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Pantheon Worksheet

I've been putting some thoughts/notes together lately about creating a pantheon of gods for your campaign. Based on the "Stock Gods" from the TV Tropes website, I've put together a Pantheon Worksheet listing out the major "stock" gods for a generic pantheon, with some extra spaces at the bottom for additional and/or petty gods that might be worth noting.

Download the free PDF here >>

B/X House Rule: Thieves' Abilities Adjustments by Dex/Int

The title to this post pretty much says it all.

And it shall be known as the Creature Cache!

In order to keep the books separate as entities (since the content is different) but still tie them together, Welbo helped me rename the new collection of monsters based on PD pulp illustrations (in BX only format, as opposed to the "dual-stat" format I used for the Creature Compendium).

It’s my 10 year Bloggiversary!

10 years ago today, I pulled the trigger on starting what I thought would be a humble little blog, with barely any readers.

A bunch of d30 posts turned into a book (the d30 DM Companion), some additional d30 posts turned into another book (the d30 Sandbox Companion), and that book turned me into a name in the OSR.

Thanks to all the people who shared my blog, bought my books, and reviewed my products. But mainly thank you to all those who read my blog, enjoy my posts, and encourage me to keep it coming!

It continues to be a privilege to be part of such a wonderful group of people.

Dungeon Master Information: Crime & Punishment

 From the upcoming release, Dragon Horde Zine, Volume 2, Issue 2: In Alley & Shadow.

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Arrest & Trial

In a manorial system, the keeping of the peace generally falls under the jurisdiction of the sheriff, who is also responsible for collecting revenues, fines, and rents, executing writs, and guarding prisoners. However, the onus of law enforcement is placed upon the citizens, who are relied upon to maintain order and apprehend criminals.

The status and position of different groups affects their protections by law. For example, a noble and a peasant committing the same crime may be afforded different types of trials.

The major forms of trial include:

Trial by Exculpatory Oath and Compurgation. All but the most serious crimes are dealth with this way. The defendant establishes their innocence or non-liability by taking an oath and by getting a required number of persons (typically 12) to swear they believed the defendant’s oath. It is the jury’s responsibility to collect evidence in order to make the determination of guilt and assign punishment (if found guilty).

Trail by Ordeal. This is usually reserved for more serious crimes, peasants, persons of bad reputation, or those caught with stolen goods. Guilt or innocence is determined by subjecting the accused to a painful, (and often quite dangerous) experience. Many accused choose to admit guilt (even if they are innocent) in order to receive a lesser punishment.

Trial by Combat. When accusations are made in the absence of witnesses or a confession, the two parties at odds settle the dispute with single combat. The winner of the fight is proclaimed to be right.

Outlawry

Persons who are accused of particularly heinous crimes (e.g., homicide) or defy the laws of the realm (e.g., ignoring a summons to court, fleeing insteading of appearing to plead when charged with a crime, commiting treason, participating in rebellion), may be declared as an “outlaw” by a Writ of Outlawry. This writ places them outside the protection of the law, withdraws any legal protection for them, and legally empowers anyone to persecute or kill them. Furthermore, all of the outlaw’s possessions are seized by the courts.

Outlawry can be reversed in one of two ways:

Plead Error. The outlaw appears in court and declares they were erroniously declared an outlaw. 

Plead Pardon. The outlaw must first surrender to authorities, then present their plea to the court. If the outlawry is reversed or pardoned, the seized possessions will be returned (if possible).

Punishment

Most communities believe that the best way to keep order is ensure that people fear the punishment given when a crime is committed. Therefore, many punishments may seem harsh, especially for lesser crimes. 

Trials by ordeal are their own punishment. The most common forms include:

Ordeal by Poison. The accused is given a posionous substance to eat or drink. If they survive, they are innocent.

Ordeal by Fire. The accused is required to walk nine paces in bare feet on nine red-hot plowshares or to walk nine paces while holding red-hot iron. In most cases, the accused is the bandaged for three days, then found guilty if the wounds fester or not guilty if they have healed. In some cases, there must be no sign at all of injury in order to be found not guilty.

