in danger they are cruelly bullying a small fox that got trapped. 

(the fox is a fairytale creature and will thank you and want to help you at some point.)

12. Magic user: 

Orion the advisor to the Count recently discovered this place and is exploring curiously.

If in danger he suspects you of ill intent to the Keep and will try to imprison you.

Adventures in Krowne Keep: Actual play report(s) of the play by post group.

Adventures in Krowne Keep

 So, I've been taking some players through B2 - Keep on the Borderlands through play-by-post gaming. We use Discord for this and I'm constantly learning how to do this better. There have been two "sessions" this far, which I kind of classify as a separate excursion. Our playing mainly depends on me having the time and state of mind to run it, which means that it's usually a school vacation thing. We're also in quite different time zones, which makes it slower than it might otherwise be, but I've got nothing to complain about. The pace is right for me, going from about two posts a day to one every other day moves things about quickly enough to still feel like we're getting things done. The system we use is Maze Rats, which makes things go rather smoothly. Anyway, here are the reports. I'm bundling the two sessions we've had so far together, as the first one was just testing the grounds a bit.

Session 1: We're Going on a Bear Hunt (We're going to get a big one!)

The players:

Oliver, a gravedigger who knows how to attack.

Clive, a collector of cabbages with some magical potential.

Poppy Stoker, totally not a sneak-thief.

See Johannes, a hedge knight who knows his way around the forests.

Redmaine Needle, a debt collector with some magical potential.

Our heroes and scoundrels arrive at Krowne Keep. Some of them have been here before, others are new. They're let in and warned to "Keep the law and keep your head." They explore the keep a bit, which I rushed them through a bit because I wanted to go out on adventure. That was my mistake. They found a traveling priest who wanted to help them should they want to head to the caves of chaos. He was pretty strong worded and judgy though. They left him, for now, and head on. They found out that the trader pays for furs and that Miss Chloe, the provisioner, would pay them if they could collect some berries and mushrooms should they head into the forest.

Poppy had her own little adventure when she spotted a jewelry merchant. She tried to rob him, but could not get past all of the guards, even though she turned out to be quite the "Captain America", knocking people out by throwing her shield. She was spotted, but it was by a silent acolyte, so he would not tell on her. In the end she failed, being bitten by a guard dog and having to flee.

So, they head out into the forest, splitting up, setting a trap for a bear on the one hand and collecting berries on the other hand. They catch not one, but two bears and manage to kill one and scare off the other, afterwards tracking back the wounded bear to its cave and finishing it as well. They debate on wether or not to skin the beasts, and decide to just tie them to pollards and wooden beams and return to the keep.

Session 2: To the Caves!

The players:

• Oliver, a gravedigger who knows how to attack.

• Clive, a collector of cabbages with some magical potential.

• Poppy Stoker, totally not a sneak-thief.

• See Johannes, a hedge knight who knows his way around the forests.

• Redmaine Needle, a debt collector with some magical potential.

NPC's:

• Beryl, a small, white haired bounty hunter with a crossbow. She's looking for a jester.

• Father Durant, the traveling preacher.

• Brother Gauche, silent acolyte to Father Durant

• Brother Droite, silent acolyte to Father Durant

They got to the keep and sold their stuff. They decided they might try to go to these caves they've been hearing about. They've heard that if you bring back a big treasure or trophy, or bring in valuable prisoners you might get to meet the Castellan. They ask that traveling priest and his two silent acolytes to accompany him, as well as a bounty hunter who isn't opposed to some extra coin and the possibility of finding some trace of her bounty.

Poppy, again, looking for extra coin, managed to successfully steal the lockbox of the Trader, but was spotted (not recognized though) by his sons.

They walk for a day and camp out on a hill close by the caves so they can head to the caves in the morning. Night passes uneventfully, except for Oliver spotting some glowing bugs the size of dogs on the hillside. They seem harmless enough, and being a gravedigger he knows that they are Fire Beetles and generally scavengers. Right now, they were eating a rotting log on the side of the hill. He doesn't even bother to report this to the group in the morning.

They go to the caves and choose a cave entry. After listening carefully Clive yells "Come get your cabbages!" and throws a lit torch into the cave. Little gray wrinkly men come streaming out and rumblings can be heard. Beryl recognizes them as goblins, and the team seems to be handling them right well, partly by Clive's honey golem snake restricting two at a time. 

Eventually, after the third wave of goblins, an 8 foot tall man shows up wielding an iron banded club that looks like it's a whole tree or something. He runs past, greeting Father Durant as Master Durant and attacks, immediately killing one of the team. Master Durant and his acolytes now throw off their clocks revealing pentagrams made of snakes and the acolytes opening their mouths, revealing snakelike fangs and split tongues. The monsters from the other caves, who had been spectating in their cave entrances started hooting in excitement.

