Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts

Friday, October 14, 2022

The Notebook of Spirit Writing (Part One)

The Notebook of Spirit Writing is a two-part magic item that consists of a notebook and a pen. They allow the creator to communicate with one, possibly two, specific spirits of a person who has passed on. The person must have been literate in the language in which the creator of the Notebook of Spirit Writing wishes to communicate. The person must further be someone that either had no relationship with the creator, or a friendly one. The closer the relationship between the creator and the target, the greater the likelihood of the enchantment succeeding.

CREATING A NOTEBOOK OF SPIRIT WRITING
Infusing the Notebook of Spirit Writing and the pen it will be used with requires the creator to follow a very particular series of ritualistic steps. Any deviation in the order, or any shorter time, and the character will either end up with an item that doesn't function, or an item that functions incorrectly and is possibly dangerous.
   If there is an error or disruption in the rituals along the way, the creator can either restart the enchantment process with other items, or he or she can take a chance that the process will still be successful. At the end of each entry describing the steps in the ritual, there is a section that states the chance of failure and the results of success or failure. The GM should roll against the listed percentage whenever there's a step that's not done properly. If the roll is below or equal to the stated number, the step fails.


1. Selecting the Notebook and the Pen
The value and quality of the items used to make a Notebook of Spirit Writing are immaterial; what matters is the creator's desire to communicate with the subject and the steps taken to charge them with magic. The notebook can be anything from a spiral-bound pad of lined paper, or a leatherbound diary, and the pen can be a plastic ballpoint with an autoshop's name on it, or a 100-year-old fountain pen made of gold and ivory. The only important thing is that the notebook must be bound with some sort of covers.
   Once the notebook and pen have been selected, the creator must sleep with them under a pillow (or similar headrest) for three nights in a row. Each night, while going to sleep, the creator must think of fond memories he or she has of the person that is the intended target of communication. 
   Chance of Failure: 100%. 
   Consequence of Failure: Further steps will produce no result.
   Consequences of Success: During the third night, the creator has a pleasant dream about talking with the target about corresponding. The target likes the idea but says there might be risks. He or she doesn't elaborate.

2. Enchanting the Pen
The creator must take the pen to a place where there is a pool or basin of blessed water within a sacred site. This can be the Catholic church, a Shinto shrine, or some ancient site in the wilderness with a natural spring where sacred rituals were conducted. Alternatively, the creator can bring the pen to the central well in an Amazon village, or place it in the Pool of All. (Those last two options are probably very difficult for most characters.)
   The pen must remain submerged and undisturbed in the water for at least 8 hours.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequence of Failure: 50% chance of attracting a Warden each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: The pen is now ready to be used with the notebook to communicate with the target.

3. Enchanting the Notebook I
Using the selected pen, the creator must write the target's name and birthdate on the inside cover of the notebook. The creator must then take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's birth. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target was born. 
   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 10% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: Step #4 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

4. Enchanting the Notebook II
The creator must take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's death. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target died. 
   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 20% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: Step #5 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

5. Enchanting the Notebook III
The creator must take the notebook and pen to where the target lived the longest during his or her life.  Here, the notebook and pen must be left within the structure, or within 10 meters (35 feet) of it. 
   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours. Once retrieved, the creator must write the target's death date on the inside cover with the pen.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequences of Failure: 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: Immediately after writing the target's death date in the notebook, the creator briefly feels safe and secure and as if someone as though someone is standing close to him or her.
   The Notebook of Sprit Writing and the associated pen are now fully enchanted and ready to be used.


 

 

--"Using the Notebook" and more coming soon!

The material in this post was inspired by the short film "Pen Pals". Click here to watch it at the Terror Titans blog.

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Doppelganger Eggs

This material was inspired by Dylan Clark's horror short film "Hatched" (2021). You can watch it at the Terror Titans blog by clicking here. (Ideally, you came here from that post, as even the title of this one may be a little bit of a spoiler.)
   The game mechanics attached are for the OGL Modern variation of the d20 System, but it should be easily adaptable to most other RPGs that are out there.

DOPPLEGANGER EGGS
Doppelganger Eggs
are one-shot magic items that were developed in ancient times by Atlantean Biomancers, and the art of creating them is now only known to the secretive Witchkind and a tribe of equally secretive doppelgangers (creatures capable of assuming the form of any humanoid creature they kill, as well as absorbing their most ingrained personality traits and skills) who work with them. By performing a complex ritual, a doppelganger is put into the egg. When the egg is cracked or hatches when the magic wears off, the doppelganger swiftly returns to his original size. It can then infiltrate the household into which the egg was smuggled (usually among other food items).
   The Atlanteans would use the eggs to unleash assassins and infiltrators on unsuspecting enemies, and that is how they are used in modern-times as well. 

Creating Doppelganger Eggs
Doppelganger Eggs are created using any eggs laid by a non-magical bird or reptile and a willing doppelganger. Two beings with knowledge of how to create Doppelganger Eggs and the ability to cast 5th-level spells and knowledge of the Transmutation and Necromantic magic schools must work together to create the Doppelganger Egg. Usually, the two spellcasters and the Doppelganger are long-time associates, if not actually friends, so all those involved trust each other to do the best possible job and to take care of each other if a client/customer tries to betray them or welch on a deal.
   The ritual must be performed in a specially constructed location with a permanent enchantment area used exclusively for the creation of Doppelganger Eggs and a small number of related magic items. Over the course of three hours of intensive spellcraft, a doppelganger and an egg are merge. By the end of the process, the egg is undetectable from similar eggs, except that it radiates a faint aura of necromantic magic if such is detected for. Up to four Doppelganger Eggs can be created at one time, and the ritual is prolonged by one hour for each Egg in addition to the first one. The makers of the Eggs can perform their ritual once per day, as it drains them to the point where they must have a full night rest before they can cast magic or perform rituals again.
   Doppelgangers that work with the Witchkind conform to the standard statistics in the rule book.

