Free RPG Day 2016

    This marks my third year attending Free RPG Day at my FLGS over in Fowlerville. My goal before hand this year was to spread the word the best I could across social media and word of mouth to try and draw as much attention to what I feel is something that is important to our hobby.

    I went out early around noon just after they opened for the day and spent some time talking with a couple of the other DM's who signed up to run tables for the day. I was slotted in at 5 to run a S&W adventure and pretty much every one else was running this years version of the pathfinder goblin adventure. When the OK was given I collected just the few things that I wanted to have this year (the DCC adventure combo and the lamentations of the flame princess slugs bestiary) making sure that there would be plenty for any one else coming in and sat down for the first game of the day.

    I don't really play pathfinder short of at FRPGD mostly because I prefer to DM and I prefer the old school method of adventuring. This is ok because our DM was new and my fellow adventuring companions are also experienced AD&D players we regularly broke away from the conventions of what was wrote out in the adventure and ad-libbed and on the spot ruled quite a bit. I played the bomb throwing goblin who absolutely loved finding random junk because I found a use for pretty much anything I found and made more then my fair share of improvised explosives (nothing makes me happier then finding a barrel of grain alcohol, several empty glass bottles, and plenty of cloth to create Molotov cocktails) along with throwing salt all over an enemy and watching their donkey chase them all around trying to lick them (I was aiming for their eyes but the DM found his stride and just went with it). When it was all said and done we burned down a gnome wedding, blew up alot of stuff, got high off some cake, and returned as heroes of our tribe. All in all I think it went pretty well and we helped a new DM find out that it is ok to deviate from what is written and just have fun with the game (which was a big win in my book).

    Sadly being in a smaller area and being Father's Day weekend no one showed up for my 5pm game but that is OK. The point is to show up and show support not just for your game of choice but to support others as well. I might not regularly play Pathfinder but I wouldn't want to see it go away either. The hobby is about getting together, making friends, and adventuring and that goal was accomplished as well as supporting the local FLGS which sadly in our age of Amazon and Ebay, they get under-appreciated. I like having a place that is fairly close to me that has room to play, a shop owner who is receptive to what I am looking for both all facets of tabletop gaming, and regularly has interesting stock showcased that I might not have seen else where. Some times yes this means paying more then what I would have if I got some of the same things online but to keep game shops around who support our hobby I feel that extra 2 or 3 dollars I spent is going to something more worth while.


    Side note: Thanks to Shawn at Game Links for hooking me up with the awesome mimic dice bag (at a very reasonable price too I might add) as shown below. I love being able to zip up my dice and not have them make the great escape!

MTG: Conversion - Artifacts Part 1

Today I decided to begin work on converting over the Alpha/Beta/Unlimited artifacts into usable magical items and locales for OSR inspired games. This ofcourse requires a bit of creative license with how they should be represented. Below in my first go at some of these iconic and some lesser known minor trinkets. Let me know what you think, how these can be improved or come join the group.

White - Spells of Healing and Protection
Green - Spells of Nature and Animals
Black - Spells of Death and Necromancy
Blue  - Spells of Guile, Illusion, and the element of Water
Red   - Spells of Emotion, and the elements of Fire and Earth


Basalt Monolith - Created on leylines the basalt monoliths were created in the ancient past and the secrets of their creation long forgotten. Their locations are often fought over by kingdoms that surround them as the first spell cast within the stone circle is treated as 3 levels higher. This effect is only available once per day.

Black Lotus - These flowers are extremely rare growing only in remote locations and well guarded by fierce lotus dragons. When dried and the oil distilled this creates a powerful potion that if inbibed by a spellcaster increases their spell casting ability by 3 levels for 24 hours.

Crystal Rod - When held any spell cast within 20ft that falls into the blue catagory will absorb some of the spells energy and provide 1 HP of healing to the wearer.

Disrupting Scepter - A +1 mace that may be wielded 2 handed that on hit causes the target to make a save vs spells or lose a random prepared spell for the day.

Force Field Ring - 3 times per day this ring reduces all damage dealt to the wearer to just a single point for a single combat round. The activation only requires a thought and thus can be activated after a hit has been confirmed but before damage has been rolled.