Things get deadly, the goblins, after a while, flee back into the cave (the few survivors) and a lot of the party fall. Gros Jean, the ogre in question stops attacking as the goblins who payed him are no longer involved. Through cunning action and positioning Clive manages to drag Master Durant towards the cave using the snake and convinced Gros Jean that Durant was going to attack the goblins. (he had been indiscriminate in who he killed before) which made these two fight it out, the ogre surviving. The acolytes were dispatched as well by the group and in the end the only ones left standing where Oliver, Clive and Poppy Stoker.

Gros Jean got to loot his own kills (I mean, where they going to pick a fight with him now over that?) but was asked to leave the body of Master Durant so they could take it back as evidence. The rest also started looting. This took some time and all of a sudden they heard wolves howl. They decided to cut their losses, quickly grab what they could and leave. They licked their wounds on the hill they camped on and waited for the day to end, so they could walk up to the keep from there in one day. Clive went fishing and had such a success with that that he even caught a fish that had a pearl in its mouth the size of his thumb!

They discussed what they would do next. They are not sure who they can trust in the Keep. They knew the curate already suspected the traveling priest to be up to no good, so they would like to talk this over with him. They go to sleep, hoping to recover. Clive volunteers for the night watch, seeing as he's at full HP. He will not get a new spell yet but the rest heal one hit point each. Poppy really needs it, as she had only one hit point left. 

At night Poppy startled awake from a dream in which she saw the name from Master Durant's armor and heard a slithering "I sssseeee you." At that point the ground burst open from under them and fire beetles poured out, eating the leftover food and anything edible they can find. Not wanting to get into a fight again they just let the beetles go and Clive sacrifices his pot of glue to make the fire flare and scare the critters off. Their bags are ruined, which they take the time to fix and they head over to the Keep.

Arriving there they are uncertain if going into the keep carrying the body is a good idea. Poppy remembers  she heard that there was a secret way out of the keep that they could take to get in. They would exit from the fountain in the square. Going at night would be best as they would be less likely to be spotted by the guards. The question was razed where they were going to keep the body, to which Poppy smiled. She had seen where the acolytes lived. "In their own apartment.", she said.

And we cut to credits there. Next session, they will try to secretly infiltrate the Keep.

Meet Father Clement Palacz, Curate of the Keep

 Father Clement Palacz

HP: 12 // ARMOR: 10 // ATTACK +1 // Miracles: 2 // STR: +2 // WIL: +3 //

"Der Kellermeister", by Max Thedy

It is known that Father Clement Palacz:

• Is not from around here, but people disagree on where he's actually from

• Is a man of great faith, who can perform miracles

• Has a patient and merciful outlook towards people, even enemies

It is said that Father Clement Palacz:

• Is a possible candidate to become the next Pope, should the current one die.

• Used to live in Moorish lands.

• Has a powerful relic in his possession.

When you meet Father Clement Palacz:

1. He will ask you how you are doing, and how he can help you.

2. He asks what your thoughts are about the last sermon he gave.

3. Asks you if you can help one of the people in this parish with a problem where he believes your talents might come in handy.

4. Asks your help for one of the villagers outside. Someone is ill, and they need some muscle around the farm until they have recovered.

5. Invites you for a walk, during which there will be some small talk, through which he attempts to judge your character.

6. Asks you to join him in prayer.

Backstory

Father Clement Palacz is a Polish priest. He left his country together with the troops in a crusade for Jerusalem, but their forces were defeated at Varna. Seeing his zeal and conviction he was chosen by a commander in the papal army to go on in secret, with a small task force, and provide them with information on the goings on in these parts of the world. They did, but could do nothing more than watch the fall of Constantinople, at which point he got separated from his troops, got captured by the Moorish troops and enslaved. 

He saw another side of the enemy then he was used to. Like Joseph in the scriptures, he decided to just work hard and wait for God to work in his life. He became a valuable and preferred slave. A hard worker who didn’t complain. At some point he, and the family he belonged to got shipwrecked on their way to Egypt, after being attacked by pirates. He tried to save and protect his masters but was flung overboard, bleeding, into the Mediterranean sea. He washed up on the shores of Egypt and was taken in by a fisherman who found him. 

The fisherman turned out, much to his surprise to be a Christian too. And he found the Coptic Church to be a shining light of Christ in this world. He got to experience life as a Christian in a place where it isn’t the state-enforced religion, and it changed him. He got a Coptic Cross tattoo on the inside of his arm, as well as a tattoo depicting the trinity. He became a valuable member of that local church.

