Blog Called...

...on account of freezing rain, snow, sleet, and hail. It's nasty as hell in Lexington right now, and I'm too busy trying to stay warm to post anything today. Good luck to the rest of you dealing with this winter storm mess.

Playground of the Damned: The Enemy

Today's "Playground of the Damned" post is about the enemy: zombies! There are four basic kinds of zombies that are going to show up in this adventure: kid zombies (former classmates of the PCs), adult zombies (former teachers and neighbors), bloated zombies (who swelled up from decay and give the characters opportunities to make fat jokes at Hugo's expense), and legless zombies (to ramp up the tension).

Let's take a look!


Zombie, Kid
These walking dead are typical groaning fiends looking for fresh meat... just a little smaller and weaker.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
Pace: 4; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear: The first time a character sees a kid zombie, he has to roll a Guts check. They’re scary.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Size –1: These zombies are the kids’ ex-classmates, so they’re a little smaller than normal zombies.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Zombie, Adult
These walking dead are typical groaning fiends looking for fresh meat. They were adults before they got infected, so they’re bigger and stronger than kid zombies.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Shooting d6
Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear: The first time a character sees a normal zombie, he has to roll a Guts check. They’re scary.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Zombie, Bloated
These walking dead swelled up from the gases inside them and from eating too much (of what, it’s better not to imagine). Now, they’re enormously bloated and can belch out nauseating fumes.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear –1: The first time a character sees a bloated zombie, he has to roll a Guts check at –1. They’re really scary and kind of gross.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Gasbag: Once per encounter, a bloated zombie can belch a foul cloud of rot and decay. This cloud fills a Medium Burst Template centered on the zombie. Anyone within the cloud must attempt a Vigor roll or gain a level of Fatigue. This Fatigue vanishes after an hour of rest breathing clean air.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Slow: Bloated zombies waddle more than even other zombies. They have a d4 running die.
•Size +1: Bloated zombies are big and fat, making them somewhat tougher than the run of the mill.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Zombie, Legless
These aren’t so much walking dead as crawling dead. Being low to the ground makes them sneaky, though.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Stealth d6
Pace: 2; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear: The first time a character sees a legless zombie, he has to roll a Guts check. If he doesn’t see it until it attacks him, he rolls at –2. They’re really freaking scary when they do that.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Size –1: Since it’s missing half of its body, a legless zombie is a little less tough than a normal one.
•Slow: Legless zombies can crawl pretty quickly, but they can’t really run. They roll a d4 running die.
•Sneak Attack: Legless zombies start every combat the same way--crawling silently up to their intended target and biting him on the leg. If a legless zombie succeeds in his Stealth roll, he gets the drop on his victim.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Coming soon: an actual adventure!

Playground of the Damned: Characters, part 6

Even though you can only see five kids in the picture that inspired this adventure, I always try to make six characters for convention games. I'm not sure why; it just seems like a nice solid number. If it makes you feel any better, you can pretend that today's character--Hugo Hays, the fat kid--gets eaten before that scene happens. ^_^


Hugo Hays, fat kid

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Guts d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d6, Taunt d4, Throwing d4
Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6

Edges:
•Danger Sense: You have a bad feeling about all this... but more than that, you get a bad feeling just before anything really bad happens to you. Right before you would be surprised by something dangerous, you can make a Notice roll at –2. If you succeed, you start the first round of combat on hold instead of surprised; if you succeed in going first (which normally requires an Agility roll to interrupt your opponent), you can spend your action warning everyone else about the impending danger, causing them to not be surprised either.
•Luck: You’re even luckier than the other kids--which is good if you want to save your own fat hide. You get a bonus benny.

Hindrances:
•Fat: You’re a porker, all right. Your mom says that you have big bones, but everyone else just thinks you’re fat. On the plus side, you have +1 Toughness. On the downside, your Pace is only 5 and your running die is a d4. If there’s running to do, you’re probably getting left behind.
•Greedy: What’s yours is yours--and maybe some other stuff too. You always demand your “fair share,” and though the consequences for not getting it are pretty much limited to pouting, you can be a real brat about it.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Pocket Knife: Str+d4 damage. You’re really not supposed to have one at school, but it’s yours, and you certainly weren’t going to let anyone take it away from you.
•Food: You’ve got a bunch of candy bars in your pocket and some beef jerky hidden in your coat. It’s enough to keep you fed for a day or so... or maybe you’ll just eat it all when no one’s looking. Sharing it doesn’t even really occur to you.
•Pocket cash: $50. You’ve been stealing from your mom’s purse.

