Witch’s Mount – Another Spell From the Grotesque Grimoire

02Jan12

WITCH’S MOUNT, Level 4 Magician Incantation, Level 2 Magician Ceremony, Level 6 Magician Talisman, Level 4 Wizard, Level 4 Cleric
Confers strength and flying ability on a humanoid, and compels them to serve as a mount or beast of burden

This powerful work of maleficium forces a single humanoid victim to become the mount of a witch. The subject is entitled to a Charisma saving throw. If they fail, they are under the witch’s control. Controlled people will allow the witch to ride on their back or shoulders, and can be directed as if they were horses. The mount so bewitched retains his or her natural humanoid shape, but is granted the following abilities:

  • Flight (as per the Fly spell),
  • Base movement speed of 60 ft.,
  • Carrying capacity equal to a riding horse (i.e. 150 lbs as a light load, 300 lbs as a medium load, 450 lbs as a heavy load.).

Powerful witches and warlocks will use the Witch’s Mount spell to fly to their gatherings, or simply for their own amusement. Both they and their Infernal patrons consider this to be a better mode of transportation than a simple Flying charm, due to the misery it inflicts upon the hapless mount. Alternately, the spell can also be used to turn unlucky people into virtual draft animals, who can then be harnessed to help plow fields or drag heavy loads. A Witch’s Mount can only be used in any way that a normal mount or draft animal would be. They are not compelled to fight on behalf of their new mistress, for example. If actually attacked, they can defend themselves.

Like many other works of maleficium, the spell cannot take effect before nightfall, and lasts until dispelled by the rays of the rising sun. A victim’s memories of the time they spent as a Witch’s Mount will be hazy, and the entire experience will seem to have been a dream.

The Talisman version of the Witch’s Mount spell is particularly insidious, as it creates an item which transforms the victim if it is worn at night. If the Talisman is worn during the day, it will have no effect, but as soon as night falls the hapless victim becomes a Witch’s Mount.

Incantation
Damage: 4 Points Subdual | R: 1 Victim | D: From sunset until dawn
SV: Chr. negates | SR: Yes

Ceremony:
CT: 60 min | R: 1 Victim | D: From sunset until dawn
SV: Chr. negates | SR: Yes Cost: 40 gp

Talisman:
CT: 6 hours | R: Personal | D: From sunset until dawn
SV: Chr. negates | SR: Yes Cost: 3,600 gp

Wizard & Cleric Spell
CT: 1 | R: 1 Victim | D: From sunset until dawn
SV: Chr. negates | SR: Yes | Comp: V, S, M
The material component is a small human-shaped doll made of wax  and  wearing a miniature bit and bridle.


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Some Characteristically Gothic Objects

30Dec11

Characteristically Gothic Objects
An Anatomical Venus
An Automation
A Blood-Stained Dagger
A Book Of Anatomy
A Cameo
A Cerement, or Burial Shroud
A Cloak
A Coffin
A Corpse Eaten By Animals
A Deck Of Fortune-Telling Cards
A Dissected Corpse
A Dummy
An Elaborate Bed
An Exotic Weapon
A Festival Mask
Gloves
A Grimoire
An Iron Maiden
Jars Filled With Strange Objects
A Lady’s Fan
A Legendary Gem
A Locket
A Marionette
A Memoir Filled With Disturbing Revelations
A Mounted Animal Head
A Mummified Hand
A Murdered Corpse
A Pipe Organ
A Portrait
A Ring With a Hidden Compartment
A Robe
A Skeleton
A Skull
A Spyglass
A Suit Of Armor
A Sword
A Vial of Poison
A Wax Sculpture
A Wedding Gown
A Wheel Of Fortune
A Whip
An Unusual Mirror
Used Surgical Instruments


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Gothic Environments

29Dec11

Characteristic Gothic Locations
A Blasted Tree
A Cave
A Crossroads
A Dark Forest
A Dark Lake
The Gallows or Hanging Tree
A Gypsy Camp
A Hill On An Otherwise Level Plain
A Miasmal Swamp
The Moors
A Narrow, Crooked Street
An Old Battlefield.
An Overgrown Garden
A Plantation
A Refuse Dump
A Road Through The Wilderness
The Site Of A Legendary Crime
A Slave Market
A Stark Mountain Side
A Well
An Isolated Village

Gothic Buildings & Structures
An Ancient Abbey
An Asylum
A Black Passenger Carriage
A Brothel
A Dark Castle
A Drawing Room
A Gambling House
A House Built On the Site Of An Ancient Temple
An Inn Filled With Unfriendly People
A Manor House
An Old Convent
An Old Mill
An Opium Den
A Prison
A Ruined Temple
A Seemingly Deserted Ship
The Sewers
A Slaughterhouse
The Stables
A Theater
A Wax Museum
A Wrecked Ship

