Another Monster and a New Stat Block

I always find it interesting how important actual play is to understanding a game, and how to judge its design, and how its presentation. For example, as much as I love 3.5 on paper, I don't enjoy playing it.

In this light, I have decided to change the stat block I use when creating monsters. In play, the guys that I sit at the table with like to explore the wilderness, hunt down lairs and loot them. As such, I have been highly dependent upon random encounters and have found the follow items from a monster stat block to be essential:

• Number Appearing — This gives me a baseline for determining the number of creatures encountered (and how many to expect inside a lair).
• % in Lair — this helps determine whether or not the party has stumbled upon the monsters in or out of their home.
• Morale — since this comes into play so much, especially with larger encounters in the wilderness, I need this stat at my finger tips.
• Hoard Class — When that lair is actually found, I need to know what kind of treasure is in it.
• XP — If I know exactly how much XP each monster is worth, I can easily keep a running tally.

I have also found that the following items unnecessarily clutter up the stat block:

• AAC — though I have a group of guys that discovered our hobby through 3.5, they have adjusted very smoothly to AC and using THAC0.
• Challenge Level — Frankly, I've never used this. The players know quite well that I don't dumb down or weaken the monsters in places they have no business being. Characters have been killed for not running away when they should have. The game is about choices. When I present to them a monster, it is what it is. The characters are then free to try their luck and skill or to run away and then face the consequences of their choice.

Keeping these things in mind for my home-brew monsters, I present the Flacara:

Flacara

[Those] Who said, "Let us inherit the holy place of God for ourselves."
O my God, turn them like a wheel,
Like straw before the face of the wind,
Like fire that burns through a thicket,
Like a flame that sets mountains on fire;
Thus You shall pursue them with Your storm,
And You shall trouble them in your wrath.
—Psalm 83:13-16

Number Appearing: 2d4
% in Lair: 25%
Alignment: Chaotic
Armor Class: 3
Move: 9
Hit Dice: 2+1
Attacks: 1 weapon (1d6+1) + Flame Damage (1d6)
Special: Flame Damage

Save: F3
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XIV
XP: 59

These vile creatures are about the size and stature of a Dwarf. Their flesh is cracked, blackened, and emaciated. As though burning from within, flames burst through the cracks and orifices all over their bodies. A Flacara's face is a mask of pain, something they take delight in inflicting on others. Every round spent in melee with a Flacara, a character must make a save vs. breath or take 1d6 fire damage. When a Flacara is using metal weapons or is fighting unarmed, any successful hit will generate an additional 1d6 flame damage unless a save v. breath is successful. They are immune to fire and cold attacks will actually add hit points. Flacara value gems over all other treasure.

Magic Item: Mask of Cyn

Mask of Cyn

These powerful artifacts are a result of the war between the Sons of Cyn and the Brain Lashers (see Mutant Future). They are metallic masks that cover the entire head, each portraying an expression corresponding to the sin they represent. Once put on, it can only be taken off with Remove Curse spell. Once worn, the user is immune to the mental powers of the Brain Lasher and the Brain Lasher cannot eat the wearer's brain. There are six types of masks. Each type corresponds to a particular characteristic and sin:

Strength (Wrath): Shocking Grasp 3/day for 3d6 damage

Intelligence (Pride): Mind Thrust. Range 50' damage 1,2 or 3d6. Power must recharge for one round per d6 used in the last attack. Please note: anyone wearing a Mask of Cyn gets a save vs. spell to negate this damage.

Wisdom (Avarice/Gluttony): Mental Phantasm. The user is capable of creating a realistic, illusory environment in the mind of another conscious creature. These visions are realistic to all senses but touch. Once the target tries to make physical contact with any element of the phantasm it dissolves into reality.

Dexterity (Despair): Haste 3/day. This only affects the user who must rest for double the duration of the spell or suffer damage equal to half her HP.

Constitution (Weakness): Body Adjustment. The user can heal all of their HP once every 24 hours. In addition, if in a life or death situation the user can double their STR, DEX and CON. This latter power can be used 1d4 times per week.

Charisma (Lust): Charm Person 3/day.

When the mask is first put on, a type of contest of wills begins. The character must make a save vs. spells. If the character saves, the mask is inert and functions as a great helm (though it still can only be removed with a Remove Curse spell). If the character fails, the mask activates and lets the character know all the powers of the mask and how to use it. Once the mask is active, the character must make a save vs. spells in order to subject themselves to the Remove Curse spell to remove the mask. A failed save means the character refuses to take the mask off. Any time the character is in a situation that would warrant the use of the helmet (or whenever the player voices the desire to use it) the character must make a save vs. spell. If the save fails, the character either activates the mask (if it was inert) or must use the power of the mask (if active).

Every time the power of the mask is used, the character must make a save vs. spells. If the save fails, the characteristic associated with the mask is reduced by 1. The next time the power of the mask is used, the characteristic goes back to its original score; however, the next time the save is failed, the score is reduced by the number of times the save has been failed. Thus a character with a STR of 15 who has failed the save for the third time now has a STR of 12. Once the characteristic is reduced to 0 the contest of wills is over and the mask takes control. The character is now an NPC and handed over to the Referee.

If the mask is removed after any characteristic loss, that loss is permanent until a Remove Curse spell is cast for each characteristic point lost.

Active masks will fill characters with visions of a great civilization from some lost past. The characters will be compelled to rebuild/recover this civilization primarily using the sin associated with the mask.

Monster: Sons of Cyn

Sons of Cyn

Armor Class: Variable
Hit Dice: Variable
Attacks: Variable
Saving Throw: Variable
Special: Mask of Cyn
Move: Variable
Morale: 10
Challenge Level/XP: Variable

Somewhere in the distant past the Brain Lashers (see Mutant Future) conquered a race of evil humans and enslaved them. Bread for food and a cheap workforce, over time and exposure to the pure chaos that fueled the Brain Lasher's machines, the humans mutated. Today they appear as emanciated albinos wearing metallic masks that cover the whole head. Underneath their masks, they have long, gaunt features and pointed ears. Given that many of their masks are identical, they sport individualizing tatoos. Over the centuries of their enslavement, they cultivated a deep resentment and kept alive myths of their great and glorious past before the coming of the Brain Lashers. For centuries they could not summon up sufficient strength to free themselves. Gradually, in secret, they developed magics that could counter the Brain Lashers power over them. Finally, under the leadership of a man named Cyn, they rebelled against their captors. After a long and bloody struggle, they succeeded in gaining their freedom; however, the very magic that allowed them to break from their yoke drove them insane. The unity they forged under the leadership of Cyn was shattered. In the chaos of the infighting, Cyn himself disappeared.

