Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure NPC & Monsters 2


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index
NPC & Monster Index

Mara Keening
Pleasant looking older teen girl. There is sadness and cunning intelligence in her eyes.

Mara’s witchly background is something of open secret in the area, but her marriage to a Kavanagh cousin, Jack Keening, gave her respectability. It was a happy marriage, until one of the Fey Sisters of the Glade, Nim, took a shine to Jack, as he gathered herbs around the lake for Mara. He regrettably resisted her advances and she took his heart by force, literally, to work a love spell on it. Mara made a daring raid into the glade and managed to recover his body, before Nim could finish the ceremony. (Di told Mara what was happening and let her into the glade.) Mara has blamed herself for Jack’s death and burned for revenge ever since. She has flirted some bad company (Ines and the Fomorians) trying to find a way to break Jack’s enchanted dormancy and to get back at Nim.

Currently, Jack’s body (which is still perfectly preserved) is kept in a tomb in the abandoned dwarf mine at Keeper Hill. Mara knows a secret dwarf entrance into the tomb. The Grimlocks shun the area because of the (insert your own desired guardian), which Mara has befriended (but isn’t able to help her against Nim). Mara’s witch workshop is also here, which she usually teleports back and forth to and from home.

1st level Witch, Hp 6, AC 13 (none)
Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +3
Melee: Won’t use any weapons.
Ranged: Magic Wand (Scorch), Fireball 1d8 DC 13 Ref Sv ½ damage. 10 charges. Requires magic skill and activation word, “Zap.” This item was a legacy from her mother, passed down for several generations. She is able to recharge it with a 1 turn ceremony.

Spells: Mara knows all first level Witch due to her extensive familial training.
Heal spell: All hp damage. (To cast +4 DC 13) Ceremony, once per day

These are spells Mara might use in combat.
Charm Person: Makes one person your friend. 1 turn. (To cast +4 DC 13, Will Sv 13)
Expeditious Retreat: Your speed increases by 30 ft. 1 turn (To cast +4 DC 13)
Sleep: Puts 4 HD of creatures into magical slumber. (To cast +4 DC 13, Fort Sv 13)
Shocking Grasp: Delivers 1d6 electricity damage. (To cast +4 DC 13, Ref Sv 13)

Protection Amulet: Protected against all spells. May teleport holder only twice per day, up to 10 miles, with activation words, “Carry me away to .” Must be somewhere the person has been before. This item was stolen by Mara’s mother from a powerful Fomorian.

Darkvision Mask: Can use to see in the dark and invisible people or creatures. Mara crafted this item.


Scarecrows
A pumpkin-headed magical construct that obeys the orders of its owner.

Mara has inherited two of these creations for guarding her property. They are Raggedy Jack and Raggedy May. If reduced to 0 hp, they will reconstitute themselves in 1 day. They can only be permanently destroyed if a successful Dispel Magic spell is immediately cast over their remains (DC 14).

HD 5d10+20, Hp 47, AC 16 (Immune to cold, Fire does x2 damage)
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1
Melee: 2 Slam attacks +5 to hit 1d8+3 + Fear (DC 12 Will Sv or stunned 1 rd)
Ranged: Gaze Attack DC 12 Will Sv or stunned 1 turn (or until damaged)


Ines
An exotically beautiful creature in human form, covered in bright paint and arcane symbols. She is a disciple of the famous witch, Irnan, and is a lycanthrope that can assume a giant spider form.

Ines is looking to start a coven in this area, since she’s on the run from her home county and is looking to return for revenge. Her association with Mara was short-lived, as they were incompatible in tastes. (Literally, Ines has an occasional taste for human blood, in addition to draining raw livestock.) The other two witches in the area are firmly loyal to Fenris. Ines has had to content herself with Nim’s company (a little revenge by pairing up with Mara’s enemy) and courting one of the Formorian clans in the area as allies. She is providing the Orcs with magical concoctions to raid the locals in return for future favors (and a couple of cows for Ines to feed on). Ines has the power to take the form of a giant spider at will, which she will use to attack and feed.

HD 4d8+4 (3rd level Witch), Hp 22, AC 14* Silver or Magic or to hit
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
Won’t fight with weapons in human form, but will parley.
Giant Spider Form (may take this form at will in 1 rd)
Melee: Bite +4 to hit (1d8+3 plus lethal poison DC 14 Fort Sv)
A failed Fort save vs. lethal poison automatically reduces the character to 0 hp and unconsciousness. They must be given an antidote (spell or potion) in 1 + Con bonus days or die.
Ranged: Web spray DC 12 Ref Sv or held. DC 12 Str or Escape Artist to get free.

Spells: Ines may use these spells in human form. These are the spells she would use in combat.
Cause Fear: One creature of 5 HD or less flees for 1d4 rounds. (To cast +3 DC 14, Will Sv 14)
Blindness/Deafness: Makes subject magically blinded or deafened. Encounter. (To cast +3 DC 14, Fort Sv 14)
Darkness: 20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow. 3 turns. (To cast +3 DC 14)
Acid Arrow: 3d8 acid damage. (To cast +3 DC 13, Ref Sv 14)
Mirror Image: Creates decoy duplicates of you (1d4 +2). Lasts until touched or successfully attacked or Encounter/turn. (To cast +3 DC 14)


Minor Summoned Demon (Mr. Leadly)
A stereotypical minor devil with horns and a tail.

2 HD, Hp 16, AC 12
Melee: Claw +2 to hit 1d6+2



Monday, April 29, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure NPC & Monsters 1


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index
Witches
Druid and Werewolves
Bard, Fey, and Berserkers
The Enchanted Glade
Tir Crannog and The Haunted Bog
Keeper Hill

Here are stats for several of the NPC’s and monsters in the adventure. Also included are stats for some of the creatures referenced in the sidebars. Of course, go ahead and add some more monsters to fill out your own adventures.


Prominent Irishmen of Tipperary County

Nialls Kavanagh
Wiry, but strong looking warrior in his 40’s.
Nialls is an excitable fellow and quick to fly off the handle. His clan is steadily losing wealth and prestige, and he is under almost unbearable pressure. He has one son, Fergus (a reprobate), and two daughters, Tia (a witch) and Sybil (a slut).

10th level Fighter, Hp 65, AC 17 (chainmail and shield)
Fort +8 Ref +4 Will +3
Melee: +2 magic Longsword (Elle) +13 to hit 1d8+3
(This is the Kavanagh ancestral blade that killed Elise. It is cursed in that it brings madness to the wielder.)
Ranged: +1 magic Longbow (Spirit) +13 to hit 1d8+1
(A Kavanagh ancestral weapon. This was an elvish gift for a favor done, which is how Tom Kavanagh met Elise.)


Fergus Kavanagh
Shifty looking, often drunk, warrior in his 20’s.
Though well trained as a warrior with many accomplishments, Fergus has become more passionate about drinking, gambling, and betting. This lifestyle brings trouble and shame to his clan. As the chief’s heir, everyone is hoping he grows out of this.

7th level Fighter, Hp 40, AC 16 (chainmail and shield)
Fort +6 Ref +3 Will +2
Melee: Longsword +8 to hit 1d8+1
Ranged: Javelin +8 1d6


Connor O’Grady
Heavy set, bearded old man in his 50’s.
Connor is a stoic, calm leader, who has brought his clan into prominence in the county, but he’s made many enemies in the process. Nearly everyone not named O’Grady in the area has a grudge against him. He has several daughters, who he has had married off for political advantages. Connor’s main concern is his oldest nephew and heir, Cy, who does not seem ready to take over leadership of the clan.

8th level Knight, Hp 56, AC 16 (O’Grady ancestral splint mail suit, usually only worn into certain combat)
Fort +8 Ref +2 Will +3
Melee: Two-handed Sword (2 attacks/rd) +10/+6 to hit 1d10+2
Ranged: +1 magic Javelin (Bolt) +10 to hit 1d6+ stun 1 rd, returns after being thrown
(This is an O’Grady ancestral weapon of officially unknown origin, but was actually made by a dwarf smith, who was stiffed on payment.)

Elise’s Amulet: This artifact, which is always worn around the O’Grady chief’s neck, can be used to summon the banshee. It protects the wearer from any magical attack.


Cy of Red Nail O’Grady
Ruggedly handsome man in his 20’s. However he bears a fresh scar on his face.
Connor’s nephew and heir to rule the clan. Unlike his uncle, Cy is more interested in being a playboy and enjoying the clan’s prosperity than managing it. Worse, he’s also a hot head, always itching for a fight and never forgets a slight. His affair with Sybil Kavanagh brought him the wraith of her sister (in werewolf form) who gave him the scar. Cy is burning for revenge, but doesn’t know who or what attacked him.

6th level Ranger, Hp 30, AC 15 (+1 magic leather armor, a gift from one of the Fey Sisters in the Enchanted Glade, Di)
Fort +6 Ref +7 Will +2
Melee: Longsword +8 to hit 1d8+2, Short Sword (parry) +4 to hit 1d6+2
Ranged: Longbow (2 attacks/rd) +8/+5 to hit 1d8

+3 Detection skill, +4 Stealth, +3 Tracking skill, First Aid skill


Irish Warrior
This would be a typical small band of guards or raiders. War leaders would be full Rangers or higher level fighters, even Knights (who would also be mounted).

