DCC RPG Patron Taint: The Red King of A Red & Pleasant Land

This is the second part detailing using The Red King as a DCC RPG patron. The Invoke Patron effects can be found here. Spellburn and patron spells still to come. More R&PL patrons further down the road as well. 

Patron Taint:  The Red King

When patron taint is indicated for The Red King, roll 1d6 on the table below.  When a caster has acquired all six taints at all levels of effect, there is no need to continue rolling any more.

Roll	Result
1	The caster has become apathetic and slothful, and would lounge, recline and sleep if given the opportunity. If the result is rolled a second time, the caster’s physical self has begun to match his mental state, -1 to Stamina. If rolled a third time, the caster suffers another -1 to Stamina and is prone to sleeping at inopportune times. The caster must make a Will save DC 10 or fall asleep at the Judge’s request.
2	The caster only finds value in ancient things. If presented with a choice between an old trinket or a newer item of great value, the caster will choose the trinket. If the result is rolled a second time, the caster will not carry or wear any object that is not double the age of the caster (which may include his spellbook). These items must be discarded immediately. If rolled a third time the caster no longer views mortals as worthwhile entities. The caster suffers a -1 to Personality and must make a Will saving throw DC 10 to interact with any being less than 100 years of age.
3	The caster has begun to be unstuck on her side of the looking Glass, and has taken on some characteristics of her double. If the caster favored her right hand before, she now favors her left. She must take an action to change grips and adjust to the change. If this result is rolled a second time, the character's brain hemispheres are swapped. The rational becomes intuitive, and intelligence is swapped with Personality. If rolled a third time the caster immediately trades places with her quiet side double. The caster is now immune to the madness inspired by the quiet side, but the double has adopted a murderous rage upon taking its place on the war side. The double will do all that it can to end as many lives as possible but is not blindly suicidal.
4	The caster is now permanently charmed by the Red King and would never even conceive of crossing or acting against him. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster values the Red King's life more than his own and would sacrifice his life without hesitation in defense of his King. If rolled a third time the character realizes that his devotion is more than fealty and is in fact romantic love. The caster will take whatever steps necessary to become one of the Brides of the Red King.
5	The caster has realized that she is a knight in service to her patron. The player and judge should create a chivalric code that the character must follow. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster takes on the role of a knight in a chess game, and will only move in the fashion of a knight chess piece, three steps forward, one to the side. This results in a 25% reduction to speed, and a -2 penalty to Reflex saves. If rolled a third time the caster must take her proper place as a Knight of the Red King. The character must defeat a knight then take and equip all of its knightly accoutrements. Whether through murder or duel depends on the individual chivalric code. For each day the caster does not complete this quest inflicts a cumulative -1 penalty to all rolls.
6	The caster has become fascinated with cruelty. Given the opportunity to explore the effects of pain and suffering on a living creature, he will relish the chance. During down time the caster will torture animals, trample rodents, pull the wings off of flies. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster’s penchant for torture becomes more pronounced. He cannot help but torture a defeated foe, and acts to inflict the most pain in combat, rather than for tactical advantage. If the judge finds the caster to not be behaving sufficiently sadisticly, the caster suffers a cumulative -1 penalty to Luck per hour until a good torture is conducted. If rolled a third time, the caster becomes fully obsessed by cruelty. This inhuman turn is reflected by a -2 penalty to Personality, unless the check involves other sadist types.

Are these effects too brutal? Well that what you get for throwing your lot in with a vampire king.

DCC RPG Patron: The Red King of A Red & Pleasant Land

I'm going to be running a game in A Red & Pleasant Land and decided to use DCC RPG as the rule set. As I was reading through the material and making notes I had the idea of the Monarchs making great patrons. I kept on thinking, and the Unicorn and Sphinx might make good ones too. I decided to do the Red King as an exercise, and its been fun. Took a few hours to come up with this, so it might be a little slow going until this is complete and get the others written and posted.

One thing I wanted to preserve was the Red King's cruelty and penchant for arbitrary injustice. That is why when he is invoked there is often a chance bad things also effecting the party, or in the case of Forget, the caster. If your patron is prone to forgetfulness, the caster might well be too.

I think it matches the feel and theme of R&PL. The one thing that I'm not sure about is that the Red King isn't a spell caster. So maybe these effects spring forth from his dreams.

So here is the Invoke Patron Check Results for the Red King. Patron Taint, Spells and Spellburn effects coming soon.

Vlad Vortigen The Red King

Though the ruler of Southern Voivodja is cruel and quick to anger, his schemes and machinations occasionally benefit from the assistance of a mortal.

