Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Bushmagic 2nd level - Gympies curse

 Level: 2 Range: Varies Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round Save: none

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General: The caster summons a mass of Gympie vines to assault the enemy.

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Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) The caster's arms grow thick and knotted vines sprouting out of fingertips; (2) The body of the caster is enveloped in Gympie barbs creating a natural pin cushion; (3) A Gympie bush grows rapidly consuming the enemy within seconds; (4) A Gympie golem is summoned rushing at the foe prickly arms flailing;

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1) Patches of the casters body become covered in Gympie barbs; (2) The casters hair grow into long Gympie vines; (3-5) minor corruption; (6 - 7) major corruption; (8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d3:(1) The Gympie barbs grow within the caster dealing 1 damage each round until treated; (2) The surrounding 60' explodes into a mass of Gympie bushes for 1D3 round; (3) Any organic matter within 30' becomes infested with Gympie barbs rendering it unusable or inedible;

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1: Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.

2 - 11: Lost. Failure.

12 - 13: The caster lashes a single target within 30' for 1 point of continuous damage until treated.

14 - 17: The caster lashes a single target within 30' for 2 points of continuous damage until treated, the target must save vs STR or become grappled.

18 - 19: The caster coats the surround 40' with masses of Gympie thorns, any creatures within this space must move at half speed or take 2 points of continuous damage until treated.

20 - 23: The caster lashes two targets within 40' for 3 points of continuous damage until treated, the target must save vs STR or become grappled. 

24 - 27: The caster creates 1d4 Gympie berries that explode in a shower of needles when thrown dealing 4 points of continues damage to all targets within 20'.

28 - 29: The caster lashes four targets within 50' for 6 points of continuous damage until treated, the target must save vs STR or become grappled.

30 - 31: The caster coats the surround 60' with masses of Gympie thorns, any creatures within this space must move at half speed or take 4 points of continuous damage until treated. Gympie berries are grown under the vines acting as makeshift organic mines exploding within 10' for a point of continous damage

32+: The caster all targets within 60' for 8 point of continuous damage until treated, the target must save vs STR or become grappled. All affected targets have Gympie berries grow on them, these berries will explode dealing further continuous damage to everything within 20'.

Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Bushmagic 2nd level - Yara ma's touch

   Level: 2 Range: Varies Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round Save: none

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General: Channeling the spirit of the Yara ma yha who the caster uses primal magic to siphon blood out of the target.
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Manifestation: Roll 1d4:(1) The caster changes into a Yara ma yha who for the duration; (2) The casters limbs become long deep red tentacles hooked suckers twitching in the air; (3) The casters mouth becomes leech like; (4) The casters body starts to glow with a crimson hue;

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1) The caster gains a ruddy red skin tone; (2) The caster shrinks in size becoming squat over time; (3-5) minor corruption; (6 - 7) major corruption; (8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d3:(1) The caster siphons blood from a random target within 30'; (2) The blood of the caster starts to boil as they expend more energy taking 1d6 + CL; (3) The caster loses control creating a gore golem with 30' that runs berserk attack all within sight;

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1: Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.

2 - 11: Lost. Failure.

12 - 13: The caster siphons blood from a target dealing 1d4 damage and healing the caster for damage dealt.

14 - 17: The caster siphons blood from a target within 30' dealing 1d6 damage and healing the caster for damage dealt.

18 - 19: The caster siphons blood from a target within 30' dealing 1d6 damage and healing the caster for damage dealt. The caster's muscle swell gaining 1d3 point in STR for 1d3 rounds.

20 - 23: The caster siphons blood from a target within 40' dealing 1d8 damage and healing the caster for damage dealt. The caster's brain becomes engorged gaining 1d4 point in INT for 1d4 rounds.

24 - 27: The caster siphons blood from a target within 40' dealing 1d8 damage and healing the caster for damage dealt. A secondary crimson skin wraps itself around the caster giving a +5 to AC for 1d4 rounds.

28 - 29: The caster siphons blood from a target within 45' dealing 1d10 damage and healing the caster or an ally for the damage dealt. 

