GLOG: The Chanter

This class is my take on the bard, I suppose, although it doesn't have too much in common with your more stereotypical D&D bard (a good thing, in my view). It's inspired by the Earthsea Cycle and the works of Tolkien. In fact, probably half of the spells are pretty much directly inspired by the Lay of Leithian, specifically Finrod's song-duel with Sauron as well as Luthien's magic. 

What is a Chanter? 

Chanters are the collective memory of a society. They remember the tales of yore (with only a touch of embellishment) and recite them as both inspiration and entertainment. The most skilled chanters can weave magic into the very fabric of their poetry, changing the world with a word.

Starting Equipment: A small harp or other portable instrument (bodhran, tambourine, pennywhistle, lyre), any weapon (3 javelins count as one weapon, ranged weapons come with 20 ammunition), and a small shield.

Skills: Poetry and 1d3: 1. History, 2. Religion, 3. Folklore

Poetry as a skill encompasses not just writing poetry but improvising it on the spot and performing it. Epic poems are typically performed with musical accompaniment, which you are also capable of providing.

Damage: 1d6

A: Spellcasting, Epics, +1 MD
B: +1 MD, +1 Spell, +1 Epic
C: +1 MD, +1 Spell, +1 Epic
D: +1 MD, +1 Spell, +1 Epic

Spellcasting: Your spells are you exerting your will directly on the world through the power of your voice. Most are Songs, which have effects over a duration, but you also have some Words, which take place instantaneously. You can only maintain one Song at a time, but you can weave a Word into a Song to cast it while still maintaining the Song. All your spells must be heard by the target to be effective. You know two spells from the first six on the list, and gain one more at each further template of Chanter (from the first 8 at B, first 10 at C, and all 12 at D). Your spells can cause Mishaps, but you are not Doomed as a Mage or Witch is.

Epics: You can perform epic poems laced with magic. You can perform these special Epics as many times in a day as you have templates in this class, and your party cannot benefit from any one Epic more than once a day. They take an hour to perform and do not cost any MD to perform at base strength, but you can use MD to enhance their effects. You know two Epics, and gain one more at each further template of Chanter. You are encouraged but not required to come up with the name and general story of the epic you're reciting.

Cantrip: If you perform a suitably cutting and insulting poem to the person it insults, they must Save vs Magic or break out in boils on their face. Creating a poem this insulting requires either a DC 16 Poetry roll or writing the poem yourself.

Spells: 
1. Song of Slaying
2. Song of Staying
3. Song of Charming
4. Song of Restoration
5. Song of Protection
6. Song of Slumber
7. Word of Beauty
8. Song of Freedom
9. Word of Pain
10. Song of Strength
11. Word of Death
12. Song of Whelming

Mishaps:
1. Take 1d6 damage.
2. Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour.
3. Fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds.
4. Shatter all easily breakable objects within 30 feet.
5. Lose your voice for 1d4 days.
6. Every creature within 50 feet must Save or be deafened for 1d8 minutes, you included.

Epics:
1. Epic of Hope
2. Epic of Endurance
3. Epic of Glory
4. Epic of Noble Sacrifice
5. Epic of Trickery
6. Epic of Magic

Spells

Song of Charming
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
[sum] people in range must Save vs Magic or regard you with admiration and respect for the duration. They will not take hostile action against you while charmed.

Song of Freedom
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] rounds
Range: Self
For the duration, physical bonds cannot hold you, magical bonds or mind-altering effects have a 4-in-6 chance of not affecting you, and previously locked objects have a 3-in-6 chance of opening to your touch.

Song of Protection
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
For the duration, [dice] creatures in range have +2 AC and +1 to all Saves against physical harm.

Song of Restoration
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
For the duration, [dice] creatures in range gain 1d4 hitpoints every minute and, if affected by a harmful condition, may make an additional Save against that effect every minute.

Song of Slaying
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: Self
For the duration, you have +1 to-hit, +1 damage, +1 AC, and proficiency in wrestling if you did not already have it. You cannot do anything other than slay your foes, but you may cooperate with your allies towards that goal. If one of your allies damages you or interferes with your slaying, they are now a foe.

Song of Slumber
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
[dice] creatures in range must Save vs Magic or fall asleep for the duration. They will awake if any hostile action is taken against them, or if they are touched. If you simultaneously perform a dance, the targets have disadvantage on the Save.

Song of Staying
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
For the duration, [dice] creatures in range have +[sum] to all Saves and cannot fall unconscious or be incapacitated in any way.

Song of Strength
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: Self
For the duration, you have +[sum] to all Strength and Constitution checks you make, as well as +1d4 damage on melee attacks.

