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ARADIA (current page)
THE KINGDOM of ARADIA
This site contains suggestions for a storybook-meets-wreckless-slaughter
campaign called Aradia (after the eponymous kingdom of the witches.)
Aradia doesn’t concern itself overly with moral issues, but inklings of
them remain, in the gods available and in the monsters offered herein (which,
true to D&D form, are more cultures than species.)
I've drawn a picture-map of Aradia and may one day post it. Figure it's a pretty standard fairy tale/fantasy kingdom with a forrest full of elves, some forboding mountains and a castle with lots of minarets. There may even be a navigable waterway. The major locations in Aradia are the capital city of Pyewacket (with its cobblestone streets and impressive St. Martin's Cathedral), Dunsott Newes (a ruin high atop of a lonely Tor, complete with nearby standing stones) and Royston, an isolated hamlet on the other side of the elfwood (and too close for comfort to the north pass through the monster-haunted mountains.)
As the name suggests, witches are the most powerful "guild" or profession. A witch, in Aradian parlance, is anyone (particularly a woman) who practices some sort of magic. The king isn't a witch, but the government pretty much leaves witches alone (and they repay the favor.)
I hope you have fun with these rules and that something comes of all this. If you have any complaints, compliments or, preferrably, stories to tell about the ideas in this pamphlet, please drop my a line by e-mail at: yokeltania@yahoo.com
ARADIAN GODS OF LIFE
Here’s the outline of a setting you may wish to use to explore some
of the weirder aspects of living in a magical universe.
In the kingdom of Aradia, people worship many gods, goddesses, household spirits and numina. But three godlings are given special attention above and beyond the normal helpful (or scary) forces.
If you set a game in Aradia, or someplace like it, each player will need to perform daily devotions to at least one or these godlings or be considered an Anathemite. This is a bad thing, for reasons explained later. Players in Aradia should choose one of these Aradian afterlife options instead of an alignment.
ADRIEL (long: A-DREEL), the guardian of paradise, is the most commonly worshipped of the three great dieties of life in Aradia. Those who worship this charismatic and hermaphroditic angel are guaranteed a place in Paradise after they die. At certain times of the year, Adriel’s temples allow non-worshippers to visit the outer realms of the Paradise plane for a few hours (this gains them many converts.) Adriel’s preists are encouraged to charge for their services and to develop a very aggressive sales approach in all things. Devotions to Adriel require a sacrifice of 10% of your take for the last 24 hours, burned upon an altar (it vanishes almost instantly.)
HUY (gutteral: Hwee), the Lord of Constant Growth, is one of the oldest gods in Aradia. He is pictured as a giant, the biggest ever (almost two miles tall!) Anyone who worships Huy simply does not die (but can be buried for a while or even knocked senseless for years.) If a worshipper of Huy suffers a wound which normally kill someone esle, the faithful grows a new limb or organ which allows them to function and enlarge despite the injury. Followers of Huy are expected to grow in knowledge and wisdom as well as size and strength. Daily devotions can be reciting what you learned yesterday in prayer for an hour.
YOVE (sweet: Yo-Vey), Mother of New Life, preside over reincarnation.
Although she prefers everyone to make a fresh start in a new body, she
sometimes allows faithful or important worshippers to retain their old
memories (which is where talking animals come from.) Proper devotees
to Yove are supposed to encourage change and help nourish new life whenever
possible. They are expected to be fruitful and multiply and to experiment
with new ways of living at all times (some people take this too far, of
course.)
Daily devotions to the Mother are sacrifices of food or prayer.
(Use the table on pg 244 of the players manual or make up your own
for a Reincarnated PC’s new body.)
The ANATHEMITES are those who have rejected (or have been banished by) all of the three deities above (normally people rejected by one start worshipping another right away.) If you die while an Anathemite, that’s it. No afterlife for you.
These four factions make up most of the politics in Aradia. In addition, players in the campaign should indicate which god they perform devotions to since this will determine what happens after their characters "die."
COMMON ARADIAN SPECIES
Here are some (only slightly) different approaches to various creatures
which you may want to use in your game (especially if you set your adventures
in the kingdom of Aradia.) There are, of course, many humans living in
Arcadia as well as whatever species you like. Besides humans, these
are the four most common creatures, however.
