Picture Thursday 4: Skeleton on an Altar by Courtney Campbell

I love this piece. Tabletop art tends to focus on characters and monsters. Occasionally you might get a sketch of an item, but most of the time there’s some kind of living creature at the focus of the image. And while that’s all well and good, I think illustrating environments is extremely underrated. As GMs, its our job to describe environments in a way which will paint a picture in the player’s minds. So it makes sense for us to imagine and share pictures of the types of environments we need to describe, doesn’t it? How would you describe this room in a way which is short enough to hold the players attention, but still covers all of the important details?

You can see more of this artist’s work on his tumblr. He also maintains a an OSR blog which you may have heard of.

Fallout 3 Tabletop Game 2: Skills

This post details the 13 skills used in the Fallout 3 tabletop game which I began outlining yesterday.

Skill Check: For nearly all of the skills, there will be times when a “skill check” is called for. When performing a skill check, the player rolls a d%, and compares the result to the relevant skill. If their roll is higher than the skill’s value, then the check is failed. If they roll equal to, or less than, the skill’s value, then the check is a success.

Barter (C) When buying items from a vendor, the character will be charged an amount equal to the item’s cost, plus 1% for every point that the character’s barter skill is beneath 100. This can be rounded to the nearest 10% for simplicity’s sake.

For example, Kestrel has a Barter of 21, and wants to buy a gun worth 50 caps. Kestrel’s barter skill is 79 points below 100, so rounding to the nearest 10%, that means the vendor should charge Kestrel 80% above the list price for the gun she wants to buy. 10% of 50 is 5, so the vendor should charge Kestrel 90 caps for the gun.

When selling items, vendors will pay an amount equal to [Barter Value]% of the item’s cost. For example, Kestrel would now like to sell the gun she purchased. The gun’s base price is 50 caps, and Kestrel’s Barter Score is 21. Rounding to the nearest 10%, that means Kestrel will be able to get 20% of the gun’s value at sale. The vendor will buy the gun for 10 caps.

NOTE: The Barter skill is by far the most complicated to convert to a tabletop game. This is the simplest rule I could come up with. If you deem it too complicated, simply remove Barter from the game entirely, and allow characters to buy and sell items at their base value.

Big Guns (E), Energy Weapons (P), Melee Weapon(S), Small Guns (A), Unarmed (E) All five of these skills function the same way. When wielding a weapon of the associated type, the character has [Skill]% chance to hit what they are aiming at. When firing a weapon, the character should roll a d%. If their roll is equal to, or less than, their relevant [Skill]%, then they’ve successfully hit their target.

For example, Kestrel has an Energy Weapons skill of 31, and a Small Guns skill of 17.

She takes aim at a Super Mutant, and fires at it with her Laser Pistol. She rolls a D%, and it is a 74. Since this is above 31, she has missed! The Super Mutant fires back at Kestrel, but also misses. It is Kestrel’s turn again, and she fires another blast with her Laser Pistol. This time her D% roll is 22, which is a successful hit! The Super Mutant takes damage, but is still alive. It fires at Kestrel again, and once again misses. Kestrel’s laser pistol is out of ammunition, so she switches to her 10mm pistol. She rolls her D%, and it comes up as an 18. Because the 10mm pistol is a Small Gun, not an Energy Weapon, an 18 is a miss!

Characters can aim at different parts of a creature to improve their chances of hitting, or to improve the damage they deal. These numbers may be modified based on the environment, but generally speaking:

Head: -10% chance to hit. +25% damage.
Arms/Legs: +10% chance to hit. -25% damage.
Torso: Normal chance to hit. Normal damage.
Weapon: -25% chance to hit. Knocks weapon from hand.

Some weapons may also have a better, or worse chance to hit at various ranges from the shooter (Melee, Close Range, Mid Range, Long Range, Distant). These bonuses or penalties are unique to the weapon being used.

Kestrel’s chance to hit with her 10mm pistol is very small. She aims for the creatures exposed arms to try and improve her chances. She rolls her d% die, and it comes up as a 20. Normally this would be a miss, because her Small Guns skill is only 17. However, because she aimed for the creature’s arms, her chance to hit was raised to 27%, and this shot hits! Unfortunately, instead of dealing the normal 4 damage that a 10mm bullet would, this shot only deals 3 damage because it is in the creature’s arm.

The Super Mutant is mad now, and pulls out a sledgehammer. It charges for Kestrel, and before she can get another shot off it has moved to Close Range. She’s not very good at melee combat, so she needs to stop that creature before it gets any closer! She pulls out her sawed off shotgun. It’s a small gun, but it has +50% chance to hit at close range. She aims for the Supermutant’s head for extra damage.

With the 17% chance she has from small guns, plus the 50% chance from being at close range with a sawed off shotgun, minus the 10% penalty she gets for aiming for the head, Kestrel has a 57% chance to hit.

Kestrel pulls the trigger, and rolls a 44! It’s a hit! Sawed off shotguns normally deal 18 damage, but for a headshot that gets a 25% boost! Rounded up, that’s an extra 5 damage, for a total of 23 damage right to the Supermutant’s face!

Melee and Unarmed weapons are unique. Like other weapons, they have a chance to hit equal to the relevant [Skill%]. However, since they can only be used at short range, they receive no increased chance to hit based on range. They do still receive bonuses or penalties based on which part of the target is being attacked, however.

The other unique thing about Melee Weapons and Unarmed combat is that while they both deal an amount of base damage equal to the weapon being used, they also deal an additional amount of damage equal to the character’s strength.

Shit, shit, shit! The super mutant is still up, and on its last turn it closed to melee range and walloped her good! This close, it’s difficult to use a gun, so even though she’s bad at it, Kestrel opts to use a melee weapon. She pulls out a knife, and stabs at the Super Mutant! Kestrel has a Melee Weapon skill of 10, so she does everything she can to increase her chances by aiming for the super mutant’s arm, increasing her chances by 10%. Miraculously, Kestrel rolls a 20 on her d%! Any higher than that, and she would have missed!

The knife’s damage is 6, but Kestrel gets to add her strength to the damage. Unfortunately Kestrel’s strength is only 2, and she deals a measly 8 damage. The Supermutant is still up.

On its turn, the supermutant attacks Kestrel’s knife, and knocks it from her hand. She’s in trouble now! Its her turn, and all she has to attack with is her fists. So she does the only thing she can do: she punches the super mutant in its leg.

Kestrel’s unarmed skill is only 6, but with the +10% she gets from attacking the Supermutant’s leg, it’s just high enough for her to hit when she rolls a 15. Since she’s not wielding any weapons right now, the only damage she deals is from strength. 2 Damage.

