You've heard of the Netflix sensation and gift to the world's pedophiles! Maybe you've even seen it! Now, here are character creation rules inspired by it. Make Cuties! Sing and dance and twerk! Beat the living hell out of pedos! (Well, maybe or maybe not. Hopefully, you will find this post contains some interesting and fun rules, even if its creation was sparked by a truly terrible movie.)
OGL CUTIES
By Steve Miller
(with some stuff borrowed from L.L. Hundal)
OGL Cuties uses the d20 System rules and it can be applied to any variant of that game. The Cuties character class is designed with the OGL Modern rules-set in mind, but it is easily adaptable to other variants.
The rules here allow for the creation of child characters who have been thrust into the world of adults much earlier than most. They may not be the equal of their adult counterparts, but they have skills and abilities that set them apart from their peers--depending on the campaign, these can. (Uses for this material is to create characters who are students at an arts academy or sidekicks to superheroes. Or the campaign can focus on 11-year-old twerkers. But we like the other suggestions better, especially the superhero sidekick one. That way, the Cuties can "graduate" to the Super Hero character class.)
All text in this post is released under the Open Game License, and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.
CHARACTER GENERATION
The basic process for character generation is familiar to experienced d20 System players. The range of character ages are from 8 to 14, while attributes range from a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 16. Additionally, the only character class available is the Cuties Class. This class only has four levels, and characters must multi-class as they "grow up" and move on from being child performers to being adults. (Cuties characters start out "weaker" than most player characters, but they emerge into adult world stronger through their experiences.)
The Steps
1. Determine Your Character's Age.
Roll 2d4+6. The result is your character's age in years.
2. Determine Your Character's Attributes
Roll 2d6+4 six times. once each for Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, assigning individual results to whichever ability you wish.
3. Choose a Race.
We are assuming Cuties are Human, but any player character race that's allowed in the campaign could conceivably be used with GM permission. (Some adjustment to Step #1 may be required, however.)
4. Select Starting Occupation (if used in rules-set)
Cuties are limited to a choice of the following Staring Occupations: Celebrity, Creative, or Student. The age requirements are disregarded.
4. Select Starting Skills and Allocate Skill Ranks.
(See the Cuties class description for class skills.)
5. Select Starting Feats.
All Cuties have the Simple Weapons feat. Cuties also have two additional starting feats, at least one of which must be from the Cuties bonus feats list. (See the Cuties class description for details.)
6. Record Starting Hit Points
All Cuties have at least 6 hit points when they are created at 1st level. This number may be increased by starting feats and the Constitution bonus.
7. Apply 1st-level benefits from the Cutie class (including selecting the 1st level talent).
Cuties are children who work in the entertainment business as performers, be they acrobats, actresses, actors, or dancers. They are destined for greatness, either onstage or offstage, bringing joy to the world and possibly fighting evils in the world.
The Cutie
Restriction: This class can only be selected at 1st level, and only as part of the Cutie character generation process.
Key Ability: Charisma or Dexterity.
Hit Die: 1d6
Action Points: Cuties gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills: A Cutie's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Computer Use (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Strength), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (all, pick individual groupings separately) (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (none), and Tumble (Dex).
Also, the starting occupation the character selects can provide additional class skills to choose from.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x2.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Cutie
Class Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Class Features
Defense Bonus
Reputation Bonus
1st
+0
+1
+1
+0
Talent
+1
+0
2nd
+0
+1
+2
+1
Bonus feat
+1
+1
3rd
+1
+2
+2
+2
Bonus ability points
+2
+1
4th
+1
+2
+2
+3
Bonus skill points
+2
+2
Cutie Class Features
The following are the class features of the Cutie class.
Talent: At lst level, the Cutie gains a talent from one of the following trees. The character must meet all prerequisites before selecting the talent.
Starting and Bonus Feats for Cuties: During character creation, the Cutie selects at least one feat from the following list. At 2nd level, the Cutie gains an addition feat from this list. The character must meet all prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Bonus Ability Points: At 3rd level, the Cutie gains four ability points that must be immediately assigned to any of the six abilities. No more than three points may be assigned to a single ability, and no ability may be raised above 18 using these points.
Bonus Skill Points: At 4th level, the character gains a total number of bonus skill points equal to (6 + Int modifier)x2. These skill points must be allocated to skills immediately. They can be used on skills to which points have already be assigned, or to acquire new skills. Level restrictions apply.
CUTIES 4th LEVEL AND BEYOND
As should be obvious, Cuties will need to multi-class in order to keep progressing. Standard classes that build more effectively on the Cutie class are the Charismatic Hero, Dedicated Hero, and Fast Hero from OGL Modern, or other classes that draw on Dexterity- and Charisma-based abilities, such as Bards and Rogues. (And, as mentioned above, Cuties can serve as a lead-in to a superhero campaign, as the characters graduate from being Bucky, Wonder Girl, and Robin to being Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Batman when they adopt the Super Hero character class.)
MOE OPTIONS [General]
When you wake up in the morning, you are blessed with a supernatural benefit granted by the Three Great Spirits of Nyuk-Nyuk-Nyuk.
Benefit: Roll 1d6 once per day and consult the table below. The character gains the indicated benefit until he or she goes to sleep that night or is dropped below 0 hit points.
1-2. Damage reduction 10 for injuries suffered from unarmed attacks and blunt weapons.
3-4. Successful unarmed attacks deal no damage, but instead you poke the opponent in the eyes, blinding them for 1d2+1 rounds.
5-6. When in the company of at least two other PCs, the character may force all opponents to make Will saves (DC5+your character level) at the beginning of an encounter. Those who fail the saves are confused for 1d2+1 rounds. This is a standard action.
(All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2020 by Steve Miller.)
Although she is now all but forgotten, Bessie Love was a celebrated movie star and household name during the 1920s. Her most important role, however, was that of a crusader of against supernatural evil--the Love Bug!
From 1925 through 1950, Bessie faced off against cultists, lycanthropes, vampires, elder gods, and evil sorcerers and witches. The full extent of the debt the world owes her will probably never be known, but one of her more dangerous encounters took place in 1928 when she squared off against a wizard who was trying to enchant massive amounts of people by embedding spells in motion pictures.
As Bessie (in Love Bug guise) broke into the wizard's lair, she came upon a magic mirror that drew her into a pocket dimension behind the glass where she had to defeat an exact copy of herself, or forever be trapped while the copy of her took over her life in the outside world. Bessie was victorious, and not only did she free herself from the mirror realm, but 17 other men and women who had fallen victim to the mirror's magic over the past two centuries... and several of those liberated helped her slay the wizard and set his magic films ablaze.
Bessie took the mirror as a souvenir, and it hung in her home until she passed away in 1986. It was not present when the executor took control of her estate and it was presumed stolen. The mirror remains missing. (In truth, the mirror was taken by an angel that had been trapped in the mirror and who was freed along with the others when Bessie Love broke the enchantment on it by defeating her mirrored foe.)
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Here's some RPG content (good for just about any version of D&D) inspired by Bessie's adventures, as has become our habit in these quarterly posts. The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2020 Steve Miller.