Savage Pathfinder: Edges

I'm currently gearing up to run a Savage Worlds conversion of the Pathfinder Chronicles setting on Monday nights in the near future. Character creation is done, and really all that's left is to finish up our current Monday night projects (one more session each of Don't Rest Your Head and Changeling: The Lost) before jumping into the savage world of Golarion.

In order to get ready for the campaign, I've been relentlessly savaging various feats and class abilities into Edges. Here are a few of the ones I've been working on.


Crossbow Mastery (Combat)
Requirements: Seasoned, Agility d8+, Shooting d8+
You can load crossbows with blinding speed and even fire them in melee range with little fear of reprisal. The time required for you to reload a crossbow is reduced to a free action, regardless of the type of crossbow used. You may also fire a crossbow at an adjacent foe engaged in melee, but the target number is his Parry score rather than the standard TN of 4.

Dart Cloud (Combat)
Requirements: Seasoned, Agility d8+, Quick Draw, Throwing d8+
You can throw a large number of small weapons in one quick motion, filling the air with deadly steel. When you use shuriken or daggers as thrown weapons, your Rate of Fire is 3. You can draw and throw as part of the same action when performing this maneuver. You suffer the usual –2 penalty to attack rolls for using a weapon with a Rate of Fire greater than 1 when you use this Edge.

Versatile Caster (Power)
Requirements: Wild Card, Seasoned, Arcane Background, Knowledge (Arcana) d8+
In a pinch, some arcanists can reach into a reserve of spontaneous creativity and use their powers in a different way than normal.
This caster may spend a benny when casting a spell to change its trappings to a different trapping approved by the GM. Until the end of the encounter, the caster can use either this new trapping or his original trapping interchangeably.
For example, a wizard who knows bolt as “flame arrow” could use this Edge to alter it to “ice lance.” This would allow him to inflict cold damage instead of fire damage with his attack, plus any additional effects the GM uses for cold spells.

Arcane Archer (Professional)
Requirements: Novice, elf or half-elf only, Arcane Background (Magic), Smarts d8+, Shooting d8+, Spellcasting d6+
You have trained in the twin elven arts of sorcery and archery. By combining the two into a fluid whole, you can use your arrows to greatly extend the range of your magical powers.
While firing a bow (not a crossbow or other ranged weapon), you can cast spells with a range other than Personal, Touch, or any Template and use the range of the bow instead of the spell’s normal range. You still use Spellcasting for the spell’s attack, modified by the bow’s range increment. The arrow is consumed by the magic when you use it in this manner and does not inflict its usual damage.
For example, the bolt power normally has a range of 12/24/48. A long bow has a range of 15/30/60. When using your Arcane Archer Edge, you would use the bow’s range to determine the bolt’s effective distance and range penalties.

Free Runner (Professional)
Requirements: Novice, Agility d6+, Strength d6+, Climbing d6+
Many of the great cities of Avistan boast communities of people dedicated to moving quickly and nimbly through the streets and across the roofs of their home. Free runners (sometimes called shingle rats or roof runners) are experts in urban navigation.
A character with this Edge gains a +2 bonus on Climbing rolls and Agility rolls made as part of a chase. These benefits apply only in urban environments. Because of their ability to roll with a fall, Free Runners get a free soak roll against any damage caused by a fall.

Hamatulatsu Initiate (Professional)
Requirements: Seasoned, Strength d8+, Pugilist, Stone Hands, Intimidation d6+
This character has mastered a deadly fighting style inspired by the devastating attacks of the barbed devil. Practitioners of hamatulatsu seek to not just kill their opponents, but to first cripple and humiliate them with memorable, scarring pain.
If this character makes an unarmed Fighting attack against a foe and succeeds in striking the opponent but fails to inflict enough damage to render that opponent Shaken, he may immediately attempt an Intimidation roll against that foe as a free action.
Additionally, a Hamatulatsu Initiate can choose to inflict Fatigue instead of wounds with his unarmed strikes. He must declare that he is doing so before making his Fighting roll, and suffers –1 on the attack roll when doing so. Such attacks are still compared against Toughness and the target can soak normally.


