1d10 Objects of Decadence and Decay

Some productive procrastination. 

Although I wrote this list with my setting in mind, most of the items are system neutral or can be easily adapted to your own game. Presence is used to test willpower and mental strength, Vitality determines physical prowess, and Intuition measures the ability to interpret your surroundings and decipher other people's intentions. As per stress, simply have the character recover HP instead of reducing stress or suffer Wisdom/Charisma damage instead of accruing stress and that would be it.

Enjoy!

1d10 Objects of Decadence and Decay

Octeon

1. Rusty Chest Plate. A crumbling piece of lusterless metal. The crest of a Standing House made illegible by countless dents stands where the heart should be. +2 Defense, 3 Inventory slots. If you would take 6+ damage, the cuirass crumbles into pieces and the damage is negated. 

2. Battered Brass Skull. The cranial sutures have almost vanished after decades of careless exposure. A misaligned hinge reveals an opening on the scalp. The skull's eyes emit a warm, sickly light when a lit candle rests inside. The flame writhes violently before perishing when undead are nearby. 

3. Dulling Stone. Its blunt edges gleam with borrowed light. Steals the sharpness of the edges it comes into contact with, reducing their damage by 1. After stealing 10d10 points of sharpness, the stone crumbles to dust, revealing a brittle shard of impossible sharpness inside. The shard can slash through anything but crumbles after a single cut. Its wounds never heal. 

4. Bloodstained Flail. Spots of encrusted crimson crown the tips of three terrible claws. Subdued screams of ecstatic agony fill the air as the flail is brandished. Deals 1 Vitality damage and removes 1d2 Stress through self-flagellation. Every time you use it, make a Presence test. If you fail, you must pass a Presence test everyday to avoid chastising your flesh. 

5. Overly Ornate Censer. A cylinder of darkened gold bearing sensuous carvings of intricate design. It leaves a copper-green impression on the naked hand. Its intoxicatingly sweet vapors draw swirling shapes in the saturated air, stimulating conversation and dulling the senses (advantage on Presence checks, disadvantage on Intuition checks). The smoke changes color and texture according to the speaker's mood: 

• Boredom. Lead grey, heavy threads of dense smoke hang low and sluggish. 
• Arousal. Rose red, voluptuous wisps coil in anticipation. 
• Duplicity. Thin white, the smoke folds unto itself in obscuring patterns. 
• Dread. Oily black, lumps of thick smoke drip from inchoate faces. 
• Wrath. Sanguine crimson, the fumes whirl and convulse in thunderous bouts. 
• Complacence. Faded gold, converges in fat lumps of decaying smoke. 

6. Tarnished Ball Mask. Faded hues, cracked and worn, chipped at the edges. Each mask bears a different countenance: 

• Grinning Man. The lecherous grin of a senile elder captured in slick white. The wearer's attacks deal an additional 1d6 damage and an additional 1d6 against unaware targets. Creatures in the Grinning Man's presence have disadvantage to their Morale rolls and rolls to resist or overcome fear (this includes allies). Whenever the wearer gets a 6 on a damage die, they begin cackling uncontrollably, forcing a Morale check on their opponents. Those who pass are overcome by a need to strike down this hideous creature and will try to do so their next turn. The wearer becomes increasingly eccentric and alienated, and can only relieve stress by killing other creatures (1 stress per creature). 
• Stoic Lady. Unwavering features carved in glossy ebony. Reduce all damage taken by 2. The wearer gains advantage in Presence tests against mind-altering effects. The mask's hard features and inflexible demeanor is intimidating to most (-4 to reaction rolls). If anything would kill the wearer, the mask breaks in half, negating the effect and locking the wearer's features in place (-4 to reaction rolls PERMANENTLY). 
• Fanged Child. A mischievous smile reveals pointed fangs chiseled in lacquer. Gain a 1d6 bite attack. On a 6, you can choose to tear a chunk of flesh from your victim, dealing an additional 1d6 and reducing the severity of any Vitality related injuries by the same amount. The wearer of the mask adopts a childish attitude, throwing fits and tantrums whenever plans don't go their way. When anyone stands in contradiction to the wearer, they must pass a Presence test or try to bite the offender. 
• Wounded Stag. Thirteen points and a broken tip wind and twist in a bloody crown. Defiant gaze set in tarnished ivory. The wearer gains +2 Initiative, cannot be surprised and can retaliate with their antlers for 1d6 whenever they are hit or someone comes within melee reach (no attack roll). The wearer grows increasingly reclusive and paranoid, needing half of the usual sleep but reducing only 1d6 exhaustion and no stress through long rests. 
• Tragic Hero. Melancholy shadows a benign look sculpted in noble fir. The wearer gains +2 Attack, gains the ability to intercept attacks directed to adjacent creatures (once per round), and their critical/fumble threshold is doubled. Additionally, the wearer develops a righteous sense of justice. For as long as they wear the mask, they must make Presence test to reject pleads for help or refrain themselves from acting when they witness an injustice. 

Once someone dons a mask they must pass a Presence test to remove it. On a failure they must wait until next dawn to try again with a penalty equal to the days they have worn the mask. Once the penalty is equal to their Presence, the mask takes over and they become an NPC. 