Acquiring Doppelganger Eggs
To acquire one or or more Doppelganger Egg, a character must first gain the trust of the Witchkind, and then they must be able to locate a very secretive group of artificers in their society since what they do is not exactly looked upon kindly by any authorities.
   Each Doppelganger is made to order. Upon making contact, those interested in gaining one or more Egg must provide a general description of what they want to achieve with the Egg, so the Doppelganger knows who to kill and/or replace and what to do once that has been done. A mission can be a straight-forward assassination or it can be a long-term infiltration. For a relatively simple mission, the cost to acquire an Egg requires a DC18 Wealth check (with the check increasing in difficulty by +4 for each additional Egg being ordered) with the base Wealth check being perhaps as high as DC28 for a complicated, long-term intelligence gathering mission). The price can be raised or lowered if the purchaser wants to impose specific restrictions or demands upon the Doppelgangers that aren't directly related to the mission at had (such as demanding that the location and/or assumed identity must be vacated as soon as the mission is complete). The price also increases if the purchaser wants the Witchkind and the Dopplegangers to handle the placement of the Eggs.

Using Doppelganger Eggs
Doppelganger Eggs are usually placed among innocent groceries that are brought into a household or other place where a target lives. As soon as the Egg is cracked or 48 hours pass (the duration of the magic), the Doppelganger bursts forth and swiftly returns to its full size. Any characters who witness this even must roll successful Wisdom checks (DC14) or be so startled that they will not be able to take action that round the Doppelganger appears, and the Doppelganger automatically gains initiative the following round. 
   The Doppelganger suffers a -2 penalty to all skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls for the first six rounds after emerging from the Egg, due to the physical and mental shock of recovery. As such, it will initially try to retreat if it isn't catching potential victims completely unaware.



Friday, October 1, 2021

What happens if you say 'Bloody Mary' three times?

The urban legend is that if you say Bloody Mary by candlelight in front of a mirror three times, she appears. But what happens when she does? Use the random tables below to find out, if the PCs in your game decide they want to tempt Fate during the Halloween Season. (The table can either be used every time it's done, or used to decide a constant result.)

We've tried to make this as general a game supplement as possible. GMs will have to interpret what's here in the context of whatever RPG system they will be using this content in.


Katy

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SAY "BLOODY MARY"? (Roll 1d6)
   1. A ghoul with 10 times the normal amount of hit points materializes and attacks the foolish person who summoned it, as well as anyone who tries to intervene. After the summoner is dead, the monster disappears, taking the summoner's tongue with it.
   2. An angry ghost manifests and attacks the foolish person who summon it, as well as anyone who tries to intervene. After the summoner is dead, the ghost will grant one person present (who is still alive) a wish.
   3. A powerful demon appears. It demands that anyone present answer three questions truthfully; they will be questions relating to some dark secret the person harbors, often something they wouldn't want others present to know. In return, it will reveal three secrets kept by a single other person the summoner asks about. If anyone lies to the demon, it attacks the summoner and anyone who tries to intervene. After three rounds of combat, it returns to the mirror and drags the summoner to Hell.
   4. The candles are suddenly and mysterious extinguished, but otherwise nothing seems to happen. In truth, the summoner has been magically replaced by an evil doppelganger that sets about destroying everything the summoner loves, even to the point of murdering his or her friends or family. The summoner is trapped in a mirror-space between dimensions, but can be freed if the ritual is performed again. This is only a temporary fix, though: The evil doppleganger must be captured and killed in front of a mirror before 13 hours have passed. Otherwise, the summoner shatters into a million tiny mirror shards and is dead forever.
   5. A Bloody Mary cocktail (complete with a celery stalk standing in it) appears in a skull-shaped glass. The glass dissolves into vapor once the drink has been consumed. Roll again on "HOW WAS THE BLOODY MARY?" below.
   6. Roll on "IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT..." below.


HOW WAS THE BLOODY MARY?
(This table can also be used if characters are just ordering the cocktail.)
   1-2. It's as if the Goddess of Cocktails made it herself. Perfection!
   3-4. It's okay. You've had better.
   5. It's what you imagine fermented menstrual blood from a leprous witch with a yeast infection would taste like.
   6. It tastes great, but those who drink it start feeling sick soon after. The illness lasts for 1d6+6 hours.


