Break the law and live by a beach (Reuters 3/23/06)

Another great article, brimming with RPG possibilities. . . .
Too often we fall back onto the stereotypes of damp dungeons, torture chambers, and oubliettes. Societies define themselves by how they treat dissenters.

Imagine, an isolated monetary where devotees work to reform prisoners through hard labor and mental conditioning.

Or, a mysterious castle where criminals enter, and emerge a year and a day later completely reformed.

Or, magical items---helmets, rings, amulets, tattoos---that alter the alignment of the wearer. (Until, of course, a freak magical storm dispels its effects letting every criminal loose on society simultaneously . . .)

Wrath of God behind Israel bird flu? (Reuters 3/21/06)

Scientific thought has its roots deeply seeded in ancient philosophy. However, even to this day, outside intellectual circles, many events are attributed to mystical forces beyond our control. Biorhythms, astrology, lunar cycles, eclipses, epidemics, droughts, earthquakes, wars---all have connections to religious and/or superstitious beliefs.

In pseudo-medieval/gothic times—where most fantasy adventures are loosely staged, these impulses would be even stronger. Fantasy adds the additional twist that players experience regular evidence of realized superstition. If an old gypsy curses your character, you have every reason to believe that it contributed to your horse panicking in combat two days later.

In the vacuum of scientific explanation, the loudest and most aggressive fill the void. This is most often advocates of religion. Even when magical divination is used, absolute truth is elusive. Revelation is tainted by the particular ideology and goals of the revealing God. Magic reveals itself as a reflection of the caster—instilled with her interpretations of the world around her.

This conflict is ripe with plot-tension possibilities for any RPG. What is really causing the disease that is sweeping the kingdom? Is it an act of God, as the clerics suggest? Might other religious view it differently? (A purging, calling the elect home, end of the world, fulfillment of prophecy, etc.) Military leaders might assume neighboring orc-lands are poisoning the water supply. The guild of Wizards might argue that the disease is the work of dark magic, and launch a quest to retrieve components for an antidote. Common folk might see this as a “convenient opportunity” for the government to relieve the load off their welfare coffers. To sages, this might be part of a 1000 year-long cycle, that will inevitably pass in a few weeks. Each of these groups would push their own “solutions” to the problem, often coming into conflict with each other. Players might adhere to one, or be trapped between several.

Body parts scandal could be growing (CNN 3/14/06)

Since I've started this blog, I've yet to be disappointed by the bounteous creative goldmine of "Info-tainment" . . . Behold, another great example--I may have to work this into an adventure in the near future. (I am particularly fond of adventures with a bit of a dark bent.)

Imagine your party uncovering a black-market ring of healer/necromancers that will help the underclass workers recover missing body parts by robbing local crypts. This begs the development a new magical disease or two that can be contracted this way---"Ghoul's Fire" or "Necro-bane" or some such . . . maybe another time . . .

But I will mention that the heal skill is all too often overshadowed by the prevalence of magical healing. In my campaigns, magical healing is often powerful, but also indiscriminate--and can be used in conjunction with the heal skill for some interesting effects. (I try to have healing magic supplement, but not replace traditional healing.)

Two checks are required:

(1) Successful attachment
With a successful heal check, flesh can be attached to flesh, and then with any kind of magical healing (potion, spell, divine, arcane, etc.) fused into a living member. (Of course, this can be attempted without magic, but magic certainly facilitates the process.)

DC of Healing Check to attach a transplanted organ

• DC 10 Skin (small--less than 6 sq inches)/Tooth
• DC 15 Finger/Toe, Skin (large--more than 6 sp inches)
• DC 20 Hand/Foot
• DC 25 Arm/Leg, Eye
• DC 30 Internal organ (other DC checks may be needed to keep the patient alive)
• DC 35 Skin (complete)
• DC 40 Head/Brain/Heart
• MODIFIER: +1 per day since the injury (of the tissue recipient) missing tissue
• MODIFIER: +5 if different species, +10 if different race
• MODIFIER: +3 if attaching to burned flesh
• MODIFIER: +5 if not using magical healing

(2) Avoid rejection of the transplant
The person receiving the transplant to make a Fortitude check to see if their body rejects the addition. (If they fail their check, they body cannot adopt the new part. ALSO, if they succeed by more than 5 points, their body rejects the tissue as foreign, and reacts against it. In either case, the transplant fails.

Fortitude Check for Adoption of new flesh

• Base DC 10
• MODIFIER: +5 if different species, +10 if different race
• MODIFIER: +1 for each day the tissue has been "dead"
• MODIFIER: +2 for less than sanitary conditions, +5 if flesh was exhumed
• MODIFIER: +5 if not using magical healing

Additionally, the chance for infection and/or disease should be roughly proportional to the DC for the fortitude check.

Shifting sands reveal 'buried mystery' (CNN 3/14/06)

What a great concept for an adventure . . . a quiet coastline village, nestled in an isolated harbor, providing a simple and peaceful life for its inhabitants. Until shifting wind and water reveal something buried beneath the sand . . . (I guess that isn't as unique a concept as I was thinking at first. Still--very cool . . .)

Here are a few possible adventure seeds:

• Perhaps only the oldest villagers remember an invasion by a strange race of sea-goers generations ago, thwarted by the villagers. The re-emergence of one of their vessels reveals plans to return for revenge 100 years from the day of the initial attack (i.e., one fortnight hence . . .)
• Same story, but perhaps the invasion was a success, the villages are their descendants—and the 100 strike is coming from the original inhabitances who scattered into the hills and are raising an army.
• Perhaps the vessel is a magical inter-planar frigate, disguised to look like a sailing ship, that miscalculated a planar gate, emerging 30 feet under the beach, 700 years ago.
• Perhaps this is the “body” of a ghost ship that has been haunting coast line for years. Uncovering what truly happened aboard the ship can give the undead their final rest.
• Perhaps the ship is a magical desert “sandsails” (a ship designed for sailing through the desert dunes). Rather than running aground—it had “run asea” and become damaged beyond repair. . .
• Maybe it is not even a ship--but perhaps, the top of a tower (leading to a underground city ruin), a dragon skeleton (causing a flurry of excitement from nearby necromancers interested in the carcass), the tip of an iceberg that never seems to melt, a circle of standing stones or a Heiau, or some kind of divine weapon (prophesied to appear when it was needed most.)