RANDOM MAGIC MIRROR GENERATOR
Use these tables to generate magic mirrors in treasure hoards or the lairs of villains. Roll 1d6 against the tables below
MIRROR TYPE
1. Handheld
2-4. Wall Mirror
5-6. Full-length Mirror
MIRROR ENCHANTMENT
1-2. Reflection answers one question per day (as legend lore spell).
3. Reflections of items in front of it, no further than three feet away, seem to glow if they are magical (as detect magic, three times per day).
4. The reflection shows the true form of a being concealed behind an illusion, or in a different from due to natural, spell-based, or item-based shapeshifting or polymorphing abilities. If the being is a natural shapeshifter, but is presently in the primary form (such as a lycanthrope in her human shape), the reflection shows secondary shape.
5. A demonic (1-3) or angelic (4-6) trapped in the mirror can, once per day, unerringly reveal the location and condition of a single person. The request has to be specific--"Where is the six-fingered man who killed my father?" or "Where is the fairest person in the land?".
6. Anyone who sees his or her reflection in the mirror without saying a password is immediately sucked into a pocket dimension behind the glass. Here, they must fight exact copies of themselves, except the duplicates are utterly ruthless and irredeemably evil. If the duplicate wins, the real character is trapped in the pocket dimension while the mirror-spawned copy takes his or place in the world. If the real character wins, he or she is given the option by the powerful spirit (demonic 1-3, angelic 4-6) to either release those trapped in the mirror or to become its new master and enjoy eternal life and youth so long as at least one person is trapped in the mirror every 50 years.
The mirror functions like result #4 for the master, as its enchantments are powered by a spirit trapped inside it.
If you to add a little more substance to player character backgrounds, add this to the character generation process in your d20 System games, immediately after the character's stats, and have the players roll 1d8s against the tables below. It gives players starting points for coming up with details, and it gives each character slightly different attributes at the beginning, beyond those outlined in the standard rules.
RANDOM CHARACTER CHILDHOOD GENERATOR
WHERE DID YOU SPEND YOUR CHILDHOOD? (Roll 1d8)
1. In a traveling circus/carnival. (Gain 2 ranks in Acrobatics or Bluff or Sense Motive.)
2. On the family farm, or on the family fishing boat. (Gain Endurance as a bonus feat )
3. Traveling with your family as seasonal farmhands or temporary laborers. (Gain +1 Strength or +1 Constitution.)
4. Helping around the family autoshop (Gain 2 ranks in Repair or Cautious as a bonus feat.)
5. In a small town, with your loving middle-class parents. (Gain 2 ranks in a Craft or Perform skill of your choice
6. With abusive, violent parents. (Gain Endurance or Stealthy as a bonus feat)
7. With Con Artist parents. (Gain Trustworthy as a bonus feat).
8. In a monastery or boarding school, as the child of teachers there. (Gain Educated or Studious as a bonus feat.)
HOW DID YOUR ADVENTURING CAREER START? (Roll 1d8)
1-2. Ran away from home.
3. Fell in with a bad crowd that came to a bad end.
4-5. Your parents vanished mysteriously.
6. You fell in love with someone your parents couldn't stand and eloped with him or her.
7-8. You joined the army (or some other armed group that wields authority in many places), and the experiences you had made it so you feel like you can't go home again.
--
(The text is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright Steve Miller 2020)
During the 1920s and early 1930s, Bessie Love was a popular movie star. Away from the adoring public, however, she led a secret life as the superhero Love Bug and defended Earth against supernatural evil. During her adventures, she collected a number of magical treasures. One of these was the shawl of the babushka. In this post, we reveal another of Bessie's secret adventures while describing this unique magical item in terms of the d20 System rules.
THE SHAWL OF THE BABUSHKA
In 1946, Bessie Love (in her guise of the Love Bug) battled Baba Yaga to save children abducted from a village in eastern Ukraine. At the end of that adventure, she walked away with a shawl that Baba Yaga had woven and enchanted for her most loyal servants. At one time, 13 of these were known to exist; two were destroyed during the encounter that Love had with Baba Yaga and three witches, but ten more may still exist. The secret to making this item is known only to Baba Yaga
The shawl of the babushka is a triangular piece of cloth that is roughly 3 feet wide and 7 feet in length. If subjected to detect magic, it radiates faint transmutation magic.
The fabric is a red so deep that it is almost black. It is embroidered with flowery patterns in bright yellow and blue and green, but if those patterns are carefully studied (1d6+2 rounds) and a successful Knowledge (Arcane) skill check is rolled (DC20), it becomes apparent that mystic symbols of demonic origin are concealed in harmless-seeming floral motif. The purpose of the symbols isn't clear. (Only high-ranking demonlords and Baba Yaga herself know the meaning of the symbols, but see below for more.)
Powers of the Shawl of the Babushka
When worn, a shawl of the babushka grants the following protections and powers to its wearer:
*Immunity to normal hot- and cold-weather conditions. The wearer is comfortable in the hottest and coldest places on Earth.
*Immunity to be located by any magical means, except through the personal and direct actions of a god.
* +4 bonus to saving throws made to resist damage from elemental magic.
* Use charm person as a spell-like ability at 20th-level effectiveness twice per day.
There is one final power that is not revealed by identify or anything short of a wish spell. It can only be explained by Baba Yaga, a demonlord, or learned through experimentation.
* Become one of three different human females: A plump and friendly-seeming old woman; a bent, boney, hag-like old woman; and an extremely attractive young woman. Although the character using this ability retains all of his or her own statistics, levels, and class abilities, this transformation does not register as a magical one; for as long as the character wears the shawl, he or she is the woman that he or she has chosen to be. Aside from a vague similarity in facial features (Spot check of DC18 for anyone to notice), there is nothing else to give away the character's transformation. The transformation remains in effect until the character is no longer wearing the shawl.
The transformation is brought about with a successful Willpower saving throw (DC12) and a full round action. Until the character realizes that there are three different forms that can be adopted, the woman that he or she changes into is rolled randomly on the following table: Random Shawl Transformation (Roll 1d6)
1-2: Plump Old Woman
3-4: Withered Old Woman
5-6: Beautiful Young Woman
Drawbacks of the Shawl of the Babushka
The shawl of the babushka is a magic item made by Baba Yaga specifically for her most loyal human minions, typically witches. Wearers to whom she has gifted it wouldn't necessarily view these effects as "drawbacks".
* Whenever the character uses the charm person spell-like ability, the GM rolls 2d6+1. On a roll of 4 or 13, Baba Yaga gains the ability to see and hear everything the character does for an hour, even if the shawl is immediately removed. She also knows exactly where the character is located.
* Whenever the character transforms into one of the female forms, the GM rolls 2d6+1. On a result of 13, the character is physically replaced by a succubus for 1d4+2 hours. While the character is trapped in the demonic plane, no harm will befall him or her, but he will be warned against trying to cross Baba Yaga, as well as being offered the opportunity to gain the Chosen feat as a bonus, or otherwise makes offers to tempt the character to serve them. (Even if the character refuses all offers, the demons will always be cordial and polite to the temporarily planeshifted character; they will even happily explain everything about the shawl and its powers.
