A Little Jaunt to Khardtha

 This week, Angela was unable to attend and run her Emerald Spire campaign, so I took the reins and had everyone roll up first level Pathfinder 1e characters while I looked for a published adventure to run. I settled on Patrick Wetmore's Anomalous Subsurface Environment; the party was created and off we went.

I decided on a whim to set the game in my own campaign setting and had our adventurers start in the town of Marstad, close to the western border of Gyr. An entrance to an underground complex had recently opened on the side of a nearby hill and the local government had hastily erected a gate over the opening and posted guards in the event that anything came out. A local mining interest and several members of local government were offering coin to those who explored, and a ragtag group was assembled for the mission.

Spoilers ahead for Anomalous Subsurface Environment!

The group were surprised to find that a long flight of stairs led down from the entrance and the structure was relatively clean and in good repair when they got to the base of the stairs. They first entered a room to their right which contained the skeletonized remains of a humanoid with scraps of clothing and bits of paper. One of the sheets of paper had a note saying they had been trapped in this complex and were being fired upon when trying to escape. The adventurers pocketed the note and moved on.

The group then went down a hall opposite the room they had just checked and came into a large hall almost knee deep with bones with a few passageways leading off and what appeared to be a large stone sarcophagus lying open at the far end. They first check a room on their right which is empty and mark the door leading out of the other side of it for further exploration and backtrack into the bone hall, moving toward the sarcophagus. Suddenly, a screech like a woman's scream erupts from a passage ahead of them and they rush in, fortunately holding the incoming albino humanoids in a chokepoint where they're able to hold their own long enough to force their aggressors back. The explorer's abandon this direction, not wanting to walk into what could be a trap and go back to the large hall. There, they finally make it to the sarcophagus and find it empty. Several small alcoves lie above it on the wall, but nothing can be gleaned, and it is marked for further experiments later if something can be found to fit in the alcoves.

Going back to the empty room from earlier, they move past the door on the opposite side and check another room, which seems to have rusty and dry rotted tools, then onto a room with a clump of lichen covering what appeared to be a complete humanoid skeleton, but below the fungus was only the hips and legs of a skeleton composed of tarnished silver! How the lichen mimicked the shape of the torso, head, and arms was a puzzlement, but a switch on the wall was manipulated by Malar and found to turn on an overhead light and open a secret door when pushed in. Another secret door was found at the end of a short hall and progress was made into a small empty room with a door leading out on the other side.

Traversing through the door and into a short hall brought them to an oddly pastoral scene. Four wooden statues of three-eyed gnomes with conical hats topped with large garnets sat in a circle in the middle of a large trapezoidal room. Woodland murals covered the walls and fake shrubs dotted the floor here and there. During inspection, one of the statues was touched and all four sprang to their feet and began to attack the party! The fight was hard, and the wooden warriors hit hard, but in the end the heroes prevailed and decided to head topside to report their findings and come back more prepared. 

We called it there and may pick this back up if we have another Friday night where the group is short a player.

Cast of Characters
Malar Harken, Human Unchained Rogue 1 - David
Brunus Kegstand, Dwarf Barbarian 1 - James
RiRun, Catfolk Fighter 1 - Sam
Jobin Goldbloom, Halfling Sorcerer 1 - Taylor

Notes
• I didn't incorporate much of the setting into the game, as we wanted to get going fairly quickly. If we play it again, I'll be able to put more effort into expanding what the nation of Gyr is like, etc.
• I was converting ASE as I went and probably erred on the easier side when it came to monster stats. I wanted the players to have fun and feel like heroes. My goal wasn't to TPK, even though the wood golems could have easily done that without me boosting them any more.