Ordeal by Boiling Water. The accused plunges their hand in a kettle or pot of boiling water (sometimes oil or lead is used instead) to retrieve a stone. The assessment of the injury (i.e., the consequences of divine intervention or lack of it) determines guilt.

Ordeal by Cold Water. The accused has their hands and feet tied together, and is thrown into a body of water (or pit filled with water blessed by a priest). If the accused floats, the water “rejects” them so they are found guilty. The innocent sink.

The table below lists common crimes and their common punishment, though the specific punishment for a crime may change based on the standards of the community.

Crime	Definition	Punishment
Mayhem	intentional maiming of another person	execution
Homicide	the deliberate killing of one person by another	hanging (men) or burning at the stake (women)
Murdrum	the killing of a person in a secret manner	heavy fine on the community where the secret killing occurred
Burglary	entering property without consent	humiliation or torture
Robbery	theft by force	hanging (men) or burning at the stake (women)
Petty Theft	theft with value up to 5sp	varies, includes: fine of 10× value of stolen goods
Theft	theft with value from 5sp to 1gp	public beating or flogging, or mutilation
Fraud	deceptive business practices	comparable to theft, based on number of infractions and total value
Full Theivery	theft with value of 1gp or more	hanging from a tree or a gallows, or by banishment from the city and its environs
Possession	receipt of stolen property	mutilation or execution
Poaching	the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals	hanging, castration, blinding, or being sewn into a deer skin and then hunted down by ferocious dogs
Usury	lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest	fines
Bribery	the giving or offering of a bribe	fines
Forgery	making, altering, use, or possession of a false writing to commit fraud	not generally regarded as a crime unless related to government (e.g., forging of a king's seal) in which case it may be treated as treason
Supposition	creation of false documents, texts, books, and artifacts	public humiliation
Coin Clipping	shaving off a small portion of a precious metal coin for profit	mutilation or execution
Vandalism	deliberate destruction of or damage to property	comparable to theft, based on number of infractions and total value
Rioting	offense against public order involving three or more people	mutilation or execution
Kidnapping	abducting someone and holding them captive	public torture and/or execution
Breach of the Peace	disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, common scold	fines or public humiliation (stocks or pillory)
Indecent Exposure	purposeful display of one's genitals in public	mutilation
Gossiping	spreading rumors	public humiliation (scold's bridle)
Cheating	acting dishonestly or unfairly, especially in games	public humiliation (stocks or pillory)
Adultery	sexual intercourse between married person and non-spouse	public humiliation, mutilation (breast ripper), ordeal by fire, or drowning
Prostitution	engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment	public humiliation
Slander	false spoken statement damaging to one's reputation	tongue cut out
Blasphemy	speaking sacrilegiously about sacred things	torture (pear of anguish)
Defying the Church	acting in opposition to religious beliefs or orders	heretic's fork
Heresy	holding beliefs contrary to religious doctrine	ordeal by fire, ordeal by hot water, or execution (burning at the stake)
Witchcraft	the practice of dark/forbidden magic	ordeal by cold water
Repeat Offenses	multiple offenses of a specific crime	beating, maiming, or hanging
Attacking Officials	mayhem against officials of church or state	execution
Protesting	the public expression of disapproval of government	execution
Treason	betraying one's country	beheading (nobles) or drawing& quartering (commoners)
Rebellion	violent or open resistanceto government or ruler	execution

Flash Lingo: A Thieves Cant Dictionary (Free Agnostic Fantasy Gaming Supplement)

"Flash Lingo: A Thieves Cant Dictionary" is the most comprehensive Thieves Cant glossary ever assembled. With over 2,200 entries, this volume has been compiled from historical resources and edited to specifically support fantasy role-playing games. More importantly, it is designed to bring the lexicon of Thieves Cant to life in your campaign world, as an aid for both players and DMs alike. It’s also just a damn enjoyable read!

Download the free 52-page PDF from DriveThruRPG >> 

Order a print copy from Lulu.com >>