Song of Whelming
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 30'
You attempt to subject a creature within range to your force of will. They are incapacitated for the duration, although they can still talk or sing. They Save vs Magic each round, and are able to act as normal that round on a success. If they succeed [sum] saves, they break free of the spell. If they fail 5 saves, they fall unconscious.

Word of Beauty
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] minutes
Range: 60'
For the duration, a creature within range is supernaturally attractive and charming, no matter their condition (injured, unkempt, exhausted, ill-tempered, none of it matters). Creatures who wish to attack you must Save vs Magic. On a success, they have +2 to-hit because you're busy being beautiful, but on a failure they cannot harm you. You have a [dice] bonus to reaction rolls.

Word of Death
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 0
Range: 60'
A creature within range who has no more HD than [dice] must Save vs Magic or die.

Word of Pain
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: [dice] * 3 rounds
Range: 60'
A creature within range who has no more HD than [dice] * 2 must Save vs Magic or become wracked with agony. For the duration, they have -2 on all rolls and must Save vs Pain each round or be unable to act.

Epics

Epic of Endurance
Everyone you perform to is reinvigorated and regains 1d8 hitpoints. If you invest MD, they also gain [sum] hitpoints.

Epic of Glory
Everyone you perform to is encouraged to glorious feats and gains +2 to improbable but heroic actions for the next 4 hours. Hirelings also gain +1 morale for the next 4 hours. Investing MD gives +[dice] to both bonuses.

Epic of Hope
Everyone you perform to is heartened and gains +1 Save for the next 4 hours. Hirelings also gain +1 morale for the next 4 hours. Investing MD gives +[sum] / 2 to Save.

Epic of Magic
Every caster you perform to feels a resurgence of magic and rolls one of their depleted MD, regaining it on a 5 or 6. If you invest MD, they can reroll an additional [dice] depleted MD.

Epic of Noble Sacrifice
Everyone you perform to is inspired to heroic sacrifices and gains +2 Save vs Fear for the next 4 hours, as well as gaining +1 to-hit, +1 damage, and +1 AC when below 5 hitpoints for the same duration. Hirelings also gain +1 morale for the next 4 hours. Investing MD gives +[dice] to the morale and Save bonuses.

Epic of Trickery
Everyone you perform to is stimulated to imagine feats of cleverness and imagination, gaining +3 to all rolls involving a clever and tricksy plan.

GLOG: Character Creation for Carolingia

The Base Adventurer

Level	XP	HP	Templates	Skills	Save
1	0	6 + Con	1	1	14
2	200	+2	2	-	12
3	400	+2	3	+1	10
4	800	+2	4	-	8
5	1200	+1	4	+1	8
6	2000	+1	4	-	7
7	3000	+1	4	+1	7
8	4000	+1	4	-	6
9	5000	+1	4	+1	6
+1	+1000	+1	4	-	5

Skills

You start with three skills at proficient - two from your class, one you pick (as shown on the Base Adventurer table). There isn't a skill list. A skill is any word or short phrase of similar scope to the ones provided in the classes. When you gain a skill either from your class or simply as shown on the Base Adventurer, you can either advance a skill to expert or pick a new skill. If you have a skill at proficient, you can do anything someone quite capable in that field can do, and gain +3 to all relevant rolls. If you are expert in a skill, you can do extraordinary things with it, and gain +5 to all relevant rolls.

Ability Scores

Ability scores are 3d6 down the line swap two. Your abilities are, in order, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Modifiers are per the typical old-school distribution:

Ability Score |	Modifier
3	-3
4-5	-2
6-8	-1
9-12	+0
13-15	+1
16-17	+2
18	+3

You add your Strength modifier to melee to-hit rolls and encumbrance limit, Dexterity to AC and ranged to-hit rolls, Constitution to HP, Intelligence to known languages (2 + Int) and as a penalty to Saves against Mage spells, Wisdom to initiative rolls and as a penalty to Saves against Witch spells, and Charisma to hireling morale checks and as a penalty to Saves against Chanter spells.

Equipment and Encumbrance

If you have a backpack and a belt or baldric, you can carry 12 + Str slots worth of items without getting encumbered. Each 5 slots you're carrying after that halves your combat movement speed, reduces your overland movement speed by 25%, and incurs a -2 penalty to all physical rolls. Any item 3 slots or larger that isn't wearable must be carried in your hands.

You start with the following: a backpack, a bedroll (1 slot), warm clothing (0 slots), 3 days preserved rations (1/3 slot each), a waterskin (1 slot when full), 3d6 shillings/sous (silver pieces in games not set in Carolingia) and the equipment your class gives you.

