Earthdawn Appreciation Day 2014

So I think for Earthdawn Appreciation day this coming year, I'm going to set some more in depth constraints to the contest.

Perhaps an Circle 4 adventure, featuring a new Horror, a New Legendary Item, and a Cool location with map.

My only problem is with entrants, if I make it too harsh, then no one will want to participate for a few PDFs and a little banner. I wonder if I could get FASA Games to sweeten the deal...

Earthdawn Appreciation Day Award Ceremony!

HERE WE GO!!! Banners proclaiming your victorious entries.

Awarded Third place and winning 1 PDF from the entire Earthdawn Catalog hosted at Drivethrurpg with the 'Legendary Weapons for DCC RPG':

Awarded SECOND place and winning 2 PDFs from the entire Earthdawn Catalog hosted at Drivethrurpg with the story of Klim the Windling Wind Dancer/Horror Stalker

Awarded FIRST place and winning 4 PDFs from the entire Earthdawn Catalog hosted at Drivethrurpg with the her entry of Elf, Ork and T'skrang portraits:

Congratulations to all of the winners, let me know what email you want the PDFs sent to your Drivethru account  I will contact Steven Black, and either send it to you or have him send it to you.

I'd also like to thank everyone who participated and to Steven Black, Andrew Ragland, and Hank Woon for guest judging. Each judge had their favorites, I used a numeric system to determine the awards, it was close between First, Second and Third places.

I hope to run the event again next year, and to have 2-3 times the number of entries. (I will be marketing it earlier and better next year as well.)

Earthdawn Appreciation Day - Symbology by Matt B.

While it may be late for the contest, Dan and Matt B. wanted to enter this for Earthdawn Appreciation Day,

Symbols for the various Barsaivian Disciplines. Pretty cool idea!

Earthdawn Appreciation Day - Boons & Maladies

This is just the beginning, if you wish to join in adding to this project, send a request to me to join the Google Drive editable document.

Earthdawn BOONS & MALADIES system

This version of the The Earthdawn Boons & Flaws rule refers to the 3rd edition of Earthdawn as published by RedBrick Limited. It should work equally well with any edition with minor adjustments.

The Boons & Maladies system works with the point buy system as laid out on pgs 25-26 of the Player’s Guide. Typically you have 25 points to purchase attributes above the base attribute level. Taking flaws will grant additional points which may be spent on. It can work with rolled attributes as well, this requires maladies be taken then boons or additional attributes purchased with those points.

Note, this system is prone to abuse by munchkinism, I have tried to balance the good and bad so that the maladies grant less points than the equivalent boons. I recommend only allowing 1 of each category, this lets players have some options without heaping on multiple maladies in an area where they aren’t focused (mental maladies for melee characters or physical maladies for magicians.)

PHYSICAL BOONS

Incredible Strength (2 pts)

Feats of strength come naturally to you, you often have inspired moments in which your pure physical power is apparent.

Once per session you may spend a point of karma on any Strength-based check.

Amazing Agility (2 pts)

Other namegivers have always been amazed by your innate agility.

Once per session you may spend a point of karma on any Dexterity-based check.

Unnatural Fortitude (2 pts)

You were once bitten by a Four Step Adder, you miraculously survived.

Once per session you may spend a point of karma on any Toughness-based check.

Preternatural Reflexes (3 pts)

Your reflexes are like those of a cat, you find yourself reacting

If you roll any ones during an intiative check you may reroll them, once.

Sure-Footed (2 pts)

You used to spent your youth pushing the limits of your balance, seeing how fast you could run across fallen logs, slick with water and moss, across streams for the sheer joy of pushing the boundaries.

Gain a +1 bonus to any balance related skill tests.

Eyes of the Eagle

You can pick out minor details, even at great distance.

Gain a +1 bonus to any perception related checks.

Good Nightvision (2 pts - Human, Obsidiman, T’skrang, Windling)

Your nightvision is phenominal, not like an elves vision, but good for your race.

You only suffer half the penalties from low-light conditions, not full darkness.

Strong Tail (3 pts - T’skrang Only)

Your tail is very strong.

You may attach up to a Size 3 weapon to your tail instead of a Size 2 weapon. Unarmed Strikes with your tail add +1 to damage.

Hard as Nails (3 pts)

You’re tougher than others would assume.

add +2 to your Wound Threshold.

Hard to Kill (3 pts)

You’re still alive, you should have died from that fall, but you’re still alive.

add +2 to your Death Rating.

Uncanny Defense (5 pts)

You know how to avoid being hit.

+1 bonus to Physical Defense.

Sprinter (2 pts)

You’re a sprinter, you win nearly every foot race against others of your race.

