EPG: Some art

I am about to move to a new place, and have no actual time, so that is why I got seated at the desk and made some art for the expanded petty gods. It is gonna be a real killer that book with about 380 pages of strange trivial gods.

minion

a minion again

another minion

oh, another minion

this is the god Tyop

oh, who was this froggy thing?

and a God of gongs!

  

TAADAD: The week that was

All right, need to stop my googeling of birds, and take a look at this last week of TAADAD contributions. I do not have a need to mention one hero that keeps the ball running while the rest of us have lives and struggle to keep up. Heh, well it has really poped up some really great stuff!

A is for the Antropophagus Aenglum Gentlemen Club by +Josefin Magnusson 

This Gentlemens club is well dressed, rich and extremly influential. They do share a common craving and that is the taste of the forbidden meal. Maybe they do just because they can, as usually are the case with these kind of high society gentlemen. They come to the dungeon where the creature known as the butcher have their special treat in store. 

E is for the Eldricht Omnino liber coquus and the keepers of the perfect meal

(For a while I was wondering if each post I made were gonna be related to food.) 

There is a book that claim to be the complete book of recepies. The civilized society shun the book as it is said to contain several recepies with both elven, dwarven and human ingridients. The keepers of the perfect meal are the guardians of this book, and they revere it as the most holy of relics.


F is for the Flail of the Fallen Angel of Death

F is for Forge of the Forgotten Dwarfs by +V. A. 

A distant sound of hammers on metal echoes down the corridor. No light emanates from the ajar door at the end of the hall. Light cast into the room reveals forges and anvils, manned by accursed, zombie dwarven smiths. The forges are cold, the slack tubs long dry, the bellows cracked and wheezing. Yet the undead smiths still labor, pounding rusty bars with shivered hammers, going through the motions practiced in life.

Perhaps they attempted to forge a tool or weapon from a cursed metal, perhaps some greed has consumed them, pushing them to labor past death, or perhaps this is all their souls have ever known.

Mindless, eyeless, they push past an intruder to carry the iron in rusty tongs back to the dead coals.

G (&H) is for Goblin Hideout by +Kristian Richards 

1. ENTRANCE

2. GUARD ROOM
2a. Low Wall
2b. Prison/Animal Pen
3. THE PIT
4. LIVING SPACE
4a. The Chief's Hut
5. THE WARM ROOM
6. ESCAPE PASSAGE

Note on the entrance: At first glance the passage leading into area 2 looks to be blocked by a huge boulder - however a relatively easy search of the area will reveal that the boulder has had grooves chiselled into it's base (which have also been greased with animal fat) so that it can be pulled/pushed along a set of crude mine cart tracks (pilfered from another section of the dungeon).

However, once closed, the goblins usually hammer several wedges into place - making it extremely difficult to force open ...but once they are removed, the boulder can be pulled along the tracks (using the ropes provided), or pushed open from the outside (though even then it still takes a considerable effort to do so).

G is for Graymalkin by +V. A. 

Lost and abandoned, this familiar of a doomed wizard slinks in the dungeon dark. She is tattered and scarred, one eye lost to an unnamed hazard months ago. Resilient to magics and predation, she lurks alone and unbonded.

Cunning and habituated to the dark, the Graymalkin subsists on rats, small spiders, and the leavings of other dungeon inhabitants. Scraps of arcane magics and the fallout of cast spells allow her to keep a tenuous hold on intelligence and sanity. A lost creature, perhaps, but she patrols her corner of the dungeon. She is wary of those who would make a quick meal of her, but senses when another possible bond-companion approaches. She remains cautious, following the party, assessing their worth, retreating if she is spotted, fading as another shadow in lamplight.

If they make it past this trap, or that lair, perhaps they are worthy to join. Cautious, she approaches, finding the one who will be her new bond-companion. Once the graymalkin bonds, she will guide the party through her corner of the dungeon, passing traps, pointing out bolt-holes, fading through a door into an unoccupied room.

Graymalkin (unbonded familiar)HD: 2
AC: 6/13
Atk: 2 claws (1d3)
Special: Bonds to a PC in the party, preferably magic user, or barring that, the PC with the highest DEX. As a familiar, she adds her HP to that of the PC. +2 all saves against magic. Confers darkvision on PC. Ability to perform a limited passwall once per day (limited to bonded character only. Can only pass through a door or similar barricade).

H is for Hegemonic Ooze by +V. A. 

Lamplight illuminates a pinkish mass covering the floor, a number of humanoid copses scattered about. Someone cautiously pokes one of the bodies with a staff or spear. The 'corpse' opens its eyes and arises, lumbering toward the party. A number of others crawl to their feet, as well. Slimy tendrils stretch from their bodies back to the mass, and the bodies move in a strangely concerted manner.

A semi-intelligent ooze, perhaps originally meant as pest control, it was the product of an alchemist's lab or vivimancer's vat. Not a true ooze, it is a mass of neurons, sensing and questing for prey. It escaped and evolved, and rather than simply consuming, now co-opts some prey as weapons and sensory organs.

The pink leathery ooze extrudes tendrils, controlling 2d4 victim-puppets. Massive, the ooze may extend up to two tendrils with puppets up to 50 feet away from its central blob to reconnoiter away from its body, or to act as lures to draw prey towards itself and its victim-puppet appendages. If in need of new puppets, it will pummel or grapple intelligent prey to unconsciousness, and take over its nervous system and senses via neural connection through a tendril. The connection and hijacking of the prey's nervous system takes 6 turns (one hour). A victim may be rescued within 3 turns, but will lose 1d3 INT and CON.

HD: 9 (Ooze), 1 or 2 (puppets)
AC: 8/12 (Ooze), natural or worn AC (puppets)
Atk: Slam 1d10+1 (Ooze), 1d6 (puppets)
Move: 1 (Ooze), 3 (puppets)
Defenses: Ooze takes 1/2 damage from normal weapons, acid, and electricity. Puppets have similar resistances to mind-controlling spells (sleep, charm, etc.) as undead due to their networked nature. If a victim-puppet is severed from the slime, it will collapse, dead from the shock of separation.

I is for the Ilanuran Ibis by +V. A. 

A jade ibis statue, approximately 20 pounds in weight, and strangely warm to the touch. The market value for such a statue is approximately 1000 GP.

However, a closer assessment of the ibis will reveal that it exudes a faint divine power. Clerics associated with deities of death or resurrection will recognize the ibis as a powerful relic of resurrection, increasing focus and communication with the deceased's soul. If a party member dies, and their body is wrapped up with the sculpture, the relic arrests all decomposition. Severed limbs will reattach, and disfiguring damage (acid, burns, etc.) will fade from the corpse. If the sculpture is presented to a cleric of an appropriate deity as part of a resurrection fee, the presence of the ibis will increase the likelihood of resurrection by 10%.

TAADAD: F is for Flail of the Fallen Angel of Death

To fully appreciate this you need to read the Exit Egress Escape article on Leicesters Ramble.

Flail of the fallen angel of Death

"There is a majestic angel in the center of the room, an icon from ancient times, standing there as she always done. Guarding something long forgotten, long lost to man, maybe even to herself? In her grip is a heavy mace in dark steel, a trained eye can spot the arcane runes running across its handle."

The flail is an ancient relic, forged by the dwarfs, blessed by the ancient death cult that once inhabited this temple, and imbued with mystical properties by the wizards of old. Seen to its properties one could asume that it was wielded by fanatic death templars with some inclination to flaggelantism.

There is an inscription written in some dead language that could be translated to something like "In blood, in pain, in suffering - I give my body to the higher purpose."

The weapon is magnificent and have a bonus of +2 to attack and damage. It is magical and divine and worth a fortune, but what is not as clear is that the weapon is also a curse and a judgemental punishing item of monumental means that is not easily geting rid off.

The Flail demand that the wielder show courage, smarts and foremost faith and whenever an oppurtunity arise when the wielder has the weapon in hand the DM should roll a d6. Roll 1 and the flail is pleased and roll a 6 the weapon is angry.

