Thursday 31 January 2013

Sandals and Sorcery


I didn't get my Roman entry on time and I'm kinda being self indulgent while sick but here are some Roman throw up tables for various FRP.

Roman City 1d50
1- Rabid dog chases party
2 - Prostitutes offer special discount
3 - Begger claims he has useful information
4 - Famous poet or philosopher spotted on way to market
5 - Doctor on house calls, offers service to wounded
6 - Unemployed youth begs for a job
7 - Rich youth gang tease party
8 - Gang of thugs tries to follow and rob party
9 - Local gang tries to charge toll or protection
10 - Religious spectacle blocks street
11 - Soldiers make public announcement to
locals
12 - Prisoners being led by soldiers
13 - Work gang on construction, recognize a slave
14 - Drunk off duty soldiers mock party
15 - Attractive group of maidens wave, their escorts frown
16 - Pick pocket urchins distract and rob
17 - Make way for important palanquin with noble
18 - Offered to participate in brawl by gamblers
19 - A lesser priest offers unwanted advice
20 - Cultists mark party and follow them
21 - love struck youth follows party anywhere
22 - Trader of false beards and bottoms shows his wares
23 - Prostitutes having a contest pay per view show
24 - Stinking drunks bump into party
25 - Pretty girls auction in street, poor backgrounds, cheap
26 - Youths graffiti walls with bad Latin grammar
27 - Professional graffiti writers working on political campaign
28 - Man painting over rude poem and dicks drawn on fence
29 - Local leaders argue with crowd captivated
30 - Fire vigiles (firemen & cops) try and put out fire
31 - Vigiles breaking up street brawl
32 - Prophet warns all of doom ahead
33 - Masked comedians public performance
34 - Puppet show for the kids and simple folk
35 - Bards have poetry contest brings a crowd
36 - Invited to city bath by friendly local
37 - Popular gladiator surrounded by fans
38 - Peddlers try to convince anyone they need new clothes
39 - Peddlers selling gladiator programs
40 - Colourful performer tries to attract crowd for play
41 - Peddlar with the latest wigs
42 - Escaped crazy monkey tears up street stalls, scares horses
43 - Thug bullying young flower seller for sex
44 - Door to door peddlar chased by angry husbands
45 - Teenage wedding celebrated in street
46 - Dancing bear performing with whip wielding carny
47 - Water bearer offers clean water
48 - Stinking toothless peddler waves stinking fish at you
49 - Street peddlers fight over party attention
50 - Street peddler offering supposed charms and potions

Roman Roads 1d50
1 - Out of control horse or bull
2 - Bandits try to trick party to leave roman road area to attack
3 - Friendly merchants wish to travel with you
4 - Escaped slaves beg for food, attack if ignored
5 - Lost Slave looking for master
6 - Chariot riding aristocrat doesn't break for pedestrians
7 - Soldiers on patrol passing by
8 - Soldiers searching for wanted criminal may search
9 - Unconscious messenger found by roadside
10 - Pilgrims visiting holy tourist attractions
11 - Wealthy noble traveling with entourage wants to dine with you
12 - Wolves attack, will try to chase party animals into forest
13 - Soothsayer offers to read his goats innards for a fee
14 - Traveling doctor with slaves and guards, might sell some treatments
15 - Traveling entertainers offer to entertain you for a few coins
16 - Slave gang working on road repairs
17 - Slave coffle off to market, offered a bargain
18 - Poison snake gets underfoot or hoof
19 - Plague carrier asks for help and money
20 - Bandits being crucified by soldiers
21 - Local farmers laboring in fields
22 - Con artist with games of chance and rigged skill games
23 - Barbarian travelers looking amazed at everything
24 - Farmers moving goods to market on wagons
25 - Peddler tries to sell wares to party
26 - Food vendor offers tasty samples if you look rich
27 - Procession of priests or priestesses with guards
28 - Bacchanalian revelers on way to festival invite party
29 - Small army of troops on their way somewhere
30 - Find exceptional Inn of great fame and quality
31 - Foreign or exotic cultists try and recruit party
32 - Foreign or exotic cultists try and murder party
33 - Nobles horse dies under him, would be grateful for any help
34 - Cages of exotic creatures on way to slaughter
35 - Manacled work gang seen escaping - off to commit horrible crime
36 - Traveling athletes off to games looking to party
37 - Youthful naive noble chased by assassins
38 - Eutruscan noble woman invites you to party while husband at war
39 - Travelers warn you next town is backward cat eating hicks
40 - Excavations begin on new town, survey and diggers at work
41 - Romanized African merchants on adventure
42 - Witch offers healing, cursing, omens or a cheap hot dinner
43 - Bird catchers in fields with nets trapping delicious tiny birds
44 - Farmers having a local festival, wine flows aplenty
45 - Poor man offers to sell his children
46 - Farmers have staged an animal fight, gamblers welcome
47 - Boy child abandoned by prostitute mother
48 - Girl child abandoned by commoners
49 - Farmer selling, puppies, kittens, bear or wolf cubs
50 - Bandits chasing someone in distance

Haunted Place 1d20

1 - Ghost offers advice if pour libations of wine into grave
2 - Ghoul searching for tasty corpses
3 - Skeleton Guardsmen in in spear phalanx
4 - Skeleton gladiators from ancient sacrifice
5 - Ghost offers treasure if avenged on living foe
6 - Shadow creeping among graves
7- Spectre makes big show but wont leave his grave area
8 - Mormo a darkness spirit caught menacing children with bites
9 - Wight amid the barrows hateful of life
10 - Phantom hound, spooks but is harmless
11 - Ghouls snacking on tasty old corpse
12 - Cult up to no good with ceremony
13 - Witch stealing body parts for spells
14 - Skeleton playing instrument and dancing
15 - Devil dog howls then pursues party to death
16 - Grave robber bandit clan, know local loot spots
17 - Surprise youth meeting with undead lover
18 - Zombies taking a moonlight walk
19 - Hellcat looking for master
20 - Hellhound from underworld looking for grave defilers
21 - Gateway to underworld in crypt, a divine guide offers advice
22 - Giant undead black snake bursts from grave
23 - Kabaloi collecting grave goods in tiny wheelbarrow
24 - Necromancer communing with the dead
25 - Astral Hound - howls frighteningly but body actually on astral plane
26 - Dire wolf with black pelt and red eyes ambushes hero
27 - Stirge-owls swarm like flying piranha
28 - Were-owl watches and strikes at ill moment
29 - Hag with magical powers wants to render bodies into potions
30 - Night hag or graveyard nymph offended by intruders
31 - Were-ravens cast spells and attack
32 - Giant rat colony identifies the party as a threat
33 - Witch priestess of Hecate summoning demon or ghost
34 - Bandits already spooked lost in area looking to get out
35 - Ghouls looking for abandoned babies in usual spot
36 - Undead shepherd looking for sheep with crook
37 - Kabaloi taunting captive bound and helpless
38 - Arimaspi hunter with wolf stalks party
39 - Arimaspi necromancer raising the dead
40 - Arimaspi  with 1d6 stirge-owl pets tries to snatch explorer
41 - Serial killer in hiding attacks as berserk from amazon
42 - Minor demon stalks party and follows home
43 - Poet with stylus seeking inspiration
44 - Bard or shepherd heard playing from edge of haunted area
45 - Evil bandits dividing loot with fresh prisoners awaiting fate
46 - Signs of blood sacrifice and ritual murder
47 - Angry Stirges-owls fighting boars eating their nests
48 - Devil Swine dining on fine food in crypt, awaiting mob deals
49 - Priest inspecting for signs of intruders
50 - Vigiles (police) looking for grave robbers to give beatings too

