House Rule: Thieves’ Ability: Find/Disarm Traps

I have an adventure I'm working on that relies heavily on the theives' ability to find/remove traps. I've really put some thought into the traps themselves, and don't want to have that dismissed by a binary (fail/pass) roll to discover the trap. So I developed these tables based on the Cleric's Turning table, but using 3d6 instead of 2d6.

I prefer the 3d6 probability curve better than 2d6 or 1d20. It's why when I do attribute checks, I have player roll under their stat on 3d6 (like The Fantasy Trip).

Should get a chance to break them in this weekend.

Just a few things to have some new material on the blog for comment spammers to add links to their online betting sites and proofreading software..

Phantomlight
This 2-handed +1 sword does 1d10+1 on successful “to hit” roll). At the will of the wielder, the sword shines with light (as the MU spell, must be holding to use) until the sword is unhanded or the wielder dismisses the effect. Once per day, the sword may cast phantasmal force (as the MU spell). This requires holding the sword and maintaining complete concentration (no movement or actions may be otherwise taken or the effect is dismissed).

Barkskin Oil
When rubbed into the skin, this oil toughens the skin for 12 hours, providing a –2 AC bonus for the duration. A standard vial contains enough for a dwarf or larger to use once, and for a halfling or gnome to use twice.

Dagger of Devastation
This humble looking +1 dagger features leather wrapped handle and a small striking rune (similar to an asterisk) on the butt of the hilt. Once per week, is can be used to improve attack and damage rolls for 1 turn. All attacks made while this effect is active benefit from +1d6 "to hit" (rolled with, and added to, the result of the normal d20 “to hit” roll), with an additional 1d6 damage being done on each successful “to hit” roll. While this effect is active, it overrides the +1 benefits of the dagger (i.e., the effect is not cumulative with the +1 bonuses).

A few new magic items...

Just a few things to have some new material on the blog for comment spammers to add links to their online betting sites and proofreading software..

Visor of the Bat
(Usable by any allowed to wear armor.)
The visor of this simple bascinet helmet features no holes, but is engraved with the face of a bat, its mouth wide open (as if it is screeching). Normally, this helmet acts as a +1 helmet, but when the visor is closed, the helmet emits a soft, high-pitched ringing sound and the helmet provides the wearer the ability of echolocation. Without the use of traditional vision, the wearer is able to "see" in the darkness (using radar-sense provided by the closed helmet) to a distance of 30'. Because the echolocation requires the ringing sound to be effective, the helmet does not work in areas of magical silence.

Dancing Melee Band
(Usable by anyone allowed to use a single-handed melee weapon.)
Inscribed around the circumference of this flat silver band are a series of dancing figures each holding a variety of single-handed melee weapon (e.g., a sword, an axe, a dagger, etc.). During melee combat, the wearer moves so gracefully, they appear to be dancing. While engaged, this provides them a –1 bonus to AC (even against ranged attacks made into the melee), and a +1 bonus on all melee "to hit" rolls. If the wearer is not engaged, the ring provides no benefits.

Armor of Buoyancy
(Permitted to any allowed to wear plate armor.)
The surface of this icy-blue steel +1 plate armor features delicate scrollwork engraving reminiscent of curing ocean waves. Though it normally has the same weight and encumbrance as standard steel plate, it is buoyant in volumes of water or similar liquids (but not in viscous substances like lava, mud, or quicksand). The maximum swimming speed of any character wearing this armor is 30'(10').

Dragon Horde "Zine", Vol. 2, Issue 1 — "Wherein Evil Lies"

So here's the final interior preview of the book, and it should be available at the NTRPGCon in a few weeks. It's now 12 pages longer than original expected. Fully written as a BX/BECMI thing.

Now available in print for $6 through Lulu.com >>

And as PWYW PDF from DriveThruRPG >>

• 3 new classes: Deathslayer, Witch Doctor, Half-orc (Assassin)
  
• 9 new spells: fatigue, death rage, mummy's touch, ossify, revenance, wailing fear, necrotic portal, greater ossify, aura of fear

• 6 new magic items: equinox orb, fiendish mantle, hammer of salvation, plague mace, purity ring, stole of radiance
  
• 7 new basic psionic abilities: infuse terror, psychic vampire, destiny dissonance, aura of fear, psionic daze, crisis of breath, shadow twin
  
• 6 new monsters: atori, cackler, crypt riddler, korper, hill haunt, spawn of Chuamisi
  
• optional rules for killing vampires
  
• new petty god & minion: Anguia Umbra (petty god of iophilia, toxicophilia, assassins) and his chimera minion/familiar Azamus
  
• an adventure for 5-7 characters of 3rd-5th level: The Black Chapel
  
• new d30 tables: quirks caused by becoming unhinged, methods of sacrifice, evil hooks & seeds for encounters and adventures

I'm still alive and well... and working on something new! (sort of)

Okay. Here's the preview of what I've been secretly working on the last few months (during the little time here and there that I had -- mainly as a distraction from life things). It was going to be a mini-splatbook of evil stuff, and it came out as Dragon Horde Volume 2, Issue 1. Welbo and I are still figuring out the final format (though it will be in the digest-to-6x9 range), with color cover and B&W interior.

It uses all PD images with mostly new content (1 article is picked up from an old blog post, and the new magic items were mainly pulled from the magic item community I had going over at G+). The final content includes:

• new class: deathslayer
• new class: shadow walker
• new spells
• new magic items
• optional rules for killing vampires
• 4 new monsters: crypt riddler, korper, hill haunt, spawn of Chuamisi
• new petty god (Anguia Umbra, petty god of toxicophilia) and his spawn (Azamu)
• a low-to-mid level adventure (The Black Chapel)
• a couple of d30 tables (quirks caused by becoming unhinged; methods of sacrifice)

And here's the preview (there will be some minor changes—I've already realized one major oversight).

d30 PDF Download: d30 Rat Generator

In all the time I've been doing d30 tables, I can't believe I haven't done a rat generator until now.

Click here (or on the image below) to download
a free PDF of d30 Rat Generator PDF from MediaFire.

A long time coming. An infinitely-sized "Thank you."

So this post is a long time coming.

At the NTRPGCon, many of you have had the distinct pleasure of meeting my beautiful, funny and eternally-patient wife Terri--either at my vendor table, or maybe having a drink or dinner at the hotel.

The truth is, if it weren't for her, there would be no d30 books, no BX Psionics, really there'd probably be no New Big Dragon at all.

The old saying that behind every great man there is a great woman, that's true. But I can't really call myself great. I can call her great, though. Because she is. She's an eternal optimist, and her smile brightens my life.

She understood my need to game and create, and she indulged it.

And I'm the schmuck that never thought to even include a "Thank you," to her in any of my books.

So this is really just a late and extremely-overdeserved "Thank you," and "I love you," and a small statement to the gaming community to profess that, even in this small way.