One year ago I posted the sketch of what would be the rules for a xenomorph-hunting boardgame (if you wish, click here to re-read them).
I was never too fond of the way to handle the different possible player characters. The special qualities of the officer and medic were balanced with a worse weapon, but it seemed a bit forced, honestly. And I always feared that people would think that having up to three identical characters, the grunts, was just lazy.
So I'm changing that part. First, I'm adding more different archetypes, so to speak; and the grunts too will get some special rules.That means the officer and medic won't need to be restricted in their weapon selection. This is how it all works...
Before the game starts, the players must select a role for their characters. All of those are limited to one per game; except for the "grunt", which may be chosen multiple times (in fact, players may play exclusively with grunts, if that's what they want).
Then, two skills will be selected at random for every character, from the list associated to their role.
• Officer, the guy in charge, with a tactical mind and the balls to lead his men in lethal missions.
· You don't spend an action to select an order. You can give that order to one of your men.
· When shooting, you and comrades adjacent to you gain 1 extra space for range and add 1 extra point of damage.
· The xeno player can't use any of his cards during your turn.
· Up to three times per game, you may cancel any card the xeno player is trying to use.
• Medic, the one that stitches his comrades back together and is never thanked enough.
· You can use two actions (one full turn) to cure 1 Hit Point, to yourself or any comrade.
· You start with 2 extra HPs.
· A medikit cures 2 HPs instead of 1 when used by you (on yourself or a comrade).
· You start the mission carrying two medikits.
• Sniper, the one that prefer to take his time and kill from a safe distance.
· You don't suffer penalty when firing at long range.
· You can shoot through other minis (both comrades or xenos) and obstacles.
· When shooting, you can choose to trace line of sight from any adjacent square.
· If you roll a 6 when shooting at long range, you kill automatically (headshot!).
• Heavy, the big guy that carries the big weapons and packs a punch in close combat.
· In close combat, you can knockback enemies, and cannot be knocked back.
· You begin game with 1 extra Armour Point.
· When going for full attack (two attacks in one turn), you can make 3 attacks.
· In close combat, you always make 1 extra point of damage (and will always make 1 damage point at least).
• Scout, the lithe guy that scuttles unseen and hackes security systems.
· You have extra movement (MOV stat of 6 instead of the usual 5).
· You have the ability to move through airducts.
· You can hack security doors and open them with any security key.
· When moving, you can move through xenos and obstacles (but must end movement in empty space).
• Lucky, the bastard with more lives than a cat and his own irish-leprechaun-grade lucky charm.
· When a xeno is hurted next to you, you miracously dodge all of its acid blood spills.
· When opening a weapons crate, if you already have the weapon there, you may choose another you still don't have.
· When you find ammo, if it's useless for you, you may choose any other kind of ammo instead.
· When shooting, if you roll a 6 on the die, you add 1 extra point of damage (and will always make 1 damage point at least).
• Grunt, the standard trooper able to accomodate for any situation, a jack of all trades.
· Once per game, you may cancel any card the xeno player is trying to use.
· A medikit cures 2 HPs instead of 1 when you use it on yourself.
· You can shoot through obstacles without penalties.
· In close combat, you cannot be knocked back.
· When moving, you can move through obstacles without penalties (but must end movement in empty space).
· When a xeno is hurted next to you, you may dodge all its acid blood spills if you roll 4+ on a die.
· You are immune to the watchful ability. In addition, xenos cannot be spawn within 4 spaces of you.
· You can never run out of ammo for the pulse rifle.
· When you have readied a dodge order, you gain the watchful ability.
· Once per turn, when you kill a xeno you may immediately move up to 4 spaces and make 1 extra attack.
· When going for full attack (two attacks in one turn), you can still move up to 2 spaces before each attack.
· When you enter a new sector, the xeno player must turn the blips, revealing how many xenos there are.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
REVISITING THE AJSALIUM BESTIARY
Hello again. To start with, let me welcome the latest followers that have joined this blog. Let's see if I can honour you all by updating this more frequently.
Also, if you check the links at the right you'll see there are two new additions (a couple forums I now take part in), and the disappearance of the Eolith site, since the company no longer exists.
Obviously, the blog template is new, too. Finally I wasn't able to fix whatever was wrong with my own made template, so I've had to use one of the pre-made ones offered by Blogger. I've chosed a black and blue scheme for a little continuity.
And now, onto the content of this post.
For a change of path and pace, I want to go back to the origin of this blog: the homemade fantasy world of Ajsalium. More specifically, its bestiary; the sneak peek of which I presented now three years ago. This bestiary is something I have wanted to go back to since Reaper Miniatures launched a Kickstarter campaign to found the production of many of their miniatures in plastic. The importance of this is that I have always dreamed of having a big collection of minis to represent all monsters that heroes may encounter in rpg games; but that was economically non-viable. But now it seems feasible. I'll need and use not only the Reaper plastic minis, but also those that come with some boardgames we own at my gaming club (Descent, World of Warcraft, Castle Ravenloft, Wrath of Ashardalon and Legend of Drizzt), and a good bunch of metal minis that I've bought over the years.
The backside to this is that I felt that I had to revisit the bestiary. With a slight OCD, I can't stand the idea of having minis for some monsters, but not for others. Since I was at it, I have also pondered on how well some creatures fitted in the background fluff of Ajsalium; and the balance of different types of monsters.
As a result of this there have been a number of entries that didn't make the cut, so to speak. Some I marked in yellow colour: those were the ones that will remain in the world of Ajsalium but only as part of the fluff, without a proper bestiary entry. And others I marked in red: the ones that will definitely disappear, as if they have never existed. Those two groups, encompassing 23 monsters the first and 31 the second, are the ones I began calling "the Lost and the Damned", inspired but the much fabled Warhammer Fantasy Battles supplement. Before we wave them goodbye, let's have some words about all of them. They deserve an explanation on their reject, don't they?
THE LOST
Arcane Tree: I like the idea of the existence of splinters of the cosmological übergod Kronait in Ajsalium giving birth to sylvan creatures and nature spirits, but I never really thought of having them as creatures in a combat situation. They'll be there, but in the section about religion, not in the bestiary.
Demon, Armageddon Beast: Demons hail from Thanatos, one of the three infernal planes. Since it's Inferno the plane that poses the biggest menace to Ajsalium, by far, I emphasize that reducing the number of demons presented in the bestiary to a mere little sample. That doesn't mean they don't exist, though.
Demon, Imp: As above.
Demon, Impregnator: As above.
Devil, Kyton: Similar case to those of the three demons above; Avernus exists and is inhabited by a multitude of fiendish races; but I don't want them to steal the show from the infernals that roam Ajsalium.
Devil, Mandrakes: As above.
Devil, Pit Devil: As above.
Genie: I'll keep them as a possible plot; but otherwise it's not advisable to have a monster that have access to the ultrapowerful "wish" spell. For the other possibility, an elemental spirit... well, we already have the elementals for that.
Hippocampus: Sure, they exist and are a mount of choice for aquatic races. But what are the chances of doing an aquatic adventure? Honestly? Almost negligible. Because of that I am reducing the entries related to sea races.
Infernal, Doom Fiend, Aquatic: For the time being, I don't imagine crafting adventures under sea or in the sky, so there's no need for specific entries for this variation. It will be mentioned that they exist, and that's all.
Infernal, Doom Fiend, Flyer: As above.
Kraken: The problem with the kraken is twofold. First, it's one aquatic monster (and see what I've just said about aquatic adventures). But second and most important, by definition it's a colossal monster. And I can't have a miniature so damned big. But the kraken is too famous to completely forget about it.
Locathah: I like the idea of this neutral sea-dwelling race. But in games terms they'd be too similar to merfolk, so I don't see the point of creating a specific entry for the locathath.
Magical Mount: Simply put, I'm retiring this creature because I have no idea how to handle the rules for its shapechanging powers. That said, still it's worth mentioning their existence somewhere and keep the players dreaming of getting one.
Nymph, Driad: This is a case where a main creature, the nymph, has three extra variations that are related to the specific terrain in which they live. Since their entries would be almost copies, with perhaps just one different power, I don't truly find the necessity for them, and so will get relegated to mentions in the background fluff of the nymph.
Nymph, Nereid: As above.
Nymph, Sylph: As above.
Roc: This is a similar situation to the kraken, in that the roc is a monster whose main point is its colossal size. That again poses a problem trying to find and use a mini to represent it. But since I kind of like the idea, I'll talk about the legendary birds that could be seen in the ancient skies.
Salamander, Frost: Yet again, variant version of the same monster (in this case, the "common" salamander), based on a different climate. Now I think that's not worth a separate entry in the bestiary.
Salamander, Sands: As above.
Satyr, Hipposatyr: Pretty much the same. It would have more or less the same stats and powers, so there's no real need for a differentiated entry; just a mention of its existence.
Tchekrick, Bug: Actually, all tchekricks were about to disappear, for lack of minis to represent them. But I wanted to keep them, because I like their imagined aesthetics and their place in the world that I have reserved them. As a compromise of sorts, I'll ditch the "bugs" for now and concentrate on the true tchekricks.
Titan: Titans are a fundamental race in the religious background of Ajsalium. It would be absurd rewriting all that history. But they wouldn't work well as a monster because they are immortal almost god-like beings; and anyway they live retreated and apart from any other race.
THE DAMNED
Avernal Boar: Actually, this began as a joke amongst my gaming group (one than involved a very loud and disgusting belch). So nothing really serious in the world of Ajsalium. And stripped down to its basics, an avernal boar is a quadruped animal, tainted by infernal energies, with a breath weapon. Guess what, we already have the charismatic hellhound for that role.
Chupacabra: I included this monster only because Reaper Miniatures released a model that I liked. But it doesn' really belong to the world of Ajsalium; it has too present-day-myth notes that would detract from the suspension of disbelief.
Cockatrice: Ajsalium saw life initially as a possible D&D setting back in the dawn of its third edition. Because of that I had to include all basic D&D material into it. Later, when it took a life of its own, I still left some of the more classic monsters as a homage. But lately I prefer downsizing the project; and since the cockatrice was never a proper part of Ajsalium, and it's anyway another variation of the petrificator beast (as the basilisk), I have decided against its continued existence.
Couatl: Another creature that was included only for being a D&D classic. Also, it's a benign creature, and I prefer not having many of those in the bestiary, because we should focus on the opposition to the heroes.
Displacer Beast: More of the same D&D homages that now seem inadequate. Add to it that I have absolutely hated every encounter against these things; combats last forever, which gets frustrating.
Doppelganger: One more D&D homage that gets relegated to oblivion. The fact that I have absolutely no idea on how to handle the shapeshifting powers have had something to do with the rejection, truth be told.
Dragon, Aquatic: This was my own invention (even if not original, I know). But on second thoughts it's too similar to the sea serpent, a monster that I prefer as I find it more "charismatic", so to speak. And this one didn't really fit well with the rest of the dragons.
Dragon, Spine: Another idea of mine that wasn't so cool after all. Specifically, I no longer like the idea of a devolved dragon; they are a magical race, and thus should remain always powerful. And after all, the spine dragon was little else than a wyvern on steroids.
Fallen Angel: The idea of a fallen angel is too typical, and I want a little bit of originality in my setting. Angels are inherently good; they can turn sad, sour, grave, or even fanatical... but never evil. It's against the laws of morals that govern these kind of immortal creatures. (Conversely, don't expect any fiend to ever redeem).
Fundamental, Air: Fundamentals were going to be lesser versions of elementals. But there's no true need for that since the elemental entries in the final bestiary are going to offer three versions of varying power. Apart from that, fundamentals were supposed to be truly neutral; but on second thoughts, I prefer the idea that there's always a malicious destructive instinct imbued in any elemental.
Fundamental, Earth: As above.
Fundamental, Fire: As above.
Fundamental, Water: As above.
Giant, Fomorian: I no longer remember why I included the fomorians in the bestiary in the first place. I don't need evil another evil giant, as there's the frost and fire ones for that. Deformed? Well, what for? The cyclops pretty much fills the role of a deformed giant, doesn't it?
Gnoll: A classic D&D humanoid. That had made its way onto Ajsalium solely because of that. But I have never had any idea involving them and the history of this setting, and I won't bother trying to come up with one. They wouldn't add anything to the setting, and don't even mix well. Bye bye.
Gnome: Poor guys. They were always on the edge: are they a player race, or a monster race? Well, in Ajsalium... none. My setting is supposed to be dark and grim (were did I hear that?), and I don't want to have too many good spirited nature feys that detract from that. The sprites are more than enough to fill that niche.
Helmed Horror: Too similar to the iron golem, anyway, so there's no reason to keep both. Simple.
Infernal, Varrangoin: These are obliterated because of two reasons. First, infernal hordes need no flying mounts since some doom imps already fly, as do the drahukpions warlords. And second, I am including a monster, the razorwing (lifted off the Descent boardgame), that is just too similar.
Kaorti: These twisted guys originated from a D&D supplement; were they were related to the Far Realm, WotC's take on the lovecraftian mythos (as is my Other Side). But as I want to emphasize that the main peril of Ajsalium is the infernal menace, I've saved in lovecraftian nightmares. Amongst the ones I had, these have the problem of being humanoids that had returned from the Other Side, an idea I no longer fancy: the Other Side is too outside the cosmos to be able to get there, let alone return from.
Lycanthrope, Wereboar: We already have three lycanthropes, so we have that cliche covered. And wereboars, truth be told, are very disgusting beings that I wouldn't share my lembas bread with. Nah, I want them in my world.
Owlbear: The owlbear per se is yet another D&D classic I didn't really like. Since I have some "wildkins" miniatures from the World of Warcraft boardgame, that look pretty similar to owlbears, but slightly better, these will replace them.
Plaguer: A plague spreading humanoid. First problem: what's a plague in game terms? Second problem: I want all Ajsalium humanoids to have a proper civilization, but these plaguers were just uncivilized monsters. Because of that, I'm parting ways with them.
Rakshasa: In the ongoing AD&D campaign I play with my friends, rakshasas kidnapped and killed the parents of my character. How I loathe them for that! But they have always been present in D&D bestiaries, so I included them in Ajsalium, too. Yet, now that I don't feel obliged to pay tribute to D&D, I take my revenge: down the gutter never to be seen again. Take that!
Shoggti: I chosed this weird monster because I wanted an aberration from the Other Side that had no psionic or magical abilities, and were little more than a beast bent on feeding. Even though I still like the idea of presenting the "transdimensional" equivalent of a predatory beast, the shoggti doesn't quite make it in the aesthetics department.
Slug, Giant: This is a classic monster from the D&D tradition. And as all of them that you're seeing here, that's not enough to justify their inclusion in the final compilation of the Ajsalium bestiary. More, this too have the problem of being a colossal monster, so difficult to proper represent on a tabletop.
Tarrasque: One of the more iconics D&D monsters. Too iconic, I'm afraid. It's supposed to be the ultimate menace; but in Ajsalium the ultimate menace is the infernal dragon. My setting is not big enough for those two doomsday monsters, and obviously the "foreigner" is on the losing side.
Troll, Two-headed: I have always thought of the two-headed troll as an elite troll. That makes sense. But what I don't like is that it follows the same patron as the ettin, that is, evil two-headed giant creature. That coincidence has buggered me so much that I have finally decided to reject the two-headed troll.
Uvuudaum: Much as I love the idea of a nightmarish centaur made of giant wooden fingers, there's no mini capable to represent them, even approximately. And neither can I think of a possible conversion. So I'm ditching this idea. I won't even mention them in the fluff, because these were a creature from the Other Side, but I feel the less said about that chaotic dimension the better for a sense of mystery.
Vegetal Being: These originated in a horror story drawn by Berni Wrightson. Translating them into common fantasy language, you can think of it as a pro-active warden treant. But we already have treants, and Nature warden duties are taken by the wildkin, so there's no space left for the vegetal being.
Will-o-wisp: I don't even know why I included this one. I've never liked this creature. I suppose it was just another homage to D&D classic monsters. But it doesn't make the cut.
Zaratan: The zaratan was included because it reminded me of one level of the Golden Axe videogame, that took place on the back of a giant flying turtle (!). But really thinking about it, this creature is too high fantasy, unlike the more realistic and down to earth tone I want for Ajsalium. And there's the fact that's impossible to represent it on the tabletop with a mini or otherwise.
Also, if you check the links at the right you'll see there are two new additions (a couple forums I now take part in), and the disappearance of the Eolith site, since the company no longer exists.
Obviously, the blog template is new, too. Finally I wasn't able to fix whatever was wrong with my own made template, so I've had to use one of the pre-made ones offered by Blogger. I've chosed a black and blue scheme for a little continuity.
And now, onto the content of this post.
For a change of path and pace, I want to go back to the origin of this blog: the homemade fantasy world of Ajsalium. More specifically, its bestiary; the sneak peek of which I presented now three years ago. This bestiary is something I have wanted to go back to since Reaper Miniatures launched a Kickstarter campaign to found the production of many of their miniatures in plastic. The importance of this is that I have always dreamed of having a big collection of minis to represent all monsters that heroes may encounter in rpg games; but that was economically non-viable. But now it seems feasible. I'll need and use not only the Reaper plastic minis, but also those that come with some boardgames we own at my gaming club (Descent, World of Warcraft, Castle Ravenloft, Wrath of Ashardalon and Legend of Drizzt), and a good bunch of metal minis that I've bought over the years.