Apparently the Super Mutant was only just barely hanging on, though, because that 2 damage is enough to knock the creature to the ground, dead. Kestrel gains 3 experience points for defeating a difficult monster!

Explosives (P) Explosives is primarily used for throwing grenades or disarming mines. But may be used for other tasks, such as safely building an incendiary device, or disarming an undetonated nuclear bomb.

In all cases, the character must simply roll under their [Explosives]% using a d% die. If their explosives skill is 50, then in order to succeed, they must roll a 50 or less on a d%. GMs may offer bonuses, or penalties, to an explosives roll, based on circumstances. (Throwing at a target you can’t see, for example, would be a penalty to success of 25%)

Lockpick (P), Science (I) Lockpicking and Science function the same way, with different devices. Lockpick helps the player pick locks, while Science helps the player hack computers. Players must roll under their [Skill]% in order to succeed at breaking into whatever they’re attempting to breech. If the roll is failed by more than 20%, then the lock becomes jammed, or the computer locks down. Another attempt cannot be made unless a key or password is found.

Super Easy – +50% to Success Chance
Very Easy – +25% to Success Chance
Easy – +10% to Success Chance
Average – Normal Skill Roll
Hard – -10% from Success Chance
Very Hard – -25% from Success Chance
Super Hard – -50% from Success Chance

Medicine(I) For the most part, this is used when the character is using scavenged medical equipment (such as stimpacks) to restore their HP. Each such healing item has a value of how much HP it can restore. The character can effectively restore [Medicine Skill]% of that value. For example, Kestrel has a Medicine score of 30. 30% of 50 is 15, therefore Kestrel’s medical skills allow her to restore 15 HP using the Stimpack.

The Medicine skill may also be used to perform various medical procedures. Gauge what procedures the character can perform using this guideline:

Medicine 1-10: Untrained.
Medicine 11-30: Wasteland Nurse
Medicine 31-60: Wasteland Field Medic
Medicine 61-90: Wasteland Doctor
Medicine 91-100: Pre-War Doctor

Repair (I) Items will slowly degrade as you use them, which will reduce their effectiveness. To fix an item, you must have two examples of the same item from which you can extract spare parts. (For example, if you wish to repair your 10mm pistol, you will need a second 10mm pistol.) This second item is destroyed by the repairing process, and cannot be repaired, or used for future repairs.

When repairing an item, add the current durability score of the item being stripped for parts, to the item being repaired. Players are capable of repairing items up to a durability score equal to their repair skill.

Kestrel has been using her Hunting Rifle a lot, and it’s down to 30 durability. This significantly impacts the damage her weapon does, so when she finds a new hunting rifle, she quickly strips it for spare parts. The new hunting rifle she finds has a durability of 24. Combining the durability of the two items can bring her hunting rifle’s durability up to 54.

Unfortunately, Kestrel’s current repair skill is 51, so that’s the maximum she can repair the item to. The remaining 3 points are discarded.

Sneak (A) Sneak is a very simple skill. If a character wishes to be undetected, and there is a reasonable chance that they may fail in that endeavor, then they must roll a skill check. If they roll equal to or under their sneak skill, then they have successfully gone unnoticed. Note that a sneak check shouldn’t be required if there is not a reasonable chance that the player will be detected.

A new check is required any time the player risks detection. Some examples of times the player might risk detection are:

Attempting to pickpocket a target.
When a new target enters the area.
When an NPC looks in the direction of a character who is not fully hidden.
When an NPC moves close to their hiding place.
If a hiding place requires that the character remain still, then after long periods checks should be required to see if the character accidentally makes noise.

Speech (C) Social interaction should be handled through role playing. The GM should consider an NPC’s interests, and craft the NPC’s reactions based on them. If the player suggests something the NPC would strongly agree with, then the NPC should agree. If the player suggests something the NPC would strongly disagree with, then the NPC should disagree. If the player suggests something which falls into the gray area, then a Speech check should be made. If the player succeeds on this check, then they’ve convinced the NPC. If the player fails the check, then they succeed in convincing the NPC.

Note that neither success nor failure is ever absolute. If the NPC offers the player 200 caps to kill a local Supermutant, and the player demands 400 caps, then success might mean that the NPC offers 300 caps. And if the character fails, then they might be able to earn another check by offering some good reasons why they deserve more caps.

In the coming week I’ll wrap up this exploration of Fallout 3 as a tabletop game with a few miscellaneous rules.

Fallout 3 Tabletop Game 1: Characters

Every year around Thanksgiving, I have a guaranteed 4 days off from my day job. If possible I get the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving off as well, netting me a total of 6 days to myself. It’s as close as I’m able to get to a vacation, and just about the only time of the year when I can get really invested in a video game. This year I spent an absolutely obscene amount of time playing Fallout 3, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t get as much work done as I had planned to, but I’ve decided that’s okay. ‘All work and no play makes jack a dull boy’ isn’t just a terrifying reveal in a Kubrick film. It’s an adage with some real wisdom behind it.

After spending several days immersed in the game, my ladyfriend and I were chatting about it over lunch. We came to the conclusion that we both loved the setting and style of the game, and enjoyed playing it. But both of us found that we always wanted more options. Why can’t you join the Enclave, for example? Or cart the nuke from Megaton all the way to Tenpenny tower, and blow them up? Or, ya know…fix one of the cars scattered all over the place and drive it around the Wasteland. Obviously the options in a video game are necessarily limited in scope. Every insane whim a player might want to pursue cannot be accounted for.

But tabletop games do not suffer from any such limitations.

It took me perhaps twenty minutes to sketch out the core of the system. It was remarkably simple. Fallout 3’s mechanics are close to a tabletop game already. In fact, the original fallout games were going to be based on GURPS before negotiations between the developers and Steve Jackson Games fell apart. What I cobbled together seems pretty solid to me, and I’m proud enough of it that I thought I’d share.

I must stress that the rules below are imperfect. I haven’t had the opportunity to play test the system yet. And even without play testing it, I can tell you that the rules are math-heavy and complex. I’ve tried to simplify them as much as I can, but there’s only so much that can be done.

Take a look if you’re interested. And if you like what I’ve put together, let me know.

Fallout 3 Tabletop Characters

S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Each Fallout 3 character has seven SPECIAL attributes which range between 1 and 20. When a character is created, the value of these attribute should be determined in order, by rolling 1d20 for each. If you wish, 3 sets of SPECIAL attributes can be rolled, and the player can select the set which appeals to them the most.