Of course, all of these are in addition to the Faith Edges I posted about previously. If there's any interest in my players or readers of this blog, I might also post up campaign notes about the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure path.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, Part 5

Today's somewhat belated entry is Steve Hicks, the poor kid, and his buddy Rufus.


Steve Hicks, poor kid

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d8
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Survival d4, Tracking d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6

Edges:
•Beast Friend: You’re good with animals, possibly because your family has a lot of dogs. Animals won’t willingly attack you, and if you can get off school grounds, your dog is waiting for you nearby. Rufus will be a big help in tough spots.
•Nerves of Steel: You’ve been spanked more than the other kids, so you’re good at not minding so much when it hurts. You ignore 1 point of Wound penalties.

Hindrances:
•Loyal: Being poor has taught you the value of staying true to your friends and sticking up for them. You’d die (well, maybe get hurt a lot) before betraying your classmates, and you never leave someone behind if there’s any chance of survival at all.
•Poverty: Your family is poor and you don’t have much in the way of possessions because of it. You start play with less equipment than the other kids and no pocket cash.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Pocket lint and not much else.
•Rufus: If you can get off school grounds, Rufus is always waiting for you just around the corner. He’s a big, dumb mutt, but he’s loyal and he’s willing to fight for you.


Rufus, the dog
If the kids manage to get off school grounds, Rufus is waiting to join up with Steve. Rufus is intensely loyal to Steve and obeys his commands without question, even to the point of dying for his master. He’s not perfect, though, and he might spook if thrown into too many bad situations—-afterwards, he’ll come crawling back... if anyone’s alive, that is.
Unlike his master, Rufus is an extra, not a Wild Card, so he does not get the benefit of the Wild Die and has only 1 Wound.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d10
Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4

Special Abilities:
•Bite: Str+d4 damage.
•Fleet Footed: Rufus rolls a d10 when running instead of a d6.
•Go for the Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an opponent’s soft spots. With a raise on his attack roll, Rufus hits his target’s most weakly-armored location (in addition to dealing +d6 damage).
•Size –1: Dogs are smaller than kids, even a big dog like Rufus.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, Part 4

Today is a historic day, the inauguration of Barack Obama. I wanted to say something pithy and clever, but instead I'll just note the occasion and keep up my regular posting. This installment is about the prettiest girl in class, Ruthie Marcus.


Ruthie Marcus, prettiest girl in class

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Knowledge (Pop Culture) d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Taunt d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 6 (1 from armor)

Edges:
•Attractive: You’re the prettiest girl in class, and if you live through this nightmare, you might grow up to be downright beautiful. You have +2 Charisma (which affects Persuasion and Streetwise rolls).
•Marksman: If you don’t move during a round in which you make a Shooting roll, you add +2 to the attack roll.

Hindrances:
•Big Mouth: You tend to shoot your mouth off at just the wrong time, to just the wrong person. When there’s an opportunity to spill your guts about anything, you take it. You also tend to tell people (even your friends) just what you think of them.
•Gutless: You’re a big old fraidy-cat. You suffer a –2 penalty on Guts rolls.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Slingshot: 2d4 damage, Range 3/6/12. You carry this around in your purse, since you’re a little ashamed of having it… but you’re a crack shot. You have plenty of rocks for it too.
•Heavy Pink Jacket: +1 Armor.
•Purse: Every real girl has a purse.
•Makeup Kit: Mirror, powder, lipstick—check.
•Pocket cash: $30.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, Part 3

Today's installment is the class jock, Billy Shaw.


Billy Shaw, class jock

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Intimidation d6, Streetwise d4, Swimming d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (2 from armor)

Edges:
•Brawny: You’re big for your age. You can carry your Str × 8 pounds before becoming encumbered (rather than Str × 5).
•First Strike: Once per turn, you get a free attack against any opponent that moves adjacent to you.

Hindrances:
•Clueless: You don’t pay much attention in class—-you’d rather daydream about soccer or your favorite TV show. You suffer a –2 penalty on Common Knowledge rolls.
•Stubborn: You always try to get your way, and you never admit you’re wrong. Even when it’s painfully obvious you’ve screwed up, you try to justify it with half-truths and rationalizations.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Broomstick: Str+d6 damage, 2 hands, +1 Reach. You can attack things that are farther away than normal with this long-handled broomstick.
•Soccer Pads: +2 Armor. You were getting ready for practice when things started getting weird.
•Matches: You keep them just in case you need to set something on fire... though you'd rather not have people know you have them.
•Pocket cash: $15.