30 - 31: The caster siphons blood from a target within 45' dealing 1d10 damage and healing the caster for damage dealt. The caster uses the blood to knit a gore golem into existence (Using the DCC Owlbear statistics).

32+: The caster siphons blood from all enemy targets within 60' dealing 1d12 damage and healing the caster and his allies for damage dealt.

Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Bushmagic 2nd level - Dream touch

 Level: 2 Range: melee Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round Save: PER

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General: Using soul alteration the caster manipulations the targets spirit within the dreaming.
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Manifestation: Roll 1d4:(1) The caster's hands take on a multicolored blurred after image; (2) A dreaming animal spirit appears over the top of the caster blurring the lines between spirit and human; (3) A pocket of the dreaming opens within five feet around the caster;  (4) Dreaming spirits surround the environment for the duration of the spell;

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1) Body parts of the caster are lost within the dreaming giving them a spirit like appearance; (2) The casters body fuses with an animal from the dreaming giving them random animal features; (3-5) minor corruption; (6 - 7) major corruption; (8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d3:(1) The caster is sent to the dreaming themselves floating through a soul like landscape for 1d4 turns; (2) The target is switched with a being from the dreaming; (3) The caster sends a random target within 30' to the dreaming for 1d3 turns;

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1: Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.

2 - 11: Lost. Failure.

12 - 13: On a failed WIS save the target is sent to the dreaming for a turn. Within the dreaming they can take no actions until the reappear within the world.

14 - 17: On a failed WIS save the target is sent to the dreaming for 1d3 turns. Within the dreaming they can take no actions until they reappear within the world.

18 - 19: On a failed WIS save two targets spirits are switched for 1d3 turns. Both targets switch attributes for the duration of the spell.

20 - 23: On a failed WIS save two targets are sent to the dreaming for 1d4 turns. Within the dreaming they can take no actions until they reappear within the world.

24 - 27: On a failed WIS save the target is switched with a random friendly spirit within the dream time. (Use a wandering monster table to determine which spirit comes to your aid)

28 - 29: On a failed WIS save three targets are sent to the dreaming for 1d4 turns. Within the dreaming they can take no actions until they reappear within the world.

30 - 31: On a failed WIS save four targets spirits are switched for 1d6 turns. all four targets switch attributes for the duration of the spell.

32+: On a failed WIS save six targets are sent to the dreaming permanently winking out of existence.

Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Bushmagic 2nd level - Aspect of the tree frog

  Level: 2 Range: self Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round Save: none

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General: The caster takes on the appearance and features of a Tree frog. The caster must be familiar with the animal and have some material remnant to expend in casting the spell (e.g., hair, fur, paw, tooth, skull, ect.).

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Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) The Casters skin grows slick, slimy and moist, covering the caster like a third lung; (2) The caster's hands become long, orange, round tipped and webbed; (3) The casters skin takes on multiple hues of green while the eyes bulge and take on a vivid red; (4) The casters tongue extends while the mouth flattens to form a long thin line;

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1) The caster grows a habit of snapping their tongue out at passing insects, with each corruption the hunger for insects grows; (2) The caster takes on amphibian attributes permanently; (3-5) minor corruption; (6 - 7) major corruption; (8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d3:(1) The caster becomes a human size frog for 1d4 turns snapping at insects and hopping around; (2) The caster accidentally summons a massive bull frog who views everyone as a potential snack; (3) The casters skin starts to dry at a rapid rate reducing movement by 20' for 1d3;

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1: Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.

2 - 11: Lost. Failure.

12 - 13: Lasting one round the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +1 AC

14 - 17: Lasting one round the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +1 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d3 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw.

18 - 19: Lasting two rounds the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +2 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d3 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw.

20 - 23: Lasting two rounds the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +2 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d4 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw. The casters legs swell and extend giving them a 10' leap.

24 - 27: Lasting three rounds the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +3 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d4 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw. The casters legs swell and extend giving them a 15' leap.

28 - 29: Lasting three rounds the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +4 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d6 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw. The casters legs swell and extend giving them a 20' leap.

30 - 31: Lasting four rounds the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +5 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d8 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw. The casters legs swell and extend giving them a 25' leap.

