I didn't do spell descriptions in my post about the Witch because my brain was already hurting so here they are. Some of these spells are stolen at least in part from Arnold K's GLOG Wizards, and some are the product of brainstorming from the wonderful people on the OSR Discord.
Animate Dead
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: Indefinite
Range: 10'
You raise [dice] humanoid corpses as either 1 HD zombies or 1 HD skeletons under your control, depending on how decayed they are. They remain under your control until you allow the spell to lapse or until they are destroyed. In combat, they act on your initiative. They only do what you directly command, and cannot perform complex or dexterous actions. All dice committed to this spell are automatically expended no matter their roll, and cannot be regained until the spell ends.
Animate Objects
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: [sum] minutes
Range: 10'
You animate [dice] * 2 mundane objects no heavier than 10 lbs. These objects, while animated, can fly, and have 1 HD. They can attack for 1d4 damage, or for 1d8 if they are weapons. They remain animated and under your control while the duration of the spell lasts. In combat, they act on your initiative. They only do what you directly command, and cannot perform complex or dexterous actions, or actions that are unfeasible given their form. Objects can autonomously perform their intended action while animated (i.e. a broomstick can sweep and a spindle can spin), and if this action is the only thing these objects do for the
duration, the spell instead lasts for [dice] hours (does not apply to
weapons).
Bane
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] days
Range: 30'
[dice] + 2 creatures in range must Save vs Magic or have a -1d6 penalty to their rolls on a d20 for the duration.
Bestow Curse
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] years
Range: Touch
A
creature in range must Save vs Magic or become cursed for the duration. Choose one of the following options: 1. They can only speak in rhymes, 2. They can only walk backwards, 3. Animals will either run from them or attack them on sight while yowling loudly, 4. They become infertile, 5. They're always in shadow, even if they're standing outside on a sunny day, 6. Any product of their profession has a 3-in-6 chance of being non-functional or spoiled. If you cast the spell with at least 4 MD, it lasts indefinitely.
Blight
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 0
Range: 30'
A
creature or plant in range must Save vs Magic or take [sum] damage. If the target is a sentient plant, it takes double damage. If the target is a mundane plant, it immediately sickens and dies.
Blindness/Deafness
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
[dice] creatures in range must Save vs Magic or become either blind or deaf (your choice) for the duration.
Charm Animal
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: 30'
[dice] animals in range must Save vs Magic or become extremely friendly to you for the duration. If you invest at least 4 dice into the spell, it lasts indefinitely.
Charm Person
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: 30'
A person in range must Save vs Magic or regard you as a close friend for the duration. If you invest at least 4 dice into the spell, it lasts
indefinitely.
Clairvoyance
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] rounds
Range: 120'
You create an invisible magical sensor at any point within range. You don't have to be able to see this point, but the spell fails if the sensor is within a solid object. For the duration of the spell, you can see, hear, and smell as if you were at the sensor, but you cannot see, hear, or smell your surroundings. You can end the spell prematurely if you wish.
Command
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 0
Range: 60'
[dice] creatures in range who can hear and understand you must Save vs Magic or immediately obey your [dice]-words command to the best of their ability. If in combat, they carry this out on their next available turn.
Commune
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 0
Range: [dice] miles while above ground, [dice] * 100 feet while underground
You commune with the world and learn 1 of the following things about the area within range: 1. The names (in the local language) and locations of all major terrain features, 2. The location of a creature who's name you know, 3. The location of the highest HD monster, 4. The location of the most powerful spellcaster, 5. The location of the most politically and socially influential creature, 6. The location of the largest concentration of sentient creatures.
Control Rain
Casting Time: 1 hour
Duration: [sum] hours
Range: [dice] miles
For the duration of the spell, you can make the weather within range one of the following: 1. Clear, 2. Overcast, 3. Drizzling, 3. Gently Raining, 4. Raining, 5. Pouring, 6. Severe storm. Casting the spell requires burning 20 * [dice] d. of incense and an animal sacrifice of at least a chicken. If the area is in the grip of a particularly severe drought or period of inundation, you only have a [dice]-in-6 chance of successfully changing the weather.
Cure Disease
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
A creature within range who is currently diseased makes an additional Save vs Disease with a [dice] bonus. They suffer none of the usual ill effects on a failed save.
Detect Magic
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: Self
For the duration, you can see any magical effects within sight. You know the class of the spellcaster who created the effect, if applicable, and may Save vs Magic to gain a general sense of what the magic does. Some effects may be obvious, such as a divination sensor (as clairvoyance or scrying) or an invisible creature. You can also tell whether a creature is a spellcaster by staring into their eyes.
Detect Thoughts
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
[dice] creatures within range must Save vs Magic. On a failure, you can read their thoughts. You know their location, their surface thoughts, and what they're about to say or do. In combat, they have disadvantage on attacks against you, and you have advantage on attacks against them and saves you must make because of their actions. If you probe deeper, you can learn their emotional state and may gain some insight into their motivations, but they will immediately know you're rooting around in their mind. You do not have to be able to see a creature to target it with this spell.
Entangle
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] rounds
Range: 60'
Plants sprout in a [dice] * 5' radius circle around a point in range. Creatures within this area must Save vs Paralysis or become restrained. Whenever a creature first enters the area, they must also save. Restrained creatures cannot move. At the end of their turns, restrain creatures may save again, freeing themselves on a success. Once a creature has freed itself, they still move at half speed within the area.
Find the Path
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: Self
For the duration, you know the shortest and most direct route to a fixed location of your choice. You also know how far you are from it in a direct line and the exact direction it is in.
Hex
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] rounds
Range: 60'
A creature within range takes an additional [dice] damage whenever it takes damage for the duration. Whenever you directly deal damage to it (with a weapon attack or a spell, for example), instead of dealing [dice] additional damage, you deal [sum] additional damage. The creature must Save vs Magic or have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
Hideous Laughter
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 60'
A creature within range must Save vs Magic or laugh uncontrollably for the duration. While laughing, they are incapacitated and rolling on the ground, unable to do anything. If cast with at least 4 dice, the duration is permanent (until the creature dies of thirst or hunger).
Illusion
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] minutes
Range: 60'
An illusion no larger than a [dice] * 5' cube affecting [dice] senses of your choice appears within range. You can choose the exact way in which it affects those senses (i.e. exact appearance, exact texture, exact smell). Creatures can Save vs Magic to notice it is an illusion if they have reason to suspect it, and they will notice it is an illusion automatically if it is clearly proven. The illusion can cast light up to 30' away and can smell awful enough to inflict disadvantage on all d20 rolls by creatures in the area. It can be dismissed at any time.
Inflict Wounds
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
A creature in range must Save vs Magic or take [sum] + [dice] damage. If the target is undead, this spell instead acts as an invigorate spell against them.
Insect Swarm
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] rounds
Range: 30'
You summon a swarm of various flying insects at a point within range. It has [dice] HD and can hit for 1d6 damage. Targets it hits must Save vs Poison or take an additional [dice] damage. In combat, it acts on your initiative. It will only do what you specifically command, and cannot perform complex or dexterous actions. As is usual for a swarm, it only takes 1 damage from non-area effects but takes double damage from area effects. It remains under your control until destroyed or until the duration ends, at which point it dissipates.
Invigorate
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
A creature within range regains [sum] + [dice] hitpoints. If target is undead, this spell instead acts as an inflict wounds spell against them.
Kulning
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: [dice] * 100'
All domesticated ungulates within range gather to you and follow you around for the duration. If you choose, instead of affecting all domesticated ungulates within range, you can affect up to [dice] specific domesticated animals of any kind you can see. As you are singing for the duration, you produce a significant amount of noise. You can end the spell at any point.