Currently, there are six factions who all claim to be the true Sons of Cyn: Cynthimos, Cynpothos, Cynlypi, Cynadunami, Cynperifani, Cynaplusti. As each faction tries to build its version of the race's glorious past, they wage war and make tenuous treaties with each other and with the Brain Lashers. Normally, these vicious and violent conflicts occur deep within the earth. Occasionally, however, they do spill out onto the surface. Death and destruction always follow.

The masks that the Sons of Cyn wear are called Masks of Syn. They make the wearer immune to the mental attacks of the Brain Lasher and make it impossible for them to feed on the wearer's brain. Each faction wears its own version of the mask, each of which grants the wearer one of the following powers:

Cynthimos: Shocking Grasp 3/day for 3d6 damage

Cynpothos: Charm Person 3/day.

Cynlypi: Haste 3/day. This only affects the user who must rest for double the duration of the spell or suffer damage equal to half her HP.

Cynadunami: Body Adjustment. The user can heal all of their HP once every 24 hours. In addition, if in a life or death situation the user can double their STR, DEX and CON. This latter power can be used 1d4 times per week.

Cynperifani: Mind Thrust. Range 50' damage 1,2 or 3d6. Power must recharge for one round per d6 used in the last attack. Please note: anyone wearing a Mask of Cyn get a save vs. spell to negate this damage.

Cynaplusti: Mental Phantasm. The user is capable of creating a realistic, illusory environment in the mind of another conscious creature. These visions are realistic to all senses but touch. Once the target tries to make physical contact with any element of the phantasm it dissolves into reality.

Each faction is ruled by an undying wizard-king and can be distinguished by both their masks and their dress. Sons of Cyn will rarely be encountered outside their lair in parties greater than 4. A typical party consists of two trainees (1st or 2nd level fighter or magic user) one fighter of level 3-5 and a leader who functions as a 5th level elf. Sons of Cyn have normal human chances for possession of magic items.

Dungeon Below Map Level 1A

This is a map of one of the sections of the first level of the Dungeon Below. It is accessible from the Tombs in the Southern Ruins. In writing up room descriptions, I have kept things to a minimum in order to allow more freedom and creativity on the part of anyone wishing to use this material. As such, I have followed Moldvay's suggestions on stocking a dungeon. Prior to the room descriptions are encounter tables. These can be used to stock this level and as wondering monster tables.

Monster Table

1-2 Humanoid

3 Vermin

4 Animal

5 Undead

6 Bottom Feeder

Humanoid Subtable

1-2 Xeraphi (1-6)

3 Xeraphi (2-8)

4 Xeraphi Necromancer + Sketelons (2-4)

5 Kouphasa (1-6)

6 Chiata (1-3)

Vermin Subtable

1 Giant Rats

2 Giant Ticks

3 Huge Spider

4 Large Spider

5 Fire Beetles

6 Giant Centipedes

Animal Subtable

1-3 Hyenas (1-4)

4-5 Hyenas (2-6)

6 Badgers

Undead Subtable

1-2 Skeletons

3-4 Zombies

5 Ghouls

6 Ghast

Bottom Feeder Subtable

1-2 Green Slime

3-4 Grey Ooze

5-6 Carcass Crawler

Rooms

1. Guardroom. Hyenas (4)

2. Tombs. Zombies (10)

3. Guardroom. Xeraphi (2)

4. Guardroom. Xeraphi (2)

16. Failed Experiments. This room is filled with bodies and body parts that did not or only partially animated during the experiments the Necromancer from Room 30 has been conducting. At any time there are 2d6 partially animated experiments here. Treat each as a 1/2 HD zombie with a 1 in 4 chance of having a Mark of Chaos.

16a. Treasure

25. Guardroom. Xeraphi (4)

26. Guardroom. Hyenas (4)

27. Tombs/Storeroom. This room is full of dead bodies ready for experimentation. Treasure.

28. Guardroom. Xeraphi (4)

29. Necromancer's Quarters. Treasure.

30. Necromancer's Lab. In addition to being able to summon 1d3-1 Skeletons per round, the Necromancer has the following spells: Protection from Good, Shield and Mirror Image.

30a. This is a large cauldron with carved runes glowing with a malevolent red light. Within is a black ooze. Bodies placed within the cauldron will animate fully on a 1 or partially on a 2 when rolling a d4. These animations act as zombies, but are imbued with the black ooze. As a result they each having the following Marks of Chaos:

+1d4 HD

Wound caused by the creatures cannot be healed magically

Anyone killed by the creature will rise as a "black ooze zombie" in d6 rounds.

More Maps

These are maps of the tombs, the tower and the gatehouse found in the Southern Ruins.

Gatehouse

G.1 Both doors in this room are locked, wooden and reinforced gates. The gate on the eastern side is also sealed shut. Even if the gate is unlocked, it will not open without knocking the gate down. If care is not taken, anyone knocking the gate in will find themselves on the other side of the gate where there is a 20 foot spiked pit. At one time there was a ramp that spanned the pit, but that has long since rotted away. Anyone who wishes to get past the pit will have to rig some kind of bridge or climb the steep rock face on either side of the pit.
G.2 Sleeping Area. A total of 8-12 Chiata will be in the Gatehouse at any given time. Half of them will be in this room sleeping.
G.3 Guardroom. 1 or 2 Chiata will be here at any given time. They are armed with crossbows and one will be a shadow caster with Darkness 30' radius which they will cast the moment any combat appears likely. This will make targeting the Chiata from outside the gatehouse extremely difficult. Note: this spell will affect the adjacent room G.4 as well.
G.4 Guardroom. 1 Chiata armed with a crossbow is here at any given time.
G.5 The stairs go down to Room 1 on Map Level 1C.