GLOG: Weapon and Armor Lists for More Generic Fantasy

I have a post about weapons and armor, but it's very much oriented for my Carolingia setting - Northern European early medieval technology and fashions, specifically circa 800-840 CE. I want to run some stuff with my GLOG hack that are set in a more generic fantasy milieu with high medieval or late medieval levels of technology (currently, Deep Carbon Observatory). Here's an equipment list for that sort of setting (somewhat generic, but that's the point).

Weapons

Weapon	To-Hit	Cost	Slots	Properties
Unarmed	-2	-	-	Grapple, 1 damage
Dagger	-1	5 sp	1/3	Grapple, thrown -2 10/25
Arming sword	0	10 sp	1	Close, horseback
Mace	0	5 sp	1	Close
Warhammer	0	5 sp	1	Close
Javelin	0	2 sp	1/3	Close, thrown +1 45/90
Longsword	+1	20 sp	1	Close, two-handed
Spear	+1	7 sp	3	Reach, horseback, thrown 0 20/40
Horseman's axe	+1	15 sp	2	Close, horseback
Horseman's pick	+1	15 sp	2	Close, horseback
Greatsword	+2	40 sp	2	Reach, two-handed
Various polearms	+2	10 sp	4	Reach, two-handed
Lance*	+2	7 sp	3	Reach, horseback only, shatter
Hunting Bow	0	20 sp	2	Two-handed, ranged 100/300
Sling	+1	1 sp	1/3	Ranged 100/1000
Longbow	+1	40 sp	2	Two-handed, ranged 200/600
Crossbow	+2	50 sp	2	Two-handed, ranged 100/400, reload 1
Heavy crossbow	+3	100 sp	4	Two-handed, ranged 200/500, reload 6

* A lance is just a spear used from horseback

All the properties are the same as in the main post about combat, save for the addition of the reload property. Weapons with reload must spend the number of actions indicated after attacking before they can attack again.

Armor and Shields

Unarmored AC is 10. In addition to your armor's AC bonus, AC is also modified by your Dexterity modifier. You cannot cast spells while wearing armor other than a helmet. Your base AC, including shields, helmets, and armor but not Dex bonus or any other bonuses, cannot exceed 18.

Armor	AC	Cost	Slots	Stealth
Leather Helmet	+1	10 sp	1	-
Helmet	+2	20 sp	1	-
Full Helmet*	+3	30 sp	1	-1
Textile	12	20 sp	3	-
Mail Hauberk	13	60 sp	4	-2
Brigandine	14	70 sp	4	-2
Full plate	15	400 sp	5	-2

* A full helmet is exactly like a regular helmet with the visor up, but with the visor down it has the properties above. At DM discretion, you will also have trouble seeing and hearing things with visor down.

Shields increase your AC by their AC modifier while you're wielding them. You can't use that arm for anything else or cast Witch or Mage spells while wielding a shield. If you take damage from an enemy's attack while wielding a shield, you can choose to sunder the shield, breaking it irreparably, to negate the damage.

Shield	AC	Cost	Slots
Small Shield	+1	1 sp	1
Shield	+2	1 sp	3

Changed Starting Equipment

If your class would start with a mail shirt, you instead start with textile armor.

GLOG: The Mage

The Mage is my slightly modified take on the traditional GLOG wizard. More than any of my other classes, it takes extremely heavily from the original GLOG Wizards as well as from Skerples' wizard schools from Many Rats on a Stick. Some of the stuff is also a bit crowdsourced from wonderful folks at the OSR Discord.

What is a Mage? 

Mages are a rare thing in Carolingia. While witches and chanters are generally distrusted, due to their potential to harm without recourse and the way more powerful spells tend to go wrong, mages are doubly taboo because of their intercourse with all sorts of otherworldly creatures - demons and fey, starspawn and even the spirits of the dead. Their spells are all spirits summoned up by rituals written in their spellbooks or on collections of runes and put to use in a manner befitting their origin.

Starting Equipment: Robes and a strange hat, a staff, a spellbook or other method of scribing spells, a clay pot of ink, a quill, a stick of incense, a dagger, a sling, and 20 bullets.

Skills: Occult Lore and 1d3: 1. Smoking, 2. Illuminating, 3. Brewing

Damage: 1d6

A: Spellcasting, Spell Scribing, +1 MD
B: Spell Breeding, Preparatory Casting, +1 MD, +1 Spell
C: +1 MD, +1 Spell
D: +1 MD, +1 Spell


Spellcasting: You can pick a list of spells, and write 1 spell from the first 6 spells on that list (picked or rolled depending on your DM) in your spellbook. You do not have to prepare spells; instead you can cast any spell you have written in your spellbook at any time so long as you have MD available. Each spell list has an associated cantrip, which you also know, and a drawback. You gain a new spell from your spell list for every further template of Mage you take (from the first 8 at template B, first 10 at template C, and all 12 at template D).