Locate Object
Casting Time: 1 hour
Duration: 0
Range: [dice] * 50 miles
You learn the location of a single specific object or living thing you know the name of. If there are multiples of this specific thing within range, you learn the locations of the nearest [dice] of them. The quality of the location information is up to the DM, but should be exact enough to allow relatively straightforwards navigation to it. If at least 4 dice are invested, the range of this spell is indefinitely large.
Mending
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
You repair a broken object within range that is no larger than a [dice]' cube or [dice] objects no larger than a 1' cube. You cannot repair magical items with this spell.
Moonbeam
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] rounds
Range: 60'
A 10' radius circle around a point within range is filled with moonlight. Any creature beginning their turn in this area must Save vs Magic or take [sum] damage. Shapechangers do not get a save against this spell, take maximum damage from it, and are forced to revert to their original shape while within the area.
Pass Without Trace
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: [dice] * 2 hours
Range: 20'
All creatures of your choice within range leave no tracks and cannot be tracked by nonmagical methods. None of these creatures can be found while attempting to be stealthy in a natural area.
Phantasmal Force
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [sum] rounds
Range: 60'
You create an illusory creature at a point within range. This illusion appears differently to all of your enemies, looking like their worst fear. The illusion acts on your initiative in combat and can only attack. It can hit for 1d10 damage. If a creature is hit by the illusion, that target must Save vs Illusion. On a success, they see through the illusion and can no longer hit it or be hit by it. On a failure, they become frightened for the duration. If any creature who believes in the illusion hits it (AC 12), it is destroyed.
Polymorph
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: 30'
A creature within range must Save vs Magic or be turned into an animal of your choice with no greater HD than their level. The creature can deliberately fail their save if they wish to. The creature gains no benefit from any of their special abilities unless they can be sensibly used by their new form, but does gain the abilities of their new form. All damage and injuries are reflected between your original form and your polymorphed form at the beginning and end of the spell. You can end the spell at any time you wish. If you invest at least four dice, this spell lasts indefinitely.
Produce Flame
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: Self
You summon a flame in your hand for the duration. It casts light as a torch. You can, as an action, throw this flame at a target within 60'. They must Save vs Magic or take [sum] damage. Throwing the flame ends the spell.
Remove Curse
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
You remove a harmful magical effect from a creature within range. If the effect was cast with more dice than this spell is cast with or is particularly powerful, you must Save vs Magic or fail to remove the effect. Some extremely powerful curses cannot be removed with this spell or may require this spell as well as further magical rituals to remove. This spell requires burning 10 * [dice] d. of incense and an animal sacrifice of at least a chicken.
Restoration
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
You remove a negative effect from a creature within range. The type of effect that can be removed depends on the dice you invest in the spell as follows: 1 die for blindness, deafness, or paralysis; 2 dice for charm or petrification; 3 dice for hit point maximum reduction or to heal [sum] ability score damage; 4 or more dice for experience drain. This spell requires burning 10 * [dice] d. of incense.
Sanctuary
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: Touch
[dice] creatures within range becomes magically protected. Any creature wishing to harm the targets in any way must first Save vs Magic. On a failure, they are unable to harm the targets, even indirectly, for the duration of the spell. The first time a creature succeeds on its save, the spell ends.
Scrying
Casting Time: 1 minute
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: [dice] * 100 miles
You pick a creature who's name you know within range. You create an invisible sensor watching them for the duration. You must invest at least 3 dice in order to hear through the sensor as well. If you don't have a body part (at least a fingernail clipping or strand of hair) from the target, you only have a [dice]-in-6 chance of successfully scrying on them. Scrying requires a reflective surface or crystal ball, on which the image is shown, and either [dice] * 10 d. of silver dust or moonlight. You can end the spell at any time
Silent Image
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: 60'
You create a visual illusion within range that is no larger a than [dice] * 5' cube or a [dice] * 10' square. Creatures can Save vs Magic to notice it is an illusion if they have
reason to suspect it, and they will notice it is an illusion
automatically if it is clearly proven. The illusion can cast light up to
30' away. You can cause the illusion to change while you can see it and with considerable concentration. It can be dismissed at any time.
Slow Poison
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: Touch
[dice] poisoned creatures within range can make an additional Save vs Poison, suffering no ill effects on a failed save. In addition, the action of the poison within them is halted for the duration.
Speak with Animal
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: Self
For the duration, you choose [dice] classes of animals (in the taxonomic sense, i.e. mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, or cephalopods) to speak with. You can talk to these animals and they will understand you, and you will be able to understand their communications as if they were speaking. Their intelligence is not increased and they are not automatically friendly to you.
Speak with Dead
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: Touch
You can converse with a humanoid corpse in range. The corpse may or may not be particularly cooperative or helpful, and certainly won't be too inclined to help you if you killed it. You can, however, force the corpse to answer [dice] questions. Casting this spell requires cypress ash and 10 * [dice] d. of silver dust.
Summon
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 0
Range: Touch
You summon a random supernatural creature (In Carolingia, 1d3 for 1. Demon, 2. Fey, 3. Starspawn). The creature has HD determined by dice invested: 1 die for 1d4 HD, 2 dice for 1d6 + 1 HD, 3 dice for 1d8 + 3 HD, and four or more dice for 1d10 + [dice] HD. If you know the true name of a specific creature, you can instead summon it directly, as long as the dice you invested allow a creature of that HD to be summoned. The creature makes a reaction roll to determine its feeling about being summoned, unless it would clearly feel a specific way about it already. As part of casting this spell, you can expend 100 d. of silver dust or salt, 10 d. of chalk, 5 candles, and the blood of a freshly killed humanoid to create a magical circle. If you do so, the summoned creature is trapped within the circle until you release it. You may banish the summoned creature at any time while you can see it, although if it is unwilling to be banished you must first Save vs Magic. If you fail the save, you cannot banish the creature.
Wild Shape
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] hours
Range: Self
You turn into an animal of no more HD than [dice]. You keep your mind, but you can only use class abilities that make sense for the animal form you assume. You can only speak languages that your original form and your wild shaped form share. All damage and injuries are reflected between your original and wild shaped forms at the beginning and end of the spell. You can end the spell at any time you wish.
Word of Death
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 0
Range: 60'
A creature within range who can hear you and has no more HD than [dice] must Save vs Magic or die.
Friday, May 29, 2020
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
GLOG: The Witch
This Witch class is for my Carolingia setting/GLOG hack, but it should be usable in any other 4-template hack.
Spell descriptions are here.
1. Bane
2. Bestow Curse
3. Blindness/Deafness
4. Hex
5. Hideous Laughter
6. Polymorph
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. Laugh uncontrollably for 1d6 rounds
4. You suffer the effect of your own Evil Eye for 24 hours (minor bad luck)
5. Blinded for 1d4 hours
6. Turn into a toad for 1d4 hours
Dooms:
1. You grow impossibly ugly for 24 hours and lose the ability to cast non-curse spells for the same duration.
2. You shrivel into a small hideous thing for 24 hours and lost the ability to cast non-curse spells permanently.
3. You permanently turn into a toad. You cannot ever take a form that isn't a toad. You lose all of your abilities save for your curses.
1. Animate Dead
2. Blight
3. Inflict Wounds
4. Speak With Dead
5. Summon
6. Word of Death
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All water within 50 feet becomes noxious and poisonous
4. The ghosts of all the souls you've troubled arise around you. Become incapacitated for 1d4 rounds
5. Impenetrable darkness surrounds you for 20 feet in every direction for 1d4 hours
6. You summon a random supernatural being as per the summon spell. It's not happy.
Dooms:
1. A minor god appears to you and strikes you mute for the next 24 hours. They threaten much worse if you don't turn away from this path.
