Showing posts with label OGL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OGL. Show all posts

Saturday, August 2, 2025

RPG a Day #2 -- Prompt

It's the second day of RPG-a-Day 2025. This is going to be one of more involved posts, with a short story based on the prompt (which is Prompt)


Be Prompt or the World Will Be Destroyed

The ancient clock tower chimed midnight as Lyra pressed her trembling fingers against the worn leather binding of the Codex Temporalis. Each tick of the massive pendulum seemed to echo through her bones, a relentless reminder that time was slipping away like sand through an hourglass. The prophecy had been clear: when the crimson moon reached its zenith on the night of the Convergence, she would have exactly one hour to complete the Ritual of Temporal Binding. One hour to save everything that had ever existed or ever would exist.

The weight of infinite worlds pressed down upon her shoulders as she opened the ancient tome. The pages, inscribed with symbols that seemed to writhe and dance in the candlelight, contained the most dangerous magic ever conceived. The Ritual of Temporal Binding was not merely a spell—it was a fundamental restructuring of reality itself, a desperate attempt to seal away the Void that threatened to consume all of existence. The magic demanded absolute precision and unwavering focus. A single mispronounced syllable, a moment's hesitation, or even the slightest deviation from the prescribed sequence would not merely result in failure—it would accelerate the very destruction she sought to prevent.


Lyra had spent the last three years preparing for this moment, studying under the tutelage of Master Aldric, the last surviving member of the Order of Temporal Guardians. The old wizard had been relentless in his training, drilling into her the critical importance of timing in temporal magic. "Magic flows like a river," he had told her countless times, his weathered hands tracing complex patterns in the air. "But time magic flows like a waterfall—powerful, unforgiving, and absolutely uncontrollable once it begins. You cannot pause, you cannot restart, and you certainly cannot afford to be late."

The crimson moon hung heavy in the sky above the tower, its unnatural light casting everything in shades of blood and shadow. Through the tall windows, Lyra could see the first signs of the Convergence beginning. Reality itself was starting to fray at the edges, with patches of absolute nothingness appearing like wounds in the fabric of existence. Trees, buildings, even the very air seemed to flicker and fade as the Void pressed closer to their dimension. In the distance, she could hear the screams of those unfortunate enough to be caught at the boundary where reality met oblivion.

The Codex Temporalis had been written by the Archmage Chronos himself, the legendary spellcaster who had first discovered the existence of the Void and developed the theoretical framework for the ritual. According to the historical records, Chronos had intended to perform it himself, but the Void had manifested earlier than predicted, catching him unprepared. His final act had been to encode the ritual into the Codex and scatter the necessary components across the world, hoping that someday another would be able to complete what he had started.

Lyra turned to the first page of the ritual sequence, her eyes scanning the intricate diagrams and arcane formulas that would guide her through the next hour. Seven distinct phases lay before her, each building upon the previous one in a carefully orchestrated crescendo of magical energy. The first phase had to begin at exactly twelve minutes past midnight. Each subsequent phase had its own precise timing, culminating in the final Sealing of the Void at fifty-seven minutes past. She would have exactly three minutes to complete the sealing before the window closed forever.

The tower's ancient mechanisms had been specifically designed to assist with the ritual's timing requirements. Gears and clockwork devices, enchanted with temporal magic, would chime at each critical moment. But Lyra knew she could not rely solely on these mechanical aids. Master Aldric had spent months teaching her to perceive the subtle fluctuations in temporal energy, to sense when the moment was precisely right for each incantation.

As the clock struck twelve minutes past midnight, Lyra began the first phase. Her voice rang out clear and strong, speaking words in the ancient tongue of the Temporal Guardians. The syllables seemed to hang in the air, creating visible ripples in the fabric of space-time. She could feel the magic responding to her call, drawing power from the convergence of past, present, and future that occurred only during the crimson moon's zenith. The air around her began to shimmer with temporal energy, and she could sense the flow of time itself becoming more malleable, more responsive to her will.

Establishing a connection with the fundamental forces of time required her to reach out with her consciousness and touch the very essence of causality. She had to feel the infinite chain of cause and effect that linked every moment throughout history. It was profoundly disorienting—like trying to hold the entire universe in her mind at once. Past, present, and future blurred together into a single, overwhelming tapestry of existence.

