Deadly Animals & Dungeon Jellyfish

I am reading an article on deadly creatures and I had ideas to steal.

1. One of the creatures was the box jellyfish. While reading, I had the idea of a floating, jellyfish-like creature in a dungeon (like a grell) with poisonous tentacles that dangled beneath it. But then I thought, "just use a grell." Then I suddenly had the mental image of a jellyfish "swimming" in the dungeon corridor like a blooper in Super Mario Bros the Lost Levels. Despite the complete lack of water, that creature (and likely other aquatic menaces) "swim" around the dungeon. Perhaps they are ghosts. Perhaps there is a slight overlap with the Elemental Plane of Water.

2. An earlier article about other deadly creatures featured the huge swarms of giant jellyfish plaguing Japan. The article mentioned that these swarms arose out of nowhere and that killing the jellyfish is useless because they release millions of eggs/spores that can mature into jellyfish when they die. Also, these jellyfish weigh 440 lbs. Whether actual jellyfish in the ocean or similar creatures who float along on land, this is scary.

3. Yet another aquatic creatures, the blue-ringed octopus looks cool and reminds me of a tako from Oriental Adventures. I like the idea of an unusual marking to warn PCs to stay away. I also like the fact that they are the size of golf balls and paralyze a victim of their bite (which is strong enough to penetrate wet suit gloves).

4. There was also mention of the deathstalker scorpion, one of the most deadly scorpions known. Good reference for a black scorpion.

5. Another article mentioned the Malaysian/Bruneian ant, whose mandibles contain large sacks of poison. When threatened, the ant detonates these sacks, spraying poison at its enemies while also causing its own head to explode.

Sandbox Trokair Ideas

Stolen (or adapted) from Actraiser:

Pyramid full of the reincarnated human slaves who built it (now monsters and undead)

Bloodpool (a literal lake of blood inhabited by a sea monster)

- A source for the bloodpool could be a massive giant inside of a mountain (he is as large as the inside of the mountain) and a wound in the earth has caused him to bleed a literal river.

A fortress carved into the ice of a frozen lake (almost the entire thickness of the lake is frozen, with small pockets of icy water in the fortress and a small lake below; most likely something would allow the PCs to thaw out the lake and destroy the fortress)

The Real Meaning of P-values

"The p-value represents the likelihood of the evidence given the null hypothesis, not the likelihood of the null hypothesis given the evidence."

-wackojacko1138, XKCD forums

Mundane Magic Equipment

I am reading the Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide and several of the magic items are obviously intended as upgrades to decidedly mundane equipment (e.g. a magic bead that transforms into a campfire).

This concept is not new (everburning torches have been around for quite some time) but I like the idea and think it would fit well with Sandbox Trokair. Wyndhaven was established from the supplies intended to make several colonies and, given the scope of the operation, it is not unfathomable that certain of these mundane magic items would be included among the them (particularly, they were probably meant to be used by cartographers and soldiers on patrol).

Price would restrict their use by the PCs at early levels, helping to establish the unknown, wild frontier theme of the campaign. However, searching for food, water, and shelter is only "fun" for so long.

Sacramentalism

Matter conveys grace all over the place in Scripture: baptism confers regeneration: Acts 2:38, 22:16, 1 Pet 3:21 (cf. Mk 16:16, Rom 6:3-4), 1 Cor 6:11, Titus 3:5. Paul's "handkerchiefs" healed the sick (Acts 19:12), as did even Peter's shadow (Acts 5:15), and of course, Jesus' garment (Mt 9:20-22) and saliva mixed with dirt (Jn 9:5 ff., Mk 8:22-25), as well as water from the pool of Siloam (Jn 9:7). Anointing with oil for healing is encouraged (Jas 5:14). Then there is the laying on of hands for the purpose of ordination and commissioning (Acts 6:6, 1 Tim 4:14, 2 Tim 1:6) and to facilitate the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17-19, 13:3, 19:6), and for healing (Mk 6:5, Lk 13:13, Acts 9:17-18). Even under the Old Covenant, a dead man was raised simply by coming in contact with the bones of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21)!

Beards!

The Trustworthiness of Beards
By Tom Bartlett

The way you gain people's trust is to earn it over time by repeatedly proving that you deserve it. That, or grow a beard.

A recent study in the Journal of Marketing Communications found that men with beards were deemed more credible than those who were clean-shaven. The study showed participants pictures of men endorsing certain products. In some photos, the men were clean-shaven. In others, the same men had beards. Participants thought the men with beards had greater expertise and were significantly more trustworthy when they were endorsing products like cell phones and toothpaste.

But, oddly, men with beards were slightly less effective than smooth-cheeked fellows in underwear advertisements. Apparently we don't want Zach Galifianakis selling us boxers.

