Barf Forth Apocalyptica
powered by the apocalypse => Dungeon World => Topic started by: takeonrules on June 28, 2012, 10:35:16 PM
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I'm in the process of preparing to run the Moathouse portion of the Temple of Elemental Evil. I posted a list of monsters over on my blog (http://takeonrules.com/2012/06/28/dungeon-world-denizens-of-the-moathouse/) and was wondering if you might have any additional suggestions. I've reposted them here:
Brigand [Group, Organized, Intelligent, Cautious]
Spear (d6) 3 HP, 1 Armor [Close, Reach]
Instinct: To get rich
Waylay travellers, Spring an ambush
Brigand Leader [Solitary, Organized, Intelligent, Cautious]
Spear (d10) 12 HP, 1 Armor [Close, Reach]
Instinct: To get rich
Order a hasty retreat, Execute a plan
Bugbear [Group, Intelligent, Large, Stealthy, Hoarder, Devious]
Spear (d8+1) 10 HP, 2 Armor [Close, Reach]
Instinct: To gain treasure
Strike the unaware, Investigate the light source
Crayfish, Giant [Solitary, Large]
Mandibles (d10+1) 16 HP, 3 Armor [Close, Reach]
Special Qualities: Aquatic, Landcrawler
Instinct: To drown its meal
Lunge out of the water, Retreat into the depths
Frog, Giant [Group]
Bash (d8) 6 HP, 0 Armor [Close, Reach]
Special Qualities: Amphibious Instinct: To eat
Entangle with tongue, Swallow, Digest the swallowed
Ghoul [Group]
Talons (d8 1 piercing), 10 HP, 1 Armor [Close, Messy]
Special Qualities: Undead
Instinct: To eat
Gnaw off a body part, Gain the memories of their meal, Temporarily paralyze their victim
Gnoll [Group, Organized, Intelligent]
Longbow/Bite (d8) 6 HP, 1 Armor [Close,Near, Far]
Special Qualities: Scent
Instinct: To obey the alpha
Doggedly track pray, Strike at a moment of weakness, Bite your face
Gnoll, Alpha [Solitary, Organized, Intelligent]
Longbow/Bite (d10 1 piercing) 12 HP, 2 Armor [Close, Near, Far]
Special Qualities: Scent
Instinct: To get the best for his pack
Demand obedience, Send the pack to hunt, Bite your face
Green Slime [Group, Gibbous]
Drip (0) 9 HP, 1 Armor [Close]
Special Qualities: Amorphous, Slow Moving
Instinct: To assimilate all life
Cover in slime, Transform the slimed to slime
Guardsman, Elite [Group, Organized, Intelligent]
Longsword/Crossbow (d6) 6 HP, 1 Armor [Close,Near, Far]
Instinct: To do as ordered
Investigate unusual noises, Call for help
Lareth the Beautiful [Solirary, Organized, Intelligent, Devious, Magical]
Staff (d10) 12 HP, 5 Armor [Close]
Instinct: To survive
Bolster allies through unholy prayers, Channel unholy energies of the demon spider goddess
Lieutenant [Solitary, Organized, Intelligent]
Longsword/Longbow (2d10•b 1 piercing) 12 HP, 4 Armor [Close,Near,Far]
Instinct: To protect Lareth
Get between Lareth and enemies, Channel unholy fury
Lizard, Giant [Solitary, Large]
Bite (d10+1) 12 HP, 2 Armor [Close]
Instinct: To protect its nest
Engulf prey, bite with great force, tail lash
Lubash <Ogre> [Solitary, Large, Intelligent, Horder]
Polearm (d8+5) 10 HP, 1 Armor [Close,Reach,Forceful]
Instinct: To grind bones to meal
Destroy something, Throw large rocks, Smash two heads together
Rat, Giant [Horde, Small]
Bite (d6 1 piercing) 7 HP, 1 Armor [Close, Messy]
Instinct: To devour
Swarm, Rip apart something
Sergeant [Solitary, Organized, Intelligent]
Longsword (d10+1) 12 HP, 2 Armor [Close]
Instinct: To abide by the chain of command
Command my men, Patrol the area, Raise the alarm
Snake, Giant [Solitary, Large, Stealthy]
Bite (d10+1) 12 HP, 2 Armor [Close, Poison]
Instinct: To eat
Sicken with a bite, Encoil, Slither away through maze of tunnels
Spider, Giant [Solitary, Stealthy]
Bite (d10) 12 HP, 1 Armor [Close, Poison]
Instinct: To eat
Weaken with a bite, Entangle with webs, Spring from hiding place
Tick, Giant [Solitary]
Bite (d10) 12 HP, 3 Armor [Close]
Special Qualities: Slow Moving
Instinct: To drink blood
Latch onto victim, Drain blood
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Ah! This is fantastic. Hommlet is one of my favourites.