The Lady of Fraying Flesh

Astien sheds her wings.
Art by Carlos Quevedo on DeviantArt

 

Once among the best and most beautiful of the Heavenly Host, the sin of wrath consumed the angel Astien's mind while in dogged pursuit of a fiend which evaded her at every step, leaving a trail of mutilated minds and bodies for her to follow. Eventually, the angel turned to cruelty and torture, herself, in order to root out her enemy once and for all. She reveled in leaving behind the flayed remains of her enemy's cultists or anyone else she felt might hold the information she sought.

Wind of her transgressions reached the rest of the Host and her superiors delved deep, hoping to aid their companion and bring her back to the right path. Their investigations led them to find that Astien had caught her quarry hundreds of years ago and put the fiend to the sword but hadn't stalled her great crusade or lust for flaying anyone she deemed disrespectful or unhelpful. Her brethren appealed to their superiors, who decided their only recourse was to cast her down. Her depravity was so great that her fall only created a powerful erinyes lord, The Lady of Fraying Flesh.

The Lady of Fraying Flesh was once radiantly beautiful, but now her skin peels back in random places as if flayed from her body, appearing to be streamers or ribbons flowing from her clothing. In place of her wings, frayed graying ribbons of flesh hang from her shoulders though this doesn't hinder her flight. A ring of razor-sharp blades circles her that she may use if she wishes to attack.

Her court is filled with all manner of grotesque beings that have a penchant for flaying and mutilating. Grand spectacles of torture entertain her guests as they feast on the flesh of sentient creatures and each other. Those devoted to The Lady often self-mutilate in supplication to her and take particular joy in torturing other living things. Often, they may be granted with boons from their mistress that can include painful auras or having their mere touch flay their victims.

Suggested Rules: The Lady of Fraying Flesh is an 18 hit die Erinyes Devil. The blades surrounding her create an effect similar to the Blade Barrier spell as cast by an 18th level caster within a 5' radius around her. She doesn't carry the usual weapons of an erinyes, instead using her blades in combat to fight both up close and at range. Each blade deals damage as a longsword plus the Lady's Charisma bonus. If the blade deals damage, the target must make a Fortitude save DC 19 plus the Lady's Charisma bonus or be wracked with pain as their skin peels back, causing d6 bleed and making the target staggered. A successful save negates both the bleed and staggered condition.

Notes
•The Lady of Fraying Flesh is a powerful fiend from my own Khardtha setting.
•When creating anything for Khardtha, unless specifically stated otherwise, assume Pathfinder 1st Edition rules. If you don't use Pathfinder and want to use something you see on the blog, feel free to reach out and I'll help you convert it.

My 30 Day World - Who Is the Most Renowned Hero in Your World?

 I'm participating in the #My30DayWorld exercise partially because I want to see how fleshed out my world of Khardtha actually is, and also to see what I can add, prompted by questions I may or may not have already asked myself.

Jumping back into this after a few years. Previous answers to questions 1-3 can be found here, here, and here.

Day 4 - Who is the most renowned hero in your world?

Kronor Makal was the leader of a Filian expedition to a continent that had appeared to the west of the Fartucian continent. Upon arrival, he and his expeditionary force encountered a land populated with a large race of humanoids calling themselves the Uhgur. These "Ogres," as Makal's notes called them, were an enslaved people, forced to toil and fight for a being they described as made of pure darkness.

Makal was a canny diplomat and accomplished battlemage. He led his forces in early strikes to liberate the Uhgur and help them free more of their kin. Though there were tribal enmities to overcome, the ogres fought fiercely against ashen-skinned forces clad in black that could use darkness as a weapon. After long years of war, Kronor led the coalition forces against the stronghold of their mutual enemy, clashing personally with a massive giant seemingly made of shadow. The battle shattered the lands on the southern tip of the continent, and in the aftermath, Makal asked the Ughur if the humans could settle the desolated lands. 

There, Makal built a settlement on the ruins of the enemy stronghold and the Uhgur tribes dispersed to the rest of the continent, returning to their tribal ways and working to cultivate good relations with the Filian newcomers. The Uhgur bestowed the honor of naming the continent Makalus after Kronor for his devotion to freeing their peoples.