7. Vanishing Veil. A yellowing rag of once exquisite silk, cold to the touch. Its almost see-through quality reveals nebulous portents to those who dare look into it. When worn over one's head, the veil shows an embellished, overly idealized version of the wearer's surroundings. At any time, the wearer can choose to focus on a specific object or place to see what transpired there in times past. The longer they focus, the more the veil reveals:

• An instant: what happened right before the wearer got into the room or acquired the object. 
• An hour: the most relevant or emotionally impactful event since the previous dawn. A black, shapeless spot appears in your vision. Pass a Presence test or suffer 1 stress. 
• A half watch (3 hours): as above, and a previously unknown aspect of the item or room is revealed (activation mode, secret door, etc...). The black spot coalesces into a vaguely humanoid shape as it gets closer. Suffer 1d2 stress. 
• A watch (6 hours): as above, plus an additional aspect is revealed and the wearer bears witness to the most emotionally impactful event in the las six days. As the lanky shape looms closer; a face is revealed: it is white as the moon and its eyes are hollow as the void between the stars. Suffer 1d3 stress. Your eyes hurt and feel cold. 
• A vigil (12 hours): as above, plus you suddenly become extremely familiar with the item or place. If it is an object, you gain the proficiency of a master (though not the knowledge). If it is a room, you could, for example, navigate it in the dark without ever bumping into anything. The face grows larger and paler. As the hollow eyes fill your vision, wisp-thin lips part in a gentle smile. Make a Presence test. On a success, tear away the veil. Thick, black oily tears impair your vision until next dawn (disadvantage on Intuition tests). On a failure, the truth is revealed to you. 
• The Truth: as above, and YOUR CHARACTER can ask the GM anything about this object or location. The smile grows impossibly big, swallowing the world in its wake as you fall into its bottomless depths. Suffer 1d6 stress. From now on, you are permanently blind. The dark between the stars shines with the light of a million raging white suns. 

8. Featherless Fan. The faded onyx lace is frayed at the seams, where trims of aged gold gleam languidly. A handful of diminished ruffled feathers cling to the decaying lace. Hold the unfolded fan to your face (covering the mouth will suffice) to render your voice and demeanor unrecognizable. Those who interact with you will recall a mellow voice and a faint odor of withered rose petals. Every time you do this, one of the 1d6 remaining feathers falls down from the fan. 

9. Cracked Snuffbox. A tiny box of dim nacre; its complex engravings have almost faded away. A single thin craze line sullies the Standing House crest on the lid. Share a pinch of the stale snuff inside with a creature to force a new reaction roll with advantage. If the roll yields a result of less than Friendly, the creature will develop an attitude of disgust and contempt towards the character. Alternatively, you can snort some snuff to relieve stress (1d3), but its pungent, stale scent robs you of your smell for the day (food rests are half as effective). 10 uses. 

10. Faded Signet Ring. A thick, simple band of tarnished gold crowned by the worn crest of a Standing House. Aged fragments of sealing wax accumulate in the seal's folds like blood clots. When presented with the ring, the mindless denizens of the Standing House will treat the wearer and his retinue as masters, bowing down as they pass, but mostly continuing with their endless and pointless tasks. Additionally, the denizens can be given simple commands such as "go there" or "give me that", but there is a 2-in-6 chance that they will recognize you as an impostor and fly into a murderous rage. The ring may also open the path to some locations within the Standing House, but there is a 2-in-6 chance that it will crumble to gold dust every time you use it that way. It is also worth an awful lot to expert jewelers and historians.

Octeon

GLOG Class: Raven Master

 

So an old man has been whispering things into my ears lately and I have come to the conclusion that he wants me to turn him into a GLoG class. This is the result.

The old man in question.

Class: Raven Master
One of your human arms has been replaced by a demonic talon of mysterious origin. Ravens follow you everywhere, filling your ears with whispers of conquest and terrible secrets.

Perk: ravens and black feathered birds are attracted to you and obey your commands (they can only do bird things though, like resting on your shoulder or cawing insidiously).

Drawback: people at death's door or that have lived through a near-death experience know what you are and despise you for it. Common animals such as pets and cattle are visibly distressed around you.

How did you lose your arm?
1. In the battlefield, severed by a rival general. Although the battle was won thanks to your sacrifice, you were removed from service shortly after. Gain a worn commendation badge and a 1 silver monthly stipend.
2. In a hunting accident. The trap should’ve been disarmed, but it wasn’t. Gain a lingering grudge and a bloodstained bear trap.
3. As punishment for a crime you didn’t commit. The culprit is still out there, their arms intact. Gain a tattered robe and a blind dog.
4. A rare degenerative disease that manifests itself every third generation. Your wealth and aristocratic background paid for the best surgeon available. Gain a fancy sword cane (1d6) and a plotting relative.
5. A failed experiment. You were promptly discarded with a perfunctory apology when your body rejected the magitech augmentation. Gain a robust biology (+4 vs mutations) and disdain for doctors (+2 to hostile actions vs medicine people).
6. A successful ritual. Your arm was the sacrifice. What emerged from the blood pool slaughtered everyone except you. Gain a black robe and recurring nightmares (1 in 6 of not benefiting from rest and gaining a Secret instead).