2. The souls of your ancestors abduct you for 24 hours, unhappy with your misdeeds. You return on 0 hitpoints.
3. The gods finally take action and kill you instantaneously with a heart attack.
1. Charm Person
2. Command
3. Detect Thoughts
4. Illusion
5. Phantasmal Force
6. Silent Image
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. Everybody within 30 feet can read your thoughts for 1d4 rounds
4. You're surrounded by illusions. You're insensetate for 1d4 rounds
5. All sentient creatures are invisible to you for 24 hours
6. Your spell rebounds. If it was an illusion, you and only you believe it's real. If it was a charm, you are affected by the target as you intended to affect them.
Dooms:
1. Your mind swaps bodies with the nearest person for 24 hours.
2. Your mind vanishes into the void for 24 hours and is replaced by a feeble illusion of a mind which is only able to obey direct commands and maintain basic life functions.
3. Your mind vanishes permanently. Something will probably come around and inhabit your body at some point soon, and it's unlikely to be a pleasant thing.
1. Clairvoyance
2. Commune
3. Detect Magic
4. Find The Path
5. Locate Object
6. Scrying
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All reflective surfaces within 50 feet display your face
4. You're besieged with a barrage of bad omens and dark predictions. Save vs Fear or panic for 1d6 rounds
5. Your instrument of divination bursts asunder under the force of the future. Take 1d6 damage.
6. You're plunged into a world of visions and dreams. You're incapacitated for 1d6 hours and wake up with a random insanity.
Dooms:
1. Your divinations are all abjectly false for the next 24 hours, but you don't know this.
2. Your divinations actively mislead you for the next 24 hours, but you don't know this.
3. Your divinations will actively mislead you for the rest of your life. You know this all too well.
1. Animate Object
2. Charm Animal
3. Control Rain
4. Kulning
5. Mending
6. Produce Flame
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All animals within 50 feet start raising a massive clamor (including your familiar). It lasts for 1d4 rounds.
4. 1d6 household or mundane objects around you come to life and start attacking you (as animate objects)
5. Every object within 10 feet you've ever mended with magic breaks again.
6. It begins to pour rain. You get struck by lightning for 1d10 damage.
Dooms:
1. Animals, including your familiar, run from you or turn on you in hatred for the next 24 hours.
2. Random objects animate and attempt to kill you for the next 24 hours.
3. Everything around you attempts to kill you. Animals, humans, objects, even rocks and trees. This will continue until you die.
1. Cure Disease
2. Invigorate
3. Remove Curse
4. Restoration
5. Sanctuary
6. Slow Poison
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. The creature you were targeting instead gains a mutation for 1d6 rounds; it becomes permanent on a failed Save vs Magic.
4. The creature you were targeting instead takes 2d6 damage
5. Every ally within 50 feet takes 1 damage and every enemy within 50 feet regains 1d6 hitpoints
6. You're racked by agony for 1d6 rounds
Dooms:
1. Every time you cast a Restoration spell for the next 24 hours, the target instead takes 1d6 damage. You don't know initially.
2. Every time you cast a Restoration spell for the next 24 hours, the target instead takes 1d6 damage and must Save vs Mutation. You don't know initially.
3. Every time you cast a Restoration spell for the rest of your life, the target instead takes 1d6 damage and must Save vs Mutation. You know all too well.
1. Entangle
2. Insect Swarm
3. Moonbeam
4. Pass Without Trace
5. Speak With Animal
6. Wild Shape
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All plants within 10 feet wither and die
4. Every bird within 50 feet drops to the ground dead
5. You become entangled in plants and rocks for 1d6 rounds
6. Every insect nearby attacks you in a frenzy (as insect swarm)
Dooms:
1. You turn into a very sleepy bear for 24 hours.
2. you turn into a very angry and confused bear for 24 hours.
3. You turn into a bear permanently. Angry or not is up to you.
Antidote
Ingredients: Arrowroot flour, crushed charcoal, a shrew's skull, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker, if they are poisoned, must Save vs Poison. On a success, the poison affecting them is ended. On a failure, its effects are halved.
Blade Venom
Ingredients: A wasp, crushed monkshood, a fire salamander's skin, an adder's venom gland, and tea seed oil
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The first enemy the blade this venom is applied to strikes must Save vs Poison or take 3d6 damage.
Caffeinated Infusion
Ingredients: Dried tea leaves, dried yerba mate, or crushed coffee beans, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 10 minutes
Effect: Restores 1d6 hitpoints. No one can gain hitpoints from it or Herbal Infusion more than once per day. Must be drunk hot. Actually just really good tea/mate/coffee. Honey provides +1 healing.
Cloud-Pine Sprig
Ingredients: A cloud-pine branch (found only in the most remote and coldest mountains of the world), salt, a peregrine falcon's blood, a hummingbird's wing, crushed cinnamon, chalk, silver dust, and teak oil.
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: In addition to functioning as a flying broomstick, the witch who possesses this branch may travel as far from their familiar as they wish. Their familiar can speak all the languages they can.
Contraceptive Infusion
Ingredients: Cedar oil, crushed lily root, dried rue, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 10 minutes
Effect: The drinker is unable to become pregnant for the next 24 hours.
Enduring Torch
Ingredients: Tallow, paper birch bark, dried old man's beard (the lichen), silk, pitch, quicklime, and a cedar branch.
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: This torch burns for 4 hours and remains on fire for 1 minute when immersed in water.
Fast Poison
Ingredients: Dried hemlock (not the tree), crushed apple seeds, dried monkshood, dried horse-chestnut, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Poison or take 3d6 damage.
Flying Broomstick
Ingredients: A broomstick, a bat's wing, myrrh, chalk, silver dust, a golden eagle's blood, and teak oil
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: The witch who created this broomstick may use it to fly by spending one MD per hour aloft. They may carry at most 3 slots of gear and their familiar with them.
Invigorating Brew
Ingredients: Dried coca leaves, red chile seeds, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: Restores 1d8 hitpoints.
Herbal Infusion
Ingredients: Pine needles, dried mint, or other flavorful herbs, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 10 minutes
Effect: Restores 1d4 hitpoints. No one can gain hitpoints from it or Caffeinated Infusion more than once per day. Must be drunk hot. Actually just really good herbal tea. Honey provides +1 healing.
Magic Oil
Ingredients: Rowan ash, salt, iron filings, tea seed oil
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The blade this oil is applied to (takes 10 minutes) deals magic damage for the next 24 hours.
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Magic or suffer the effects of charm person as if cast by the first person they see.
Potion of Disenchantment
Ingredients: Rowan ash, salt, silver dust, iron filings, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker of this potion has all magical effects currently affecting them removed, except for curses which cannot be removed by remove curse or similarly obstinate magic.
Potion of Healing
Ingredients: Crushed yarrow, crushed hazel bark, chopped ginseng, a whiptail's tail, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The remaining healing time of one injury is reduced by half.
Potion of Invisibility
Ingredients: An elver, a lacewing, rowan ash, sweet clover, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker becomes invisible for one hour.
Potion of Ironskin
Ingredients: Ironwood ash, hazel ash, a tick, alligator skin, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker's AC increases by +1 and they gain resistance to slashing and piercing damage.
Potion of Protection from Fire
Ingredients: A fire salamander's skin, crushed coal, crushed bauxite, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker of this potion is resistant to fire damage for the next 4 hours.
Potion of Sleep
Ingredients: Dried chamomile, crushed deadly nightshade, wine, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Poison or fall asleep for 1d10 hours, falling into a permanent coma on a roll of 10.
Potion of Transformation
Ingredients: A chameleon's skin, a limb of the desired animal, crushed wintergreen, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Magic or transform into the desired animal permanently.
Potion of Truesight
Ingredients: Rowan ash, dried carrot, dried stinkwort, cat's whiskers, mustard seed, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: The drinker sees all things as they truly are for the next 4 hours.
Potion of Water Breathing
Ingredients: Crushed duckweed, crushed water lily, crushed liverwort, a frog, and boiling water.
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker of this potion can breathe freely in water for the next 8 hours.