Spell Scribing: If you encounter a spell written down in any form, you can spend 1 week researching the spell to put it in your own notation and 10 d. of ink and various experimental components to write it in your spellbook. You can spend a week per [dice] and 10 * [dice] d. of various components to instill a spell you have in your spellbook into a staff, wand, or rune. You cannot instill more [dice] into this object than your maximum. When casting the spell through this object you can cast it with at most [dice] MD, and however many MD you choose are removed from the object. Once the object reaches 0 [dice], it crumbles to dust. You cannot put more than 1 MD into a rune or 2 MD into a wand.

Spell Breeding: You can attempt to breed two spells you have written in your spellbook. This process takes a month and 100 d. of various experimental components. The results of the cross-breeding are up to you and your DM to determine. There's a 1-in-6 chance the process goes horribly wrong, and a separate 1-in-6 chance to lose one of the spells involved, removing it from your spellbook.

Preparatory Casting: You can prepare a number of spells no greater than your number of Mage templates by meditating an hour per spell prepared. When you cast these spells, you cannot suffer a Mishap or a Doom. Once you've cast a prepared spell, you no longer have it prepared. You also lose your prepared spells when you sleep or after 24 hours.

Spell Lists:

Spell descriptions can be found here.

Arcana:

Arcana spells are drawn from the very spirits of magic itself.

Cantrip: If you spend 1 minute touching, smelling, and tasting an object, you can determine whether it is magical. If you spend 10 minutes, you can determine the general nature of the magical effect.

Drawback: You cannot bathe more than once per month or consume hot liquids (above room temperature). If you do, you cannot cast spells for a day afterwards.

Spell List:

1.  Detect Magic
2.  Magic Missile
3.  Mage Hand
4.  Unseen Servant
5.  Floating Disk
6.  Magic Stone
7.  Animate Object
8.  Find Familiar
9.  Wall of Force
10.  Werelight
    
11.  Forcecage
12.  Summon

Mishaps:

1.  Take 1d6 damage.
2.  Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour.
3.  Cannot cast spells for the next 1d4 hours.
4.  Deplete one MD.
5.  Take 1d4 damage and gain a painful, permanent scar in a prominent location.
6.  You summon a random supernatural being as per the summon spell. It's not happy.

Dooms:

1.  Lose the ability to cast spells for a day.
2.  Lose the ability to cast spells for a week.
3.  Permanently lose the ability to cast spells.

Celestial: 

Celestial spells are drawn from the horrors which crowd around the walls of the world.

Cantrip: Your eyes glow with a faint light - not enough to see detail or explore thoroughly with, but enough to see a few feet ahead with. This light only barely shines through your eyelids, but never goes out.

Drawback: You only regain MD when you sleep beneath the stars.

Spell List:

1.  Dancing Lights
2.  Starlight Lance
3.  Bane
4.  Hex
5.  Moonbeam
6.  Blindness/Deafness
7.  Hideous Laughter
8.  Bestow Curse
9.  Crown of Madness
10.  Wall of Light
11.  Crown of Stars
12.  Summon Starspawn

 Mishaps:

1.  Take 1d6 damage.
2.  Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour.
3.  Glow brightly for 1d6 hours.
4.  Laugh uncontrollably for 1d6 rounds.
5.  Blinded for 1d4 hours.
6.  You summon a random abomination as per the summon starspawn spell. It's not happy.

Dooms:

1.  1d6 moon beasts (HD 2) appear and attempt to drag you to the moon.
2.  2d4 star spawn (HD 3) appear and attempt to drown you.
3.  A pillar of light descends from above, paralyzes you, and pulls you up into the sky.

Demonic:

Demonic spells are drawn from the insidious creatures which tempt humanity as they strive for its destruction.

Cantrip: You can light and extinguish small fires with a touch. Your hands and fingers are hard, blackened, cracked, and relatively impervious to heat and cold.

Drawback: If you're exposed to holy symbols, your skin begins to smoke and your eyes water. If you're directly touched by a holy symbol, you must Save vs Magic or become incapacitated with pain.