Art by Bryan Baugh

IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT... (Roll 1d6)
   1. A massive curse has been unleashed within a 1,000-mile radius of where the ritual has been performed: Zombies are animated and killing the living, making more zombies. To stop the world from being overrun by zombies, the PCs will need to find Bloody Mary's body and put her to rest once and for all.
   2. The summoner is stalked by a shadowy figure which he or she sees peeking through windows or lurking behind him or her in reflections...but the figure can never be caught or spotted by others. There always seems to be someone moving around in the next room from the summoner, or just around the corner, but no one is ever there when it is checked. The stress disrupts the summoner's sleep, ability to concentrate and function normally. Eventually, the summoner begins to lose his or her mind. The curse can be reversed by the character performing the ritual again, causing the shadowy figure to manifest and attack. The shadowy figure has the same stats as the summoner. No one other than the summoner can hurt or be hurt by the shadowy figure.
   3. The summoner becomes a magnet for maniacs that become obsessed with him or her, believing that they are destined to be soulmates. 1d6+2 of these "admirers" begin stalking the summoner threatening those he or she really loves, trying to drive wedges between the summoner and them, and otherwise trying to force the summoner to love them and only them. The "admirers" will eventually try to kill those the summoner really cares (and even casual encounters the summoner may have) about and even the summoner. This curse continues until either the summoner or the "admirers" are dead.
   4. The summoner (and any other characters within a 30-foot radius when the ritual is performed) are transported into the world that exists beyond the mirror and in-between moments. Everything initially seems normal, but the summoner and others brought into the weird realm soon realize they are in a place where time does not appear to pass and monsters lurk everywhere. They must find their way to Bloody Mary's lair and force her to let them go home.
   5-6. A long-time friend of the summoner is brutally murdered and witnesses claim they saw the summoner casually leave the site, covered in blood. There is no other evidence, but 1d6 days later, someone else in the summoner's life is murdered. Bloody Mary reveals herself to the summoner, appearing like a haggard version of him or her, and states that people around the summoner will continue to die until he or she kills him-or herself. The only other option is to catch Bloody Mary between two mirrors and causing her reflections to implode.


--
For a great bit of Bloody Mary inspiration, click here to check out the short film starring Katy Ford (seen in the image at the top of this post) over at Terror Titans.

Monday, August 2, 2021

The Lighthouse at Devastation Point

We've turned an old map of a lighthouse into an adventure location. This is strictly first-draft material, going from the brain, to the fingers, through the keyboard, and onto the screen. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions. 

Generally speaking, the content in this article is usable with any roleplaying game system, although there are some specific references that are for the d20 System, or other systems that resemble or are based on D&D. 



DEVASTATION POINT AND THE LIGHTHOUSE
For centuries, ships crashed upon the jagged coastline near Port Defiance, and no approach was more dangerous than that near Devastation Point. After the lighthouse was built, the number of ship wrecks subsided, but then that structure and the windy promontory upon which it stood became the center of strange deaths and disappearances.
   Lighthouse keepers committed suicide, killed their families, or were themselves killed by their wives. Entire families disappeared without a trace, sometimes with signs of violence having been done, other times it looked as if they were in the middle of a normal day and just walked out, leaving all their belongings behind. Further, as time passed, more and more tales of hauntings and mysterious happenings in and around the lighthouse.
   Many attempts have been made to identify and eliminate or put to rest the evil spirits or ghosts that haunt the lighthouse and the promontory--and a growing number of paranormal investigators have died or vanished during these attempts. Other psychics and ghost hunters have seen their reputations destroyed or careers ended when they've declared the lighthouse free of ghosts, only to have the hauntings resume and more lives be lost.

THE HAUNTING OF DEVASTATION POINT
Devastation Point Lighthouse is a focal point of necromantic energy that is drawn here through two sources--a dark artifact that was incorporated into the housing of the lighthouse's refractor; and the restless spirits of a coven of sirines who were murdered as construction began on the lighthouse.
   The eddy of magical energy is so strong that not only is there a very good chance that anyone who dies within the walls of the lighthouse, the residence attached to it, or within 10 meters of the structure in any direction, will join the many ghosts that haunt the place. Similarly, until the ghostly sirines are destroyed and the artifact removed from the lighthouse, the hauntings will never cease.

THE HAUNTINGS IN GENERAL
The following apply to all the hauntings in the lighthouse and attached structure, as well as the immediate surroundings:
  * The hauntings occur between sunset and sunrise, or when the fog is so thick that visibility is less than 5 feet.
   *. Each room in the structure has 2-3 hauntings. The haunting, or lack there-of, in any given room on any given night, is random. Sometimes, multiple hauntings may overlap in the same room. Entities may pursue the living from the rooms they are first encountered in, resulting in a battle against an increasing number of hostile spirits. The GM can roll a check for a haunting each time a new investigator enters a room, or he can just roll when the first or last one enters. A roll should be made whenever an investigator comes or go from any given room.
   * If spirits and ghosts in the lighthouse and its immediate surroundings are destroyed or otherwise exorcised, they may return on the night of the next full moon.
   * The only hauntings in the lighthouse proper are on the ground floor and on the upper and lower galleries at the tower's upper levels. Climbing the tower, however, presents dangers as well.
   * The restless spirits of three regular sirines and the sirine priestess who led them haunt a cave deep below the promontory. It is only visible from the ocean's surface when the tide is at its lowest.


SPECIFIC HAUNTINGS
Roll 1d4 to see what hauntings paranormal investigators or ghost hunters encounter while exploring the Devastation Point Lighthouse and immediate surroundings between sunset and sunrise, or during heavy fog. Creatures always vanish after being defeated, no matter how solid they seemed. They same is true of any damage they did to their environment--although damage done by investigators to the house remains. If a spirit is exorcised or destroyed, and rolled again, it is treated as a "Nothing" result. Creatures always vanish after being defeated, no matter how solid they seem 

THE RESIDENCE
This two-story structure is attached to the Lighthouse. It can be accessed through the Front Door (see Front Door and Vestibule) and through the door on the side of the Oil House (see Oil House). Both doors are locked, and they keep relocking on their own volition, unless the investigators break them outright.

