Chaosium Digest Volume 27, Number 7 Date: Sunday, February 14, 1999 Number: 1 of 1 Contents: New Creatures for Elric! (Patricio Gonzalez) ELRIC! New Demons for Elric! (Scott Knowles) ELRIC! Editor's Note: We've got an Elric issue for you today. New creatures and demons for use in the game, check 'em out. Thanks to Patricio and Scott for their submissions. We still haven't seen any submissions for Nephilim or Pendragon this year. I know somebody out there has to have some ideas. Don't by shy, just type 'em up and send 'em in! Lastly, a Happy Valentine's Day to all out there. For those of you without a special someone to share the holiday with, just remember, Cthulhu loves you... for a late night snack! ANNOUNCEMENTS: *Frederic Moll says, Hello and greetings from France. In the last issue of "Casus Belli" French magazine (issue 118 Feb/Mar 99) the following articles/playaids are available : Felicie... aussi : a play-aid sketching a French organization equivalent to those described in Delta Green. BTW, the French translation of Delta Green will soon be available (March 1999).. This is a 4 pages article and in the next issue of Casus Belli, a large scenario for CoC will be available with this organization... Singeries : a 4 pages scenario for CoC that can be linked to the New-York episode of the Masks of Nyarlathothep L'Espanya (a 160 pages book) should be soon published by Oriflam. This will be a supplement for Hawkmoon about Spain. The French translation of Perilous Forest for Pendragon is now available (years after the original one but it is never too late...) Well that's all for now.... Frederic Moll (fmoll@geocities.com or fm10@calvanet.calvacom.fr) *Toren G Atkinson would like to offer, For your perusal, My Mainly Lovecraftian Online Art Gallery http://internettrash.com/users/thickets@uniserve.com/lovecraft.htm ************* the multitude of projects I'm involved with Cannibal Culture Horror Film magazine, My Art Gallery, and the BIG FAT CARTOON PAGE: http://users.uniserve.ca/~thickets/ "Return to Innsmouth"movie: http://www.beyond-books.com/productions/innsmouth "From Beyond"movie http://www.look-ear.com/beyond "Sleepwalker" Lovecraft video game http://www.arkhamlab.com tHe dArKesT oF tHe hillSiDE tHicKeTs 302-1015 West 13th Ave Vancouver BC V6H 1N1 http://www.holycow.com/thickets My ICQ#: 21364279 *Cthulhu's campaign manager would like to announce, CTHULHU 2000?: Join us on AOL, for a virtual Elder party planning session on Tuesday Feb 16th at the OGF Antechambers. The Mythos party is preparing early for the 2000 elections when the Stars Are Right for victory! Previous front-runner Cthulhu has already brought out his campaign T-shirt and hopes to again dominate the field. We will be hosting a party nominating convention this month to discuss possible candidates and platforms for the year 2000 Come support your favorite candidate. *CHAOSIUM CON SUPPORT: Convention organizers and GM's are encouraged to contact us for prize and event support. We're always willing to provide prizes for Chaosium events and will even help you find Chaosium GM's to run them. RECENT RELEASES: The Creature Companion CHA 2375, $21.95 We are not alone. The universe teems with life. We name them Outer Gods, Elder Gods, Great Old Ones, Avatars, Servitor Races, Independent Races, and they are all either malevolent or uncaring. This monstrous collection is a compendium of creatures, drawn together from fiction spanning over seventy years and from over ten years of Call of Cthulhu scenarios. Learn the secrets of the monsters of the mythos. Parts of this book were originally published as Ye Booke of Monstres I and II. This new volume also contains: several new creatures; the field notes of Sir Hansen Poplan; and four color plates featuring Azathoth's court, Cthulhu, the Haunter of the Dark, and Shub-Niggurath. ISBN 1-56882-133-6. For Call of Cthulhu Fiction: The Ithaqua Cycle - 6021, $12.95 This chilling cycle book includes thirteen tales related to Ithaqua, the Wind-Walker, collected together for the first time. Ithaqua was created by August Derleth and is based upon the terrible winter spirits, or Wendigo, of Native North American mythology. Includes stories by August Derleth, Brian Lumley, Algernon Blackwood, Joseph Payne Brennan, and others. A perfect book for those cold winter nights. Edited