The Hexagon for Shadowdark: Pyreskulls

 

Pyreskull for Shadowdark

"What is a Pyreskull? Well a Flameskull is an undead guardian created by a necromancer from the skull of a dead wizard. It is some evil shit, but here is the thing...sometimes powerful magic, really nasty evil necromantic stuff can transform a wizard at the moment of its death into hat type of undead without the ritual. Thankfully, we don't see that too often unless you like dungeons...then...well, your odds of encountering one improve dramatically. How can you tell a Pyreskull from a Flameskull? I'm still working on that...but you should either blow one up or run when you see either of them."

-- Elgin Prawn, the Third Greatest Bard in the World

AC 14, HP 18, ATK 2 spit fire +4 (1d10), MV near (fly), S -1, D +2,

C +2, I +4, W +1, Ch +0, AL N, LV 6 

Animate Dead (INT Spell). DC 13.

Dispel Magic (INT Spell). DC 13.

Hold Portal (INT Spell). DC 11.

Fearless. Immune to morale checks.

Fire Bad. They are as bright as a torch in the Shadowdark.

Fireball (INT Spell). DC 13.

Mirror Image (INT Spell). DC 12.

Speak With Dead (INT Spell). DC 13.

Hexagon for Shadowdark: So I'm building a Megadungeon...

Even though this blog is well over a decade old and I've been a Game Master for more than thirty years the idea of creating a module to publish has always intimidated me. So I've decided to face that head on and I have begun work on a megadungeon featuring the Hexagon, a nearly forgotten school of the arcane arts on the outskirts of a trading post named Pwent. When it was in operation it was known as Hexenruul and educated wizards, both famous and infamous, for over seven-hundred years. 

These days the Hexagon is a gigantic six-sided monolith in the Shieldlands between Ockland and Hekatun. The Library in Brinhold is in need of numerous repairs and it doesn't have the coin to pay for them, but a young librarian named Hollister Wimble has managed to get his superiors to sponsor an expedition to the Hexagon to confirm it is the location of fabled Hexenruul. To make sure he doesn't die, they have assigned a veteran librarian, Opal Wintercrest, and the mercenary Topher Hume to accompany him.

Everyone but Hollister are surprised that his theory was right and now his team are recruiting adventurers to head into the Hexagon and (hopefully) exit with fortune and maybe even fame.

And that is where the players come in.

I'm designing it for Shadowdark.

I've finished the first level and about half-way done with the second level.

Starbarian: The Scarlet Citadel for Dragonbane

Starbarian is the working title of a Dragonbane setting inspired by Thundarr the Barbarian, Jack Kirby's work on DC Comics' Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, and Palladium Book's Rifts.

The Scarlet Citadel appeared via Wyrmhole, unpredictable gateways between worlds, nearly a century ago. Its name comes from the way the stone glows red under moonlight. It is situated in the area known as the Kentucky Bend, along the Mississippi River. The leader of the Citadel holds the title of Scarlet Sorcerer.

The Citadel became a haven for mages and Wyrmbound, those who had become stranded here via Wyrmhole, 60 years ago, when the Psalm of Earth, human supremacists out of what used to be Nashville, began a pogrom of genocide as it marched north and west.

The Psalm's defeat at the hands of the Citadel gave hope to other settlements in the area and established it as a force to be reckoned with within the region. It also caused the Psalm to abandon its northern conquest.

The current Scarlet Sorcerer is Fibbio Maladroit, an ogre from Livid, formerly known as Joplin, MO, who has mastered Mentalism and Elementalism and is proficient in Animism. Maladroit is seeking the Siege Perilous in the hopes of freeing Merlyn from Morgan Le Fay's captivity. The ogre is a longtime admirer of the legendary mage and hopes to recreate Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table here.

The citadel is home to about 1200 sentient beings from all over the Polyverse and currently has about sixty students studying under the Scarlet Sorcerer. Due to its study of magic and its diverse population, the Citadel is mostly self-sufficient and rarely trades with or maintains diplomatic relations with other settlements in the area, such as Covenant, Skunkape, or Lexing Towne. The current Scarlet Sorcerer, though originally from Livid, was exiled for unlawful magical research, so there is zero contact between the two settlements. Many citizens believe the Psalm has spies within the Citadel and relations with the Swarmmm, to the north, and Coal, to the east, are chilly at best. The Citadel's only official ally is the Free-City of Syzygy, which is located in what used to be Indianapolis. Syzygy has a full-time ambassador stationed at the Citadel named Jonen Qross, who is an accomplished knight and animist. It is well known that Qross has a keen interest in stories of Camelot, and rumors link him romantically to the Scarlet Sorcerer. Over the last decade, the Citadel's greatest threat has come from the Night's Templar, a murderous horde based in what used to be Jefferson City, led by the demon Baphomet.