GOBLINS
Strange, gnarled little men who seem to enjoy living in the forgotten
places of the world, these creatures have a reputation for incredible skill
and even more incredible greed. This is pure slander, as is the claim
that Goblins are all the remnants of Anathemites. Being smaller and
kinda weird-looking, Goblins are often scapegoats for anything that goes
wrong in Aradian towns (which is one more reason for them to leave semi-isolated
lives.)
FEATS: FLIGHT, TRAVEL, RESISTANCE
GOBLIN BANDITS
Goblin outlaws have a well-deserved reputation for tenacity and enthusiastic
violence. Their attacks are rarely well co-ordinated, but make up
for it in numbers and viciousness. Goblins bite, kick shins, grab
hair, pinch, poke eyes, spit, throw dirt and knee groins with unabashed
pleasure. On the other hand, goblins (especially underfed goblin
bandits) don’t weigh very much and can easily be sent flying with a very
satisfying screech. Goblin bandits are also known for their over-ambitious,
Rube Goldberg-style traps.
GOBLIN FODDER MONSTERS
(CR 1)
Size S (2’ 6" tall)
Spd 30 ft
Str 8 (-1), Dex 17 (+3), Con 11 (+0),
Int 13 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 10 (+0)
Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +2
COMBAT
(HD 1d8) hp 4
Init +3
Attack +1 melee (1d4 Knife, -3hp) or +3 ranged (1d8 quarrel, -5hp)
AC 15
LANGUAGES
Goblin, Pidgin
SKILLS
Climb +2, Craft +4, Hide +6, Listen +3, Move silently +4, Spot +3
FEATS
None
OGRES
Giant brutes with a talent for magic the hard way, these beings are
almost, but not quite, as gnarled as goblins. Everything about Ogres says
'big,' from their noses to their great stomping feet (and grinding teeth.)
Many Ogres have extra heads and voracious appetites.
In Aradia, most Ogres are devout worshippers of Huy (which is how they
got that way in the first place.) This means most Ogres are very, very
old. Ogre appetites make them generally unwelcome, especially in
the poorer areas of the world.
FEATS: EXTRAS, NATURAL ARMOR, SWALLOW WHOLE
EXAMPLE FM: BOONDOCK OGRE COUSINS
Boondock Ogres are very slow fighters with very bad tempers, especially
when they feel their clan or family honor has been impugned. This
is often their undoing, for they think less and less as they become more
and more frustrated. Typically, an uneducated ogre relies too much
on its massive size and strength, tearing apart its own defenses as it
tries to get to a smaller and more cunning foe. Ogres just love causing
lots of damage when fighting and tear up bits of the scenery to throw at
the slightest provocation.
OGRE FODDER MONSTERS
(CR 2)
Size L (8’ 6'' tall)
Spd 10 ft
Str 21 (+5), Dex 8 (-1), Con 15 (+2),
Int 13 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 7 (-2)
Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +1
COMBAT
(HD 3d8+8) hp 21
Init -1
Attack +8 melee (1d8 Club, -5hp) or -1 ranged (1d6 Spear, -4hp)
AC 12
LANGUAGES
Common, Goblin
SKILLS
Climb +2, Craft +4, Hide +6, Listen +3, Move silently +4, Spot +3
FEATS
Swallow Whole
TALKING ANIMALS
Usually, Talking Animals are either familiars or reincarnations.
Talking Animals come in a wide variety and talking rocks and trees have
also been reported.
In Aradia, it is forbidden for worshippers of Yove to kill a talking
animal (or plant or rock) or eat of its flesh. Despite this taboo, Talking
Animals are often reviled as either too damn cute or too creepy.
FEATS: NATURAL WEAPONRY
Sometimes: FLIGHT, VENOMOUS or HURL (porqupine?)