The backside to this is that I felt that I had to revisit the bestiary. With a slight OCD, I can't stand the idea of having minis for some monsters, but not for others. Since I was at it, I have also pondered on how well some creatures fitted in the background fluff of Ajsalium; and the balance of different types of monsters.
As a result of this there have been a number of entries that didn't make the cut, so to speak. Some I marked in yellow colour: those were the ones that will remain in the world of Ajsalium but only as part of the fluff, without a proper bestiary entry. And others I marked in red: the ones that will definitely disappear, as if they have never existed. Those two groups, encompassing 23 monsters the first and 31 the second, are the ones I began calling "the Lost and the Damned", inspired but the much fabled Warhammer Fantasy Battles supplement. Before we wave them goodbye, let's have some words about all of them. They deserve an explanation on their reject, don't they?
THE LOST
Arcane Tree: I like the idea of the existence of splinters of the cosmological übergod Kronait in Ajsalium giving birth to sylvan creatures and nature spirits, but I never really thought of having them as creatures in a combat situation. They'll be there, but in the section about religion, not in the bestiary.
Demon, Armageddon Beast: Demons hail from Thanatos, one of the three infernal planes. Since it's Inferno the plane that poses the biggest menace to Ajsalium, by far, I emphasize that reducing the number of demons presented in the bestiary to a mere little sample. That doesn't mean they don't exist, though.
Demon, Imp: As above.
Demon, Impregnator: As above.
Devil, Kyton: Similar case to those of the three demons above; Avernus exists and is inhabited by a multitude of fiendish races; but I don't want them to steal the show from the infernals that roam Ajsalium.
Devil, Mandrakes: As above.
Devil, Pit Devil: As above.
Genie: I'll keep them as a possible plot; but otherwise it's not advisable to have a monster that have access to the ultrapowerful "wish" spell. For the other possibility, an elemental spirit... well, we already have the elementals for that.
Hippocampus: Sure, they exist and are a mount of choice for aquatic races. But what are the chances of doing an aquatic adventure? Honestly? Almost negligible. Because of that I am reducing the entries related to sea races.
Infernal, Doom Fiend, Aquatic: For the time being, I don't imagine crafting adventures under sea or in the sky, so there's no need for specific entries for this variation. It will be mentioned that they exist, and that's all.
Infernal, Doom Fiend, Flyer: As above.
Kraken: The problem with the kraken is twofold. First, it's one aquatic monster (and see what I've just said about aquatic adventures). But second and most important, by definition it's a colossal monster. And I can't have a miniature so damned big. But the kraken is too famous to completely forget about it.
Locathah: I like the idea of this neutral sea-dwelling race. But in games terms they'd be too similar to merfolk, so I don't see the point of creating a specific entry for the locathath.
Magical Mount: Simply put, I'm retiring this creature because I have no idea how to handle the rules for its shapechanging powers. That said, still it's worth mentioning their existence somewhere and keep the players dreaming of getting one.
Nymph, Driad: This is a case where a main creature, the nymph, has three extra variations that are related to the specific terrain in which they live. Since their entries would be almost copies, with perhaps just one different power, I don't truly find the necessity for them, and so will get relegated to mentions in the background fluff of the nymph.
Nymph, Nereid: As above.
Nymph, Sylph: As above.
Roc: This is a similar situation to the kraken, in that the roc is a monster whose main point is its colossal size. That again poses a problem trying to find and use a mini to represent it. But since I kind of like the idea, I'll talk about the legendary birds that could be seen in the ancient skies.
Salamander, Frost: Yet again, variant version of the same monster (in this case, the "common" salamander), based on a different climate. Now I think that's not worth a separate entry in the bestiary.
Salamander, Sands: As above.
Satyr, Hipposatyr: Pretty much the same. It would have more or less the same stats and powers, so there's no real need for a differentiated entry; just a mention of its existence.
Tchekrick, Bug: Actually, all tchekricks were about to disappear, for lack of minis to represent them. But I wanted to keep them, because I like their imagined aesthetics and their place in the world that I have reserved them. As a compromise of sorts, I'll ditch the "bugs" for now and concentrate on the true tchekricks.
Titan: Titans are a fundamental race in the religious background of Ajsalium. It would be absurd rewriting all that history. But they wouldn't work well as a monster because they are immortal almost god-like beings; and anyway they live retreated and apart from any other race.
THE DAMNED
Avernal Boar: Actually, this began as a joke amongst my gaming group (one than involved a very loud and disgusting belch). So nothing really serious in the world of Ajsalium. And stripped down to its basics, an avernal boar is a quadruped animal, tainted by infernal energies, with a breath weapon. Guess what, we already have the charismatic hellhound for that role.
Chupacabra: I included this monster only because Reaper Miniatures released a model that I liked. But it doesn' really belong to the world of Ajsalium; it has too present-day-myth notes that would detract from the suspension of disbelief.
Cockatrice: Ajsalium saw life initially as a possible D&D setting back in the dawn of its third edition. Because of that I had to include all basic D&D material into it. Later, when it took a life of its own, I still left some of the more classic monsters as a homage. But lately I prefer downsizing the project; and since the cockatrice was never a proper part of Ajsalium, and it's anyway another variation of the petrificator beast (as the basilisk), I have decided against its continued existence.
Couatl: Another creature that was included only for being a D&D classic. Also, it's a benign creature, and I prefer not having many of those in the bestiary, because we should focus on the opposition to the heroes.
Displacer Beast: More of the same D&D homages that now seem inadequate. Add to it that I have absolutely hated every encounter against these things; combats last forever, which gets frustrating.
Doppelganger: One more D&D homage that gets relegated to oblivion. The fact that I have absolutely no idea on how to handle the shapeshifting powers have had something to do with the rejection, truth be told.
Dragon, Aquatic: This was my own invention (even if not original, I know). But on second thoughts it's too similar to the sea serpent, a monster that I prefer as I find it more "charismatic", so to speak. And this one didn't really fit well with the rest of the dragons.
Dragon, Spine: Another idea of mine that wasn't so cool after all. Specifically, I no longer like the idea of a devolved dragon; they are a magical race, and thus should remain always powerful. And after all, the spine dragon was little else than a wyvern on steroids.
Fallen Angel: The idea of a fallen angel is too typical, and I want a little bit of originality in my setting. Angels are inherently good; they can turn sad, sour, grave, or even fanatical... but never evil. It's against the laws of morals that govern these kind of immortal creatures. (Conversely, don't expect any fiend to ever redeem).
Fundamental, Air: Fundamentals were going to be lesser versions of elementals. But there's no true need for that since the elemental entries in the final bestiary are going to offer three versions of varying power. Apart from that, fundamentals were supposed to be truly neutral; but on second thoughts, I prefer the idea that there's always a malicious destructive instinct imbued in any elemental.
Fundamental, Earth: As above.
Fundamental, Fire: As above.
Fundamental, Water: As above.
Giant, Fomorian: I no longer remember why I included the fomorians in the bestiary in the first place. I don't need evil another evil giant, as there's the frost and fire ones for that. Deformed? Well, what for? The cyclops pretty much fills the role of a deformed giant, doesn't it?
Gnoll: A classic D&D humanoid. That had made its way onto Ajsalium solely because of that. But I have never had any idea involving them and the history of this setting, and I won't bother trying to come up with one. They wouldn't add anything to the setting, and don't even mix well. Bye bye.
Gnome: Poor guys. They were always on the edge: are they a player race, or a monster race? Well, in Ajsalium... none. My setting is supposed to be dark and grim (were did I hear that?), and I don't want to have too many good spirited nature feys that detract from that. The sprites are more than enough to fill that niche.
Helmed Horror: Too similar to the iron golem, anyway, so there's no reason to keep both. Simple.
Infernal, Varrangoin: These are obliterated because of two reasons. First, infernal hordes need no flying mounts since some doom imps already fly, as do the drahukpions warlords. And second, I am including a monster, the razorwing (lifted off the Descent boardgame), that is just too similar.
Kaorti: These twisted guys originated from a D&D supplement; were they were related to the Far Realm, WotC's take on the lovecraftian mythos (as is my Other Side). But as I want to emphasize that the main peril of Ajsalium is the infernal menace, I've saved in lovecraftian nightmares. Amongst the ones I had, these have the problem of being humanoids that had returned from the Other Side, an idea I no longer fancy: the Other Side is too outside the cosmos to be able to get there, let alone return from.
Lycanthrope, Wereboar: We already have three lycanthropes, so we have that cliche covered. And wereboars, truth be told, are very disgusting beings that I wouldn't share my lembas bread with. Nah, I want them in my world.
Owlbear: The owlbear per se is yet another D&D classic I didn't really like. Since I have some "wildkins" miniatures from the World of Warcraft boardgame, that look pretty similar to owlbears, but slightly better, these will replace them.
Plaguer: A plague spreading humanoid. First problem: what's a plague in game terms? Second problem: I want all Ajsalium humanoids to have a proper civilization, but these plaguers were just uncivilized monsters. Because of that, I'm parting ways with them.
Rakshasa: In the ongoing AD&D campaign I play with my friends, rakshasas kidnapped and killed the parents of my character. How I loathe them for that! But they have always been present in D&D bestiaries, so I included them in Ajsalium, too. Yet, now that I don't feel obliged to pay tribute to D&D, I take my revenge: down the gutter never to be seen again. Take that!
Shoggti: I chosed this weird monster because I wanted an aberration from the Other Side that had no psionic or magical abilities, and were little more than a beast bent on feeding. Even though I still like the idea of presenting the "transdimensional" equivalent of a predatory beast, the shoggti doesn't quite make it in the aesthetics department.
Slug, Giant: This is a classic monster from the D&D tradition. And as all of them that you're seeing here, that's not enough to justify their inclusion in the final compilation of the Ajsalium bestiary. More, this too have the problem of being a colossal monster, so difficult to proper represent on a tabletop.
Tarrasque: One of the more iconics D&D monsters. Too iconic, I'm afraid. It's supposed to be the ultimate menace; but in Ajsalium the ultimate menace is the infernal dragon. My setting is not big enough for those two doomsday monsters, and obviously the "foreigner" is on the losing side.
Troll, Two-headed: I have always thought of the two-headed troll as an elite troll. That makes sense. But what I don't like is that it follows the same patron as the ettin, that is, evil two-headed giant creature. That coincidence has buggered me so much that I have finally decided to reject the two-headed troll.
Uvuudaum: Much as I love the idea of a nightmarish centaur made of giant wooden fingers, there's no mini capable to represent them, even approximately. And neither can I think of a possible conversion. So I'm ditching this idea. I won't even mention them in the fluff, because these were a creature from the Other Side, but I feel the less said about that chaotic dimension the better for a sense of mystery.
Vegetal Being: These originated in a horror story drawn by Berni Wrightson. Translating them into common fantasy language, you can think of it as a pro-active warden treant. But we already have treants, and Nature warden duties are taken by the wildkin, so there's no space left for the vegetal being.
Will-o-wisp: I don't even know why I included this one. I've never liked this creature. I suppose it was just another homage to D&D classic monsters. But it doesn't make the cut.
Zaratan: The zaratan was included because it reminded me of one level of the Golden Axe videogame, that took place on the back of a giant flying turtle (!). But really thinking about it, this creature is too high fantasy, unlike the more realistic and down to earth tone I want for Ajsalium. And there's the fact that's impossible to represent it on the tabletop with a mini or otherwise.
Friday, April 6, 2012
SUPERSOLDIERS OF EUROFORCE
Hello again. Even though I still don't know for certain what direction I'll take with the Supers! project, I have started to collect a few minis. At the very least I want to represent the team I presented some time ago (in this post), and many of the necessary minis are already in my collection. There's also the fact that I've written quite a lot of fluff for that setting, so now I'm going to present you some info on the supersoldiers that make up the bulk of Euroforce.
Euroforce is the best known result and the core of the E.S.H.D.I. (European Super Hero Defense Initiative), which was promptly created when U.S.-centric S.H.I.E.L.D. manifested its intention to lead the superhero defense in Europe through its British brand S.T.R.I.K.E.
Basically, Euroforce is composed of two main groups: six superheroes, and twenty-one supersoldiers. The six superheroes are Fusion, Nightslip, S. T. Roid, Zenith, Griffon and Afterburn. When people talk about Euroforce, it's usually about this team they think of.
But, as said, they are supported by other twenty-one soldiers (so that every European state has one member in it). These are deemed "supersoldiers", and rightly so, for they receive a treatment not too dissimilar to the one that Captain America went through, that has taken all of them to the maximum human limits. Because of that, popular belief is that they are almost clones; but that is wrong. The art of war has many facets, and all of them must be catered for.
Twelve of them are "standard" supersoldiers, designed to maximize their efficiency in all kind of situations, as Captain America was. The best equilibrium of strength, resistance, stamina, agility, reflexes, speed and mental capabilities guarantee their supremacy against all non-augmented humans. They are equipped with state-of-the-art next generation armour and weaponry: the armour is a skin-tight fabric made mostly of woven cordura with kevlar, with extra protective plates in key areas; and their weapon of choice is a high velocity rifle, or a plasma cannon as alternative heavy weapon. I will be using old Void Syntha prosthene marines to represent them: click for pic.
Six of them (the ones that were policemen previous to the Euroforce program) form the "protectors". Their augmentation were designed with two clear purposes on mind: to protect the innocent bystanders in superheroics operations, and to repress superpowered crime. Because of that, the stress was put in their strength and resistance, including healing capacities, in lieu of speed and agility. They are granted a rigid heavy armour, including a helmet inlaid with adamantium (so as to avoid mental manipulation), and a riot shield with an adamantium mesh core too. They wield a multipurpose subrifle capable of firing standard ammunition, as well as anti-riot hard foam bullets, and even act as a potent sonic disruptor. These will be represented with Void Viridian (plastic) marines: click for pic.
Two of them were selected to be developed and trained into being a strike team; that is to say, quick support for when things go wrong. They've had their reflexes and coordination maximized, and constantly train both with Griffon and Nightslip. The reason is that they are equipped with wing-shaped jetpacks (so they can quickly get in and out of the action), and Griffon is the master in true three-dimensional combat; and armed with two pistols, an area in which Nightslip's gun-fu reigns supreme. Since they always dive deep into danger a full armour was a must; but it's not so clunky as the one worn by the protectors, so as to no hinder their movements. The Void Vasa shuriken guard are my choice this time: click for pic.
Finally there's the comm technician, who also excels as hacker. This girl was specifically selected for that role since during her service at the army had shown an incredible affinity with any and all computer languages. As a supersoldier her augmentation veered in the direction of enhancing her mental capacities for performing such tasks, including the implantation of cybernetics directly linked to her nervous system. She's not supposed to enter combat, but just in case she wears a slight variation of the common supersoldier garment, and is armed with a simple sidearm. The mini for her is the Void Vasa knight of spirit. Here you can see her as painted by Astorderire on CMoN. The paintjob he used is the one I'll use too: dark blue fabrics, and black armour plates.
That's all for now. Who knows what will the next post be about? And when will it be posted?
Euroforce is the best known result and the core of the E.S.H.D.I. (European Super Hero Defense Initiative), which was promptly created when U.S.-centric S.H.I.E.L.D. manifested its intention to lead the superhero defense in Europe through its British brand S.T.R.I.K.E.
Basically, Euroforce is composed of two main groups: six superheroes, and twenty-one supersoldiers. The six superheroes are Fusion, Nightslip, S. T. Roid, Zenith, Griffon and Afterburn. When people talk about Euroforce, it's usually about this team they think of.
But, as said, they are supported by other twenty-one soldiers (so that every European state has one member in it). These are deemed "supersoldiers", and rightly so, for they receive a treatment not too dissimilar to the one that Captain America went through, that has taken all of them to the maximum human limits. Because of that, popular belief is that they are almost clones; but that is wrong. The art of war has many facets, and all of them must be catered for.
Twelve of them are "standard" supersoldiers, designed to maximize their efficiency in all kind of situations, as Captain America was. The best equilibrium of strength, resistance, stamina, agility, reflexes, speed and mental capabilities guarantee their supremacy against all non-augmented humans. They are equipped with state-of-the-art next generation armour and weaponry: the armour is a skin-tight fabric made mostly of woven cordura with kevlar, with extra protective plates in key areas; and their weapon of choice is a high velocity rifle, or a plasma cannon as alternative heavy weapon. I will be using old Void Syntha prosthene marines to represent them: click for pic.
Six of them (the ones that were policemen previous to the Euroforce program) form the "protectors". Their augmentation were designed with two clear purposes on mind: to protect the innocent bystanders in superheroics operations, and to repress superpowered crime. Because of that, the stress was put in their strength and resistance, including healing capacities, in lieu of speed and agility. They are granted a rigid heavy armour, including a helmet inlaid with adamantium (so as to avoid mental manipulation), and a riot shield with an adamantium mesh core too. They wield a multipurpose subrifle capable of firing standard ammunition, as well as anti-riot hard foam bullets, and even act as a potent sonic disruptor. These will be represented with Void Viridian (plastic) marines: click for pic.
