Swords Against Madness

Miria and Kale navigate the City of the Dead, Duat-Nar hoping to find their lost companions. They find much more than they bargained for, including blood, redemption, and strange secrets.

This Episode was Swords & Wizardry at its most entertaining for me, with Mythic GME throwing curveballs every few minutes.

I feature a custom monster inspired by the classic D&D monster, the Yellow Musk Creeper.

Dusking Flower: HD: 2+2; AC: 8 [12]; Att: tendril (1d4 + grab); SV: 16; Special: hypnotic polled, strangle; MV: 6; AL: Neutrality; ML: 8; No. Appearing: 1d4; CL/XP: 4/

Creepers that tangle around the souls of those dead claimed by primordial spirits, the dusking flowers keeps souls bound to their reanimated remains in the physical world.

Coop the DM as Berle

Carl White as The Dread Silkworm

Craig Husebow as Silas

From the Free Music Alliance:

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“Dark Crime Scene Atmosphere” by Universfield
“Culprit Massacre” by Alexander Nakarada
“Hate” by Mr. Claps
“Dark Matter” by Alex Grohl
“Night Detective (no beat)” by Amaksi
“Inspiring Cinematic Ambience” by Lexin Music
“A Long Way” by Serge Pavkin Music
“Emo Goth Rock metal” by Catch 22 Music
“Nostalgia Post Punk” by Sweetfinger
“Acidcore” by Jumping Bunny”

Miria and Kale tell stories to fight off the numbing effects of the land of the dead as they search for one of the Demenses where the recently passed await judgement. In a flashback, Silas, Tom, and Tina delve one of Yanghu’s dungeons seeking a way home.

WARNING: This episode has lots of graphic violence. Even more graphic than usual for this podcast. It includes gory sounds and references to toxins and paralysis. Also, mild sexual innuendo.

Another round with the Carrion Crawler in this episode!

Miria and Kale struggle against subtle and very dangerous planar effects, inspired by the way planes were handled in Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Ed.

It also included two custom monsters, The Jasconi, and the Riding Dragonfly

Jasconi: HD: 24; AC: 1 [18]; Att: spray (5d8); SV: 4; Special: undertow; MV: swimming 6; AL: Neutrality; ML: 10; No. Appearing: 2d8; CL/XP: 25/28,800

The Jasconi are 600ft. long archer fish who accrue soil and vegetation on their backs. They attack by spitting hot geysers of water, with a range of 500/1500/3000

Riding Dragonfly: HD: 2; AC: 5 [14]; Att: bite (1d8); SV: 16; MV: 6, flying 18; AL: Neutrality; ML: 6; No. Appearing: 3d4; CL/XP: 3/160

A massive jewelled dragonfly with an 18′ wingspan; the Riding dragonfly is strong enough to carry an unarmoured man and some gear.

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A summary of Episodes 31-39

Swords Against Madness episode 40 is a summary of the plot from episodes 31 through 39. An opportunity to catch up on the plot or just refresh your memory. It adds nothing to the main plot-line.

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California 1974: four friends make a strange discovery while star-gazing that kicks off a strange journey across space and time that intersects with Miria’s own journey.

The story of three teens in San Benito County, California that discover a meteor that drags them across time & space.

This is the origin story of Tom Foreman, creator of the wizard van, and his allies Cyrus and Tina.

This episode includes references to or oblique depictions of Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll.

Interested in my setting bible for Xen? It is a campaign world that includes characters, places, and things from over 25 years of the 41 that I have been playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Fin it here it is on my Google Drive.

Craig Husebo as Cyrus

Katrina Rideout as Tina

Crossing the Ashlands of Muspellsheim, Miria and Kale face a being far beyond their ability to fight...

Voice Talent:

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See the full show notes at https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca for encounter tables, monster stats, and more commentary!

Miria and Kale begin a perilous journey through Ice, Fire, and Eternal skies to rescue their fallen friends.

Miria goes deep within her mind to commune with the All-Knowing and prepare herself for a dangerous journey.

We turn our attention to Yanghu as he hunts for those who had meddled with his Gorum and Carver tech.

This session was played extemporaneously using Swords & Wizardry and the Mythic Game Master Emulator.

Sometimes you just want to play the bad guys for a bit, and figure out what the heroes are really up against.

The Master was once a gifted and driven chirurgeon called Haidran. His failure to save South Nar from the purple plague drove him halfway to madness. He sought out the ability to perfect himself and discovered Yanghu’s secret cache of Carver Tech. With it he has made himself into a monster.

