100 Random places and situations to wake up in after a night of drinking in a D20 Fantasy setting.

Posted by: Jason Silverain / Category: , , , , , , , ,




Steam rising from the cup she held its warmth seeped into her fingers banishing the rooms chill Tiasel sipped gingerly at the tea within, grimacing slightly at its unusual bitter aftertaste of the last few drops. Ceasing her pacing she let herself sit upon one of the overturned barrels that littered the inns storeroom taking a moment to once more inspect her prize, pulling the rucksack into her lap the large stone head within gazed back silently with its polished Bloodstone eyes the primitive yet detailed carving smooth to the touch crafted by hands larger than any man. The theft had not been difficult the priest tending it having retired to his quarters for the night and the idol head having twisted easily and quietly from its base with a simple application of grease. 
 
A creak of floor boards snapped her to the present as her employer finally arrived, greeting the new arrival with a welcoming smile her eyes continued to watch carefully for the slightest hostile movement as she tried to suppress her nervousness. She had learned to trust her instincts over the years and a familiar tingling behind her ears signalled to her something was wrong even if she wasn’t sure what it was yet. “Forgive my tardiness my good dear but sometimes Pryham mayoral duties can take longer than expected, however the innkeeper is a friend of mine and our presence here will be… unnoticed. Now I presume your contact has procured the item I desired.” 
 
Returning her smile the words seemed to slip smoothly from his lips his final words emphasised with a heavy thud of a coin pouch dropping upon the nearby barrel top. Tiasel found herself resisting the urge to grin at the memory of her earlier observation of the mayor's duties that day, a dwarf from a recently arrived mercenary party delivering curative potions had loudly and publicly in no uncertain terms threatened to reduce the mayor to a more reasonable height if he attempted to hire his group to slaughter the stone giants in the pass again. “I dislike being kept waiting sir but my colleague has obtained the idol head as requested and I have it now for your collection, so I will take his payment to him now if you excuse me.” Her voice brisk and polite she lowered the rucksack to the floor its flap open showing the contents within, the glittering eyes seeming to follow the pairs every movement as she collected the coin purse hooking it to her belt..  

The tavern is a staple of fantasy gaming, a place for new character introductions, plot hooks, recuperation or even an end goal in itself for those wishing to own their own establishment, as such at least once in a players gaming career a character will end up partaking too much in the festivities or more sinisterly have their drink spiked.  
The following table was created for use in Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder by a fellow player and occasional dungeon master of mine whose blog can be visited here.


This list assumes that the characters remember very little about the night after their first few pints of ale and follows a night of heavy drinking. Most of the entries are not harmful, merely embarrassing or an inconvenience but some could lead to further trouble or a plot hook specifically those in the higher numbers.
This list is best used with a mature group who understand that drinking to excess in real life is not recommended or fun


