[LL] Dwarves of Longland

Dwarves are an ancient race for the rocky soil itself. They live long and born old.

Appearance

Their skin is grey or brown in different shades as the soil itself. Their hair usually is in different shades of grey or brown. Rarely their hair can be as red or orange as lava deep beneath. These red-haired Dwarves are usually Clerics. Their eyes are bright in colors of different gems; bright green, purple, yellow, red, blue...

Their beard grows long and thick but Dwarves usually trim it for their personal taste. Beard for other races is how Dwarves are most easy way to tell the difference of the individuals.

Their skin is rough and wrinkled and they stand 4 feet long weighting 150 pounds. Their build is sturdy and strong, yet a little clumsy except for their finger which are nimble and precise at crafting.

Dwarves don't use animals as they are as strong as a mule to pull ore from mines and their physique is not well suited for riding horses or ponies. Deep underground many pets would feel miserable anyways.

There are no male and female Dwarves; Dwarf is just a Dwarf.

Reproduction

When two Dwarves love each other (their "love" is different from other races. It is more "practical" than emotional) they both remove a small part of their heart and rib and bury it deep in the rock. After 50 years they crack the rock open and a new Dwarf is let free. The new Dwarf doesn't acknowledge these two as his parents, but as his family - clan. The new Dwarf is an young adult when born and quickly learns what he is teatched.

If there is no Dwarven "love" present when creating a new Dwarf, nothing will produce inside the rock.

Dwarves don't have marriage so they are not monogamous. Rarely two Dwarves from different clans reproduce, but when they happen the new dwarf can choose which parent's clan he will join, if his parents haven't found their own new clan already.

Habitual Residence

Dwarves live deep underground in the mountains of the northern Longland. No one knows how many Dwarves habit Longland in total as they are not too common in other parts of the continent except their homestead and north-east battlegrounds.

Deep underground inside the mountain there are networks of tunnels ending to mines or digging deeper and deeper. Also big underground cities are mined on the very rock. Without knowing where you are heading you easily get lost.

Alignment And Language

Dwarves are usually Good or Neutral depending how they view the outside world. Rarely Dwarves are Chaotic but some Chaotic clans are known to exist isolated in the deepest parts of the mountain. Chaotic Dwarves usually mind their own business and prefer solitude worshipping their god, the Lava Demon. No one knows what is the true goal of Dwarves who turn Chaotic.

Dwarves speak their own language most commonly referred as "dwarven". Different clans have their own dialects what might be confusing for other races who know dwarven language. Dwarves usually speak also common and some know halfling.

They prefer not use Alignment language unless they have to. They don't want to be recognized as belonging into something in a bigger scale rather than being an unique race of their own. Many warrior Dwarves also speak Orcish to be able to better interrogate their prisoners of war and to be able to figure out what their intelligence gathers.

Clans

Dwarf clan leader

Dwarves have clans with different colors, banners, emblems and customs. These clans work together with other clans in a bigger scale but the clan leader is the one who manages his own flock. Clan leaders are the eldest, wisest and most skilled of their flock. Usually clan leader is respected so much there is no rivalry. Also as clan leaders have strong political stand and good relations with other clan leaders it is hard to replace a clan leader without leading the clan to perish.

Professions

Dwarf miner by Greg Opalinski
@ http://domigorgon.deviantart.com/art/Dwarf-Miner-363333156

Dwarves generally love to do three things; dig, craft and fight. Those most patient are diggers or

crafters and those who lack the patience are warriors. Those who even lack of patience for being a soldier become adventurers.

There are no social classes, so a clan leader might very well enjoy his life digging minerals instead of being a stereotypical leader.

Dwarven weapons and armors are masterpieces. All the weapons and armor they create are +1 equipment, but there is a 15% change the equipment is +2, 7% change for +3 and 1% change for +4 and above (5% with other "magical" qualities present). This is when Dwarves create things just for fun of crafting. When Dwarves truly want to create something specific, they can do it. It just takes time.

Warriors

Dwarf warrior

All Dwarves, diggers and crafters, are always ready to defend their mountain and tunnels. Warriors are those who venture outside to fight at outside world. The biggest conflict where Dwarven warriors are present is North-East shore of Longland, where Orcish troops try to invade the continent from the east. Without Dwarven warriors holding the border, Longland would be fallen ages ago.


Trading

Dwarves mine so much ore, minerals, precious metal, diamonds, etc. and craft so much equipment they see not that much value in those as human does. They naturally understand how human sees the lump of gold, but don't understand why that is so valuable. Gold sure is pretty to look at but as it is soft it's not very good material to use except for decoration. As Dwarves don't do anything else they trade what they create and dig with other goods. Dwarven traders travel Longland traiding their goods with human goods.