Gauntlets of Might - The wearer of these spiked gauntlets, once the prized possession of a great orc chieftian generates Combat Aura 1 (gain +1 hit/damage and -1(+1) AC) within 30ft affecting goblins and orcs. All goblins and orcs who gaze upon the wearer must make a save or be treated as if charmed.

Iron Star - When held any spell cast within 20ft that falls into the red catagory will absorb some of the spells energy and provide 1 HP of healing to the wearer.

Ivory Cup - When held any spell cast within 20ft that falls into the white catagory will absorb some of the spells energy and provide 1 HP of healing to the wearer.

Kormus Bell - A large heavy bell that when rung causes all non buried corpses in a mile radius to rise up as skeletons and move at full speed torwards the bells location.

Mox Emerald - An amulet that increases the spell casting power of the wearer +1 level in regards to spells falling into the green catagory
Mox Jet - An amulet that increases the spell casting power of the wearer +1 level in regards to spells falling into the black catagory
Mox Pearl - An amulet that increases the spell casting power of the wearer +1 level in regards to spells falling into the white catagory
Mox Ruby - An amulet that increases the spell casting power of the wearer +1 level in regards to spells falling into the red catagory
Mox Sapphire  - An amulet that increases the spell casting power of the wearer +1 level in regards to spells falling into the blue catagory

Nevinyrral's Disk - Created by a lich king in ages past, this disk when thrown will activate 1 combat round later in utter destruction dealing sucking in all magical energy creating an anti-magic field for 1d10 years in a 40ft radius. This causes 1d6 damage to all caught in this radius for every year of magic stripped from the area.

Rod of Ruin -  3 times per day this rod with a ghastly face can direct a un-erring bolt of black energy that deals 1d6 damage to its target.

Throne of Bone - Any one sitting on this throne when any spell cast within 20ft that falls into the black catagory will absorb some of the spells energy and provide 1 HP of healing to the wearer.

Wooden Sphere -  When held any spell cast within 20ft that falls into the green catagory will absorb some of the spells energy and provide 1 HP of healing to the wearer.

Phyrexian Beastairy Encounter Table

For every one who has been following my series on converting Phyrexian Monsters to the OSR here is an encounter table to bring in random invading forces into your worlds.

Use a d6 with a d10 or if you have one a d60.

Get Phyrexian Encounter Table here

The Machines of War

Recently I have returned to complete my series of Phyrexian Monstrosities concluding with the colorless Machines of War. This has also led to the creation of a new google group to continue this project into a full fledged community driven conversion book of M:TG Monsters, Spells, Artifacts, and Settings to the OSR. For any one wanting to help with the conversion process or fan art, layout, editing, or any other support you can think of please feel free to join.

Without any further ado lets finish this series with a bang.

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The Machines of War
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Corpse Cur

Hit Dice: 2HD (8)
AC: 9 (10)
Attacks: bite (1d6)
Save: 16
Special: infect, reanimation spores
Move: 9
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

Just barely resembling a hound of any kind, these dogs of war have a long shiny neck that ends in a set of powerful jaws. Like many phyrexian innovations death only releases more suffering for those around them and the corpse cur is no exception. On death the corpse cur releases in a 20ft radius a black cloud of spores that reanimate all dead non-phyrexian corpses into zombies for 24 hours before falling to ash.


Wurm Coil Engine

Hit Dice: 6HD (24)
AC: 3 (16)
Attacks: bite (2d6+2)
Save: 11
Special: deathtouch, lifelink, rebirth
Move: 6
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 11/1,700

As massive engines of war, the worm coil can drill through the ground burrowing its way past most defenses or it can drive its massive spinning "mouth" straight into the enemy itself devouring and crushing several foes at once. Its bite is fused with a incredibly potent poison that kills instantly for those who fail their save. If brought to 0 or fewer hitpoints but not completely destroyed, the wurm will detach its midsection  revealing another spinning bladed maw and the glistening oil will revive the 2 halves to 6HP each and 5(14) AC, one with the deathtouch ability the other with lifelink. Do not reward additional XP for these 2 additional wurms.


Core Prowler

Hit Dice: 2HD (8)
AC: 5 (14)
Attacks: bite (1d6)
Save: 16
Special: Infect, accelerant spores
Move: 9
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120

Constructed horrors with bloated bodies with a strange airsack attached to them. On death they release accelerant spores that cause all in a 30ft range to make a save or take 1d4 additional infected wounds if they are already infected.