EXAMPLE FM: WOLF MERCS
Talking Wolves generally keep to themselves, having both an understanding
of why settlements don’t like wolves and a strong social structure all
their own. Every now then, however, a wolf becomes outcast or chooses
to break away from their pack. These lupine loners tend to fall in with
a bad crowd and nurse some really stupid ideas. Young punk wolves
find it easiest to get a job as a mercenary, relying on people’s instinctive
fear to give them an edge. Such creatures make a sport of intimidating
and acting tough and have a bad tendency to abuse their power. Wolfs
like to taunt and insult their opponents at the same time making comments
about how delicious the other side’s livers are going to taste. Despite
being separated from the pack, Wolves are unpredictable but naturally co-ordinated
fighters. They attack when the whole unit feels it’s the right time,
in a savage, snarling lunge of slavering jaws, sleek grey fur and flashing
steel (if they’ve been reborn with opposable thumbs, wolves arm themselves
to the... well, the teeth.)
TALKING WOLF FODDER MONSTERS
(CR 2)
Size M (4’ 6'' tall at the shoulder)
Spd 50 ft
Str 13 (+1), Dex 15 (+2), Con 15 (+2),
Int 10 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 13 (+1)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
COMBAT
(HD 2d8+4) hp 13
Init +2
Attack +3 melee (1d6+1 Bite, -5hp) or +2 ranged (1d6 Spear, -4hp)
AC 13
LANGUAGES
Common, Woodland Sprite
SKILLS
Hide +3, Intimidate +3, Listen +6, Move silently +4, Spot +4, Wilderness
Lore +4
FEATS
Weapon Finesse (Bite)
FETCHES
Sometimes people come back from the dead before they’ve actually died.
Such a creature is a fetch, a person whose afterlife superimposes their
actual life. Fetches try and avoid their living selves if at all
possible, but very poor or lonely ones will sometimes try and sneak around
using their living selves’ things when their old body isn’t looking.
Fetches look like their old selves with an over-all grey cast to their
skin, hair and clothing. Their eyes are slightly washed-out and they
seem just a tad bit shabby.
In Aradia, most people try and avoid Fetches, who can turn dangerous
at unpredictable times (in greif, rage or frustration.)
FEATS: GAZE or TOUCH, REGENERATION, TRAVEL
EXAMPLE FM: BARROW GUARDIANS
Fetches usually show up as tomb guardians, musty reminders that certain
ancient people thought death was more important than life. As such,
they are clad in armor and well-armed. Fetch batallions move with
a sort of eerie synchronicity. They are covered with a dull patina
of grime and dust, so they raise huge clouds of grey powder whenever they
whomp on someone. Fetches can also re-attach limbs severed by weapons
to which they have a Resistance.
FETCH GUARDIANS FODDER MONSTERS
(CR 1)
Size M (5’ 10'' tall on average)
Spd 30 ft
Str 12 (+1), Dex 13 (+1), Con 10 (+0),
Int 10 (+0), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 14 (+2)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
COMBAT
(HD 3d8 -1) hp 13
Init +1
Attack +1 melee (1d6+1 Sword, -5hp) or +1 ranged (1d6 Spear, -4hp)
AC 14
LANGUAGES
Common, Goblin
SKILLS
Bluff +7, Intimidate +2, Listen +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +3
FEATS
RESISTANCE (usually blunt and sharp weapons)
GOAL
This is something that the character desperately wants to acheive over
the course of the game. It must be something in the game world and,
preferrably, something rather personal. Finding a lost family member
or lover, for instance, is a popular action movie and comic book goal (as
opposed to finding a princess because some noble wants you to do so.)
Of course, more prosaic goals like hunting down someone for money or finding
a way to “get out of the adventuring business” are okay, too. Players
may invoke their goals once per game to get the same results as a natural
20 in one situation.
APPETITES
These are something that the character wants almost all the time.
It’s usually a bad habit or addiction, but it doesn’t have to be crippling.
For instance, my wife wants chocolate all the time, but she gets by without
it often enough. Appetites are something players know will be used
as lure and that they don’t have to act upon (but they ought to do so if
they want to have some fun.) Like Goals, players may invoke their
Appetites once per game to get a fee natural 20 in any one situation.
Players should be discouraged from taking really nasty Appetites.
