On Unnamed Horizons

Saturday, October 29, 2022

OUH Quick Guides

I've condensed down the core of On Unnamed Horizons to about 20 pages, to try and make it more accessible. There's also a separate quick GM section (which is mostly tools for content creation) that's about 20 pages as well.

Please give it a look, and feel free to give any constructive criticism!

https://onunnamedhorizons.itch.io/on-unnamed-horizons

Note: players still need to reference the full book when creating characters, for the Features list.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

On Unnamed Horizons, Public Beta Release 1.0

https://onunnamedhorizons.itch.io/on-unnamed-horizons

Please feel free to give me constructive feedback or critiques!

Friday, October 7, 2022

Inverted Dungeon Pyramid

I'm sure this idea has probably already been done in some shape or form, but it's been sitting in my unused pile for a while so here it is.

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Normally: dungeon ecologies tend to form a sort of pyramid, with large threats like dragons, beholders, and liches at the top and small threats like goblins, bandits, and zombies at the bottom.

As a writing exercise- what if we inverted this dungeon pyramid, while maintaining it's integrity?

Instead of inverting the individual creature or fundamentally changing their design philosophy, we instead tweak the context- changing their environments, relationships, how abilities work- to make the little guys the fundamental threat.

Some idea constraints / tenants (to try to stick to or ignore, I'm not in charge of you):

1. It's not just about whose in command (e.g. the dragon being the threat but the goblin is it's boss). It's about flipping the usual design philosophy (e.g. the dragon is less of a threat then the goblins; dragons are the common encounter at the start of a dungeon, goblins are the big one at the end).

2. Try to keep the spirit of their original design niche in tact (e.g. goblins are numerous and weak, dragons are massive and strong, etc). Keeping all the numbers the same of course doesn't quite work for balance, but you can try to where it counts.

3. When possible: its good / easy to draw on real work biology, history, sociology, etc.

4. Try not to take too much time on these, quick pitches work better.

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Kobolds

Pretty sure most tabletop folks know the idea of the trap-expert guerilla warfare kobolds by now; they're a natural fit which is why I'll mention them here.

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Dragons

While truly immense, powerful, and strong- dragons are still beasts. One need not look further in the real world then the ruthless hunting of elephants or rhinos to think of how mighty beasts can become hunted. (Some fantasy settings already have versions of this with people hunting for blood or bones or scales and such). Now place that elephants with treasure hordes and some greedy adventurer will find a way.
Depending on the system: one of the problems "boss" enemies normally face in games is one of action economy. With a creature like a dragon, it's easy to see how this could manifest within the narrative as well. Even if you're a mighty dragon, you can only take out enemies so quickly, and there's always many more of them. Even if you can breath fire or fly, being surrounded by fifty men with longbows may put you down (barring impenetrable scales of course).
One of the main things dragons are famous for is sleeping. How deep can this sleep be? How easy is it for a dragon to wake, let alone muster the energy to move it's massive body? (Greyoll- the large immobile dragon from Elden Ring- comes to mind as an example.)

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Goblins

Goblins are numerous, smaller than average, and traditional goblin society tends to be a raucous affair.

But why is goblin society so boisterous and uncontrolled? It's because they are G*d's chosen.

No like literally. It's not some religious belief. Like the last page of every holy text agrees the last thing G*d said before he headed out for cigarettes was "Goblins are my favorite," to everyone else's dismay.

Version 1:

The psychological weight of this is unbalancing. Would a god-fearing adventurer Cain the Abel represented by Goblin kind? Would Goblins be treated as nobility, for G*d's favor?

Version 2:

As a result of this blessing: they do not face the consequences of any of their actions.

Why are they so numerous or brutish? It's not because of anything eugenical, they just don't need to be careful or smart or polite.

Kick your baby like a football? They'll laugh between each bounce.

Don't eat for six months? You're emaciated and skinny sure, but one meal more and you're right as rain.

Get your head bashed in? Boy you'll have one comical bump on the head.

They are two steps from being living cartoon characters, and if they infest your temple or dungeon it's best to just give it to them and move on rather than try and negotiate with G*d's immortal clowns.

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Liches

How are liches made? Technically through careful magic and study yes- but then again there are many wizards and sorcerers who never descend into lichery.