Eating And Drinking

Dwarves love ale and there is no stronger ale than what Dwarves brew. That is the reason why Dwarves are considered heavy drinkers but that is not true. Human ale is just so mild for Dwarven taste they must drink gallons of it.

Dwarves also love good food what they need a lot as they do physical work most of the time only sleeping for a hour or two per day. They love greasy meat, sausages, eggs, fried potatoes and other stiff foods. Dwarves can also survive by eating only rocks but it is not that sell.

Dwarves trade the food with human and sometimes with Halflings. Elven food they are not too keen with.

Religions

Most of the Dwarves don't believe in other deities. It is the Mother Land, Soil and Rock. Holy trinity of ground they know and trust in. Dwarf Clerics are extremely rare, but they exist (maybe 1 of 1000 Dwarves might be a Cleric). Most of the Dwarven Clerics are more entertainers raising morale than religious leaders. Dwarven Clerics also join the common tasks of crafting, digging and fighting.

Dwarven Clerics are those who lead the events of celebration and holidays. As there are so many Dwarves compared to Clerics these events tend to be enormous instead of small and quiet.

Dwarf Cleric

Dwarven Cleric

Rarely some Dwarven Clerics who pray the Mother Land, Soil and Rock gain powers from their prayers.

A third level Dwarven Cleric has a 1 in 6 change per level from that point to gain Cleric character class powers* of 1st level. When 1st Cleric class powers is gained, he has from that level each level 1 in 6 change to gain second Cleric classes powers and so on. When Dwarf Cleric continues advancing levels Dwarf Cleric cannot use any other weapon than warhammer (or other blunt weapon resembling a tool) to have a change to get a favor from Mother Land, Soil and Rock.

*Spells per day

Technology

Dwarves are really creative what comes into crafting. They like building devices and are quite advanced in using steam. They usually use technology to ease the mass production of weapons for war against Orcish horder but also enjoy building gadgets of all scales.

Dwarves have also experimented with weaponry using gunpowder. Sometimes Dwarves also dabble with alchemy and chemistry.

Other Races

Dwarves can stand other races, especially humans as they are good traders. Halflings are entertaining but useless as they are too weak to do real work and they rest too much. Elven are not favorites of dwarves as Elven folk have abandoned Longland. Some Elven adventurers Dwarves consider to be potentional good allies - but rather not go there.

History

Where Dwarves came doesn't matter any more. And most -if not almost every- Dwarves think that they are ancient children of Mother Land, Soil and Rock. Maybe only a just a little younger. The clan histories are stories Dwarves enjoy to hear and tell which are what matters the most. They tell historical tales of digging, crafting, fighting and adventuring.

Fabulorbis, my Labyrinth Lord world

Lat. fabulosa, means fabulous and orbis means world. Together they are Fabulorbis, a world of myth, mystery and fantasy!

Actually I just invented Fabulorbis for my blog to "label" certain posts under. The point is that I am currently running Labyrinth Lord and want everything I design for this campaign to be a permanent part of a fantasy setting world. Creating and inhabiting a world while playing I thought is a good idea. Also if Labyrinth Lord is visited again with a new character there will be lots of familiar things for the player already from previous game(s).

I know there are settings created so you don't have to do it yourself, but I find pre-made settings complicated to run. There's so many things you should try to remember and adapt and I don't like to run someone else's ideas and (home)world. But there's one setting I am interested in, Mithgarthr (more I write that name more I hate it!) Just waiting it to be a little more complete.

Anyways, the world, the planet, the microuniversums and planes and heavens and hells and dimensions and everything for Labyrinth Lord is one setting, called Fabulorbis. The "earth" (planet) will be big enough to contain many continents with different themes (Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, USA, Antarktis even today are totally different from each other). It will be big enough to hold Forgotten Realms somewhere if I wanted to (the 3rd edition FR campaign book is as interesting as watching does stones move or not - horriblehorribleboring).

At the moment there currently is only one place decided, called Longland (because it is more long than wide, duh). This is a picture scanned with a phone here of the hex map for the Longland:

F56 is the "starting" city, for my campaign Forgotten Legend Lives, is called The Village of Brenton's Bend (link to map at Dyson's Dodecahedron, one of the best rpg cartographers in the UNIVERSE).

The X right above it at F54 is Graveyard Of Dusk (view post here, download unedited PDF here).

The rest of Longland will be revealed during the play, but I got plans. Yes, I got plans...

Anyways, posts behind Fabulorbis label will contain setting material I create. They are for Fabulorbis but as you now already know, Fabulorbis is a kitchen sink name for everything Labyrinth Lord game. So, feel free to grab what you like for your own campaign, as it also is part of FABULORBIS!