Through her enhanced temporal perception, Lyra could see the Void more clearly now. It was not simply an absence of matter or energy, but an absence of time itself—a region where causality broke down and existence became meaningless. The growing cancer spread through dimensional barriers, and she could see alternate versions of herself in parallel universes, some succeeding, others failing catastrophically. The sight filled her with both hope and terror.

The first phase concluded exactly on schedule. Immediately, she transitioned into the Binding of Past and Future, creating temporal anchors at specific points in history. She reached back through time, touching moments of great significance: the birth of the first star, the emergence of consciousness, the founding of the Order of Temporal Guardians. Each anchor required precise placement—even a slight miscalculation could create paradoxes that would unravel everything.

The magical energy flowing through the tower was becoming increasingly intense, and Lyra could feel the strain on her body and mind. Temporal magic was notoriously demanding, requiring perfect mental discipline while channeling forces that existed outside normal space-time. Her hands began to shake slightly as she traced the complex geometric patterns for the third phase. She forced herself to remain calm, remembering Master Aldric's teachings about emotional control.

The third phase involved synchronizing vibrational frequencies across multiple dimensions, creating a resonance pattern that would seal the breach between realities. Her mind raced through staggeringly complex equations while maintaining the magical energy flows from previous phases.

As she worked through the calculations, Lyra became aware of a subtle change in the tower's atmosphere. The air itself seemed to be thickening, becoming more resistant to movement. The Void's influence was growing stronger, affecting the local space-time continuum. The clock's ticking became irregular, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down. She would have to rely more heavily on intuitive timing, as the mechanical aids were becoming unreliable.

Creating a buffer zone of stable causality around the ritual site meant directly confronting the chaotic forces of the Void. Lyra projected her consciousness into the boundary region where reality met nothingness, using her will to impose order on fundamental chaos. The experience was like trying to hold back an ocean with her bare hands, her mental defenses straining under the assault of pure entropy.

The Void sensed her presence and began to actively resist. Tendrils of nothingness reached toward her consciousness, trying to drag her into non-existence. She could hear whispers in languages that had never been spoken, promises of peace and release from the burden of existence. For a moment, she was tempted to let go, to allow herself to be absorbed into the comforting emptiness. But the memory of Master Aldric's sacrifice, and the knowledge of all the lives depending on her success, gave her strength to push back against the seductive pull of oblivion.

Now came the Weaving of Temporal Threads—creating a complex network of causal connections across time and space. As she reached for threads from key moments in history, one blazed brighter than the rest: the day she'd first met Master Aldric, when he'd found her crying in the ruins of her village after the temporal storm. I won't let that happen to anyone else. Each thread had to be placed with perfect precision. One mistake, and the entire structure would collapse. The mental strain was enormous, like performing surgery while juggling flaming torches.

Time itself was becoming increasingly unstable around the tower. She could see glimpses of past and future overlapping with the present, creating a confusing kaleidoscope of temporal images. In one moment, she saw the tower as it had been centuries ago, newly constructed and gleaming. In another, she saw it as a ruin, crumbling and overgrown—a monument to her failure. The visions were disorienting, but she forced herself to focus on the present moment.

The sixth phase demanded that she simultaneously consider all possible outcomes of her actions, calculating probability matrices for every potential future. It was like playing chess against an opponent who could see all possible moves simultaneously, while the board itself constantly changed. She had to think in multiple dimensions, considering not just what would happen, but what could happen, what should happen, and what must not be allowed to happen.

For a terrifying moment, she wondered if she might lose herself entirely in the infinite maze of possibilities, becoming trapped in perpetual calculation. But her training held firm, and she managed to maintain her sense of self while navigating the treacherous landscape of quantum probability.

As the ritual entered its final phase, the Sealing of the Void, Lyra could feel the weight of destiny pressing down upon her. Everything came down to the next few minutes. The sealing required her to channel all the accumulated energy and focus it into a single, precisely timed burst of temporal force. Too early, and the seal would be incomplete; too late, and the window would close forever.

