PONDER THY BLOG(GIES): Thoughts On The 2026 BLOGGIES

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2026 BLOGGIES

Well, 2025 was a banner year for I CAST LIGHT! given that I won an unprecedented two Bloggies for GAMABLE post, WHY MEGADUNGEONS?, THEORY post, RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLES AS ADVENTURE RAM, and an additional one with co-author with Josh at Rise Up Comus Bloggie for BEST SERIES with the Designing Dungeons course. 

With great relief, the TOP POST went to elmcat for the Mapping the Blogosphere. This blogger is a far, far better candidate to lead the 2027 BLOGGIES, as measured by the substance of the mapping project which encapsulated the WHOLE blogosphere, but also the technical ability. It's a post that will help not only the hobby but the scholarly study of RPGs as oral folk art. Extremely well-deserved top win!

Clayton, of Explorers Design, did a fantastic job on MCing the 2026 BLOGGIES. I think, by collapsing the format into two weeks, he set a great bar going forward. He also did a lovely job keeping everyone updated on the progress and getting the word out.

WRITE THY BLOG- FOR THY SELF!

YOU should start your own blog. I really can't expand much more than I did when I originally posted on the topic in 2022 with the purchase of Twitter by Elon. Nor, can I write better than when I argued in KNOCK #5 that blogs are a slow, thoughtful medium that leaves ruins, as False Machine put it, for others to dig through.

But I can add now that by writing a blog, people will read your blog, and people will revisit your blog. Your thoughts are valuable in this hobby space, and you should not be shy about sharing them. Shockingly, your blog will be picked up by all sorts of people. But not shockingly, it won't happen overnight (or hell, it could), but in either case, the blog must be started and maintained. Often it's because folks will find one post, think its cool, then read through the rest of your stuff and find other posts that resonate with them.

I can also say only write for yourself! Seriously. Don't chase a perceived blog ideal. I don't say this to be condescending, putting on airs, or holding "office hours". I say this because it's a mantra I repeat constantly to myself as an antidote to the (strong) pull that social media has. It is one thing to mimic the focus of a particular blog, but another to want to copy the eyeballs-on or pull of another blog.

To me, when you write for yourself, your authenticity shines through, but far more importantly, your idiosyncrasy shines through. And it's that individual, in-grown, feedback loop fermentation of ideas that gives blogs the pungent flavor people love. Are these tastes for all people, hell no! Are these flavors intended to appeal to all, hell no! Are they good- yup! "Good" here being distinct with a discernible intent, even if not "liked".

Blogs are like cheese- the one that smells like feet is better than the unoffensive Kraft single. Be the feet cheese.

PONDER THY BLOG- I CAST WRITE!

If three BLOGGIES are proof of good feet-cheese, here is how those posts got written and a little bit on the origin of the blog itself.

I CAST LIGHT! was originally going to be a micro-blog with a post word-count equal to the light spell from D&D. More notes to myself rather than full posts. I thought I didn't have a lot to say-- this lasted all of ~3 posts and would show up in a smattering of posts since. I pivoted instead to trying more to write about the practicalities of playing D&D. Everyday DM-level stuff that arises from trying to run D&D in addition to trying to implement concepts other people blogged about. 

WHY MEGADUNGONS?: This post arose from a comment in a Discord, but I think what drove me to write it especially was (1) the connection between megadungeons as a historical D&D aspect, an interesting resurgence in popular media, and a D&D game structure that supports ~4-hour game once a week that doesn't require the exact same players every time; (2) convey the enjoyment of my own experience in the Nightwick megadungeon.

I think by taking time to discuss some common misconceptions of the megadungeon I hopefully was able to draw a line between what they might be seeing in popular media (eg Dungeon Meshi) into actual play that was easier to pull off than one might think.