Two of them were selected to be developed and trained into being a strike team; that is to say, quick support for when things go wrong. They've had their reflexes and coordination maximized, and constantly train both with Griffon and Nightslip. The reason is that they are equipped with wing-shaped jetpacks (so they can quickly get in and out of the action), and Griffon is the master in true three-dimensional combat; and armed with two pistols, an area in which Nightslip's gun-fu reigns supreme. Since they always dive deep into danger a full armour was a must; but it's not so clunky as the one worn by the protectors, so as to no hinder their movements. The Void Vasa shuriken guard are my choice this time: click for pic.
Finally there's the comm technician, who also excels as hacker. This girl was specifically selected for that role since during her service at the army had shown an incredible affinity with any and all computer languages. As a supersoldier her augmentation veered in the direction of enhancing her mental capacities for performing such tasks, including the implantation of cybernetics directly linked to her nervous system. She's not supposed to enter combat, but just in case she wears a slight variation of the common supersoldier garment, and is armed with a simple sidearm. The mini for her is the Void Vasa knight of spirit. Here you can see her as painted by Astorderire on CMoN. The paintjob he used is the one I'll use too: dark blue fabrics, and black armour plates.
That's all for now. Who knows what will the next post be about? And when will it be posted?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
XENO HUNT - SKETCH RULES
First of all, let me wish you all a happy new year. Last one wasn't exactly good, in any aspect; so we'd better keep our fingers crossed for this 2012.
Second, welcome to my last follower. I hope you find something to ignite your own imagination here.
Third, I have absolutely no idea why the display is broken. I haven't touched anything; simply, one day it was OK and the following everything was screwed up. It must have been either Blogger or Picassa, I don't know; and I don't know how to fix it... but I'll try to, anyway.
And so, without further ado, because honestly this update was due months ago, I'm presenting to you the sketch rules of "Xeno Hunt", the boardgame inspired by the Aliens movies franchise that takes place in my Galaxtar setting. Bear in mind that this game will be closely based on the "Doom boardgame" created by Fantasy Flight Games, so you may want to read its rules to have a better understandment of what I'm trying to achieve here. Let's start:
· It's a game of one player controlling the xenomorphs and "directing" the game against 3-5 players controlling the light infantry marines.
· It's played on a modular board composed of rooms and corridors, laid according to the map of the scenario created by the xeno player.
· The board is gridded. So movement and range is done counting squares.
· Said scenario determines not only the map, but also the goals for the marines, and everything that may be encountered, be it xenos, weapons, or ammo.
· The goal of the xeno player is to kill all of the marines. Anyway, "killed" marines won't be removed from play, but respawn (it is assumed they have "just" been impregnated).
· When playing with three marines, one is the sergeant, other the medic, and the last a grunt. If more marines are used, they are grunts, too.
· Xeno forces are drones, warriors, and the queen.
· Marine weapons are: contact taser for melee fighting, pulse SMG (for sergeant and medic) and pulse rifle (for grunts, it has a small grenade launcher), shotgun, smartgun, and flamer.
· Weapons have a maximum range at which they can be used. And that is divided (by two) in short range and long range. When shooting a target in the long range the attacker has a -1 penalty.
· Shotgun has the shortest range, 6 squares. But at short range it inflicts 1 extra damage whenever it hits.
· Smartgun has the longest range, 12 squares. And because of its auto-aiming system, all range is considered to be short range.
· Pulse SMG and rifle have a range of 10 squares. The rifle grunts use also has a small grenade launcher, with same range.
· Whenever a new section of the map is revealed, the xeno player will place "blip counters" to represent xenomorphs. The marines know there are enemies, but not how many of them. Once they come into line of sight, the blip is turned to see whether it was one, two or three xenos.
· Marines will find weapon crates and ammo crates, but the exact content will only be revealed when they get to it.
· Every turn two actions may be performed. Actions are: moving (up to the movement rating), attacking, or "interacting" (i.e. opening crates, activating machinery, registering corpses...).
· The sergeant can "give orders": he loses one or two of his actions but another marine gains that or those action(s).
· Marines will find first aid kits that allow to restore one point of health, or two if used by a medic.
· The xeno player gains "reinforcements" too, in the form of a deck that allows him to spawn more xenos, or have different effects. He begins game drawing as many cards as players (him included) plus two, and then must discard until he has only as many cards as players. Every turn he draws two cards, and again maximum size of hand is number of players.
· Xenos are sneaky buggers, so they can be deployed in line of sight of marines, and even in hand to hand combat.
· Xenos have acid blood. So when they are hit with a fireweapon they spill acid in all adjacent squares, causing one direct wound to any non-xeno miniature there.
· I want to include a homage to Doom, so there will be red, yellow and blue doors that can't be opened without the corresponding coloured key.
· There will be other keys, too, needed to open some lockers and crates. Unlike with the previous keys, these will never be needed to complete an scenario (but can be extremely useful).
· Combat is resolved by the attacker choosing the appropriate rating, MAR (Melee Attack Rating) or RAR (Ranged Attack Rating), rolling a standard d6, and adding both numbers. If the result is equal or greater than the defender's DR (Defense Rating), defender is hit. Attacker rolls di(c)e for damage according to weapon, and substracts defender's AR (Armour Rating) from result. That is the number of wounds inflicted.
Those are the bare bones of the system. Adapted they'll be the bones of the other two boardgames. If you have any auggestion just comment.
See you!
Second, welcome to my last follower. I hope you find something to ignite your own imagination here.
Third, I have absolutely no idea why the display is broken. I haven't touched anything; simply, one day it was OK and the following everything was screwed up. It must have been either Blogger or Picassa, I don't know; and I don't know how to fix it... but I'll try to, anyway.
And so, without further ado, because honestly this update was due months ago, I'm presenting to you the sketch rules of "Xeno Hunt", the boardgame inspired by the Aliens movies franchise that takes place in my Galaxtar setting. Bear in mind that this game will be closely based on the "Doom boardgame" created by Fantasy Flight Games, so you may want to read its rules to have a better understandment of what I'm trying to achieve here. Let's start:
· It's a game of one player controlling the xenomorphs and "directing" the game against 3-5 players controlling the light infantry marines.
· It's played on a modular board composed of rooms and corridors, laid according to the map of the scenario created by the xeno player.
· The board is gridded. So movement and range is done counting squares.
· Said scenario determines not only the map, but also the goals for the marines, and everything that may be encountered, be it xenos, weapons, or ammo.
· The goal of the xeno player is to kill all of the marines. Anyway, "killed" marines won't be removed from play, but respawn (it is assumed they have "just" been impregnated).
· When playing with three marines, one is the sergeant, other the medic, and the last a grunt. If more marines are used, they are grunts, too.
· Xeno forces are drones, warriors, and the queen.
· Marine weapons are: contact taser for melee fighting, pulse SMG (for sergeant and medic) and pulse rifle (for grunts, it has a small grenade launcher), shotgun, smartgun, and flamer.
· Weapons have a maximum range at which they can be used. And that is divided (by two) in short range and long range. When shooting a target in the long range the attacker has a -1 penalty.
· Shotgun has the shortest range, 6 squares. But at short range it inflicts 1 extra damage whenever it hits.
· Smartgun has the longest range, 12 squares. And because of its auto-aiming system, all range is considered to be short range.
· Pulse SMG and rifle have a range of 10 squares. The rifle grunts use also has a small grenade launcher, with same range.
· Whenever a new section of the map is revealed, the xeno player will place "blip counters" to represent xenomorphs. The marines know there are enemies, but not how many of them. Once they come into line of sight, the blip is turned to see whether it was one, two or three xenos.
· Marines will find weapon crates and ammo crates, but the exact content will only be revealed when they get to it.
· Every turn two actions may be performed. Actions are: moving (up to the movement rating), attacking, or "interacting" (i.e. opening crates, activating machinery, registering corpses...).
· The sergeant can "give orders": he loses one or two of his actions but another marine gains that or those action(s).
· Marines will find first aid kits that allow to restore one point of health, or two if used by a medic.
· The xeno player gains "reinforcements" too, in the form of a deck that allows him to spawn more xenos, or have different effects. He begins game drawing as many cards as players (him included) plus two, and then must discard until he has only as many cards as players. Every turn he draws two cards, and again maximum size of hand is number of players.
· Xenos are sneaky buggers, so they can be deployed in line of sight of marines, and even in hand to hand combat.
· Xenos have acid blood. So when they are hit with a fireweapon they spill acid in all adjacent squares, causing one direct wound to any non-xeno miniature there.
· I want to include a homage to Doom, so there will be red, yellow and blue doors that can't be opened without the corresponding coloured key.
· There will be other keys, too, needed to open some lockers and crates. Unlike with the previous keys, these will never be needed to complete an scenario (but can be extremely useful).
· Combat is resolved by the attacker choosing the appropriate rating, MAR (Melee Attack Rating) or RAR (Ranged Attack Rating), rolling a standard d6, and adding both numbers. If the result is equal or greater than the defender's DR (Defense Rating), defender is hit. Attacker rolls di(c)e for damage according to weapon, and substracts defender's AR (Armour Rating) from result. That is the number of wounds inflicted.
Those are the bare bones of the system. Adapted they'll be the bones of the other two boardgames. If you have any auggestion just comment.
See you!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
CURRENT PROJECTS
To start with, I'd like to welcome my latest four followers. That panel on the right is starting to become serious; let's see if I can live up to the expectation.
Something I haven't been able to lately, I'm afraid. The frequency of my posts are horrendous at best. Actually, I've been thinking a lot about that these last weeks. I've wondered why I just can't keep a steady output for the blog. Clearly there are many reasons, but one I'd like to address now is that I have too many ongoing projects, and a distinct lack of focus on one.
So which are my current projects and their status?
To start with, the three rpgs (Ajsalium, Necronomicon, and Galaxtar) that prompted me to start this blog. Because this was started as a place to post the background fluff for those settings, ideas for possible adventures, and to help me develop the rules with possible incomes from other people. Truth be told, this is all very stagnated. Well, not completely, as in August I invented a group of infernata for Ajsalium and began writing their little bios (I must finish writing that, damnit!). And I have been thinking, again, to play the Necronomicon adventure "Have you seen the Yellow Sign?" in a purely conversational way, that is, without any rules. A risky bet, I know, but I have faith in that that style of playing may fit well the Necronomicon setting.
There's the fourth rpg I brought up, Supers. Well, after some thought, I've given up on that, sorry. I don't think I'd be able to properly translate the superpowers with the ruleset I had in mind. But still, since I really like the superheroes thing, I want to write the background fluff of the setting, and more specifically, bios for superguys, in the manner of the Official Handbooks from Marvel comics. You can expect more of that... somewhen.
Also, all three original rpgs were going to be accompanied by their own boardgames. Did I give the names? If not, they are Dragonquest, Mythos Horror, and Xeno Hunt. Cheeky names, I know, but I wanted them to be cheeky. These have seen many different incarnations (in my mind), until I have reached a conclusion about how I want them to be: one player (director) against the others, on modular boards, and ultra-simple rules with only standard d6 dice. The main difference, apart from the setting, would be the nature of the modular board; Xeno Hunt will be played on narrow corridors and small rooms, for a claustrophobic effect; Dragonquest will be played on a modular cave, for that exploring effect; and Mythos Horror will be played on the whole Arkham city, because, you know, that city is doomed (and the world with it). These last two weeks I've been working on Xeno Hunt, thinking now specifically about the rules, and in my head they are very advanced. So that project at least has had some progress.
And finally, there's the neverending quest of finding and collecting the minis I can't live without, too.
And there's also my job with its odd shifts.
And moving house, and having to find the money to pay the mortgage, buy furniture, and all that.
And my other hobby, bodybuilding, that happens to be very demanding and tiresome (who would have thought, eh?).
Well, that's all for now. If I can keep focused enough on that Xeno Hunt boardgame, next post may be an overview of its rules. At least I have started to write them... and that's an improvement!
Something I haven't been able to lately, I'm afraid. The frequency of my posts are horrendous at best. Actually, I've been thinking a lot about that these last weeks. I've wondered why I just can't keep a steady output for the blog. Clearly there are many reasons, but one I'd like to address now is that I have too many ongoing projects, and a distinct lack of focus on one.
So which are my current projects and their status?
To start with, the three rpgs (Ajsalium, Necronomicon, and Galaxtar) that prompted me to start this blog. Because this was started as a place to post the background fluff for those settings, ideas for possible adventures, and to help me develop the rules with possible incomes from other people. Truth be told, this is all very stagnated. Well, not completely, as in August I invented a group of infernata for Ajsalium and began writing their little bios (I must finish writing that, damnit!). And I have been thinking, again, to play the Necronomicon adventure "Have you seen the Yellow Sign?" in a purely conversational way, that is, without any rules. A risky bet, I know, but I have faith in that that style of playing may fit well the Necronomicon setting.
There's the fourth rpg I brought up, Supers. Well, after some thought, I've given up on that, sorry. I don't think I'd be able to properly translate the superpowers with the ruleset I had in mind. But still, since I really like the superheroes thing, I want to write the background fluff of the setting, and more specifically, bios for superguys, in the manner of the Official Handbooks from Marvel comics. You can expect more of that... somewhen.
Also, all three original rpgs were going to be accompanied by their own boardgames. Did I give the names? If not, they are Dragonquest, Mythos Horror, and Xeno Hunt. Cheeky names, I know, but I wanted them to be cheeky. These have seen many different incarnations (in my mind), until I have reached a conclusion about how I want them to be: one player (director) against the others, on modular boards, and ultra-simple rules with only standard d6 dice. The main difference, apart from the setting, would be the nature of the modular board; Xeno Hunt will be played on narrow corridors and small rooms, for a claustrophobic effect; Dragonquest will be played on a modular cave, for that exploring effect; and Mythos Horror will be played on the whole Arkham city, because, you know, that city is doomed (and the world with it). These last two weeks I've been working on Xeno Hunt, thinking now specifically about the rules, and in my head they are very advanced. So that project at least has had some progress.
And finally, there's the neverending quest of finding and collecting the minis I can't live without, too.
And there's also my job with its odd shifts.
And moving house, and having to find the money to pay the mortgage, buy furniture, and all that.
And my other hobby, bodybuilding, that happens to be very demanding and tiresome (who would have thought, eh?).
Well, that's all for now. If I can keep focused enough on that Xeno Hunt boardgame, next post may be an overview of its rules. At least I have started to write them... and that's an improvement!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
It's been more than one year since my last post. What has been going on?
Well, a bunch of things, some good, some bad. I won't go into much (or any) detail, but suffice to say that I haven't got either time or enthusiasm to maintain steady posting here. Yet, three important things have happened lately that have prompted me back here.
First one is that I've gotten rid of a big burden. I bought a flat last year, and I've been completely reforming it. Nine months later, I'm still busy, looking for furniture and the like, but that's not as stressfull. So I have a little more time and spare energy.
Second, I've seen two people join my small group of followers. Welcome here! You must be brave, joining a blog that had had no updates in more than a year, lol. And to mend my previous lack of education, here's a welcome to my previous followers too.
And third, but not last, the sad news. One of the followers, 'Grekwood', won't be here any more. He was a young lad, in his twenty-something, welsh, and as full of enthusiasm as he was ill (CGD, a immune system disorder). With his death, without his light, the world is a darker place. To keep his legacy, it is our duty to make that extra effort to add a little joy to the world, as he did despite his unfavourable circumstances. That's why, tired as I may now be, I'm writing this.
Well, let's see you soon. What's to expect? A huge box is at my side, with an equally huge dragon, by Heresy Miniatures, inside. It can do with some 'unboxing review', don't you think? ;-)
Well, a bunch of things, some good, some bad. I won't go into much (or any) detail, but suffice to say that I haven't got either time or enthusiasm to maintain steady posting here. Yet, three important things have happened lately that have prompted me back here.
First one is that I've gotten rid of a big burden. I bought a flat last year, and I've been completely reforming it. Nine months later, I'm still busy, looking for furniture and the like, but that's not as stressfull. So I have a little more time and spare energy.
Second, I've seen two people join my small group of followers. Welcome here! You must be brave, joining a blog that had had no updates in more than a year, lol. And to mend my previous lack of education, here's a welcome to my previous followers too.
And third, but not last, the sad news. One of the followers, 'Grekwood', won't be here any more. He was a young lad, in his twenty-something, welsh, and as full of enthusiasm as he was ill (CGD, a immune system disorder). With his death, without his light, the world is a darker place. To keep his legacy, it is our duty to make that extra effort to add a little joy to the world, as he did despite his unfavourable circumstances. That's why, tired as I may now be, I'm writing this.
Well, let's see you soon. What's to expect? A huge box is at my side, with an equally huge dragon, by Heresy Miniatures, inside. It can do with some 'unboxing review', don't you think? ;-)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
EUROFORCE
Continuing with the superhero trend from the last post, I'm going to present the main group of superheroes that may make an appearance in a possible Supers RPG: Euroforce.
