| The Oni are the "Ben Oni" or "Sons
of Sadness" -- not the oriental Oni (a word with a completely different meaning).
As described earlier, there are actually two tribes of them, the common
and the greater ones. At some point an Oni will be seized with the
desire to wander and then it will split open and a maw will emerge. The
maw kills and animates its kills, except instead of rising as zombies, they
rise as Oni. The Oni work to bring more bodies to the maw and often
will build walls or other shelters for it. They serve an evil chaos
demon who is trying to breach into the world from the area that is founded
on the City of the Revenaunt.
Ben Oni
| Ben Oni |
Greater Ben Oni |
Maw |
| Common: 4d6 appearing |
Uncommon 2d6++1 appearing |
Common: One |
| Armor Class 7 (-2 to damage) |
Armor Class 6 |
Armor Class 4 |
| Move 9" |
Move 8" |
Move 0" |
| Hit dice 3d8+3 |
Hit Dice 4d8+4 |
Hit Dice 4d6+1d6 per oni |
| %lair 100% |
%lair 100% |
%lair 100% |
| Treasure Type K |
Treasure Type K |
Treasure Type K |
| Attack Tongue for d6 or spell |
Attack Tongue for d6 and
spell |
Attack tentacle for 2d6 and
spell |
| Intelligence: low |
Intelligence: average |
Intelligence: low |
| Alignment Chaos/Evil |
Alignment Chaos/Evil |
Alignment Chaos/Evil |
| Size: Small |
Size: Medium |
Size: Large |
one 1st level anti-cleric
two first level magic-user spells |
Tongue also casts
random 2nd
level illusionist spell (2d6) |
Tentacle hit also
casts 2nd level
clerical spell (on 2d4+1/detect+hammer) |
On Granularity.
Game design has two approaches. The
first makes everything even graduations. The other makes them granular
-- distinct from each other.
I prefer to have skills break down
as follows:
-- The Skill
-- Applications of the
skill.
-- Mastery of the skill.
And I prefer granularity.
For example, Mastery can mean:
-
Also is physical or solid (e.g. Fire
becomes solid fire, % as fire, % as physical damage)
-
Also is magical (e.g. sword blow also
does magical damage)
-
Penetrating (e.g. penetrates armor
or resistance)
-
Cheaper to use (e.g. requires less
magical or physical energy)
-
Stronger (more effect, e.g. more damage
of the same type)
-
Longer (increased duration)
-
Faster
-
Maleable (in shape or form of
expression)
-
Concealed
nRQ3 sorcery just had all sorcery
pretty much subject to all mastery, rather than doing masteries as
bundles.
Example:
|
Fire Wizard |
Harpist |
| Physical |
firebolt does fire and physical
|
word: would do physical
damage as well as stun |
| Penetrating |
Would ignore some armor |
Would be heard through ear plugs
|
|
Would overcome resistance |
Increased chances against
resistance/saves |
| Cheaper |
Cost less mana |
Cost less endurance/fatigue |
| Stronger |
More fire damage |
More stun |
| Longer |
Additional strike ranks |
Stunned longer |
| Faster |
Fewer strike ranks to cast |
Spoken faster |
| Malable |
Change appearance or shape of
bolt |
Change shape of area of effect
|
| Conceal |
Reduce visual effects |
Reduce volume -- make silent |
Using the Wizardry system I have on-line
for an example, a character would have the skill of fire wizardry (for example).
They could also have additional skill in the various effects fire wizardry
can evoke. Their particular school might offer a mastery bundle as
well that would combine some mastery effects.
the City of the Revenaunt as a First
Edition AD&D Scenario Setting.
The first scenario reprises the meeting
with the fire mage that they had earlier. It then takes the party to
an interplane (not the heart of the plane of fire, but the land of the fire
eagles). They come out on the edge of the silver sea, meet some of
the fire eagles, have the chance to engage in a rescue and a raid on the
vultures, find a map, follow it into some ruins, regain a fire rune node
that allows the mage direct access to fire and increases his mastery.
They then return, fight off an incursion
by tiev (who also come to the plateau for similar reasons) and return to
the castle city.. |
We had come to
the end of the path, and the thief was before us, with her henchmen.