1st level Fighter (2nd level Sergeant), Hp 6 (11), AC 13 (leather and shield)
Fort +2 Ref +0 Will +0 (Fort +3 Ref +0 Will +0)
Melee: Longsword +2 (+3) to hit 1d8+1
Ranged: Short Bow +2 (+3) to hit 1d6


Father Macgillycuddy
A typical stern Irish priest in his 40’s.
Macgillicuddy (nobody knows his first name) was trained at the cursed monastery at Clonmacnoise. It was a hard upbringing. He has an amazing gift for healing, as well as dishing out verbal abuse to everyone within earshot. Still, he is a good man (somewhat reluctantly). What no one knows is that his younger brother is Fenris the druid. (I’ll leave any further details about their relationship up to you.)

10th level Priest, Hp 30, AC 10
Fort +3 Ref +3 Will +10
Melee: The good father is only armed with a torrent of curses. Strangely this usually holds any attacker at bay.
(The Father should never be placed anywhere near combat, except for dramatic purposes.)

Healing (all hp) x 4 day
Detect Lies at will
Remove Disease and Fear, Neutralize Poison once per turn (To cast +9 DC 12)
Remove Enchantment, Commune, Exorcism once per day (To cast +9 DC 18)



Baseball Journal 4-27-13 Where’s the D?


Today’s Fox game featured the Detroit Stars versus the Atlanta Black Crackers. I didn’t make up the names, don’t blame me. It also wasn’t my idea to do Negro League tribute games in throwback uniforms. There’s some irony to the fact that you can’t use the word “Negro” in any context in modern society, but here they are using it prominently.

Then there’s MLB’s continuous tribute to Jackie Robinson, especially this month with the new movie out. When we put this in context of the current general dearth of African-American baseball players (there’s plenty of Black guys in the league, but they’re not from this country), we are left with a profoundly hollow message. 42’s biggest impact on his community seems to have been paving the way for Black men to make lots of money in sports, while nobody else there seems to have really benefited from it in the long run.

Oh, wait. I was supposed to be talking about baseball.

Even without the Olde English D or the tomahawk, it was still the Tigers against the Braves. (The Tigers actually do have several African-American players on their team, but they are the exception, just to close the loop on that subject.) And there’s Rick Porcello out to pitch for the kitties. . . Argh! Repressed memory flashback to last week against the hated Angels, 2/3 of an inning, 9 runs. Argh!

Whew! Okay, I’m better now. And so is Rick apparently. He goes 6 1/3, gives up 3 runs, and gets the 7 - 4 win. Some guy impersonating Jose Valverde trotted out in the 9th and pitched a perfect inning to get the save. Certainly he didn’t pitch like Jose the last time I saw him. On the subject of the disguises, what was up with that guy in the stands behind home plate? He was covering up his face for the entire game. Did he forget the sunscreen? Is he a die-hard Tigers fan in the witness protection program?

The on-field highlight of the game for me was Austin Jackson getting picked off of first by Kris Medlen in a move so quick, the cameras missed it. They had to reconstruct incident afterward in slo-mo instant replay with a CSI team. My favorite moment of the broadcast was actually a bit of trivia. They mentioned Prince Fielder hitting a home run in old Tiger Stadium as a 12-year-old taking batting practice with his dad. Who was the pitcher? Tito. Terry Francona, the current Indians manager, himself. (Oh, and that Prince is named after Prince, the singer. Perhaps he should consider changing it to an unpronounceable symbol at some point in his career.)

I also learned one other thing during the game, I had totally missed the significance of last night’s game between these two teams. I watched about one, highly interrupted inning of the game, wherein the Tigers took a 4 – 0 lead to 10 – 0. I didn’t even see the start of the inning or the end of it, I just made note of the final score. Little did I realize Anibal Sanchez was racking up 17 strikeouts in that blowout.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 8


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

The Lair (3 XP for defeating Ines, 2 XP for just running her off):

The Michaelstown Cave is just outside the village in the side of a small hill. It is unlike a normal cave in that the entrance is sealed with a locked door and man-made stairs leading down into it. Also unlike many caves in Ireland, this small underground area does not connect to the larger Underworld of either the Dwarves or Formorians. Ines did not choose this lair by accident.

There is a caretaker’s shack just beside the cave. The caretaker is inside, dead, and webbed to the wall, his juices sucked out. The key peg with the keys to the heavy oaken door on the cave is of course empty. But on the caretaker’s body, if searched, is an extra key. Failing that, the lock could be picked (DC 12), or flat out broken down, but no chance of surprise after that.

The interior is pitch dark. The characters will have to bring their own lighting or be able to see in the dark. A set of stone stairs lead down to the main chamber. In a cubbyhole beside the stairs is Ines’ summoned demon creature. It will try to attack the characters from surprise, but will flee to warn her as soon as it gauges the party’s strength. Killing it quickly and quietly will still leave the characters with a chance to surprise Ines.

The main chamber is a fairly large cave with stalactites and stalagmites all around. The area is torch-lit if the characters enter by surprise, but will be unlit if Ines has been warned. There is a witch workshop complete with bubbling cauldrons (fluids to make the Black Mist). There is also a fairly lavish, ornate bedroom area with a locked box and 50 gp.

If unwarned, Ines (in human form) is with 2 Orcs working over the cauldrons, describing this as an even more powerful batch of Black Mist. (Thankfully, it’s not ready and can’t be used against the characters. Not to mention, Ines is immune to it.) If Ines is warned of the characters, she’ll be in spider-form and her and the two Orcs (and her demon if alive) will have set up an ambush in dark. Ines will taunt the characters before attacking. Either way, play her as smart as possible. She’ll try to disorient and trap as many as she can before directly engaging in melee.

If clearly overmatched, she’ll try to escape, but if Ines thinks she can win, she’ll keep fighting. If the characters are clearly overmatched perhaps Mara or one of the scarecrows shows up to help. There is a spiderhole in the cave, that only she’ll be able to squeeze through, that leads back outside. A surviving Ines will of course return someday to trouble the characters, but she won’t be able to use the Black Mist again, as Nim will have nothing else to do with her. A dead Ines would be the best proof to clear Mara, but samples of the Black Mist fluids will also be enough.


What Happens Next?

Is entirely up to you and the players. Enough of this heavy-handed railroading plotting. Forgive me, but introductions are difficult and this adventure was just meant to introduce the characters to the setting.


Endgame for this county setting:

When the secret of Elise finally comes out and the ramifications of that are dealt with, it’s time for the characters to move on to another county or province (regardless of the outcome). Whatever you decide Fenris’ plans are (see his NPC description that will follow) and their discovery by the players could be good impetus for them to petition the high-king for reassignment.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this Fantasy Ireland setting would work until I actually tried writing up an adventure for it. Other semi-historical (emphasis on the “semi”) settings that I think could also work well, would be Knights (and other classes) of Charlemagne (chivalrous adventures), Agents of the Medieval Vatican (courtly and diplomatic intrigue and demon-hunting), or Defenders of Constantinople (also lots of internal and external politics, Slavic demon-hunting in the Balkans, along with the Turkish threat). The possible scholarly research on any historical era can really daunting, unless you narrow it down and (more importantly) are really interested in it.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 7


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

Goblin Raid (2 XP for running off the Goblins unaided, 1 XP if aided):

The farmhouse is under attack by the Goblin clan. The good news is that Mara and her two scarecrow constructs have taken out about half of the attackers. The better news is that the characters have arrived just as Mara has run out of charges in her wand (which she was firing out from a window), one of the scarecrows has been knocked out, and the other is on fire and trying to put itself out. Several goblins are approaching the house with torches. In words, it’s hero-time!

The attackers are down to 9 Goblins (4 are carrying torches) and 2 Hobgoblins. Their attention is only focused on the house, as the torchbearers are cautiously approaching it. The characters will have a good opportunity to get in the first shot depending on how they want to play it. If two torchbearers make it to the house, it will catch on fire. The stone structure will be totally burned out on the inside within 6 rds, unless the fire inside is extinguished. There is a trough of water nearby.

As far as tactics go, the goblins and hobgoblins will attempt ranged combat wherever possible (goblins with javelins, and hobgoblins with short bows). There is forest near the house that could offer great cover for characters wanting to snipe and enough light still left to make all the combatants targets. The deaths of both of the hobgoblins will scatter the rest. They are obviously in charge, but don’t make them easy targets. If the players come up with any interesting ideas themselves for strategy, let them run with it, within reason, because they are overmatched here. In a pinch, Mara could have her wand recharged (assuming she’s not running out of a burning house) and 1 of the scarecrows (down to 10 hp) could rejoin the fight, but only do this if necessary.

After the fight (again assuming the house hasn’t been burned out), Mara will invite them in. She’ll thank them for their help, offer them a meal, not to mention a healing spell for the worst wounded, and first aid for the rest. She’ll want the characters to spend the night there and offer to put them up, though she knows it will damage their reputations in the county.

In a refreshing change of pace, Mara will refuse to talk about Di, Jack, or Nim, and will be horrified that the characters know about them. She will not mention or talk about her teleportation amulet, which unfortunately, she’d already used for the day before the attack. She won’t talk about her house being warded against magical attack. (That the players don’t understand everything going on in this adventure at this time is fine, as long as the Ref does.) Mara will only tersely talk about the goblins. They had also been attacked by the Orc clan last night with the Black Mist and apparently rumor had reached them that she was responsible. She won’t mention that she’s had business dealings with the goblins, so they knew her.

The only subject Mara will open up a little about is Ines. She knows her, where she lives, that she is indeed a were-spider, and that she is certainly the source of the Black Mist. Mara didn’t say anything at the trial, because they had been in a coven a short time ago. The potential revelation of being associated with a known malevolent witch would have made things worse. Mara had ended their relationship when she could no longer stomach Ines appetite for blood.