My 30 Day World - What Is The Name Of Your World? Why Is It Called This?

I'm participating in the #My30DayWorld exercise partially because I want to see how fleshed out my world of Khardtha actually is, and also the see what I can add, prompted by questions I may or may not have already asked myself.

Day 2 - What is the name of your world? Why is it called this?

The name of my world is Khardtha. Khard was the name of the being that created Khardtha with his magics, but it is unknown if he named his creation or if those who came after named the world after him.

My 30 Day World - What Is The 30-Second Elevator Pitch For Your World?

I'm participating in the #My30DayWorld exercise partially because I want to see how fleshed out my world of Khardtha actually is, and also to see what I can add, prompted by questions I may or may not have already asked myself.

Day 1 - What is the 30-second elevator pitch for your world?

Khardtha was founded with magic, yet has forgotten its roots. It is a world branded by war, but not shaped by it. Exploration and discovery are in a Golden Age as people search out clues to the past. Enterprising warlords take and rename lands, or, if using powerful enough magic, raise their own territories from the sea. It is a land where the ever-shifting pantheons of gods walk, and a land where the lowliest peasant can aspire to godhood.

Khardtha is a world both old and new, ever in flux, and ever ready for adventure!

Campaign Alphabet - C

Eberron (Defendersverse)

Captain Aundair

This Extranormal being was, in many historian's minds, the only reason Aundair survived past the final days of the Last War.

Art by pursuer-of-darkness

Shortly after the plans by Lord Marlex were intercepted and acted against with brutal efficiency by the Thranes in late 925 YK, and another crushing setback in 927, Aundair was put on their back foot in the war and were struggling to hold their lines against an empowered Thrane and keep a stalling presence upon the Karnnathi front. This was not to be for long.

Thrane pushed forward and held much of southern Aundair, cowing the citizens there and denying them food to break their wills. The Karnns, however, were conducting even viler practices. Though known to have employed undead in their armies, a new commander on the western front, known as Kron, was reviled, even among his allies for corpse-harvesting battlefields to bolster his armies. 

Aundair could not stand by any longer. The Knights Arcane had collected the only survivor from the field of a Karnnathi victory, a body clinging to life after the awful enervating touch of an undead had nearly claimed him. He was taken to the towers of Arcanix and powerful magics and alchemies were concocted and forced into this soldier's body. 

On the brink of death as he was, his physical shell could not fight off any of the effects forced into him, and all involved feared that this soldier would give his life for his country on the slap of an arcane lab. It was not to be, however, as his will to fight and live held the magics tight to his frame, shaping him into the peak of human perfection. 

Aundair had the first of what they hoped was a series of enhanced soldiers, and by keeping him unnamed, save for the nomme de guerre of Captain Aundair, had a powerful tool to rebolster patriotism and, in theory, also aid the failing recruitment seen in the nation. 

Captain Aundair was dispatched to the Eastern Front to battle Karnnath, where he met in battle with Kron and soundly defeated him, leading Kaius II to dismiss the general in the face of defeat and overwhelming political pressure over Kron's battlefield atrocities. Kron was a blessing in comparison to his replacement, however, a diabolical soldier - matched in many ways to Captain Aundair - and being called the Red Skull.

Captain Aundair served diligently and courageously for the crown of Aundair for sixty-six years in the Last War, never seeming to age a day in his service. He ended up missing in action, and feared dead, after the Day of Mourning, as he was in Metrol around that time.

Sabotage brought about the end of the program which birthed the Captain, and though heralded as the first Extranormal early on, evidence that others had come before leaves many to believe that he is simply the first in the modern era.

Golarion

The Catacombs (of Wrath)

Discovered by Vic, Walt, and Rissi after pursuing Tsuto Kaijutsu through the Glassworks in Sandpoint, the heroes did multiple excursions into these vaults, even once taking the sage, Brodert Quink, with them to help determine the age and purpose behind the structure, as well as determine who built it.

