Epidemic Books - Fan Content - Odds and Ends - Messages https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-odds-and-ends.aspx Epidemic Books - Fan Content - Odds and Ends - Messages en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jitbit AspNetForum Tue, 23 Sep 2014 05:18:19 GMT Tue, 23 Sep 2014 05:18:19 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
So that means there is plenty of room to design new species, esp for an alien world like the Forge.]]> Tue, 23 Sep 2014 05:18:19 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 17 Mar 2014 06:02:47 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
On the Forge, I would expect craftsmen to be hired by spellcasters for so much more than construct bodies. Not all spells can be enhanced with mundane objects, but there are plenty that can. Just think about it.]]> Sun, 10 Nov 2013 07:26:35 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 04 Nov 2013 07:43:01 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
http://skirmisher.com/node/18116

A magic item in the possession of a PC may be much more than the character assumes.]]> Sun, 24 Mar 2013 06:42:16 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Wed, 21 Nov 2012 06:03:30 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:18:39 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sat, 28 Jul 2012 03:41:28 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
You want a Top Secret campaign that moves to the Forge, this is one way of doing it.]]> Sat, 02 Jun 2012 03:01:27 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
Each costs several million gp so there will not be a lot of them and their prices for transport are quite high, but as almost nothing can destroy one (except the queen and the dragon), they provide almost perfect protection.]]> Sun, 27 May 2012 03:12:14 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland edited by Derek Holland on 11/21/2012]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:52:49 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
Any suggestions for other members' creations that have planet wide effects?]]> Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:04:56 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:58:54 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:51:25 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:14:29 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
There are dwarves who are breeding gricks in Eclipse, turning one species into three breeds (land, underground and sea). And in undercity of Penance there are sapient gricks* that domesticated dwarves, producing five breeds (adapted to the various hazards, having +6 bonuses to the saves against them).

In the wilds of Penance (the plains around the city), there are sapient elephants that have domesticated kobolds, using them as tiny hands as well as a source of easy magic. In the jungles of Arena there are kobolds that have Medium sized elephants as livestock- small enough to allow underground.

In the undercity there are jaggons** that are breeding green dragons, making them much smaller as well as removing their wings. In Wildwood there is a green dragon that lives near a ruin and has started to domesticate the jaggon population there.

Orts*** are very common in the undercity and some have taken to breeding human wereflies. The insectoids are useful in finding food and danger. In another part of the city, the reverse is going on.

To get really weird, I was thinking also of water elementals/giant squid, vrocks/cranium rats and illithids/intellect devourers (it almost PB&J for the last one).

* The civilized template from Rite's Book of Monster Templates.
** Lovecraftian monsters that are a mouth and tentacles.
*** Walking trash piles
**** The monstrous lycanthrope template from Advanced Bestiary]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:21:42 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:48:34 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:12:22 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
It makes me wonder if there is a place for Wilson (from Cast Away) and similar object familairs. Things that are not valuable to anyone but the owner. They would not be sources of power like dragon hoards, but they could be a personal relic, one that can only be used by the creator and, possibly, his or her family. This makes family heirlooms that much more useful in game play and mcguffins for the PCs to hunt down.]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:18:41 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
A culture with advanced biotechnology could study genetics on the Forge and develop new evolutions. Evolutions that could be used long after they go extinct.

A culture with a stong emphasis on archeology could study the past of the Forge and find all kinds of hidden treasures, both loot and knowledge.

A space faring culture could find out if there is anything beyond the system of the Forge. It isn't so much searching with ships as knowing the tricks to finding mass without seeing it. They may even find a way to use the Forge as a waystation via the star gates.]]> Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:17:37 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:35:26 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:37:53 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:45:41 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:48:10 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Derek Holland wrote:
A subset of the chaos storms are those that provide life or sapience. They either create elementals or provide a mass version of awaken. In either case the resulting creatures are intelligent, get the evolve feat for free and have a 50% discount on the xp costs for evolutions. This means there are a lot of intelligent rocks and trees out there that are using a form of Lamarkian evolution to improve themselves.


I have been thinking about this idea for a while and I wonder what creature type an intelligent rock would be. Elemental doesn't feel right, so that leaves aberration. And, like awaken, this effect (the intelligence) is not heritable, at least until one of them discovers a new evolution that allows them to reproduce and have intelligent offspring.

And the whole idea can make for a variant of spirits of the land, one where the creatures are much more interactive with the characters.]]> Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:52:15 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
I was thinking of ways to incorporate signatures into OB and it hit me that megarunes (or glyphs or whatever) could be the answer. People who make them would be called reality engineers and the results can be quite impressive. Of course they could also be targets so trying to convert some land so that flying creatures and air elementals reign supreme might be hampered or stopped by landlubbers.

Some other engineers are those who create living structures (including mobile villages), art on a large scale (some that morphs with the viewers' or creator's emotions) and those that make magic collectors (must be a specific type and have a specific function, e.g. collecting air magic to make pleasant weather).]]> Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:07:26 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/334133/title/Earthly_riches_heaven_sent

Red moss and sparks were partially inspired by that article (see the critter thread) but it can be used for more.

Even though the rest of the universe's stars and planets were demolished after the bound god fell, that doesn't mean all their mass is gone. Asteroid impacts may be common from time to time as the gravity of the Forge and two suns draws the mass in.