Magic Wilderness 1d30

1 - Harpy flings feces on party as they rest and eat
2 - Dryad seeks beautiful youths to replace old ones
3- Giant scorpions
4 - Giant snake tries to eat party member and sneak off
5 - Polymorphed human in animal form seeks help
6 - Hungry griffon flies by
7 - Lamia and slaves enslave or eat strangers
8 - Satyr wants booze and women
9 - Iron Stymphalian Bird - shoots feathers like arrows
10 - Wild Centaurs kidnap most attractive
11 -  Were-owl seeks murder
12 - Stirge-owls menace party by night
13 - Sphynx demands riddle solved or be eaten
14 - Minotaur looking for victims and food
15 - Ehidna lures men with beautiful upper body, hides snake body in cave
16 - Pack of 2-headed dogs (as wolves xtra attacks)
17 - Medusa amid garden of statues, recognize some new ones
18 - Cyclops giant, ogre or orcs (Arimaspi)  guarding sheep and possibly gold
19 - Chimera type Hybrid 1d3+1 animals mixed into horror
20 - A magnificent favorite bull of a god feeling testy
21 -  Frolicking Kabaloi hilarious to watch antics
22 - Siren - 3 winged bird women with charm powers
23 - Manticore grump looking for snacks
24 - Erinyes Devil strangling somebody for being a sinner
25 - Bronze automaton looking for intruders
26 - Amphisbaena - snake with head each end very cranky
27- Man eating horses pretend to be lost tame animals
28 - Gigantic evil boar lusts for blood
29 - Sacred Deer of Diana killers are cursed
30 - Dog Headed folk keen to trade
31 - Kabaloi use traps and tricks to harass party
32 - Arimaspi cyclops tribesmen on horses looking for slaves
33 - Amazons on horseback offer sex if you beat in a duel
34 - Divine chariot pulled by non-horses awaiting masters return
35 - Fire breathing boar thinks party looks yummy
36 - Hyperborean winged man helpless and exhausted
37 - Hyperborean wizard with air magic
38 - Hyperborean barbarian unimpressed at lack of monsters to kill
39 - Arimaspi with trapped griffon, if helped griffon loyal pet
40 - Huge lion regenerates if standing on earth
41 - Nymphs and Satyrs dancing in secret celebration
42 - Drunken fauns offer drinking games with excellent wine
43 - The god Dionysus, panthers, satyrs, kabaloi and dryads in ecstatic mob
44 - Enchantress lesser goddess charms and polymorphs rude men
45 - Goddess bathing in spring sets monsters to punish any who see her
46 - Arimaspi smith making magic lightning bolts for gods
47 - Aroused Kabaloi chasing farm girl through wild olive grove
48 - Kabaloi chased unhappy prospectors from mines, beg for help
49 - Arimaspi riding carnivorous horses hunting humans
50 - Water nymphs desire handsome man to dwell with them under a lake

Kabaloi are kobolds but more amusing and can act cute to avoid slaughter and have large funny genitalia. If you befriend them not kill them they are charming rascally companions.

Arimaspi are humanoid cyclops men who wage war on griffons (the hounds of Jupiter) for their gold. I use orc stats. Are reputed to be beyond Scythia. Amazons in same area. Above them dwell the hyperboreans - some are winged others have wind magic. Stirge-owls are what DnD stirges base on a type of savage owl capable of bloodily dismembering victims.

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Zone keys for Redbrick Geomorphs



Zone keys for Redbrick Geomorphs

A Artifact
B Building supplies
C Curse trap
D Deadfall trap
E Enchanted trap
F Storage
G Galley or kitchen
H Sleeping facilities
I Library
J Prisoner
K Kobold nest
L Latrine
M Mechanical trap
N Pie storage room
O Office
P Pit Trap
Q Laboratory
R Ruined area
S Secret
T Trap
U Recreation Room
V Throne Room
W Workshop
X Treasure
Y Temple
Z Shrine

Hmm so im basically building a lazy gm machine. I could see a zine of a dozen geomorphs, plus encounter loot mysteries and hazard tables. A sheet of entries and exits could be good. A good test would be to make a sample dungeon like the gig un a few posts back. My players are not into thourough clean ups. They are running raiding retreat types. Possibly because i keep them in fear and half hp is time home for beer and a nap for adventurers. Ive also had parties move in and take over (BX first adventure). Possibly may need to lock party in. I did gm games from phones a while back using my own blogs which was cool.

Redbrick is a good first area to go with lots of npcs - every explorer with a true follower (Cha bonus+1), and lots of hirelings like guards, baggage haulers, polewranglers, lantern boys, as the party can afford and control with their charisma (Total party Cha but that is a bit excesive). Some could be support on the surface, donkey handlers, guards, cooks, healer. Some men to build a stockade.

Then go find one of those dungeon sections where someone dies every 20 feet or door or chest or room or thing touched. Then when some poor footman or pie wrangler get injured on some foul trap, and screams like a stuck pig. When the rescuers are busy, wandering monsters find you and attack.

Dr Phibes made the best traps. A trap should kill if that is its intent but intruders keep comming, but wounding, irritating and trapping men slows parties and can attract monsters. Go for slow poisons that make people want to run to the temple 6 miles away not kill em dead. A wounded foe needs several men to evac them out, a dead man can wait. All this preys on morale.

A Dr Phibes trap entraps some one then uses time delay secondary traps and slow poisons to complicate matters more. The trap should have someone screaming while everyone else tries to disarm it or help or stare. A villain would gloat via a magic mouth and might even be watching via alarm and wizard eye. A speaking tupe from a statues mouth will do or just yell down a corridor.

For egsample a gold scorpion idol with jewels grabs a greedy dog handler who tries to inspect it. He screams for help atracting his friends, every round the claws crush again, threatening to sever his arms. A theif needs to beat the clock. A cleric heals him to keep him stable, a pair of fighters with a bar try to pry one claw open. After 3 rounds the room is secretly sealed and a well opens. Now the only possible way out.

A victim is trapped in a locked cage in a pit slowly descending by clockwork mechanism. A row of flaming gas jets ignite at the bottom of the pit. The screaming man cries travel by pipes to several monster barracks attracting 30 hobgoblins in 2 squads.

A man drops into a pit and bars trap him in. Hordes of rats swarm out and attack him.

I really hate Sawed film franchise (A NZ-er told me these films make you really thunk). We upset film maker by laughing at one of first test screenings. Dr Phibes movies have more style. Jewel encrusted traps, killing you slowly. With exotic hallucination inducing slow poison.

Of course you could go Italian Pulp where every good hero gets whipped and burned by irons in a dungeon by a masked man.

Traps and locks with crisis like this are big fun. Traps dont just trap the victim they effect the whole team. Every good trap should have its componants trapped or locked again. But I have a simpler skill system so this may not suit everybody. Skill games emphasize skills over combat (in BRP for example).

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Geomorphs for Redbrick Zone


Some more geomorphs I designed - most of these have identical outer courts and the inner areas being redesigned and stuff cut and paste into them. As this is nicknamed the Ikea dungeon repetition suits it. Endless identical tunnels and doors. These work nicely and just need a few more. Remove the central area and drop in any terrain you wish from trees to a mini fort or factory or something. Goblin Mine should be fun too - could include smelter/refinery map, miners barracks, fungi level, lots of winding passages and tunnels, flooded section, exposed ruins and crypts, crystal cave etc. 



This is an admin and court area for a local boss. A throne room, kitchen, feast hall, extra shrines and a guard station for elite guards.