Quink was certain (and correct) that the catacombs were constructed during the days of ancient Thassilon, and the party discovered cells and chambers that made it apparent that it had served as a prison during that time. 

Deep in the bowels of this structure, the heroes encountered twisted rage-driven abominations and even a weaker form of demon known as a quasit, both of which gave the group more trouble than they bargained for.

Khardtha

The Council

Alternately known as the Council, the Council of Wyrms, the Dragon Knights, or the Dragon Council, this odd body is rumored to be composed of some of the oldest and most powerful of each type of dragon on Khardtha.

Little else is known about the Council, save that it was presumably founded by Clughfelyliam, a great wyrm green - who is also rumored to be the first dragon to ever step foot on Khardtha - after supposedly delcaring that he would gather his kind in grand council. For what reasons then or now the dragons band together is unknown, though it is said by those claiming to have seen them that they never travel in their true forms, instead traipsing the countryside disguised as knights (thus the alternate name for the group), resplendent in fantastic armors, and carrying equally magnificent weapons.

Each, in their knightly forms, sits astride a mount unique to the rider and reflecting their supposed demeanor. Among these beasts are enormous hell hounds, nightmares, pegasi, and more. Others have reported seeing the members of this group riding horses that match their own draconic hues, leading some to speculate that the 'horses' were dragons, as well, using shaping magic to assume the form of stallions.

Whatever the truth behind the Council, even if they are these great dragons, indeed, when and if they decide to act upon or against any idea or individual or group, they will present what may be the most powerful force ever gathered on Khardtha.

The Wilderlands

The City-State of the Invincible Overlord

The Great Enemy. The City State of the Invincible Overlord - known as Ryan's Ruin to sages, Rhamsandron to wizards, and Normoot to the native barbarian Altanians - or simply, the City State, lies to the east of Viridistan and has been a constant needle in the side of the World Emperor.

Though defeated decisively in almost every engagement, the City State is seen as a necessary pest, the bug that shall not be permanently smashed, as its tributes keep a steady flow of gold into Viridistan's coffers. The periodic incursions and the contested borders that are a hotbed of military and civil action are of little distraction, though the tension grows and may someday soon pop, making Viridistan finally conquer their neighbor to the east.

Travel and commerce between the city-states is sometimes necessary, but no true Viridistani would stay long in a city occupied by those would would regularly traffic with the monstrous races of orcs, trolls, and goblins.

Likewise, the heretical beliefs practiced in the City State no doubt breeds the poor dispositions that most denizens of that tyranny display. Might be all the mammals they eat, too.

At least, that's what the World Emperor's own Guard Sergeant Trisful says...

Campaign Alphabet - B

Khardtha

Sir Balthasar of Moorhulden

Balthasar could very well be the last of his kind, self-identified as a Firbolg, this powerful warrior looks like a giant of a man made into a giant, standing fully 11 feet tall, with broad shoulders and arms and legs the size of tree trunks. Though ponderously massive, Balthasar showed grace in battle and was accepted as a companion of the High Lord Denain when he set forth to reclaim Makalus and restore it to its former glory.

Though showing clever wit and intelligence, Balthasar conducted himself primarily as a bodyguard to the Ogre, Denain, and their Halfling companion, Serafina, eventually earning his knighthood from the High Lord after years of service. An honor which he cherishes as a true act of friendship and trust by his Ogrish friend, and enacts to the best of his ability, serving as the General of the Reaches, a position giving him control over all military personnel and engagements beyond the borders of his liege's realm.

However, the giant-kin's loyalty and friendship may stem from the fact that no other firbolg has been seen in centuries, perhaps hinting to the fact that Balthasar is the sole survivor of some tragedy or natural decline of his kind. Balthasar says little of his past or of his people, and though he has mentioned it a few times, he has never been known to use the natural illusions his people can manifest.