Phyrexian Hulk - Golem

Hit Dice: 4HD (16)
AC: 7 (12)
Attacks: Fist (1d8+2)
Save: 13
Special: None
Move: 8
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120

A old design that lives on in the core of the glistening oil.

SpellSkite

Hit Dice: 4HD (16)
AC: 2 (17)
Attacks: special
Save: 13
Special: spell absorption (60 ft), spell reflection
Move: 9
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400

Spellskites are magical banes created for 1 purpose, negate enemy spell casters. Any spell cast within 60ft of the spellskite has a 50% chance of
being absorbed by the spellskite and stored like a ring of spell storing. It can hold a number of spell levels equal to its max HP. Any spell that does damage that directly target the spellskit and is not absorbed has then will reflect back a % of the damage (rounded up) to the caster like a ring of spell turning. Any spells stored in the spellskite may be cast by the spellskite as if it was the original caster.


Phyrexian Juggernaut

Hit Dice: 5HD (20)
AC: 1 (18)
Attacks: Slam (1d8 + 5)
Save: 12
Special: Rage
Move: 6
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 5/240

The fearsome Phyrexian Juggernaut wades into combat attacking the nearest target and goes on the warpath destroying everything in its wake. Known to level entire castles on its own it will not stop fighting until all enemies are dead. When they enter into this rage they will not retreat and will fight until they are destroyed. This gives them an additional +3 to hit and damage (reflected above) but they will focus on a single target only until it is destroyed.


Rusted Slasher

Hit Dice: 1HD +3 (8)
AC: 4 (15)
Attacks: rusted claws (1d6 + 1)
Save: 17
Special: rust regeneration
Move: 6
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

The rusted slasher is the Phyrexian incarnation of oxidation, destroying all metal that has been found wanting. Their large bulky frames
are slow to move but once their claws come to bare armored foes are rendered quickly into parts. Every time an metal armored foe is hit with its claw attack they must make a save or have their the armor AC reduced by 1. If their armor reaches 0 AC it will fall to pieces. The Rusted slashed regains 3 HP every time it causes this to happen.


Blinding Souleater

Hit Dice: 3HD (12)
AC: 5 (14)
Attacks: claw (1d6)
Save: 14
Special: paralyzing gaze
Move: 9
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120

While humanoid in shape these constructs gaze deep into your soul with a glance forcing any one who meets its gaze to make a save or be paralyzed while its attention is remained on them.


Phyrexian Digester

Hit Dice: 1HD +1 (5)
AC: 3 (16)
Attacks: bite (1d6)
Save: 17
Special: Infect
Move: 9
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30

These are best described as quadrupedal walking slag furnaces. They have a infectious bite and look to consume the dead and dying reducing any non-metal it has digested into a thick black ash that it continuously spews from its smokestacks.


Psychosis Crawler

Hit Dice: See Below
AC: 5 (14)
Attacks: Psionic Blast (1d4 + mental effects) (20 ft)
Save: based on HD
Special: Immune to mental effects, absorb brains, mental damage
Move: 6
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: Based on HD + 3

Brains in jars given metallic, spider like bodies. They initially start at 1 HD (4 HP) but as they consume additional brains their HD grows. They tend to stick in the back letting more melee oriented troops enter combat before unleashing their psionic blasts. This psionic attack deals 1d4 damage and causes the target to make a save or become paralyzed for a number of rounds equal to its HD. If they make their save there is a 20% chance the trauma of having their mind invaded will result in a form of temporary insanity lasting for a number of rounds equal to the HD of the Psychosis crawler, roll on the chart below. If the Psychosis crawler can spend a full round with its mandibles attached to the still living head of a paralyzed victim, it will extract their brain and add 1 HD to its total instantly slaying its victim.

Temporary Insanity Chart(D10)

1: Attack nearest ally                    6: Lay on the ground and cry
2: Start clawing at own body doing 1d4 damage        7: Run as fast as you can from the battle
3: Do nothing other then scream                8: Temporary Amnesia, forget name, skills, spells, friends, etc
4: Hug who or what is nearest to you            9: Beserk gaining +3 to hit and damage but must engage in melee every round
5: Start taking off Armor, Clothes, Etc            10: Start ingesting small objects(coins, rocks) or any fluids your carrying (potions, oil, poison)