Invoke Patron Check Results:

12-13	The Red King answers the plea for assistance by putting everyone and everything within 60’ of the caster to sleep. This includes allies and vampires, or those otherwise immune to sleep. It is a normal sleep, and anyone effected may be roused normally.
14-17	The caster targets one creature or an object within 30’. If an object is targeted the spell is triggered when the object next touches a living creature. Once triggered the target loses its memory of the last 1d6 hours. No saving throw is allowed. The caster must make a fortitude saving throw DC 10 or likewise be effected.
18-19	The Red King gives the caster the red lacquered plate of his knights. It grants the AC Bonus +8, Check Penalty -8, Speed Penalty -10’, and Fumble die d16 of Full plate. It also visibly marks the caster as a follower of the Red King. Any Red Knights will take great offense at one not of their rank wearing their armor. The armor fades like the memory of a dream after 1d4 quarter hours has passed.
20-23	A Red Pawn of level 1d3 is put into the service of the caster. It resents its assignment but begrudgingly follows orders until sent elsewhere by the Red King.
24-27	The caster may send anyone, including the caster within the immediate area to the quiet side. There is no limit to the number of beings that may be transported.
28-29	Nightmares burst forth from the dreams of all creatures (including allies) within 50’ of the caster. They torment those from whose souls they sprang, doing 1d4 Personality damage per round until a will saving throw DC 20 is made. The caster may dismiss one nightmare per round.
30-31	Pikes erupt from the ground or floor in a 25’ radius, impaling all those present for 3d8 damage, Reflex Save DC 20 for half damage. Vampires rolling natural 1s on the save are staked and slain.
32+	Caster targets creatures of HD equal to spell check number (including allies if there are not sufficient enemies, or animals present). They burst into a puddle of blood. A fortitude saving throw DC 25 negates the effect.

Adventure Scenario Part Two of Scream Bloody Gore: Zombie Ritual

The following is the outline of a scenario to be run using your favorite fantasy role playing game. Lamentations of the Flame Princess, DCC RPG, Tunnels & Trolls¹, OSR clones, D&D (whatever except fourth) and even Dungeon World should all work alright. Stats are left intentionally vague or ignored. This is the second of a ten part series of adventure scenarios inspired by Death's debut album Scream Bloody Gore, sometimes considered the first death metal record.

PART TWO: ZOMBIE RITUAL

The party arrives at the outside of a cave. From within torchlight flickers and sounds of perverse pleasure can be heard piercing ritualized chanting. 

>Mən dit parçalamaq, heç bir zərər ilə mənə geri gələcək kimi, ekastase qaçırılmaq ola bilər ki, mənim söz eşitmək mənim arzu yerinə yetirmək və ehtiyac yerinə yetirmək, mənim heupe yeni həyat ayı Godin yalvarmaq, belə ki!<

If any degree of stealth is employed the cave may be entered without the notice of its inhabitants. 

Once inside a cadre of young people can be seen chanting and passing around an ornate goblet. They are very focused with what they are doing and can be watched unnoticed unless some sort of ruckus is made by the observers.

A few moments after drinking from the cup, each individual cries out in an ecstatic anguish, and writhing maggots pour forth from its orifices.

There is an orgy of anthropophagia and depraved necrophilia. 

Blood violence gore and maggots litter the cave.

Characters ought make a wisdom check, or will saving throw, or sanity type check. 
On a fail, good paladin types get enraged, evil weirdo types get enthralled or aroused, those without a strong alignment pull get sickened.

If not engaged the newly turned zomboid creatures will be content to feast and fuck on and in the carrion until sweet annihilation comes in orgiastic fervor. If they are disturbed, they will attack as a standard zombie with the addition of carrying Zombie Maggots. Unlike standard zombies, they are fascinated with their own devourment, either by another zombie or through autophagia, and are thusly readily distracted. Character's fleeing are unlikely to be pursued. 

If any of the maggots are within 20 feet of a humanoid it will crawl toward them. Treat them as rot grubs or equivalent for combat purposes. If they are able to enter a character, the process of Zombie Maggot Infestation begins (see below).

The goblet that had been passed around appears to be extremely valuable. It is the Goblet of Ydricebonon. It radiates magic and chaos.

Anyone who touches the goblet must make a saving throw or be compelled to drink its contents. It is filled with Vile Gore! You want more! Character is at end stages of Zombie Maggot Infestation. Gloves protect against its effects, but carrying it on one's person carries a one percent cumulative chance per day that Zombie Maggot infestation will begin. Mad necromancers, bored aristocrats and other evil types will pay handsomely for this item.

Zombie Maggot Infestation

Zombie Maggots are crawling toward your brain. It is an unusual sensation of pleasure and pain.