The maze - an attempt to recreate those old tsr geomorphs. Random crazy crap fit for traps and treasure with kobold trapper colony. Annoying to map for adventurers and designed by a rich madman. Kobold warren of 2ft wide tunnels or fit for some critter and traps. Room contents should be illogical and mildly magical. Maybe i need a gonzo decor table.

B1 rooms would work in here or just steal all those unused designed rooms from old adventures here.

Magic pond, magic fog filled area, mild poison or flammable gas, cold area with 3 inches of slick ice, hot area with blazing furnace and fire snakes and toads. Polymorphing trap and a former party in frog form.

 Great temple. You'll not their is only one way in or out. Thats because the summonings held here are very private and the demon gods called probably want to trap everyone easily for consumption. You could add a secret door or like some cathedrals could have a complete couple of rooms under altar or stairs to lower level or new dungeon zone.

Outer rooms are priest quarters, temple admin, stores and shrines to saints heroes and the main gods kin.

 This area is a prison, zoo or slaughterhouse. Possibly it is restocked. Some might have undead men or animals. Possibly breeding pens or a mad wizards specimens. Unconscious characters could wake up here. Some cases the area if just full of animals to feed dungeon staff.

 This area contains might store rooms. Building materials, food, trap supplies and even treasure. The locks should be huge and multi staged deathtraps. A bit more decor here as if a king might come through to inspect or lounge in courtyard. Outer rooms are account records, admin, store rooms and a few monster dorms. Organized troops like hobgoblins would be good here.

This one is a random generated one from a web site and slapped into my template. Kobolds and minotaurs at home here. Kobolds are genius at trapping and craft but their design principles result in stuff like this. Some say to make these plans they roll dice according to ancient holy books to stop ghosts following them home. A hundred kobolds here would be a fine challenge.



This is a barracks where local monsters sleep shit shower and shave. Many monsters here off duty. Often almost empty. You dont want to be here without a guest pass when fully staffed. Includes dormitory (add 2 extra levels here if wanted), huge kitchen and workshop, cage for conscripts, prisoners, deserters, food animals. Huge toilet laundry and well in washroom. Another big room with well for armoury and food stores. Outer rooms are officers quarters and admin.




Monday 28 January 2013

Dungeons, Dimensions and TORG



All based on the following 2 blogs

Tales of the grotesque and dungeonesque

http://talesofthegrotesqueanddungeonesque.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/diy-torg.html?zx=2cbaa50d3a44872e


Dark Corners of role playing
http://darkcornersofrpging.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/diy-grind-house-torg-and-oasis-of.html

TORG
One of the most interesting games ever in the reality mash up days of the early 90s. Basicly other realities invade our cosm. I stole so much from it but couldn't have run as presented. I would have used marvel with karma tied to possibility energy, or BRP with links of magic points to probability energy. Depend on how gritty a feel. Even just using worlds as straight campaigns or alternate worlds for other games these books are great.

Where it was awesome

Reality source books
were awesome - better than the basic game and were all more interesting for the other side world rather than the their-and-our-world-mash-ups

Art - Daniel R Horne and some tech illustrations that i will use forever

Card Deck - i didn't use but inspired my own deck - especially players get to intervene in narrative

Cosm conquering mechanics - while i didn't go for all the details, the basic way invading colums placed stelae to expand in a triangular grid was great. The Darkness devices were great villains too

Villains - Highlords of the invading worlds and an emphasis on a hierachy of villains. Down to gang of thugs to the ruler of a dimension.

Rules - While i disliked them as a whole there were innovative titbits i loved

Characters - Lots of interesting archetypes, aliens, any kind of character really, storm knights sounded cool

Monsters - lotsa good ideas

Cosm laws - local moral laws effected actions and made strange consequences for tech too


Where it displeased me

Game start point -
setting with the war underway and weird stuff accepted was a sad loss of discovery and innovation.

Id started party at ground-zero in a shopping mall that has had dinosaur reality overlap and millitary trying to stop. When they escaped to core earth one player was a nudist lizard hippie cultist learning spells. The others had kept their identites but were changed by trauma and experience. While they were lost the world had gone to war.

My other start would be espionage based with agents finding anomalies in diferent countries and fighting x-phenomena till plot of invasion and plane travel revealed then start ground zero in the home cosm mid campaign. Of course my DnD long stair is about a dimensional battle of modern military vs oldschool DnD modules so isnt a big leap.

Adventures - all a mish mash of stuff - id prefer whole modules on alternate earths

Core earth vs invaders - too gonzo for start, needed to happen over years, i just never got the feel. Id rather be more gonzo - cosms invade superhero world, or more gritty like chaosium mechanics. Now id consider DnD but classes might be too limiting. Perhaps easier class shifting rules for plane hoppers.

Invading Cosms

Core Earth - boring mess

Living Land - dinosaur men hippies invade west coast USA, plant monsters of highlord cool


Aysle - dnd world, a bit average but cover is awesome, i probably least used this one

The Cyberpapacy - french medival papacy meets the matrix and cyberpunk - godnet was cool - weapons and vehichle art some of the best ever in a game book - steal for any near future game or even traveller.

Nippon Tech - a slightly better tech world of japan dominated corporate - feudal Japanese stuff. Corporate warfare rules - great for any cyberpunk game, martial arts vs tech

The New Nile Empire - pulp indiana jones vs ancient egyptian despot - good pulp fun

Orrorsh - Victorian englishmen unwittingly bringing demonic horror with indonesian and asian territories. Modern tech would fail in zone so 1890s staemships could wipe out non functional nuclear vessels. Good asian horror stuff. Killer video recorders. Amazing art. Like most games its version of Australia and Indonesia a bit strange.

Land Below pulp and dinosaur realities merged in subterranean lost world.  Idea of mashing realities like this should have been bigger.

Space Gods aztech space gods with psionics and biological weapons - really interesting for many games - only one i never bought but really wanted

Tharkold failed to attack russia and repelled. Psionic tech gargoyle demons. Lotsa 80s Clive Barker -esque masochism and flesh shredding torture and pain. Humans in bunkers with psionics, battlesuits, miniguns with plasma ammo, microfactories in suitcases that could refit guns and build custom ammo, or autosurgeon in a briefcase. Recyclers bots staving LA for invaders. Really fun book with really some of best cyberpunk art and tech anywhere.

The point of all this...
So the two links on the top of this article asks what games/genres would you invade your core earth with. With possibility of using your old underplayed game supplements. I kinda dont want to be replacing world with just fantasy honkeys either.

North America
- Dark Conspiracy/Car Wars/Dark future for West coast, shadowrun for seattle and Canada, Superheroes in New York (probably more like wildcards and black ops than Marvel), Cadilcs and Dinosaurs for southern states and mexico

South America - Starship troopers/war against the Chtorr/Tyranids - biological invasion with armoured cyborg spacemen recruiting locals for resistance

Europe & Russia - World of darkness - vamps, witches, werewolves, horror, faerie tales and supernaturalism - some DnD and medieval leaking in too

Australia - Gamma World,will get onto gamma oz game anyhow

Asia
- Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong all cyberpunk/martial arts. Some areas over run by kaiju. Folk monsters haunt rural areas. India - psychadelic espionage and psionics and hindu gods afoot (Rogan Gosh comic to blame). Leng has reappeared in Hymalayas and is spreading influence - mythos vs martial arts.

Antarctica - Lost world, sorcery and science, dinosaurs

Iceland - overrun by giants and vikings and trolls

Africa - Oswald Bastable stories of Micheal moorcock - Steampunk post colonial Africa with new warlord out to unite africa and rule the world.