The seven attributes are:

Strength
Perception
Endurance
Charisma
Intelligence
Agility
Luck

Meta Human Races as Player Characters

Most Fallout 3 characters are human. However, players may wish to take on the role of one of the mutated, meta-human races. Doing so comes with some mechanical bonuses and penalties. The GM should also remember that these races are not welcome in most human societies. Super mutant characters receive a +10 bonus to Strength and Endurance, and a -10 penalty to Charisma and Intelligence. Ghoul characters receive a +10 bonus to their Endurance, and a -10 penalty to their Charisma. Racial bonuses cannot reduce a SPECIAL attribute below 1, but they may raise it above 20. (This is the only way a SPECIAL attribute can ever be raised above 20).

In addition to SPECIAL bonuses and penalties, Meta-human races must spend 2 skill points to receive 1 rank in any skills associated with a SPECIAL attribute they have a racial penalty in. For example, if a Ghoul (who has -10 Charisma) wished to raise their Speech skill (which is associated with Charisma), then that character would need to spend 2 skill points to raise their Speech skill by 1.

Skills

Fallout 3 characters each have 13 skills. Each of these skills is associated with one of the SPECIAL attributes. The skills, and the attributes associated with them, are:

Barter (C)
Big Guns (E)
Energy Weapons (P)
Explosives (P)
Lockpick (P)
Medicine (I)
Melee Weapon (S)
Repair (I)
Science (I)
Small Guns (A)
Sneak (A)
Speech (C)
Unarmed (E)

Each skill has a value between 1 and 100. When a character is created, each skill’s starting value is calculated by taking the value of the associated SPECIAL attribute, and adding one half of the value of the Luck attribute, rounded up.

Kestrel has a Perception of 14, and a Luck of 5. There are three skills associated with Perception: Energy Weapons, Explosives, and Lockpick. Each of these skills will begin with a value of of 17. (Perception + 1/2 of Luck, rounded up)

Once the starting value of each skill is calculated, the player chooses three skills to ‘tag.’ Tagged skills are raised by a value of 15 points.Kestrel would like her character to be a sneaky explosives expert. So she tags the Explosives, Lockpick, and Sneak skills. This brings her Explosives and Lockpick skills up to 32 each (since they were at 17 before). Sneak is an Agility skill, and Kestrel’s Agility is 11. After everything is calculated, her starting Sneak skill 29 [Agility(11) + Tag(15) + 1/2 of Luck, Rounded Up(3)].

Misc

Once a character’s SPECIAL scores have been assigned, and their starting skills have been calculated, there are only two things remaining before the character is ready to play: hit points, and carrying capacity. Players do not begin the game with any caps or equipment. These must be gained through play.

A character’s starting hit points are equal to twice their Endurance score. A character’s carrying capacity is always equal to 100, plus their Strength times Five. So if Kestrel has a Strength of 15, her carrying capacity would be 175.

Leveling Up

Characters can level up by gaining experience points. Each time the character reaches 50xp, they receive a new level, and their experience resets to 0. Experience points are gained by overcoming challenges, with more experience points being awarded for greater challenges. Some examples include:

Opening difficult locks, hacking difficult computers, convincing someone of something which they were skeptical of, defeating an easy monster. (1 xp)
Defeating a difficult monster (2 xp)
Defeating an extremely difficult monster (3xp)
Completing a minor quest. (5xp)
Completing a major quest. (10xp)

Each time a character gains a new level, each of the following 3 things occurs:

The character’s maximum HP goes up by an amount equal to their current Endurance score.
The character receives a number of skill points equal to 10 + 1/2 their Intelligence. Each of these points may be spent to raise a skill by 1.
The character receives a perk, which will be given to them by the GM according to my Feat Slots system.

Example traits include:

Lightfooted. The character will never set off landmines.
Child at Heart. +15% to any social interactions with children.
Thief. 5 points each to the Sneak and Lockpick skills.
Intimidator. +10% to any Speech attempt where a believable threat is made.

Tomorrow I’ll post detailed information on how the game’s skills work.

Critical Hit and Critical Fumble Charts for Pathfinder

I’ve been trying to write a post about critical hits and fumbles for awhile now. A stupidly long while, actually. Like, a month and a half. I’ve had this general idea about wanting to discuss the various ways I’ve seen people handle attack rolls of 1 or 20, but I haven’t been able to pin down what I want to say about it.

I first got to thinking about this when I started playing in my friend Gustie’s Anomalous Subsurface Environment game, where I am a thief named Nire the Dead. Gustie has a really cool method of handling critical hits, where the attacker can either deal double damage, or do ‘something cool.’ It’s a mechanic which doesn’t simply allow players to be creative and try crazy things, but encourages it. A player can always say they want to try something cool, but often the odds of success make a simple attack the obviously better choice. By pre-confirming that something cool will work, the mechanic has an incredibly freeing effect on the player’s imagination.

All of that said, I don’t know if I would want to implement Gustie’s system in Pathfinder. Combat maneuvers already provide a working structure for ‘cool stuff,’ and it’s an extremely efficient one which rewards player ingenuity. I feel like the two systems might not mesh well with one another. Despite not wanting to use Gustie’s system, though, I do want to try something a little more colorful than the basic double damage / critical miss system that Pathfinder uses.

For the last few weeks, Brendan’s Vaults of Pahvelorn game has been using a pair of tables he got from a Lammantations of the Flame Princess supplement. I don’t own LotFP, so I can’t speak to the table’s full content. But anytime a 1 or a 20 is rolled, Brendan asks us to roll a 30 sided die, and something wonderful, or terrible, results. I’ve been fascinated to watch how this table has affected the group. We’re all on the edge of our seat, waiting to find out what the d30’s roll will produce–and there have been some doozies. Like the time one of us rolled a 20, which resulted in a miss, but they then ‘learned from it,’ and gained 1 point to their wisdom score. Or the time one of the party’s cleric’s was granted a new level on the spot.

We’ve had an immense amount of fun with the LotFP tables. But for my Pathfinder games, I wanted to find something a little more grounded. That’s when I discovered a post on Delta’s D&D Hotspot with some fantastic tables from an old dragon magazine. You should definitely take a moment to look over those tables. They’re very nearly perfect. All I’ve done below is parse them down from four charts, to two. And from a d%, to a d30.

Note that a little creativity, and judgement is required from the GM when using these tables. What does it mean in game terms when an orc loses an eye? (Perhaps they’re easier to backstab or flank)? What exactly happens to a shortbow when it’s damaged? (Perhaps the character cannot bend it as far without breaking it, and thus the bow’s range is reduced by half)? I’ve tried to predict circumstances which would make any of the results invalid, and provide contingencies for them. But if you choose to use these tables, I’m sure you’ll discover a few that I missed, and need to either re-roll, or make a judgement call.

Critical Hits (Roll 1d30)

Any attack roll of 20 is a critical hit. Any other other attack roll within critical range must be confirmed as per Pathfinder’s rules.

