The Dark Creeper

Another conversion to C&C today, one of my all-time favourite Fiend Folio beasties - "The Dark Creeper"!

The Dark Creeper (a folk name  or the race since the race name is unknown and the race language  incomprehensible to linguists) is a humanoid, slightly-built creature about the same height as a dwarf.

Members of the race always dress in sombre, darkcoloured clothing, concealing as much of their pallid skin as possible. They detest light and dwell deep underground - usually leading a solitary existence though there have been rumours of underground villages inhabited by as many as 80 individuals, including 20-25 females. These villages are always ruled by a Dark Stalker.

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1 (20-80)
SIZE: Small
HD: 2
MOVE: 30 ft
AC: 20 (or 12, see notes below)
ATTACKS: 1 (Dagger) 1D4
SPECIAL: See Notes Below
SAVES: P
INT: Average (Human) Intelligence
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
TYPE: Humanoid
TREASURE: See Notes Below
XP: 125

The dark creeper is particularly fond of small magical items such as rings and magic daggers -  solitary individuals will carry 25% of their treasure in the copious  pockets of  their cloaks, so  there is a 15% chance of  a magic dagger, 5% chance of a magical ring and 10% chance of 1-4  gems or 1-2 items of jewelery on any individual encountered.  

In a Dark Creeper lair multiply these probable treasure items by the number of male individuals resident, in addition add 1-100 platinum pieces and 50-500 gold pieces. 

A Dark Creeper has all the abilities of a 4^th Level Thief in addition to the ability to Detect Magical Items at a range of 15 feet. A Dark Creeper Attacks with a normal (or, if one is possessed - a magical) Dagger. A Dark Creeper also has the innate power to Create Darkness three times a day - when this power is used, all torches, lanterns and other non-magical sources of illumination within 50 feet are extinguished and cannot be re-ignited during the next hour of in-game time (the duration of the Dark Creeper’s power). During this time the Dark Creeper has two main objectives. First, to destroy lanterns and tinderboxes, break flasks of oil and so on - any act which will inhibit the creation of light and illumination. Secondly, to steal any small magical items detected. Self-preservation ranks only marginally above such objectives. 

 

 Magical sources of illumination may also be affected by a Dark Creeper’s darkness abilities.  In effect, they obtain a saving roll against magical frost, and if the item makes such a save it is not affected. If the item fails to save, however, it is extinguished for the next hour, after which its property returns to normal. 

During the darkness, even infravision becomes useless; however a Dark Creeper will not use its power against parties not using artificial illumination, so Elves using infravision, for instance, will usually pass unmolested. 

Magical sources of illumination may also be affected by a Dark Creeper’s darkness abilities.  In effect, they obtain a saving roll against magical frost, and if the item makes such a save it is not affected. If the item fails to save, however, it is extinguished for the next hour, after which its property returns to normal. 

During the darkness, even infravision becomes useless; however a Dark Creeper will not use its power against parties not using artificial illumination, so Elves using infravision, for instance, will usually pass unmolested.


The darkness power may be countered by spells such as light, and if a Dark Creeper is attacked in normal illumination its AC is lowered to 12. If a Dark Creeper is killed its body undergoes spontaneous combustion of such intensity that all within 10 feet of the victim are blinded (saving against magic permitted) for 1-6 full turns. All traces of the Dark Creeper are destroyed - though metal items will normally (5+ chance on a D20) be undamaged; magical items, metal or otherwise, will lose their enchantment if they fail to make a save against magical fire.

The Necrophidius

Back to some conversions whilst I finish my Cthulhu Mythos notes - first up "The Necrophidius".

The necrophidius, called the "death worm" by some, is an artificial creature, built and animated by a wizard or priest for a single task, such as protecting a particular treasure or assassinating a specific target.

The necrophidius resembles a bleached-white skeleton of a giant snake, topped by a fanged human skull with constantly whirling, milk-white eyes. The death worm's bones are warm to thetouch. The necrophidius is nearly undetectable to most senses. It is absolutely silent; it may open a door and cause the hinges to creak, but it makes no noise whatsoever even when slithering across a floor strewn with leaves. The necrophidius has no odor. The necrophidius keeps up a constant motion, moving with a macabre grace.