Middle East - Assyrian Empire reborn with monster troops and sorcerors

Central Asia - The night Land by William Hope Hodgson - spilling out into russia, china, afganistan, pakistan

Melnibone, Atlantis, Cthulhu all possible

Sunday 27 January 2013

Dungeon Zones & Alternate surface missions

Finn Family Moomintroll - Tove Jansson 

Long Stair Mission Zones

1d12 dungeon zones
1 - Gothic Zone - the haunted castle crypt
2 - Redbrick Zone - the deathtrap dungeon
3 - Goblin Mine Zone - the pits of chaos
4 - Amber Manour Zone - the mansion of
madness
5  - Fortress Zone - the elder giant ruins
6 - Alcheringa Zone - the ancient haunted land
7 - Cyclopean Zone - the lost world of sorcery & science
8 - Lost Temple Zone - the ancient desert temple and tomb
9 - Forbidden City Zone - the sunken jungle city ruins
10 - Glacial Rift Zone - the frozen prehistoric ice caverns
11 - Under Land Cavern Zone - the foreboding stone labyrinth
12 - Sunken Land Zone - the drowned kingdom

If I do more zones they will be higher level and more akin to outer and elemental planes. Increasingly more hellish like the so called devils boiler room or slaughter house zone. Treasure scanter or more attuned to outer and elemental planes and more likely to be aligned.
Elemental worlds would connect to some of the basic 12 fairly obviously. Possibly some planes to visit for hex-crawls rather than dungeons in different "surface" dimensions.

Slaughterer House Zone - the
devils boiler room
Riveted metal lined, hot and damp and stinking of dried blood. Horrible often mechanical traps. Populated by savage humanoids, many savage mutilated specimens worshiping evil. Also many devils and demons and what appears to be torture and slaughter equipment designed for medium sized animals. Some are mutated and clearly insane. Mechanical automaton horrors and traps aplenty.
Some sort of drain or sewer world

House of the Dead Zone - the underworld realm
A grim land of the dead, with cold grey light, ruins, tombs and even a great city of the dead. Many inhabitants starving while some are imprisoned and even being tortured by outer plane beings.

Space Rock Zone - the strange cosm

A void of stars with scattered rocks, planetoids and even huge creatures. Strange local gravity conditions make local travelers use technological and magic and mental powered vessels. Strange races battle for supremacy and exotic needs.


The Gamma Zone - the ultra tech apocalypse world
Straight up gamma world. Perhaps planet Volturus or the top secret spytown intro module or boot hill. My Marvel MSH party once considered staying in a traveller 2300 type universe once but thought too vulnerable to death in spaceship explosions.

Missions on surface viable also. Alternate surfaces and time travel even viable.
 

But here are some ideas for surface events calling on Dungeon expertise.

Surface Missions 1d20
 

1 Gangsters using magic item or being to commit crimes
2 Wizard on loose infiltrating finance or government or tech institution
3 Sorcerer on loose indulging in party and attracting a cult
4 Bard on loose mixing with celebrities

5 Orc killer loose hitting targets for gangsters with special forces weapons

6 Cults communing with dungeon and possibly opening temporary gates
7 Carrion crawlers or other species loose in sewer

8 Devil swine or creature menacing rural town
9 Vampire loose! Code Ultraviolet!
10 Priest recruiting cult to alien or long forgotten god
11 Priest or necromancer experimenting on rural necropolis
12 Unaturally skilled thief or assassin at work using xenomethodology
13 Dungeon species inhabiting abandoned tunnels or tunnels
14 Lab containment breach - dungeon species or tech loose
15 Black market using dungeon tech to smuggle goods
16 Prisonbreak from dungeon operations, squealing ex agent or xenospecies loose
17 Infiltrate the mob dungeon smuggling operations
18 Dungeon species planning to expose dungeon species
19 MIA trooper seen in rural town - re bag and return to base20 Ex personnel on surface become dungeon species

Many missions include just cleaning up evidence but sometimes this leads to finding other dungeon stuff


Basically wanna design 9 geomorphs for each type and some sf ones. But for now ill finish redbrick as its one of the most popular ones. Some sets could be swappable. Can add ones from web on sides too. A FASA traveller module i had from 80-ish had space ship geomorphs for a asteroid colony. Why no metamorphosis alpha ones?

So far have done the following redbrick geomorphs:
Barracks - sleeping barracks, latrines, kitchens, laundry, building supplies, offices
Vaults - heavily built and trapped store rooms, workshops and treasure

Great Temple - temple complex for sealed secret rituals and offices
Throne - court of local leader with admin, noble housing and secret escapes
Prison - a plan for prisoners, monster breeding and slaughter for feeding troops


Need the following
Labyrinthine - tiny rooms, winding passages, dead ends, tight fits, minotaurs

K
obold run - kobold warren and trap making workshops, monster pens, labs
Construction Site - semi built, unstable, dead end warren, scaffolding
Factory Floor - huge workshop of fiery furnaces, store rooms and cells


Easier to cut and paste old maps and build bigger map keys.

Now i have a latrine symbol will add everywhere. Or monster dung and giant dungeon scarabs will abound.

Long stairs boss monsters

Moomintroll map Tove Jansson

Since O.I. Day or Orc Invasion Day, the squad he came down here with had changed. Small at first but OI day clenched the deal. Taylor the rural deadbeat was actually pretty tough and a decent scrapper. He started using Gurkha blades two handed style, bulked up too, and was top a silent killer on par with a Bugbear. Joel Coal we thought he was a retard, turns out his some frigging genius too smart to care what normal people did. Tested xeno-artifact pointy hat on himself and now the guys a honest to god wizard. Ive seen him blast kobolds with fire from his wand and we capture a few xenos every patrol. He makes em fight with us. Guys love him now, even though he is still a retard to us. Jack Moon maintains we are all crazy and he hasn't changed a bit. I saw a minotaur gore him once and the guy grabbed the minotaurs other horn and held on while emptying his M60 into its guts with the other. Big mess. Haley Ling was tough before but she just stands out front and sidesteps every missile her way. Ive seen her run up a wall and decapitate two orcs with a double kick while holding two pistols. Runs and jumps over their lines. Freak.

Then their is the dead - a huge tally of commanding Lieutenants and grunts. Most of the time the specialists make it out. But Ive seen 75 guys this year disappear in 3 months placement. Some of us are cursed to live.

Machete have become standard weapons as have the Gurkha blades from Nepalese. Some Maoris guy using clubs and doing Hakka to taunt orcs. Some had ornate carved gun stocks and facial tatoos. These guys really did well when we brought them down. Ive heard a Nepalese guy say there are people willing to come down here en mass to live.

I'm probably only good at exaggeration and misinformation. I file all the reports and manage the helm cam links and carry the squads black box, But really I'm hoping on a heavy metal album if i ever get out. I usually line up some tracks on my ipod for the guys and hang back for emergencies. Its not that i cant fight, my stuff is high risk and security protocol demands I destroy it if I cant escape. Ive been picking up those cantrips off Coal, and spending time in base xeno library stacks for useful stuff i can warn the others with. Ive been sticking with my silenced MP5 the whole time no complaints. Ive gotten pretty sneaky, like Taylor but one machete enough for me. Seems like I'm just Mr. Second best at everything.


Dont like being in command but Cole has been getting uppity since he started just blasting everything in sight with fire balls wands. His a thinks cos he can boil flesh at will he is better than a private. I'm Coms and supposed to be an officer but my role is observation and intelligence. Just an attachment not part of the team just like all the other scientists, spooks and the mining companies geoscience guys. I keep seeing a new lieutenant in charge every few weeks being mindflayed or worse. Ive been here 14 months and Im career military. Ive been here the whole time and Im sick of watching new guys fill holes in the ground. And then have to having to shoot them, then cremate cremate them. Eventually they might get the idea to stick me in charge. I wouldn't think of just deserting like some guys have. Ive seen some paintings in the Amber Mansion, that i keep dreaming about. Restful lands of wild colour and intoxicating beauty. Id like to see those again.