Rune of Protection
Ingredients: A rowan wood amulet, silver dust, iron filings, peat moss, and an amethyst
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: The wearer of this amulet is under the effect of the sanctuary spell. The first time a creature succeeds on their save for this spell, the amulet crumbles into dust.
Slow Poison
Ingredients: Manicheel sap, crushed mistletoe, dried pokeweed, dried poison ivy, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: Every hour for the next 6 hours, the drinker must Save vs Poison or take 1d6 damage.
Willow Infusion
Ingredients: Crushed willow bark, dried ginseng, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 1 hour
Effect: Provides an additional Save vs Disease to someone infected with an internal disease.
Willow Poultice
Ingredients: Crushed willow bark, yarrow, a bandage, and boiling water.
Brewing Time: 1 hour
Effect: Staunches bleeding, provides an additional Save vs Disease to someone with an infected wound or skin disease.
What is a Witch?
A witch is a person who empathizes so strongly with the world that they can change it with a thought. Witches are lore keepers and herbalists, midwives and protectors. They are regarded with some level of suspicion, given their supernatural powers and often occult or secret inclinations, but are nonetheless essential members of society, performing many services for their communities. A witch can be any gender.
Starting Equipment: Witchy clothing, a small cauldron, a dagger, a mortar and pestle, a wooden spoon, a leather bag of tea leaves, yerba mate, or ground coffee (your preference), and either three javelins or a sling and 20 bullets.
Skills: Medicine and 1d3: 1. Animal Handling, 2. Whittling, 3. Baking
Medicine includes a wide knowledge of herbalism (yes, including recreational drugs) as well as mundane medicine like midwifery, splinting broken limbs, or stitching wounds.
Damage: 1d6
A: Spellcasting, Witches' Brew, Familiar, +1 MD
B: +1 MD, +1 Spell
C: +1 MD, +1 Spell
D: +1 MD, +1 Spell
Spellcasting: You can pick 2 lists of spells, and learn 1 spell from each list (picked or rolled depending on your DM). You do not have to prepare spells; instead you can cast any spell you know at any time so long as you have MD available. Each spell list has an associated cantrip - you only know the cantrip of one of your spell lists. You gain a new spell from your spell lists for every further template of Witch you take.
Witches' Brew: You can make any of the items, magical or mundane, in the Witches' Brew list, given the required time and ingredients.
Familiar: You have a familiar, an animal not larger than a cat or smaller than a tree frog that is magically bound to you. Your familiar cannot speak, but it can understand you, and you can understand it. It will obey you at all times. You and your familiar cannot be more than 50 feet apart, and if you are forced apart you both take 1d4 damage per round until you are within a comfortable range or either of you is reduced to 0 hitpoints. If your familiar dies, you can create a new one given an appropriate animal and 24 hours to perform the ritual.
Spell Lists
Curse:
Cantrip: If you give someone the Evil Eye (involves muttering under your breath, glaring, and pointing), they must Save vs Magic or suffer minor bad luck for the next 24 hours (no mechanical effect, this is up to the DM). If they notice, they will suspect you've cursed them, and will likely connect the bad luck to this.1. Bane
2. Bestow Curse
3. Blindness/Deafness
4. Hex
5. Hideous Laughter
6. Polymorph
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. Laugh uncontrollably for 1d6 rounds
4. You suffer the effect of your own Evil Eye for 24 hours (minor bad luck)
5. Blinded for 1d4 hours
6. Turn into a toad for 1d4 hours
Dooms:
1. You grow impossibly ugly for 24 hours and lose the ability to cast non-curse spells for the same duration.
2. You shrivel into a small hideous thing for 24 hours and lost the ability to cast non-curse spells permanently.
3. You permanently turn into a toad. You cannot ever take a form that isn't a toad. You lose all of your abilities save for your curses.
Dark:
Cantrip: You can wither any plant at a touch. This deals 1d8 damage to animate plants such as treants or shambling mounds.1. Animate Dead
2. Blight
3. Inflict Wounds
4. Speak With Dead
5. Summon
6. Word of Death
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All water within 50 feet becomes noxious and poisonous
4. The ghosts of all the souls you've troubled arise around you. Become incapacitated for 1d4 rounds
5. Impenetrable darkness surrounds you for 20 feet in every direction for 1d4 hours
6. You summon a random supernatural being as per the summon spell. It's not happy.
Dooms:
1. A minor god appears to you and strikes you mute for the next 24 hours. They threaten much worse if you don't turn away from this path.
2. The souls of your ancestors abduct you for 24 hours, unhappy with your misdeeds. You return on 0 hitpoints.
3. The gods finally take action and kill you instantaneously with a heart attack.
Deception:
Cantrip: You can create small three dimensional images at your fingertips. If you're attempting to make them look like real objects, observers have a 2-in-6 chance to see through the illusion.1. Charm Person
2. Command
3. Detect Thoughts
4. Illusion
5. Phantasmal Force
6. Silent Image
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. Everybody within 30 feet can read your thoughts for 1d4 rounds
4. You're surrounded by illusions. You're insensetate for 1d4 rounds
5. All sentient creatures are invisible to you for 24 hours
6. Your spell rebounds. If it was an illusion, you and only you believe it's real. If it was a charm, you are affected by the target as you intended to affect them.
Dooms:
1. Your mind swaps bodies with the nearest person for 24 hours.
2. Your mind vanishes into the void for 24 hours and is replaced by a feeble illusion of a mind which is only able to obey direct commands and maintain basic life functions.
3. Your mind vanishes permanently. Something will probably come around and inhabit your body at some point soon, and it's unlikely to be a pleasant thing.
Divination:
Cantrip: You can cast bones, read tarot cards, or perform some other minor divination ritual about a course of action you plan to take soon. The DM will tell you their opinion of the plan with one word: good, bad, or unsure. There's a 1-in-6 chance the DM will instead answer randomly, and this chance increases by one each time you use this cantrip this day, resetting at the end of the day.1. Clairvoyance
2. Commune
3. Detect Magic
4. Find The Path
5. Locate Object
6. Scrying
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All reflective surfaces within 50 feet display your face
4. You're besieged with a barrage of bad omens and dark predictions. Save vs Fear or panic for 1d6 rounds
5. Your instrument of divination bursts asunder under the force of the future. Take 1d6 damage.
6. You're plunged into a world of visions and dreams. You're incapacitated for 1d6 hours and wake up with a random insanity.
Dooms:
1. Your divinations are all abjectly false for the next 24 hours, but you don't know this.
2. Your divinations actively mislead you for the next 24 hours, but you don't know this.
3. Your divinations will actively mislead you for the rest of your life. You know this all too well.
Domestic:
Cantrip: You can clean small objects at will by touching them.1. Animate Object
2. Charm Animal
3. Control Rain
4. Kulning
5. Mending
6. Produce Flame
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All animals within 50 feet start raising a massive clamor (including your familiar). It lasts for 1d4 rounds.
4. 1d6 household or mundane objects around you come to life and start attacking you (as animate objects)
5. Every object within 10 feet you've ever mended with magic breaks again.
6. It begins to pour rain. You get struck by lightning for 1d10 damage.
Dooms:
1. Animals, including your familiar, run from you or turn on you in hatred for the next 24 hours.
2. Random objects animate and attempt to kill you for the next 24 hours.
3. Everything around you attempts to kill you. Animals, humans, objects, even rocks and trees. This will continue until you die.
Restoration:
Cantrip: When you touch a sick or injured person or animal, you can accurately diagnose their ailments or injuries, mental or physical.1. Cure Disease
2. Invigorate
3. Remove Curse
4. Restoration
5. Sanctuary
6. Slow Poison
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. The creature you were targeting instead gains a mutation for 1d6 rounds; it becomes permanent on a failed Save vs Magic.