Not much later he had a vision telling him to join a certain young adventurer on some adventure in Greece. Telling this to his congregation they prayed about it and gave him a holy relic to use there. A special staff, said to have been the staff that Mozes himself used and turned into a snake to free His people out of slavery. 

This is how he eventually ended up in the company of the Castellan, the adventurer in question, and ending up, later on, being invited to join him as Curate of the chapel in Krowne Keep.

Gear

Holy Plate Mail of Saint Michael: 


• +2 ARMOR


• No advantage on DEX Danger Rolls or Surprise Attack Rolls.

• Can sprout angel wings on command, allowing flight.

Shield:

• +1 ARMOR

• 1 Hand 

Blessed ring bearing the image of Saint Micheal the Archangel:

• +1 ARMOR

Blessed Mace of light:

• Word LIGHT always available for use with miracles.


• 1 hand

Holy staff of Mozes:


• 2 hands


• +1 DAMAGE


• Can strike foes that cannot be stricken by mundane weapons, like ghosts.

• On a successful hit: Upon a human-sized (or smaller) creature, the wielder of the staff may speak the command word, causing it to transform into a serpent and coil around the victim. (Danger Roll +STR/DEX depending, can be released by will of the wielder)

• When the victim is released: The snake returns to the owner and transforms back into a staff.

• Does not use charges, may be used any number of times.

Meet Orion Romatet: Advisor to the Castellan

Advisor: Orion Romatet

HP: 8 // ARMOR: 6 // SPELL SLOTS: 2
DEX +1 // WIL +2

Orion Romatet is the delicate, nine-fingered advisor to the Castellan.

Study Head of a Woman
Anthonis van Dyck

Orion Romatet is known to:


• Be the personal Advisor to the Castellan.


• Have only nine fingers.


• Have a strong fashion sense.

Orion Romatet is rumored to:

• Actually be girl, disguised as a man so as to be able to be around the Castellan. Scandalous!

• Have sold his finger to the devil for dark, magical power. Why does he get away with this?

• Actually be a fairy prince, tagging along with the Castellan to see if a possible alliance would be a good idea.

Orion Romatet will ask you:


• What your Zodiac Sign is.

• What strange things you have seen.

• Wether you could bring back something strange next time, preferably alive.

Gear:

Magical Plate Mail:

• +2 Armor

• no advantage on DEX Danger Rolls or Surprise Attack Rolls.

• Orichalcum armor inscribed with illusion runes, giving it the look of pretty, regular clothes.

Ring of the Phoenix:

• A ring holding a single feather from a phoenix’s tail. This gives free access to the word FIRE or LIFE for use in spells, wether or not the winds of magic or the pre-ordained position of the heavenly bodies would dictate it so. You can only choose one of the two words. You cannot use them both at once.

Short Bow:

• 2 handed weapon for shooting ranged arrows.

Magical Arrows (10): 


• Contain their own spell slot each.

• One of the words is already set by the rune carved in the arrowhead (SHOOT/SHOOTING) the other depends on the winds of magic and a user of magic to fill in.

Meet Father Winoc Le Drôle: The Castellan's Scribe

Father Winoc Le Drôle, Warrior Priest of Saint Martin and Scribe to the Castellan:

HP: 6 // ARMOR: 9 // Miracle Slot
 // WIL +1


A young, zealous and scrawny warrior priest on his way to holiness. 

"Portrait of a Young Benedictine" - Giovanni Francesco Caroto

Father Winoc Le Drôle is known to:


• Be the personal Scribe to the Castellan due to his training in reading and writing, and his devotion making him trustworthy.

• Be a warrior-priest devoted to Saint-Martin. Devoted and Zealous in his protection of the weak.


• Have accompanied the Castellan on at least one adventure before coming to the Keep.

Father Winoc Le Drôle is said to have:

• Spoken with angels.

• Broken his nose in a fistfight with the devil. Rumors cannot agree on who won.

• A jealous streak when it comes to friendships.

Father Winoc Le Drôle will ask you:


• Your opinion on the parable of the good Samaritan. What would you do?

• To pray with him later, and seek the Lord’s counsel in routing this land of chaos.

• What sources of Chaos you have witnessed and where? Can you point to it on a map?

Gear:

Plate Mail:


• +2 Armor


• no advantage on DEX Danger Rolls or Surprise Attack Rolls. 

Shield: 


• +1 ARMOR (1 hand)


Mace:


• 1 hand


Angel’s Promise:

• A shimmering feather, given by an angel in a vision with the promise of assisting in restraining an enemy once when called upon.


• Enemy in question needs to make a Danger Roll + WIL or be paralyzed for the remainder of the scene.


Holy Symbol:

Medallion of Saint Martin on a rosary. When brandished, it gives access to the word PROTECT for the use with Miracles.