Gothic Parts of Buildings
The Ball Room
The Catacombs
The Cells
The Concealed Chamber of Magic
The Forbidden Wing Of An Ancestral Home
The Forgotten Nursery
Gargoyles
The Harem
The Initiation Chamber
The Laboratory
A Locked Tower
The Obscenely-Decorated Bedchamber
The Operating Theater
The Orgy Chamber
The Oubliette
The Secret Hiding Place In The Hearth
Secret Passages
The Sickbed.
The Torture Chamber
The Trophy Room
The Walled-Up Room
The Wine Cellar


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Typical Characters of Gothic Fiction

28Dec11

Typical Gothic Characters
The Bandit With a Code of Honor
The Beautiful Gypsy Woman
The Black Widow
The Boastful Man Who Challenges the Devil
The Brutal Ruffian
The Circus Freak
The Criminal Anatomist
The Cruel Relative
The Deformed Henchman
The Deluded Heretic
The Depraved Religious Figure
The Deranged Demoniac
The Desperate Debtor
The Desperate Drug Fiend
The Diseased or Deformed Beggar
The Disgusting Cannibal
The Duplicitous Conspirator
The Evil Nobleman
The Exotic Slave
The Feisty Woman Disguised As a Man
The Femme Fatale
The Frightened Innkeeper
The Gentle Giant
The Gentleman With A Troubled Past
The Glib Philosopher
The Greedy Banker
The Gypsy Fortune Teller
The Haughty Patron of the Arts
The Ignored Prophet
The Immoral Foreigner
The Imprisoned Wife
The Innocent Maiden
The Insidious Succubus/Incubus
The Insightful Clown
The Knowing Madman
The Lawyer With a Secret Agenda
The Lonely Vampyre
The Long-Lost Heir With a Murky Past
The Long-Suffering But Dutiful Servant
The Love-Struck Devil
The Mad Scientist
The Murderous Husband
The Mysterious Stranger At the Door
The Noble Savage
The Obsessive Demon Hunter
The Old Tinkerer With a Strange Artifact
The Opportunistic Body Snatcher
The Orphaned Governess or Nanny
The Pathetic Child Beggar
The Repentant Sinner
The Ruthless Ship-Wrecker
The Scheming Stepmother
The Self-Made Man Whose Past Is a Lie
The Senile Dowager
The Sinister Dwarf
The Sophisticated Courtesan
The Stalwart Huntsman
The Starving Peasant
The Stubborn Skeptic
The Stuffy Academic
The Suicidal Lover
The Swashbuckling Pirate
The Tormented Artist
The Tribesman With Savage Customs
The Tricky, Pact-Making Devil
The Twisted Necromancer
The Vain Seductress
The Virtuous, But Disinherited Nobleman
The Vulgar Drunk
The Werewolf Horrified By Himself
The Wicked Libertine


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Typical Events in a Gothic Story

27Dec11

Typical Events in a Gothic Story
An Abduction
The Black Sabbath
A Blizzard
A Circus
A Costumed Religious Procession
A Deal With the Devil
A Disembodied Voice is Heard
A Dissection
A Door Opens By Itself
A Drowning
An Earthquake
An Empty Suit of Armor Moves
An Erotic Dance
An Execution
An Exhumation
A Forced Internment in a Convent or Monastery
A Forced Wedding
A Fortune Reading
A Game of Cards or Dice
A Ghost Appears
An Improbable Transformation
A Lightning Strike
A Masquerade Ball
A Murder
An Opium-Induced Dream
A Portrait Being Painted
A Prisoner is Rescued
A Protracted Illness
A Puppet Show (Marionettes, Dummies, or Shadow Puppets)
A Purse-Snatching
A Room Becomes Inexplicably Cold
A Salon is Held
A Secret Room or Passage is Discovered
A Sham Trial
A Skeleton Moves
A Statue Walks
A Story is Told by a Fire
A Stranger Knocks on the Door
A Strange Letter is Delivered
A Thunder Storm
A Vampire Attack
A Violation
A Wolf Attack