The Immediate Surroundings (Ground Level)
1-2: Nothing.
3: The faint sounds of several female voices, harmonizing a haunting tune.
4. Characters must roll Will saves (DC8). If failed, they feel as if something is watching them. They also think they catch a flicker of light from the top of the lighthouse tower.

The Front of the Residence (Ground Level)
1. Nothing.
2. Spot skill check (DC5). They see movement in the widow above the main entrance.
3. The faint sound of children's laughter is heard from somewhere inside the house.
4. The sound of a concertina is heard from within the residence, and lights glow faintly in all visible windows. The music and glows stop as soon as the front door is opened.

The Front Door and Vestibule  (Ground Level)
1. Nothing.
2. The Front Door must be forced (Strength check DC11) or broken down.
3. The Front Door locks itself, as soon as investigators leave or enter.
4. There is a bright yellow oilskin hat and coat hanging on a hook. They are sprayed with blood. They vanish when touched.

The Hall  (Ground Level)
1. Nothing
2. One of the investigator's thinks he sees someone darting up the stairs. Another thinks he heard the sound of the person's footsteps.
3. The sound of a man and a woman happily chatting, intermingled with the sound of knives and forks on dinnerware heard from the left (the "Dining Room").
4. The sound of a woman sobbing is heard from the right (the "Parlor").

The Dining Room  (Ground Level)
1. Nothing.
2. A ghostly man and woman in their 20s, dressed in 19th century garb are having dinner. If approached, they attack the investigators. They are ghosts. If left be, the scene fades after 1d4 minutes.
3. A ghostly family of a father, mother, and two young boys, dressed in early 20th century garb, are having dinner. If approached, they solidify into ghouls and attack. If left be, the scene fades after 1d4 minutes.
4. The faint sounds of a man and woman arguing, while a young child cries, are heard. If an investigator uses magic or technology to examine the room, two poltergeists attack.

The Parlor (Ground Level)
1. Nothing.
2. A strong smell of pipe smoke and faint sounds of men chatting is in the air. This persists for 1d4 minutes, the fades away.
3. The sounds of rhythmic creaking can be heard from the room above. After 1d4 minutes, a woman is heard crying out, then all sound stops.
4. A woman in 19th century garb is sitting in an easy chair, sobbing with her face in her hands. If approached or otherwise disturbed, she turns into a banshee and attacks.

The Kitchen (Ground Level)
1. Nothing.
2. A mouthwatering smell of delightful food is strongly in the air. After 1d2 minutes, investigators must roll successful Fortitude saves (DC11) as the odor suddenly turns foul and rotten, or be sickened for 1d4 minutes.
3. 1d4+2 knives appear spinning through the air. They deal 1d4 points of damage each and have a +2 bonus to attack rolls. Each knife goes inert after two successful hits on investigators.
4. A ghastly scene of a battered, blood-soaked woman in a torn slip, who is shrieking as she chops with a meat cleaver at a prone man in dark clothes. Both are in their mid-30s. She is a ghost and attacks any investigator who approaches her. She has a +4 attack bonus against male investigators. The scene fades after 1d4 minutes.

The Sitting Room (Ground Level)
1. Nothing.
2. A creaking sound is heard from the ceiling, as if someone is pacing around in the room above.
3. Investigators must make Will saves (DC8). Those who succeed feel like there's a presence in the room. watching them. Those who fail are filled with blind rage toward the male character standing nearest to them. They attack that character with murderous intent for 1d4 rounds, after which they fall unconscious. When they revive, they don't remember what they did.
4. A bearded man sits in an easy chair, reading a fairy tale to three young girls who are seated in a halfmoon shape on the floor in front of him. If approached, they solidify into ghouls and attack. If left be, the scene fades after 1d4 minutes.

Oil House (Ground Level, structure that connects the residence to the lighthouse)
1-2. Nothing.
3. The room feels strangely hot. There's a faint smell of something burning that grows stronger over a couple of rounds. Then the door to the outside bursts open and a man on fire, screaming and flailing, bursts in, promising to take the investigators to Hell with him. He is a small fire elemental.
4. There's a sudden crash overhead and a muscular man in a lighthouse keepers uniform comes crashing through the ceiling. Investigators near the center of the Oil Room must roll Dexterity attribute checks (DC13) or take 2d4 points of damage from the impact of the falling body and debris. The body, the wreckage, and the damage to the roof and ceiling vanish after 1d4 rounds, but not the injuries to any investigators. Characters gain a cumulative +4 bonus to the Dexterity skill check each time they experience this haunting.

Hall (Upper Level)
1. Nothing
2-3. A body plummets past the window facing the lighthouse tower, crashing onto and through the Oil House roof with a terrible sound of breaking wood and tearing flesh and bone. If the investigators look out the window or run downstairs to check the damage, it's as if nothing happened.
4. The sound of clapping and someone playing a hurdy-gurdy while a woman sings "What Shall We Do With a Druken Sailor" drifts up the stairs from below.

