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

31 Nights of Halloween: Marvel's Gomdulla, the Living Pharaoh for Worlds Without Number

         

Gomdulla -- The Living Pharaoh!

 for Worlds Without Number

HD: 10

AC: 12

Atk: +8 

Dmg: 2d8+2

Shock: 3/--

Move: 50’

ML: 12

Instinct: 6

Skills: +0

Save: 7+

• Its Enemies must make a Mental save or lose their first turn’s Main Action as they summon their nerve. Morale checks it induces are made at -2. 

• At the beginning of its turn roll a d6 and on a 5 or 6 it can use telekinesis to manipulate up to a metric ton, smash giant-sized holes in stone walls, or hurl objects at enemies within 60' who must make an Avoidance save or take 4d8 damage if directly hit by the object or 2d8 damage within 5’ of its impact.

31 Nights of Halloween: The Black Hole's Maximillian for Stars Without Number

 

Maximillan for Stars Without Number

HD: 7

AC: 18

Atk: +9 

Dmg: 1d10+1

Move: 10m

ML: 12

Skills: +3

Save: 11+

• He has all of the traits and abilities of a VI robot.
• He can fly at his Movement speed.
• He is immune to unarmed  attacks or primitive weaponry as if he wore powered armor.
• His melee attacks have a Shock of 2/20.
• He can take a Move action on the same round as he makes a melee Execution Attack, closing rapidly with a target before he attacks. He may split his Move action when making an Execution Attack, taking part of it before he attempts to murder  his target and part of it afterwards.