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100 Gothic Themes & Motifs

22Dec11

100 Gothic Themes & Motifs

1. Addiction
2. Assassination
3. Banditry
4. Betrayal
5. Blood
6. Burial Alive
7. Cannibalism
8. Carnival
9. Cold
10. Corruption
11. Damnation
12. Darkness
13. The Dead
14. Decay
15. Deformity
16. The Demimonde
17. Disease
18. Disembodied Voices
19. Deception (lies, disguises, etc.)
20. Disinterment
21. Dwarfism
22. Envy
23. Everything Goes Wrong
24. Exile
25. Fallen Nobility
26. Fire
27. Fog
28. Folly
29. Forbidden Knowledge
30. Foreigners
31. Frightening Animals (ravens, crows, wolves, owls, toads)
32. Gambling
33. Ghosts
34. Giants
35. Gluttony
36. Grave Robbing
37. Greed
38. Gypsies
39. Hidden Ancestry
40. Honor
41. Hypnotism
42. Immortality
43. Imperiled Virtue
44. Imprisonment
45. Incest
46. Indolence
47. Infidelity
48. Inheritance
49. Injustice
50. Irredeemable Sin
51. Irresistible Fate
52. Jealousy
53. The Last Remaining…
54. Lightning
55. Look-Alikes
56. Love Gone Sour (love lost, love that becomes abusive, etc.)
57. Loveless Marriage
58. Lust
59. Masks
60. Melancholy
61. Mistaken Identity
62. Murder
63. Music
64. Mysterious Manuscripts
65. Nightmares
66. Oaths and Promises
67. Perversion
68. Poison
69. Pride
70. Primitive Savages
71. Prophesy
72. Prostitution
73. Rape
74. Revenge
75. Rituals and Superstitions
76. Sacrifice and Loss
77. Savage Nature
78. Secret Passages
79. Secret Societies
80. Seduction
81. Slavery
82. Sleep-walking
83. Sorcery
84. Storms
85. Suicide
86. Theft
87. Tombs
88. Torture
89. Transformation
90. True Love
91. Twisted Religion
92. Unforeseen Consequences
93. Usurpation
94. Vampires
95. Ventriloquism
96. Wandering
97. War
98. Weird Medicine
99. Werewolves
100. Wine


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About the Gothic Genre

21Dec11

The Gothic genre arose in the late 18th century, reflecting the dread and excitement of a Europe transitioning from an age of superstition to an era of science. In its pure form, Gothic has characteristics of Horror, Romance, and Melodrama, while being unique from any one of those genres. Gothic differs from pure Horror in its emphasis on love (whether true, lost, or twisted), from pure Romance in its emphasis on the grotesque and terrible, and from pure Melodrama in that evil may sometimes triumph. The Gothic story seeks excitement through the juxtaposition of opposites, such as virtue and vice, light and darkness, reason and faith, youth and age, ancient and modern. It does not generally attempt to instruct its audience in morality, but simply aims to entertain.

The Gothic genre focuses on the essential barbarism of existence. Often, it cloaks the terrors of life in the guise of supernatural creatures and situations. Just as often, the horrors suffered by the protagonists in Gothic tales are perpetrated by otherwise ordinary men and women, driven to evil by desperation and twisted desires. Decay, both physical and moral, is ever-present. Illusion and deception are endemic. Often, wickedness is overcome by heroism. Other times, wicked men are punished by the results of their own actions. Sometimes, however, wickedness wins.

The Gothic genre grew out of the medieval Romance, and retains an obsession with the medieval world. For that reason, the genre is also known as “Gothic Romance”. The name “Gothic”itself is a direct reference to medieval Gothic architecture, and also to the barbarian Goths that helped end the classical world by attacking the Roman Empire. The first Gothic novel, “The Castle of Otranto”, is actually set in the Middle Ages. Gothic stories are filled with ancient abbeys, ruined castles, the Inquisition, worldly clergy, and superstitious customs. When not actually occurring in medieval times, a Gothic story will feature modern characters faced with locations, objects, ideas, and customs from a prior age.

Gothic stories propose a world of extremes. Slighted characters do not simply become angry, they are consumed with blind hate that propels them to commit atrocities. Likewise, love is never mild affection, but an intense passion that defines and controls lives. Shadows are deep and dark, while the light glares and burns. The focus of the action is seldom on the lives of the average and middle class, but on the travails of the very rich and desperately poor.

Many classic Gothic stories are written in a florid, formal style that borders on what is nowadays deemed “purple prose”. The spare “transparent prose” that characterizes modern genre fiction arose from the influence of journalists turned novelists such as Hemingway, and was enthusiastically championed by cost-conscious pulp magazine editors who didn’t want to pay writers for unnecessary adjectives. “Transparent prose” was also promoted by 20th Century critics as more appropriate for readers in a fast-paced modern world. The true Gothic tale, however, is as much about the moody atmosphere of its setting as the simple resolution of its plot.

Twenty Elements of a Gothic Story

Following is a list of twenty conventional characteristics of a proper Gothic tale. Not every Gothic story contains all of the elements, but most stories in the genre contain at least the majority of them.

The twenty elements of a classic Gothic story are: The Castle, Confinement, Crime, Curses, Dark Places, Desecration, The Despot, Fiends, The Fury of Nature, Hauntings, Innocents, Lovers, Madness, Monsters, Mysteries, Omens, Ruins, Strangers, Shocking Secrets, and Talismans.