1
In bed clutching a traffic cone. (nobody knows where these come from but they do occasionally appear after a night of drinking)
51
You wake as a small fluffy animal inside a little cage. Much to the disappointment of the wizard in training who brought you as a familiar you change back to your regular form within an hour.
2
In a bale of hay or hay cart.
52
You wake as a small fluffy animal in a gilded cage. Much to the delight (or disgust) of the young noble to whom you were brought as a pet you turn back to your regular form within an hour and are stark naked.
3
In the tavern you last remember drinking in, in the same seat. You didn’t move all night.
53
You are in a local church or temple. When you wake the preacher mentions that you should perhaps read the scriptures about the evils of drink. While you are at it he also suggests that you could donate a small amount of coin to the church so they can get a few things cleaned/repaired after your visit the night before. The preacher is too polite to press the issue.
4
In a stable next to the resident horse who looks bemused.
54
You wake floating in a public fountain. You are soaked through
5
You wake with no eyebrows
55
You wake in a pile of rubbish in a back alley. Even after changing your clothes and washing the smell does not leave you for days.
6
On a beach with the water lapping against your toes. (even more effective if the player started in a town that is miles away from the sea)
56
You wake up and find yourself being stared at by a local animal which is very unpleasant when startled (like a skunk or porcupine) The DM should choose something appropriate for the area
7
You wake up on a boat – sea sickness quickly ensues. However luckily the ship has not left port
57
As you wake the remnants of magical static spark along your fingers and hair and linger over any magical items on your person. (At a time the DM chooses when using a magical item you get a magical static shock taking 1D2 points of damage and you will need to roll a concentration check to complete the spell or action with the item)
8
You wake under a tree in the forest. Apart from being cold damp and dirty you are fine.
58
You wake to find a rather large target painted on the clothing you are wearing. As a prank a local training school thought it would be fun to have a live target for sling practise. The sling bullets are non lethal (berries etc…)but you are still advised to get out of the way
9
You awake in a safe location (in an inn ect...) but someone has left a note in your pocket. (DMs choice if this is a plot hook)
59
You wake and around you the party is still continuing. Everyone is still dancing and drinking around other people passed out on the floor. The music is rhythmic and hypnotic. As you look around the band seems exhausted but continue to play nevertheless. (the tavern is cursed and the people inside may party themselves to death)
10
You have a thumping headache, which is made worse by the fact that a band has started to play (in a tavern or town square)
60
Somehow one of your magic items has become intelligent in the night. It saw your behaviour and doesn’t think that highly of you anymore.
11
You wake up in your own bed/ bedroll at camp but find that your sheets are covered in your own handwriting. (up to the DM if they wrote anything of sense or meaning)
61
You wake with a strange aura sense. Everyone in town who needs help from adventurers has a magical symbol above them. Shopkeepers or people with things to sell have another symbol and other people have different symbols depending on their profession or intent. It fades by the end of the day.
12
You wake to the smell of perfume which isn’t your own
62
You are on a different plane to the one you were in last night. (DM's choice which one and if there's an easy way back)
13
For the rest of the day you will have a song in your head. You must have heard it while out drinking. It is maddening and at some point (at the DMs choosing) you will need to make a will save or start singing the song.
63
You wake and find an arcane mark upon your body. You don’t recognise it as the mark of a caster you know. (DM's choice if it fades without incident or if the caster can use it to locate the character, teleport to the character, scry on them before it fades)
14
You are on the back of your mount. It is walking somewhere but you are not quite sure where its going. If you do not own a mount then you are riding an animal suitable for your size.
64
You wake wearing a simple gold ring which you didn’t own before. It is cursed and you cannot remove it. (DM's choice if it is magical enough to count against the magic item limit) You appear to have gotten engaged in the night but you do not remember to whom
15
You wake nestled in a tree. You ache all over from an uncomfortable sleeping position.
65
You were put in the town stocks for making a nuisance of yourself the night before. The local watchman lets you out once you have sobered up a bit.
16
You find yourself in a town sewer. It is dark and unless you already know your way around it will be difficult to find your way out. If the town you started in is too small to have a sewer you may find yourself in a drainage ditch.
66
You wake up to the uncomfortable realisation that your head is stuck in between railings in a local town/settlement. You find that you cannot pull your head free on your own and must have assistance.
17
You wake in a surprisingly comfy florally decorated bed. However the house you don’t recognise. When you leave the room to investigate you find the house belongs to a kindly elderly couple who won’t let you leave until you have had several rounds of tea and biscuits.
67
You wake in a safe place but feel very unwell for the rest of the day. After exerting yourself (and at the DM’s discretion) the character must pass a fortitude save or throw up. This effect lasts until the next day.
18
You find yourself in a freshly dug grave after falling in. You must scramble out before the intended occupant is laid to rest.
68
You are in a factory. The noise of the machines is terrible. Somehow you have avoided coming to too much harm but you are trapped and it is very difficult to get yourself heard over the din of the workplace
19
You wake in a dorm room for the mages guild. It must have been some party if you could only remember it. Something upon your person has been magically changed colour and makes a sound effect when it is used, this effect lasts for the rest of the day after that the item returns to its regular colour.
69
You find yourself in a brothel. (if your character would have paid for services they have done so, if they do not partake in such things they were lured in by the promise of a comfy bed.)
You have been charged by the hour for the use of the room. It is most likely you were too drunk to do anything but the harlot brings you breakfast to make up for it.
20