Wandering Boss Monsters
Sometimes a leader for a dungeon zone , or a quick faction head is needed. These guys have own personal followers and dont charge suicidally. They await the right moment and use up local allies to soak up party ammo. Many monsters fail to understand  how deadly guns and surface humans are. But these leader types have far better instincts. Some may develop preternatural awareness with their dungeon territory as they evolve to being great villains. While pawns directly attack these guys will use their special abilities to the fullest and use their retinues for rear attacks or pincer moves. They will flee if half damaged and victory seems uncertain. Can bump up numbers with some local encounter tables for local pawns. They are vindictive and will seek revenge. If killed their lovers, siblings or others will replace them as party enemies. If used as zone leaders assign them a HQ area on your geomorphs and possibly ad some camp followers, traps, pets and prisoners. Most will have evidence of some goal beyond survival. All are interested in the surface invaders. Reproduction, food, loot, information, power building, escape are common goals. A few even stay just for combat experience. Some set up workshops, barracks, kitchens, latrines, etc. They may alter local environment by adding traps, reinforced doors and secret passages for ambushes or escapes.

Long stairs quick boss monster 1d50
1 - Frangarr Bugbear Pyro - Korean war helmet, cigars and flamethrower 6+6HD, 2 buddies
2 - Myrkord Mage Spider - Lv 4 wizard spider, 6HD poison web spinner, cunning and evil
3 - Skreekold - Lv4 Goblin wizard with 1d6 dynamite sticks and 12 hobgoblin troops
4 - Graargk - Orc super hero 5th lv warrior, great spear master and 8 followers
5 - Kobold Kerang - 4hd kobold hero with 12 max hp kobold brothers, all fire proof
6 - Zardrann - Dark elf son of Drizzt, working up levels fast, 8 dark elf assassins guard him
7 - Fangrom Grimgram - Ogre hero 8HD+4, +1 huge 1d10 club, respawns from his last stool daily
8 - Fetziik Tzaetchkul - Assasin sorcerer 6th is familiar with surface combat methods
9 - Nayag Blugskien - Orc shaman 5th with 6 fanatic orcs and 2d6 zombies
10 - Trojiman Nargskinner - Troll innovator, offers to mate with visitors in name of peace
11- Braja Minord - Badger beast man and his 1d6+6 brothers looking for kill and loot

12 - Kulgax Rodjarm - Goat man and his 1d6+6 brothers looking for sacrifices
13 - Kun - Orc with Assault rifle and 2 clips and one grenade, uses his 6 men as distractions

14 - Goblin with hidden claymore suicide vest limping holds jewel gets close demands you obey him
15 - Gungra Rocklob - Troglodyte chief with poison javelin and 5 warriors looking for food and loot
16 - Kumra Ka - Mummy and 5th lv priest, prefers to send other undead to do his bidding
17 - Grondru - Minotaur berserk kills anything it can then returns to labyrinth if sore
18 - Slorr - Headless ogre drags his blubber after him,
has flail, imp lives in his jowls
19 - Ghurn Tnajgorr- Goblin 3+6HD hero with SMG or 3 bombs and 8 max hp goblins 
20
- Nurdfurglar - chaos goblin 4HD chief with 1d4 mutations and 6 brothers with one mutation each
21- Blartrap Fruggler - Hobgoblin hero 4HD, 4 arms, 4 poison daggers, has 1d6+2 goblin flunkies
22 - Kuurna Vrun - badit cheif lv 5 with captured surface arms and personnel, 2d4+4 bandits
23 - The Red Wizard - 5th lv grumpy university dropout, 8 hobgoblins, replaced constantly
24 - The Blue Wizard - 5th lv lazy aristocrat looking for food and highs, replaced constantly
25 - The Green Wizard - 5th lv, surface military gone awol, pressgang party into bandit gang
26 - The Sorceress - 5th lv, seeks knowledge of surface, evil princess, 1d6 goblins, 2d4+4 hobgoblins
27 - The Old Sorcerer - 5th lv, savage cruel, the dungeon talks to him in dreams, 12 Hobgoblins
28 - Umruk Klaan - 5th evil priest with 1d6+6 zombies or 12 skeletons, tempts party with loot
29 - Klak K Klak - Thri-Keen man hunter stalks and attacks while busy with trap, portal or obstacle
30 - Hsskol - Barrow wight with 6 zombie followers, feign death for ambush, +1 silver sword
31 - The Russet Skeleton, evil skeleton priest 4th lv, with 12+1d6 skeletons, hates the living
32 - Kazjangluer - Evil cat man assassin seeks food and pretty things, stalks and waits till sleeping
33 - Palag Strumpa - Hobgoblin 4hd heroine, with pet rust monster and 3d4+4 goblins all in bronze 
34 - Morgron the Horror - Warrior 5th lv, slowly turning into wight turns to undead if killed
35 - Makkub Slogth - Kobold Hero 3HD riding carrion crawler with 8 kobold archers
36 - Spunrudd Klaw - Kobold Wizard 5th and weaver, makes magic traps, 4d4 kobold staff
37 - Brother Harvrard - Hobgoblin monk and his 8 initiates, use staff, open hand and martial skills
38 - Nylock Klespar - Goblin Sorcerer, leaves trail of cursed items before attack, 12 goblin grunts
39 - Bakkas Blackbeard - evil hearted dwarf with 12 hobgoblin servants, loves to crush skulls
30 - Ninnigas Fuldpepper - Halfling 5th feigns friendship, offers drugs and food, robs and kills
31 - Grung Garl - Lizard cheiftain 5HD of kingship quest, trident specialist +3, 6 lizardman guards
32 - Hrdrassus Klarr - Serpent man wizard 5th lv who hates apes, 6 lizard man guards
32 - Sargent Potter - Awol sarge with 1d4 chaos mutations, 5th lv warrior with 1d4 mutant grunts
33 - Shlaarn Torg - Chaos Hero warrior 5th lv with 1d4 chaos mutations, 2d4 mongrelmen
34 - Boggulp Glumhop - Bullywug hero 4HD with assault rifle, with 12 bullywugs
35 - Dalaag Thrull - Dark elf assassin with captured sniper riffle, climbing gear and dungeon-chamo
36 - Bokkus Jarog - Morlock cheiftain leading 6 morlocks looking for food and weapons
37 - Thujjud Xtor - Bountyhunter, scarified bandaged Rogue 5th, uses traps and bandits
38 - Zokkad Awrmwarg - Draconian bounty hunter, mixed human, reptile men and draconian gang
39 - Zinmah Thrusstldong - Halfling gypsy maid, feigns she is being hunted, robs party
40 - Haarg Bluetoungue - Gnoll hyena man and hungry boys 6+1d6 gnolls
41 - Gugrah Stinkweasel - wicked dungeon goblin druidic caster lv5 and her pets, spreads fungi traps
42 - Yuri Konstanzin - Surface gangster hiding in dungeon, has 6 armed orc bodyguards
43 - Manx Steelskull - apparent cyborg 60HP 14HD, laser, gang of mutant mongrel men cannibals
44 - Private Powell - awol surface soldier with captured arms and 6 deep gnome techs with SMGs
45 - Karl Maximov - surface mercenary with bad of orcs and humans in bandit gang of hired killers
46 - Private Stapleton - awol fundamentalist mad Priest lv5, pressgangs orcs and humans into cult
47 - Karannak - mad wizard, lv 5, obsessed with getting surface "magic", 12 orc grunt for guards
48 - Chodaru - sorceress with pet ogre and some 1d4+1 charmed bugbears
49 - Conner - black marketeer smuggler deals to corrupt surface troops, 12 hobgoblins with smgs
50 - Nameless MIB goons with no nation of origin clues, 8 government black ops agents with SMGs

Saturday 26 January 2013

EMO DnD Classes pt 9: Elf

Saw some stats with elves dropping off as not so popular compared to newer races in recent DnD. If everybody is doin the new thing instead of the classic then you've broken the game. Eldren or eldar or even spirit folk all fine as elves to me. Mine are based on the BX elf with choices for spell type. In ADnD terms all my elves are like fighter-spell casters. Makes elves very feared for spell and fighting abilities but they dont really have HP to back it up. Elves peak early and dont do so well at higher levels but have no restrictions on how high they go like original BX.