The researchers say the implications of their findings could extend far beyond advertisements. For instance, male politicians might want to consider not shaving because the "presence of a beard on the face of candidates could boost their charisma, reliability, and above all their expertise as perceived by voters, with positive effects on voting intention."

Former presidential candidates Al Gore and Bill Richardson didn't put down the razor until they were already out of the running. Who knows how things might have turned out if they had had the power of facial hair working for them ...

Important note: The study looked only at neat, medium-length beards. You can't just go all ZZ Top and expect people to trust you.

(The study, which was conducted by Gianluigi Guido, Alessandro M. Pelusoa, and Valentina Moffa, is not online.)

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/The-Trustworthiness-of-Beards/22581

The Fanged Platform

That sounds really cool but maybe a little misleading.

I am once again pulling ideas from Adkit's Voyage: Journey to the Moon LP. He used Klipso's Lightening Paint to lighten the weight of his space capsule. He then looked over to a platform covered with lunar plants. Around the edge of the platform are tall, pointed rocks that look like fangs or talons. They are not on the platform but come off the side and jut above and below the platform itself. The tips of these rocks are the same color as the paint and he asked, quite reasonably, if they were also painted (which would explain their precarious position).

This is not particularly inventive but I love the idea of these giant, fang/talon-like rocks around the edge of a circular platform.

Virulent Troll Redux

I stopped watching Star Trek: Voyager before the introduction of Species 8472. I am watching SFDebris's Opiniated Voyager Episode Guide and stopped to look up information on the Maquis which, in the manner of Wikipedia, led through a bunch of links to Species 8472.

The Undine (as they are also called) are from a different dimension of "fluid space". They have a very complex genetic structure, possessing tri-helical DNA. Their cells can duplicate incredibly rapidly, acting as a virulent infection when introduced into other creatures (as happens when one is attacked by an Undine's claws).

Some time ago, I wrote a post about a troll infected with a virulent disease. The troll's regeneration protected it from any detrimental effects of the infection but allowed the rapacious disease to continually multiply and, thus, the troll served as a very effective carrier for the disease.

If I cared to transform that idea from a singular troll to a race of creatures, the Undine would be the first place to look.

Tentacle Monster

Not as dirty as it sounds.

Based on the big, clawed, tentacle monsters from Half Life (as seen in part 12 of Tyoemon's LP), these are three large creatures that react to sound and violently attack any unusual source they hear.

Going Past the Finish Line

An idea for a video game. This post comes from Bikdip's Majora's Mask LP (pt 24) when he is rolling through the snow in the Goron mask.

He mentions that he is far enough but will keep going. A few seconds later, he stops the Goron roll and immediately enters the next area. What likely happened is that when he reached the transition point, the game automatically stopped the roll (and his comment was simply about the pits that you need to roll past; he was far enough that he could just walk).

What I heard, however, was a video game where you reach a finish line. Most players will release the gas and the level will fade out. But if you hold the gas, you keep going well past the finish line. If you make it rather long (another minute or two to weed out those who are not committed), you can hide a very nice secret there.

This same idea is actually found in Super Mario Galaxy 2. I forget the level but I think it might be a Bowser's Castle level. Regardless, there is a section where you ride the pink block-platform across lava. It stops at the "end" where you jump off onto solid ground. However, if you stay on the pink platform, it eventually continues further on and leads to a secret star.

Roof Door

That is a really stupid title for a post.

I was watching Bikdiponabus's Majora's Mask LP. He came across a witch who flew out of her chimney on a broom stick. Bikdip's co-commentator wondered why she didn't just use a door.

And my idea was that I need a building where the inhabitants fly so the only entrance/exit is on the top.

Then I also had an idea for a gigantic beehive. It is a separate idea.

Trokair - Sandbox - Monsters

I am reading WTF, D&D!? on the recommendation of my best friend. I have only read 2 of them and I feel it is time well spent. The first two articles cover entries from the original AD&D Monster Manual. I have found memories of reading through the MM, as a number of the denizens detailed within were original creations of the progenitors of D&D. I want to bring them back.

This is a list of "stupid" D&D monsters that need to find a home in Trokair:

1. Rot Grubs
2. Peryton
3. Lurker Above
4. Piercer
5. Giant Slug
6. Gas Spore
7. Hippocampus
8. Sea Lion
9. Mimic
10. Ixitxachitl ("They're manta rays as smart as people that tend to be religious vampires")

Sandbox - Wyndhaven

I need to start thinking a bit about what kinds of services are available in Wyndhaven. Iron Marches has a whole list of alchemical goods and arms & armor, including limited amounts of special materials that can change over time (for example, there is 12k gold pieces worth of adamantine available but it costs +15k gp to make adamantine heavy armor, so there is no way to get it without waiting for a shipment from the old world (probably need to put up a hefty down payment before such an order will be made) or you find raw material in the wilderness and get it back (to hell with you if you think they'll send someone to mine it)).