The crimson moon reached its absolute zenith as Lyra began the final incantation. Words of power flowed from her lips like liquid fire, each syllable charged with the accumulated energy of the entire ritual. She could feel reality responding to her will, bending and reshaping itself according to her commands. The Void sensed what was happening and began to fight back with renewed fury, sending waves of entropy crashing against her magical defenses.

The battle between order and chaos raged around the tower, with reality itself serving as the battlefield. Lyra stood at the center of the storm, her voice never wavering as she spoke words that would either save existence or doom it to oblivion. Void tendrils reached for her throat, trying to silence her, but she pressed on, drawing strength from the faces she'd sworn to protect—Master Aldric's weathered smile, the children in the village below, even strangers she'd never meet.

With exactly thirty seconds remaining, Lyra spoke the final word of the sealing incantation. The effect was immediate and dramatic—a brilliant flash of temporal energy erupted from the tower, spreading outward in all directions at the speed of thought. The Void's advance halted abruptly, its chaotic energies suddenly contained within a prison of crystallized time. The breach between dimensions sealed itself with an audible crack, like the sound of reality healing from a grievous wound.

As the magical energies dissipated and the crimson moon began to fade back to its normal silver hue, Lyra collapsed to her knees, utterly exhausted but triumphant. She had done it. The world was saved, the Void contained, and existence itself preserved.

The experience had changed her fundamentally, giving her a deep appreciation for the delicate balance that maintained the stability of existence. She understood now why Master Aldric had been so insistent about timing, why the ancient texts spoke of punctuality as the highest virtue of the temporal mage. In a universe where a single moment's delay could mean the difference between existence and annihilation, being prompt was not merely a courtesy—it was a sacred duty.

As she closed the Codex Temporalis, Lyra made a silent vow. She would train new guardians, teaching them the vital importance of precision and timing. And she would never forget that sometimes, the fate of everything depends on being exactly where you need to be, exactly when you need to be there.

***

The rest of this post is Open Game Content and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2025 Steve Miller.

THE TEMPORAL MAGE ("CHRONOMANCER")
Lyra and her Master were both Temporal Mages. The Temporal Mage is a practioner of a School of Magic that has literally stood the test of time. The spells they use have been adapted by several other schools during the ages Class-wise, they have the same level advancement rate and benefits as the regular Wizards, but have the following additional restrictions and benefits:
   Spell Restrictions: Temporal Mages cannot learn spells from the Conjuration, Illusion, and Necromancy schools. Other schools are all available. The Temporal Mage does not gain any bonuses for specialization.
   Spell Benefits: As the character advances in levels, he or she automatically gains a bonus spell each level. The Temporal Mage may cast the spell without any required material components, and may cast each of them a number of times per day a number of times equal to his or her Intelligence bonus. Although the character does not need to memorize the bonus spell, casting it does consume a spell slot, replacing the spell that was memorized.

Levels   Bonus Spells
1st        Resistance     
2nd       Light
3rd        Featherfall
4th        Comprehend Languages
5th        Locate Object
6th        Knock
7th        Clairaudiance/Clairvoyance   
8th        Dispel Magic
9th        Remove Curse
10th      Dimensional Anchor
11th      Break Enchantment
12th      Sending
13th      Delayed Blast Fireball
14th      Legend Lore
15th      Phase Door
16th      Discern Location
17th      Temporal Stasis
18th       Time Stop
19th       Foresight
20th       Wish

..
If you enjoyed the story, check out these anthologies from NUELOW Games.. you'll love 'em!

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The Dragon's Throne

Located in Brigid the Red's home in Virginia, the Dragon's Throne did not belong to a dragon until Brigid took it after incinerating its co-creator with a blast of her fiery breath.