Adventure Hook 1: A bard named Tiger Lily, a karkion from Western Gate in what used to be Topeka, KS, has a map for a dungeon, the ruins of A.R.E.S., about a two-day ride south from the Citadel.

Adventure Hook 2: Ezekiel Parliament, an ogre from Livid, claims to have proof that the Scarlet Sorcerer is innocent of the charges that exiled him from his home. Ezekiel claims to represent an insurgency within Livid that wants to topple its current ruler, Maladroit's Aunt Phinika Femur. The players need to escort Parliament from Livid to the Citadel while staying ahead of the Night's Templar, who were hired by Femur.

Night's Templar Harrier 

Mov.: 10          Damage Bonus: AGI: +D4          HP: 15

Typical Armor: Micromesh* 4

Skills: Awareness 12, Bushcraft 11, Evade 9

Typical Weapons: Laser Sword** (skill level 13, damage 2d6)

Bolt Rifle*** (skill level 13, damage 2d8 + 1d4)

*Treated as Chainmail

**Treated as Broadsword

***Treated as Heavy Crossbow

State of the Planes November 2025

Although I aimed for 31 posts last month, I actually finished 25, which is much better than any other month this year. At the beginning of the month, I was creating new material, but the last posts were reposts.

I'm currently playing DnD 2024 as a Thief Rogue in the Vecna campaign from a year or two ago. We are at 9th level. We've lost a couple of people, and schedules are becoming more challenging, so we'll see what we can achieve. 

I ran a Deadlands by Gaslight 3-paeter and demos of Pathfinder for Savage Worlds and Dragonbane in the last six weeks, and those went pretty well.

I have been running a Swords and Wizardry game for my DnD Campers (we've been playing together for over a year), and we did a special one-shot for Halloween where they made characters based on their costumes, and it was an absolute blast. It is amazing to watch these kids hang out together and build a community.

I've spent the last few months testing out Shadowdark, Savage Worlds, and Dragonbane, and I think Dragonbane is my preferred game going forward. I need a break from the d20 system, and while I love SW, Dragonbane is easier to teach IMO.

I'm working on a setting for it that is a total rip-off of Thundarr the Barbarian and Kamandi. 

I'll use the Bestiary's Ogres and the various Anthropomorphic races...maybe Dwarves too.

31 Nights of Halloween: The Phantasm's Sentinel for Cepheus Quantum/the Quantum Engine

 

The Sentinel for Cepheus Quantum

The Sentinels are spherical metal devices used by the Tall Man for various purposes, primarily enforcement. They are best known for their ability to jam into a human skull and suck out the blood, thus killing the victim. Through unknown propulsion, they float in the air.
The Tall Man typically amputates the minds of his victims by placing their brains within the Sentinel devices, thus creating Lurkers and Sentinels simultaneously. The Silver Sentinels patrol the Tall Man's territory and seem to attack mainly on instinct, as they are capable of harming the Tall Man himself if he is caught offguard. The Silver Setinels also double as keys in the Tall Man's lair. Which has doors that can be only open through a special lock in the shape of concave hemisphere with two slits to fit the prongs.

5/10, Move 60m/round, Armor 4, Blades (melee 5D, piercing). Combat-2. 

31 Nights of Halloween: The Micronaut's Repto for Stars Without Number

Dave Dorman

Repto for Stars Without Number

HD: 1
AC: 13
Atk: +1
Dmg: 1d4 (1 point/AC 15), 1d8+1 (2 points/AC 15) lasersaw, 
          1d6 (100/300) blaster
Move: 10m, 20m flying
Morale: 8
Skill: +1
Save: 15a+

31 Nights of Halloween: The Micronaut's Baron Karza for Warpstar!

 

Baron Karza for Warpstar!

Actions per Round 3

Weapon Blaster Gauntlet

Weapon Skill 11

Weapon Damage M2d6+1E

Armour 2d6+2

Scientist 11

Warp Lord 13

Stamina 35

Warp Glyphs Enhance, Etheral Shield,

Hammer, Master, Scry, Stutter, Unquiet,

Warp Blast