This material will appear in a slightly different (as in edited) form in NUELOW Games' next release The Elementals for the OGL d20 System. First up, is an optional part of modifications to the character generation system that determines which Great Dragon's magic impacted the character's ancient ancestors.
HOW WERE YOUR ELEMENTAL POWERS AWAKENED? (Roll 1d6)
Art by Storn Cook
1. You have always felt attracted to the element you draw your power from, but as you entered your teens, you began to develop the powers you now possess.
2. You almost lost your life in a situation involving the element your powers are drawn from; in the aftermath, you discovered new abilities.
3-4. Your family has always been key members of a global cult devoted to worshiping the dragon spirits. You were identified as one of the Blessed and prepared for the day when your powers would manifest themselves.
5. You were doing yoga, meditating, taking mind-altering drugs (or some combination thereof) when your mind was flooded with flashes of a long-gone age when Great Dragons watched over Earth and all life on it. You fell into a coma 16 hours, and when you recovered, your powers had developed.
6. A strange old man approached you and said that you were the heir to a great and ancient gift... and that you were to take over the role he had filled for the last several decades. After showing you his power, he trained you in the use of yours.
HOW DID THE PLAYER CHARACTERS MEET? (Roll 1d6)
1. At the funeral of a shared mentor.
2. They are abducted and imprisoned together for reasons they initially don't understand and must work together to escape and figure out why.
3. They were raised in the same secret society and brought together when the time was right.
4. They each felt drawn to the same isolated castle in Ireland.
5. They are the sole survivors of a natural disaster.
6. While they are individually being hunted by assassins, they each recieved a message (and the means) to travel to a remote building in the Mojave Desert in order to discover the key to survive and the reason for why they are being hunted.
NEW FEAT
Here's a feat that may be included... the editor is still mulling over a few last minute brainstorms that I had regarding what could go into The Elementals.
Sense Elemental
You can sense when you are near someone else who carries a spark of a Great Dragon within them. Prerequisite: Child of a Great Dragon, Spot 4 ranks. Benefit: When your characer is within 60 feet of another Elemental, the GM tells you the character feels 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 (DC12), you can identify the source of your unease--another Elemental. If the Elemental is out of your line of sight, you know exactly where he or she is. You may The sense of unease ends as soon as you recognise the other Immortal.)
The sense of unease also ends if the Spot check reveals some other threat or mystery that draws your attention.
Here's a table to spark ideas for a side adventures the next time the player characters are traveling between planets in your sci-fi campaign. Roll 1d12 to determine what disrupts a peaceful trip.
1. Crew is seized by Space Madness
2. Martian Fever spreads among the passengers, killing them and reanimating their bodies.
3. The ship is hijacked by Venusian seperatists
4. The ship is boarded by space pirates
5. An old friend of the party seeks them out for protection
6. An old enemy of the party seeks them out for protection
7. A deadly being made of pure mental energy is moving from body to body, causing murder and mayhemn
8. Assassins are targeting a politician traveling incognito
9. Thugs want to kidnap a couple of eloping rich kids and hold them for ransom
10. Space Witches have chosen the ship and this passage as the time and place for their latest ritual
11. The life support systems mysteriously malfunction
12. A powerful energy beam draws the ship toward Uranus
Some five years ago, NUELOW head-honcho Steve Miller had an idea for a system of super powers that could be grated onto any d20 System game that used the feats and talents mechanic to advance character abilities. It began with the post linked here, and Miller and his partner in NUELOWness, L.L. Hundal, has been expanding upon it ever since... through posts here at the blog and with content in many of the comics/rpg hybrid products that they've produced.
Miller & Hundal have agreed that they think they've just about covered all their favorite comic book heroes and their abilities via the rules they've been creating... and that it may be time to pull all the bits and bobs together into a unified and coherent whole and release an actual product! One of the last pieces may or may not be this new base class while Hundal has been using in her d20 Modern games for the last few go-arounds.
All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduce in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2018
THE SUPER HERO CLASS
By L.L. Hundal & Steve Miller
There are Fast heroes, Smart Heroes, Strong heroes... all the kinds of heroes you find described in the d20 Modern Standard Reference Document. But the Super hero stands above them all. Whether driven by supernatural forces, family heritage, or some life-altering trauma, the super hero has powers and abilities beyond those of mere mortals that he or she puts to use to defend the innocent from criminals and other evil people and entities that would prey upon them. It is a versatile class with access to the wide range of talents, as well as minor power feats.
THE SUPER HERO CLASS
Ability: Player's Choice; Super heroes come in all shapes, sizes and intelligence quotients.
Hit Die: 1d8
Action Points: Super heroes 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: The Super hero's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (mechanical) (Int), Drive (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Strength), Knowledge (current events, science [pick individual branches separately], streetwise) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Pilot (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) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 5 + Int modifier.
Table: The Super Hero
Class Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Class Features
Defense Bonus
Reputation Bonus
1st
+1
+0
+1
+1
Talent
+2
+0
2nd
+2
+1
+1
+1
Bonus feat
+3
+1
3rd
+3
+1
+2
+1
Talent
+3
+1
4th
+4
+2
+2
+2
Bonus feat
+4
+2
5th
+5
+2
+3
+2
Talent
+4
+2
6th
+6/+1
+3
+3
+2
Bonus feat
+5
+3
7th
+6/+1
+3
+4
+3
Talent
+5
+3
8th
+7/+2
+4
+4
+3
Bonus feat
+6
+4
9th
+7/+2
+4
+5
+3
Talent
+6
+4
10th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+4
Bonus feat
+7
+5
Starting Feats
In addition to the two feats all characters get at 1st level, a Super hero begins play with the Combat Martial Arts feat, or a Weapons Proficiency feat of the player's choice. The character must meet any prerequisites before selecting a feat.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Super hero.
Talents
At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Super hero may select a talent from any the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from.
Any and all Super Power talent trees for which the Super hero meets the prerequisites.
No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated in its description.
Feats
At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Super hero may select a bonus feat from the following list.
Any [Minor Power] feat, plus Alertness, Athletic, Blind-fight, Builder, Combat Expertise, Educated, Gearhead, Improved Disarm, Frightful Presence, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Meticulous, Studious, Trustworthy, Weapon Focus.
This post is a supplement to NUELOW Games' Ninja Cuties. You can also find drafts of the material from that booklet on this blog, but if you like this post, we hope you'll consider getting our product.