When you run, you move 1 additional hex or 2 yards.

Survivor (6 pts)

You are a survivor, when death’s door opens, you run the other way.

Anytime you drop unconscious HP level. You roll an immediate recovery test.

PHYSICAL MALADIES

Lame (+3 pts)

You suffered a traumatic leg injury as a youth.

-1 movement, and Running only gives you 50% extra distance.

Wingless (+5 pts - Windling only)

Your wings were clipped, you can’t fly.

Lose your ability to fly. Reduce your Physical Defense by 3.

Overweight (+2 pts)

You’re huge, having large amounts of fat, but not muscle to carry it.

Lumbering (+2 pts)

You’re slow for your race,

Reduce your movement rate by 1.

Weak Tail (+2 pts - T’skrang Only)

Your tail is very weak.

You may only attach a Size 1 weapon to your tail; instead of a Size 2 weapon. And any unarmed attacks with your tail are considered to be with a Strength 2 steps lower.

MENTAL BOONS

Keen Perception (2 pts)

Not much gets past you.

Once per session you may spend a point of karma on any Perception-based check.

Stubborn as a Goat (2 pts)

Once per session you may spend a point of karma on any Willpower-based check.

Charming (2 pts)

You once talked your way into a position of power you weren’t qualified for.

Once per session you may spend a point of karma on any Charisma-based check.

MENTAL MALADIES

Buffoon (+3 pts)

You‘re often seen as a fool, putting your foot in your mouth more often than not.

You suffer a -1 on all Charisma based checks.

Astral Blindness (+5 pts - Windling Only)

You are not able to access the Astral Sight that others of your kind can.

You do not have ranks in the Astral Sight talent and you may never gain it from a discipline either.

Rigid (+3 pts - Human only)

You grew up disciplined. You do not have the versatility of others of your race.

You do not have access to the Versatility talent. Give up your hopes of being a Journeyman.

BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds are exactly that, minor bonuses and skills which can be added to your character.

Accomplished Swimmer (2 pts, 1 pt for T’skrang)

You are a strong swimmer. T’skrang know of your swimming ability far and wide.

Gain a +2 bonus on swimming checks.

Blacksmith’s Apprentice (1 pt)

Before becoming an Adept, you were apprenticed to a blacksmith.

Gain 1 rank of Weaponsmithing skill.

Riverboat Crewman (1 pt)

Before becoming an Adept, you were a riverboat crewman.

Gain 1 rank of Airsailing skill.

Airman (1 pt)

You once worked passage on an airship. You learned the basics of airsailing from a mighty captain. Those lessons stayed with you.

Gain 1 rank of Airsailing skill.

Assistant Librarian (1 pt)

You were an assistant in your kaer’s library.

Gain 1 rank of research skill. If you gain the Research Talent later, you are a natural gaining a +1 bonus on research checks.

Amateur Herbalist (1 pt)

You’ve always loved herbalism, you have basic knowledge of plants and  .

Gain 1 rank of research skill. If you gain the Research Talent later, you are a natural gaining a +1 bonus on research checks.

K’Stulaami  (3 pts - T’Skrang Only)

You are K'stulaami.

Granite Skin  (3 pts - Obsidiman Only)

Obsidiman are known for their rock-like hides, you are known amongst your brethren to have the toughest hide.

You have a Physical Armor rating of 4

Crystalline Skin (4 pts - Obsidiman Only )

Unlike most obsidimen, your natural earthen hide is mostly crystal, While not as tough as some physically, your hide is resistant to mystic damage as well.

You have a Physical Armor rating of 2 and a Mystic Armor rating of 2

Elemental Skin (6 pts - Obsidiman Only )

Unlike most obsidimen, your natural earthen hide partially infused with elemental earth. You must be especially careful of Theran Slavers who would rather wear you than sell you.

You gain the Earth Skin talent at Rank 0, and may increase as normal.

Earthdawn Appreciation Day - Anatomy of a Horror

I'm fairly certain that the article Morgan wrote today for his blog isn't an entry, but it is amazing. I hope to soon have the time to go back and read nine months of Morgan's posts!!!

Anatomy of a Horror

EAD Entry from Jesse Butler via apathyblogs - Legendary Weapons for DCC

Edit: Apologies on the way this one looked, I missed the formatting issue when I posted it, correcting now.