The interaction with the demon generally takes place in a richly appointed, parlor with comfortable couches and easy chairs. If the character is rude or aggressive, the demons try to remain friendly and polite but they will leave him or her alone if the character persists. If the character attacks them, he or she is immediately transported to a sweltering, dark void for the duration to the swap.
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All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance to its terms. Copyright 2020 Steve Miller.
This talent tree is that latest addition to the NUELOW Games d20 System feat and talents based superpowers system. (You can see the basics by clicking here.) It was inspired by the 1976 Boney M song of the same name, "Daddy Cool". We've embedded the song and its original video for your viewing enjoyment, below. (All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and my be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 Steve Miller.)
The Daddy Cool (or Mama Cool, for female characters) talent tree works well for characters who have emotion manipulation as their main shtick.
DADDY COOL TALENTS
Your power is your charisma. Essence of Cool: Gain a permanent +2 bonus to all Bluff, Intimidate and Perform skill checks. Prerequisite: Any one Minor Power feat. Crazy Like a Fool: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics confusion. The character's total number of levels equals the caster level. The character may choose to limit the confusion affect to a single target, imposing a -6 penalty to the Will save to resist. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the character's Charisma bonus (round up). Prerequisite: Essence of Cool. Dance with Daddy: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics irresistible dance. The character's total number of character levels equals the caster level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the character's Charisma bonus (round up). Prerequisite: Crazy Like a Fool Trust in Daddy: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics charm person. The character's total number of levels equals the caster level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the character's Charisma bonus (round up). Prerequisite: Essence of Cool Trust in Daddy II: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics charm monster. The character's total number of levels equals the caster level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to the character's Charisma bonus. Prerequisite: Crazy Like a Fool, Trust in Daddy
(For the record, when we dance here at NUELOW Games, it looks something like Bobby Farrell in this video.)
Some magic items (and an artifact) that every d20 Modern game needs! (Heck, maybe every d20 System game needs these!)
Taco of Healing
Restores 1d6 hit points when consumed. It also nourishes the character for an entire day. (Tacos of healing come in batches of 3, 9, or 12.)
Montezuma's Taco
Appears to be a taco of healing but is actually cursed. When consumed, the character that eats it must roll a successful Fort save (DC18) or be sickened for 1d6+2 days. A successful save means the character is only sickened for half the number of days rolled (round down).
There is a 2% chance that any taco of healing may is a Montezuma's Taco.
Super Hot Sauce of Courage
Apply to any food item. Consuming the item afterwards requires a Fort save (DC9) and will cause the diner's eyes to water and nose to run, but he or she gains a +1 bonus to DC/AC, Will and Reflex saves for 6 hours.
Applying the Extra Hot Sauce takes one round. Consuming the food takes 1d3+1 rounds.
Neverending Bag of Tacos
What appears to be a grease-stained paperbag with a logo featuring a smiling, big-toothed cartoon character in a sombrero above the words "Comer Grandes" is a actually a powerful artifact. If examined with methods that reveal magical auras, the Neverending Bag of Tacos radiates a very slight trace of Summoning magic.
Every 24 hours, bag produces 2d4+2 tacos,although the bag only appears to contain at most two tacos at any given time. When the last taco of the day remains, there is only one in the bag.
Whenever someone pulls a taco from the bag, it is that person's favorite kind of taco. The number of tacos the bag can provide resets every day at sunrise.
(All text in this post is Open Game Content and may be reproduced in accordance with the terms of the Open Game License. Copyright 2019 NUELOW Games.)
We recently revealed how Bessie Love secretly battled occult forces between starring in movies during the 1920s and 1930s. This time around, we're going to cover something she learned during her cultist-busting career: Hidden, often in plain sight, throughout the world are a surprising number of magical chairs. Some were purposefully constructed and enchanted, others became magically charged by absorbing intense spiritual energies for many years.
Love brought two magic chairs into her own home, one was a gift from a sorceress who was an ally in her fight against evil, the other was seized from a cult leader. The first chair, which stood in the corner of her sitting room, grants the person sitting in it the ability to instantly know what is on up to 100 written pages by just touching them; and the other chair, which she kept in her library, makes the person in it more able to see through lies while being more adept at telling them.
The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced according to its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2019.
MAGICAL MYSTERY CHAIRS (for d20 System Games)
The GM can use the following tables to randomly generate magical chairs. Players can discover the enchantments of the chairs through whatever means are available in the campaign, except for those listed under WHAT CURSE DOES THE CHAIR BESTOW? Any curses should be discovered when they are inflicted.
IS THE CHAIR MAGICAL? (Roll 1d10)*
1-7. No
8. Yes. Roll once on WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAIR GRANT?
9. Yes. Roll twice on WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAIR GRANT?
10. Yes. Roll once on WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAR GRANT? and
once on WHAT CURSE DOES THE CHAIR BESTOW?
*The GM can check this table whenever the characters search a room furnished with one or more chairs using methods that can detect magical auras. WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAIR GRANT? (Roll 1d10)
1. As a full round action, absorb the information in up to 100 pages
touched while seated in the chair. The character must be able to
read the language, even if he or she isn't actually reading the
text. The book or pages not need to be leafed through. The GM
may require Knowledge skill checks or Intelligence checks for
the character to comprehend the information if the text covers
obscure or advanced subjects. Texts longer than 100 pages may
be divided up and absorbed at different times, but loose pages
must be placed in different stacks, and books must be opened
to the point from which absorption is to take place.
The chair's power can be used once every 12 hours.
2. +4 to all Knowledge skill checks while seated.
3. +4 to all Craft skill checks while seated.
4. +6 to Bluff skill checks while seated.
5. +6 to Sense Motive skill checks while seated.
6. Detect Poison and Neutralize Poison at 12th-level effectiveness
while seated in the chair.
7. True Seeing as spell-like ability for 12 minutes once per hour while
seated. (12th level effectiveness.)
8. The character does not age, require rest or sustenance while seated in the chair.
9. Brings a being back to life that has been dead less than 24 hours.
The corpse must be relatively intact with no vital parts missing.
The being is restored to life with fully healed.
10. Roll again on this table, ignoring and re-rolling additional
rolls of 10. Additionally, roll once on WHAT CURSE DOES
THE CHAIR BESTOW?
WHAT CURSE DOES THE CHAIR BESTOW? (Roll 1d10)*
1. -1 to all saving throws.
2. -1 to all attack rolls.
3. -1 to all saving throws and attack rolls.
4. -2 to all skill checks.
5. The sitter's butt goes numb and can only walk with a
weird waddle. 1/2 movement rate, -4 to all Acrobatics,
Balance, Climb, Run, and Tumble skill checks.
6. Suffer 1 point of extra damage per hit or damage dice.
7. While seated the character believes he or she telepathically
"hears" the thoughts of another character in the room.