The setting will be roughly based in that presented in the first volume of the Ultimates, by Marvel Comics. There, the USA government create a team of superheroes to counteract terrorism by supervillains (i.e. Magneto). Later in volume two it's shown that the European Union is creating its own superteam; but instead of the boring "Captains" I prefer to create a team with more unique supers.
The given name is Euroforce, based on the term "international task force". Doing a bit of wiki-fu I've discovered that there was a short-lived team named "Euroforce", in Marvel Italy; so think of this as an ultimate reboot. This group is part of the European Super Heroic Defense Initiative, or E.S.H.D.I. for short.
What follows is a brief introduction of the main members of the group:
· FUSION
Real name: James Bertrand.
Nationality: French.
The leader of an international scientific research group into cold fusion, that got caught in an accident that made him the wearer of ultimate nuclear power.
His powers include super-strength, invulnerability, the ability to fly, and project beams of pure nuclear or calorific energy.
· S. T. ROID
Real name: Stephan T. Roissburg.
Nationality: German.
He's the abominable result of the abuse of hormones and steroids genetically engineered by a former R.D.A. scientist.
His main power is his top super-strength, as well as enhanced resistance and stamina.
· NIGHTSLIP
Real name: Dionne Backingsdale.
Nationality: British.
The last in a long tradition of London vigilantes that dates back to the XIX century, and the second one to don the "Nightslip" warname.
She has no true super powers, but she's been trained to become the pinnacle of human performance and she's an excellent shooter.
· AFTERBURN
Real name: Tuomo Heikkinen.
Nationality: Finnish.
This is a case of a cybernetic suit of armour using the pilot's nervous system as a C.P.U. to bypass the need of an ultra-advanced A.I.
His powers are: super-strength, super-resistance, flight, repulsion beams and a lesser wireless hacking ability.
· ZENITH
Real name: Antonio Ferrari.
Nationality: Italian.
A former athlete banned from competition accused of doping abuse, due to his constant breach of records, who's actually a mutant that became a superhero to clean his name.
Super-speed and super-agility are his super powers, along with ultra fast recovery from damage and injuries.
· GRIFFON
Real name: Ferenc Balogh.
Nationality: Hungarian.
He's a monstrous amalgamation of human, lion and eagle. A new incarnation of the mythological creature, he's actually a very late product of alien DNA mixing.
He can fly with his wings, has super-sight, and he also possess great strength and dexterity for close combat.
Also, alongside these supers, all the other countries from Europe demand to have a member in the group. In order to satisfy those demands ESHDI has developed a super-soldier program akin to that of the USA, and so there's always a reserve of enhanced humans for minor missions or support to the front team.
Finally, there are two superheroes waiting to enter the group; both of them with powers of mystical origin. Rasputina hasn't been able to enter yet because of diplomatic problems with Russia (her country of birth); and the morals of Diablo are the subject of much debate (he likes walking the thin line between superhero and supervillain).
· RASPUTINA
Real name: Anastasia Morzova.
Nationality: Latvian (Russian).
Anastasia has been trained since childhood to master the magical forces of Nature; she escaped Russia, though, to have more freedom in the use of her wizardry.
She's an accomplished mage, and that means she has telepathy, telekinesis, and conjuration abilities, among others.
· DIABLO
Real name: Eduardo Arregui.
Nationality: Spanish.
He's got a devilish look and hellish powers; thought by many to be a mere mutant, he claims to be a mystical embodiment of evil who plays the good side because it's more fun.
He's got superhuman strength and resistance, but his main power is the control of hellfire, with which he fights or hurls at enemies, and his capacity to induce fear.
The setting will be roughly based in that presented in the first volume of the Ultimates, by Marvel Comics. There, the USA government create a team of superheroes to counteract terrorism by supervillains (i.e. Magneto). Later in volume two it's shown that the European Union is creating its own superteam; but instead of the boring "Captains
The given name is Euroforce, based on the term "international task force". Doing a bit of wiki-fu I've discovered that there was a short-lived team named "Euroforce", in Marvel Italy; so think of this as an ultimate reboot. This group is part of the European Super Heroic Defense Initiative, or E.S.H.D.I. for short.
What follows is a brief introduction of the main members of the group:
· FUSION
Real name: James Bertrand.
Nationality: French.
The leader of an international scientific research group into cold fusion, that got caught in an accident that made him the wearer of ultimate nuclear power.
His powers include super-strength, invulnerability, the ability to fly, and project beams of pure nuclear or calorific energy.
· S. T. ROID
Real name: Stephan T. Roissburg.
Nationality: German.
He's the abominable result of the abuse of hormones and steroids genetically engineered by a former R.D.A. scientist.
His main power is his top super-strength, as well as enhanced resistance and stamina.
· NIGHTSLIP
Real name: Dionne Backingsdale.
Nationality: British.
The last in a long tradition of London vigilantes that dates back to the XIX century, and the second one to don the "Nightslip" warname.
She has no true super powers, but she's been trained to become the pinnacle of human performance and she's an excellent shooter.
· AFTERBURN
Real name: Tuomo Heikkinen.
Nationality: Finnish.
This is a case of a cybernetic suit of armour using the pilot's nervous system as a C.P.U. to bypass the need of an ultra-advanced A.I.
His powers are: super-strength, super-resistance, flight, repulsion beams and a lesser wireless hacking ability.
· ZENITH
Real name: Antonio Ferrari.
Nationality: Italian.
A former athlete banned from competition accused of doping abuse, due to his constant breach of records, who's actually a mutant that became a superhero to clean his name.
Super-speed and super-agility are his super powers, along with ultra fast recovery from damage and injuries.
· GRIFFON
Real name: Ferenc Balogh.
Nationality: Hungarian.
He's a monstrous amalgamation of human, lion and eagle. A new incarnation of the mythological creature, he's actually a very late product of alien DNA mixing.
He can fly with his wings, has super-sight, and he also possess great strength and dexterity for close combat.
Also, alongside these supers, all the other countries from Europe demand to have a member in the group. In order to satisfy those demands ESHDI has developed a super-soldier program akin to that of the USA, and so there's always a reserve of enhanced humans for minor missions or support to the front team.
Finally, there are two superheroes waiting to enter the group; both of them with powers of mystical origin. Rasputina hasn't been able to enter yet because of diplomatic problems with Russia (her country of birth); and the morals of Diablo are the subject of much debate (he likes walking the thin line between superhero and supervillain).
· RASPUTINA
Real name: Anastasia Morzova.
Nationality: Latvian (Russian).
Anastasia has been trained since childhood to master the magical forces of Nature; she escaped Russia, though, to have more freedom in the use of her wizardry.
She's an accomplished mage, and that means she has telepathy, telekinesis, and conjuration abilities, among others.
· DIABLO
Real name: Eduardo Arregui.
Nationality: Spanish.
He's got a devilish look and hellish powers; thought by many to be a mere mutant, he claims to be a mystical embodiment of evil who plays the good side because it's more fun.
He's got superhuman strength and resistance, but his main power is the control of hellfire, with which he fights or hurls at enemies, and his capacity to induce fear.
Monday, April 26, 2010
SUPERS !
Well, finally I've stopped resisting the urge to buy some superheroes minis. As far as I remember, I've always been a fan of superheroes' comics (I traditionally belonged to the Marvel "sect", although more recently I've become fond of DC goodness too). And lately there are two companies that are releasing some amazing sculpts of superhero minis: Pulp City, and Reaper Minis in its Chronoscope range.
The Pulp City minis have a coherent look to them, that can be easily compared with the modern and realistic designs of the Ultimate line from Marvel comics. The superheroes from Chronoscope are more diverse (as is always the case with Reaper minis), and lean more towards the old style of four-colour heroes. From these manufacturers I've selected some 15-20 minis that will be added to my collection. To these I'll add a conversion for a superhero player character I envisioned some years ago (a Devil's Child alter-ego).
Here are just some for your viewing pleasure (original studio paintjobs):
What will I do with these? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. I have limited myself to keep minis only for their use to represent PCs in roleplaying games. So in theory I should create a Supers RPG just to justify the minis! But I'm not sure if the common ruleset I'll be using (remember, that which adapts the Dragon Age RPG with my previous Arcade rules) is able to cope with the special powers that superheroes have. The most sensible course of action seems to be equating super powers to the special powers the PCs in the Ajsalium setting have. After all, their powers are not all that different to magic. Alternatively to the rpg, a Heroclix-like skirmish wargame would be a possibility, too. What is for certain is that those minis will look gorgeous in my display cabinet!
The Pulp City minis have a coherent look to them, that can be easily compared with the modern and realistic designs of the Ultimate line from Marvel comics. The superheroes from Chronoscope are more diverse (as is always the case with Reaper minis), and lean more towards the old style of four-colour heroes. From these manufacturers I've selected some 15-20 minis that will be added to my collection. To these I'll add a conversion for a superhero player character I envisioned some years ago (a Devil's Child alter-ego).
Here are just some for your viewing pleasure (original studio paintjobs):
What will I do with these? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. I have limited myself to keep minis only for their use to represent PCs in roleplaying games. So in theory I should create a Supers RPG just to justify the minis! But I'm not sure if the common ruleset I'll be using (remember, that which adapts the Dragon Age RPG with my previous Arcade rules) is able to cope with the special powers that superheroes have. The most sensible course of action seems to be equating super powers to the special powers the PCs in the Ajsalium setting have. After all, their powers are not all that different to magic. Alternatively to the rpg, a Heroclix-like skirmish wargame would be a possibility, too. What is for certain is that those minis will look gorgeous in my display cabinet!
Friday, April 16, 2010
GALAXTAR ADVENTURE: IN THE WORKS
After watching "2001: Space Odyssey" and having a look at the science fiction works by Arthur C. Clarke, I had the somewhat weird idea of an adventure based solely on the difficulties of life in space, instead of action and conflict. It's going to take place on the system of Stoicheyon, in the volcanic planet of Pyros. The surface of this planet is inhospitable, but that has been solved building a huge ring (a torus actually) around and above the equator, that receives just enough heat from the planet and light from the sun. But due to budget cuts and poor quality of materials a whole area has collapsed; logically, the contract with the building company is cancelled and a new one takes over the work. The PCs will be a group of engineers from said company, and they'll have to study the structure to guarantee its soundness before resuming the works; all the while trying to prove false the accusations of sabotage from the original company. To top that, a comet impacting on a nearby moon will shutter it, causing a cloud of asteroids to slowly drive towards Pyros attracted by its gravity, posing a serious danger to the ring. It's up to the PCs to devise a plan to avert that, if it is at all possible. No action, no shootings, no chases, no aliens... I know this adventure is a serious risk, but I hope to be able to make it interesting if I focus on the high stress of political, economical and technical problems each interfering and aggravating the rest. We'll see.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
PAPER MODELS
Lately, I've been up to paper models. I was randomly browsing the web when I came across the site of Topo Solitario (worth having a look, just click). Among other things, I found a very nice looking paper model of a dropship, named UD-12 Chickenhawk. I decided to build one for fun and also as a test to my own manual dexterity. Here you can see the result (minis shown for size reference):
It doesn't look bad from a distance, but once you get a closer look... ouch! Nonetheless I'm satisfied with it as it was printed on standard thin paper, instead of the heavyweight paper recommended for these models (not only does it make the model stronger, it also allows for an easier assembly).
As I like the model, I plan to use it as a prop in the Galaxtar adventure "Collateral Damage"; I'll personalize the model giving it the same colour scheme as the protagonists wear (khaki camo) and some logos of the company involved (Union Aerospace Corporation). Customization is easy because Topo offers the model as a UCM download, a little (and free) program that makes changing colour schemes a matter of a few clicks.
And a bigger plan is developing my own paper model based on this, the UD-13 Ironhawk, a little intrastellar ship (or perhaps an overpriced shuttle?). The idea is making it 50% bigger just by printing it in Din A3 paper instead of the usual Din A4, and probably giving it two extra engines, ans a dome for the black hole generator that would convert it into a interstellar ship. That ship, with a neutral grey colour, will be named "Winged Horse" and I'll use it as the prop for the spaceship of the group of scifi smugglers and criminals (Reaper's Sascha Dubois & Rosie and Heresy's Vincent B. Ruddock & Painless Joe).
And why this sudden urge for paper models? Well, their utility in rpg's is similar to that of minis (which I talked about here). Of course, they won't ever have the same level of detail; but they have the advantage that they don't need to be painted. In my opinion there are a couple (or three) of good uses for them:
· Counters / paper minis for combat encounters, as they are a very cheap alternative for minis, that can be printed on demand, thus saving storage space too.
· Props, for some elements of an adventure you want to give some extra importance to (as is the case with the dropship model I've shown you above).
· Also, for people with no storage problems, or very laborious, as scenery. Paper scenery is becoming very popular nowadays, and there are quite a bunch of companies selling very good looking packs. I can recommend World Works Games, which offers medieval, modern and futuristic buildings, sceneries and models.
So, to get you started, apart from the two sites linked above, here you have four more (thanks go to McFonz at the Forum of Doom for pointing me towards the first three):
Jay's Box of Sci-Fi CardToys
Fantasy Cutouts
Paper Model Directory
Ebbles Miniatures
It doesn't look bad from a distance, but once you get a closer look... ouch! Nonetheless I'm satisfied with it as it was printed on standard thin paper, instead of the heavyweight paper recommended for these models (not only does it make the model stronger, it also allows for an easier assembly).
As I like the model, I plan to use it as a prop in the Galaxtar adventure "Collateral Damage"; I'll personalize the model giving it the same colour scheme as the protagonists wear (khaki camo) and some logos of the company involved (Union Aerospace Corporation). Customization is easy because Topo offers the model as a UCM download, a little (and free) program that makes changing colour schemes a matter of a few clicks.
And a bigger plan is developing my own paper model based on this, the UD-13 Ironhawk, a little intrastellar ship (or perhaps an overpriced shuttle?). The idea is making it 50% bigger just by printing it in Din A3 paper instead of the usual Din A4, and probably giving it two extra engines, ans a dome for the black hole generator that would convert it into a interstellar ship. That ship, with a neutral grey colour, will be named "Winged Horse" and I'll use it as the prop for the spaceship of the group of scifi smugglers and criminals (Reaper's Sascha Dubois & Rosie and Heresy's Vincent B. Ruddock & Painless Joe).
And why this sudden urge for paper models? Well, their utility in rpg's is similar to that of minis (which I talked about here). Of course, they won't ever have the same level of detail; but they have the advantage that they don't need to be painted. In my opinion there are a couple (or three) of good uses for them:
· Counters / paper minis for combat encounters, as they are a very cheap alternative for minis, that can be printed on demand, thus saving storage space too.
· Props, for some elements of an adventure you want to give some extra importance to (as is the case with the dropship model I've shown you above).
· Also, for people with no storage problems, or very laborious, as scenery. Paper scenery is becoming very popular nowadays, and there are quite a bunch of companies selling very good looking packs. I can recommend World Works Games, which offers medieval, modern and futuristic buildings, sceneries and models.
So, to get you started, apart from the two sites linked above, here you have four more (thanks go to McFonz at the Forum of Doom for pointing me towards the first three):
Jay's Box of Sci-Fi CardToys
Fantasy Cutouts
Paper Model Directory
Ebbles Miniatures
Monday, March 22, 2010
ARCADE RULESET: REVAMPED
As I intended, last weekend I run the introductory adventure for the Dragon Age RPG. And as I expected, I liked it very much; and I think the players liked it too, if only for the fact that they were able to learn a new rpg in about half an hour and start playing.
So now its thinking time again. I want to use it as the basis for my generic system, but without totally discarding what I had done so far with my own Arcade ruleset. How can I adapt and merge the two systems?
To begin with, so far I'll keep the general basis of Arcade, but giving it the two main DA characteristics: the 3d6 roll as the only type of roll, and the "dragon die" and its utilities. You may want to re-read now the article that offered general overview of the Arcade ruleset before continuing.
HP: You begin with 5 points for free, and then buy dice of HP. Two construction points per die.
MOV: Based on race. 5 is the standard free stat; you can add 1 per construction point, or substract one for one extra construction point.
INI: A derived stat, equals AGI (free) + racial bonus (add 1 per construction point) + class bonus or special training (add 1 per construction point).
MAR: Very changed, as there won't be special combat dice anymore, but the catch-all mechanic of the 3d6 roll. MAR will now be a bonus to the 3d6 roll; add 1 per 2 construction points.
RAR: Again, changed similarly to above: RAR will now be a bonus to the 3d6 roll; add 1 per 2 construction points.
MDR & RDR: Very changed. To start with, I'm fusing them together. Also, DR is now the number you have to roll equal to or higher with the MAR or RAR test. If you succeed, then you roll for damage. Armour won't add to the Defense Rating, instead its rating will be subtracted from inflicted damage (like Damage Reduction in the d20 system). Add 1 per 2 construction points.
MP & MR: Only for Ajsalium. Lightly changed, as I adopt the Dragon Age system. There will be a Magic skill for everybody, which will be used for resistance rolls. Only magic users will have also Mana Points, needed for casting spells. A spell is cast by spending the MPs listed, and then succeeding in a difficulty test. Add 1 to MAG per 2 construction points; add 1 to MP per construction point.
FOR: As it was before, but now it's also a damage bonus to weapons based on strength (see below). This last use make it more expensive than before: add 1 per 2 construction points.
AGI: As it was before, but now it's also an initiative bonus. This last use make it more expensive than before: add 1 per 2 construction points.
DEX: As it was before, but now it's also a damage bonus to weapons based on dexterity (see below). This last use make it more expensive than before: add 1 per 2 construction points.
PER: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
INT: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
SOC: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
KNO: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
Specialities: As they were before. Standard price will be one speciality (or +1 to an existing one) per construction point. Maximun number of specialities per corresponding "mother" skill equals to said skill's stat. I need to rethink the way these will be used in Necronomicon; if I get rid of the "automatic success" rule, the value will be 1 per construction point spent; but that would be compensated with making PER, INT, SOC and KNO more expensive, as they will be more widely used in these games (add 1 per 2 construction points).
Powers: Only for Ajsalium. As they were before, each class will have their own, and their construction point value will range from 1 to 3 depending on how useful they are for life-threatening situations.
Weapons: They'll be classified in two broad groups, based on the key skill to use them: FOR (such as axes, mauls or swords) and DEX (such as daggers, quarterstaffs or bows). Each weapon will cause some damage (typically, 1d6 or 2d6), to which the corresponding skill stat will be added.
Sanity points: Only for Necronomicon. Basically remains unchanged; the sanity test will be a 3d6 roll.
Stunts: They will (very likely) be added, in the three settings. But I still need to think quite a lot about them, truth to be told.
Ummm... that's basically the new Arcade ruleset incorporating principles from the Dragon Age RPG. It's a big change, but actually not a profund one. Next thing, I'll check how this version looks like redoing the character sheets I had already done, and seeing if I need to tweak the construction points table yet once again.
More than ever, comments and suggestions would be very welcomed. Now, I'm off to buy a lot of d6's :-)
So now its thinking time again. I want to use it as the basis for my generic system, but without totally discarding what I had done so far with my own Arcade ruleset. How can I adapt and merge the two systems?
To begin with, so far I'll keep the general basis of Arcade, but giving it the two main DA characteristics: the 3d6 roll as the only type of roll, and the "dragon die" and its utilities. You may want to re-read now the article that offered general overview of the Arcade ruleset before continuing.
HP: You begin with 5 points for free, and then buy dice of HP. Two construction points per die.
MOV: Based on race. 5 is the standard free stat; you can add 1 per construction point, or substract one for one extra construction point.
INI: A derived stat, equals AGI (free) + racial bonus (add 1 per construction point) + class bonus or special training (add 1 per construction point).
MAR: Very changed, as there won't be special combat dice anymore, but the catch-all mechanic of the 3d6 roll. MAR will now be a bonus to the 3d6 roll; add 1 per 2 construction points.
RAR: Again, changed similarly to above: RAR will now be a bonus to the 3d6 roll; add 1 per 2 construction points.
MDR & RDR: Very changed. To start with, I'm fusing them together. Also, DR is now the number you have to roll equal to or higher with the MAR or RAR test. If you succeed, then you roll for damage. Armour won't add to the Defense Rating, instead its rating will be subtracted from inflicted damage (like Damage Reduction in the d20 system). Add 1 per 2 construction points.
MP & MR: Only for Ajsalium. Lightly changed, as I adopt the Dragon Age system. There will be a Magic skill for everybody, which will be used for resistance rolls. Only magic users will have also Mana Points, needed for casting spells. A spell is cast by spending the MPs listed, and then succeeding in a difficulty test. Add 1 to MAG per 2 construction points; add 1 to MP per construction point.
FOR: As it was before, but now it's also a damage bonus to weapons based on strength (see below). This last use make it more expensive than before: add 1 per 2 construction points.
AGI: As it was before, but now it's also an initiative bonus. This last use make it more expensive than before: add 1 per 2 construction points.
DEX: As it was before, but now it's also a damage bonus to weapons based on dexterity (see below). This last use make it more expensive than before: add 1 per 2 construction points.
PER: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
INT: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
SOC: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
KNO: As it was before (add 1 per construction point).
Specialities: As they were before. Standard price will be one speciality (or +1 to an existing one) per construction point. Maximun number of specialities per corresponding "mother" skill equals to said skill's stat. I need to rethink the way these will be used in Necronomicon; if I get rid of the "automatic success" rule, the value will be 1 per construction point spent; but that would be compensated with making PER, INT, SOC and KNO more expensive, as they will be more widely used in these games (add 1 per 2 construction points).
Powers: Only for Ajsalium. As they were before, each class will have their own, and their construction point value will range from 1 to 3 depending on how useful they are for life-threatening situations.
Weapons: They'll be classified in two broad groups, based on the key skill to use them: FOR (such as axes, mauls or swords) and DEX (such as daggers, quarterstaffs or bows). Each weapon will cause some damage (typically, 1d6 or 2d6), to which the corresponding skill stat will be added.
Sanity points: Only for Necronomicon. Basically remains unchanged; the sanity test will be a 3d6 roll.
Stunts: They will (very likely) be added, in the three settings. But I still need to think quite a lot about them, truth to be told.
Ummm... that's basically the new Arcade ruleset incorporating principles from the Dragon Age RPG. It's a big change, but actually not a profund one. Next thing, I'll check how this version looks like redoing the character sheets I had already done, and seeing if I need to tweak the construction points table yet once again.
More than ever, comments and suggestions would be very welcomed. Now, I'm off to buy a lot of d6's :-)
Monday, March 15, 2010
NEWS AND UPDATED STATUS
Well, the return to normality I talked about just two post ago has gone pear-shaped very soon, hasn't it? I don't want to go into much detail, but let's say that a personal issue I have suffered recently have had a much bigger impact than I expected. I just wasn't feeling like doing anything, hobby related or otherwise. But I'm feeling better again now, and although I know it will still take more time to fully recover all my energies and be truly myself once again, I'm back at the rpg hobby.
And what am I doing? First, as I said when I reviewed the Dragon Age RPG, I'm going to direct an introductory adventure this weekend with my friends. I want to test the game and get a first hand impression of how the rules work. If things go as well as I expect, I would then start reverse-engineering the system, to make it a generic ruleset, and assign points to different stats, and adapting it to horror and science fiction (the fantasy adaptation will already be done by the guys at Green Ronin, publishers of Dragon Age). I'm rather excited to have found this game, as I feel this could be the end to my quest for the "perfect" rpg system.
I think I already mentioned somewhen that once I have the three rpgs done, I'll create lite rules for boardgames based on them. From the Ajsalium RPG will come a hack and slash game in the vein of Heroquest or Warhammer Quest. From the Necronomicon RPG I want to create a boardgame of pulp mythos action, somewhat based on the Arkham Horror game by Fantasy Flight Games. And from the Galaxtar RPG will come the "Xeno Hunt", a game of cleansing hordes of xenos infesting a spaceship, or dying in the process (for which I'll adapt the blips rules from Space Hulk). This last game is the one I'm focusing on right now, and I'm at the stage of thinking the general guides of the game, such as types of players and enemies, etc. I have created this thread about it at the Forum of Doom, to gain suggestions and comments, so soon I'll write down the first sketch of the game; which will be posted here.
Another thing I am very excited about too is that I have contacted, via the Forum of Doom, with Landreth, an extremely talented Russian painter of minis. I have commissioned him to paint my collection of rpg minis, and the first batch of them have just been posted to him. I'm so looking forward to own professionally painted minis... Don't worry, because I'll post pics of them on this blog once they are painted. If you want to check Landreth's talent, just visit his gallery at the Cool Mini or Not site.
And what am I doing? First, as I said when I reviewed the Dragon Age RPG, I'm going to direct an introductory adventure this weekend with my friends. I want to test the game and get a first hand impression of how the rules work. If things go as well as I expect, I would then start reverse-engineering the system, to make it a generic ruleset, and assign points to different stats, and adapting it to horror and science fiction (the fantasy adaptation will already be done by the guys at Green Ronin, publishers of Dragon Age). I'm rather excited to have found this game, as I feel this could be the end to my quest for the "perfect" rpg system.
I think I already mentioned somewhen that once I have the three rpgs done, I'll create lite rules for boardgames based on them. From the Ajsalium RPG will come a hack and slash game in the vein of Heroquest or Warhammer Quest. From the Necronomicon RPG I want to create a boardgame of pulp mythos action, somewhat based on the Arkham Horror game by Fantasy Flight Games. And from the Galaxtar RPG will come the "Xeno Hunt", a game of cleansing hordes of xenos infesting a spaceship, or dying in the process (for which I'll adapt the blips rules from Space Hulk). This last game is the one I'm focusing on right now, and I'm at the stage of thinking the general guides of the game, such as types of players and enemies, etc. I have created this thread about it at the Forum of Doom, to gain suggestions and comments, so soon I'll write down the first sketch of the game; which will be posted here.
Another thing I am very excited about too is that I have contacted, via the Forum of Doom, with Landreth, an extremely talented Russian painter of minis. I have commissioned him to paint my collection of rpg minis, and the first batch of them have just been posted to him. I'm so looking forward to own professionally painted minis... Don't worry, because I'll post pics of them on this blog once they are painted. If you want to check Landreth's talent, just visit his gallery at the Cool Mini or Not site.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
INFERNAL LORDS
The Infernal Lords are the most powerful fiends amongst those who live in Inferno (which means "damnation", and is a demiplane coexistent with Ajsalium). Depending on each one, they can be located in any of the five inner Circles, leaving unoccupied only the first and outermost Circle. These Lords were not always infernals, not at all; but rather, most of them were champions of good. But to further the interests of Hell during the Long War, Azeth the Overshadow, leader of the invading hordes, ordered later to be known as the eight Lords of Temptation, his lieutenants* and fiends of confidence, to tempt until total corruption twelve champions of good especially powerful, thus to totally unbalance the scales in favor of evil (but in return this caused the unexpected breakthrough in the fight of the dragons). From some of them there's not the slightest idea of what or who they were in their former lives, and from the rest there are only suspicions, rumors or speculations at best. Those listed and described below were the chosen ones, creatures that are now so dark and evil as bright and caring in their time, who live tortured because they remember their fall but know that there's no possibility of redemption; and today they project that torture and self-hatred against the world, which they yearn to break in its entirety. The power of the Infernal Lords is absolute respect of their subordinates, and only the Lords of Temptation, their creators (whom they love and hate alike) have the authority to give them orders; in fact, today the main task of Infernal Lords is to rule in Hell representing their too busy masters.
ABADDON
The infernal title of Abaddon is "Exterminating Angel", a title that gives a good account of the grim, violent and cruel mood of this terrible Lord. This abyssal fiend has established his dwelling in the Sixth Circle of Hell, a place usually avoided even by the rest of Infernal Lords (except Azrael, practically the only one so dark and gloomy as Abaddon, as to relate to him). Wherever he travels, Abaddon sows the most complete ruin, the total destruction, the irreversible desolation; he' a true destroyer in every sense, and therefore one of the best examples of what Hell is. A common way that he uses to wreak havoc in the world are the plagues, that he periodically breaks out, trying to capitalize on moments when mortals are weaker (for example, after a war or during a drought) to maximize the damage caused. It's no surprise then that he's the "Master of Locusts", which, according to some theories, are formed from souls dead at the hands of Abaddon, so every sighting of a simple lobster is considered a sign of bad omen. On what might have been Abaddon before being tempted and damned there's no notice; but so low you can only fall from the top, so if so he should have been a powerful celestial...
AZRAEL
Azrael's name is rarely uttered by mortals, as he's the one that causes the deepest fear, and there is a superstition that states that just by saying his name his curse is invoked. To refer to him it's often used the title of "Angel of Darkness" or "Angel of Death", both very suitable to describe this Lord, who dwells in the Sixth Circle of Hell, with only Abaddon. As usual there's almost no information on him, though some visionaries say he was once a mere mortal, a human pure and innocent, but extremely lonely, who finally embraced the angel of destruction (Abaddon?) who offered him a new fate, his destiny. Today he's a being of pure evil, so pure that he's even free from the malice present in other Lords: Azrael meets his duties with a coolness that scares even many fiends. As an angel of death, and in his infinite zeal, before killing his victims he destroys their personality; with a patient and insidious work, which is taken as his duty and honor; first he eliminates the dreams and hopes, then destroys the mind driving it into the pit of despair (perhaps that's the origin of his title of "angel of darkness"); and only after all that does he take the life, that the victims arrived at that point surrender voluntarily, believing that death is preferable to the prosecution and non-life imposed by the relentless Azrael.
BELIAL
The origin of Belial, although with some gaps in his history, is fairly well located and identified: it seems that Belial was already living at the time the Vortex appeared and the Long War broke. Supposedly, according to some sources, he was a half-elf (the offspring of a human and an elf); but most sources claim that he was a king of Vidolgreen, so then he should be a full-blooded elf. Anyway, what everyone agrees is that his small kingdom near the eastern limits of Vidolgreen was an embarrassment to the elven race, as indulgence had reached a less than unseemly peek. It's logical, then, that this incorrigible epicure, very fond of the very young, fell into the temptations of Hell, thereby becoming the patron of sodomites. His character, over the millennia, has only further fall in his vices, and today he's the most rebellious, disobedient, vain, wicked and incorrigibly liar Lord; but also most beautiful. Maybe that's why he's called the "Prince of Fire", comparing his way of being with this element; and is also known that his mortal followers usually held orgies in his honor and attempted invocation in January, in midwinter, when the "fire" that Belial provides is most welcomed. Fond of visiting the world of mortals, his lair lies at the Second Circle of Inferno.
BELPHEGOR
Truth to be told, Belphegor is one of the less known Infernal Lords, and probably also one of the less powerful (but this doesn't mean much at this level). Unlike other Lords he has no infernal race under his command, nor any of mortals either; yet actually there are more Belphegor worshipers than what might be supposed. And the relatively large number of followers comes from the fact that this Lord sponsors inventions, discoveries and wit. Of course these are typical of dwarves and humans, but nobody really thinks that there may be a relationship between these two races and Belphegor (except some elves and orcs perhaps). Yet, its sphere of influence assures enough allies among humans (almost in the manner of a Lord of Temptation), who are always anxious to advance their technology; and for this unpleasant coprophagous rites are run, either on statues with an open mouth and an obscenely phallic tongue that comes alive during the ceremonies, or on other statues of female appearance, in a vaginal variant of the same theme (in these rites there may also be involved demons sent by Belphegor, and occasionally even him, though rarely). In Hell he dwells among the sulfur deserts of the Fourth Circle, which explains the nickname of "Belphegor of the Sulfur Wells".
DAGON
Dagon is one of the Infernal Lords that has thrived the most since his conversion to the dark cause, and although himself is not amongst the most powerful ones, he has huge armies under his command, of both infernals and mortals, so nobody in his right mind would directly oppose him. He's an infernal fish, a monstrous creature of enormous size and bloated appearance; his origin has been tried to track back to the members of some of the evil aquatic species from Ajsalium (koprus, kuo-toas and sahuagin), but he might as well have come from another plane of existence with intelligent aquatic life. At his arrival to the oceans of Ajsalium he killed, with the now lost "sword of Dagon", the decadent Wuquosa, ancient god creator of the above mentioned races (a three-headed deity, who discussed among themselves so much that he finally went mad), and usurped his place in the worship of his subjects, who appreciated having a new sane Lord, even if infinitely evil. Since then Dagon has moved to the Second Circle of Hell, the only one that in some places has access to the oceans (remember that in the First Circle live no Lords, because it doesn't entirely belong to Hell). From there he pursues his patronage over evil aquatic beings, using the aquatic imps as his servants and slaves, and other powerful oceanic fiends as ambassadors and carriers of his will.
EBLIS
This Infernal Lord is well-known throughout the continent of Rynath, but much less elsewhere in the world, except by those who have more dealings with the sunburned rynathians. The reason for this is that Eblis is the master of the flying imps (called "shedim" in the near forgotten tongue of ancient Rynath), strange infernal bird-like humanoids, except for the absence of wings. The sighting of these creatures is common in this continent, and many legends include them as the greatest danger that can be encountered in the already quite dangerous deserts; and Eblis, as his master, is considered the incarnation of evil and the enemy (but really he's only one of the many that exist). His appearance, of course, is that of a bird, with plumage so dark that no gloss on his feathers helps to distinguish the shape, which always seems just a black silhouette outlined against the background. He lives in the Fifth Circle of Hell, a very hot place partly due to its connection to the heart of the planet Ajsalium, and mainly a vacuum so that it gives him plenty of room to fly, because this Lord does not like to set foot on land never, not even to copulate with his many consorts, an act that is performed in flight; if the results of these matings are the shedim, another unknown race, or whether they produce no offspring, is something that no one knows or will ever know.