These days, the wizened knight serves in the capacity of his duties to the realm, but has become exceedingly more distant, and even the High Lord is lucky to be in his General's presence, but forgives the warrior's eccentricities out of friendship.

Wilderlands

Bugbear Falls

On the Eastern Reaches of the territory held by the World Emperor of Viridistan, amid near-constant skirmishes and contests to claim the region by Viridistan and the City-State (of the Invincible Overlord), sits an ancient, moderately-sized keep that houses some of the most resilient people the Wilderlands know.

Reclaimed a couple of centuries ago after years of fierce engagements between men and goblinoid, Dunkiel was founded by the warlord Efilon on his press to claim more territory for the City-State. He and his army succeeded, executing the bugbear chieftain that had held the keep, and his retinue, by sending them over the cliffs. This act would stick fast in the minds of subsequent generations and earn the keep its current popular name, "Dunkiel" all but forgotten as time wears on.

Seventy seven years ago, however, the forces of the World Emperor took the ill-defended keep and began to garrison it, tenuously holding it for the first few decades, then asserting more control on the outpost in more recent years. A decade ago, the old Vuzughar (landed noble, like a duke) was recalled to the city of Viridistan, and appointed Dal Lago, a trusted officer under his command, as his replacement.

Since Dal Lago took over, banditry, plague, famine, and a number of other maladies have struck the region, as well as increased hostility from the City-State and a number of other disasters and threats have cropped up. The Vuzughar has called for the aid of adventurers in the past, but recently stopped directly recruiting them after a failed coup a year and a half ago. Drastic social changes such as the adoption of the faith of The Black Rider as the city's patron, as well as recent changes in politics and law with Lago's marriage to another noble has only added to some of the unrest that has begun to slowly boil.

To make matters worse, the Emperor and his advisors have instituted an initiative where they send petty criminals and vagrants to the outer holdings of the "Empire" and encourage them to claim the wild territories and the disputed borderlands between the holdings of Viridistan and its neighbors. This initiative has brought many to the region, either in hopes of striking it rich as bandits or adventurers, or to provide services or goods to those who have come to make their own lives. This has made crime rise in the area, but has, conveniently, given Viridistan a buffer zone of rough peoples for which the City-State must contend before they can gain footholds into the Empire proper.

Bihye the Bull

In the cave system to the east of Bugbear Falls, in one of the harder-to-access caverns, resides a mystic and shaman that holds unparalleled knowledge of and power over life.

The minotaur known as Bihye has lived in the region since before Dal Lago began his reign as Vuzughar, and some say before Lago's predecessor, and has weathered every malady and mishap that has plagued the region, all the while fending off raids by other monstrous creatures as well as adventurers, though he has been rumored to give aid and advice to the latter to as many groups as he has ended the careers of.

The Bull, as he sometimes introduces himself as (variably Bihye or Bihye the Bull), while being as fearsome as the others of his race, may well be the greatest treasure of the lands surrounding Bugbear Falls, as some say that he actually knows the rites and spells required to bring someone back from the dead, an art that has been lost for generations.

If Bihye can or will perform these rites is unknown for certain, but it is known that if one should seek his council on any matters, especially topics as dire as death, then they should be prepared to bring a king's ransom worth of gems and jewelry, as its the only thing the minotaur will trade his services for.

Golarion

The Brotherhood of the Seven

This mysterious organization has been in operation for hundreds of years, and has something to do with the slaying of Aldern Foxglove and his subsequent transformation into a ghast, as well as the killings he perpetrated. Aldern's mysterious references to "the pack" could point to this group.

The Brotherhood is known to own Seven's Sawmill on , and due to their financing of Foxglove Manor, seem to have considerable, if not vast, stores of wealth. In addition, the Brotherhood may have ties to/be the patron(s) of cults, one of which was discovered operating at the sawmill, under the direction of a known High Justice of Magnimar.

