Canor Morum

D&D Minis Dragon Roundup: Metallic Edition

2015-11-29T20:50:00.002-08:00

The counterpart to Tiamat is Bahamut, father of the good dragons, or metallic dragons. The Aspect of Bahamut, also from War of the Dragon Queen is 5" high.

There is also an Icons of the Realms version of Bahamut. Roughly the same size except for wing span.

Let's start with gold, one of my favorite dragon varieties. The Gold Dragon from Deathknell is 1.5" high, in the small or wyrmling category.

The Large Gold Dragon from Night Below is slightly larger and could be called a young dragon.

Another Young Gold Dragon from Dangerous Delves. I really like the wings on this one.

At 5", the Huge Gold Dragon from Giants of Legend is about the size of the typical elder.

The Icons line has two new gold dragons. Both called Gold Dragon, one from Tyranny of Dragons and one from Rage of Demons.

There's also a Gold Shadow Dragon version of the one from Rage of Demons.

Silver is next, the smallest is the Medium Silver Dragon from Underdark.

The Large Silver Dragon from Archfiends is slightly bigger at 2".

The Young Silver Dragon from Dungeons of Dread has some great detail.

Icons of the Realms: Tyranny of Dragons brings a new flying young Silver Dragon.

Another Silver Dragon comes as a promo for the Icons: Elemental Evil set. It is called gargantuan but it's actually elder sized. It appears very similar to the smaller version.

The Brass Dragon from Dragoneye is a wyrmling at 1.5".

The Large Brass Dragon from Unhallowed is a little bigger. This is the typical young dragon size.

Icons: Elemental Evil introduces a new flying young Brass Dragon.

The Icons: Tyranny of Dragons case incentive promo is an Ancient Brass Dragon. This one is elder sized.

Next we have the copper dragons. The Small Copper Dragon from War of the Dragon Queen is a wyrmling.

The Medium Copper Dragon from Blood War is a little bigger at 1.5".

The Large Copper Dragon from Angelfire is 2" or young sized.

The Capricious Copper Dragon is another young dragon.

The Elder Copper Dragon from Lords of Madness.

There are two new coppers from Icons. A young sized one from Rage of Demons.

And the elder sized Copper Dragon from Tyranny of Dragons.

Finally we come to the bronze dragons. The Bronze Wyrmling from Giants of Legend is 1" high.

The Large Bronze Dragon from War Drums, 2".

The new flying young Bronze Dragon from Icons: Elemental Evil.

And the elder Bronze Dragon from Icons: Tyranny of Dragons.

Iron dragons are rarer but there are two of them. The Iron Dragon Prowler from Demonweb is one. It is about 2" or young sized.

The other is the Elder Iron Dragon from Legendary Evils.

The chromatic and undead dragons are covered in D&D Minis Dragon Roundup: Chromatic Edition.

D&D Minis Dragon Roundup: Chromatic Edition

2015-11-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game launched in 2003 and produced 20 expansions until it was canceled in 2011. Although the figures can be used to play a skirmish style board game, many people use them for regular games of D&D.

First up is Tiamat, the mother of evil dragons, or chromatic dragons. You may recognize her from the 80's D&D cartoon. There are two versions, the first is named Aspect of Tiamat, from the War of the Dragon Queen set, it is 5" high. For a long time this was the only version of Tiamat available.

Wizards of the Coast relaunched the D&D line in 2014. The newer ones use a harder plastic. Another version of Tiamat, now in flight, connected to the base by a transparent rod, was made as part of the Icons of the Realms set. It's body is roughly the same size but the wings make it larger, about 8" from wingtip to tail.

Now let's get into the individual chromatic dragons, of which there are many. Starting with one of my personal favorites, the blue dragon. This one is a Blue Wyrmling from the Dragoneye set. At 1" high it's very small.

The Large Blue Dragon from Deathknell is a little bigger at 2". There is another version of this sculpt in the Dragon Collector's set, more appropriately titled Young Blue Dragon.

The D&D Basic Game came with a slightly different sculpt called simply, Blue Dragon.

Yet another one, the Stormrage Blue Dragon from Demonweb.

The new Icons of the Realms line has given us two more Blue Dragons, one in Tyranny of Dragons and another in Elemental Evil.

The Elder Blue Dragon from Lords of Madness is larger at about 5" and has some impressive detail.

Finally, the biggest of them all, the Gargantuan Blue Dragon. I just measured mine and it's 6" high and 9" long.

Next up is white. The Small White Dragon from Dragoneye is 1" high, comparable to the Blue Wyrmling.

There's also a Young White Dragon in the Dragon Collector's Set that is slightly larger.

The Large White Dragon from Night Below is roughly the same size.

The new Icons line brings a White Dragon on a flying stand.

The Elder White Dragon from Against the Giants is 5" and has some great detail.

The final and largest white dragon is from the Legend of Drizzt pack. Named Icingdeath, I would call this a Gargantuan White.

Starting again with the smallest, the Black Dragon from Dragoneye and also boxed in the Basic Game is 1" high.

The Small Black Dragon from War of the Dragon Queen is another wyrmling.

