Random Mutation Table

Here's an excerpt from the new rules I'm working on. It's a table for random mutations.

Mutations are a type of special ability. You get one special ability at every "tier". There are eight tiers. So you can take mutation up to eight times. For each mutation you take, you roll once on the mutation table and once on the side effect table below.

Mutant

The character has been permanently mutated by exposure to sarcomagic compounds left over from the War of Zorin. The character may roll randomly (or select with the gamemaster’s permission) one mutation and one side effect from the list below. The mutant gains one mutation and one side effect each time mutation is selected as a special ability.

Mutations (roll 1D10)

1.       Enhanced Epidermis (roll 1D10)

1.1.    Leathery

1.2.    Scales

1.3.    Plates

1.4.    Carapace

1.5.    Quills

1.6.    Spikes

1.7.    Chameleon

1.8.    Fire Resistant

1.9.    Acid Resistant

1.10.Electrically Resistant

2.       Natural Melee Weapon (roll 1D10)

2.1.    Claws

2.2.    Talons

2.3.    Elbow Spikes

2.4.    Knee Spikes

2.5.    Horns

2.6.    Fangs

2.7.    Shark Teeth

2.8.    Stinger

2.9.    Electric Shock

2.10.Mandibles

3.       Enhanced Ability (roll 1D6)

3.1.    Agility

3.2.    Dexterity

3.3.    Endurance

3.4.    Intelligence

3.5.    Strength

3.6.    Wits

4.       Enhanced Senses (roll 1D8)

4.1.    Hearing

4.2.    Smell

4.3.    Vision

4.4.    +1D3x2 Eyes (360-degree vision)

4.5.    Night Vision

4.6.    Danger Sense

4.7.    Echolocation

4.8.    Touch

5.       Enhanced Limbs (roll 1D6)

5.1.    +1D2x2 Arms

5.2.    +1D2x2 Extra Legs

5.3.    Prehensile Feet

5.4.    Prehensile Tail

5.5.    +1D8x2 Prehensile Tentacles

5.6.    Hooks

6.       Ranged Attack (roll 1D6)

6.1.    Sonic Scream

6.2.    Fire Breath

6.3.    Venomous Spit

6.4.    Acid Spit

6.5.    Frog Tongue

6.6.    Electric Bolt

7.       Locomotion (roll 1D6)

7.1.    Leaping

7.2.    Climbing

7.3.    Burrowing

7.4.    Amazing Balance

7.5.    Wings

7.6.    Swimming

8.       Unusual Physiology (roll 1D10)

8.1.    Poison Immunity

8.2.    Disease Immunity

8.3.    Regeneration

8.4.    Venomous

8.5.    Water Retention Bladder

8.6.    Tough (Extra Hit Points)

8.7.    Versatile Digestion

8.8.    Hibernation Trance

8.9.    Acidic Blood

8.10.Nutrient Retention Pouch

9.       Unusual Size (roll 1D2)

9.1.    Giant

9.2.    Miniature

10.   Adaptation (roll 1D6)

10.1.Extreme Heat

10.2.Extreme Cold

10.3.Amphibious

10.4.Anaerobic Environment

10.5.Extreme Pressure

10.6.Vacuum

Side Effects (roll 1D10)

1.       Unusual Eyes (roll 1D6)

1.1.    Glowing

1.2.    Compound

1.3.    +1D3x2 Vestigial Eyes

1.4.    Eye Stalks

1.5.    Unnatural Color (roll 1D8)

1.5.1. Yellow

1.5.2. Orange

1.5.3. Pink

1.5.4. Red

1.5.5. White

1.5.6. Black

1.5.7. Transparent

1.5.8. Slowly Changing

1.6.    Unusual Pupil (roll 1D6)

1.6.1. Cat

1.6.2. Goat

1.6.3. Snake

1.6.4. Octopus

1.6.5. Pinhole

1.6.6.  