When you wake you have a strange metallic taste in your mouth. At some point in the day (DM's choice) you cough up a small key and have no idea where it came from or what it opens.
70
You wake in a bell tower to the sound of the bells tolling. You are lying on the floor under the swinging bells, next to you the bellringers rope is being pulled. The bells are bigger than you are and you are rooted to the spot because if you move a blow from this heavy swinging metal could knock you unconscious. (Character may spend the rest of the day mildly deafened with a penalty to perception checks) The character can escape when the bellringers finish but the experience is horrifying all the same.
21
You wake in a barrel of ale or cider. A large character may have fallen into a large vat while a smaller one could easily fit into a taverns supply barrel. Luckily the barrel is empty enough that you do not need to swim out but you can’t get rid of the smell for the rest of the day.
71
You wake on a hand pulled cart in a pile of dead bodies. When you get up the person pulling it is very surprised but not too bothered because he already got paid to take you away.
22
You wake clinging to the remnants of a half remembered terrible dream. It appeared to be a prophecy of terrible things to come but your brain is cloudy as you try to make out all the details.
(DM,s choice if the dream was a plot hook and can be as vague or as specific as you like)
72
You find yourself lodged into a small stone gap. One side of the gap is open and you see a tall circular tunnel .At the bottom there is water and at the top you can see open sky. The walls are smooth so it is difficult to climb out. When you shout for help people reply to your calls but nobody helps. There is rumoured to be a vengeful spirit within the well which drags people in and drowns them. The townsfolk don’t recognise your voice and mistake you for the spirit.
23
You wake up covered in something sticky or slimy. You have no idea what it is.
73
You are in a field surrounded by cows. Just when you think you are safe the resident bull spots you standing up and starts to charge.
24
You wake up really hungry. For the rest of the day you must eat twice as much or be fatigued.
74
You wake at the tallest part of a nearby castle or mages tower. You must find a way down the outside of the building or face the occupants of the building who you may have angered the night before.
25
You wake up with the sun beating down on you. You have caught the sun and are burnt in several places. You suffer -1/-2 (DM's choice) on all dexterity based checks for the rest of the day due to discomfort.
75
You are in a giants bag or pocket and may end up as a snack unless you escape soon…
26
You wake at a crossroads but the signs have all been knocked down. You are not entirely sure where you are or which way to travel.
76
You are tied to a post. As you drowsily open your eyes you see a bandit camp around you and one of the bandits trying on your armour and another checking out your weapon for size.
27
In the morning you are told that in a moment of ale inspired generosity you had offered to buy everyone in the tavern and several people outside a drink and have run up a rather large tab. (DM's choice how much, perhaps the barkeep would be willing to write off the cost of the tab in return for a favour)
77
You wake covered in fur, the fur is the same colour as your hair colour. It slowly sheds during the day and you return to your normal self in a day or two. However the blood under your fingernails is very hard to clean off and keeps returning.
28
You have been sleeping uncomfortably and your foot and hand on one side have gone numb. It strangely takes several hours for them to recover and you swear they sometimes move of their own accord.
78
You have gained one skill point in a knowledge skill you were not trained in before (not class only skills otherwise DM's choice) However for some reason when trying to use this skill you get a very severe headache
29
You wake to find that you were pick-pocketed of a few coins the night before.
79
You wake in quicksand (or a marsh-like equivalent) while you were sleeping you have been lying very still so have not sunk. If you start thrashing about as you wake you will start to sink. (it is recommended that if the PC remains calm they may spot something they can pull themselves out with)
30
You wake to a strange sensation. It seems that you may have accidentally drank a few potions alongside the many many drinks. (DM chooses or randomly rolls for a potion you have drunk, and chooses when during the  day the potion takes effect)
80
You wake on the top of a mountain. It is bitterly cold but luckily you have been lying in an area a little sheltered from the wind (and possibly snow)
31
You wake with sudden hiccups which you cannot seem to rid yourself of. Each time you need to concentrate, stay quiet, make a performance roll or anything else the DM decides may be affected by hiccups the player must pass a DC 20 fortitude save or get interrupted by hiccups.
81
You wake to find yourself in a tied sack and by the movement you feel you guess you are in a cart. Its not impossible to struggle free but if your captors notice they are not too happy to let you go.
32
You drowsily open your eyes to realise that you have uncovered a great number of secrets of the universe the night before. On the tip of your tongue are arcane words of power so great that few would dare to speak them. You have a brief recollection that you learned hidden truths, and the location of clues to finding the powers of the gods themselves. Just as you are about to grasp these memories you throw up and they are lost to you.
(DM's choice of this is a fanciful dream or perhaps a plot hook for the character to find one of these clues to lead them to an artefact or hidden spells lost for centuries)
82
You wake in a beautiful clearing in a forest. The sun shines through the gaps in the leaves creating a dappled shadow on the lush green grass. You feel so calm and rested even if you have no idea where you are. As you walk out of the clearing you find trails between the trees to follow which seem to lead you back to the same clearing over and over. (DM's choice if this area fades after a time or there is a specific method of escape)
33
You wake wearing no trousers/skirt after some looking around you find that they are perched on a high ledge, a rocky face or on top of a tree (depending on where you are)
83
You wake knowing a spell you did not know previously (DM's choice) however every time it is cast you take damage of twice the spell level. This damage cannot be magically healed but can be restored by resting.
34
You have slept very very late. Your familiar (or an animal belonging to the party) is trying to wake you up
84
You wake up and think everything is fine but as you look down at your hands they are old and wrinkled. You scramble to find a mirror and stare in horror at your own reflection which has aged many years in one night. (Up to the DM how long this lasts or if its just an illusion)