How did you get your demonic arm?
1. An experiment. They promised to make you whole again. When you woke up, a flock of six-eyed ravens was nibbling on their mutilated corpses. Starting Gift: Ravenous Flock.
2. A gamble. A stranger in the Vice Dens was only too eager to get rid of some ancient relic. Luck was on your side that night… or was it? Starting Gift: Forge Fate.
3. A deathbed pact. A six-eyed raven visited you in a feverish dream. Whispers of conquest filled your ears as it pecked at your exposed stump. When you opened your eyes, you were whole again. Starting Gift: The Raven Dreams. 
4. An inheritance. A nondescript envelope, a last will, a key to a lost crypt. When you emerged from the dark archway, you were restored… but changed. Starting Gift: Wings of Empire.
5. A gate to the Immortal Bastion. Deep in the Halls of Death, you fought a demon and conquered it… but did you? Starting Gift: Immortal Passage.
6. A prize. You bested its previous owner and brutally claimed the arm as your own. Starting Gift: Reaper of Sorrow.

What does your demonic arm look like?
1. An oversized monstrous claw, covered in crimson, blood-soaked feathers. You have +4 Strength with your demonic arm and your claw attack deals 1d10 damage. Fine manipulation, however, is out of the question (you can clumsily open doors and climb ladders, but you can’t shoot a bow or play the harpsichord).
2. A cadaverous talon. Patches of parched skin surface in a decrepit mantle of wispy plumage. Your bony claw is weak and arthritic (1d3 damage, -4 Strength with this arm) but is anathema to life (3d6 damage vs children or targets with full HP). Your feathers ruffle when there are undead nearby.
3. An atrophied mess of a curled claw. Your attacks deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage (stun on a 6) and you can use your atrophied claw to knock down doors. Your left hand is non-functional in any other aspect.
4. A ghostly talon of scarlet brilliance. Your demonic arm exists only partially. Your arm radiates a ruby glow that illuminates as a torch and outlines invisible entities. Your attacks deal 1d6 damage (ignores Defense from armor) and can affect intangible entities such as spirits and extradimensional beings normally, but you must save to interact with the physical world with your claw.
5. Your talon looks very much like a human hand and there’s a mesmerizing purple sheen to your feathers that most creatures find fascinating. You must spend a Secret to rake a creature with your claw (1d6), but your claw attacks always deal cryptic damage. Additionally, you can charm a creature once per day by displaying your wondrous feathers (save negates). While under your influence, they will treat you like a trusted ally until the next dusk or until you or your allies harm them. This may not work with creatures you have harmed before.
6. Your claw glows with a pulsating blood-red hue and it is covered in ghostly crimson feathers. Your claw attacks deal 1d6 slashing damage and cause bleeding on a 6 (creature loses 1 HP per turn until they save). 

Victor Maury

Raven Master Templates
A. Demonic Arm, Secrets, Roll 1 Gift
B. Nevermove, Choose 1 Gift
C. Visions of Empire, Roll 1 Gift, Choose 1 Gift
D. Lingering Secrets, Choose 2 gifts


Demonic Arm
“The outcome was decided when they brought an army, and I brought a demon.”
Your left arm belonged to a demon once. You can imbue your demonic arm attacks with one of the following effects for every Secret you spend:

• Gain +1 Attack and +1 damage and step up your damage die on your next attack.
• Your attack deals cryptic damage (cryptic damage ignores DR and immunities, attempts to identify its wounds always yields inconclusive results).
• You heal HP equal to the damage dealt.

Your arm is HIGHLY conspicuous and marks you as a cursed being in the eyes of most creatures, although some people may recognize it for what it is: the price of power.

Secrets
“When their lives flash before their eyes so do their secrets.”
Six-eyed ravens follow you everywhere, watching your every move. When you kill a creature, you gain a Secret. You can spend Secrets to boost your demonic gifts and activate other abilities. Secrets work pretty much like Magic Dice: when you spend any amount of Secrets, you must roll that many d6 even if the gift you are powering doesn’t require a roll. Secrets are ALWAYS spent regardless of the result. If you roll any doubles, check the Terrible Insight table. You can know up to 6 Secrets at any given time.

Nevermove
“Submit.”
You can force a creature within sight to stop all movement by stretching your demonic arm and curling your talons into a clutch. Target creature is rooted in place until you release your clutch, move or are otherwise disturbed (taking damage might require a Constitution test or something to keep your clutch from breaking). Huge or extraordinarily powerful creatures get a Strength check to break free from your clutch. While under your influence, you can rip a Secret from your victim, dealing 1d6 damage in the process (Wisdom negates). This breaks your clutch.

You can only do this ONCE per creature. Once they have broken free from your influence, you cannot subdue them with your clutch ever again.

Visions of Empire
“What have the ravens brought me?”
Every dawn, your ravens whisper 1d3 Secrets into your ears.

Lingering Secrets
Secrets are only spent on a result of 4, 5 or 6.



Gifts of the Raven Master 

The flock.

1. Ravenous Flock 

“After the battle, the ravens feast.” 

Your ravens can devour a human sized corpse in under a minute (bigger creatures may require more time), mutilating the body and making identification impossible. You regain HP equal to the HD of the creature devoured. Additionally, you can spend Secrets to command your flock to circle you like a black feathered storm, obscuring vision and protecting you. Attacks made through the swarm have disadvantage and anyone trying to cross the swarming flock takes 1d6 damage as the ravens lash at them with ravenous beaks and sharp talons. You can shelter [Secrets] additional creatures. The flock circles you for [Best] rounds, after which it disperses.