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Large
HD: 2
MOVE: 30 ft
AC: 18
ATTACKS: 1 (Bite) 1D8
SPECIAL: Eye Magic, Darkvision 60 ft, Anti-Magic
SAVES: M
INT: Average (Human) Intelligence
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Aberration
TREASURE: -
XP: 320

A necrophidius is created for a single purpose. It may be created in one of three ways.

The first is via a magical tome, akin to a manual of golems can provide secrets of the necrophidius's construction (the Necrophidicon, as it is sometimes called, must be burnt to ashes, which provides the animating force for the monster).

Alternatively, a wizard can create a necrophidius by his own means. This process is long and complex, and requires that the wizard be able to cast limited wish, geas, and charm person spells.

The third method enables a high-level priest of some Powers to build a necrophidius. Again, the method is long and tedious. It requires the spells geas, neutralize poison, prayer, silence, and command.

Whichever method is used, the monster requires the complete skeleton of a giant snake (either poisonous or constrictor) slain within 24 hours of the enchantment's commencement. The construction takes 500 gold pieces worth of herbs and ointments per hit point of the necrophidius; and ten days are required. 

A necrophidius is built for a specific purpose (which must be in the spellcaster's mind when he creates it), such as "Kill Ragnar the Bold" or "Keep the Scepter of Trystom safe on this altar."

The necrophidius has a reasonable intelligence, and does not seek to twist the intent of its maker, but its enchantments fade when its task is done or cannot be completed, for example, when it kills Ragnar, or when the owner decides to use the Scepter of Trystom. 

The crafter must want the necrophidius to serve its purpose. He could not, for example, build a death worm to "Sneak into the druids hut and steal his staff," if the crafter really intended for the necrophidius to merely provide a distraction. He could not build more than one death worm and assign each of them to kill Ragnar, since he could not imbue in the second death worm a task that he intended the first one to complete. For this reason, ne-crophidii are almost never seen working as a team. There are rumors, not well-founded, that there were once methods to make a necrophidius that conformed to all current specifications except that it gained 1 Hit Die every century it was pursuing its purpose.

Castles & Crusades Conversions

After chatting to various C&C Fans that I know, the greater majority want to see my series of conversions return.

So over the next few weeks, I shall be doing just that - starting with the C'thulhu Mythos from the original Print of Deities and Demigods.

I will be leaving the Psionic attributes in the stat-line, as those of you who've been following my blog know - I merely transposed the Psionics rules from AD&D 1e over to C&C with no conversion/changes.

First Off - Great C'Thulhu Himself!

Castles & Crusades - Conan Style!

I was asked recently, would it be possible to run a Conan (as in set in Hyboria) style game using the Castles & Crusades rules, rather than the "mish mash" that Mongoose produced.

Although I actually quite like the 2nd Edition of the Conan rules from Mongoose, I really cannot see why not.

The BIGGEST obstacle is the lack of any Healing Magics available to a party, thus rendering all Characters really vulnerable to an untimely end.

In the Conan RPG, they circumvent this with Fate points - but in the SEIGE system I would probably use a "Luck" Attribute in stead, and give it the same 3-18 range (and option to make Primary or not, after all some people are luckier than others) as other C&C Attributes.

Races are another point of contention, as the 3.5 based rules give racial bonuses in the +2/-2 range - whereas in C&C all bonuses are in the +1/-1 range. Its easy enough to correct, dropping +2/-2 to +1/-1 and (should the occur) reducing +1/-1 racial adjustments to zero's across the board. Don't forget there are NO Demi-Humans really running around in the Conan Universe, those "sub-humans" that do exist (like the Black Giants of the Western Seas from Savage Sword of Conan #22) are not really suitable for use as Player Characters.

Classes are (kinda) the easiest to accomodate, so here are some "rough" thoughts.

Barbarians

Quite simply use the C&C Barbarian Class, nice and easy - no changes or messing about needed.

Borderers & Nomads
The quite happily come under the heading of Rangers, they are similar (but not the same) in many respects, I would "tweak" the Ranger class on a character by character basis if variations are required.