by Robert Price. ISBN 1-56882-124-7. -------------------- NEW CREATURES FOR ELRIC! Here are some new creatures to make some interesting adventures. SONS OF GROME The Sons of Grome are beings with humanoid form, smaller than the average human but also with bigger complexion. Their bodies are covered with pieces of rock and other minerals, these gives them a very strong protection. Once a long time ago they were humans, but unfortunately they found some strange caverns that extended through earth, deeper and deeper. In this caverns they found some yellow glowing mineral that gave them a feeling of power besides light and heat. Shortly all the nearby human community settled here. The yellow mineral gave them also the necessary substances for living and soon they stopped from going to surface in search for food. This recluisment caused a drawback in their intelligence but the constant contact with rock gave them so strong protection. After many years they have become what they are now. They have an excellent ability to see in the dark (just as if seeing with light) but light causes them to weaken. And so they go up surface only at nights or very cloudy days. CHARACTERISTICS average STR 3D6+6 16 - 17 CON 3D6+6 16 - 17 SIZ 1D6+6 9 INT 1D4+3 5 POW 4D6 14 DEX 2D6+3 10 MOV 7 HP 13 Dam Bon +1D4 Armor: 5 pts of rock skin Typical Weapon: Base Damage STR/DEX Hands Rock Club 25% 1D8 13/7 2 This is a heavy rock club of about 1.4 meters long used two handed. They attack always in groups of around 10 sons, for fun, training or rage. Some times when attacking, the sons of Grome carry some pieces of the yellow mineral with them. This gives them very powerful advantages: Double their percentile chance with weapons, also they get pain resistance so they battle to the last HP. Fortunately (for prey), the sons of Grome don't notice these advantages (maybe because of their INT) and so some times they don't carry the yellow mineral in combat. There's a 40% chance that a sons of Grome patrol carries the mineral. Every month, a celebration day is made outside the caverns and lasts until daybreak. In these feasts natural food is consumed, therefor almost every male goes hunting and prizes are given to the one or ones who bring the biggest or more difficult prey. In this cases humans are the most valuable ones. When exposed to light all their skills fall to half and CON falls down at rate of 1 pt every 5 rounds until they die. Yellow mineral may be of interest to sorcerers. A hand sized piece can give 1 POW permanently if worn against skin for at least 1 month when it gets inserted on skin forever. Also, because of the look, the sorcerer loses 1 APP. A sorcerer can get as may minerals in skin as SIZ he/she has. DARTHAKS The Darthaks are chaotic creatures of great size and strength. They look like really big rhinos with carapace in top and both sides of its body. Also several horns grow on each side as well as its head. Its back ends in a long spiked tail. These creatures live in small groups in great savannas and live for hunting. CHARACTERISTICS average STR 3D8+16 39 - 40 CON 2D8+16 25 SIZ 3D8+24 37 - 38 INT 3 POW 3D8 13 - 14 DEX 2D6 7 MOV 10 HP 31 Dam Bon +2D6 Armor: 10 pts of carapace except below. Attacks % Damage Horns 80 1D8+DB(if charging for half MOV) Tail swipe 65 1D6+2+DB Trampling NA 4D6 (no armor protection) KAIMARS This humanoid creatures are powerful, intelligent and have great dominion over magic. In aspect they are as any other human but with longer face. The Kaimars know any spell from the books except Summon BL/PL, summon elemental and others that involve higher powers. However they can summon demons and at no POW cost. Commonly the Kaimars live in abandoned castles or fortresses which soon become full of inhabitants, grimoires and demons. Each establishment has a ruler which is called 'Main Kaimon', followed by four 'Kaimons', which together decide the fate of their settle. They use flying demons to communicate with other establishments and maintain their expanding influence. Finally they have one chaotic ability which is regeneration. Treat this as demon regeneration ability. CHARACTERISTICS average STR 2D8 9 CON 3D8 13 - 14 SIZ 3D6 10 - 11 INT 3D8 13 - 14 POW 4D8 18 DEX 2D8 9 MOV 8 HP 12 Dam Bon none ARMOR: Regenerates 1 HP per round. ATTACKS Normal weapons with