 

Meet the Castellan: Morcant Dupoisson

The Council in the Keep is made up off the Castellan, his Scribe and his Advisor. They are working together to halt and defeat the forces of chaos trying to invade the lands through this little  fiefdom. The actual Count of the keep (Count Leopold de Chouxchaude) has gone missing, and the Castellan, his uncle on his mother’s side, has taken his place.

This is kind of what the Castellan looks like.
"The Prefect Raffaele Raggi", Van Dyck, c. 1625

The Castellan: Morcant Dupoisson

HP: 14 // ARMOR: 10 // ATT: +3 // WIL+2 // DEX+1 // STR: +2

Morcant Dupoisson is known to:


• Have gone on many an adventure in his youth, all over Europe.


• Be older than the count, but not by much, being one of the last children born in a long line, while the count is a first child of a first child

• Possess strange and magical items.

Morcant Dupoisson is said to have:


• Traveled to the underworld and back, to make a deal with death so he could save the life of his betrothed.

• Plans to take over the region for himself. He is amassing an army of capable warriors in the Keep.

• A strict but benevolent ruler, trying to make calls that are just and fair.

Morcant Dupoisson will ask you:


• Why you did not spare someone.

• Why you did not kill someone.

• What you think your next step will be.

Gear

Enchanted orichalcum plate mail:

 
• +2 Armor


• It is enchanted for ease of movement, negating the normal penalties of wearing heavy armor.

Round, Hellenistic, bronze shield depicting Caerus mid-run:


• +1 Armor (1 hand). 


• Time Stop: When an action is taken to ring the shield by banging something against it like a sword, all who hear it of the shield bearer’s choice, must make a WIL Danger Roll or be unable to move for an entire turn. 


• After doing this the shield remains humming for 1d6 turns. As long as it’s humming the ability cannot be used again.

Ring of protection bearing the image of a shield: 


• +1 Armor

Enchanted orichalcum sword inscribed with the command to be as sharp as it can be: 

• Exploding dice, unlimited! (when a six is rolled, roll an extra die, if that is a six, roll an extra die, etc.)

Dagger made from orichalcum, bearing the picture of a cloud with a face, blowing: 


• Gust of Wind: Can be pointed at an enemy. 

• They then have to make a Danger Roll with STR to resist being blown away by the sudden gust of wind. 

• Will hit everything in its path.

Unassuming Cloak & Boots: 

• Give advantage on hiding and moving silently in normal situations. 


• Makes hiding and moving silently possible in situations where it normally wouldn’t. (In plain sight, over a floor of silver bells, etc.) GM fiat.

Oil of Levitation: 


• Makes anything or anyone anointed with it float. It/they cannot control its flight through the oil’s magic. That will take mundane wit to solve.

Potion of Healing: 


• Better than bottle of medicine. Heals 1 die worth of HP. Takes an entire turn to drink.

Chain of Office: 


• Very valuable and symbol of office.

On Killer Bees

On killer bees

HP: 1 // ARMOR: 7 // Special: Dies after stinging // Fast fliers.

 “Jupiter, king of the Roman gods, is said to have given the honeybee his stinger, to protect his honey. His wife, Juno, however, insisted there must be payment for this gift of a weapon, so Jupiter gave the stinger with the condition that the bee dies should she use it.”

Image by rawpixel.com

Bees the size of loaves of bread are sometimes spotted around the borderlands. But where do they come from? Where do they find the nectar for their honey?

Where do they come from?

1. Deep underground, where there are giant caves full of giant animals and plants.


They are lost and confused. This upsets them greatly. A system of caves must be close by that leads to these strange lands. Their honey has natural healing properties. It is prized by their countrymen.

2. The realm of fairies, where they feed off of giant flowers.


They are silken white with golden haired stripes and their buzzing sounds somewhat like the tinkling of bells. A passage to the realm of fairy must be close by. Their honey has magical healing properties. It is prized by alchemists, witches and other magical people.

3. A magical experiment gone wrong. 

There’s an alchemist somewhere close by, crushed under the weight of a fallen and enlarged hive. The bees are quite upset at this. Their honey is infused with chaotic, badly controlled magic. Roll on the mutations table (Maze Rats, p.3) for effect on consumption.

4. They are messengers between our world and the spirit realm. 


They have a message for you, for good or for ill. What did you do to be noticed by the spirits and the gods?

5. They are the servants of a local, hidden nature spirit.

They live deep in the forest, in a hollowed out ancient oak surrounded by flowers that are big enough for the bees to gather nectar from. They try to keep the surrounding lands to the wishes of this spirit. Local Gaul have little shrines around, giving tribute to the bees and their mistress. It would be unwise to take these tributes for yourselves. But they look so good (tasty, valuable, ...).