Tower

Please note: Tower Level 1 is the ground level.
T.1 The exterior door is unlocked and recessed into the wall, creating a small ledge large enough to ge a toe hold. The ledge is a pressure plate that arms a trap triggered when the door is opened. A springloaded blade will cut across the opening in front of the door, dislodging or cutting any climbing devise attached to the ledge. Anyone in the doorway must make two saves. One to reduce the d8 damage of the blade in half, the other to avoid being knocked off the ledge.
T.5 This room is open to the sky. The parapets around the room are about 4 feet high. Off towards the north, just over the hills, a strange energy can be seen. It is barely visible during the day, especially the noon hours. However, at night it is impossible to miss. In the middle of the room is a giant glass lens held fast on a stand so that it faces the energy field. Carved into the interior of the lens is the visage of a tentacled flying eye. The stand is fixed to the floor and lens weighs far more than it ought to. The whole area radiates magic. At sunset (and/or any other predetermined or random times the Referee sees fit), the lens somehow focuses the energy field in the north to spot on the southern side of the room. Anyone standing within that beam must make a save or take 2d6 points of damage. A successful save results in a mutation. This can either be determined randomly (using tables from Mutant Future) or by Referee fiat.
T.8 The stairs lead down to Room 24 on Map Level 1B. The stairs are protected by an illusion. Instead of stairs, there appears to be a solid floor and at the end of the room there appears to be a niche in the wall containing a golden statue of some cthuloid being. Anyone who moves forward toward the statue will fall into Room 24 below, which is protected by a permanent Silence spell.
The rest of the rooms I leave for the Referee to leave empty or fill with whatever they desire.

Tomb 1

1.1 Trash Heap. This room is filled with refuse. The Xeraphi who occupy the tombs use this to dispose of their waste.
1.1a Grafitti. Carved into the wall of this alcove are the words: Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate.
1.2 Ooze Lair. A pool of Grey Ooze has been lured here by the refuse that the Xeraphi deposit in 1.1.

Tomb 2

2.1 Guard Room. A pair of Hyenas guard this area.
2.2 Sleeping area. Up to twelve Xeraphi will be sleeping or resting here.

Tomb 3

3.1 Guard Room. Four Hyenas guard this area.
3.2 Lieutenant's Room. The lieutenant of the Xeraphi war band sleeps here. He has four Skeletons as bodyguards.
3.2a Treasure. Three locked chests containing a total of 3487 cp and 589 sp and 62 gp has been shoved into this alcove. Two Zombies stand guard and will attack anyone besides the chief who touches the chests.

Tomb 4

4.1 Entry.
4.2 Guard Room. Four Xeraphi will ambush adventurers entering 4.1.
4.3 Zombie Room. A pair of Zombies await in the alcoves to attack any one other than the Necromancer.
4.4 Necromancer's Lair. The Xeraphi Necromancer (3HD) can summon 1d4-1 Skeletons per round. She also has a scroll with Protection from Good and Curse.
4.4a There is an obsidian statue of a clawed humanoid with a multi-eyed, tentacled head. Six 50 gp gems are stored in a secret compartment inside the statue.
4.5 Stairs. The stairs go down to Room 1 of Level 1A.
4.5a A pair of Skeletons stand guard.
4.5b A Zombie rings a gong when adventures enter this room, warning those at the bottom of the stair.

In Defense of Clerics

Since I started to connect with the RPG community on the net, especially those interested in old-school gaming, I have found that the Cleric is not a very popular class. This dislike ranges from the ambivalence of James over at Grognardia to the elimination of the class in Geoffrey McKinney's Carcosa to Delta's outright glee of removing the class from his gaming. Now, I am not going to say that any of these interpretations of the game are wrong. In fact, I appreciate the fact that each of them is coming at the game from the perspective of the S&S roots of D&D. I even use James' interpretation of the class as a kind of Magic User when dealing with non-Christian/pagan priests. However, there is another perspective: the historical simulation in the war gaming roots of D&D.

I have to admit that I played my first war game before I ever heard of D&D and in my adult life have played as many hours war gaming as I have role-playing, if not more. I am also a trained historian. Thus, this aspect of the game's roots really speaks to me and I emphasize it in my games.

When looking at the game from the perspective of historic simulation, the Cleric deserves its place in the game. Not only has religion been central to every culture in human history, but Christianity has been a major factor in European history and culture since the second century. One need only look at the weapons and armor in D&D to realize that the combat being simulated is based primarily on the way war was fought in Medieval Europe, when Christianity was not only dominant, but assumed.

The spell list  for Clerics in D&D reflect this historic reality — they simulate the kinds of miracles that fill Christian lore. When you believe that every Christian is the temple of God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, then daily miracles are not out of place.

In terms of the classic D&D paradigm of Law vs. Chaos, Christianity has historically been equated with Law and civilization in Europe. When Rome fell, it was the Church that sheltered and protected people. It was the Church that protected the vestiges of civilization — books, scrolls, etc. — because it valued things like science, philosophy and education.

History is full of Christian adventurers. Monastics travelled the wilderness — the Biblical realm of demons — in order to take on the devil where he lives. Missionaries travelled into barbarian lands to spread the Gospel. They followed the example of the Apostles, who travelled as far as India in the east, and Britain in the west. Before them, the prophets took on all manner of ancient armies and pagan gods.

I will grant that S&S often seems incompatible, indifferent or even hostile to Christianity. Given this, the Cleric seems out of place. However, S&S itself provides the answer as to why the Cleric has a solid place in D&D — the genre blending that S&S is so comfortable with. Given that one standard fantasy trope is to tell stories of earth's distant future and given that the Church is not just a human institution, but also a divine one — "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18) — the Church easily fits into any world that depicts a future earth because the Church will survive into that future. Indeed, this is the model I use in my Erimia campaign.

Whether or not you use the Cleric in your games is largely up to how much you want to pay homage to the historic simulation of war games at the root of D&D. Whereas it is possible to say that I don't want Clerics in my game, it is impossible to say that Clerics don't belong at all. I hope that some of you will explore the historic simulation roots of our hobby and learn to embrace the Cleric as gleefully as I have.

 

Monster: Kouphasa

Here is another monster from the Erimia Campaign:

Kouphasa

The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf. — Micah 7:16

 

Armor Class: 6 [13]

Hit Dice: 1

Attacks: 2 claws (1d3) or 1 weapon/beak (1d6)

Saving Throw: 15

Special: Scream

Move: 6 (on ground) 12 (in air)

Morale: 8

Challenge Level/XP: 1/15

Kouphasa are chaotic bird men with ratty feathers covering random parts of their bodies and skin ranging from blue to red covered in caruncles. Once per day, each Kouphasa can let out an earsplitting scream that can deafen any non-Kouphasa in a 30'r. Those who fail a save to negate the effect will be completely deaf for d6 turns.

