[Cryptworld] New Thing: Remnant

A Strong-Willed Corpse for Cryptworld

REMNANT
STR: 4 (60) --- WPR: 7 (105)
DEX: 2 (30) --- PER: 3 (45)
AGL: 3 (45) --- PCN: 3 (45)
STA: 4 (60) --- PWR: 80
ATT: 1/53% --- WND: 0*
MV: L 75

Experience: 700

When first encountered, a remnant could be mistaken for a reanimated skeleton (Cryptworld rulebook, page 69). It appears as an old, dusty skeletal system with very little flesh clinging to its bones, perhaps dressed in scraps of the clothing it died in. However, a remnant comes into being when a person dies, yet refuses to leave his earthly body. Through sheer force of willpower, the remnant forces its spirit to remain anchored to its earthly form. Over the years, as its body decays and rots, the remnant refuses to move on, animating its own corpse to fulfill some unfinished task.

Like a skeleton, a remnant does not suffer wound damage, but it does suffer STA damage. When its current STA reaches 0, the remnant's body will fall apart into a pile of inanimate bones. Unless the bones are sprinkled with salt and holy water, the remant will reform in 1d10 minutes back at full STA. Remnants attack with any weapons it may have at hand, or it will claw at an opponent for armed damage with its sharpened bony fingertips.

Obsessive in death, a remnant often has some goal or mission it was unable to accomplish in life. In death, the creature clings to the mortal world as it obsessively tries to achieve this never-ending goal (locating some long-lost artifact, guarding a specific location for eternity, etc.). The remnant will never waiver in its task, and will attack any who stand between it and fulfilling it mission. Because the remnant retains the intelligence it had in life, it will often set up traps and deadfalls to protect the area it haunts. It may lie motionless, disguising itself as a lifeless corpse as its future victims pass by. Although physically weak, the remnant is an exceedingly clever creature.

Although a remnant has no specific powers of its own, it has learned how to tap into its WPR to trigger minor environmental Unsettling Powers (Cryptworld rulebook, page 52). The remnant will use these effects to its greatest advantage to terrorize any intruders who might disrupt its eternal task.

A Pre-Generated Notion (Or "No, You Can't Play Your 12th-Level Barbarian Blood-mage In My Convention Game")

/begin soapbox rant

By way of background, I've been running pick-up games and convention scenarios for 30-plus years. And, with rare exception, you'll have your choice of several pre-gens I'll be providing as we sit down to play. No, we won't be rolling up new characters. No, you can't play a new character you rolled up and brought with you. And, super-no, you can't bring your home character to play.

So why the hard-nosed approach? Certainly, any GM worth his salt should be able to work these newly-created and/or home-spun PCs into a quickie pick-up game, right? Well, over the years, I've found it to be more trouble than it's worth. And now that we're entering convention season (for me anyway), I thought I'd explain my position on this matter.

1. Time is limited. During a typical convention game, we have 4 hours tops to get from point A to point B. When you have 6 folks rolling up a new character at the table, it takes 20-30 minutes away from our limited game time. (Perhaps longer if someone is new to the system.) So pre-gens cut the PC generation time to mere seconds. ("Here, pick one.")

2. Necessary "detachment." When you take the time to create a new character, you become "invested" in that character. And folks who are attached to their characters take fewer risks. They're cautious. They think things through. In other words, the action slows to a crawl. However, with a pre-gen, you have a "disposable character." A player will do crazy, off-the-cuff stuff. Risks are taken, action is non-stop, and the story moves along. And if they die horribly 30 minutes into the game? Eh, who cares? Have another pre-gen.

3. Additional game-related info. The pre-gens I give you at the table aren't just a stack of stats. I give each pre-gen some background information that only he or she knows about the scenario the players are entering. Through their pre-generated PC, each player is given some vital clue, some needed piece of equipment, or a skill that's important to the adventure. My pre-gens are actually part of the game. Characters brought in from "outside" won't have that clue, skill, or object necessary to further the game.