usually high skills. Patricio Gonzalez New Demons for Elric! by Scott Knowles, a.k.a. Delecti, Lord of the Upland Marsh Template Name: Breed: Source: Description: STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX MOV HP ARMOR DB Damage: Abilities: Skills: Own Plane 15, Summoner's Language (INTx2) Need: Magic Points to Summon: Breed: Mindless Ones (Lesser Demons) Source: Delecti Description: These look like roughly shaped humanoid statues with a single facial feature, a glowing red horizontal slit where the eyes should be that emits a burning red beam which will burn anything. These demons were accidentally summoned by a Pan Tangian apprentice in the Maluk Magic Training Temple. The demon broke loose and nearly killed several unprepared teachers. Luckily an "observing" fellow student was able to hold it off till the teachers recovered. The summoner survived, and lived due to family pull in the temple. It was later found that when these are summoned, that there is a chance that more than one will come (% = the sacrifices POW that 1d100 will appear) when summoned and that they will all be uncontrolled! These are thus best used to cause mayhem in the area they are summoned at, though the summoner had best have a getaway plan. They are summoned by sacrificing a living thing (thankfully for the Temple of Maluk a small lizard was the original sacrifice!) STR 5d8 (22-23) CON 9d8 (40-41) SIZ 5d8 (22-23) INT 1d8 (4 max) POW 3d8 (13-14) DEX 1d8 (4-5) MOV 1d8 (max 4) HP (31-32) ARMOR Rock-Like Skin - 2d10 DB (+2d6) Damage: Brawl - 1d3+2d6, Burn - 1d6+2 Abilities: Burn (80%, 1d6+2, 8 yard range), Carapace, Regeneration Skills: Brawl 50%, Wrestle 35%, Understand Summoners Language (INTx2%). Need: To destroy its SIZ of something everyday! Magic Points to Summon: 45 Breed: Zzz'Zzas aka Swarm Demons (Lesser Demons) Source: Delecti Description: A cloud of flying demonic bugs. These are from the realm of Vezhan, Lord of Wings. STR 1d8 (4-5) CON 10d8 (45) SIZ 5d8 (22-23) INT 1d8 (4-5) POW 3d8 (13-14) DEX 4d8 (18) MOV 2d8 flying (max 14) HP (34) Damage: 1d8 Abilities: Locusts (Auto. hit, 1d8 per round, Only magic attacks do damage) Skills: Dodge (DEXx2+40%), Own Plane 15%, Summoner's Language (INTx2%) Need: To sting something to death once a week. Magic Points to Summon: 40 Breed: Ar'Mokk (Lesser Demon) Source: Delecti Description: Black Pan Tangian Plate that occasionally seems to have ripples flow across it. This is the basic armor bound demon, commonly used by Pan Tangian nobles in their plate. Armor points are thus 3d8+1d10 (+1 w/helm). These are too stupid too have skills of worth. INT 1D8 (4-5) POW 3D8 (13-14) Abilities: Demon Armor (1d10+1d8), Regenerate (basically keeps it looking new) Need: To be cleaned weekly. Magic Points to Summon: 16 Breed: Spl'Therkll aka Mirror of Spying Source: Delecti Description: A mirror of varying size depending upon the use, it must have bone and silver on its frame and the mirror must be made of silvered glass. It will usually have a demon head with either red jewels or glass for eyes on the top facing back (so you can look at it while you point it in the direction you want to spy on). The smaller mirrors can be handheld so they can be taken about. The larger ones should be put on the top of a high watch tower so the mirror can see better. These were originally used by Pan Tangians, but they got the idea from the Melnibone'ans Great Mirrors of Enchantment. To summon, one must burn a eye, ear and tongue of a sentient along with some common herbs. Note that they must be whole and in good/fresh condition. CON 4d8 (18) INT 3d8 (13-14) POW 3d8 (13-14) Abilities: See (CONx5%), Hear (CONx5%), Extra Eyes (allows it to look around), Empathy (for a better understanding of who you are spying on), Exhale (special, allows demon to show it's holder what it sees as it happens, but only on the mirrored area), Emote (for full sound quality, but again only what it shows through the mirror). Skills: Own Plane 15%, Summoner's Language (INTx2%) Need: To be polished with oils weekly. Magic Points to Summon: 25 Breed: Pp'zarp aka Power Staff (Lesser Demon) Source: Delecti Description: A finely made staff bound and balanced like a quarterstaff. It is made of a wood found in chaotic places (i.e. Troos) and the demon is summoned with incense made from plants not