32+: Lasting five rounds the caster skin grows slick and moist gaining +6 AC. Additionally the casters tongue extends and secretes an adhesive substance. The caster gains a 1d10 unarmed melee attack that grapples the target if they fail a strength saving throw. The casters legs swell and extend giving them a 30' leap.

Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Bushmagic 2nd level - aspect of the emu

 Level: 2 Range: self Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round Save: none

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General: The caster takes on the appearance and features of a Emu. The caster must be familiar with the animal and have some material remnant to expend in casting the spell (e.g., hair, fur, paw, tooth, skull, ect.).

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Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) The caster face elongates to become a long sharpened beak; (2) The casters legs snap and crack growing into long taloned limbs; (3) The casters shadow morphs into the shape of an emu ; (4) The caster becomes an emu for the duration of the spell ;

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1) The casters hair grow into long downy feathers covering the head and neck; (2) The casters neck stretches an extra inch with every corruption roll; (3-5) minor corruption; (6 - 7) major corruption; (8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d3:(1) The casters voice box changes to an avian design only emitting shrill squawks for 1d4 turns; (2) The casters brain shrinks in size to that of an emus, they gain a fascination with the grubs on the ground for 1d4 rounds; (3) The caster turns a random party member into an emu for 1d4 rounds;

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1: Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.

2 - 11: Lost. Failure.

12 - 13: Lasting one round the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +10' movement.

14 - 17: Lasting one round the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +15' movement. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +1 to AGI

18 - 19: Lasting two rounds the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +15' movement. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +2 to AGI

20 - 23: Lasting two rounds the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +20' movement and a melee attack for 1d6 damage. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +2 to AGI

24 - 27: Lasting three rounds the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +20' movement and a melee attack for 1d6 damage. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +3 to AGI

28 - 29: Lasting three rounds the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +25' movement and a melee attack for 1d8damage. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +3 to AGI

30 - 31: Lasting four rounds the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +30' movement and a melee attack for 1d8 damage. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +4 to AGI

32+: Lasting five rounds the caster's legs snap and distort growing into long talon tipped limbs. The caster gains +40' movement and a melee attack for 1d10 damage. In addition the caster becomes more agile gaining +5 to AGI

Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Bushmagic 2nd level - aspect of the koala

 Aspect of the Koala

Level: 2 Range: self Duration: Varies Casting Time: 1 Round Save: none

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General: The caster takes on the appearance and features of a koala. The caster must be familiar with the animal and have some material remnant to expend in casting the spell (e.g., hair, fur, paw, tooth, skull, ect.).

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Manifestation: Roll 1d4: (1) The caster sprouts a thick layer of white fur over the body; (2) Solid slabs of muscle bulge on the casters arms swelling like cables beneath the skin; (3) The casters hands take on a koala appeance with the index finger shifting towards the thumb, white fur sprouts up the forearm;  (4); The caster becomes squat like limbs shrinking and shifting to a more ape like appearance.

Corruption: Roll 1d8: (1); The caster permanently reeks of eucalyptus with fingers and toes changing colour to off green,  (2) The caster sprouts a permanent layer or short fur over the body; (3-5) minor corruption; (6 - 7) major corruption; (8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d3: (1) The caster vomits a great green gout of gum staining the surrounding ground; (2) The casters hands morph rapidly causing them to drop weapons due to numbness; (3) The caster with spasms and jerks devolves into a koala for 1d4 turns;

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1: Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.

2 - 11: Lost. Failure.

12 - 13: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +2 AC for 1d4 turns

14 - 17: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +2 AC for 1d4 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +1 damage on unarmed attacks.

18 - 19: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +3 AC for 1d4 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +2 damage on unarmed attacks.

20 - 23: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +3 AC for 1d5 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +2 damage on unarmed attacks. The caster gains the ability to climb 15'

24 - 27: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +4 AC for 1d5 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +3 damage on unarmed attacks. The caster gains the ability to climb 20'

28 - 29: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +4 AC for 1d6 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +4 damage on unarmed attacks. The caster gains the ability to climb 25'

30 - 31: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +5 AC for 1d5 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +6 damage on unarmed attacks. The caster gains the ability to climb 30'

32+: The caster's skin erupts in a carpet of fur providing +5 AC for 1d8 turns. Additionally the casters hands harden and nails thicken and sharpen giving +6 damage on unarmed attacks. The caster gains the ability to climb 45'. Furthermore the caster gains a demoralizing rumbling scream, all enemies within 30' must make a moral check at -2.

