Supercapacitor - An Into the Odd Dungeon

Put this dungeon wherever you need it to be, but in my game it'll be hidden away in the Golden Lands, requiring an expedition of significant distance from civilization. This is one of those dungeons where your weapons aren't much use for anything, and I don't explain the true nature or origin of the place.

Have fun!

Charged Walls: The walls in this dungeon are dull copper, audibly humming and releasing the occasional visible spark. Anyone touching the walls, or being connected through conductive material, takes d6 damage, ignoring armour, continuing for each turn of contact. The floors and ceiling are white stone, which does not conduct the charge, but give off a faint glow. The natural caves in the eastern half of the dungeon are not affected.

Entrances
A: A natural cave entrance high on a steep cliff face. Leads into an extremely tight tunnel that requires crawling to navigate.
B: A collapsed well shaft that drops straight into 1.

Wandering Encounters: Roll d6 whenever the group move to a new area, loiter, or make a lot of noise. On a 1 they encounter something, on a 2 they get a clue that something is nearby.
1: Magnetic Surge: A sudden magnetic force pulls metal towards Room 15 for a moment.
2: Static Crash: Deafening static noise effectively deafens the group for the next d10 minutes. They group cannot communicate by talking for this time.
3: Gravity Distortion: Roll d20 and multiply by 10. Gravity functions as this percentage of normal for the next d10 minutes.
4: d6 Charge Imps: STR 8, DEX 14, WIL 5, 2hp, Shock (d6, ignore armour). Driven by curiosity. Immune to physical attacks. Electricity causes damage as normal.
5: d4 Charge Men: STR 10, DEX 12, WIL 10, 5hp, Shock (d8, ignore armour) Driven by desire to keep people out of the dungeon. Immune to physical attacks. Electricity causes damage as normal.
6: Charge Hulk: STR 16, DEX 5, WIL 10, 14hp, Shock (d10, ignore armour) Driven by desire to be left alone.

Charge Beings: These creatures all similar in nature. They are immune to physical attacks, but electricity or other energy-based attacks cause damage as normal and eventually causes them to disperse in a flash. They resemble humanoids composed out of pulsing blue light, flowing plasma, with flashes of lightning sparking from their body. If they leave the dungeon or the connected caves their form collapses entirely. They are sapient and speak in a buzzing language that you do not understand. They are not innately hostile, but are impatient and easily frustrated.

Spark Keys are copper rods with a square cross-section. They give a harmless spark when pushed against a target, but their intended purpose is to deliver a small charge to various doors or chests, which unlocks them. Any device requiring a Spark Key to activate will have a square hole clear to see, where the key should be pushed. After a successful use the Spark Key is depleted. Any electrical spark will serve the same purpose if no spark keys are available.

Rooms

Immediate room contents are listed. Contents in parentheses require further investigation to discover.
1: Well Bottom
Floor: Pile of Rubble (rocks, 15s in coins, a mirror, a Spark Key)
East: Stone Carving in Wall (monstrous lion, can be pushed to open up to 2)
South: Boarded over door to stairway down (easily broken through)

2: Hanging Owls
Ceiling: Hanging Lanterns (stylized owls, conduct charge)
Floor: Scraps of paper (scrawled notes in a foreign language)
East: Door to corridor.
West: Carved Stone Wall (angelic beings fighting a monstrous lion, can be pushed open to 1)

3: The Garden
Floor: Glowing Stream (acts as normal water)
Wall: Patches of bright green moss (conduct charge from the walls, smell and taste minty and delicious)
Ceiling: Wooden carving (simply drawn scene of a ship sailing under stars)
South: Stone Doors to 4. 
North: Stone Doors to corridor.

4: Skeleton Pile
Floor: A heap of skeletons (human, completely bare of clothes or possessions, chalk diagram drawn on floor underneath resembling an electric circuit)
West: Ornately Framed Mirror (slightly rippling, touching with a spark key causes it to part and allow access to the corridor)
North: Stone Door to 3. 
East: Stone Doors to 5. 

5: Fully Copper Room
Floor and Ceiling: Copper (shocks for d6 damage ignoring armour, as the walls)
East: Stone Doors to 6. 
West: Stone Doors to 4. 

6: Ancestor Chamber
Walls: Carved images (people lined up to enter a sphere, emerging as angelic beings)
West: Stone Doors to 5. 
East: Mirror (slightly rippling, touching with a spark key causes it to part and allow access to 7)

7: Hands of Death
Floor: Copper Box (opened with a Spark Key, contains a pair of white metal gloves (Hands of Death: Clap hands to cause a random living thing in your sight to take a WIL Save or fall into a death-like sleep. Clapping again awakens them without harm.)
Floor: Stone Box (opened with a Spark Key, contains protective gloves that prevent shock from touching the walls)
West: Door to 6. 

8: Dead Man
Floor: Skeleton (tattered clothes, old-fashioned sword, 30s in old currency, tattered rope, one Spark Key)
West: Door to Corridor
South: Cobwebs (conceals a crack barely able to be squeezed through, leads to tunnels)

9: Coil Spikes
Floor: Sunken and Covered in Spikes (metal, 6 inches long, conduct charge from the walls, cause an additional d8 damage if fallen onto, a spark key has been dropped amongst the spikes)
North: Door to stairway up.
West: Door to stairway down to 10. 

10: Failed Lion
Floor: Pile of scrap metal (parts of a copper lion-like sculpture, very intricate, parts worth 10g to an engineer, one spark key hidden amongst the scrap)
North: Door to stairway up to 9. 
West: Door to stairway down.

11: Spark Chest
Floor: Copper Chest (opened with a spark key, contains four porcelain lion figurines worth 1g each)
East: Door to Corridor.

12: Copper Doors
North: Copper Double Doors (charged as the walls, magnetically sealed and opened by a Spark Key, to 15)
South: Copper Double Doors (charged as the walls, magnetically sealed and opened by a Spark Key, to corridor)
East: Door to 14.
West: Door to 13. 

13: Black Switch
West: Black Ceramic Switch (pulling disables the glow from the floor and ceilings, reversible, if the switch in 14 is also pulled then Charge Beings cease to exist and any powered devices are disabled)
East: Door to 12. 
North: Scratched patch of copper wall (not charged, can be opened quite easily leading to a stone tunnel)

14: White Switch
East: White Ceramic Switch (pulling disables the charge from the walls, reversible, if the switch in 13 is also pulled then Charge Beings cease to exist and any powered devices are disabled)
West: Door to 12. 