RANDOM ENCOUNTER AS RAM: This post is a great example you should just blog on what you want and hit "publish". The idea arose out of trying to figure out how not to have "scripted events" but figure out how to store information outside of just notes. Again, this is a problem that arose from me playing my own dungeons. I wanted to remember player impact but also have it feed directly/immediately into the game. It is also an example of me trying to modify old-school procedures beyond their initial presentation into something more modern without changing it too much.

I would have never guessed this post would be up for any sort of award. But it also demonstrates that sometimes the things you blog about, which you think the fewest people care about, can be things that a lot of people care about. Or enjoy. Or didn't realize they cared about until you posted it. So to repeat, write what you want, hit "publish", and play your game.

DESIGNING DUNGEONS: I have to give Josh a lot of credit for the energy here. So I was lamenting out loud on Discord that while there are several books on running fantasy RPGS, several of them don't really go step-by-step into building a dungeon. These books are often both too brief on dungeon design and too long to help a DM get going. Also a lot of modern dugneons are quite small, which really doesn't give the format a chance to breath. Nor a lot of fantasy adventure games, dungeon rules a chance to be impactful. Yet, the old-school answer is to read like 20 blog posts scattered over a decade of OSR writing-- also not helpful.

So Josh agreed the idea was solid and was like "let's write this". The final document seems to have worked out really well. And it's nice to have something out there folks can easily have access too to start building their own dungeon AND megadungeon. The document also pulls together several other very helpful posts on dungeon design which people can reference before or after they build any particular part of the dungeon. The writing reinforced to me the value to me of a writing partner to help maintain energy, consistency, and quality. So try out a two-headed blog. That's something I've not seen a lot of.

FIN

I'll stop here and hit publish because the risk of navel gazing is that one gazes too long and finds one's head up one's own arse. I'm thankful for my readers, my hobby friends, and the blogging community that has allowed my growth in gaming. Blog. Do it.

PSALMS FOR MORDHEIM: Smash Bashing The New And Old Together

Look at this crew! Who doesn't want to play the motley band of weirdos?!

 

Mordheim: 

99% Falling Rules
01% Grotesque Vibes

This post is one part "how I got into Mordheim" and one part "how I want to play Mordheim with Forbidden Psalms scope/engine". Those steeped in Mordheim forgive me, I know how you feel, I play BX D&D. know the gritted teeth you get when people want to modify a ruleset before playing. We are all sinners in the eyes of the gaming gods...

Mordheim

The interesting thing to me about Mordheim is the kitbashing community that has sprung up around the narrative skirmish game. The DIY-hobby “jail-breaking”, via an out-of-print game, of an otherwise corporate IP, really gives off the same energy as D&D’s old-school scene when I stumbled upon it.

I was pulled into the scene’s orbit via the grotesque images in Mag28, enthralled by the phantasmagoric minatures stitched together in service of this old ruleset. A very familiar feeling as it was the same thing I felt when I found blogs modifying BX and OD&D.

And since I had played 40K and Battletech in the past, it was easy to answer this siren’s call and jumping in feet first. So lately I’ve been learning how to paint minatures but also committing to learning how to build terrain and do press molds. But more on THAT recent effort in a future blog post.

I think that what makes Mordheim, Mordheim is four elements: the Injuries Table, the Leveling Table, Exploration Procedures, and the community’s narrative/self-expression focus.

Why do I believe this? Because each of these sub-mechanics creates context and memory of each battle and prevents each conflict from being only about “kill everything- reset”. It's the RPG element these mechanics allow that furthers the character of the warband. There is a promise of an emergent story of these plastic and pewter lives that is really cool and unplanned.

The “maths” of how hits are scored, life is checked off, and how much damage a sword does to me is rather inconsequential. But the fact that in the next game my captain has a hook-hand, my wizard is now a flesh beast, but my warband discovered the Copper Crown of the Queen of High Havok is exciting, and our sling-bearer had become eagle-eyed is the stuff of stories. Even in “losing” or, more specificall,y not capturing objectives and withdrawing, interesting things can happen.