 

TTRPG Judge advice: The "Click" moment.

 Recently in one of my games a player had a small "click" moment. While fighting a group of wretched, rotten, rambling undead they stopped the tiring slog of back and forth hit point dumping and pulled out an oil flask. The other players nervously eyed each other and then the player. He poured the oil into a bottle then shoved wads of oil stained cloth in the neck. 

Cue the viking helmed dwarf watching a flaming bottle arc overhead and smash onto two zombies. Mouths open slack in silent screams as skin sizzled, eyes popped and flames flicked hungrily over the bodies. The undead abominations hit the ground burning merrily as the party looked stunned, as one turning at the beaming halfling.

Another older game was when our three adventurers came across a dungeon roomba (Gelatinous cube) and a pack of orcs interacting with it (trying to scoop out gold from within the cube). The dwarf engineer has a brilliant idea, he unstops the water cork on his alchemy jug and hucked it into the cube. The resulting flash boil not only dissolved a significant chunk of said roomba but also steamed the orcs nearby.

The "click" moment comes to players when they realise they can theoretically do anything within the game. This moment is really prevalent in combats when a player thinks outside the box, uses the items listen or tries anything that doesn't include wailing on an enemy with a pointy (or blunt) object until it stops moving.

These moments can't be artificially created, they must come naturally to players (you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink). In saying this you can help the process along though. Some examples are having the NPC's around the players use different tactics and weapons, after a while the players will pick up on this and naturally try out the same strategies.

Give the PC's a wider list of non combat items to choose from, every player  loves tinkering and experimenting giving them a wider range of toys will naturally lead to this. 

Having your own "click" moments as a judge will naturally help your players as well, they will see you adapting to their strategies which will in turn start them on adapting to yours. Bouncing off each other in combat situations is a great way to have these natural "click" moments.

One last bit of advice is to not rush the process, it might sound annoying to wait for your players but if you're a caring, invested judge then it will be all the more worth it to watch them naturally "click"

TTRPG Judge advice: A campaign to the end of your life.

 

As a TTRPG enthusiast, judge and player a goal I have had is to run a game large enough and long enough that it runs my natural life span. I see videos pop up on my youtube feed about thirty year long games. Of judges and players building characters, cities and stories centered around a campaign. Of friends coming together both young and old and celebrating friendship, life and a shared love of everything TTRPG.

While contemplating my own demise sounds morbid at first I feel at peace knowing that my campaign will continue on while I am gone. I aim to catalogue the ages, stories, characters and events of this campaign for as long as I am able. I think this will be the first step forward in a new journey as a TTRPG judge.

I will be using the Labyrinth Lord system with slight tweaks and changes (looking at the LotFP encumbrance system how could I not) and adding in sizeable chunks of Patrick Stuart's monsters. While adding in my own splashes and dashes of home brew content. For the campaign I'm looking to run all of Greg Gillespie's mega dungeon works. I'll keep play testing ACC, creating new tables, adding new classes and giving updates on this campaign.

Time to take the next big step in my TTRPG judge career!

 

TTRPG creations: Murderous mushrooms what to lick.

I love mushrooms, fungi and all things toadstool, they bring back flickering, thin memories of running through pine forests with my brother. Hooting and hollering, swinging sticks as imaginary swords zigzagging from the path into the woods. Light dappled underbrush thick with pine needles and cones, my grandmother watching with a careful owl eye making sure we didn't stray. Packs of kangaroos watching in the distance, ears alert and flicking. 

Mushrooms have a sense of alien wonder about them, the variety of colours, patterns, smells and tastes. The caps and gills, the way they grow, shrink and move. They conjure images of goblins, pixies, sprites and gnomes. 

I cooked up a quick creation table for all of your fungi needs!