6. Escapees from the hidden magical gardens of a great wizard-hermit. 

Somewhere in their flight radius there must be a wizards tower. It is very likely hidden from view through magical illusions. The wizard has dressed these bees up with silk shawls and golden chains bearing the wizard's mark.

So you took to the road in the Borderlands (Encounter Table)

So you took to the road in the Borderlands...

This is a dangerous thing to do, and we're playing Maze Rats, so make a Danger Roll! 
If there's any reason for you gaining advantage or adding a stat bonus, argue for it now.
Whether or not you succeed, an encounter will be had. The result of your danger roll just decides how well your encounter will go. 

Pilgrims arriving in Rome for the first Jubilee in 1300, from Giovanni Sercambi’s “Chronicles,” around 1400.
Credit...Archivio di Stato, Lucca

After the Danger Roll has been rolled, the GM also rolls 2d6, basing the encounter table on this blogpost by Papers and Pencils, adding, consequently a dragon and a wizard (or in this case, witch) to the module. Also, not wanting to throw away a roll if the danger roll was successful, I have two entries on each encounter. One if you are in danger and one if you are not in danger.

On the Road

2. Dragon: Baby Chaos Dragon, will grow as chaos grows in the region. Hungry, new and curious/inquisitive. Will ask for a name, since nobody has given it one yet. 


In danger: It is hungry. You look tasty.


Not in danger: It’s curious about this world and will ask you many questions until it is satisfied. (make a procedure?)


3. Weird Stuff: 8 Skeletons in dirt covered monks robes carrying a closed litter/palanquin containing recently found and excavated bones of the ancient dragon. If they get away with their quarry, increase the influence of chaos in the region. 


In danger: They will defend their treasure with violence, seeing you as a threat. 


Not in danger: They ignore you.


4. Weird Stuff: 3 Bees, the size of a loaf of bread each are buzzing around.


In danger: They are aggressive and assume bad intent on any that approach.


Not in danger: They are playing, roughhousing like little puppies.

5. Weird Sense of Place: 3 Acolytes of Saint Christopher’s Road Guardians come by and check up on you.


In danger: They suspect you of being in league with the forces of Chaos and will find reasons to support their claim. They try to take you captive for interrogation. One of their number has recently been lost to a wicked witch who was disguised just like a normal old lady. In wanting to help, they had been duped and he had been lost.


Not in danger: They ask about your travels and any supernatural things you have seen. If nothing untoward has happened in this conversation they will bless you before they part ways with you.
 (gaining advantage on travel checks for the rest of the day)

6. Sense of Place: 6 Bandits on the road, looking for easy money.


In danger: They try to ambush you and take your valuables. They are not out to kill, but will if threatened.


Not in danger: They are ambushing a trader, promising to do nothing to you if you just look the other way and let them be.


7. Recurring Characters: Gros Jean has a manacled prisoner on a chain and is sitting down with a pensive smile brainstorming on an apt punishment for the oath the prisoner broke.


In danger: He comes up with an idea, but to do that he will need some human skulls. Yours will do.


Not in danger: He asks for advice, saying that this farmer had promised his first born child to the Witch Magobia in exchange for the elixir that saved her life during pregnancy. But now the child has ‘miraculously disappeared’ and the witch's benevolence has been taken advantage of.


8. Sense of Place: 2 traders and a pushcart. They are armed up and will defend their wares (all different kinds of tools and implements: see Tool Items in Maze Rats, p.7) with lethal force. At least, that’s their intention.


In danger: They will assume you are robbers and they aim crossbows at you, asking your stuff as reparations for the stuff they have already lost ‘to you guys’ today.


Not in danger: Will ask where you are going and suggest you join them on the road if you are going the same way (50% chance).


9. Weird Sense of Place: 12 Gaul at the edge of the woods. 4 are armed with short spears and mounted on boars, four are not, holding sickles and knives, four are children holding baskets filled with whatever they are gathering.


In danger: They will yell in their own language “we are seen!” and charge, fearful of their hidden life becoming known.


Not in danger: They look at you pensively, hold their fingers to their lips (shht!) and retreat into the forest’s shadow.


10. Weird Stuff: A broken cart with strange little men clambering and hopping about it. There is the sound of construction.


In danger: It are 7 kobolds, having some fun destroying the cart after they have already destroyed all its contents. If they notice you they will find it more fun to mess with you!


Not in danger: It are 5 gnomes, having fun repairing a broken thing. If you protect them while they are doing it, you may even have it afterwards. The cart is way too big for them anyway. (if the danger roll was a critical success it’s now a magical cart!)


11. Weird Stuff: 3 creatures of the fairy realm stand on the road, awaiting you. It’s a princess and two body guards. The are all of an unnatural, awe-inspiring beauty.