The Castle refers to a large and imposing structure that is the center of the scenario. The Castle could be an actual stronghold from feudal times. Such places as ancestral mansions, lunatic asylums, prisons, monasteries, and universities can also be considered Castles, especially if they had once been military strongholds, or have been built to resemble them. The Castle in a Gothic story should have a suitably long and troubled history. A section of the Castle could be sealed off from the rest. The Castle is often a place of Confinement, home to a family under a Curse, encloses a Dark Place, is the site of a Haunting, shelters a Fiend or Monster, and contains an essential Mystery. If not an abandoned on account of being a Ruin, the Castle will be presided over by a Despot. The Castle is not just a place, but an actual character in the story. Its door may resemble a mouth, and its windows may stare like eyes. The Castle seems to have a will of its own, for good or ill.

Confinement means a situation where someone or something is restrained against their will. Sometimes, the person is confined to their bed due to a prolonged illness. Other times, an abducted Innocent is held by the Despot, a Fiend, or a Monster. Young women are often confined to corrupt and abusive religious institutions. Sometimes a Confinement is due to the Madness of its subject. Other times, a Fiend or a Monster must be confined to protect the population at large. A Curse can also lead to Confinement, trapping people (guilty or innocent) until some condition is met. The Confinement can be related to a Haunting, especially in cases where spirits are trapped on Earth. The Confinement usually occurs in either the Castle, or a Dark Place.

Crime refers to violations of the law, or transgressions of accepted morality. A Crime may be the central action of the scenario, or something that happened far in the past. A protagonist may witness a Crime, be the victim of one or more Crimes, be seeking vengeance for a Crime, or even be forced to commit one themselves. The truth about an old Crime is often a Shocking Secret. Those wronged sometimes pronounce Curses against the criminals and their descendants. An object used in a famous crime (such as a dagger) can become a dark Talisman. The Crime is all the more awful when it is committed against an Innocent, often by the story’s Despot. When a Crime is committed against (or by means of) a holy person, place, or thing, it is a Desecration. Unpunished Crimes often give rise to Hauntings.

Curses are negative conditions of apparently supernatural nature, inflicted upon people, places, or things. A Curse may be just, or cruelly arbitrary. It could even be unintentional. Talismans often have Curses placed upon them, even (and especially) when they also confer great powers upon their possessors. Family Curses are often the result of Crimes committed by ancestors. A Haunting can be the result of a Curse, as can a Confinement. Curses can create Monsters, inflict Madness, or unleash the Fury of Nature. Mysterious Strangers are often under Curses. The Despot of a Castle is often afflicted with a Curse. Trying to learn the truth about a Curse can bring a Shocking Secret to light.

Dark Places are locations, usually confining, where little or no natural light ever reaches. Common Dark Places might include labyrinthine dungeons underneath fortresses, crypts and catacombs underneath religious sites, walled up rooms in sprawling manors, and overgrown forests where the trees obscure the sun. Dark secret passages are common in the Gothic genre. The Dark Place may be within or near the Castle, may be the location for a Haunting, may be the resting place of a Talisman that communicates a Shocking Secret, or may constitute the Confinement of someone inflicted with Madness.

Desecration is the act of profaning holy things. A formerly sacred place may now be used as a family home, or may even host obscene rites. A religious figure may be engaged in outrageous sins. A holy relic may languish in the hands of unbelievers, or be turned to a blasphemous use. Chaste clergy may be violated by evil people. Religious institutions or rituals meant to comfort and aid people may be turned into means of oppression. Desecration leads to Curses and Hauntings, and attracts the attention of Fiends.

The Despot is an autocrat who is usually the ruler or primary influence in the story’s Castle. Just as the Castle is not necessarily an actual military fortress, the Despot is not necessarily a nobleman. The Warden of an Asylum could be the Despot of a story, as could the Mother Superior of a Convent. The Patriarch of an ancient and inbred family is a perfect example of a Despot. The Despot could even be a grand lady who holds a salon frequented by artists, writers, and dilettantes. Despots are usually heartless, corrupt and depraved, but a few Despots attempt to hold on to some shreds of decency. The Despot frequently threatens the virtue of an Innocent, and may be responsible for the Confinement of that hapless damsel in the Castle. If the Despot is a usurper, or the descendant of one, he will probably be subject to a Curse, or at least experience a Haunting.

Fiends are people or creatures with actual or apparent connections to supernatural evil. A Fiend could be a sorcerer who sold his soul for power, or an actual infernal being. A Fiend is sometimes the Despot, or the subject of Confinement. The Fiend might haunt a Dark Place, or walk unsuspected in the light. Sometimes the Fiend is the cause of a Curse or a Haunting. The Fiend is often the cause of Ruin, especially if the ruin is moral or mental. The presence of a Fiend is often announced by the Fury of Nature. Often a Talisman relates to a Fiend, whether it is the weapon that will destroy him, or an object that he possesses (or wishes to regain). Vampires are Fiends inflicted with the Curse of restless death. Sometimes the Fiend is not really evil at all, but the victim of unfortunate circumstances.