Monster: Chiata

Here is another monster from the Erimia Campaign:

Chiata

As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind, so is anyone who believes in dreams. What is seen in dreams is but a reflection, the likeness of a face looking at itself. — Sirach 34:2-3

Armor Class: 5 [14]
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4+1) or 1 weapon (2d4)
Saving Throw: 15
Special: Surprise on 1-3, Shadow Magic
Move: 9
Morale: 8
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30 XP or 3/60 XP

Chiata look like humanoid panthers. They tend to be solitary hunters, but it is not unknown for them to hunt in prides to take down larger game. They prefer to attack out of ambush and avoid any stand-up fight. When fighting a group, they use hit-and-run tactics — they attempt to isolate members of the group in order to get easier kills. Chiata can see in any kind of darkness and surprise on a 1-3.

Chiati leaders all have shadow magic. On a roll of 1-2 on a d6, any Chiata encountered have one or more of the following abilities:

1. Darkness 30' r.
   
2. Shadow Shapes — functions as a Phantasmal Force spell.
   
3. Summon Shadowspawn — summons d6 creatures with 1/2HD. This can be done once per encounter.
   
4. Summon Shadowspawn — summons d3 creatures with 1HD. This can be done once per encounter.
   
5. Summon Shadow Sword — create a weapon out of shadow that functions as a +1 magic weapon. Once formed, the weapon is permanent until dispelled or exposed to sunlight, when it is immediately destroyed. Only one weapon can be summoned at a time.
   
6. Summon Shadow Armor — create a suit of +1 magical chainmail. This improves the AC of a Chiata to AC3. Once formed, the armor is permanent until dispelled or exposed to sunlight, when it is immediately destroyed. Only one suit can be summoned at a time.
   

Stocking a Dungeon

When I started my Erimia campaign, I reread Moldvay's Basic D&D and I came across the following advice for stocking a dungeon:

To "stock" a dungeon means to fill in general details, such as monsters, treasure, and traps. Special monsters should be first placed in the appropriate rooms along with special treasures. The remaining rooms can be stocked as the DM wishes. If there is no preference as to how certain rooms are stocked, the following system may be used.

He then provides a pair of tables where contents maybe determined by a d6:

Contents:
1-2 Montser
3 Trap
4 Special
5-6 Empty

Is There Treasure?
Monster Yes on 1-3
Trap Yes on 1-2
Empty Yes on 1

There is an elegance here that belies the image of random tables being random and chaotic. Using this system, and a couple of sub-tables utilizing a d6, one can create a unique feel for any dungeon map.

For example: I use this system to stock the Dungeon Beneath the Ruins in my Erimia campaign. Each level or sub-level has "special monsters" — the main or climactic encounters on each level. I place some special features, some treasure and leave the rest to the random table. However, the random table is tightly controlled. I use a template with the following pattern:

1-2 Humanoid
3 Animal
4 Undead
5 Vermin
6 Chaos Beast

These numbers can be altered to change frequency, depending on the feel for each level. Each of these results then goes to a sub-table which give a specific result. This is where every level gets its true character. If you have a sub-level occupied by goblinoids next to a sub-level full of lizard-folk, the humanoid sub-table for each could look like this:

1-3 Goblins
4 Hobgoblins
5 Bugbears
6 Lizardmen

1-3 Lizardmen
4-5 Troglodytes
6 Goblins

Keeping each small table within a theme creates the sense of an ecosystem. Since each table has a maximum of six entries, it takes very little effort to create.

There are several advantages to this:

1. It saves time. As a Referee I don't have to worry about stocking everything in a huge mega-dungeon.
2. It makes the dungeon extremely portable and recyclable. I can use the same dungeon several times and have it be different each time. When players clear out a level, restocking is not much of an issue.
3. It is as much an adventure for the Referee as it is for the player. I get to have the fun of seeing my dungeon develop in an organic way through the interaction of my concept, the players and some dice.

The lesson here is that random tables are only as crazy and chaotic as you allow them to be. When tightly controlled, they are an invaluable tool.

Map of the Western & Eastern Caves

This is a map for the caves from the Southern Ruins for the Erimia campaign. Please note: Glue Flowers and Ant Horrors can both be found in Mutant Future and Ranine are the creation of James Maliszewski.

Western Caves

1. A patch of rather large, phosphorescent Glue Flowers [7] (HP 14, 13, 11, 9, 9, 9, 6; #AT: 1 (glue); D: special; AC 9; Morale: n/a; MV: none) grow here. Adventurers must take great care to avoid the flowers or be attacked.

2. This cavern has a slight upward incline and is covered with a snot-like substance. While being completely disgusting, the substance is seemingly harmless when touched, tasted, or otherwise interacted with. However, the slime produces a tasteless and odorless poisonous gas. After 1d10 rounds of continually being in the cavern, adventurers must save vs. poison every round or lose a point of Constitution. These losses may be recovered by leaving the cavern and breathing non-poisonous air continuously for an hour. If an adventurer's Constitution reaches 0, they fall unconscious. If they are not removed from the poisonous gas for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution, they will die.

3. Within the walls of this cave is a rich vein of precious stones. Each stone takes 1d6 turns to extract and is worth 1d10x10 gp. However, the poisonous gas from Area 2 pools here. All saves vs. poison are at -2.

4. Empty cavern.

5. This cavern has a slight upward slope and is covered in the same slime as Area 2. However, the floor of this cavern is very thin. Any adventurer who steps into the cavern will fall through the floor, falling 10 ft. Note:The whole floor will not give way —it only breaks where an adventurer steps.

6. This is the web-covered lair of a pair of Giant Crab Spiders [2] (HP 10, 8; #AT: 1 (bite); D: 1b8, poison; AC 7; Morale: 7; MV: 120(40)). There are several desiccated corpses which were former victims of the spiders. One has a large sack with 200 sp.

7. Empty Cavern

8-10. These caverns are a teeming colony of Giant Rats [d10] (HP 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1; #AT: 1 (bite); D: 1b3, disease; AC 7; Morale: 8; MV: 120(40)). Each cavern will always have rats in them, no matter how many times the adventurers clear them out. For each encounter, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the rats have a Minor Chaotic Trait.

11. This is the lair of an Ant Horror [1] (HP 22; #AT: 2 (bites) or 1 (tail); D: 2d8/2d8 or 1d10+poison; AC 3; Morale: 7; MV: 150(50)).