HABONDIA
This is one of the three Infernal Ladies, and the only one that's really beautiful, although her dark way. She's certainly a fascinating infernal, helping to make her even more dangerous, because she has no moral or scruples, of course. Thanks to her charms and manipulative mood she has achieved a high position in the parody of infernal hierarchy, something that no one disputes. Habondia is also the mistress of couril, small infernals that look like a macabre underworld version fairies, who usually live among mortals, pestering until they are driven beyond the borders of despair. Another use this clever Lady gives couril is that of spying, something for which they are well gifted; and the vast amount of information she collects serves for her political intrigues. Habondia loves these little malicious creatures and lovingly caress them; although she's able to smash with one hand a paladin or celestial while with the other she tickles her subjects. These usually call her the "Queen of Fairies", a title known by mortals that and makes them wary of all the fairies, although the sylvan creatures (elves included) know that most of these are beings of great kindness, and that couril are nothing but an aberration. In Hell Habondia dwells in the Third Circle, where, for some reason, is where the three Infernal Ladies are concentrated (perhaps because of its morphology similar to a negative version of the Ajsalium fields).
LEONARDO
This Infernal Lord looks like a normal human, although endowed with a grave and melancholic appearance, with a long and well kept gray beard, and eyes of intelligent expression that seem to pierce the heart of those who are looked; his taciturn face also seems absent, as if Leonardo always were immersed in his own thoughts, much deeper and important than anything that can happen around him. Despite his human form, scholars generally agree that he is no man from Ajsalium, but must come from some alien reality, perhaps an alternative material plane. Anyway, Leonardo enjoys a high place in the hierarchy, something which is mainly due to two reasons. The first, that being the most serious and intelligent of the Infernal Lords he's the most trusted by the Lords of Temptation, who often use him as a messenger and spokesman to the rest of Lords. Furthermore, regarding the mortals, Leonardo is one of the most often associated with these, as he has the role of chairing the black masses and cults of greater importance throughout the world; hence he's a key part in the interaction between humans and infernals at the highest level. In Inferno, his abode settles in an almost unreachable rocky perch from the Fourth Circle, submerged in a cloud of sulfur.
MANIA
Another of the Infernal Ladies, of Mania there's no doubt about her origin and previous life: she's a nymph who was tempted to exploit her vanity, self-indulgence and narcissism, until once corrupted she was damned and turned into a horrible monster. Previously fatally beautiful (because she went to the point of enjoy killing mortals appearing naked in front of them), she now has a cadaverous thin body, with a skin so thin and transparent that she almost seems to be flayed. To hide her terrible appearance she has grown her hair to cover herself with it, and is therefore sometimes called "Mother of the Manes"; but as a part of her curse her hair has gotten a life of its own, and it withdraws to reveal her true aspect whenever she meets someone. As you might imagine, seeing her naked remains fatal, but now because of her infinite ugliness. She can be found in the depths of a twisted and black forest of the Third Circle of Hell, where she's surrounded by a legion of undead, the only ones who cannot be affected by her ugliness (can't even perceive it), and over time this has made her a "Queen of the Dead", a title she sometimes uses. To satisfy her sexual needs she continually calls to her presence incubus and succubus, but needless to say that only the most heinous of these are willing to copulate with her, which fills her with disgust and more resentment and hatred.
NOCTICULA
The third Infernal Lady, which as noted above lives in the Third Circle of Hell, is not as horrible as Mania, but she's certainly closer to this than to Habondia. Nocticula is the infernal matron of witches, so it is suspected that in her time she must have been a powerful sorceress, though her race or natal plane is unknown, as she didn't even need to be a mortal from Ajsalium. Her appearance is similar to that of witches, that of a crooked and hunched crone, with long but thin and dirty hair, and skin as rough as wrinkled, full of pimples and warts. Although her vision doesn't cause real harm it's sufficiently disgusting so most of the world (and this includes the infernals) ignore her; something that she actually prefers, because she's very lonely and prefers to live surrounded by the nauseating ingredients used to make new potions, the recipe of which she will then offer to mortal witches. With these she usually communicates through dreams, which explains why witches often get up in the middle of the night and start to work at these ungodly hours. But the fumes that are generated by manufacturing their potions are poisonous, and eventually end up transmuting any witch in a being so deformed as Nocticula; of course, to counter that they also make potions that allow them to change shape, adopting that of beautiful maids.
SAMAEL
This is the Infernal Lord most beautiful and attractive, although his appearance is far from resembling that of humans or any other humanoid race (and therefore his origin is completely unknown). Samael is a giant red serpent, with twelve wings of beautiful white feathers with multicolored iridescence, and that in his flight leaves a dark trail behind. Despite his bizarre appearance seeing him is certainly a beautiful show, something that of course he knows well, since he's a great sexual tempter. Moreover, his non-affiliation to any known race favors that all can relate to him alike. Samael is an incubus, and a very good and famous one as well, eclipsed only by Bitru, the Lady of Temptation who gave him the infernal immortality. He's, of course, frequent partner and ally of wayward Belial; although he doesn't live in his Circle but in the Fifth, more fit and pleasing for flying infernals like him, and where winds continuously carry moans of pleasure from one end to the other. Naturally, all those infernals of connotations and overtly sexual behavior are his soldiers, dedicated to extending sin amongst mortals, being their favorite victims innocent and ignorant girls, who accept their suggestions in ignorance of what is sin.
UPHIR
Uphir is the twelfth and last of the twelve former champions of good thatwere tempted until they succumbed and became the Infernal Lords who govern and control much of Inferno and which have been the penetration wedge of this in Ajsalium. Uphir is a great expert in chemistry, and so it's the alchemists who know him best and the most likely to become his servitors; cabalistic symbols and rituals soon turn into darkness and the invocation of evil, however much his original intentions might be pure. Uphir was pure at one time too, and he was perhaps the Lord that better remembered his previous life, what caused him deep and unbearable pain; and to avoid it he put all his alchemical arts in making a potion that would allow him to forget the past; the result was the resin distilled from nepenthe, which has become popular among mortals. Today Uphir doesn't remember his previous life, or even which of the Lords of the Temptation is his infernal "father"; he only recalls the struggle for dominance of Ajsalium. He divides his time between the Second Circle of Hell, where his real home and laboratory is, and the Fourth, where apart from sulfur many other chemical and magical elements can also be found, that are useful for his experiments; and he's one of the few that go to visit Nocticula in the Third Circle, too.
ABADDON
The infernal title of Abaddon is "Exterminating Angel", a title that gives a good account of the grim, violent and cruel mood of this terrible Lord. This abyssal fiend has established his dwelling in the Sixth Circle of Hell, a place usually avoided even by the rest of Infernal Lords (except Azrael, practically the only one so dark and gloomy as Abaddon, as to relate to him). Wherever he travels, Abaddon sows the most complete ruin, the total destruction, the irreversible desolation; he' a true destroyer in every sense, and therefore one of the best examples of what Hell is. A common way that he uses to wreak havoc in the world are the plagues, that he periodically breaks out, trying to capitalize on moments when mortals are weaker (for example, after a war or during a drought) to maximize the damage caused. It's no surprise then that he's the "Master of Locusts", which, according to some theories, are formed from souls dead at the hands of Abaddon, so every sighting of a simple lobster is considered a sign of bad omen. On what might have been Abaddon before being tempted and damned there's no notice; but so low you can only fall from the top, so if so he should have been a powerful celestial...
AZRAEL
Azrael's name is rarely uttered by mortals, as he's the one that causes the deepest fear, and there is a superstition that states that just by saying his name his curse is invoked. To refer to him it's often used the title of "Angel of Darkness" or "Angel of Death", both very suitable to describe this Lord, who dwells in the Sixth Circle of Hell, with only Abaddon. As usual there's almost no information on him, though some visionaries say he was once a mere mortal, a human pure and innocent, but extremely lonely, who finally embraced the angel of destruction (Abaddon?) who offered him a new fate, his destiny. Today he's a being of pure evil, so pure that he's even free from the malice present in other Lords: Azrael meets his duties with a coolness that scares even many fiends. As an angel of death, and in his infinite zeal, before killing his victims he destroys their personality; with a patient and insidious work, which is taken as his duty and honor; first he eliminates the dreams and hopes, then destroys the mind driving it into the pit of despair (perhaps that's the origin of his title of "angel of darkness"); and only after all that does he take the life, that the victims arrived at that point surrender voluntarily, believing that death is preferable to the prosecution and non-life imposed by the relentless Azrael.
BELIAL
The origin of Belial, although with some gaps in his history, is fairly well located and identified: it seems that Belial was already living at the time the Vortex appeared and the Long War broke. Supposedly, according to some sources, he was a half-elf (the offspring of a human and an elf); but most sources claim that he was a king of Vidolgreen, so then he should be a full-blooded elf. Anyway, what everyone agrees is that his small kingdom near the eastern limits of Vidolgreen was an embarrassment to the elven race, as indulgence had reached a less than unseemly peek. It's logical, then, that this incorrigible epicure, very fond of the very young, fell into the temptations of Hell, thereby becoming the patron of sodomites. His character, over the millennia, has only further fall in his vices, and today he's the most rebellious, disobedient, vain, wicked and incorrigibly liar Lord; but also most beautiful. Maybe that's why he's called the "Prince of Fire", comparing his way of being with this element; and is also known that his mortal followers usually held orgies in his honor and attempted invocation in January, in midwinter, when the "fire" that Belial provides is most welcomed. Fond of visiting the world of mortals, his lair lies at the Second Circle of Inferno.
BELPHEGOR
Truth to be told, Belphegor is one of the less known Infernal Lords, and probably also one of the less powerful (but this doesn't mean much at this level). Unlike other Lords he has no infernal race under his command, nor any of mortals either; yet actually there are more Belphegor worshipers than what might be supposed. And the relatively large number of followers comes from the fact that this Lord sponsors inventions, discoveries and wit. Of course these are typical of dwarves and humans, but nobody really thinks that there may be a relationship between these two races and Belphegor (except some elves and orcs perhaps). Yet, its sphere of influence assures enough allies among humans (almost in the manner of a Lord of Temptation), who are always anxious to advance their technology; and for this unpleasant coprophagous rites are run, either on statues with an open mouth and an obscenely phallic tongue that comes alive during the ceremonies, or on other statues of female appearance, in a vaginal variant of the same theme (in these rites there may also be involved demons sent by Belphegor, and occasionally even him, though rarely). In Hell he dwells among the sulfur deserts of the Fourth Circle, which explains the nickname of "Belphegor of the Sulfur Wells".
DAGON
Dagon is one of the Infernal Lords that has thrived the most since his conversion to the dark cause, and although himself is not amongst the most powerful ones, he has huge armies under his command, of both infernals and mortals, so nobody in his right mind would directly oppose him. He's an infernal fish, a monstrous creature of enormous size and bloated appearance; his origin has been tried to track back to the members of some of the evil aquatic species from Ajsalium (koprus, kuo-toas and sahuagin), but he might as well have come from another plane of existence with intelligent aquatic life. At his arrival to the oceans of Ajsalium he killed, with the now lost "sword of Dagon", the decadent Wuquosa, ancient god creator of the above mentioned races (a three-headed deity, who discussed among themselves so much that he finally went mad), and usurped his place in the worship of his subjects, who appreciated having a new sane Lord, even if infinitely evil. Since then Dagon has moved to the Second Circle of Hell, the only one that in some places has access to the oceans (remember that in the First Circle live no Lords, because it doesn't entirely belong to Hell). From there he pursues his patronage over evil aquatic beings, using the aquatic imps as his servants and slaves, and other powerful oceanic fiends as ambassadors and carriers of his will.
EBLIS
This Infernal Lord is well-known throughout the continent of Rynath, but much less elsewhere in the world, except by those who have more dealings with the sunburned rynathians. The reason for this is that Eblis is the master of the flying imps (called "shedim" in the near forgotten tongue of ancient Rynath), strange infernal bird-like humanoids, except for the absence of wings. The sighting of these creatures is common in this continent, and many legends include them as the greatest danger that can be encountered in the already quite dangerous deserts; and Eblis, as his master, is considered the incarnation of evil and the enemy (but really he's only one of the many that exist). His appearance, of course, is that of a bird, with plumage so dark that no gloss on his feathers helps to distinguish the shape, which always seems just a black silhouette outlined against the background. He lives in the Fifth Circle of Hell, a very hot place partly due to its connection to the heart of the planet Ajsalium, and mainly a vacuum so that it gives him plenty of room to fly, because this Lord does not like to set foot on land never, not even to copulate with his many consorts, an act that is performed in flight; if the results of these matings are the shedim, another unknown race, or whether they produce no offspring, is something that no one knows or will ever know.
HABONDIA
This is one of the three Infernal Ladies, and the only one that's really beautiful, although her dark way. She's certainly a fascinating infernal, helping to make her even more dangerous, because she has no moral or scruples, of course. Thanks to her charms and manipulative mood she has achieved a high position in the parody of infernal hierarchy, something that no one disputes. Habondia is also the mistress of couril, small infernals that look like a macabre underworld version fairies, who usually live among mortals, pestering until they are driven beyond the borders of despair. Another use this clever Lady gives couril is that of spying, something for which they are well gifted; and the vast amount of information she collects serves for her political intrigues. Habondia loves these little malicious creatures and lovingly caress them; although she's able to smash with one hand a paladin or celestial while with the other she tickles her subjects. These usually call her the "Queen of Fairies", a title known by mortals that and makes them wary of all the fairies, although the sylvan creatures (elves included) know that most of these are beings of great kindness, and that couril are nothing but an aberration. In Hell Habondia dwells in the Third Circle, where, for some reason, is where the three Infernal Ladies are concentrated (perhaps because of its morphology similar to a negative version of the Ajsalium fields).
LEONARDO
This Infernal Lord looks like a normal human, although endowed with a grave and melancholic appearance, with a long and well kept gray beard, and eyes of intelligent expression that seem to pierce the heart of those who are looked; his taciturn face also seems absent, as if Leonardo always were immersed in his own thoughts, much deeper and important than anything that can happen around him. Despite his human form, scholars generally agree that he is no man from Ajsalium, but must come from some alien reality, perhaps an alternative material plane. Anyway, Leonardo enjoys a high place in the hierarchy, something which is mainly due to two reasons. The first, that being the most serious and intelligent of the Infernal Lords he's the most trusted by the Lords of Temptation, who often use him as a messenger and spokesman to the rest of Lords. Furthermore, regarding the mortals, Leonardo is one of the most often associated with these, as he has the role of chairing the black masses and cults of greater importance throughout the world; hence he's a key part in the interaction between humans and infernals at the highest level. In Inferno, his abode settles in an almost unreachable rocky perch from the Fourth Circle, submerged in a cloud of sulfur.
MANIA
Another of the Infernal Ladies, of Mania there's no doubt about her origin and previous life: she's a nymph who was tempted to exploit her vanity, self-indulgence and narcissism, until once corrupted she was damned and turned into a horrible monster. Previously fatally beautiful (because she went to the point of enjoy killing mortals appearing naked in front of them), she now has a cadaverous thin body, with a skin so thin and transparent that she almost seems to be flayed. To hide her terrible appearance she has grown her hair to cover herself with it, and is therefore sometimes called "Mother of the Manes"; but as a part of her curse her hair has gotten a life of its own, and it withdraws to reveal her true aspect whenever she meets someone. As you might imagine, seeing her naked remains fatal, but now because of her infinite ugliness. She can be found in the depths of a twisted and black forest of the Third Circle of Hell, where she's surrounded by a legion of undead, the only ones who cannot be affected by her ugliness (can't even perceive it), and over time this has made her a "Queen of the Dead", a title she sometimes uses. To satisfy her sexual needs she continually calls to her presence incubus and succubus, but needless to say that only the most heinous of these are willing to copulate with her, which fills her with disgust and more resentment and hatred.
NOCTICULA
The third Infernal Lady, which as noted above lives in the Third Circle of Hell, is not as horrible as Mania, but she's certainly closer to this than to Habondia. Nocticula is the infernal matron of witches, so it is suspected that in her time she must have been a powerful sorceress, though her race or natal plane is unknown, as she didn't even need to be a mortal from Ajsalium. Her appearance is similar to that of witches, that of a crooked and hunched crone, with long but thin and dirty hair, and skin as rough as wrinkled, full of pimples and warts. Although her vision doesn't cause real harm it's sufficiently disgusting so most of the world (and this includes the infernals) ignore her; something that she actually prefers, because she's very lonely and prefers to live surrounded by the nauseating ingredients used to make new potions, the recipe of which she will then offer to mortal witches. With these she usually communicates through dreams, which explains why witches often get up in the middle of the night and start to work at these ungodly hours. But the fumes that are generated by manufacturing their potions are poisonous, and eventually end up transmuting any witch in a being so deformed as Nocticula; of course, to counter that they also make potions that allow them to change shape, adopting that of beautiful maids.