The emphasis on kit-bash not min-max, really helps fuel creativity. It refreshes the hobby and draws new folks in. Together, these catapult a small skirmish game of 10 minis into the fondly remembered system it is today, and one of the Inq28-scene’s foundational texts, similar to BX for the DIY-D&D scene.

Forbidden Psalms

Seriously checkout 28-mag.com
Vol6 for more awesome stuff like this!

In 28-Mag, there were a couple of play reports about “Turm2023” which was a narrative skirmish tournament run by Anna from Gardens of Hecate. Like Mordheim it featured a ruined city, kitbashed miniatures, but the ruleset was Forbidden Psalms, a wargame based on Mork Borg. The ruleset was chosen for its simplicity: make a warband of 5 models, try to get 12+ on a d20 to do anything, and each model has four stats modified by picking one of 2 stat lines. Weapons and HP interact much like D&D.

Great. This is a solid. It's simple, runs like D&D, so easy to teach, and doesn’t require a lot of models. In the time it takes of make one Mordheim warband, I can have TWO, 5-model Forbidden Psalms gangs. And if Ana is using it for her tournament, then its robust enough.

The second thing I like about Psalms is that it requires a 2 X 2 play area. Now, again, much like the “maths” of combat resolution, I don’t think play area size really means all that much except that a smaller area means quicker to the blood-letting, also less terrain to build in order to fill the space.

The third thing I do like about Psalms is the Omen cards. Each player has 5 cards or tokens that can trigger special effects, like max damage or passing a skill check. They basically help control the swinginess of the d20 and, since you only have 5 in your warband, even out potential early deaths.

Finally, I think Psalms has some versatility in case you want to use your warband in a dungeon crawl or something more RPG leaning. Again, Psalm stats are the exact same as Mork Borg as is the d20 vs DR resolution system. So there is an opportunity to transition your skirmish game into a dungeon-crawling game in the grand evolutionary tradition of Chainmail-to-D&D. Walking fish are awkward, but they are all-terrain.

Amalgamated Ruleset

But Psalms doesn’t quite have as robust a system for the RPG-elements like Mordheim does. It has a wound system and a treasure system that is more like searching a building, but is there a way to combine the two? So, with limited exposure, zero playing time, and hitching my neophyte wagon to a horse named “Naivete”, here is an outline for an amalgamated ruleset. 

PSALMS for MORDHEIM

• Create characters similar as per Forbidden Psalms

• Each character counts as a “hero” except the “dog”

• Run scenarios based on Mordheim and award experience points as per the rules as written

• If a hero was taken out of action, but passed a death check (DR6+) roll on the Serious Injuries table

• After the game, resolve any downed heroes and then roll on the Exploration Procedures

• Sum the total for treasures found and look for multiples to determine exploration outcomes

• +1d6 for each surviving hero

• For each Omen card unused at the end of the game, you may +/-1 from a single die 

• If all five Omen cards are unused, add a number of your choice to the Exploration Procedures final roll (example: a 3, 4,5 are rolled, a player can then choose to add any number on a d6, deciding “5”, they now have a 3, 4, 5, 5)

• Leveling (points)

• May not exceed +3 in any stat

• Roll 2d6 on the Experience Table when a PC has earned 2, 4, 8, & 16 points

• Could convert some of the Mordheim skills into additional “feats”

• Experience Table

Roll 2d6	OUTCOME…
2-4	A CLUE! or a New (UN) Clean Spell (random)
5	STR: 1-3 +1 to-hit STR weapon, 4-6 +1 inventory slot
6	AGL: 1-3 +1 to move, 4-6 +1 to-hit AGL weapon
7	❦❦❦+ 1 HP ❦❦❦❦❦❦
8	TUF: 1-4 +1 to non-death, 5-6 +1 to DEATH SAVE
9	PRZ: 1-3 +1 to-hit ranged attk, 4-6 +1 morale
10-12	NEW FEAT or a New Clean Spell (random)
Clue	Roll an additional +1d6 when performing your next Exploration roll

TORCHES (6): A RPG Microblog Collection 8

 

The Ultimate Warrior! Over at Save vs. Total Party Kill, Ram discusses a quick rule for determining death or unconsciousness at 0 hp or below by making a save versus Death. On a roll of a natural 20, the PC rerolls all their HD and gains that HP. I kinda like this idea for con games, its quick, but really impactful and has the same feel as Death's Door in Darkest Dungeon.