	Colour	Pattern	Pattern colour	Gills	Smell	Taste	Effect
1	Red	Honey Comb	Red	Red	Pine	Sweet	Loss of hearing
2	Yellow	Bismuth	Yellow	Yellow	Mold	Sour	Loss of speech
3	Blue	Scales	Blue	Blue	Pepper	Salty	Loss of touch
4	Brown	Meanders	Brown	Brown	Lemon	Savoury	Loss of smell
5	Orange	Spiral	Orange	Orange	Resin	Bitter	Loss of sight
6	Green	Striped	Green	Green	Fragrant	Chalk	Muscle spasms
7	Violet	Spotted	Violet	Violet	Fruity	hair	Stomach spasms
8	Black	Foam	Black	Black	Citrus	Fermented cheese	Nervous ticks
9	Carnation Pink	Wave	Carnation Pink	Carnation Pink	Woody and Resinous	Spit	Profuse sweating
10	Yellow Orange	Fractal	Yellow Orange	Yellow Orange	Chemical	Iron	Nose drip
11	Blue Green	Tesselations	Blue Green	Blue Green	Sweet	Stomach acid	Teeth Chatter
12	Red Violet	Dunes	Red Violet	Red Violet	Minty and Peppermint	Bile	The itch
13	Red Orange	Mirror Symmetry	Red Orange	Red Orange	Toasted and Nutty	Old boots	Bleeding gums
14	Yellow Green	Three fold Symmetry	Yellow Green	Yellow Green	Pungent	Tree bark	Digit swelling
15	Blue Violet	Four fold Symmetry	Blue Violet	Blue Violet	Decayed	Mint	Hydrophobia
16	White	Five fold Symmetry	White	White	Coffee	Rancid fat	Body lesions
17	Violet Red	Six fold Symmetry	Violet Red	Violet Red	Blue Cheese	Bread mold	Rabies
18	Dandelion	Repeating	Dandelion	Dandelion	Ozone	Cinnamon	Bloodlust
19	Cerulean	Ringed	Cerulean	Cerulean	Old parchment	Rising bread	Forced sleep
20	Apricot	Snowflakes	Apricot	Apricot	Flesh	Burnt rice	Mild Toxin
21	Scarlet	Pinecone	Scarlet	Scarlet	Wet dog	Old soap	Moderate Toxin
22	Green Yellow	Tree Branch	Green Yellow	Green Yellow	Soaked Copper	Black tar	Severe Toxin
23	Indigo	Web	Indigo	Indigo	Bad breath	Wet sugar	Death
24	Grey	Voronoi	Grey	Grey	Sweat	Frogs back	Soul swapping

TTRPG Judge advice: Role play not roll play!

 

During my long, deep and rapid delve into the OSR I came across a style of play that brought all progress to a screeching halt. A way of communicating with my players that I honestly hadn't tried before, had no real experience with and that I instantly loved.

Role play rather than roll play. What do I mean by this? Well, most newer editions of TTRPGs tend to have systems in place for social interactions. Most of these systems have the character rather than the player use skill checks or rolls to determine an in game conversation. 

I was used to running games that used a similar system (truthfully I was pretty fed up with it). I even had players that would use great arguments but roll badly and in my pig headed ways would go with the dice results.

The first time I read the role play not roll play section in the Old School Primer by Matthew Finch it clicked. The very next game I tried it out, a PC walked into a shop and we discussed the price for treasure they wanted to sell. It was a tense back and forth with a lot of hand waving, funny accents and promises of repayments but a deal was struck!

Currently the shop salesman is a recurring character that always tries to get a better deal from the PC, it formed a bond between the two characters based on an actual physical social interaction rather than someone rolling dice and getting an eighteen. 

Did it take longer? Yes. Did the player have more fun? Definitely. Did it add another layer of depth to my fantasy world? It did! Will I continue to use this system? God yes.

Learn from my stubbornness, take the mildly longer route and have your players actually haggle over the price of the chicken and oil sacks.

TTRPG Judge advice: Using fantasy stereotypes!

 The Scottish sounding surly dwarf smith. the scarred eye patch clad leader of the thieves guild. The sneaky, cowardly, nasty, long fingered goblin. The halfling, feet kicked up complaining when his next meal will be. The orb wielding, long beard flowing, robes a swishing, eye brow caterpillar looking wizard.