35
You wait to find your mount is suddenly very brightly coloured. It isn’t amused either. (If the character doesn’t have a mount than animal belonging to the party has changed colour instead.)
85
You wake on a boat – sea sickness quickly ensues. You soon realise that the boat has left port while you were sleeping.
36
You wake to find that you can smell purple, see the wind, taste the meaning of existence and feel the number 3. Thankfully whatever drugs you were slipped during the night do not last long and fade by midday.
85
You open your eyes in a clearing in the woods. You are lying on soft moss. However there are plants entwined around your limbs. It takes a lot of strength to break free.
37
You find that sometime one of your potions was replaced with a bottle of ale. (or an amount of liquor has been decanted into a potion bottle) DM decides which bottle and when the character finds out.
87
You wake in a dusty crypt. Skeletons line the walls each in their own alcove. Luckily you do not share the alcove you are lying in with a skeleton. (its up to the DM if the skeletons actively defend their crypt or if the crypt is trapped.)
38
You wake with your stomach churning and you don’t feel at all well. The next time you go to drink you must make a fortitude save or be unable to stomach drinking it.
88
You wake with a strange irony tang in your mouth. You look down and you are lying in a pool of blood which is beginning to get sticky as it dries. As you inspect yourself it looks like the blood is not yours as you have no open wounds. There are no other bodies or people in sight.
39
You wake in the middle of a muddy field. It has been raining heavily and you are sunk down into the mud and you need to struggle free. (DM's choice if it is still heavily raining or if there are any animals resident in the field)
89
You wake tied to a post near a monstrous humanoid camp. You have been kidnapped. It may take a while for them to notice you have woken up.
40
You wake wearing very little and handcuffed or tied to a tree.
90
You wake with a strange irony tang in your mouth. Your hands are sticky with blood which is beginning to congeal. You look down and see a large shallow wound on your chest.
41
You wake up in jail, you were arrested last night for public nuisance
91
You are lying on a pile of hay, fur and moss in a short cave. As you start to look around you notice that the original owner of the cave has come home. (Up to the DM to pick something setting appropriate such as bears or goblins)
42
You wake up beside a monstrous humanoid that your character may never dream of closely associating with when sober. (it is funnier if nothing actually happened at all and you allow the player to come up with their own conclusions)
92
You wake to find that you are in the talons of a giant bird (or other flying animal) to your horror the creature carrying you is taking you to a nest full of hungry babies.
43
You wake on a rooftop, you are not entirely sure how you got there but there isn’t an obvious way down again.
93
You wake to the sound of rushing wind. Its actually really cold where you are. As you slide your eyes open you can see that  you are falling from a very long way. (DM's note you may wish to give the player a Ring of Featherfall so this isn’t instant death for the character)
44
You wake with a black eye and several bruises and cuts over your body. You are not sure exactly how you got them.
94
You wake to an unfamiliar swaying motion. As you groggily open your eye you find that you are caught in the branches of a tree which is walking slowly and steadily with you tangled up in its upper branches. (if no walking/ intelligent trees exist in game world you are caught in the upper branches of a tall tree which is being whipped by the wind)
45
You wake up in someone else's house. You must sneak out of there before the owners of the house spot you.
95
You wake in an unfamiliar bed and soon realise it is in a dormitory. You find that all of your clothes have been replaced with a uniform (up to the DM whose uniform) You have been conscripted into an army.
46
At first when you wake everything seems normal despite your headache. You later notice a strange tattooed mark somewhere upon your body. Up to the DM if it could be a plot hook, a method of someone scrying on the character, a harmless temporary tattoo, a gang sign
96
You find yourself in the middle of a beautiful glade. All around you shining lights flicker throughout the trees. On closer inspection the lights are tiny playful fey. They tell you that you were sick and tired and that you should sleep so you feel better. They do all in their power to magically make you sleep because they believe it is the right thing to do. It is possible for a lost person to be stuck in such a glade for days, weeks or even years
47
You wake in a ditch by the side of a road. As you open your eyes you hear voices up on the road. You are well hidden. (If the player chooses not to move they overhear a conversation, perhaps bandits planning an ambush, perhaps a shady merchant negotiating a deal or something mundane as two friends talking about their day.)
97
You think you wake but you have a strange feeling of weightlessness. You look down at your translucent body, you observe the area around you and see that nobody can see you but you observe what is going on for a short time before really waking with a jolt and finding yourself quite whole but feeling sick with a banging headache. (It is up the the DM what the character observes and if it was simply a bad dream, a real out of body experience or a message sent magically to the characters dream since they were less able to resist the spell when drunk)
48
You wake strapped up to a scarecrow pole in the middle of a field of crops. Someone has draped terrible old clothing over you to make you appear like a straw filled scarecrow, They have even filled your sleeves with straw.
98
You wake up in a surgeon or alchemists lab. They have paid good money for a specimen to experiment on and they may not be too eager to let you go. (who took you to the lab and sold you while you were sleeping is up to the DM)
49
You wake with the vague recollection that you may have told someone what you really think of them. (causing possible social difficulties with them later)
99
You wake lying on a large pile of treasure. The elation of this discovery doesn’t last long because the dragon who owns the horde has also woken up.
50
You wake with the vague recollection of meeting an old cloaked man and after chatting with him for some time you bought something from him. Crumpled in your hand is a battered piece of paper that seems to be a deed to some kind of nearby property.
100
Tied up with your hands behind your back resting on an altar. There are hooded figures around you chanting an unrecognisable incantation. There is a lone figure with a ornate knife urging the chanters to get louder.