Alright, some cross platform action! From Apathy Blogs: http://apathyblogs.blogspot.com/2013/06/earthdawn-appreciation-day-bringing.html

Earthdawn Appreciation Day: Bringing Legendary Weapons to Dungeon Crawl Classics

There are a number of features that make Earthdawn an exceptional game. Easily one of the most popular are the Legendary Items. These are the magical items in Earthdawn and what makes them special is the investment in them. It isn't just a +1 sword, +3 vs. reptiles, it is Coldblood and as you learn more about it's history, where it has been, the more powerful it will grow in your hands. Not only that, but ordinary items can become magical if involved in events of significant importance, or the user sacrifices their life for a task. No longer will you have a long parade of magical gear, used only until something with a better bonus comes along.

Luckily for everyone, this mechanic is easily ported into any system. Specifically,Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) by Goodman Games. The essential elements to a Legendary Item are:

Name: It is a legend, so what is it called?
Description: It is awesome, how does it look?
Back Story: It came from somewhere and is been involved in mighty deeds; how did it come to be and what are the highlights (and lowlights) of its past?
Key Knowledges: These will come from the back story. These are the essential elements that the user needs to learn in order to achieve the next rank.
Deeds: These will come from the back story as well. These are like a Key Knowledge, but instead of learning something, the used must do something relevant to the item's history.
Ranks: These are the cool powers you get as you advance. The good stuff.
Maximum Threads: It's a bit a terminology held over from Earthdawn proper, but it still serves a purpose here. This is the number of people that can have a rank with the item at one time. This number is rarely more than two.

While typically inanimate and uncommunicative (which can only be regarded as agood thing), Legendary Items are still alive in some sense. They have goals in their own way and are able to pull the threads of fate to ensure they are never truly lost and bend things, just a bit, to further their agenda (whatever it may be). This is almost entirely by influencing their user in a subtle fashion. The higher the rank with the Legendary Item, the more pull it has. This all works tremendously well within the DCC magical item frame work.

From the GM's point of view, the Key Knowledges and Deeds represent a way to pace how much power the item has. Most of the Key Knowledge will have to be learned through adventuring to dangerous places and making bargains for this valuable lore. It will be a source of adventure in and of itself. Deeds are prepackaged adventures you are telling the players to do. They will probably do them because there is a prize at the end. While Earthdawn provides a mechanic to learn what you need to learn and/or do next, the same thing doesn't quite exist in DCC. To solve this, I would suggest using the communication between the item and the user - prophetic dreams are always popular. Make them then find a seer to interpret what they have to learn next. The first Key Knowledge is always the name - which makes getting the first rank simple. This is good, because it would be difficult to know where to start otherwise.

Since these Legendary Items work best when tailored to a particular campaign, I'm going to take some very classic magical items and turn them into Legendary Items that could be inserted into any game. To keep it nice and classic, we're going to do a quick development on Flametongue.

FLAMETONGUE
Maximum Threads: 2

Chaotic, Int 8, Empathy, wants to slay cold and undead

This long sword was forged in lava flows of Mount Ulthruung by a slightly unhinged wizard named Geof. The steel shimmers in the light, as though it is always giving off heat and has a slight red sheen. It is a slender blade that is inscribed with glyphs that only appear in fire light. When deciphered and spoken aloud, they are the command word of the weapon. Flametongue was crafted as part of Geof's crusade against the frost giants, which ultimately lead to a campaign against the true aggressor, the necromancer known as Nix.

Rank 1

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the name of the weapon.

Effect: The weapon becomes a +1 long sword that gives off light as a torch.

Rank 2

Deed: The wielder must view and decipher the glyphs on the blade.

Effect: When the command word is spoken, the weapon alights in flame, causing +1d4 fire damage. If the results is a 4, the wielder takes 1 point of damage from the flare.

Rank 3

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the name of the wizard that created Flametongue.

Effect: When the weapon is on fire, it gains +2 versus cold creatures. Additionally, all opponents that are within the light radius of the flame (a torch) and are weak to fire suffer -1 to Will from fear. This explicitly includes opponents that suffer negative effects (such as stopping their regeneration), not just take additional damage. 

Rank 4

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the name of the volcano where the weapon was forged.

Deed: The wielder must visit the volcano where the weapon was forged.

Effect: When the weapon is on fire, the wielder may roll +1d6 for damage (instead of +1d4). If the result is a 6, the wielder takes 1 point of damage from the flare.

Rank 5

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the name of the frost giant king that was slain to end the crusade against them.

Deed: The wielder must somehow learn this information from a frost giant - the sword prefers force, but is flexible.

Effect: The weapon becomes a +2 long sword, +3 versus cold creatures.

Rank 6

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the name of necromancer the weapon was later used against.

Effect: The weapon becomes +4 against undead.

Rank 7

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the fate of Geof and Nix.