1-10) Standard critical damage as indicated by the weapon type.
11-15) Critical multiplier increased by 1. (If a weapon deals double damage on a critical hit, then it would deal triple damage. If the weapon deals triple damage, then it would deal quadruple damage, and so on.)
16) Normal damage, and weapon is knocked from the opponent’s hands. (If enemy uses natural weapons, such as a bite attack, those weapons are damaged and rendered unusable.)
17) Normal damage, and opponent’s shield is knocked out of their hands. (If no shield is present, weapon is knocked away instead, as described for 16)
18) Normal damage, plus opponent’s armor (or natural armor) is damaged, reducing its AC bonus by 1. Armor can be repaired for 1/2 base cost. (If armor is magical, re-roll.)
19) Normal damage, plus the opponent’s ear is struck, and destroyed. (If the target is wearing a helm, attack deals normal damage, and helm is knocked off.)
20) Normal damage, plus the opponent’s eye is struck, and destroyed. (If the target is wearing a helm, attack deals normal damage and helm is knocked off.)
21) Normal damage, plus the opponent’s knee is struck. They are reduced to 1/2 movement speed.
22) Critical damage, plus the opponent’s right arm is destroyed (Either cut off, or damaged beyond usability).
23) Critical damage, plus the opponent’s left arm is destroyed (Either cut off, or damaged beyond usability).
24) Critical damage, plus the opponent’s right leg is destroyed (Either cut off, or damaged beyond usability).
25) Critical damage, plus the opponent’s left leg is destroyed (Either cut off, or damaged beyond usability).
26) Critical damage, plus severe damage to the abdomen. (Heavy bleeding, either from a wound, or internally). Target will continue to lose 10 hp every turn (10 minutes) until bbleeding is stopped.
27) Critical damage, plus severe damage to one of the target’s lungs. Target is left gasping on the ground until tended to. Suffers a permanent loss of 4 Constitution (which also causes a loss of 2hp/level). This ability loss is from the destruction of a lung, and cannot be recovered by anything less than a Regenerate spell.
28) The attack strikes the chest, and severely damages the heart. The target is immediately reduced to -1 hp.
29) The attack strikes the head. The target immediately drops to -1 hp and suffers the permanent loss of 4 Wisdom. This ability loss is from brain damage, and cannot be recovered by anything less than a Regenerate spell. (If the target is wearing a helmet, this attack instead deals critical damage, and knocks the helmet from the target’s head).
30) Roll twice.

Critical Fumble (Roll 1d30)

Any attack roll of 1 is a critical fumble.

1-10) Complete miss.
11-12) Fumbler’s movements put them off balance. They take a -1 penalty to their armor class for the next round.
13) Fumbler’s movements put them severely off balance. They lose Dexterity, Shield, and Dodge bonuses to AC for the next round. If losing these bonuses does not reduce the fumbler’s AC, then they still must take a -1 penalty.
14-15) Fumbler trips, and falls prone.
16) Fumbler trips, falls prone, and strikes their head. Stunned for 1d4 rounds. (If fumbler is wearing a helmet, then they are not stunned, but their helmet is knocked off).
17-18) Weapon is damaged and loses some of its effectiveness, but is still usable. Specifics are up to the GM. Weapon can be repaired for 1/2 of the weapon’s base cost. (Magical weapons are unaffected, and merely miss).
19) Weapon is damaged and loses some of its effectiveness, but is still usable. Specifics are up to the GM. Weapon can be repaired for 1/2 base cost. This includes magical weapons.
20-21) Weapon is destroyed. Can be reassembled for 3/4 of the weapon’s base cost. (Magical weapons are unaffected, and merely miss).
22) Weapon is destroyed. Can be reassembled for 3/4 of the weapon’s base cost. This includes magical weapons.
23) Weapon is dropped.
24) Weapon is sent flying.
25) Shield is dropped. (If no shield is held, weapon is dropped).
26) Fumbler twists their ankle, and is reduced to 1/2 speed until they have a day to rest.
27) If fumbler wears a helm, it becomes twisted, leaving them unable to see. (If no helm is worn, this is simply a miss).
28) A nearby ally is struck for 1/2 damage. (If no ally is nearby, this is merely a miss).
29) A nearby ally is struck for normal damage. (If no ally is nearby, this is merely a miss).
30) Roll Twice.

Simple, Deadly Poisons

In appendix 1 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, a number of poisons are listed. Each poison has a bunch of attributes under their fancy schmancy names. The type indicates how the poison gets inside the body. The onset is how long it takes for the poison to begin its work, while the frequency is how often the poison’s effects will repeat, and for how long. The fortitude save varies by poison, and may be attempted each time the poison’s effects repeat. Normally a single save at any point will cause the poison’s effects to end, but sometimes multiple saves may be required (noted under “cure.”) To be fair, most of these poisons can be deadly, but they don’t really suit my needs when I’m designing a trap.

Poisons highlight a problem I have with Pathfinder: the numerous opportunities to save. It’s an excessive amount of rolling which seems designed to give players a better chance to resist whatever effect is directed at them. But I don’t see why. I prefer a game where an effect either happens, or it does not. A save is either passed, or failed. Allowing 6 saves for a given dose of poison just means that poison won’t be a very large threat to players, because they’ll almost always save within their first few rolls. And the one time that the odds are against them and they roll poorly numerous times in a row, dying because of it, they’re going to feel cheated because their fate was left up to random chance. Survivability from poisons should come in the form of the player’s ability to avoid becoming poisoned in the first place through intelligent play. It should not come in the form of an increased number of die rolls. Many effects, such as enchantments and diseases, suffer from this same problem.

For my own use, I’ve devised a simpler system for poisons which are much deadlier, and simpler to remember. Instead of being enumerated individually, poisons are created by the GM according to these basic guidelines. I don’t find that it’s important to identify the method of contraction, because that’s implied by the delivery method. If the poison is in cloud form, then its inhaled. If it is delivered by a needle, then it needs to be in the bloodstream to work. If it’s in food, it’s an ingested poison.

Most poisons belong to one of six types. These correspond to the six ability scores.

Strength poison weakens the muscles of the victim, and can eventually stop the heart. Constitution poison causes nausea, and makes it difficult to breathe, eventually leaving the victim too weak to swallow food, leading to death. Dexterity poison afflicts the victim’s control over their limbs, and can eventually leave the victim paralyzed. Intelligence poison causes the victim to lose focus, and can eventually leave them in a vegetative state. Wisdom poison tampers with the victim’s connection to reality, and can eventually drive them mad. Charisma poison is rare, and expensive. It saps the victim of their cheer, and personality, leaving them ill-tempered and prone to lashing out at their companions. Eventually Charisma poison can drive a person into such misery that they will wish to kill themselves.

Each of these poisons is available in five levels of potency.

Very Weak poison is old, and may have largely dried up. The save to resist it is 12, and it deals 2d4 damage to the indicated attribute.
Weak poison may be watered down, or perhaps not enough was applied. The save to resist is 15, and it deals 2d6 damage to the indicated attribute.
Normal poison has a save to resist of 17, and deals 3d6 damage to the indicated attribute.
Strong poison may be fresh, or taken from a particularly potent source. It has a save to resist of 20, and deals 4d6 damage to the indicated attribute.
Very Strong poison may have been refined by a master alchemist. It has a save to resist of 24, and deals 3d10 damage to the indicated attribute.

The five levels of potency scale nicely with the levels of character power in a given attribute. Weaker poisons are deadly if the character has a very low score for that attribute, while the stronger poisons are deadly for characters who have high scores in the given attribute.

If the save is failed, then the poison will run its course unless an antidote is applied. The first die of the poison’s damage is rolled immediately when the poison is contracted. Every 15 minutes after, another die of the poison’s damage is rolled, until the damage has been dealt in its entirety. If the character takes strenuous action which gets the blood pumping (such as running to get the cure) then the poison may act more quickly (a die rolled every 10 minutes) while a character at rest may be able to hold out longer (a die rolled every 20 minutes)

If the poison reduces the character’s attribute below 0, then the damage is permanent, and the character suffers the fate indicated by the attribute the poison afflicted: death for Strength, inability to eat for Constitution, paralysis for Dexterity, vegetative state for Intelligence, insanity for Wisdom, and suicide for Charisma. If the poison ends its run (either naturally, or because the antidote was applied) before the character’s ability score reaches 0, then the score will regenerate at the standard rate of 1 point per day of rest, until it returns to its previous state.

Non standard poisons may exist, such as poisons unique to a specific creature. But when stocking a dungeon with traps, these six simple poisons in 5 different potencies are varied enough to be interesting, and deadly enough to make players think twice before they open a door with their bare hands.

The only flaw I see in the system is that since the poisons do not have names, players can’t seek antidotes for them. But that’s simple enough: give them names, and have shops sell antidotes for them. Or, better yet, come up with specific plants which can serve as antidotes for them, so players can learn those plants and search for them if they’re poisoned and don’t have any antidote on hand.

Merciless Monsters 9: Kolera (a.k.a. Beetle People)

The Kolera, or ‘Beetle People’ as they are commonly known, were not forged by the gods as other races were. Centuries ago they were created by a mad wizard who wished to enshrine herself forever in the annals of history. A mad wizard whose name has, ironically, been forgotten. She conquered and enslaved numerous villages of humans, and performed twisted magical experimentation on them to bring about a new and powerful race of creatures with insectoid characteristics. Poetic justice was served when the very abominations she’d created devoured her.

In the time since, the Kolera have proliferated, and are now commonly found inhabiting a variety of caves, burrows, and dungeons. Due to the mutations to their formerly human mouths, Kolera cannot speak common. They could understand it if they chose to study it, however they have little desire to deal with humans, or any other non-Kolera for that matter. They are an introverted people, who while not strictly isolationist, are extremely territorial and suspicious of outsiders.

Kolera live in tightly knit colonies, which are typically ruled by consensus. Though they are not hive minded, conflict rarely occurs within a colony. Social rules and the role of each individual appear to be almost instinctual in nature. and rare disagreements are either arbitrated by a third party, or settled by a non-lethal combat to establish the dominance of one party. Very rarely, one Kolera in a colony will rise to a position of leadership, and lead it as a king or queen. As with other aspects of Kolera society, this appears to occur instinctively. The leader knows their role is to command the colony, and the others of the colony know that they must accept orders from this ruler.

Young Kolera are hatched from eggs, and spend the first year of their life as large, starfish-shaped larva. From a distance, an adult Kolera could easily be mistaken for a human. They have a torso, arms, legs, and a head all in the same arrangement as their human forebears. It is up close when the alterations of the mad wizard become obvious. Kolera have large, lidless, compound eyes. They lack lips or a tongue, and instead have a large pair of pincers on each side of their mouth, and in place of teeth, they have dozens of prehensile ‘brushes,’ which funnel food directly into a stomach filled with digestive acid many times more corrosive than a human’s.

Instead of hair atop their head, Kolera have a large shell which serves as a natural helm. There are wings beneath this shell, but they are flightless. Instead they serve as a means of communication between Kolera. Similar shells form on the shoulders and knees. This is combined with hard plates growing on the chest and back, which altogether serve as natural armor for the creatures. Each of a Kolera’s wrists have a retractable antenae growing from them, which serve as a powerful sensory organ which can detect subtle traces of scent or texture which would be indetectable to a human. Instead of hands, Koleran forearms end with six opposed digits–three on one side, three on the other–which resemble large, powerful insect legs.

The lifespan of a Kolera is a mere 25 years. It is a flaw the mad wizard was never able to correct, and she suspected that the gods themselves had cursed her creation with brief life, because they were angered by her hubris. Whether or not the gods were angered that a mere mortal dared to create a new species, the Kolera believe it. Many colonies have attempted to earn the patronage of a deity, who might lift the curse and allow each Kolera to live longer lives. So far they have been unsuccessful, but it is unclear whether that is because no god is willing to life the curse, or because there is no curse and the Kolera are merely constructed poorly.

Kolera

The creature ahead of you looks like an unholy amalgam of human and insect, fused together almost at random.

Kolera; CR 1/2; [Humanoid] [Caves, Burrows, Dungeons] [Active 12-16 hrs/day. Activity not relative to time of day.]

XP: 200
LE Medium Humanoid (Insect)
Init +2; Senses Darkvision 120ft, Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 16 [10 + Dex(2) + Natural(4) + Shield(2)]
HP 8 (1d10 + 3)
Fort +5 Ref +2 Will -1;

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee Spear; + 4 (1d8 + 3)(Piercing)(20/x3)(20ft. thrown)
Ranged Light Crossbow (Custom Grip); +3 (1d8)(Piercing)(19-20/x2)(80 ft.)

STATISTICS

Str 17 Dex 14 Con 16 Int 11 Wis 09 Cha 07
BAB +1; CMB 4; CMD 16
Languages Kolaric
SQ Regurgitate Acid

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Regurgitate Acid Kolera stomach acid is highly corrosive, and Kolera have the ability to vomit their acid out of their mouths. The process is not pleasant and takes about a minute to complete, so the ability is not viable to use in combat. However, it is frequently used to create hazards, or to destroy locks. The acid deals 1d6 damage per round to whomever it comes in contact with (including the Kolera themselves). An individual Kolera can produce about one gallon of stomach acid each day.