2. Reaper of sorrow
“Death is its own prophecy.”
You can now harvest Secrets from creatures that die in your presence, even if they weren’t slain by your hand. When a creature dies by your hand, you can ask a yes/no question about it.

3. Raven’s Foresight
“I have seen this place. A vision… a battle.”
The ravens told you of this place. You gain +[Template] to initiative. When a battle starts, you can spend a Secret to draw a map of the battlefield, marking the approximate position of every creature and up to 1d3 terrain features (a rock to use as cover, a patch of rotted wood planks, a rope hanging from the ceiling, etc…).

4. Superior Tactics
“A new vantage is all the advantage I need.”
Whenever you enjoy a favorable position against a creature in the battlefield (surprise, elevation, flanking, etc…), your attacks deal 1d6 additional damage to that creature. In addition, you can spend 1 Secret to predict a creature’s next move, which gives you advantage in all your rolls against that creature until your next turn.

5. Death’s Hand
“Try to die with dignity.”
You can release [Secrets] bolts of eldritch power from your demonic hand. Each bolt deals 1d6+1 damage to target creature (no save). You can target more than one creature with multiple bolts.

6. Fear the Raven
“Who is it we’re fighting? I only see their backs.”
You get +2 vs Fear effects. You can spend any number of Secrets to instill fear into the hearts of your enemies, forcing up [sum] HD creatures to make a Morale check or flee from you.

7. The Raven Whispers
“A voice whispers in the shadows, though few can hear it.”
You can whisper into someone’s ears as though you were standing next to them as long as they remain within sight. In addition, you can consume 1 Secret to have a raven deliver a message to anyone you have ever talked to or seen. The raven will then bring the answer to you, if there is any.

8. By my will
“The right to rule, held in my hand.”
You gain +2 to your persuasion and intimidation rolls when you interact with individuals of a lesser rank or social standing. Additionally, you can issue irresistible commands to avian creatures or individuals that share a language with you. Your command can consist of up to [Secrets] words and can affect up to [Secrets] targets (Save negates).

9. Forge Fate
“They expect me to play fairly. We aren’t even playing the same game.”
Once per day, you can reroll any of your rolls. You can spend a Secret to force a creature to reroll any of their rolls. You choose what dice to keep.

10. Wings of Empire
“The shadows of our empire are cast by a raven’s wings.”
Your shadow elongates and expands, the edges of its ravenlike wings sharpened by myriad feathers. You can choose to spread or fold your shadow wings at any time. When spread, they can reach up to [Template]*10 feet in any direction (peasants and laypeople find this terrifying). Enemies that fight under your shadow have disadvantage to their Morale rolls. You can spend Secrets to affect a creature within your shadow in the following ways:

• Obscuring Shadows. Reduce incoming damage by [sum].
• Whispering Doubt. Impose a [sum] penalty on a creature’s next roll.
• Ravenous Wings. Snuff out any number of light sources within your shadow, magical or otherwise.

11. Spying Flock
“You would do well to die before my ravens find you.”
You can see and hear through your ravens and black-feathered creatures but you are defenseless while you do this. You can spend a Secret to command one of your ravens to scout an area or find a creature. You must have seen that creature at least once or feed your ravens a piece of memorabilia belonging to said creature.

12. Raven Politics
“Diplomacy is a subtle art.”
You gain +2 to your persuasion rolls when interacting with the nobility or high standing individuals. If you spend at least one minute talking to someone, you can learn one of the following for every Secret you spend: their worst fear, their greatest regret, their major vanity or their most shameful secret.

13. Six-Eyed Flock
“I will not tolerate interference.”
Your ravens remain constantly alert for unwanted intrusions. You cannot be surprised, even while asleep. Additionally, you can spend Secrets to command one of your ravens to guard a place and alert you when a specific condition is met, at which point they will start cawing madly (you hear their call, regardless of distance). The more Secrets you spend, the longer your ravens will guard the place (1 Secret -> 1 day, 2 Secrets -> 6 days, 3 secrets -> 66 days, 4 Secrets -> 666 days).

14. Helping Beak
“A one-armed man needs all the help he can get.”
You can ask one of your ravens to keep one object for you. You can store anything in this slot as long as it could be feasibly carried in a raven’s beak, such as a small dagger, a flask, a key or a ring (you essentially have an additional inventory slot for small items). This is considered a fast inventory slot. Additionally, you can ask your ravens to keep additional items for you regardless of size by spending a Secret for every one of the item’s inventory slots. You can later access these items by spending an additional Secret. Items kept by your ravens cannot be traced by magical or physical means.

15. Battlemancy
“To redraw the map, the blood of soldiers must be the ink.”
When a creature fails a save or dies, you or one of your allies can move towards an enemy. In addition, you can spend Secrets to command one of your allies to perform a basic attack with [Secrets] bonus to their Attack and damage roll against a creature of your choice.

16. Still Shadow
“Fear the power you do not see.”
You are undetectable as long as you stand completely still in any amount of shadow (you can do this for Constitution rounds, after that you must make a Con check every turn to remain still). You can take an action without giving away your position if you spend a Secret as part of that action.