MASKS OF THE NINJA CUTIES
The first Grandmaster of the Ninja Cutie clan has six children--three sons and three daughters. Being unable to choose which of his adult children would be the best to take over leadership of the clan, he said that he would give the position to the child who defeated a Grandmaster of a rival clan and presented him with the mask that embodied that clan's spirit. Two weeks later, five of his children returned together, each presenting him with a clan's mask... all except the youngest daughter. The children explained that she devised the strategey that saw the siblings working together to defeat all the other clan leaders and take the artifacts from them. He was so pleased that instead of giving control of the clan to just one of them, he divided its resources equally among them. He gave his youngest child the Face of the Cutie, the mask that symbolized the Shouchiibi (Ninja Cutie) clan, and the rest retained the masks they'd seized as the symbol of the part of the clan--the "House"-- of which they were now in charge.
As the Ninja Cutie Clan spread across the globe, the division of the clan that had happened in its early days served it well. Each part of the clain essentially ended up with its own "territory" and the masks were housed within the secret headquarters of the House in question. Here are the six Masks of the Ninja Cuties, as defined with the d20 System. (The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License and it may reproduced in accordance with its terms.)
The Face of the Dragon (Located in Manchester, Great Britain)
This mask grants the wearer a +2 bonus to all Wisdom-based skill checks. Once per day, the mask will protect the wearer against a mind-affecting attack or spell (automatic failure; the GM doesn't even need to inform the player it happened unless its obvious). Once per day, the wearer can conciously invoke the mask's power to gain a +4 bonus to all Will saves for two hours.
The Face of the Fox (Located in New York City, USA)
The mask grants the wearer a +2 bonus to all Intelligence-based skill cheks. Once per day, the mask can be activated by touching its left ear to allow the wearer to automatically see through technologically- or magically-created illusions for 30 minutes.
The Face of the Cutie (Located in Tokyo, Japan)
This mask grants the wearer a +2 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks. Once per day, the mask allows the wearer to cast charm monster at 12th-level effectiveness.
The Visage of the Bull (Located in Rio De Janerio, Brazil)
The mask grants the wearer a +2 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks. Three times per day, the wearer may ignore the hardness of an object while striking to break it.
The Visage of the Cat (Located in Hong Kong, China)
The mask grants the wearer a +2 bonus to all Dexterity-based skill checks. For one combat per day, the wearer cannot be flanked and gains a +1 bonus to AC or DC (depending on the d20 System variant) against all attacks.
The Visage of the Bear (Located in Christchurch, New Zealand)
The mask grants the wearer +4 to all Constitution-based skill checks, as well as a +1 bonus to all Fortitude saves.
There are a number of superheroes who are actually one or more individual beings who merge, either temporarily or permanently, into the hero. The most famous of these may be DC Comics' Firestorm, but Yankee Doodle Jones (who will be seen in a forthcoming anthology from NUELOW Games) also falls into this category.
This post presents rules for the d20 System game that will let you create your own superhero who is greater than the sum total of his or her parts. It's an involved process that involves generating multiple characters that eventually become one, but we think the end result will be worth it for the story and roleplaying potential it offers.
Part of this article is a random origin generation (the tables titled How Did the Combination Hero Come to Be? and How is the Combination Undone?), but we encourage you--in cooperation with your GM--to come up with a carefully considered backstory instead. You might even want to create a history for each of the characters who become the Combination Hero, so that if and when they become separated, you know how to play one or more of them.
CREATING THE COMBINATION HERO (for the d20 System)
By Steve Miller
Step One
Roll 1d3+1. The result is the number of characters that makes up the Combination Hero.
Step Two
By Everett Raymond Kinstler
Generate each character, using the standard character generation rules for the campaign/game you are playing in. (If alternate rules are in play that allow for more generous attributes [such as rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest] they should not be used.)
Assign the results to attributes in the order they were rolled.
Randomly generate the level of each character by rolling 1d4. Assign character classes skills, feats, talents, and everything else that a character would have for each one, bringing the character up to its highest level. (You can shortcut this stage by only defining the individual characters' skills, although having each of the character that makes up the whole to come might be important in certain situations.)
Step Three
Transfer the highest stats of the previously generated characters to a new character sheet. These are the starting attributes for the Combination Hero.
Add the total levels of the previously generated characters together; this is the starting number of levels for the Combination Hero.
Note any skills possessed by the original characters that had 5 or more ranks on the Combination Hero's sheet. These are Permanent Class Skills for the Combination Hero.
Select a bonus feat for each character that makes up the Combination Hero. This is where you can begin to give the character superpowers, for example, if you're using NUELOW's feats- and talents-based power system. (The Combination Hero must meet all prerequisites in order to have the bonus feat.)
Assign character classes, skills, feats, talents, and everything else that a character would have for each one, bringing the character up to its highest level.
HOW DID THE COMBINATION HERO COME TO BE? (Roll 1d10)
Use this table to randomly determine how the combination hero came into existence. Some of the results require an additional roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table, below, since many Combination heroes can separate back into those who make them. Most of these sub-results also describe how the characters can then recombine.
Naturally, you can also just read these tables and pick a result that you want to be you the point of origin and/or method to uncombine/recombine for your character. 1. The characters were struck by a mysterious ray from space. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table) 2. The characters performed a mystic ritual that worked as intended. The combination is undone when the combination hero utters a magic phrase. 3. The characters performed a mystic ritual that went awry. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table.) 4. The characters were subjected to a mystic ritual by evil cultists. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table.) 5. The characters were joined into a single being by an Atlantean artifact. The artifact must be used against to undo the combination. 6. The characters were killed, but a powerful entity gave them a change for a new life as a single being. Only the entity who created them can undo the union (which may or may not kill the individual characters). 7. The characters volunteered to become a single being through super-scientific means. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table.) 8. The characters were abducted by a mad scientist and forced to become one being to prove his theories. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table) 9. The characters offended a Tibetan hermit who cursed them into existing as one being until they make amends. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table) 10. The Combination Hero woke up in the middle of smoldering wreckage or ruins with no notion of how he or she came to exist. (Roll on the How is the Combination Undone? table)
HOW IS THE COMBINATION UNDONE (Roll 1d10) 1-2. It is permanent unless undone through the will of a powerful god. 3-4. The hero must speak a magic word that is only known to a mystic order that dwells in a remote, hard to access place. Any of the characters who made up the hero will be able to speak the work and re-combine them all. 5-6. The hero must be exposed to rays from a specific alien device. 7. The hero must touch a particular object. When the characters who were combined all touch the object again at the same time, they will re-combine into the hero. 8. When the hero is subjected to a rare type of radiation or a specific type of magical energy. 9. The hero must die. 10. The hero must bathe in the Pool of All. This causes the characters to separate, although they do not become immortal unless they enter the Pool individually. (See Secrets of the Immortals for more.)