Each game round (or unit of time lasting approximately 6-10 seconds) the infected character gains one ZMI point per maggot he or she is host to, or 10 per maggot for each minute.

Any holy spell, cure wounds, bless, will delay the onset of the zombie madness by reducing the ZMI point by 100 per level of the spell.

The infestation can be removed with a cleansing ritual conducted by a level 8 or higher cleric. The cost of materials for the ritual is 4000 gp.

A 5th level magic-user can transmute the infestation. This however has undesirable side effects as determined by the referee. The cost of transmutation materials is 500 gp.

ZMI Points	Effect
Zero and below	Symptom free
1-100	Beginnings of zombie maggot infestation. At this stage it is somewhat pleasant and euphoric. Characters more foolhardy than normal and have a +1 to checks against fear effects.
101-500	Zombie maggot infestation is progressing. Characters are immune to fear effects. Characters fantasize about their own death and annihilation. There are chances for them to DREAM REAL.
501-1000	Zombie maggot infestation is very advanced. Characters are unable to concentrate on anything except their dreams and fantasies. The waking world exists in a haze. They are no longer able to eat vegetables or cooked meat.
1001+	End stages of zombie maggot infestation. The character becomes a zombie in 1d4 rounds.

Next up: Denial of Life! Anyone reading this? Is any of it useful for your game? What are you playing? Would detailed stats be helpful, or do just make it up anyway?

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1 Tom, my bad for forgetting in the first post.^↩

Adventure Scenario Part One of Scream Bloody Gore: Infernal Death

The following is the outline of a scenario to be run using your favorite fantasy role playing game. Lamentations of the Flame Princess, DCC RPG, OSR clones, D&D (whatever except fourth) and even Dungeon World should all work alright. Stats are left intentionally vague or ignored. It is the first part of a ten part series of adventure scenarios inspired by Death's debut album Scream Bloody Gore, sometimes considered the first death metal record.

This adventure series can either be dropped into an ongoing campaign, be run as a one off, or act as the start of a campaign. 

Introduction.

You have been pursued by the Baron's men since the village of Mantas. What did you do to get on the Baron's bad side?

If the party is not forthcoming with their misdeeds and treachery, roll 1d10 to determine for them.

1. You discovered evidence of the Baron's fraternization with demons. He will stop at nothing to recover the abyssal scroll which bears his seal.
2. The Baron is embarrassed by his offspring's publicly casual attitude toward sexual experimentation and has taken to exacting harsh punishment upon all partners.
3. The party had been hired by the Baron to poison a well and make it look like the work of a rival. While successfully causing the painful death of half a village ever so discretely, the Baron can not allow loose ends to run around willy-nilly.
4. While acting as attendants, the party filled the Baron's Blood Tankard with wine.
5. The Baron's niece fled to escape a marriage of political convenience. The party was hired to bring her home. They did not.
6. "So you have spoken, and from your speaking gifts will come to you." The Baron only wishes to deliver what is due.
7. While most is permitted during the Carnival of Excess, the party managed to step outside that which is deemed acceptable behavior and insulted the Baron.
8. The baron took grave offence at the name of their adventuring band.
9. The Archgoat of the region took an the party under his wing. The Baron will strike at his rivals in every way possible.
10. The Baron's agents determined the party walks the Sinister Path.

PART ONE: INFERNAL DEATH

In order to avoid the watchful eye of the wrathful Baron, the party has taken to traveling under the cloak of darkness so that they might safely escape His realm.

The darkness is pierced by a glowing at the horizon. Upon closer inspection it may be determined that the glow originates from bonfires.

As the party nears these bonfires are funeral pyres. Ten are burning in the immediate area. On a successful listen roll cries of anguish can be heard before they are extinguished by the blaze.

A lone figure attends to the fires. He wears the vestments of a priest of the area's dominant deity.

He seems frightened, nervous and distracted.

If engaged he will provide the following information:

• His village has been plagued by the walking dead.
• Torching the dying is the only way to appease their god and prevent them from rising upon death.
• Though some innocents are killed this way, it beats the alternative.
• The dead procreate in some sinister manner, how exactly is unknown.
• This has happened for as long as anyone can remember, returning in times of moral decay.
• Tonight ten souls were burned: The Shellworks, Ralf and Rohesia, and their four children; Old Bartolomen, the hermit; Agnes the Crone; Drengen the swineherd; and three travelling peddlers whose names are all lost.
• The unnamed Shellworks infant has not yet been immolated. It must first have its naming ceremony.

The priest will burn the child and return to his prayers.

Lo we traverse the worlds of death
The hallucinations in the mind of a mad god
So too do we
Create bastard worlds for our dreams and madness
So we mock the locusts and ground our feet
And with the click of a heel return