17. Undying Flock
“Am I reborn? The truth is rarely so simple.”
When you take enough damage to kill you, your body collapses into a flock of 1d6+1 cawing ravens that quickly scatters away. Each raven has 1HP and can be attacked normally. The flock gathers 6 days later in the same spot around your naked, emaciated body. For every Secret you spend, choose one from the following list:

• Add 1d6+1 additional ravens to the fleeing flock.
• Roll a d6. If the result is less than 6, the flock reforms in that many days.
• The flock reforms in place of your choosing that you or your ravens have previously visited.

You lose 1 Constitution permanently every time you undergo this process.

18. Immortal Passage
“I have already walked the halls of death, in the Immortal Bastion.”
You can enter the Immortal Bastion and navigate its dark halls to travel vast distances in a matter of hours. To do so you must first find a sufficiently obscured threshold, such as a closed door, a shadowy archway or a dark cave entrance, then spend any amount of Secrets to turn that threshold into a pathway to the Immortal Bastion. The number of Secrets spent determines the distance travelled: 1 Secret-> 1 day worth of overland travel, 2 Secrets-> 6 days, 3 Secrets-> 33 days, 4 Secrets-> 66 days, 5 or more-> Anywhere. At the end of the journey you emerge into the overworld through a sufficiently obscured threshold such as the ones mentioned above. Walking the halls of the Immortal Bastion entails its own risks (see Traversing the Immortal Bastion below).

19. The Raven dreams
“I often kill in my visions. When I close my eyes, do not come near.”
Once a day, you can choose to enter a meditative trance to receive visions of things to come. If you do, roll on the following table 1+[Secrets] times and pick one of the results:
1. Endless flock. A raven perched atop every branch. A raven behind every window. They are watching you. And they will keep doing so, always. Gain 1 Secret.
2. Carnage. A battle. Weapons clash, splashes of red. Whose blood is it? The GM tosses a coin in secret and records the result. Heads: your next Attack is a critical hit. Tails: your next Defense roll is a fumble.
3. Present. Serrated beaks prod deadened flesh. A curious brightness surfaces. When you open your left palm after the trance, you find 1) a polished silver coin 2) an eye made of glass (reveals spirits and invisible creatures, breaks after one use) 3) a burnished, nondescript key (it opens the next locked door you encounter), 4) a raven’s skull made of fogged glass (if you break it, a flock of ghostly ravens swarm the area, obscuring vision and cawing madly) 5) a feather made of polished onyx (a pair of decrepit raven wings form on your back when you swallow it, allowing you to cross short chasms or reach high places) 6) A handful of whispers (gain 1d3 Secrets).
4. Portent. Echoes of discarded futures roam the halls of the Immortal Bastion. They are yours, if you take them. Roll 2d20 and note the results. Until the next dawn, you can replace any d20 roll with one of your portents.
5. The Raven King’s Servants. Talons grind the floor; ancient wood supports knobby hands. On the edge of the scythe lays a question. Beneath the many folded robes, a twisted spine wonders. 1d3 corvid servants shuffle about in this empty hall. They will offer you a new gift if you give them a Secret. They will claim it back the next dusk. If you kill them, the gift is permanent.
6. Audience. An endless line of penitents coils and serpents within the halls. At the end, the Raven King awaits. You are number 333 in the queue. Every time you get this result, your position in the queue moves up by 1d6. You can feed secrets to the corvid servants that tend the line to have them sneak you up [sum] positions in the queue. When you get to the head of the queue, the Raven King will grant you an audience.

20. The Raven knows
“Prepare, and victory is inevitable.”
Learn two of the following skills: History, Tactics, Philosophy, Cartography, Heraldry, Weather Forecast. Once a day, you can ask your ravens a question related to a topic you are familiar with. There is a [template]-in-6 chance that they will whisper a truthful answer into your ear, as long as it could've been feasibly found through extensive research and thorough investigation (basically, this is like having a hotline to the nearest library). You can roll an additional d6 for every Secret you spend. If you get doubles, your question is answered regardless of the result.

Wings of Empire

Terrible Insights
Roll on this table when you get any doubles when rolling Secrets. After suffering from one of the insights, treat that result as a reroll. Once you have experienced all six terrible insights, unleash a Fate of the Raven Master and reset this table’s results.

1. Ravens without end fill your sight. They sit still, their six-eyed gaze fixed on a darkened sky. Something stirs just above ominous clouds. Blind for 1d6 rounds as the vision overwhelms your senses.
2. A thousand thousand ravens take flight. The greying earth trembles in anticipation. Silence seeps through widening cracks. Lose all your Secrets. You can’t learn new Secrets until the next dusk.
3. A slumbering sky awakes. Leaden clouds shed millennia old memories. A deafening bang. A random creature within sight (this includes you) is struck by a black lightning bolt crashing from the sky and suffers [Secrets]d6 damage. If you are the one struck, you gain Secrets equal to the damage suffered.
4. The earth shatters. Darkness pours through the cracks. A storm of black feathers. Creatures in a [Secrets]*10’ radius must save or fall prone. Vision becomes obscured by the whirling feathers for 1d6 rounds.
5. Six times six hundred and sixty-six ravens intone a furious dirge. Whispers of conquests pierce through the madness. Silence follows. Every creature within shouting distance must save or become confused for 1d6 rounds (treat enemies as allies and allies as enemies). Whenever a confused creature harms an ally, they get a new save.
6. Obsidian towers like raven claws rake the sky with spite. The Immortal Bastion towers above all... and its gates are open. The ground beneath your feet curls into ravenous talons, claiming back what is theirs. You wander the Halls of Death for 1d6 hours. When the earth spits you back, you have only a faint recollection of what you saw. Roll a new gift. The gift vanishes after 6 days.