Rewards of Faith
1. Fire of fury - As a reward the flail burst into flame. In the current battle the flail will do an additional D6 fire damage.
2-6. Something else (Times up for now. Feel free to add them!)

Chastisement
1. Tears of blood - The wielder of the flail is punished for its disobedience. As atonement for its sins will be forced to cry tears of blood, forevermore.
2. Crown of thorns - As above, except the punishment is a twisted crown of burnt metal, protruding from the flesh of the poor wielder. As painful as it looks.
3-6. something else (Times up for now. Feel free to add them!)

Final punishment: The flail will not take lightly on being abondoned. It demand that the wielder will hold it each day and if the wielder fail to do this he/she must save versus death or die!

Have to finnish this some other time - but it is at least todays challlange done  - I hope. :)

TAADAD: Day 4: D is for Dead Dolly

Need to do something each day and today was the letter D. Well, first I thought of doors, dargons and something dungeon. Was gonna go for the word dealer too.

But at last it had to be dead dolly and an illustration.

The dead never really stay dead in the dungeon. Something or someone keeps their restless souls alive down there. If the spirit of the dead is really angry they will become something awful and the story of dead dolly, even if they are mostly rumors, tell of a most angry young woman.

One rumor puts her as a young priestess of good, but then she were left for dead, starving to death, down there in the dark, while her friends went to town with whatever gold and treasure they had found.

Now, Dead Dolly walk the maze,

humming the melodies of her temple,

in an eternal hunt for any treasure hunters she can find.

She is coming for you.

TAADAD: Day 2 & 3

3 days have gone by and a lot of cool stuff show up in the feed - there really is a lot of talanted people in the OSR community! Behold below what we have for thee!

A is for the Axe of the Ancients

Illustration by +Kristian Richards 

This legendary axe with unknown magical properties can be found in this maze of madness, or so the rumors tell! Whom once wielded it and to what purpose it should be found only the future can foretell!

A is for the Arbiter Bush

map by +matt jackson 

There is maybe just one, or maybe it is more entries to this place, but they say that to find the maze of madness you must find the arbiter bush! In the ruins by the lake hidden by foliage one must look.

Be sure to check out matts place for more details.

B is for The Bridge

Text/location by +Terje Nordin 

"Deep within the underground complex lies a sea of molten lava over which spans a narrow bridge. A mutant species of bats live in the cavern, clinging to the stalactites of its roof in silent vigil, their singular eyes never blinking. Their normal cuisine consists of the half-crustacean, half-reptile things that graze upon the lavamoss, but they might be tempted to try their luck with lonely adventurers."

B is for Boudoir of the Ogre

Location by +V. A. 

At the end of a narrow and curving passageway, and behind an iron-banded door, lies the apartment of the Ogre Swabllach and his 'lovely' wife Yusl. The pair have made their hole a home, with a collection of skins and tattered tapestries, consisting of trophies slain or filched from their raids. On the wall hang artfully displayed skulls, including that of the minotaur who was the former resident of this room.

A pile of loot (kegs of ale, boxes and bags of goods) is arrayed along one wall, and a rough-hewn table and heavy chairs and stools are scattered in an alcove, trenchers and flagons scattered and spilled on its scarred and stained surface.

Behind some heavy curtains raided from a nearby manorhouse is Swabllach's Love Nest - a huge bed built of empty kegs and timbers, covered with furs and blankets. Particularly unfortunate explorers may burst in on the ogre pair during an intimate moment, leading to a traumatizing combat with a naked, tumescent, very enraged ogre (And the missus will be extremely unhappy, as well...).

B is for the Butcher

Illustration by me

C is for the Copper Dragon Mask

magic item by +V. A. 

Harkening to the powers of the copper dragon, a wearer of the mask may either project a line of acid (4d4 damage) or a cloud of slowing gas (save or slow as per spell for 6 combat rounds) once per day.
Wearing the mask comes with a cost, and the bearer becomes cursed with greed. Each month of owning the mask increases the lure of gold, making the bearer more likely to take foolhardy action in pursuit of wealth, or come into conflict with their colleagues. The mask requires a monthly save or one of the following effects takes place:

1. Character gains a gambling addiction
2. Character attempts to mislead peers in dividing treasure or reward
3. Character attempts to steal an item from another character or npc.
4. Character attempts to cheat another character or npc for an item (misrepresent value, short payment, etc.)
5. Character becomes susceptible to bribes
6. Character attempts to shirk a debt.
7. Character is distracted from a task or quest by the promise or rumor of quick wealth
8. A devout or divine-powered character strays away from their diety or required tithes.