Black Dragon Lurker from Demonweb is slightly bigger and the same one used in the Dragon Collector's Set, called a Young Black Dragon.

Another, young sized dragon, Large Black Dragon from Unhallowed.

The new Icons flying Black Dragon and translucent Black Shadow Dragon.

Here's a 5" elder black that's a little different. The Sorcerer on Black Dragon from War of the Dragon Queen has a rider.

The Gargantuan Black Dragon lives up to it's name.

Now for green, the Green Dragon from Aberrations is a 1" wyrmling sized beastie.

Young Green Dragon from the Starter Set is another.

There's also one called Young Green Dragon in the Dragon Collector's Set with a different sculpt.

Yet another variation, the Large Green Dragon from War of the Dragon Queen.

New style Green Dragons from Icons of the Realms: Tyranny of Dragons and Elemental Evil, respectively.

Finally, the Elder Green Dragon from Legendary Evils. Though not gargantuan it's the biggest green dragon available.

Red dragons are up next. First the Red Wyrmling from Giants of Legend.

In the 2" category we have the Young Red Dragon from Dungeons of Dread.

Also, the Large Red Dragon from Dragoneye, which is the same sculpt used in the Dragon Collector's Set.

The new flying Red Dragon from Icons: Tyranny of Dragons.

Geting bigger, at 6" high, the Elder Red Dragon from Against the Giants towers over the young dragons.

The Huge Red Dragon from Giants of Legend is slightly smaller than the elder but looks better, in my opinion. It also appears in the Wrath of Ashardalon board game unpainted.

Wizards skipped the gargantuan size for red and went straight to colossal. The Colossal Red Dragon is 14" high with translucent wings and fire. The holy grail of dragon collectors everywhere.

Some rarer chromatics are the Adult Brown from Legendary Evils.

The Adult Gray from Savage Encounters.

And the Adult Purple, also from Savage Encounters. All are 2" or young sized.

The Large Fang Dragon from Night Below is unusual.

As is the translucent Large Shadow Dragon from Night Below.

Lastly we have the undead variety of dragons. The Zombie White Dragon from Deathknell at 2" has some good detail.

The Fettered Dracolich from Lords of Madness is young sized.

The Dracolich from War of the Dragon Queen is a reanimated elder blue. It's also the same sculpt used in the Castle Ravenloft board game, unpainted.

The new Icons of the Realms: Rage of Demons set brings two new undead dragons, The Red Dracolich at young sized.

And the elder sized White Dracolich, a case incentive promo.

The metallic dragons are covered in D&D Minis Dragon Roundup: Metallic Edition.

Inconnu

2015-11-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

This is my gothic rock or post-punk musical project. All of the instruments and vocals were performed by myself except for the sampled drums. I will be posting demo versions of these songs as they are written for a future release.

https://www.facebook.com/inconnuband/

Art Gallery

2015-10-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

All of this is my work. Some old and some new.

Paint

Ink

Digital

D&D Creation Myth

2015-09-22T01:17:00.001-07:00

In the beginning, the Great Dragon, known only as Io, swam through an endless void of space but soon grew weary of emptiness and distant stars. Upon discovering a giant rock, the Dragon decided to rest. Once there, it laid two unusual eggs, one of gold and one of silver. From these eggs burst Sol and Luna, two beings of indescribable majesty and power.

The Dragon adored the bright, radiant warmth of Sol, but did not show much interest in Luna, only sleeping when she was present. Luna became tired of existing in the shadows, so one day she disguised herself as Sol, eclipsing him. She gathered the leftover dust from ancient stars and used it to make the Dragon fall into a deep, perpetual sleep.

The Dragon burrowed into the rock, it's spine jutting out to form mountains, it's red, fiery breath escaping in plumes from volcanoes. When it began snoring, the surface of the rock shook violently. From the cracks, the sky and sea were released, surrounding the rock in blue.

Sol was not pleased with Luna and fought with her, leaving scars still visible from below. When the battle ended, the sun looked down and saw the sea for the first time, reflecting his own radiant light in hypnotic waves. Sol warmed the sea and she gave birth to the first creatures and green plants. Thinking that Sol would claim the sea as his own, the sky created storms, blocking Sol's light from the object of his affection. In retaliation, Sol separated the sky and sea, never to be joined again.

The sea grieved, her tears filling the lakes and rivers of the world and retreated to the depths of the ocean. Many of the sea's children left for land, drawn by the light of their father, others stayed behind. The largest of these land creatures, the giants, carved great canyons from the rock.

The Great Dragon may have been sleeping but it still dreamed, and from it's dreams, Bahamut and Tiamat, manifested. Who in turn brought metallic and chromatic dragons into the world. When these young dragon descendents encountered the giants, war was waged between them for hundreds of years, wiping out huge swaths of creatures. This mass extinction of life did not go unnoticed by the Old Gods.

Sol convened a meeting and it was decided, they would call upon forces from the Elemental Plane, to stabilize the world. The cycle of life and death would need to be balanced to prevent future catastrophes. The Four Elements were each given a corresponding season, and a representative in the world tasked with maintaining equilibrium.