of the YK plane. INT 1D8 (4-5) POW 3D8 (13-14) HP 20+2d10 Damage: 1d8+2d10 Abilities: Regenerate, Demon Weapon (2d10), Telekinesis. Skills: Not smart enough Need: Rubbed with dirt daily. Magic Points to Summon: 27 Breed: Dhm'Krank (Lesser Demons) Source: Delecti Description: A finely made greatsword patterned after The Two Black Swords, they appear to be made of black metal. A once "common" sword among greatsword wielding Melnibone'ans. With the retreat of the Bright Empire to the Dreaming Isle they fell into disuse though some that were family heirlooms are possibly still around, as they tended to be eternally bound. INT 1d8 (4-5) POW 3d8 (13-14) HP 18+2d10 Damage: 2d8+2d10+db Abilities: Demon Weapon (2d10), Regenerate (keeps them looking new and intact) Skills: Too stupid to have any of importance. Need: Usually to draw blood once unsheathed. Magic Points to Summon: 17 Breed: Morgant'Krank (Greater Demons) Source: Delecti Description: A finely made greatsword patterned after The Two Black Swords, they appear to be made of black metal. The sword moans in combat as it drains souls. Only eight (i.e. 8 arrows of chaos) of these rarer versions of the Dhm'Krank greatswords were made for members of the Melnibone'an royalty who were to fight alongside the wielders of The Two Black Swords. Though not many of these were made, their nature and eternal bindings have kept some of them in existence. CON 8d8 (36) INT 4d8 (18) POW 5d8 (22-23) DEX 8d8 (36) HP 18+3d10 + more from drained souls Damage: 2d8+3d10+db Abilities: Demon Weapon (3d10), Drain Soul (of course), Regenerate (keeps them looking new and intact), Paralyze. Skills: High Speech (*), Menibone'an History (*), Others (*). * Would be pretty high by now. Need: To drain a soul once unsheathed. Magic Points to Summon: 60 Breed: Pop'tchkt (Orbus Breed) Description: Basically an object bound demon which is the size of an eyeball. It must me made of a reddish glass or crystalline substance which glows softly once the demon is bound in it. It must be placed in one of the binder's eyesockets and will enable the binder to use all the demon's abilities only while uncovered (i.e. the eye is open) CON 5d8 (22-23) INT 1d8 (4-5) POW 3d8 (13-14) Abilities: See (CONx5%), Soul Sight (150 yards), Seer 75% (10 years), Empathy. Needs: To look at the world each day (i.e. not remain covered up all the time!), and drain a miniscule amount of blood from the caster (no real effect except once in a great while a blood tear may form). Skills: The Orbus demons are not intelligent enough to really think, thus the need to see is just in their nature and they can't communicate enough for skills to matter. Magic Points to Summon: 35 Breed: P'orrrtas aka Teleport Demons (lesser Demons) Source: Delecti Description: These large sickly green gaseous clouds are almost never bound into objects, but is used as a one-time transport of many things. These demons have been used by sorcerers from this plane for thousands of years, they possibly transported troops of the Bright Empire to Menastree. So the knowledge of them is pretty widespread, and so is their knowledge of the Young Kingdoms plane in regards to landmarks. The Demons require a sacrifice of a number of living things which have a total POW equal to the SIZ teleported, so that does inhibit the use of them a bit (Pan Tang has used them to do long range boarding from their ships). It is believed that they regain the CON used in this way. They usually stay dematerialized until they attack or teleport. STR 7d8 CON 2d8 SIZ 7d8 INT 4d8 POW 3d8 DEX 1d8 MOV 1d8 float HP 41 average ARMOR none DB +3d6 average Damage: 1d8+DB twice Abilities: Claws (2x, 60, 1d8+DB), Teleport, Dematerialize. Skills: Own Plane 15, Summoner's Language (INTx2), Young Kingdoms(primarily near larger cities) 80, Unknown Kingdoms (Mostly Phum) 70. Need: Since they are not bound, they only require the sacrifice. Magic Points to Summon: 71 Cat-Guard Collar Name: Z'rtra Breed: Hs'hhelsk Description: A small well made leather collar with spikes made of sharpened Wyrm bone. Common sorcery herbs are needed to summon it along with a sacrifice of a large dog. STR 8d8 CON 10d8 INT 3d8 POW 3d8 Abilities: Absorb Missile (98), Teleport. Skills: Own Plane 15, High Speech 26 Need: Rubbed with herbs (cat-nip) daily. Magic Points to Summon: 44 --