Be sure to check out more ramblings from leicester

C is for Corridor 23

Dungeon connection by me.

Corridor 23 is just another corridor. What makes it special is the nasty trap called the henchmen clipper. A trap that does not punish the one that spring the trap but unfortunate souls that are stationed 15 feet away from it.

The corridor itself has the look of some royal passage belonging in an old castle and is somewhat spacey even if the long corridor twist and turns and dark shadows play on the old stone walls.

TAADAD: Day 1 alchemist laboratory and Abhumans

It is far from over, many hours left of the first day but can show you what have allready been done this far to inspire you all.

Dungeon Room: Alchemist Laboratory

New monster: Abhumans

monster by +Terje Nordin 

No. Enc: 3d6 (6d10)
Alignment: Chaotic
AC: A12/D7
HD: 1-1
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4), acid spit (1d8) once per day
Saving throw: 18
Special: Sonar
Move: 12
Moral: 9

Are these alabaster hued horrors the result of a mad alchemists experiments or spawned from the night-dark womb of the subterranean abyss? They lurk in the darkness, moving silently and unseen despite their multitudinous numbers, to ambush unwary adventurers. Their pale, short bodies are warped images of human anatomy. But their faces lack any recognizable aspect - hungry grins full of sharp teeth, instead of eyes they have bat-like ears to navigate by sonar.
The abhuman matriarch is a 5 HD huge hulking monster who sits immobile and magnificent in the lair spawning new legions to serve and worship her

TAADAD: What about an alphabetical Community project?

What do you out there say about making a small community project!? More correctly making it with me and keeping it light and easy without preasure and see where it leads!?

Project TAADAD: The Aenglum Alphabetical Dungeon a´Day community project

Ok, this is mostly me writing down some daydreaming without any clue of what I am doing and then we add a pound of improvisation to the bowl.

What is this?

• This is a small project where we make an undefined sized dungeon where everything is unknown until some partisipant unlocks a new part of the complex!
•   This is a challange to make some part of a dungeon each day or at a pace of your own choosing following the alphabet. Make this to hone your skills or just for the fun of it. 
• If you have the skills you could be part of both editing and whatever and make sense of the dungeon., the history of it, the inhabitants of it, dungeon dressing and cut and paste to make the rooms make sense.

What do I do?

You make a room, monster, stats or whatever and then add it to the dungeon, following the alpabetical order. Day 1 it will be A, Day 2 it will be B. An easy way to do it is just puting it on your g+ feed and calling it TAADAD and write my name so I will be notified with it.

I put all the goodies in a folder and then on this blog. As time pass some of you may be inclined to help out making something more solid out of this, all are welcome in this process, and all help is fun and appreciated. If the dungeon is somewhat playable it will be released as a free pdf for the community. 

Ok, enough rambling. Hope some of you jump on the crazy train to mad station! We start... NOW! (or?)

My contribution Day 1: Alchemist Laboratory

Disco Monsters

Made some monsters today with markers and ink at work. Why not scan them and put them on here? I have been lazy, busy and burnt out lately so the blog has taken a hit. It is not dead but I need to find the holy grail and generate some new power!

First off a zombie for the day followed by what appears to be an illithid or mind flayer

the originals were a bit more colorfull but the scan takes away a bit from the markers and needed to sharpen it up so the blue got a bit darker. One can just enjoy the sheerfulness of the colorfull ones at my feed in g+ to

allright, on to something else

those awkward moments

Remember that time when...