Bahamut too, saw the need for order and joined with the Old Gods. They banished Tiamat to the Abyss for sowing evil in the world, then took their place in the Astral Plane.

Ritual Possession - Beneath the Demon Moon

2015-08-17T17:02:00.001-07:00

This is the video I made for the first single from Solitude.
It was edited together from public domain footage.

Ritual Possession

2015-01-29T01:03:00.002-08:00

UPDATE: This recording is now available as a digital download on Bandcamp and on cassette from Vanguard Productions.

I've been working with Yaotzin on a recording project since July of last year. We've been busy writing songs and are now beginning to lay down some tracks for an EP coming out in 2015. Here's a logo I created for the band, along with the track listing for our first release.

Artist: Ritual Possession
Album Title: Solitude
Release Date: April 20th, 2015

Songs:
Beneath The Demon Moon
Embraced by Death
Dying Alone
Winter's Grasp
Wastelands of Eternity
Black Winds of the Mountain
Desolation

Credits:
Yaotzin - all drums, bass, main vocals on 3, 4, 6, noise on 7, lyrics
Canor Morum - all guitar, main vocals on 1, 2, 5, keys on 6

All songs written, arranged, and performed by Ritual Possession. Produced by Ritual Possession and Chris Waters at Solah Studios. Cover art by John E. Logo by CM.

Interview with Yaotzin and Canor Morum:
occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2015/06/ritual-possession-interview.html

Reviews:
"raw primitive black metal, with plenty of slow times, great drum work and catatonic riffs, few bands are this within the black, a return to the roots in the making."
- elcomentamierda

"very great sounding dark, raw and old school black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep."
-occultblacklmetalzine

Ten Things I Hate About the Internet

2014-10-02T01:02:00.001-07:00

I grew up with libraries and loved going there and pouring through books and discovering new ideas as a kid. I would carefully search for the book I was looking for, bring it to a quiet spot, and read comfortably, knowing I wouldn't be bothered. When libraries started putting in computers with internet access I was excited.

I soon learned that the world was much bigger than I imagined, that other people actually shared my interests, no matter how bizarre, and that I could always find an answer to the questions that wouldn't let me sleep at night. On the other hand, I learned that the people I despised and avoided in my everyday life were present in abundance on the web, they were given a megaphone, and the information is rife with bias, poor research, and outright lies.

I didn't have home internet access until college. Since then, the internet has been a part of my everyday life but over the years I have grown to hate it and long for those quiet moments in the library. With that, I give you my list of ten things I hate about the internet.

#10 - Top ten lists.
Can everything be boiled down to a list of ten things? Apparently the answer is yes and people will click them and read them about anything. They don't require a long attention span and constantly remind the reader they are only a few paragraphs away from being done and getting on with their day. You should only read these lists if you are sitting on the toilet in desperate need of some momentary relief.

#9 - Shitty blogs.
Everyone has a blog these days and everyone is a writer. Unfortunately, in order to maintain readers you have to constantly update a blog and you don't have to be a good writer. There is no filter or an editor saying, "maybe you should spend more time researching and writing this" or "I'm not sure that being snarky and finding creative ways to say, that sucks, is a good substitute for actual writing." Even worse are the comment sections of blogs and other sites. Everyone should do the following before making a comment. Ask yourself if that comment adds anything to the conversation or is even relevant to the topic. If the answer is no, put down the keyboard.

#8 - Image macros.
If you don't know what this is, it's a picture of an animal or person with a short phrase on it that spreads like an STD. There's a reason these are so popular, image macros are bite sized, easy to digest, and don't require much thought. The first time you see one it may be mildly amusing but after awhile your eyes just start to glaze over from the repetition.

#7 - Privacy.
There is none. Everyone just spills out intimate details of their personal life with no regard for who is reading it. Companies collect that personal information and sell it to the highest bidder and use it to advertise their products. We all become enraged at revelations of the government snooping into our lives and then continue supplying that information willingly.

#6 - Politics.
Everyone wants you to know their personal opinion and think if people just listened they could change the world with their revolutionary ideas. Problem is, they fail to present any new ideas and keep spouting out their mouths without any indication they are informed on the issue or have even taken a moment to consider another's point of view.

#5 - Trolling.
This activity is increasingly popular and constantly used as an excuse to engage in behavior that would be reprehensible in any other context. People who were once despised are now lauded as being edgy and creative. I've got news, this has been going on since the birth of the internet. I hated it then and I hate it now. Don't confuse satire and parody with trolling. Trolls are just assholes, they aren't artists trying to make a point or provoke thought.

#4 - News media.
News is nothing more than sensationalized titles, conveniently omitted or cherry picked facts, and blatant lies. There is no integrity or courageous investigative journalism to be found. Corporate sponsors and advertisers insure that any meaningful conversation or critical thinking is squashed before it can develop. You can't blame people for being misinformed or just throwing their hands up because they can't rely on anything. The institution that is supposed to be a watchdog for government corruption and corporate malfeasance is complicit in that same activity.