SAMAEL
This is the Infernal Lord most beautiful and attractive, although his appearance is far from resembling that of humans or any other humanoid race (and therefore his origin is completely unknown). Samael is a giant red serpent, with twelve wings of beautiful white feathers with multicolored iridescence, and that in his flight leaves a dark trail behind. Despite his bizarre appearance seeing him is certainly a beautiful show, something that of course he knows well, since he's a great sexual tempter. Moreover, his non-affiliation to any known race favors that all can relate to him alike. Samael is an incubus, and a very good and famous one as well, eclipsed only by Bitru, the Lady of Temptation who gave him the infernal immortality. He's, of course, frequent partner and ally of wayward Belial; although he doesn't live in his Circle but in the Fifth, more fit and pleasing for flying infernals like him, and where winds continuously carry moans of pleasure from one end to the other. Naturally, all those infernals of connotations and overtly sexual behavior are his soldiers, dedicated to extending sin amongst mortals, being their favorite victims innocent and ignorant girls, who accept their suggestions in ignorance of what is sin.
UPHIR
Uphir is the twelfth and last of the twelve former champions of good thatwere tempted until they succumbed and became the Infernal Lords who govern and control much of Inferno and which have been the penetration wedge of this in Ajsalium. Uphir is a great expert in chemistry, and so it's the alchemists who know him best and the most likely to become his servitors; cabalistic symbols and rituals soon turn into darkness and the invocation of evil, however much his original intentions might be pure. Uphir was pure at one time too, and he was perhaps the Lord that better remembered his previous life, what caused him deep and unbearable pain; and to avoid it he put all his alchemical arts in making a potion that would allow him to forget the past; the result was the resin distilled from nepenthe, which has become popular among mortals. Today Uphir doesn't remember his previous life, or even which of the Lords of the Temptation is his infernal "father"; he only recalls the struggle for dominance of Ajsalium. He divides his time between the Second Circle of Hell, where his real home and laboratory is, and the Fourth, where apart from sulfur many other chemical and magical elements can also be found, that are useful for his experiments; and he's one of the few that go to visit Nocticula in the Third Circle, too.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
DRAGON AGE RPG REVIEW
Last week I discovered the existence of a new tabletop rpg based on the videogame Dragon Age: Origins. Actually I haven't played said videogame; my computer is too old to run it and anyway I don't play videogames anymore. Yet I remember watching the trailer and it was bloody fantastic. The background seemed dark and sinister, so similar to my own world of Ajsalium. Furthermore, the tabletop rpg publicly uses a new super simple game system. What more could I ask for?
So, thanks to the electronic formats I already owned it the next day. And I started to read as soon as I got it. Once done, I am now writing this review.
The product:
The game is actually "Dragon Age RPG set 1". It's the first of four sets; each one will cover 5 levels for the classes of PCs. This being the first set it covers levels from 1 to 5, logically. The set includes two lithe books: a Player's Guide (weighing 66 pages) and a Game Master's Guide (other 66 pages). The "real" set (i.e., not the electronic format) also includes a poster with the map of Ferelden (the nation in which the game predominantly takes place), and three six-sided dice.
System:
Extremely simple. Everything is resolved the same way: with an ability test, that is done rolling three six-sided dice, totalling them up, and adding the appropriate modifiers of the related ability plus any focuses (specializations) applicable. With that you must reach a certain target number. In an opposed test, the target number is the result of the other guy's test. Combat is too an ability test, with the target number being the opponent's defense rating. Spells are cast spending mana points and making an ability (magic) test.
One of the dice must be of a different colour, and that's called the "dragon die". It's important when some doubles are rolled; whenever that happens the player gets points to perform various stunts (special combat tactics or magical effects). The number of points gained is the result of the dragon die.
And that's most of it.
Pros:
Coherent system. Everything (including combat) is resolved the same way, by throwing 3d6. Also, the more is always the better, both in the dice roll results and in characteristics.
Tactical variations with stunts. The stunt points that players get when they get doubles (or triples) in the 3d6 roll both for combat and magic allow them to use different tactical maneuvers that add spice to the game.
Simplicity. If you have read this post so far, then you already know how to play Dragon Age RPG. And that's just perfect, both for total novices to the world of tabletop rpgs and for veterans tired of learning complex rules.
Cons:
Limited. This first set, as it complies only the first five levels, is quite limited (for example, there are only 13 spells). Also, there are just three classes to choose from. Subsequent sets may correct this, though.
Railroaded. As a consequence of the preceding feature, character creation seems to be very railroaded. There will be little differences in game terms, and thus it's the roleplaying part that demands extra emphasis. Not that I complain, given that my own Ajsalium RPG would have pre-generated classes to copy and paste.
So my verdict is: worth giving it a try. I want to run the introductory adventure that comes in the Game Master's Guide, and have a real feel of the game. I don't expect to fully adopt it, but I am seriously thinking of "distilling" it to convert it into my generic ruleset. After all, there are already some nice similarities. For example, we are talking of very simple systems. Also, if you look at the main abilities from Dragon Age, you'll see they are mostly the same than the ones from my own Arcade Ruleset. I'll decide on this later, and I'll keep you informed.
Finally, for your viewing pleasure, here is a trailer of the videogame:
So, thanks to the electronic formats I already owned it the next day. And I started to read as soon as I got it. Once done, I am now writing this review.
The product:
The game is actually "Dragon Age RPG set 1". It's the first of four sets; each one will cover 5 levels for the classes of PCs. This being the first set it covers levels from 1 to 5, logically. The set includes two lithe books: a Player's Guide (weighing 66 pages) and a Game Master's Guide (other 66 pages). The "real" set (i.e., not the electronic format) also includes a poster with the map of Ferelden (the nation in which the game predominantly takes place), and three six-sided dice.
System:
Extremely simple. Everything is resolved the same way: with an ability test, that is done rolling three six-sided dice, totalling them up, and adding the appropriate modifiers of the related ability plus any focuses (specializations) applicable. With that you must reach a certain target number. In an opposed test, the target number is the result of the other guy's test. Combat is too an ability test, with the target number being the opponent's defense rating. Spells are cast spending mana points and making an ability (magic) test.
One of the dice must be of a different colour, and that's called the "dragon die". It's important when some doubles are rolled; whenever that happens the player gets points to perform various stunts (special combat tactics or magical effects). The number of points gained is the result of the dragon die.
And that's most of it.
Pros:
Coherent system. Everything (including combat) is resolved the same way, by throwing 3d6. Also, the more is always the better, both in the dice roll results and in characteristics.
Tactical variations with stunts. The stunt points that players get when they get doubles (or triples) in the 3d6 roll both for combat and magic allow them to use different tactical maneuvers that add spice to the game.
Simplicity. If you have read this post so far, then you already know how to play Dragon Age RPG. And that's just perfect, both for total novices to the world of tabletop rpgs and for veterans tired of learning complex rules.
Cons:
Limited. This first set, as it complies only the first five levels, is quite limited (for example, there are only 13 spells). Also, there are just three classes to choose from. Subsequent sets may correct this, though.
Railroaded. As a consequence of the preceding feature, character creation seems to be very railroaded. There will be little differences in game terms, and thus it's the roleplaying part that demands extra emphasis. Not that I complain, given that my own Ajsalium RPG would have pre-generated classes to copy and paste.
So my verdict is: worth giving it a try. I want to run the introductory adventure that comes in the Game Master's Guide, and have a real feel of the game. I don't expect to fully adopt it, but I am seriously thinking of "distilling" it to convert it into my generic ruleset. After all, there are already some nice similarities. For example, we are talking of very simple systems. Also, if you look at the main abilities from Dragon Age, you'll see they are mostly the same than the ones from my own Arcade Ruleset. I'll decide on this later, and I'll keep you informed.
Finally, for your viewing pleasure, here is a trailer of the videogame:
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
AND THEN THERE WAS SILENCE
You may be wondering what the hell is going on. I posted on the very New Year day, even changed the looks of the blog to a far more professional layout, but since then... nothing... nil...
The main reason for this prolonged silence is that I suffered a malware infestation on my PC. A computer that has not been working properly ever, as the HD has some hardware problem. And the graphics chip. And the motherboard. So I've had to finally buy a new one.
And this has been just one more problem on top of some other more serious real life issues, at job mainly, that have drained pretty much all my energy and enthusiasm. I just didn't feel like continuing with the blog.
But I don't have that malware now, and other things seem to be going more or less OK, so I'm coming back to the blog and regular updates. I'll try to be more regular and have a weekly update posted in the weekend. I may diversify themes a little bit, too, adding more posts about minis and some game reviews. So if you stay tuned this weekend things will go back to normal, as if it had been no hiatus.
The main reason for this prolonged silence is that I suffered a malware infestation on my PC. A computer that has not been working properly ever, as the HD has some hardware problem. And the graphics chip. And the motherboard. So I've had to finally buy a new one.
And this has been just one more problem on top of some other more serious real life issues, at job mainly, that have drained pretty much all my energy and enthusiasm. I just didn't feel like continuing with the blog.
But I don't have that malware now, and other things seem to be going more or less OK, so I'm coming back to the blog and regular updates. I'll try to be more regular and have a weekly update posted in the weekend. I may diversify themes a little bit, too, adding more posts about minis and some game reviews. So if you stay tuned this weekend things will go back to normal, as if it had been no hiatus.
Friday, January 1, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Just a quick post to wish you all a happy new year. Let's see if this 2010 is better than the last one, in all fronts.
Also, as you can see, I have updated the design of the blog. Just a better looking version of the previous one (actually, this was more what I had envisioned last time, but I didn't have the tools to create it; now I do). I haven't been able to test it as throughly as last time, so if anyone has any issue with it, please leave a comment and I'll try to fix it.
Cheers.
Also, as you can see, I have updated the design of the blog. Just a better looking version of the previous one (actually, this was more what I had envisioned last time, but I didn't have the tools to create it; now I do). I haven't been able to test it as throughly as last time, so if anyone has any issue with it, please leave a comment and I'll try to fix it.
Cheers.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
ANOTHER NECRONOMICON ADVENTURE: FLESH
This adventure for the Necronomicon setting will likely be the last one for now, as I consider that there's enough of them to keep my players and myself entertained for a long time (and I'm running out of ideas!). "Flesh" is mainly based on the films "Lord of Illusions", by Clive Barker, and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", by Tobe Hooper; and also inspired by the "Hellboy" film and the "Herbert West: Reanimator" and "From Beyond" short stories by H. P. Lovecraft. The aim is to make a new lovecraftian take on the serial killer horror cliche. The plot of the adventure will revolve about a severely insane serial killer, disciple of an investigator into unknown realities, who died/disappeared when using a device "to see reality as truly is", actually more of a merger of our reality and another, and their inhabitants. The disciple, now alone, and gone crazy by the "miracles" he witnessed, is attempting to resurrect his master bringing his soul back from beyond into a new body he's creating for him from the corpses of people he kidnaps and then kills. The PCs will find themselves without gas when travelling, and will have to get to the nearest town, an almost dead one, where the antagonist lives. As he kidnaps one of the PCs, the others will have to chase him to his lair. If they are quick enough they may save the life of their friend; otherwise he will be already killed, and his flesh used to finish the new body for the master, who would then be brought to life using the dimensional device. In this last case the master is now an alien entity of immense power, so the only way for the PCs would be to try to banish it from our reality manipulating the device. And in any case, in the lair the PCs will have to confront strange gelatinous worms that had been brought in previous experiments, as well as some other lesser disciples from the master, apart from the bulky and slightly "transformed" serial killer.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
ARCHDEVILS
The devils are the fiendish creatures living in Avernus (a word meaning abyss). This plane was once that in which angels lived (see the description of the hellish planes in this regard); it was a plane with a slightly lawful alignment, and mostly empty, because all angels were flyers and required nothing but floating islands on which to build their civilization. But when Thanatos was full of demons, they were driven to conquer another plane; and sadly for angels, theirs was the chosen plane. After a long campaign under the military leadership of Satan, the plane was conquered and became the home of demons, being imposed the new fiendish name of Avernus. Given the lawful nature of the plane, it was the demons with such trends who moved to live there, led by Lucipher. Over time, these demons started calling themselves "devils", the name by which they are known today; and some new purely diabolical races have appeared with no past and no relation with the demons from Thanatos. Of course, the evil tendency of all fiends caused wars and conflicts to arise between demons and devils, even in a shaky truce pacted between their leaders.
ABYSSUS
As most Archdevils, Abyssus has become the living embodiment of a negative emotion. In his case, it is despair; and this Archdevil has the bad luck of falling prey to his sphere of power himself. Therefore, although he looks fairly humanoid, framed by two gnawed black wings, the grimaces of pain and despair that he doesn't stop doing for ever and ever have deformed his face to an extent that would be cartoonish if not for the feeling that emanates from him. That despair from which he's a source makes him avoided by most Archdevils, who just by approaching him begin to suffer and mourn his hellish condition. And if this is true with the powerful Archdevils it's easy to comprehend how much he can affect the souls that fall under his rule: it's the most feared fate, and any deal can be made to get rid of an eternity under his influence.
ADRAMELECH
He's perhaps the most elegant Archdevil of all the inhabitants of Avernus, or of any of the hellish planes, and this is because Adramelech is the Master of Vanity. His obsession with physical appearance is such that his wardrobes occupy most of his vast palace, which means that he stores more clothes than what could be found in many whole human cities. He also likes to alter his own physique to match the clothes he wears, although he feels a predilection for dark shades of blue and metallic greens; as these colors are present in the feathers of the peacock he's often decorated with them, and in fact it has become his emblem. As an Archdevil he holds little power, but gets along well with most others, to whom he serves as an aesthetic consultant; and in his dealings with humans his extreme handsomeness and diplomatic and protocol delicacy gives him a great advantage.
ALASTOR
This Archdevil stands out among the others due to his severity and always relentless spirit, what has earned him the nickname "The Executioner". But it's not as if he presided over summary executions and cruel justice (that is left to others), but over the justice that the very spirit applies to itself: remorse. Alastor is capable of causing deep remorse attacks worldwide, not only to those guilty of major crimes and sins, but also to anyone who feels that has committed some fault, however small that is. The appearance of this Archdevil does justice to his personality, and his eyes that watch from under a perpetually furrowed brow can distill a sentence able to rip through the souls of all who face him. He's the only bearded devil, and that is because the dwarves are his main victims, as their deep sense of honor makes them likely to have regrets.
ASMODEUS
One of the best known Archdevils in the material plane, and one that has the largest predicament; also in Avernus he's very high in the hierarchy, due to his power, his age, and the deeds which he staged. Asmodeus is the great corrupter, dedicated to extending the depravity and licentiousness among all civilizations in the cosmos. Of course, it's the lawfully aligned civilizations those in which his destructive power is more noted, because as the corruption spreads among the levels of their hierarchies they eventually become unstable and collapse like a castle made of cards. Perhaps only the devilish order is immune to the corruption caused by him, as this is grounded in their system naturally. However, his activities causes that Asmodeus does not keep good relations with Nergal and his associates; while on the other hand Adramelech is one of his closest friends and allies, and has a (limited) favour from Lucipher.
BAALBERIT
This Archdevil has little power, but has managed to make his way step by step in Avernus and between Ajsalium's mortals too. Baalberit could be classified as the "Prince of Wayward Lawyers", because his specialty is the legal and judicial rhetoric; and in a lawful society like that of devils, you can make a very profitable use of this ability (which is what this Archdevil is devoted to). Of course, his complete lack of scruples makes that he can constantly switch sides, so he has no real ally, but also no notable enemy. On the other hand, humans call him the "Archivist", because given his prodigious memory he can remember thousands of data on any topic; and some have gone to him to acquire knowledge of the history of the cosmos. Of course the reliability of the version explained by a devil is something that leaves much to be desired, since for Baalberit knowledge does not imply veracity.
BAALCEFON
This Archdevil is subject to Nergal, for whom he's his right hand and, in many ways, his most faithful executor. In diabolical society, Baalcefon occupies the lackluster but eventually influential rank of chief of sentries and guards. No civilization devotes more resources to these endeavors that a lawful evil one, so the network of agents depending from Baalcefon is extremely broad, and his contacts are so abundant that there is virtually no plot or plan of which he won't learn. This is the kind of services he's ready to offer to mortals (for a price, preferably in blood), along with another equally valuable: he's capable of ensuring the loyalty of slaves, and their complete submission to their masters. Finally, it is noteworthy that, like Baalberit, he's a relative to the Demon Prince Baal (hence their names), but no one but themselves know what this relationship exactly is and how it can affect loyalties.
BUCON
Bucon is one of the most sadly busy Archdevils in the material world since the beginning of time, and its supreme malice surely will guarantee that he never abandons his tasks. He is nothing less than the popularly known as "Demon of Jealousy", but actually he's a devil. For some reason, probably due to the intervention of a deity, this devil was doomed to never be loved, while he himself is driven by passion. This contradiction tortures him continuously, and is the reason that has forged his resentful character against all those who can enjoy mutual love. Thus he's dedicated to sow discord between lovers, imposing in their hearts the shadow of a doubt that grows in depth and darkness until it corrupts love and turns it into hate and madness. In addition, Bucon takes that moment to offer his services to eliminate any possible rival in exchange for the soul of the jealous lover, thus sealing his doom.