When it becomes apparent that Mara isn’t going to talk about anything else, it’s time for bed. In the morning, the characters will hopefully be fully healed. Mara gives the characters her Darkvision mask (she can make another) and a test vial of her Red Pollen poison. It can only used at close range to be tossed in the face of the intended target (a ranged attack). This version will only stun the target for 2 rds if they fail a DC 18 Fort Sv, but they will be completely unable to act in those 2 rds (essentially free shots, consider a victims’ AC to be 10). Also, each character receives 1 healing potion (1d6 hp, can only be taken once per day). If the group is down a member or two, Mara should go with them (and be played by a player). Otherwise, her wand isn’t working and has to be recharged (or more properly recharged). She wouldn’t be useful in a fight without it. Likewise the scarecrows are shutdown, regenerating. (All of this is a lie, by the way. Mara will be getting prepared to flee the county if this attack doesn’t work, and doesn’t like the characters’ chances.) Mara gives the group directions to Ines’ lair.

If the characters ask to go into the village to look for silver weapons, they should be given the opportunity. There should be one silver dagger (30 gp) and five silver tipped arrows (5 gp) available for sale at the smithy. Were-creatures are enough of an Irish problem that these kind of items are kept in stock. It should also be noted that nobody in the county is going to have any interest in helping the characters fight.



Baseball Journal 4-25-13 A Shot to the Nuts


So I’m watching the MLB Network’s look-in coverage of the Ranger-Angel game last night, and much like John Hirschbeck, I wasn’t expecting what happened next. Catcher Iannetta sets up outside. Pitcher pitches inside. Catcher misses pitch. Fastball plows directly into the umpire’s groin. A.J. Pierzynski at bat, immediately motions to the dugout for the trainer, as Hirshbeck rolls on the ground. A few minutes later, he sets up back behind the plate and continues to call balls and strikes. What a gamer! (His calls may have had a little pitch to them for the rest of the game.)

The Angels certainly didn’t see what was coming next, a nine-run inning directly into their nuts. The big blow was a broken bat, three-run homer by Nelson Cruz (his second in two days). My own tender loins from watching the Angels drop a 9-spot on the Tigers in the bottom of the first last weekend, felt a little better. (My World Series pick isn’t looking terribly sharp at the moment. They’ve brought Jose Valverde back in as the closer. Two years ago, his guy was perfect. Now he’s damaged goods, and he’s the Tigers’ failsafe.)

Yu Darvish had a nice night. 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings. He was mixing a 61-mph curveball with a 98-mph fastball, and a couple of other pitches of varying speed and break. As Eric Nadel would say as I picked up the rest of the game on the radio, “It’s almost like he’s toying with them.” Darvish picks up the win in an 11-3 rout.

I’ve been keeping up with this series this week. The Rangers won the set, taking two of three, just like they did at home versus the Angels earlier in the month. The night before was a bit of heartbreaker as Kendrick won it on a homer for the Halos in extra innings. Tuesday though, saw Pierzynski hit a homer to win that game (and after the Rangers had scored three runs earlier to tie it). Boy, those Angels’ fans loved A.J. Their affectionate boo’s rang out through the stadium. The Rangers seem to have a knack for picking up catchers who seem to hate the Angels and take it out on them. Meanwhile, the Angel’s pitching, particularly their relievers, seem determined to cough up whatever lead their epic bombers give them. Scioscia has every right to be worried about his job.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 6


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

An Invitation (0 XP, in fact if you’re playing this right, the players will be wanting to pay XP to escape. In spite of the fact that the characters are here to get information and weapons, make things unpleasant and uncomfortable for characters here. Any encounter with the Sisters should make the characters feel dirty, threatened, or used, at least at this level.):


Sean Robins approaches the group immediately afterward their meeting with a delivery. It is a green rose and a sealed letter. Inside is a piece of parchment with glowing handwritten script, “Won’t you come visit for a spell? You may find my company enlightening. Lady Di.” Sean will already know that the letter is from Di, by virtue of the color of the rose. (Lady Nim uses red roses. Lady Nyx uses blue.) If asked, he’ll tell the characters that it is an invitation from one of the three Fey Sisters who live in the Enchanted Glade by nearby Lough Derg Lake. (They’re described further in the NPC section, which will be posted at the end.) All they need to do is go there with the invite and say her name. He’ll give directions (in return for a tip).

Following the directions to the lake, a flowery arch will appear in a meadow and passing through it will take the characters into a pristine arboreal paradise. They will be greeted by Di’s gruff Treat butler, Carson, and be taken into a large tree with a luxurious apartment inside. The naturally glamorous Lady Di lounges on an ornate wooden reclining sofa and warmly greets the characters, offering seats and refreshments. Di is the middle sister of the girls with somewhat poor esteem and comes off a bit needy and very jealous of her older sister, Nim. This attitude should definitely come out while meeting with the characters.

Di has become aware that her very good friend Mara is in some trouble. (A little bird told her, literally. Also, they’re not good friends. Di just thinks they are.) “You’re all my friends, too. Right?” That disreputable spider woman witch, Ines, that her older sister associates with, is the problem. “Nim really shouldn’t be keeping company that strange woman. It reflects badly on all of us.” Apparently they both have grudge against Mara. Di doesn’t know what Ines’ deal is, but Nim went after Mara’s handsome husband, Jack, and wouldn’t take “No,” for an answer. “She . . . took things a little too far. I mean, really, she’s supposed to be the ‘Ice Queen.’ I’ve never seen her so obsessed.” Di won’t elaborate other than to say that Mara and Nim haven’t gotten along since. “Nim’s so mean to people, but I’m so nice. Don’t you think?”

(Sidebar: To say the least. Nim took Jack’s heart out, but Mara was able to get the body back. He’s not exactly dead, dead, but needs a magical ceremony to be reunited with his missing organ. Mara’s wants Jack’s heart back. Nim wants Jack’s body back. Neither has been able to apply sufficient force on the other to make it happen. See Mara’s character description for more.)

Lady Di had allowed Mara into the Enchanted Glade to gather some Otherworld roses last week. And Nim’s cloud servants attacked her, and that’s when Mara lost her cloak, before she was able to escape.

(Sidebar: Mara wanted the flowers for their pollen, which she plans on using on Nim in a special concoction. Di did not know that though. When Nim found out, she figured out immediately what Mara was doing and had her attacked. Obtaining Mara’s cloak was a tremendous opportunity. Nim and Ines had been working on a magical concoction that was essentially a weaponized gas version of Ines’ spider poison. The both of them adding their own special essence to it to make it work. With the “Black Mist,” Mara’s cloak, and a minor test use, which nearly started a clan war, they set out to frame Mara. )

“We’re all good friends here and want to help our friend, Mara. Right? Friends help each other.” (She has no idea whether they’re friends with her or not.) Di brings out her magic dagger and magic bow and hands them to characters. Ines is a lycanthrope that takes giant spider form and normal weapons won’t work on her, but magic and silver ones will. Di is lending them her weapons. They will return to her on their own tomorrow night (they’ll just disappear), but she’d prefer that they deliver them back to her themselves. Di is hopeful that this is just the beginning a deep, meaningful friendship, “Not like Nim’s or Nyx’s friendships. They’re all fake, just like their own personalities.” There could be many potential benefits in a trusting relationship for everyone involved. “In every way,” she purrs.

Di doesn’t know where Ines is, but Mara might. A little bird flies in tweeting. Mara is in trouble. “Go help her!” And with that, the characters are suddenly back in the glade (thankfully, enough exposition for now). It is twilight. (Darn that Otherworld time dilation.) The tweeting bird reappears and flies around like it wants them to follow. Mara’s farmhouse is about 10 minutes away by a fast horse.



Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 5


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index


The Trial (1 XP if the characters take control of the trial on their own initiative):

The characters should presumably return to the inn for a meal and some rest. In the morning, the place is abuzz. The feud has been called off, for now, though there is a suspicion that the Orcs may be in league with the O’Gradys somehow (which is false). There is a general sentiment that Tir Crannog is the source of the Orcs and that it needs to be dealt with, someday. Currently, nobody is willing raid the haunted fort.

Sean Robins comes in and announces that Mara Keening is being tried by Nialls Kavanagh as a witch. He apparently thinks she is behind the Black Mist and that she is in league with the Orcs. If the characters don’t volunteer themselves to go, Sean will mention that Nialls wants to see them there.

At the Kavanagh estate in the grand hall, an excited crowd of clan members has gathered. Nialls sits on an elevated platform with his son, Fergus, standing beside him. Mara is loosely bound at the hands before them. Nialls reluctantly reads the charge of malevolent witchcraft (take note, beneficial witchcraft and magic are not illegal here) and aiding the enemies of the Kavanagh clan. He asks for evidence to be presented. Fergus, with malice (and this is because Mara has spurned his affections as well), relates that Mara is well known as a witch in the county. He then holds out an ornate cloak, which he presents as Mara’s, having been bought by her deceased husband Jack in Dublin. An unidentified woman, who was with the Orc raiders last night, lost this cloak during the attack on the estate. “What more evidence need be?”

Nialls turns to the characters and thanks them for their efforts last night. He has been told that they were at Mara’s house last night during the attack. He asks them, as agents of the high-king, if she was there and what they saw. It’s up to the players to then relate their tale. After hearing them out, Nialls, clearly pained, turns to Mara, “Mara, dear girl, what do you say?” She will admit that that is her cloak and that she lost it while gathering herbs around the lake last week. She will maintain that she was at home the entire time during the Orc attack and that she was hiding from them. Mara will clearly state that she would never betray the kindness of Kavanaghs.

