Megadungeon Mania

Today, I ordered a print copy of Patrick Wetmore's ASE1: Anomalous Subsurface Environment and became a backer of Greg Gillespie's Barrowmaze II project. On the 21st, I purchased the PDF of Barrowmaze I. Last month, I became a backer of James Maliszewski's Dwimmermount project. Just one megadungeon is supposed to keep one's players busy for a long, long time, so what am I doing with three? And why am I seriously planning my own megadungeon? It must be megadungeon mania.

Murdundia and Monotheism

I think the first campaign setting I ever created for a role-playing game was the World of Murdundia for Dungeons & Dragons. It was a fantasy world loosely inspired by medieval Europe (as is typical), and it was dominated by a monotheistic religion strongly based on Christianity (which was atypical for fantasy games that were not Arthurian). It wasn't that I had any aversion to polytheistic settings—I was a big fan of the World of Greyhawk—but the desire of one of my players to play a paladin, coupled with the strong presence of infernal monsters in the Monster Manual, led me to envision a world closer to the historical Middle Ages than Middle Earth, the Young Kingdoms, or the Hyborian Age. (The fact that I once had the sun blotted out by a swarm of byakhee is beside the point.) The monotheistic religion was called Veritas (Latin for "Truth") or, less-believably (and less pronounceable), Veritasism. Its antithesis was diabolism (the worship of devils) and demonolatry (the worship of demons, primarily Orcus), both of which were at odds with one another. FrDave's Blood of Prokopius has caused me to seriously consider resurrecting this campaign setting. Polytheistic settings are great, especially when the pantheons are fascinating, but there is so much to be mined from all the history, literature, art, architecture, folklore, and cultural traditions of monotheistic medieval Europe that it would be a pity not to use it for at least one setting where paladins, clerics, demons, and devils are important. Murdundia might have to be one of my OSR projects. A better name for the religion might be in order, though.

Of Wizards' Guilds and Mentors

My gaming group has always taken a rather relaxed attitude toward the acquisition of new spells by magic-users, partly because we never subscribed to the idea of training between levels. As soon as a magic-user gained a level, it was PRESTO! New spells! I presume the rules for training were designed as an excuse for lightening the pockets of adventurers (which seemed to be a major preoccupation of game design in early editions of D&D). Personally, if I'm worried that player characters are becoming too wealthy to be concerned about adventuring, I have more plausible and interesting methods to part them from their treasure. I must admit, however, that if any class had a good rationale for training between levels, it's the magic-user. Unless their only means of acquiring spells is by finding them during an adventure (a severe restriction reminiscent of—and appropriate to—Call of Cthulhu), it seems there ought to be some explanation for how they suddenly gained access to x new spells.

Wizards' guilds are perfect for this purpose. A mysterious cabal of sorcerers united to protect their secrets and their fellow members, as well as to advance their esoteric interests (generally the gathering and safeguarding of occult knowledge), is the proper instrument for the guidance and instruction of magic-users. In any fantasy world where there are sufficient numbers of magic-users, this is the obvious place for magic-users to receive their training. Any town or city should have a wizards' guild, either secretly or publicly. Villages or hamlets, however, are unlikely to support such a guild.

The problem with magic-user training arises when the fantasy world has very few magic-users. So few, in fact, that there are entire communities, perhaps even entire nations that doubt they even exist! How does one get enough magic-users together to form even a single guild in such a world?

One could assert that all one needs is one's mentor to provide new spells, but there lies a host of other problems. What if the student surpasses the master? What if the mentor is faraway? What if the mentor dies?

In my fantasy campaign (IMFC), I have decided to grant all magic-users a special ability. This ability is not a spell and needn't be memorized. It is only used between adventures when the magic-user is in a place safe from immediate danger.

Astral Sanctum

All magic-users, beginning at the first level of experience, are instructed by their mentors in the discipline of reaching the astral sanctum. This is an ability that enables the practitioner, through a process of meditation that places one's body in a state of suspended animation, to travel in one's astral body to a pocket dimension that is accessible only to others who have received the same instruction. Each astral sanctum is the exclusive domain of a particular guild, and it is here that magic-users are inducted into the higher levels of their order and receive their new spells. The astral sanctum enables the far-flung members of guilds to share their knowledge and even convene councils though their physical bodies are many leagues apart from one another.

The astral sanctum does not confer any other extra-planar abilities and does not grant the ability to astrally travel anywhere except the astral sanctum.

The length of time required to gain the new spells due one's level whilst in the astral sanctum is one week.