4. The creature you were targeting instead takes 2d6 damage
5. Every ally within 50 feet takes 1 damage and every enemy within 50 feet regains 1d6 hitpoints
6. You're racked by agony for 1d6 rounds
Dooms:
1. Every time you cast a Restoration spell for the next 24 hours, the target instead takes 1d6 damage. You don't know initially.
2. Every time you cast a Restoration spell for the next 24 hours, the target instead takes 1d6 damage and must Save vs Mutation. You don't know initially.
3. Every time you cast a Restoration spell for the rest of your life, the target instead takes 1d6 damage and must Save vs Mutation. You know all too well.
Wild:
Cantrip: You can cause small environment-appropriate flowers to grow around your feet when barefoot.1. Entangle
2. Insect Swarm
3. Moonbeam
4. Pass Without Trace
5. Speak With Animal
6. Wild Shape
Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour
3. All plants within 10 feet wither and die
4. Every bird within 50 feet drops to the ground dead
5. You become entangled in plants and rocks for 1d6 rounds
6. Every insect nearby attacks you in a frenzy (as insect swarm)
Dooms:
1. You turn into a very sleepy bear for 24 hours.
2. you turn into a very angry and confused bear for 24 hours.
3. You turn into a bear permanently. Angry or not is up to you.
Witches' Brews
A Note on Ingredients
The ingredients of these brews can have as large or as little of an effect on the game as you and your DM decide upon. You can ignore the ingredients save for the most exotic ones by carrying a magic pouch, you can buy them in town, or you can gather them and keep track of them (this is the fun option). Up to you and your DM.Antidote
Ingredients: Arrowroot flour, crushed charcoal, a shrew's skull, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker, if they are poisoned, must Save vs Poison. On a success, the poison affecting them is ended. On a failure, its effects are halved.
Blade Venom
Ingredients: A wasp, crushed monkshood, a fire salamander's skin, an adder's venom gland, and tea seed oil
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The first enemy the blade this venom is applied to strikes must Save vs Poison or take 3d6 damage.
Caffeinated Infusion
Ingredients: Dried tea leaves, dried yerba mate, or crushed coffee beans, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 10 minutes
Effect: Restores 1d6 hitpoints. No one can gain hitpoints from it or Herbal Infusion more than once per day. Must be drunk hot. Actually just really good tea/mate/coffee. Honey provides +1 healing.
Cloud-Pine Sprig
Ingredients: A cloud-pine branch (found only in the most remote and coldest mountains of the world), salt, a peregrine falcon's blood, a hummingbird's wing, crushed cinnamon, chalk, silver dust, and teak oil.
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: In addition to functioning as a flying broomstick, the witch who possesses this branch may travel as far from their familiar as they wish. Their familiar can speak all the languages they can.
Contraceptive Infusion
Ingredients: Cedar oil, crushed lily root, dried rue, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 10 minutes
Effect: The drinker is unable to become pregnant for the next 24 hours.
Enduring Torch
Ingredients: Tallow, paper birch bark, dried old man's beard (the lichen), silk, pitch, quicklime, and a cedar branch.
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: This torch burns for 4 hours and remains on fire for 1 minute when immersed in water.
Fast Poison
Ingredients: Dried hemlock (not the tree), crushed apple seeds, dried monkshood, dried horse-chestnut, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Poison or take 3d6 damage.
Flying Broomstick
Ingredients: A broomstick, a bat's wing, myrrh, chalk, silver dust, a golden eagle's blood, and teak oil
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: The witch who created this broomstick may use it to fly by spending one MD per hour aloft. They may carry at most 3 slots of gear and their familiar with them.
Invigorating Brew
Ingredients: Dried coca leaves, red chile seeds, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: Restores 1d8 hitpoints.
Herbal Infusion
Ingredients: Pine needles, dried mint, or other flavorful herbs, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 10 minutes
Effect: Restores 1d4 hitpoints. No one can gain hitpoints from it or Caffeinated Infusion more than once per day. Must be drunk hot. Actually just really good herbal tea. Honey provides +1 healing.
Magic Oil
Ingredients: Rowan ash, salt, iron filings, tea seed oil
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The blade this oil is applied to (takes 10 minutes) deals magic damage for the next 24 hours.
Philter of Charming
Ingredients: Sphinx moth cocoon, jimsonweed, crushed sulfur, and boiling waterBrewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Magic or suffer the effects of charm person as if cast by the first person they see.
Potion of Disenchantment
Ingredients: Rowan ash, salt, silver dust, iron filings, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker of this potion has all magical effects currently affecting them removed, except for curses which cannot be removed by remove curse or similarly obstinate magic.
Potion of Healing
Ingredients: Crushed yarrow, crushed hazel bark, chopped ginseng, a whiptail's tail, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The remaining healing time of one injury is reduced by half.
Potion of Invisibility
Ingredients: An elver, a lacewing, rowan ash, sweet clover, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker becomes invisible for one hour.
Potion of Ironskin
Ingredients: Ironwood ash, hazel ash, a tick, alligator skin, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker's AC increases by +1 and they gain resistance to slashing and piercing damage.
Potion of Protection from Fire
Ingredients: A fire salamander's skin, crushed coal, crushed bauxite, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker of this potion is resistant to fire damage for the next 4 hours.
Potion of Sleep
Ingredients: Dried chamomile, crushed deadly nightshade, wine, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Poison or fall asleep for 1d10 hours, falling into a permanent coma on a roll of 10.
Potion of Transformation
Ingredients: A chameleon's skin, a limb of the desired animal, crushed wintergreen, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker must Save vs Magic or transform into the desired animal permanently.
Potion of Truesight
Ingredients: Rowan ash, dried carrot, dried stinkwort, cat's whiskers, mustard seed, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: The drinker sees all things as they truly are for the next 4 hours.
Potion of Water Breathing
Ingredients: Crushed duckweed, crushed water lily, crushed liverwort, a frog, and boiling water.
Brewing Time: 8 hours
Effect: The drinker of this potion can breathe freely in water for the next 8 hours.
Rune of Protection
Ingredients: A rowan wood amulet, silver dust, iron filings, peat moss, and an amethyst
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: The wearer of this amulet is under the effect of the sanctuary spell. The first time a creature succeeds on their save for this spell, the amulet crumbles into dust.
Slow Poison
Ingredients: Manicheel sap, crushed mistletoe, dried pokeweed, dried poison ivy, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 24 hours
Effect: Every hour for the next 6 hours, the drinker must Save vs Poison or take 1d6 damage.
Willow Infusion
Ingredients: Crushed willow bark, dried ginseng, and boiling water
Brewing Time: 1 hour
Effect: Provides an additional Save vs Disease to someone infected with an internal disease.
Willow Poultice
Ingredients: Crushed willow bark, yarrow, a bandage, and boiling water.
Brewing Time: 1 hour
Effect: Staunches bleeding, provides an additional Save vs Disease to someone with an infected wound or skin disease.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Climbing Rules v2
Here's the edited and hopefully improved version of my climbing rules! I've simplified or changed a few things and added a couple more, but generally it's pretty much the same as the original. I was also planning to do a pretty significant section on mountaineering, but as I thought about it more I realized that mountaineering is a really huge and complicated subject that's really hard to gamify. I still intend to make some rules for it at some point, but it definitely needs to be its own post to do the subject the justice it deserves.
Anchor: An anchor is what you fix your ropes to at the top of something. Typically, it's a couple of pieces of protection or a solid natural feature such as a large rock you can loop your rope around, something strong wedged in a crack, or a solid well-rooted tree. A typical anchor (not using a solid natural feature) requires 3 pieces of protection, and all anchors require one anchor (what a surprise), which takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Belay: Belaying is controlling a rope that someone is climbing on the other end of so that they can climb without the rope hindering them but have the rope hold them when they fall. Since top-rope belaying isn't relevant to RPGs, being a purely recreational activity, this refers only to lead belaying and belaying from above.