Liches are truly born from someone with such world-bending skill suffering from intense paranoia, dread, and existential fear that they can do nothing else but follow their compulsions. There's always cracks in their defenses, vulnerabilities they need to plug up, people they should avoid.

They become furtive, scurrying around hiding their phylacteries in ever more careful spots- never realizing that by constantly moving them and fretting over them, it makes it abundantly obvious where it is or that their unbreakable vault with an undecipherable password just needs to get shaken real hard to break the thing inside.

The ultimate irony of a lich is that while they obsessively clutch to life and work so hard to safeguard themselves with magical solutions, they are blind to basic solutions or self-maintenance. Their immortal bodies run ragged from lack of attention. Everything that made them actually worthwhile falls to ruins in favor of anxious safety.

Your average lich encounter is basically a case of The Riddler:

Lich: "Nyahaha fools- you'll never solve my puzzle box and defeat me!"

Party: "What if one of us just punches you into dust while the rest of us smash the box with hammers?"

Lich: "It's not fair! You cheated! Noooooooo"

etc etc etc

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Zombies

You guys have seen Zombie movies. I feel just slotting a virulent undead, forgotten in some tomb, springing to life to release a scourge counts enough here.

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Blink Dog

Blink dog's are excitable little pups that travel in packs, love meat, and can bend space-time at a whim.

They also can tele-frag you, shunt portions of your body off to nowhere, or straight up chestburst in a puddle of destruction.

A whole pack of blink dogs operating together becomes even more nightmarish, as they'll go on a coordinate hunt to take out throats, underbellies, etc.

Rumor tells some Blink Dogs, when backed into a corner, will also condense into a singularity in a moment of sacrifice for the sake of the pack- or perhaps it's how more Blink Dogs are made.

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Mindflayers

Mindflayers in theory could become a threat, however the following factors keep them as a more just a deadly nuisance rather than psychic masters:

A mindflayer tadpole may insert itself into a host, and slowly take control of them. However, this is preventable with many basic folk solutions (e.g. sleeping with some salt near your pillow, a simple net around the bed, etc). As a result: mindflayers tend to only sprout from the weak, desperate, or foolish. Since most mindflayers grow in the bodies of wandering drunkards or homeless rabble, they start off life in a particularly bad spot. Even the best of the countryside tend to be malnourished- getting your tentacles on a wealthy noble or adventurer is unheard of.
On a similar note: the most nutritious food source for the mindflayer- the brains of wizards and other scholarly types- are few and far between. Even if they weren't protected, the ratio of wizards to mindflayers is incredibly small. The most common form of brain they can eat is again peasantry, which are paltry thanks to the anti-education efforts by the nobility to keep the peasantry in line. "Oh boy, new local gossip" or "That goddamn rabbit keeps getting in to my cabbages" aren't exactly reality bending sorcerous secrets.
Every fucking adventurer these days are wearing fucking metal helmets do you know how hard it is to crunch your damn teeth on a metal helmet
Maybe elder brains are all ending of Phantom Menace-y? I dunno

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Purple Worm

Worms are mostly underground.

Yes they are all big and poisonous and scary but they have to dig. Like the fastest worm still only goes like, 0.05 miles per hour, and that's in good loose earth. Even on foot you're like 50 times faster then it.

And above ground? They are giant, blind, and still slow. Unless you're like tied down or really care about a building in it's path, it's no big deal.

Just slowly walk without rhythm away and you're fiiine.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Gnomonia

A riff on a thing mentioned in The Phegnomenon from I Don't Remember That Move

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Every forest is cursed, this is common knowledge.

One of the more peculiar and dangerous curses emanate from fairy rings. You can tell such a cursed forest from a whiles off by looking for the proper signs.

The woods themselves will be full of new growths- with any older trees being nothing but smooth spires. Hornless deer will meander around, occasionally painted strange hues but always with a scared look in their eyes. Emaciated bears will forage for honey, as it's the last thing their toothless mouths can ingest.

Such peculiarities are all thanks to gnomenogenesis- the spontaneous transmutation of pointed objects into gnomes- which occurs within a certain radius of fairy circles.

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The effect of course hinges on a couple factors:

The more cone-like something is, the quicker it will become a gnome.

Cones will transform near instantly.
Simple pointed objects like swords may take hours.
Non-pointed objects which still end in a stump may take days to weeks.