15: Matter Converter
Large Copper Sphere (hollow, can be entered through rear, closing the door activates the machine causing d12 damage each turn to the being inside. Upon death they are converted into a Charge Man, retaining their free will, but being unable to leave the dungeon. The machine can be stopped opening the door from the outside, but a discharge causes d6 damage to all in the room, ignoring armour).
South: Double Doors into 12. 

16: Oil Bath
Floor: Copper Bathing Pool (filled with black oil, warm, restores physical damage in a matter of minutes, Spark Key at bottom)
North: Stone Door to Stairway Up.

17: Hope Destroyer
Huge Metal Machine (Trumpet-like funnel, slowly humming, will answer any question with the answer most likely to cause the group to lose hope and turn back, can be broken up for parts worth 10g to an engineer)
East: Tunnel maze.

18: Waxy Cave
Walls and Ceiling: Waxy Stone (slippery, smells like paraffin)
Floor: Tiny craters filled with liquid (dripping from ceiling, oily, burns well as fuel, the largest has a Spark Key discarded at the bottom)
North-West: Tunnel to 19.
North-East: Tunnel to 20. 

19: The Prison
North-East Corner: Iron Prison Bars (contains a colossal skull, looks reptilian, single eye-socket, 25s of coins thrown in over floor).
South: Tunnel to 18.
West: Pile of collapsed ceiling rubble (concealing a stone door to a corridor).

20: Tendrils
Walls: Root-like Tendrils (Move slowly, grasp upon contact, easily cut away)
South West: Tunnel to 18.
South East: Tunnel maze.
North: Tunnel to 21. 

21: Force Eater
North: Huge bulb-like plant (STR 10, DEX 1, WIL 1, 4hp, growing out of wall, starts to open upon sensing warmth, can repeat phrases it has heard before [Help! What is that thing? Get inside. I'm not paid enough for this. Various foreign-language phrases], anyone nearing the thing is drawn in by a strange pulling force, requiring a STR Save to avoid being swallowed up. Swallowed beings lose d6 STR each turn until cut out. Once it has swallowed something, it exerts a pushing force impairing all physical attacks against it)
Walls: Root-like Tendrils (Move slowly, grasp upon contact, easily cut away)
South: Tunnel to 20. 

Karmic Quirk Table

Your one-hitpoint Fighter meets an unglamorous death thirty minutes into the game. You shrug and roll up a new character, who comes out with six hitpoints and STR 17. What kind of karma is that for throwing a life away?

Enter the Karmic Quirk table.

After rolling a replacement character, roll once on this table for every character you have previously lost in this campaign. So if you've had two characters die already, you roll twice on here. For duplicates take the next entry down the table, looping up at 20.

Karmic Quirks (d20)
1 - Ugly: Really, really ugly. Nobody wants to look at you any longer than necessary, but they always remember your weird face.
2 - Poverty: Start with only rags and a stick.
3 - Plague: Start with the Plague. Lose 1 CON each day until treated. Anyone close to you must pass a Save each day or become infected.
4 - Lice: You itch with lice. Anyone living closely with you must pass a Save each day or catch them too.
5 - Fish-Tongue: You speak in a slobbery drone that people find either annoying or amusing.
6 - Pig-Eye: You have tiny eyes and are likely to miss visual clues obvious to everyone else.
7 - Missing Limb: Roll 1d6 - 1-3: Arm, 4-6: Leg.
8 - Dumb: Reduce INT to 3.
9 - Unholy: Any sort of divine blessing has the opposite effect on you.
10 - Severe Allergy: If exposed to your allergen you must Save or Die. Roll 1d6 - 1: Alcohol, 2: Nuts, 3: Insect Stings, 4: Shellfish, 5: Antidote, 6: Dairy Products.
11 - Stalker: You have an obsessive follower that makes your life a pain. Roll 1d6 - 1: Mother, 2: Father, 3: Childhood Friend, 4-5: Ex Lover, 6: Ex-Lover who is also a Wizard.
12 - Fussy: There's a 50% chance that any meal served to you isn't to your liking. Unless you get a meal you enjoy you recover HP at half the normal rate.
13 - Deluded: The GM rolls another Quirk in secret. You're completely unaware of it.
14 - Super-Illiterate: You can't read, and attempting to read causes you 1d6 damage.
15 - Blind Confidence: The GM rerolls your HP in secret. You never know how many HP you have.
16 - Debt: You owe some a number of GP equal to 1 with 1d6 zeros on the end.
17 - Addict: Lose 1 maximum HP each day you don't indulge, to a minimum of 1hp. A binge restores all hp lost this way. Roll 1d6 - 1-2: Alcohol, 3-4: Tobacco, 5: Opiates, 6: Dream Fungus.
18 - Phobic: Subtract 1 from all rolls in the presence of your phobia. Subtract 5 when interacting directly with it. Roll 1d6: 1: Bugs, 2: Lizards/Snakes, 3: Magical Things, 4: Darkness, 5: Blood, 6: Heights.
19 - Uncool: You're such a dork. You'll never, ever be cool.
20 - Bad Name: The GM decides on your name, and it has to be really embarrassing. The other characters all know your real name, so you can't just go by a nickname.

Mercy - Bastion's Forgotten Quarter

A mini-module for your Into the Odd game.

A mess of makeshift shacks fills the gaps between old, stone houses. A high, white wall keeps the residents in, and guards in masked isolation suits watch the lone gate. Equal parts prison, asylum and plague-ridden shanty town.

Reasons to be in Mercy
- Someone had you thrown in.
- You need someone from inside.
- There's something hidden inside.
- There's a secret entrance to a lost vault inside.
- After a gin-fuelled night, you woke up on the wrong side of the white wall.



Places

King ErrolAn elephantine beast, formerly an attraction in a travelling circus. When the beast became demented, it was spared its life, but thrown into Mercy. After a lengthy rampage, it died in the centre square, where its body stands semi-preserved. Something of a mascot for the quarter, the square is a hub for organising riots against the gate, burning corpses, or planning the next elaborate attempt to climb the wall.