Spell List:

1.  Scorching Ray
2.  Ray of Frost
3.  Darkness
4.  Hoarfrost Hauberk
5.  Imp Familiar
6.  Magic Weapon
7.  Wall of Ice
8.  Darkvision
9.  Cone of Cold
10.  Consuming Shadows
11.  Fireball
12.  Summon Demon

 Mishaps:

1.  Take 1d6 damage.
2.  Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour.
3.  Cloaked in impenetrable darkness and paralyzed for 1d6 rounds.
4.  Hands are enclosed in ice, useless for 1d4 hours.
5.  Feet are burned severely, can't walk for 1d6 hours.
6.  You summon a random demon as per the summon demon spell. It's not happy.

Dooms:

1.  Your body is taken over by a lesser demon for an hour.
2.  Your body is taken over by a greater demon for a day.
3.  Your body is permanently taken over by a demon prince. Your soul is rent and devoured.

Elemental: 

Elemental spells are drawn from the primal forces of nature in their great majesty and power.

Cantrip: You can identify when a natural place is the home of an elemental, and you know the immediate desires of an elemental when you meet one.

Drawback: If you offend an elemental, you cannot cast spells involving that element until you regain their favor. You cannot take more templates in this class if you've offended elementals and not made it up to them.

Spell List:

1.  Speak with Elements
2.  Produce Flame
   
3.  Control Water
4.  Mold Earth
5.  Elemental Familiar
6.  Gust of Wind
7.  Acid Splash
8.  Wall of Stone
9.  Catapult Element
10.  Chain Lightning
    
11.  Hurricane
12.  Summon Elemental

 Mishaps:

1.  Take 1d6 damage.
2.  Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour.
3.  The earth rises up and restrains you for 1d4 rounds.
4.  The air flees your lungs. Incapacitated 1d6 rounds.
5.  Lightning strikes you. 3d6 damage, Save for half.
6.  You summon a random elemental as per the summon elemental spell. It's not happy.

Dooms:

1.  1 random element (not air) rebels against you and attacks you whenever it can for the next hour.
2.  3 random elements (not air) rebel against you and attack you whenever they can for the next day.
3.  All the elements rebel against you and attack you whenever they can for the rest of your life. Good luck breathing.

Fey:

Fey spells are drawn from those inscrutable, mysterious, playful, and harsh creatures of wood and earth, the fairies.

Cantrip: You can see in any natural light as if it were full sunlight, and know the size and shape of any underground space you're in.

Drawback: You cannot cast spells while you have any iron, steel, or salt on your person. If you cross a magical abjuration (i.e. a salt circle) or break the laws of hospitality, you lose all your prepared spells.

Spell List:

1.  Charm Person
2.  Illusion
3.  Enthrall
4.  Wild Shape
5.  Silent Image
6.  Command
7.  Polymorph
8.  Bestow Curse
9.  Detect Thoughts
10.  Phantasmal Force
11.  Fear
12.  Cloak of Darkness

 Mishaps:

1.  Take 1d6 damage.
2.  Take +1 damage from all sources for the next hour.
3.  You're surrounded by swirling illusions. Incapacitated for 1d6 rounds.
4.  Become mute for 1d4 hours.
5.  Become charmed by the first creature you see for 1d6 rounds.
6.  Turn into a frog for 1d6 hours.

Dooms:

1.  A great fey (15 HD) appears to you and strongly cautions you to stop causing issues (casting fey spells).
2.  The same great fey abducts you for 24 hours as a warning. You return on 0 hitpoints.
3.  The fey are hunting you with all their might. Say goodbye to your loved ones.

Necromancy:

Necromancy spells are drawn from the souls of the dead and those ineffable creatures which prey on them.

Cantrip: You can kill any plant or animal chicken-sized or smaller with a touch (your DM may impose restrictions on this).

Drawback: If you touch running water, you must Save or take damage equal to your maximum number of MD. Being immersed in running water deals this much damage per round.

Spell List:

1.  Speak With Dead
2.  Animate Dead
3.  Blindness/Deafness
4.  Ray of Sickness
5.  Feign Death
6.  Inflict Wounds
7.  Vampiric Touch
8.  Blight
9.  Circle of Death
10.  Word of Pain
11.  Ritual of Lichdom
12.  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 those you've troubled arise around you. Incapacitated for 1d4 rounds.
5.  Every human corpse within 50 feet arises as a zombie or skeleton and attacks you for 1d4 rounds.
6.  Your arm attacks you for 1d4 hours.

Dooms:

1.  Your flesh withers with unholy energies. Lose 2 points from all physical stats.
2.  Whenever you cast a necromancer spell, you must Save or have your skeleton seize control of your body for an hour. What are its motives? Who knows.
3.  Your blood turns to glass. If your heart is still trying to pump, it all shatters and shreds you from the inside.