• Galactus ate an ice planet and got brain freeze!
• Dr Doom hit his head on a shelf and it hurt like hell!
• That warrior totally had forgotten his sword after a visit to the toilet
• A wizard had slept badly and got all his spells wrong
• Punisher had the flu and had to stay at home and get taken care of
• Enchantress caugth herself wanting that new dress in the shops window
• Dr octupus just wanted to stay in eating icecream feeling sorry for himself
• Spiderman couldn't change to his costume cause he had to much turkey
• Superman had a toothache and he knew no drill on planet earth could fix it
• Silver surfer knew that little bump on his shiny self he didn't want anyone to know about
• Lex luthor held a long monolog but had to cut it short cause he really needed to pee

fifth advent is closing in

The work on this religious detective sandbox set in the lands of Aenglum are delayed but not forgotten. How, when and what? That I can't say but you will get a glimpse on one of the illustrations from it. This one is made by my wife +Josefin Magnusson and her sweet diffrent style is always inspiring for me and my own creations. Oh, how I lack her patience! :)

P is for Postcards

MoRe PoStCaRdS!

---The number of postcards I sent, before the patreon project, could easily be counted on the fingers of just one hand. Now I must say it is both a fun privilage and hard work that let me send a couple of postcards each month to some awsome people out there in the world.---

---But very soon it is december and christmas is upon us, and I must do something fun of it all. Therefore I will change the rules of the patreon a bit and make the theme fitting with the holidays, I will also have guest-writers on the cards whom will decide the stats and flavor texts on the cards. In the celebration of christmas we must have some community gathering to all of these, even if there are the 15 coolest people in the patreon club, the cards will be found in lesser resolution here on the blog.---

---So, in my world, december will be a fun month full of christmas cards!!---

Oh, how fun if more of you were to send a christmas card!

---If this become a reality I also intend to get them out to the public to order so you can send christmas monsters to your relatives and friends!---

---I have reached out to some of you as writers of these cards and two awsome people jumped on this christmas train!---

Merry Christmas!

Final Days

"Hell is overflowing. And Satan is sending his dead to us. Why? Because you have sex out of wedlock. You kill unborn children. You have man-on-man relations. Same-sex marriage. How do you think your god will judge you? Well, friends, now we know. When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." 

- Teleevangelist, dawn of the dead 2004

It will be some Rotworld this evening. I have no preparation at all but who gives a damn when the end is near! All I know is that zombies are cool and need to be shot in the head. Rules and game will mostly be character driven sandbox survival with a lot of horror and cruelty.

I should ask some of you the details of american national guard and what equipment they have. I guess for the mood it is best to put the story in good old USA cause 99% of all zombie flicks are from there and that setting is totally workable. Would be cool to put it in sweden but we do not have guns, people or that bad foundation to build upon - we are not densly populated, have robust houses and it would not be as fun, The US it is.

319,000,000 zombies are more fun than 9,000,000 zombies.

ok, some points to figure out:

• what type of zombies should I use? (I'm leaning towards a mix between the fast and slow and with some varieties, not really liking the exploding bloater. I don't want them to fast either. A most is the aim for the head tho.)
• What started it all? Do people know this? (No, of couse. Some clues should be prepared in news and rumors)
• Where should the players start? What will they encounter? 

"Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: [on a TV] They use... consume maybe 5% of the food available in the human body. With that small amount, the body is usual intact enough to be mobile when it revives.

TV Commentator: What are you saying? Are you saying...

Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: [interrupting] It is worth saving? Is a bite victim worth saving? For all I know, it's the brains that are already dead. It's the idiots that are still alive.

TV Commentator: You can't help us deal with your calm illogical ways...

Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: Illogical hell! I'm showing you a way we can up the food supply 20 times.

TV Commentator: Food supply for who?

Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: For a whole specimen that is walking around out there in increasing numbers, we should...

TV Commentator: Are you saying we should FEED them? The bite victims...

Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: What else are you going to do with them? Give me an alternative.

[various arguing among the studio audience is heard in the background]

TV Commentator: You scientists are supposed to come up with a way of solving this problem rather than feeding the opposition? It doesn't make any sense.

Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: Well, I can think of another alternative. Since these things seem to congregate in heavily populated areas and since we have not touched upon any of our nuclear resources... why don't we drop bombs on all the big cities?

TV Commentator: You're not serious?