12. The entrance of this cavern is partially blocked. Human-sized creatures can squeeze past, but the Ant Horror cannot. In the cave is the body of a Ipolian soldier. He wears platmail armor, a shield, a spear, short sword and silver dagger all in good condition. within the remains of a sack are 5 gems worth 100 gp each. He also wears a jeweled badge of rank worth 300 gp. Note: these items will be easily recognized by the citizens of Gate and difficult to sell there.

Eastern Caves

1. This is the lair of a Chaos Beast [1] (HP 19; #AT: 1 (bite) + gaze; D: 1d10; AC 3; Morale: 9; MV: 90(30)). This emaciated, beaked, serpentine horror is perpetually hungry and will attack anyone in the vicinity of the caves. Its gaze causes a breakdown of a person's ability to make sense out of reality. Adventurers who meet the beast's gaze must save vs. petrification or lose 1 Int. Adventurers who wish to completely avoid the gaze cannot attack. Any attack made trying to avoid the gaze is at -4 to hit and still has a 1 in 6 chance of meeting the gaze. Normally attacking will result in meeting the gaze on a 1-3 on a d6. Seeing the creature from afar has a 4 in 6 chance of meeting the gaze. All Int loss is regained after an hour. Anyone who is reduced to 0 Int becomes mindless and is unable to do anything. The Chaos Beast will not attack mindless adventurers, rather, at the first opportunity will drag them into Area 2.

2. This is a birthing chamber for the Ranine. Mindless victims are are chained to rock columns, seeded with eggs, and serve as the first meal for the Ranine young. The Chaos Beast feasts on the weakest Ranine, leaving the strongest to join the Ranines in Areas 11-15. At any one time, there are 2d6-2 mindless chained to various columns throughout the cavern.

3. Chaos energy has created a soft spot in space here. Anytime adventurers enter this cavern, there is a 1 in 6 chance that they are teleported to anyplace the DM wants.

4. This is a trash heap where the Ranine throw the bones that remain from the victims of the Chaos Beast. Thousands of bones are here, all tainted by Chaos. Any time adventurers enter this cavern 3d4 misshapen and mismatched skeletons will animate to take revenge on the living (HP 6 ea.; #AT: 1; D: 1d6; AC 7; Morale: 12; MV: 60(20)). Scattered throughout the bones are 1500 cp, 200 sp, and a potion of healing.

5. On each of the two rock columns in the middle of this cavern are carved a mockery of a mouth. When asked a question, they answer. One will always tell the truth, the other will always tell a lie. However, which one does which is determined at every question by a die roll.

6. Empty Cavern.

7. A number of chain and cuffs hang from the back wall of this cavern. The Ranine will go on hunting parties to capture victims for the Chaos Beast. Their prisoners are chained here, awaiting the Chaos Beat to eat them or render them mindless. At any time there are 1d4-1 creatures chained to the wall here.

8. This is the lair of a Ghoul [1] (HP 12; #AT: 3 (2 claws, bite); D: 1d3/1d3/1d3+paralysis; AC 6; Morale: 9; MV: 90(30)). It wears a bracelet and a necklace each worth 400 gp.

9. There is a carving in the wall of this cavern that depicts a star that falls from the sky and is now buried beneath a mountain.

10. Empty Cavern.

[Caverns 11-15 are extremely humid]

11. Ranine [4] (HP 21, 13, 5, 4; #AT: 3 (2 claws, bite); D: 1d6/1d6/1d4+paralysis; AC 4; Morale: 8; MV: 90(30)). The largest (21 hp) is a 4 HD creature and the one with 13 hp regenerates 1d4 HP per round.

12. Ranine [2] (HP 9, 9; #AT: 3 (2 claws, bite); D: 1d6/1d6/1d4+paralysis; AC 4; Morale: 8; MV: 90(30)).

13. Ranine [2] (HP 9, 8; #AT: 3 (2 claws, bite); D: 1d6/1d6/1d4+paralysis; AC 4; Morale: 8; MV: 90(30)).

14. Ranine [2] (HP 10, 7; #AT: 3 (2 claws, bite); D: 1d6/1d6/1d4+paralysis; AC 4; Morale: 8; MV: 90(30)).

15. Ranine [4] (HP 9, 7, 5, 3; #AT: 3 (2 claws, bite); D: 1d6/1d6/1d4+paralysis; AC 4; Morale: 8; MV: 90(30)). The largest (9 hp) may cast darkness (30' r.) at will and wields a magic short sword. It functions as a +1 magic weapon, but when wielded in combat it makes micro tears in the fabric of space and time. This has two side-effects: 1) All monsters and henchmen sense that something is terribly wrong and are -2 morale; 2) Every time a 20 is rolled when attacking with the weapon, a larger tear is made and there is a 1 in 20 chance that something horrible crawls through. If a know alignment spell is cast on the blade, it will register Chaotic. There is a well here from which can be heard the sound of rushing water. This can be an entrance into a sub-level or a lower level of the dungeon below. There is a locked chest wedged into a recess in the wall. It contains 1000 gp. and 200 pp.

Map of the Southern Ruins

This is a map of the southern edge of the ruined city that lies between Ipolis and Pyros Mountain in Hex 0705 of the Map of Erimia. Here is a brief write up of each of the features labeled on the map:

Tombs
These ancient tombs have long since been robbed of their original contents, but now serve as a lair for a Xeraphi war party. Above each tomb entrance is an obelisk. Once covered in runes of a long dead language, erosion has rendered them nearly smooth. The largest tomb contains an entrance into the dungeon below.

Living Statues
Sitting on a ledge just north of the tombs are what appear to be three giant, rough-hewn, humanoid statues. In reality, these are three earth elemental beings that live here. This is not a combat encounter, rather it is an atmospheric encounter. The statues cannot be harmed and they move incrementally slow — a few inches an hour when they are in a hurry. If adventurers are disrespectful, the statues can move to block their passage out of the ruins. If respectful, the statues might even try to give the adventurers clues. Otherwise, these beings demonstrate the otherworldliness of the wilderness.

Tower
This tower was carved straight from rock and stands seven stories high. Ornate glyphs cover every inch, though erosion has made it almost impossible to decipher them. The only entrance to the tower is four stories up. Within the tower is an entrance into the dungeon below.

Eastern Caves
This is the lair of a vicious Chaos Beast and a tribe of Ranine that are the beast's care-takers/worshippers. Though there is no entrance to the dungeon below from these caves, there is room for expansion into a sub-level, or lower levels of the dungeon beneath.

Western Caves
This series of caves in the home of Chaos-tainted vermin.