The mayor making no indication to move increased her unease, his lingering presence and continuing wide smile making her fingers slowly shift now towards the dagger hidden in her sleeve pausing only when he began to speak once more.“Indeed I was wise to trust your partners capabilities however I have a further task that might interest yourself, as a merchant you must know that this towns trade is primarily the many herbs used by the wizards collage and alchemists of nearby villages, our areas to harvest could be increased extensively.. if a group could remove the local stone giants who have now become a danger to those on the pass.”

 Her eyes narrowing Tiasel shook her head slowly her teeth clenching as her growing anger at been used to orchestrate such events began to overtake her caution, though her intended reply is interrupted as the large man before her gestures continuing to speak. “No? Well that is unfortunate and as that group which has arrived is uninterested I guess I must wait for the next bunch of eager fools.. speaking of which since they are investigating the theft you must understand I can’t have them talking to you."Her body suddenly heavy her legs gave way, the dagger now in her grasp clattering against the cold stone Tiasel found her senses fading into darkness as the mayors voice above gloated over her 
 
“Clever disguising yourself as your own contact but any real merchant would recognise the herbs we grow especially the ones which are used for the powerful sleeping agents and spells…” Attempting to reach out her body refused to respond though her mind raced suddenly realising what had happened as the bitter taste of the tea once more lingered upon her tongue. “Still awake? Well I will respect your intelligence and not insult you by explaining how you were drugged but I will give one point of advice Thief of Stars you should hide your mask better, you never know who may go through your possessions in these little country towns.”