Social Bonds: At the BREAK!! blog, Naldo helps us figure out how exactly our PC know each other. Again, another great trick for con games, but also plays very well at the table.

Shuddering Forms Crawl Forth!: Save vs Worm lists out some new undead for their King of Kings setting. I particularly like the named undead that they have listed out:

Dog-headed Dyan the Dreadful: The only known wraith of the dog-headed men, who are already known for their demon-haunted cruelty. He was known for injustices done unto babies and mothers. Just wants to taste succulent childflesh again, but for his burnt-out tongue.

Before You Crawl B2, Check This Hexmap Out: Over at Blog of Forlorn Encystment, WEC rebuilds the wilderness region around B2 into a fantasy ~20 hex area. Demonstrating how little you need to have a fully stocked campaign!

$7 Mordheim/Forbidden Psalms Terrain: Summon Lesser Maker did this video and it really drove my creativity into high gear. I have been working to complete four 1'x1' skirmish boards using his techniques wth popcicle sticks and cardboard. Its really been awesome! I want to do some more posts about the painting/kitbashing folks that I am following.

Straight Up Villain: Bommyknocker Press writes about the "Nemesis System" which was found in the Shadow of Mordor video game. Glad to see other folks writing on it. I did here a little while back and recently need to use it again in my Nightwick game.

WINE DUNGEON: Post Collection of a Rare Vintages

A tentative title for "The Wine Dungeon"

Sitting at the top of my list of "To-Dos" is a wine cellar that has metastasized, via the power of the mythic underworld, into a dungeon. I have played this dungeon for 10 sessions, and it was well-liked. But as always with a lot of things I design, I think I can do it better. So the project has languished a bit in part due to work, but a little bit more due to love.

I hope in 2026, I can reformat it a bit and bring it to light. I think it a good idea, novel in terms of dungeon space, and would be a great beginner dungeon that is large, but not totally overwhelming being ~50 rooms. But we will see!

What Happens When A Wine Cellar Goes Bad? Concept Part 1

30 NPCs With Help From To Distant Lands. Concept Part 2

More Wine! Actual Play Part 3

More Wine! Actual Play Part 4

More Wine! Actual Play Part 5 (Fragment; see below MORE WINE! Session 8)

How to do a Dungeon Differently Post Mortem

MORE WINE!: Session 8

The general setup is here. 

Returning once more to Aeolos' cellar are the following:

Captain Buffet Dwarf 2
Slip Thief 2
Karen Fighter 1

After spending the previous "rest" week of the festival exploring a square of the Viridian City which contains a pyramid guard by the Iron Hand. The players were able to sneak in opening hatches found at the bottom of the statues of three Saints: Zeus, Hera, & Hermes. The exploration brought them in contact with strange humans who wore masks and spoke only in the language of the arcane. The party returned to the surface. And vowed to return-- maybe after earning a little more coin from Aeolos.

This week Aeolos was hosting a big feast and therefore would require: 6 Amphorea of a type already brought back and 4 amphorea of 3 other types.

Bronze hand used in
the worship of Sabazius

DOWN THE STAIRS to the STONE SATYR...

The party passes the leering statue without incident. Issac covers the eyes of the chaste Abraham to guard against the accuracy of the nymph statues. The satyr's cup goes unfilled. Traveling through the north archway the party is surprised to find the corpse of the Iron Hand missing....