And then there are the two suns themselves. I have life (spores, seeds and eggs) being ejected from Storm and non-living matter (minerals, metals and even hydrocarbons) being ejected from Crux. Stars are the furnaces that make heavy elements in our universe, why not use that in Oathbound? All kinds of weird matter can be mined from impact craters and used for magic and technology.
edited by Derek Holland on 12/9/2011]]> Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:05:22 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from ShadowcatX Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:46:08 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
And also note that orks can be effectively extinct and still come back. All they need is someone bring up hundreds of year old spores from the undercity of Penance and starting the cycle all over.]]> Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:24:59 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from ShadowcatX
Still, I think you are by far discounting how powerful people on the forge can be. With 2 gods present on the forge, 2 beings who are arguably more than gods, and 5 other beings that can slaughter dozens, if not hundreds, a day, perish, and return the next day at full strength, a dragon that everything should fear, undead that are thousands, if not millions of years old, the forge is not an easy place to take over.]]> Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:41:11 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg Derek Holland wrote:
One thing I am waffling about adding to the Forge is the Warhammer 40K ork. Thoughts?


A good way to do this might be as a recent arrival (aka an invasive species). They will have a very limited area, but a great effect on the game and potential for future danger. If the PCs don't stamp them out immediately, they could start spreading.]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:47:07 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sat, 10 Sep 2011 05:28:14 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
They aren't zerg or clockwork horrors (who I think would consume the entire planet in a matter of months), but they aren't a push over like D&D orcs.

Thoughts?]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:37:08 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:48:41 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg Derek Holland wrote:
Another idea for the chaos storms is tapping the power of the Forge through the canton lines. They could act as ley lines that have a tendancy to mutate spells (and spellcasters).


That works. Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but these lines were originally supposed to coincide with invisible lines of the mystical net of energy that encloses the prison of the world. They are also the veins where goddust can occur in places.]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:15:06 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:40:18 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:21:37 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg Derek Holland wrote:
Once a month the water moon eclipses Crux. This could be a time where fire magic works underwater or the time unique spells based on fire and water function.


Heck, why not! The more cool unique stuff like this you throw into your game the better, as far as I'm concerned.]]> Thu, 19 May 2011 16:40:15 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Thu, 19 May 2011 03:28:10 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sun, 01 May 2011 04:04:49 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:38:54 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
It only happens with spells above 5th level.
There is a 1% chance per caster level of this happening and it only occurs in specific areas (like near the fortresses and other magical hot spots).
Everything within a distance of caster level X spell level in feet is potentially affected.
Those objects and creatures must make a fort save. DC = SL + CL (unattented objects have a CL % to be affected).
Those failing the save are transmuted into something else. The GM must write up his or her own chart(s) as each location should be unique.

Good?]]> Sun, 24 Apr 2011 04:56:17 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:31:25 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
And then there are chaos storms. The Forge is just awash in magic. Every once in a while, spell casters cause major destruction by accident as their magic interacts with the magic leaking from the prison. I am not sure exactly about how I would do this but 2e chaos magic is a place to start.]]> Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:12:02 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg Derek Holland wrote:
Some materials are naturally magical. They form the basis of 3.0 alchemy (back when you didn't have to be a spellcaster to use it) and may be in larger quantities on the Forge than other worlds due to its origin and the constantly leaking divine power. What does this mean, there might be a lot more alchemists, even some that treat it as a hobby, and their creations should be cheaper than on other worlds (ie there should be a lot more of it).


I like that idea. BTW, my friend Sig put together a cool Pathfinder sourcebook on alchemy recently. I haven't had a chance to read it, but knowing him, it's probably worth the 4 bucks:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=83907]]> Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:44:36 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:01:04 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
One of the niftier things about the Forge is new blood. A race can go through evolution, changing over generations and yet have infusions of new blood from the home planes every once in a while. For those who like designing monsters and races, this provides an almost unique situation that can result in all kinds of sub and sister species.]]> Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:12:33 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from greg ]]> Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:50:40 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:10:56 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from ToddM Mon, 07 Feb 2011 06:13:15 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Sun, 06 Feb 2011 05:16:42 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:55:14 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from nylanfs
http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/r/ritePublishing/pathfinderRPG/templates/v5748btpy8hf3]]> Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:20:59 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
Something I have been waffling about making for LL/Oathbound are aggregates. They are symbionts (all types) that fuse with their hosts into one species. The first one I created was the crusty bunny- a rabbit that survives the wastelands by fusing with a tapeworm (to broaden the diet) and ringworm (a shell that shields the flesh from radiation). Another example was a rabbit humanoid and a parasitic plant. The humanoid ended up gaining a few plant mutations as well as the ability to photosynthesize. The reason I am waffling is that with magic there can be so much more but the end results may defeat the purpose of the concept entirely. Fusion of two or more species has been done in D&D to death (the best may be a template in Advanced Bestiary) but so far I haven't seen where the fusion provides changes beyond that of the stock species (which is what the bunny is all about). Still the idea is a great one and I hope that others use it.]]> Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:47:53 GMT https://forums.epidemicbooks.net/topic44-.aspx Message from Derek Holland
Magically enhanced diseases are common on the Forge. They require powerful divine magic to cure (cure disease with higher caster levels) but aren't self sustaining. A person who resists the disease isn't a carrier- the disease isn't in his system at all. Those who die likewise do not spread the disease.

Goddust has several uses beyond random mutation and life extension. One allows a mother to shape her offspring. Effectively this allows a female creature to apply a template with a CR modification of +1, +2 or +3 (or up to 3 +1 templates). Attempts to warp the child further results in a roll on the chart in Mysteries of Arena.]]> Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:36:50 GMT