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Happy New Years 2014 and events of early January.

Posted by: Jason Silverain / Category: , , , , , ,



First of all let me say Happy New Year to all you readers, I honestly hope you've all enjoyed the Christmas break and are ready to resume all those games and stories that have been put on hold over the festive season.

I for one am excited but I will not bore you with the details of various goodies I've received after all I'm sure your heard nothing but that from friends and relatives over the last week, instead let me tell you of various events to catch quickly over the New Year before they are gone.

First of all for those who are interested in the video game history of Britain the National Centre for Craft and Design in Sleaford is still hosting the Exhibition Revolution in the Bedroom, War in the Playground: Video Gaming 1979-1989.
Focusing on the rise of the British video games industry it celebrates home based or "bedroom" programming, it attempts to highlight the importance of the hardware and the creativity of the early pioneers of video gaming and the industry's importance to the arts and creative industries.
The exhibition admittedly is rather narrowly focused on the Spectum and Commodore but with the chance to play some of the older rarer games and a free arcade experience this is worth a visit if you have an afternoon to spare but hurry the Exhibition closes on the 5th of January.

Alternatively if boardgames are more your forte then Stabcon 2014 might be just what you need which takes place between the 3rd and 5th of January. I have been planning on attending myself sometime in the future but I am sadly unavailable this month, I would however love to hear from attendees about what happened this month in the comments.

Finally for the first post of this year I wish to present a table given to me by one of the more creative of my gaming group (which shows her supporting roles in the group aren't just limited to the table.) For the more artistic amongst you her blog Buzy Bobbins contains free to use cross stitch designs and other crafty musings.


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3rd Party Show Case: Heartless Mage

Posted by: Jason Silverain / Category: , , , ,


The flickering flames of the fireplace cast dancing shadows across the study, its lone occupant paying no heed to the twisted shapes as it sunk deeper into the high backed leather bound chair. The wine glass beside him untouched on the side table Arctas's attention lay fully on the twisting black oak staff he caressed in his hands, the silver runic patterns across its surface coming to life in a dull white glow as the power within them both was now channelled into the orb of crystal at its tip. The clear transparent gem slowly filling with a growing swirl the colour of morning mist, focusing his mind he narrowed this thoughts to a ring studded with sapphire engraved with the rune of his house. Twisting and inspecting the ring in his minds eye the swirling mist within the orb twisted like moulded clay, a low buzz of noise beginning to grown drowning out the crackle of burning wood from the fireplace. "..his clans hospitality. " the words reverberating from the crystal the mist finally took form focusing upon a  young Enchantress as a single word slipped from his lips "Ah Granddaughter."

Welcome to the first edition of 3rd Party Show Case, this series of articles aims to highlight some of the more interesting 3rd party and homebrew creations available online. When able to we will credit the original creators and post links directly to the material.
The first 3rd party class I’ll be highlighting is a personal favourite of mine the Heartless Mage prestige class which can be found on the D&D Wiki and was created by Surgo, an alternative to lichdom the Heartless Mage gains immortality and powerful spell like abilities at the cost of emotional sterility and a obsidian box containing their heart.

Becoming a Heartless Mage

The Heartless Mage is quite an easy prestige class to enter as the skill requirements can be gained at either level 7 in D&D 3.5 or level 10 in Pathfinder, while the Magic Jar can be gained at 9th for a Wizard or 10th level sorcerer.  However due to Charisma skill penalty this class gains each level it is not recommended for any social characters which means most sorcerers will not want to enter it.  
The base attack bonus remains poor as does reflex saves but the Heartless Mage is one of the fewer spell casting prestige classes which gains a improved fortitude save while retaining full spell casting. It does suffer however from poor skill points and limited class skills.

Requirements:

Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 10 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 10 ranks.
Spell Casting: Must be able to cast 5th level arcane spells, including magic jar.