Nobles & Knights
I would recommend using the Noble Class from the C&C Freeport Companion. Knights (in the Core Conan Rulebook) come under the heading of "Noble" but luckily in C&C there is a seperate Knight Character Class.

Pirates

Once again the C&C Freeport Companion has a fantastic Pirate Class, alternatively there are a couple of variant Pirate Classes to be found if you trawl the C&C forums.

Scholars

There are no Scholar classes for C&C, I shall be attempting a conversion of the Scholar to C&C at some point.

Soldiers & Sell-Swords

Are Fighters, again you can "tweak" the Fighter class on a case by case basis if you want.

The Temptress

I shall be also doing a conversion of the Temptress class at some point, taking inspiration from the old White Dwarf Magazine "Houri" class as well.

Thief

Take the C&C Rogue class, rename it "Thief" and you're done!

As I have pointed out, Hit Points and Healing could potentially be a problem. In addition to having either Fate Points or a Luck Stat, there are a couple of other things you can do to make things easier.

First Level Hit Point "Kicker".

At First Level, give your PC's Starting Hit Points equal to -

A Dice Roll (or Maximum) + Con Bonus + Constitution Score. It might seem a lot, but there is a rationale to it.

The People of Hyboria are a tough bunch, much tougher than the average FRP "Joe" - plus it increases their "durability" in an environment with limited Healing.

Better Healing Skills.

Rather than 1D3 Hit Points regained during the use of a characters Healing Skill, give them a Higher Dice Roll - or (which I prefer personally) give them 1D3+ the number the task was beaten by.

E.G. If the difficulty was 17 (the number of Hit Points lost in this case) and the character performing the healing rolled a 12 (after modifiers) the person receiving the aid would be healed 1D3+5 Hit Points of Damage. HOWEVER it would take 2 minutes of "tending" per Hit Point healed, and the injured character would then need to rest for a number of minutes equal to the number of Hit Points healed multiplied by 5 (so 6 points of damage healed would require 30 minutes of rest), if the healed character becomes active during that time, he would only receive half the number of Hit Points restored.

Next - The Scholar

Federation Races

More Races (and Class options) will be added later (such as Soong Androids), but for now the Notes will Focus on those Races who are most active within the Federation.

Again I make an assumption here, that in reading these notes you are familiar with the Star Trek Universe – so detailed descriptions of these Races aren’t included.

Andorians

Attribute Modifiers
+2 Con, -2 Wis

High Pain Threshold
Andorian Characters add double their Level to their Life Points.

Antennae
Andorian Characters add a +2 Species Bonus to all rolls involving Tasks involving listening, and detecting anomalies (such as hidden passages) within a 3 meter radius.

Andorians who lose an Antennai suffer disorientation and migraines until it grows back (+2 difficulty modifier to all challenges).

Bajorans

Attribute Modifiers
None

The Pagh
Bajorans receive a +2 bonus to all Reflex, Toughness, and Willpower rolls. This is due to their natural determination, tenacity, and a strong belief in the Prophets and their “Pagh”.

Bajoran Culture
Bajorans come from a Culture of Artists and Craftsmen, and so receive a +2 Racial Bonus to all Tasks involving Arts and Crafts.

Betazoids

Attribute Modifiers
+2 Cha

Telepathic
Betazoids are naturally Telepathic, and so may attempt Tasks involving Telepathy and Empathy. These abilities are always considered to be Class Skills, so Betazoids may add double their level as a bonus to any rolls involving such Tasks.

Naturally Peaceful
Betazoids add a +4 Species Bonus to all rolls involving Negotiating and Mediating Tasks.

Bolians

Attribute Modifiers
-2 Str, +2 Dex

Team Player
Bolians receive a +2 Racial Bonus applied to all Tasks when working as part of a Team. This applies to other members of the Team as well, not just Bolians. Providing the Bolian is present, everyone in the Team receives the +2 bonus to all Task rolls.

Humans

Attribute Modifiers
None

Adaptable
Human characters receive a +2 bonus to all Reflex, Toughness, and Willpower rolls. Courage and Luck tend to protect Humans in most situations.