#3 - Deceptive websites.
Many sites are intentionally difficult to navigate and try to side track you from your intended goal. Whether it's through intrusive links to other content or disguising ads themselves as content, information that should be easily and quickly obtainable becomes a chore, requiring the creation of an account or signing up for spam emails to get what you need. Some of these sites can even damage your computer by tricking you into downloading software you never wanted and never asked for.

#2 - Artists don't get paid for their work.
Whether it's an image, an article, a song, a video, or a program. Everything is freely shared with no recognition of the artist or their investment of time in creating it. The cat is out of the bag on this one and it's just something we have to live with. Digital reproduction is so good that a copy is as good as the original. There's no going back. Artists must resort to begging for money to make a living.

#1 - The internet is a colossal waste of time.
I'm guilty of this as much as anyone. I start reading something that leads to one thing, that leads to another until the thing I really wanted to get done or research is completely forgotten about. I spend more time reading about the things I want to do than actually doing them. I hate the internet.

Untitled Song Lyrics/Concept Album

2013-05-30T03:28:00.000-07:00

last edit: 9/22/15

I.

in the age of magic and steel
once the crows had all flown
after a long journey in the forest
one hunter took the road home

only to find his village plundered
ruined by wanton reckless slaughter
another tribe had murdered and maimed
all the sons and daughters

grieving, he carried away the bodies
a path of blood staining the snow
deep into the tombs of his ancestors
where his enemies dared not go

there in the darkness and sorrow
something unnatural coalesced
an ancient evil with an offer
and a test

then it spoke...

take this blade of shadow
slay them by my hand
send them back to hell
kill one thousand men
I will bring her back to you

II.

at first he only killed
the most vicious and vile
while searching for the men
who threw his kin into fire

the blade kept him going
searching for answers
whispering with the voice
of the necromancer

take no pity
on these men of vice
death is their mistress
the cost is their life

at last he found the home
of that most wretched tribe
their women wore jewelry
of those who had died

smite them where they stand
the wretched unholy race
take what was taken from you
leave not a trace

with blood lust and vengeance
he raised the blade high
it came down in a storm
until no one survived

standing on piles of viscera
surrounded by broken and dead
covered in blood and hate
the sword glowed black and red

III.

his quest now completed
he returned to the tomb
where her lifeless body lay
pale and blue

animated by dark magic
she slowly began to move
but she couldn't speak a word
only stare with empty eyes
fearful of the light
not dead but not alive

your love now walks among us

vainfully he tried to kill the demon
the shadows laughing at his flailing
but the ebon blade was bound
even death would not release him

your soul is undead
forged in your mind
thrall to your sire
weapon of mine

IV.

transformed by evil deeds
he slept in the tomb at night
his kin were dead and gone
his love, only hollowed bones

you can't murder what's dead
he told himself
to do what must be done
now nothing more than
old flesh and bone

finally at rest and safe from harm
he placed her body into the wall
and covered it with his own

Rivercity by Night

2010-12-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

This was a website I made in 2010 to promote local music. I made the music accompanying the video as well.

Ravenholme D&D Adventure

2010-10-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Update 10/28/15: I've removed the 4e monster stats from here in place of monster suggestions. This makes it more of a generic adventure that can be used with any system or party level. The place names can be changed to fit your own setting.

DM Info:

Ravenholme is a small village that lies on the edge of the Bleak Forest under the shadow of the Enduring Mountains. The village was founded by a religious sect seeking freedom from persecution. The cult is known for their bizarre practices and rituals which involve cannibalization of the dead. After being separated from civilization for many years, other than the occasional merchant brave enough to venture into village, Ravenholme descended into madness.

It began when the residents were stricken with plague. One by one they began dying and the priests determined there was a witch among them causing the outbreak. Accusations flew and trials were held but the executions did nothing to stop the plague from eventually killing almost all of the villagers.
The players have been offered a reward to investigate the village after the last group of adventurers sent there failed to return.

Grey clouds are forming in the sky as you make your way towards Ravenholme. From a distance it appears to be a quaint country village. It begins raining and the dirt path you are walking on soon becomes muddy and sticks to your boots. You can make out a cluster of buildings. It appears that several of the buildings are only partially standing. Charred beams and piles of blackened rubble indicate they caught on fire before slumping to the ground. What remains of the front doors have been painted with a large red X.

There is an old well immediately in front of you. A rope tied off to a cranking mechanism descends down into the dark interior. To the east there is a horse stable. To the north four buildings remain standing, intact for the most part. The buildings flank a dirt path leading to a large church.

Well : If the players turn the crank on the well a bucket comes up. It is filled with maggots feasting on putrid remains of indiscernible origin.
Monster Encounter : Spiders, Mold, or Writhing Tentacles

Stables : The stables are empty except for a rotting horse carcass, some old horseshoes and hand tools.