DECORATIVE VINEYARD: They find once again each door is marked by a grape motif: north is white, east is green, and west is red. The PCs choose "west".

YOUR BACKPACK IS A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: Don't Let Monsters Steal Them

 

There was a discussion in a Discord forum I inhabited about how realistic the encumbrance of ration is in BX D&D. That doesn't interest me. What interests me is what the PCs chose to do with those rations.

But related interest is what do you do with the pack on your back?

I was a Boy Scout back in the day and the summer before high school, I participated in Philmont. This consisted of doing a roughly 10-day hike over 120 miles with everything I needed in a frame pack on my back. You can't really fight in such a thing. Even a loaded school backpack is going to encumber you or throw you off balance when you are swinging a weapon. But how can this be gamified?

A dungeon delve is a raid not a camping trip.
Let the hirelings carry stuff, you're there to delve...

✤ If you drop your pack or are not carrying one at all, you are limited to 4 encumbrance slots +2 for hands, but you gain a +1 on all d20 rolls. 

✤ However, if the PCs dropped packs are marked on the battle map and become a target for monsters. If monsters reach this marker, they destroy or take a random items.

✤ If monsters take an action at this backpack marker, they now own a whole pack of items.

SIX HEX CRAWL: A Mini-Setting Proposal For A Megadungeon

More than enough!

I wanted to post a little bit about the starting area surrounding a campaign megadungeon. This is sorta a riff off the "Just Three Hexes" post from Chicagowiz's Games. 

A key facet to me is that if the area around the megadungeon is too interesting, or more specifically, generates a quicker reaction to player actions than the dungeon itself, then naturally, attention will turn outward. This is one of my enduring (positive) criticisms about Anomalous Subsurface Environment: the setting is just as interesting and exciting as the dungeon itself, creating distraction.

Instead, I believe a DM should make the hexes surrounding the megadungeon like mirror so they reflect the dungeon itself causing attention to turn toward the focus of the campaign- the dungeon. This does not mean make them boring or unimportant or uninteresting. Rather, let us make the region immediately around the megadungeon provide two things: (1) extra resources to delve the central dungeon (2) require resources found in the dungeon. This way we are broading the loop of "dungeon-town, repeat" to "dungeon-town-region, repeat".

So, how big an area should we start with? 

I think one 6-mile "Wilderness Hex" under the influence of a stronghold. In brief, when a player wants to build a stronghold, they need to clear a 6-mile hex to build it on and clear six surrounding 6-mile hexes of monsters (the brown hexes below). It is also reasonable to assume that the stronghold can control the next ring of hexes outside the initial 7. Therefore, a stronghold can control the one 30-mile world hex it is in (the orange hex below).

AD&D hex recommendations.
The blue strip is NYC's Manhattan Island
in 1-mile hexes (~13miles long x 2 miles wide)

Also, I like to consider megadungeons in these wilderness hexes to be the fantasy equivalent of a micro-nation crossed with a "US Super Fund Site"- which is a designation "given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites". This is because megadungeons are dangerous, and most rational human rulers do not really want to be responsible for them. So they tend to end up as micro-nations under minor nobility or former adventurers. 

Even two opposing armies don't want to march through or clash in a region with a megadungeon. No one wants to be the reason Korg and the Army of Winged Blood Drinkers once dorment now have risen because so much blood from battle soaked into the ground. Nor do you want to have your nighttime camp ruined when the dead from the Fields of Haunting Horrors arise. Or even just have your 3 great generals lured away by the Crystal Voices from the Frozen Lake Keep.

What might you want beyond a starting "dungeon town"? And how does it contribute to PCs lower than level 4?

Let's further concern ourselves with just a piece of the 6-mile stronghold hex (above in green) and write just seven 1-mile hexes which, as I said above, focus attention back on the megadungeon itself. With 1-mile hexes a PC could travel to every hex in about 1 day. Great, should make the bookkeeping easier. 