Belay Anchor: A belay anchor is what the belayer (the person belaying the climber) anchors them self to so that they don't go flying off somewhere if their climber falls and yanks them, or if a rock hits them in the head (wear your goddamn helmet), or any other unforeseen occurrence would move you from where you need to be to belay. Constructed the same as a regular anchor.
Belay/Rappel Device: A belay device is the equipment you use to regulate the rope while belaying so that you can actually take the force of a fall, rather than the rope ripping itself from your hands. You can belay without equipment using a hip belay, but it isn't recommended. A belay device can be just a simple carabiner (using the Münter hitch), but there are a variety. All belay devices can also be used for single-rope rappelling, and most can be used for double-rope rappelling. For our purposes, all belay devices are 1/3rd of a slot and can be used for belaying, single-rope rappelling, and double-rope rappelling.
Bolt: A bolt is a solid and permanent piece of protection drilled into the rock. It doesn't require any natural features to use, but to place one you must have a drill (1/3rd slot, needs to be recharged). 1 bolt takes up 1/10th of a slot.
Carabiner: A carabiner is a loop of steel with a gate. Many have locking gates. They are unspeakably important for anchors and many other climbing applications. If you are equipped for climbing, assume you have infinite carabiners because fuck keeping track of anchor construction in detail.
Climbing Shoes: Climbing shoes are specialized shoes with high-friction rubber on the bottom. If you're equipped for climbing, you have a pair, and you need them to climb difficult routes. If you're carrying them, a pair of climbing shoes is 1 slot.
Crampons: Crampons are spikes that you attach to your boots in order to ice climb or walk ice of more than moderate steepness (in combination with an ice axe to cut steps). If you're carrying them, a pair of crampons is 1/3rd of a slot.
Harness: A harness is both what you wear to keep yourself attached to your rope, belay device, anchors, etc, and where you attach all your climbing gear. For our purposes, all harnesses include a personal anchor system (how you attach yourself to an anchor so you can do stuff with the rope you're tied to without falling), and do not take up any slots. In fact, they count as a belt for quick-access slots.
Ice Axe: An ice axe is a shaft with a point on one end and a head consisting of a pick and an adze (or hammer) on the other end. Longer ice axes are mostly used as walking sticks on ice and for keeping yourself from sliding precipitously down an ice slope. The adze is mostly used for cutting steps in ice. An ice axe is also a medium melee weapon, although it requires two hands to use in combat, and takes a full slot.
Ice Tool: An ice tool is a small ice axe required for ice climbing (typically, 2 are used for ice climbing). They generally have a hammer rather than an adze. An ice tool is a light melee weapon, although it cannot be thrown, and takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Ice Screw: An ice screw is a piece of protection that can be screwed into solid pieces of ice. They are reusable, and 1 ice screw is 1/10th of a slot.
Mechanical Ascender: A mechanical ascender is a small device that allows you to ascend fixed ropes. It grips the rope solidly unless "opened" in order to move it along the rope or take it off the rope. A mechanical ascender does not take up any slots, and you need at least two to climb a rope.
Pitch: A pitch is a section of a long climb that must be split up into portions (for rope length or many other reasons). A pitch must have an appropriate spot for anchoring and belaying on either end.
Piton: A piton is a piece of protection. It is a small metal spike or shim which can be hammered into cracks in the rock. 1 piton takes 1/10th of a slot, and using pitons requires a hammer or an ice tool (1/3rd of a slot). Unlike ice screws and sustainable protection (see below), pitons can only be successfully removed from the rock 50% of the time.
Protection: Protection is the term for things you put into the rock or ice and then attach to the rope so that if you fall, your fall will be arrested by the protection, or are used in order to create an anchor. Protection pieces also need slings of webbing and carabiners to attach them to the ropes, but we're assuming that those are included with the pieces of protection so you don't have to keep track of them.
Prusik Knot: A Prusik knot (or one of the many, many variations on it) is a knot used to tie a piece of cord or webbing around a rope so that the rope can be ascended, or as a "third hand" while rappelling (don't worry about this; it's assumed you have one). A Prusik knot does not take any slots, and you need at least two to ascend a rope.
Rappel: Rappelling is the process of descending a face by ropes hanging from an anchor on the top of the face. It can be done with a single rope or a doubled-up rope, and there's a lot more detail in the section on rappelling in Types of Climbing below.
Rope (Dynamic): Dynamic ropes are ropes which stretch under high forces in order to lessen the force of a fall. They are mostly used for free climbing (see Types of Climbing below). They can be used to rappel, but this can cause bouncing and put undue stress on the anchor. Modern dynamic ropes can get up to 80 meters long, but we'll assume that all dynamic ropes are 200 feet long and take 1 slot. Climbing with a rope tied to you (such as lead climbing) takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Rope (Static): Static ropes are ropes which do not stretch under high forces. They are lighter than dynamic ropes and are better for rappelling, but should not be used for free climbing unless there is no other option. A static rope is 250 feet long and takes 1 slot. Climbing with a rope tied to you takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Sustainable Protection: Sustainable protection refers to a number of various types of pieces of protection which, unlike pitons, can be easily removed from the rock (usually) and don't cause damage to the rock (although that's unlikely to be something you're concerned about). The most common types are cams and nuts. 1 piece of sustainable protection takes 1/3rd of a slot.
*Both Strength and Dexterity, in D&D terms, are extremely important in climbing, and you will be limited by whichever you are worse in.
*If you know about the Yosemite Decimal System, a 1 Difficulty climb is probably about 5.3 or 5.4, and a 20 Difficulty is probably about a 5.13c/d or maybe a 5.14a. If you have no idea what that means, don't worry about it.
*Climbing crumbling rock or fragile, melting, or rotten ice carries additional risks. Every time a climber fails a check on a pitch with at least one of these modifiers, they must roll 1d6. On a 1 or 2, a large chunk of rock or ice plummets towards their belayer. The belayer must save, and on a failure must choose between taking 3d6 damage or allowing their climber to fall freely (as consequences for free soloing). If there's someone other than the belayer the rock could potentially hit, the rock has an equal chance to instead hit them, requiring them to save vs 3d6 damage.
**If you've climbed more pitches than your Constitution score, you are fatigued. If you rest for 8 hours, you are no longer fatigued.
If you're belayed from above and fail, go to consequences as aid climbing.
*Aid climbing can only use 1/Security pitons or sustainable protection per 5 feet; all other protection must be bolts, which require a drill to use. Horizontal fixed lines are the same, but per 10 feet.
These rules haven't been playtested; take them with a grain of salt, or maybe several shakers worth of salt. Any feedback is appreciated and I'd love to hear if anybody uses them.
Gear
There's a lot of climbing gear and jargon so I'm going to make a list of a lot of it here with definitions. "Slots" refers to the GLOG inventory slots.
Anchor: An anchor is what you fix your ropes to at the top of something. Typically, it's a couple of pieces of protection or a solid natural feature such as a large rock you can loop your rope around, something strong wedged in a crack, or a solid well-rooted tree. A typical anchor (not using a solid natural feature) requires 3 pieces of protection, and all anchors require one anchor (what a surprise), which takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Belay: Belaying is controlling a rope that someone is climbing on the other end of so that they can climb without the rope hindering them but have the rope hold them when they fall. Since top-rope belaying isn't relevant to RPGs, being a purely recreational activity, this refers only to lead belaying and belaying from above.
Belay Anchor: A belay anchor is what the belayer (the person belaying the climber) anchors them self to so that they don't go flying off somewhere if their climber falls and yanks them, or if a rock hits them in the head (wear your goddamn helmet), or any other unforeseen occurrence would move you from where you need to be to belay. Constructed the same as a regular anchor.