Oh, I've tried to create the world with Donjon Fantasy World Generator, but it's always crowded!

[LLtFFL] Derek The Wizardslayer, Cleric NPC

As a paladin of his order, Derek The Wizardslayer is in an eternal quest to slave evil, chaotic and
malevolent wizards in the realm. He is not afraid of death as he believes this is his personal absolution. What crimes against his faith he has done are untold but he is zealot for his cause. If others have same goals as his he will accompany them. He doesn't care about other's sins, as other souls' remission is not his concern.

Name: Derek The Wizardslayer
Class/Race: Human Cleric
Alignment: Good
Level: 7th
Age: 37

Hit Points: 30
AC: 4

ABILITIES:
STR: 13 (+1 to hit, damage, forcing doors)
DEX: 10
CON: 14 (+1 HP per HD)
INT: 9
WIS: 15 (+1 Saving throw mod. to all magic effects, +5% exp)
CHA: 14 (-1 reac. adj., 5 ret., 8 ret. morale)

SPELLS:
1st level = 4 (Detect Evil x2, Protection From Evil, Cure Light Wounds) 
2nd level = 3 (Know Alignment x2, Bless)
3rd level = 2 (Remove Curse, Dispel Magic)
4th level = 1 (Create Food And Water)

EQUIPMENT:
- Travellers equipment in a backpack, 2 torches, sleeping back, knife, etc. you usually need)
- Rations for 3 days
- Silver holy symbol
- Holy Water, 4 portions
- Heavy Flail (dmg 1d8(+1)
- Banded Mail (AC 4)
- Mule

50 gp
124 sp
34 cp

___________________________________

Campaign notes: Derek might be a bit high level to accompany a first/second level player character, but there's a point to that. Derek will step into the campaign to make a fight against a Spectre easier for the character. As fighting this Spectre Derek the Cleric will be level drained to a 3rd level (to still be able to give a hand for the character at the beginning of her journey).

The spells listed are those he usually has prayed.

This naturally is devastating for Derek The Wizardslayer, as his power is drained. How will it affect him psychologically? That's where the npc roleplaying starts.

PS: I love the Cleric picture in Labyrinth Lord!

The picture .jpg is called "cormarren.jpg". I have no idea who the artist is or where the picture originates. I took it from here: http://bernietheflumph.blogspot.fi/2013/11/clerics-of-wyrld.html

[LL] The Forgotten Legend Lives character (with a multiclassing draft! Alternative Elf casting!)

The Forgotten Legend Lives is a Labyrinth Lord campaign I am running for a single player. Here in my blog I already wrote an overview of rules I planned to use. Some have changed for example not at this point using Advanced Edition Characters for player character. Instead the game starts with race-as-class (as in LL core book) and later there are options to multiclass.

Character Creation

Abilities were rolled 4d6 assign as you want as this is a single player game and I wanted the character to be a little more special than just a basic 3d6 in order. Also I wanted player to have some power on the results to create a character she wants to play.

Starting Hit Points equal to Constitution score. This is for a simple reason that this is going to be a campaign of a character and her story, not a survival of the fittest (or cunningest!). Hit Points advance as the original class.

There will be a multiclassing option but I am not still sure how to make it work easily. The experience progression chart is as Fighters for a simple reason. Less numbers to track than with Elf (almost 4x needed compared to Fighter) and it doesn't really matter, as this is with one player.

MULTICLASSING DRAFT: The idea of multiclassing is that all class levels together is character level. The exp needed for next level is character level and Fighter exp chart. At the beginning when advancing a level player can choose (for Elf character) does she take the best benefices from Elf class, Fighter class or Magic-User class (as Elven are Fighter-M-U's anyways). What ever are the highest numbers compared to current are marked as new numbers. Some may have worse saves but get better to-hit or more spells. Some hit better but don't get spells etc. This should be simple enough but at this point is only a draft. I think it'll be finished during the gameplay.
Also other classes are available when character meets some requirements; for Clerics joining an order, Thieves need a quild etc. Race cannot be changed naturally!

Also Elven magic works differently from Magic-Users. As Magic-Users need to learn the spells Elven magic is natural and innate. As Elf levels (her Elf class) she gains new spells as powers. She can cast as many spells levels as her Elf level + WIS bonus per day.

Example: A 3rd level Elf with +2 WIS bonus can cast has 5 spell points. She can cast 5 1st level spells, two second level spells and one 1st level spells, one 3rd level spell and two 1st levels or one 2nd level spell etc. The spell points are re-gained after a rest.

If all the spells points are used for a day Elf can try to spontaneously cast a spell. Save versus Spells or Spell-like Devices - spell level. If successful, the spell is cast as normal. If a failure, spell level damage to hit points is suffered as a system shock.