Building A : The door is unlocked. This appears to have been a shop or tavern of sorts. Most of the goods have been carried off. All that remain are empty barrels and crates. Rotten fruit lies about on the tables. Perception DC 10: reveals a bag of flour, DC 13: two bottles of wine, and DC 16: 5 gold pieces. There are several large cracks and holes at the base of the walls.
Monster Encounter : Giant Roaches or Giant Rats

Building B : There is a large red X painted on the door and it is locked. The windows are boarded up. Strength DC 16 to bash door, Thievery DC 17 to unlock. Upon opening the door a putrid smell wafts out. The interior is dark and a creaking sound can be heard coming from the second floor. A corpse lies in a bed on the second floor, its skin blackened and pulled tightly around the bones. It is clutching a bag containing 60 gold pieces.
Monster Encounter : Wraith, Spectre, or Spirit

Will try to hide until the players take the bag.

Building C : There is furniture pushed against the inside of the door. Opening the door requires Strength. DC 10, pushes it open 1 foot, DC 13, 2 feet, DC 15 opens it all the way. There is also a window on the back of the building that is partially open. Upon entering, a cat darts across the room and hops through the window. This building appears to have been a nursery. There are children’s toys strewn across the floor. Perception DC 13 reveals a Dwarven Music Box amongst the toys, DC 15 reveals a hidden door in the floor. The door leads to a small cellar where a woman and two children are hiding. She screams upon seeing the players and waves a kitchen knife at them.

Building D : The door is rigged to a crossbow mounted to a table inside. ATTACK: +4 vs. Reflex; 1d6+3. There are corpses piled onto makeshift cots on the floor. Perception 15 reveals a key hidden away. The key opens Building B.

Church : The interior of the church is covered in giant spider webs. Corpses hang suspended in the air, wrapped in sticky cocoons. There is a huge hole in the ceiling and chunks of the roof lie about. Hymn books and pages are scattered throughout the debris and stuck in the webbing, many of the pews are turned over or broken in half. Spread around the altar in the center of the room are 287 gold pieces gathered in assorted vessels, Holy Symbol +1, and an Amulet of Protection +1. Beyond the church lies a graveyard.
Players entering the web must make Athletics or Acrobatics DC 14 or become immobilized.
Monster Encounter : Giant Spiders

Graveyard : Many of the graves here have been dug up, some are covered with mounds of dead flowers. Perception DC 20 reveals some of these to be open grave traps. ATTACK: +4 vs. Reflex; 1d4 dmg. 6 foot fall. Player can make a saving throw to avoid falling in. There are zombies spread throughout the graveyard. They will ignore players that are more than 5 squares away. When one attacks, the others will follow however. There is a large tomb at the far end of the graveyard.
Monster Encounter : Zombies or Ghouls

Tomb : The entrance to the tomb is surrounded by elaborate stone carvings. Stairs lead down to a hallway. In the hall there is a green fungus growing on the walls and floor. Once disturbed it releases a cloud of poison that does 1d6+3 dmg to anyone caught in the area of effect (3x3 square radius). At the end of the hall there is a dimly lit chamber. A robed figure stands with his back to the characters. He appears to be dissecting a corpse laid out on a stone slab. If all the zombies were not killed from the graveyard they will follow the players into the tomb and fill the hallway.
Monster Encounter : Necromancer or Cultists


			The chamber contains a battleaxe+1, an ivory statue worth 250GP, and 122GP.

Elsewhere

2010-01-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Setting

This game takes place on an alien world that is similar to but different from Earth. The planet has an atmosphere, oceans, forests, and diverse life-forms. There are six distinct, human-like, alien species with behavior much like our own. Each of these species has adapted to their environment in different ways.

The six playable species are civilized and rely on one another for trade and mutual protection from greater enemies. They have common ground in that regard. There are internal struggles and in-fighting amongst various tribes, classes or guilds. The known world is filled with ruins of older civilizations. These ruins contain great treasures, artifacts or knowledge to be sought after.

The level of technology in Elsewhere is comparable to the Medieval Era. In this sense, the setting would be best described as Medieval Science Fiction. Society is on the cusp of a cultural and technological Renaissance but is held back by ancient tradition. Primitive firearms exist but are expensive to produce and unreliable. The most common mode of travel is by ship or boat, due the vast network of rivers and the surrounding waterways of the continents. Wagons pulled by animal are the primary form of transport over land.

There are forms of knowledge rooted in realism (explosives, chemistry, medicine, etc.) similar to spell casting in the traditional Fantasy RPG. The knowledge to make and use these are highly guarded secrets and only taught to proven students. Not only to protect the knowledge from being misused but also because they are inherently dangerous. These technologies are often viewed as magical and other-worldly by commoners.

There are also exaggerated naturalistic abilities that are based on the actual abilities of animals on Earth. These include heightened senses, night vision, and gliding. Each species has its own unique adaptations, culture, strengths and weaknesses.

Species

Canidae
Appearance: Wolf-like.
Abilities: Retractable claws, Heightened Senses, Wall Running. Can withstand extreme cold, excellent hunters.
Habitat: The cold north. Most are nomads and travel in packs.
Religion: Worship a solar deity. Burn dead in bonfires.
Politics: Republic. Council of Elders consists of one representative from each clan, normally the eldest. Votes are taken by the representatives although the highest ranking elder has the final say.