The closer to the Gnome Core of a fairy ring the subject is, the quicker the transformation will take place.

As a result, the area immediately around a fairy ring is almost instantly lethal under normal circumstances. Besides the near instant transformation of all matter into gnomes, the raw density of gnomes also leads to a dense cannibalistic throng of micro-gnomes as an additional hazard. Even other gnomes tend to avoid fairy rings as a result.

Even at a distance, gnomenogenesis can result in the horrifying condition of gnomonia in which the body breaks down into gnomes.

Cases of gnomonia typically arise in the teeth first, or horns if a creature has them. The danger lies however when the extremities begin to experience symptoms. When the digits go, soon the limb will break off into a gnome. And once the limbs have gone, the torso and head will eventually succumb to gnomonia together.

Occasionally tying up a criminal to be tortured and transformed into gnomes may be used as a form of torture or execution, however it is typically much more popular to somehow affix a cone-like hat to the victim and then simply turn them loose to transform into a gnome all at once.

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Those travelling through a gnome-infested wood are highly recommended to take all efforts to disguise any points they or their property may have. Wearing mittens, rounded sheaths, capping teeth, shaving down horns, and more are just some of the basic precautions. And under no circumstances should anyone bring any actual cone-shaped objects, or the voyage may as well be lost.

Travelling with a ranger of the gnomewoods is also highly recommended, for dealing with any gnomes which may be encountered on the journey. One can tell a seasoned ranger from a novice by the following symptoms of repeat gnomonia:

The canine teeth are almost always the first things to desert the ranger in the woods, leaving them with a peculiar whistling voice.
Fingers may often be lost- if not directly to gnomonia, then to the gnomes themselves.
Elder rangers or the supremely cautious are usually completely devoid of all hair. For does hair not end in a point which may become gnome?
Beware of any old rangers with beards, hats, or spritely smiles. If they have not yet been put down by their brothers in arms, they will soon heed the call of their new and more petty brethren.

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The gnomes themselves are pitiful nuisances. They look akin to your standard garden gnome, but distorted into the proportions of whatever spawned them (e.g. a long thing spindly gnome made from a sword, a little stout tooth gnome, etc). Deep in their hearts they feel only a love of mischief- specifically mischief involving the highest and most elaborate efforts.

Gnomes have been observed spending hours setting up elaborate traps to hurl dung at travelers, sneaking through underbrush to drug travelers and graffiti their faces with crude drawings, or making a racket to try and just cause a wandering creature to attack at an inopportune time.

Above all else, gnomes are only in it for pranks.

Normally this wouldn't be too much of a danger outside of wasted time or resources (and given the density of pissed off beings in vicinity of a gnome forest: more chances at dangerous encounters). However- given that the more you are delayed in the gnome wood, the more you are subjected to gnomonia- the danger of becoming trapped or diverted closer to the fairy ring substantially increases the mortal peril. There's a reason mothers tell their children tales of rascals who ran away to the woods, only to end up sad limbless sacks to be taunted by gnomes with no escape other then death by gnomonia.

Thankfully should the worst arise gnomes may be dealt with.

Gnomewood rangers often act akin to rodeo clowns, of a sort- purposefully triggering traps or walking into gnomish jokes to buy time for the main group to escape. They are experts at how to take the tumble and play along with the act, as well as general escape artistry.

Gnomes in general also can be bargained with. They are about as reasonable as a child, and hold interest in similar childish things like toys or material for their pranks. They will also try to bargain for pointed objects or cones. Under no circumstances should the latter ever be given to them. In return: their skillset is fairly limited to prank-based engineering and japes however, which along with their limited attention span make them marginally helpful.

As a last resort, getting a gnome to laugh can be distraction enough. Though trying to match their unique sense of humor can be a tall task.

Rumors also tell of some gnomes more devoted to their craftsmanship, who spend their days devising large cone monoliths. Nobody has really seen such monoliths completed, but then again nobody has really seen any massive gnomes either...

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Random Word Wizards 1

For a long stretch, I’ve hit that terminal stage of compiling personal house rules and experimental ideas into my own homebrew system- one made with the goal of not necessarily being good but doing things as differently as I can manage.

But that’s not terribly interesting- everyone has their own system or preferred style of play anyway.