THE DRAGON'S THRONE
Carved from a large block of obsidian to appear like a crouching black dragon, the seat is the creature's back haunches and the back being its body and neck. The armrests are his front legs. The head of the carved dragon appears to be looking over the person sitting on the throne's left shoulder, and it has been enhanced with red gems for eyes and a selection of wolf and snake fangs to serve as teeth in its open maw. It is an amazing piece of art.
   The Dragon's Throne is the work of French sculptor Camille Claudel, done as a commission for the spellcasting illusionists and would-be dragon-impersonator Phillipe Garraud. He used his skills as an illusionist to make Claudel forget she created the Dragon's Throne, and then he spent almost two years, from 1914 through early 1916 enchanting it so it. The Throne was created to be the centerpiece of a scam which Garraud hoped would make him to owner of a vanished dragon's hoard. 
   Firepit was an isolated town deep in the Ozarks that had been officially founded in 1822, even before the region had been officially opened for settlement by the U.S. federal government. Local legends claimed that the founding families (who still lived in the town) had been brought there by a dragon who charged them with watching over its hoard until it returned at some point in the future. Garraurd knew that dragons were more than legend, so he also assumed the existence of an absent dragon's hoard was also real. His arcane studies had led him to be certain that what dragons remained on Earth had gathered in Australia, so whatever the leading families of Firepit had been guarding, it would never be claimed... well, not by its rightful owner. By Garraurd, however... 
   In the summer of 1916, after making a show of surreptitiously moving into the long-empty, but still meticulously maintained by the townsfolk, house that had been the dragon's residence. When the local authorities came to confront him, he used the magic of the chair (and his own spells) to convince everyone that he was the dragon returned. He then instructed the mayor and the police chief to recruit other townsfolk to relocate the treasure they were guarding to another location.
   As the citizens of Firepit distributed gold, gems, and strange artifacts (even some things that appeared to be junk), the real dragon returned, Brigid the Red. First, she killed Garraud in a fit of rage, then she decided to let the townsfolk have the gold and gems and assisted them in relocating to wealthy lives in Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. She reclaimed the magical artifacts and other items she cared about, ultimately spreading them out between her dozen or so active lairs and treasure hoards. She claimed the Dragon's Throne and gave this unique item a prominent place in her Virginia mansion, often sitting in it when receiving guests in her human form.

Functions
   * When sitting in the Throne, a person gains the ability to cast any illusion or enchantment spell levels 1 to 3 that he or she has at least theoretical knowledge of. The character can cast a number spells equal to his or her Intelligence plus Wisdom attribute bonuses per day.
   * Any spells the character seated on the Throne knows and can cast function at 1 level above the character's actual caster level, while Illusion and Enchantment spells function at 2 levels above the character's actual caster level.
   * While seated on the Throne, a character gains a +4 enchantment bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks.

The Dragon's Throne is not an artifact, just a powerful and one-of-a-kind magic item.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

The Ring of Darius

One of the more infamous artifacts in existence is the Ring of Darius, as the historical record actually confirms the accuracy of the tales that are told about it. Since ca. the year 50BC, only one individual who have claimed the Ring as theirs and not died a violent or unnatural death after having done so.

THE RING OF DARIUS
This is a bulky gold ring that is filigreed with overlapping Celtic symbols that represent humans drawing power from their native lands. The most remarkable thing about the item, however, is the large, deep red diamond, a shade so dark and intense that both its size and hue make it one of a kind among an already extremely rare type of diamond. The Ring of Darius has been described as priceless, and it is.


Functions
When worn by the rightful owner of the ring, in the proper place, possessing and wearing the Ring of Darius provides powerful benefits. When worn by someone who come to have the ring through dishonest or violent means, it is an almost-guaranteed death sentence.

On the Hand of the Rightful Owner
When worn by its rightful owner--someone of Darius' bloodline, or someone who has come by the ring via legitimate means, such as purchasing or having it gifted by a rightful owner--the ring functions as a ring of protection +2. It also grants the wearer a +2 bonus to three crucial skill rolls per day. (The player can choose which rolls, unless the GM wants to reserve determining what's crucial for him- or herself.)
  When worn by its rightful owner in the lands that used to be home to the Gauls--currently claimed by the modern-day nations of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg-- the ring functions as a ring of protection +4. Further, it provides a +1 bonus to all skill checks and attack rolls made by the wearer.
   Unfortunately, its method of creation (assistance from a demon) left the ring with a curse: Whenever a character sees the ring for the first time, he or she must roll a Willpower saving throw (DC13). If the saving throw fails, the character becomes obsessed with the idea of possessing the ring. If the owner isn't willing to part with the ring when asked nicely or offered compensation, the obsessed character starts making plans to have the ring stolen and its (unworthy) possessor killed. Once the obsessed character gains possession of the ring, the cycle stars all over again. 