--
All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve Miler 2018.
Here's some additional information about, and feats and a starting profession for, the Ninja Cuties!
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NINJA CUTIES
Ninja Cuties trace their origins back to mid-15th Century Japan when the Shouchiibi Ninja Clan decided they would develop their skills around "working smarter not harder, and generally take advantage of being smoking hot!" The effort was hugely successful, and male and female clanmembers vamped and vogued their way through the next few centuries before doing either was even a Thing. With the advent of photography, and eventually motion pictures, they spread across the world, hiding their true natures as spies and assassins and all-around rogues-for-hire behind the facade of being actors and models.
Whereever they went, they recruited local beautiful people into their ranks, and by the 1940s, they were the first truly global Ninja Clan. A number of the most glamorous internationally known models and movie stars have been Ninja Cuties--something which remains true to this day.
During the 1930s, this led to the Great Sundering, as those Ninja Cuties based outside of Japan were increasingly at odds with those in the land of their origins, finding themselves fighting against the Japanese Empire rather than for it. (The Ninja Cuties in the U.S. were in a particularly strange position, as White and Black Ninja Cuties were fighting both Japanese agents and the American government as they established secret havens for those among them who were of Japanese descent.
During the Cold War, the various factions of Ninja Cuties came back together, united by common heritage and good looks. Through the decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall, their global secret network has only grown stronger. In the modern world, a Ninja Cutie will always help a member of the clan, even if their nations are at odds. Even Ninja Cuties who have strayed from the path set down by their forebears can expect help and support from the clan. call on that person will receive help and support from the clan.
In present day, Ninja Cuties can be found throughout the entertainment and modeling businesses. Some have even entered the political realm, as good looks and sharp wit has become more important than actual intelligence and leadership skills. In order to preserve the secrecy surrounding the Shouchiibi Clan, some Ninja Cuties use their martial arts prowess as part of their performances, and have even arranged to have fictionalized and comedic versions of their secret society presented on film, such as the one featured in Zoolander 2. As a result, even if sopmeone were to attempt to expose the existince of the Ninja Cuties, they would be laughed at and silly crazy conspiracy theorists.
Art by Claudio Pozas. Used with Permission.
D20 SYSTEM RULES FOR NINJA CUTIES
The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced within its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2018. You can read the original Ninja Cutie post here (or just scrolling down if you're on the main blog page).
STARTING PROFESSION
Most Ninja Cuties are raised from a young age to be cute but deadly. This starting profession reflects that, and unless the character was inculcated into the Secret Circle of Cutie Ninjas later in life, this Starting Profession should be chosen.
NINJA CUTIE
You were born and raised within the secret community of the Ninja Cuties. Whether you stayed true to your childhood training and heritage as your family wished, or ultimately chose to persue a different path. Prerequisite: Charisma 13 Skills: Choose three of the following skills as a permanent class skill. If a skill the character selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill. Acrobatics, Bluff, Concentrate, Knowledge (Arcane Lore), Knowledge (Mysticism), Move Silently, Tumble, Perform (specific field), Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot. Feats: Select one of the following to receive as a bonus feat. The character must meet any prerequisites. Combat Reflexes, Dancing Queen, Informant Network, Ninja Cutie, Shameless.
FEATS
Here are some feats suitable for Ninja Cuties.
DANCING QUEEN [Fast Hero, Bard, Fighter, Rogue]
You can dance, you can fight! Benefit: The character practices mixed martial arts. Add 1/2 of the character's ranks (round down) in the Perform [dance] skill to all melee attack rolls.
DANGER SENSE [General]
The character has an uncanny ability for sensing trouble just before it strikes. Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Spot and Sense Motive skill checks.
SHADOW MELD [Fast Hero]
The character can use even the slightest shadow to "hide in plain sight." Prerequisite: Hide 6 ranks, Move Silently 6 ranks Benefit: When in an area that features at least some shadow, the character gains a +8 bonus to Hide skill checks.
SPECIALITY MARTIAL ARTIST [Fighter, Fast Hero, Strong Hero]
The character has mastered an unusual fighting style that turns normally harmless pursuits deadly. Prerequisite: Combat Martial Arts or Defensive Martial Arts Benefit: When this feat is selected, specify a Craft, Knowledge, or Perform skill. The character is a master of a fighting style that weaponizes that activity. You add ½ your number of ranks in the designated skill (round up) to your to-hit and damage rolls when making unarmed attacks. The character may use objects associated with the activity as improvised melee or ranged weapons without suffering a non-proficiency penalty. In general, the objects deal a base of 1d4 points of damage with a base crit range of 19-20. Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Each time, a different Craft, Knowledge, or Perform skill must be specified. You must declare which version of the feat (if any) the character is using at the beginning of each round if making a martial arts attack.
Every couple decades, it seems Ninjas enjoy a brief moment as "the new hotness" in pop culture. We think Ninjas are about to strike again... so we bring you this fabulous d20 System add-on! (All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2018.)
NINJA CUTIES
A Ninja Cutie isn't made. Well, they're partly made, but they're also born. They are selected for the secret training from among the cutest, most outgoing children, and then trained in secret arts that only the prettiest and most handsome Ninjas will ever learn.
A few rare individuals are brought into the Secret Circle of the Ninja Cuties after having impressed a Master Ninja Cutie... but these are few and far between indeed.
Most Ninjas Cuties belong to the Bard or Rogue class (in D&D/Pathfinder); or the Charismatic Hero or Fast Hero class (in d20 Modern). but they can belong to any class. As part of the secret training, Ninja Cuties learn a special kind of magic. These spells are gained through the selection of feats and talents. If the character gains spells through class abilities, the Ninja Cutey spells are added to the number of spells that can be cast each day as indicated in the feat or talent descriptions.
NEW FEATS
These feats define the Ninja Cuties.