Considering a few things to make dwarves combat monsters. Halflings have never been my forte but ill make them tough fighter-theives.


Elf
Fey folk warriors of mist haunted elf-lands

HD: 1d6+1 Prime Stat: Int
WP: 2 (+1/2nd Lv)
NWP: 6 (+1/2nd Lv)
No-WP mod: -3
Languages: 3d4 (+1/ lv) S=spoken and W=written

Spells: Choose as priest or druid or wizard or sorcerer magic systems
NWP: Warrior and Wizard
Shield: Any
Armour: Any
Weapon: Any Bow, Spear or Sword, Staff,  Dagger, Bolo, Javelin, Sabre, Whip, Shuriken, Rock, any Halberd, pole arm, dart (Some types use other weapons)
Fight as: Warrior
Save as: Wizard

The Elvish or Eldren race were servants of the gods at the dawn time. Some served the gods in the celestial city before the fall, others served the natural cycles, spawning countless fey races (undines, dryads, goblinoids) and become part of the living world. Elves hail from many cosms yet are kin. Native earthborn elves cannot be bound or banished by spells and are tolerant of steel. Different elves chose different paths but their race was heavily depleted by evil rituals turning them into orcs. Servants of the elder races made the spell to punish elves for causing the fall of the elder age. They fear depleting themselves so are increasingly rare. Elves when imprisoned or enslaved
deteriorate faster than humans. Elf body parts and blood are good for spell casting. They tend to be aloof and superior, believing all other races to be inferior and out to abuse them or too young to know better.
-Cast spells as a Wizard, Sorcerer, Druid or Priest (pick one)
-Wizards and Sorcery magicians  start with 4 cantrips and get one more spell per lv
-Get Int bonus on spells, can cast bonus 1st lv spell at 1st lv
-Can cast spells wearing armour and holding swords and shields
-Infravision 120 feet
+4 spot and listen
+2 Sneak, Hide, Track, resist Charm, Sleep or Paralysis
+1 hit and damage any bow or blade – may use these with use focus instead of dagger and staff as normal magicians (only 1 slot in specialization max per weapon but can learn choice of Sword or Bow, can learn critical hits too but start with none like most classes)
- 6th you attract a follower – a mount, elf companion or pet creature +1 every lv from now on
- 8th +1 attack per melee round on bow or blade
- 10th you establish a natural stronghold in a place of great beauty attracting +1d6 followers
- 20th you are expected to build a new colony of elves and can build a sacred gate between worlds, you are now an elder and also can cast commune once per week

Earthborn or otherworlder?
Earthborn have none of these problems or gains.

Otherworld born elves cannot use mortal Iron or Steel weapons or amour.
All starting amour and weapons made from elf metal. 
Take +1 damage from weapons made from iron or mortal world iron or steel weapons and take 1pt per hour from iron of steel armour.
They can be banished, commanded or bargained as per otherworld beings and have true names.

Gain an additional 1st spell slot or 4 x 0 lv cantrip spell slots (choose once) at first lv and a book of 1d4+1 extra spells if a wizard.
May find and enter gate to home faerie land monthly on full moon (may return same night). Get get one roll here to start:
 

Receive Otherworldly Gift d20
1 - Cloak +4 Hide and Boots +4 Sneak
2 - Living Bow – grows one +1 arrow per day (only last a day)
3 - Silver sword +1
4 - Chain +5 – can cast spells or sneak in without penalty, ½ weight
5 - Rations satchel – carries one year of food preserved for 2lb bag, lasts for 10 years
6 - Healing satchel – 20 x 1d4 healing charges, only one use per day per person
7 - Silver Bow +1
8 - Elf coracle - 4 man boat folds to pocket size
9 - Horn - calls an otherworldly elf to your aid once per month of equal Lv
10 - Silver dagger +1
11 - Silver helm +1 saving throws
12 - Silver 2-h sword or polearm
13 - Sea Plate - full or half plate can swim in
14 - Instrument that plays self
15 - Horn calls otherworldly elven horse one day a month

16 - Horn calls 2HD elf hound from other world one day a month
17 - Feast cloth - creates a delicious feast for 4 once per week
18 - Suit of fine elf clothes, resistant to filth, repairs self over night
19 - Cantrip wand 1d100 charges
20 - roll twice - if roll this again then pick reaming items


Specialist Elf races

Name Alignment (other name)
Culture description
Homeland description

WP - Weapon Proficiencies - can spend 2 WP slots for elf type weapon group
NWP - Non Weapon Proficiencies
Spell lists
Languages

Bonus Exotic Items 1d4



Forest Elf NG (Green Elves)
These are the most common earth born elves, allies of nature
Dwell in tree forts and forest cities
Long Sword, Long bow, Dagger, Short Spear
Sneak, Hide, Survival, Track
Druid or Sorcery Spells
 Elvish SW, Common SW, Ancient S, Goblin S
1- Ranger house: Bonus Track NWP
2- Hunter house: 1doz+1 Arrows
3- Houndmasters house: Loyal Pet Elf Hound 1
+1 HD, AC +4 Track, Sneak, Hide
4- Falconmasters house: Loyal Pet Falcon

Wild Elf CG CN (Copper Elves)

These are savage elves living in harshest regions like mountains, deserts and ice flows
These elves live in pueblo style stacked buildings or are nomadic
Long Spear, Short Bow, Sabre, Dagger
Carousing, Hunting, Nature Lore, Spot
Druid Spells
 Elvish SW, Common S, Ancient S, Elder S, Wild Man S
1- Gatherer house: Forage
2- Hunter house: Survival
3- Loyal Pet Wolf
2HD AC +4 Track
4- +1 Ancestral Club
 

Celestial Elf LG LN BN (Light Elves)
These elves work in the celestial city aiding the gods in the celestial bureaucracy
They live in beautiful built towers of glass, stone and wood
Long Sword, Long bow, Dagger, Shortsword
Astrology Lore, Navigation Lore, scribe, Spot
Wizard, Sorcery or Priest Spells
Elvish SW, Common SW, Lawful SW
1- Celestial scribe: 1d3 Magic Scrolls
2- Celestial Soldier: Silver Sword, flashes 20ft of evil
3- Loyal Pet Owl or Ibis 1d4+1 HD AC 4 Spot, Hunting, Scout
4- Navigator House: Star chart or pocket astrolabe

Moon Elf - Any Alignment (Silver Elves)
These nocturnal elves live on the moon but some fall to earth, their ladies ride unicorns
They dwell in white towers with good views of the moon
Battle Axe, Long sword, Shortbow, Dagger
Sneak, Hide, Navigation Lore, Rope Use
Wizard, Sorcery or Priest Spells
Elvish SW, Common SW, Elder S, Goblin S
1- Luna Gatherer: 1d3 Magic Mushroom Potions
2- Lunar Soldier: Silver Sword, flashes