Varanidae
Appearance: Reptilian. Scaly skin, large yellow-orange eyes, forked tongue, small horns.
Abilities: Venom, Heat Perception, Chameleon
Habitat: Live in bayou, capital city similar to New Orleans, French Quarter.
Religion: Secular for the most part although remnants of polytheism remain.
Politics: Monarchy.

Vespoidea
Appearance: Insect-like.
Abilities: Sting, Super Strength, Exoskeleton
Habitat: Large hill/mound cities.
Religion: Ancestor worship, ancient queens and legendary warriors. Bury dead in tombs.
Politics: Monarchy. Ruled by a queen. Class system consisting of nobles, warriors, artisans and laborers. Often heredity determines ones social standing although wealthy merchants can "ascend" to the noble class.

Talpidae
Appearance: Mole-like. White pupils, fur, whiskers.
Abilities: Precognition, Supersensitive Hearing, Burrow
Habitat: Underground labyrinth of chambers and tunnels. Poor eyesight, use other senses to form a mental image of their surroundings. The libraries are well guarded and contain valuable knowledge in the form of books and scrolls. These are written with a system of raised symbols and read by touch. Females carry young in pouches.
Religion: Monotheists. Believe in powerful force that resides in the center of the planet.
Politics: Theocracy. Ruled by an elite class of priests.

Chiroptera
Appearance: Bat-like. Membrane stretching from lower arm to side. These do not function as wings but still allow the creature to glide.
Abilities: Glide, Leap, Echo Location
Habitat: Live in huge open cave colonies, structures suspended from the roof and walls. Series of ropes power vertical platforms. Homes have doors in the bottom for gliding down. Mostly nocturnal, follow a lunar calender.
Religion: Polytheists. Worship the three moons.

Anguilla
Appearance: Amphibian. Dark eyes, tentacle hair, patterns of light on skin that shift and move.
Abilities: Shock, Breathe Underwater, Telepathy
Habitat: Venice like cities with portions underwater.
Religion: Monotheists. Believe in a powerful sea deity that sleeps in the depths of the ocean.
Politics: Quasi-Republic, Theocracy. "Representatives" vote on law but are appointed by the ruling priest.

Professions

Mercenary – You are a fighter for hire, you owe no allegiance to any nation.
Talents: Medium Armor, Edged, Blunt, Dual Wield, Charge, Whirlwind
Favored Attributes: Strength, Agility

Knight – You are well equipped warrior, loyal to a nobleman or king.
Talents: Heavy Armor, Two-handed Weapons, Blunt, Edged, Toughness, Shield Bash
Favored Attributes: Endurance, Strength

Ranger – You are a woodsman, hunter of game and master of the bow.
Talents: Stealth, Ambush, Tracking, Traps, Ranged Weapons, Light Armor
Favored Attributes: Agility, Knowledge

Assassin – You are a stealthy killer, striking from the shadows.
Talents: Stealth, Ambush, Thievery, Poisons, Daggers, Light Armor
Favored Attributes: Agility, Awareness

Monk – You are a devout scholar, trained in the arts of healing and master of self-disipline.
Talents: Medicine, Hypnosis, Linguistics, Persuasion, Diplomacy, Martial Arts
Favored Attributes: Personality, Knowledge

Scientist – You are a tinkerer and inventor, skilled with explosives and chemistry.
Talents: Chemistry, Explosives, Investigation, Observation, Invention, Learning
Favored Attributes: Knowledge, Awareness

STR

1 – Swimming – Swim longer and dive deeper.
2 – Climbing – Climb sheer surfaces.
3 – Specialty: Blunt Clubs, staves, maces.
4 – Specialty: Edged Swords, axes.
5 – Specialty: Two–handed Great sword, great axe, great hammer.
6 – Specialty: Medium Armor - Reduces the movement penalty for wearing medium armor and allows you to repair damaged medium armor.
7 – Charge – Run into a single enemy knocking them down, causing them to lose a turn. You must be running at maximum movement speed.
8 – Whirlwind – Attacks multiple enemies in area of effect.
9 – The Bleeding - Causes damage over time.
10 – Decapitation – Req. Bleeding R4. Instant kill, severing the head from the body. Can only be used once per encounter.

AGI

1 – Specialty: Light Armor - Allows you to repair damaged leather armor.
2 – Dual Wield Eliminates weapon speed penalty for wielding two weapons.
3 – Specialty: Daggers
4 – Specialty: Ranged Weapons
5 – Martial Arts – Improved hand–to–hand. Disarm opponent at R4.
6 – Stealth – Move silently and undetected.
7 – Thievery – Open locks, Craft lock picks, Pick pockets, Escape
8 – Ambush – Provides a bonus when attacking enemies from stealth.
9 - Sniper - Req. Ranged R.4. Instantly kills enemy with ranged weapon in one shot.
10 – Assassination – Req. Ambush R4. Instantly kills an enemy while attacking from stealth with melee weapon.

