Ebonyr race information updated

Sorry that I havent blogged in a while. However, that doesnt mean I’ve stopped working on my campaign setting of Ebonyr. No siree, no way, no how.

I’ve updated the Zhud (Ebonyr’s dwarven-style race). The Pyr Zhud (fire dwarves), Mar Zhud (Sea dwarves) and Dver Zhud (mountain dwarves).

I’ve decided to use google sites as my setting wiki the my main website. Google sites is very easy to use and update quickly. The main website will be mostly for adventures, supplements (PDF’s) videos, screencast and podcasts.

As always you can reach me at knightvision (AT) zenbe.com. The website is knightvisionstudios.com.

Ruhk: Concept art

Knightvision Studios and Aaron Siddall Illustrations have teamed up. Aaron brings years of experience in concept and fantasy art. You can visit his blog here or his wonderful website. Aaron has been working on the Ruhk concept artwork. Here’s an early sample:

Updated Pyr-Zud (Fire Dwarves)

Pyr-Zud (Fire Dwarves)

Requirements: CON 11

Prime Requisite: STR

Hit Dice: 1d8

Maximum Level: 12

Languages

Kadzar, dwarvish, common and alignment tongues. Possible other languages known due to interaction: Goblin, gnome and kobold.

Lifespan

150-200 years

Description

Pyr-Zud are short, stocky, and possess an incredible resilience and
vitality. The males have beards that act as status symbols and tend to
have flaming red hair, ruddy skin and smoldering crimson eyes. Fire
dwarves tend to have shorter life expectancies due to the danger they
constantly place themselves around. Over the many years, these dwarves
have come to be known for tempers as hot as the lands they love. Fire
dwarves tend to be less tolerant of outsiders within their domains but
still allow strangers to travel their lands. They are clearly the least
friendly of the dwarven races.

Saving Throws – See LL Handbook Pg 55)

Abilities

Heat Resistance: Pyr-Zud ignore the first point of damage from heat or fire-based attacks.

Detecting: 1-2 on 1d6 chance of detecting traps, false walls, and hidden construction due to their time underground.

Unlike other dwarven races they have no infravision. This is due to the heat and fire environment they have grown accustomed.

Level Progression – See LL handbook pg 10

Experience Level Hit Dice (1d8) – See LL handbook pg 10

Background

The Pyr-Zud are a very militaristic and “no nonsense” society. They
are warriors at heart, but don’t fight for fighting sake. Most of the
other races have the saying, “Pyr-Zud eat battle and crap victory”. The
Pry-Zud normally reside underground near magma flows and volcano’s.
There a few clans that have taken up residence in the Gebroan Wilderness, where the daytime temperature can reach 130+F in the summer months.

Like other dwarves, they are master stonemasons and their metalworks
are second to none. They have assisted other races in weapons
production, but their metal crafting techniques are kept a closely
guarded secret to this day.

Religions

Pyrian, a god of craftsmen and the forge

Pyr-Zud, worshiping Pyrian, have many fire cleansing traditions,
which mainly involve burning small portions of themselves while saying
a prayer for the flames to cleanse them. Cold creatures with any
intelligence fear the burning wrath of these dwarves.

Rue Ash center point of the Pyrian faith, and many followers of this god, of many different races, journey there on pilgrimages.

The Praxian Church has made small inroads into the dwarven culture as well. Pyrian priests tolerate this new faith with in trepidation.

New adventure outline

A couple of weeks ago I was waiting for my wife’s car at the dealership and had a few hours to kill. I came up with a few ideas for Labyrinth Lord adventures:

Working title: A Dark and Stormy Night – Module A-1
GM Background:
BBEG (Big bad evil guy): a self-styled drug lord growing a plant to make “Scrape” a drug sold in Altalissia and other nation in the Five Kingdoms

BBEG is working with a corsair shiplord to capture slaves, transport his goods and provide security on the seas.

Act 1 – PC initial interaction
Ways for the GM to get the PCs involved in the adventure
1. Meet a “Scrapehead” who wants to kick the habit and needs help
2. Search for a missing person (person is captured by corsairs and is now a slave)
3. PCs are caught up in a street battle between rival gangs in the drug trade
4. PCs are caught in a storm aboard a ship and are washed ashore the “drug island”
5. Ship is attacked by corsairs the PCs are aboard, captured and taken to the “drug Island”. The GM may have some creatures attack the corsairs after they land to give the PCs a chance to escape and evade.

Act 2 – The Island
1. Beach scene – Crabmen attack the PC’s
2. Dock scene – Crabmen attack the Corsairs and PC’s. This will give the PC’s a chance to escape.

Act 3 – Inland
1. Swamp ship – Skeleton sailor attack
2. Man trap plant attack
3. Wandering monster table
4. Meet hermit or escaped slaves that have information on how to get off the island, rescue slaves and info on the BBEG’s operation

Act 4 – Slave fields
1. Slave pens and fields
2. Sea Cave
3. Introduction of a Timberlimb clan on the island

Act 5 – Conclusion
1. Slavers/corsairs on the island are defeated or routed
2. Slavers/corsairs escape via ship from the sea cave
3. PCs defeated or routed

Possible seeds for a further adventure
1. Slaves know or heard of another larger slave operation
2. Slaves know the location of another BBEG lair
3. Slaves know of a slave mine used by corsairs

Pyr-Zud: The Fire Dwarves

I’ve been working on this race of dwarves for throughout the weekend. Here’s what I have so far:

Pyr-Zud
live just as long as any other dwarf though they tend to have shorter
life expectancies due to the danger they constantly place themselves
around. Over the many years, these dwarves have come to be
known for tempers as hot as the lands they love. Fire dwarves
tend to be less tolerant of outsiders within their domains but still
allow strangers to travel their lands. They are clearly the
least friendly of the dwarven races.

Racial
Abilities: Fire dwarves have all the dwarven abilities listed in
the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• +2 Constitution, +1
Wisdom, -3 Charisma: The prolonged exposure of extreme heat has
caused the fire dwarves to become immensely rugged. Their more
exclusive societies has also lessened their hospitality.
• Heat
Resistance: Fire dwarves ignore the first point of damage made from
heat per attack.
• Cold sensitivity: Fire dwarves have become so
tolerant of heat that they can no longer handle the cold temperatures
well. They suffer a -2 penalty in addition to any other
penalties made for rolls to resist cold.

<font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><b>Religions</b></font></font><br /><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2">Church of Pyrian, a god of craftsmen and the forge</font></font><br /><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2">Praxian Church</font></font><br /><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2">Rue Esh is the center point of the Church of Pyrian, and many followers</font></font><br /><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2">of the god, of many different races, journey there on pilgrimages.</font></font><br />  <br /><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2">Fire dwarves from birth have many fire cleansing traditions, which mainly involve burning small portions of themselves while saying a prayer for the flames to cleanse them. Cold creatures with any intelligence fear the burning wrath of these dwarves.<br /></font></font>

Description
Fire
dwarves are short, stocky, and possess an incredible resilience and
vitality. The males have beards that act as status symbols and tend
to have flaming red hair, ruddy skin and smoldering crimson eyes.
They are an extremely long lived race, often surpassing five hundred
years or more.

Language

Pyr-Zud
speak in an ancient tongue known as Zarkad. Its written component in
the form of runes that are used in all sorts of clever ways.