LevelBase Attack BonusSaving Throws

SpecialSpellcasting


FortRefWill

1st+0+2+0+2Box the Mortal Heart+1 Spellcaster Level
2nd+1+3+0+3Lessons of the True Heart+1 Spellcaster Level
3rd+1+3+1+3True Ownership+1 Spellcaster Level
4th+2+4+1+4Heartless Resurrection+1 Spellcaster Level
5th+2+4+1+4Heartless Immortal+1 Spellcaster Level

Hit Dice: D6

Class Skills:
The Heartless Mage class skills are: Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Heartless Mage prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Heartless Mage gains no proficiency with armor or weapons.

Spellcasting: Every level, the Heartless Mage casts spells (including gaining any new spell slots and spell knowledge) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he had previous to gaining that level.

Box the Mortal Heart (Ex): At 1st level, the Heartless Mage removes his own heart and places it within an obsidian box worth at least 1,000 gp. The effect of this transformation is that whenever the Heartless Mage is killed, the obsidian box holding his heart may be used as a focus component to a raise dead or resurrection spell. Using his heart in this way means that he is returned to life without level or XP loss. Should the Heartless Mage’s heart be destroyed or removed from the box, he is instantly killed wherever he stands. In addition, each level of Heartless Mage grants a cumulative –1 penalty on all Charisma-based checks. Also, from this point onward the Heartless Mage does not age further or advance in age categories.

Lessons of the True Heart: At 2nd level, a Heartless Mage may use any of the following spells as spell-like abilities: heart of stone, hoard life, and false life, each usable once per day. When he uses these abilities he must use the obsidian box holding his heart as a focus component, and the box counts as the final resting place of his heart for the effects of this spell.

True Ownership (Sp): At 3nd level, the Heartless Mage improves the mystical connection to his heart. He may cast scrying and discern location as a spell-like abilities at will, but only if he is seeking the obsidian box holding his heart.

Heartless Resurrection: At 4th level, the Heartless Mage does not die when his body is killed. Instead, his soul is transferred to the obsidian box containing his heart (treat as a tiny construct with a hardness of 20 and no movement abilities). While in this form, he may cast magic jar at will as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to his character level, and his obsidian box is the focus). For the purposes of this effect, soulless bodies in perfect physical condition (such as clones preserved by gentle repose or soulless bodies produced by magic jar effects) can be targeted by this effect as if they were living. If the body possessed is a duplicate of the Heartless Mage’s own body (via clone or a simulacrum spell, for example), successful use of this ability counts as a true resurrection on the Heartless Mage with a material component being the body he is possessing (it is consumed).

Heartless Immortal: When a Heartless Mage is possessing a body with his Heartless Resurrection ability, he may perform a 12-hour ritual costing 1,000 gp in material components that recreates his current body into duplicate of his original body. This counts as a casting of true resurrection with a material component of the body he is using.

Using the Heartless Mage

The Heartless Mages abilities focus heavily on either avoiding or returning from death which may not suit all campaigns and most players will find themselves never needing to use them unless their DM is known for TPK’s (Total Party Kills).  However the ability to cast Heart of stone, hoard life, and false life, once per day can be very useful give a caster extra staying power in a fight and all last a considerably long time.
The major power available to the Heartless Mage is their mastery over the Magic Jar spell once slain and I have personally used this to confound and infuriate many opponents who thought the party was weakened by the death of their main caster before finding their mounts or great beast suddenly turning on them.

It is also this ability that make them a great recurring NPC villain especially for horror, while everyone knows of a lich's phylactery (usually in and out of character) very few would know or predict the Heartless Mages abilities and would simply see them as another mage.

In addition if the Heartless Mage hides his heart within another valuable item (lead lined to hide the necromantic aura or already possess necromantic magic) which the party may take as loot,
due to their immortality and reliance on logic over emotion a Heartless mage could bide their time watching and learning, occasionally subtly influencing events.  
This may lead to Heartless Mage striking at the party forcing them to resist possession when they are at their weakest in another encounter or more sinisterly as the party expose allies or loved ones to danger of the mage they may become alternative targets to damage the party through.

Combined with their ability to use the body of a possessed creature to cast true resurrection and you have the perfect mix for a truly horrific memorable villain. 