Skilled
Humans tend to excel at things they are passionate about. They receive a + 4 Racial Bonus to a “Field of Expertise” of the Players Choice (noted on the Character Sheet), or +2 Racial Bonus to any two “Specialities” of the Players Choice (noted on the Character Sheet).

Tellarites

Attribute Modifiers
+2 Con, -2 Cha

Exceptional Fortitude
Tellarites are a lot more robust than most Races, and so receive a +2 Racial Bonus to Toughness.

Meticulous
Tellarites tend to be precise and deliberate – giving them a natural “leaning” towards the Engineering Class. They receive a +4 Racial Bonus to all Tasks involving Engineering, Maintenance, and Repair. This also tends to make them impatient with other races, so they receive a +2 to the Challenge Rating of all Task involving Diplomacy and Social Interaction.

Trill (Joined)

Attribute Modifiers
+2 Int, +2 Wis

Skilled
Joined Trill have many lifetimes of Training. They receive a + 4 Racial Bonus to two “Fields of Expertise” of the Players Choice (noted on the Character Sheet), or +2 Racial Bonus to any four “Specialities” of the Players Choice (noted on the Character Sheet), or they may instead take one “Field of Expertise” and any two “Specialities” of the Players Choice (noted on the Character Sheet) instead.

Vulcan

Attribute Modifiers
+2 Int, +4 Str, -6 Cha

Telepathic
Vulcans are naturally Telepathic, and so may attempt Tasks involving Telepathy – however for the purposed of these rules such Tasks are restricted to Mind Melds and the Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Such Tasks are always considered to be Class Skills, so Vulcans may add double their level as a bonus to any rolls involving such Tasks.

Vulcan Nerve Pinch – An application of a Vulcan Neuralpressure Technique, the nerve Pinch requires contact with a nerve cluster between the neck and shoulder of the subject. When using this talent, the character must make an unarmed attack roll – using the standard Attack Rules. Upon a successful hit - if the subject fails a Toughness save with a Challenge modification equal to the value of the attacking Vulcans Wisdom Bonus, the subject is rendered unconscious for 2d6 minutes, or until revived by medical attention.

Vulcan Mind-Meld – Often mistaken as a simple Psychic technique, the Mind-Meld is steeped in Vulcan tradition and mysticism – and wasn’t allowed to be used on non-Vulcans until the 23rd Century. By coming in physical contact with a willing subject, the character is able to merge minds with the subject, essentially creating a single consciousness in two bodies. This allows for deep two-way mental communication. An unwilling Target must make a Willpower Save, with a Modifier equal to the Vulcans Level – if the victim passes the roll the Mind Meld is unsuccessful, and may not be attempted again for 24 hours.

Rapid Healing - Vulcans may, once a day if injured – enter a trance-like state to heal themselves.

10 Minutes = 1D8 Hit Points or 1D4 Life Points
20 Minutes = 2D8 Hit Points or 2D4 Life Points
30 Minutes = 3D8 Hit Points or 3D4 Life Points
40 Minutes = 4D8 Hit Points or 4D4 Life Points
50 Minutes = 5D8 Hit Points or 5D4 Life Points - and so on . . . . . . . . .

Star Fleet Character Classes

Star Fleet Characters receive 10 Hit Points + Con Bonus (if any) at level one, from level two onwards the use their Class Hit Dice.

• Command (d8 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Cha)
• Counsellor (d4 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Cha)
• Engineering (d8 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Con)
• Medical (d6 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Wis)
• Operations (d6 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Dex)
• Sciences (d6 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Int)
• Security (d10 Hit Dice, Prime Attribute – Str)

Star Fleet Personnel Experience Chart (Click to enlarge)

+ 250,000 XP per level required after 12th Level
*Hit Dice determined by Character Class, this number is the Total Hit Dice at that level.
** Maximum Combat Bonus

Career Placement

The easiest part of Character generation, is deciding what your characters position will be on the Ship. This determines their final level (don’t forget to roll for additional Hit Points).

Captain
Starts Play at Level Six

First Officer/Rank of Commander
Starts Play at Level Five

Head of Department/Rank of Lieutenant Commander
Starts Play at Level Four

Starfleet Officer/Rank of Lieutenant
Starts Play at Level Three

Next - Federation Races