RPG Design – Spinning On The Axis Of Evil

   Does a game really need any kind of an “alignment” system?    Evil isn’t always easy to recognize, although many gamers and game masters seem to have it confused with psychotic madness, which usually is.    Lets say that we have a ruler, who’s chief delights lie in exterminating his enemies and destroying their countries, [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part XV – The Adept

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here we have the Adepts – mutants with powers with broad themes, such as “telekinesis” or “telepathy”.    As usual, “mutant powers” are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective base “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP x Modifiers).    Thematic [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part XIV – The Duplicator

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here we have the Duplicator – a Class-I mutant who can make more of himself or herself. As usual, “mutant powers” are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective base “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP x Modifiers).    Now, self-duplication [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part XIII – Weres, Alter-Egos, Metamorphs, Power Mimics, and Shapeshifters

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here are the power packages for a variety of Shapeshifters. Unfortunately, “Shapeshifters” are not nearly as well-defined as – say – Blasters or Element Masters, since the category includes a wide variety of dramatically-different characters. Ergo, this segment includes notes on Weres and Mimics, Power Mimics, Alter-Egos, Metamorphs, [...]

The Kadian Ritualist

   Lord Kevin, god of Transformation, Witchcraft, and Travel has committed himself to imbuing a limited number of “trainees” with the ability to ritually open interdimensional gates. Admittedly, that’s mostly as a backhanded method of inconveniencing some of his major opponents, but it’s still not his preferred mode of operation; he prefers to recruit Thralls [...]

Human Variants I

   Upgraded humans, with extra abilities or feats based on region, culture, local adaptions, genetic engineering, mutations, animals, or other sources, are probably the most common of all d20 variants. That’s because humans – while adaptable and widespread – have the most generic possible bonuses.    In Eclipse d20, it’s also because humans – unlike [...]

Federation-Apocalypse Session 120 – Going A Little Looney

   Despite their suspicions, the war council had taken Kevin up on his offer to bring in some supplies for them readily enough. After all, if the youngster could open a “gate”, and bring through whatever he wanted, and was hostile, he wouldn’t need to ask them what kind of supplies they’d like. He’d just [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part XII – Minor Mutants

   This entry covers twenty types of minor mutant power packages – Aquatic Adaption, Beastmaster, Bladewitch, Blaster (Minor), Empath, Face Dancer, Flame (Energy) Projector, Flyer, Invisibility, Lightning Touch, Lightshow, Neural Disruptor, Partial Invulnerability, Precognitive (Minor), Psychic Projector, Swarm Master,Telekinetic (Minor), Telepath (Minor), Trapper, and Weapons Expert.    To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here are [...]

Recordings from the Holocron of Valerie Soung – Contingency Operations

   Here we have another slightly-edited item from Kira’s player – the ongoing backstory of the Varen Sith and Valerie Soung, his primary enemy/rival.    Valerie Soung, Trayus Academy, Malachor V    I got dressed as soon as clothes were brought for me. The doctor was saying something about trying to take it easy, but [...]

Recordings from the Holocron of Kira Keldav – Session 18

   As usual, this is Kira’s players log with a lot of additional material edited in so that it can serve as a general session log as well.    Perhaps fortunately, no one had yet started to wonder what Jarik was up to (he was too gambling-obsessed to notice, but none of them were likely [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part XI – The Paragon

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here are the power packages for Class I through Class V Paragons – that is, at +1 though +5 ECL modifiers. As usual, their powers are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP x Modifiers). [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part X – The Healer

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here are the power packages for Class I and Class II Healers – that is, at +1 and +2 ECL modifiers. As usual, their powers are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP x Modifiers). [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part IX – The Stealth Expert

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here are the power packages for Class I and Class II Stealth Experts – that is, at +1 and +2 ECL modifiers. As usual, their powers are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP x [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part VIII – The Exokinetic

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here are the power packages for Class I through Class VI Exokinetics – that is, at +1 through +6 ECL modifiers. As usual, their powers are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP x Modifiers). [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part VII – The Speedster and his Spells

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here’s a set of nine spells for speedsters and the sixth set of power packages for Class I and higher Mutants – The Speedster at ECL modifiers +1 through +7. As usual, their powers are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective “Cost” of (Spell Level x [...]

Companions of Atrocity

   The same person who requested that hideously broken Atrocity Build would like to know what it’s equally-broken companion creatures would look like.    Well, to start with, those were Leopard Companion Creatures with a level seventeen master.    So, Basic Leopards: 3d8 HD, Move 40′, Climb 20′, +1 Natural Armor, +2 BAB, 1d6 Bite, 1d3 Claws, [...]

Federation-Apocalypse Session 119 – The City of Gloom

   The security systems were on the doors of the arcology were multiply-redundant and well hidden behind the armored walls – but they had but they were purely local, and had never been designed to keep out psychics with Core technologies to call on.    There might still be magic, or some it or weirdness [...]

Recordings from the Holocron of Kira Keldav – Session 17

   As usual, this is Kira’s players log with a lot of additional material edited in so that it can serve as a general session log as well.    With two of the Orbs in our possession, it was time to figure out how to get them to the base. It suddenly occurred to me [...]

Mutants of the Eclipse Part VI – The Blaster

   To continue with Mutants in Eclipse, here’s the fifth set of power packages for Class I and higher Mutants – The Blaster at +1, +2, and +3 ECL modifiers. As usual, their powers are built using Unlimited-Use Use-Activated Innate Enchantments – at an effective “Cost” of (Spell Level x Casting Level x 2000 GP [...]

Geek The Healer!

   One of the old rules of war is that “you don’t attack the medics”. In fact, traditionally, it wasn’t uncommon to call a temporary truce in the middle of battles to let everyone recover their wounded.    Yet human beings are awfully pragmatic when it comes to fighting each other. They may get sentimental [...]