The thoughts indicate the character is planning to betray the
seated character, or is otherwise allied with an enemy of
the party. The seated character can focus his or
attention on someone else in the rool and "hear" that
individual's thoughts as well. They will likewise be
hostile or threatening. This is just an delusion caused by
the chair. It ends once the character leaves the chair.
8. While seated, he character believes that he or she can see
the true demonic form of another random character in
the room. This is just a delusion created by the chair, and
the character who appears to be a shapeshifted demon
is determined randomly each time someone sits in
the chair
9. Roll on WHAT BENEFITS DOES THE CHAIR GRANT?
The character who sat in the chair believes he or she has gained
that advantage.
10. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring additional
rolls of 10. *Unless otherwise noted, all curses are permanent until the character who sat in the chair is subjected to a Remove Curse, cast at a 12-level or better effectiveness.
This post continues the rules for playing characters whose souls contain the remains of dead angels. You can read Part One here. (All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 Steve Miller.)
FEATS FOR THE AWAKENED
Awakened characters may choose from the following feats whenever they gain feats from level advancement, as a way of modeling their increasing ability to tap into the angelic energies that reside within them. They may also choose to substitute any bonus feats earned with ones from this section. They must still meet all pre-requisites before choosing a feat.
NEW FEATS
These feats are available only to Awakened characters who meet the prerequisites. It may be chosen under any circumstance that the character selects a feat.
Divine Magic [Awakened]
You channel the divine spark in your soul into spells. Prerequisite: Awakened, Wisdom 12 Benefit: The character may, at will, cast a number of 0-level Acolyte spells equal to his or her Wisdom bonus per day. The caster level is equal to the character's total level. No material components are needed.
The character also gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws made to resist divine magic and divine spell-like effects.
Enhanced Divine Magic [Awakened]
You can draw more effectively on the divine energy to create more powerful effects. Prerequsite: Divine Magic feat Benefit: The character may, at will, cast a number of 1st- and 2nd-level Acolyte spells equal to his or her Wisdom bonus per day. The caster level is equal to the character's total level. No material components are needed.
Improved Divine Magic [Awakened]
You are able to create minor miracles. Prerequisite: Enhanced Divine Magic feat, Wisdom 14 Benefit: The character may, at will, cast a number of 3rd- 4th-, and 5th-level Acolyte spells equal to his or her Wisdom bonus per day. The caster level is equal to the character's total level. No material components are needed.
Sense Awakened [Awakened]
You can sense when you are near another Awakened. Prerequisite: Awakened trait Benefit: When you are within 60 feet of another Awakened, the GM tells you you feel as though something is "off" or as if "someone just walked over your grave" or some other statement to show you are sensing something unusual. Upon making a successful Spot skill check (DC15), you can identify the source of your unease--another Awakened. If the Awakened is out of your line of sight, you know exactly where he or she is. (The sense of unease ends as soon as you recognise the other Awakened.)
The sense of unease also ends if the Spot check reveals some other threat or mystery that draws your attention. Note: GMs may or may not be calling your attention to another Awakened. Sometimes, it's something entirely different that's going on. Whichever is the case, the sense that something is wrong is dispelled once your attention is caught by something in the area.
Sense Outsider [Awakened]
Beings from planes beyond those inhabited by mortals venture into it with some regularity, usually disguised in mortal form. You can sense when you are near such creatures. Prerequisite: Awakened trait Benefit: When you are within 15 feet and line-of-sight of an extra-planar being that is shapeshifted into a less conspicuous form, you can see an aura of shifting colors around its body. By taking a full round action to study the creature and the GM rolling a successful Spot skill check (DC12), you are able to tell if the being is from one of the Upper, Lower, or Elemental Planes of existence. You are also able to spot shapeshifted beings native to the Realm of Fairies, including the Witchkind, although with such beings, you will not be able to discern what plane they are from.
Wings of an Angels [Awakened]
Mystic wings will slow your fall, preventing you from harm to some extent. Prerequisite: Awakened, Divine Magic feat Benefit: After the first 20 feet of free-fall, incorporeal, translucent wings appear on the character's back, and his or her fall is slowed. Falling damage is reduced by half when the character hits the ground (minimum damage 1 point).
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More to come--such as Talents--in Part Three. (Meanwhile, if you found this content interesting and useful, consider getting one or more of our actual products at DriveThruRPG. It will encourage to make more.)
This is the first post in a series that gives rules for playing characters whose souls are part angel, the Awakened. This one lays part of the groundwork, and the next posts will elaborate on the concept with more details on the types of angels, as well as feats and talents that further define the Awakened and their supernatural powers.
All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 by Steve Miller.
THE AWAKENED: BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE
By Steve Miller
The Awakened is a mortal being who carries within them a literal spark of the Divine.
The devestation suffered among the Heavenly Host was severe, as the forces loyal to God did battle with those who had joined Satan in rebellion. Hundreds of angels fell in battle, but since immortal beings cannot truly die, the physical form of a slain angel shattered and its spiritual essense dispersed into the mortal realm where fragments of angelic essense merged with the souls the beings that existed there.
Souls so infused with angelic essense are mostly like any others: They go through many, many lives, some of which are unremarkable except in small ways, others which change the course of history or reshape the way humans perceive the world and other beings around them, but that part of them which originated in Heaven remains dormant.
But then, through chance or Divine Providence, an event shocks the slumbering spark into wakefulness... and the mortal being finds him- or herself able to call upon supernatural abilities usually reserved only for the servants of gods. How powerful the mortal becomes, and whether these gifts become a blessing or a curse to the world is entirely up to the individual... because whether it was Fate or Grand Design that brought the hidden to the fore, mortals still possess the great gift of Free Will. Nonetheless, once Awakened, the being's life will be changed, because others will be drawn to the power.
BECOMING AWAKENED
Most people live their whole lives with the angelic part of their soul remaining dormant. There are only three ways it becomes activated:
* Fail a saving throw while wearing the Angel's Face and Left Hand of God
* Be reduced to -5 or fewer hit points
* Be subjected to mind-effecting magic or mind-effecting spell-like effect from an Outsider
(With the GM's permission, any of these events can have taken place before play starts and be part of the character's backstory.)
Once Awakened, the player rolls randomly on the following table to see what type of angelic remnant the character now gains power from. This dictates the benefit gained.
AWAKENED 1d10Angelic Remnant in Character's Soul 1Astral Deva: +1 magical bonus to all melee attack and damage rolls. 2Cherub: All Knowledge skills become permanent class skills.
If Cherub is rolled twice, the character gains the Educated feat
as a bonus.) 3Planetar: Gain detect deceit as a spell-like ability. It may be used
a number of times per day equal to the character's Wisdom bonus. 4Potestatim: Gain cure light wounds and cause light wounds as
spell-like abilities, with the caster effectiveness equal to the
character's level. 5 Seraphim: Gain protection from evil as a spell-like ability, with the
caster effectiveness equal to the character's level. It may be used a
number of times per day equal to the character's Wisdom bonus. 6Solar: Gain a +1 magical bonus to all ranged attack and damage
rolls. 7Thronas: Gain a +2 bonus to all Bluff and Sense Motive skill checks. 8Virtues: All Perform skills become permanent class skills.