Bed Room (Upper Level)
1. A damp and musty smell grows strong in the room. Investigators in the room must roll successful Will saves (DC12) or suddenly be underwater and feel like they are being dragged deeper into the depths. They must immediately roll successful Fort saves (DC14). The investigators who failed the Will saves find themselves in the room, just as suddenly as they felt like they were in the water. They are soaked to the skin with salt water, any electronic equipment carried is damaged beyond repair, but  otherwise they are fine. Those who failed Fort saves suffer 1d4+2 points of damage and are sickened for 1d4 rounds while they cough up sea water. The whole process barely takes a round. The room and everyone else in it remain dry. (Characters may avoid the affect of this if it is rolled additional times by leaving the room as soon as the air stars to grow musty and damp. Cruel DMs can roll initiative for the effect and the players, to see if they manage to escape.)
2. A bare-chested young man stands with his back to the room, gazing out the window. He is a ghost, and if approached he attacks the investigators. He fades away after 1d4 rounds otherwise.
3. A young woman in a gauzy nightgown stands with her back to the room, gazing out the window. She is a ghost, and if approached she attacks the investigators.
4. A couple is having sex in the bed, causing it and the floor to creak. They get increasingly loud in their excitement. After 1d4+2 rounds, they start to melt into brackish water, soaking the bed and the floor. If approached or otherwise disturbed, they turn into small water elementals and attack the investigators, soaking the room. One round after the couple melts or are slain, the room is perfectly dry again.

Room (Upper Level)
1-2. Nothing.
3. The mutilated bodies of two young boys lay in a bloody, tangled mess on the floor. If disturbed, they animate and attack as half-strength Ghouls. If left alone, they fade away after 1d4 rounds.
4. Three girls in their late teens, wearing old fashioned nightgowns sit around a small statue of some strange creature. They are holding hands and chanting. If the scene is viewed for more than 1d4+1 rounds, witnessing investigators must roll successful Will saves (DC12) or become filled with such intense and overwhelming fear that they must flee the building. They must roll successful Dexterity checks (DC18) or tumble down the stairs and suffer 2d4+2 points of damage. If the chanting girls are approached, they turn into succubae and attack. If left alone, they fade away within 1d4+2 rounds.


 

THE LIGHTHOUSE
As previously mentioned, the Lighthouse has few hauntings, but is possessed by a different sort of supernatural danger. 
   It is accessed through a doorway in the Oil House, and a circular staircase allows investigators and ghost hunters to climb to the Lower Gallery and Upper Gallery at the top of the tower. 
   As the stairs are climbed into the tower, characters pass five landings. They must roll Will saves at each one. At the first landing, the Will save is DC8. Each time a Will save is failed, the DC increases by 2, so if all five Will saves are failed, the final roll is at DC18.
   With each failed saving throw, climbers feel an increasingly level of self-doubt and a feeling that whatever they want to try to achieve in life will always fail. At the same time, they have a feeling that if they make it to the top of the lighthouse, maybe there can be hope yet. (If players wonder, GMs shouldn't hesitate to let them know that thoughts like these are not typical for their character--well, unless the character has been an emo with self-defeatish tendencies up to this point.) 
   If the character fails the fifth Will save, they are consumed with the idea that there is no point in living anymore and that they must end it all by leaping off the top of the tower. The character climbs all the way to the Upper Gallery where he or she may roll one final Will check (DC14) before leaping to their near-certain doom of 10d6 points of damage. 
   If another player character tries to stop the despairing investigator at any time on the way up the tower, he or she immediately snaps out of the spell and realizes that something was affecting his or her mind and emotions. Additional Will saves must still be made as described above (with the base reset to DC8), but even awareness of the influence the lighthouse has on those who climb it does not negate it.
   The saving throws only have to be made during an ascent. Characters may safely descend from the top of the lighthouse via the stairs... assuming the gallery ghosts don't get them...

Lower Gallery (Lighthouse)
1. Nothing.
2. A grizzled old man in a lighthouse keeper's uniform stands and looks out over the sea. If left alone, he fades away after 1d4 rounds. If approached, he turns into a Gargoyle and attacks.
3. Three girls in their late teens, dressed in 19th century clothing, stand side-by-side at the railing, looking out. If left alone, they fade after 1d4 rounds. If approached, they turn into Harpies and attack.
4. A young man and woman, dressed in early 20th century garb, are arguing and fighting. The man declares that if he will kill her before he will let her leave. If the characters watch the scene unfold, the struggle results in the man and woman falling over the railing and disappearing. If anyone tries to intervene, the couple attacks the would-be mediator. They are Ghosts.

Upper Gallery (Lighthouse) 
1. Nothing
2. The upper gallery shudders and creaks and shakes and bends beneath the investigators feet. They must roll Reflex saves (DC11) or tumble from the Upper Gallery to the Lower Galler, suffering 1d6 points of damage. If this occurs more than once, additional Reflex saves are DC8.
3. The lamp suddenly blazes to life, turns and sweeps a powerful beam of light across the investigators. Each person on the Upper Gallery must roll a Fortitude save (DC15) or be blinded. The blindness lasts for 2d4 days, during which the impacted characters' eyesight gradually returns to normal. Blind characters who attempt to climb down the steep stairs of the lighthouse must descend at 1/3 their normal movement rate and roll five different successful Dexterity checks (DC8), one for each landing. A failed save means the character has tripped and fallen down a stretch of stairs, and suffers 2d6 points of damage. If the character tries to descend at his or her normal movement rate, the Dexterity check is at DC14.
4. As the result of 3, but the light is also searing hot. Characters who fail their Fortitude saves suffer 1d6+2 points of heat damage.

THE SIRINE CAVE
At some point, we'll reveal something about these placce and the creatures that haunt it, too, as well as how to break the curse on the Devastation Point Lighthouse.