ECOLOGY

Environment Most commonly in farmland, where the necessary resources are plentiful.
Organization Band (6-12) or Colony (100-300)
Activity Cycle An individual Kolera is active for between 12-16 hours a day, but a colony of the creatures is often active 24/7
Diet Omnivorous. Smaller insects and meats from animals and humans primarily, but also a variety of algae and fungus
Natural Enemies Orcs do not get along with them well at all
Treasure Typical

KOLERA CHARACTERS

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -4 Charisma: Kolera are physically powerful, but it is obvious from looking at them that something is not quite as it should be. These creatures were not created by the gods, and it shows in the small imperfections.
Darkvision: Kolera can see in the dark perfectly, up to 120ft.
Perception: the compound eyes of the Kolera allow them to see around them much better than most creatures can. This grants them a +4 bonus to perception checks.
Natural Armor: The hard carapace and shells which grow on a Kolera’s body serve as an effective suit of natural armor, granting a +4 bonus to Armor Class. Unfortunately these bulky plates also make it nearly impossible for a Kolera to be fitted for more traditional armor.

Picture Thursdays 3: Green Dragon by Larry Elmore

A couple years back, my local comic book store came into possession of a large number of oldschool Dungeons and Dragons modules. I bought as many of them as I could afford, and have thoroughly enjoyed owning them, reading them, adapting them, and basking in their marvelous artwork. I’m sure a lot of that art will end up as part of this series eventually if I continue with it, but this one holds a special place in my heart. Among the modules was an early D&D supplement, the Player’s Companion: Book One by Frank Mentzer. This is the cover. The artist is Larry Elmore, whose artwork you’ve probably seen before. Dude is prolific.

Where to begin? The sweeping landscape in the background speaks to me of endless adventures and armies charging across the planes. The castle at the end of the long road gives me a feeling of power. For some reason I imagine the knight is the lord of that castle, and he’s here defending his lands with his own sweat and blood. The dragon is just perfect. It maintains what I would consider the ‘traditional’ dragon anatomy, while also appearing sleek and limber enough that it isn’t just a lumbering colossus as dragons are often portrayed.

And then there’s that sword. What the hell is up with that sword? That is some serious Cloud Strife shit right there, right in my oldschool D&D! I like to imagine that the sword was left on earth by a defeated angel, and the knight’s purity of spirit allows him to wield it even though it is far too large for him.

Synchronizing Calendars To Avoid Temporal Displacement

For a couple months now, I’ve been considering running a second campaign in my ToKiMo game world. It would be concurrent with my monthly Pathfinder game in that same world. Both groups of players would have free reign to explore and change the world as they desired. The effects of each group’s adventures would manifest themselves in the other group’s world. So if there are rumors of a great legendary sword hidden deep in the forest, then the first group to reach it claims their reward, while the second group to reach it only finds a stone with a strange slit in it.

I’ve wanted to do something like this for years now, ever since first reading the classic “Head of Vecna” tale. I wouldn’t want to pit the two adventuring parties against each other, because I personally don’t think that would be very fun. What I would like is for each party to add life to my game world. I do what I can to make the world around my players seem alive, but there’s only so much that a GM can do. By adding a second party to the mix, it becomes possible for one party to develop a place or an NPC through play, and then for the other party to enjoy the benefits of that development.

Most of the logistical problems involved in running two groups in the same world are minor. If group 1 loots a dungeon, then by the time group 2 arrives at the same dungeon, I’m sure other monsters will have moved in. And if treasure is hidden properly, than it’s doubtful that a single group will ever find all of it, so there ought to be plenty left for the next group to find. And if the players interfere with each other’s quests…well that just sounds awesome, actually. I don’t know why I would want to fix it. There is one problem, though, which I am at a loss for how to fix. How do I keep two games leashed to a single timeline?

When two parties are adventuring separately, what’s to keep them from ending up weeks or months apart from one another? If one of the groups wants to take a month off to craft a suit of armor, and the other group wants each session to begin right where the previous one left off, then this won’t work. There needs to be a method of keeping both parties in roughly the same time period. A task which is particularly difficult since my current group meets monthly, and my new group would probably need to be run bi-weekly.

My first thought is to make time a limited resource for the players. For the group meeting twice a month, they would have a maximum of 1 week to ‘spend’ during the session. For the group meeting only once a month, they would have 2 weeks to spend. Each group would also have the opportunity to spend any time they didn’t use during the game session on other tasks, such as crafting, magical research, carousing, etc. Making time a more tangible resource is something I’ve wanted to promote in my games for awhile, so this would help with that goal as well.

But what if a game session ends on a time sensitive goal? What if the adventuring party is charging into the dungeon to stop a sacrifice which will be performed on the 30th day of the Month of Blood, and they only have hours to spare when our time is up and the session must end? It would be unreasonable of me to force the players to start their next session a week or two into the future, if they didn’t run out of time to stop the sacrifice through play. They must be given the option, in these cases, of beginning the next session immediately where the previous left off.

Perhaps the best way to fix that is to implement a mandatory resting period after an adventure. If group 1 typically has two weeks worth of time to spend in any given session, but a session ends after only a single day, and the next session is a continuation of that same day, then the party must rest for 4 weeks after the adventure to recover from their injuries. I can’t think of a reason why my players would object to this–unless there are further time sensitive goals for them to worry about. If players did object, they could always be given penalties for adventuring while exhausted. A -1 to all physical rolls for each week of rest they miss should work.

But then there’s the opposite problem. What if a single game session ends up taking more time than is allotted to the group? Travel doesn’t take up a great deal of time in the real world–particularly if the players are taking a route they’ve followed many times in the past. But it does eat up game time much more quickly than other tasks do. If you’re running a 3 hour session, and you’ve given the players a week’s worth of time for that session, all they need to do is travel through roughly 30 hexes within the session to exceed the week you allotted for them. And while a lot can happen within 30 hexes, I don’t know if you can (or should) force travel to take up an excessive amount of real-world time just to keep your game’s calendar on track.

The only method I’ve been able to come up with for keeping both parties on track when one spends too much time traveling, is to quietly add a few days to the other party’s resting period at the end of their next session.

I can’t help but feel like I’m over complicating this. Maybe these are edge cases which won’t occur frequently in play. But the last thing I want is for this experiment to turn into a clusterfuck of time travel just because I didn’t create an adequate structure for managing the game’s calendar.

I would very much like some input on this issue, if anyone has relevant experience or thoughts!