If Virtues is rolled twice, the character gains the Creative feat
as a bonus, as well as a +2 bonus to all Bluff skill checks. 9 Zashmahls: All Craft skills become permanent class skills.
If Zashmahls is rolled twice, the character gains the Creative feat
as a bonus. 10 Roll two more times on this table, ignoring and rerolling results of 10.
The character's soul contains the remnants of two angels, and the
character gains both benefits. Unless otherwise is noted, if the same
result is rolled twice, the indicated bonus is doubled.
There's more in Part Two of this post series. Click here!
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If you found this post interesting or useful, you should check out some of our releases at DriveThruRPG. If you buy some, you'll encourage us to make more!
The Angel's Face and the Left Hand of God are a pair of artifacts of unknown origin. They have appeared and disappeared throughout history, often facilitating the rise of a powerful religious figure or causing his or her downfall. Their first known appearance on Earth was in Ancient Egypt.
Apart, the items appear to be faintly enchanted with some kind of preservative magic. When brought together, they begin to radiate stronger magic, but their true powers are only revealed when worn together by a single user. (The artifacts must be worn by the same user, at the same time, to function.)
THE ANGEL'S FACE
This smooth, silvery mask is of a face with cherubic features, and it's hard to tell if it's supposed to resemble and male or female. It radiates faint abjuration magic if it examined with means designed to reveal enchantments.
If a human or demihuman character who isn't an Immortal, Outsider or Undead holds it up to their face, the mask immediately attaches itself. It can only be removed if the character remains absolutely calm and takes no actions for six rounds other than to clear their minds of all thoughts. One the seventh round, the character must roll a successful Will Save (DC22). If successful, the mas falls off. The only other reason the mask detaches itself is upon the death of the character.
If an Immortal, Outsider, or Undead tries to use the Angel's Face, the mask immediately becomes inert and seemingly non-magical for one month.
Benefits and Powers Gained While Wearing the Angel's Face:
* Saving Throws of a 20th level Cleric, Priest, or Dedicated Hero (or similar class in use in the campaign). If the character's regular saving throws are greater, he or she uses them instead.
* True Seeing as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to the character's Wisdom bonus.
* +2 bonus to all rolls made to see through illusions (when the True Seeing ability isn't being used).
* +4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist mind-effecting magic.
Drawbacks to Wearing the Angel's Face:
*The mouth on the Angel's Face has an opening so small that the wearer is only able to consume liquids through a straw.
*Whenever the True Seeing spell-like ability is invoked, the GM secretly rolls percentile dice to see if the character becomes a vessel for a god. If 001 is rolled, the GM rolls a d10 against the following table to see what god has taken hold of the character's mortal form.
1. Anubis 2. Athena
3. Baal 4. Hades
5. Isis 6. Odin
7. Set 8. Shiva
9. Thor 10. Zeus
The god remains in control of the character for 1d10+10 hours, or until the god willingly departs or the character's body is destroyed. During this time, the god can wield any and all powers the GM and the rules-set believes are fitting. The GM should consider telling the player what the god's agenda is and jointly run the character with him or her during this time of possession, allowing the player to make most decisions while the GM primarily adjudicates to what level the god uses his or her powers in the mortal realm.
When the god leaves the character's body, the character must roll a successful Fortitude save (DC 18) or be reduced to 1 hit point and falls into a coma that lasts 1d6+1 hours. Whether the save is successful or not, the mask falls from the character's face and remains inert and seeming non-magical for one month.
THE LEFT HAND OF GOD
This is a fingerless, left-hand leather glove with straps that fasten around the wearer's wrist, with metal studs on each knuckle. It radiates faint alteration and divine magic if it examined with means designed to reveal enchantments.
Benefits and Powers Gained While Wearing the Left Hand of God:
* +2 to unarmed attacks
* +4 divine damage inflicted with each successful unarmed strike (with left-hand only, if a two-handed fighting style is used).
* When touching a character with the gloved left hand, restore up to 3d6+4 hit points. Unwilling targets may roll Will saves to resist (DC12). This is a full-round action, and the power may be used a number of times per day equal to the wearer's Wisdom bonus.
* When touching a character with the gloved left hand, inflict 1d6+6 hit points of divine damage. The target receives a Fortitude save (DC18) and if it is successful, the target only suffers half damage. If used in combat, the wearer must roll a successful touch attack. This is a full round action, and the power may be used a number of times per day equal to the wearer's Wisdom bonus.
Drawbacks to Wearing the Left Hand of God
* The wearer must roll a Fortitude save (DC19) when using the gloves touch powers, whether to heal or harm. If the saving throw fails, the character loses 1d3+1 hit points and is briefly disoriented and is unable to act on the following round.
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The photo illustrating this post is of actress Rebecca Rose. It's a still from The Jester 2, and it has nothing to do with the magic items described in the post other than being the source of inspiration for them.
All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 Steve Miller.
Your belief in a higher power is unshakable... and it may even be stronger than the cleric who leads the gathering of faithful you worship with. You do not wear the cloth, because you have been called to serve in a different way. But you know that your god watches over you and smiles upon your deeds. You know, because you have experienced miracles and you know that your faith has seen you through situations where non-believers would have perished.
Here are a couple of d20 System feats for characters who have strong faith in higher powers, but who are not priests, clerics, or some other religious leader. In fact, these feats are specifically not for classes that have access to divine spells. Instead, they are for the lay-person.
Like most of the material we create for d20 System games, d20 Modern and compatible games is premiere in our minds, but this material is easily adapted to StarFinder and any other game that uses the d20 System as its core engine.
The rest of this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 Steve Miller.
FAITHFUL [General, Dedicated Hero]
Sometimes, your faith in greater powers is rewarded. Prerequisite: Intelligence 11, Wisdom 13 Benefit: State a religion your character believes in, firmly. When something goes terribly wrong--such as failing a crucial skill check, fail a life-or-death saving throw (and circumstances are such that you know it), or similar event--your character's deeply held faith may cause the greater powers in the universe to take notice and intervene on your behalf. Invoke this feat immediately after the failed roll. You may reroll it with a +4 bonus. If the second roll succeeds, something miraculous happens that allows the character to recover from the failure.
This feat may be used a number of times equal to the character's Wisdom bonus each game session. Special: Clerics and other characters who gain spells from supernatural beings may not select this feat; the greater powers in the universe already give them plenty in return for their faith. If a character with this feat gains the ability to cast divine spells or gains wizard spells through deals with powerful beings, all benefits from this feat are lost
MARTYR [General, Dedicated Hero]
You suffer for your faith, knowing that you will be rewarded. Prerequisite: Faithful Benefit: As your character looses hit points from damage suffered while fighting for (or otherwise working toward) a cause he or she believes in, extra reserves of energy born from the deeply held knowledge that you are sacrificing for a greater cause.
The benefits from this feat depend on how many hit points the character has lost. The benefits to do stack; the replace one another as the character is injured.