GAAB
For an Archdevil, the extremely passionate character of Gaab leads him to behave in a way that rather suggests a demon. But make no mistake: behind this facade of apparent fanaticism hides a mind as cold and ruthless as few. His empire on extreme passions makes him deeply hate any tepidity, and he's sometimes known as the "Scourge of Neutrality", because for him that is a real aberration, and has proposed to eradicate it from the cosmos. And if he hates all neutrality you can imagine his fury at true neutrals; his eternal campaign against monks is the greatest suffering that they must endure. Gaab enters their dreams and thoughts, awakening all seeds of radicalism to make them abandon their neutral and equidistant stance. Gaab's passion for his cause leads him to attack not only mortals but also any other creature, even gods, as he's not even afraid of these (being Ivellios the fetish of his hatred).
GOLEENBAN
Goleenban is one of the two she-Archdevils of Avernus, and she's quite beautiful and elegant, but her beauty cannot compensate for even a fraction of her terrible evil. She lives in an area of Avernus rather peculiar, since it is an absolutely vast uninhabited desert, and separated from the rest of floating islands in which her fellow Archdevils live; in fact its landscape is quite similar to that which can be found on most of Thanatos. The reason for the voluntary isolation of Goleenban is that this devil from the desert is the Spirit of Solitude. Every time someone gets lost and is left alone, especially if that happens in places of difficult access and exit more than unlikely, Goleenban comes swiftly and wraps the lost one in a tenuous cloak that makes him keenly aware of his loneliness. After a few days, the oppression caused is so strong that he begins to go mad, finally leading to his death as all sense of reality is lost too.
JEZBETH
This is one of the Archdevils with a most pleasant treatment, as his manners are very far away from the seriousness that most Archdevils have. Great striker, he looks like a handsome and charming young, and exudes a big confidence in himself and a certain arrogance. The reason for this behavior is that Jezbeth is the devil of imaginary wonders, fraud and deception. With him around, you can never be sure of what is real and what is not, since he likes to alter all of reality around him, and he does so almost unconsciously. So for centuries and millennia has been invoked by the mortals from the material plane as protector for liars and swindlers, to free them from the clutches of earthly law; making him one of the most popular Archdevils. As an anecdote about Jezbeth, it's noteworthy that his name has a feminine tone, and in fact some believe that this is a she-devil, whose first and longest deception is impersonating a male one.
LEVIATHAN
Second only to Lucipher himself, the name of Leviathan is known and feared throughout the whole cosmos. Their appearance is impressive, and has a strong military air. Not surprisingly, since he's the diabolical Lord High Admiral, and Lord of Avernus' seas (i.e., the vacuum flows in which the islands float), in which he's usually found aboard weird constructs driven by the energy of thousands of enslaved and tortured souls. His credentials do not end with war, though, but apart from his military worth he's a big liar, and therefore also triumphs in politics (the continuation of war by other means). He's also a great epicure, a powerful incubus who likes to "enjoy" famous women, which are passionately attached to him, and manipulated at will. The rituals to invoke his attention are often held in the dead of winter, and is best done in the middle of a snowy and icy wasteland.
LUCIPHER
There was a time when Satan reigned supreme over all the progeny of fiends, and when Lucipher and Belzebuth were his faithful lieutenants. After their rebellion, nowadays Lucipher can only be compared to Belzebuth, and he's therefore the most feared Archdevil. His power is immeasurable and incontestable, the reason why he's the leader of the Archdevils, with the title of "Prince of the Abyss." his name means "Morning Star", a truly romantic name, which is due to his unbelievable handsomeness. His face is flawless, and has an expression of melancholy that makes him yet more appealing; he wears a crown of fire (similar to Belzebuth's one), but that burns with softness and fluidity; and from his back sprout four wings of feathers perfect but as black as the deepest night and death. For some reason that nobody knows, his worship has spread in recent times across Alterria and its civilized feudal countries. His followers carry rites in his honor between spring and summer.
MEPHISTOPHELES
He is, by far, the most widely seen Archdevil in Ajsalium (and other alternative material planes), because in a sense he's like an intermediary between Avernus and mortals. He could not perform this function if he didn't know to appear helpful, kind, clever and polite, but also ruthless when the time comes to retrieve the agreed price and immune to any kind of affection. He's in charge of sealing all major agreements, what makes him enjoy a very high position, having the obligation to report only to Lucipher. But this does not make him happier, because he repented long ago of doing evil deeds, but because of his diabolical nature he's bound to act evil against his will; besides that he can't overcome his pride and inability to love. Getting far away from Avernus on a regular basis could make him vulnerable to attacks, but even the most powerful celestials dare not do it, because although he has never shown much power it's suspected that he has it at the level of the greatest Archdevils.
NERGAL
Nergal is a tenebrous Archdevil, chief of the secret police from Avernus; he is the embodiment of vindictive justice. In the diabolical hierarchy he depends directly from Lucipher, and has the control over the very wide police system of Avernus, needed to keep the fierce order and control that these lawful beings love so much; being Baalcefon his subordinate. Despite his relation with Lucipher, Nergal is not considered one of the most important Archdevils as his functions are considered minor as they are limited to the plane of Avernus and not to extend the evil cause across the cosmos. He believes he is owed more respect and admiration, because if not for his zeal society would have fallen into demonic chaos; this resentment makes him especially relentless in his work and strive for perfection at any cost. In the material plane sometimes the souls of the worst murderers sentenced to death are assigned to Nergal, but only in isolated cases of utter depravity.
RHABDOS
The other she-Archdevil, alongside Goleenban, is even more sinister than the latter. Her nickname is the "Strangler", given the pleasure she finds killing her enemies in this way; for that she has entwined in her complex dress multiple pieces of string or strips of many different fabrics, from silk to leather, gone through rough hemp. Rhabdos is the matron of murderers, torture and sex, preferably when all this is happening in unison; many psychopaths and rapists have ensured that a female inner voice drove them to commit their crimes; if true, it would be Rhabdos, although the clerics set up to judge these criminals are very aware that Rhabdos doesn't enter a heart that has not already opened to her voluntarily. Moreover, this she-Archdevil is the symbol of betrayal, leading to suspicion even amongst her fellows, except Baalberit, her lover and the closest thing to an ally with which she can count, this female always thirsty for blood and pleasure.
ABYSSUS
As most Archdevils, Abyssus has become the living embodiment of a negative emotion. In his case, it is despair; and this Archdevil has the bad luck of falling prey to his sphere of power himself. Therefore, although he looks fairly humanoid, framed by two gnawed black wings, the grimaces of pain and despair that he doesn't stop doing for ever and ever have deformed his face to an extent that would be cartoonish if not for the feeling that emanates from him. That despair from which he's a source makes him avoided by most Archdevils, who just by approaching him begin to suffer and mourn his hellish condition. And if this is true with the powerful Archdevils it's easy to comprehend how much he can affect the souls that fall under his rule: it's the most feared fate, and any deal can be made to get rid of an eternity under his influence.
ADRAMELECH
He's perhaps the most elegant Archdevil of all the inhabitants of Avernus, or of any of the hellish planes, and this is because Adramelech is the Master of Vanity. His obsession with physical appearance is such that his wardrobes occupy most of his vast palace, which means that he stores more clothes than what could be found in many whole human cities. He also likes to alter his own physique to match the clothes he wears, although he feels a predilection for dark shades of blue and metallic greens; as these colors are present in the feathers of the peacock he's often decorated with them, and in fact it has become his emblem. As an Archdevil he holds little power, but gets along well with most others, to whom he serves as an aesthetic consultant; and in his dealings with humans his extreme handsomeness and diplomatic and protocol delicacy gives him a great advantage.
ALASTOR
This Archdevil stands out among the others due to his severity and always relentless spirit, what has earned him the nickname "The Executioner". But it's not as if he presided over summary executions and cruel justice (that is left to others), but over the justice that the very spirit applies to itself: remorse. Alastor is capable of causing deep remorse attacks worldwide, not only to those guilty of major crimes and sins, but also to anyone who feels that has committed some fault, however small that is. The appearance of this Archdevil does justice to his personality, and his eyes that watch from under a perpetually furrowed brow can distill a sentence able to rip through the souls of all who face him. He's the only bearded devil, and that is because the dwarves are his main victims, as their deep sense of honor makes them likely to have regrets.
ASMODEUS
One of the best known Archdevils in the material plane, and one that has the largest predicament; also in Avernus he's very high in the hierarchy, due to his power, his age, and the deeds which he staged. Asmodeus is the great corrupter, dedicated to extending the depravity and licentiousness among all civilizations in the cosmos. Of course, it's the lawfully aligned civilizations those in which his destructive power is more noted, because as the corruption spreads among the levels of their hierarchies they eventually become unstable and collapse like a castle made of cards. Perhaps only the devilish order is immune to the corruption caused by him, as this is grounded in their system naturally. However, his activities causes that Asmodeus does not keep good relations with Nergal and his associates; while on the other hand Adramelech is one of his closest friends and allies, and has a (limited) favour from Lucipher.
BAALBERIT
This Archdevil has little power, but has managed to make his way step by step in Avernus and between Ajsalium's mortals too. Baalberit could be classified as the "Prince of Wayward Lawyers", because his specialty is the legal and judicial rhetoric; and in a lawful society like that of devils, you can make a very profitable use of this ability (which is what this Archdevil is devoted to). Of course, his complete lack of scruples makes that he can constantly switch sides, so he has no real ally, but also no notable enemy. On the other hand, humans call him the "Archivist", because given his prodigious memory he can remember thousands of data on any topic; and some have gone to him to acquire knowledge of the history of the cosmos. Of course the reliability of the version explained by a devil is something that leaves much to be desired, since for Baalberit knowledge does not imply veracity.
BAALCEFON
This Archdevil is subject to Nergal, for whom he's his right hand and, in many ways, his most faithful executor. In diabolical society, Baalcefon occupies the lackluster but eventually influential rank of chief of sentries and guards. No civilization devotes more resources to these endeavors that a lawful evil one, so the network of agents depending from Baalcefon is extremely broad, and his contacts are so abundant that there is virtually no plot or plan of which he won't learn. This is the kind of services he's ready to offer to mortals (for a price, preferably in blood), along with another equally valuable: he's capable of ensuring the loyalty of slaves, and their complete submission to their masters. Finally, it is noteworthy that, like Baalberit, he's a relative to the Demon Prince Baal (hence their names), but no one but themselves know what this relationship exactly is and how it can affect loyalties.
BUCON
Bucon is one of the most sadly busy Archdevils in the material world since the beginning of time, and its supreme malice surely will guarantee that he never abandons his tasks. He is nothing less than the popularly known as "Demon of Jealousy", but actually he's a devil. For some reason, probably due to the intervention of a deity, this devil was doomed to never be loved, while he himself is driven by passion. This contradiction tortures him continuously, and is the reason that has forged his resentful character against all those who can enjoy mutual love. Thus he's dedicated to sow discord between lovers, imposing in their hearts the shadow of a doubt that grows in depth and darkness until it corrupts love and turns it into hate and madness. In addition, Bucon takes that moment to offer his services to eliminate any possible rival in exchange for the soul of the jealous lover, thus sealing his doom.
GAAB
For an Archdevil, the extremely passionate character of Gaab leads him to behave in a way that rather suggests a demon. But make no mistake: behind this facade of apparent fanaticism hides a mind as cold and ruthless as few. His empire on extreme passions makes him deeply hate any tepidity, and he's sometimes known as the "Scourge of Neutrality", because for him that is a real aberration, and has proposed to eradicate it from the cosmos. And if he hates all neutrality you can imagine his fury at true neutrals; his eternal campaign against monks is the greatest suffering that they must endure. Gaab enters their dreams and thoughts, awakening all seeds of radicalism to make them abandon their neutral and equidistant stance. Gaab's passion for his cause leads him to attack not only mortals but also any other creature, even gods, as he's not even afraid of these (being Ivellios the fetish of his hatred).
GOLEENBAN
Goleenban is one of the two she-Archdevils of Avernus, and she's quite beautiful and elegant, but her beauty cannot compensate for even a fraction of her terrible evil. She lives in an area of Avernus rather peculiar, since it is an absolutely vast uninhabited desert, and separated from the rest of floating islands in which her fellow Archdevils live; in fact its landscape is quite similar to that which can be found on most of Thanatos. The reason for the voluntary isolation of Goleenban is that this devil from the desert is the Spirit of Solitude. Every time someone gets lost and is left alone, especially if that happens in places of difficult access and exit more than unlikely, Goleenban comes swiftly and wraps the lost one in a tenuous cloak that makes him keenly aware of his loneliness. After a few days, the oppression caused is so strong that he begins to go mad, finally leading to his death as all sense of reality is lost too.
JEZBETH
This is one of the Archdevils with a most pleasant treatment, as his manners are very far away from the seriousness that most Archdevils have. Great striker, he looks like a handsome and charming young, and exudes a big confidence in himself and a certain arrogance. The reason for this behavior is that Jezbeth is the devil of imaginary wonders, fraud and deception. With him around, you can never be sure of what is real and what is not, since he likes to alter all of reality around him, and he does so almost unconsciously. So for centuries and millennia has been invoked by the mortals from the material plane as protector for liars and swindlers, to free them from the clutches of earthly law; making him one of the most popular Archdevils. As an anecdote about Jezbeth, it's noteworthy that his name has a feminine tone, and in fact some believe that this is a she-devil, whose first and longest deception is impersonating a male one.
LEVIATHAN
Second only to Lucipher himself, the name of Leviathan is known and feared throughout the whole cosmos. Their appearance is impressive, and has a strong military air. Not surprisingly, since he's the diabolical Lord High Admiral, and Lord of Avernus' seas (i.e., the vacuum flows in which the islands float), in which he's usually found aboard weird constructs driven by the energy of thousands of enslaved and tortured souls. His credentials do not end with war, though, but apart from his military worth he's a big liar, and therefore also triumphs in politics (the continuation of war by other means). He's also a great epicure, a powerful incubus who likes to "enjoy" famous women, which are passionately attached to him, and manipulated at will. The rituals to invoke his attention are often held in the dead of winter, and is best done in the middle of a snowy and icy wasteland.
LUCIPHER
There was a time when Satan reigned supreme over all the progeny of fiends, and when Lucipher and Belzebuth were his faithful lieutenants. After their rebellion, nowadays Lucipher can only be compared to Belzebuth, and he's therefore the most feared Archdevil. His power is immeasurable and incontestable, the reason why he's the leader of the Archdevils, with the title of "Prince of the Abyss." his name means "Morning Star", a truly romantic name, which is due to his unbelievable handsomeness. His face is flawless, and has an expression of melancholy that makes him yet more appealing; he wears a crown of fire (similar to Belzebuth's one), but that burns with softness and fluidity; and from his back sprout four wings of feathers perfect but as black as the deepest night and death. For some reason that nobody knows, his worship has spread in recent times across Alterria and its civilized feudal countries. His followers carry rites in his honor between spring and summer.
MEPHISTOPHELES
He is, by far, the most widely seen Archdevil in Ajsalium (and other alternative material planes), because in a sense he's like an intermediary between Avernus and mortals. He could not perform this function if he didn't know to appear helpful, kind, clever and polite, but also ruthless when the time comes to retrieve the agreed price and immune to any kind of affection. He's in charge of sealing all major agreements, what makes him enjoy a very high position, having the obligation to report only to Lucipher. But this does not make him happier, because he repented long ago of doing evil deeds, but because of his diabolical nature he's bound to act evil against his will; besides that he can't overcome his pride and inability to love. Getting far away from Avernus on a regular basis could make him vulnerable to attacks, but even the most powerful celestials dare not do it, because although he has never shown much power it's suspected that he has it at the level of the greatest Archdevils.
NERGAL
Nergal is a tenebrous Archdevil, chief of the secret police from Avernus; he is the embodiment of vindictive justice. In the diabolical hierarchy he depends directly from Lucipher, and has the control over the very wide police system of Avernus, needed to keep the fierce order and control that these lawful beings love so much; being Baalcefon his subordinate. Despite his relation with Lucipher, Nergal is not considered one of the most important Archdevils as his functions are considered minor as they are limited to the plane of Avernus and not to extend the evil cause across the cosmos. He believes he is owed more respect and admiration, because if not for his zeal society would have fallen into demonic chaos; this resentment makes him especially relentless in his work and strive for perfection at any cost. In the material plane sometimes the souls of the worst murderers sentenced to death are assigned to Nergal, but only in isolated cases of utter depravity.
RHABDOS
The other she-Archdevil, alongside Goleenban, is even more sinister than the latter. Her nickname is the "Strangler", given the pleasure she finds killing her enemies in this way; for that she has entwined in her complex dress multiple pieces of string or strips of many different fabrics, from silk to leather, gone through rough hemp. Rhabdos is the matron of murderers, torture and sex, preferably when all this is happening in unison; many psychopaths and rapists have ensured that a female inner voice drove them to commit their crimes; if true, it would be Rhabdos, although the clerics set up to judge these criminals are very aware that Rhabdos doesn't enter a heart that has not already opened to her voluntarily. Moreover, this she-Archdevil is the symbol of betrayal, leading to suspicion even amongst her fellows, except Baalberit, her lover and the closest thing to an ally with which she can count, this female always thirsty for blood and pleasure.
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