4. Game-breakers. I've personally encountered this when someone brings their home character into a convention game. Their PC will have some skill that I didn't account for when designing the adventure which totally sends the game off the rails.

"OK, when the game begins, you are captured by the orcs. After tossing you into a cage, they grunt amongst themselves, formulating their secret plans."
"Oh, did I mention my character is fluent in orcish? I eavesdrop on them so we know exactly what they're up to."
"Er..."

This also encompasses the +8 Holy Reaver your character possesses, the ninja skills you gained when training at The Ninja Academy, and anything else that pushes your character into Superhuman Levels of Kickassery. I just can't account for every potentiality so it's better if you just leave Cap'n Asskicker at home. The pre-gens all start on equal footing. No one is more powerful or more useful to the game than anyone else.

5. "I'm the star." Folks who bring in their personal PCs have a history with that character -- a history that they'll bring to the table. It sometimes becomes an impromptu "let me tell you about my character" situation. Even worse, it becomes a "let me SHOW you about my character" situation. It's no longer about the adventure, but rather it becomes the "Ragnarok the Barbarian Solo Quest Adventure Hour -- Plus Five Other Guys." They see every encounter as another opportunity to show everyone how awesome their character is, and they'll treat the other players like NPCs. With pre-gens, there are no stars.

Lest you think I'm a bit of an ogre, I will admit that I've made "special arrangements" in the past if someone contacted me beforehand and asked if they could bring a home PC into my convention game. If I can make some prior adjustments here or there in my game script or in your PC's skillset, then it sometimes isn't a problem. In fact, I get a bit of a thrill knowing that my game just became a part of your PC's continuity. However, if you blindly show up with a character sheet in-hand and demand that I let you play it, don't start pouting when I ask you to put him away and take a pre-gen. And if you happen to storm off due to this affront, I won't feel badly for you. In fact, I'll feel I've just done the other players at my table a great service.

/end soapbox rant

[Mutant Future] Savage Menagerie: Porcuspine

No. Enc.: 1d4 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic

Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: 1 (spines)
Damage: 1d8 + poison
Save: L6
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: None

Porcuspines are medium-sized humanoids (about 4 to 6 feet tall) who are covered with long, poisonous spiny growths. These spines are incredibly long and thick -- most are more than 2 feet long and 1 inch thick -- making the creature appear as if it is covered in tree-like twigs and branches. (In fact, the porcuspine may be initially mistaken for a plant-like mutant.)

The spines offer a degree of armor class protection, and contact with these spines do 1d8 hit points of damage as well. Porcuspines can break off and use their spines as dagger- and spear-like weapons, and have been known to hurl them as thrown weapons. The spines are also coated with a Class 2 poison. This poison will do 2d6 hit points of poison damage; half-damage taken with a successful save versus poison.

Porcuspines are always in pain as the growth of their spines is agonizing to them. This all-encompassing pain drives them insane, which in turn causes them to lash out at all other creatures they encounter in envious fury. Anything (or anyone) who is caught and captured by a porcuspine will be slowly tormented and tortured until the unfortunate victim either dies or its brain snaps under the strain. If captured by a porcuspine, a victim's best hope is that they are able to kill themselves before the torture begins.

Mutations: spiny growth, poisonous spines

Lords Of Light! Thundarr The Barbarian At Con On The Cob!

Okay, okay, I've had more than one person email me, begging me to run a Thundarr the Barbarian session at Con on the Cob next month. I had not planned on doing so, but I've decided to run a game on Friday morning. However, to do so, I'll need to cancel the Cartoon Action Hour game I had planned to run at that time. (I'll plan to run CAH at a future event in 2015.)

Anyway, here at the details for the game if you're interested in playing:

Friday 8 AM – Noon 

Mutant Future

Thundarr the Barbarian: “The Wizard’s Graveyard”

Demon dogs! The evil wizard Thraxx has discovered an Ancient weapon that will allow him to conquer Wash Dee-See! Legends tell of a powerful artifact long-ago buried in “The Wizard’s Graveyard” that could be the key to his downfall! Join Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel as they try to save the world of 3994 AD! Lords of Light!