Nature Deities; Fertility and Destruction

Recently, one of the PCs in my ToKiMo campaign died whilst trying to remove a diamond from a statue’s eye. Save versus disintegration can be a bitch. The loss was particularly tough on this player, because she had overcome a lot of challenges with that character, and was working towards some very lofty goals. In choosing her new character, the player opted to take control of a minotaur hireling which had been working with the party for awhile. She told me she would like to be a druid once she gains enough experience to take a class level, which meant I had some work to do. As of yet, my setting did not have any nature gods. So after a lot of fiddling, I came up with this pair. They will serve as two of the most powerful gods in the ToKiMo campaign world. The statblocks below are compatible with my deity system.

Opsenula

The All-Mother, Nature The Giving, The Lady of New Life

Major Deity (Divine Rank 10)
Holy Symbol A pear with a child depicted within it. The species of the child often depends on the species of the cleric wielding the symbol.
Home Plane Arborea
Alignment True Neutral
Major Portfolio Wisdom, Nature, Fertility, Food, Growth, Life
Minor Portfolio Children, Parents, Calm Weather, Flowers, Fruit, Agriculture, Gifts, Sex, Druids, Creation
Absolute Portfolio Rain, Childbirth, Mothers
Domains Animal, Plant, Weather, Earth, Healing, Water
Worshipers Rangers Druids, Farmers, Parents, Midwives
Clerical Alignments LN, TN, CH, NG, Rarely NE
Favored Weapons Clubs, Staves

While many gods can create life, Opsenula views it as her mission. She has given birth to many species, heroes, and even to gods. She seeks out those who are worthy, and lays with them. She can remain pregnant for decades, centuries, or even millenia. When she gives birth, she releases an entirely new species into the world. Sometimes it is a plant or animal species. Other times it is a new species of intelligent creature. When she lays with other gods, occasionally she will give birth to entirely new gods. Always these new beings will represent some worthy aspect of their parent. She almost always appears as a pregnant woman with flowers and fruits growing amongst her hair.

Dogma Opsenula revels in all life, especially new life. She teaches that acts of creation are sacred, and that children are one of life’s greatest gifts. She also teaches that the cultivation of the land, and the production of food, are sacred pursuits. Civilizations where the people are separated from their sources of food sadden her, and she encourages all of her faithful to have a hand in growing and harvesting her gifts.

Clergy and Temples Opsenula’s temples are commonplace. They can be found in nearly every major free city, though among city dwellers she is not the most popular of deities. Those who live off of the land are the most likely to revere her. It is rare to find a farming community without at least a shrine to the goddess known as Nature The Giving.

Ashnos

Stormrage, Wintergaze, Nature’s Vengeance

Major Deity (Divine Rank 10)
Holy Symbol A volcanic eruption. The eruption is often stylized to resemble a tree.
Home Plane Arborea
Alignment True Neutral
Major Portfolio Strength, Nature, The Hunt, Predators, Death, Rebirth
Minor Portfolio Meat, Natural Disasters, Weeds, Venomous Creatures, Poisonous Animals, Druids, Destruction, Decay, Fertilization, Competition
Absolute Portfolio Floods, Volcanoes, Wildfires
Domains Animal, Plant, Weather, Strength, Repose, Fire
Worshipers Rangers Druids, Barbarians, Trappers, Hunters
Clerical Alignments LN, TN, CN, NE, Rarely NG
Favored Weapons Fire, Axes

Ashnos appears as a naked man who stands 9 feet tall. Twin orbs of fire serve as his eyes, and a small hurricane twirls leaves and branches around his head as though they were hair. The earth shakes around him with each step he takes. Ashnos is not an evil god, but he is often mistaken as such for mortals who fear his power, and the indiscriminate way he wields it.

Dogma Ashnos teaches that the forces of nature rule the world. He finds cities and industry offensive. Those who worship him should live in small communities, or better yet, out amongst the natural world. And while Ashnos praises the struggle to survive, he also teaches that death must be accepted. Clerics of Ashnos may refuse to perform a resurrection spell on principal.

Clergy and Temples Ashnos’ temples are rare. Those who revere him do not often build permanent structures. The few temples which do exists are often in natural caves, particularly those which are near volcanoes. Other places of worship may be outdoors, where the nearby trees and stones have been painted or carved to resemble symbols holy to Ashnos.

History

Opsenula and Ashnos are as old as any gods. They remember a time shortly after the Logos brought the gods into being, when the gods themselves were all that existed. They took part in the creation of the multiverse, and in the formation of the first worlds of the material plane. In that ancient, time, the two were wedded lovers. Opsenula’s plantlife grew over the surfaces of the worlds, and Ashnos’ floods and volcanic eruptions fertilized the soil, allowing new plantlife to grow and flourish.

Opsenula gave birth to the first of the intelligent species, and she loved them. But Ashnos saw how they destroyed the natural world around them, and shaped it to suit their own whims. This angered him, and he called down lightning from sky to burn them, and rose the waters of the sea to drown them. When Opsenula saw what her husband had done, she became enraged, and attacked her him. The two battled until Opsenula saw that some of her children had survived. She laughed at her husband, for despite his rage he could not erase the mortal races from existence. Shamed, he moved to correct his error, but Opsenula struck a mighty blow against him, and Ashnos collapsed. The vowed that should he ever attempt to destroy all of her children, she would do battle with him until one of the two was destroyed.

In the eons since, the two god have remained apart from one another, only occasionally meeting to battle with one another, or to engage in passions which have resulted in numerous minor nature deities.

Colorful Characters 23: Higgins Dreadgrin

When it all started, Higgins was just a lowly magician’s apprentice tagging along on his master’s adventures. He learned spells as best he could from the elder mage, but his primary job was to carry scrolls and lanterns, and occasionally fire a crossbow. That was fine until stray skeleton’s claw tore the face from Higgins’ mentor. Just like that, the apprentice was the only wizard in the room, and his companions needed a wizard. Higgins stepped up and did his best to fill his master’s role in the party, and succeed beyond his wildest imaginings.

Master Waggletongue had always seemed so accomplished to Higgins. He had hung on the elder caster’s every word, but it wasn’t long before he reached parity with, and then exceeded, his mentor’s abilities. The rush of power Higgins felt as his mastery over the arcane grew was addicting. He lusted for greater power more than he had ever lusted for anything in his life. Through his adventures, he continued to gain more and more of it. He uncovered ancient rituals scribed in tomes beneath the earth, and rediscovered spells which had been forgotten centuries ago.

As he grew more powerful, Higgins also grew more ambitious. Why should he limit his quest for power to the arcane arts which common folk considered ‘socially acceptable.’ Who were they to place limits upon a wizard? For that matter, why should he limit his pursuit of power to the arcane arts at all. Who better to lead those pitiful common folk than he? In darkness, Higgins began to study forbidden magical arts. And in silence, he began to plot the overthrow of Zorfath’s ruling council. Once he ruled this pitiful town he might even extend his reach further. Perhaps one day, he could even match the great Necromancer King who wages his bloody wars in the south!