If the Elf multiclasses to Magic-User the Elven innate spells and learned Magic-User spells are kept separate from each other, as other are innate powers, other learned and memorized.

Other things were by the book.

The character didn't have any starting gold so her starting equipment was just slave's/prisoner's rag. But she did have two magical items randomly rolled from Labyrinth Lord's random magic items charts.

Other item is a weapon player could choose to roll from the three charts; Rods, staves and wands, or swords or miscellaneous weapons. She chose a sword to be rolled.

Also a random magic item was to be rolled.

Also because player chose to be an Elf and when her legendary destiny is to be revealed (in game) I'll let her roll for a subclass from Dyson's d12 elven subclasses. But that is to become later.

Character Background

The character doesn't remember her past etc. For this there are two reasons. The player is not familiar with the setting so as the setting is revealed for the character as she adventures there also the player learns about the setting. The Elves are extremely rare in the setting to make things more logical why this particular "hero" Elf doesn't know much. Also she's from another place than this so this is all new to her. There is a story behind why she doesn't remember anything (generic vanilla fantasy - that's the point in this!), but the plot story doesn't belong here at all.

Second reason is that I've toyed a lot with a campaign similar to Elder Scrolls (particularly Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim) and all those games start with the player character imported to the adventure location without a clue what is going on. And in all those game the player is destined (a legend) to not only save the day but the whole adventure area!

So yeah, this is nothing innovative, but I haven't ran games like this for like 15 years or so, so this is what and how I want to do it.

Only hints to the characters past and who she is are the two magic items she holds.

These things are revealed in game reports I am planning to post here as the game advances (3rd session done, 0 posted here!)

Character Sheet

Character Name: Amaro Utharo
Class/Race: Elf
Alignment: Good
Level: 1
Age: ?

Hit Points: 12 (as CON)
Armor Class: 8 (-1 from DEX)

ABILITIES:
STR: 8
DEX: 13
CON: 12
INT: 15
WIS: 14
CHA: 10

OTHER ABILITIES: Lorimer (I have no idea what this is and when I asked the player wasn't sure either. So if anyone know what Lorimer (or Iomirer) is please let me know...

CLASS ABILITIES AND SPELLS:
60ft. infravision
- search 2/6
-immunity to paralysis
- spell: Magic Missile

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT:
- Sword +2 (+3 against giants) with a dragon headed handle (this is not only a weapon but also a plot-item!!!)
- Tome of stealth (xp-boost for Thief and Assassin)

Review: The Hanging Garden

This is a 4-page version of an one-page-dungeon by Richard LeBlanc. Link to the product: http://savevsdragon.blogspot.fi/2014/05/free-oe1ebx-mini-adventure-hanging.html

The first thing to catch the eye is the picture chosen for the cover of hanged fallen grail knights. Really evocative piece of art by Arthur Rackham. But let's see what is inside...

The story of the adventure is simple. Orcs taking people captive. There's a nice 1d6 rumor table with various equally good rumors what villagers think is going on and why orcs are doing this. Also a beaming light is seen...

It is extremely easy for the characters to find the right way to the adventure location if they choose to find out what is going on. In the adventure there will be many orc encounters.

I like how in the area descriptions characters and monsters are in bold, so those are easy to spot reading the text. Unfortunately most of the rooms are a little dull. Not necessarily in a bad way, as this is quite generic fantasy adventure. But maybe that is a point, as there are also weirder monsters around and for them one full page is dedicated with random generators.

This is a simple easy to run adventure to put in any fantasy campaign. The dull-ish rooms I think are there to make the ending more horrific or weird. But there is one major problem. The adventure doesn't itself answer some big questions but those are easy for a GM to figure out himself I think. Quite clear what the light is and why the people are kidnapped. But for some reason I think the adventure lacked a grande finale.

I do understand that for one-page-dungeon the space is limited and in this 4-page version first page is a cover, two pages are the adventure and the last page is random monster generator. GM can easily use the generator to generate other types of monsters too I think what makes the generator pretty cool.

The adventure is simple, easy to run and for player characters easy to start. Mundane beginning does go somewhere not expected. Only problem might be that there is lots of fighting, even before you get to the location. The problem here is that that amount of fighting might be a little dull if the character party doesn't come up with other ways to deal with aggressive encounters. But after killing maybe even dozens of orcs you get to kill something more interesting.

For me this wasn't that gory, but I like LotFP stuff so there's not many things that shocks me anymore. Still I like how there is something weird and a little gore-y and it is not how a GM reads it but how he plays it and how the player characters react to it. With proper descriptions and setting the right mood this might be quite frightening in the end - in a gore movie way.

I like this. Not brilliant but not bad either. This is something I would most definitely run as it is feels really easy to GM. And little weird is not bad thing at all!