A unique and surprisingly subtle demon that is likely to catch most groups by surprise, and ill prepared. One of these nasties in disguise as a rich merchant with a few indentured servants, (that loathe the merchant) being escorted by the party can lead to all sorts of misadventures. (When discovered it can also lead to some false accusations and a fun role playing scene.)
4.5 over all and +.5 for their unusual origins and the methods these demons sow the seeds of chaos.
A small suggestion to improve the visual appeal would be to perhaps put the individual plot hook titles in bold so they each stand out a bit more?
I nice simple one shot that can be good to showcase the rules of your favorite fantasy rpg to new players without worrying about them wandering too far off the expected path.
I am curious though what you meant though with the comment "So far, it has weeded out a few undesirables and scored a few keepers." What did you design into the adventure to weed out the undesirables with? (I'm guessing to check and see if the group lets the lizard men have the treasure or just slays them all and run off with the loot?)
The nasty curse for his followers to cast would be to force people to see visions of the future deaths of their loved ones. (a possible future only but the victims likely won't know that.)
This would work well on multiple levels. In game, its likely more horrifying for the characters to foresee the death of those they care about then of themselves.
Out of game players usually don't worry much about the gm railroading the deaths of their characters (rarely used tactic by any gm) but forcing the death of npc's in a particular manner happens plenty often, making this far more likely to be believed as an absolute future, rather then a possible one.
Not very often I give a 5.0, but this is well presented and well written, makes for an easy plug in to any horror game out there.
(Eso terrorists and Supernatural it would fit into easily)
It'd be nice to see the god of eyes written up sometime, as it would make for an unique and nasty deity for characters to oppose.
I really love the presentation and how the facts mix with the narratives to form a compelling story. As others have said it's well done, and has a lot of usefulness without being overpowered.
If one could obtain a blood sample of their intended target, these creatures could make for an effective assassination repertory tool as well. (Let the bugs find and tear apart the targets mind, then follow up later with a killing blow against the helpless victim.)
A very well written inn, it reminds me of the Tardis from the Dr. Who television series, (especially with it being larger inside then out) which is a pretty neat concept to see adapted to a fantasy setting.
A solid sub with lots of potential for campaigns where the gm is tired of lengthy overland travel, or wants to let adventures explore far off lands without spending several weeks on a ship or caravan.
Seeing a few plot hooks added to the sub revolving around the featured npc's or other difficulties the inn could find itself in, (such as appearing on the outskirts of a town in the middle of being invaded/razed by an enemy army or pirates) would add even more to the usability of the sub.
A nice beginning, but like others have said, it could use more fleshing out. The article makes a compelling argument for reasons why to include love/romance in your game, unfortunately it stops short of giving tips on how to include it.
Expanding the article more with ideas on how to work romantic sub plots and interactions into ones game would make the article feel more complete to me, and vastly increase it's usefulness to readers.
Excellent sub, (the youtube links are a nice touch!) This is a excellent resource for players of Bardic characters and/or GM's who want to add a touch of music to the taverns and inns without breaking with the genere (A few of these are perfect for Serenity & wild west games others for fantasy)
Great stuff!
Fun and handy, the glow being similar to an animals eyes reflecting firelight makes perfect sense, or one could simply change them from glowing to being shiny and reflect ambient light in a similar brightness to an animals eyes.
Either way they make for a nice red herring for groups investigating a haunted forest.
Any interesting concept, but a bit too incapacitating to be useful in a campaign unless it happens to affect an npc the chars care deeply about and begin a quest to find the cure for.
I like Mourn's idea of the mites making the afflicted move slower, since an infected character woudl still be playable, just under the effect of a permnant "slow" spell.
A fun list, and with a little effort can apply to space faring sci-fi games as well given alien cultures may well value a good recepie or memorable song more then a cargo hold full of credits.
Wow, thought provoking and very accurate when it comes to some players/gm's I;ve seen over the years. Having taken my imagination for granted, (Continually writing novels and short stories will do that to you) I often forget how hard it can be for others to imagine things easily and fluidly.
It would take a bit of work, but an actual rpg book containing a hundred or so of these "short imagination walks" so a gm could read an entry before each game session to help players unlimber their imagination; would be a huge asset to the rpg community.
Hmm sounds like a worthwhile project actually!
Fascinating sub, (thanks to Kassy for pointing it out to me) and can make for a nice change of pace when used in an adventure, and a group of these is sure to be a mage or bards greatest nemesis.
I do feel the history portion fothe sub is a bit lacking however, why did this wizard create the Niyotts and send them forth to devour knowledge? Did he lose control of them or were they set free to run amok from the beginning?
Still great stuff, I can see these making an apperance in one of my fantasy campaigns someday.
A nice overview of non combat mechs, well worth the read through and better then the stuff in the tech manuals.
Handy for those seeking a quick listing of common grenades.
Perhaps expanding to add a few of the more exotic types such as, liquid nitrogen, acid, implosion, homing, EMP, and smart grenades?
With a little extra time and effort you could probably turn this to a 30's style sub in no time. ;)
A good stub, but needs some more fleshing out as Siren already said.
One area I am most curious about is the origins behind the company, how did it first come into being and what was the creator like? Does it have an over all legacy or reputation the current owner/s are trying to live up to?
Also, what are some of it's primary competitors like? Do they engage in industrial espionage to any extent? Are they above selling prototypes on the black market for "field testing" and to turn a fast profit?
Tossing this into the advice requested area and giving it an overhaul/expansion could turn it into a solid useful piece for any sci-fi setting.
A few female soldiers would have been a nice addition to the mix for variety, but aside form that it's another solid 30, very nice.
Lifeforms (Third Kingdom) (Any)
Interesting concept, and worthy of a small contribution. Hard to top the septic tank kid but I'll give it a shot.
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