MASTER OF OBSCENITY [Bard. Rogue, Charismatic Hero]
Washing your mouth out with soap wouldn't even begin to make a difference. Prerequisite: Bluff 4 ranks, Cha 15 Benefit: As a standard action, you can let lose with such an impressive string of obscenities (spoken and/or gestures) that you can bring all actions around you to a halt. The attention of everyone within earshot is momentarily focused on you.To use this feat, other characters must be able to hear you.
All initiatives must be re-rolled. You gain a +2 bonus to re-rolling your initiative, as well as to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks for the rest of the encounter. Special: Other characters with the Master of Obscenity feat do not have to re-roll initiative, but are immune to its effects. They may choose to continue to attack targets, including the character who used the feat, on their initiative, or they may choose to engage him or her in an Obscenity Square-Off.
In an Obscenity Square-Off, the character with the highest Charisma goes first (if tied, the one with the highest Intimidate skill rank goes first). Each player rolls a Bluff skill check, as they curse and swear and generally behave in as offensive a fashion as possible. The best two out of three Bluff checks wins, and the winner's allies share in the +2 bonus to the re-rolled initiatives.
NINJA CUTIE [Fast Hero, Rogue]
You're cute... and deadly!
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes feat, Cha 13 Benefit: Add your Charisma bonus to attack and damage rolls. (This bonus stacks with all other bonuses.)
Special: Add twice your Charisma bonus to sneak attack rolls.
NINJA CUTIE MAGIC [Rogue, Fast Hero, Charismatic Hero, Minor Power]
You have learned the basic secrets of Ninja Cutie Magic Prerequisite: Cha 13 Benefit: Each day you may, at will, cast a number of 0-level Ninja Cutie spells equal to your Charisma bonus. You also add your Cha bonus to Will saves when resisting spells and spell-like effects. Your character level is your caster level.
Any material components listed in the spell description are unnecessary when the Ninja Cutie versions are cast.
NEW TALENT TREE
These talents give Ninja Cuties access additional magic power.
NINJA CUTIE MAGIC TALENTS
The talents from this tree model track the growing magical ability of powerful Ninja Cuties. Killer Cuteness: The DC for saving throws against. your Ninja Cutie spells is increased by your Charisma bonus. Prerequisite: Ninja Cutie Magic feat. Intermediate Cutie Caster: Each day, you may, at will, cast a number of 1st- and 2nd-level Ninja Cutie spells equal to your Charisma bonus. Your character level is your chaster level. Prerequisite: Ninja Cutie Magic feat Advanced Cutie Caster: Each day, you may, at will, cast a number of 3rd- and 4th-level Ninja Cutie spells equal to your Charisma bonus. Your character level is your chaster level. Any material components listed in the spell description are unnecessary when the Ninja Cutie versions are cast. Prerequisite: Intermediate Cutie Caster Superior Cutie Caster: Each day, you may, at will, cast a number of 5th- and 6th-level Ninja Cutie spells equal to your Charisma bonus. Your character level is your caster level. Any material components listed in the spell description are unnecessary when the Ninja Cutie versions are cast. Prerequisite: Advanced Cutie Caster
NINJA CUTIE SPELL LIST
The Ninja Cutie Magic feat and talents allow for the casting of the following spells.
You've got a cheatin' bastard at your table? Meet him or her halfway with these new Meta feats for most d20 System games!
If You're Not Cheating, You're Not Trying [Fast Hero, Bard, Rogue, Metagaming]
Failure is not an option! Prerequisite: 3rd level Benefit: Each game session, you may ignore and re-roll any failed d20 roll a number of times equal to your character's Charisma bonus. You must tell the GM you want to re-roll, but it is the GM's responsibility to keep track of the number of times you use this ability. After all... you're a cheater, so you're going to get away with what you can!
Rules Are For Other People [Fast Hero, Bard, Rogue, Metagaming]
Gain any feat available to your race! Benefit: When you select this feat, you instantly trade it for any feat available for your character's race, ignoring all listed prerequisites. Special: if at any time in the future you meet the prerequisites for the feat traded for Rules Are For Other People, you may immediately select a new feat available for your character's race.
All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced within its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2018.
And if you enjoyed this post, support our efforts by getting some of our actual products! It will encourage us to make more. Click here to see what we have for you!
We just learned that it's World Otter Day. We love otters, and if Black Cat wasn't already our unofficial mascot here at NUELOW Games, it would be an otter. With that in mind, here are two artifacts (otterfacts?) for your d20 System and Open D6 games! (All text in this post is released under the Open Game License. Copyright Steve Miller 2018.)
RINGS OF THE OTTER
These rings were recovered by occult investigator Marion K. Bassett on the site where legend holds that Atlantean Otter Mages used to meet. Their true origins remain unknown, but Bassett hopes to someday come across a ghost ancient enough to know their origins and what magic powers they may contain.
Ring of the Wet Otter
This ring raidiates a faint aura of water magic. It is silver and is inset with a piece of obsidian carved to look like a smiling otter face. It grants the person wearing it increased abilities while in water. D20 System: Gain a +6 bonus to all Swim skill checks. Gain a +4 bonus to all Craft and Perform skills used while floating or swimming in water. (These bonuses are only gained in water that's deeper than 1/2 the character's height.) OpenD6 System: Gain +1D to all Swim checks. Gain +1 to all Perception and Mechanical skills used while floating or swimming in water. (These bonuses are only gained in water that's deeper than 1/2 the character's height.)
Ring of the Nimble Otter
This ring radiates a faint aura of alteration magic. It enhances the dextrousness of the character wearing it. It is silver and is inset with a piece of obsidian carved to look like a smiling otter face that is winking. D20 System: Gain a +2 bonus to all Dexterity-based skill checks and Reflex saves. Open D6 System: Gain +1D in the Dexterity attribute.
Both Rings
In addition to the benefits decribed above, when either one of these rings is worn, the character is surrounded by an aura of cuteness. It detects as protective magic of a weak and unspecific sort. D20 System: +1 bonus to all Charisma-based skills, except for a -6 penalty to Interrogate and Intimidate and skill checks. These modifier double when both rings are worn. OpenD6 System: +1 bonus to all skills intended to entertain and amuse others. -1D to skills intended to scare or force others to reveal information to you that they want to keep to themselves.
All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced according to its terms. Copyright 2018 Steve Miller.
NEW FEAT!
Magnificent Mustache [General]
You have spectacular display of hair on your upper lip! Benefit: Gain +2 bonus to all Buff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks. The bonus increases to +4 if the character is female. Special: If you fail a Buff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate skill check. You may immediately attempt to recover, and you may re-roll the check with a -4 penalty. If this second skill check fails, you suffer a -4 penalty to all Intelligence- and Charisma-based skill checks for 24 hours.