END

1 – Increased Lung Capacity - Hold your breath longer.
2 - Marathon Runner - Run longer distances without tiring.
3 - Soft Landing - Fall farther without taking damage.
4 - Survival - Live longer without food or water.
5 – Toughness - Decreases amount of damage taken.
6 – Resist Poison - Allows you to resist the effects of poison.
7 - Specialty: Heavy Armor - Reduces the movement penalty for wearing heavy armor and allows you to repair damaged heavy armor.
8 – Fast Healing - Increases your rate of healing.
9 - Shield Bash - Stuns an oppnent for two turns, causing critical damage.
10 – Adrenaline Surge - Req. Fast Healing R4. Makes you impervious to pain, you take no damage for two turns.

KNO

1 – Sewing – Craft clothes, repair clothes.
2 – Camping – Reliably start a fire and create shelter.
3 – Fishing – Catch more and bigger fish.
4 – Artistry - Draw, paint, play an instrument.
5 – Linguistics - Speak multiple languages and interpret ancient symbols.
6 – Traps – Disarm a trap, set a trap.
7 - Poisons - Create deadly poisons and apply them to weapons.
8 – Medicine – Set broken bones and heal injuries. Create remedies to common ailments.
9 – Explosives – Create powerful explosives with the power to destroy, blind and confuse the enemy.
10 – Chemistry – Create acid, liquid fire, sleeping gas, and other chemical weapons.

AWA

1 – Sense of Direction - Be aware of landmarks and study the skies.
2 – Stalk - Trail someone, learn their routines.
3 – Camouflage - Blend in with your surroundings.
4 – Listening - Detect faint noises and recognize audible clues.
5 – Fast Reflexes - Respond quickly when in danger. Dodge incoming attacks.
6 – Tracking – Identify and follow the tracks of animals or humanoids.
7 – Observation – Let's you find things that are hidden and detect stealth.
8 – Investigation - Discover clues and decipher riddles.
9 - Invention - Can improvise devices and create mechanical solutions.
10 - Intuition - Req. Observation R4 - Let's you re-roll one failed roll. Can be used once per day.

PER

1 – Haggle – Bargain for a better price and receive more for sold goods.
2 – Entertain – Sing a song, dance, tell a story, make jokes.
3 – Intimidate – Convince someone to follow your orders through fear.
4 – Seduction – Seduce someone into following you or doing what you ask.
5 – Disguise – Convince someone you are someone else with props and through acting.
6 – Animal Ken – Befriend animals, train them.
7 – Persuasion – Persuade someone to do what you ask of them. Bluffing.
8 – Diplomacy – Create peace between active enemies, interact with nobles and dignitaries.
9 – Interrogate - Req. Persuasion R4. Extract information from unwilling participants through psychological torture.
10 – Hypnosis – Plant a suggestion into the victim's mind.

The System

You will need at least two ten-sided die of different colors to play. Assign one color to be the “tens” place and the other color to be the “ones”. When rolling both at once, this will give you a result of 1-100, also known as a percentile roll. It will be referred to as 1d100 in this text.

Character Creation Summary

1. Choose a Species. This will determine your Base Attributes and Abilities.
2. Customize your character. You have 100 points to divide among your attributes, add these points to the Base Attribute scores. During character creation no attribute can exceed 70.
3. Determine your starting Health, Initiative, Encumbrance, and Movement Speed from your Attribute scores.
4. Choose a Profession. This determines which Talents you start with and the role you will play.
5. Purchase weapons, armor, and equipment.
6. Name your creation, describe his/her physical appearance and any background information.

Attributes

Physical

· Strength (STR) – Determines your chance to hit with most melee weapons.
· Agility (AGI) – Determines your chance to hit with ranged weapons and daggers.
· Endurance (END) – Determines your maximum health and damage resistance.

Mental

· Knowledge (KNO) – Determines your chance to succeed when using explosives, chemistry, or medicine.
· Awareness (AWA) – Influences your initiative score and chance to detect hidden enemies.
· Personality (PER) – Determines your degree of social standing and hypnosis modifiers.

Attributes range from 20-80. Each species has it's own base attributes indicating the strengths and weaknesses of that species. After deciding on a species, you have 100 additional points to further customize your character. Your initial attribute scores cannot exceed 70.

Base Attributes

Species      STR   AGI     END     KNO    AWA    PER

Canid         50      30       40       30        30      20
Varan         30      50       30       20        40      30
Vespoid      40      30       50       30        20      30
Talpid        30      20       30       50        30      40
Chiro         20      40       30       30        50      30
Anguil        30      30       20       40        30      50

Your total attribute score determines your chance of success when attempting to perform an action. This can be expressed as a percentage. You must roll equal to or under your attribute score on 1d100 to succeed. This is known as a "roll-under" system. If you roll higher than your attribute score the action fails. If you roll the same number as your score it is a critical success. In combat a critical success results in 2x the normal damage for your weapon. If you roll two zeros it is a critical failure, you cannot roll 100.

Ex. Joe wants to throw an object at a target. Assuming his Strength is high enough to lift the object Joe would use his Agility score to determine the outcome. Joe's Agility is 70, giving him a 70% chance to succeed.

There are four possible outcomes:

1. Normal success. Ex. Joe rolls 37, he hits the target.
2. Critical success. Ex. Joe rolls 70, he hits the target and breaks it into pieces.
3. Normal failure. Ex. Joe rolls 85, he misses the target.
4. Critical failure. Ex. Joe rolls 00, he misses the target and falls down in the process.