2.       Unusual Skin  (roll 1D3)

2.1.    Color (roll 1D10)

2.1.1. Red

2.1.2. Blue

2.1.3. Green

2.1.4. Purple

2.1.5. Orange

2.1.6. Yellow

2.1.7. Snow White

2.1.8. Grey

2.1.9. Transparent

2.1.10.    Slowly Changing

2.2.    Texture (roll 1D10)

2.2.1. Sand-paper

2.2.2. Scales

2.2.3. Leathery

2.2.4. Slimy

2.2.5. Rubbery

2.2.6. Stony

2.2.7. Feathers

2.2.8. Fur

2.2.9. Carapace

2.2.10.    Folded or Wrinkled

2.3.    Pattern (roll 1D3)

2.3.1. Stripes

2.3.2. Spots

2.3.3. Slowly Changing

3.       Unusual Hair  (roll 1D3)

3.1.    Color (roll 1D8)

3.1.1. Red

3.1.2. Blue

3.1.3. Green

3.1.4. Purple

3.1.5. Orange

3.1.6. Yellow

3.1.7. Transparent

3.1.8. Slowly Changing

3.2.    Texture (roll 1D6)

3.2.1. Silky

3.2.2. Rough

3.2.3. Stiff

3.2.4. Spiny

3.2.5. Greasy

3.2.6. Metallic

3.3.    Pattern (roll 1D3)

3.3.1. Stripes

3.3.2. Spots

3.3.3. Slowly Changing

3.4.    No Hair

3.5.    Grows 1d6 inches every night

3.6.    Slowly Waving or Moving

4.       Unusual Ears (roll 1D6)

4.1.    Missing

4.2.    Pointed

4.3.    Animal

4.4.    Unusually Large

4.5.    +1D2x2 Vestigial Ears

4.6.    Tympanic Membrane

5.       Unusual Mouth (roll 1D8)

5.1.    No Teeth

5.2.    Mandibles/Mouth Parts

5.3.    Forked Tongue

5.4.    Sharpened Teeth

5.5.    Tusks

5.6.    Slurred Speech

5.7.    Unusual Voice

5.8.    Long Tongue

6.       Unusual Arms (roll 1D10)

6.1.    Vestigial Claws

6.2.    +1D2x2 Vestigial Arms

6.3.    -1D3 Fingers on each Hand

6.4.    +1D2 Fingers on each Hand

6.5.    Long Arms

6.6.    +1D4x2 Vestigial Tentacles

6.7.    Webbed Fingers

6.8.    +1D2 Elbow Joints

6.9.    Large Hands

6.10.Small Hands

7.       Unusual Legs (roll 1D10)

7.1.    Long Legs

7.2.    Digitigrade

7.3.    +1D2x2 Vestigial Legs

7.4.    -1D3 toes on each foot

7.5.    +1D2 Toes on each Foot

7.6.    Vestigial Claws

7.7.    +1D2 Knee Joints

7.8.    Large Feet

7.9.    Small Feet

7.10.Avian Legs and Feet

8.       Unusual Nose (roll 1D4)

8.1.    Missing Nose

8.2.    Unusual Nose

8.3.    Beak

8.4.    Small Horn

9.       Unusual Head (roll 1D8)

9.1.    Vestigial Horns

9.2.    Long Neck

9.3.    Vestigial Antennae

9.4.    Oblong Head

9.5.    Small Head

9.6.    Large Head

9.7.    Egg-Shaped Head

9.8.    Malleable Skull

10.   Unusual Body  (roll 1D8)

10.1.Morbidly Obese

10.2.Skeletal Thin

10.3.Twisted Spine

10.4.Offensive Odor

10.5.Unusual Secretions

10.6.+1D2x2 Vestigial Wings

10.7.+1 Vestigial Tail

10.8.Uncontrollable Sounds

More before and after illustrations

Here are a few other illustrations that got re-drawn after a first draft. I had to re-draw each of these when I re-read my description of the knife. I either had to re-write the description or re-draw the illustrations. I chose to re-draw them because I liked my description better.

Blade of Takshaka Illustration Evolution

First Version

Second Version

I preferred the buildings in the first version to the second version, so I re-drew them.

Okay, one more. I had to resize it to fit the page better.

First Version

Second Version 

Third Version

Original Sketch on Graph Paper

Final Map

First sketch of penthouse floorplans on graph paper

Final map 

A Slight Revision to the Story of Zorin

I'm always second-guessing my in-game histories and back-stories, always coming up with better ideas or at least different ideas.

As-written, the xoogs were humanoid slaves created by the alchemist named Zorin, master of the art of Takwin, the creation of artificial life. Zorin created the xoogs to serve mankind. Eventually, he felt that he was not properly rewarded for his efforts and demanded to be made Emperor. When he was refused, he used mind control over the xoogs and turned them into an army. He also used biological warfare and monstrous creatures called terats to fight in his armies. Zorin was eventually defeated. The xoogs gained self-determination. Some xoogs lived among humans, others created their own societies, and others became feral.

One alternative is that the xoogs were never created as slaves. Instead, Zorin was an alchemist and master of Takwin (the alchemical practice of creating life and homonculi).  He cured disease, re-grew limbs, made everyone effectively immortal, and was essentially a medical miracle-worker. But, like Dr. Frankenstein, he wanted to push farther, to create new life forms and later existing life forms. For this, the practice of Takwin was banned and Zorin was banished.

Zorin vowed his revenge. He fled into the wilderness and began creating an army of homonculi called xoogs. Xoogs fill the same niche occupied by goblins, orcs, and ogres in other role-playing games. Small and cunning, man-sized warriors, and dumb over-sized brutes.

To his army of humanoid servants, he created a menagerie of frightening monsters. The monsters came in Three varieties: Chimerae, Gargantua, and Terats. Chimerae are bizarre cross-breeds combining elements of several animals. Gargantua are monstrous versions of ordinary animals. Terats are new monstrous species created from scratch.

All such creatures were capable of reproduction and many have established populations throughout Markania. All such creatures are effectively immortal. They will not die from old age but are as vulnerable to death from trauma as any creature. Many possess the ability to enter into suspended animation, allowing them to hibernate for years or centuries at a time.

Zorin used his monstrous army to attack the Nazarian empire. The resulting war lasted for decades. Eventually, Zorin released custom-designed plagues against his enemies, decimating the populations of the Nazarian cities. Eventually, Zorin's army was defeated but Zorin was never captured and his body was never found. He simply disappeared.

The surviving homonculi, the xoog, the terats, the chimerae, and the behemoths, scattered. They became the "monsters" found in other role-playing games. The intelligent ones formed tribes and clans. The monstrous ones sought shelter in caves or ruins or deep catacombs. They entered hibernation when food became scarce but can be easily awakened by a troupe of dungeon explorers.

Many of the xoog integrated into human culture as warriors, servants, and laborers. But these xoog will always be outsiders, and second-class citizens.

It's a minor change, I know. It doesn't really affect the setting's current status quo. All I'm really changing is the xoog origin as human slaves and a little bit of the War or Zorin. But I like the new history as it makes xoog slightly more monstrous and slightly more outsider, as opposed to being integrated from the beginning.

New Illustrations for the Blade of Takshaka

Can you survive the Pit of the Serpent?

Jumping from aero-carriage to aero-carriage

Swords of Cydoria re-added to Chaosium Catalog

A few months ago, Swords of Cydoria was removed from the catalog because it sold out.

Due to an oversight, it was not re-added after they got more stock. The error was noticed, reported, and Swords of Cydoria is back on the site as of today.