If your mustache is shaved off , you lose all benefits of this feat. It takes 1d2+2 weeks for your mustache to return to its former glory and regain the feat's benefit.
This feat was inspired by the events leading up to the cancelling of the US/North Korean Summit, as well as NUELOW Games' announced tie-in ROLF!: For the Love of Cake.
Roland Mann's voice was known to millions, and the news and rumors and just plain weirdness he discussed on his award-winning radio show amused, outraged, or angered those who listened for four hours every week day. But his voice has been brutally silenced. Forever.
Roll 1d12 against each of the tables below to randomly generate an outline for a murder mystery adventure that you can flesh out for the player characters in your campaign to solve.
WHERE WAS HE FOUND? 1. On the roof of the broadcast center. 2. In the recording studio. 3. In the engineering booth. 4. In the program director's office. 5. The parking garage. 6. Onboard his yacht. 7. In his living room. 8. In his backyard. 9. In the trunk of his car. 10. In his ex-wife's bedroom. (Roll for which ex-wife: 1-3. #1, 4-6, #2, 7-9, #3, 10-12, #4.) 11. In his agent's office. 12. In his lover's condo.
HOW WAS HE KILLED? 1. Electrocuted. 2. Stabbed 1d12 times. 3. Shot 1d6 times. 4. Hanged. 5. Strangled with a microphone cord. 6. Head bashed in with with one of his Radio Personality of the Year awards. 7. Poisoned. 8. Drug overdose. 9. Suffocated. 10. Beaten to death with a 1-5. baseball bat, 6-10. hammer, 11-12, bare hands. 11. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring and rerolling any results of 11 and 12. Both means of attack caused his death. If you roll the same result twice, the killer was REALLY throrough. 12. Roll three more times on this table, ignoring and rerolling any results of 11 and 12. All three means of attack caused his death.
WHO KILLED HIM? 1. His Wife. 2. His Ex-Wife. (Roll for which ex-wife: 1-3. #1, 4-6, #2, 7-9. #3, 10-12. #4.) 3. His Lover. (Roll for which sex. 1-8. Female, 9-12. Male.) 4. His Agent. 5. His Producer. 6. His Chief Rival. 7. The Television Producer. 8. The Investigative Reporter. 9. The Senator. 10. The Retired FBI Agent. 11. The Drug Dealer to the Stars 12. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring and rerolling any results of 12. If the same result is rolled twice, it indicates just one character, but he or she is being framed for the murder. Everyone BUT the indicated characters were involved with committing the murder.
WHY WAS HE KILLED? 1. Hatred. 2. Jealousy. 3. Lust. 4. Greed. 5. He broke a promise to the killer for the last time. 6. He was blackmailing the killer. 7. He was going to reveal the existence of a cult and had to be silenced. (Roll for the nature of the cult. 1-3. World domination through demon worship and subliminal messages in broadcasts, 4-5. Personal wealth and power through demon worship, 6-10. Eternal youth through human sacrifices, 11-12. World destruction through the worship of the Old Ones. 8. He was going to reveal the existence of a child sex abuse ring. 9. He was going to unmask the killer as being a foreign agent devoted to sowing distrust and discord among the American people. 10. To be a sacrifice to a demonic entity. 11. He was going to tell the world about his status as a foreign agent dedicated to distablizing American society, and the killer was his handler. 12. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring and rerolling results of 12.
To a few, she was Lady Luck personified. To most, she was merely the one who dealt the cards and took their chips. Now she's dead.
Melissa Blacktongue has been murdered, and the players in your game can solve the mystery surrounding her death. The basics of the case can be generated by rolling 1d12 against the tables below, and you can develop them into an adventure for your campaign.
WHERE WAS SHE FOUND? 1. In the Pit Boss's Office. 2. At the Back of the Cash Cage. 3. In the Casino's Vault. 4. On the Casino's Loading Dock. 5. In the High Roller Suite at the Casino's Hotel. 6. In the High Roller Suite at a Rival Casino's Hotel. 7. In the Casino Hotel's Swimming Pool. 8. On the Ancient Indian Burial Ground. 9. In Her Living Room. 10. On a Remote Desert Highway. 11. Behind the Strip Club. 12. In the VIP Lounge at the Strip Club.
HOW WAS SHE KILLED? 1. Strangled. 2. Stabbed 1d12 times. 3. Shot 1d6 times. 4. Skull crushed by 1d6 blows. 5. Beaten to death with 1-5. a baseball bat, 6-10. a hammer, 11-12, bare hands. 6. Poisoned. 7. Drug Overdose. 8. Sulphuric Acid Poured Down Throat. 9. Slender Spoke Driven Through the Left Ear and Into Her Brain. 10. Electrocuted. 11. Throat Slit. 12. Roll two more times on this table, re-rolling any results of 12. She was killed by a combination of the indicated methods.
WHO KILLED HER? 1. The Pit Boss. 2. The Degenerate Gambler. 3. The Illusionist. 4. The Exotic Dancer. 5. The Prostitute. (1-6. Male, 7-12. Female) 6. The Gangster. 7. The Con Artist 8. The Drug Dealer. 9. The Thief 10. The Private Detective. 11. Her Ex-Lover. (1-9. Male, 10-12. Female) 12. Her Current Lover (1-9. Male, 10-12. Female)
WHY WAS SHE KILLED? 1. Hatred. 2. Lust. 3. Greed. 4. Revenge. 5. The murderer thought she was having an affair with his/her spouse. (Roll two more time on the WHO KILLED HER table to see who the spouse is. If the same result comes up again, they share professions/descriptors but there are still two people. If the spouse result is rolled twice, the Dealer was having an affair... if it doesn't, she was not cheating with the spouse.) 6. She tried to blackmail the murderer because he was having an affair. (Roll again on the WHO KILLED HER table to determine who he/she was having the affair with. If the murderer is rolled again, ignore and re-roll. 7. She discovered the killer was planning to rob the casino. (Roll three more times on the WHO KILLED HER table to determine who else was in on the plot. Do no re-roll duplicate results.) 8. She shared a plan to rob the casino with the killer, who killed her and took it. 9. She discovered the casino's game's are rigged. 10. To stop her from revealing the killer's dark secret. (Roll on the WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET table to determine what it is.) 11. She was the illegitimate child of a billionaire who left her a sizable protion of his fortune. The killer is also an heir, and he/she would get the her portion if she can't be located by the estate alive. 12. As above, except the killer frames the Private Detective for the murder. (He had identified the dealer as their heir but had not had a chance to notify the estate or make contact with her yet.)
WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET? 1-2. The killer is about to complete a ritual that will reanimate 1d12+12 of the dead in the ancient indian burial groud and cause them to attack the living. (Use wight statistics, or whatever other undead creature is suitable in your game system.) 3-6. The killer is looting a cave of Spanish gold and other artifacts that belong to the Native American tribe on the reservation. 7-10. The killer is a corrupt federal agent who has been helping the mob rig the casino games and steal winnings. 11-12. The killer raped and murdered the dealer's sister.
Peter Davis Blane's small bank was known for its fairness in giving loans, and even for sometimes being generous with extensions if a debtor fell behind in payments... but he never let kindness threaten the profitability of his business. He ran his bank like he ran his life--efficiently and with a velvet-covered iron fist on the tiller. And now he's dead.
Can the player characters catch the killer in the dramatic adventure that can be created around the outline that can be randomly generated with these tables?
WHERE WAS HE FOUND?
1. In the bank vault.
2. In his office.
3. In his bedroom. 4. In his misstress's bedroom. 5. In the Impressionists gallery at the art museum. 6. In the VIP lounge at the strip club. 7. Behind the orphanage. 8. In the crackhouse. 9. In the sauna at the health club. 10. In the kitchen of his beach house. 11. In the park. 12. On a dock at the marina.
HOW WAS HE KILLED? 1. Decapitated. 2. Stabbed through the heart with a gold-plated letter opener. 3. Shot in the back of the head, execution style. 4. Shot 1d6 times. 5. Stabbed 1d12 times. 6. Suffocated. 7. Choked by pages of Das Kaptial shoved down his throat. 8. Broken Neck. 9. Drug Overdose. 10. Skull Crushed with a Heavy Object. 11. Beaten to Death with Fists. 12. Forced to Drink Bleach.
WHO KILLED HIM?
1. His Wife.
2. His Mistress.
3. His Drug-Addicted Son.
4. His Rebellious Daughter.
5. His Secretary.
6. The Professional Hitman.
7. The Bankrupt Business Owner.
8. The Foreclosed-on Farmer.
9. The Anarchist.
10. The Terrorist.
11. The Bank Robber.
12. Roll two more times on this table, re-rolling any additional results of 12. The first result is being framed for the murder. The second result is the actual killer.
WHY WAS HE KILLED? 1. Greed. 2. Jealousy. 3. Hatred. 4. Revenge. 5. He refused to cooperate with the killer in robbing the bank. 6. He refused to cooperate with the killer in embezzling money from the bank. 7. He cheated the killer out of his full share of money stolen from the bank. 8. He took money from a account belonging to a dead person that he thought no one knew existed. 9. The killer was hired by someone else. (Roll again on the "Who Killed Him" table, as well as on the Dark Secrets table to learn why the killer wanted the banker dead.) 10. He was going to come clean to the world about his own dark secret, and the killer had to stop him. (Roll on the Dark Secrets table to determine what the secret was.) 11. The murderer is insane, and will kill the other people on the "Who Killed Him" list every three days until the party stops the slaughter. (All the victims knew both the banker and the killer.) 12. As 11, but roll on the Dark Secrets table to see why the murderer is on a killing spree.
WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET? 1. The bank is funded with Nazi gold (and the same is true of the banker's personal fortune). 2. The bank's main business is laundering money for a drug cartel. 3. The bank's main business is to manage CIA black budget funds, including all expenses relating to black-bag torture sites. 4. The bank's main business is funneling money to terrorist groups and "rogue regimes". 5. The killer comitted rape and the banker covered it up. 6. The killer comitted rape and got tired of paying blackmail to the banker, who had witnessed it. 7. The banker operates a child pornography and sex slave ring. 8. The killer was sexually abused by the banker years ago. 9. The banker could no longer bear keeping the secret that he (1-8 accidentially, 9-12 intentionally) killed the murderer's best friend years ago. 10. His mistress was pregant with their child. 11. He forced his mistress to abort their love child. 12. The banker killed a girl while in college, and killer had been blackmailing him about it. He was going to turn himself and the killer in to the authories.
And its text is presented under the Open Game License, so you can republish it accordingly. Copyright Steve Miller 2018.
MOM VOICE [General]
You can make people knock that crap off with just a few words.
Prerequisite: Mom
Benefit: Roll a Bluff or Intimidate skill check. All beings with an Intelligence of 3 or higher must roll Will saves with a target equal to your skill check +6. Those who fail the saving throw must immediately stop whatever they're doing for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus, during which time you may attempt to reason with them using Diplomacy or Bluff.
Those who save against the Mom Voice suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and skill checks for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus. If they attack a target who didn't save, the target may attack back with the same -2 penalty.
All initiatives must be re-rolled at the beginning of the round following the use of Mom Voice.
Special: Targets of the Mom Voice must be able to hear the user, but they do not need to understand the words spoken; the tone is universal.
How this collection of artifacts came into existence is unknown. They were first documented by paranormal investigator Marion K. Bassett when she was hired to inventory the belongings of occultist Ulysses Sheltner. Like most of the magical items that had been owned by Sheltner, they were stolen soon thereafter. The whereabouts of the artifacts are currently unknown.
CUFFLINKS OF PRESTIDIGITATION
This matched set of gold cufflinks, engraved with the initials U.S., give the wearer a +2 bonus to all Open Locks and Sleight of Hand skill checks, as well as a +1 bonus to all other Dexterity checks that involved manipulating small items and delicate equipment or machinery.
DIAMOND RING OF PERCEPTION
This broad, gold pinky ring with a diamond inset gives the wearer a +2 bonus to all Search and Spot skill checks.
FAT WALLET
This bulging alligator skin billfold increases the Wealth score of the person carrying it by 2.
POCKET WATCH OF TIMELINESS
This ornate pocket watc--with a flip-cover that sports a highly styalized pentagram and a face featuring small roman numerals--is on a 10-inch gold chain that must be fastened to an item of the character's clothing. When the watch on the chain is spun rapidly in a clockwise direction for a round, it puts the wearer under the effects of a haste spell for six rounds. When spun rapidly in a counter-clockwise direction, all other creatures within a 12-foot radius must roll Will saves of be subjected to the effects of a Slow spell for six rounds. The watch can only evoke a magical effect once every 12 hours, but it tells perfect time.