Down Between 10% and 25% of full hit point total: +1 bonus to all saving throws and skill checks. Down Between 25% and 50% of full hit point total: +2 bonus to all attack rolls and saving throws. Down Between 50% and 75% of full hit point total: +4 bonus to all saving throws and AC/DR. Down Between 75% and 100%: +4 bonus to all saving throws, regain 2d6 hit points for each successful saving throw rolled. Negative Hit Points, Between -1 and -10: Roll a Fortitude saving throw. If successful, regain 2d6 hit points. If the character's hit point total is still a negative number, the character is unconcious but stable.
Negative Hit Points, Below -10: The character finds him- or herself engulfed in a bright light. He or she is given the choice to move onto the reward for dying in the service of the deeply held convictions and beliefs, or remain in the mortal realm of pain and suffering, as a disembodied spirit but with the ability to fight on. If the character rejects the reward, he or she immediately gains the Disembodied template.
A feat, for the d20 System, presented under the Open Game License. Copyright Steve Miller 2019.
WEAPONIZED SMIRK [General, Social]
Your smile can drive stupid people crazy. Prerequisite: Charisma 12, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 13 Benefit: On any round your character has initiative, instead of attacking, you may roll a Charisma abiility check with the character's Charisma and Wisdom bonuses both added to the result.
Hostile characters must roll Will saves with a target number equal to your total modified Charisma check, or become completely flustered with anger over the "disrespect" shown by the seemingly unimpressed target of their hostility. They suffer a -2 penalty to all skill checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws for the remainder of the encounter. Special: Weaponized Smirk can be triggered against characters who are hostile toward the smirker even if they aren't present for the initial encounter but are merely shown a picture of the smirking character. Such characters must roll a Will save against the original modified Charisma check with a +4 bonus or suffer the penalties described above for 2d20 hours.
Whenever a character who failed the first Will save against Weaponized Smirk sees a picture of the smirking character, or is otherwise reminded of the encounter or exposure, another Will save must be rolled with a +6 bonus. If the saving throw fails, the character suffers the penalties described above.
Once a successful Will save has been made against the smirk., the hostile character is immune to future smirking, and he or she recognizes that it was stupid to react to it in the first place.
What will the new year bring? Well, with this new d20 System feat, your character might know. (This is an initial draft idea that will probably see some revision and expansion. But the text in this post is still presented under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with it.
FORTUNE TELLING [Supernatural]
Most believe you are a charlatan--and, frankly, maybe you do have a little touch of that in you--but your ability to see the future is quite real. It may not always be reliable, and your visions may not always be clear, but you do more good than harm. Prerequisite: Wisdom 12, Charisma 12, Foresight feat Benefit: By spending 2d6 minutes less a number of minutes equal to his or her Wisdom bonus, and studying some focus device, the character may use one of several benefits gained by this feat, up to three times per day. The focus device can be a deck of tarot cards, a crystal ball, grounds or leaves at the bottom of a cup, chicken bones, or any other item associated with fortune telling or seeing the future.
The abilities derived from this feat are as follows. Each requires a Wisdom check to use successfully; the GM may choose to make the roll on the player's behalf in secret or may allow the player to roll it him- or herself. If the Wisdom check is successful, the GM must provide as truthful answers as possible, but a failed roll can either provide completely false information or no result at all. ("Your destiny is cloudy... many powerful forces are arrayed against you.") Weal or Woe: Reveal if a course of action will be mostly beneficial or mostly harmful for the person considering it; this is a "yes" or "no" question. (DC8) Locate Object or Person: See the current location of an object or person, as well as having a sense of how dangerous it might be to remove it from that location. The vision provides clues as to where the place is, although further research or use of fortune-telling abilities may be needed to determine what they mean and how they can lead characters to the location. (DC12) Sense Destiny: See a vision of a location and/or a person that will have a major impact on the person being considered during the fortune-telling. If it's a location, there are clues present as to where it might be. If it's a person, the vision is clear enough that he or she can be described in detail, and there will be a unique object seen that is associated with him or her. (DC12 minimum... the higher above the target number the roll, the clearer the vision.)
What are the tea leaves revealing to her via the Fortune Telling feat?
It's been entirely too long since we've engaged in a demonstration that will curry favor with the important people in the hobby game business-- the Guardians of Everything Pure and Good and Politically Correct and Socially Acceptable. Since we crave acceptance, we hope this post will make up for that oversight, with a new starting occupation for OGL Modern/d20 Modern!
All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2018 Steve Miller.
STARTING OCCUPATION: SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR
Even before you became an adventuring hero, you fought a relentless battle against Evil. You are a morally superior being who isn't afraid to let the world know it. Even if you have to punch someone because you don't like what they have to say or how they talk or how they dress or the color of their skin. Prerequisite: Age 15+ Class Skill: Choose one of the following skills as permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects is already a class skill, he or she or ze or it receives a +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill. Computer Use, Knowledge (arcane lore, art, behavioral sciences, current events, popular culture, or theology and philosophy), Perform (dance, percussion instruments, or sing), Research. Bonus Feat: Pick three feat to gain as bonus feats. You must meet any prerequisites before selecting a feat. Alternative Fact, Detect Fascist, Do As I Say Not As I Do, Perpetually Offended, Portable Safe Space, Protest, Righteous Mob, Shameless, Specialty Martial Artist, Understand "Dog Whistle", Venting Your Righteous Anger Special: Characters with this starting profession may select any of the bonus feats listed above in place of bonus feats earned when advancing in their class.
NEW FEATS
The following feats are among those that are available to the Social Justice Warrior as bonus feats. Details on others can be found by clicking on the links in the Bonus Feat list above.
DETECT FASCIST
You know a fascist when you see one! Benefit: Pick someone you don't like--the reason doesn't matter. Declare that person a fascist. Gain a +2 bonus to melee attack rolls.
DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO
You say things others should live by. Prerequisite: Cha 15 Benefit: +4 bonus to all Bluff and Intimidate skill checks.
PERPETUALLY OFFENDED No matter who you're dealing with, what is going on, or where you are, you can find something to be offended by. Prerequisite: Maximum WIS score of 10. Benefit: Pick a reason and a target. Gain a +4 bonus to skill checks (such as Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate) and attack rolls and damage rolls directed at it for a number of hours equal to 1/2 your character level. For example, if you take offense at a book you see for sale online (like this one), you gain a +4 bonus to your Craft (writing) skill while posting online about how you want a boycott of the horrible item, and a +4 bonus to Intimidate when you post to the Facebook page set up by fans of the work you hate.
RIGHTEOUS MOB
You gain strength from being around those who, like you, are pure of heart and righteous in deed. Prerequisite: Detect Fascist Benefit: Gain a +1 bonus to melee attack and damage rolls against someone who has been declared a fascist. The bonuses are in increased by +1 for each character who possesses the Righteous Mob who are within a 15-foot radius of each other. SHAMELESS
You keep your cool in situations where most others would either be ashamed, embarrassed or painfully self-aware. Benefit: +2 bonus to all Bluff and Perform skill checks. Special: If the character has 5 or more ranks in Perform (acting), this feat grants a +2 synergy bonus to Diplomacy skill checks.