20ft of evil
 3- Loyal Pet Owl friend 1d4+1 HD AC 4 Spot, Hunting, Scout
4- Unicorn House: 6+2d6 refined unicorn dung pellets 1d4 healing

Night Elf Any - non Good alignment (Dark Elves)
They serve the darkness and lurk in hidden forests and in the roots trees deep in the underworld
They live in black tree forts or decadent underland cavern cities
Long sword, short bow, dagger, dart
Sneak, Hide, Listen, Climb
Any spell list
Elvish SW, Common SW, Elder SW
1- Underland explorer: elven rope, stretches from 20-100 F
2- Underland Assasin: Silent black blade
3- Bat Friend 1d4+1 HD AC 4 Spot, Listen, Scout
4- Navigator House: Coded cavern charts

Sea Elf – Any Alignment (Jade Elves)
They dwell under water controlling the undersea world for the sea gods
They live in underwater towers and caverns and hidden coastal villages
Sabre, short bow, trident, net
Swim, Hold Breath, Boating, Map Lore
Any spell list
Elvish SW, Common SW, Elder SW
1- Sea: 1d3 Magic Scrolls
2- Oceans Soldier: Returning Silver Trident
3- Octopi Friend: Loyal Tako retainer Lv1
4- Navigator House: Star chart or pocket astrolabe

Sun Elf  - LG LN NG (Gold Elves)
They dwell in the court of the sun but come to earth to kill evil
Usually build fortified towers in view of the sun
Long Sword, Long bow, Dagger, Short Spear
Fire Making, Hunting, etiquette, Spot
Wizard, Sorcery or Priest Spells
Elvish SW, Common SW, Ancient SW
1- Suns scribe: 1d3 Magic Scrolls
2- Suns Soldier: Silver Spear, flashes near evil
3- Hawk Fiend: Loyal Pet Falcon 1d4+1 HD AC 4 Spot, Hunting, Scout
4- Permanent Light spell ring with hood to block light at will

Cave Elf – Any but good alignment (Ghost Elves)
Albino violet tinted skin and white eyed elves toil in the underworld and deepest caverns
Live in glum stone towers and cities in giant caverns
Sabre, short bow, short sword, crossbow pistol
Survival, Caving Lore, Climbing, Listen
Any spell list Spells
Elvish SW, Common SW, Elder SW
1- Cave Creeper: Mountaineering NWP
2- Permanent Light spell ring with hood to hide light
3- Reptile Friend: Loyal Pet Lizard 1+1 HD 1d8 bite AC 4 Track, Hunting, Scout
4- Mushroom Keeper: 1d3 Magic Mushroom Potions

Arcane Elf - Any alignment (Chromatic Elves)
These Eldren devote their lives to contemplation of magic, philosophy and pleasure
They dwell in ancient hidden depopulated citadels which resemble worn down rock formations
Long Sword, Long bow, Dagger, Short Spear
Elder Lore, Sense Magic, Spot, Plane Lore
Sorcerer or Wizard Spells
Elvish SW, Common SW, Elder SW
1- Arcane scribe: 1d3 Magic Scrolls
2- Arcane Soldier: Silver Spear, flashes
20ft of evil
3- Magical Prosthesis: Hand (hit +1 magic monsters), eye +2 vs Illusions, Leg +1Mv
4- Amulet +1 on a one stat but cursed if used by non elf

Dragon Elves - Any alignment (Obsidian Elves)
These elves worship other planar beings and call monster to do their bidding – famed as dragon riders
Dwell in baroque sinister towers filled with decadent luxury and forbidden pleasure
Long Sword, Composite bow, Dagger, Short Spear
Elder Lore, Dragon Lore, Poison Lore, Demon Lore
Priest, Sorcerer or Wizard Spells
1- Demon Scribe: 1d3 Magic Scrolls
2- Elemental Blade: +1d4 fire (6 rounds per day)
3- Demon Blade: Magic blade, damns slain souls to hell and moans hungrily
4- Drug Visions: Has prophetic dream before each adventure of a location peril


ELF XP
+1 per 1gp spent on jewels, art, clothes, esoteric lore, poems, entertainment, planting forests, exploring, great monuments,  books, instruments, magical weapons or implements, creating great garden, giant tree fort or house, feasting, hunting, breeding magical beasts, build faerie dancing circles and other structures to facilitate interworld travel
+50/lv casting spells to help victory
+50 per proficiency success that helps
+100 for visiting places of beauty or learning songs and tales.
Double XP for fighting other elves or orcs

Friday 25 January 2013

EMO DnD Classes pt 8: Bard


Back on character classes.

Pre-Humans:
Elves, Dwarves, Halflings and Tako (tako done but might be revamped to be compatible with current thoughts - i also saw cool other versions of octopus pcs on 2 other blogs).


Even though Id rather not have Paladins and my alignment system or rangers I should probably do them anyway just because people like them. Even my most evil player thought so. Not a fan of barbarian did consider berserkers. Names like rune-master and beast master evoke a lot to me too.

Also Psion but might just do as a alternate spell list for shaman. Also considered whole gonzo sf class list (psion, explorer,  expert, mutant, robot). A psion has a spell list stripped from others and perhaps new ones if Im bothered but will avoid duplication with new spells. But in some ways the Shaman will be similar with fetch and astral powers being compatible with psion way of seeing things. But shamen could do some strange things psions wouldn't. Joe Campbell once described yogic and meditation practices as civilized shamanism - taught en mass rather than with tribal variations.  But more to chew on.

Tertiary Classes: Paladin, Ranger, Assassin, Shaman (these would all be kinda masterclasses)

If I kept going more Id do some monster non humans 1: Goblinoids (kobold, goblin, hob goblin, bugbears).

non humans 2: Created (Orc, Mutants, Shape Shifters, Ghouls - not really thought this one out - could do Githyanki) not sure here giants and gnomes possible too. I once considered a race of imortal gender shifters like orlando. Shape shifters?

Animal folk:  Beast peoples including lizard men, goat men, reptilians, gnolls, etc. Intelligent animals like Narnia,  or were beast or animal and nature spirits like original oriental adventures. Nature spirit folk.

Too many classes are a bit silly and why I started own system was to simplify (sigh) but might make some options fun for one off characters occasionally or allow system to do SF too. Many might read some species as alternate fighters some as spell casters. Githyanki could be like elves but have psion spells.

But for now back to Basics. Bards in 1st ed were kinda unfeasible and second ed probably my favorite. I would consider some divergent powers for them but leave as this for now. I need to play test this a bit too.

For the record spell progression for my bards and elves start them with 4 cantrips only at 1st lv, always a bit behind other classes. Spell bonus from Charisma might let you cast a 1st lv spell at 1st level. Only get one new spell per level. Will put in these charts with spells later. Some bardish NWP might be needed.

Bard

Legend making performers and jacks of all trades  

HD: 1d6 Prime Stat: Cha
WP: 2 (+1/2nd Lv)
NWP: 6 (+1/ Lv) 

No-WP mod: -3
Languages: 4d4 (+1/ lv) S=spoken and W=written

Spells: Choose as priest or druid or wizard or sorcerer magic systems
NWP: Any
Shield: Buckler or small (usually hand free for instrument or torch)
Armour: Light
Weapon: Any Sword, Dagger, Club, Sling, Short Bow, any Crossbow, any Gun, Garrote, Shuriken, Dart, Whip, Net, Hatchet, Hand Axe, Lasso, Bolo, Dirk, Blowpipe, Chain, Rock, Staff,  Short Spear, Javelin, Dart, Warhammer, Hammer, Mace
Fight as: Priest

Save as: Priest

Bards are entertainers, teachers, wanderers and scholars who study many skills from many schools. Not experts at any ability they are modest fighters, secondary spell casters,  practice a wide range of skills and have additional powers based on performance. Not quite as good as a rogue without special combat abilities but bards develop faster at martial skills faster than some classes. They may select a magic spell caster style from priest or druid or wizard or sorcerer magic systems. Different cultures have different styles of bards with different magic. Bard may study magic under a practitioner of the same system of magic such as a Bard with Druidic spells could study under a Druid for new spells levels or skills. A bard may wish to be able to learn as a wizard and use their books or dont bother  and be a practitioner of sorcerery instead. A pious bard could be a ritual musician or singer from a great cathedral complex or monastery. Bards get the most languages of any class. Their singing powers grow as they raise level and if performing may improve party members abilities. As the bard grows he may open his own school and network of bards.