For the purposes of reading this all one needs to know is magic is just rolling dice to do things within a narrow few-word domain. This little writing exercise is just here to tinker around with potential spell casters made from randomly generated words.

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A Body of [Tessellation + Organs + Volume]
Meat wizards that bend and fold labyrinthine forms within themselves. Miles upon miles of intestine, massive twisting chambers with countless livers, a gaggle of hearts beating out a drum solo. They appear normal, but can perform all sorts of superhuman feats- thanks to their space-folded muscle. Can occasionally go all Akira if they encounter spatial anomalies or let their controls go

Spells which perform [various Verbs] upon [Math]
One of the very orthodox wizard varieties, and one of the most powerful. By using magic, they can bend the base law of the universe in a variety of unpredictable ways within the local area- hence their great threat and the many required years of study. If all of reality were an equation after all, imagining shifting just changing one number around. If within a set area, 1 + 1 = 3.

Spells which perform [various Verbs] upon [Drama]
Part actor and part provocateur; basically all about inciting dramatic events. The spark of tragedy, a whirlwind romance, a blood feud, many things. Most dress half like a flamboyant rake and half like a performance artist, enough so that you know their kind upon sight. This is because more often then not, they do not even really use their magic. They simply receive money for staying the hell away. When they are invited to things, it’s usually an outright ploy by whoever invited them- which then leads to drama and intrigue regardless. Some theorize this is because they can wield their craft so subtly, others argue they aren't even real and they’re just two-bit weirdos. The latter camp may not entirely be wrong in their view, as people impersonating Dramamancers in an attempt to extort money due to the sheer danger of them is actually quite a serious problem.

Spells which pertain to [Stranger]
Basically they cause dementia. Wander into somebody’s life, warp their minds, wander out. They usually wipe people’s memories of themselves as a formality, making themselves forgotten enigmas. Isolated and confused targets can be easily duped. What are these white little stones in my mouth? What is this metal thing in my hand? What is breathing. Encountering them can be a very horrifying experience, and should be layered in purple prose for players. Why do they do this? Some people say even their practitioners forget why. Is it a vendetta against higher thought? Perhaps their original purpose was to erase something from the memories of mankind, for their own safety. Whose to say.

Spells which perform [Elongation] upon [various Nouns]
Long spindly strangeness. Involved in industry via fletchers, thread spinners, etc. Often efficient in combatting skilled melee combatants by randomly warping their bodies to create openings as well as weak points. Also well versed in twisting their own bodies, doing some zoom punches or stilt walking. Their signature weapon is the thousand-point lance, or as commoners say “stag antlers”; staves which come to many branched points. They constantly elongate these sharp points for all sorts of purposes. Goring targets on numerous spikes, breaking them off for improvised projectiles, using the staff to create makeshift bridges- numerous uses. More skilled Elongateers even utilize a technique whereby the randomly elongate spikes along strange angles to create near-impossible to dodge attacks.

Spells which pertain to [Resolve]
Speed things up, religion for entropy. Respect brevity, talking quickly. They do not believe so much in rampant murder and suicide and so forth, just helping things reach their natural conclusion much quicker. If you have a disease- they’ll accelerate that disease. Useful for colds, terrible for cancers. Never a major cult given this, but have been aligned with numerous major powers over the years. Most often align with druids, advancing plants overtaking the world or decaying stone back into nothing. In combat they can be devastating- turning squads of fighters into senile elders wrapped in rusty scrap metal. Enough together can wear down castles or any other obstacles with ease.

A Body of [Birth + Self + Grow]
Strange beings, all named Rodan, with bodies covered in lumpy growths. Each growth gestates a copy of the original being, which will bud off and quickly grow. Besides the obvious applications of this, making oneself much harder to kill through sheer numbers, it also can serve to revert serious injuries or as an unconventional solution to many problems. Need to cross a chasm? Fill it with bodies. Need to break down a wall? Use some bodies. Need to descend a cliff very fast? You get the picture. While each Rodan doesn’t look exactly the same- encompassing the broad variety of humanity in biological sex, skin tone, etc- it is believed they all originate from some original Rodan. They all claim to be the original Rodan anyway, with many able to recite fractured and different accounts of some of the same primordial memories. With each offspring they produce, there are inevitable mutations and changes- deviations from the previous norm. Was this perhaps intentional by the initial Rodan, to become perfect through iteration? Or just inevitable and uncontrolled genetics?