The Fury of Nature refers to storms, earthquakes, bolt of lightnings, forest fires, floods, or other terrible natural events. Perhaps the wolves of the forest grow hungry, and begin attacking babies. Sometimes the Fury of Nature reveals a Shocking Secret, as when a storm blows open a tower in the Castle and reveals the corpses walled up within. The Fury of Nature is often an Omen, perhaps of the tempestuous fate that awaits a pair of Lovers. The Fury of Nature could be the result of a Haunting, or a Curse. A Gothic scenario often begins with an example of the Fury of Nature, on a dark and stormy night.

Hauntings are strange, and often repetitive events associated with some deceased person, injustice, crime, or catastrophe. A Haunting might be confined to a place, but objects and people can also be haunted. The Haunting could consist of visual, auditory, thermal, olfactory and tactile elements. Objects could mysteriously appear or disappear, or move without any obvious means of locomotion. Hauntings can be the result of such things as Curses, Desecrations, Crimes, and Shocking Secrets. A Dark Place may be haunted, as may a Talisman. The Despot, especially if not the rightful owner of his Castle, is often the intended target of a Haunting. Visits from vampires are a species of Haunting.

Innocents are virtuous and kind people destined to be persecuted by the wicked. Typically, an Innocent is abducted, experiencing Confinement and torment at the hands of the Despot. Sometimes, the Innocent is desired by a Monster or a Fiend. Often the Innocent is a virgin stolen from her desired Lover, perhaps on their wedding day. The virtue of the Innocent is usually imperiled. Sometimes, the Innocent learns a Shocking Secret that drives her to Madness, such as finding out her current Lover is actually her long-lost brother.

Lovers are, of course, two or more people who share a romantic attraction to each other. The affair may actually be a love triangle, with one member torn between two equally worthy lovers. If the Lovers are deceased, they may be the cause of a Haunting or a Curse. Similarly, a Curse may be keeping Lovers apart. The importance of Lovers is a key separation between the Gothic genre and pure Horror. All Gothic stories should include Lovers of some form, although their love might be degraded and perverse.

Madness refers to apparent insanity in a person, group, or social practice. Madness can be caused by a Curse, the revelation of a Shocking Secret, torment inflicted by a Fiend, or even be the result of a relentless Haunting. Religion often degrades into Madness in the Gothic genre. Somebody should be insane (or nearly so) in almost every Gothic story.

Monsters are grotesque and distorted creatures. A Monster may be physically deformed, or may be morally and spiritually monstrous instead. Most Monsters are things of evil and destruction, but some are misunderstood creatures who intend to do good, but are rebuffed. A Monster may be the subject of Confinement, often within the Castle or the Dark Place. Sometimes a Monster is also the story’s Despot, or else the rightful but dispossessed heir to the Castle. Perhaps the Monster’s current state is the result of a Curse that caused the Ruin of his flesh. The origin of a Monster is often a Shocking Secret. Slaying the Monster may require the use of a Talisman.

Mysteries are events whose causes are unknown, but whose effects are obvious. Perhaps a door perpetually opens and closes by itself, fire will not burn in one room of the Castle, or a person is found dead in a locked room. A Mystery can be at the heart of the overall story, but many smaller Mysteries can also be sprinkled throughout a scenario. Mysteries provide challenges to protagonists, and often lead to the revelation of Shocking Secrets. Uncovering the cause of a Curse means unraveling a Mystery, perhaps necessitating the use of such Talismans as secret journals and forbidden books. Often, apparently supernatural events turn out to have perfectly mundane explanations. Mysteries will not be present in all stories, since many Gothic tales are simply catalogs of the various ways a protagonist can suffer.

Omens are situations that foreshadow encounters with other story elements. Often, an Omen takes the form of a fortune told by a old Gypsy, or a prognostication delivered by a mad astrologer. Perhaps a pair of dogs fighting presages a later fight between a protagonist and a bandit. The Fury of Nature is often an Omen, as is the appearance of a mysterious Stranger. Scenarios with many Omens reenforce the idea of irresistible fate, an important idea for the Gothic genre.

Ruins are things that have fallen from formerly splendid states into decay. Ruins evoke the melancholy atmosphere and consciousness of history that are stylistic hallmarks of the Gothic genre. Curses often cause things to become ruined. The Castle of the story could be a Ruin, fallen wholly or partially into disrepair. Noble families often fall from greatness into states of financial and/or moral Ruin. Perhaps a Talisman, such as the sword of an ancient hero, lies rusted and ruined (reflecting the fortunes of the hero’s descendants). Ruin‘s cause can be a Shocking Secret. Ruined buildings often feature Hauntings. In Gothic stories, those who approach ruined buildings may be assaulted by the Fury of Nature.

Strangers are unknown, unidentified, misidentified, or foreign people. Strangers may have exotic manners, and unusual appearances. Perhaps the Stranger just refuses to identify himself. Often, he suddenly knock at the door, unexpected and unannounced. Sometimes, he is simply seeking shelter from the Fury of Nature. No one can be truly sure of what the the Stranger wants, even when he claims to desire something specific. Often the Stranger is under a Curse, such as lycanthropy. Strangers often carry or sell Talismans, and keep Shocking Secrets. The Stranger may even be a Fiend, eager to purchase souls. Groups such as Gypsies can be considered Strangers, even when they are common to an area.