Dr. Millard Rausch, Scientist: I am deadly serious! What are the choices? They won't run out of food, that's the problem you see. And they won't run out of food as long as we're still alive."

-Dawn of the dead 1978

The Block: Illustration 2

this is called "Some players are stuck in the 90s"

And then with sound!

The Block: Illustration 1

Court with the Muschroom King

Had to stop working on it cause it ate all the time. :)

Music in background: Apotygma Berzerk

The great drawing and writers block

My life is god damn awsome. BUT I have this block that prevents me from beeing creative, be it a quick dose of fall depression or a strange worm eating my brain.

That is why I hereby give a promise I will make 10 ugly, sweet, good, bad or otherwise splendid or disgusting illustrations and put on the blog today. A real trolly day that is and if you can't stand it it is just to close your eyes, block me or come kill me. (I rather not want to be dead tho)

Ok, off to do numro ono!

Third postcard: The undead/braindead Dwarf

A third card got loose on the population. This one is public and all but for the next card the card will be kept secret till they arrive at their destinations. I will make it this way once in a while to keep the suspense among the subscribers. So as you will see this card will be the last one for yer eyes in a week or two, who knows? ;)

And man created the Angel

Alternate Art of the created angel. I'm not sure how I want them and a few versions are starting to show up and I may or may not redo the whole concept. We'll see

The created Angel

"They were a proud and faithfull people. They worshiped their gods and their messengers. But one day they got this feeling they were not listened to. They realised they had not seen their gods for many years and no signs or nothing, just that silence. But they were a crafty people. They had the means to help their gods. Yes, they created their own god machines. Cause if they only were pure in their sould the machines would be pure and holy. But the poor people would soon know better! They would learn the hard way that they could not cheat the gods."

Why do it kill people?

1. The Angel hunt for sin and all man is sinfull!
2. The Angel need to feed on the pure and so they must hunt the innocent!
3. The Angel just hate mortals and will cleanse the world from this filth!
4. The Angel hunt the evil and will only hurt a creature full of sin!
5. The Angel only attack when he feel threatened!
6. The Angel is very territorial and he has a big territory!

How does it communicate?

1. The Angel does not speak, only stares at people with lifeless eyes!
2. The Angel speaks with an heavenly voice!
3. The Angel speaks as an old recording.
4. The Angel speaks as a chorus
5. The Angel speaks very mechanicly
6. The Angel does not speak, but he can scratch messages with his claws

Does it fly?

1. No, the angel uses his wings to cut people up!
2. No, the wings are just for show!
3. No, but they are a great when shielding against attacks!
4. Yes, but the wings seem to have nothing to do with it!
5. Yes, somehow those blady wings does make him fly!?
6. Yes, and he flies very gracefull as a dove at dawn!

What does it eat?

1. Meat
2. Souls
3. Oil
4. Diamonds
5. sorrow
6. Happiness

Where does it live?

1. In a ruined clocktower
2. In the ruins of an old city
3. It is wandering around the wastland
4. It is hiding in the temple
5. It stands as a statue in the cemetary
6. It lives in a cave in the mountain

The first two monster pages

It all started a bit better than I thought it ever could. 11 people supporting this project and making it a reality! What a bunch of totaly awsome group of heroes! The second card goes into the mail tomorrow and I need to slow down a bit so not to spoil all the fun to fast!

Here I present to you the first two pages supported by patreon and soon in a mailbox close to you.

The Shreak serpent is a screaming sea monster that will scare the hell out of a group of heroes on the sea.

When the Tri-pods arrive to any gaming world the end of that world is near! How this one didn't make it into the original monster manual of your choice is beyond me! ;)

Thank you all whom have supported this project! And I hope you all stay whit me for many cards to come! :D

T.L.M.M.P.P: Attack of the tri-pods (from behind the mountain)

(from space? from the underworld? From another dimension?)

The second page is showing an fantazy Tri-pod war machine whatever that is!?
(the map making genious +Simon Forster choose the theme)

This picture may be on the second page of the lost monster manual page postcard. A patreon project you can find over HERE

I hope to hear some response of the first card soon and hide under the table if it is to awfull :P