Saturday, May 8, 2010

Deep Gnomes and Deep Hobbits

In preparing for my first Core World Labyrinth Lord session on Monday, I have been statting up a few key races.  Of course, one of the main ones I want in there for an all-underground campaign are the Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin) from Gygax's D1-2-3 series, and a new race I am introducing as a major player in the Core World campaign, the Deep Hobbits.  So I have generated Labyrinth Lord stats for both races.  Hopefully I am not repeating anybody's work here -- has someone else already converted Svirfneblin for B/X / Labyrinth Lord use?

At any rate, here are my stat blocks for Deep Gnomes and Deep Hobbits.

Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin)
# Encountered: 2d8 (5d8)
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 2
HD: 3 + 6
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: per weapon
Save: D3
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XX
XP: 170
See p. 28 of Module D1-2 for a complete description of the Deep Gnome. 

Deep Hobbit (Darkfoot)
# Encountered: 3d6 (5d8)
Alignment: Neutral
Move: 90’ (30’)
AC: 4
HD: 1
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: 1d6 or weapon
Save: H1
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VII (XXI)
XP: 13

Slightly tougher than their surface-bound cousins, Deep Hobbits live their entire lives in underground caves deep beneath the surface of the ground (the second Hoard Class figure is for when Deep Hobbits are encountered in their home cavern). Deep Hobbits may hide in shadows or behind cover in underground caverns and labyrinths with 90% ability.  Like Arandish rodians, deep hobbits have limited infravision (30' range).  Like their allies the deep gnomes, deep hobbits may use the blur ability (as per the 2nd Level Illusionist spell) once per day.  

Like above-ground hobbits, Deep Hobbits gain a +1 to initiative when alone or in parties of deep hobbits, and a +1 to all missile attacks.  They prefer crossbows, short swords, and hand axes as favored weapons.  Their skin is dark gray to black, and they do have hairy feet!

Playing Deep Hobbits as PCs
Deep hobbits level as regular hobbits, with the following features:

Requirements: DEX 9, CON 9
Prime Requisites: STR and DEX
Hit Dice: 1d6
Max. Level: 8

Allies: morlocks, deep gnomes, dwarves, gnomes, some surface hobbits

Enemies: deep elves, hobgoblins, drow, ponaturi (Kua-Toans), mind flayers

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Recent Developments and Future Plans

Obviously, I've been away from the blog for awhile.  Part of this is because the campaign it was in large part meant to document, the Arandish Labyrinth Lord Campaign 2010, has reached a pausing point or caesura and has necessitated some recent re-thinking and re-configuring.

You see, one of our key players leaves town for fieldwork purposes four or five months of every year.  That player left town just a few weeks ago, and the group cohesion / camaraderie has been so great amongst these three players and their PCs that it was unanimously decided at our final session together to put that campaign on "hold" until that player (Innominus' player) comes back to town in early July. Which isn't to say that the rest of us won't start up and play an alternative Labyrinth Lord campaign in that player's absence. . .  but more on that in a moment.

The biggest development impacting this group's ongoing RPG'ing ability in the future is not so much Innominus' player's temporary absence, but the fact that not just one but two of the remaining three participants -- myself and one of the other players -- have accepted jobs in other states and cities this fall.  We have been brainstorming ways to keep the campaign going via webcams and skype once we two depart, and I think we may have a viable technical solution soon.  I know we have the collective will: we have pledged to keep the Arandish Labyrinth Lord Campaign 2010 going remotely via cybertronic devices!   So expect that campaign (and reports on it) to resume sometime in September.

Meanwhile, I have two regular players and myself, plus a new player who has expressed interest in joining us starting next session (this coming Monday May 10).  So I am using this "campaign reboot" opportunity to explore a wacky idea I have been camping on for some time: a completely underground campaign.  Full of underground cities, underground civilizations, underground races doing epic battle and complex trade with each other. . . a setting I have dubbed Core World. Monday's PCs will start in a locale called Fang City, a dwarven stronghold untold miles beneath the surface of northeastern Ara.  They will roll up new characters, and have been advised that while all standard Labyrinth Lord and Arandish races and classes are permitted, the most common races are dwarves and hobbits, with humans being fairly rare and elves and rodians being extremely rare.