Shocking Secrets are facts which are guarded and withheld, and once revealed cause fear, or the questioning of previously held beliefs. Sometimes the Shocking Secret needs to be remain hidden, lest it inflict people with Madness. The location or contents of the Dark Place are often the subject of the Shocking Secret. A Shocking Secret may be communicated by a Talisman, in the form of an old book or painting. An Innocent may learn the Shocking Secret of her true parentage, of her relationship with a Monster, or of her kinship to the Despot. The Shocking Secret learned by Lovers may be that they are actually close relatives. Sometimes the Shocking Secret is also an Omen, perhaps related by an old witch or Gypsy fortuneteller. Sometimes, the Shocking Secret is completely unsought. Often, the solution to some vexing Mystery is a terrible Shocking Secret.

Talismans are objects, perhaps with strange qualities, that are vitally important to the protagonists of the story. Characters in Gothic stories don’t just interact with their environment – they obsess over it, transforming sometimes mundane things into objects of fetishistic devotion and unreasonable fear. Missing Talismans are apt to loom larger in conversation than ones possessed, as characters weep over such things as the lost jewelry of a dead and buried lover. A Talisman may be actually enchanted, but need not be. Sometimes, the Talisman is a birthmark or tattoo that positively identifies someone as a member of a family or secret society. Paintings, old weapons, lockets, and wedding dresses can all be Talismans, if they are inordinately valuable to the story’s characters. Often, a Talisman is required to slay a Fiend or Monster. The location of a lost Talisman may be a Mystery, only solved by learning a Shocking Secret. Talismans are often possessed by mysterious Strangers, buried in the Ruins of a Castle, or hidden in a Dark Place. Talismans are often the anchors around which Hauntings occur. Finding a Talisman is often presaged by an Omen.


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The Mooncalf – A Player Character Race of Grotesque Semi-Demons

18Nov11

The Mooncalf is primarily inspired by Caliban (from“The Tempest”), but grotesque people of a demonic nature are a recurring theme in art and literature. The Mooncalf race could also be used in Gothic settings to represent characters inspired by Igor (from the cinematic adaptations of the Frankenstein story), Erik (“The Phantom of the Opera”), or even the mutants of movies such as “The Hills Have Eyes”. Good, Quasimodo-like Mooncalves are also possible, creating rich opportunities for role-playing. Mooncalves might also be used as a replacement for various races of standard Fantasy, such as Orcs and Ogres.

MOONCALF

A grotesque mutant of a Demonic nature.

A Mooncalf is a malformed person produced by demonic interference in the natural course of human reproduction and development. Sometimes, a Mooncalf is the spawn of a witch and her demon lover. Often, the reproductive organs of witches and warlocks are so polluted by sorcery that they will always make Mooncalves, even without intimate contact with demonic beings. Sometimes, the Mooncalf is the offspring of human parents, but conceived while one of the parents was demonically possessed. A pregnant woman who encounters demonic forces may also be shocked by the birth of a Mooncalf child. Most disturbingly, it is possible for people who were born human to change into Mooncalves, if their bodies are exposed to certain energies of a chaotic, demonic, or spiritually polluting nature. Such mutation sometimes occurs as a result of prolonged contact with demonic artifacts.

Physical Description

Mooncalves are as varied in appearance as the demons that spawn them. Always, they will be grotesque and disturbing. A Mooncalf may be unusually tall, or extremely short, with eyes that bulge horribly, or peer behind small slits in sunken sockets. Some Mooncalves have hides so scaly as to mistaken for fish skin from a distance; others are covered with patches of musky matted fur. Still other Mooncalves are completely devoid of any hair at all. Mooncalves tend to be unnaturally strong and somewhat dimwitted, and those qualities will usually be reflected in a muscular frame and dull expression.

Biology

Mooncalves have human-like metabolisms, and require the same kinds of food and drink as ordinary humans. Their polluted minds often crave food that normal people would consider disgusting, however. It is not unknown for Mooncalves to become cannibals, for example. Some compulsively eat dirt, or soiled rags.

Mooncalves have the same lifespans as normal humans. Their bodies tend to be perceptively cool to the touch, and Mooncalves are less affected by cold temperatures than most other creatures. Consequentially, many wear little clothing, and sometimes don’t bother to repair damage to their dwellings. Mooncalves are quite comfortable living in cool, damp areas underground, such as city sewers.

Unlike most of the other Freak races, Mooncalves can transmit their condition to any offspring that they make with normal humans. Many Mooncalves in fact feel an overwhelming desire to reproduce themselves in that way. When Mooncalves mate with each other, the results are particularly grotesque and twisted Mooncalf children.