A letter referencing "Xanesha, Mistress of the Brotherhood" was found amongst Lord Foxglove's belongings, but who, exactly, she is and, perhaps more importantly, what exactly the Brotherhood is, is anyone's guess at this moment, but a search for this shadowy matron has been mounted.

A is for Actually Starting My Campaign Alphabets!

Khardtha

The Aeries

On many continents, towers and battlements are sometimes kept suspended for decades or centuries past when the main bodies of their structures have fallen, be this due to ancient conservatory magics still upheld, or phenomena such as powerful hauntings, suspension of time, or things of even weirder nature like the tower 'forgetting' to fall when the castle did, for instance.

At first, the Aeries may be mistaken for such things, and indeed, some of the smaller Aeries are of similar shape and size, but few make the mistake of failed recognition more than once, for these are the home of a winged race called the Lahim (LAH-hïm).

These 'bird-men', as many call them, live and raid and make war from their Aeries, with each such flying fortress only beholden to itself and the clans that live within the soaring spires. The lahim that leads any particular Aerie lives on the highest spire on the place, with the order of ascension decreasing as importance decreases. 

The Aeries, themselves, are constructed of varying materials, depending on the clans that build them. Part magical construct and part technological marvel, some Aeries resemble mountaintops that have been ripped from the world and hollowed out, while others seem to be made from various flying machines, dirigibles, and what have you. All, however, bristle with weaponry, ranging from arcane cannons that rain down spellbombs to energy weapons that sear flesh and bone alike. Some are even rumored to be able to fire great lightning cannons or energy weapons from their undersides that could devastate entire villages and towns.

No Aerie has ever been recognized as captured, or even explored, and it seems the lahim, though known for their raiding and war-like tendencies, treat the sacking of another Aerie as a breech of the rules of engagement. Just what exactly goes on in those ominous flying cities (and what powers them) may never be known to the outside world.

Wilderlands of High Fantasy

Atavik's Hammer

+2 Holy Evil Outsider Bane Warhammer

Found by chance as the Unbreakable adventuring company headed south from Bugbear Falls to Modron,  the hammer lay entwined in mutated vines that were being dug at by an ettercap, who sprung to attack the party when approached, for fear of losing its prize. The hammer was claimed after the battle by Jadazh, who knew as much lore about the thing as one could possibly hope.

Atavik's Hammer, for any name Atavik may have given it is certainly lost to time, was forged for that warrior during the Demon Siege of 3227 BCCC by forces loyal to the Overlord to help combat the demon hosts of the World Emperor, though the fate of its wielder was ultimately lost to time.

The warrior Atavik would, himself, be lost to time, if not for the hammer's unique design. Though seemingly carved from a block of white marble, the grip is fairly plain and obviously crafted for function, the rest of the handle and the head are crafted to look like angels, back to back, with their wings in mid-beat, wrapping around the heads of both sides. A serene look on the faces of the angels of both sides affirms that this weapon is a tool of Good, and indeed, Atavik's hammer functions as a Holy weapon. In addition, the hammer functions as a Bane weapon against evil beasts from other planes of existence.

With the rarity of magical weaponry, an item like Atavik's Hammer has the tendency to draw eyes, and Jadazh's ownership is now known, due to flaunting it at his hip and on his tavern table in Modron, and there is no telling what kind of trouble that might eventually lead to, if any.

Let's Say Our ABC's And Meet Some Friends!

Hello neighbor!

In the coming days, I have a series of posts that I will be sprinkling in with my usual Actual Play spots and whatever else strikes my fancy in the meantime. The first of these will be in the Dungeon Alphabet style, with three separate posts (or three items per post, whichever), one for each of my "current" projects; Wilderlands, Khardtha, and the Pathfinder APs.

Each snippet will, at varying lengths, give a snapshot of the subject matter and how it fits into the campaign, as well as suggestions on incorporating them into other campaign settings or game systems, as I see fit.