[Update] Life

It's been a minute huh

Almost like something happened there

Something on a global scale that is still happening

A blog I started on a whim has been the furthest thing on my mind- compared to trying to find stable work, health concerns, etc etc. Life & responsibility will always come first after all.

It's not been all bad however, and trying to stay positive is important. In the scope of this blog:

- I created my own tabletop system and started testing it and ironing out all the problems with it. Who knows, maybe I'll publish it online if I ever stop constantly tweaking it.

- I've run about three concurrent campaigns in a shared sandbox setting, for the sake of the above testing, and they've all been going well. It's been a real psychological boon over the course of the pandemic.

- I've had some of my most productive times lately creating and writing content.

I'm always nervous about what exactly to share online- partially about what is actually of quality and worth sharing, partially about keeping a couple of the really good ideas under my hat, partially over what is "finished," and lastly over the fear that someone out there has already done something similar enough that it's all marked as plagiarism.

But then again what does any of that matter this is just a stream of consciousness blog I write and commit to the digital void- never to be seen again.

So: gonna try and update this more often. If I'm a liar, find me and punch me.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The Future Elite

We live in the past.

Or, more sensibly stated, everything we perceive is delayed. The conduction of sensory signals isn’t instantaneous after all. The flow of ions, the building potential of gradients, the rush of neurotransmitters- all of this takes time, however brief. All of life takes place compensating for a veil of latency.

But this isn’t about us, it’s about them- the Future Elite.

Often, they are born or mature under strange circumstances. A baby born, suckling on the spine of a half-born twin. A young boy, changed after surviving a seemingly-deadly blow to the head. A little girl, whom caught the fever despite warnings of looking away from the shivering star.

Such children seemingly lose the ability to function in society. They seem cognizant, but unable to interact properly. Their speech comes out choppy and distant. Sometimes their hands jitter, doing something just bordering on the perceivable. Any tasks which they may attempt, they seem to do quickly. But perhaps most distressingly, is the constant fear in them reacting to something which we can’t perceive.

Whatever has sparked change in them, has broken one of the core mechanisms by which the human brain operates. Without the latency intrinsic to how a human mind perceived the world, they have awoken to something- something hiding behind the milliseconds of time which is filtered between the eyes and the brain.

Most children are not fortunate enough to live into their adulthood. Hence why the colloquial name “the Future Elites” coined by the disavowed scholar Barthock Pauling has since fallen out of favor for the term Sheeghr. Many are merely tried as witches, demons, or other aberrations and disposed of by villagers. Some manage to survive by the grace of their family, kept gibbering away some place apart from human contact in a spatial manner to match the temporal one. Most meet unfortunate ends from self-inflicted injuries acquired when attempting to deal with whatever it is they find within the true-present that they see.

Those rare children that manage to make it into their adulthood however, are incredibly dangerous. Having existed without human compassion for years or perhaps experiencing some cosmic truth not meant for human eyes has left them twisted. Those that had precious few years of normalcy may cling to small mementos from a world that made sense, but many are prone to living in manner more befitting beasts then person.

Beyond their quickness, those Sheeghr which have lived to adulthood also manifest a number of strange abilities. Their movements are silent, and carry incredible power. Their bodies generate precious little heat, beyond that which is absolutely required. Pauling hypothesized that “the Future Elite instinctively possess a limited power to losslessly utilize energy,” however this claim hasn’t been investigated outside of his own research. As many of the specificities have been censured for heresy after Pauling was found beaten to death, it may remain unclear.

Sheeghr may be found wandering- filthy, scared, and starving. As even with nothing but the barest of rags they can be deadly, it is highly suggested to avoid them unless you are a thoroughly prepared expert. Typically Sheeghr show little interest in people, instead intently focused on the source of their fear. However, if trapped or otherwise interfered with by a person, a Sheeghr will not hesitate to resort to violent behavior. They seem to seek only to try and deal with the source of their fear- through any number of ways. Some run, some attempt some form of bizarre ritual behavior, etc. Sheeghr are often found near civilized areas. It is advised to simply give them space, to avoid eye contact, to let it merely pass until it becomes somebody else’s problem.