Gatehouse
This once belonged to the defenses of the ancient city and is one of the few surviving structures that isn't entirely carved out of the stone of the ancient river bed. It has also seen recent construction. A war party of Chaotic humanoids have turned the gatehouse into a lair, and have rebuilt its defenses. The gatehouse also has an entrance into the dungeon below.

Building a Better Monster

In the world of Erimia, monsters and the forces of Chaos are personifications and physical manifestations of sin. This is in keeping with the metaphor of the campaign where adventurers are akin to Christian monastics venturing out into the wilderness in order to fight the devil and his minions where they live. This raises the question, what is sin?

At its most basic meaning, sin means missing the mark. In context of humanity's relationship with God, it means our failure to keep on target with the "likeness" of the image and likeness of God within us. Our life in God is a process by which we become more like Him. God has revealed His image to us primarily in two ways: the Law and the person of Jesus Christ. Both of these reveal God to be a relational being. Note how Christ summarizes the Law:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind . . .You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37,39).

The image and likeness of God within humanity revolves around our relationship with both God and our fellow human beings (and, in turn, all of creation). Note that in Genesis, the devil tries to destroy both of these relationships: first through the eating of the fruit (humanity's relationship with God), and then through the murder of Abel by his brother Cain (humanity's relationship with his fellow human being). Thus, sin can be understood as anything that harms or destroys these relationships. For example, let us examine some of what have become known as the cardinal sins:

Gluttony — I wastefully consume at the expense of those who hunger, harming not only my relationship with my fellow human being, but with the earth that provides my food, and my God who gives me all of these things as gifts.
Sloth—I fail to love anything enough to give my all. This harms relationships with everybody — nothing, neither God nor anything in creation, is worth my time and effort.
Lust—I objectify my fellow human being, subjecting them to my own selfish need for pleasure. I disregard both their needs, and the image of God within them.

From the perspective of sin, there is no such thing as a victimless crime (as anyone who has a relative that is an alcoholic or addict can tell you).

In designing Erimian monsters as personifications and physical manifestations of sin, I try to give them abilities, tactics and/or powers that actively try to destroy relationships. This destruction then leads to an easier target to kill. As adventurers continue to encounter these monsters, they must work together to create strategies to prevent the destruction of these relationships in order to more effectively overcome the monsters and the sins they personify.

With this in mind, I give you the Xeraphi:

Xeraphi
For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife. — Proverbs 30:33
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Hit Dice: 1d6
Attacks: 1 weapon (1d6)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: Poison, Fury Scent
Move: 9
Morale: 8
Challenge Level/XP: 1/15 XP

Xeraphi are small, aggressive cousins of the gnolls. Their size and lower hit dice are deceptive — Xeraphi can be extremely dangerous. Their skin excretes a liquid that gives off a scent that sends other creatures into a blind fury. Non-xeraphi with an Int less than 17 must save vs. spell or go berserk, attacking friend and foe for 10 rounds. Only one save is necessary per encounter. In addition, this liquid can be boiled down into a sticky substance the Xeraphi put onto their weapons. Any successful strike by a Xeraphi requires their target to save v. poison or take an additional d6 damage. This poison may be taken from the pelts of the Xeraphi. Each corpse will produce 1d3 doses. However, anyone using this poison will also produce the fury inducing scent that requires every new encounter to save v spells or go berserk.

Xeraphi travel in packs. These packs are generally lead by female necromancers and Xeraphi are very comfortable around the undead — they are one of the few non-Xeraphi that are immune to their scent. When a pack is encountered, it usually includes undead, especially skeletons and zombies.

(I have used the S&W stat block with the addition of Morale because of its simplicity and flexibility)

Map of Gate

Here is a map and description of Gate for the Erimia Campaign. This small community of those soldiers (mostly Replicants) who guard and maintain the small gate of the city and those merchants that sell the soldiers their wares serves as the launching point for adventurers into the wilderness.