The second type of post I'll be scattering throughout is a collection of NPCs from various games of differing systems, all using the core books of any given system to create them at the power of a starting character, so that lazy players may use them as their characters, and lazy GMs have an instant NPC, complete with motivations, etc.

Hang with me, I do have a lot to talk about other than just that and my current games, and I hope that you chime in for discussion in the comments!

Khardthan Kritters: The Climatog

Climatog

This humanoid, looking like an odd breeding of a goblin and a frog, has skin that mirrors the colors of the sky and clouds above almost perfectly.

Climatog                             CR 3
XP 800
CE Small monstrous humanoid
Init +5; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEFENSE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 25 (3d10+3)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4
Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFENSE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (average)
Melee bite +5 (d6+1)
Special Attacks entropic weather, growing storm,
over-sized mouth
Spell-like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +5)
3/day - obscuring mist
1/day - gust of wind (DC 14)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------
STATISTICS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 15
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats Improved Initiative, Toughness
Skills Fly +4, Perception +4, Survival +4 (+12 weather related)
Racial Modifiers Survival +8
Languages Atog
SQ weather attunement, wind riding
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ECOLOGY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environment any outdoors
Organization solitary, pair, gust (3-5), storm (5-20)
Treasure standard (items only)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------           
Entropic Weather (Su) The presence of a (or many) climatog
causes the weather to worsen gradually over time until acid rain,
dangerous lightning storms, or whatever other weather condition 
might be appropriate to the area occurs.
Growing Storm (Su) As the number of climatogs grows in any
given area, their synchronicity with weather also grows, allowing
them the ability to cast more weather-based magic. At the GM's
discretion, they may add an additional 1/day casting of a weather-
themed spell for every three climatogs in the area. The spell can be
an additional level above 1st for every three climatogs in the area.
The climatogs can be no further than 30' apart for this ability to
function.
Some recommended spells include Frostbite or Fog Cloud.
Over-sized Mouth (Ex) A climatog makes bite attacks as if it
were one size category larger.
Weather Attunement (Ex) A climatog gets a +4 on saves against
any ability or natural hazard that could be considered a weather-
related effect, such as extreme heat or the effects of a gust of wind
spell.  This includes spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.
Wind Riding (Ex) Climatogs may, if able to catch a draft, launch them-
selves into the air and ride the wind currents. This ability is not flight, and
the climatog must have some form of current or updraft to ride to remain
aloft. If no such currents exist, the climatog cannot use this ability and
remains grounded or, if in the air when the wind ceases, will descend for
one round under its own movement, then will begin to fall.
The climatog can use its own gust of wind spell-like ability to rocket
itself or others of its kind into the air.


Mean spirited and manic, climatogs live their lives in the toil of generating as much entropy in the local climatology and biosphere as possible. Resembling nothing more than the horrible union of a giant, warty toad and a goblin, which then caught the mange (looks shared by all atogs), these creature's skin takes on a chameleon mein, mirroring exactly the color of the sky and passage of clouds, snow, or ash overhead.

Legends on Khardtha relate tales of the atogs, in the guise of a halfling-like race from far distant lands, as the once-great masters and innovators of crafts both magic and mundane, and that those of their ilk who were first wronged by or had become jealous of these gifts twisted into the abominations now known as atogs, each only able to focus on the downfall and/or destruction of the thing they once held dear.

After reading the myths and legends surrounding the race, climatogs, it is reasoned, were once associated with powerful machines or magics that dealt with the weather in some capacity. One atog of any type in an area is enough of a problem for anyone nearby, but the particular sympathetic relationship that climatogs have with the weather can be disastrous for local farmers, as the longer climatogs are in a region, the worse the weather gradually gets, until you have once-fertile valleys wracked with drought or flooding, or continuously damaging acid rain storms.