Optional Rule:
Some actions can require multiple successes. The GM can have you roll more than once, with the number of “wins” determining the degree of success.

Ordinary actions do not require a roll. These include things like walking, running, picking up an object, talking, etc. These are considered to be automatic successes.

Movement

The average of your Strength and Agility (STR+AGI/2) is your movement speed. This is the number of feet per turn you can run at maximum speed (40'-160'). Half of this number is your normal run speed (20'-80'). Round fractions down. You must run at normal speed for one turn before reaching the maximum rate. You can then run at full speed 4 turns before needing to stop and rest.

Penalties:
Rough Terrain – Reduces running speed by 5.
Medium Armor – Reduces running speed by 5.
Heavy Armor – Reduces running speed by 10.
Over Encumbered – Reduces running speed by 10.
Running Uphill – Reduces running speed by 15.
Seriously Injured Foot/Leg – Reduces running speed by 20.

Encumbrance

The average of your Strength and Endurance (STR+END/2) determines how much weight you can carry before becoming over encumbered.

20-40: 1/4 body weight
41-65: 1/2 body weight
66-80: 1x body weight

Optional Rule:
Instead of calculating the weight of each individual item you can rely on some common sense. Anything that won't fit in your backpack or a pouch like a large weapon or heavy armor must be strapped on, resting in a scabbard, or carried in your hands. There are obvious limits to how much you can carry.

Life and Death

A character's Endurance times 5 equals their starting amount of health (100-350). Additional health is awarded when a character levels up, the amount being determined by class.

Any character can heal a minor wound by successfully making a Knowledge roll. More serious injuries require someone with the Medicine skill. Healing does not happen instantly, it takes a number of turns or a period of rest to get the full benefit. When your character drops to 10 health he/she is dying. The character falls unconscious and cannot perform any actions. You will continue to lose 1 point of health every turn unless you receive medical attention. If your health falls to zero your character is dead and cannot be brought back to life.

Optional Rule:
In a group, the GM can allow you to create a new character that is only one or more levels below that of your original character and then reintroduce you to the group through role–playing. An unfortunate side–effect of using this rule is that a character may commit suicide because they are unhappy with their current role, the same penalty applies though, you cannot get the character back and the new one will suffer some experience and equipment loss.

Thirst, Hunger and Fatigue

A character can only go so long without food, water, and sleep.

If you're healthy you can survive without water under ideal conditions for up to 6 days. You would take a -10 penalty to all rolls starting on the second day and an additional -10 for each day thereafter. On the sixth day you would begin to die and lose health at a rate of 100/hour. In extreme heat while performing strenuous physical activity you can die from dehydration in under 4 hours.

If you're healthy and drink water you can go up to 8 weeks without food. You would suffer -5 after the first two days and an additional -5 for each day thereafter. A larger character with more fat reserves will survive longer than a small one. In extreme cold your body will use up energy at a faster rate to keep you warm, increasing the penalty to -10.

You can go up to two weeks without sleeping. After 24 hours you would need to make an Endurance roll to stay awake, and another every 12 hours thereafter. If you fail the roll, you fall asleep wherever you are at the time.

Combat

The average of your Awareness and Agility (AGI+AWA/2) determines your Initiative score.

When both parties are prepared for a fight, the player or NPC with the highest Initiative goes first. Then the next highest would attack and so on until combat is resolved. In the instance of a surprise attack or ambush the player or NPC being attacked would need to make a successful Awareness roll to avoid being caught off guard.

Weapons have a set amount of damage depending on the quality and type of weapon. They also have a speed rating from 1-3. This rating determines how many times one can attack with that weapon in a single turn. A large cumbersome weapon would only yield one attack per turn whereas a small one may provide more chances to strike. Armor has a set damage reduction (DR) amount depending on the quality and type of armor and whether the armor is damaged or not. A number of critical hits can damage armor and reduce it's effectiveness. The number of critical hits required is dependent on the quality of the armor. Armor can be repaired with the requisite talent.

When a player or NPC is hit, you take the damage number of the weapon and subtract the DR of the armor to determine the amount inflicted. You then subtract this number from the victim's health.

Ex. Joe hits a monster with a sword that does 40dmg. The monster is wearing armor that provides 10dmg reduction. The monster loses 30 health.

Talents

When using a talent it effectively increases your attribute scores giving you a better chance to succeed than normal. Most talents have bonuses that increase by rank. Typical bonuses are scaled to the rank of the talent as follows.

Rank 1: +5%
Rank 2: +10%
Rank 3: +15%
Rank 4: +20%

Players begin with one rank in each talent of their chosen profession. You improve talents by spending points, these are awarded when you advance in level. A talent can only be improved one rank per level. Some have a prerequisite talent that must be learned first as well.

Update 10/28/2015: The system here has never really been playtested, the few times it has the results were wonky, so it does need some tweaking. It was my attempt at creating a whole new rule system from scratch. Some are not fans of this roll under approach to RPGs but I think the setting, races, class, and skill system is worth looking into further at some point. It would be interesting to see a D20 conversion.