UNDERSTAND "DOG WHISTLE"
You hear the secret messages contained in the utterances of fascists, no matter how cleverly they attempt to hide them from the uninitiated. Prerequisite: Detect Fascist, Perpetually Offended Benefit: Once you've targeted someone with the Detect Fascist feat, you may, as a free action, declare anything they say to contain a hidden fascist message that only fascists (and perhaps Nazis) can hear. Roll a Will save (DC11) to convince yourself that what you are saying is true and gain an additional +2 bonus to melee attack and melee damage rolls directed at the target, as well as a +4 bonus to Intimidate skill checks made against anyone within the sound of your voice. Special: Characters possessing the Righteous Mob feat ignore the bonus to Intimidate gained from Understand "Dog Whistle".
Rules to bring diversity to the "d20 Modern" character generation system can be found here. Use them.
This is a supplement for d20 System games (such as d20 Modern). However, it easily adapted to any RPG system that features statistics for undead creatures, such as zombies, ghouls, and the like. It was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "Herbert West, Re-Animator" stories (and, of course, the hilarious gore-fests that are Re-Animator, Bride of Re-Animator, and Beyond Re-Animator).
The RE-AGENT and MAKING MORE RE-AGENT sections are released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. The rest of the text in this article is Product Identity. Copyright 2018 Steve Miller.
HERBERT WEST AND HIS RE-AGENT IN BRIEF
In 1903, a young medical student named Herbert West claimed he had discovered a compound that would restore life to dead beings if injected into their bodies; as a result, he was ridiculed, first by his fellow medical students and later by the medical and scientific community at large. After graduating from medical school, he established a medical practice in Boston with long-time friend Daniel Abbott, and he served as a volunteer doctor during World War I. During this time, he reportedly continued his research into reviving the dead, and, according to statements given to the authorities by Dr. Abbott, this research led directly to West's mysterious disappearance in October of 1922. No one believed Abbott's claims that West had been carried off by zombies reanimated by the Re-Agent, and Abbott was written off as a madman.
Herbert West's fate remained a mystery for almost a century... until the great-great grandson of Daniel Abbott, Joshua Madison, went through some of Abbott's journals and located West's secret laboratory, and more than a gallon of the Re-Agent solution--as well as several variations on the formula to create more.
THE RE-AGENT
Although West went through 37 formula variations in his attempt to perfect the chemical compound that bring life to the dead, they all basically function the same and are identical when visually inspected--a bright green liquid.
It takes 20ccs of Re-Agent to revive an average size adult human--half that for children and 30ccs for large or obese adults. Similarly, the amount needed to revive an animal varies on its size, ranging from 5cc (for rabbits or house cats) to 30 cc (for horses or cows).
If too little of the Re-Agent is injected, nothing happens. If too much is injected, the corpse convulses for 1d6+1 rounds, possible screaming random phrases as if the tortured soul within it is trying to communicate. It then explodes in a shower of gore and bone fragments, dealing 1d4 points of damage to everyone within 10 feet. Characters covered in gore must roll a Fortitude save or be sickened for six rounds less their Constitution bonus.
The type of undead the corpse animates as depends on how long its been dead, plus a random roll on 1d6. The creature has the statistics as is typical for the game unless the random roll indicates otherwise. In all cases, the creature is disoriented for a few moments after being revived (1d6 rounds), after which is flies into a rage and attacks nearest person, or, if intelligent, either the person responsible for his or her death and/or reanimation. Undead with low intelligence or higher remember some or all of their previous life, even if they grow increasingly insane due to their state. All undead created by the Re-Agent are free-willed and can only be commanded through whatever supernatural means are described in the game system.
Unless otherwise noted, all attacks are made with the base creatures standard attack values.
Re-Agent Results Tables (Roll 1d6) Subject Deceased 0-15 Minutes
1-3. Standard Ghoul
4-5. Ghoul with Strength Score of 20
6. Standard Ghoul, but when reduced to half or less of its starting hit points, the creature bursts open and its entrails and organs begin attacking. The creature is restored to full hit points. It now gets three melee attacks per round, each dealing 1d4 points of damage. These attacks can be made against different targets. These attacks do not carry the threat of paralysis.
A critical hit causes the target to become entangled in the writhing guts. Being so entangled imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, but it reduces the undead's attacks to two per round. The target may break free with a successful Strength check (DC14). Any additional critical hits are treated as normal hits.
If the target is entangled for more than two rounds, the flailing guts wrap around the target's face, beginning to strangle him or her. The target must now roll a Fortitude save each round (DC8, with the DC increasing by 2 each subsequent round) until he or she manages to break free. If the target fails a Fortitude save, he or she falls unconscious and is defenseless. The target continues to be pummeled and dies from strangulation within 5 rounds if not rescued.
Subject Deceased 16-59 Minutes
1-3. Standard Ghoul
4-5. Standard Zombie
6. Standard Zombie, but when reduced to half or less of its starting hit points, the creature bursts open and its entrails and organs begin attacking. The creature is restored to full hit points. It now gets three melee attacks per round, each dealing 1d4 points of damage. These attacks can be made against different targets.
A critical hit causes the target to become entangled in the writhing guts. Being so entangled imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, but it reduces the undead's attacks to two per round. The target may break free with a successful Strength check (DC14). Any additional critical hits are treated as normal hits.
If the target is entangled for more than two rounds, the flailing guts wrap around the target's face, beginning to strangle him or her. The target must now roll a Fortitude save each round (DC8, with the DC increasing by 2 each subsequent round) until he or she manages to break free. If the target fails a Fortitude save, he or she falls unconscious and is defenseless. The target continues to be pummeled and dies from strangulation within 5 rounds if not rescued.
Subject Deceased 1 Hour - 24 Hours
1-3. Standard Zombie
4. Zombie with Strength Score of 20 and skills and mental stats it had when it was alive
5. Standard Zombie, but when reduced to half or less of its starting hit points, it collapses into the gory heap on the ground. The following round, its arms and legs begin to attack targets in the area independently. Each limb has DR6, has 6 hit points, and deals 1d4 points of damage per attack.
6. Standard Zombie, but when reduced to half or less of its starting hit points, the creature bursts open and its entrails and organs begin attacking. The creature is restored to full hit points. It now gets three melee attacks per round, each dealing 1d4 points of damage. These attacks can be made against different targets.
A critical hit causes the target to become entangled in the writhing guts. Being so entangled imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, but it reduces the undead's attacks to two per round. The target may break free with a successful Strength check (DC14). Any additional critical hits are treated as normal hits.
If the target is entangled for more than two rounds, the flailing guts wrap around the target's face, beginning to strangle him or her. The target must now roll a Fortitude save each round (DC8, with the DC increasing by 2 each subsequent round) until he or she manages to break free. If the target fails a Fortitude save, he or she falls unconscious and is defenseless. The target continues to be pummeled and dies from strangulation within 5 rounds if not rescued.
Subject Deceased One Day - Two Days
1-3. Standard Zombie
4. Standard Ghoul
5. Standard Zombie, but when reduced to half or less of its starting hit points, it collapses into the gory heap on the ground. The following round, its arms and legs begin to attack targets in the area independently. Each limb has DR6, has 6 hit points, and deals 1d4 points of damage per attack.