The Hole
A prison within a prison. Anyone deemed a danger to the quarter is thrown into this literal pit and forced to fight their cohabitants for scraps of bread and rotten meat.

The Still
A beacon of order amongst the madness. Whoever runs the still is sure to keep it well guarded, handing out bottles of volatile spirit in exchange for favours or goods smuggled from beyond the wall.

Hurling Hill
A pile of rubble, broken furniture and corpses, heaped against the wall's lowest point. Guards beat down any attempts at escape, but it's a great spot for throwing unpleasant waste at the normals on the other side. 

Residents

Moon Devil
Tall, broad, with thick red hair and beard. Claims rulership of a small cluster of shacks, mostly popualted by weeping, pathetic creatures. Constantly prophesises about his own greatness, claiming the moon sends him messages to bring down the white wall. Enforces his rule by killing anyone that questions him.
STR 13, DEX 8, WIL 8, 13hp.
Sledgehammer (d8), 10s.
White Pendant: Remove all damage and harming effects from yourself. Requires the blood of a recent human kill to use.

The Ape Mob
A common enemy of all Mercy's human residents. Not actually apes, but a band of men that seem itnent on returning to a savage lifestyle. This is working remarkably well for them, and they continue to recruit new members. Run naked, screaming and attacking anyone they see. 
STR 12, DEX 11, WIL 5, 4hp.
Tooth and Claw (1d6)

Fly Stan
A short man with unnaturally large eyes and a constantly drooling mouth. Has an intimate knowledge of the area, including tunnels in and out of the quarter. Despite this, he continues to live in Mercy. Makes his home in the hidden vault where he found his rings.
STR 4, DEX 14, WIL 16, 10hp.
Pistol (1d6), Big Knife (1d6).
Spark Rings: Surround yourself with a crackling field. The next being to move within 5ft of you suffers 2d6 damage, ignoring armour, and the field disappears. If you move at all, the field disappears.

Father Mercy
A jolly old man draped in white furs and ancient armour. Considers himself a protector of Mercy's residents, and spends most of his day stood at the gate, bellowing greetings to anyone nearby, and welcoming newcomers. In actuality, his advice is always terrible and leads to many newcomers dying within their first day. 
STR 8, DEX 7, WIL 11, 8hp.
Sword (1d6), Shield Armour (1), Horn, 12s in fineries.

Want a Simplified D&D Spell List?

If you're looking for a nice, simple Spell List for your D&D game of choice I might just be able to help you. I wanted simple descriptions that assume a degree of common sense and discussion between the Referee and players, rather than something resembling a legal document. 

The following are written with Into the Odd in mind, but work for any D&D game with some tweaking. 

Enjoy!

Cantrips

Resistance: Subject ignores normally annoying affects such as sweltering heat, itchy skin diseases, or a sandstorm.

Acid Splash: Orb deals d6 acid damage.

Detect Poison: Detects poison in one creature or small object.

Detect Magic: Detects spells and magic items within 60 ft.

Daze: A non-hostile humanoid is dazed for a short moment, lost in a daydream.

Dancing Lights: Creates torches or other lights.

Flare: Sends up a flare that can be seen for some distance.

Light: Object shines like a torch.

Ray of Frost: Ray deals d6 cold damage.

Ghost Sound: Figment sounds.

Disrupt Undead: Deals d6 damage to one undead, ignoring armour and resistances.

Touch of Fatigue: Target loses 1 STR.

Mage Hand: 5-pound telekinesis.

Mending: Makes minor repairs on an object.

Message: Whispered conversation at distance.

Open/Close: Opens or closes small or light things.

Arcane Mark: Inscribes a personal rune (visible or invisible).

Prestidigitation: Performs minor tricks.

1^st Circle

Alarm: Intruders set of an alarm audible only to you.

Endure Elements: Exist comfortably in hot or cold environments.

Hold Portal: Holds door shut.

Protection: Ignore the next instance of harm from a specific source.

Shield: Invisible disc grants Armour 1.

Grease: Makes 10-ft. square or one object slippery. DEX Save to avoid slipping.

Mount: Summons riding horse.

Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you. Ranged attacks are Impaired.

Summon Creature: Calls an unintelligent extraplanar creature up to the size of a small dog. It holds no loyalty to you.

Unseen Servant: Invisible force obeys your commands.

Comprehend Languages: You understand all spoken and written languages.

Detect Secret Doors: Reveals hidden doors within 60 ft.

Detect Undead: Reveals undead within 60 ft.

Identify: Determines properties of magic item.

True Strike: Your next attack automatically provokes a Save to avoid Critical Damage.

Charm Person: Makes one person your friend until they next rest.

Hypnotism: Fascinate 1d6 creatures.

Sleep: Puts relaxed targets into a slumber and others feel lethargic, causing -1 to damage.

Burning Hands: d8 fire damage.

Floating Disk: Creates 3-ft.-diameter horizontal disk that holds 100 lb.

Magic Missile: d6 damage, goes around corners, ignores Armour.

Shocking Grasp: d8 electricity damage.

Color Spray: WIL Save or all actions are Impaired until Short Rest.

Disguise Self: Changes your appearance.

Magic Aura: Alters object’s magic aura.

Silent Image: Creates minor illusion of your design.

Ventriloquism: Throws voice.

Cause Fear: WIL Save or target flees.

Chill Touch: Lose d4 STR.

Ray of Enfeeblement: DEX Save or all attacks Impaired until Long Rest.

Animate Rope: Makes a rope move at your command.

Enlarge Person: Humanoid creature doubles in size.

Erase: Mundane or magical writing vanishes.

Expeditious Retreat: Run twice as fast.

Feather Fall: Objects or creatures fall slowly.

Jump: Subject can jump twice as far and high.

Magic Weapon: Make a weapon that ignores all supernatural resistances.

Reduce Person: Humanoid creature halves in size.

2^nd Circle

Arcane Lock: Magically locks a portal or chest.

Obscure Object: Masks object against scrying.

Protection from Arrows: Subject immune to mundane ranged attacks.

Resist Energy: Immunity to a specific type of energy attack until your next Short Rest.

Acid Arrow: 1d6 damage now and d6 STR loss next round unless washed. 