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Good stuff!
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Awesome! I would LOVE to see the front for this!
(However isn't Lareth a bit strong stat-wise? I mean: he's devious but has d10 damage, and 5 armor without being cautios?)
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Lareth is ridiculously strong when converted as is (I think I forgot his cautious tag). I'm going to tone him down.
Actually I have two fronts from the ToEE – the bandits and the agents. The bandits are somewhat ancillary, but have a possible role to play in Hommlet. These are my current working notes for the two fronts.
Brigands Laying in Wait
Impending Doom
The bandits steal the entire tax payment from Hommlet to Verbobonc.
Stakes:
Which of the village elders gave up information relating to the tax payment?
Which treasure guard betrayed his liege?
Whom amongst the brigands will try to claim all the loot for their own?
Cast: Yryan, Dadam, Esage, etc.
Grim Portents:
Brigands learn about the payment through a drunken elder.
Brigands prepare for the ambush.
Brigands escape with the tax payment.
Dangers: Yryan, Dadam, Asage, etc.
The Moathouse contingent of the Temple of Elemental Evil
Impending Doom
Lareth the Beautiful amasses enough weapons, armor, and mercenaries to subjugate the region in the name of the Temple of Elemental Evil.
Stakes:
At what price will the gnolls betray Lareth?
Why is Lieutenant Vornan so unquestioningly loyal to Lareth?
Why is Lareth so favored by his master?
Cast: Lareth the Beautiful, Lieutenant Vornan, Guards, Bugbears, Gnolls
Moves: Agents infiltrate the village militia.
Grim Portents:
A large shipment of vile orcish blades are brought to the Moathouse by way of the secret agents that have infiltrated Hommlet
Lareth the Beautiful secures mercenaries of the unsavory kind
Lareth the Beautiful attacks the village of Hommlet under the cover of darkness
Dangers: Lareth the Beautiful, Lieutenant Vornan, Guardsmen and Sergeant, Bugbears, Gnolls
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I'd suggest taking a different approach with your stakes questions. Most of them are about stuff that has already happened. I totally get not wanting to decide some of that stuff in advance and just roll with whatever happens narratively, but I don't think that makes them stakes questions.
Per the book (p155):
Stakes are about important changes that affect the PCs and the world. A good stakes question is one that, when it's resolved, means that things will never be the same again.
Which elder gave up information? That reveals a troubling detail from the past, but doesn't wreak change on the world once it's established in play. I think a better stake question might revolve around what happens to the traitor after he is discovered. Is he punished as a traitor? Forgiven by the town?
Similarly, asking "at what price will the gnolls betray Lareth?" assumes that they will betray him. I'm more curious about whether they will be betray him. (Also, about what happens if they do... do they leave the region or become a plague on the locals?)
In general, I'd try to avoid "why" or "whodunnit" questions as stakes, and instead ask yourself "will" questions? Will the gnolls betray Lareth? Will Elmo get his act together and survive the events to come? Will Rufus and Burne believe the PCs and prepare for the ambush/invasion?
And then make sure that those questions are ones that will be resolved in play (or at least, ones that require play to resolve).
Related, for the Grim Portents of the Brigands: hasn't the first one already happened? If so, it's not really a grim portent... it's back story. I'd get rid of it, add some like "the bandits bury the treasure" and then "the bandits all turn on each other and knowledge of where the treasure is buried is lost."
Also, whats the real impending doom? The tax payment going missing isn't very grabby, nor is it tyrrany, chaos, usurption, etc. What are the concsequences of the tax payment being stolen/lost? Will Verbebonc march on Hommlet (destruction)? Will Rufus and Burne's militia fall apart, leaving the town defenseless (impovershment)?