On the Hand of Someone who Acquires the Ring through Theft or Violence
There is no benefit from the ring to a character who acquires it through theft or murder, although the ring appears provide all the benefits described above. The wearer also becomes increasingly convinced that the ring has boosted all of his or her abilities and talents. Eventually, he or she becomes so arrogant and self-assured that a confrontation that will end badly is a sure thing.

Art by Harold DeLay


A Brief History of the Ring of Darius
The item now known as the Ring of Darius was made by a Circle of Druids, intended to provide magical assistance to a hero who would lead the Gauls into final battle against the Romans and drive the invaders from their lands. 
    Before they could give the ring to a hero of the stature who could save their nation and tribes, the Romans attacked the area, killing all the druids. One of them, as she lay dying, gave the ring to her son, Darius, telling him that the powerful ring would help him restore freedom to their lands and people.
    This was not to be, however. Darius was captured by the invaders and sent to Rome as a slave. He did his best to keep the ring that could restore his people, but, eventually, his captures spotted it. Darius became the first person to be killed over a greedy need for the right, but dozens (possibly even hundreds) more would follow. Darius' ghost has also cursed the ring, intensifying its negative qualities, a fact confirmed by psychic Edward Kelley in 1588 after he came into possession of the ring. Although he tried to keep others from becoming aware of the item, he fell victim to its curse in 1597, after narrowly escaping ring-caused doom on two previous occasions.
     Since 1939, the ring has been in the possession of the ancient red dragon know as Brigid. Aware of the ring's curse, she, like Kelley, has been careful about letting anyone--especially other dragons--know that she has acquired the ring. She keeps it secured in a hidden compartment under the fourth (from the top) back step leading out of her Arizona mansion/lair. Whenever she gets wind of someone seeking to loot one of her treasure hoards (of which she has 15, spread across the globe), she grabs the ring and places it in a prominent spot so it's one of the first extremely valuable items the thieves will find. Brigid then keeps track of the thieves and recovers the ring and any other unique items she baited them with, once they have met their predictable ends for stealing the Ring of Darius.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The preceding article was inspired by "The Ring of Darius", an unusual comics series that appeared in issues 1, 4-5 of Lucky Comics , an anthology titled published by Consolidated Magazines in 1945-1946. This unusual series will be collected in its entirety for the first time in a forthcoming comics/rpg hybrid product from NUELOW Games. 
   The paragraph "On the Hand of the Rightful Owner" is Open Game Content, and it is presented under this license. "The Ring of Darius" is Copyright 2025 by Steve Miller

Monday, December 30, 2024

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, the Dragon Gave to Me...

Six Geese-a-Laying
One of the bulkier gifts the Dragon Who Loves Christmas might bestow upon someone is the Six Geese-a-Laying. It consists of six carefully crafted woodcarvings of geese. They are made from basswood, but then either glazed or painted through some unusual method that no mortal has been able to determine. (The coloring of the wood is part of the enchantment process.) If subjected to detect magic, all six statues radiate a moderate aura of divination magic with hints of summoning and transmutation magic mixed in. The magic is equally strong on each of the carving and it does not change in intensity if they are close together or many miles apart.



   Functions: When any one of the Six Geese-a-Laying carvings is placed within the boundaries of what the owner considers his or her domicile (including any yard, gardens, or outbuildings around it) it becomes a magical alarm and defense. If someone who has hostile intent toward the owner and his or her belongings comes within a 20-foot radius of one of the Geese, it starts honking loudly--so loudly anyone within 500 feet can hear it and individuals close to the carving must roll a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC18) or become confused for one round and be deafened for 1d6+6 hours.
   If the trespassing intruder doesn't retreat the following round, the carving animates and attacks. It is treated like a 5th level Warrior with no Strength or Size modifiers to attack and damage rolls; it attacks twice each round, inflicting 1d4+2 piercing damage with its beak and 2d4+2 bludgeoning damage with its wings; it can only be damaged by spells, spell-like attacks, or enchanted weapons with a +2 or better bonus; each construct has 35 hit points. If reduced to 0 or lower, the construct crumbles to moldy sawdust and wood splinters. Once destroyed, all magic is dispersed from the construct.
   One, all, or just some of the Six Geese-a-Laying can be deployed to provide security for the owners domicile and surrounding area. Each carving functions as described above, and no power or function is lost if one or more are destroyed. 
   One quirky aspect to the Six Geese-a-Laying (and Brigid's favorite) is that every day 1d6 of the Geese actually produce an egg. The eggs appear under the carvings that "lay" shortly before sunrise. The eggs appear to be normal goose eggs in every way, despite their obviously arcane origins. A person who eats a meal that incorporates one or more of these magical goose eggs gains a +1 bonus to melee attacks and Intimidation skill checks.