STICK PIN OF PERSONALITY
This golden stick pin has a small ruby in a sunburst-themed housing at its top. It provies the wearer with a +2 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks.
The stick pin also can be used as an improvised weapon that deals a base of 1 point piercing damage. For purposes of resistances, it is a +1 weapon.
TOP COAT OF PROTECTION
This black overcoat grants the wearer a +1 bonus to Defense Rating, as well as a +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves made against damage from any elemental source (like the fireball or ice storm spells).
Marlon Booker had never met a sport he didn't like and didn't engage in at least once. He skied and swam and bike-raced and played hockey and basketball and soccer and baseball, and so on and so forth. His claim to fame, though, were marathons and triathlons, and everyone felt he was guaranteed to win the Guardian City Triathlon and thus the greatest completion of his life.
But on the eve of the big event, he was found dead.
Can the heroes discover who killed the triathlete in this randomly generated mystery adventure?
WHERE WAS HE FOUND? 1. Floating in the lake. 2. In the high school gymnasium. 3. In the stadium parking lot. 4. In the strip club. 5. Outside the headquarters of the sports apparel manufacturer. 6. Outside his coach's home. 7. In his main competitor's living room. 8. In his bedroom. 9. In his shower. 10. In his living room. 11. In the doctor's office. 12. In the alley behind the health club.
HOW WAS HE KILLED? 1.Drug Overdose. 2. Heart attack (induced with an undetectable drug). 3. Stabbed 1d12 times. 4. Shot 1d6 times. 5. Hanged. 6. Suffocated. 7. Hit by a car. 8. Bludgeoned to death with a sports trophy. 9. Choked on Speedo swimwear forced down his throat.
10. Beaten to death with his bicycle. 11. His organs were harvested, his blood drained. 12. Garroted.
WHO KILLED HIM? 1. His Coach. 2. His Main Competitor 3. The Sports Company Ad Executive. 4. The High School Science Teacher. 5. The High School Cheerleader. 6. The Sports Reporter 7. The Conspiracy Theorist. 8. The Retired Marine. 9. The Cultist. 10. His Wife (1-6. Current, 7-12. Former). 11. His Physician. 12. Roll two more times on this table. Ignore and re-roll results of 12. The first result is being framed for murder. The second result is the actual killer.
WHY WAS HE KILLED? 1. Jealousy. 2. Hatred. 3. For the Life Insurance Money. 4. Revenge. 5. Extremely Unhealthy Competition. 6. To Protect a Loved One. 7. To Prevent a Scandal. 8. To Preserve the Existence of an Evil Secret Society. (Roll 1d12. 1-3. He was a member; 7-12. He was not a member but learned of its existence.) 9. Because he was going to expose the murderer's dark secret. (Roll on the What is the Dark Secret table to find out what it was.) 10. Because was going to tell the world about his dark secret, and the murderer wanted him silenced. (Roll on the What is the Dark Secret table to find out what it was.) 11. It was part of a larger cover-up. (Roll on the What is the Dark Secret table to determine what is being covered up. Roll three times on the Who Killed Him table, ignoring results of 12. The killer and the indicated characters are involved in the cover up.) 12. Roll two more times on this table. Ignore and re-roll results of 12. WHAT IS THE DARK SECRET? 1. Teachers at the local high school are grooming cheerleaders and student athletes for nefarious purposes. (Roll a d12 to find out what: 1-3. Indoctrination into a demonic cult, 4-6. Recruitment into a secret super assassin training program, 7-9. Vessels for alien minds, 10-12. Sex slaves.) 2. Teachers are dealing drugs to the students at the local high school. 3. A teacher at the local high school is having an affair. (Roll d12 to determine with whom: 1-4. The triathlete, 5-6. The Cheerleader, 7-9. The Science Teacher, 10-12. The Sports Company Ad Executive.) 4. A High School Cheerleader who apparently died in an accident was murdered to cover up the fact that (1-4. he, 5-12 she) was assaulted and raped. 5. The Physician has been testing experimental steroids on his patients without their knowledge or permission. 6. Aliens are using the local health club as a source of bodies to transfer the minds of their overlords into. 7. The Triathlete was a secret agent. (Roll 1d12 to determine who he was working for. 1-3. A CIA assassin, 4-6. Russian intelligence agent sent to undermine US society and unity, 7-9. US Marine in secret task force devoted to stopping a hidden alien invasion, 10-12. Enforcer for a cult devoted to bringing about the end of the world). 8. The Sports Company Ad Executive is inserting subliminal mind-control messages into his company's marketing materials. (Roll 1d12 to determine who he was working for. 1-3. The Russians, 4-6. The Iranians, 7-9. Aliens., 10-12. The Illuminati.) 9. The Triathlete and his murderer are superhuman because: (Roll 1d12 to determine the reason. 1-4. They were the product of a secret genetic engineering program, 5-8. The are human/alien hybrids, 9-12. They are literally the spawns of Satan--part human, part fallen angel. 10. A cult is performing rituals designed to open the Gates of Hell under the high school. 11. An artificial, undetectable endurance enhancer is being provided to athletes, but long-term use drives them insane. 12. Roll twice on this table, ignoring and re-rolling any results of 12. Both dark secrets were contributing factors to the Triathlete's murder.
She told top movie stars and pop musicians which projects to pursue, she spoke to the spirits about the afterlife and the future... but she didn't foresee her own murder!
Zaynah, Clairvoyant to the Stars, has been killed, and it's up to the player characters to discover who did it and why in this randomly generated murder mystery!
WHERE WAS SHE FOUND?
1. In a woodland grove, deep within a National Park.
2. In the celebrity chef's personal vegetable garden.
3. In the bedroom of a rival psychic.
4. In her bedroom.
5. In the parlor where she conducted her psychic readings.
6. In the shower at the gym.
7. On the altar at the cathedral.
8. Outside the state attorney's home.
9. In the famous director's pool.
10. In the VIP lounge at a hot night club (and rumored organized crime front)
11. In the ally next to a police station.
12. On the beach.
HOW WAS SHE KILLED?