Though often associated with gremlins due to their destructive natures, even one of those fey will take time out of their depredations to correct anyone on the matter.

Climatogs typically stand at a hunched 1-1/2 feet tall, but can rise up to 3 feet tall and usually weigh in at around 35 pounds.

Climatogs in Eberron
Climatogs can be found, perhaps not so strangely, dwelling in areas close to House Lyrandar conclaves, perhaps drawn by the House's own sympathy with the weather. Some have even said that powerful Lyrandar mages and druids keep company with climatogs, using them as familiars and companions, though this is unconfirmed.
Further, rumor has it that the choppy seas and horrible storms in and around Xen'drik are caused by mass populations of climatogs. Again, this is unconfirmed. 

Climatogs in GolarionClimatogs were once a productive race, in fact they were the First Ones, who settled the planet Aballon and made use of its energies from the proximity of the sun and the vast mineral wealth to form a wondrous society and forge great discoveries from this bounty. Then, something changed. What it was is unknown. A breakdown of cooperation and progress fueled by rivalries and petty jealousy? A failure of some of their great technologies? A discovery the likes that should not be known?

Now, all that remains of their once-great civilization is the ruins of their cities. The droves of robots turned loose to do their last operative over and over. Some of the atogs escaped, scattering throughout the solar system, but there are still others left on Aballon. Perhaps some even remember their former glory.

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When I first created Khardtha back when I was in high school, quite a lot of the setting was informed by Magic: The Gathering, since it was actually the fantasy game (as well as novel line) I was most familiar with before I got into tabletop rpgs. This monster is an offshoot of the atog race featured in M:tG, and holds the basic premise of those kinds of creatures in that they exist simply to destroy something, be that the timestream (Chronatog), the mind (Psychatog), or even other atogs (Atogatog).

This is something new. I'd not created it back then, I created it yesterday, and I think it can definitely find a place in my campaign, should I ever revisit my homebrew.

Now that I've completed the monster, I'm not so certain I got it right. It has a lot of abilities, some of which are ill-defined and hard to do at the table, and having more of them create the power scale increase instead of having to destroy or sacrifice something isn't truly keeping with the spirit of what a Climatog card (which their isn't one) would do, but I feel like their abilities give a GM a chance to build a story around the creature, and sometimes that can be hard to do with only a one page writeup.

If anyone spots a mistake in my math, or otherwise has questions or comments, please share. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself here.

Khardtha Kompendium, part 2.

The other day at the shop, Carl and I were discussing my upcoming 4E campaign and he asked how many dead characters I had. I thought it was odd that he brought that up, but he then mentioned it being a neat twist if, for 'elite' baddies, I used fallen characters. I thought this was an awesome idea. I keep the characters of people who die in games I play in as an odd quirk. I think it ties into my real fascination with death or something.

Anyway, the idea is good, and it would make my job a little easier to just flip through my folders and find a character at random to convert and then field against the PCs. The only question left, however, would be why these individuals would resemble old PCs (and NPCs) so closely, with the same mannerisms, etc.

This is what I came up with:
Having been created by a mortal, the world of Khardtha had no true ties to a divine power of creation. Even now, with the increased power of the gods, forming something so powerful as a soul is a task that requires a significant amount of power. Thus, instead of starting anew, the deities have channeled souls from other realities and reuse them, reincarnating the beings they once were and then reshaping the soul into other beings after it has passed again and come fully under their dominion, with no ties to their previous existances.

Not that this will ever become common knowledge, but it works for me, and it justifies something I'll be doing...or not doing, depending on where the game goes. And yes, I DO understand that I don't have to justify everything I do. Some things just 'happen,' but I think that's a unique twist and shows that the gods and Khard himself aren't the all-powerful beings that other campaign settings have.

I have some thoughts on Giants and Titans as well as Fey all coming up! Stay tuned! Same Bud Time! Same Bud Channel! (I hate being called Bud, but yeah...it works)