The image flickered slightly in the light of the fireplace and for a moment the Enchantress turned her head her gaze directed directly at him as if reacting to his presence, knowing this was impossible Arctas held his analytic stare while allowing himself a smirk more from habit than satisfaction. Perhaps in his younger years he may of panicked cancelling the scrying spell but now in the cusp of his final advance to power such doubts or indeed any fears that were not based in cold logic no longer bothered him. It had been many years since he last seen her in person, in fact he was presumed dead by all their relations but there was something about her smile that brought forth a faint memory, an echo of the barest hint of emotion he had not felt in those many years. He knew all others in the family were lacking the power in the blood they both shared though hers not yet awakened and for his goals to be realised she would have to sacrificed but did he feel now feel remorse?
Musing over his thoughts he listened to the low crackle of the burning wood continuing to watch the images play out before him, the habitual smirk crossing his lips once more he spoke his answer as if to confirm it to the world. "I will let you live your life for now dearest granddaughter after all.. what is time to an immortal?" 


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The Christmas Rush

Posted by: Jason Silverain / Category: , , , , , ,


Well once again Christmas is catching up with us all but that's no reason to give up on the gaming, so for those still struggling to fill their parties loot sack here are some of my favourite ideas for gifts this year. 

If your Dungeon Master is anything like me they have mountains of maps which they have spent hours drawing and never seem to have the right on, for them I recommend the Ye Olde Map Maker a cheap little program that is a great time and space saver. 
Alternatively no space on the table, tired of cocked dice or accusations of roll fudging perhaps a Dice Tower will help and some of the designs for these are becoming quite impressive and entertaining. Though my own firm favourite has always been the classic Leather Dice Cup,  I've linked to one of the more expensive and ornate examples but there are plenty available at much cheaper price.  While I used to use normal cups or a plastic containers these both made a horrible racket and I've known dice to chip in ceramic cups but if  neither of them suit you perhaps you just need Smaller Dice.

I've found dice have always been a popular gift amongst role players ranging from the Ornate Pieces of Art to the Plentiful Lucky Dip but two rather unique examples have been brought to my attention (as well as heavy hinting) by my gaming group.
The DICE+ at Firebox is a electronic dice that can Bluetooth to various tablet games, the list of which seems to slowly and steadily growing. Unfortunately the Firebox site doesn't provide much information but there is a review available at The Verge.
The second little piece that caught the eye of my group was the D20 Spinner Dice Ring, I know if had one of these I would most likely not be able to stop playing with the thing though I can't seem to find anyone who has tried one of these so if anyone has any first hand experience of using one let us know in the comments.
Of course for those wishing personalisation of their tools of the trade you could always give them the means to make their own with a Blank Set Of Dice.

While our focus is on jewellery I recently been hearing a lot from the ladies in my group about Chainmaille, which appears to be chainmail jewellery and other assorted items. With a bit of help I was directed to Etsy and found a rather nice Dice Bag made in the style though I do think the plastic lock spoils it slightly, there are a few other examples of the style but I think the next item I saw was far more my tastes.
Clockwork Firebird's collection of leatherwork and costume pieces really caught my eye but for a cheap little Christmas stocking filler the Made To Order Runic Snap Bracelets seem to perfect. Personally I think I will be getting one of these for each of my group and there will be a challenge to see who can translate it first and write it out with the Feather Quill Pens they will also be getting. I only wish these were available as pencils more regularly but for those games where a character isn't likely to change these biros will do.

Now my group likes to give presents based on the characters we've played (or at least the most memorable and amusing one) but for Dungeons and Dragons people always seem to struggle with ideas for Rangers and Druids players so I suggest a nice Microwaveable Warmer of their animal companion to snuggle up to over the cold winter period.
Now not everyone likes fluffy toys and that's understandable but in the spirit of my first series of articles perhaps they might enjoy Canned Unicorn Meat or Insectilix Lollies?

Finally what to give the more naughty players for Christmas, the rogue that pick-pocketed the party and pawned off the valuable plot item, the wizard that experiments on the local village or the fighter that just won't stop punching the vital NPC contact? What better than some Christmas Coal Popcorn which is tasty as well as giving a slight hint.

Well I hope at the very least I've helped give you all some ideas so now I guess its time for the mail article. Initially I had hoped to post this on Halloween but I decided not to interrupt the posting of the "Survival Out In The Wilds" series so I guess here is my very own nightmare before Christmas the heartless mage.


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