WHAT ABOUT THAT "DARK ARTIFACT"?
Oh, we'll almost certainly get to this one soon. Perhaps it'll even be Bessie Love who recovers it...

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IF you enjoyed this post, you can encourage more of the same by commenting and/or getting some NUELOW Games products over at DriveThruRPG. It gives us encouragement to know someone is out there, reading and reacting.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Three Nights of the Werewolf

Here's another random table to help spur adventure ideas (or subplots for adventures). With this one, you determine which among a group of citizens in a village is a werewolf, which are the monster's victims, and what is motivating it (aside from bloodlust).

Art by Pablo Marco

THREE NIGHTS OF THE WEREWOLF
By Steve Miller

This plot generator is here to help you build an exciting horror scenario for your roleplaying campaign.

First, 20 character tags are listed, the list of suspects/possible werewolf. Then there are a series of questions seven questions. Roll 1d20 against the list of characters for each question to generate the plot surrounding the werewolf.

THE CHARACTERS
1. The Consulting Detective
2. The Debutante
3. The Baroness
4. The Baron
5. The Butcher
6. The Night Watchman
7. The Attractive Gypsy Woman
8. The Handsome Gypsy Man
9. The Inn Keeper
10. The Preacher
11. The Gameskeeper
12. The Retired Army Officer
13. The Farmer
14. The Farmer's Daughter
15. The Hermit
16. The Town Drunk
17. The Historian
18. The Libertine
19. The Mysterious Foreigner
20. The Widow


A. WHO IS THE WEREWOLF?
B. WHO IS THE FIRST VICTIM?
C. WHO IS THE SECOND VICTIM?
D. WHO DOES THE WEREWOLF LOVE AND WISHes TO MAKE INTO A FELLOW CREATURE OF MOON?
E. WHO DOES THE WEREWOLF HATE (and try to frame as being the werewolf)?
F. WHO IS THE FINAL VICTIM (whose death scene will contain a clue to the werewolf's true identity)?

Note: If you roll A, B, or F, more than once, the victim rises from the dead as a ghoul and attacks the player characters--either on its own or during a confrontation with the werewolf. Roll the question again, until you get a different result.

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If you found this post useful or interesting, please consider supporting NUELOW Games by buying one or more of our releases. Check out a selection of your horror products here! Also, feel free to provide any feedback you like.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Why does the mummy walk?

A random adventure idea generator for your horror RPGs! (For a more complex tale, roll twice on the "Why Does the Mummy Walk?" table. There can be one mummy with multiple motivations or two different mummies (or one fake mummy and one real mummy) shuffling along in the shadows.)



WHO IS THE MUMMY THAT WALKS? (Roll 1d12 and consult the list below).
1-3. A priest (or priestess) cursed by the gods for betraying vows.
4-6. A prince (or princess) cursed for betraying a spouse or lover.
7-12. A wizard (or sorceress) cursed for protecting a spouse or lover.


WHY DOES THE MUMMY WALK... AND KILL?! (Roll 1d12 and consult the list below)
1. It has sensed the reincarnated spirit of a loved one, and wishes to be reunited.
2. It wants to protect a person (whose mummy is also present, or is nearby, alive and reincarnated) it cared about in life.
3. It wants to recover an object it valued in life.
4. It wants to avenge the defilement of the tomb.
5. It has been awakened by a spell and is being commanded by the caster.
6. It has been awakened by a spell and is seeking the caster in order to gain its total freedom (and immortality).
7. An accidentially triggered enchantment awakened it, and now its gathering the components for a ritual that will grant it immortal life.
8. It is a guardian who is protecting an item that is in a different museum.
9. The Stars Were Right, and it is has awakened to bring together cultists and unleash the Black Pharaoh upon the world.
10. It seeks to trigger the Zombie Apocalypse.
11. An ancient curse has caused mummies world wide to reanimate and go on murderous rampages.
12. It doesn't. It's a hoax, carried out by the (1-3 museum curator; 4-6 disgruntled Egyptologist; 7-9 tabloid reporter; 10-12 creepy ex-cop turned insurance fraud investigator) in order to (1-3 drum up publicity; 4-6 cover up murders; 7-9 cover up a theft of an ancient artifact; 10-12 distract from a ritual that will awaken another mummy for real).


Thursday, May 5, 2016

'Monster, Monster: Vampires' on sale now!

With game designer Andrew Pavlides and artist Pablo Marcos once again front-and-center, we've released our third product for D&D Fifth Edition--Monster, Monster: Vampires

Cover art by Michael Wolmarans
Monster, Monster: Vampires is more than twice the size of the previous entries in the series. It contains five vampire variants of use with your Fifth Edition games, three adventure hooks revolving around unique vampire personalities, and two chilling, offbeat illustrated vampire tales. Andrew and Pablo are joined this time out by "guest contributors" Ed Fedory and Steve Miller, while Robert Martin and Ricardo Villamonte provide most of the spot illustrations. It's all behind a creepy cover by Michael Wolmarans.

Monster, Monster: Vampires is available at RPGNow, DriveThruComics, and DriveThruRPG. You can see previews at any of those sites. Further, it's already been reviewed! Click here to see what was said bout the book on the RPG Crazy blog.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Return to Egypt with NUELOW Games!

NUELOW Games has just released its third Egyptian-themed comics/rpg hybrid book. Titled Terrors of Egypt, it has tales that span the ages from the Old Kingdoms through modern day. Vengeful mummies, strange curses, and unknowable mysteries... this one has it all!