Blogger Aside

This new text editor is terrible. It doesn't fit my browser, it doesn't allow me to scroll horizontally so I can see everything, and part of the time my text disappears behind the sidebar even though the sidebar is already retracted. I guess I'll have to compose all my posts in a separate text editor and paste them into Blogger's text editor when I'm ready to publish them. Thank you, Blogger, for forcing me to take an EXTRA step. Thank you, Blogger, for restricting me to an inferior "upgrade" rather than allowing me to choose.

Clerical Spell: Sanctify Weapon

As I mentioned previously, fantasy worlds where magic weapons are rare in the extreme needn't be devoid of those supernatural horrors that can only be harmed by magic weapons, but adventurers will stand a better chance of surviving if they have some sort of alternative at their disposal. One alternative is the spell, of which the second level magic-user spell ensorcel weapon is one example (q.v.). The fourth level clerical spell sanctify weapon, described below, is another.

This spell conforms to the wisdom of Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord in that creatures who are only affected by magic weapons are affected by any magic weapon regardless of its bonus.

Sanctify Weapon

Spell Class: Cleric
Spell Level: 4
Range: 0
Duration: special

This spell invests one ordinary weapon with a divine purpose: that of destroying supernatural forces of an alignment other than the caster’s. Specifically, it renders the weapon effective against those beings who are invulnerable to non-magical (or non-silver) weapons. The spell lasts as long as it is being used against such beings. If the weapon is ever used to strike any foe other than supernatural enemies, the weapon will become desanctified and the spell’s effect will end. This spell does not confer combat bonuses.

Lawful clerics may employ this spell against demons, devils, the undead, and hostile elementals. Chaotic clerics may employ it against angels and hostile elementals.

If the ninefold alignment system is being used, alignment opposition will be determined by Good vs. Evil, not Law vs. Chaos.

Magical Spell: Ensorcel Weapon

Previously, I mentioned that one of the consequences of a wizard-scarce fantasy world is that there will be a dangerously short supply of magic weapons with which to dispatch those foes who are unaffected by mundane weapons. A scarcity of magic weapons is, I should mention, a desirable feature, not a flaw. The scarcer they are, the greater they are valued, and the more they add to the fantastical atmosphere of the adventures. Making these supernatural monsters vulnerable to non-magical weapons is not a solution. It reduces the value of the coveted magic weapon, and it reduces the impressiveness of the monster. Rather, I think the answer lies in spells. AD&D already gives us the fourth level magic-user spell enchanted weapon, but this spell is too weak for its assigned level, and it comes far too late in a magic-user's career to be useful, for by the time he or she has reached the minimum level to cast it (seventh), the adventuring party will surely have found at least one magic weapon. In fact, they probably would not have survived long enough to reach that level if they hadn't found one considerably earlier. The answer is to make the spell accessible at an earlier level. The following variant is a second level spell, accessible to magic-users and elves at the third level of experience.

This spell conforms to the wisdom of Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord in that creatures who are only affected by magic weapons are affected by any magic weapon regardless of its bonus.

Ensorcel Weapon

Spell Class: Magic-user
Spell Level: 2
Range: 0
Duration: 6 rounds per level of the caster

This spell temporarily enchants one ordinary weapon (or up to three small weapons, such as arrows, bolts, or daggers), thereby rendering it effective against foes who are invulnerable to non-magical (or non-silver) weapons. This spell does not confer combat bonuses.

A Dearth of Magicians

In at least one of my campaign worlds, human magic-users are encountered very rarely. I prefer the mystique of magic items, monsters, and workers of magic shrouded in mystery and spoken of in awe. Most humans have never had personal experience of any of the above, and some may even doubt their existence. If a magic item were discovered, its only viable market would probably be that of kings and rulers of city-states. If a monster were seen, it would probably inspire incredulous terror in all but knights or experienced adventurers. If a known magic-user were encountered, the reaction might vary from swooning admiration to fear to fanatical hatred. Low level magic-users are as rare as earls, dukes, or princes. High level magic-users are as rare as kings or emperors (which is why many of them are employed as highly paid court wizards). Some of them may be kings or emperors. If a magic-user is found undisguised in the midst of non-magical persons, everyone will know that something ominous is afoot, for it well known that magic-users never travel anywhere without some arcane objective.