All these stereotypes and more exist within our TTRPGs. It's almost become second nature to include them it could even be seen as a crutch. 

So while driving to work I had an idea, why not take the stereotype and crank it all the way to 11. By isolating and intensifying the key features of the stereotype we can create something new.

Let's take the goblin for example. Most goblins are cowardly, nasty, scheming little bastards. Feigning innocence until you turn your back before sticking a knife in. Hands that seem to be all long fingers made for throttling necks, picking pockets or wrapping around grubby dagger hilts.

How about a group of goblin assassins? A goblin tribe that has survived countless extinction events and genocides. A tribe that have perfected the art of acting and has used it to not just survive but thrive. A tribe that has written the book on tricks, traps, sneaking and stabbing. A group of goblins that while being the very walking definition of goblin have made a weakness into an almighty strength. 

I encourage judges and players to use the fantasy stereotypes found within the game instead of shying away from them. Embrace what makes a fantasy race unique and create new and powerful things.

Creating a TTRPG: ACC - Second playtest session.

 Today was the second day of play testing ACC with my group. It was far easier to jump straight into the action with the guys. 

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Peter and Oliver awake in the early hours of the morning, climbing out of the flea bitten straw cots the duo ready themselves for the delve into the lost bush. After a sorry breakfast of oat mash and water the two gather Tobias and his crew and head outside. 

A glum grey overcast sky greets them, as does a pair of crippled beggars. After some quick questions one of the beggars going by "Peggy Sue" becomes the gangs official guide. With Peggy leading the duo behind and two toed Tobias's group in tow our motley crew heads off on an adventure.

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Half a days travel finds the group within the heat blasted scrub, an entrance to a deep ravine sits squat in the middle of the road two red stone pillars on either side. The gang pick their paths downward step by step until reaching the bottom. Salt ridden sand stretches in all direction slight squares of scrub spattered amongst, small mounds dot the landscape each leading to hidden burrows and warrens.

Upon approaching the first mount they are met with a solid doorway sticking out of the sand, slate squares have been fashioned as doors closing off the tomb. A roar echoes of the lands as Oliver's gun erupts shattering one the slate. 

The shot continues to bounce and echo, drunkenly falling and flowing until arriving onto eager ears. A pack of bandits oft praying upon adventures know the tell tale signs. As the party begins to descend whoops and cheers can be heard on the horizon. A pack of eight rush the party, flintlock pistols drawn and knives at the ready. 

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Quick with his hands Oliver wraps wads of cloth into an oilskin pouch and lights it, hurling it over the embankment being used for cover. For a split second nothing can be heard until human screeching rips the silence, two bandits roll on the ground napalm black sticking to every pore. Mouths sucking in great lungfuls of hot death both shriek and rip at themselves before lying still. 

The bandits cower back at such an unexpected brutal attack before the leader amongst them spurns them into action. As he stands tall giving commands to the remainder of his men silhouetted against the red sands another roar fills the air. The leaders head explodes in a shower of gore, a smoking neck stump is all that remains. 

The remainder of the group break and run sprinting into the desert taking pot shots behind them as they look to escape the onslaught. One of Tobias's men falls into the sand mid step, curls of smoke drifting from the fist size hole in his back. Not taking any more of this insanity Tobias and his men as one break and flee.

Bit by bit the bandit group is whittled down, the two flintlock rifles picking off stragglers and pounding into flesh. Two remain as they leap for cover behind a fallen bleached bone white tree. A horrible fire fight ensues with both sides ducking and shooting. 

Our duo throwing caution to the wind rushes forward, a stray round rips through the air and rolls up Oliver's cheek piercing the top of his ear for good measure. Jumping over the fallen log struggles for weapon ensue and fists fly. One of the bandits is killed in the struggle the other knocked out, tied up and set ablaze after the location of the bandits hideout is found.

-

Only located an hours walk away the duo and Peggy enter the bandits now deserted hideout, ransacking the place, taking the loot (A solid gold ring and some copper) they make tracks back towards Port Mullen.

Both look to make some money, test their strength and find Tobias within the fighting pits of Port Mullen.