To get players thinking about this, start the adventure in the middle of the first fight outlined on the next page. Have each player describe how their Goal or Appetites got them into this fight and proceed from there. In essence, you can assume the characters have, more-or-less, met eachother for the first time as the fight begins. (Note that players with conflicting goals can, indeed, attack eachother during this fight, but they should be openly discouraged from killing eachother. Subtle phrases like “Please don’t kill eachother, guys” work wonders in this regard, unless the players really hate you.)
INBETWEEN FIGHTS
Players will want to chase around talking to people, gathering clues
and licking their wounds, all of which should be encouraged. Try
and keep players with rival goals off one another’s throats (have them
both step aside and think of a reason to work together. Any reason,
no matter how flimsy, must be agreed upon and bind like steel for this
kind of game to work.)
FORT PERILOUS (FIRST SET PEICE)
This first fight should be big, but not overwhelming. Players
should have enough to distract them from whomping on eachother but not
so much they lose. Only use one or two of the NPCs on the next page
and bring them into the fight late (and have them leave early.)
For this purpose, use ones who are hard to chase.
The fight itself takes place in the battlements of an abandoned tower
being used by a small army of goblin bandits as a base of operations.
As the goblins scatter, captured informants or scraps of paper inform
the players that someone else hired them, someone else who plans to overrun
the kingdom in a sinister mechanical behemoth.
(Alternately, you may wish to have this whole thing start out in a busy Bazaar which is attacked by the goblin bandits, giving you lots of opportunities for fruitcarts, bouncing off awnings and comedy schtick with enraged merchants.)
WAR MACHINE WORKINGS (TOUGH SET PEICE)
The characters should be outclassed and outnumbered here, prepare to
deal out some heart-wrenching beatings. Try not to kill anyone during
this battle, just leave them alone when they fall.
This fight takes place amidst the grinding gears and pummelling pistons of a gigantic mechanical war machine, striding onward to no good purpose. It can look like whatever you like, from a giant spider to just a plain giant (nearly a mile-high, perhaps?) You may want to have a mix of goblins and whatever guards you want to use in the next fight to oppose the players (and overwhelm them) this time. The players, despite the odds, should have a clear and easy way to stop the war machine (hopefully, they’ll want to do so) but whatever they come up with should work at the last moment. It’s up to you whether the clockwork monster blows up or not.
Neat effects: Someone gets caught in the gears. Someone is scalded by a gout of steam. Someone nearly gets crushed, but there’s a cog missing. Someone gets hit by a rotating control arm. Someone falls on the controls and the whole machine lurches or goes haywire.
At the end of this fight, the players should be beaten, but possessed of evidence that the people really behind it all* live in Volcano City. (Maybe the players get captured and taken there if they all get knocked unconscious. Maybe a player escapes and shows up to rescue the rest.)
*Any NPCs left alive or that you haven’t used yet. Hopefully, you’ll at least have mentioned them by now.
VOLCANIC ERRUPTION (CLIMATIC SET PEICE)
This is the grand finale, so you’ll really want to pour on the juice
(even though both you and the players might be getting tired by now.)
This fight takes place in a huge underground network of bridges and stone towers inside an errupting volcano. The bridges and towers are collapsing as the fight occurs, sending huge chunks of masonry tumbling into the molten hells below. Gouts of white-hot liquid death splurt all around the PCs as they fight the black-hearted enemies who’ve oppressed them from afar all game. Wolves would probably be good for this one. Can’t you just see their honed grey bodies leaping across chasms and snapping at the PCs in mid-air?
Neat effects: Someone has only part of their body vaporized by laca. Someone fights to the end on a falling chunk of bridge. Someone uses a huge crumbling tower to belt someone else.
MELBA DANE (CR 3)
3rd Level Elven (drow) Adept
Melba is the weakest link in whatever conspiracy is behind the clockwork
automaton. She won't crack under torture, but has a bad tendency
to boast. She's also very, very sexy. She thinks she a much
cleverer and sneakier person than she really is, but her magic is truly
terrifying and, since it honors a spider goddess, pretty damn icky.