1. Gate to the City.
Made of solid iron, it is lifted using a winch operated from the towers on either side of the gate.
2. Towers.
These are manned 24 hours a day. There will always be a minimum of two soldiers in each tower. In times of high alert, this number will be increased to as many as five.
3. Century HQ.
The military of Ipolis is organized into units of 100 soldiers, each known as a Century. The unit stationed in Gate has the sole duty of guarding the gate to the city. Known by various names, such as the Flaming Swords, the Cherubic Century, and the 100 Angels, their unit symbol is a flaming sword (Genesis 4:24). Every soldier in the Century must be celibate. The priorities of the unit do not allow for a proper raising of a family. Thus, when a soldier wishes to marry, he must transfer to a different unit or retire. This gives Gate (especially under the spiritual leadership of Fr. Gerasimos) a very monastic feel. NPCs in Gate will have a love/hate attitude towards adventurers. They will greatly admire and respect anyone who goes out to fight Chaos on its own turf. However, they will be wary of them at the same time — adventurers are constantly scrutinized for when (not if) they fall under the influence of the Chaos they fight.
4. General Store/Supply Depot.
Burok, the Signifier of the Flaming Swords, comes from a merchant family led by his elder brother. They are going through a difficult time, economically, and is being pressured to use his position to bring some cash flow to the family. He's honest when he can, but is not above the occasional cheat.
Signifier Burok Thief Lvl 4 Lawful S10 I10 W6 D13 C11 Ch9 HP 17
5. Herbalist.
The one citizen of Gate that ventures outside the city walls on a semi-regular basis is the Herbalist Eamon. An elf and a former soldier, he is interested to see if he can use the strange plants in the wilderness to do good. He has a wide selection of potions and herbal treatments for all kinds of ailments.
Eamon Elf Lvl 7 Lawful S10 I17 W9 D13 C7 Ch9 HP 32
5a. Magic-User's Home.
6. Officer's Quarters.
The Flaming Swords are commanded by the Centurion Blaise. He is a confident man, obsessed with history and his place in it. His second in command, the Optio Zilas, is a staunch conservative who uses all the influence he can to maintain the status-quo.
Centurion Blaise Replicant Lvl 9 Lawful S15 I11 W13 D11 C11 Ch13 HP 46 Special: Epidermal Photosynthesis, Thermal Vision, Mind Thrust
Optio Zilas Fighter Lvl 5 Lawful S13 I10 W7 D11 C13 Ch9 HP 22
7. Smithy.
The blacksmith of Gate is a Dwarf named Columba. He is a former soldier whose unit went on regular patrols outside the city. He got caught in a river of chaos energy and no longer trusts himself go venture out of the city. He does what he can to fight Chaos by equipping soldiers and adventurers with the armor and weapons they need to carry on the fight. If a relationship is cultivated, adventurers will find a staunch ally in Columba.
Columba Dwarf Lvl 3 Lawful S16 I15 W11 D9 C15 Ch6 HP 25 Special: Pain Insensitivity
7a. Blacksmith's Home.
8. Chapel of the Taxiarchai.
Dedicated to the Archangels, this is where the people of Gate come to pray. Fr. Gerasimos maintains a monastic schedule, and there are services everyday throughout the day.
8a. Storage.
This is used to store the various items used in the chapel: books, chalices, utensils, vestments, wine, bread, etc. It is locked at all times. Fr. Gerasimos has the only key.
9. Priest's Home.
Fr. Gerasimos is a quiet and humble man who leads by example. He is more often than not in the Chapel praying than he is at home.
Fr. Gerasimos Cleric Lvl 4 Lawful S14 I10 W14 D11 C16 Ch10 HP 28
10. Flaming Sword.
The one place where Fr. Gerasimos has yet to have any influence. This serves both as a mess hall and as a tavern where soldiers let off steam.
10a. Kitchen.
The cook of the Flaming Sword, Wolfram aka "Cookie," is a veteran fighter who happens to be better in the kitchen than on the wall. Although he enjoys his work, Cookie prefers the life of a soldier and is the first to a fight, wielding whatever is at hand as a weapon.
Wolfram aka "Cookie" Fighter Lvl 4 Lawful S17 I11 W10 D14 C7 Ch9 HP 20 Special: Cookie is extremely skilled at using impromptu weapons, such as an iron skillet. He receives a +1 to hit whenever using such a weapon.
11. Statue of the Cherubic Guardian.
Here stands a 30 foot tall image of a Cherubim — a multi-eyed, awe-inspiring warrior angel wielding a flaming sword. It is carved granite and there is an extreme amount of wear on the right foot of the angel, where soldiers seeking blessings have worn down the detail on the foot by touching it for several hundred years. The statue radiates an aura of holiness. Any Lawful creature within a 20 foot radius receives a bonus of 1 on every die roll. Any Chaotic creature receives a penalty of 1 on every die roll. In addition, anyone who does a prayer asking for help or strength from the angels, Christ, or God and touches the statue receives the effects of a Bless spell for the next 24 hours.
12. Barracks.
The Tesserarius, Gabryl, has recently been promoted due to the death of a very popular officer. As a result, he has yet to earn the respect of his men, and is constantly trying to figure out ways to do so.
Tesserarius Gabryl Replicant Lvl 6 Lawful S16 I10 W10 D14 C13 Ch10 HP 40 Special: Spiny Growth, UV Vision, Increased Balance
13. The City Wall.
14. Outer Gate.
Since Ipolis has no trade with other cities, and a populace that has little or no reason to travel outside the walls of the city, the gate of the city (more of a door, really) serves only two purposes. Firstly, it gives minimal access to the outside world for those that do need to venture out (soldiers for routine patrols, mainly). Secondly, it serves as a trap for the invading forces of Chaos that periodically test the defenses of the city. The gate itself is iron and opens vertically using winches on the city wall. It is locked using two iron rods that mechanically slide into the gate from the city wall itself. The door is recessed into the city wall, allowing the defenders of the city to create a kill zone right in front of the gate. Indeed, the battlements above are equipped with hot oil, stones, crossbows and ballistas.
15. Trapped Stairs.
If invaders get through the gate, they must ascend a set of stairs made of slick, rounded stone. On either side of the stairs are 30 ft. deep, spiked pits. The stairs are also trapped — a lever on the city wall above triggers the upper section of the stairs to go flat and create a slide, dooming invaders to a ride into the spiked pits below. Invaders must endure all of this while defenders pelt them from above on the city walls.
16. Trapped Tunnel.
For those invaders that survive the gate and the stairs, this tunnel, coated with a thick layer of dark glass, awaits. In the ceiling there are hundreds of holes, and the floor slopes down from the edges to form an oblong bowl. On the city wall above the tunnel are three levers. Two control the locks on the iron doors at either end of the tunnel and the other releases acid through the holes in the ceiling of the tunnel. Not only will invaders be showered with acid, but the acid pools in the bowl-shaped floor, which becomes slick when wet. Thus, even when the defenders run out of acid to shower invaders from above, defenders must wade through an acid pool and risk losing their footing on the glass floor.
17. St. Aiden's Alley.
Named after a soldier who single-handedly held off a beast of Chaos in this very place until reinforcements could arrive to kill the creature. Mosaics depicting this epic battle line the walls. The alley is a final kill zone for any invaders that manage to get past the trapped stairs and tunnel. It also serves as a staging point for units who periodically patrol beyond the city walls.

Map of Erimia

This is a map of Erimia. I have not named many of the landmarks on purpose. For one, the citizens of Ipolis have no need to name anything, because they very rarely, if ever, venture outside the city walls. Secondly, I really like the process of players interacting with a world. When that creative process comes up with names, the world jumps off the page and begins to live in a way that I never could have made it by naming everything.

I have marked three things on the map, because they are a part of the daily lives of those who live in Ipolis:

Hex 0808: The city of Ipolis (which literally means "the City") is a giant walled metropolis and a haven from the Chaos that rules the wilderness around it. With the powerful magics available to it from the energy node that lies at the center of the city, Ipolis is virtually self-sustaining. It has no trade with other cities — even if it knew of other cities, it has no real need. The only outside contact the citizens have is through the small community of Gate — those soldiers (mostly Replicants) who guard and maintain the small gate of the city and those merchants that sell the soldiers their wares.

Hex 0805: Pyros Mountain (meaning "Fire") looms large in the minds of the citizens of Ipolis. It is called Pyros Mountain because of the mysterious glow it gives off at night, which can be seen for miles. Thought to be the source of many of the strange monsters that occasionally test the defenses of the city, it is at the center of every nightmarish imagining of the people of Ipolis. Indeed, the glow is the result of a fragment of a chaos weapon that fell from the sky during the Great Cataclysm and buried itself deep within the bowels of the earth.