 
 
   Although the Six Geese-a-Laying are created as one unit, they can be split up and used by several people. The person originally gifted with them can give any number of the Six Geese-a-Laying away as a gift to others without any of them losing their enchantments. The gifted geese become attuned to the recipient's domicile, just as they were to the original owner. (The carvings must be given without expectation of any compensation. If the owner expects anything from the recipient other than he or she being a little safer as a result of the gift. If one of the Six Geese-a-Laying is regifted with any selfish agendas, all of the carvings immediately lose their enchantment and crumble into moldy debris.
   Trivia: Brigid made the Six Geese-a-Laying to mimic aspects of standard alarms and defenses that dragons place their "lairs" and treasures. As for the eggs... goose eggs are one of Brigid's favorite things to eat when in human form.

Sunday, December 29, 2024

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, the Dragon Gave to Me...

Five Gold Rings
The Five Gold Rings is among the rarest of Christmas gifts: It is intended to be re-gifted. In fact, the person to whom Brigid the Christmas Dragon gives the Five Gold Rings will benefit if he or she chooses to give most the gold rings to others.
   The Five Gold Rings are each different in appearance, with four being slender and delicate and one being hefty. This larger ring is decorated with a representation of a red dragon's head and the phrase "Christmas Blessings" in a long-lost language that can only be deciphered through the use of a read magic spell. If the rings are subjected to a detect magic spell, they are found to radiate abjuration magic with a slight accent of divination magic. 


   Function: When the Five Gold Rings are first given to a character, each functions as a +1 ring of protection. Each time the recipient gives one of the slender rings away to another person as a gift, the hefty ring with the dragon's head gains an additional +1 bonus to its enchantment. Once all four of the other rings have been regifted, the fifth ring is a +5 ring of protection. The other rings remain +1 rings of protection.


    If the character to whom the Five Gold Rings is gifted give away rings with conditions attached or expectations, or tries to sell any of them, all rings immediately lose their enchantments. The slender rings can be sold to jewelers for base values of $25+2d10, while the heavier, ornate ring can be sold for $50+2d10. The ornate ring can be sold to a character who has knowledge of dragon magic and dragon society for a base value of $200.

Friday, December 20, 2024

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Twenty


THE SIX ARTIFACTS OF SANTA CLAUS
For a number of centuries, a set of related magical items believed to be the property of Santa Claus has been changing hands and drifting through the underground market for supernatural items. Only rarely have they been collected in one place, and it is the goal of many collectors to own all six items in the set. Some, like Brigid the Christmas Dragon, want to acquire them so they can return them to Santa as a present, but most want the bragging rights.
   Below, we present the Six Artifacts of Santa Claus as viewed through the lense of the d20 Game System. (The descriptions of the six items are released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its term.)



Giant Candy Cane of Peacemaking: This giant candy cane functions like a great hammer and deals 1d12 non-lethal bludgeoning damage. There are no bonuses to hit or damage rolls, but a target that is struck must make a successful Wisdom saving throw (DC22) or be frozen in place. The target is aware of everything happening around them, but unable to move in any way other than to breathe. The target is held in place until the wielder of the candy cane releases him or her from the enchantment (with a standard action), until dispel magic with a 20th level effectiveness is cast on the target, or until 12 hours have passed from the moment the target failed the Wisdom saving throw.

Santa’s Bag of Christmas Gifts: This is a bag of holding with 600 lbs. of weight available. Gifts can be taking out of the bag as a free action. The gift is always something the person it is intended for wants or needs.

Santa’s Boots: These heavy black boots paradoxically provide the wearer a +4 bonus to Stealth skill checks, at will the wearer can choose to leave no tracks in snow. The boots resize to fit whoever puts them on.