The specific idea that prompted this post was the use of horses in Iron Marches. Most of the characters have mounts to allow them to cover more ground outside the city walls (and the city walls are huge, cover 20 miles deep and 8 miles across).

Wyndhaven, while controlling a similarly large area, is not big with horses. Those steeds that are present in Wyndhaven are used almost exclusively by the garrison to patrol the wall and check on the farmlands. Some draft horses are probably also at those farms to do work. As such, there are not extra horses to go around for PCs to use. Either they will have to wait for a birth or a shipment or they will have to capture their own steeds. Stealing is also possible, I suppose.

Short History of Wyndhaven's Founding

As the title says, I want to get an outline of how Wyndhaven was founded and later closed off from the dangerous wilderness beyond its walls.


Several ships carrying supplies to found two to three separate colonies traveled along the coast seeking safe harbor. The winds, waves, and shoals surrouding the New World prevented even a single landing, let alone three. Finally, during a storm, they happened upon Wyndhaven, an area where the winds and sea were supernaturally calm despite the raging tempest around them. They took it as a sign from the gods that this was where they should found a colony. One or more ships went down in the storm but the rest put anchor in the harbor and road out the maelstrom.

Flush with the manpower and supplies of two to three colonies and facing the reality that this might be the only safe landing along the New World's coast, they set about building a major port town capable of funneling the masses of the Old World into the New and the wealth of the New World back to the Old. A wall was constructed some ways inland to guard against the unknown while the bulk of the settlers worked on building shelter and exploring the harbor. Soon, their settlement was officially christened Wyndhaven and messengers were sent to back to request further men and supplies.

Some of the settlers moved outside the wall to survey the land for farming. Several homesteads soon popped up in the surrounding land, promising food for the infant colony.

Then the attacks began. Goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, and other foul creatures raided in the night, stealing food, livestock, supplies, and people. Homes were burned and even the might of the wall was tested. The garrison in Wyndhaven tried its best to drive off attacks but there were not yet enough men for regular patrols. Wyndhaven suffered a long stretch of fear.

When new men arrived, Wyndhaven's mayor ordered the building of another wall, far inland. It was an ambitious project (the details of which, such as how they came about the materials, to be determined later) but soon a wall began to encompass a huge area of potential farmland around Wyndhaven. The humanoids took notice and began to mass their forces. Before the wall could be finished, they attacked. A huge battle ensued but the colonists were ultimately victorious. The shattered remnants of the humanoid army scurried back into the darkness of the unknown wilderness while the colonists hastened to complete the wall. Their forces had also been dangerously depleted by the battle. Further news from back home revealed that reinforcements would be few and long in coming. Wyndhaven once more buckled down in fear of another attack.

Some years past with few sightings of the enemy, and even those were of isolated bands rather than a true force to challenge the wall. The Wyndhavians prospered and grew into their new home. Eventually, some settlers wished to push further into the continent. The Lord Governor objected but, due to the years of peace, relented to their protestations. They travelled north and west, through the blighted Thornscape, and found rich, fertile soil on the hills. They named their town Land's Blessing.



Getting late so I will summarize:

Land's Blessing discovered The Hoach and the goblins living there. A regiment from Wyndhaven came and supposedly cleared it out. Some time later (a few days, one month to the day, something), all communication with Land's Blessing stopped. I want a fire to be visible to the guards along the wall. Someone or something destroyed the entire town of Land's Blessing and all the people who lived there (except a few who were in Wyndhaven at the time). The adventurers who originally cleared out the Hoach left a map of the caves carved into a table at the inn in Land's Blessing. Despite the huge fire, this table survived and now offers the PCs their first lead.

Five Pillar Night

I had an idea after writing that last post.

When 3e first came out, I joined a game where I played a two-weapon fighter. Part of my fighter's background was that he was born on Five Pillar Night, a holiday in the St. Cuthbert religion. The details of this holiday were simply that five gigantic Flame Strikes fell from the heavens onto an invading army, shattering it in a matter of seconds.

I imagine something similar could have happened in Trokair. I am currently entertaining the idea that the original society of Trokair fell when the portal to the Abyss opened and demons swept across the land. It could be that, after establishing a few settlements further inland from Wyndhaven, some of these demons appeared and wiped them out with huge pillars of flame in the middle of the night. That would also explain the reticence to expand further.

The old idea of humanoids prowling about in armies begs the question - what happened to them? It could be that the army of Wyndhaven exhausted its numbers fending off an attack, leaving both sides reeling (though the humanoids would be able to recover more quickly, leading to the building of the Wall).

This new idea also begs some questions (why is Wyndhaven still inhabited being a major one) but it does hint at the demonic forces that lie further inland.