Psychology & Behavior

Many Mooncalves have difficulty formulating rational or abstract thoughts. Often, Mooncalves communicate in ways are that are either exceedingly literal, or else extremely strange and confused. Many are functionally insane. Violence is in their nature, and Mooncalves often interact with their environment in destructive ways. The few Mooncalves who are of average or better Intelligence often plot acts of horrible vengeance upon the normal humans who torment them.

Mooncalves tend to be unconcerned about the their own appearance, or the condition of their dwelling places. Perversely, they tend to become obsessed with beautiful people and animals, usually with tragic results.

Mooncalves possess human souls, and despite the demonic influence on their minds, Mooncalves are not always of Chaotic or Evil Alignment. Some few are even Good or Lawful, and thus constantly at odds with themselves.

Mooncalves In Society

Mooncalves are despised by almost all civilized people as symbols of chaos and evil. Unfortunately, even good Mooncalves can expect nearly limitless abuse and hatred at the hands of the ignorant and self-righteous. Those Mooncalves who are intelligent enough to manage it, and caring enough to be bothered, often disguise themselves when they interact with normal people in polite society.

Just about the only regular employment Mooncalves can find is as soldiers or criminal enforcers, or in circus sideshows. Many take to robbing graves for money. Mooncalves naturally gravitate towards the company of other outcasts, including Gypsies, Bandits, and Magicians. Mooncalves are also sometimes employed as servants by Mad Scientists.

Relations With Other Races

As previously stated, humans who are not themselves social outsiders, outcasts, or criminals will seldom knowingly accept the company of a Mooncalf. Mooncalves frequently associate with Cambions, who often see the Mooncalves as weapons to be wielded by a strong leader. Fairy Changelings will also befriend Mooncalves, but on a more equal and honest basis. Nephilim are disgusted by the misshapen bodies of Mooncalves, and Seers feel a similar instinctual revulsion for them. Dhampirs, on the other hand, regard Mooncalves as close cousins. There are tales of Vampyres employing Mooncalves as slaves, but Mooncalves are not unique in that regard. Mooncalves are themselves frequently cursed to rise as Vampyres after death.

In Fantasy settings, Elves would regard killing a Mooncalf as an unqualified good for the world, and a selfless act of mercy towards the miserable Mooncalf! Other Demi-humans will react in a similar manner to humans, avoiding Mooncalves whenever possible (unless they are themselves outcasts). The exceptions are, of course, Half-orcs, for whom the Mooncalves are true kindred spirits.

Unlike the other spirits who procreate with humans, demons are utterly indifferent to the Mooncalves they help spawn – neither helping them in any way, nor singling them out for abuse. Such indifference contrasts with the devils (who dote upon their beautiful Cambions as investments in Evil), the archons (who callously manipulate the Seers they consider to be nothing but tools), the angels (who regard the Nephilim with a mixture of hatred, horror, and disgust), and the Fairy Folk (who love their Changelings as full kin).

Special Abilities

Extraplaner Type: Mooncalves have the Extraplaner type. They can use any magic reserved for Extraplaner beings, but are also subject to spells that affect Extraplaner beings. In particular, Mooncalves can freely employ weapons and items of a Demonic nature.

Resistance To Cold: Cold-based attacks do one less hit point of damage per die when used against Mooncalves.

Deepvision: Mooncalves can see in condition of absolute darkness, to a range of 120 feet.

Special Weaknesses

Demonic Weaknesses: Mooncalves are subject to all the weaknesses of demons. Spells that affect Extraplaner creatures of Chaos affect Mooncalves. Protection From Chaos for example, will prevent a Cambion from entering an area, regardless of the Mooncalf’s actual Alignment. Weapons specially enchanted to do extra damage against demons are just as effective against Mooncalves.

Polluted By Chaos: No matter what a Mooncalf’s actual Alignment is, they will always be detected as Chaotic by magic that reveals Alignments. Likewise, any spells or magical effects that target Chaos will always affect Mooncalves.

Subject To Rebuking: Lawful Clerics can turn (but never destroy) Mooncalves as if they were Unique Undead, regardless of the Mooncalf’s actual Alignment.

Preferred Classes: Grave Robber, Scavenger, Bandit, Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue

Scavenger Abilities Adjustment: +1 on Improvise Tool (compensating for the Mooncalf’s otherwise dulled intellect)

Attribute Adjustment: +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma

Size: Medium

Movement: 30 feet

Starting Languages: Common. Mooncalves can also understand (but not necessarily speak or read) the language of demons without any prior training.


Filed under: Castles & Crusades, Gothic Gaming, OGL, Races   |  2 Comments
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Hot Foot Powder – A Magic Item From African-American Lore

15Nov11

Perhaps best known from the Robert Johnson song “Hellhounds On My Trail,” Hot Foot Powder is a staple of African-American Hoodoo.