Fates of the Raven Master
1. Your back arches forward and you grow a pair of decrepit black-feathered wings. They are too weak to allow flight, but you could, for example glide safely to the ground or cross a chasm. Whenever you use your wings, you leave behind a trail of ruffled feathers. You can hold 1 additional Secret.
2. Your transformation worsens. Your human arm turns into its demonic counterpart (roll on the How does your demonic arm look like? table). If for some reason you were missing that arm, you simply grow a new one. Roll a gift.
3. You turn into a corvid servant, forever doomed to wander the Halls of Death in the Immortal Bastion. You flee into the night as soon as you have the chance, cawing madly, thrashing your decrepit wings, never to be seen again in the surface world.

You can avoid the last fate by pleading your case in an audience with the Raven King or usurping his throne.

The Raven King

Notes on the Raven Master

This is my first attempt ever at anything GLoG. My initial intention was to create a wizard, but as usual things spiraled out of control very quickly and this came up instead. As a result, this shit is probably extremely unbalanced and its capabilities very likely lack a clear focus. Mostly every gift of the Raven Master has been inspired by a quote of the original character, which has been immensely helpful in weaving a coherent class theme. I have tried to focus on the tactician aspect of the source material while developing its scheming side through the use of ravens as exploration tools and such.

I find it very hard to make every single choice as meaningful and flavorful as possible without overloading the class’s kit. I believe it can feel too crammed and detail focused, but perhaps this is me contemplating the more than 38 unique options this class provides as a whole rather than looking at the actual experience of play. After all, the player will only have to deal with a few of these options at a time. 

In any case, I am finally done with this. The upcoming post will most likely deal with the Immortal Bastion and its denizens and how to traverse the Halls of Death. I will try not to write a fucking dissertation again, but I can’t promise anything.

Whatever your opinion, please let me know about it in the comments! Suggestions are also welcome!

SF WEAPON GENERATOR

Here’s my first generator, The Manse style. I have tried to make every entry in every category as unique and meaningful as possible, but I’m not sure if that adds to or detracts from the final product. Some of the mechanics are not too detailed: that is on purpose. In the end, everyone runs the game their own way, so fill in the gaps where you think you may find them or feel free to create your own. The generator is written with the attributes of Amongst the Ruins in mind. I think they are quite self-explanatory, but just in case, substitute Presence for Wisdom/Will or whatever save your game uses for mental effects and Vitality for Fortitude/Constitution  or the physical equivalent in your game.

And now…

SF WEAPON GENERATOR

¿How to use it?

The generator has six categories with six entries each for convenience of use. Simply roll 6d6 and check the results for each category. These are: Shape, Harm, Power Source, Peculiarity, Aesthetics and Unexpected Malfunction. There’s also a Cool Name Generator at the end!

¿When to use it?

When you need a cool futuristic weapon with a way too overloaded kit that may or may not explode in your hands into a handful of reality-warping paradoxes!

You can look this cool too! Roll your SF WEAPON today!

SHAPE

Hands = inventory slots. Exert means that the power source becomes one step closer to becoming depleted (this depends on the power source).

1.      Pistol. 1 hand. Medium range, deals 1d6, exert 1. Can be shot with both hands to steady your aim (+2 Attack).

2.      Shotgun. 2 hands. Short range, deals 3d6 damage per shot to 1 target or 1d6 damage to up to three targets. Exert 1.

3.      Rifle. 2 hands. Very  long range, deals 2d6 damage, exert 1. You can take 1 action to aim and get +1 to hit on your next attack. You can do this any number of times, but will lose the bonus if you are distracted or shoved around. If the damage roll results in doubles, the target suffers the crit effect of this weapon’s harm.

4.   Hammer. 2 hands. Deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage. Knocks prone on a 6. You can use 1 Action to charge the weapon.

· Charged: the hammer’s head rumbles menacingly. While charged, the weapon deals 1d6 additional damage, its damage type becomes harm, and it pushes back creatures on a hit. While charged, each successful hit exerts the power source by 1.

5.      Lance. 2 hands. Deals 1d6 piercing damage. Impales the target on a 6. You can use 1 Action to charge the weapon.

·  Charged: the lance’s tip hums wearily. While charged, the weapon deals 1d6 additional damage, its damage type becomes harm, it affects one additional target as long as it is standing right behind the original one. While charged, each successful hit exerts the power source by 1.

6.      Sword. 1 hand. Deals 1d6 slashing damage. Causes bleeding on a 6 (1d3 damage per turn until a Vitality test is passed). You can use 1 Action to charge the weapon.

· Charged: the sword’s edge hisses dangerously. While charged, the weapon deals 1d6 additional damage and its damage type becomes harm. You can strike at any creature within sight by slashing the air in front of you (penalties for great distances may apply). While charged, each successful hit exerts the power source by 1.