In danger: The princess is looking for a mate but could not find any to her liking in the entire realm of fairy. (or so she claims) You must now all have tea with her so she can decide if you are worthy or not. (write procedure: Tea-time with an elven princess)


After this encounter, replace this encounter with a follow up, where the results of their actions will have born fruit, one way or another. (for example, after some time, say, a honeymoon period, the spouse returns, with added elfin gear, to aid their erstwhile companions.

Not in danger: The stars have foretold of your coming. This land faces a great danger. Take this gift. It will aid you, if you are worthy. It’s a Ring of the Woodpecker. If you hit it against a wooden surface, it will cause it to make a really loud pecking noise, paralyzing all those who did not expect to hear it for a turn. (can be used once a scene). 


After this encounter, replace this encounter with a follow up, judging wether or not you have used it correctly, and either increasing its powers/abilities or taking them away.


12. Magic User: The Witch Magobia is carrying a baby, feeding it a bottle of something that does not look like milk. It looks gray, like milk mixed with ash. She has her cat with her.


In danger: She urges you to go away and leave her be. If you do not her cat will grow the size of a donkey and hiss at you, trying to intimidate you. If you do not heed that and defeat the cat, she will attempt to curse you all and flee. She has the words CURSED/CURSING, EMBER and PULSE. Roll a DANGER ROLL+WIL to see if you are affected. 

Not in danger: She will invite you to join her and offer a job. She needs to go to a dangerous place and needs you to protect this child until she returns. Evil knights want to come and take it away from her, her own baby! (this is, of course, a lie. It is not her baby, and the knights are not evil per se.) She will lead them to her cottage in the woods and tell them where the food for the baby is held. If the job is rejected, she will attempt to curse them. She has the words CURSED/CURSING, EMBER and PULSE. Roll a DANGER ROLL+WIL to see if you are affected.

On Wolves

On Wolves

HP: 3, ARMOR 6, ATT+1

Wolves in the Borderlands are common. They roam the forests in packs. While the North American wolves might be known to be afraid of humans in general, the European wolves are bigger and meaner than that and have been known to attack humans when hungry. 

In the Borderlands, the strange and chaotic forces that permeate this area sometimes changes things about the wolves and make them strange.

The chance of this alteration occurring will depend on how much of a foothold chaos has on the lands. I suggest starting with a 1/6 chance, triggering on a 6, adding +1 to each time ‘regular’ wolves are rolled. And add a +1 for each rank of a foothold Chaos has on the lands.

The Eurasian Grey Wolf, found free to use on Wikipedia

The Wolves of the Borderland might…

1. Talk and understand humans. They know to use this to attract prey.

2. Leave ashen paw prints that remain warm to the touch for a night and a day.

3. Have a howl that makes you think your feet suddenly sink into the ground and are stuck. 


Roll DANGER +WIL or be paralyzed with fear for a round.

4. Have the ability to grow to the size of cows.

Double HP, +1 to ATTACK

5. Be ridden by kobolds wanting to cause mischief of the deadly kind. 

They will use their own devious skills to make fighting harder, like riding with a line of rope between them to try and trip up people, shooting arrows that might paralyze or put you to sleep, etc.

6. Have the ability to breathe a cloud of mist, making ranged attacks on them harder, forcing people to have to go hand to hand, or to make it easier for them to flee.

 

Meet Magobia the Witch

Meet the Witch Magobia:

Mother to goblins and hobgoblins

Trying to find a source for this picture led me to a deactivated Tumblr for Cultur Tava.

HP:4 // ARMOR 6* (impervious to physical harm until a certain protection is dealt with)

SPELL SLOTS: 5 // Special Item: Cursing Charm

It is said that the witch Magobia cannot have children of her own and that because of that she resolved to steal babies for her own.


• Some say that it’s because she’s barren, some say that it’s because she’s too mean for anyone to want a relationship with her. 


• Rumor goes that her desire for children has led her to kidnapping them and feeding them her special witch-food, turning them into goblins and hobgoblins in the process. 


• She is followed around by what looks like a black cat that has the power, according to some to grow to the size of a donkey. Some say it’s the devil himself, and that she is married to him. People say a lot of things.

It is true that the witch Magobia cannot be hurt by regular weapons, but has a secret weakness that can hurt her. Nobody seems to know what, but some rumor that it is…

1. Some say that if she is soaked through and through with holy water from a church’s baptismal font, that the deviltry protecting her from harm will have to flee from God’s holiness and that she will become vulnerable to regular attack.

2. Some say that it’s her cold heart that hardens her body and soul and keeps it from death’s grip. If through acts of love and compassion, one could thaw out her heart, she would become vulnerable again. But if that happens, would she not deserve a second chance?