Santa's Hat: This red, fur-lined bobble hat appears like one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas. It grants the wearer the ability to unerringly identify the current location of a being whose true name is known to him or her, as well as the place that being considers its home.

Santa's Overcoat: This red long coat provides the wearer immunity to natural cold temperatures or from getting cold from being wet. When fully buttoned, Santa's Overcoat also grants a +2 bonus to AC/DR, +1 bonus to most saving throws, and a +4 bonus to saving throws made to resist air- water- and cold-based spell-effects and spell-like abilities.
   Santa's Overcoat is made for a tall, broad-shouldered, corpulent man, but it adjusted slightly if a smaller person wears it... but it still appears to be ill-fitting on anyone but Santa himself.


THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ITEMS
In reality, the six items described in this article were actually made by Brigid the Christmas Dragon because she wanted to fill in for Santa Claus if he ever needed help. The items were stolen from her original lair in France, on Christmas Eve of 1792 when it was penetrated by revolutionaries as the Reign of Terror was taking shape. She has been trying to recover them ever since, not because she necessarily wants to give them to Santa, but because she thinks he will laugh at them if her creations were ever put side by side with the spectacularly wondrous magical items he uses to deliver gifts and happiness all around the world.

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Eighteen

Dozens of centuries ago, a red dragon who is known as Brigid fell in love with the human winter festivals that eventually became Christmas. She continues her love affair with Christmas, and she has taken to spending some of her time creating magic candles that she secretly places in places where people of good cheer and kindness gather. Humans, when they notice them, have taken to referring to these mysterious magic items as candles of peace.
 

Brigid also uses the candles herself, placing them all over the part of her lair that is visible to humans. She sometimes invites heroes (such as the player characters) and disadvantaged children to spend all of Christmas Eve waiting up for Santa with her... and there's a 1d6 chance that he shows up slightly before dawn to visit with his biggest and oldest fan and those she think are worthy of getting gifts from him.

The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License, and it presents rules for candles of peace for use in the d20 System and D&D compatible games.

Candle of Peace
Candles of Peace are found in churches and shrines to good-aligned deities. No one knows how they are created or by whom. They just seem to appear in dark corners  bundles of 2d4+4, on random festival days for the deity a given shrine, church, or temple is devoted to. If subjected to detect magic, candles of peace radiate faint auras of divine magic, but nothing more specific can be determined. Roll 1d6 to determine what color the candles are: 1-2 red; 3-4 white; 5-6 green.
   When lit, a candle of peace provides a +2 bonus to Will saves to resist fear effects, and a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves to resist disease, venoms, and poisons (magical and non-magical) within a 10-foot radius and sight of the candle's flame. Each candle can burn a total of 48 hours before completely expended. It can be lit and extinguished any number of times during that period. (Each time it is lit, the GM can assume that a minimum of 1/4 of an hour  of burn time is spent.)
   A candle of peace cannot be wet or submerged in water to work. It can be used to ignite flammable materials and substances. It can be extinguished by any means that would extinguish a normal candle.
   Up to four candles of peace can be lit at the same time and their benefits will stack, for a maximum bonus of +8. They cannot be more than 4 inches apart for the bonuses to stack. The radius of the effect never expands beyond the 10-foot radius.



Best Holiday wishes from your friends at NUELOW Games! Here's Mike Oldfield's fabulous version of "Silent Night" to help set the mood!




Sunday, December 15, 2024

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Fifteen

There exists among us people who are touched by the Spirits of Christmas at birth. As children, they seem extra kind and extra cheerful (especially around the Holidays). When they turn 16, the Spirits visit the individual and offer them a chance to become a Santa's Helper.

Santa's Helpers
A pair of Santa's Helpers

 