Fergus steps in. “Those cowardly Orcs never would have been so brazen without their new devilry. Who else could have made it? Who else is implicated? We must stop the witch to stop the witchcraft!” The crowd seems to agree with him. With reluctance, Nialls stands and announces, “Mara, you treated myself and the men last night and have done many good services for the Kavanaghs, but if you have nothing else to say for yourself, I cannot ignore the evidence. Mara Keening. . . You are . . . (he shakes his head) cast from the clan.” The crowd jeers and Fergus is enraged (since they want her put to death), but Nialls shouts over them, “You are to be shunned from here on in this county. Your future would be best served elsewhere. Be gone!” He turns and leaves with Fergus going after him. A sobbing Mara is lead from the angry crowd under guard and taken away to her home. (She will not want to speak to the characters afterward.)

[Sidebar: These are the events that occur if the characters only give testimony. As the high-king’s agents, the characters do have authority to actually adjudicate this matter as they see fit, but they will have to stand up and seize that authority. Nialls will let them have it, because he actually thinks very highly of Mara and can’t believe she’d betray him. Mara may appeal to character’s authority if they’ve had good relations. The rest of the clan, and Fergus especially, will not like the characters taking charge in a family matter and this may have future consequences. Regardless of what happens in the trial, Mara will at best be under a high degree of suspicion unless she is exonerated.]

The characters are then called for by Nialls by a warrior and lead to his chamber. Fergus comes storming out, glares at the characters, and stomps off. The characters are brought inside. Nialls thanks them for their efforts last night, and if they were successful, he also gives them 5 gp apiece and apologizes for not being able to reward them better. (“Cursed O’Gradys, running me into ruin.”) He tells them flatly that he does not believe Mara was responsible for the Black Mist, but had to try her. He is certain that in the coming days he’ll be proven right, but only after a greater loss of life and property. “If ye are truly here to keep the peace, find the maker this evil brew and deal with them. Because I will not be able to control what happens next if there is another attack.” (The characters are already on Nialls good side. Clearing Mara will put them pretty securely. However, then Connor O’Grady will think that they are favoring the Kavanaghs and will not helpful with future problems. Continuing adventures here will be a balancing act.)


Monday, April 22, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 4


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

Stampede (2 XP for saving most of the captives and preventing the complete loss of the herd, 1 XP if they’re less successful):

There is an easy trail of loose cows leading from the Kavanagh pasture. It leads into the Moin Coltna Bog. A thick fog (normal fog) obscures the land even under a bright full moon. Right now there are 19 Orcs (all wearing masks) trying to move 30 head of cattle. There are also 5 unconscious, bound human captives, laid out on top of them (these are for the wight that rules the haunted fort in the bog). The Orcs are having a slow, tough time of it, not being well acquainted with husbandry. The Orcs are fairly easy to spot as 5 of them are carrying torches (while the Orcs can see in the dark, the cows can’t). 4 of the Orcs are only wielding whips. The rest are armed with swords. (Given the conditions, none of them will have a ranged attack option.) There is 1 sergeant type among them.

The characters should first encounter 3 Orcs trying to move a couple of obstinate cows. One with only a torch, one with a whip, and the other with a sword. This will let the players know roughly what they’re facing. The characters will be able to surprise this group fairly easily as they’re busy. They will try to escape first if attacked. The main body is easily visible in the near distance.

Frankly the characters would be easy pickings for this large group of Orcs, except that they are desperately trying to quickly move the cattle to the ruined fort of Tir Crannog, which is only a mile away. The fog, the dark, along with the terrain (which is undulating and filled with many misshapen old trees) can easily allow the characters to trail the slow-moving Orcs, get a good gauge of their strength and set up an ambush. (If the players insist on a front assault, they’re in trouble.)

There is one Orc clearly in charge. If the group is attacked, he’ll order a runner to the fort for reinforcements, and lead a group of five against any visible attackers, and order the rest to keep moving the cattle. The loss of the sergeant will send the rest into disorganized confusion. Likewise, taking out the torchbearers (each one put out scatters 5 cows along with 1 captive) or otherwise spooking the cattle (like with a magic spell) will scatter everybody. The characters will have no more than 10 minutes (game time, about 10 rds) to disrupt things before the cattle either make it to within sight the fort or Orc reinforcements arrive, if a runner retrieved them. Luckily by this point, a groggy Nialls Kavanagh arrives with a mounted troop, definitely scaring off the Orcs.

Nialls is good and angry, but is far more interested in rounding up the cattle than launching a raid into the haunted bog at night. The Orcs will quit the field quickly and scurry back to their underground warren. “What are these damn O’Gradys doing here with our cattle? It’s war tomorrow!” This would be a good moment for the characters to unmask a dead Orc. “What? These creatures are responsible? I’ve never seen them so bold or have such sorcery under their command.” If the characters try to trail the Orcs, they’ll see them going into the ruined fort. Nialls will warn them off, saying “In Tir Crannog, the dead there walk at night.” Many Skeletons and zombies will be clearly visible manning the ramparts if approached. He’ll tell them to help with the cattle instead for now.

At this point, insert your best impersonation of the howl from “An American Werewolf in London,” followed by several answering howls. All of the warriors in the area stiffen in fear and quickly gather whatever cows and captives are on hand and then start beating a hasty retreat. This is just a little cameo by Tia O’Grady and the werewolf pack. Consider this a warning to 1st level characters that the bog is a bit too dangerous for them right now. And speaking of cameos, as the troop is a leaving, a lone cow can be seen lowing by a tree. Suddenly it is caught by some webbing and then jerked up out of sight into the tree, where it makes a terrible scream.



ALMS Long Beach 4-21-2013 Claustrophobia



Nothing like watching a bunch of expensive sports cars drive fast in confined spaces, often into the walls and into each other. I think there was at least a half-hour of caution in this hour and a half race. Street races are often like this, but I think only Monaco is a tighter fit for the cars than Long Beach. Of course Monaco has no where near the same amount of traffic that an American Le Mans race has.

The comparisons between these two tracks don’t stop there. They are the glamour venues in their respective series. Both feature a marina; Monaco with the expensive yachts, Long Beach has a large sailing ship and the Queen Mary in the background. Monaco has the casino turn, a theater, a bank, and a Gucci’s shop along the race route. Long Beach has a hotel with a lagoon inside the track. Monaco has the very slow and scenic Loews hairpin. Long Beach has the pretty fountain chicane and a tight hairpin at turn one. While there’s no fear-inducing Tunnel on the track, Long Beach feels very enclosed pretty much all the way around.

And then the comparisons fall apart. Monaco has royalty. Long Beach has a celebrity Pro-Am race during the weekend. That’s likely the main reason for the continued survival of this race, where most street races go away after a couple of years. So, thank you celebrities and your ego-stroking racing fantasies for keeping this race venue alive. Wealth and the crowds are conspicuous at Monaco. Long Beach has the more traditional street race feel, a bunch of cars driving down empty streets. There are spectators and a few grandstands. They just don’t show up on the most of the camera views, so there’s this oppressive sense of a racing spectacle with no one watching. Event organizers should watch the TV view of their race sometime.

It’s still the last season of ALMS before the merger next year, though you’d never know it from watching the coverage. That’s okay. I’m not looking forward to seeing those butt-ugly Daytona Prototypes slowly chugging around the track and would like to forget it’s going to happen. In the meantime, I was disappointed to not see the Delta Wing car out on track, but was impressed by the Viper team.

For the race itself there was plenty action, and by that I mean wrecks and spins, which was why the Safety Car (a Porsche?) got plenty of airtime. I think cars may have been getting hit on the warm up lap (just kidding). There were several penalties handed out for “avoidable contact.” The only way you could avoid contact in this race would be staying the parking lot (and you’d still probably get dinged).

In the GT Class (the only one I really care about), two BMW teams passed late for the lead and won the race. The Viper came in third, a good showing for a new team. The Corvettes came in fourth and fifth. Oh, the shame. I’m not sure if these are factory-sponsored teams or privateers. I’m also not sure if they’re based on the new vette (I don’t think so). Forgive me, me and dad (who more or less puts up with me watching these weird sports car races) got bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes at Jack-in-the-Box during the race. But you’ll be happy to know that they tasted really good.

As for the coverage, okay, if you’ve read any of my other ALMS reports, you know the real reason why I’m watching. Kelli Stavast was there and cute and glowingly perky as ever. She’s got the whole pit lane reporting thing nailed, updating pit stops, talking about new tire construction, interviewing race winners, and looking good. There was a NASCAR race on Fox at the same time. I knew this because every time I flipped over there was a commercial on. Ha. ALMS has commercials too, not breaking in quite as often as NASCAR. But, ALMS has the cool commercials; high performance tires, sports cars, luxury cars, and NASCAR has their drivers out awkwardly pitching for random products.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 3


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

Good Witch Hunting (0 XP, this should only be a minor fight):

Interviewing a banshee may be a little ambitious. A better course of action would be to interview the witch for more information. If the players voice an interest in meeting Mara, immediately a heretofore silent handsome young man who was playing a lute speaks up. He introduces himself as Sean Robins, local bard. He would happy to direct the characters to Mara’s abode for a small consideration on their part. Over the course of an overly long trip outside of town, Sean will ask the characters who they are and how they came here. The players are free to ask whatever else they want to. (The bard may also start singing, if the Ref is so inclined to regale the players.) It is twilight by the time they get near the house. Sean will hold out a small silver pot and thank the characters for their kindness. (The players would be wise to be generous.) He will tip his hat and bid them adieu.

(Sidebar: Sean Robins is the main source of local gossip and seems to know everything going on in town. He is also the area historian. At least part of the story of the O’Gradys, Kavanaghs, and Elise, has been passed down to him, but with the admonition to never tell it, except to bring down a curse on the clans. Sean is also quite the randy “swordsman.” The witch has to this point, spurned his advances. Sean’s delivery of the characters to her at this particular time was not whimsical, as they will see. Oh, and now Sean knows who the characters are and will be tracking down any knowledge about them for future reference.)

The characters come upon a small dilapidated farm on the edge of the woods. Two scarecrows guard a small field. Assuming the characters knock at the door, there won’t be answer and there are no visible lights on inside. If the characters attempt to break in, the inside of the house contains defensive wards, DC 18 Fort Sv, or out 1 turn. But likely before the characters should take such a drastic action, there in the near darkness, an odd black mist begins to form and move towards the house. As long as the characters are near the house, they will suffer no effects from it (otherwise it’s a DC 18 Fort sv or out 1 turn). In fact, it is fairly obvious that as the Black Mist approaches the property it is stopping at the edge of it, and then moving around sides, surrounding it.

(Sidebar: The property itself is actually warded against any magical attack. The two scarecrows are magical defensive constructs, but are outside that ward field and are knocked out by the mist in this encounter.)

Out of the mist several misshapen human-ish figures wearing full-face masks (with a grilling over the mouth and nose and lenses over the eyes) enter the property. They are surprised that the mist has not penetrated the area. Upon seeing the characters however, they simply attack. There are 4 Orcs and 1 Sergeant Orc. That these guys aren’t human won’t become apparent until someone unmasks a dead Orc. They will all fight to the death. (In this case as opposed to other Orc encounters, this is an assassination squad, which has been sent to kill Mara. They can’t come back without killing her.) Nearing the end of the fight, there will be a bright flash of light inside the house.

(Sidebar: The presence of intruders and the magical mist attack on the property have set off an alarm at Mara’s offsite workshop. She’s just teleported herself back using a magic amulet. By the way, if the characters figure it out themselves, the masks that the Orcs were wearing are actually gas masks. They can keep them, otherwise Mara will later.)

The Black Mist begins to rapidly dissipate after the fight. An attractive forlorn female figure holding a stick (wand) will open the door soon after the characters have dispatched the Orcs. The young woman asks the characters to identify themselves. She will be satisfied if they say they’re Royal agents and show their seals. Mara puts away the wand and introduces herself as Mara Keening. She looks over the dead bodies and identifies them as members of the local Orc clan. “They are occasional raiders. Don’t know what they’re doing here. They should know better.” She’ll then thank the characters for their defense of her home and invite them in.

Mara will offer some hot tea and biscuits, and will apply her First Aid to anybody wounded. There is nothing immediately visible in the home that screams “Witch,” but rather just a simply country dwelling. If asked if she is a witch, Mara merely admits to being a widow farmer of small means and some skill with herbs and potions. Mara will also admit to having dealings with the Kavanaghs for various services, some healing herbs, a few potions, and a few paintings around their estate (which are actually protective wards against the O’Grady banshee). She will profess to not knowing anything about the Black Mist. (Partly true, but the character’s description will set off warning bells for her. In the morning, she’ll look over the scarecrows and property and have a good idea of what the attack consisted of and who did it.) She’ll likely not have any worthwhile answers to any other questions about herself.

There is a loud, banging on the door. It’s a courier from the Kavanagh clan. He’s looking for characters. (Given that they left the pub with Sean to go to Mara’s, it wasn’t hard to track them down.) The Kavanagh estate has come under attack by some sort of witchcraft in the form of a Black Mist, and most of the people there have been incapacitated. A bunch masked men, no doubt O’Gradys, have taken off with most of the cattle, as well as captives. Nialls is asking for the help of the king’s men to recover them. The cattle and masked men were last seen headed toward Moin Coltna Bog. The courier sets off looking for more help. Mara offers to lead the characters towards the bog, which she will. Afterward, she goes to the estate to help with the wounded. The characters are on their own.





Thursday, April 18, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 2


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

Pub Crawl (0 XP, especially if you have to actually tell the players what to do next):

The players may choose to investigate the matter further in town. Many of the townspeople seem to be gravitating to the local pub, the Drunken Shamrock. The men folk and serving women will be uncommunicative with the characters until pints of ale are purchased for everyone (5 gp). They will then be treated to a litany of aggressions and reprisals by the two clans. Unfortunately, no one knows of any recent acts that would brought this current conflict on either. No one even definitely knows the origin of the feud. (Here might be a good place to seed in some of your own local NPC’s as part of the bar crowd.)

(Sidebar: It goes way back to Finn MacCool’s days. Van O’Grady and Tom Kavanagh were both in love a beautiful elvish woman, Elise. She was coyly playing with both of their affections, and neither man knew, as they couldn’t speak of such an affair in public (and neither could she). On the tip of a bard, Tom found out and caught Elise and Van together. In a fit of rage, Tom killed Elise while she was in Van’s arms. That night both men heard the wail of the banshee as she died, and the hair on the top of their heads turned sheet white. Neither would ever speak of the incident again or to anyone else, but there was a powerful hatred between them thereafter.)

Finn, owner of the bar and a member of the Dal Cais clan, blames Norse raiders trying to set the Irish against one another in preparation for an invasion. Finn also offers free room and board at his inn to the characters. He’s doing this to curry favor with them and will eventually want some reciprocal consideration. This arrangement is okay to start with, but the characters should find some permanent lodging at some point as the campaign continues.

(Sidebar: The Drunken Shamrock is also an after-hours meeting place for Dal Cais rebels against the nearby Norse in Limerick. The Norse have raided on occasion, but now it’s mostly familial reprisal raids caused by Dal Cais attacks. The Norse are actively looking for the rebel leader for execution. Surprise, it’s Finn. No Irishman who knows this, would ever willingly give up that information though. But if the Dal Cais ever manage to really hurt the Norse, they’ll put out a reward, perhaps use torture on captives, perhaps send an army. Finn wants the conflict and is looking for powerful allies. Perhaps supernatural ones, maybe even the characters.)

The locals will confirm that the O’Gradys may have a supernatural power in their service (perhaps a banshee), and that the Kavanaghs have been seen having dealings with a reputed witch, Mara Keening, that lives in the woods outside of town.

(Sidebar: Upon her death, Elise’s spirit became a banshee that served Van and later all his descendant clan leaders. It was a secret that was never shared with anyone else. The Kanvanagh clan has been haunted by her actions (at O’Grady direction) for generations since. The clan has taken various means of supernatural protection ever since to keep her away and inflict supernatural harm on the O’Gradys as well. Currently, they do employ Mara, who is a witch.)

Baseball Journal 4-14-13 Plenty of Action


Where to begin? We’ll start with the 10-inning affair between the Cubs and the Giants. It was a 10 – 7 victory for the visiting Giants. It was a great back and forth battle where the Giants showed the heart of a champion, and the Cubs displayed what could charitably be described as gritty ineptitude. By odd coincidence, that three-run margin is the equal to the number of runs that the Cubs let in by a wild pitch, a passed ball, and a balk.

That balk by Shawn Camp was absolutely painful for everyone watching, especially as it let in the go-ahead run in the 10th. It was like he was trying to execute the now illegal, fake to third-throw to first maneuver, caught himself, and then realized he’d just balked anyway. It wasn’t one of those twitch balks that you can only see on a replay, he literally jumped on the mound. Everybody saw it. Camp had a bad outing as the Cubs’ closer of the moment. In the ninth, with two outs and two strikes, he’d induced a fly ball out of Hunter Pence, which caught a strong tailwind and ending up flying into the bleachers, tying the game, instead of ending it. Ironically, Marmol had worked a quick eighth, to a chorus of boo’s when he entered. (He even got the business during the Opening Day player introductions. Ouch.)

Dioneer Navarro had been quite the hero over the last two games, as he hit a home run from each side of the plate as pinch hitter in crucial spots. As the catcher today (regular backup, Steve Clevenger had suffered a horrible injury the day before), Dioneer got to make history. He was part of a five wild pitch inning that briefly gave the Giants the lead. That was a one-inning record for butterfingers. Earlier, Pablo Sandoval, of all people, took home on a passed ball that barely got five feet away.

The Cubs did have their moments, particularly an Alberto Gonzalez home run in the 7th that blew right out onto Waveland Avenue. But really, at least a third of the crowd was rooting for the Giants (including myself). The Seventh Inning stretch singer even acknowledged the Giants fans. The game ran four hours thanks to the umpire squeezing the strike zone. Len and JD basically had no comment on that since the calls were virtually all going the Cubs’ way. Still, a great enough game to keep me from flipping over to an exciting Masters’ finish.

I think the Dodger/Diamondback game, which started an hour and a half later, may have actually finished before the Cubs/Giants game. When you go scoreless into the ninth, what do you expect? The real news in this match up happened the day before and went all over sportstalk. A bunch of Dodger fans had rented out the box right behind home plate. The Diamondbacks owner took offense to this and offered the fans free Diamondback gear and a round of drinks in return for taking off their Dodger gear. The fans accepted. Criticism of both sides of this incident has been unanimous.

I remember distinctly either last year or the year before on a Fox game in Phoenix, the box and the outfield pool being populated by groups of Giants’ fans, who were the visiting team that day. Frankly, I’m not sure what to make of this. I guess that fans of the visiting teams at Chase Field are richer than the home fans. If you have a few thousand dollars lying around (like $3000 something to get the box or rent the pool) and want to cheer for your team against the Diamondbacks, now you know what to do. Or for the same price you could get season tickets behind home plate in Pittsburgh, or you could get a seat behind home plate at Yankee stadium for a day game during the week against the Mariners.

Not that I’m going to be watching much of the Diamondbacks this year. Our local cable company has dropped Fox Sports Net from their programming. I think its been replaced with Fox Soccer, which is English Premier League stuff, something even less relevant to me than Mexican League soccer, if that’s possible. Great, I was looking forward to being able to continue to hear Bob Brenly’s commentary. Just another reason for me not to get cable at home. This may be a total deal-breaker for me ever getting it.  Still getting ESPN2 though, where Monday night they were covering the WNBA draft.  (Not a joke.  They were even promoting it on the radio.)

The best that can be said of the Carlos Quinton/Zack Greinke dust up is that it’s probably going to be the biggest hit of the season for the Padres. I was also listening on the radio when Jared Weaver went down. I actually like him, in spite of my hatred of the Angels, and was sorry to see that happen. I think Greinke is highly overrated, but I have no personal animus against him. I was perfectly content to see him implode on the mound later this season at the worst possible moment for the Dodgers (and that will still probably happen). Jose Reyes goes down for the Blue Jays this week. It’s contagious. Why I even saw Taft go down during the President mascot race on Saturday in Nationals Park. They added William Howard Taft as a President mascot this season. What Senate committee did this decision go through?

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 1


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

Family Feud (1 XP for stopping the fight):

The characters arrive in Nenagh, a town in Tipperary County, Munster Province, in the afternoon into a major commotion. Outside of town in a field, two clans are arrayed for battle, hurling insults at one another. In-between the two sides, their lords with their champions and a priest are having a meeting. The townsfolk are watching nearby and egging on the fight. Bearing royal seals on their breasts, the characters will be allowed onto battlefield and to approach the negotiations.

The priest, Father Macgillycuddy, will immediately challenge the characters and explain that he is mediating an important matter of county business, namely a single-combat to the death between these two clans. Both clan lords will be dismissive of the high-king’s representatives and tell them to mind their own business. It’s up to the players to impress upon them their authority. The combatants are the Kavanagh clan lead by the excitable Nialls Kavanagh, and the O’Gradys lead by the stoic Connor O’Grady. Nialls is claiming that the O’Gradys, “Well-known for their ties to the unnatural,” are attacking their cattle with some form of devilry. Connor is claiming that they had nothing to do with it, and further a woman known to be a witch is in Kavanagh employ. This is probably her doing.

The two lords are about to let their champions (in this case, Nialls’ son, Fergus, and Connor’s heir, Cy) fight it out. It’s strongly implied that this event is really just going to be the precursor to outright clan war. The players will have to act quickly and decisively to keep them from fighting. (The good father can be used to help out, if the players are having too much trouble.) Both sides will be amenable to a temporary truce. Otherwise, a quickly escalating fight ensues, and the characters’ reputation in the county will have already gotten off on a bad foot (and they’ll always be reminded of it). In either case, the characters can waste little time in sorting things out before the fighting gets totally out of control, requiring army to put down.

The story of the provocation is fairly simple. Last night, a prize bull disappeared from the Kavanagh herd and was found drained of blood and hung from a tree the next day on O’Grady property. Guards watching the cattle were found unconscious and claimed an odd Black Mist overcame them. Neither side will admit to any wrong doing that might have started this.

(Sidebar: Not to say that they haven’t been going at each other lately. Nialls’ daughter, Sybil, is the latest conquest of Connor’s nephew and heir, Cy of Red Nail. Or the other way around. In any case, the tryst has been covered up by both parties given their already mutually soiled reputations. Tia, Sybil’s sister, however has taken the affair as a family slight (or perhaps just jealous) and personally gone after Cy in retribution. Tia is also secretly a witch who can take werewolf form and is in league with Fenris the Druid. Her attack left the handsome O’Grady with a scar across his face. He is itching for revenge as soon as he can figure out what attacked him. Also being covered up is an incident where an O’Grady family artifact has been swindled out of a cousin by a Kavanagh cousin for a bar of fairy gold, which promptly turned to lead. Connor wants the heirloom back and Nialls wants to know where the fake gold came from. Neither wants the incident made more public, as both cousins are currently missing.)

The clans and townspeople will disperse (completely disappointed) when the truce is made public. No one is going to want anything to do with the characters.


I'm out tomorrow.  I plan on being back and posting on Thursday.

Baseball Journal 4-14-13 Demolition Weekend


OMG! It’s happening just like they said! North Korea has bombed us! I saw it on TV. They destroyed the iconic Asarco towers and city hall in El Paso. I don’t know why they’d choose such low-value targets, but they’re gone! It’s just like the Red Dawn remake and Olympus Has Fallen at the movies. We’re at WAR people!

Or it was just a senseless act of civic--vandalism (two different videos linked).

You might be wondering about the baseball angle on this. Bear with me for a minute. The El Paso Diablos Double A team used to play in a facility nicknamed, “The Dudley Dome.” No, it wasn’t a dome. In fact, it was probably just a step above a vacant lot with a baseball diamond scratched out on it. You know, someplace where neighborhood kids might play the game.

Thanks to Jim Paul’s inspired ownership and lobbying, the gracious citizens of El Paso eventually granted the Diablos a superb new ballpark, Cohen Stadium. All was good. Until Jim sold to the team to an out-of-town interest, who ran the club into the ground and out of town. (Ironically, my relatives in the Springfield, Missouri are now enjoying the team in their new life as the Cardinals.)

Currently an Independent League team plays at “The Cone,” virtually anonymously. I think they’re owned by the local Indian tribe, which may have occurred after the state shutdown their casino. (That’s not a sarcastic joke, by the way.)

Then the Padres’ Triple A team came up for sale. Some local interests became fascinated with the prospect of buying this team and using it to bilk the city out of millions of dollars. (Pure speculation on my part.) A few greased palms, kickbacks, and bribes later to a typically corrupt city government, and El Paso was getting a new baseball team. (Again, pure speculation on my part.) But, we must have a new stadium. Where shall it go? Hey, let’s demolish city hall! It’s like 30 years old. It’s ancient. Besides, it’s downtown. What a great opportunity to revitalize the area.

So, we have been lead to this, Demolition Weekend. The Asarco towers were thrown in as a powerful metaphor to the ending of all manufacturing jobs in the area. Now if this were a private enterprise trying to setup a factory, we’d still be in the planning stages, fighting off lawsuits, and getting EPA approval for the next five years. But with the right friends, properly paid off and using a bunch of taxpayer money, it all happens inside of a year. No, the citizens didn’t get a vote on this. It’s all going to be paid by a hotel tax on visitors to the city. It’ll also pay for the new city hall. Really. This time, for sure. You can trust us. (Okay, that was sarcasm.)

What will follow this weekend will one day be called, Disaster Decade. This is where next year when the new ballpark opens, a bunch of new fans show up to the first game. They will discover to their horror that the price of parking will be more than the cost of the average ticket (and their car doesn’t even get to see the game). Outraged, they will never come back again. Revenues to the team will plummet. Thanks to the creative contract between the city and the new team, since the locals aren’t supporting them, the team will be able to break their lease. (Once again, pure speculation. Right now, the Tampa Rays are stuck in an ironclad 30-year lease in a crap stadium. I assure you, no other professional sports team will ever allow that to happen again.) Oh, the city will raise taxes on everybody trying to subsidize the team, but that will prove to be a problematical and futile. The team will bolt to another city within 10 years, and taxes will not go down after they leave, because the city will still be paying for the facility (and the new city hall).

I’d love to be wrong. The area embraces the new team and they become a family tradition for many years to come. The new ballpark becomes a cherished landmark. The same local media (sports and news), who championed this cause, wholeheartedly support the franchise and drive fans to the games.

It’s not gonna happen. The team will be ignored by the citizens and media. The ballpark will eventually receive all the love that Marlins Park currently enjoys from their locals. That is to say, a monument to the greed of the owners and corruption of their local politicians. In fact, Marlins Park was sold and funded under similar circumstances in Miami. Amazing that no local reporter ever made that connection. And so, the city of El Paso will be left with two excellent baseball facilities, and I doubt even an Independent League team to fill either of them.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Intro


FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Fantasy Ireland Index
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
NPC’s and Monsters

Sample Adventure and County: Balance of Power

Synopsis:
Essentially, the characters wander into a clan war and have to stop it. The inciting incident for the current feud has actually been caused by supernatural forces. The characters will need to deal with them for there to be some momentary peace in the area.

While there’s plenty of action in parts of this adventure, the players are going to have to deal with the inhabitants before they get to it. Some introductions to the locals have to be made first. You might want to warn the players in advance of this. Also included here will be various sidebars for follow up adventures in the area, so some of the encounter descriptions are going to run a bit long.

Please note that this adventure setting plays fast and loose with actual geography and local history. Unless you’re Irish, an Irish scholar, or plan on becoming one, I’d recommend that anyone else using this setting use the same amount of creative license. It’s way too easy to get lost in the weeds of research and reality and never write anything.

Before play, the players should write up some sort of background for their characters, particularly why they are part of the King’s Men. It can be one sentence or however long they want. This may be a help to campaign play and give the Ref some future plot ideas. The characters should all be given a horse, the typical class starting gear (from the beginning of the Fantasy Core character generation), and their all-important Royal seals. I’d recommend 5 or 6 1st level characters for this adventure.

I’ll be the first to admit this scenario is a bit of a railroad. It is an introduction and some foreshadowing of possible future adventures, so it was kind of inevitable. If the characters get off track, which will almost certainly happen, don’t panic. Most of the events in the adventure happen regardless of character actions (not to say they aren’t going to have plenty to say in what happens). Just have the Sean Robins Bard NPC or some other NPC direct the characters to the action. Hopefully they’ll take the hint. After being introduced here to most of the many of the main NPC’s (and the rest alluded to), future adventures should be more player directed.

Write ups of the NPC and Monster stats and extra information about them will follow the adventure description.

Baseball Journal 4-7-13


It was a 4-3 win for the White Sox over the Mariners today. Frankly, nothing really remarkable happened during the game other than, once again, all the runs came off homers. There was also an appearance by Southpaw behind home plate, interacting with that older gentleman wearing the Kyle Busch M&M’s jacket. I suspect they’re on a first name basis after all these years. I had flipped over during the 10th inning to see the end of the race and came back just in time to see Dayan Viciedo’s game-winning home run go into the stands and hear half of Hawk’s home run call. They talked to closer Addison Reed after the game, who’s figured into all of the Sox’s wins so far this season, three saves and a win today.

The best part of today’s broadcast were the interviews with a couple of players from the ’83 White Sox team. The Sunday home uniforms for the team are replicas of those jerseys. (They did this last year as well, wearing red and white. Hopefully the organization will not replicate the black blouse tops or the shorts. Two of the worst baseball uniforms ever. Softballers wouldn’t wear those.) Julio Cruz listed being on that ’83 team as one of his career highlights. His other favorite moment was an in-game pep talk he once gave to Gaylord Perry, infamous spitballer. “Cruzer, get back to second base. You don’t anything about pitching,” was how that interaction ended. Julio then swore, “One day I’m going to reveal where he was hiding his Vaseline!”

Another player (missed his name, might have been Lorenzo Gray, sorry), related hiding out in the umpires’ room during games and gorging on beer and hot dogs. One day after a binge, he was unexpectedly called into a game to pinch run, and started getting sick at first base. “La Russa put on the “steal” sign. I’m thinking, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me.’” Well, he tried to run, but he essentially waddled his way to second base.

One last comment about the game. Hawk had apologized for him and Steve Stone’s chemistry last year and promised they’d do better this year. Well, they are better this year so far. Still total homers, but at least they’re not a detriment to the broadcast.

Ah, much better mood this evening. Rangers win 7-3 over the Angels. Yu didn’t have his good stuff like the other day, but still got outs and got the win. Weaver on the other side didn’t have his good stuff either and left with a sore elbow. Josh Hamilton is clearly a vampire. The proof is that he can’t hit during the day, like yesterday where Pujols was being walked to get to him, but tonight he was wailing away. Lucky for the Rangers, Ian Kinsler also had his hitting shoes on, including a three-run opposite field homer.

I heard the game over the radio, so I don’t know if this was on TV, but Eric and Matt noticed that there was one Ranger fan with a sign out saying, “We still love you Josh.” Ahh. Eric and I both noticed the glacial pace of the game. It took an hour and a half to play the first three innings. “Well, it’s Sunday night baseball. It’s like a Yankees/Red Sox game.” Now, that’s some honest commentary. Strangely, the game actually picked up the pace dramatically late in the game and ended up clocking in at just a minute over three hours.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland Setting--Items and Animals Part 2


Fantasy Core RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2013
Published here as Open Game Content.

Index

Ship of Glass: A magical boat that can be used to travel to Otherworld islands. It may be used by the elves as an invitation to the Otherworld court of the Fey.

The Magic Bough: A silver branch with white flowers. It is an invitation to the Otherworld court of the Fey. It can also heal all hp damage and any disease once a day.

The Pigskin of the King of Greece: A magical healing item that cures any hp damage, disease, and insanity, once a day. It can even reverse death within 24 hours, but only once per person, and only once a day. Acquiring this object was one of the eight tasks of the sons of Tuireann. Current whereabouts are unknown. The object is actually always actively trying to find its way back to Greece and may cause the holder some bad luck.

Cursing Stones: Located in Inishmurray Island. With a simple ceremony spell (walking around an altar and turning the stones on top of it), a person may be cursed with some sort of ill fortune. The caster will also take the same measure of that bad luck. The ceremony does require a personal effect of the person being cursed.

The Turoe Stone: A three-foot high pagan altar in a field in County Galway, Connecht. Its purpose has been lost to time. It might be a gateway to the Otherworld (or someplace else) with the right ceremony and conditions. Or there may be some other entirely purpose. The locals leave it alone.

Book of the Dun Cow: Tales of Ireland that were inscribed on parchment made from the hide of a cow. Anyone reading it will acquire +4 Wis and Int Bonuses. Several high-level spells are inscribed (in code) within. It normally takes a full day to read at the quickest. There is some unspeakable side effect to this however. Whatever it is, it keeps most owners of the book from reading all of it. Currently it sits in the personal library of the high-king. He has not read all of it either.

The Cathach Battler: A copy of the Psalter from a Latin Vulgate Bible made by St. Columba. The book was a contributing cause of a minor Irish war. It is said to ensure victory to the side holding it. It falls in and out of various hands constantly.

The Pot of Avarice: A silver pot where a bard received his pay. There is one pot known to exist that is magical and will double any amount put in it overnight. It also brings misfortune to the owner. Needless to say, it unknowingly changes hands often.  (Also a card in the Yu-Gi-Oh card game.  Thank you Internet.)

Clods of St. Columba: Pads of earth from Scotland. St. Columba wore these when he returned temporarily to Ireland from his self-imposed exile, but still wouldn’t let his feet touch Irish soil. The wearer of these clods can walk on water, run at double speed, and will be sure-footed on any surface. They are also a revered religious artifact. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Hisperica Famina: Western Sayings. A badly written tale of excessively mundane matters, which includes a smattering of several languages. The book is in the high-king’s library in Tara. It is actually a spell book of with several dangerous high-level spells. It has to be deciphered first, requiring a magical translation key. Clues to finding it are in the text (which requires translation in several languages).

Cross of Cong: A metal-worked cross containing a piece of the True Cross. The display of this artifact will ward off any undead from a building or in person. Its current whereabouts are unknown.

Lyncanthropy: A spell familiar to witches, druids, and elvish wizards. It is a ceremony spell that may be cast once per day. It is only taught orally and very seldom to outsiders.  This version is not a spell of demonic possession nor a contagious disease, but rather the ability to take animal form.

Club of Dagda: A magic weapon of the Fey. It is very heavy and requires +4 Str and Con bonuses to use. It causes 1d12 x 2 damage. It’s whereabouts are unknown.

The Drinking Horn of the King of Greece: One of Finn’s magical possessions. With a DC 12 Fort save, a drink from the gold horn causes the imbiber to become fearless for the day. Failing the save puts the drinker to sleep for an hour. The horn may be drunk from once a day. Another effect is to negate the effects of supernatural aging (such as from a lengthy visit to the Otherworld), but it will only work once for a person for that purpose. The horn is currently lost in Ireland.

Baseball Journal 4-6-13


I was having such a good day. It started going downhill as I had a positively gag-inducing moment watching a commercial during MLB Fan Poll. Yes, just what I wanted to see: two ex-Rangers/current Angels pitching for shampoo. I have to question the product’s choice in celebrity endorsers. CJ Wilson is certainly handsome and charismatic, but is more famous for losing in each round of the playoffs two years ago, rather than any on-field success. And there’s Josh Hamilton. I can’t imagine having any misgivings about tying my product to a guy that’s one misstep away from rehab. Grumble, grumble, sour grapes.

My condition worsened shortly after the Angels/Rangers game started. There’s my other least favorite player, Albert Pujols, hitting a two-run home run. Gotta love the ballhawk on the hill behind the fence, catching the home run ball in flight, and immediately flinging it back, allowing the crowd a small reason to cheer. Al went on to have a great game. Josh picked up right where he left last season, sucking and being boo’ed by the Ranger crowd.

There’s a reason why Mike Trout isn’t getting the business that Al, Josh, and CJ are, even though he’s just as a potent as they are. Certainly Josh put the Rangers on the map and would theoretically deserve applause upon his return. Whenever Michael Young gets back in town with the Philies or somebody else, he’ll get a cheer. (The team has even left his locker open and empty this season as a tribute.) I believe the animus is two-pronged.

One, there’s the (correct) perception that the Angels are trying to buy a championship. That’s a Yankee attitude towards baseball management. They may be the most popular team, but everybody who isn’t their fan, hates them. I don’t think the MLB can tolerate too many of these kind of big-spending teams, especially if they succeed. Two, there’s a personal dislike for these guys. Al came off as a mercenary in his deal. Josh and CJ had failed badly enough in their last years with the Rangers that the organization was willing to let them walk. Then they both got big contracts with the Angels anyway. Then Josh disses his former fans, something Al has been smart enough not to do. This group is just not going to be loved or admired outside of LA if they win, even with Mike Trout leading them.

The Rangers looked bad today. Matt Harrison is having problems and for a team built with pitching this season, they’re going to have problems in that stadium. Can’t really say too much about the game itself, as it was mostly decided about halfway through and I ended up changing stations to watch Bubba Hotep, and see Bruce Campbell in the role he was born to play, Elvis. One observation, Lance Berkman, great hitter, could he qualify as disabled, running-wise? Him and David Ortiz should be allowed to use Segways to get around the bases. Well, why not? The Designed Hitter is the cripple position to begin with.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland Setting--Items and Animals Part 1


Fantasy Core RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2013
Published here as Open Game Content.

Index

Money: The Irish people have only recently been introduced to coinage by the Vikings. Before this, wealth was measured mostly in cows and livestock. The land was owned by hereditary nobles, and freemen paid rent and built upon it. Gold and precious metals were valued, but often anything portable would be carried off in Norse raids, so wealth was buried and hidden.

The upshot of this setting is that, while the characters may acquire some wealth that shouldn’t be a primary goal. In fact, they should look at exchanging it as soon as possible for something more useful, lest they become targets. The characters should be looking at accumulating deeds and fame. (After doing so, they likely won’t have to pay for things and services. They’ll be gifted to them.)

The Water Shoes: Owned by Fergus Mac Leda that was a gift of the halflings. They allow the wearer to walk and breathe underwater.

The Four Gifts of the Fey: These items were brought by the Fey when they conquered Ireland. The Coronation Stone, the Spear of Lug, the Sword of Nuada, and the Caldron of Dagda. They are all currently lost, whereabouts unknown.

--The Coronation Stone-Screams whenever the rightful king steps on it. It was kept at Tara at the Mound of Hostages, before it was stolen during the last coronation. Without it, any kingship (including the current high-king) is doubtful (he had not yet stepped on it before taking the throne).

--The Spear of Lug-a magic weapon that will fight by itself (allowing the owner to wield another weapon, essentially and extra attack per rd). 1d10 damage, requires +4 Int bonus to use.

--The Sword of Nuada-Slays with a touch (DC 12 Will Sv), otherwise 1d8 damage, requires +4 Wis bonus to use.

--The Caldron of Dagda-Produces unending amounts of stew, also reportedly brings the dead back to life (or as zombies), the legends are unclear.

Ogma’s Sword: A magical Fomorian weapon, two-handed 2d12 damage. As befitting the god of letters and learning, the sword can recite a history of its wielders. It has passed through many interesting hands. It requires a +4 Str bonus to wield and +4 Int bonus to ask it for its knowledge.

The Silver Arm of Nuada: Fey king who lost his arm at the first battle of Mag Tured. Because of his disfigurement, he lost his kingship. A magical silver arm was created for him, but later replaced by a real arm. If the silver arm is attached to an arm stump, the owner acquires +4 Strength, Wis, and Int bonuses, and their AC is increased by 1. The whereabouts of this artifact are unknown.

The Brown Bull of Cooley and the White Horned Bull of Connaught: These were the two prize bulls from the tale of the Cattle Raid of Cooley. Given the value of livestock in Ireland, their descendants are highly prized by their owners.

Gray of Macha: One of Cuchulain’s horses (the other was the Black) and was the king of all horses. The horse was very intelligent and loyal. He protected Cuchulain’s body as he was dying. Any sires of this horse would be very valuable.

The Magic boar of Beann Ghulban: Actually a person put under enchantment. It is immortal and will return to life if killed. It sometimes appears in County Sligo at the Mag Tured battlefields. The creature’s poisoned spines are highly sought after. (DC 18 Fort Sv, death within 1 day).

Gae Bolga: Magic weapon of Cuchulain. A spear that causes normal damage the first rd of a hit (1d8), then 1d8 x 4 damage the next rd as it flies back to the thrower’s hand.

War Form Spell or Warp Spasm Spell: A spell of Cuchulain when he went into battle. It caused hideous disfigurement, but increased all damage (x 2), increased AC (by 4), and doubled hit points. It lasted for the length of a battle. It required a full ceremony to cast and could only be used once a day. All knowledge of this spell is currently lost.

Here's a good Wikipedia list of Magic Weapons.


May as well list a few more Fantasy Core rules changes here.

http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-core-rpg-thief.html
This whole "backstab" thing has caused me more consternation than any other rule.    I've broken it down into three separate attack types.

http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/09/fantasy-core-rpg-paladin.html
The paladin's smite ability is now limited to melee attacks only.

http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-core-rpg-additional-rules.html
I've added some DC's to stealth, detection, and find skills.

Baseball Journal 4-4-13


How’s this for a stat line from last night’s Philies/Braves game?

Halladay 3 1/3 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts

How do you get 9 strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings while giving up 5 runs? Seldom do you see a pitcher have such a great and lousy game at the same time. I would have been tempted to have left him in just to see what sort impossible stats Roy might have accumulated for the game.

It was a quiet, cold noon game in Pittsburgh today where the Cubs faced the Pirates on a get-away day. You could tell they were itching to go quickly just by the sheer number of quick outs. The fans that were there were fairly unenthusiastic. You could actually hear individual fans and vendors yelling. Later in the game, you could hear them getting progressively more obnoxious. Not gonna lie, Fan Cam one of my favorite parts of the game, was not pretty. Downright ugly. Polly, or whatever the name of the parrot mascot is, did his best to cheer the crowd, but it just wasn’t happening.

Travis Wood had his way with the listless Pirates for six innings. Wood also got a hit and was driven in by Starlin Castro. Other than that, James McDonald was Wood’s equal in pitching. That one run held up until the 9th. Nate Schierholtz hit a lazy flyball off the end of the bat that somehow easily cleared the centerfield wall and drove in two runs. It was like a Yankee Stadium home run. Well, it still counted, and the Cubs would need them. Carlos Marmol stepped onto the mound to close it out. I’m not sure if the crowd started cheering when he came out, but they certainly were after he’d given up two runs with two more men on, with nobody out. There was no James Russell or Kyuji Fujikawa (I may change my name to that, just so I can hear it more often) available to bail him out. What happened next was inexplicable: a strikeout and a double play to end the game. Cubs Win! Who can explain this game?

Who can explain the Rangers handing Elvis Andrus a big, long-term contract, while sitting on the top shortstop prospect in baseball in Jurickson Profar? Trade bait? Some position switching is planned? Afraid of losing yet another good player in free agency? Something more clever? If Profar can hit, the Rangers could certainly use his bat to go with what looks like some pretty good pitching. We’ll keep an eye on this situation.

The Tigers, after a blown save by Phil Coke, have re-signed Jose Valverde to a minor league contract. They’re panicking right out of the gate. Oh boy, already my World Series pick is falling apart.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Fantasy Core Ireland Setting--Places Part 2


Fantasy Core RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2013
Published here as Open Game Content.

Index

Clontarf (just outside of Dublin): As a fairly recent battlefield, there are still many restless spirits lurking around, not to mention several lost magical artifacts and weapons.

Ancient Burial Sites: Ireland is littered with them. They are from prehistoric (mythically Partholonian and Nemedian times). They range from royal cairns (rock buried tombs) to large mass graves. Often, succeeding residents would re-purpose them. Eventually, most would be buried over and forgotten. They often contain entrances to the Fomorian Underworld. Best examples: Creevykeel: Located in Connaught, County Sligo, near Boyle. Carrowkeel: Located in Connaught, County Sligo, a megalithic court tomb. Rathcroghan in County Roscommon, Connaught.

Newgrange: Located in Meath, near the Boyne River. Large, ancient passage grave. It was built to pass light to its inner chamber on the Solstice. It is currently buried and forgotten by the populace, though a group of druids sneaks inside on auspicious days for ceremonies. It is also a gateway into the Otheworld.

Maeve’s Lump: Located in Connaught, County Sligo. A cairn (mound of stones) called Knocknara. Maeve is supposedly buried there standing up and facing her enemies in Ulster. Her actual tomb exists in the Otherworld and can only be reached under certain circumstances.

Tara: Once a pagan ceremonial site, and now the ceremonial Irish capital. (The high-king lives in a castle not far away.) It is on a hill near Navan, in the County Meath.

Cletech: The residence of the high-kings of Ireland. A castle near Stackallan Bridge, on the banks of the Boyne, in Meath.

Brugh on the Boyne: Near Stackallen Bridge, County Meath, it is one of the chief ancient burial-places of the pagan Irish. There are Underworld galleries attached to the site, along with associated undead.

Taltiu: Teltown, in the County Meath, on or near the Blackwater, between Navan and Kells; one of the chief places of assembly and burial of the Ulstermen. A place of treasure, undead, and an entrance to the Underworld.

Cruachan Ai: The ancient seat and royal burial-place of the kings of Connaught, ten miles north-east of Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Haunted by barrow wights and other undead nasties, but also contains magical treasure.

St. Patrick’s Rock: Cashel, County Tipperary, Munster. Fortress of the kings of Munster. It was later given to the Irish church hierarchy and became a cathedral. There are extensive underground facilities and tombs there. It connects to the Underworld via a strongly locked door.

Emain Macha (or Navan Fort): Located in Ulster, near Armagh. Fortress of the Ulster kings and headquarters of the Red Branch Knights.

Tomb of Fergus MacReigh: Relates the tales of the Red Branch Knights when his ghost is brought up. It is located in Ulster at Emain Macha.

Cruthnech: The land of the Irish Picts; the northern part of the County Down and the southern part of the County Antrim in Ulster. These are still half-wildmen scratching a meager existence. They are fiercely hostile towards outsiders. They also guard a gate to the Underworld for the Fomorians in return for magical tribute.

Wicklow Hills: Located in Meath, County Wicklow, near Dublin. Ancient source of gold in Ireland. Leprechauns may be found there.

Moin Coltna: A haunted bog between Slieve Bloom Mts. and the Shannon Rivers. There are many other swampy areas in Ireland, some haunted by the Will O’ Wisps, spirits of dead elves.

Clonmacnoise: Located in Leinster, County Offaly, near the River Shannon and Athlone. It was a monastic city of over 100 stone buildings. Ill-fated, it was raided and burned by Vikings and Irish over 50 times. To say the least, the land is cursed and haunted.

Innishmurray: Walled monastic village on an island off of County Sligo. Destroyed by the Vikings. Contains the Cursing Stone and the Well of Assistance for blessings.

Saint’s Road: Path on Brandon Mountain, located in Munster, County Kerry, Dingle Peninsula. Narrow, disused track, cloud covered and boggy. Tall gravestones and burial cairns line the path. There is a chapel at the top of the trail. Pilgrims frequent the path on holy days to receive a blessing.