This also explains how the stronghold at the center of this region might be able to project it power and explains how if bad things happen at the megadungeon, word will get out fast. Prompting ramifications with the law. Also, if NPC at location A needs something from location B then the PCs can actually accomplish this in a 2-4 hour game session.

0201- The megadungeon & the "Dungeon Town": All the basics at inflated prices! The town is run by a faimed former adventurer. Farming is done by a small group and again, prices are high. Blacksmith and Innkeeper also have a little higher prestige. The thieves' guild runs all of the trade. A DM might also have a toll set up to even enter/exit the dungeon to pay for an extra garrison at the dungeon. Everyone here is a weirdo and has a personality that sits at the extremes because they've been affected by something, are running from something, or don't fit anywhere else. This place is "chaotic" and really doesn't want your "law".

Purpose: Provide the very basics for dungeoneering as in d6 weapons, light armor & shields, and tools, while also providing hooks & history about the dungeon. Also dubious hirelings. If the players want better gear they need to scavenge it from the dungeon OR travel south, pay more money, and be nice. However, this down is willing to deal in the dangerous items that might be found in the dungeon.

Painted-Fellows Fence: A "dangerous" dungeon item can be sold with a maximum placed on either speed, value, or descression. Pick one. Speed means money will be had next session. Value means the item will be sold for 1.5x-2.0x. Descression removes the chance that the Crown, Church, or other parties will take an interest. If you have a thief, the fence might cut their take out of professional courtesy.

0301- The Ruined Temple: Maybe the god was forgotten, the temple abandoned, or the ground desecrated. There is more than one story surrounding this location but like the Old Tower, people stay away from it. Well unless you need to pray for something bad to happen...

Purpose: A place for a petty god or gods who will provide divine intervention on a local level. Resources that don't require gold but might require devotion or a geas, so similar to the Witch's Hut, but without the immediate exchange, but might also discriminate. Can be improved with offerings from the dungeon.

0202- The Witch's Hut: A humble cottage that is bigger on the inside and never really in the same place twice, but somehow the truely desperate always seem to find it. The heavy black cauldron in the garden is sometimes empty, sometimes not, and sometimes at a foaming roil. The witch who lives here deals in cures for disease, lost limbs, and tutors magic-users.

Purpose: When you are out of coin, other forms of payment are accepted here- monster organs, favors, loss of voice, noses, or teeth. New spells are found here. Replacement for limbs. And potions.

0302- Mysterious Glade: Hard to find in the daytime, but very easy to find at night, there is a chance that some "locals" are present. Is a nexus between light and dark, the fay relams, and maybe those beyond. If rare mushrooms or flowers are going to exist, then they are going here, but they are only going to appear under certain conditions

Purpose: To provide a place for ad hoc magic rituals or non-dungeon magic components. Want to commune with a spirit? The Mysterious Glade, with its standing stones is the place to do it. Gonna reincarnate someone killed in the dungeon? Done right here. You'll need that special book from the dungeon and some organs.

0402- The Old Tower: A crumbling location that has a connection to the local history. Maybe haunted, maybe not. But it's unoccupied and looking for brave or stupid new owners- locals won't touch it.

Purpose: To provide an alternative dungeon entrance into lower levels, but at a price as something could occupy it at anytime. Alternative camp for the PCs if they get thrown out of town or need to hide. Could have timed events.

0203- Crown Bridge: The local ruler knows (mostly) what sorta trade goes on at the dungeon and so is looking to take their cut of the goods that move back and forth.