Hot Foot Powder

Hot Foot Powder is used to keep unwanted people away from a person or area. It is used in a manner similar to to Goofer Dust, but does not actually harm its object.

If Hot Foot Powder is sprinkled onto the ground, it will act as an Antipathy spell against one specific person named at the time the powder is applied. A single packet of the Powder is sufficient to create a circle around a 400 square foot structure, or can be evenly sprinkled across an equivalent surface area.

When a whole application of Hot Foot Powder is sprinkled on the dirt of a person’s (or creature’s) footprint, that person will thereafter regard the sprinkler as if under the effects of an Antipathy spell. Applying the Powder to a person’s clothing or shoes will have the same effect. Hot Foot Powder is often used in such a way to rid oneself of unwanted lovers.

An application of Hot Foot Powder can only affect one specific person or creature named when the substance is used. The subject receives a Saving Throw, with the Level of the Powder’s user as the Challenge Level. The effect of Hot Foot Powder is permanent, but can be removed with Dispel Magic and similar effects.

Hot Foot Powder is made with a combination of various hot spices, and minerals such as sulfur. It is usually found contained in a pouch or bag of some form.

Value: 700 gp

Experience: 500

If the CK uses the Magician class, Create Hot Foot Powder is a 5th Level Ceremony. Only one application’s worth can be created at a time.

Adventure Seed: Lord Sleepsaround’s peasant lover has finally had enough of his philandering ways, so she sprinkles Hot Foot Powder around her cottage to keep him away. Ordinary, Lord Sleepsaround would just move on, but he’s expected to slay some local monster, and he left his heirloom magic sword next to the young woman’s bed! Needing to keep the whole affair private, he quietly hires adventurers to get the ancient sword back. What should be an easy job suddenly turns complicated when the adventurers encounter the woman’s’ new lover – a powerful Conjure Man from the Southern Kingdoms.


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Goofer Dust

18Oct11

Goofer Dust is one of the most famous charms use in the African-American magical tradition of Hoodoo.

Goofer Dust

Goofer Dust is a deadly magical powder used to curse or kill enemies. It can be employed in a number of ways.

If Goofer Dust is poured into a footprint, the user can choose a catastrophe to inflict upon the print’s maker. By stating the desired outcome, the user of Goofer Dust can Bestow Curse (as the reverse of Remove Curse), Cause Disease (as per the reverse of the spell Remove Disease), or Cause Critical Wounds (as per the reverse of Cure Critical Wounds). Distance is not a factor.

A second way to use Goofer Dust is to first completely gather the soil of a footprint, then mix it with the Goofer Dust in a jar or other container. The user then states the desired outcome, as if she had poured the powder on the footprint in situ.

A third way to employ Goofer Dust is to pour it on the ground as a trap, referred to a “laying a trick”. The user “charges” the Goofer Dust by stating the desired catastrophe, which will then befall the first person who thereafter steps on, or otherwise contacts the Dust. Contact with worn clothing or shoes counts as personal contact. Variations on “laying tricks” include pouring Goofer Dust on a bed, or putting it in an enemy’s shoes.

The fourth potential way to employ Goofer Dust is to mix it in food or drink. The range of effects is the same as for the other uses. It is very easy to notice Goofer Dust in all but the thickest drinks and most strongly-flavored foods, however.

However it is used, the victim of Goofer Dust receives an appropriate Saving Throw to resist the Dust’s effect. The Challenge Level is always the same as the Level of the person who employed the Dust. Naturally, a quantity of Goofer Dust can only be used once.

Goofer Dust appears to be a a quantity of yellowish or reddish soil, which often smells noticeably of sulfur. It is usually found contained in a small bag or paper packet. The recipe is known to include the dirt from a grave, the skins of venomous snakes, brimstone, and powdered bones, as well as certain spices and herbs. The raw materials are not expensive, although they can require courage, a strong stomach, and some bribery to acquire.

The knowledge of making proper Goofer Dust is often taught by Pact Devils to their supplicants.

Value: 700 gp

Experience: 500

If the CK uses the Magician class, Create Goofer Dust is a 5th Level Ceremony. Only one dose can be created at a time.

Adventure Seed: A famous traveling musician has wandered into town, singing sad songs about his former lover who cursed him with Goofer Dust. The young woman in question is the wife of a bigoted politician in a nearby city. If the adventurers investigate, they will learn that the young woman did actually curse the musician, but only because he inexplicably tried to kill her first.  Further investigation will reveal that the musician had bargained with a Pact Devil, and is trying to get out of the deal by providing the fiend with a replacement soul. The replacement must, of course, be someone the musician loves. Of course, the Root Doctor that the young woman purchased the Goofer Dust from is also bound to the same Pact Devil that made the musician famous!


Filed under: Castles & Crusades, Folklore, Gothic Gaming, Magic Items, OGL   |  1 Comment
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