It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the Mythic Gazetteer! First, Eli appeared twice on the Wild Die Podcast:
Blackwood Interview
Blackwood Actual Play: The Flying Canoe
The one shot is written by one of the Wild Die hosts, Eric Lamoureux. Just like a lot of our own adventures, Eric drew inspiration from his homeland and heritage (in this case, French Canada). All the downtime and deliberation has been edited out by Harrison Hunt, who has also layered in some great music and sound effects throughout. It’s a great, zany trip through our magical forest. Be sure to check it out!
There’s also been a lot of progress behind the scenes to prepare for the Blackwood Kickstarter. We don’t have any news to report just yet, but keep your eyes peeled in the next couple weeks.
Finally, we’re thrilled to announce that the encounter lists for the Blackwood are complete! The full Blackwood setting book will include 39 all-new creatures and foes for you to throw at your players. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be showing off some of these creatures to build up to our Kickstarter. First off: a look at the wild side of the setting.
Beasts and Monsters
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/goblin-woods
The Blackwood is full of creatures, great and small.
Take care, lest ye find yerself lost and surrounded by these
mischievous and terrible beasts…
Beast
Sometimes, for story’s sake, the most important thing about a beast is its very beastliness. Beasts resemble whatever animals the viewer finds unsettling, but reports vary from person to person.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
Special Abilities
– Armor +1: bestial hide
– Claws: Str+d6
– Parry +1: bestial instincts
Hopping Ghoul
They say tax collectors who skim off the top of their coffers are doomed to carry on as hopping ghouls after death. Naturally greedy creatures, they hop and leap around the forest looking for the precious thing they lack: a human spirit.
Hopping ghouls are especially drawn to magic users, whose spiritual power is stronger than others. Hopping ghouls grapple their prey, and then extract the spirit from the victim’s neck with their long fangs.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Tracking d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
Special Abilities
– Claws: Str, +2 to Grapple Checks
– Leaf Step: When using the Run action, hopping ghouls gain the benefit of the Wall Walker ability until the end of the round. If they are in combat, they may make a free Agility trick.
– Undead: +2 Toughness, +2 to recover from being Shaken; called shots do no extra damage (except to the head).
– Powers: Hopping ghouls have 10 power points and know the drain power points and lower trait powers. They use Spirit as a spellcasting die, and can only cast when grappled with an opponent.
Red Bear
To some, red bears are adorable rascals who perform daring feats of agility in the treetops. To others, they are slippery menaces who steal and hoard with abandon. Those folks swear red bears are the children of witches and cats, and they can’t be allowed to live in the settled world. The truth is red bears are highly intelligent creatures with a strong hoarding instinct. Their humanlike hands allow them to grasp many things, and without training they will carry away just about anything that catches their eye.
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d4
Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 2
Special Abilities:
– Bite/Claws: Str+d4
– Size: -2
Wall Walking: Red bears have sharp claws and strong limbs to climb any surface. They can even move along the ceiling. Tales say red bears inspired the errants who developed the magic of Leaf Step.
Songbird
A songbird could be a robin, chickadee, or any similar kind of bird. Songbirds tend know all the secrets of their local forest, and are quick to learn the lay of the land in new places. They can lead someone to just about any place, but one can never be sure if the song is really luring them toward mischief and ruin.
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d4, Strength d4-2, Vigor d4
Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Stealth d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 2
Special Abilities
– Pester: Songbirds can’t inflict meaningful harm on humans, but they can attack with their Strength die to inflict Fatigue.
– Flight: Climb 1
– Size: -2
– Song: Songbirds have 5 power points and know the confusion power. Their golden call has been known to mesmerize the unwary. Songbirds use a d6 for their spellcasting die.
Design Notes
In general, I’m a firm believer in the idea that worldbuilding should happen in the course of a story. Players shouldn’t have to read a ponderous tome to prepare for a game world, and GMs should be able to piece together an adventure more or less on the fly. They’ve got plenty of work cut out for them already.
What that means is that I want descriptions on my encounter tables to hint at the entry’s use in a game. Songbirds can tempt people toward treasure or folly. Red bears might come along and steal something important. Hopping ghouls can be sent to challenge characters who let their Greedy Hindrance get out of control.
It’s also important to create encounter entries that will encourage players to take the actions that are emblematic of the setting. In this case, creatures that can fly or run over any surface is tactically interesting, particularly when their primary goal might be to flee. Songbirds can’t inflict meaningful damage, and red bears aren’t very sturdy, but they can involve the players in a high-flying chase scene.
The hopping ghoul is a special case on this list because it’s drawn directly from folklore. Sure, songbirds make appearances in several Grimm’s Tales, but they’re fairly generic. Hopping ghouls (inspired by the Jiangshi of Chinese folklore) are a much more specific image. I wanted them to be at once recognizable and fresh. They siphon life force just like their “real life” counterparts, but their origin myth is unique to the Blackwood. Both the Chinese and Blackwood creatures hop, but they hop for different reasons and in different ways.
Finally, I know sometimes a GM just needs a generic foe. The “Beast” entry is my attempt to provide a creature with an easy-to-remember stat block. It’s evocative, but still vague enough to be repurposed for the GM’s own needs.
Next week, we’ll take a look at some of the human allies and enemies under the boughs. Stay tuned!