1. Strangled.
2. Beaten to death.
3. Stabbed.
4. Throat Slit.
5. Choked by Tarot cards shoved violently down her throat. (Roll 1d12 to see where the Tarot deck came from. 1-4. Her own Tarot cards. 5-8; Tarot cards belonging to a rival psychic; 9-12. An antique deck of Tarot cards that once belonged to a notorious devil worshiper.)
6. Skull bashed in with a crystal ball. (Roll 1d12 to see where the crystal ball came from. 1-4. Her own crystal ball; 5-8. A crystal ball belonging to a rival psychic; 9-12. A prop crystal ball from a horror movie.)
7. Drowned. (Roll 1d12 for the kind of water in her lungs. 1-4. Sea Water; 5-8. Chlorinated Pool Water; 9-12. Fresh Water.)
8 Shot 1d6 times.
9. Hanged.
10. Poisoned.
11. Impaled on an ancient spear with a tip made from a stag's antler and coated with juiced wolfsbane.
12. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring additional results of 12. She was killed by both methods. If the same result is rolled twice, the killer was particularly thorough and brutal.
WHO KILLED HER?
1. The up-and-coming 1-4 actor; 5-8 actress; 9-12. singer.
2. The has-been 1-4 actor; 5-8 actress; 9-12. singer.
3. The hot 1-3. actor; 4-6 actress; 7-8 singer; 9-12. director.
4. The television executive.
5. The celebrity chef.
6. The screen writer.
7. The priest.
8. Her lover. (Roll 1d12 to see status. 1-6. Current; 7-12. Former.)
9. The private detective.
10. The crimelord.
11. The rival psychic.
12. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring additional results of 12. The first result is the murderer. The second result is being framed as the murderer.
WHY WAS SHE KILLED?
1. Hatred
2. Jealousy
3. She spurned the murderer's romantic advances.
4. She was blackmailing the murderer. (Roll on WHAT WAS THE DARK SECRET to see what she knew.)
5. The murderer feared she had discovered his or her dark secret through her psychic powers.
6. She was the latest victim of a serial killer targeting psychics. (If the Rival Psychic isn't the murderer, he will be murdered in 1d3 days if the characters don't crack the case before then.)
7. The murderer was angry over a bad reading she gave.
8. The murderer wanted to make sure she never revealed her dark secret to anyone. (Roll on WHAT WAS THE DARK SECRET to see what it was.)
9. She was going to tell the murderer's spouse about the affair he or she was having. (Roll on the WHO KILLED HER table to determine who the murderer was having the affair with. Ignore rolls that duplicate the killer; if 12 is rolled, the killer was having multiple affairs.)
10. Revenge.
11. Greed.
12. For a ritual that required she be sacrificed to an evil god so that the murderer would gain her powers of Second Sight. (Roll 1d12. 1-4. The murderer is insane and there is no evil god; 5-8. The murderer gained her psychic powers and uses them in an attempt to avoid being caught by the party; 9-12. The evil god tricked the murderer, because the psychic was a fraud.
WHAT WAS THE DARK SECRET?
1. The big entertainment companies are infiltrated and mostly run by demon worshipers and actual demons, and they are using their products to spread corrupting magic around the world.
2. She was finishing a tell-all book about sexual harrassers and rapists in the entertainment business, and she was going to identify them all by name.
3. The psychic was selling information gleaned during her readings to tabloids and rival studios and recording companies.
4. She was preparing a ritual that would have opened the literal Gates of Hell and give Earth to Satan, but had a change of heart.
5. Her 1-4 Husband, 5-8 Male Lover, 9-12 Female Lover is a Russian agent devoted to disrupted US society through popular media, and his or her secret had to be protected. (The Russian agent may not even know that she was murdered to protect him or her.)
6. She was the heiress to a massive fortune, but was abducted as a young child. Her identity had been traced, and she was killed by those who have been benefitting from what should have been hers.
7. She not only told fortunes, but she also took money to cast curses that ruined careers and ended lives.
8. She was helping the government build cases against a variety of criminals who provided her clients with services.
9. She was once raped by the murderer, and she had decided to go public.
10. She was the literal daughter of Satan, but she refused to embrace her heritage and assume leadership of his servants.
11. She was the literal daughter of Satan and was about to help the Anti-Christ come to power.
12. She and the Rival Psychic were actually business partners who exchanged information on each other's clients and sold trade secrets and plot ideas and drafts of songs and artwork to competitors--but she only did it to those who were the rival's clients and visa-versa.
The RPG industry crusaders and protectors of all that is good and pure, and the promoters of inclusive inclusivity of the highest calibre are running out of miscreants to spotlight and throw into the pit. So now they appear to be going after their own.
Christopher Helton has authored this naked hit piece on Sean Patrick Fannon: New Allegations Show More Work Needs to be Done. Fannon has been a reliable and outspoken supporter of efforts to destroy the evil sexists and racists and bigots and anyone else who fails to demonstrate how much they hate fascists and oppressors by beaving like a fascist and oppressor. And yet, Helton has reached back several years to "expose" accusations leveled by mostly anonymous individuals... and accusations that, as far as I recall, predate Fannon's required public affermation of his status as a Crusader and Protector of All That is Good and Right and True.
I suppose the lesson here is that once you're a sinner, you're always a sinner. There's no redemption, no forgiveness, no hope of ever gaining grace... because no matter what, once your fellow believers run out of the wicked to pursue and crush, they will turn inward and start purging the ranks. And those who have confessed their sins provide a ready-made target list for lazy people like Helton to work off.
Or maybe Fannon became a target because didn't praise the right game product in the right way... or maybe he praised the wrong one? (For those who might not know, Sean Patrick Fannon is a game designer and reviewer who is perhaps best known these days for Sean's Pick of the Day.)
Whatever the motivation, Helton has unleashed the shrieking angels of vengeance upon Fannon with a by-the-book hitpiece. I have seen his post referred to as "journalism." As a one-time feature writer and features editor, I wouldn't have wanted my name on this sort of badly sourced rumor mongering, nor would I accepted this trash as an editor, even with the lower standards for what is good reporting and what isn't. Except the purpose here was almost certainly not to practice good journalism.
It's worth noting that Fannon has posted a response to Helton's character assassination--a response that even starts and ends with the Litany of the Protectors of All That is Good and Right and True. You can read that here. It's much better written, and much better supported with sources and quotes, and generally shows Fannon to be the superior writer (and journalist for that matter).
So... if you've made a confession because you wanted to prove your Righteousness in the eyes of the Inquistion, beware. They may come for you as they came for Fannon.