- Bards get +4 on any instrument NWP, +2 on any based on charisma or performance. If total NWP  score 20 the bard doesn't have to roll unless they wish to try superior rolls.
- Bards often gain superior usage from sound based magic items and magical instruments. Minimum effectiveness = levelx10%. At 15th lv becomes 150% effective minimum.
- May choose once from druid, priest, wizardry or sorcery magic systems
- Bards use spell table for elves and bards for numbers of spells
- Wizard and sorcerer types get 4 cantrips to start and a new spell each level
-A bard gets a student 1st lv bard at 6th, local fame
-7th lv a bard gets 1d4 HD of followers from random class or pets, and again every level now on
-10th when he is able to have his own bardic school or theatre and attracts 2d4 students 
-15th national fame 
-18th can establish a college or stadium with 6d4 student bards from many lands
-20th is performer of international and otherworldly fame


Spellsong
By concentrating on a performance and not fighting, allies in an increasing circle of influence gain bonuses. To start song effect must make a skill roll (dont bother if skill 20 or better). Affects a 10ft circle per level. One song per level per day. Lasts one round per level. Must specify song ability used each use for abilities gained as of 4th level - cant change song without starting a new one. Can move 1/2 speed max. Can talk to others if part of performance - sing monsters weakness for example. Silence spell will disrupt. Must be based on a performance based skill like play instrument or sing or poetry. If hit must resist with a Wis save or song ruined and stops. The songs of a bard may disrupt the song or performances, screams or howls of magical beings like banshee, sirens or undead or other bards of less HD than the bard has Lv. Eg 5th lv bard song effects abilities from 4HD or 4th lv .
1st +1 vs fear, morale, reaction rolls
2nd +1 to hit or skill
3rd +1 all saving throws
4th +1 damage (effectively +1 in fear, morale, reaction, hit, skill, saves or damage rolls)
5th Hypnosis - up to 1 HD per lv creatures stare stupidly if fail save
6th Fear - up to 1 HD per lv creatures flee stupidly if fail save, might use just for drama
7th Suggestion - up to 1 HD per lv creatures become obedient if fail save (dance, sleep, smile)
8th +2 all fear, morale, reaction, hit, skill, saves or damage rolls
9th Create legendary work once per month, popular may insult local leaders or enemies
10th Mass Charm - up to one person or creature charmed for duration per level
15th Lampoon - Up to level in Foes make Wis check or lose 1d4 Cha for a month
20th Gate - may gate in outer plane being by name once per month

Specialist Bardic Schools

Name - brief description
Cultural role
WP - Weapon Proficiencies
NWP - Non Weapon Proficiencies
Spell list
Languages

Imperial Troubadour – courtly romantic
Courtly entertainers of empire
Long Sword, Crossbow
Etiquette, Grooming, Sing, Seduce, Gossip, Play Lute, Song Lore
Wizard, Sorcerer or Priest
Empire SW, Common SW, Ancient SW, Elder W, Elvish W

Barbarian Skald – Heroic companion
Holy teachers of barbarian tribes
Hand Axe, Dagger
Drive Chariot or Ride Horse, Balance, Juggling, Tumbling, Chant, Play Bagpipes or harp or horn
Priest, Sorcerer or Bard
Old S, Common S, Druidic S, WildmanS, Northman S, Halfling, Dwarf, Elvish

Old Way Bard – Druidic song singers
Druidic students who become sacred speakers of tribes
Sabre, Dart
Memorize, Plant Lore, Animal Lore, Astrology Lore, Poetry, Harp
Sorcerer or Druid
Old S, Common S, Druidic SW, Wildman S, Northman S, Finch S, Frog S

Savage War Chanter – Tribal holy man
Fanatic chanter who guides the hunters
Short Spear, Hand Axe
Improvise Weapon, Survival, Track, Herbalist, First Aid, Play Trumpet or bagpipes or drums
Sorcerer or Druid
Old S, Common S, Druidic S, Wildman S, Northman S, Swine S, Horse S, Dog S

Zealous Demagogue – Urban agitator and power monger
Rabble rouser and trouble maker
Dagger, Light Crossbow
Orate, Observe, Kingdom Lore, Local Lore, Gossip, Taunt
Sorcerer or priest
Empire S, Common SW, Old S, Eastern S, Northman S,  Horde S

Appealing Courtesan – Mistress of men
Hired companion of men in power
Dagger, Brawling
Bluff, Seduce, Carousing, Story Telling, Dance, Sing
Sorcerer or Wizard or Priest or Druid
Empire S, Common S W, Horde S, Northmen S, Sea Tongue S, Desert Speech S

Wandering Minstrel – Traveling Court Singer
Traveler of the knightly kingdoms from court to court
Dagger, Club
Play Instrument, Sing, Espionage, Sneak, Hide, Listen
Sorcerer or Wizard
Empire S, Common SW, Old S, Eastern S, Northman S,  Horde S

Lonesome Shepherd - Herder of Beasts
Youths who guard flocks alone may become talented
Sling, Staff
Play flute or lyre or harp or panpipes, Animal Lore, Animal Mimic, Animal Husbandry, Animal Handling, First Aid
Druid or Sorceror
Empire S, Common S, Old S, Dog S,  Horde S, one her animal

Wailing Women - Chorus of professional mourners
Screaming women who haunt graves sites and funerals
Sabre, Sickle
Intimidate, Gossip, Inspire, Taunt, Chant, Sing
Sorcerer or Wizard or Priest or Druid
Empire S, Common SW, Old S, Eastern S, Northman S,  Horde S

Songsmith - Musical smiths
Craftsmen who make relics fit for the great
Any sword, hammer
Jewelry, Engrave, Sing, Weapon Smith, Blacksmith (or red/silver/gold), Endurance
Sorcerer or Wizard or Priest or Druid
Old S, Common S, Druidic S, WildmanS, Northman S, Halfling, Dwarf, Elvish

Dervish - dancing acrobatic mystics
Dedicated mystics who reach ecstatic states through dance
Dagger, Sabre
Dance, Acrobatics, Tumbling, Run away, Jumping, Chant
Any
Old S, Common S, Nomad S, Wildman S, Desert S, Snake S, Horse S, Dog S

Harlequin - comedic travelling clowns
Rustic and urban piebald clowns for the common folk
Brawling, Club
Dance, Tumbling, Juggling, Stilt walking, Taunt, Poetry
Sorcery
Old S, Common S, Empire S, Wildman S, Underland S, Magpie S,  Rat S, Cat S

BARD XP
+1 per 1gp spent on scrolls, books, carousing, finding inspiration, performances, costumes, maintaining a troupe of performers, magical jewels, clothes, instruments, parties, composing great works, printing poems
+50/lv casting spells to help victory
+100 per proficiency success that helps victory
+100 for making epic performance
Double for outperforming or dueling other bards