HARM

¿How does this weapon deal damage?

1.     Plasma. Melts armor like butter. A creature’s Defense is reduced by 1 every time they are hit. Can tear down metallic structures and ignite flammables. Crit sets the target ablaze.

2.      Cryo. Puts out fires. Crit paralyzes, encrusts target in frost.

3.      Shock. Double damage against Mechanical beings. Disrupt electrical currents. Crit stuns.

4.   Harmonious. This weapon’s assaults are painless and produce a feeling of wholesomeness. When a creature accumulates Harmonious damage equal to its Presence, it becomes docile and complacent. If a creature’s hit points are brought to 0 by this weapon, it goes into a placid coma. Crit prevents target from attacking.

5.     Anathema. Only damages living tissue. Crit disables a limb.

6.    Cryptic. Ignores Damage Reduction. Attempts to determine the damage type of this weapon through any means yields one of the above results (a different one every time). Crit confuses (treat allies as enemies and enemies as allies).

POWER SOURCE

1.   Battery. Can store up to 6 charges. Each shot consumes 1 charge. Currently holds 1d6 charges. The battery can be disassembled and thrown like a grenade that deals 1d6 [charges] harm damage to everyone in a [charges] meters radius (test Skill for half). If any of the damage dice shows a 6, creatures caught in the blast suffer the crit effects of the corresponding harm for [dice] turns. This destroys the battery.

2.     Memory core. This weapon is powered by possibility. For every 1 experience you feed it, the weapon regains 1d6 charges. You can use your Presence instead of your Skill for your Attack rolls with this weapon. Whenever you strike with this weapon, you get brief flashbacks of discarded futures.

Note: in Amongst the Ruins, 1 experience is one third of what it takes to advance your Nature or Tendency to Rank 2.

3.    Thought. You can feed your thoughts to the weapon to add charges to it (1 Knowledge yields 1d3 charges, ability damage recovers at a rate of 1 per day). This process takes 1 Action. You can use your Knowledge instead of your Skill for your Attack rolls. Whenever you strike a creature with this weapon, you get brief glimpses of their memories.

4.   Paradox engine. When you fire this weapon, it gains 1 Incongruity die as the paradox that powers it becomes more unstable. Then, roll all ID. If you get any doubles, a paradox occurs for each of them (see below) and all ID are consumed. This weapon gains +1 Attack and damage for each ID it has. You can decompress the engine to let all incongruities resolve themselves. This takes 1 hour. When you wield this weapon, everything that happens around you feels like a string of random occurrences.

5.    Infinity Loop. This weapon gains 1 asymptote counter whenever you fire it. Then, roll 1d20. If the result is LESS than the amount of asymptote counters it currently holds, the loop resolves itself and you can’t shoot with this weapon anymore until it opens again, at which point the counters are reset to 0. (this takes 1 hour for every counter on the weapon). If the result is EQUAL to the number of counters, a paradox occurs as the loop finally reaches 0 and the counters are reset (you can keep shooting afterwards). When you strike with this weapon, you experience déjà vu.

6.      Cartridges. The weapon can hold up to 6 pieces of them. It takes 1 Action to load a cartridge into the weapon, and each of them takes 1/3 inventory slots.

PECULIARITY

1.  Morphic. This weapon has two shapes. Roll again on the shape table. You can shift the weapon’s shape with 1 Action.

2.   Collapsible. The weapons shape can be rearranged to occupy the minimum space possible. This takes 1 Action. When collapsed, the weapon takes up 1 inventory slot less.

3.   Luminous. Can exert power source by 1 to illuminate as a torch for 1 hour. The color of the light depends on the damage type:

1.     Plasma. Sun white. The weapon rearranges itself to expose its blazing core. Prolonged visual contact is not advisable.

2.    Cryo. Ice blue. Fractal crystals form at the tip of the muzzle, projecting oddly shaped shadows.

3.  Shock. Pale yellow. The weapon is surrounded by an aura of static that cackles erratically.

4.   Harmonious. Radiant gold. A halo is formed over your head. Those who look at it experience fleeting instances of awe.

5.     Anathema. Void black. The weapon emits pulses of dark light in regular intervals, like a heartbeat. It hurts the inside of your eyes when look at it directly.

6.      Cryptic. No light, yet you see.

4.     Focusing. You can focus the power within the weapon to exact a devastating attack. Your next attack with this weapon gets +1 to hit, +1d6 damage and exerts the power source by 1 for every turn you spent focusing.

5.      Energy conserving. Attacks that deal 2 or less damage do not exert the power source.

6.      Construct. It can shift between weapon and construct mode at will. This takes 1 Action. The construct has the shape of a 1) cat 2) monkey 3) crow 4) fish (swims in the air) 5) spider 6) homunculus (anthropomorphic, can speak). It has whatever appropriate skills its shape may have and can communicate with members of its own species. Its default mood is 1) friendly 2) humorous 3) curious 4) angry 5) depressed 6) nihilistic.

AESTHETICS

1. Ultrafunctional. Compact and nondescript, eschews sophistication in favor of functionality. It counts as fast inventory regardless of the slot it’s kept in.

2.  Post-Baroque. Highly elaborate filigrees of ebony and gold. Provides a +2 bonus to reaction rolls with authorities and artsy people when clean. Must spend 1 hour each day to keep it like that.