Higgins became so caught up in his grand plans that he began to view them as inevitable. Nothing would stop him, because nothing could stop him. Without realizing it, Higgins began to doubt his own mortality. He tried never to act foolishly, but all it took was one slip. One arrogant step forward when his companions were staying back. Higgins Dreadgrin had his mortality reaffirmed by a quartet of skeletal demon rats which tore the flesh from his bones. His companions fled, turning to Higgins’ apprentice for assistance, as they had once turned to him so long ago.

Unlike most men, though, the tale of Higgins Dreadgrin does not end with his death. For the place in which he died was cursed. A powerful aura of evil permeated the place, and mere hours after breathing his last breath, Higgins’ bones clambered out of their skin, and stood on their own. Higgins had been raised as a skeleton, like the ones which had killed his master. Like the ones which had recently killed him. And yet, for some strange reason which is still not entirely clear to the wizard, Higgins did not become mindless. Perhaps it is because of the power of his intellect, or because of his budding knowledge of necromancy. Perhaps destiny itself would not allow his existence to end on the stone floor of a forgotten dungeon.Whatever the reason, Higgins retained all of his mind, even when the only thing he retained from his body was his bones.

With nowhere else to go, Higgins traveled South, to the lands of the Necromancer King. He traveled only at night so his monstrous form would not be noticed. But once he crossed into the Necromancer King’s lands, it was remarkably easy to fit in. He made his way, in the open, to the palace of the Necromancer King himself. He easily made his way inside with the other workers, and once there, found that he essentially had the run of the castle. Occasionally he had to perform some task or another so he could maintain the illusion that he was only a mindless undead, but Higgins actually had most of his time to himself. Every living creature who might have found his presence suspicious simply ignored him. All of the skeletons looked alike, and since none of them had a mind of their own, everyone assumed that whatever a skeleton was doing was a task given to them by someone else.

For decades, Higgins hid himself amongst the Necromancer King’s servants. He observed rituals, analyzed incantations, and read every scroll and codex in the castle a dozen times over. He turned the greatest necromantic resource in the world inside out. And when he was done, he walked up behind the Necromancer King, and cut out his heart before he could cry out. Higgins considered tearing out the king’s skeleton, and wearing his meat like a suit. He could make it look convincing if he was careful, and as he started to decompose he could claim he was becoming a Lich. After a year, he could shed the skin altogether, and none would be the wiser.

But after decades, Higgins was done hiding. Instead, he paraded the corpse of the mighty Necromancer in front of his greatest servants, and demanded that they submit to him as their master’s successor. A few dissented, but the majority bent their knee to Higgins Dreadgrin when the dissenters were immolated. It was a rush of power like none Higgins had ever felt before. It was intoxicating beyond imagining. And more than anything, he found he wanted to go back to where it all began, so he could easily accomplish the ‘lofty’ goals which had been denied to him in life.

That night, the armies of Lord Dreadgrin marched North, to Zorfath.

Higgins Dreadgrin (CR 16)
XP: 76,800
Male Human Skeleton Wizard 17
LE medium undead
Init +8; Senses Perception +0

Defenses

AC 20, Flat Footed 16, Touch 16 [10 + Dex(4) + Natural Armor(2) + Robes of Natural Armor (2) + Ring of Protection (2)]
hp 116 (17d8 +34)
Fort +5 Ref +9 Will + 12
DR 5/Bludgeoning
Defensive Abilities Channel Resistance +4, Immune to Cold, Undead Traits

Offense

Speed 30ft
Melee Claw Attack (x2) +7/2 (1d4 – 1)
Ranged Heavy Crossbow + 14/9 (1d10 + 1)(19-20/x2)(120ft) (Speed: During full attack, may make 2 attacks at max BAB)

Prepared Wizard Spells (CL 17th; Concentration +21; +2 save DC for Necromancy and Evocation spells)
9th — Meteor Swarm +Energy Drain
8th — Polar Ray x2 +Horrid Wilting
7th — Delayed Blast Fireball, Forcecage, Mage’s Sword +Finger of Death
6th — Chain Lightning, Contingency x2, Eyebite +Undeath to Death
5th — Cloudkill x2, Cone of Cold, Symbol of Pain +Waves of Fatigue
4th — Black Tentacles, Dimension Door, Ice Storm, Wall of Fire x2 +Contagion
3rd — Protection from Energy, Phantom Steed, Fireball x2, Wind Wall, Flame Arrow, Gaseous Form, Haste, Greater Magic Weapon+Vampiric Touch
2nd —Fog Cloud, Detect Thoughts, Shatter, Darkness, Ghoul Touch +False Life
1st — Burning Hands x2, Magic Missile x3+Cause Fear
0 (at will)– Bleed, Open/Close, Ray of Frost x2

Bonded Object The right index finger of Higgins’ teacher, on a chain around Higgins’ neck.
Arcane School Necromancy
Opposed Schools Enchantment, Illusion
School Powers
Power Over Undead (Su): 9/day, may channel energy to Command Undead as the feat.(PFSRD Pg. 120) DC: 19
Grave Touch (Su): 7/day, may make a melee touch attack causes living creature to become shaken for 8 rounds. (already shaken creatures become frightened for 1 round if they have fewer than 17HD).
Life Sight (Su): For 17 rounds per day, can detect living and undead creatures up to a range of 30ft, as a form of Blindsight

Stats

Str 9 (-1) Dex 18 (+4) Con — (–) Int 19 (+4) Wis 11 (+0) Cha 12 (+1)
Base Atk +8/3; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Scribe Scroll, Craft Magical Arms and Armor, Weapon Focus (Crossbow), Extra Channeling, Iron Will, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Spell Focus (Evocation), Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Channel Resistance +4; Metamagic: Extend Spell, Empower Spell, Widen Spell, Quicken Spell, Improved Initiative
Skills Bluff (+18), Craft(Tailoring)(+24), Knowledge(Arcana)(+24), Knowledge(Dungeoneering)(+24), Knowledge(Undead)(+24), Spellcraft (+24)
Languages Common, Ancient Common, Gestural Common, The Gravespeech, Draconic
Gear Three Spellbooks, each bearing a powerful curse if stolen: Arcanum Necronomica, The Book of Pain, and Utilis Magicam; An iron, 3 horned helm of sentimental value; Wand of Lightning Bolt with 16 charges, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Wizardry III, Robes of Natural Armor +2, +1 Heavy Speed Crossbow, Staff of Swarming Insects (PFSRD Pg 495), 180gp