3. Some say that she is married with Death himself, and kept alive by his protection. Making her vulnerable to harm might mean treading into the domain of death himself to seek for answers!

4. Some say that through a deal with the devil himself, she has removed her heart and keeps it somewhere hidden and safe. As such she cannot be harmed.

5. Some say that she needs to drink her daily special wine to be safe from harm. When she has no access to it for more than a week she becomes as vulnerable as any mortal.

6. Some say that her dark power can only be overcome on the high holy days of Christmas and Easter and that only on these days one can overpower and kill her.

Special Item: Cursing Charm


Magobia has a cursing charm around her neck that gives her daily access to the magic word “CURSE/CURSING” even when “the winds of magic”/“the alignment of the stars” would not allow for it otherwise. For every spell slot she can choose to substitute one of the words with the word CURSE.

When encountered in the wild, Magobia the Witch…

1. Is collecting ingredients for her potions and rituals, or just for her soup and special food. She is helped by 1d6 of her goblin children.


2. Is carrying a baby. She is accompanied by her cat.


3. Is casually talking to a cloaked figure seemingly made out of pure darkness. They seem to be sharing a drink. She talks the regular speech, the figure speaks in whispers and moans that chill to the bone and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up.


4. Is enchanting a toadstool circle. If allowed to continue, a toad will jump into it, grow the size of a dog and start a conversation with her, where she asks it about things that it has no business knowing. Like what night would be a good night for stealing babies, where a certain person or item is, …


5. Is flying overhead on her broom. She may or may not be cackling.


6. Is making something in a giant cauldron. Her cat is with her. She will offer food to weary travelers. It’s her enchanted food, binding them to her, not allowing sustenance from any other source of food.

 

Meet Gros Jean: Ogre of the Woods

Google tells me this image is from Game of Thrones

Gros Jean: Ogre of the woods

HP:12, ARMOR:8, +2AB, STR+2, Ogre Great-Club (2-handed, Ogre Sized, +1DMG), Wearing treated bearskin as armour (+1ARM, already calculated)

Gros Jean is the ogre that roams these parts of the country. He mainly works as a mercenary for the forces of Chaos. He recently has come in possession of an unholy symbol of the dark forces, that will slowly corrupt his mind, offering him dark powers. Gros Jean has an agreement with the Witch Magobia that if the goblins pay him, he will protect them, as he can have some of the babies she brings in as food.

When Gros Jean is met in the wild he…


1. Is eating and will tolerate weary travelers to join.


2. Is admiring his ruby necklace of the Snake.


3. Has a manacled prisoner on a chain and is sitting down with a pensive smile brainstorming on an apt punishment for the oath the prisoner broke.


4. Is very hungry and looking for food. You look tasty. Or do you perhaps have a baby?


5. Is grumpy and angry because his prisoner escaped.


6. Is hanging chains with stone skulls on them on a prisoner. One for each of the men he promised to bring back safely, but failed to do so. He has to cary these around wherever they go.

Ogres are descendants of the old Roman deity called Orcus. They roam the world, eating babies (preferably) and enjoying in punishing oath-breakers. 

There are more ogres in the land, but not a lot. They do not get along very much and as such remain a good distance away from each other. If they get too close to each other, the land cannot sustain their appetite all that much and they will fight over food. Sometimes an ogre will find a mate though, and somehow they manage to tolerate each other. Woe betide the lands where this is the case.

 

On Hobgoblins

Some more goblins from Jim Henson's 'Labyrinth'.

Hobgoblins: 

HP: 4 // ARMOR 6

Hobgoblins were once children who showed a definite mean streak in their nature. The Witch Magobia lured them away from home with many promises, and fed them her special food, disguised as gingerbread cakes. Eventually her corruption deformed them as well. 

The following are all true:


• Once the gingerbread is eaten, they can no longer get sustenance from any other food. They need her food to survive. This is how she controls them.


• These children grow up looking like very wrinkly teenagers in much the same way as the babies turn into goblins. Their skin-tone remains closer to their original one, if not a bit less vibrant.

• The hobgoblins are cruel and have less of a need to be fearful, compared to the goblins. Instead they just take joy in causing pain and strife.

When encountered ‘in the wild’ they are:


1. Preparing a trap, and hiding. The trap is possibly lethal, which they would find very funny.


2. Torturing a small animal. 

(check with table for lines and veils/X-card, safety rules. This is a common hard no.) 

Depending on how the encounter goes you might end up with an animal companion of the small and cute kind. Unless they leave the hobgoblins to it, the creature should survive. It might need to be nursed back to health or not, depending on your group.


3. Waiting in ambush, with a set trap, intent on capturing the PC’s alive to strip them of arms, armor and valuables and to bully them. The longer the bullying goes on, the less careful they become and they might slip up and make mistakes the PC’s can take advantage of.


