Showing posts with label BX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BX. Show all posts

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



THE SERPENT SONG HYMNAL: My Collection of Tables & Such for Running BX Dungeons & Dragons

I like this illo because it looks
like the heads are singing


Since running the "More Wine!", the wine cellar-turned-dungeon, I have been collecting various tables & rules that I always reach for when running the game. 

I have collected these into a document I call, The Serpent Song Hymnal.

If you have been around the old-school scene for a while, its really nothing surprising but I found it nice to have it all collected in one spot for my own reference. Its kinda feels like assembling my own lightsaber.

My aim is for it to be a living document that evolves as I run games, scratch out well-used results, add new ones, and add/subtract whole tables. It is also not intended to be a new RPG ruleset or anything like that, but more my reflection of BX D&D. The way I butter my toast.

I do have a sort of player version as well. This document is more d6 tables concerning the backgrounds of various classes and the "spin" I like to give them as well as generating equipment rapidly. But I've not quite settled on what I'm reaching for when I'm helping players. Some tables might need to be more concerned with motivations like what I did with Lair of the Lamb.

Here is the fighter for example:

FIGHTER (All receive: Sword, Dagger, Shield, Gambeson)
D12, W13, P14, B15, S16


1. Barbarian     Battle Axe, Horned Helm, Oil Flask (2x)
2. Hunter         Bow, Arrows (10x), Snare (2x 2:6 trigger)
3. Guard        Spear, Manacles + Keys, Whistle
4. Errant Axe, Javalins x 2, Chain
5. Mercenary     Bastard Sword (1 or 2 H), Chain
6. Bastard        Loyal Squire (follower), Ancestral Claim, Chain