Belay/Rappel Device: A belay device is the equipment you use to regulate the rope while belaying so that you can actually take the force of a fall, rather than the rope ripping itself from your hands. You can belay without equipment using a hip belay, but it isn't recommended. A belay device can be just a simple carabiner (using the Münter hitch), but there are a variety. All belay devices can also be used for single-rope rappelling, and most can be used for double-rope rappelling. For our purposes, all belay devices are 1/3rd of a slot and can be used for belaying, single-rope rappelling, and double-rope rappelling.
Bolt: A bolt is a solid and permanent piece of protection drilled into the rock. It doesn't require any natural features to use, but to place one you must have a drill (1/3rd slot, needs to be recharged). 1 bolt takes up 1/10th of a slot.
Carabiner: A carabiner is a loop of steel with a gate. Many have locking gates. They are unspeakably important for anchors and many other climbing applications. If you are equipped for climbing, assume you have infinite carabiners because fuck keeping track of anchor construction in detail.
Climbing Shoes: Climbing shoes are specialized shoes with high-friction rubber on the bottom. If you're equipped for climbing, you have a pair, and you need them to climb difficult routes. If you're carrying them, a pair of climbing shoes is 1 slot.
Crampons: Crampons are spikes that you attach to your boots in order to ice climb or walk ice of more than moderate steepness (in combination with an ice axe to cut steps). If you're carrying them, a pair of crampons is 1/3rd of a slot.
Harness: A harness is both what you wear to keep yourself attached to your rope, belay device, anchors, etc, and where you attach all your climbing gear. For our purposes, all harnesses include a personal anchor system (how you attach yourself to an anchor so you can do stuff with the rope you're tied to without falling), and do not take up any slots. In fact, they count as a belt for quick-access slots.
Ice Axe: An ice axe is a shaft with a point on one end and a head consisting of a pick and an adze (or hammer) on the other end. Longer ice axes are mostly used as walking sticks on ice and for keeping yourself from sliding precipitously down an ice slope. The adze is mostly used for cutting steps in ice. An ice axe is also a medium melee weapon, although it requires two hands to use in combat, and takes a full slot.
Ice Tool: An ice tool is a small ice axe required for ice climbing (typically, 2 are used for ice climbing). They generally have a hammer rather than an adze. An ice tool is a light melee weapon, although it cannot be thrown, and takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Ice Screw: An ice screw is a piece of protection that can be screwed into solid pieces of ice. They are reusable, and 1 ice screw is 1/10th of a slot.
Mechanical Ascender: A mechanical ascender is a small device that allows you to ascend fixed ropes. It grips the rope solidly unless "opened" in order to move it along the rope or take it off the rope. A mechanical ascender does not take up any slots, and you need at least two to climb a rope.
Pitch: A pitch is a section of a long climb that must be split up into portions (for rope length or many other reasons). A pitch must have an appropriate spot for anchoring and belaying on either end.
Piton: A piton is a piece of protection. It is a small metal spike or shim which can be hammered into cracks in the rock. 1 piton takes 1/10th of a slot, and using pitons requires a hammer or an ice tool (1/3rd of a slot). Unlike ice screws and sustainable protection (see below), pitons can only be successfully removed from the rock 50% of the time.
Protection: Protection is the term for things you put into the rock or ice and then attach to the rope so that if you fall, your fall will be arrested by the protection, or are used in order to create an anchor. Protection pieces also need slings of webbing and carabiners to attach them to the ropes, but we're assuming that those are included with the pieces of protection so you don't have to keep track of them.
Prusik Knot: A Prusik knot (or one of the many, many variations on it) is a knot used to tie a piece of cord or webbing around a rope so that the rope can be ascended, or as a "third hand" while rappelling (don't worry about this; it's assumed you have one). A Prusik knot does not take any slots, and you need at least two to ascend a rope.
Rappel: Rappelling is the process of descending a face by ropes hanging from an anchor on the top of the face. It can be done with a single rope or a doubled-up rope, and there's a lot more detail in the section on rappelling in Types of Climbing below.
Rope (Dynamic): Dynamic ropes are ropes which stretch under high forces in order to lessen the force of a fall. They are mostly used for free climbing (see Types of Climbing below). They can be used to rappel, but this can cause bouncing and put undue stress on the anchor. Modern dynamic ropes can get up to 80 meters long, but we'll assume that all dynamic ropes are 200 feet long and take 1 slot. Climbing with a rope tied to you (such as lead climbing) takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Rope (Static): Static ropes are ropes which do not stretch under high forces. They are lighter than dynamic ropes and are better for rappelling, but should not be used for free climbing unless there is no other option. A static rope is 250 feet long and takes 1 slot. Climbing with a rope tied to you takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Sustainable Protection: Sustainable protection refers to a number of various types of pieces of protection which, unlike pitons, can be easily removed from the rock (usually) and don't cause damage to the rock (although that's unlikely to be something you're concerned about). The most common types are cams and nuts. 1 piece of sustainable protection takes 1/3rd of a slot.
Types of Climbing
I'm going to restrict these rules to five types of getting where you're going, with both ice and rock climbing included. The types are aid climbing, free climbing, free soloing, rappelling, and climbing along fixed lines. Rappelling isn't strictly a type of climbing, but it's incredibly important, so we'll talk about it too. There's a couple of things I'm leaving out that could be relevant, like simulclimbing, but fuck it.
Aid Climbing
Aid climbing is using equipment to help you get up/down the face. Vital gear is pitons or bolts, to secure your stuff and yourself to the cliff. You have stuff like etrier (rope ladders), fixed lines, belay/rappel devices, pulleys, and Prusik knots or mechanical ascenders to help you and your stuff get up and down. Aid climbing is slow but safe and, given a willingness to drill many holes, pretty much infallible. It can be done solo or in teams of two to three. If you have an extra rope and someone at the base of the climb with extra gear, you don't need to worry about the encumbrance penalty (detailed in How Do I Climb That Thing? below), because you can pull gear up to you as you need it.Free Climbing
Free climbing is climbing with at least one partner (we'll say no more than two partners for our purposes) and using protection in the rock to keep yourself safe but not relying on that protection to climb. You climb on the rock, but have a rope fixed to the rock so if you fall it will hopefully not kill you. It's much faster than aid climbing but carries significantly more risk.Free Solo
Free solo climbing is climbing by yourself with nothing but you and the rock. It's the fastest way to climb, but if you slip that is it and you are dead. Not too much more to say about it; it's very simple and very dangerous.Rappelling
Rappelling is the main descent tool in a climber's toolkit. You fix ropes at the top, then descend those ropes. As long as your anchor at the top is solid, it's pretty much infallible. The problem arises when you're on an overhang and your rope isn't long enough to get to the bottom (if there is a bottom), because you go straight down and the wall goes away from you. Your solutions are either to downclimb (which is hard and awful) or, if the overhang isn't too steep, to rappel a short distance, swing in to the wall, and hope there's something to catch hold of so you don't swing away again. If you can't swing in, you'll have to climb back up your anchor with Prusik knots or mechanical ascenders. There are two types of rappelling - single-rope and double-rope. Single-rope rappelling means fixing one end of your rope at the top of the wall, meaning that you can use the full length of the rope but the rope is stuck there unless someone is still at the top to untie it. Double-rope rappelling means that your rope length is halved, but that you can pull the rope through the anchor once you're at the bottom. You can tie ropes together, but you can only tie two ropes together for double-rope rappels because you can't pull the knot through the anchor.Fixed Lines
If there's a particularly difficult pitch you're going to need to travel over a lot, or any pitch at all you need to get non-climbers or heavy gear across, you'll want to use fixed lines. You can anchor ropes along a traverse or up and down a vertical climb. People can then attach themselves to these ropes using Prusik knots (or any of the many variants) or mechanical ascenders. Just a simple carabiner will work for easy traverses. You then climb along the traverse, do this along the vertical rope to get up, or rappel down along the vertical rope to get down. You can also set up pulley systems to raise and lower heavy items along fixed lines.The Rules
Now that I've gotten all the preamble out of the way and hopefully now that those who don't climb can understand a word I'm saying, here are the actual rules. They're loosely based around the GLOG (no specific hack) but they should be usable for any given system with some adaptation.