Effect: When the weapon is on fire, the wielder may roll +1d8 for damage (instead of +1d6). If the result is an 8, the wielder takes 1 point of fire damage from the flare.

This is a quick example of a Legendary Item. The lower ranks are weaker than the later ones, though the tasks and knowledge required is significantly easier to accomplish. If there is interest, leave a comment and other classic magical items could get the same Legendary Item treatment.

EAD Entry from Mark at Pathfinder Chronicles - Klim

http://www.thepathfinderchronicles.com/2013/06/earthdawn-appreciation-day.html

Earthdawn Appreciation Day!It is Earthdawn Appreciation Day! +R.S. Tilton 's brain wave. In fact it is almost over in Australia but as I have been tied up with LUGCon gaming goodness I have been hard pressed to find the time to post but here is my component for it. Just let me say that Earthdawn is one of the greatest games that I have ever played, and still play today :). So now to the introduction of the greatest Windling Windmaster/Horror Hunter that ever lived...

"My name is Klim"  The little dark haired scarred Windling says to you as he flies low over your head. His body seems to have been ritually scarred so you have a hard time spotting an actual piece of fair skin on the normally jovial creature.  this Windling is surely not jovial in any way.  "What is yours?" He asks cooly sitting on the back of the chair opposite you.  "And paint it on the table with these, don't say it or I will drag your tongue from your mouth and cut it off so you will never speak again."  He looks as if he means it as he pulls from a sack a thin brush and a pot of green ink.

You think to laugh but see by his demeanour that he is not having a good day so you pop the top off of the ink well and dip the bristles in.  You glance down and then back up at the figure who is intently looking at your face.  With all the focus you can muster you look down and write your name on the tabletop, embellishing it perfectly like your mother had taught you with tribal symbols and patterns proving you not to be one of the Horror's minions.  The heat on your neck tells you he is still watching as after ten minutes you push the pot of ink back toward the diminutive winged, scarred figure.  He hops off the back of the chair and to the pot.  Leaning ever so slightly he puts the cap back on and places both back in his pint sized sack.  He walks directly up to your face and points to a wound on his arm.

"See that scar?"  He looks momentarily at the still infected wound.  "Well it will be a scar eventually.  You know how I got that?"  He smiles a grim smile as he looks for your response.  You silently shake your head from side to side.  "I got that last time I saw you."

"Liar."  The word escapes your lips, almost surprising you at its abruptness.  "I mean I have never met you before!" Your voice sounds strange, different somehow.  Like you are calling out in a tunnel or something.

"I'm not talking to you."  The weird little Windling named Klim seems to be talking to someone else but he looks at you.  "I am talking to the bag of meat that you are currently housed in.  I am sorry that I have to tell you this but I was one of the ones that opened the Kaer.  You fled into the desert and I have been tracking you ever since."  Some of that seems familiar to you, but you feel like it is distant.  A memory long forgotten.

"I have been tracking you as you bought with you an unwanted guest on your travels."  Klim hurls a pile of dust into your eyes and though it is only dust, somewhere you feel something in massive agony. "Look at your script."  Klim speaks directly to you now.  It is almost like he is in your head.

You obey and look at the image on the table.  It is not what you wrote.  You wrote an elegant script but that which is on the table is an image of Klim undoubtedly, but he has been impaled on a stake and crows sit eating his eyes.  You are beginning to wake and understand.  You know now that you are no longer in control.

"I cut this wound so the pain would remind me of the pain that I would have to deal to you when I dealt with your control would be mine to share.  I will remember you Olaf.  I will sing a dirge in your honour at the Moot of the Thunderclaw.  Know it to be true."  With tears the Windling hurls himself into the air and then plummets with a black blade toward you.  here in Travar, the last place you will ever know you welcome the power of the Horror Hunter as he plunges his blade into your eye and up into your brain.  He has come to set you free and forever more send your captor back to the hells that spawned them.

EAD Entries by Brian O - Trio of Goodies

Here is a Trio of articles that Brian posted last year on www.Earthdawncompendium.com

Spell Awaken the Clay http://www.earthdawncompendium.com/spells/show/4fe8a2227fa3d19617000043

3D Map of Barsaive http://www.earthdawncompendium.com/articles/show/4fdfd928db33ac2e4200004e

Trollslayer, Thread Armor http://www.earthdawncompendium.com/threaditems/show/4ff39f89b0efae6e0200000c

EAD Entry from Nico P - Poor Attack Test tables, and a new Talent Knack

The Attack test tables were published on German blogs, but are presented here in English for the English speaking audience.  The Talent Knack is brand new. These table look to be an interesting way to do a fumble table.

And here's the Talent Knack: