NPFTH: Sentient Relics (Collected) - Encounters for OSE, Mörk Borg, and NPFTH
Game Design Log #34
This is a compilation of the previous posts of “Sentient Relics”, so you can see them all together in the same place.
These creatures are meant to be used in NPFTH, but you can also use them in your OSR/NSR game by applying the simple conversion that is below (written for OSE and Mörk Borg).
Relics are kept as a source of holiness in shrines, and as a token of the man-king-god to present to the new followers colonists are meant to amass. In “dead wheeled holy towns”, these relics become sentient due to the interaction with the Chasm (energy arising from the gap that exists between the world as seen by the islanders and the colonists).
If you use them in your game (and/or in different setting), “Sentient Relics” fit well in shrines and sacred places that have been affected by magic, curses, or any kind of weird energy that could make a relic sentient.
If you are building a “Dead Holy Wheeled Town” you have to roll for one of these relics.
Roll 1d12
Thorny hammer of the Silent Mother.
Bell of the First Word.
Gallows of the first Sinner.
Helm of the Warrior Priest.
Flaming heart of the penitent mother.
First Tree of Fervour.
Undying holiness of eternal repentance.
Leviathan of Holy Scribes.
Mirror of the First Vision.
Brothers of the Sin and the Pain incarnated.
The stag head of the blind queen.
Sphere of the illusions of the sinners’ life.
CONVERSION FOR OTHER OSR GAMES
All of these creatures make reference to something call “Grief” and sometimes to a tactic/attribute/stat of the PCs, so if you want to use them in your OSR game…
…for something like OSE you can use this:
Grief → XP or Treassure carried by PCs or sum of both (divided by 1000).
Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)
Strong → STR
Agile → DEX
Imposing → CHA
Resilient → CON
Sneaky → DEX
Observant → WIS
…for something like MÖRK BORG you can use this:
Grief → Omens, or Silver dived by 100, or the sum of both.
Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)
Strong → Strenght
Agile → Agility
Imposing → Presence
Resilient → Toughness
Sneaky → Agility
Observant → Presence
…In the case of Sentient Relics (for Mork Borg and OSE)
Imposing → stat for everything
Chasm → HP (because they are fed by the Chasm)
…for both you could also add this:
Let the PCs spend “X” HP to increase their roll by “X”.
Conditions modify the rolls of anything that make sense (spring ankle will hinder jumping, confused will hinder perceptions, anger will hinder interactions, etc…). Conditions stack.
If you dont want to use Conditions, then make them do as much d4 damage as their mnodifiers (ex: Sorrow -2 → 2d4 damage).
If anything has just one stat, it can use it for everything.
If anything make reference to number of Compulsions, you can remplace it with number of weapons or valuable belongings
20 Sentient Relics
1. Thorny hammer of the Silent Mother:
CHASM 2d6 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING 2d4 (stat for everything).
+ Grief of target to all its rolls.
What does it do?
Flies (30’)
Dark vision
Thorn hammering → 3d4
if at least 1d4=1, one thorn breaks, and the victim can’t speak.
Diamond Hammering → 1d10
Black light [1 chasm to activate]
Magical darkness in 30’ (10 m)
2. Bell of the First Word
CHASM: 2 + 1d8 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 2 + 2d4 (stat for everything) or Grief of target, whatever is larger.
What does it do?
Does not move
Tonge lash hammering → 1d8
Shadow Hands → 1d6
They have 1 Chasm (HP) each.
Create 2d4, they can be created as afar as 120’ (40m)
Move 30’ (10m) all of them
Forgotten Word → 1d6 + Grief Target
Reach 120’ (40m)
3. Gallows of the first Sinner
CHASM: 2d10 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING 2d4 (stat for everything).
— “own Grief” to the rolls of those looking at it.
What does it do?
Flies (30’)
Fog of despair → Reach 30’ (10m)
Roll Resilient DC 10 + own Grief
In fail → You get despair (-2) condition
Purple Ghosts → 1d6. Reach 30’ (10m)
Tendrils of sin → 1d10. Reach 10’ (3m)
Roll Agile DC 10 + own Grief
In fail → You get direct extra 1d6 damage and the relic recovers the same amount of Chasm.
4. Helm of the Warrior Priest
CHASM: 2d4 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 1d6 (stat for everything).
+ Grief of possessed to all its rolls.
What does it do?
Flies (60’)
Fire Bolt → 1d4. Reach 120’ (40m)
War cry [1 Chasm to activate]
Everyone who hears it is compelled to attack the closest being.
Tentacle Lash → 1d6
Tentacle Grip
Roll Agile DC 10 + Imposing
In fail, tentacles grip you
Posses
Only if a tentacle has a grip on you.
Roll Resilient DC 10 + Imposing
In fail, you become possessed by the helm.
5. Flaming heart of the penitent mother
CHASM: 2d20 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 3d8 (stat for everything).
Candles = Imposing
It has as many red candles as the max Grief of those looking at it
What does it do?
Speaks with compassion
Offers to be free from Grief by blowing out one candle
Grief freed in this way makes 2d4 of your blood to become black.
Each blown out candle becomes white.
Can command anyone full of black blood
Can throw each white candle as a fireball.
6d6
reach 150’
area 30’
6. First Tree of Fervour
To followers of the man-king-god it is manifested as a beautiful golden tree.
Its roots spread through the whole village, and it knows the beliefs and the price of the faith of those stepping on them.
CHASM: 3d10 + followers (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 2d8 + followers (stat for everything).
What does it do?
Makes the “offering/amulets to other gods and spirit” to burn the skin of those carrying them
2 chasm to activate.
2d6 direct damage.
Lures those with no blood to join the other souls it carries.
1 chasm to move 10’ those with no blood.
2 charms to consume them.
Root lash → 1d6 + victim Grief / 90’
Summons as Penitent Ghosts as the max Grief of those looking at it.
Relocate 1d6 Penitent Ghost at the end of its turn.
Penitent Ghosts
1 Chasm/Blood/HP.
Scream → 1d4
7. Undying holiness of eternal repentance
Stone statue, sword throbs like a heart.
CHASM: 2d20 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 3d8 (stat for everything).
What does it do?
Those in the same room get cold to the bone:
They get the condition Frozen (- own Grief)
Distort space
1 chasm per target
It can move anyone 10 x (victim Grief) feet.
Freezing Wind → 2d4, cone 30’ (10)
Mind space: 5 Chasm to activate
Anyone with more Grief than Blood falls asleep into the mind space.
In the mind space, the Undying holiness of eternal repentance:
Can teleport at the end of its turn.
Fights with a great sword, 1d10:
Air cut → line 30’
Tornado → 10’ around him
8. Leviathan of Holy Scribes
Giant scribe (8 feet).
Holy scriptures tattooed on his skin.
Embalmed and vacuum-sealed.
CHASM: 3d10 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 1d8 + number of letters on target’s name (stat for everything).
What does it do?
All that is spoken in his presence is tattooed on his skin. His skin shines when this happens.
Any word tattooed on his skin, he can use as a weapon against whom spoken it:
weapon die → (number of word’s letters) x d4
reach 120’
Erase name
1 chasm to activate → 1d4, reach 10’
Each hit crosses out a letter of the victim’s name.
Without a letter to cross out, a hit erases your name from existence.
without a name in each hit, the Leviathan can give you one condition with a modifier equal to the number of letters of the condition.
Instead of suffering the condition, you can choose to take the condition as your new name by adding it as a compulsion.
Cacophony → 1d6 + victim Grief, one target.
9. Mirror of the First Vision
What does it do?
When looking at it, you get mesmerized by your reflection:
If you want to step out of it, you must do a Resilient check vs 10 + Your Grief :
In a success, you can walk away.
In a fail, each foot you take of distance makes you bleed 1d6.
The mirror uses your reflection to talk back.
It knows everything about you.
It desires to be you:
It tries to convince you to touch hands with your reflection, and to look into your eyes.
If you do this, you get trapped on the other side and the mirror takes over your body. A new carving with your face adorns it frame.
If anyone breaks it, a Mirror Wraith emerges from it: Its front wearing the aspect of who was being reflected by the mirror, and its back reflective as a mirror.
Mirror Wraith
Chasm = Imposing = Grief of who its aspects belongs to.
Mirror Claws → 1d6, two attacks.
Mirror Shards → 1d6, range 60’
If you see yourself reflected on its back, a new Mirror Wraith wearing your aspect emerges from it.
10. Brothers of the Sin and the Pain incarnated
Marble statue. Real iron and gold swords.
Feeling of sorrow in the room.
What does it do?
All weapons weigh twice as much when in the same room.
Two dissonant whispers can be heard in the room.
If your Grief > Blood → Resilient vs 10 + Your Grief
In a fail, you need the Iron Sword.
If your Grief < Blood → Resilient vs 10 + Sum of the number of compulsion (or weapons/precious-belongings) of those in the room.
In a fail, you need the Golden Sword.
Wielding the Iron Sword
You don’t need any other weapon but this.
The sword talks in your mind; constantly reminds you of your pains.
It is a d4 sword that feeds from your Grief
For each Grief that you feed to the sword it gets an extra d4.
If there is any pair of equal results on the d4s, you suffer the condition Sorrow ( -{number of equal pairs})
Wielding the Golden Sword
You desire to carry as many weapons as you can.
The sword talks with your own voice; constantly reminds you of your sins.
It is a d6 sword that feeds from your compulsions (weapons/belongings).
For every compulsion (weapon/precious-belonging) you have, roll an extra d6.
Any odd number on the sword’s d6s allows you to roll an extra d6.
Any even number on the sword’s d6s makes you bleed for the same amount.
You can decide to ignore this bleeding by, instead, making the being you slash with the sword to be flooded by images of your regrets.
11. The stag head of the blind queen
Once just a stag head, with the eyes of the blind queen, the chasm has given the head a body and a temper.
He grieves the loss of the love of his queen, now long dead.
He is a remnant of the spirits of the land of the region where his queen reigned.
CHASM: 10 + d10 (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: 2 + 1d4 (stat for everything).
What does it do?
Fast (60’)
Can see in darkness.
Can smell a wound from miles away.
Attacks:
One with each hand → d6 or d10 for the hand with the weapon.
Or Hooves and Gore
Hooves at the start of movement → d8
Gore at the end of movement → 3d6
Any blood, red or green, that touches its body is absorbed into Chasm
12. Sphere of the illusions of the sinners’ life
CHASM: d6 x {Sum of the number of the compulsion (weapons/precious-belongings) of those under its candlelight} (Blood/HP).
IMPOSING: d8 + {Max grief of those within its candlelight} (stat for everything).
What does it do?
It tries to suffocate you into its smoke, to make you the new mind on the smoke.
For each compulsion (or weapon/precious-belongings if using other OSR) of those within its light, it can create 1 Smoke Slasher per turn.
Smoke Slasher (Chasm = Imposing = 4)
Claws → d6
Move 30’
Suffocate:
Beings at 10’ Resilience vs 10 + Smoke remaining Chasm
In a fail:
If conscious → fall unconscious.
If already unconscious → its mind gets trapped on the relic.
In a fail or a success → the smoke slasher dissipates.