6. The subject rises from the dead, fully healed of whatever injuries or ailments that killed him or her. After a number of minutes equal to 2d6+subject's Con bonus, the subject's body starts to dissolve into a gooey, bloody mess. The transformation takes three rounds, with the subject screaming in agony the whole time. On the fourth round, the subject's entrails and internal organs burst from his or her disintegrating form and start attacking. The subject continues to scream, alternating between incoherent shrieks of pain, pleas for the misery to end, and swearing that would shock a sailor.
The subject's entrails get three melee attacks per round, each dealing 1d4 points of damage. These attacks can be made against different targets.
A critical hit by the entrails causes the target to become entangled in the writhing guts. Being so entangled imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, but it reduces the undead's attacks to two per round. The target may break free with a successful Strength check (DC14). Any additional critical hits are treated as normal hits.
If the target is entangled for more than two rounds, the flailing guts wrap around the target's face, beginning to strangle him or her. The target must now roll a Fortitude save each round (DC8, with the DC increasing by 2 each subsequent round) until he or she manages to break free. If the target fails a Fortitude save, he or she falls unconscious and is defenseless. The target continues to be pummeled and dies from strangulation within 5 rounds if not rescued.
Subject Deceased Three Days
1-3. The subject rises from the dead, fully healed of whatever injuries or ailments that killed him or her. After a number of hours equal to 2d6+subject's Con bonus, the subject turns into a Standard Ghoul. The transformation takes three rounds, during which the subject is in terrible agony and when it's complete, he or she attacks anyone within melee range until slain.
4. The subject rises from the dead, fully healed of whatever injuries or ailments that killed him or her. After a number of hours equal to 4d6+subject's Con bonus, the subject turns into a Standard Ghoul. The transformation takes three rounds, during which the subject is in terrible agony and when it's complete, he or she attacks anyone within melee range until slain.
5-6. The subject rises from the dead, fully healed of whatever injuries or ailments that killed him or her. After a number of hours equal to 4d6+subject's Con bonus, the subject's body starts to dissolve into a gooey, bloody mess. The transformation takes three rounds, with the subject screaming in agony the whole time. On the fourth round, the subject's entrails and internal organs burst from his or her disintegrating form and start attacking.
The subject's entrails get three melee attacks per round, each dealing 1d4 points of damage. These attacks can be made against different targets. The subject may also attack, using melee or ranged weapons with his or her standard attack bonuses. The subject is now full of a cold, calculating desire to kill any living thing it can.
A critical hit by the entrails causes the target to become entangled in the writhing guts. Being so entangled imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, but it reduces the undead's attacks to two per round. The target may break free with a successful Strength check (DC14). Any additional critical hits are treated as normal hits.
If the target is entangled for more than two rounds, the flailing guts wrap around the target's face, beginning to strangle him or her. The target must now roll a Fortitude save each round (DC8, with the DC increasing by 2 each subsequent round) until he or she manages to break free. If the target fails a Fortitude save, he or she falls unconscious and is defenseless. The target continues to be pummeled and dies from strangulation within 5 rounds if not rescued.
Subject Deceased Four Days to Four Years
1-3. Standard Zombie
4-5. Standard Zombie, but when reduced to half or less of its starting hit points, it collapses into the gory heap on the ground. The following round, its arms and legs begin to attack targets in the area independently. Each limb has DR6, has 6 hit points, and deals 1d4 points of damage per attack.
6. A Zombie, with all the memories, skills, and mental stats of the character when he or she was alive. Strength attribute score of 22.
Subject Deceased Five Years to 50 Years
1-2. Standard Zombie
3. Standard Zombie, but when reduced to 0 or less hit points, it explodes into a massive cloud of dust and spores. All living beings within a 10-ft. radius are Blinded for 1d6+2 rounds, and must roll Fortitude saves (DC12) or be Sickened 1d4 rounds.
4-5. Standard Mummy with all the memories, skills, and mental stats of the character when he or she was alive.
6. Standard Mummy, but when reduced to half of its hit points it unleashes a massive swarm of insects through its mouth. (Treat as a creeping doom spell cast by a 12th-level caster.)
Subject Deceased 51 Years to 500 Years
1. Standard Zombie
2-4. Standard Mummy
5. Standard Mummy, but when reduced to half its hit points, it issues a howl and a massive cloud of dust and spores rush from its mouth and swirl around the area. All living beings within a 10-ft radius are Blinded for 2d6 rounds and must roll Fortitude saves (DC12) or be Sickened for 2d4 rounds.
6. A Lich, with the spellcasting abilities of a 5th-level sorcerer
Subject Deceased 501 Years or More
1-2. Standard Skeleton
3. A Lich, with the spellcasting abilities of 12th-level sorcerer
4. Standard Mummy, except when reduced to half its hit point, it issues a howl and a massive could of dust rush from its mouth and swirl around the area. All living beings within a 10-ft radius are blinded for 2d6 rounds and must roll Fortitude saves (DC14) or be Sickened for 2d4 rounds.
When reduced to 0 hit points, the mummy explodes into a massive swarm of insects. (Treat as a creeping doom spell cast by a 15th-level caster. Also, any dead bodies within a 30-ft. radius rise as Standard Skeletons.
5. A Lich, with the spellcasting abilities of a 15-level sorcerer.
6. The subject is apparently restored fully to life, its body gradually returning to full and vibrant health over the course of three rounds. However, the subject is actually a Standard Succubus (or Incubus, depending on the sex of the subject).
MAKING MORE RE-AGENT
By following one of West's formulas, characters can use their Craft (Chemicals) skill (DC15) or their Craft (Pharmaceuticals) skill (DC22) to create more Re-Agent. They may make it in batches of one pint to as many gallons as they wish. Obtaining the materials to create 1 pint of Re-Agent requires a Wealth Check of DC8. The check increases by +2 for each additional pint worth of materials purchased.
Off-Label Effects
Depending on which variation is used. the Re-Agent may have effects that Dr. West didn't intend. These are listed below and may be discovered by accident or experimentation; some may be deduced by studying the notes of Dr. West or Dr. Abbott (Research skill checks of DC15).
If characters are using or studying Re-Agent originally made by West, the DM should roll a 1d8 to see if there are any off-label effects. (West did not label his Re-Agent batches according to which formula he used to make them, because he had that information in memory.)
Formula Used Off-Label Effect
1-7. None. (1)
8-16. Can be turned into an aerosols spray.
Dose can re-animate 1d4+1 sprayed corpses. (2)
17-25. None. (3)
25-26. Living beings become Zombies 1d4+2 hours
after being injected (or eating or drinking food
contaminated with Re-Agent). Fortitude save DC 22
to negate. (4)
27-29. None. (5)
30-33. If submerged in Re-Agent, corpses will reanimate. (6)
34-35 None. (7)
35-37. If more than one gallon of Re-Agent is spilled and seeps
into the ground near a cemetery or other burial site, 1d8+1
Standard Zombies rise and set out to kill the living. (8)