3.  Zen convergent. Stripped of artifice or pretense, each of its parts come together as a naturally coherent whole. Once a day, gain advantage on a single attack roll or maneuver. If both dice show the same number, your target is slain instantly.

4.    Organic. Its shapes and angles flow soothingly. Each strike feels like a heartbeat. Once a day, you can spend 1 hour meditating with it to recover 1d6 HP.

5.   Abstract. Ambiguous shapes bend in multifarious angles. Once a day, you can admire its ominous beauty to remove 1 stress.

6.    Crudelix. Every contour of this weapon contains a promise of pain, every edge a wound waiting to be delivered. Creatures capable of feeling pain get -2 to Morale rolls.

UNEXPECTED MALFUNCTION

Roll on this table when a player first gets a fumble on an attack roll while using this weapon. From now on, that will be the default result of getting a fumble with this weapon.

1.   Overheat! Drop your weapon or suffer 1d6 damage as it chars your hand. It will cool down in 1d6 rounds.

2.   Probability leak. Become stunned for 1 turn. You have advantage on the first roll you make next turn.

3.  Negative feedback. Suffer the crit effect of your weapon’s harm type for 1d6 rounds. Relevant test every turn to break free.

4.  Emergency discharge. Everyone within 10 meters suffers 3d6 shock damage as the weapon releases a wave of surplus energy (Skill test for half). You can throw the weapon away fast enough to use this against others with a relevant test… but after the release the weapon is theirs for the taking.

5.  Urgent Restructuration. The weapon quickly reshapes itself into a more stable configuration. Roll on the shape table to determine its new form. This process takes 1d6 rounds.

6.      Paradox! Roll on the paradox table.

Top: Silent Visage, a harmonious rifle crafted in the Post-Baroque style.
Bottom: The Blind Fixer, a shock sword that doesn't care about your feelings.

PARADOXES

1.     Spatial Redistribution. Everyone within a 10-meter radius swaps positions randomly in a bang of white light.

2.    Reality Revision. Assign a number to each of your attributes and roll 2d6. Swap those two attributes. If the two dice show the same number, flip a coin. Heads: that attribute increased by 1d6. Tails: that attribute is decreased by 1d6. Your physical appearance and psychological make up change accordingly.

3.      Feedback loop. All creatures within a 10-meter radius must pass a Presence test or repeat the same action as last round.

4.     Wait, there’s two! A future version of you materializes in an empty space adjacent to you. It looks, feels and talks like you because it is you. Its timeline will claim it after 1d6 rounds, time during which you effectively have two turns. Since this new you is still you, it won’t do anything you wouldn’t do. While the other you lingers, you share the same inventory and resources and HP pools. Once you are gone, you vanish into thin air for the same amount of turns, reclaimed by the past to aid the other you and avoid a paradox chain reaction.

5.   Zeno Space. Creatures and projectiles can only move half of the remaining distance to their target for 1d6 rounds. Arrows, bullets, sword strikes, all seem to slow down and eventually freeze in place, leaving fuzzy after images behind them. At the end of the duration, if the intended target is still in place, it takes maximum damage from the attack (no save).

6.     Zero Point Subject. You are annihilated and instantly replaced by another version of you that could’ve been but never was. Reroll all your attributes and race. If you were male, you are now female and vice versa. No one notices this, not even you. Any events, past or present, that may become incompatible with the new you remain unchanged, regardless of how outrageously impossible they may be. No one seems to care, and those who do try their best to rationalize it.

7.    The End is the Beginning is the End. Every creature within a 10-metre radius flips a coin. Heads: age 6d6 years. Tails: become 6d6 years younger. You recover 1 year every hour. Sort out the mechanical effects with your GM if need be. If the dice show quadruples the change is permanent. If you would be reduced below 0, you were never born. If you would be reduced to EXACTLY 0, you are born again. You can redistribute all your attributes, change your race, gender, class and any other aspect of your character as you please.

8.    Dimensional Superposition. The barriers between the universes weaken. Everyone within a 10-meter radius must pass a Vitality test or suffer a mutation as their body struggles to keep its own coherent shape.

9.   Hempel’s Proposition. A murder of very confused black ravens swarms the area for 1d6 turns. Creatures caught in the mayhem have disadvantage to every action until the ravens disperse. If anyone is carrying an apple, they will target that creature mercilessly, dealing 1d6 damage to them every turn (they just want to get to the apple though, it makes them really uncomfortable).

10.  Paradox(es)! Roll twice in this table until you don’t get this result. All the paradoxes are resolved at once.

Cool Name Generator

Roll once for each column.

1.	Silent	Arbiter
2.	Crimson	Apocalypse
3.	Brief	Judicator
4.	Inevitable	Oath
5.	Insidious	Comforter
6.	Eminent	Betrayer
7.	Salacious	Butterfly
8.	Halcyon	Tempest
9.	Lone	Wanderer
10.	Blind	Fixer
11.	Merciful	Mercy
12.	Fickle	Muse
13.	Dubious	Scoundrel
14.	Spiteful	Rose
15.	Ancient	Verdict
16.	Unexpected	Heart
17.	Honest	Laughter
18.	Supreme	Dominator
19.	Derailed	Visage
20.	Surly	Progress