4. Playing an insult game. They each insult each other in turn, trying to one-up each other with creative insults. Ends when inevitably a fight breaks out, or if the PC’s interrupt.


5. Breaking/destroying something valuable. They have a pile of stuff they stole from somewhere next to them and are taking turns breaking and destroying the items. It is hilarious to them. Some items are valuable, others aren’t.


6. Drinking stolen alcohol. The longer they are allowed to do this, the more drunk they become until they fall asleep, pick a fight or start sobbing, depending on what type of drunks they are.

On Goblins

Goblins in the movie Labyrinth, by Jim Henson. Part of the inspiration.

 

Goblins: 

HP: 2 // ARMOR 6

stats for Maze Rats

It is true that Goblins were children stolen from their crib and turned into goblins by the Witch Magobia. The following is also true about them:

• They never grow bigger than a toddler, as their growth is stunted by their strange diet.
• Their skin gets an unhealthy grey and wrinkles as if they are of very old age. Their pupils turn a very pale-pink color and their hair a greasy black.

• Most grow up to be mean, fearful and craven.

When encountering Goblins in the wild they…


• Try to hide or run away if you are stronger than them.

• Are singing a dreadful song that teaches to be mean.

• Are carrying a stolen baby and arguing about who has to take care of it.

The dreadful goblin-song teaches…


1. Stealing a one legged man’s crutches and burying them in the woods. And then again and again as he gets new crutches. 

If you listen to the song long enough, you figure out where these places are. If you check you will find a one legged man and a place in the woods where 1d6x10 crutches are buried. Returning the crutches will make you a hero to that family and village. Unless the goblins in question are dealt with, the stealing will continue.


2. A song about secretly giving someone laxative. It goes into detail about the pains, sounds, smells and textures of the resulting trouble. 

If you listen long enough you get the recipe from the song.


3. A song about what they’d all want to do to their ‘Momma Magobia’, bringing the punishments they got from her back to her, but making them even more mean. They sing in turn, trying to one-up each other. 

If you listen long enough you learn the way to find The Witch Magobia.


4. A song about how to anger a bear and lure it into a camp of unwitting, sleeping travelers. 

If you listen long enough you learn how to find a bear and —I guess— how to make it angry.
 You also learn one of their tactics.

5. A song about how to mimic someone in need, drowning, hurt, … to trick people into running in danger.

It are some handy tips, and if you listen long enough you can learn some of these techniques.


6. A song about how to spoil crops by sowing weeds in fields and gardens. It details which weeds do what. 

If you listen long enough, not only do you improve your knowledge of harmful weeds slightly, but you learn when to catch them in the act.

 I'm running the Borderlands via play-by-post over discord, and I'm using Maze Rats to do it. I like how it gives me extra incentive to reinvent things as I have to convert things anyway. One of these things is that I've been thinking about Fire Beetles and how they might be regarded in my take on a setting, a Medieval France type deal, where all the weird stuff is actually still weird. And I want to keep it that way. Things should be mysterious and unexplainable. I was first thinking of expanding the bugs into stages of life etc. but decided not to do that. Anyway, this is my first draft.

art by Caeora on Deviantart. - Not entirely how I envision it, but close enough for this article.

On Fire Beetles:

ARMOR:6 // HP:4

Fire beetles are:

• As large as a small dog or a big house-cat.


• Live primarily underground but tend to come out during the night. They do not like the light.

• Have glowing glands in their antennae and abdomen. These can be harvested and keep glowing for 1d days. Practiced alchemists can craft these into foci for light magic. (obscure knowledge)

Fire beetles are believed to be:

• Angry spirits of the dead, not wanting to grant other spirits rest.


They do tend to end up digging into graveyards and — being scavengers — will eat the corpses buried there. Most people who know the creatures and study them will be skeptical of this rumor.

• Fairy creatures crossed over from the land of fairy. 

This might possibly even be true. But it might also not be. A lot is said about fairies, but little is understood.

• Normal glow-bugs corrupted by dark forces or magic to grow to unnatural size.

This might be the work from the Witch Magobia. But people say so many things about her.  

Fire beetles will:

• Scavenge for food, preferring food that rots or has strong odors/flavors.

• Dig a hole to lay their eggs in. 


They are particularly thorough builders, making strangely sound and well thought out underground complexes having multiple rooms and what could be seen as decorations by those in the know. These are made to their size though, and are hard, if not impossible to navigate for humans. Sometimes children (or goblins, which are the same size) get stuck in it.

• Hum their wings in different pitches, creating haunting songs. 


Combine this with their glow in the night on their hill, and people will make up lot’s of strange stories about it.