Size M (4' 8'' tall, 16 waist)
Spd 30 ft
Str 11 (+0), Dex 8 (-1), Con 9 (-1),
Int 14 (+2), Wis 16 (+3), Cha 18 (+4)
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +6
COMBAT
(HD 3d6-3) hp 11
Attack +1 melee, +0 ranged or +4/+7 Magic
Init -1
AC 9
PATRON GOD
ADRIEL (Paradise)
LANGUAGES
Common, Draconic, Elven, Orc, Undercommon
SIGIL
Bats
18 ADEPT SKILL POINTS
Concentration +3, Craft +7, Gather information +6,
Hide -1, Knowledge (religion) +8, Listen +5, Move silently -1,
Profession +7, Search +4, Spellcraft +4, Spot +5
FEATS
RIGHTEOUS WRATH (SHARLT THE SPIDER GODDESS)
Use Spellcraft (+ Level with Sigil) to make Glamour Attacks (vs. WIL)
Damage = WIS (+Level with Sigil)
GLAMOUR (SCHOOL of ENCHANTMENT)
Make things appear to happen, SAVES vs. WIL
SCRIBE SCROLL
Create magical spells anyone can use (if they speak words aloud)
by writing them down on parchment (1 use uses them up.)
SHARLT THE SPIDER GODDESS
A highly-literate giant spider. Shamans make offerings of live
pigs to her.
VEENA THE TRAITOR (CR 4)
2nd Level Centaur Expert
Veena is a pretty woman with a horse's ass. She can show up in
any fight and serves best as the person who stole the plans for the clockwork
behemoth, or someone who was supposed to get them, but sold out to Lord
Chunder (or whoever you want to have living in the volcano.) She
represents more of a subtle danger than a direct one, but can be devastating
with her hind-leg kicks.
Size L (8’ 7'' tall at the shoulder)
Spd 50 ft
Str 18 (+4), Dex 15 (+2), Con 15 (+2),
Int 9 (-1), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 10 (+0)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +8
COMBAT
(HD 4d8+8 + 2d6+4) hp 44
Init +2
Attack +7 melee or +5 ranged
AC 13
PATRON GOD
YOVE (Regeneration)
LANGUAGES
Elven, Sylvan.
25 EXPERT SKILL POINTS
Disable device +4, Hide -2, Innuendo +6,
Knowledge (religion) +4, Listen +4, Move silently +4,
Perform +4, Pick pocket +2.5, Spot +4, Wilderness lore +10
FEATS
EXTREME VIOLENCE
Add some MPs to damage instead of Attack.
COUNTERMAGIC
(Passive) Spend MPs for +1 to Saves (anyone’s)
LORD CHUNDER (CR 7)
3rd Level Ogre (Ettin) Aristocrat
Chunder is a pretty heavy-hitter, as far as combat goes, and he's going
to be difficult to take down. Don't bring him in until the second
Set-Peice and keep him in the background of the fight. Since he'll
probably survive against low-to-mid level players, don't heal up any of
his hp for the Climax. Lord Chunder is a sophisticated, almost effete,
fighter with a tendency toward foppishness and snobbery. He would
never "grind someone's bones to make his bread," but would rather "give
them what-for." He would rather not eat someone without the proper
table wine, but he'll make sacrifices when pressed.
Size L (13' 6'' tall, size 33 boots)
Spd 40 ft.
Str 23 (+6), Dex 9 (-1), Con 14 (+2),
Int 6 (-2), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 11 (+0)
Fort +10, Ref +3, Will +6
COMBAT
(HD 10d8+20 + 3d8+6) hp 90
Init +3
Attack +13/+8 melee\ or +6/+1 ranged
AC 15
PATRON GOD
HUY (Ressurrection)
LANGUAGES
Common
12 NOBBY SKILL POINTS
Appraise +0, Hide -5, Innuendo +5, Listen +10,
Move silently -1, Search +0, Spot +10, Swim +1
FEATS
ALERTNESS (nat)
+2 to Spot, Listen, etc.
EXTREME VIOLENCE
Spend MPs for +1 to damage
SWALLOW WHOLE
Swallow a PC, NPC or FM on a roll of 8 better than AC
(PCs and NPCs are disgorged at end of sequence)
IMPROVED INITIATIVE
+4 to INIT