Hex 0705: Here are the ruins of a city that was ancient at the time of the Great Cataclysm. Called Aripia (or "Ruins") it is carved out of the rock of antediluvian river beds and stands between Ipolis and Pyros Mountain. Some of its spires can be seen from the city walls. In the past, adventurous souls have wandered out to see these great carvings. Those that returned told tales of their wonder and hinted at untold wealth that might be buried beneath. When tales are told of the Golden Age before the Great Cataclysm, they often tell of the wonders of this city that now lies in ruin.

Erimia Campaign

I have been working on a campaign that satisfies a desire to pay homage to three influences — Pulp Fantasy, Christianity, and the Retro-Clone. I want to share some of my thinking on this campaign, and briefly outline how it interacts with its influences.

Pulp Fantasy

Alternate World: This campaign takes place on an alternate earth that shares the same basic timeline as our own up until the fall of Rome. At this point our paths diverge.

Battle in Space: The Fall of Rome coincides with a battle between two Chaotic factions of inter-galactic/inter-dimensional beings within the solar system. Several ships fall to earth as casualties in the battle.

The Great Cataclysm: During the battle, a device is used in the proximity of earth that causes a violent reaction in its crust and its energy fields. Immense earthquakes, flooding and volcanic activity devastate the planet as the crust shifts almost 90 degrees. Civilization collapses, whole environments change over night, life as we know it is forever changed. An energy field surrounds the world, flowing in constantly changing rivers of energy and pooling in more permanent energy nodes. This energy, when tapped, allows survivors to use what we call magic. The nodes provide beneficial magic, and survivors flock to the few that exist. The rivers are forces of chaos. They sweep across the earth, transforming the natural world and causing all kinds of mutations. The world is now a very dangerous place.

Alien Survivors: The ships that crashed to earth had survivors. Most of their technology is lost, and they are stranded here on earth. So, they make the best of it, and begin burrowing deep within the earth. Sometimes they wait, sometimes they conquer, sometimes they cooperate with each other, sometimes they wage the same war that brought them to earth. They are always alien, and always hate their terrestrial prison. At least one of the factions will be inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. I also love the idea that one of the aliens used to look like this.

Human Survivors: What remains of humanity lives around the few energy nodes that exist. They have built great walled cities to protect themselves from the chaos that reigns in the world outside. However, the journey through the chaos to the energy nodes has left its mark. There have been many mutations, and humanity is much more diverse than it used to be.

We are in the Future: It has taken a couple thousand years to recover from the Great Cataclysm. The technology available is akin to Medieval Europe. This allows for a fantasy setting within a classic pulp fantasy future when compared to our own earth time-line. It also ensures that all of the various elements surrounding the Great Cataclysm are distant memories, the stuff of legend, and ancient.

Christianity

The Geography of Eden: For the land of Eden, the Book of Genesis gives us a basic geography of concentric circles. At the center is the Tree of Life. Around that is a fenced garden. Around that is the plain of Eden. Beyond Eden is the the land of Nod, also known as the Wilderness, where demons live.

Metaphoric Geography: The campaign world is modeled after the concentric circles of Eden. At the center is the energy node, which gives life to those in its proximity. Around the node is the City, a walled metropolis ever watchful for attacks from the outside world. Around the City is a plain, kept open and free by the soldiers of the City to enable a clear view of any invading monsters that crawl out of the Wilderness. This Wilderness, where monsters, demons, and creatures of chaos live, lies beyond the plain.

Monasticism: The name of the campaign, Erimia, is derived from the Greek for wilderness or desert. It is also the origin of the word hermit. In the Christian tradition, the first monastics were hermits who wandered out into the desert in order to combat demons where they lived. To carry the metaphoric geography to the PCs, they become these hermits — they are the first adventurers who seek to confront the monsters where they live.

St. Basil the Great: At the time of the Fall of Rome, the liturgy of St. Basil was commonplace in Eastern Christendom. The Anaphora of St. Basil makes this statement:

Through Him the Holy Spirit was manifested, the spirit of truth the gift of Sonship, the pledge of our future inheritance, the first fruits of eternal blessings, the life giving power, the source of sanctification through whom every rational and spiritual creature is made capable of worshiping You and giving You eternal glorification, for all things are subject to You.

I wish to highlight the words every rational and spiritual creature. This demonstrates that Christianity is easily adaptable to include beings that are non-human into its fold and is immune to destruction in the face of intelligent life from another planet. Thus, as humanity mutates, Christians are the most likely to welcome those who are different. Historically this is demonstrable. When plagues hit major population centers in the ancient world, pagans with the means to do so fled, leaving the poor and sick to die. When the plague ran its course, they returned. In contrast, Christians stayed and nursed the sick no matter the race, color or creed.

Thus, it is the Christians who come out of the Great Cataclysm in the best shape. It is Christianity that forms the foundation upon which the City is built. It is Christianity that has allowed humanity to survive in all its mutated diversity.

Retro-Clones

Mutant Future: This campaign is in many ways inspired by Section 9 of Mutant Future. The controlled gonzo effect of this attempt at making it possible to place Mutant Future characters in the middle of a fantasy setting is very much the tone I want for this campaign. Both Mutant Humans and Replicants will be available as PC classes, and Mutant Future's rules on exposure to radiation can be easily adapted for use with exposure to the chaotic energy rivers of the Wilderness. Additionally, with all of the various mental mutations available, Mutant Future makes it easy to create Psionic special effects without having to come up with or use a Psionic system.

Labyrinth Lord: Although I prefer the simplicity of Swords & Wizardry, which invites the use of house rules, for this campaign I will use the Labyrinth Lord rule-set. Mutant Future was built upon these rules. Thus, using large chunks of Mutant Future material will require little or no conversion.

Sandbox: This campaign is designed very specifically to be a classic hex and dungeon crawl. The Wilderness is vast and ready to explore. Housed within the Wilderness are dungeons — ruins from past civilizations, abandoned outposts of alien survivors, and dwelling places of things dark and evil. In order that the metaphor of monasticism and Eden be consistent, the City must remain a safe haven without conflict or adventure possibilities. There are no politics to be had, no plots to uncover, no puppet master pulling strings. The adventure is always out in the Wilderness. The adventurer is always fighting the monsters where they live.

Expedition to the Barrier Peaks: This is one pf my favorite modules of all time. The way this module blends genres is exactly the pulp feel I want for this campaign. The retro-clone movement allows me to ask the question, what if this kind of adventure was more popular or common in the D&D universe? Though not representative of every dungeon that lies in the wilderness beyond the City, there will be more than one opportunity to encounter the remnants of the space battle that created this age.