Due to the rarity and, in some cases, disputed existence of magic-users, magic has not influenced the economy of the world, nor has it altered the boundaries of kingdoms, nor has it affected the lifestyles of ordinary subjects (as far as anyone knows). There are no magic shops where one may purchase magic items. There are no magical telecommunications services. There are no magical rapid transit systems. There are no magical strategic defense initiatives. There are no magically-powered factories. Any and all of the above would be possible if not inevitable in a world where magic-users are as common as they seem to be in some campaigns.

In most of my fantasy games, I prefer magic to retain its sense of wonder, and that means it can never be mundane. When magic happens, stomachs churn and hair feels as if it's standing on end. It becomes something to tell one's children and grandchildren. Troubadours sing of it. A magic-user by his or her very nature is a living legend.

The fantasy in my world is fantastic. One might even say it's fantastical... At any rate, fantasticality has consequences. One consequence is that adventurers will not have a reliable source of magical weaponry, which is very serious indeed when one considers the variety of monsters that are invulnerable to non-magical weapons. Another consequence is that it's deucedly difficult to join a wizards' guild when there aren't enough magic-users in any given area to form one (the absence of which may adversely affect spell acquisition). I shall attempt to address both matters (and any others that occur to me) in the days ahead.

Magic-User or Elf Spells

This is a new rule for my version of the reincarnation spell: If an elf casts induced reincarnation, he or she may choose whether to roll on the druidic table or the magic-user table. NPC elves have a 50% chance of choosing either table. (It just seemed to me that the druidic table was probably more appropriate to elves and should therefore be an option.)

This thought, along with the observation that magical spells are listed in Basic/Expert D&D as "magic-user and elf spells," led me to consider making separate magic-user and elvish spell lists in order to emphasize their differences. I could say that elves just use druidic spells, especially if I don't use druids in my game, or I could just include druidic spells as elvish specialty spells, just as magic-users who belong to guilds will have access to guild specialty spells. That might be the best approach. Then if I decide to use druids, they would still have greater access to druidic spells.

For now, the rule will be: Elves may choose one druidic spell per spell level of each spell level they are capable of casting. These spells are actually magical in nature, and must be memorized in the same manner as their other spells.

Monster: Dire Beastfolk

This is the creature mentioned at the end of the beastfolk article.

Dire Beastfolk

No. Enc.: 2d4 (5d12)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: by armor type
Hit Dice: 1+1
Attacks: 1 (bite or weapon)
Damage: 1d6 or by weapon type
Save: F1
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: XXI
XP: 15

Dire beastfolk are inherently vicious humanoids whose minds and bodies are warped by the powerful dark magic that spawned them. Believed to be the result of an unholy merging of beast and goblinkind, they were created to be slave soldiers, and as such their culture is entirely militaristic. Most dire beastfolk appear to be an indeterminate mix of various beasts with goblinoid features, but a few exhibit a singular (though goblinish) beast nature, such as that of the bear, great cat, mole, rat, wild boar, or wolf. Their lairs usually consist of barracks in the forts or strongholds of their masters, although there may be independent tribes of dire beastfolk who became free by virtue of the death of their masters, in which case they might inhabit caves or ruins. They are typically armed with pole arms, morning stars, or spears. A minority are armed with crossbows. Typical armor includes padded and leather, with a shield for those not wielding two-handed weapons (AC 8, 7, or 6). Officers, chiefs, and sub-chiefs have 2+2 hit dice, wear laminar armor, carry a shield, and wield a sword or scimitar (AC 3).

Combat House Rules

I prefer to run combat situations quickly, cleanly, and creatively. My players are not burdened with overcomplicated tactical rules and options; neither are they prevented from attempting crazy stunts if they so desire. It does help, however, to have a few more standard combat rules than are found in the rulebooks of Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord. Here are some of my weapon-related house rules:

Just as a mounted attacker charging with a lance causes double the normal damage to an opponent, a defender armed with a spear or pike set to receive a charge causes double the normal damage to a charging opponent.

In any clash in which a mounted attacker is charging with a lance against a defender armed with a spear or pike set to receive that charge, both attacks are handled simultaneously and any resulting damage is dealt simultaneously.

Up to two ranks of spearmen or three ranks of pikemen in a single file may attack a single foe. If there is room for multiple files and the foe is large enough (such as a large monster), additional files may also attack the same foe.

Shields are useless against flails. A shield confers no armor class bonus when its bearer is attacked with a flail.

An attacker armed with a pole arm may opt to strike with the intent of dismounting a rider rather than causing damage. A successful hit indicates that the pole arm has hooked part of the rider's armor.

And, as I mentioned previously, wielders of two-handed weapons may not use shields, but are not otherwise penalized.