Khafra.
Art by Cesar Lopez
The main attraction of the book is "The Mummy Khafre". It's the tale of one of the many "horror-mood" characters that Alan Hewetson created for Skywald's magazines in the mid-1970s... and her story has now been collected in one place for the first time ever. I'm sure you'll agree, after reading this story that Khafre is a worthy addition to our line-up of female characters... and that she may even give the Sorceress of Zoom or the Queen of Evil a run for their money when it comes to nastiness.

You can click here to see previews or to get your own copy of Terrors of Egypt (which features art by Cesar Lopez, Ricardo Villamonte, Xavier Villanova, and Norman Nodel). It also has a fun add-on to d20 System character creation that lets you determine a character's sign under the Egyptian zodiac.

One tidbit that I briefly considered for the book, but ultimately rejected, were rules that let you randomly determine a character's exact birth date. So they don't go completely to waste, I'm posting them here (modified so the don't rely on the material in Terrors of Egypt, as the original version did).

Everything in this post from this point forward if released under the Open Game License.

Random Character Birthday Generator
Copyright ©2015 Steve Miller

   Step One: Determine month of birth by rolling 1d12. The result is the month in which the character was born.
   Step Two: Roll 1d6. Record the result.
   Step Three: If the d6 roll was 1-2, roll 1d12 to determine the birth date; 3-4, roll 2d12-1 to determine the birth date; 5-6 roll 3d12-2 to determine the birth date. If a result of 3d12-2 puts you outside the number of days in the month, the birthday is on the last day of the month.

Available Now!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Two new templates for the OGL d20 System... and comics!

The latest in release from NUELOW Games is in perfect keeping with the season of October, as it loaded with ghosts, werewolves, and general weirdness.

Art by Bernard Bailey and Dave Berg
Ghost Woman... Also Featuring Spooks contains two early works from Dave Berg, best known for his gentle ribbing of American culture in the pages of MAD Magazine, a tale from Bernard Bailey, and two new templates, a talent tree, and feats for d20 System that bring new twists to life and death .

The Berg stories tell the tale of a college professor who, after being murdered by an embezzler, returns to Earth in spirit form to fight injustice. The story from Bailey, featuring ghosts, undead werewolves, and the origin of a monster hunter, manages in eight pages to present a sketch of a game setting more interesting than many source books manage in 80.

The RPG material is by Steve Miller, who worked on the Ravenloft gothic horror game setting. It includes a template that allow player characters to remain in play even after they've suffered a final and irreversible death, a template that introduces a new kind of werewolf that more closely resembles the ones of folklore, and a new talent tree and feats that support the templates. (Talent trees are used in the OGL d20 Modern game, but the templates and feats are usable in any RPG that is based on the d20 System.)

Ghost Woman... Also Featuring Spooks is available at RPGNow and DriveThruComics. Click on your preferred site to see previews or to get a copy.




Thursday, May 21, 2015

On sale now: 'The Curse of Egypt'

The Curse of Egypt offers up more OGL d20 feats designed with the goal of incorporating the supernatural and magic into settings without having full-fledged spell-casting classes or magic items on the shelves of the local Wal-Mart or in the police department's armory.

Cover for The Curse of Egypt

The 14 or so included OGL d20 feats give PCs and NPCs access to limited spellcasting abilities, and other supernatural powers, that are treated like special gifts from the Egyptian gods, earned either through service to them or through ancient bloodlines reaching back to antiquity.

The book also contains three classic horror comics shorts that tell tales of mystical forces of Egypt colliding with the people of the modern age. Guess who wins? One of the stories features art by the great Steve Ditko, while the other two are by creators whose identities are lost to history. (We think the work resembles that of either Don Heck or Don Perlin, but neither appear to have done work for Ace Comics, the original publisher of the stories in question. Whoever drew them, they can serve as inspiration for your own RPG scenarios... as well as simply being great reading.

Click here to see previews of The Curse of Egypt, or to get your own copy.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Ancient evils sleep beneath the Egyptian sands...

... and the six tales within the pages of NUELOW Games' latest comics/rpg hybrid book reveal what happens when they are awakened!



Horrors of Egypt present spine-tingling tales of terror from the Golden Age of Comics by great talents like Joe Kubert, Al Camy, and "Barclay Flagg." These classic tales can be enjoyed on their own, or they can serve as inspiration for GMs and players who want to use the new OGL Modern rules by Steve Miller (contributor to the Ravenloft gothic horror fantasy setting) to bring the mysteries of ancient Egypt to life at the gaming table.

Click here for more information, to see previews, and to get your own copy of Horrors of Egypt. And please let us know if you enjoyed the book, either with comments here or at the listings page.


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

A new comics/rpg hybrid for 'new comics day'!

Comic readers all across the land know that Wednesday is tthe day new comics arrive at the store. Well, we actually got our act together here at NUELOW Games, and we've released a new comic book on New Comics Day!


Feary Tales is our latest addition to our line-up of comics/rpg hybrid books. It contains six short horror stories, all twisted adaptations of fairy tales, and most of them from the brilliant mind of Steve Ditko (in his pre-Marvel Comics days).

For RPG gamers, it presents an all-new race of monsters--the Faery Ghouls. They can be dropped into pretty much any d20 System game you like, although, like most NUELOW OLG material, they are designed foremost for OGL Modern. The book also contains Tom Thumb is lost, a single-player mini-game.