The Master (human Ur-Cleric 9*): HD: 9d6+9; 54 hp; AC 7 [12]; SV: 7; att: Tentacle Orb (2d4+grab); MV: 12″; SQ: spells, +2 save vs. petrification & paralysis, mutations; AL C; Str 14** Int 15 Wis 16 Dex 10 Con 15** Cha 16**;

Spells Prepared: 1st: Detect Good, Detect Magic, Darkness; 2nd: Hold Person, Snake Charm, Silence 15′ radius; 3rd: Bestow Curse, Cure Disease; 4th: Cause Serious Wounds; Cure Serious Wounds; 5th: Commune, Finger of Death

Mutations: The Master can steal traits from any creature he has captured and experimented on. He can maintain one mutation in his body per two levels. He can change these after a week of research and some time spent in a Carver Surgical Pod. His current mutations include:

Carried Equipment: tentacle orb, bracers of defence +2, blowpipe of inhaled poison, fine clothing, spawn of Frix

*The Ur-Cleric is the equivalent of a Cleric, but Chaotic in alignment; they have no ability to turn the unholy. They worship themselves only, but make pacts with alien intelligence for their power.

**The Master has used the art of flesh-crafting to increase each of these ability scores by 4. He will be able to improve a 3rd ability at level 12, and again at 15th and 18th levels.

Master’s Concubine: HD: 5; AC: 5 [14] Att: 4 claws (1d4); SV: 12; Special: speed, mutation; MV: 15; AL: Chaotic; ML: 9; Int: 9; #App: 2d4; CR/ XP: 7 / 600

Women who have been warped and mutated by the Master. They cannot fail morale if they are in The Master’s presence. They have a +1 on initiative. Each one of them possesses a random mutation granted to them by the master:

Tentacle Orb: This object serves as The Master’s unholy symbol. He may cause it to open and tentacles to reach out. These attack, dealing 2d4 damage if they hit. A target that is hit is coiled in tentacles and may not move or take actions except to attempt to break free, which requires a successful save.

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Edryk, Miria, and Kale face a terrifying onslaught on the dismal beaches of Abzû.

This game sues the crocodile stats from Swords & Wizardry, It also delves pretty deep into the Dungeons & Dragons theory of the Soul that was made central to the concept of planar travel in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons starting later in the 1st edition and refined in the Planescape setting.

I also wanted to share the Enuma Elish, if you want to read some ancient Mesopotamian myth.

Roger Dean’s Cover for the first Asia album self-titled “Asia” was a huge inspiration for the setting of Abzu. I spent a great many hours staring at this album cover and listening to the record when I was a kid. In fact a great deal of the campaign aesthetics in – in my head at least – are inspired by Dean’s art.

Roger Dean was a major influence on the aesthetics of the Psychedelic art and music movement and redefined what Fantasy looked like through the 60s and 70’s.

I would be remiss if I didn’t send a link to his homepage where you can get prints of this truly amazing work.

Notes

*Forlorn Camp: a wretched set of huts of bone, skin, and scale overrun by wasp’s nests. Most inhabitants are dead, but 1d6 diseased and mad cultists linger.

**Duregar Mining Camp: 2d10 Duregar oversee 5d20 beast-men slaves in mining scale and bone from Tiamat.

***Tiamat Stirs: The ground shakes and strange omens fill the sky before a deafening scream splits the sky. All creatures must save vs spells or be paralyzed with terror for 1d3 turns. Check for additional encounter.

Owen Rideout as The Psisquid

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Miria, Kale, & Edryk cross the shimmering plane of Amber, and then into the darkness of Abzû, beset on all sides by monsters and mysteries.

This episode includes a classic Dungeons & Dragons monster: the Aurumvorax, reproduced here based on the stats in the AD&D2e Monstrous Manual for Swords & Wizardry.

I did take liberties with the speed of the aurumvorax to make it more of a threat and more weasel-like.

The Aurumvorax or gold-gorger is an eight-legged weasel-like creature about 12′ long. It can burrow through solid rock. The aurumvorax eats gold, which it processes in order to produce teeth, claws, and fur of naturally shaped gold, and its flesh is infused with the metal.

Aurumvorax: HD: 12; AC: 0 [19]; Att: bite (2d4 + grab); SV: 3; Special: grab, bludgeoning resistance; MV: 24 or Burrow 3; AL: Neutrality; ML: 11; No. Appearing: 1; CL/XP: 15/5,800

Notes

*Chaos Shock Troops: roll 1d6: 1-2: 3d6 Orcs, 3-4: 3d6 Gnolls, 5: 3d10 beast men; 6: 1d6 Ogres; led by an evil fighter level 2d4+2.

**The Yearning: All mortals must make a save or feel compelled to rest, stay, and seek service at the castle. They become blissful, being automatically surprised by later encounters, and at -2 to attacks and damage until they leave Amber. If all members of the party fail, they will seek to serve at the castle.

†Paragons: Nearly perfect divine reflectiosn of humanity. Generate an adventuring party but all statrs are at 2d4+10, maximum hit points, magical equipment. Loyalty to the Prunces of Amber

‡Sight of the Palace: A view of the crystal palace of Amber.

⁰Scar of Chaos: A rent in reality caused by wars to rule amber. Roll for an encounter from another random plane.

Original Music:

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