Fog Cloud: Fog obscures vision over a large area.

Glitterdust: WIL Save or Impair all attacks. Reveals invisible things.

Swarm: Summons swarm of bats, rats, or spiders. Harmless but distracting.

Summon Beast: Calls an intelligent extraplanar beast. It holds no loyalty to you.

Web: Fills 20-ft.-radius spread with sticky spiderwebs.

Detect Thoughts: WIL Save or else allows “listening” to surface thoughts.

Locate Object: Senses direction toward object.

See Invisibility: Reveals invisible creatures or objects.

Hideous Laughter: WIL Save or target laughs and Impairs actions until passing the Save.

Touch of Idiocy: Lose d4 WIL.

Continual Flame: Makes a permanent, heatless torch.

Darkness: 20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow.

Deafness: All in the blast are deafened.

Flaming Sphere: Creates rolling ball of fire, d10 damage.

Gust of Wind: Blows away or knocks down objects. Opponents get STR Save.

Scorching Ray: Deals d10 fire damage.

Shatter: Sonic vibration causes 1d6 STR loss to objects or crystalline creatures, ignoring armour.

Blur: Your details cannot be seen.

Invisibility: Subject is invisible until it attacks.

Magic Mouth: Speaks once when triggered.

Minor Illusion: Conjure an image with sound.

Mirror Image: Creates 1d6 decoy duplicates of you.

Misdirection: Misleads divinations on one creature or object.

Phantom Trap: Makes item seem trapped.

Blindness: WIL Save or blinded. 

Command Undead: Undead creature must pass WIL Save or obeys your command.

False Life: Regain any lost HP, but they vanish again after a minute.

Ghoul Touch: DEX Save or Paralyzed, exuding stench that makes those nearby sickened.

Spectral Hand: Creates disembodied glowing hand to deliver your next touch spell.

Alter Self: Assume form of a similar creature.

Bear’s Endurance: Subject has Armour 2.

Bull’s Strength: Unarmed melee attacks cause d10 damage.

Cat’s Grace: Automatically pass the next DEX Save.

Darkvision: See 60 ft. in total darkness.

Knock: Opens locked or magically sealed door.

Levitate: Subject moves up and down at your direction.

Owl’s Wisdom: Perceive the world with heightened senses for the next hour.

Pyrotechnics: Turns fire into blinding light or choking smoke.

Rope Trick: As many as eight creatures hide in extradimensional space.

Spider Climb: Walk on walls and ceilings.

Whispering Wind: Sends a short message 1 mile.

3^rd Circle

Explosive Runes: Deals d12 damage when read.

Magic Circle: Prevents an extraplanar being from entering or leaving unless they pass a WIL Save.

Summon Gate: Calls out to any extraplanar being that wishes to enter our plane. You have no choice which being answers and it holds no loyalty to you.

Nondetection: Hides subject from divination, scrying.

Sepia Snake Sigil: Creates text symbol that immobilizes reader until WIL Save.

Sleet Storm: Hampers vision and movement.

Stinking Cloud: Nauseating vapors, WIL Save or vomit.

Arcane Sight: Magical auras become visible to you.

Clairaudience/Clairvoyance: Hear or see at a distance.

Tongues: Speak any language.

Deep Slumber: WIL Save or sleep until the spell is broken.

Heroism: Gives Reroll any one die.

Hold Person: Paralyzes one humanoid until WIL Save.

Rage: Subject's attacks are Enhanced, but so are attacks against them.

Suggestion: Compels subject to follow stated course of action.

Daylight: 60-ft. radius of bright light.

Fireball: d10 damage, 20-ft. radius.

Lightning Bolt: d12 Damage to all in a line.

Tiny Hut: Creates shelter for ten creatures.

Wind Wall: Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.

Displacement: Ignore any one attack.

Illusory Script: Only intended reader can decipher.

Invisibility Sphere: Makes everyone within 10 ft. invisible.

Major Illusion: Conjure an image with sound, smell and thermal effects.

Gentle Repose: Preserves one corpse.

Halt Undead: Immobilizes all nearby undead until WIL Sav.

Vampiric Touch: Target loses d6 STR, you restore all lost hp.

Blink: You randomly vanish and reappear, avoiding the next attack against you.

Flame Arrows: Ally's missiles deal d6 extra fire damage.

Fly: Subject flies.

Gaseous Form: Subject becomes insubstantial and can fly slowly.

Haste: One creature moves at double speed.

Keen Edge: Next attack with this weapon causes direct STR loss instead of damage.

Secret Page: Changes one page to hide its real content.

Shrink Item: Object shrinks to one-sixteenth size.

Slow: One target moves at half speed.

Water Breathing: Subjects can breathe underwater.

4^th Circle

Dimensional Anchor: Bars extradimensional movement.

Fire Trap: Opened object deals d12 damage.

Globe of Invulnerability: Stops Spells up 3rd Circle.

Remove Curse: Frees object or person from curse.

Stoneskin: Subject gains Armour 3 but running and swimming are impossible. 

Black Tentacles: Tentacles grapple all within 20 ft.

Summon Being: Calls any extraplanar being to our plane. It holds no loyalty to you.

Dimension Door: Teleports you short distance.

Minor Creation: Creates one cloth or wood object.

Secure Shelter: Creates sturdy cottage.

Solid Fog: Blocks vision and slows movement.

Arcane Eye: Invisible floating eye you can see through and control.

Detect Scrying: Alerts you of magical eavesdropping.

Locate Creature: Indicates direction to familiar creature.

Scrying: Spies on subject from a distance.

Charm Monster: WIL Save or monster treats you as an ally.

Confusion: WIL Save or subjects behave oddly.

Crushing Despair: 20ft Area. WIL Save or attacks are Impaired.

Fire Shield: Creatures attacking you take d6 fire damage; you’re protected from heat and cold.

Ice Storm: Hail deals d12 damage in cylinder 40 ft. across.

Resilient Sphere: Force globe protects but traps one subject. DEX Save to avoid.

Shout: All within cone deafened for one round and take d12 sonic damage.

Wall of Fire: Passing through wall causes d12 damage.

Wall of Ice: Creates ice wall 15hp, Armour 3, or hemisphere can trap creatures inside unless they pass DEX Save.

Hallucinatory Terrain: Makes one type of terrain appear like another.

Illusory Wall: Wall, floor, or ceiling looks real, but anything can pass through.

True Invisibility: Subject can attack and stay invisible.

Phantasmal Killer: Fearsome, invincible illusion only the target can see. Attacks for d12 damage, on Critical Damage pass a WIL Save or Die from terror.

Rainbow Pattern: Lights fascinate creatures that fail WIL Save.

Animate Dead: Creates undead skeletons and zombies from corpses.

Bestow Curse: Target automatically fails next Save.

Contagion: Infects subject with horrible disease.

Fear: Subjects within cone must pass a WIL Save or flee.

Polymorph: Gives one willing subject a new form.

Stone Shape: Sculpts stone into any shape.

5^th Circle

Break Enchantment: Frees subjects from enchantments, alterations, curses, and petrification.

Dismissal: WIL Save or creature to returns to native plane.

Mage’s Private Sanctum: Prevents anyone from viewing or scrying an area.

Cloudkill: You can move the cloud, causing d6 STR loss to any within.

Mage’s Faithful Hound: Phantom dog can guard, attack.

Major Creation: Create an item of stone and metal.

Planar Binding: Traps extraplanar creatures that fail a WIL Save until they perform a task.

Secret Chest: Hides expensive chest on Ethereal Plane; you retrieve it at will.

Teleport: Instantly transports you to a known location up to 100 miles away.

Wall of Stone: Creates a stone wall that can be shaped.

Contact Other Plane: Lets you ask question of extraplanar entity.

Prying Eyes: 1d6 floating eyes scout for you.

Telepathic Bond: Link lets allies communicate.

Dominate Person: WIL Save or humanoid is controlled telepathically.

Feeblemind: WIL Save or drop to WIL 0.

Symbol of Sleep: Reading the rune puts reader into magical sleep that lasts as long as the spell.

Cone of Cold: d12 cold damage.

Interposing Hand: Hand blocks 30hp of damage from one opponent.

Sending: Delivers short message anywhere, instantly.

Wall of Force: Wall is immune to damage.

Dream: Sends message to anyone sleeping.

False Vision: Fools scrying with an illusion.

Nightmare: WIL Save or Target wakes with no HP and will not recover them until they have a full rest without Nightmares.

Blight: Withers plants.

Possession: WIL Save or target has soul pushed out and caster possesses their body. Their soul returns when the caster leaves the body, but if the body is slain the soul departs and the caster's soul returns to their body.

Symbol of Pain: Reading the rune causes pain. WIL Save or be unable to do anything but scream until Save is passed.

Baleful Polymorph: WIL Save or Transforms subject into harmless animal.

Fabricate: Transforms raw materials into finished items.

Passwall: Creates passage through wood or stone wall.

Telekinesis: Moves object, attacks creature, or hurls object or creature.

Transmute Earth: Transforms mud to rock or rock to mud.

Petrify: WIL Save or target is transformed into a statue. This effect lasts as long as the Caster wishes.

Control Water: Raise, lower or part water.

Planar Gate: Open a gate to another reality that works in both directions. 

Dungeon Design by Hangout

Tonight me and a few others attempted a world first (as far as I'm aware). We used Google Hangouts to build a dungeon.

Seven of us contributed at various points throughout the 90 minutes. The product of which can be seen in this map and the accompanying document.

Big thanks to Jez Gordon for suggesting we use his DungeonFu template. It proved incredibly useful.

My personal highlights that I saw other people add are:

• A Pterodactyl cave.
• The scene of a theological debate between pixies, frogs and clams.
• A HUGE table of random smells, sounds and other weird stuff.
• Acid traps and humming mushrooms, just to remind you that this is probably for D&D.

Some observations of this method of dungeon design:

• People seemed very happy to get imaginative! We didn't end up with orcs guarding chests.
• There was less messing with other people's ideas than I expected. It's good because people got to flesh out rooms by themselves but I'd have loved to see a bit more collaboration.
• We made a deadly dungeon.

Thanks to Nadav Ben Dov, Kyrinn S. Eiss, Barry Blatt, Joshua Macy, James Paese and David Reichgeld for contributing (let me know if I missed you off!).

For the rest of you, let me know if you decide to do anything with this dungeon. It's so fresh I haven't even had a chance to look at the whole thing myself yet!

The Covenant of the Terror Lizards

The Red Scaled ManSTR 10, DEX 13, WIL 13, 12hp.
Roams with his warrior cultists, using his Horned One spell on his followers in times of danger. If an opponent is weakened he will try to use Banish to appease the terror lizards from beyond.

Ceremonial Dagger causes 1d6 damage and is an Arcanum containing Banish and Horned One.
Banish (Power 8): The target must pass a DEX Save to avoid your touch, or they are banished to an extra-dimensional jungle filled with terror lizards. This leaves a glowing portal that anyone can follow through for the next few minutes.

Horned One (Power 4): One willing ally writhes and twists, taking the form of a Great Horned Lizard. They fight loyally until at 0hp, twisting back to their original form, now dead.

Great Horned Lizard
STR 18, DEX 8, WIL 4, 20hp, Armour 1.
Attacks with a gore for 2d6 damage.




10 Harmless Cultists
STR 8, DEX 9, WIL 9, 2hp.
Will not fight, but are willing targets for the scaled man's Horned One spell.

6 Warrior Cultists
STR 13, DEX 12, WIL 10, 8hp, Armour 1.
Glaives (1d6+1), Armour.

Dressed in exotic armour, their helms can never be removed. Will fight to the death as long as the red scaled man is alive.

Making a Better Mummy

When did Mummies become the hard-hitting tanks of the undead? They're presented as slow but super-strong in both D&D and Warhammer.

Seems to me they should be the frail but magically powerful leaders of vast ancient armies. A very specific flavour of lich, really, perhaps awakening after a set number of millennia. Possible future spoilers for anyone playing in my Into the Odd game.

Mummy of Emperor Kthataktha the Giver STR 5, DEX 1, WIL 20, 15hp, Armour 1.

Dressed in full ceremonial armour and wielding an ornate spear, the mummified remains of the once great emperor cannot move without help. Indeed, he is never seen off his jade throne, which is carried by twelve brass skeletons, who serve only as an elaborate means of transport.

He speaks in a raspy groan, needing to be translated by one of the few living speakers of his empire's dead tongue. His thoughts are entirely set on regaining his stolen treasures and establishing a new empire.

The emperor can use any Arcana, even those wielded by his enemies, within 30ft as if he were wielding them himself. He is bedecked with jewellery and a foot-high crown. Together these jewels function as an Arcana containing the spells listed below. Only one of the Emperor's bloodline can wield these items. Anyone else that tried is blasted with lightning for 2d6 damage.

Eternal Hunger (Power 5): One target within 20ft must pass a WIL Save or lose 2d6 STR and you gain that many HP, even if it takes you above your maximum. These extra HP are lost when you have a full rest.

Death Knell (Power 7): All living creatures within 40ft must pass a STR Save or take 3d6 damage. Even those that pass this spell are deafened until they next have a full rest.

Eyes of the Stars (Power 8): You know the exact location of one object or being you have touched before.

Making a Better Skeleton

This should be easy. To me the skeleton has gone from a potentially terrifying concept to the disposable mook of the undead.

It's a magically animated skeleton! By its very nature it's got a degree of supernatural power about it. A zombie still has muscles and sensory organs, but this thing's walking around through some other means. Let that dark magic have a bit more credit than something so easily dispelled by a sword swing.

That's right, skeletons should be a nightmare for fighters to deal with.

As always, this is written with Into the Odd in mind.

Skeletal Minion

The obedient servants of some wielder of dark magic. They shuffle about carrying out the will of their master as if part of his own soul exists within them.

STR 10, DEX 13, WIL 12. Armour 2 (see below), 6hp.

Sword (1d6).

Counts as having Armour 2 only against piercing attacks such as arrows and spears. Swords, axes and hammers ignore this.

When a skeleton would be killed by physical attacks it is smashed into at least two separate pieces. Unless they are kept apart these will reform on the skeleton's next turn, restoring it to full health. Each half will continue to fight but the half without a sword only causes 1d6-1 damage.

The skeleton's WIL is reduced to 0 the magic animating the skeleton is banished and it falls into a pile of bones.

Odd Monster for the Day - Darkthing

Intended for use with Into the Odd, I present the Darkthing.

Art courtesy of ox3art

Darkthing

STR 14, DEX 10,, WIL 6, 14HP. Tendrils (1d6).

Bear-sized floating creature, cloaked in unnatural black smoke. No visible detail other than fleshy bubbles and lashing tendrils. Wounding it will give a flash of its true form, a pale creature with large eyes resembling a deep-sea fish. They attack without provocation but flee back into the ocean if badly hurt.

Its stinging tendrils cause an intense pain, attacking for 1d6 damage.

The smoke around them fades when they are killed. Their corpses will also contain a thick chain each wears around their body. Trying to pick this up is painful, as they are intensely cold. May be safely picked up with leather or other thick material but over time will cause the material to stiffen and crack. Causes 1d6 STR Loss per ten seconds of exposure to skin. Anyone who takes Critical Damage from this becomes a Darkthing themselves.

Tentpole Monsters - Hoarding Vilsna

A Tentpole Dungeon can be considered the central location of a campaign, by which all other locations are considered secondary. As such a campaign will contain a many locations, one of which is the tentpole.

These locations will contain many monsters and NPCs, but will often contain one that is intended to be the focal point. Their influence can be seen everywhere from the workings of creatures and factions to the architecture and treasures found within the location.

Over the next few posts I want to create some monsters and NPCs that could act as a tentpole for a location, "propping up" the whole place.

These will be written for Into the Odd but could be easily modified for your flavour of fantasy RPG.

Vilsna the All-Owner

Artwork courtesy of http://cerebusart.blogspot.com/

STR 17, DEX 14, WIL 19, 20hp, Armour 1.

A huge intelligent, blue snake with a human-like face. A collector of all things arcane and artistic. Will happily show off his collection to those he trusts but fights vengefully against anyone attempting to steal from him.

Bites and Spits Venom for 1d6 Damage each. On Critical Damage the venom spit causes 1d6 STR and DEX loss.

Will always have at least one Arcanum to use with his dextrous tongue. Will have a hidden stash of valuables, including many decoys and traps, totalling 2d6x10g in value and a notable gem worth 1d20g.

Typical Arcana

Pharal Ka

Clear, floating crystal. Talks to the wielder telepathically and is generally helpful. Very eager to see new things.

Contains the following spells:

Invisible Grasp (Power 2): Hold one person still, unable to defend themselves, until they pass a WIL Save.

Madness (Power 4): All within 15ft of a point must pass a WIL Save or become confused for 8 rounds. Roll 1d6 at the start of each confused turn. 1: Attack the caster, 2: Act normally, 3: Do nothing, 4: Flee, 5: Attack nearest creature, 6: Attack nearest of their allies.

The Spite Heart

Rough chunk of hard, green wood with a chain attached for carrying. When you use its Spell you must try and use it again on the same target on your next turn or else take 1d6 damage.

Nerve Lash (Power 3): Causes intense pain to a target. They must pass a WIL Save or lose 1d6 WIL.

Six Adventurers that are Better Than You

1: Farjal the Red Death will fight for whoever pays him. Hope he hasn't been hired to kill you. He never works with anyone else.
STR 12 (+2), DEX 14 (+4), INT 10 (+0), WIL 12 (+2), 12HP, Armour 2.
Longsword, Light Armour, Shield.
Flaming Ring Arcanum: Heat Ray (Power 4), Inferno (Power 6), The Beast Within (Power 8).
Heat Ray: Target must pass a DEX Save vs your INT or take 4d6 damage.
Inferno: Cause a source of fire to explode, causing 5d6 damage to all within 20ft. Targets may pass an INT Save vs your 10 to only take 1d6 damage instead.
The Beast Within: Add 2d6-1 to STR and DEX but also subtract this number from INT and WIL (to a minimum of 1) and lose the ability to speak. This lasts for 8 rounds.

2: Dargaz the Huntmaster only seeks new trophies. He has made lots of enemies in this area in the past.
STR 10 (+0), DEX 11 (+1), INT 15 (+5), WIL 13 (+3), 10HP.
Heavy Polearm (Wildstaff), Longbow, pack of ten faithful hounds.
Wildstaff Arcanum: Dire Beasts (Power 10).
Dire Beasts: Up to five animals double in size for 10 minutes, doubling HP and gaining 8 STR. They also grow much more violent.

3: Arnet the Cloak will steal anything you have that he wants and may kill you to keep things simple. Will never kill women or children.
STR 9 (-1), DEX 16 (+6), INT 13 (+3), WIL 8 (-2), 9HP, Armour 1.
Light Armour, Two Daggers, Crossbow, Various types of poison, Thief's tools.
The Jet Dog Arcanum: Veil Senses (Power 4).
Veil Senses:: Target makes a WIL Save vs your WIL or is Blinded or Deafened until the curse is lifted. Blind opponents subtract 10 from DEX and INT.

4: Rock Varga will pick a fight with nearly anyone just to show off. Considers himself a drink connoisseur, which seems at odds with his personality.
STR 16 (+6), DEX 13 (+3), INT 11 (+1), WIL 10 (+0), 16HP, Armour 3.
Heavy Mace, Heavy Armour, Shield.

5: Castellan Haumar wants to know what you're doing in his domain and when you're leaving. He's terrified of a neighbouring domain attacking, so has little time to waste with you.
STR 11 (+1), DEX 12 (+2), INT 11 (+1), WIL 15 (+5), 11HP, Armour 2.
Halberd, Heavy Armour, SIZ 4 Domain. Always accompanied by his personal guard of ten heavily armoured knights.

6: Omal, Bearer of the Eye will provide excellent healing services for a cost. He will also try to recruit you into his creepy cult.
STR 14 (+4), DEX 9 (-1), INT 10 (+0), WIL 15 (+5), 14HP, Armour 1.
Sword, Light Armour.
Glass Eye Arcanum: Madness (Power 8), Beast from Beyond (Power 8), Breath of Recovery (Power 4).
Madness: All within 15ft of a point must pass a WIL Save vs 16 or become confused for 8 rounds. Roll 1d6 at the start of each confused turn. 1: Attack the caster, 2: Act normally, 3: Do nothing, 4: Flee, 5: Attack nearest creature, 6: Attack nearest of their allies.
Beast from Beyond: Summon a horrific flying beast (STR 20, DEX 15, INT 10, WIL 4, Armour 2, 20HP, hits cause 1d6+1 Damage) to fight for you for 3d6 rounds. After this time it has free will.
Breath of Recovery: Touch a creature and restore 3d6 of their HP or 1d6 points in any one Ability Score. Take 1d6 Damage in return.

Making the most of your Random Encounters

Here's the situation. Your adventurers are roaming through some rough hilly land on the way to their next shot at fame and fortune when suddenly... a random encounter!

As tempting as it is to take the result straight off the table and run through it as quickly as possible, there's no reason random encounters should be unrelated to the matters that are more at the forefront of the players' minds.

Taking some guidance from Treasure Tables the encounter can be sexed up to include a unique element and way for the game to progress if they fail. Throw in a link to an established feature of this area and suddenly your random encounter feels a lot more relevant to the game.

Using an Adventurer's Tale game I ran recently as an example, I'll hit up a random encounter generator for the aforementioned rough hills.

Three Zombie Ogres.

Link to the Game: There's no record of ogres in the area the players were in, but zombie ogres? These unfortunate creatures were servants of the local Dark Wizard, K'Thrax, who the players are very familiar with. They carry metal clubs that observant characters will recognise as being similar to those of K'Thrax's guards, but behind them they drag chains bound around their wrists and necks, in a sort of undead chain-gang. It seems even in their zombie form these ogres weren't keen on serving the Dark Wizard and made a break for it. Could this mean someone is chasing them? Is there enough intelligence left to be able to use them for good? I'd hold off on making them too aggressive and instead play them as more pitiful beasts.
Unique Element: To play up the pity angle I'd have the players encounter the Ogres trapped in a sudden dip in the rough hills, unable to climb back up the steep, jagged slopes. If the adventurers decide to fight the Ogres then play up the chain-gang aspect, perhaps having them attack in unison using their chains.
Way to Progress in case of Fail: These dim creatures will have no interest in eating the adventurers, as a normal ogre might. Instead they're more likely to beat them until they stop fighting back and continue attempting to climb the slope.

Much better.

And as a special treat...

Zombie Ogre
Body 10
Melee 5
Metal Club (Damage 4), 3d6 Treasure.
Relentless: A zombie ignores any non-critical hits that cause less than 4 Damage. Critical hits damage the Zombie as normal.
Clumsy: Opponents may add 2 to their Grace score when rolling against an Ogre.

And what if the adventurers don't save the day?

Roll on the following table whenever the adventurers do not save the day.

1: Noone saves the day and the bad thing happens as expected.
2: Someone known by the adventurers tries to save the day instead but fails horribly, dying in the process.
3: Someone known by the adventurers tries to save the day but fails, barely escaping with their lives.
4: Somehow things just work themselves out and nothing bad happens afterall.
5: Some other adventurers save the day and become local heroes.
6: As luck would have it the adventurers are presented with a second chance to save the day!

100 Interesting Magic Items: The first half.

Here's the first half of a nice handy d100 table for what I think to be interesting magic items. I'll describe the effects for each but leave out anything system specific for you to fill in yourself.

Hope you enjoy!

1. Aardvark Cloak: This cloak may be thrown around the wearer to wrap them in a protective shell. They cannot move or act while inside the shell other than returning the cloak to its normal form, but while protected they are unable to be hurt in any way.
   
2. All-Seasons Scabbard: As long as a sword is kept in this scabbard the wearer suffers no ill effects from extreme weather.
   
3. Angel Dart: If a target is whispered to the dart it may be thrown into the air, where it will fly to the target and hit it without error, regardless of distance or obstacles. The tiny dart causes no damage itself.
   
4. Aqua Grease: This pale grease can be rubbed over any equipment to completely protect it against damage from water exposure.
   
5. Amulet of Silence: Nothing within a foot of the holder of this amulet can cause any sound at all.
   
6. Broken Dagger: This incredibly ornate dagger is snapped in half partway down the blade and is not able to be repaired by any means at all.
   
7. Bell of the Crier: As long as the holder is ringing this hand-bell their voice will carry across great distances and be audible by all within a mile.
   
8. Boat of Murder: If a corpse is placed in this small rowboat it will drift out on the water and return an hour later, empty. There will be no trace of the corpse anywhere and no evidence left in the boat.
   
9. Bat Sword: If this sword is tapped against something hard it rings out a tone. This allows the wielder to see in the dark or smoke as well as they can in daylight.
   
10. Crystal Ship: This miniature ship is beautifuly crafted and valuable, but if it is ever taken on board a ship that ship will sink before its voyage is completed.
    
11. Coin Beetle: A normal looking coin. However, at night it comes to life and eats one other coin it can find, before disguising itself as a coin once again.
    
12. Chalice of Moods: Anyone drinking from this cup must roll. On 1-3 they remember something sad from their past and their mood drops. On 4-6 they feel a new vigor for life and start to smile.
    
13. Candle Beans: If one of these beans is bitten or pinched firmly it will glow for a few seconds before igniting in a low flame, much like a candle. It will burn for around ten seconds before going out and leaving a faint trail of smoke.
    
14. Digging Spoon: This tiny spoon can dig through any substance with a forceful push.
    
15. Death Drum: Anyone that bangs this drum thirteen times or more will die.
    
16. Dogpack Tooth: If this tooth is pressed into someone's gums it will take root and allow the owner to speak with dogs and wolves.
    
17. Diving Pearl: If a target is named and the pearl dropped into a body of water it will sink and move towards the target and latch onto it, returning it to the pearl's owner. The pearl cannot move objects larger than a person.
    
18. Dustbane Broom: This broom not only brushes away dust, twigs and other leavings, but removes them from existance. This cannot be used to destroy other unwanted items, only things that would normally be swept up.
    
19. Elephant Bread: This grey bread tastes faintly meaty and is incredibly filling.
    
20. Eternal Chessboard: Anyone playing chess with this set cannot win or lose a match. It simply goes on and on no matter how many moves the players take.
    
21. Ether Flute: Playing this flute causes any ghosts or spirits to freeze, mesmerised.
    
22. Engraving Quill: This quill can engrave messages onto any substance.
    
23. Fisherman's Blanket: This blanket will become dry with a quick shake, regardless of how wet it is, and is always faintly warm.
    
24. Frog Box: If this box is left open near to a frog it will be compelled to hop in and sit there happily. The frog will stay in the box without needing food, air or water, until instruted to hop out.
    
25. Firey Ring: If a container of food or liquid is held in the hand bearing this ring it will slowly heat up. Within a minute it will be boiling, but the container will still be safe to hold.
    
26. Frost Thread: If this thread is dangled into a body of water it will freeze at the rate of around one pint per minute. Once the thread is removed it will start to thaw.
    
27. Fingerless Gloves: Anyone that puts on these gloves feels a faint tingling in their fingers. An hour later it will be uncomfortable cramps. A further hour later, intense pain. At this point, if the gloves are removed their fingers will magically disappear.
    
28. Grey Paste: This pot of watery paste can be eaten, acting as both food and water, but tastes a little like ash. The pot magically refills with grey paste every night.
    
29. Golden Mule: A tiny golden statue of a mule. Anyone carrying this may carry twice as much weight as normal.
    
30. Howling Horn: This horn makes a very convincing howling noise, like that of a wolf.
    
31. Happiness Beads: Anyone wearing these beads feels a little happier than when they're not wearing them.
    
32. Hidden Sword: If this sword is tucked behind a robe or cloak it will not be found by anyone searching for it other than the person that hid it there.
    
33. Inspection Lens: Peering through this small lens reveals the true value of any jewels, gems or other art items.
    
34. Ice Diamond: This diamond is found sumberged in crushed ice in a specially sealed box. If it is removed from the ice it will gradually change over the next minute until it resembles a grey pebble. If submerged in crushed ice again it will quickly return to its diamond appearance.
    
35. Juggler's Balls: If thrown these balls will always make their way back to the thrower's hand before hitting the ground.
    
36. Jump Rope: When told to jump, this rope coils like a spring and bounces upwards twenty feet, carrying up to one passenger with it.
    
37. Jinxed Axe: This handaxe functions normally in melee but if thrown it will hit an ally if you miss your target.
    
38. Kindred Bracelets: When two people are wearing one of these bracelets each they are always aware of when the other is in life-threatening danger.
    
39. Karma Vase: Filling this Vase with expensive drink will cause it to drain away, but cure any ailments or damage affecting the pourer. Breaking the vase will kill the breaker.
    
40. Kingsblood Weed: Boiling this weed produces tea that will taste delicious to anyone of royal blood but foul to anyone that isn't.
    
41. Life Eating Sapphire: Whenever anyone holding this sapphire in one hand kills another being of above animal-level intelligence it glows and swells, increasing its value by 5%.
    
42. Leech Dust: Scattering this dust over a wound will clean it and drain any poison from it.
    
43. Longstride Breeches: Anyone wearing these red breeches will never become tired from walking.
    
44. Lion Gauntlet: This awkward steel gauntlet has a lion's head at the end in place of fingers. When the jaw hinge is moved from inside it makes a convincing lion's roar. The hand inside the gauntlet can't be used for anything else.
    
45. Madman's Blanket: Anyone sleeping under this blanket will have horrible, maddening nightmares.
    
46. Moon Rock: This rock has a strange feeling and is a weird yellow-grey colour. Any inspection suggests magical properties but infact it's completely mundane.
    
47. Marble Man: This statue comes to life when touched, functioning much as a normal servant would. It is only as strong as a normal human and can carry out any basic function it is taught the word for. It cannot speak, run or fight and if struck with a blow will fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.
    
48. Master's Ring: This ring causes a faint tingling sensation whenever one of the wearer's employees, servants or hirelings is planning to betray them in some way.
    
49. Map of the Head: The holder of this map may look over it when trying to remember something they witnessed while carrying the map. Within a minute of looking at it they will remember, even to the smallest detail.
    
50. Money Belt: Any amount of money may be pressed into a small slot on the front of this belt. The money can be retrieved by tapping it three times and announcing how much is required. This will even cause larger coins to be converted into change for specific amounts.
    

To be continued...