Feary Tales is available at all the usual outlets. You can click here to see previews, or to get your own copy. It is presently on sale for 25 percent off the usual price, as part of the ongoing Christmas in July celebration! (The discounted price is good until August 1.)

Friday, April 26, 2013

S is for Sin-Eater and Spirit Armor


It's plain to see that for NUELOW Games one of the preferred iterations of the OGL d20 is the OGL Modern--otherwise, we probably wouldn't have released these products. With that in mind, here's a talent tree for use with your OGL Modern Games. This material is presented under the Open Gaming License. If you choose to reproduce it, please give credit and copyright acknowledgement to Steve Miller and NUELOW Games.

Sin-Eater: A Talent Tree for Dedicated Heroes (By Steve Miller)
This dedicated hero has the mystical ability to absorb the power of evil spirits and turn it to his advantage.
   Spirit Sense: When the character enters a structure or other defined area, where an evil spirit or restless ghost is present, he receives a Will save (rolled secretly by the GM).. If successful, he knows "something is wrong" and cannot be surprised or caught flat-footed by spirits or mortal enemies
   Transfer Condition: By sharing a brief meal with a character who is poisoned or suffering from a condition, the dedicated hero transfers the condition onto himself; this takes 3 rounds and the ritual meal must not be interrupted by attacks or the participants performing other actions. The character from whom the condition was transferred is restored to normal status and fully healed if applicable.
   The dedicated hero suffers from the effect of the condition for one round, but can then make a Fortitude save (DC12) to neutralize it. If the saving throw fails, the Sin Eater is now subject to the condition unless cured through normal means.
   This talent can only be used on poisons and the following conditions: Ability Damaged, Blinded, Confused, Deafened, and Sickened.
   Transfer Curse: The dedicated hero can transfer magical curses from their target characters by sharing a meal with them. This ritual meal takes 30 minutes and cannot be interrupted by combat or other skill use. At the end of the 30 minutes, the cursed characters are immediately liberated from the ill effects of the curses, and the dedicated hero is now subject to them.
   The dedicated hero suffers from the effects of transferred curses for one round. He may then roll a Will save (DC15) to neutralize them. If all the characters from whom curses were transferred were under the same effect, only one roll is needed, but if there was more than one kind of curse, the dedicated hero must roll once for each kind.  
   If the dedicated hero is absorbing a curse from a structure, the Will save is made against a DC18.
   If the Will save fails, the dedicated hero is subject to the curses transferred until they are removed through magical means.
   Prerequisite: Transfer Condition
and from a building or other defined area, by 
   Bonus Feat: The hero gains one of the following as a bonus feat: Alertness, Focused, Ghost Spotter, Ghost Whisperer, or Spirit Armor. All prerequisites must still be met to gain the feat.
   Consume Sin: By eating a meal in a place haunted by an evil spirit or ghost, the dedocated hero absorbs some of the creature's power, weakening it while empowering himself. The effectiveness of this ritual depends on how long the hero spends performing it. The effects are cumulative.

Time Spent on Meal    Penalty to Ghost/Spirit   Bonus for Hero
3 rounds                     -1 to attack rolls             +1 to Defense vs. ghosts
15 minutes                 -1 to attack rolls and       +1 to Defense and saving
                                   saving throws                  throws
30 minutes                  -2 to attack rolls,            +2 to saving throws and skill
                                  saving throws, and            checks
                                  skill checks
1 hour                        -2 to attack rolls,             +4 to attack rolls
                                  -10 hit points                     and skill checks, +10 hit points

While consuming the ritual meal, the hero cannot engage in combat or perform actions other than engaging other characters or creatures in conversation. If the hero suffers damage or other disruptions, he can make a Concentration check to maintain the inner calm necessary to successfully absorb the ghost's evil. If the hero is interrupted or chooses to stop the ritual, the benefits gained at the last achieved benchmark are gained. (If a hero decides to attack a ghost after 50 minutes, the creature has all the penalties up to the 30-minute mark while the hero has all the benefits).
   The penalties and benefits remain until the ghost targeted with the ritual is destroyed or otherwise laid to rest, or the next sunrise. If the dedicated hero should be killed before either event, his soul rises as a restless, destructive and hate-filled ghost.

New Feat
GMs who incorporate this feat into their games should add it to the list of bonus feats for the dedicated hero.

Spirit Armor [General]
Your spirit fortifies your body against assaults by incorporeal creatures and spirits.
   Prerequisite: Wisdom 17, Focused.
   Benefit: The hero gains +4 to Defense and +2 to Fort saves against physical attacks made by incorporeal beings.
   Prerequisite: Focused

Monday, October 29, 2012

It's a Halloween Horror Sale!

Celebrate Halloween with NUELOW Games and some of the greatest horror classics you may never even have heard of!

All our PDF e-book horror fiction collections are just $1 between now and the Big Night of Monsters! (Sales ends at Midnight Pacific Time on October 31, 2012.)

Get one or get them all! Click on the titles for more information.

From the Dark Corners (Tales about ghosts, madmen, and more by Howard, Smith, Stoker, and Wells)

Horror for the Holidays (Tales of Christmas ghosts and Christmas killers by Harte, Hume, Lovecraft, Locke, Poe, and Wallace)

Names in the Black Book (Tales about murderers and dark magic by Howard and Miller)

Shadows of Dreams (Dark and darkly humorous poetry by Howard)

Shadows Over Texas ( Tales about ghosts and vampires by Howard)

White Fell (Tales about werewolves by Housman, Howard, and Miller)