The Climb Rolls
The mechanic I'm going to base this off is a modified d20 roll over a DC. You have two modifiers - your Climbing modifier and your Climbing Skill modifier. The Climbing modifier is either your Strength mod or your Dexterity modifier, whichever is lower*, plus an additional +5 if you're an expert climber, or a +3 if you're merely proficient. This is used for the actual physical acts of climbing. Your Climbing Skill modifier is either your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher, plus an additional +5 if you're an expert climber, or a +3 if you're a proficient climber. This is used for the many technical skills associated with climbing, such as anchor construction and belaying.*Both Strength and Dexterity, in D&D terms, are extremely important in climbing, and you will be limited by whichever you are worse in.
What is This Climb Like?
This section should hopefully help DM's determine how difficult a climb is. We'll use 2 numbers: Difficulty and Security. Difficulty is pretty straightforwards. A 1 Difficulty climb is relatively easy, and a 20 Difficulty climb is almost impossible*. Security refers to how hard it is to place protection on a route (higher Security is less safe because it makes the math easier). Basically, any type of protection, excepting a bolt, can only be placed in a crack in the rock. Some routes, even if they have hand and footholds, don't have cracks next to where the climber can go and easily protect themselves. The Security of a climb can be between 1 and 10, although it can't be higher than the Difficulty of a climb.*If you know about the Yosemite Decimal System, a 1 Difficulty climb is probably about 5.3 or 5.4, and a 20 Difficulty is probably about a 5.13c/d or maybe a 5.14a. If you have no idea what that means, don't worry about it.
How Do You Determine Difficulty?
As the DM, how do you determine the Difficulty and Security of a climb?Well, if it's climbable at all, and most cliffs are, you can determine how difficult it should generally be by the slope and, well, how easy or hard you want it to be. An overhang is rarely less than 10 Difficulty, and a steep overhang (over 45 degrees from vertical) is rarely less than 15 Difficulty. At this point, if you don't know how hard you want it to be, you can roll 1d20 for Difficulty. You can determine the Security by how safe you want the climb to be or by rolling 1d10, but remember that Security can't be greater than Difficulty. Generally, climbs in the same area and on the same rock type have similar Difficulty and Security, although there should be a good deal of variation.How Do I Climb That Thing?
Ok, say your player wants to climb that cliff over there. First things first, if the character is a proficient climber, they don't need to roll to climb anything with 5 Difficulty or below, unless there's some circumstance making the climb harder. Expert climbers don't need to roll for anything 10 Difficulty or below, unless there's some circumstance making the climb harder. Now, if you do need to roll for the climb, you determine your DC. The base DC is 5 + Difficulty, and there might be some modifiers to that, in the below table (modifiers are specified for rock climbing, ice climbing, or both). If you roll over or equal to the DC with d20 + your Climbing modifier, you succeed. If not, you fail. There are different consequences to failure with different types of climbing, but success means you reach the top of the pitch.| Circumstance | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Crumbling* (Rock) | +2 |
| Wet (Rock) | +2 |
| Icy (Rock) | +4 |
| Fragile* (Ice) | +2 |
| Melting* (Ice) | +2 |
| Rotten* (Ice) | +3 |
| Carrying more than 3 slots of gear (Both) | +1 per slot over 3 |
| Exposed (Both) | +1 |
| Fatigued** (Both) | +2 |
| Downclimbing (Both) | +3 |
| You've attempted it before (Both) | -1 per attempt |
*Climbing crumbling rock or fragile, melting, or rotten ice carries additional risks. Every time a climber fails a check on a pitch with at least one of these modifiers, they must roll 1d6. On a 1 or 2, a large chunk of rock or ice plummets towards their belayer. The belayer must save, and on a failure must choose between taking 3d6 damage or allowing their climber to fall freely (as consequences for free soloing). If there's someone other than the belayer the rock could potentially hit, the rock has an equal chance to instead hit them, requiring them to save vs 3d6 damage.
**If you've climbed more pitches than your Constitution score, you are fatigued. If you rest for 8 hours, you are no longer fatigued.
Consequences for Failure
Aid Climbing
If you fail while aid climbing, the climber with the highest Climbing Skill modifier must roll Climbing Skill vs DC 6. On a failure, go to the consequences for lead climbing (in free climbing), but automatically succeed that Climbing Skill check. You messed up somehow and someone's fallen. On a success, you haven't made any progress in however much time it would have taken you to finish the climb on a success. You've stalled out wherever you started, and haven't gotten any further.Free Climbing
The first person to free climb the route is lead climbing, any who follow them up while the first climber is belaying from above are belayed from above. If you fail while lead climbing, whichever of you or your belayer has the higher Climbing Skill modifier must roll Climbing Skill vs DC 6. On a failure, you messed something up and actually fell without the rope catching you. Go to consequences for free soloing. On a success, take Securityd3 - Security damage from shock and the rope catching you. If you're using static rope instead of dynamic rope, take Securityd4 damage because that rope is not going to be gentle to you. Either way, you're back at the bottom of the climb, and as much time has passed as it would have if you'd succeeded the climb.If you're belayed from above and fail, go to consequences as aid climbing.
Free Soloing
If you fail while free soloing, roll 1d4 to determine how high you were on the pitch before you fell. 1 is 25% of the way, and 4 is on the final move. Take fall damage corresponding to how far you fell. You're back at the bottom of the climb (or quite likely, your corpse is), and as much time has passed as if you had succeeded the climb.Rappelling and Fixed Lines
You don't generally have to roll for rappelling or using fixed lines. However, if you put unusual stress on the lines (an extremely heavy load, for example) or the anchor is sketchy for some reason (placed in insecure rock or melting ice, built around a frail sapling, etc.), the person who constructed the anchor must roll Climbing Skill vs DC 8. On a failure, anything on the line suffers from consequences as if free soloing as the line pulls free from the anchor or snaps.
Rappelling on Overhangs
If you're rappelling on an overhang of less than 30 degrees from vertical and you can't reach the bottom (don't worry, you won't slide off the rope, you tied a knot on the end), you must roll Climbing vs DC 15. On a success, you swing yourself to the wall and grab hold of it. On a failure, you can't get to the wall. Your options are to get the people above you to lower another rope down to you and keep rappelling or to ascend the rope as a fixed line.How Fast Can You Do It?
| Task | Speed |
|---|---|
| Aid climbing | 10 feet per minute |
| Free climbing | 20 feet per minute |
| Free soloing | 20 feet per minute |
| Rappelling | 100 feet per minute |
| Ascending a fixed line | 10 feet per minute |
| Traversing a fixed line | 30 feet per minute |
| Setting an anchor | 10 minutes |
| Setting a belay anchor | 10 minutes |
How Much Gear Does It Take?
| Task | Gear |
|---|---|
| Aid climbing | 1 protection per 5 feet* |
| Free climbing | 1/Security protection per 5 feet |
| Free soloing | - |
| Rappelling | Anchor at the top |
| Vertical fixed line | Anchor at the top |
| Horizontal fixed line | Anchor at either end, 1 protection per 10 feet* |
| Setting an anchor | 3 protection or a solid natural feature |
| Setting a belay anchor | 3 protection or a solid natural anchor |
*Aid climbing can only use 1/Security pitons or sustainable protection per 5 feet; all other protection must be bolts, which require a drill to use. Horizontal fixed lines are the same, but per 10 feet.
In Conclusion
These rules haven't been playtested; take them with a grain of salt, or maybe several shakers worth of salt. Any feedback is appreciated and I'd love to hear if anybody uses them.
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