OSH: Overlay Templates

I admit it, I’ve done some wacky stuff for Old School Hack. And now I’ve got a whole other dimension of wackiness to share with you all.

I am giving this its own post, so I can link back to it, but there are several overlay templates to come. I think this is going to be a real hit.

Overlay Templates

Sometimes supernatural remarkable things happen to people. Overlay templates represent a magical condition afflicting a character. Examples include becoming a vampire, or a werewolf, or finding out you are an immortal.

Requirement to Level. Under the influence of an overlay template, a character must spend 15 Awesome Points to level up instead of 12. This does not affect previous leveling, and if the overlay template is somehow removed, the requirement to level returns to 12.

Inherent Abilities and Limitations. As soon as the overlay template applies, the character gains the inherent ability of the overlay template, as well as any limitations.

 Talents. You can spend 3 Awesome Points to access talents from the overlay just like you can for your base template. Taking talents from the overlay when you level does not count as a base template talent or a cross-template talent.

 

 

OSH Pantheon: Canticles of Wounds

Who says a god of healing has to be all touchy feely like a sad woman in white? Here’s Soothotcha, a different kind of approach to wounds and healing. Plus, animated prosthetics! I mean, come on!

Canticles of Wounds

OSH Pantheon: Canticles of Selfishness.

This one is a little unusual, perhaps; Boomaxle is a god of the Magnificent Self. Yes, be philanthropic, if it makes you feel good and you like the reputation! Yes, sacrifice for another, if you value the feeling of their love more than what you gave up! Do what makes you feel good, what makes you closer to your ideal self.

This could be used for good, or twisted for evil, in a number of highly entertaining ways. I imagine one way or another, after traveling with one of these clerics, you’d certainly find them memorable…

Canticles of Selfishness

Why a halberd for the sacred weapon? You can hang a lantern on it, to shed more light, to see and be seen. You get +1 AC as a reach weapon. You don’t have to get close to others to help or hurt them. Yeah, I’m deep.

Maptacular Monday–OSH Setting: Alanar River Valley

Here is a setting that can serve as a little corner of the world, begging for elaboration and adventure. I’ll show some different things you can do with it. However, for a start, here is the Alanar River Valley.

The .pdf has a brief summary, geographical features, settlements (with rulers, protectors, and locations of interest,) and a full size map. All in five pages.

Alanar River Valley Setting

Here is a summary:

Ten years ago, the Baffram Navy clashed with the Shokoro enclave known as the Voria. The Voria blocked travel to an island chain, it was taboo in their culture. The Baffram navy defeated them, and awarded land to veterans. Eight years ago, on the biggest island (Kolia), a veteran named Lord Cromatch led an effort to settle a fertile river valley. Now almost two thousand people live in the valley.

 Hemmed in by the Cradle Mountains on the north, west, and south, the curving valley is flanked to the east by highlands that crumble down cliffs towards the river. The Khavor Highlands and the Shekmell Marsh have enclaves of shokoro, but they are not connected to the Voria, and they are primitive in their weapons, world view, and traditions.

 Connected to the interior by the Hylar Trade Route, and to the sea by Alan’s Port at the mouth of the river, the valley is isolated from conflicts but still in touch with the wider world.

It’s true that yesterday I sort of staged a bit of a zombie apocalypse there, but I’ll also be exploring other ways to use this setting in a more…sustainable fashion. Not that you couldn’t do a zombie apocalypse there and still have lots of ongoing adventures among the undead! But that’s something you could do when you got bored with it being all in one piece.

OSH play report: zombie apocalypse!

Yesterday I had 4 players for 4 hours, and we did a little experimental game with travel interrupted by a completely unexpected zombie apocalypse.

Here is a link to the play report.

Yeah, so I’m running across little stuff I want to fix. But that just has to be okay. We are breaking new ground with some of this stuff, with actual play with some of these templates and also with improving talents. It’s valuable experience for me, and for my players.

A big part of what we did yesterday involves testing out the mounted rules for the first time, and that’s helpful. So far, they’ve worked out great, even in combat; finally, a game system where you don’t have an overpowering urge to dismount before getting into a fight!

The Squirrel Gangs of Baffram

Timothy the Tulip, gladiator and dragon hunter, spent over a month in Baffram as he was looking for the next step to take him closer to his goal of robbing a dragon. What was he up to in the colorful port city of Baffram?

He befriended Captain Quellister, commander of the Knucklefists–dedicated guards who have primordial apes for mounts. The guards work the rooftops, so they must be slight and dextrous. They have special saddles to go on the quasi-intelligent apes, because the apes can scramble around up walls and over rooftops with ease, even with a light passenger.

Tulip recreationally wrestled with the apes, and got in climbing contests with them, earning him a rep with the Knucklefists, as well as room and board as their ally.

Their primary enemies are the Gustocarne Gangs; packs of vicious youth riding 200 pound squirrels. Some of the squirrels even have patagia, or long legs, or other modifications to make them even more terrifying.

Long ago, Fokkrin the Elder was a wizard who cultivated the Waters of Life. He was trying to develop a potion of longevity, possibly leading to immortality. However, not wanting to experiment on humans, he left the Waters out on the roof. Birds and squirrels drank from them, and became more vital and lively–then bigger and stranger. Eventually, meaner.

The city guard shot the birds down easily enough, but have never been able to get rid of the squirrels. When the urchin gangs adopted the squirrels as mounts, the two protected and advanced the causes of the other, and now the carnivorous squirrels seem to be a permanent feature in city life.

Over the course of his service, Tulip earned a handsome squirrel-skin drape from a big squirrel he killed himself. The clasp is its buck-teeth; it provides light armor and protection from cold weather.

OSH Pantheon: Canticles of Death

Sure, we’ve had necromancers, and worshipers of oblivion, but here we’ve got a death goddess!

Seriously, this looks like a metric ton of glee to my eyes, but you can judge for yourself.

Canticles of Death

OSH Pantheon: Canticles of Oblivion

In our ongoing quest towards 18 deities, here is number 9–halfway there. A god of oblivion: how cool is that? Ideal for tormented high school loners who think nobody gets how alone they are. Also ideal for the day after Valentine’s Day.

I think one of these clerics would be a lot of fun to play. They would also make great employers, allies, foes, or arch-enemies for your players. Think about it…

Canticles of Oblivion

OSH Pantheon: God of Deceit

Happy Valentines Day!

Now for the God of Deceit, Fylsifias! The name can be pronounced Fill SIF ee as or Fil sif FIE as.

Come on, take a look, see how this would be fun as a PC or an NPC, either way. The greatest weapon the liar ever had was the truth, and using these spells creatively, a holy liar could destroy many healthy situations with minimal effort… Want to make Iago from Othello? Here you go.

Canticles of Deceit

OSH Pantheon: a Moon Goddess

The moon goddess has a well-rounded spell list that handles all kinds of tasks; practical, combat, social, and hilarious.

Check her out!

Canticles of the Moon