SANTA'S HELPER 
(d20 System rules, presented under the Open Game License. Copyright 2024 by Steve Miller)
During character creation, the player declares that his character chose to become a Santa's Helper. (This can also be rolled randomly if the GM prefers; the character is a Santa's Helper on a roll of 001 on percentile dice.)
  In addition to all standard class abilities and bonus feats, a Santa's Helper gains the following abilities for two days out of the year, December 24 and 25.
  Joy of Fellowship: The character and his closest allies (other PCs for example) gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws, attack rolls, and skill checks.
  Spellcasting: The character may cast a number of spells from the following list a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom + Charisma bonus. He casts the spell by making a gesture (such as twitching his nose or winking, with no other components required): Animal Friendship, Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Fabricate, Knock, Nondetection, Passwall, Telekinesis.
   Bonus Feat: The character adds Naughty or Nice to the selection of available bonus feats. The ability gained from this feat is available all year long.
   Drawback: A Santa's Helper is expected to be kind and helpful to all but the most naughty and outright evil beings. If he or she is mean or violent toward an innocent, friendly, or harmless target, he or she instantly loses his mystical status and all benefits that come with it..
   Special: If Santa requires assistance in delivering gifts to good children, or if there's a particular threat that is stopping him from visiting an area that requires the sort of skills and attention that only a player character can bring to bear, he or she is asked to spring into action. (Hopefully, the other party members will go along to help the Helper!) 

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Eleven

'Tis the Season for Feats... and these should appeal to d20 System gamers wether they love of hate Christmas! (All feats in this post are presented under the Open Game License.)

CHRISTMAS CAROLER [General]
Your musical talents and skills as a performer increase during the Christmas Season, even more so when you are performing, or performing to, Christmas music.
   Prerequisite: At least 1 rank in two or more Perform skills.
   Benefit: From December 15 through January 5 each year, you gain a +4 bonus to all skills related to dancing, singing, and playing instruments. The bonus is increased to +6 if your performance involves Christmas music.
   Special: During the rest of year, the bonus from this feat is +1, but it applies to all varieties of performances involving music in one way or another.from this feat apply to all performances is reduced to +1.

Fake Lindsey Sterling (made at OpenArt.a.i.)

GRINCH [General]
You are adept at stealing that which might bring others joy.
   Benefit: From December 15 through January 5, you gain a +4 bonus to all Disable Device/Traps, Hide, Move Silently and Open Locks skill checks made to steal gifts, packages, and holiday decorations.
   Special: During the rest of year, the bonus gained from this feat is +1.

HOLIDAY WARRIOR [General]
Whether you're pro-Christmas ("there's a war on Christmas!"/"I am insulted that you wished me Happy Holidays!") or anti-Christmas ("your cultural appropriation of the trappings of dead pagan religions offends me"/"I feel violated by your Christmas decorations!"), you are a brilliant at ruining everyone's good mood and holiday cheer.
   Benefit: Whenever the character is within 30 ft. of Christmas decorations, or other items related by Christmas, or someone brings up anything related to Christmas or wishes him or her "Happy Holidays!", you gain a +4 bonus to Intimidate skill checks, as well as a +2 bonus to all melee attack rolls. You also impose a -2 penalty on Morale checks. The effects last until the character leaves the area.
   Special: The benefits of this feat can also apply to Easter, Kwanza, Yom Kippur, Ramadan... any major holiday during which others want to have fun or enjoy each other's company and fellowship that the character wants to ruin. In such cases, the player merely needs to say that he or she is applying the Holiday Warrior benefits to the holiday in question.


KRAMPUS [General]
The naughty had better watch out!
   Prerequisite: Naughty or Nice
   Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls against targets identified using the Naughty or Nice feat. In addition, any spells or spell-like abilities uses agains the target function at one level higher than the character's actual caster level.

SELFLESS [General]
You are ready to support those in need.
   Benefit: Give up one of your character's actions. Designate another player. The character under that player's control gains a +4 bonus to the next d20 roll made. You may use this ability as many times each round as you have actions.
   Special: When this feat is chosen, gain 2 character points that must be spent on skills immediately.

TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY [General]
You spread joy and cheer.
   Prerequisite: Wisdom 12, Charisma 14
   Benefit: Take a full round action to make a Concentration check (DC8). For the duration of the next encounter, all other PCs and allied NPCs present when you make the check gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws and morale checks.
   Special: The bonus is increased to +4 for present PCs and NPCs who join together and sing a Christmas carol (or other campaign-setting appropriate song of a similar nature) while the skill check is being made. Skills checks of Perform (sing) (DC4) are needed to stay on key.

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And to keep the Christmas Spirit building among all of you out there, here's a great video (with even greater music) from violinist/dancer Lindsey Sterling. (We think she may have the Christmas Caroler feat...)