Purpose: A projection of the Crown's power in the region, but not so close to the "Dungeon Town". It is away to drain money from the PCs who are trying to buy stuff at the "Other Town" and also explains why most normal merchants don't cross the river-- it just doesn't pay

0303- Lake Town or "The Other Town" This town is far more respectable and law-abiding than the Dungeon Town. Prices are fair, and they get more rare items normally found in a city, but on an irregular basis. You can also find better armor here. The Church also has more say here, but is willing to cure status effects for money. There are also more individuals connected to the Crown and other nobility

Purpose: To provide a wider variety of goods at better prices if "common" and to provide a way to get rarer non-dungeon items, but still at "inflated" prices.  Getting there requires a whole downtime action, being 3-4 miles away. More respectable hirelings here with good skills and less likely to be a mimic, possess, or just murder you and take your stuff.

That's it! I dunno if I've quite nailed what I was going for when I started this post, but all the more reason to just hit "publish".

SKELETON: A BX Class With A Bone To Pick

Ha ha! Burn!

Preamble: For reasons, I realized I might need to allow players to be Skeleton PCs. I've seen undead classes before that march from skeleton (1HD) to vampire (8-9HD), but I thought it might be good just to have the PC remain skeleton-oriented, hence ending this in the level title of death knight. But this class could be good for botched resurrections, cursed items, or angry gods. And no, everyone can't dual-class as a skeleton just because they have one.

The Skeleton

Requirement: CON and CHA of 8 or less or PC has risen from the grave
Prime Requisite: STR
Hit Dice: d6
Maximum Level: 8
Weapons & Armor: All
Alignment: Chaotic
Languages: As those in life
To-hit & Save: as BX Fighter

• 1st: +0 & 12/13/14/15/16
  
• 4th: +2 & 10/11/12/13/14
  
• 8th: +5 & 8/9/10/11/12

Level:

1. Skeleton 1d6 +1 0xp

2. Fossil Footman 2d6 2,200xp

3. Grave Guard 3d6 4,400xp

4. Skeleton Warrior 4d6 +2 8,800xp

5. Crypt Keeper 5d6 17,000xp

6. Ossuary Outrider 6d6 35,000xp

7. Cadaver Calviler 7d6 70,000xp

8. Death Knight 8d6 +4 140,000xp

Starting Equipment:

• Burial Shroud (AC 10), Death Mask, Dried Roses, Hourglass, Shield (AC +1), 1d6 dmg Weapon

Special Abilities:

• Undead: Infravision, Move silently until the first attack, Treat as “asterisk undead” for spells and effects (i.e. turn undead, poison, sleep ect)
• Fear of the Grave: At 4th level, -1 to enemy morale; At 8th level, cast fear 3x/day
• Memento mori: Cannot be resurrected nor healed by magic; all reaction rolls are 1d6; cannot hire mortal hirelings, henchmen, mercenaries, or retainers

Stronghold:

At anytime a skeleton wishes (and they have a magic weapon), they may take over the dungeon they were killed in or rose from, claiming it as a stronghold after defeating all inhabitants. A stronghold attracts:

• Stronghold Lieutenants (roll 1d6): 1-3. Chaotic fighter (level 4+1d4) 4-6. 1d6 Chaotic clerics (level 2 +1d4 each)
• Stronghold Guard: 3d6 x10 1HD soldiers (75% skeletons and 25% will be chaotic clerics)
• If there are 3+ levels, Stronghold Residents (roll 1d6, assume number as lair of monster type): 1. Werewolves 2. Ghoul Salon (2d8+5) 3. Nightmares 4. Mummies 5. Spectres 6. Vampires

Being so enamored with the very cool class titles I got as part of Secret Santicorn 2025, I thought I would try a few here.

Meat On Them Bones: Optional Titles for Skeleton Class

Minor Relequary Saint

• Demonstrate a notable act of piety to the Church
• Recover an important religious relic
• Observe all taboos of a religion to shift alignment to lawful

Gelatin Skeleton

• Coat yourself in a potion of invulnerability
• Be engulfed by a gelatinous cube
• Make an EGO check to overpower the cube (gaining a geletin coating)

The Yellow King

• Obtain a 500gp crown (or equivalent in grave goods), mask, & costume
• Be colonized by yellow mould
• Kill everyone at a costume ball or party